History WMG / StrangerThings

[[WMG: The Upside-down is apart of the Dreaming from ''Series/TheSandman''.]]

Despite all the horror and sadness in the series, ''Stranger Things'' could still be called a SpiritualSuccessor of sorts to ''Series/That70Show'' in that it's also a celebration of '80s movies, music, fashion, and pop culture as ''That '70s Show'' was for UsefulNotes/TheSeventies. ''T7S'' ended right at the end of the decade on New Year's Eve 1979, and the fall of the Berlin Wall occurred on November 9, 1989, so it would dovetail nicely with that scheduling, especially since the UsefulNotes/SovietUnion and the UsefulNotes/ColdWar have become drawn into the show's reach.

Despite all the horror and sadness in the series, ''Stranger Things'' could be called a SpiritualSuccessor of sorts to ''TV/That70Show'' in that it's also a celebration of '80s movies, music, fashion, and pop culture as ''That '70s Show'' was for UsefulNotes/TheSeventies. ''T7S'' ended right at the end of the decade on New Year's Eve 1979, and the fall of the Berlin Wall occurred on November 9, 1989, so it would dovetail nicely with that scheduling, especially since UsefulNotes/SovietUnion and UsefulNotes/ColdWar have become drawn into the show's reach.

Despite all the horror and sadness in the series, ''Stranger Things'' could be called a SpiritualSuccessor of sorts to ''TV/That70Show'' in that it's also a celebration of '80s movies, music, fashion, and pop culture as ''That '70s Show'' was for TheSeventies. ''T7S'' ended right at the end of the decade on New Year's Eve 1979, and the fall of the Berlin Wall occurred on November 9, 1989, so it would dovetail nicely with that scheduling, especially since UsefulNotes/TheUSSR and UsefulNotes/TheColdWar have become drawn into the show's reach.

Both anime series involve adolescents with latent powers being [[HumanResources turned into lab rats]] by sinister [[GovernmentConspiracy government conspiracies]]. [[spoiler:''Madoka'' involves a near miss with the world itself being destroyed when TheBadGuysWins (at least for the moment), as does ''Evangelion'' (at least until the ''Rebuild''s.)]] And of course ''Madoka'' is often called a SpiritualSuccessor of ''Evangelion''.

Both anime series involve adolescents with latent powers being [[HumanResources turned into lab rats]] by sinister [[GovernmentConspiracy government conspiracies]]. [[spoiler:''Madoka'' involves a near miss with the world itself being destroyed when TheBadGuysWins (at least for the moment}]]

[[WMG: The Duffers and/or some of the writing staff are fans of ''Franchise/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and ''Franchise/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica''.

[[WMG: Angela and her friends will come to Hawkins.]]
Specifically, she and her class will be taking part in a relief effort to help the people of Hawkins after [[spoiler:Vecna opened up the doorway to the Upside Down and devestated the town]]. Chances are Angela may be taking part in it for the sake of earning kiss-ass points. In her return, she'll also be shown to have a scar from where El hit her in the face with a roller skate, and will probably be bitter at El about it. Chances are, here's what she may get up to.

* If she finds out El lives in Hawkins now, she may see it as a prime chance to get back at her for scarring her. If El sees Angela, she will not be happy that her old bully has arrived in Hawkins, and/or may still feel guilty about hurting her (even if she did deserve it).

* The Hellfire Club will probably be working on relief efforts as well. So chances are, they will come into conflict with Angela's posse, who will be quick to mock them for their appearances, such as [[YouAreFat Fat Shaming]] Dustin, or making fun of other members' quirk/appearances. If they hear about Eddie Munsen and how the town thinks he's responsible for [[spoiler:Vecna's actions]], they could probably push that partiuclar BerserkButton, seeing as they had no qualms about mocking El for Hopper supposedly being dead.

* Angela and her friends may decide to isolate El from her friends so they can do something really cruel to her. If they get that chance, it could be interrupted by an attack from a Demogorgon. They'll freak out, and then El will use her regained powers to get rid of it, to the group's shock. It will also make them realize who it was they've picked on back home.

* If they find out about Robin and Vickie are a couple, chances are they'll start to target them as well. They may even decide to threaten to [[ForcedOutOfTheCloset out them to the town]] if they don't do what they say... and then just [[KickTheDog do it anyway]] to see them get lynched by the people of Hawkins.

Of course, by now, they're in Hawkins, so they would have to deal with the group backing up their victims.

