worthwading - Tumblr blog

worthwading · 26 days ago

Text

What's in an Eye: Speculation on S5 Will Byers, Now-Memories, and the Demogorgon

(Note: thank you, @/nattyonebard for the gif!)

While there are many incredible shots in the Stranger Things 5 teaser, there's one that stuck out to me in particular: the shot of Will Byers's eye. In the teaser, the shot serves as a slick transition into Lucas and some kids fleeing through a tunnel. However, within the context of the season, it's clear that this shot serves as a transition to a different scene. A scene that Will is exclusively witnessing, since it's a vision from the hive mind's now-memories.

Because what he's seeing isn't necessarily happening right in front of him, more so being projected into his mind, there should be a clue as to what he's seeing within the frame. This lead me to look more closely at Will's eye, in which I made a potential discovery. Although it sounds far fetched, the closer one looks at Will's pupil the more a hidden image starts to materialize. It's a bit difficult to discern due to the overlaid visual of what Will is seeing, in person, at WSQK.

(Note: You can place Will at WSQK because of the industrial lighting fixtures reflected on his iris, as well a the warmth of the projector light on the side of his face. See pictures below for reference.)

Beneath the first layer (WSQK reflections), you can begin to see the vague outline of some kind of structure. There are only a few stand out elements: a traditionally slanted roof with a lighter (white) trim, windows, and some sort of protrusion coming out of the top of the building. There are two structures that are key locations in Stranger Things 5 that immediately come to mind. The first being the Wheeler house (with its chimney), and the second being the unknown church (with its spires).

The Wheeler house is an important location early on in Volume 1, due to the confirmed attack on the aforementioned family. This attack coinciding with our main cast beginning their mission is no accident. It seems half retribution—Nancy did flambé Vecna last season—and half distraction.

Like @/reo-bylerwagon also theorized, I believe Will could be experiencing a vision in which he accesses now-memories of the Demogorgon stalking then brutalizing Karen and Ted at the Wheeler home. This is eerily similar to a situation in The Order of the Phoenix in which Harry witnesses, via Nagini's perspective, the potential murder of Arthur Weasley, his best friend's father. Later on, it's revealed that Voldemort is intentionally sharing these violent visions in order to manipulate a vulnerable Harry, who's wrestling with PTSD and abandonment issues in the wake of his friend Cedric's death.

"It's hard to explain. It's like old memories in the back of my head, only they're not my memories [...] I mean, I don't think they're old memories at all. They're now-memories, happening all at once, now." - Will, 2x04

The only caveat with Will's now-memories is that he can only access them while possessed. Therefore, there is credence to the assumption Vecna is forcing specific visions on a vulnerable Will to isolate him. This further aligns with the leak shared by user @/conflictofthemind in which, after the attack on the Wheelers, Will arrives at the hospital crying and "blaming himself for what happened". It seems like Will's proximity to evil, the danger it brings to others as well as what it "means" about himself, is beginning to wear him down. For those of you familiar with The Conjuring, like user @grandmags (thank you for mentioning), Will would be classified as falling in the second stage of demonic activity, oppression, in which the demon targets a victim and breaks them down, so they don't have the will power to resist the final stage. Possession.

It's not difficult to surmise that, like Hopper, Will shall come to view himself as a curse on his loved ones if not already. Just last season, Will revealed that he "sometimes" feels like a mistake. With the stakes at an all time high in Stranger Things 5, it's evident that his connection to Vecna carries more danger—and also more self-reproach. His screams of "Run" to his friends may imply that he himself is the danger as much as any other monster from the Upside Down.

Will understands he's a liability. In fact, he's much too aware of his real and imagined shortcomings. While he's a risk the group is willing to take, Will likely doesn't feel the same way. However, the larger group isn't ignorant of Will's connection and may already be taking some precautionary measures for his safety and against his spying. For example, keeping him with a larger group and not including him on special missions. I'm sure Will understands their concerns, but that doesn't mean their distrust stings any less. Coupled with his pre-existing fear of being useless, Will's self-blame may compel him to alienate himself and engage in risk taking behavior, in order to prove that he can be an agent of good rather than a herald of evil.

