#stranger things lore

[byler-invested]

Started ugly crying (like this: 😭) by the “99/100 timeline” section.

So, so well explained and exactly what I’ve also been envisioning Mike and Will’s real story actually is.

The Henry/1/Vecna -> HIV connection is insane. Somehow I had NEVER noticed it before omfg.

I still think, though, that there is a real sci-fi element to all of this show. It’s officially classified as Science Fiction as one of its main genres. It was named Stranger Things and the word “Strange” has long and famously been associated to science and science fiction in multiple ways and contexts. We also have to consider the fact that the show’s concept needs to be replicable into future spin-offs and an entire fictional universe.

So in that sense, I’m not entirely sure that Stranger Things is only about figurative or metaphorical storytelling. I feel like the One timeline out of 100 will actually be made to happen in real life, through Mike’s will (pun intended) and some kind of scientific or technological factor that is going to be Stranger Things’s main lore conceptual trademark.

They have a history of breaking stereotypical tropes and subverting expectations. Therefore I imagine they will initially make us think that Byler has a tragic ending (like gay and LGBTQ+ stories usually have), to then subvert that and actually create a happy(er) ending for them. This would serve the purpose of educating the audience about how human mindset and society and free will actually have the power to create better outcomes in life.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Mike was written as a nerdy intelligent kid who knows computer languages. Or that multiple other characters are versed in various science fields. Or that Stranger Things as a whole has a huge focus on science topics.

That being said, we can only truly know whenever s5 officially drops its final episode. AMAZING theory and post! 🌟🌈💔

As an extra, and to further prove all the connections in the show, I wanted to leave this (heartbreaking) HIV/AIDS info below:

I especially recommend everyone checks out Ryan White’s story in more detail, because the similarities and references are INSANE.

The Nested Universes Theory

and the high chance of a very literal bitter/sweet ending…

Yes, Will and Mike will end up together, but their ending may be both happy and tragic simultaneously.

(This theory may explain why the cast and Netflix executives were crying heavily when informed of the show’s ending…)

I'm warning you guys, take care of yourself while reading this. This isn't an easy read.

CW: CSA, sex, drugs, HIV/AIDS, period typical homophobia, death

Framed Narratives/Stories

Framed narratives are basically a story within a story. Common examples of this are the movie “The Princess Bride” and “Titanic”. Both stories have the story of the narrator and the story within.

Another example is Stranger Things itself. When we see the boys playing Dungeons and Dragons, they are creating a story within a story.

Sometimes, framed narratives are nested, meaning multiple layers of storytelling. An example of this would be the movie “Inception”. In that movie there are dreams within dreams within dreams… It’s a complex but fascinating way to tell stories.

Now, I do think Stranger Things is also a nested narrative story. Meaning, there may be a layer of a story that hasn’t been revealed to us yet (or more than one).

Basically I’m saying: the show itself may be a story created by some of the characters.

I’m guessing two characters in particular. Which two characters? The two most associated with creating stories. The writer and artist. Two of the characters that have existed since the show’s inception.

Mike and Will.

Multiple Universes

I do think there are multiple timelines/universes within Stranger Things… but it’s not exactly what you think. It’s not parallel universes/timelines. They do not exist parallel to each other, they exist within each other.

This is the reason for the “memory within a memory”, “play within a play” references.

It’s a story within a story within a story.

While Mike and Will are creating their DnD campaigns, there is another version of Mike and Will creating the story we see within the show.

Let’s break it down:

Inner layer: Mike and Will’s characters existing within a DnD campaign

Middle layer: Mike and Will within the show creating the DnD campaign

Outer layer: Mike and Will creating the story of the show

Mike and Will’s story within the frame (the outer layer) likely does share a lot in common with the story within the show, with one major difference:

There’s no Upside Down, and no supernatural elements. No superpowers, and no superheroes. There are still monster(s) and heroes, but these monsters and heroes are real.

Living on as “Heroes”

Ever notice the association between characters being referred to as “a hero” after facing their demise?

