#but at least exporting this somewhere feels like it's easier to toggle back and forth between those two aspects of the story

[toseesoclearly]

ST5 "overall season plot" brain dump

I’m being driven moderately nuts by how we still do not know the overarching plot of ST5 or like, any confirmed details about it really. Things we’d gotten in past season promo cycles by this point (the ST3 Starcourt Mall/NYE teasers, ST4 character descriptions and the four storyline teasers, IDK about ST2 I wasn’t around for that) I think were much stronger fodder for sussing that part of the puzzle out. which tbf is maybe why they’re withholding them this time around.

But it's just so hard to really speculate without that larger framing, so this has not stopped my getting stuck on this. so I'm dumping a recent version of an attempt to think through that below - partially posting this to keep track of my own “theories” (that’s putting it too strongly lol) but I’d also love to hear what other people think/how you’re putting the kind of scant data we have on this together.

So, framing this as a kind of exploration of: what are those big “overarching season plot” details we’re missing, and what are some possibilities based on current available evidence for answers to those questions about the bigger picture?

(the below noodling contains spoilers for all ST5 spoilers we’ve gotten so far, through official or unofficial channels, so don’t read if you’re avoiding any part of that. if you're not caught up on any of the details cited here, I've been trying to keep track of that in a more detail-oriented way in a "ST5 Timeline" Google doc)

I. What is/are the precipitating event/s that cause the story to pick back up in November 1987?

Some options:

A. Vecna’s reemergence begins after he’s spent 1.5 years regrouping (maybe manifesting for our protags via Will’s Vecna connection-related distress accelerating, though if we know anything about Will it is that he is unlikely to volunteer that info to the group himself). What is Vecna’s grand plan, and how much have our protags figured out since we last saw them (both about the plan, and how to finally take him down)? B. Military “stabilization” of the mega-rift starts to show cracks, probably related to Point A. maybe makes the McCorkle Farm UD entry point possible?  C. Something is going on with the kids in Hawkins. Impossible to know at this point if the military’s interest in the elementary school kids is self-initiated or is caused by some kind of supernatural, probably Vecna-related phenomenon, since both military and Vecna seem to have their own separate but surely somehow related agendas wrt the kids. D. Linda Hamilton arrives in Hawkins, probably related to Point C (or maybe she’s been around and the Extended Party is just becoming aware of her/the specific danger she poses, maybe because of Point C) E. Supernatural-caused murder, disappearance, or some other kind of incident, resulting in probably military “forensics” team response, per early extras casting call. Also maybe weird “sickness” of some kind spreading through around Hawkins, considering how much time we seem to spend at the hospital and how Nancy is posted there as a candy striper. F. Supernatural/Vecna targeting of Holly, also probably related to Points A and C, though my current read is this starts up a little later than whatever the real “Ground Zero” launch point for this season is, mid or late ep 1 into ep 2 G. Some new development with Max’s condition? I have no other speculation on this because we've gotten so little on what's up with Max, but seems logical since her situation is probably thee dangling thread from the end of ST4 H. Probably not the precipitating event, but larger town response to whatever the precipitating event/s end/s up being also likely to be a driver, picking up the unresolved ST4 Hellfire Club witch hunt/Satanic Panic storyline

II. What is our protags’ response to this/these precipitating event/s?

A strong possibility is the proposal plan of a plan that the Party brands “The [Dungeon] Crawl." It seems like the enactment of a plan, “crawl” or not, is underway by midseason and has at least has a couple phases with the second phase being at least two-pronged (unsure if El + Hopper prong that splits off at the same time was intentional)

Phase One: “The Turnbow Trap” - they need something from the Turnbow mansion to enact Phase Two. Derek? Some information from a document in the Turnbows' possession? A key? IDK Phase Two: Group A - Upside Down: enter UD via a portal of some kind on the McCorkle Farm. in the UD, visit Lab, Church (Steve, Nancy, Jonathan, Dustin). Steve car's antenna may be installed specifically for this UD trip. Group B - Right Side Up: post up at the McCorkle Farm, access the downtown Hawkins military barracks (where the kids are) via the tunnels, end up going to the Hospital and Lab (Joyce, Will, Mike, Lucas, Erica, Robin, Murray, Erica, probably Vickie) Wildcard - Upside Down x2: Are Hopper and El in the UD part of the plan, or were they forced to split off? either way, they also seem to go to the Lab and the Church, but probably on a separate timeline than Group A (unless they meet up at one and go to the other location together?).

III.   What are our protags’ goals with the above plan?

Some options:

Save kids from military custody/possible experimentation

Locate and save Holly

Figure out the Max situation, revive her

Locate and take down Vecna

Solve remaining mysteries about the Upside Down and the Hawkins National Lab, especially as it relates to dealing with Vecna

I think the "sub-goals" to achieve all of these are probably more important for piecing together the big picture, but when I try speculating on those atp it starts to feel like I'm getting a little far afield of responding to the evidence we currently have. so this really basic list is a placeholder.

Appendix: Other important "season big picture" details

that didn't get mentioned anywhere else, woops

WSQK: something more is going on here than just it being the group HQ this season. what is it about a radio station that motivated that choice for our big new season location? (plus the car antennas, Mike keeping a not supercom radio close at hand biking/at school - so much radio equipment all over the place...)

Flashbacks, probably mindscape or vision-y, to Henry's past and Will's 1983 stint in the UD seem to occur throughout the season