This summer the Duffer Brothers and Netflix brought us a thrilling, 80’s throwback series that left most viewers desperate for a second season. While some of fans’ most pressing questions were answered in season 1, so much is left unexplained. Here are a few of the most popular theories for what’s to come:
(Beware, season 1 spoilers ahead!)
Eleven is still alive
Stranger Things fans are convinced El is not dead. She may have disappeared into the upside down in the season 1 finale, but why else would Officer Hopper have delivered Eggo waffles to a box in the woods if not for Eleven? There’s a good chance she’d be capable of battling the demogorgon she disappeared with. Speaking of which, some fans have theorized that the demogorgon is a representation of El’s subconscious. We first see the two-headed creature in a black space while El is undergoing one of many psychiatric experiments. She even claims to be the “monster” after lifting Mike from his cliff jump. It is entirely possible that the demogorgon is a projection of her consciousness, which would create a really powerful duality of evil and heroism, as many fans have pointed out.
Barb, on the other hand, is not coming back
Given that we see Barb in the upside down with what look like slugs crawling out of her mouth, it’s likely safe to say we won’t be seeing her in season 2. Even the Duffer Brothers are claiming they don’t envision her coming back to life, saying they just “can’t see it happening.” The question is, why her and not Will? Some fans have expressed their frustration regarding her death, claiming that she logically should be more fit to battle the demogorgon and survive the upside down than Will. Even though we likely won’t be seeing her in season 2, the Duffer Brothers have promised #JusticeForBarb, saying she “will not be forgotten.”
Will may have powers
In trying to explain why Will survived the upside down but Barb didn’t, some fans have suggested that he may have powers similarly to Eleven (Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin, proposed this himself). That could potentially explain why the demogorgon grabbed him rather than his friends. And if Will really does have powers he doesn’t quite know how to control yet, that would explain his ability to manipulate electricity, lights in particular. Some have even gone as far to say that Will may be transforming into a creature from the upside down. We did see brief flashes of the alternate dimension at the very end of season one, along with a slug escaping from Will’s mouth. Maybe the demogorgon is using him to expand into the real world? Maybe Will can now open gates into the upside down?
Hopper and El might be related
Some fan theories have suggested that Eleven is actually Hopper’s daughter, who we learn disappeared from his life after suffering from a serious illness. While there is very little evidence supporting this claim, it is rather suspicious that he left Eggos for El in the woods in the final chapter of season 1. How would he know about her waffle obsession given that she was in hiding for most of the season? In addition to the theory that the two are related, some have speculated that Hopper is now working for the government. He did make a deal with the Hawkins Lab in order to get Will back. Did that involve signing on to work for them from here on out? Or is Hopper now planning to take down the lab from the inside? One thing’s for sure: 2017 cannot come soon enough.