We have seen this time and time again. It’s not a coincidence, it’s a pattern.

Love for horror and escapism

@threemanoperation has a great post on Will’s love for horror.

It makes perfect sense for a boy like Will to enjoy horror. It can be a great way to process trauma and grief.

We also know even from the earliest descriptions for Mike and Will’s characters that they both love to “escape” into fantasy. They do this together, through DnD.

Gods/Puppet Masters/Creators

Within the show, there are many subtle nods to Will and Mike somehow controlling/manipulating things. These hints have lead to many interesting theories about Mike and/or Will having powers. In a sense, they both are absolutely right! But if this theory is correct, their influence over the show is mainly due to them creating it. They’re the authors, so in a way, they’re both “Gods”.

Solving the “Letter to Willy”/Lettergate puzzle

"Letter to Willy" is a song that plays over three different scenes within ST4. Each scene involves regrets, and survivor's guilt.

Max mourns Billy and reads out her letter "before it's too late" aka before she dies too.

Mike and Will have a heart-to-heart and Mike expresses guilt over El leaving, thinking there was more he could have done. This occurs while they are burying a dead man's body.

Dustin tells Eddie's uncle that Eddie died a hero, despite what the town thought.

This all leads back to Mike and Will within the story's outer layer. This also connects with the writer's incomplete letter they posted years ago on Twitter. I'll get back to this.

A father infecting his child

Oh boy. I hate this part but it requires context so…

Hopper admits to indirectly causing the death of his daughter, Sarah. He had been exposed to Agent Orange which led to his daughter developing cancer at a young age. He has remorse and has been grieving Sarah this whole time.

Now, Hopper is a decent guy and father, and is written as an almost “fix it” version of Mike and Will’s own fathers. He isn’t perfect, but he’s a man who strives to grow and improve himself.

Papa, is not a decent guy, and we also see him injecting El and Henry with needles.

So, what I’m saying is that this may be a hint to what happened to Will (in the 99/100 timeline). Lonnie is hinted to be a drug user, and it wouldn’t be far fetched to say he may have used IV drugs. Exposure to IV drugs is a way to transmit diseases, as blood may be exchanged through contaminated needles. Also, Lonnie has been hinted at, through subtext, to be a horrible monster. (<- click that link for a post about him.)

The “1/100” Timeline

The show itself is the 1 out of 100 timeline. It is the only one where Will was not kidnapped by his parent/guardian (Lonnie).

This means, it is the one where none of the tragic stuff ever happened, specifically to Will and Mike’s story at least. They may encounter challenges, but nothing they cannot overcome together, as a team.

1983: The Demogorgon got Will. He survives the horrors done to him in the Upside Down… but barely. He is taken to the hospital and heals from it all, including flu-like symptoms (cough, nausea/vomiting).

1984: Will suffers from flashbacks. He is also plagued with the nickname “Zombie Boy” and suffering from the Mind Flayer’s possession of him. But with the love of his family, and Mike, is able to return back to his reality.

1985: He then begins to struggle with the pressures of growing up, and having to move away. Plus the Mind Flayer returns and reeks more havoc.

1986: He then moves to a pleasant place. Where things are sunny and warm. Things on the surface seem happy and “normal” but there’s a looming threat hidden beneath the surface. Henry/1/Vecna. This opportunistic threat preys on the weak and begins to take over Hawkins.

1987-1989: Will is back in Hawkins and his ties to the Upside Down increase. He can’t shake it off as easily as before. He also can’t shake off his love for Mike, who grows even closer to him. One thing leads to another and they become lovers (they have sex). They eventually are able to stop the contamination of Hawkins, and save everyone. Will also realizes that he has developed superpowers from his time in the Upside Down, through his blood. Mike also develops superpowers, given to him by Will.

Okay… you might understand where I’m going with this but I still must warn you before reading the next part. It’s devastatingly tragic.

