#El had already opened the gate to this dimension and let the Demogorgon free at the start of the episode

[wheelercurse]

The Upside Down is a tesseract.

(time theory)

The writers tweeted a picture of the book Wrinkle in Time, which its title refers to a tesseract. You may ask, what's a tesseract? The basis is that a tesseract is a fifth dimension (the fourth dimension is time). Even in the book, to explain it, they use the same metaphor that they used in Stranger Things about the flea.

Here they're only using this concept to travel through dimensions. In ST, creating gates with so much power that tore space and time. And in the book, in a very similar way, to make a shortcut go to point A to point B.

We know that El has the power to create these gates, so Vecna is interested in her. And she also was the one who sent Henry to another dimension for the first time. But if you pay attention, this dimension didn't look like the Upside Down, so it makes me believe that these aren't the same place.

One is blue with spores and looks like Hawkins on November sixth, 1983, the day Willl disappeared (remember that the Duffers said this was important, and they will explain it in s5). And the other has warm colors and looks like a desert with many rocks.

My theory is that Will created the Upside Down while trying to hide from the Demogorgon. As in Wrinkle in Time, not everyone has the power of tesser. And Will manipulated time and space to create this fifth dimension.

We have seen how the Upside Down can affect the real world via the lights. They use light particles to communicate with others. A similar way that Interstellar uses the strings in the fifth dimension (also a tesseract). But in Stranger Things, they have only used it to communicate in the same period of time (the present), but what if there's a way to also communicate to other periods of time (the past)?

In Interstellar, the tesseract is an enormous structure used to communicate through gravity. Still, it's Copper's love for his daughter that allows him to see her in the past and communicate with her in this exact period. Because the premise of the movie is love transcends time and space.

ST also uses the trope of the power of love. So where I'm going with this? Our heroes will find a way to communicate with their past selves to try to prevent things, but I don't think they will be able to change the past even if they try.

My reason to believe that they will also play with time is that our villain literally has a clock motif and is obsessed with time. Also, there have been some references about time travel. And going back to season 1, the night Will disappeared, the lights in Mike's house were flickering. And the light in Will's bike also started to flicker, so he was able to notice the Demogorgon. Maybe it also was a warning. Still, if we continue with this theory, Vecna was living in the other dimension, not in the Upside Down, so he wasn't the one manipulating the lights because Will hadn't created it "yet." So who was behind the flickering? Our heroes in the future.

This isn't a new theory; I know this is the basis of flickergate. It's cute the idea that they were kissing in the Upside Down, but I think they were trying to prevent Will from leaving. Like in Interstellar, Cooper uses Morse code to send the message "STAY" But in both cases, they couldn't stop it.

Remember the iconic scene with Joyce and the Christmas lights, when she painted an alphabet, and someone warned her to RUN. Some people had questioned how Will was able to see the letters when the Upside Down was stuck on the day he disappeared. So, what if it wasn't the Will who was stuck in the UD and was someone from the future that was trying to save her (maybe Will but his future self).

There may be more examples of lights flickering, but these are the two that I remember right now.

Also, we know that Will could call his house via the phone. And in season 2, when they discovered that the way to defeat the Mindflayer was by closing the gate, the phone started to ring, so Will knew he was in the Byers' house. Maybe Vecna also will figure out how to use the Upside Down and try to intercept their plan, calling the house at that time.

Bonus: Arrival was in the s4 movie list inspiration. A movie that also plays with the concept that time is non-linear. The key to communicating with the aliens is understanding how they perceive time. You can read more about it in this analysis of the movie.

In conclusion: The Upside Down is a fifth dimension (a tesseract) where you can communicate with others dimensions, not only in the present.

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

whats your opinion on the UD being frozen as a metaphor for will's childhood and so when it's all released, he'll be free of it and therefore maybe his love for mike is still chaste and childish and that when it's all over he'll have released that love too?

with neither mike nor el or will ending up in a romantic pair at all.

That sounds rather ridiculous, in my opinion, like someone was trying to find a way to justify Will growing out of his love for Mike. If that's the case, then it's also homophobic, as it's very in line with the old standby of "it's just a phase" that gay kids had to grow up hearing.

The Upside Down being frozen in 1983 has been stated to be a significant plot point. While it may have connections to Will's feelings, since it seems to be connected to Will in general, its main purpose is in the central story.

