11 Questions Fans Still Have After Stranger Things 4

If there’s one thing Stranger Things knows how to do, it’s deliver an epic finale. The twist-filled sci-fi series always ends each season with tons of jaw-dropping cliffhangers, and Season 4’s final moments might be the most shocking yet. Unfortunately, the lengthy hiatuses between seasons of Stranger Things is just as iconic as the show’s finales, so fans are going to have a long time to ruminate over what Season 5 will have in store. While you wait for Hawkins’ last stand, let’s go over all the most pressing unanswered questions from Stranger Things 4 that the final season needs to address.

Spoiler alert: Obviously, don’t keep reading if you haven’t finished Stranger Things 4 yet. After everyone was on their own separate adventures all season, the whole crew reunited in Hawkins at the end of Season 4... the only problem is that Hawkins isn’t exactly the best place to be at the moment. Although Eleven came close to defeating Vecna (with an assist from Nancy, Steve, Robin, and some serious firepower), the demonic Upside Down overlord escaped destruction and managed to tear open a giant gate to his realm right in the middle of Hawkins.

It definitely feels like Vecna will return as the big bad of Season 5, but a lot of other things are still up in the air after that finale. Let’s talk about them.

1. Is Max dead?

Max’s fate is a big question mark at the end of Stranger Things 4. Vecna finally fulfilled his goal of killing her, but Eleven seemed to save her life by awakening a new level of power. However, Max is still unresponsive in a coma, and most alarming of all, Eleven is unable to find any sign of her presence at all when using her powers.

The Duffer Brothers revealed they originally planned to kill Max off this season, but instead opted to leave things more open-ended heading into Season 5. Now, it’s anyone’s guess whether Max is alive or not.

2. How did a gate to the Upside Down open in Russia?

Hawkins may be the epicenter for all this Upside Down chaos, but Russia is also somehow involved. Although Russia has been a big part of the show for a few seasons now, viewers still know barely anything about what this secret Russian sect that knows about the Upside Down is up to... or how they came to be. The Russians are growing their own Demogorgons, have captured some of the black particles that created the Mind Flayer, and seem to have their own gate to the Upside Down. Could Vecna have opened the gate in Russia for some reason? And if so, why?

3. Who will Nancy end up with?

Let’s set the sci-fi stuff aside for a moment and talk about the show’s most important love triangle: Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve. Nancy started out the series with the arrogant, self-obsessed Steve, but quickly left him for the more caring and thoughtful embrace of Jonathan. However, something flipped in Season 4. After Jonathan grew more apathetic and unfocused after his move to California, Nancy didn’t feel as connected to him anymore, but she did appreciate Steve’s new kind and heroic side.

As of the Season 4 finale, Nancy and Jonathan are still together, but it definitely seems like she’s thinking of rekindling things with Steve. Oh, and let’s not forget about Robin. Nancy and Robin were paired up a ton during Season 4, and their chemistry made them one of the show’s most-shipped couples. Audiences will just have to wait to see who Nancy chooses in Season 5.

4. Is Will going to become a villain?

There’s definitely something going on with Will. After he was saved from the Upside Down, Will is still connected to it in some way, leaving him with the ability to sense Vecna’s presence. There’s a theory that this connection to Vecna goes much deeper than just a chill on the back of his neck, and it could be foreshadowing Will taking a dark turn in the final season. If Vecna has some sort of control over Will or a hidden bond with him, then he could be key to the villain’s grand plan.

5. What is the source of Eleven and Vecna’s powers?

This show still hasn’t explained why there are just randomly a bunch of little kids with psychic powers. Like, where did these powers come from? Is Eleven human or did she come from the Upside Down? Are all the psychic kids connected to the Upside Down? Also, what even is the Upside Down? These are the most central questions in Stranger Things, so hopefully the final season offers some satisfying answers.

6. Will Eddie be resurrected?

Fans will be mourning Eddie Munson’s metal-tastic death for years to come, but he actually may not be gone for good. There’s a growing fan theory that Eddie may be resurrected in the final season. The theory is based in Dungeons & Dragons lore, wherein Vecna has a trusted lieutenant named Kas the Bloody-Handed. This role could be fulfilled by Vecna bringing Eddie back to life to do his bidding. Given how much of a massive fan-favorite the character became in Season 4, it would make sense for the Duffer Bothers to look for some way to bring Eddie back, and this may be just the thing.

7. What happened to Murray, Enzo, and Yuri?

There were a few people missing from that big reunion at the end of the season. Hopper and Joyce got to see everyone again, but their buddies from the Russia mission were suspiciously M.I.A. Presumably, Murray, Enzo, and Yuri are all just back to living their usual lives, but it’s weird the finale never showed what happened to them after the final battle in Russia.

8. Why is the Upside Down stuck in 1983?

In Season 4, Nancy made a very puzzling discovery: The Upside Down is frozen in 1983 for some reason. More specifically, it never advanced past the day Will was abducted. It’s unclear why time stopped in the Upside Down, but it definitely seems to suggest Will’s connection to this realm is stronger than anyone realized.

9. What is the monster Nancy saw in her vision?

When Vecna gave Nancy a vision of Hawkins’ destruction, she described seen a monster with a gaping mouth swallowing the town. That doesn’t sound like Vecna, which might mean he’s going to summon another monster to do his bidding in Season 5. After the Demogorgons and the Mind Flayer, there’s no telling what this final Upside Down beast could be, but it definitely sounds like it’ll be the scariest one yet.

10. Will Eight return?

Seriously, where the hell is Eight? Eleven’s psychic sister was introduced all the way back in Season 2, then just disappeared without a trace. After the Hawkins Lab massacre, Eight is presumably the only other psychic-powered person alive other than Eleven and Vecna, so why isn’t Eleven trying to recruit her in the battle against Vecna? Some fans even think the show has been hinting at Eight’s return, pointing out that a perfect Dungeon & Dragons roll is 20, and 11 + 8 + 1 is 20. Hopefully, Eight hasn’t been forgotten and will help Eleven save the day in the final season.

11. Which B-named character will die?

One very bizarre but consistent trend in every season of Stranger Things is that a character whose name begins with the letter “B” always winds up dead. It was Barb in Season 1, then Bob in Season 2, then Billy in Season 3, and finally Dr. Brenner in Season 4. Maybe the trend is just a coincidence, or maybe the Duffer Brothers really have some vendetta against the second letter in the alphabet — either way, anyone with a “B” name could be a target in Season 5. Thankfully, there aren’t that many “B” names in the main cast, unless you count the last name Will, Jonathan, and Joyce’s last name Byers, or Robin’s last name being Buckley or Murray’s being Bauman.

Stranger Things’ fifth and final season doesn’t yet have a premiere date, but it’s tentatively predicted to arrive at the end of 2023 or, more likely, sometime in 2024.