When it comes to the mysterious, enigmatic, and enthralling world of Stranger Things, one can argue that much of the overarching narrative is still under wraps. A lot of plot-relevant details are yet to be unearthed and explored. Prior to the release of the much-awaited fourth installment, many had speculated that the anticipated answers to the existence of the fictional alternate dimension, Upside Down will come to the surface. Resonating with the fans, the penultimate Season 4 delved deep into the newly introduced villain of the series, Vecna, and his connection to the otherworldly realm.
On Twitter, the official writers of Stranger Things posted a picture that offered the fans a glimpse into one of the first few stages of Season 5 pre-production, namely, the “Grid Stage.”
The Final Season Of Stranger Things Has 8 Episodes
The new information, revealed by the official writers’ Twitter account, confirms that the last installment will have eight episodes in total; a stark comparison to their Season 4 endeavor — which had 9 episodes, divided into two volumes, with the finale taking up 2 hours, and 30 minutes of run-time.
Grid stage pic.twitter.com/b8EmBsafUF
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) August 25, 2022
With such a confirmation, comes the mountain pile of fan speculations and theories, and Stranger Things, created by Matt and Ross Duffer, is no exception to such creative fandom treatment.
For many fans, the second volume of the latest season felt a tad bit underwhelming, owing to elements such as Eddie Munson, a beloved, fan-favorite character meeting his demise, the monologue given by Mike Wheeler, albeit marketed as “emotional”, coming off as rather ‘cringe-y’ and unmemorable to some fans, the Max Mayfield aftermath, certain character arcs feeling inconsistent, and the infamous ‘two days’ time-skip which made many narrative elements seem haphazard — the list is simply never-ending.
However, without discrediting the efforts of the Duffer Brothers, the penultimate Stranger Things season had other moments the fans quite certainly enjoyed, including the bond shared between the Byers brothers, the heartfelt veiled admission of complex feelings in the much-discussed van scene featuring Will Byers, the Hopper and Joyce reunion, Eleven’s monologue to Doctor Brenner, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, and Caleb McLaughlin’s exceptional performances, and of course, the final scene of the season.
The fans are certainly awaiting to see what conclusion the ultimate season would reach with the seeds of mystery it has sowed in the second-to-last installment. Amidst such anticipation, a collective part of the fandom has come up with a theory that suggests the return of an ever-so-famous character.
Eddie Munson’s Return As Kas?
In the fictitious realm of supernatural horror fiction like Stranger Things, anything is possible. A character returning from the dead? Why not? The world of the series, which has heavily incorporated elements directly inspired by the fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons, has become a never-ending maze to explore. Vecna, the Season 4 villain, is also considered one of the greatest antagonists in the tabletop game.
Hence, there’s a recurring theme of introducing canon elements from the official game into the show. That being said, many fans are speculating that Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, might return to the last season as the D&D vampire, Kas, the Bloody-Handed. This theory originates from Reddit. It believes that Munson will take on the role of Kas, the dependable lieutenant to the omnipotent lich, Vecna. The villain, to affirm his trust in the vampire and bestow him with a memorable gift, created a sword for him — the Sword of Kas, which was potent enough to mount up to Vecna’s immeasurable powers.
The aftermath of such an incident entailed the betrayal of Kas, who kept growing power hungry. Having been influenced by the wicked, evil sword, the trusted right-hand man struck Vecna with his blade, which ultimately led to the villain’s demise.
Interestingly enough, Kas was actually mentioned in Season 4, Episode 1, during the Hellfire Club’s D&D game. Whether this is an intentional foreshadowing cannot be ascertained. Many fans believe that the demo-bat attack faced by Eddie in Season 4 could be what turns him into a vampire. While this theory does have specific plot holes, anything is possible in a fictional setting. Considering the show is about monsters from an alternate realm wreaking havoc, a character returning from the dead would not be too farfetched.
As of now, such theories are mere speculations, and from what we saw in the earlier seasons of the show, the Duffer Brothers are fans of trope subversion. Likewise, they have never been shy to go against fans’ expectations. Therefore, the situation for Eddie Munson fans remains rather lukewarm. One can only hope that the next and the final season will give a satisfactory conclusion to all the loose ends it has yet to tie up.
While the pre-production for the last installment has ensued, Season 1-4 of Stranger Things is exclusively available for streaming on Netflix.
Source: Twitter
