In recent years there hasn’t been a show quite like Stranger Things. A total homage to the best the ‘80s had to offer, this Netflix series turned us all into obsessed superfans.
We binged like there was no tomorrow because it was that freaking good (and we didn’t want to risk any spoilers)! It was pretty much impossible to finish a single episode of Stranger Things without some crazy theory about what was going to happen or just the show in general. Well, before Stranger Things 2 begins, we’re going to give you a whole new crop of theories to blow your frickin’ mind. For right now, here are the best Stranger Things theories the internet has to offer and let’s just say they’re giving us A LOT to think about. BRB — going to go watch the whole first season right now!
1. Will is Basically Eleven
No, they are not one in the same but Arjap911 feels that Will’s mom, Joyce, could’ve also been part of those experiments just like we know Eleven’s was. This would explain why Joyce was a little over-the-top at times and Will and Eleven are around the same age, meaning that MK Ultra was around when they were both concieved — and Will would have some telekenetic powers just like El does if his mom was part of the experiments.
While we didn’t see any blatant examples of Will’s power — there’s obviously something special about him. I mean, Will was able to communicate with his mother from the Upside Down using those string lights — something we didn’t see with any other characters. Could this mean he’s telekinetic? It certainly points that way but only time will tell!
2. Plants Have Powers
Are we supposed to ignore the fact that these creatures obviously look like plants? So this theory is kind of a two-parter and part one suggests that plants and nature might actually have telekinetic powers — which is not only a Stranger Things theory but just a world one. Yes, people in real life believe that plants have nervous systems and communicate with one another telepathically. We don’t have time to dive into the ins and outs of that one, so we’ll just take eatyourveggies11 for their word right now. The second part is that with this plant theory as a basis, the Demogorgon, who can communicate with was a consequence of those evil scientists “splicing plant genes into human DNA,” which would explain why the monster in season one had the face of a plant with a human-esque body and, if the scientists were doing this during their experiments with Eleven’s mother — why El is connected to the plant-human-monster hybrid and why she has telepathic abilities as well.
3. Will is a host
Reddit isn’t the only place Stranger Things theories take place. Ludoprotectionsquad over on Tumblr has one, too. This one states that the monster was a parasite who has taken over will, thus now making him the host to this parasite being used to take over the human world. Kind of like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
4. Terry Ives Is the Monster
Many have questioned whether the Demogorgon was actually Eleven’s mother. Derric_the_Derp actually feels the monster just might be the subconscious of Eleven’s real-life mother, Terry Ives. When you think about it, the monster was always sensing and seeking blood, and given that Eleven’s nose is basically always bleeding, it’s completely possible that there’s a connection. Perhaps it’s even a way for Eleven’s mother to find her daughter?
5. The Upside Down Once Held Life
Can I just say I love how intense some fans can be? So gamedemon24 has convinced me that the Upside Down was once a society where real people resided and the Demogorgon was one of them. However, after a natural disaster wiped out most of the living beings in the Upside Down, the Demogorgan had to adapt in order to survive — thus living on the only remaining lives left in its universe.
6. Hopper, The Russian Spy
IanPBoyd, like all of us, realized that Stranger Things pays major props to the ’80s. With that, this fan feels like they low-key allowed a Soviet sleeper agent into the mix using Hooper. Makes some sense when they point out that Hopper had the instinct to think his place was bugged. He also made a deal with the government at the end that we don’t know much about. Was he with them the whole time? Or did they find out his secret?
7. Eleven and Will Are Related
There’s obviously some connection between Eleven and Will. Everlaws, however, believes that this connection is familial. This Tumblr user states that Joyce and Terry were both knocked up by Lonnie. While some think Hopper is Eleven’s real dad, and like we said, others think that Will’s and Eleven’s similarities are because of similair experiences in utero, this one would be an interesting twist.
8. Hopper’s a Veteran
This is no way it changes the show, but baileytsample feels like Hopper isn’t a spy. He’s just a guy who got drafted into the Vietnam War and came back with PTSD from what he experienced. This would explain the drinking and anger management issues.
9. Will Ruined Reality
That’s not exactly how Rejector71 said it, but basically that’s the gist. In trailers for Stanger Things 2, we see that the Thessalhydra is Stranger Things‘ next big bad. This super fan suggests that the slug that came out of Will’s mouth at the end of the first season will become that very monster they will have to defeat in the second. It makes sense considering the slug obviously came from the Upside Down and everything is terrifying there.
10. Dungeons & Dragons Started It All
When the show starts, the boys are playing Dungeons & Dragons. Many viewers, including Mikeprath thought that there was no way it could be a coincidence. The fan goes on to explain that Will basically released the Demogorgan through the board game. Think about it, the boys never got to finish that first game, which is why they believe Eleven is still alive and the Demogorgon may still be around, too, along with a new monster. You even see Eleven use the D&D; board when she’s explaining the Upside Down. Coicidence? Definitely not.
11. Mike’s The Powerful One
We all have seen what Eleven can do, and many believe Will may have those same powers. People like susannacollinasworld thinks we’ve been sleeping on Mike though. He is the one who basically laid everything out in that Dungeons & Dragons game. So could he really be the mastermind of everything?
12. The Upside Down Is The Future
When in the Upside Down, it was easy to see it was just a creepier replica of the real world. A_Raptured_Dino points out that it would take quite some time for all that fungus to take over everything. Hence, the Upside Down is the result of some apocolyptic crap that’s about to go down due to Hawkins’s experiments. Could season one just have been a very disturbing warning?
13. Will is going to be The Bad Guy
During the first season, we didn’t really know Will. He was just a damsel in distress who talked to his mom via Christmas lights. Now that he’s back in reality for season two, churnalism feels we still won’t really know him. He spent a lot of time in the Upside Down. That could be why this Reddit user feels he’ll be the villain in the second season. Imagine them having to kill Will! This one would fit in pretty well with the theory that he’s also hosting the parasite.
14. An Anniversary Connection
This theory doesn’t really change what happened or what’s to come, but it’s still a very interesting easter-egg if things add up. Byerstan pointed out that if every episode happens a day at a time in season two, then it will end on November 6th. That’s the day Will went missing in the first season. Could that be significant, or just clever on the creators’ part?
15. Eleven’s Screams Saved Her
Stranger Things fans, you are something else. Eleven screamed quite a bit and when she did it made an impact. There’s something more to her screams, at least that’s what elevenseggbros believes. They feel like Eleven realized that her screams held a power and that’s why she screamed into the lake. She created a portal underwater that she could then escape to. Is that where homegirl’s been this whole time?
16. The In-Between
We all have seen the trailer for the second season and know Eleven is alive (THANK GOD). Now we’ll have to wait to see where the heck she’s been. Casography believes that because the Upside Down was toxic AF, there was no way Eleven would survive there. That’s why they believe Eleven’s in a third place; the in-between. Wait? What? Honestly, there being another realm would make a lot of sense!