We already know that the Upside Down does not naturally appear as the real world. When Henry was sent to what we are told was Dimension X, it was largely barren of any landmarks, looking much like a violent primordial world. The only signs of life were the small democreatures and the Mindflayer. Assuming Dimension X became the Upside Down, which seems likely since Henry, the Mindflayer, and the democreatures all are found there, then it stands to reason that it can be shaped.

The obvious source of this would be Henry. His first action when he got there was to bend the Mindflayer to his will. However, the problem with that is that he was in there for years before he had any (known) contact with the main world, apparently caused by El getting close to a demogorgon while in the Void. This causes a Gate to open, creating a physical connection between the two worlds on November 6, 1983. Will disappears into the Upside Down that night, and the dimension has appeared as a dark, twisted version of Hawkins forever stuck on that date.

The question we have is why hasn't the Upside Down changed since then? What is responsible for shaping it? If it is Henry, then why would he bother doing so? Why wouldn't he make it look more like the Hawkins he knew from before he ended up with Brenner?

The next suggestion is that Will is responsible. He wanted so badly to go home that the entire dimension shaped itself to be home. That would fit in with the idea that Will was more than just a random victim, that Henry wanted him for something. Unlike other victims of the demogorgon, Will was hunted, but not killed. We've seen enough of these beasts to know they are both mindless animals, but subject to control through the Mindflayer and, subsequently, Henry. We also know Henry can take the powers of his victims ("everything they will ever be"), so it's very possible he wanted to get this power for himself rather than let Will be food for his beasts.

The problem I see, especially with the Reddit community, is that they see Will as an artifact character. There's this idea that the writers just didn't know what to do with him after season 1, and that he's an unimportant character that they're giving side stories to in order to give him something to do. However, Will has always been important, only in a way that they've been saving for a big reveal, with only hints along the way. His love for Mike is part of his individual character arc, but it's not a weakness for him to overcome. Instead, it's being built up as his source of strength. Mike makes him feel like he's better for being different. It would be very bad storytelling to make this something he has to give up.

Will is central to the story in a way they haven't fully revealed. I'm banking on the Upside Down being stuck in time being a result of something he did, albeit unwittingly. Henry is going to want that power for himself, which is why he hasn't killed Will. I'm guessing that Henry will appeal to Will's repressed anger and resentment to recruit him in the same way he tried to recruit El (mirroring Palpatine tempting Luke in Return of the Jedi), but it's Mike and his love that will grant Will the strength to overcome this. At that point, we'll see the dark, twisted Upside Down either be destroyed, revert to its natural state, or become something beautiful as a reflection of Will's emotions.

[femmeharringrove]

Another summer, another fight. It scared them to find demogorgons roaming the forests of Hawkins again, the immediate concern being that another gate was open somewhere, but instead of a gate they found a nest; they'd been breeding in this dimension. There are unknowns here, of course. How long were they nesting? How many escaped the fight? How many escaped Hawkins before they even knew the nest was there?

But unknowns can wait. The battle is over, things are okay for now. Steve's destination isn't the Byers' home, not this time, but he's got a car full of chatty teenagers to drop off so he drives on autopilot. The kids won't make anything of his silence until much later, they hardly notice it now. But Steve can't talk, can hardly focus on anything but the eternal trip to the familiar home filled with warmth and relief and family, his family. The kids clamber out and Dustin hesitates, asks Steve if he's coming in.

He's not, he can't, but he smiles his most reassuring grin, runs a fond hand over the teen's curls, and promises to be inside in a minute. Dustin smiles back and nods before scampering inside. Steve watches with a sad sort of relief; his kids are safe, his loved ones are alive. Most of them are, anyway. They survive this time, and so he calls it a success.

Steve looks down at his bloodied jacket and groans softly. He's not making it this time, and he's okay with it.

The Beemer moves out of the driveway silently and he finds the strength to reach the quarry before the car turns off. He should go home, but his mother won't appreciate if he drips blood on her carpets. The quarry is his safe space, these trees know his secrets well. This is where he used to come with Billy long ago, when those ocean eyes and bright smile were still around. This is where their friendship blossomed over beer cans and rolled joints, where Billy trusted him with the truth about Neil and where Steve trusted him with his whole heart. They made love here, hidden away in their cars, they danced to old cassettes and talked about running away to California and making a life for themselves. This is where Steve came after Starcourt, face bruised and ribs broken and heart shattered. He grieved here, healed here, learned to move on here. It's almost fitting that he choose to die here, too. Bittersweet, he thinks.