[[WMG: Billy is in the closet.]]
Despite having good looks that can only be described as "Steve-ier than Steve", he never actually pursues any girls during Season 2. Near the end there's a long bit where he's looking in the mirror and obsessing over his appearance, which fits the stereotype of gay men caring a lot about their looks (as seen in the show ''Queer Eye for the Straight Guy''). Then his abusive father shows up and specifically berates him for "looking at yourself in the mirror like a fag." It's easy to imagine that Billy is gay but he's in the closet because of his homophobic father, and also because society at large was pretty homophobic back then.
* Two counterpoints. One, Steve is apparently straight, but he still cares about his appearance. Two, Billy does kinda flirt with Mike's mom in the final episode (though maybe he just flirts once in a while to keep up appearances).
* Further WMG: Billy has a secret crush on Steve. He goes out of his way to treat Steve like dirt because he doesn't want anyone to suspect his true feelings.
** Steve is secretly bi, and at the end of Season 2, he's single. This will come up in Season 3.
*** Realistically, if any of this ''did'' come up, it would only be hinted at.
* As pointed out with the speculation about Will above, [[InsaneTrollLogic a character having a homophobic insult thrown at them does not make them gay.]] Bullies and abusers say these things to demean and humiliate their victims, not because they can somehow 'sense' homosexuality.

[[WMG: Billy gets a heart]]
Steve will use his newfound position with Hawkins PD and flex his beige-sleeved muscles to let Billy know that he won't let him terrorize Max or the gang anymore. While keeping an eye on Billy, Steve will witness some of the abuse he suffers at the hands of his asshole father, and start to understand why Billy is the way he is. Steve will decide to take the high road and offer to let bygones be bygones, but Billy won't have any of it because he's Billy Hargrove and the only friends he needs are his Camaro and mullet.

Building off the post above this one, as Season 3 goes on, we may start to see Mr. Hargrove start to throw unwelcome glances in Max's direction which do not escape Billy. And because EvenEvilHasStandards, Billy will reflect and truly realize what a douche he's been and ask Steve if his offer still stands. They'll stand up to Mr. Hargrove together, and maybe a fight breaks out wherein the boys end up beating his ass (and Steve finally wins a fight!)
* Partly {{Jossed}}. Eleven witnesses Billy's memories of abuse, and reminding him of the times when he was actually happy ''does'' lead Billy to a JerkassRealization, and leads to his HeroicSacrifice to hold back the Mind Flayer.

[[WMG: Hawkins is actually Franchise/SilentHill.]]
A town with a dark mirror background with {{Eldritch Abomination}}s living in it and something that looks like ash falling from the sky.
* Considering the state of the Otherworld, Hawkins may have just been close enough to Silent Hill to have been corrupted by it.
** Well the writers did say SH was an inspiration.

[[WMG: Hawkins is a sister city of Series/TwinPeaks, WesternAnimation/GravityFalls, Night Vale, etc.]]
Do you have any evidence that disproves my claims?
* [[spoiler:On the contrary, as Night Vale itself reveals that broken versions of Night Vale exist in countless universes thanks to Huntokar. Hawkins and the other towns mentioned may actually BE Night Vale in other dimensions. Especially given that Huntokar broke reality in November 1983 - the same month the Gate appears in Hawkins.]]
* As supporting evidence, [[spoiler:the Mind Flayer's]] return in season 3 is backed by We'll Meet Again, which is already connected to Bill Cipher.
* It could be a twin town of Winden, Germany (Series/Dark). Extrapolating on that, what if Winden is Dr Brenner's birthplace?
* Dustin is related to the Pines family. His boyhood fashion style influenced his younger cousin Dipper. Dipper once came across drawings of what looked like the Demogorgon and Mind Flayer in one of the Journals, and was reminded of stories Dustin once told him.

[[WMG: ''Stranger Things'' and ''Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale'' take place in the same universe.]]
Cecil mentions watching the documentary series "Stranger Things".