The “99/100” Timeline

(I’m probably wrong on some of these details but this is what I theorize thus far):

1983: Lonnie “got” Will (CSA). Will survives the horrors done to him by his father… but barely. He is taken to the hospital and heals from it all and from flu-like symptoms (cough, nausea/vomiting).

1984: Will suffers from flashbacks. He is also plagued with the nickname “Zombie Boy” and suffering from the flashbacks of his father’s possession of him. But with the love of his family, and Mike, is able to return back to reality.

1985: He then begins to struggle with the pressures of growing up. Plus the memories of Lonnie return and reek more havoc.

1986: Things on the surface seem happy and “normal” but there’s a looming threat hidden beneath the surface. HIV -> AIDS. Opportunistic infections slowly begin to prey on Will.

1987-?: Will can’t shake off colds and infections as easily as before. He also can’t shake off his love for Mike, who grows even closer to him. One thing leads to another and they become lovers (they have sex). Will soon discovers he has HIV/AIDS, which he had transmitted to Mike. Devastated by the news, they do everything they can to fight it together. They cope through creating a DnD campaign together to process everything they’ve gone through. They play DnD in Mike’s basement until Will’s condition becomes critical. Will is forced to stay in the hospital, while Mike is unable to visit (strict rules about visitation due to the disease and because they aren’t/cannot be considered legal partners). So, Mike does the only thing he can do: he writes letters to Will and continues the story. Mike eventually loses Will, for real this time. He’s devastated, and plagued with grief, depression, and survivor’s guilt. He didn’t complete their story in time. But his family and friends support him and encourage him to finish the story. To change the ending before his time runs out too. He completes their story himself, and reads his final letter to Will’s grave.

“anyway I think you’ll like [the ending]. sorry I couldn’t get it done [on time] but you mean so [much to me] and it’s been [so hard being without you] hope this is [enough to] last until [we meet again]. Love, [Mike].”

Attached to this letter is the full campaign. The full story of the show itself, which started on November 6th, 1983. He successfully turned back the clock, and changed their ending. They became superheroes within their story, saving Hawkins with their love. Mike dies soon after and we are met with…

Mike and Will reuniting within their own story. Blue meeting yellow at a gate, one final time, that leads “into the west”.

They continue their story and it’s a never ending story… Living on as heroes, forever and ever.

Some thoughts:

To simplify things, I didn’t include other characters much here but they likely all play an important role in the story. Many characters likely only exist within the mid layer (the 1/100 timeline).

I do think their story likely will be published, and this will be done by another character (my guess is Lucas). Their story will impact others profoundly, perhaps completely altering perspectives. This will lead towards positive change, and increase pressure for the development of a “cure”.

Lonnie obviously dies too, but we won’t see it. He’s significant but irrelevant. We don’t need to see him. Perhaps he rots in jail.

If characters like Nancy, Jonathan, Joyce, and Hopper all exist within the outer layer (the 99/100 timeline) in a similar way, they too may be inflicted with HIV/AIDS. Remember, it wasn’t just gay men, everyone was affected by this awful epidemic.

The time period is super relevant in this story. There’s no way that HIV/AIDS will not play an important role. Think about it… it revolves around two gay boys growing up during that time. This epidemic was widespread and terrifying. Had they been born a decade later, there would have been treatments/“cures” accessible to them.

The biggest reason why I strongly believe this theory is because… this is basically the ending of Stranger Things season 1, on a much grander scale. Think about it. Mike changed the ending of the DnD campaign so Will could be a hero, not a victim. This was further established in the comics.

While Mike and Will within the outer layer (99/100) have a tragic ending, Mike and Will within the show (1/100) do not. They beat the odds. Although it is undeniably a tragic end, remember that somewhere out there Mike and Will are still playing DnD and Nintendo for the rest of their lives.

Free Will and Writing your Own Ending

Free will has always been a reoccurring theme within Stranger Things; meaning we can choose our own destiny, fight chance, and beat the odds.

Do we truly have free will though? Obviously, we don’t know. The point is, we should still live life as if we do have it. To take control where we can, and not let external forces dictate who we are and what our destiny is. I think that’s the message there.

