It’s been more than nine years since Stranger Things became a TV phenomenon, and the series just changed the context of Season 1’s ending ahead of its Season 5 premiere. Stranger Things Season 5, which will close out the story for good, will release on Netflix in three parts. The first arrives on November 26, which means that Netflix is ramping up publicity around the show — and fans are doing some last-minute speculation. Their biggest questions about Vecna and the Upside Down should be answered when the new episodes premiere. However, the series just solved a longtime mystery a little early.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Stranger Things Season 1 revolves around Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) disappearance. But while we know he’s trapped in the Upside Down, we aren’t given much insight into what happens while he’s there. This is changing, as Netflix released the opening scene of Stranger Things season 5 ahead of its release. In just five minutes, it adds new layers to Will’s Season 1 story, filling in the gaps of his absence. It also completely changes the ending of the show’s first outing, further upping the stakes for the series’ characters.
Stranger Things Season 5’s Opening Reveals Vecna’s Role In Everything
Netflix’s newly released clip of Stranger Things Season 5 sees Will running from a Demogorgon in the Upside Down — though he faces a far worse villain when the monster catches him. Rather than killing him outright, the Demogorgon drags Will to the Creel House and presents him to Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). This brings the Netflix series full circle and confirms a harsh truth for the Hawkins gang: that Vecna has been pulling the strings the entire time. Vecna admits as much when he exposes Will to the Mind Flayer. He tells him, “We are going to do such beautiful things together, William.”
This scene changes the outcome of Stranger Things Season 1 significantly, as it suggests that Will didn’t escape the Upside Down by happenstance. It may seem like Joyce’s (Winona Ryder) endless determination and the gang’s meddling are responsible for Will’s survival. However, knowing that Vecna had Will in his clutches upends that belief. Unless there’s another twist coming, it appears that Vecna let Will escape on purpose. That alters the way we look at the first four chapters, and it sets up an even more intimidating final boss ahead of Season 5.
Watch the opening scene of Stranger Things Season 5 below:
Stranger Things Just Turned Season 1’s Victory Into A Defeat
The realization that Vecna is behind Will’s return to Hawkins changes the tone of Stranger Things Season 1’s ending, transforming what seems like a victory into a defeat. It’s natural to celebrate when Joyce and Hopper (David Harbour) retrieve Will from the Upside Down, but Season 5 could put a negative spin on it. It’s possible the characters have been winning individual battles while losing the larger war. That’s not to say that all is lost, but there’s now a good chance that Stranger Things‘ characters have been playing into Vecna’s hands throughout the first four outings.
It’s no longer plausible to write off Will’s connections to the Mind Flayer and Vecna as mere side effects of his trip to the Upside Down. He’s a pawn in Vecna’s game, whether he knows it or not, and that could present a problem for the Hawkins gang before Stranger Things is through. If all the group’s triumphs are what Vecna wanted, he’ll prove a more difficult opponent to deal with. The kids barely defeated him in Season 4, and this could indicate he’s got an ace up his sleeve. That raises major concerns ahead of Season 5.
What This Change Means For The Netflix Show’s Final Season
If Will is the key to Vecna’s takeover of Hawkins at the end of Stranger Things Season 4, we could see a tragic journey for him in the final season. The Netflix show’s creators and cast have teased that Will will play a more prominent role in the final chapter. Its opening scene finally explains why. Unfortunately, this could mean the task of setting things right will fall on Will, not Eleven. He might need to make a sacrifice in order to revert Hawkins to the way it was before Vecna used him to infiltrate it.
Even if things don’t get that dire, making Vecna responsible for all the threats of the last four seasons raises the stakes of this one. It means he’s a more strategic villain than he’s let on. That will make it harder for our favorite characters to outsmart him when Stranger Things Season 5 arrives. Needless to say, we’ll be heading into the last chapter of the series uneasy. With any luck, Vecna will overlook something crucial, even after all the years of planning.
What do you think of this Stranger Things Season 5’s opening? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