[[WMG: Billy is Jason from Film/PowerRangers2017]]
After when Jason loses his teammates to the [[spoiler:demodog]] invasion in 2017. Zordon and Alpha 5 send him back to 1984 to destroy the [[spoiler:demodogs]] before the invasion starts. Jason chose to go under the alias of Billy to honor his friend's memory.
* What turned him into a racist asshole?
* And what turned him into [[WouldHurtAChild someone who'd try to run down some kids in his car]]?
* And how'd he get a sister?
** Max is only his ''step''sister. In which case, where did he get an abusive father...?
** Jason ''does'' have a little sister in ''Film/PowerRangers2017'', though she's mainly seen in deleted scenes.
** Wait... are we seriously debating this? For one, that was Jason's biological sister, who wasn't a redhead and likely wouldn't have survived something that four superheroes with giant robots couldn't.
* Was their anything in that movie that suggested they had a time machine? And why wouldn't Zordon revive the Rangers like he did with ''their'' Billy?

[[WMG: The Upside Down is actually the Nightmare Frontier from ''{{VideoGame/Bloodborne}}'']]
And the Mind Flayer is an [[http://bloodborne.wikia.com/wiki/Amygdala Amygdala]]

[[WMG: The Upside Down can be accessed through [[ComicBook/{{Stormwatch}} the Bleed]]]]
And inhabitants of the {{Creator/Wildstorm}} Universe have probably traveled there, at least once.

[[WMG: The monsters from the movie {{Film/Xtro}} came from the Upside Down, not outer space]]
It makes a fair amount of sense if you think about it.

[[WMG: Maybe Dustin's Ultra Magnus {{Franchise/Transformers}} toy is really its Diaclone counterpart, Powered Convoy]]
Since the Transformers version came out in 1986, a year after the events of season 3. Make of the fact that the Diaclone version was colored differently what you will.

[[WMG: Stranger Things takes place in the DND world.]]
They are MutuallyFictional to each other. It's just that because it's a parallel universe, some things would obviously be different.

[[WMG: Hawkins is in northeastern Indiana, around Fort Wayne.]]
Steve is playing Trooper's "Raise a Little Hell" which was a Canadian hit from a band that never had much exposure in the US. The Fort Wayne area can pick up [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CKLW CKLW]] but in places much farther south and west it's drowned out by other high-powered "border blaster" stations based in Mexico.
* Having grown up around there (specifically in Columbia City, about 20 miles west of Fort Wayne), I'm not so sure. The climate is wrong, especially in season 2 - the winter of 1984-85 was exceptionally cold in the area. I've never seen a 7-11 in the area. The nearest big city is implied to be Indianapolis. And a trip to southern Illinois (Murray has a 618 area code) would take the better part of a day from there. My guess would be that it's in the southern half of the state, maybe in Brown or Monroe County.

[[WMG: Hawkins Lab was responsible for Sarah Hopper's illness or death.]]
Sharp-eyed viewers noticed that the stairwell where Hopper encountered a wounded Owens while en route to the Gate in the season 2 finale was the stairwell where Hopper broke down in tears while his daughter was being treated. Creator/DavidHarbour has apparently confirmed the location was the same, or at least connected, suggesting that the lab was treating Sarah. It will eventually be revealed that either Sarah fell ill as a result of the experiments happening there, or perhaps that she even died as a result of ''something'' the lab did and it covered up.
* One possibility: Sarah ''didn't die''. They faked her death like they tried to do with Will's, and she ended up as one of their subjects. Hopper only didn't SpotTheThread with her as he did Will, because he was so distraught and had no reason to be suspicious. She will return in a later season, possibly as a villain under the control of Brenner (who ''may'' not be dead based on "The Lost Sister"), leading to a confrontation with Eleven.
* Pretty well {{Jossed}} by Hopper's back story in season 4 where [[spoiler: he blames his exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War as the genetic cause of Sarah's cancer.]]

[[WMG: The final season will end with a 5 year time skip and a wedding between Mike and Eleven.]]
Assuming they stay together and survive the series it's entirely possible for Mike and Eleven to get married early especially since they know better then most that tragedy can strike at any time and there is no point in putting off something they both want to do, plus a wedding would be a good excuse to get the surviving members of the cast together and take a look at what they ultimately end up doing with their lives and a five year time skip is small enough that they would not need to cast other people to play older versions of the characters for the most part.

[[WMG: Hawkins will become a GhostTown in Season 5]]
Considering the fact that the entire town was struck by a massive earthquake caused by the master gate that Vecna created, the beginning of Season 5 will show that Hawkins will be completely abandoned. Especially since that most of the townsfolk left in droves, at least 22 people died, and most of the town starting to show massive signs of decay due to [[MergedReality Hawkins beginning to merge with the Upside Down]].