He turns the car off and thinks about Dustin, about his kids. They'll be finishing high school soon. Dustin's already got an acceptance letter from some big tech school out in California, and Will's gotten a hefty scholarship to a New York arts school. Max is going to law school, she told him not very long ago, and he knows she's going to make one hell of a lawyer. Lucas and Mike are going to North Carolina, and El isn't quite ready to leave the nest yet, but when she does, when Hop lets her go, Steve knows she'll do something amazing. He wishes desperately he could be there to see it, but he's fading fast; the flow of blood from the gruesome series of bites along his torso is slow, but it's adding up. He hopes they don't grieve too hard, that they don't miss him too badly. Especially Dustin.

Dustin, his favorite child. His best friend. Claudia's told him several times even she saw him as an extension of their family, the older brother and mentor her Dusty always needed. The kid's loud, obnoxious at times, but Steve loves him fiercely and he hopes, really hopes that the kid knows that. He's got a letter in his desk for Henderson, for each of his kids, for everyone in his life, wrote them in an emotional haze after Starcourt nearly four years ago when he almost died in a Russian base. There's even a letter for Billy, a farewell to the love of his life. Steve hopes the kids get those letters so that they can at least have that closure, that form of goodbye. That's what those letters are, really. Three nights after the mall he wrote them just in case he died without the chance to say goodbye. Those letters hold everything he's ever wanted to say but never felt able to.

When they're found, Steve wonders what his parents will think. He wonders if his mother will cry, if his father will feel remorse for his absence. It hurts that he's dying without the chance to heal their broken relationship, and in his dark car he finds himself aching for his mother's hug, his father's hand stroking his hair. He wants to tell them that he loves them, in spite of everything. He wants to say sorry, he's sorry he wasn't the child they wanted him to be. But most of all, he just wants their company.

He knows Joyce will cry, thinks Hopper might too. Nancy and Robin are going to cry, there's no doubt in his mind. Steve hopes they don't feel guilt over this, that they don't blame themselves. Because it's not their fault, no matter what they may tell themselves. Robin's going to take this hard, he's abandoning his partner in crime. He hopes she finds another, that she gets to run off to Nashville and get her music gig going. He hopes she finds a girl who loves her goofy ways as much as he does. He hopes Nancy chases her dreams, that she catches them, that she and Jonathan live a happy life together. He hopes everyone lives a happy life after this. He hopes they move on.

"It's gonna take a while, Pretty Boy." Steve opens his eyes (when did he close them?) and slowly rolls his head to the side, stares at Billy in the passenger seat. Billy looks youthful and happy, his skin tanned and freckled and free of the Mind Flayer's scars. He's holding Steve's goodbye letter. Steve blinks once, twice, smiles faintly.

"I've missed you, dumbass," he grumbles, and Billy laughs easily. The sound is floaty and musical.

"Ditto, Stevie." He smiles fondly, and for a second Steve feels like they're teenagers again, sharing their affection in the safe confines of the quarry. Steve can forget the grave reality of the situation. He smiles back, reaches out to poke Billy's warm cheek, and slid his gaze lazily back out towards the lake.

"Is it scary?"

"Not really." Billy shakes his head. "Not when you know what's coming." Steve nods in acknowledgement.

"Can I do anything to stop it?" he asks. The blonde shakes his head again, his smile soft and sad.

"Nah. Sorry, Babydoll, but your time's running out." Steve takes a shuddering breath, nods again. Billy's hand seeks his out, squeezes gently. "Hey, look at me." He waits until Steve obliges, unfocused eyes settling on him. "You did good, Steve. You did real good."

"I don't want to leave them," he whispers, and he's starting to tear up now, the gravity of the situation setting in. "Who's gonna look after them, Bill? I can't - I can't just leave them." Billy leans in as Steve's voice wobbles, his calloused hand wiping the brunette's tears away while he hushes him softly.