[st3ddie-starchas3r]

The lore I make for the stranger things parents is so fun. Like what do you mean the Sinclairs aren’t t4t who never got to be openly out but privately affirmed e/o, what do you mean Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers weren’t bi icons that were best friends, what do you mean that Wayne Munson ISN’T their age and painfully in love with Mr. Harrington while Jim Hopper is painfully in love with him (Wayne), what do you mean Karen and Ted weren’t the off/on toxic again couple in high school as Karen is lowkey a raging lesbian, wym Mr. Harrington wasn’t the nastiest bully you ever met while his wife was the schools it girl who everyone wanted but couldn’t have.

This way of thinking is not for the weak. 😥 Nobody can stop me, I AM WRITING.

[will80sbyers]

What I understood about the Dimension X + Upside Down + Vecna + Mind Flayer + what Will can do for now from the show:

This is more for myself than anything else because I wanted to do a recap in my mind lol

Dimension X is a planet in our space or a planet in a complete different universe, it had all kinds of different species living in it:

The mind flayer -> alien particles that communicate between them with a shared mind called hivemind and with the capacity to take over the bodies of different hosts if used by Henry to do that, he shapes them as a spider that he drew when he was little

Demogorgons -> They (and the VINES too) existed before the Upside Down Hawkins was created

and are amphibian non-aquatic predators that are similar to sharks only for how they attack following the scent of blood, they probably survived eating those yellow eggs before arriving to the UD and seem to be born from the vines in the UD. To reproduce, the vines place one of those little slugs inside someone that is used as an incubator and then those grow up to become Demodogs and keep evolving until they reach the Demogorgon stage that is basically them being adults when they start to walk on two legs instead of 4 and lose the tail

The Demogorgons can open gates between the upside down Hawkins and the right side aka our world but they don't stay open, it's not clear if they can because of Vecna's powers being connected to the hivemind or only on their own - Vecna said he couldn't find a way to open the portals on his own and keep them open so he had to steal Eleven's abilities.... so he probably was using the Demogorgons before because of that so that he could go back to the upside down without risking of remaining stuck in the Right Side part (? Not clear enough to me)

Demobats -> we don't know much about if they are from Dimension X or a entirely new creation from the UD once it started mutating (we now know!!! They are from Dimension X too and Henry ate them to survive) but they are all controlled by Vecna with the hivemind.

ALL the creatures of the upside down that are connected to the vines and the hivemind have one big mind and can see in all places the others are at once

All of them hate fire and hot temperatures and prefer cold ones.

The vines CAN go in cold water without problems because we know the Watergate in s4 exists and we see one of them in the water but we haven't seen how the Demogorgons or the Demobats react to that

We saw that in Russia they had the Demogorgons floating in some liquid that looks like water with something (SALT?) added into it

And they kept the particles of the Mind Flayer that HATE hot temperatures caged in by putting heat all around them

We saw that the particles starts to swirl around when they are subjected to hot temperatures because they don't like it and the vines gets destroyed by fire but they also regrow fast, so it's not a permanent solution...

The Demodogs made the tunnels in the earth under Hawkins so that the vines could expand and make the "weird Flowers in the cave" aka the Flowers that attack by sprying the toxic particles in the air that look like snow or ash and are probably toxic for humans because Hopper felt like shit after and puked a lot

We see that Will is currently connected with the hivemind and with Vecna's mind, and he has the ability to "shadow walk" in season 2 and travel between different dimensions with a sort of projection (copy?) of his body... He can get inside the hivemind to see what all the creatures are doing in a precise moment in season 2 and that's how he finds Hopper because he could see in the tunnels because the vines were there

We don't know if Will had this ability before he got the vines inside his body but we do know he had it before he got possessed by the mind flayer because of the season 1 finale when he has the first vision in the bathroom

Also we know that when the particles of the mind flayer possess someone or an animal they change their whole DNA and make them be able to drink things that to humans are extremely toxic like the chemicals the people in season 3 were drinking and they can transform their meat tissue into anything they want, Vecna decided to build that Meat monster from the people of Hawkins to attack Eleven in season 3

The connection of the Hivemind with the Mind flayer particles stays active if the Mothergate is open, if the gate closes or if Vecna gets hurt he loses the control over that and the animals still connected in that moment die!

