‘Stranger Things’ Season 2: The Best Fan Theories
If you haven’t seen Stranger Things yet, you might be the only person on the planet who hasn’t. (Or, at least, on this side of the Upside Down.)
Netflix’s show about government experiments, underworld monsters, one telekinetic girl and a scrappy group of adventure-seeking boys took the world by storm when it premiered in 2016, and everyone is still clamoring for more.
With Season 2 in production, we rounded up some fan theories about what might happen to Will, Eleven, and the rest of the Hawkins crew when we return to The Upside Down. (Thanks to the sleuth work from Bustle, Thrillist, The Wrap and news.com.au for aiding in our hunt for possible Season 2 clues.)
Theory 1: The Demogorgon is a product of Eleven’s mind
Anyone who's watched the show can see just how mentally disrupted Eleven is as a result of all the experiments to which she was subjected. A popular theory is that the Demogorgon is actually a byproduct of Eleven’s trauma. It would be interesting if the show delved into the idea of her trauma being the catalyst for the creature’s existence, almost as if the Demogorgon is a manifestation of Eleven’s mental health. It would make sense as to why, in the finale, they both disappeared in an act of mutual self-destruction. It also lends some credibility to the other theory that Eleven is the one who opened The Upside Down to our world since her appearance is the very thing that shatters the veil between the two. Since they're linked, an argument can be made on both ends of the hero spectrum questioning whether the link between the monster and Eleven means she is evil, or that she is the only defense against it.
Theory 2: All the episodes titles mean something
This one lends itself to endless speculation, but when Netflix released the teaser trailer confirming a second season of the binge-worthy show, it came with a list of new episode titles emblazoned in that shiny red glow logo. Some of the titles include “The Boy Who Came Back To Life," “The Pollywog” and “The Lost Brother." While anyone could take a stab at what these all mean (or if they mean anything it all), some seem more blatant than others: “The Boy Who Came Back To Life” seems to be a reference to Will and his near-death experience, which was the focus of the whole first season. The internet seems to believe that “The Pollywog” could possibly be the gross slug-type thing Will coughed up in the bathroom in the final moment of Season 1, and though there’s no real backing behind this, theorists seems to think that “The Lost Brother” could reference a possible third Byers child, or a little more likely, a possible sibling for our Eggo-loving heroine, Eleven.
Theory 3: Will Byers isn’t exactly Will Byers anymore
There is no doubt that after dying in a dark realm surrounded my monsters and decay that Will would ultimately be changed, right down to his very core. But what if the change isn’t just a mental thing? Leaning into the above theory a little bit, the slug was just the tipping point as to what is wrong with poor little Will. There’s a lot of emphasis being placed on the fact that when he coughed up what very well might be the Pollywog, he didn’t scream in terror, but rather just stared in the mirror at his own reflection signifying the fact that something might just be a little off. It could have just been a remnant of Will’s time in The Upside Down. It could be possibly mean that Will is part monster. Or, it could even mean that The Upside Down is the reason Will is still alive. There’s also the fact that, when in The Upside Down, Will had the power to communicate to his mom through the lights, which could mean he possibly was given powers while there — or it could just be a result of the dimensional tear between the two worlds. The only thing that is certain is the fact that Will is not the same Will he was before he was sucked down into the dark trenches of The Upside Down.
Theory 4: Hopper’s daughter didn’t really die of cancer
Stranger Things made it clear from the start that a big premise of the show was the government experimentation on children, especially Eleven. It’s hard to believe that with a premise like that that Eleven would be the only poor unfortunate soul that the government got their hands on. Hopper’s daughter is shown several times through the first season, all in flashback, as to provide Hopper with some backstory and reasoning for his protection of Eleven, as well as the other kids. But to circle back to this idea of experimentation on kids, Hopper’s daughter could stand to be another young girl that was tormented and that her cancer could be a result of her time in The Upside Down. Or, perhaps her death is just a cover up, and she may not be dead after all. There's also the fact that many believe that Eleven could be Hopper’s daughter somehow, which could be supported by the fact that in the end of Season 1, Hopper is seen getting into a car with some shady individuals believed to be from the Government.
Theory 5: The Demogorgon was created by the government
This theory is merely just spitballing, but what if the government created the monster? What if the monster was meant to be a weapon of some sort, but the government lost control of it and it turned to get revenge on its creators? And in response to that, the government found Eleven and made her into a weapon — the only weapon that could destroy the Demogorgon? Exploring this further, it could be theorized that Will could be the "baby mama" for The Upside Down, gestating little baby creatures, like the slug he coughs up in the end of the first season. It would make sense as to why the government is letting Will live a somewhat normal life as, unbeknownst to him, he is the incubator for governmental weapons.
Do you have any favorite theories? Sound off in the comments below. We'll see you for Season 2 in 2017.
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