"They're going to be okay," he soothes. "Trust me. You've done everything you can, you've done your job. You've been the best damn babysitter this world's ever seen." Billy's arms wrap around him comfortingly. "You've taken such good care of them, now it's time for you to rest." Steve sniffles as he leans into his boyfriend's arms, closing his eyes again.

"You think so?" he manages to ask.

"I know so." A hand runs gently over Steve's wild hair. "I worried about that too, was real worried about you and Max. But look at you." Billy shifts, tilts Steve's head and gets the dying man to look at him again. "You went off to police school or whatever they call it, you became a cop." And Steve had, he'd been a cop for two years. It was the right choice in his mind, even if his parents weren't keen on the idea. Hopper was proud of him, though, and everyone else supported him the whole way through. Judging from the look in Billy's eyes, the blonde is proud of him too. "You've helped those little shitbirds through high school, you've given Buckley a real friend, you've been there for Wheeler and her boy toy which is really impressive, sweetheart, because they drive me nuts." Steve snorts softly, a faint smile on his face, and Billy chuckles before pressing on. "You brought a little sunshine to everyone's life, Steve, and that's amazing. You've left your mark on them all forever. Those kids? They're never going to forget you. None of them will. And it won't be easy for them, losing you, but you moved on after me, didn't you? They're going to keep going. But I promise, they won't forget Steve Harrington." Billy's voice is so confident and soft, Steve can't help but believe him. He worries for his little family still, but he believes the other man. They're going to be okay, somehow. He doesn't have to worry anymore.

So instead, he presses closer to Billy, ignores the dull pain in his body, and smiles.

"Now what?" he asks. Billy hums low in his throat as he cards thick fingers through Steve's hair.

"Now, we move to California," he chuckles. "Right by the beach, baby. We'll watch the sum set over the ocean every night, adopt a couple of dogs or some shit. It'll be good." Steve hums softly.

"Sounds good," he agrees. He's silent for a little while after that. Steve's body feels numb, but that doesn't startle him. "Hey, Bill?"

"Yes, Bambi?"

"I thought you were supposed to feel cold when you die." Steve blinks hazy and slow, a soft smile on his face. "But I just feel really warm." Billy squeezes him gently.

"Warm is good, Pretty Boy," he murmurs. "It's over, Steve, close your eyes. You can rest now." The brunette nods, almost closes his eyes, but stops.

"You'll stay?" he asks.

"I'll stay," Billy promises. "Sleep, Sunshine. I'll be here when you wake up." Satisfied by that answer and too tired to keep his heavy eyelids open, Steve closes his eyes, smiles softly, and falls asleep.

It's Hopper who finds him just past dawn, after spending much of the night searching for the young cop. He has to sit down, can't move for a few minutes after the discovery. Dustin screams when they get to the hospital, crumples on the floor and begs Hopper to bring his best friend back. Max outright faints at the news and spends the day clinging to El, who can't stop crying longer than five minutes. Robin begs them to tell her it's a joke and rages for a few minutes before dissolving into tears herself. Steve's parents get the call in their Tokyo hotel room just before going out for the night; his mother trembles so hard she can't even try to stand. If his father feels anything at the news, he's good at hiding it. They come home to arrange the funeral and are faced with several teenagers waiting for them, Dustin yells at them until Hopper steps in. His mother looks at his lifeless face and whispers an apology he can't hear.

Steve Harrington is laid to rest next to his old high school rival, and an old nail-studded bat is left at the headstone. Nancy gives a tear-jerking eulogy at his funeral, and Dustin barely gets through a smaller speech about his big brother. Max writes a speech, but ultimately is only able to tell the small crowd that Steve was the brightest ray of sun in her darkest time. His parents allegedly were "too emotional" to speak about their son, and no one questions it. Joyce speaks, though, about this heartbreakingly sweet boy she came to love as her own, and Hopper says he would have been proud to have the kid as his son.

His letters are found and are handed out that night, and Max leaves his letter for Billy by the other's headstone unread. They all cry through the words scrawled out in that familiar handwriting, his assurances of love and pride for them all, and promises that they would get through this. Sitting at the quarry that same night, sharing laughter and tears and memories of the man, they decide that maybe, even if they can't see it now, Steve's right. They'll try and get through this. It's hard navigating a storm when the sun's been lost, but they're going to try.