With the release of Volume 1 of Stranger Things, many fans have voiced their own theories about what’s to follow in Volume 2 and the finale when they’re released on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. While some are less realistic than others, theories range from speculating which characters will die to how the whole show has been a Dungeons and Dragons campaign all along. A few fan theories stand out among the rest however.
In season 4, it is revealed that Will is in love with his best friend Mike. Since then, fans have engaged in discourse over whether Mike will stay with his girlfriend, Eleven, or be with Will. The final scenes of episode 4 depicted a montage of Will and Mike as children as Will finally accepts himself, enabling him to use his newfound powers. Some fans think that Will using his powers is because he was able to let go of Mike, especially after his conversation with Robin, but others believe that this scene only solidifies their growing relationship. One theory that fans have dubbed “painting gate” is a popular idea revolving around Mike learning the truth about the painting Will said Eleven commissioned back in season 4 being the catalyst for the beginning of their relationship. Most fans of this relationship are certain that it is going to happen. When Vada Szechenyi (11) was asked about which prediction she thought was going to happen, she affirmed her confidence in Mike and Will’s relationship being endgame.
The Duffer brothers, creators of the Stranger Things, have mostly strayed away from killing any main character up until this point, but for the final season, they have confirmed that there will be some deaths among major characters. Online, fans have been theorizing who will die and how it will happen. These predictions often center around Robin, Steve, Hopper, Jonathan, Will, or Eleven dying. A viral theory on TikTok states that Robin is going to die in episode 5 titled “Shock Jock”. The definition of shock jock is a disc jockey on a radio show who expresses opinions in a deliberately provocative way, and this definition fits Robin’s role as a DJ sending out coded messages through WSQK. Fans think that Robin will meet her end by literally getting shocked in an escapade dealing with the satellite tower, however, other watchers think Jonathan or Murray will die in this episode.
Season 5 also introduced allusions to A Wrinkle in Time with the introduction of Henry Creele’s persona Mr. Whatsit, adding time travel as a possibility to stop Vecna. In Volume 1 of season 5, Erica Sinclair is shown in her science class learning about wormholes, tunnels that act as short cuts to distant points using time travel. In the novel, a character named Mrs. Whatsit explains how she travels between dimensions using the analogy of an ant on a hem, paralleling Mr. Clarke explaining how crossing dimensions worked to the party in season 1.
There are a countless number of other theories across all social media platforms, and no matter what takes place in the final episodes, Stranger Things has solidified its spot as an amazing show that will be remembered for years to come.