* Hawkins will become America's very own Chernobyl, with the military forcibly evacuating the remaining civilian population, while a team of scientists stays behind to monitor the gates. The government creates a cover story saying that "Commie terrorists" detonated a DirtyBomb underneath the town (hence the "earthquake").

[[WMG: The American's Identity]]
In TheStinger at the end of season 3, the Russians are holding a prisoner whom we never see, and is only referred to as "the American," right before another prisoner is fed to a fully-grown Demogorgon. The American is:
* Jim Hopper. We [[NeverFoundTheBody never see his body]] after the Gate is closed, since it conveniently vaporizes any human in range, nor do we actually see him hit by the energy discharge. The surviving Russians apparently managed to clear out before Owens arrived with reinforcements, so it's possible they could have captured and removed him in the chaos. And he knows enough about the Upside Down and its inhabitants to be useful.
** [[spoiler:Confirmed in the Season 4 teaser.]]
* Doctor Brenner. The Soviets had to learn about the Gate from ''someone'' to try reopening it again.
* Another of the Hawkins Lab's child subjects.
* Murray Bauman. We never find out what he gets up to at the end of Season 3. And really, what are the chances that Hopper ''wasn't'' vapourized by the Gate Key blowing up? So chances are that Murray is the one the Russians captured and are now holding prisoner.
** This appears to be {{Jossed}} as we clearly see Bauman is among the survivors of the battle's aftermath. No, we don't see him after the 3-month time skip, but the Russians had cleared out by the time Owens arrived, and Murray was still accounted for at the time. Also, make of it what you will, but if you dial his phone number given on the show you'll get an machine with a message from ''after'' the time skip, which implies he's still around.
** All of these are jossed; see above.

[[WMG: The Byers and Eleven are only moving a few towns away.]]
Considering that Mike and Eleven can talk about and arrange monthly visits (a confirmed one for Thanksgiving and early talk of one for Christmas), coupled with the state of the Byers' finances, it is unlikely that the Byers are moving more than two hours away.
** Jossed, Owens moved them to Southern California for their own safety.

[[WMG: The carnival games weren't rigged.]]
Carnival games almost always being rigged is generally considered common knowledge in real life. And Murray also warns Alexei that the games are rigged. [[spoiler: But Alexei still sees people winning, and is himself able to score a jumbo-sized prize with only 15 tickets (quite possibly less).]]

Knowing how obsessed he was with making sure everyone enjoyed the carnival enough to reelect him, Kline probably slipped the game organizers a bribe or two to make sure the games were winnable enough for everyone to have a good time.

[[WMG: There will be a sequel series]]
It will take place in the 2000's and riff on nostalgia on that decade, with one of the leads all grown up and having kids of their own.

[[WMG: [[spoiler:Eddie is doomed.]] ]]
When it comes to the show, it's got a noticeable theme of killing off well-liked characters who basically end up being there for a season. [[spoiler: Both Bob from Season 2 and Alexei in Season 3 are clear examples of this, as fans fell in love with them and they didn't survive the seasons they were involved in. Eddie is well liked by the community, and considering that even if Vecna is defeated, there's no way for Eddie to prove his innocence for the death of Chrissy to the local law enforcement, let alone the townsfolk. And even if the government managed to tell local law enforcement that Eddie had nothing to do with it or somehow provided a cover-up, Jason still poses a danger to him because of his belief that Eddie somehow made a deal with the devil for super powers, which Jason would try to kill him in order to stop him. Though this troper hopes it doesn't come to it, but it seems that Eddie is doomed, if not by Vecna and the upside-down, than from the very town he's trying to help save.]]
* [[spoiler: Confirmed. Eddie dies while battling the demobats during the final fight.]]