The Mothergate was first opened by El and she kept the psychic connection with it until season 2 and kept it open without realizing it...

In season 3 the Russians re open the Mothergate for a bit but it's unstable and it closes up again and then they find a way to keep it open during that year and start capturing Demogorgons from the Upside Down Hawkins and studying them and their anatomy, they get stopped by Joyce and Hopper but had already taken Demogorgons and brought them from Hawkins to their base in Russia and they also somehow took the particles of the Mind flayer

Vecna (the Communist) let them do it probably because he wanted the gate to stay open so that he could go to take El's powers and start his plan to open the 4 gates in Hawkins and keep that big ass gate open

So Henry/Vecna/One takes El's powers and idk practices a bit for 8 months (because he was still weak from the fight in s3? because he wanted to do it in a precise date? Idk) and then he starts his plan and starts mind stalking his victims that are people with a lot of trauma that he thinks are weak, because of that so he kills them and he creates mini gates in those points in Hawkins so that when he has 4 gates he can connect them together and keep them all open at the same time with the psychic connection!

We also know that the Upside down Hawkins seems frozen in time because either it is in some way... or because it is only a copy of Hawkins made the 6th of November the night El opened the Mothergate and no one was there to change stuff around after

and not long after that gate was opened, Will was kidnapped so we don't know if Will with some secret powers is the one that created that copy... because he just wanted to go back home and was scared, or if it was El opening the gate in Hawkins that created a reflection of it... (I think it's Will that did it)

In the UD Hawkins you can hear the voice of the people in our world and you can see the lights appear even without the physical light source being present in the UD - Dustin and the others have the lite brite light up in the Right side world and Nancy etc in the UD saw only the light...

So it's like the light travels between the worlds too, somehow, they are like gates on their own in a way and that allows people to communicate...

The lights are on screen being focused on when Dustin is saying this:

Will finds a way to also use the radio or the phone to communicate on the other side but we don't know how exactly

About Henry/One/Vecna:

it seems he got his powers either by being born like that (and they manifest during puberty) because of a mutation connected to the chemicals that his father used during the war

Or

From the spiders in the house (meh idk seems weird?)

He can get inside the minds of people and take their abilities and memories and super capacities, he can make them have nightmares and visions of what he wants and he can move things with his mind and he also can freeze time or go back in time because of the shot of the clock spinning (but this is not confirmed yet)

Henry was taken by Brenner and Brenner found a way to block his powers and used him as a lab rat to make something that if given to other people and pregnant people gives them powers, the powers of the people directly injected were weak but the powers of the kids born with them were strong, so they took the kids away kidnapping them to create the little army of anti-Russian people with superpowers and train them

Brenner kept Henry as a prisoner but he also made him participate in creating and watching over these kids so he was probably involved in Eleven's birth because he was working for Brenner in the labs - he got punished if he tried to escape or if he did something he wasn't supposed to do like maybe be in the control room (and secretly turn off the cameras so that the kids could attack Eleven and make her think Brenner wanted her dead so she would help him escape)

Then the Hawkins massacre happens and El sends Henry in the dimension X

where he somehow finds a way to stay alive by mutating and fusing with the environment and finally takes control over the mind flayer particles becoming part of the Hivemind of Demogorgons+Vines+UD creatures himself.

Then Brenner makes El search for him without telling her and she finds a Demogorgon and opens the gate with a psychic bond that goes to bond with all the other creatures through that Demogorgon, so Henry feels that in the hivemind and understands he can finally go back and uses the Demogorgon to go in Hawkins and take Will (not confirmed but probable because we see someone opening Will's door with psychic powers )

Henry also tells us that his objective is to destroy the current world to remake one as he wishes and reign over everything else because he thinks he's superior to all the other people without superpowers that are just weak and fragile and deserve to be prayed upon because "it's the natural order" of things - he wanted to be a predator like his spiders because he feels superior

NOW THE QUESTIONS:

So why did he need Will for this plan of remaking the world?

