After ten years in the making, the global phenomenon known as "Stranger Things" is rolling out its fifth and final season. The first four episodes aired on Nov. 26. and ended on a cliffhanger, leaving fans with many theories, opinions and predictions.
Wright State University (WSU) students anxiously await the release of Volume Two, which is set to air on Dec. 25, with the finale releasing on Jan. 31. Fans shared thoughts through Instagram polls and in-person conversations regarding what they hope to see as the show comes to a close.
Spoilers Ahead!
Theories
Many theories are circulating on social media about what will come next. There are two main theories that WSU students suspect.
The first theory is that time travel or a time loop is involved. What fans know from the show already is that time and dates play an important role. They know from season four that the Upside Down is stuck in Nov. 6, 1983, but some believe season five may introduce a time loop.
Throughout season five, Holly is reading A Wrinkle In Time, which takes place in both the past and present at the same time. Fans cannot help but wonder if this is also the case for Hawkins.
As Eight and Eleven seek to team up with Will so they can stop Vecna, while the rest of the crew in the Upside Down continues to explore the wall. Ultimately opening up the loop further, creating a wormhole and in order to stop this time loop, there needs to be a sacrifice.
Eight and Eleven see 12-year-old Will biking down the street; Eight shows him a Demogorgon to scare him away, and Will heads home. However, Vecna can see through Will's vision and puts a stop to their plan, forcing Eleven to open the gate of the Byers' shed. This results in Will being taken, making 12-year-old Will the sacrifice to end the present-day loop in Hawkins.
According to the time loop theory, everyone then goes back to Nov. 6, 1983, without any knowledge of the past or future. The loop keeps repeating, leading to a “Never Ending Story.” While this theory may seem far-fetched to some, there have been hints at it. For example, when Steve drives through the Upside Down's portal with Nancy, Dustin and Jonathan; they also run over garden gnomes.
In the show's first episode, Hopper gets a report that kids are stealing gnomes again. This theory continues with the power outage from the WSQK radio station, which could have also caused the reported power outages in the first episode.
More on this theory can be found on TikTok by User 632146321.
Aubrey Volkerding and Anna Boesch, freshmen at WSU, both enjoyed this theory.
“This theory lines up well, and makes so much sense that it seems like it could definitely happen,” Volkerding said.
“I think this theory is very possible, it would also explain why Vecna utilizes clocks in season four,” Boesch agreed.
The second most mentioned theory is regarding the engagement ring Jonathan has in the cassette player. Fans speculate that Jonathan is going to be used as bait for Vecna, and the cassette player shown will be the music used to help him escape. However, before they put the plan in place, Jonathan gives the ring to Steve and tells him that if anything goes wrong to take care of Nancy. Jonathon then sacrifices himself, and Steve and Nancy are together in the end.
Endgame couples
One of the most popular debates is who Nancy will end up with. Whether Jancy (Nancy and Jonothan) or Stancy (Nancy and Steve) will be the couple to survive the chaos remains unknown. In season one, Steve and Nancy are in a relationship. However, Steve is known to be unlikable, leading him and Nancy to get into a big fight, which is where Nancy and Jonathan become close as they bond over trying to find Will and Barb.
Towards the end of season one, Steve's character arc begins when he helps Jonathan and Nancy fight off the Demogorgon in the Byers' house, and Nancy and Steve get back together. In season two, Nancy deals with her conflicting feelings, realizing she does not love Steve and breaking up with him. Nancy and Jonathan get together later in season two and stay a strong couple until season four.
From seasons two to four, Steve undergoes more character development, bonding with the other characters and remaining in love with Nancy. During season four, Jonathan and Nancy are in a long-distance relationship due to the Byers' moving to California. During this time, the couple seems distant, and Steve and Nancy start spending more time together, potentially reigniting feelings.
At season five's start, we see a battle of which boy is better for Nancy. When WSU students were asked who they think Nancy will end up with, it was extremely close, with 24 votes for Jonathan and 20 votes for Steve. So, most Raiders believe Jonathan to be the choice for Nancy at the show's end.
Another big debate in the fandom, especially in recent years, is who Mike will end up with. Mike and Eleven (Mileven) are the only couple to have stayed together since season one of the show. For this reason, much of the fandom wants it to stay that way. However, given the recent seasons, there has been a new potential love interest for Mike: his best friend, Will Byers.
Will's sexuality has been hinted at throughout the making of the series, but it was in season four that his feelings for Mike were essentially confirmed, and the ship known as Byler began to skyrocket. So far in season five, Eleven and Mike have not had much screen time, and fans have gotten more scenes hinting that Byler may be the endgame couple after all.
“I feel like Mileven is a more toxic option, especially considering how often Eleven was lying to Mike in season four, and I feel like Will is the better option for Mike. They have known each other all their lives and have deep, true emotions for each other that I would love to see play out,” Volkerding said.
When asked who they thought would end up together on an Instagram poll, it ended up in a tie with 22 votes for each couple, showing WSU's split on Mike's end game relationship.
Predicted Deaths
The Duffer Brothers have been known to kill off characters that fans have grown to know and love. With the final season releasing, viewers can expect this pattern to continue. When speculating who they believed may die in the future episodes, the most common answers were Will, Dustin and Steve. Much of the fandom thinks that, since Will is so strongly linked to Vecna, that to kill Vecna, Will must also die.
Kassidy Little, a sophomore at WSU, agrees with this.
“I think it started with Will, so it must end with Will. Also, given that he now has powers through Vecna, he most likely will die because he can feel the pain Vecna feels,” Little said.
There are also many thoughts regarding Dustin's potential death. Boesch believes Dustin to be a beloved character, and that it would add shock value if he were to die.
“I feel like he’s an unsuspected character and a fan favorite, so the audience won’t see it coming,” Boesh said.
Little believed that, due to Dustin’s current mental state following Eddie’s death, he may become Vecna's next target.
“He’s genuinely depressed, and I feel like Vecna has an advantage on him now,” Little said.
The last death prediction fans have is Steve. His character arc throughout the series has made him a fan favorite character, but while many love him, they also think his outlook is grim.
“I do think Steve will die, but I'm in denial about it. While he may seem like the obvious choice to some, the trailer gives so many signs that lead to his death.” Boesch said.
“I really don’t want Steve to die, but I feel like he might since it is the last season,” Volkerding said.
Overall, "Stranger Things" has created conversation around campus, leading to diverse theories and thoughts. Now, all Raiders can do is impatiently wait for the release of the final episodes to see if any of their predictions come true, or what else the Duffer Brothers have in store.