!'''WARNING: Per wiki policy, Administrivia/SpoilersOff applies to Fridge pages. All spoilers will be unmarked.'''
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[[WMG: Nancy and Jonathan's actions in implicating Hawkin Labs in Barb's death ends up biting the town of Hawkins in the ass for next season.]]
Though responsible for the events in the show's first season, it did look like the lab was trying to keep the gate at bay, though unaware of how they were making things worse. However, due to Nancy and Jonathan exposing them on a national level for Barb's death, which results in the lab being closed down a month later, when the events of next season comes around and the Upside Down breaks into the world again, there's no one there to help contain it. Nancy and Jonathan's action of getting retribution for Barb may have set up a NiceJobBreakingItHero situation for next season.
* [[spoiler:Partly confirmed. Due to Hawkins Labs being closed down, the Russians were able to move in, build the Starcourt Mall and attempt to open the gate to the Upside Down again, even raiding the now abandoned lab. If Nancy and Jonathan hadn't gotten justice for Barb, Hawkins Lab could have been there to help in the fight much sooner instead of coming in late to the party.]]
* [[spoiler: The Justice for Barb hits keep coming. Due to the events of the Mall and the Russian's secret lab, which were possible due to the government agents stationed at Hawkins Labs originally. Not only is Hopper taken prisoner, leaving the town of Hawkins without a level-headed sheriff who would have believed Eddie due to the abnormal circumstances, and squashing the SatanicPanic mode that spread through the town. Due to the Russians reopening the gate, it was weakened enough to allow Vecna to reach back into our world, leading to the deaths of not-only for Chrissy, Fred, and Patrick, but the death of Eddie and Max's temporary death and current coma, and allowing for Vecna to be able to open the massive gate that resulted in the destruction of Hawkins and allowing the Upside Down to begin to enter the world. Thanks to Jonathan and Nancy, now the apocalypse is nigh.]]

[[WMG: Ted and Karen Wheeler will be divorced between seasons 2 and 3.]]
Karen will be better off, while Ted couldn't really care less.
* {{Jossed}}. Karen decides it's not worth throwing her marriage away for a quick thrill, and even seems to make a renewed effort to engage more with Ted as a family throughout the season.

[[WMG: The MrsRobinson thing with Karen and Billy will be completely ignored going forward.]]
Rendering it absolutely pointless. Or you could go off the above theory about the Wheelers divorcing and Karen starts boinking a high school student.
* {{Jossed}}. Karen is tempted to have an affair with him in the season 3 opener, but ultimately declines.

[[WMG: Season Two will be a metaphor for the AIDS crisis of the '80s.]]

[[WMG: Season Two will be a metaphor for the AIDS crisis of the '80s.]]
At the end of season one, Will coughs up some strange, alien slug creature into the sink and it presumably goes into the sewers. What if it sees the sewers as a means to nest and asexually reproduce? Now, with more and more of the alien slugs forming and possibly taking up to infecting people (maybe being inside a human is suitable to nest before moving to a new environment to raise its young?). With the town noticing the monsters, they might find the infection started with the Byers' home.

Since there has been some hints that Will is AmbiguouslyGay the metaphor will be given more credibility due to how people perceived AIDS as a "gay person's disease," and since he'd be patient zero, the town would be out for his blood for "infecting them", not to mention how the Demogorgon seems to be ''Film/{{Alien}}''-inspired, and look at all the sexual undertones in that creature.
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* Arguable: As [[WordOfGod Will's actor pointed out]], all mention of Will being gay comes from the two bullies, which makes it something to take with a pinch of salt.
** Don't forget his father. "Lonnie used to say he was queer. Called him a fag."
*** Still not anything like reliable testimony, since Will's dad is effectively just a third bully, and likely considers ''anyone'' gay who'd rather play ''D&D'' than go hunting.
* Jossed. [[spoiler:While Will does cough up an entire swarm of Demogorgon larva that eventually mature into dangerous monsters, they don't infect anyone else, and nobody aside from the main characters (and others involved in TheMasquerade) even know about them. That being said, Will being ill from a virus and receiving inadequate at best care from a Reagan-funded medical system is one hell of a parallel.]]

[[WMG: Chernobyl is coming]]
It’s 1985 as of season 3, and likely 1986 next season. The Soviets are now involved, and their Upside Down experiments require messing with power plants...maybe we’re about to find out the Stranger Things version of Chernobyl was even worse than in reality...
* Additionally, since the three previous seasons took place in autumn, winter, and summer respectively, that leaves spring for season four. The Chernobyl accident was in late April. They may also reference the Challenger accident, which happened in February.

[[WMG: The Soviets have their own "Eleven"]]
Alexei said that the Soviets' previous attempt to open the portal failed because they had to use the "key" in a place where the portal had already been open once. But how was Hawkin's portal opened in the first place? Not by a large machine, but, unwittingly, by Eleven when she was prisoner in the lab and forced to use her powers. So how did the Soviets end up with a Demogorgon in the stinger? Because someone with similar powers managed to open a new portal on soviet's soil.
* This seems to be {{Jossed}} by the series already; among the equipment the Soviets have in their base under Starcourt Mall are cages. ''Big'' cages. Cages Erica appears to notice would be exactly the right size to capture a fully-grown Demogorgon. So it's most likely they captured their Demogorgon while in Hawkins, probably because the Soviets' Gate was open just enough to capture one.
* It's also possible more than one Demogorgon slipped through the original Gate after Eleven opened it. Maybe there wasn't a fully realized Gate in Russia for the Soviets to exploit, but the fabric was still weak enough for a Demogorgon to break through.