Being involved in Brenner's recreation of people with powers did he maybe know that Will or Joyce were involved in the experiments somehow and Will had a big probability of having superpowers too...?

but maybe these powers didn't manifest completely yet because Will was too little and wasn't going through puberty and he's a late bloomer in that sense, so he let Joyce and Hop save him and let him grow before he could really use the full force of his powers ?

Did he know about Will's abilities to create new worlds or travel and project in them before Will himself knew because maybe he can see sort of into the future sometimes? Or he can sense the people with his own powers in them?

[castleclerics]

a little tribute to the very show that i’ve now spent a full year analyzing :)

insta

[henrycreelvecna]

Stranger things unanswered.

I wont be surprised if stranger things end with many things unanswered, kind of like Coraline. Then all you can do is theorize and work clues and puzzle pieces together to get something that makes sense.

Especially Henrys story, we barely know ANYTHING. How did Virginia keep the secret of Brenners existence? When did henry go from 001 to orderly? How EXACTLY did the kids get the powers? How did Henry attach himself to the upside down? Can he even communicate to the realms creatures?

I do want most of these answered, but then again I do want the fandom to take over when the show has finished. Maybe we will get a LOT more info on henrys life with the stage performance that is being made.

[jazy3]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ham Radio Media (@ham.radio.media)

For the first time ever, my co-host and I will be going LIVE on our YouTube & Twitter this Thursday, March 23 (🔗 in bio for instant access). We'll be talking about some fun bday stories, random tv shows/movies, anything else we can think of, and of course Stranger Things! We will also READ your comments & questions! You won’t want to miss it especially if you’re a big stancy fan or you’re really into the lore of the show! See you there! Over and out!

[messrsbyler]

always thinking about that one post that said vecna's presence was represented as light/sunlight, and it meant vecna was watching the characters in a way, always aware of them since the beginning

It’s like he only sees the darkness in us. So, I’ll just run in the opposite direction. Run to the light.

[smalltownrobin]

Something so painful about Robin's coming out scene is when she says, "if he did know her, like really know her, I don't think he'd even want to be her friend."

She doesn't word her rejection like ‘I don’t like you because I like girls’, she words it as ‘you won’t like me because I like girls’.

She was so prepared to lose Steve's friendship, even after everything they'd been through together, not because she didn't like him in the way he did her and was about to make things uncomfortable between them, but purely because her queerness could erase their entire friendship in an instant.

[libraryofgage]

Steddie brainrot continues to worsen to a concerning degree but here's a crack idea that is absolutely sending me:

Famous Spicy Six in which Jonathon is a director who decides to work on a passion project: a Scooby-Doo movie. His ideal cast is as follows:

Nancy Wheeler (investigative journalist with a few special appearances on crime dramas) as Daphne Blake

Argyle (an actor with a habit of playing small parts; he acts only because he thinks it's fun, so he's not concerned with significant roles) as Shaggy Rogers

Robin Buckley (a well-known voice actor who is more well-known for her social media posts and clap-backs) as Velma Dinkley

Steve Harrington (basketball star who is also more well-known for his social media clap-backs and for being Corroded Coffin's number one fan) as Fred Jones

Eddie Munson (frontman for Corroded Coffin, an insanely popular metal/punk/rock band and "infamous" for unashamedly posting Steve Harrington thirst tweets) as the voice of Scooby-Doo

Corroded Coffin is also creating an entirely new, original soundtrack for the movie

And because I think it's funnier this way, this is also an AU where the Upside Down still happened, so Jonathon just calls his friends up and is like "Okay, so hear me out"

The absolute insanity that breaks out when both the movie and cast are announced because nobody can figure out how Jonathon managed to convince all these powerhouses to join his movie.