"... I saw a dark cloud spreading over Hawkins, downtown on fire, dead soldiers, and this giant creature with a gaping mouth. And this creature wasn't alone. There were so many monsters, an army, and they were coming into Hawkins, into our neighborhoods, our homes. And then, he showed me my mom, Holly, Mike... And they... they were all..." - Nancy, 4x08

Speaking of heralding evil, near the end of Stranger Things 4, Vecna shares prophetic visions with Nancy. His ability to see the future is a revelation, since Will's experience with now-memories in Stranger Things 2 suggests that these visions are only based in the present. This information, along with confirmation that the Upside Down froze on the day of Will's disappearance, indicates the writers are doubling down on exploring nonlinear time in the upcoming season.

By the season four finale, several of Vecna's visions have become reality, with the rest ominously poised to come to pass later. However, per leaks, we know Mike Wheeler is alive enough to graduate in 1989. And, per common sense, it's unlikely his (seven going on) eleven year old sister and mother die. These visions are less definitive than Vecna would like others to believe. Therefore, there is something or someone that has the ability to alter them.

"I have seen into the future..." - Will, 3x03

Will is the most likely candidate to play a pivotal role in disrupting these potential futures. Not just because it's been hinted at but he's also the only person with Mind Flayer-linked psychic abilities that would allow him to navigate time like Paul Atreides in Dune or Johnny Smith in Stephen King's The Dead Zone. While Dune's influence is more ambiguous on the show, the Duffers have spoken on how Stephen King's work heavily inspire the show, ex. Carrie or It. The main character of The Dead Zone is similar to Will, in the sense that they gain psychic abilities after acquiring brain damage from an accident. While Will gains true sight (and a few more once possessed), Johnny gains the ability to see people's past, present, and future via touch. More importantly though, Johnny learns that his prophetic visions have a window in which they can be changed.

Returning to Nancy's vision for a moment, one of the most important details is what's not included in it: her father. Most fans dismissed Ted's disappearance as evidence of her lack of care for him, but my instinct says otherwise. If Mike voiced his concern for his entire family when he heard about the murders in Hawkins, I doubt Nancy would be any different. Furthermore, Ted Wheeler's actor Joe Chrest had an interesting response to an interviewer pointing out this detail.

"Oh yeah! You caught that, huh?" - Joe Chrest to Darek Thomas, Monday Morning Critic, Episode 405, 58:53

His reaction is implicit confirmation that this is an intentional omission with larger implications than Nancy disliking her dad. Could it be that he's a variable that Vecna overlooked? Could Ted's exclusion mean that his death is a fixed point, meaning he'll die regardless of any interference? The latter supports the notion that the deaths of Karen, Holly, and Mike are avoidable with care. This means that Will's warning to Nancy—although it couldn't prevent bloodshed—could've actually saved Karen from her original death. Given her youngest child is in Vecna's clutches, I'm sure there will be more near death experiences for Karen but, with the potential expansion and refinement of Will's abilities, he could become an invaluable asset in helping her and the others defy fate.

The idea of "defying fate" is familiar to the writers of Stranger Things, who often touch on the themes of free will and determinism via generational patterns, abuse, systemic issues (classism and sexism), trauma, and conformity. As discussed in a prior post of mine, the show is encouraging a compatibilist approach to the debate which, to put it roughly, argues that peoples actions can still be considered free, even if determined, as long as they are determined by internal rather than external forces.

Each character, including Vecna, are attempting to resist their predetermined paths. In Vecna's case, he believes he has overcome it but, as shown in The First Shadow, his possession via the Mind Flayer calls into question how much choice he's ever had to begin with. Rather than overcome the path, he's actually reinvented it, making him a rather tragic embodiment of determinism living an "illusion of free will" (quote from Donnie Darko analysis HERE). Vecna, as Will's foil, serves as important contrast to Will in that regard. As I've said before, "Will's coming of age is dependent on resolving the a critical identity crisis related to free will: whether or not he can reclaim control over his life and self by choosing to overcome the past."

The past weighs heavy upon the main cast of characters in Stranger Things 5, from the callbacks to their wardrobe to the locations. It's as if they're trapped in a loop, until they defeat Vecna and the Mind Flayer once and for all. One location from the past that's reappearing in season five is the church. The background on this location is unknown, but it's reasonable to guess that this church is the same as the one in which Patty and Henry first bonded over their background and dreams in The First Shadow.