[[WMG: Sheriff Hopper is Will's real dad.]]
Both he and Joyce probably had an affair some time ago. Depending on this, if we find out it was around the same time as when Will was conceived, well... That puts Hopper's actions in a whole new light.
* It's stated in series that Hopper has been chief for four years and that he used to be a police officer in the city, and he is shown to have been happily married at that time. It is implied that before this he was unfamiliar with Hawkins.
** While true that Hopper has been away from Hawkins too long to be Will's dad, he actually was from there. He went to school alongside Joyce and her generation of Hawkinsites. He just left after high school, and only came back once his marriage fell apart and his life went down the drain.
** In the season 2 opener, Will's doctor address Hopper as Will's "Dad," so you're not the only one who gets that vibe, likely due to his and Joyce's shared history.
* Season 4 fleshing out Hopper's time in Vietnam makes this highly unlikely since he [[spoiler: worked in close contact with the components of Agent Orange to the point it's near certain his exposure is what led to his own daughter's childhood cancer. Since he was apparently directly involved in the mixing for a sustained period of time, it's likely any of his biological offspring would have similar health issues.]]

[[WMG: Personality Fragments]]
The Mind Flayer will demonstrate that it retains fragments of the personalities of those it Flayed. In particular, it will use parts from Billy to torment Max.

[[WMG: Alexei lives]]
Either that or someone picked up his corpse, because it seems like it would be hard for the news to ignore that the corpse of a dead Russian scientist was found in a town fair during the Red Scare.

[[WMG: Jim Hopper might be Jonathan's biological father]]
When Joyce's marriage to Lonnie was falling apart, she might have cheated on him with Hopper. This could help explain the bad blood between the three of them in Season 1. And Jonathan looks like he could be Hop's son. Though, Joyce having an affair might be considered out of character for her.
* Season 4 suggests this is {{Jossed}} given that Hopper [[spoiler: worked with Agent Orange in the Vietnam War and saw his fellow veterans' children affected by birth defects down the line. He states he was extremely reluctant to have Sarah and clearly believes it to be the cause of her early death.]]

[[WMG: Hopper is a Vietnam War veteran.]]
He seems to be about the right age, and it would further establish his character as a grizzled badass with a traumatic past.
* He does have a box in the cellar of his father's cabin marked "Vietnam", doesn't he?
* Interestingly, Hopper has never once mentioned serving in the military. Though it's very understandable if [[ShellShockedVeteran he doesn't have any pleasant memories about that experience]].
* The way he handled his assault rifle in the Season 2 finale (i.e. keeping it in semi-auto at all times, as the early-model M16s were notoriously jam-prone) also seems to imply this.
* After the first time we see Will see Dr. Owens, Hopper says something about PTSD being real, in a tone that suggests he's either known people with it or experienced it. It would make sense also for him to have been diagnosed with it from his daughter's death, but having been in the military is plausible too.
* Confirmed in Season 4 and explained further that [[spoiler: his unit prepared Agent Orange and he blames his exposure for his daughter's childhood cancer.]]

[[WMG: Terry will play a part in defeating the Mind Flayer]]
Dustin's explanation of the Mind Flayer includes the idea that fighting it requires zombies, because they lack minds that it can control. Thanks to Brenner's torture, the poor woman's brain is fried beyond help. Mind Flayer might attempt to take control of Eleven, only to be thwarted by a psychic link between El and Terry that was never completely severed. Terry will sacrifice herself to save her daughter and deal the monster a crippling blow, and in her last moments will regain enough clarity to tell her goodbye.

[[WMG: Karen will join the party in season 4]]
With Hopper presumed dead and Joyce moved away, Karen Wheeler is the only major adult character left who the kids might be able to turn to. Time will tell whether she'll be able to step up to the plate and deal with the supernatural situations as well as the rest of them.
** Jossed in so far as her joining the Party is confirmed. She's around, but not in that large of a capacity.

