Netflix hit a jackpot with Stranger Things. Since the first season dropped on the streaming platform in 2016, the craze for the show has only increased in the subsequent years. Due to its popularity, fans are always on the lookout for little clues that might give any hint about the future of the show.
The fourth season of the show was a massive success. It was also one of the most satisfying since it provided a lot of answers to questions that had been stacked up in the previous seasons. Several theories have been floating around with the show racing towards its finish. However, there is one time travel theory, that will make history if it ends up being true.
Why does time travel seem probable on Stranger Things?
Created by the Duffer brothers, Stranger Things has pushed the bar when it comes to creative storytelling. With an impressive cast comprising of Winona Ryder, David Harbor, Millie Bobby Brown, and a host of other talented actors, the Netflix original has been a delightful ride since the beginning.
The show is set primarily in Hawkins, the epicenter of seemingly unusual activities. The protagonist, Will Byers, getting kidnapped by a demogorgon sets off a chain reaction. The thread of intrigue unspools as the audience is transported to the Upside Down.
The Upside Down is an alternate dimension that parallels Hawkins, which was revealed to be stuck on November 6th, 1983. The date is significant to the plot because that was the day young Byers was taken by the demogorgon. As the penultimate season progressed, it answered one of the biggest burning questions: what opened the gate to the alternate dimension?
The pathway to the Upside Down was opened when Eleven banished Henry Creel after he tried to kill her when she refused to be complicit in his crimes. He was the orderly at Dr. Brenner’s laboratory, and was equally gifted as Eleven. Henry became the terrifying entity that came to be known as Vecna, responsible for the murders of several characters on the show.
The penultimate season was riveting and foreboding because Max died temporarily, allowing Vecna to rip open the gates to the Upside Down. Can the group stop him from overtaking Hawkins and, subsequently, the rest of the world? The answer might lie in a time-travel theory.
What is the Stranger Things time travel theory that could make history for Netflix?
The stage for the final showdown is set as the group comes together to save their home. A new theory suggests that there is a way for the gate to the other dimension to close, but it comes with a heavy price.
The Duffer brothers have set up the story beautifully, and without giving much away, they hinted that there might be time travel in the last season. They did not specify if that meant the story would see a time jump into the future or into the past.
Now, the theory suggests that Eleven and her friends will have to travel back in time to when Will was kidnapped by the demogorgon. So this means that the protagonists will have to travel back to November 6th, 1983, when Eleven banished Henry Creel.
The only way to stop the events from repeating themselves is if Eleven closes the gate from the inside of the Upside Down, thus severing its connection to the real world. This also means that she would be sacrificing herself to save her friends and family.
The theory holds weight, given what the Duffer brothers have said previously. Moreover, Noah Schnapp, the actor who plays the character, also gave a little hint, that the show began with Will and it will also end with him.
The final season of Stranger Things is expected to be released in 2025. As of now, it remains to be seen if this theory will play out in the final season, and hopefully, the wait between seasons will not be as long. The supernatural series is available to stream on Netflix.