Henry, now Vecna, has long since let go of indulging in dreams in favor of nightmares. However, it's for that reason that we may have a clue as to what could happen in the church. The Duffers have a known fondness for the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise which heavily influences the horror in season four. In the fourth installment of the franchise, The Dream Master (1988), Alice Johnson has her "final" confrontation with Freddy Krueger at the nightmare church. She defeats Krueger upon showing his own reflection, compelling the souls of the victims trapped within to rip him apart (Part 1, Part 2).

"They're not gone, Eleven. They're still with me. In here." - Vecna, 4x07

This isn't to say Vecna will die the same way or at this location, but it's good to keep in mind that Vecna has the exact same "storage issue" as Krueger. Sounds like a promising clue to me. Anyways, there's a decent reason to believe some form of confrontation happens at this location given the amount of character traffic. Nancy, Dustin, Jonathan, and Steve appear to discover this church, during their drive through the Upside Down in 5x04. Later on, potentially 5x05 or 5x06, Hopper, Eleven, Holly, and Will (also allegedly Mike, Lucas, and Max) find their way there too.

If Vecna shows Will a vision of the attack at the Wheeler home, I doubt that will be the only thing he shares. He's rather heavy handed with hinting, so Vecna may show Will a variety of cryptic visuals which the core characters will work together on decoding. One of those could be the church. That could explain why Nancy, Jonathan, Dustin, and Steve stop at that location, during their scouting mission.

Given Stranger Things 2, as well as the rather obvious evidence that Will is once again Vecna's spy, this could be a trap. Like his shy and quiet counterpart Alice Johnson in The Dream Master (1988), Will could be inadvertently leading the monster he's psychically linked with to potential victims. This reaffirms why the Demogorgon knew to target the Wheelers and when to attack. It could also explain why Will is seemingly warning Steve and gang, who are in the Upside Down, to run from a threat (leaked audio HERE, TUDUM announcement HERE).

(Note: the name Steve sounds clear to me, but I recognize some people believe that Will is actually saying Mike's name in the leaked audio. However, people also insisted Will didn't say the line "Run" which the TUDUM clip disproved.)

While Vecna's interest in reclaiming his spy is par for the course, it seems like Will's "episodes" are changing. In season two, Will's "episodes" prior to his possession consisted of him slipping into true sight. Only when possessed did convulsions come into play. However, the newly released teaser is suggesting more aggressive symptomology: regular seizures and fainting. While Will is connected to Vecna (see 4x09 script below), he's not fully possessed yet and shouldn't be exhibiting such behaviors. Because these are already occurring without full possession, it's possible that long term exposure to the open rifts and Vecna's growing power is strengthening Will's tether to the Upside Down.

What's most alarming is the violent way Will falls to the ground in the teaser. The only time the audience sees Stranger Things characters collapse like that is when they overexert themselves using their powers. Although many analysts, including myself, believe Will has powers beyond those connected to the Mind Flayer, none are confirmed as of the beginning of S5—so there would need to be a bit more lead in to Will unlocking his powers. Furthermore, Vecna shouldn't be able to tap into Will's suppressed powers as early as episode one, given Will's mind isn't weak enough for him to possess.

(Note: Many thanks to @pinkeoni and @skywillbyers for hypothesizing with me!)

Powers aside, one hypothesis for Will's exhaustion is Vecna syphoning off his energy. Something similar has happened before in season three, when El collapsed because the Flesh Flayer drained her power. Since Vecna is still regaining his strength at the beginning of Stranger Things 5, he may need a boost when ordering creatures to do his bidding. As shown in Stranger Things 4, the best way to increase his power is by letting him feed on other living beings. While Will is too useful to kill, that doesn't mean Will isn't being gradually "digested". In The First Shadow, Patty points out to Henry that his powers from the Mind Flayers are meant to distract him from the fact he's being "eaten alive". Given Will's also connected to the Mind Flayer, it's logical to conclude he's being similarly cannibalized but in less of an extreme state than Vecna. However, the more Vecna exploits Will's vulnerabilities the more dire his state will become.

