On the Fan Track Streaming Channel at 5:30pm, moderator Damian Allen guided ‘Weirder Stuff’ superfans Abbie Garcia-Sanchez, Bill Price, Derik Garcia-Sanchez, Elijah Pilgrim, and Jennie Byrd-Peterson through some of the most interesting controversial intriguing bonkers likely (decide for yourself) fan theories for Season 5, which will be the beloved show’s last.
- Max is imprisoned within Vecna’s mind and will take him down from the inside: Byrd-Peterson thinks this will absolutely happen while everyone else agrees to the extent that Max being in a coma, and finding “her,” will be a major plot point, whether she saves the day or becomes one of Vecna’s permanent “trophies” whose memories and powers he co-opts for his own. All this led to a deep philosophical discussion on “where” Max truly is and “how” Vecna consumes his victims, meaning are their souls locked away somewhere, giving hope to a type of resurrection?
- Eddie will return as Kas (a famous D&D character that is Vecna’s right-hand man and a vampire): Abbie Garcia-Sanchez thinks Eddie is just dead, a feeling echoed by Byrd-Peterson who, even though she would love to see this happen, absolutely does not think it will. Price would also like to see this happen, Pilgrim thinks it just might (with a few twists such as Eddie being unrecognizable as Kas), and others caution everyone to think about how the known time-jump may affect this option.
- Vecna/One/Henry is Eleven’s Father: While one of the more disturbing theories, Allen pointed out that the ages work out for Henry Creel to have fathered Eleven naturally with her mother, Terry Ives; his and Eleven’s abilities also align in a hereditary way. Of course, how ALL the kids (aka test subjects) came to be is incredibly vague, especially given that the oldest (Two) isn’t young enough to have been sired by a mature, and capable, Henry. But no one on the panel puts breeding—including artificial insemination—beyond Papa, the mastermind behind the MKUltra program that produced Eleven. Price thinks this is the most viable fan theory, while everyone else seems more stuck on HOW it would have been achieved and what type of connections it led Henry to have with each kid (i.e., Is he stronger than all of them? Would he have passed on his sociopath tendencies? Did he use them to supercharge his own abilities?).
- Karen Wheeler is really Alice Creel: Again, the ages align for this to be viable and, assuming, that Alice Creel (Henry Creel’s sister) survived her brother’s attack, which sent their father to prison and mother to the grave, it could work. Karen Wheeler has always been a bit player in the series but always billed as a bigger star, lending some credence to the idea that she’s got a larger role to play at SOME point; however, the panelist didn’t seem intent on giving this theory much air. Instead, they talked about the school guidance counselor from Season 4 and all the (creepy) signs she’s working with Vecna. “Vecna was watching through her,” Pilgrim said, referring to Season 4’s killing of four troubled teens, all known to have visited the counselor (who also wears a clock necklace) at some point. Price thinks she could be the leader of a Vecna cult. But, as Allen points out, some of her traits could just be attributed to the lackluster child counseling techniques used in the 1980s, especially in a middle-of-nowhere place like Hawkins, Indiana.
- Season 4 is Will’s Villain Origin Story and he’s going to be the Big Bad in Season 5: Just no. All panelists agree that Will is important to the story and lore, and he has more to do, but everyone agrees that he won’t turn heel, with Allen pointing to how emotionally tied he still is to his friends, family, and Hawkins. Not to mention his coming out to his brother, who truly sees and acknowledges him. Derik Garcia-Sanchez thinks Will could be the unsung hero of the whole story, and Pilgrim wonders if Will not only has powers, but if he also has the strongest powers, which could play into why the Upside Down froze in time the day he entered it. But if Will isn’t the Big Bad, then who is? Who is controlling Vecna and has been since he was a young Henry Creel?
- Will has been dead and possessed/puppeteer-ed by Vecna all along: Again, just no. Byrd-Peterson said, “I think Will has always been the beating heart of the group,” and pointed out that the whole show, and adventure, started because everyone came together to find him. It’s more likely he’ll die, which will break everyone. Derik Garcia-Sanchez agreed, saying that Will wouldn’t have the emotions he does if he’s just been a puppet (or animated corpse). Something everyone seems to agree with since fans have seen Will deal with trauma, falling in love with his best friend, and ending up in a weird love triangle with his adopted sister, who has superpowers, all while just being a teen boy navigating new hormones and feelings.
- It’s all been a D&D campaign: A little history here. The “it-was-just-a-dream” trope (meaning it didn’t really happen) became popular in the 1980s after the popular nighttime soap Dallas left fans in suspense at season end by showing character Patrick Ewing being shot to death. After a summer of speculation, the new season revealed (via a shower scene) that he was alive and well and the death someone else’s dream. Byrd-Peterson hates this idea, Derik Garcia-Sanchez asked whether it would be so bad, and Allen questioned whose dream (or D&D campaign) it would be. Someone pointed out that fans of sci-fi and fantasy TV shows have already endured one devastation, given the poor ending to [‘Contest of Royalty’], that we don’t need another. “I’m gonna feel like I wasted five years,” Byrd-Peterson said.
As for their own theories, well, they are diverse. Abbie Garcia-Sanchez just needs for Max to wake up. Derik Garcia-Sanchez thinks the Mind-Flayer is eternal and will live on even if the Hawkins crew defeats Vecna in the Upside Down. Price would like to see a sacrifice (Will) and how this will become a continuous fight for spin-offs. Pilgrim thinks a mix of things will prove true, such as Will becoming more significant; everything on this show is done for a reason, and he notes that time travel could be at play since in Season 3, some of the kids walked into a theatre showing of a classic 1908s movie that involved time travel. Allen joked (?) that Bob will turn out to be the Mind Flayer because no one is that nice. Byrd-Peterson is just looking forward to seeing what happens.
No matter what, everyone has high hopes. Long live ‘Weirder Stuff’!
