For over a year, all we’ve been able to do is sit around, speculate and theorize like a bunch of mouth-breathers. But no more. “Stranger Things” Season 2 is here!
Although we seemingly said goodbye to a number of popular theories, such as the ones claiming Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) was the Monster or that Barb (Shannon Purser) was still alive, the show confirmed some of your favorite and strangest ideas.
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Before the new season hit Netflix, the Duffer Brothers said they were a little worried about how closely some people were getting to the truth. Now we know why.
The Upside Down is the real monster.
Season 2 teaches us that the Upside Down, the monster and its minions are all connected. They’re part of one thing. As Gaten Matarazzo explains on the “Stranger Things” after-show, “Beyond Stranger Things,” the Upside Down is the actual monster trying to take over the human world.
(Shoutout to my colleague, Jill, who was dubious of this theory when I asked the Duffer Brothers about it at San Diego Comic-Con over summer. What’s up now, Jill? Hello? Jill? This just in, Jill probably doesn’t care. What the pair of us do agree on is if people can have Reese’s for breakfast, anything is possible.)
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Will becomes evil.
One of the most popular theories from Season 1 was that Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) would be affected by his stay in the Upside Down, and possibly become a monster.
Congrats, peeps. This turned out to be 100 percent correct.
In Season 2, Will constantly experiences flashes of the Upside Down, with a giant shadow monster seemingly stalking him. He then gets some advice from his mom’s boyfriend, Bob Newby (Sean Astin), to stand up to his fears. This advice is terrible.
Will does as Bob says, becomes possessed and turns into a spy for the monster. On “Beyond Stranger Things,” it was revealed that in an early draft of the script Will was even going to kill Bob. So yeah, great advice, Bob.
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The slug Will coughed up is a baby Demogorgon.
Though the actors were a little hesitant to confirm this on the after-show, it seems pretty apparent that the slug Will coughed up at the end of “Stranger Things” Season 1 was Demogorgon spawn, or at least a baby Demodog.
After hearing some noises coming from a trash can, Dustin (Matarazzo) checks it out and finds a similar creature inside. He affectionately names the slug Dart. Dart ends up molting into a Demodog and killing Dustin’s cat, Mews. The relationship with Dart later comes in handy for Dustin, but try telling that to Mews. Oh wait, you can’t. #JusticeForMews.
Nancy and Jonathan get together.
Duh. (Sorry, Steve Harrington.)
The monster is a Mind Flayer.
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Though a Dungeons & Dragons monster called the Thessalhydra was mentioned in the Season 1 finale, there was a lot of speculation about other monsters the Season 2 nemesis could mirror.
Among those guesses was the Mind Flayer, which turned out to be right.
Unlike the Demogorgon, which mostly corresponds to the Dungeons & Dragons monster in its name alone, the show’s Mind Flayer is a more accurate representation of the Mind Flayer in D&D, taking control of other creatures and making them do its bidding.
There are more test subjects.
There’s a reason Eleven isn’t named One.
Right at the beginning of Season 2, we’re introduced to Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), a character who we learn has a “008” tattoo, as well as psychic abilities. Rather than move things with her mind, Kali can make people see things that aren’t there.
Like Eleven, she was also kept at Hawkins Lab. Unlike Eleven, she’s out to murder all the people who did her wrong.
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Steve Harrington is Jean-Ralphio’s father, maybe ...
The best theory from “Stranger Things” ― that Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) is the father of Jean-Ralphio (Ben Schwartz) from “Parks and Recreation” ― isn’t exactly confirmed in Season 2. However, Keery did tell HuffPost that their similar basketball skills could be a hint that they’re related.
After all, stranger things have happened ...
“Stranger Things 2” is now streaming on Netflix.
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