Another hypothesis is Will somehow summoning or luring the Demogorgon. I know that sounds bizarre, however there are three separate instances across the TUDUM announcement and teaser which show Will's "episodes" occurring alongside the arrival of a Demogorgon. The first instance being the Will's "episode" at WSQK and the Demogorgon's appearing at the Wheelers. The second instance being Will's "episode" at the barn and the Demogorgon beating down said barn's door. The third instance being Will's "episode" in downtown Hawkins and the Demogorgon breaching the blocked rift right next to him. While once can be consider an accident and twice can be considered a coincidence, three times is a pattern.

"I think about that night all the time. The night it came for you. The night... all of this started" - Joyce to Will, 5x0?

The word choice in the TUDUM announcement implies that there's intentionality behind the Demogorgon's actions. Will was chosen, not an accidental victim. Unfortunately, there isn't enough material on the Demogorgon's motivations at this time. However, there is an argument to be made that, similar to how Will is drawn to that tree or trees, Will is subconsciously drawn to the Demogorgon.

Will, on some level, may recognize that this creature could help him find the answers he's been seeking for years. One thing that's made it so difficult for him to find answers is his repressed memories. But, it seems like those memories are on the cusp of spilling over into Will's consciousness, as one of them is the season five cold opening. Perhaps the Demogorgon would create the right amount of push to let these memories overflow. Because the Demogorgon is a physical reminder of the past, it's renewed stalking evokes feelings of helplessness and fear that transcend time. Will may have grown. Years may have passed. But, deep down, he's still that twelve year old version of himself who's fleeing from a monster on a cold November night in 1983. It's through this form of time travel (Joyce and El agree, see HERE 0:02 - 0:12) that Will can overcome the past in order to determine his own future. Reaffirming this idea, the leaked art from the Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 Style Guide (see above) suggests Will and Max are spending a lot of time within their own minds, evading and confronting their respective personal demons: the Demogorgon and Vecna.

... Wow, I talked for a while. I don't have a proper conclusion for this post, since it's a smorgasbord of theorizing, character analysis, and thematic exploration. The only thing I have left to say is: regardless of whether you see the Wheeler house or the church in Will's eye, isn't it great that there's so much potential in how his story can unfold? I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

#this is so interesting #st5

243 notes · View notes

worthwading · 28 days ago

Text

ST s5 Teaser Analysis - Approximate Season Timeline, 5.07 and 5.08 (plus the ???s)

part 1 (5.01 and 5.02) part 2 (5.03 and 5.04) part 3 (5.05 and 5.06)

c&p'ed intro from previous posts:

continuing my note-taking as I move things around based on the teaser on the big ST5 Approximate Timeline google doc I've been maintaining.

I have mostly avoided looking at other ppl discussing the teaser to come to my own conclusions, so I'm sure a bunch of this has been solved/picked over elsewhere! but maybe this bigger picture attempt at this exercise will still be of interest.

also this will mostly be about new insights & connections, so for full analysis and any links to referenced images I'm too lazy to include here, pls just consult the google doc.

this is taking into account all leaks from paparazzi photos to the consumer products style guide to properly evaluated rumor and speculation. so if you're avoiding that read no further.

well, this one is "easy," Ross told us that there was no ep 7 footage in the teaser. in general, bc the Duffers directed both these episodes and we have much less to go off, chronology is a bit more challenging. but we do have some clues!

5.07 The Bridge + 5.08 The Right Side Up

I think this is probably the only shot in the teaser from the finale. Hopper is wearing a hat we haven't seen anywhere else so this should be after ep 6, and with no ep 7 footage, ep 8 it is!

El is back using a sensory deprivation tank a la her Hawkins National Lab days. I believe it's not the same device from s1, so maybe they have a similar piece of equipment at Dr. Kay's new lab?

I wonder what necessitates using something this heavy duty, since El has gotten by fine with our various makeshift tubs over the seasons...

but even if this is all we have from our last two eps in the teaser, we have a bit more insight from filming understanding how we get here!

I think the viney Hawkins National Lab BTS/paparazzi photos are probably ep 7. we have Mike and Robin in their midseason outfits (at least Robin puts on a military vest for the final battle downtown, Mike may too), and El seems to keep on the Body Glove wetsuit she changes into in ep 6.