[[WMG: Alternatively, Mr. Clarke will join the party]]
He's already an established EnsembleDarkhorse and he has a bond with the boys.
** Jossed. Mr Clarke doesn't appear in Season 4.

[[WMG: Troy will return in season 4]]
The WordOfGod explanation for his absence in seasons 2 and 3 was because he was a year older than the Party and moved on to high school. Now, Mike is in high school, and without Eleven to protect him, Troy goes back to tormenting him. He'll become a potential new host for the Mind Flayer, and unlike Billy, he'll willingly embrace his power so that he can get revenge against Eleven for humiliating him.
* As for James, we'll learn that he TookALevelInKindness and stopped hanging out with Troy after seeing how twisted he got.
** Jossed. Neither James or Troy appear in Season 4.

[[WMG: The climax of the show will be set in the summer of 1987]]
Because the show is very much about the Cold War, and June 12, 1987 was the day that [[https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/reagan-challenges-gorbachev-to-tear-down-the-berlin-wall President Reagan challenged Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall"]]

[[WMG: Dustin has a middle name, but Steve doesn't know it]]
Steve didn't really tell the Russians Dustin's full name

[[WMG: Season '''4''' will be set in 1987, pushing Season 5 to '88-89.]]
This will be [[RealLifeWritesThePlot forced on the producers]] by the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown, but it will mean one or more members of the Party having [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday driver's licenses]] which could ease the distance issues coming from El and the Byers being in another town.
** Off by one year, it's set in 1986.

[[WMG: If/when subject 7 shows up, it will be a boy going by James.]]
The tattoos are in 3 digits, I think you can see where I'm going with this.

Alternatively if all the subjects are girls she could be going by Jaime.

[[WMG: Season 4 will be the last season and take place in 1989]]
With the child actors getting older, their characters will age with them. The Party will be either juniors or seniors in high school at this point. The new season will take place during the holiday break (specifically around New Years), dealing with the end of the decade.
** Jossed on both accounts. The last season will the 5th season and the 4th season takes place in 1986.

[[WMG: The Byer's will move to Bangor, Maine]]
With plenty of homages to Stephen King's works (and Bob suggesting they move to Maine in season 2), this will be their new home.
** Jossed. They moved to California at the end of S3.

[[WMG: Halley's Comet will be a plot point in season 4]]
If it still takes place in 1986, Halley's Comet will play a role in the story, possibly as a cosmic way of reopening the Upside Down.
* Jossed - never mentioned.

[[WMG: Victor Creel was captured by and experimented on by the Nazis.]]
We know that Victor served in the European Theater of World War II. It is possible that he was captured by the Nazis and used as a subject in mind-control experiments. This could explain how 001 got his powers, since Eleven's mother was subjected to similar experiments under Dr. Brenner, which resulted in Eleven gaining her powers.

[[WMG: [[spoiler: Dmitri/Enzo's son Mikhail will join the Party]]]]

[[WMG: Season 4 Volume 2 will reference [[UsefulNotes/{{Chernobyl}} the Chernobyl disaster]] somehow.]]
V1 takes place in March 1986 and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred on April 26th. Easy to invoke the idea of the Chernobyl reactor site being another portal to the Upside Down, or monsters from the Upside Down somehow being responsible for the disaster. It will also be interesting to see what effect the disaster and subsequent collapse of the USSR have on Russian/Soviet research into the Upside Down.
* Jossed - never mentioned.

[[WMG: Jason will be Vecna's victim.]]
* Jossed - he's killed when the gate opens, but only by being unconscious right on the faultline.

[[WMG: Eleven and Vecna will have a rematch.]]
** Partially confirmed - they have a rematch inside Max's mind in season 4.

[[WMG: Eight was another of One's proteges.]]
The similarities between Eight's advice to Eleven in season 2 and One's in the flashbacks of season 4 are uncanny. One probably taught Eight most of what she knows too. And Eight can conjure some pretty unsettling illusions of spiders too... One probably helped Eight escape Hawkins lab while he was at it.

[[WMG: Season 5 will have a character named from the Ravenloft setting]]
It first debut in 1983 and could be interesting to see what they do with characters named Strahd or someone.

[[WMG: Suzie will tag along with Mike and the others]]
After catching Eden smoking pot with Argyle, Eden bribes her with taking over her babysitting duties in exchange for keeping her mouth shut. She'll use the opportunity to go to Hawkins and see Dustin (possibly to formally break up with him since her father won't let her date somebody of his religious leaning). Argyle will help Eden out as a way to ShooOutTheClowns.
* Jossed. Suzie stays home, and Argyle sticks around [[spoiler: and even helps out in the final confrontation]].