The further screaming online after one of the movie promo interviews where a reporter asks how they all agreed to the movie and Nancy hits them with, "Well, Jonathon asked, and he never asks for anything."

Which leads to the discovery that they all knew each other in high school, and the reporter jokingly asks if that means they've all dated each other, too, which leads to Eddie jumping in with absolute delight like, "Well, that's a funny story, there. See, Stevie here dated Nancy, who then dated Jonathon when they broke up, who then dated Argyle after they broke up. And I thought Stevie and Robin were dating, so I was very confused when I saw Robin and Nancy kissing. But then I found out that Robin was a true-blue lesbian, which meant Stevie here was open for the taking, and we've been banging ever since."

and Steve is just sitting there, head in his hands while Robin cackles and decides to tell the reporter all about Steve's "fuck I have a crush on Eddie" crisis

This interview, of course, leads to even more freaking out online and comments like "I know I asked for poly Scooby gang, but this is ridiculous," and "I can't believe that in this, the year of our lord 20xx, ScoobyXFreddy became a canon ship," and "if I had a nickel for every romantic relationship the Scooby gang actors have had with each other, I'd have five nickels, which is way more than any of us fucking expected to have," and "suddenly Eddie Munson's thirst tweets make a lot more sense, but can we talk about Steve Harrington's CC tweets now," and "everyone say thank you to Eddie Munson for revealing that mess of a relationship map," and "finally, the canon lesbian velma and daphne we deserve"

The movie is a box office hit, btw, and bloopers from filming roll with the credits, among which is Eddie Munson making Steve Harrington lose his shit laughing on set while dressed in a Scooby Doo onesie and singing Corroded Coffin songs with his Scooby Voice

[gayofthefae]

My immediate thought with the scar was actually that it looks very similar to Brenner's

Just in the simplicity and placement

matt duffer's pinterest ???

warning: potential spoilers for st5! proceed at your own risk

so this person on twitter apparently found matt duffer's pinterest account, which, if real, poses some SUPER interesting information about st5.

a list created 1 year ago with pins similar to what vecna's mindscapes look like titled "max world"?

a list created 1 year ago titled "st spinoff" with various vintage/50s inspired towns?

not to mention all these lists...

i am highly suspicious of the authenticity of this account because i doubt matt duffer would spoil some elements of st5 on a pinterest account literally called 'matt duffer' that is easily available to everyone and is super easy to find, but then again.... this account has been running actively for at least four years. i doubt someone wanting to impersonate him would keep the gag running that long. (that, and, it has taken a while to find this account. i think an impersonator would give up the shtick after they realize this is reaching virtually no one)

i think i have some evidence to back up that this is actually matt duffer though.

in 2020, around the time when they would have been starting production on st4, the account made this list called 'scar'

i have a feeling this could have been matt visualizing scars on fred, or maybe even victor creel. fred has a scar that travels along his left cheek, though it's not as dramatic as these pins.

could be victor because of the one with the eye though.

another pinterest account, michael maher jr, was also featured as a collaborator on some of these lists (the account follows matt duffer's as well) and has some interesting lists as well. i think it's worth noting that this guy is literally an emmy nominated concept artist that has worked with stranger things before. this is his official instagram, if you'd like to check it out.

i don't really want to delve into this guy's account because these lists could contain some inspo for other projects that he's doing but you're welcome to view it on your own.

this just begs the question: why would an impersonator go all these lengths to impersonate a concept artist ON TOP of matt duffer and run it consistently for four years?? it seems like too much work.

obviously, take everything you see here with a grain of salt. this could also very well be matt duffer trolling with us. but i think it's worth checking out!!!!

edit: please do not take this super seriously, he has harringrove saved on one of the boards lol

[belokhvostikova]

Eddie Munson is very much a “look, it’s us,” person, but it’s literally just two cigarette butts discarded on the ground.