I think Robin picks up her face bruise as early as ep 3, but Mike's temple is unmarred when he's downtown in ep 4, so something gets him in ep 5 or 6...

vehicles at the HNL here were the WSQK van, Joyce's car, a humvee, and a hearse (I extremely want to know where they picked that up). Lt. Akers's military unit also shows up, so humvee could be related to them or Hopper (with or without El). there seems to be some crossing over between the UD and Right Side Up Hawkins here to me. I don't think all these vehicles end up in the UD but we have our vine-covered Hawkins Power and Light van so definitely at least some of this is UD.

and our infamous big ol' chair line-up here tells us Vickie, Erica, Robin, Murray, Mike, Lucas, Max, and Hopper all were here. so that's everyone from the farm midseason group plus Hopper and Max, with Will, Joyce, and El notably absent (unless the pink chair is Millie's but I personally think it may be a kid's. the "CAST" chairs here could be the featured kids or smaller military roles).

nobody from Steve's car group is here, but as discussed in the last post Dustin and I think probably Steve did seem to make it out of the RSU in ep 6, so also worth wondering what they're up to.

I've gone back and forth repeatedly on whether or not Max is awake here. rn I think it could genuinely go either way, but this should confirm that Lucas, Robin, and Vickie take Max with them when they escape the hospital demodog situation in ep 6.

so what are so many of the characters doing at HNL at this stage of the game? and where are Will, Joyce, and El? definitely some things to ponder...

the only other location we know about for sure in these eps is the downtown military base and its surrounding, where the full cast does show up. basically everyone is in a different outfit continuity spot:

Dustin and Nancy didn't get to change

Jonathan gets a new jacket and boots

Robin, Steve, and Lucas added a military gear outer layer

idk about Mike, I think the double in the pic with most of the crew is Steve bc height but could be Mike since he's got a blue base layer on

Joyce and Will have a full or almost full outfit change between the last time we have an image of them (ep 5) and now, Joyce's pants might be the same as her midseason outfit

El is still in her wet suit

and we have the kids hanging out with El and Will! where they get parked between downtown and this will be interesting to see, surely the whole group of them isn't with our cast the whole time lol.

and now that we know more, I think we can say Millie was wearing the wetsuit with the black pants in the video she posted of her speech when she wrapped, and looks to be in the downtown military base set when it's in its final battle busted state (the brick pattern matches the downtown Hawkins sidewalks).

Dr. Kay also shows up in a chase scene that involves the WSQK van and Hawkins Presbyterian Church, which in-show is right outside the downtown military base per the aerial they gave us in the teaser.

and there's not a lot else we know for sure otherwise about the last two eps and what exactly our endgame looks like, so lots to chew on between now and November as we get more content!

Leftover Teaser Shots

they cut in this shot of Hopper saying "come on, come on" during Mike's countdown to the military burn of the library gate. I'm on the fence about whether it's actually in that sequence or not, I think it could be just bc Hopper also should be positioned somewhere for that mission...

and the lighting in the still of him and his rifle looks different, I feel like that could be literally any time after he seems to change before everyone else in ep 1 (probably suiting up for his role in the mission).

soldiers from Akers's unit running through the woods, I think probably while pursuing Hopper and El at some point.

this looks like the new military lab to me! probably ep 4 during the showdown with El since the red light is flashing.

Dustin and Steve in Steve's car, looking on in alarm after Dustin has spotted something in his binoculars. this could be anytime after ep 3, it seems likely to me it's when they're in the UD.

Will experiencing horrors, I feel like his eye on the left could be during the burn in ep 1 or Vecna getting blasted with fire in ep 4 because it looks a bit flamey to me around the edges. right is a tree Vecna appendage, we shall see if Vecna is giving Will a lil preview of his new look in a vision earlier on or that's in the second half of the season.

and that's what I've got for now! I'm not doing epilogue here, also this didn't include mindscapes which certainly will be abound throughout the season. I'm sure I missed something and you'll all be ready to tell me about it. :) but hope this is helpful for others doing your own speculation and putting these pieces together!

#st5

26 notes · View notes