Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things has been with us since 2016. The science-fiction horror series introduced us to the most adorable lead gang and some terrifying villains. It began with the disappearance of Will Byers, but as the seasons passed, we came to understand that the story was far from a straightforward mystery about a missing boy; it was so much more than what met the eye. Below is a concise Stranger Things recap that you need to go through before Season 5 airs.
1. Will Byer’s Disappearance Start It All
Set in Hawkins, Indiana, in 1983, Stranger Things Season 1 kicks off with Will, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas playing Dungeons & Dragons. After returning home, Will mysteriously goes missing, and his mother begins to think that he is trying to communicate through the flickering lights. The police chief Hopper, initially sceptical, discovers the oddities that tie Will’s disappearance to the Hawkins Lab, a secretive facility researching the Upside Down.
On the other hand, the Hawkins gang encounters a girl named Eleven. She escaped the lab and possesses telekinetic abilities, which she uses to help the kids locate their friend Will. Amidst all the chaos, the pilot episode also introduces us to Nancy, Mike’s elder sister, and her rich and popular boyfriend, Steve Harrington. So, we also get to witness some romantic drama.
While Joyce, Hopper, and everyone else try harder to find Will, the supernatural creature called Demogorgons enters the picture. Eleven uses her powers to defeat the monsters, but shockingly vanishes in the process. Will reunites with his family, but the symptoms, like coughing like a slug, hint at the unforeseen dangers.
2. The Haunting of the Mind Flayers
Even after returning from the Upside Down, Will is getting terrifying visions of the world where he was held captive in the pilot season. He gets scary visions of a shadowy figure, who he believes will not let Hawkins be at peace. By witnessing Will’s deteriorating health, Joyce takes him to Dr. Sam Owens, the new lab director, to get him treated, but nothing really works.
Two new characters, Max and her step-brother Billy, enter the game. The former is highly skilled at skateboarding and is also a formidable video game player, so Dustin and Lucas developed crushes for her and deliberately started trying to bring her into their group.
Meanwhile, Will’s visions escalate, and he becomes the host of the mind flayer; they control the boy’s body and make him act according to them. These creatures eventually start to manipulate Will to mislead the group. Will’s vulnerability allows the Mind Flayers to emerge as the primary antagonist of the second season. However, these entities free the boy when Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan raise the temperature of Hopper’s cabin, knowing that they can’t survive the heat. Ultimately, Eleven shows up and closes the gate of the Upside Down at the lab, using her abilities, cutting the Mind Flayer’s connection with the real world.
3. Starcourt Mall Becomes New Battlefield
The popular Starcourt Mall starts grabbing all the attention of the locals of Hawkins, making it quite challenging for the other stores to grow their business. However, not everyone knew that beneath the mall there was the secret base where the Russian scientists worked day and night to create a gateway that would connect the real world with the Upside Down once again. The plan was facilitated by the corrupt Mayor of the town, Larry Kline.
By the penultimate episode of Stranger Things Season 3, the disgusting monster created by the Mind Flayer using human melted bodies attacked the Hawkins gang in the mall’s food court. After its arrival, we get to witness some really terrifying body-horror sequences. The creature starts targeting Eleven, who has lost her powers due to a previous injury. The other kids, along with Johnathan and Nancy, give it their all to fight the supernatural entity.
4. Hopper’s Sacrifice Contributes to the Stranger Things’ Emotional Core
Joyce and Hopper cleverly took Dr. Alexei, one of the Russian scientists, hostage and made him spill the beans on the plans his peers have in mind. They also learned about everything that is required to destroy the key and close the gate. However, Alexei was killed by a Russian assassin midway, but that doesn’t stop Joyce and Hopper from trying their best to close the gate. However, before the duo could do the needful, Hopper was attacked by Grigori. After an intense clash, Hopper emerges as the victor.
However, the fight trapped Hopper on the other side of the portal. Hearing Dustin’s voice on the radio, Joyce and Hopper shared a final glance. With no other option left, Joyce pulled the keys, and Hopper faced the massive explosion. Even though the series made him survive the attack, it didn’t show mercy on him, and he got imprisoned by the soviets.
5. The Main Villain of Stranger Things Is Introduced
Stranger Things Season 4 finally introduced us to the main antagonist of the television series: Vecna. The thrilling ride begins with the tragic killings of several students, starting with Chrissy Cunningham. As the story moves forward, it becomes crystal clear that whoever is behind the murders is targeting the traumas and fears of the victims. Max also eventually falls prey to the Upside Down monster and starts experiencing visions, reliving her guilt and trauma.
However, when she nearly gets killed, her friends help her loosen Vecna’s hold by playing music, particularly tied to the positive memories.
6. Nancy and Robin Uncover Vecna’s Origins
While investigating the killings, Nancy and Robin show up at the Pennhurst Asylum to interview a man named Victor Creel, who was accused of murdering his own family in the 1950s. That’s when they learned about the abandoned Creel house. After reaching there, Vecna chooses Nancy to show his past and motivations. Additionally, exploring the house, observing the clues, and following Dustin’s D&D knowledge, Nancy, Robin, and Dustin realized that Vecna is no one else but Henry Creel, Victor’s son.
The group also discovered that the banishment to Upside Down ultimately shaped Vecna’s current form. After collecting enough information about Vecna, they decide to gear up for the final confrontation with the Upside Down’s mastermind. Nancy steps forward to enter the Upside Down with Steve and Dustin, while Robin takes the responsibility to use music as their backup plan.
7. Eddie Munson’s Heroic Stand
Eddie creates a bond with Dustin and his group when they comfort him when he was hiding in the dock house after being falsely accused of Chrissy’s death. After that, he decided never to leave his new friends, no matter how challenging the situation gets. Well, he kept his promise when the real threat appeared. The Demobats started chasing the group, and Eddie took it on himself to distract the creatures to buy time for his friends, who were trying to hunt Vecna.
Eddie played, ‘Master of Puppets’ on his electric guitar and drew all the attention of the Demobats, who eventually bit him multiple times, pushing him to his death. He took his last breath in Dustin’s arms and asked his friend to take care of the rest of the crew.
8. The Deadly Confrontation With Vecna
Eventually, the gang at Hawkings realizes that Vecna needs to claim the lives of four people to break the barrier between the two worlds. Of course, he already killed three people: Chrissy Cunningham, Fred Benson, and Patrick McKinney. He only required one more death to unleash his wrath on Earth.
Since Max was already marked for death, she decides to become the bait and give her friends enough time to kill Vecna in Upside Down. Well, her plan works for a little while, as her friends actually find Vecna in the trance state. However, Max finds it difficult to escape Vecna in her mind, but fortunately, Eleven also gets into Max’s memories to fight the monster. Vecna was strong, though, so he sort of killed Max, only for a couple of minutes. Eleven, after defeating Vecna, uses her powers to make Max’s heart start beating again. However, most of the damage was already done, as the cracks between the two worlds started to develop. On top of that, Max goes into a coma even after coming back to life.