[[folder: Season 4]]
[[WMG: Karen will join the party in season 4]]
With Hopper presumed dead and Joyce moved away, Karen Wheeler is the only major adult character left who the kids might be able to turn to. Time will tell whether she'll be able to step up to the plate and deal with the supernatural situations as well as the rest of them.
** Jossed in so far as her joining the Party is confirmed. She's around, but not in that large of a capacity.

[[WMG: Alternatively, Mr. Clarke will join the party]]
He's already an established EnsembleDarkhorse and he has a bond with the boys.
** Jossed. Mr Clarke doesn't appear in Season 4.

[[WMG: Troy will return in season 4]]
The WordOfGod explanation for his absence in seasons 2 and 3 was because he was a year older than the Party and moved on to high school. Now, Mike is in high school, and without Eleven to protect him, Troy goes back to tormenting him. He'll become a potential new host for the Mind Flayer, and unlike Billy, he'll willingly embrace his power so that he can get revenge against Eleven for humiliating him.
* As for James, we'll learn that he TookALevelInKindness and stopped hanging out with Troy after seeing how twisted he got.
** Jossed. Neither James or Troy appear in Season 4.

[[WMG: Season 4 will be set in 1987, pushing Season 5 to '88-89.]]
This will be [[RealLifeWritesThePlot forced on the producers]] by the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown, but it will mean one or more members of the Party having [[DangerousSixteenthBirthday driver's licenses]] which could ease the distance issues coming from El and the Byers being in another town.
** Off by one year, it's set in 1986.

[[WMG: Season 4 will be the last season and take place in 1989]]
With the child actors getting older, their characters will age with them. The Party will be either juniors or seniors in high school at this point. The new season will take place during the holiday break (specifically around New Years), dealing with the end of the decade.
** Jossed on both accounts. The last season will the 5th season and the 4th season takes place in 1986.

[[WMG: The Byer's will move to Bangor, Maine]]
With plenty of homages to Stephen King's works (and Bob suggesting they move to Maine in season 2), this will be their new home.
** Jossed. They moved to California at the end of S3.

[[WMG: Halley's Comet will be a plot point in season 4]]
If it still takes place in 1986, Halley's Comet will play a role in the story, possibly as a cosmic way of reopening the Upside Down.
* Jossed - never mentioned.

[[WMG: Victor Creel was captured by and experimented on by the Nazis.]]
We know that Victor served in the European Theater of World War II. It is possible that he was captured by the Nazis and used as a subject in mind-control experiments. This could explain how 001 got his powers, since Eleven's mother was subjected to similar experiments under Dr. Brenner, which resulted in Eleven gaining her powers.

[[WMG: Season 4 Volume 2 will reference [[UsefulNotes/{{Chernobyl}} the Chernobyl disaster]] somehow.]]
V1 takes place in March 1986 and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred on April 26th. Easy to invoke the idea of the Chernobyl reactor site being another portal to the Upside Down, or monsters from the Upside Down somehow being responsible for the disaster. It will also be interesting to see what effect the disaster and subsequent collapse of the USSR have on Russian/Soviet research into the Upside Down.
* Jossed - never mentioned.

[[WMG: Suzie will tag along with Mike and the others]]
After catching Eden smoking pot with Argyle, Eden bribes her with taking over her babysitting duties in exchange for keeping her mouth shut. She'll use the opportunity to go to Hawkins and see Dustin (possibly to formally break up with him since her father won't let her date somebody of his religious leaning). Argyle will help Eden out as a way to ShooOutTheClowns.
* Jossed. Suzie stays home, and Argyle sticks around [[spoiler: and even helps out in the final confrontation]].
[[/folder]]

[[WMG: Terry Ives will play an important role in the final fight.]]
[[spoiler:Many people have forgotten one person who could play an important part of the final fight against Vecna: Eleven's mom, Terry Ives. She was involved with MK Ultra, which helped make El what she was. And though she was lobotomized by Brenner to keep her quiet and to remove her as a problem, she apparently was able to sense El when she reached out to her in the black space and turn the TV with her mind, showing that she has some form of abilities like that of Eleven. Having her come in with a MamaBear move for the final fight may be something unexpected, and give the character a resolution before the end of the series.]]