[taeiris]

stuck in time

close ups⬇️

[byler-invested]

Good catch! Was not very aware of the plutonium references, thank you for that! I’d also been suspecting that green s3 liquid for a while.

I want to add another substance-related aspect that always leaves me wondering:

The liquid Brenner & Owens inject into Eleven during s4 NINA, right before she goes into the sensory deprivation tank with her brain connected to the machine.

It’s a yellowy-brownish translucent color if I remember correctly.

What the hell is that substance? What is it doing to Eleven? They never mention or explain it.

And now that I’m talking about this, what the hell is NINA? And all those tapes with inconsistencies that Brenner keeps organized in a storeroom?

NINA machine 📟

inconsistent video tapes 📼

mysterious injected substance 💉

brain 🧠

How does the interaction between these 4 factors work out?

So much of the sci-fi origin & lore of Stranger Things is still completely unknown. We NEED to start working this out at a higher volume on #st theory.

The Plutonium Files

America's secret experiments during The Cold War...

Sooo... Will Byers is "Little Boy" the atomic bomb.

The moment Will "vanished", the bomb went off- causing a "nuclear fission" reaction (splitting atoms... Will "split" into two, creating El). This, in my opinion, created a "new world" aka the Upside Down (along with El and others becoming "real").

I keep thinking about how exactly Will's mind is possibly manifesting the horrors into reality... and I came across something interesting.

As we know, this show uses many real historical references... especially regarding aspects of The Cold War.

For those who don't know, The Manhattan Project was a major catalyst to The Cold War. It consisted of many top scientists creating the very first atomic bomb. "Little Boy" was the first one used in war, the one that dropped on Hiroshima... it changed history and the world as we know it.

In the creation of the atomic bomb, tests were done on unsuspecting humans. They were, unknowingly, injected with plutonium... a man made radioactive element. This was done even to pregnant women. So, these women were literally "pregnant with an explosive device" pretty much.

The experiments began in 1945, when Manhattan Project scientists were preparing to detonate the first atomic bomb. Radiation was known to be dangerous and the experiments were designed to ascertain the detailed effect of radiation on human health. Most of the subjects, Welsome says, were poor, powerless, and sick. x

("Holy mother of God" = Joyce... pregnant with an explosive device: Will)

So... where am I getting at with this? Well, Plutonium is often used in fiction, specifically in superhero comics. This radioactive element is often used to explain the creation of superpowers!

Plutonium was also used to make time travel possible in Back to the Future...

[spideywillandmjwheeler]

older spidey will and mj wheeler from the third arc of the narrative

[paintedpatroclus]

eddie and winnie circa 1990

(steddie kid steddie kid steddie kid!)

[thefreakandthehair]

Eddie ends up at the annual SuperBowl party with his and Steve’s friends, which Eddie truthfully doesn’t give a single shit about but he’s learned exactly how feral Steve gets about these sporting events, and that? That he gives a lot of shits about.

The way Steve sits at the edge of the couch, jumping up in both excitement and rage, the way his hair ends up in his eyes before angrily shoving it back with both hands, the way his jaw clenches and a light sheen of sweat blooms across his neck and down his chest as he bends down with his hands on his knees, voice croaking from yelling better plays and something-something wrap up, third down. Passionate Steve is radiant and beautiful, and Eddie could never pass up the opportunity for such a show.

During the pre-show, their friends discuss the best aspects of SuperBowl Sunday. Robin and Nancy are there there for the food, Argyle and Jeff are there for the commercials, Jonathan and Gareth agree that they actually enjoy the game but won’t say no to a good onion dip either, and Chrissy is with Steve in the here for the game most of all territory.

“How about you, Eddie? Food or commercials? I know it’s not the game.” Steve teases, bumping their shoulders together with a salsa-loaded corn chip in one hand.

“Oh, Steve,” Eddie grins and his eyes flash playfully. “It’s always I’m here for the game, I’m here for the food, I’m here for the commercials, blah blah blah. I’m just here to watch my boyfriend lose his shit over a game he’s not even in and then use that adrenaline rush to my advantage after.”