Just in case you've stumbled upon this article and somehow HAVEN'T yet seen the first seven episodes of season four, turn around and run because there are *spoilers* a-plenty below - you have been warned!
Viewers of the hit Netflix show have been waiting for nearly three years for the current instalment in the franchise - but more importantly, we've been waiting for answers, damn it. Why and how was there a laboratory in Hawkins? Did Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) murder everyone on site? And what the hell is this new villain Vecna? Thankfully, 'Stranger Things' episode seven served as the jumping-off point for answers.
The season might have only just returned on Friday, but judging from the reaction online, many fans have already blitzed through all 547 minutes of season four, volume one. With a five-week wait now ahead of us until the final two episodes (featuring a two and a half hour finale), let's take a look at the big reveal of this season break.
Eleven Revisits Her Past
At the end of the season premiere, Eleven decides to trust Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser) one final time and get her powers back. In order to do so, she's going to have to revisit her past at the Hawkins laboratory, seeing her time there with fresh eyes and learning about why she blocked all of these memories from her mind. This visit to her past will hopefully trigger her latent superpowers, and make her the Demogorgon-killer she's been up until now.
However, this also means she must trust "Papa/Bad Man" AKA Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) once again. After her initial hesitancy, and dipping into the sensory deprivation tank in the present in Nevada, Eleven begins to remember Brenner's mysterious experiments on her the 14 superhuman kids. Except there's something not quite right...
Number One Is... Missing
The children are numbered two through to 14, but number one is notably absent, never to be discussed. It turns out that the orderly Eleven struck up a close bond with, Peter (Jamie Campbell Bower), isn't as trustworthy as the young girl is lead to believe.
After he hatches an escape plan for Eleven, she decides to do Peter a solid and help him - by releasing the "tracking device" lodged in his neck. However, this unleashes Peter's abilities which sees him murder nearly everyone in the facility. Eleven confronts him, manages to take him down and in doing so the Eleven in the present day gets her powers back; and so, her memories of being covered in blood aren't as bad as she presumed.
There is a catch, however, which could be viewed as being even more haunting for her.
Vecna's True Identity
The most shocking moment of 'Stranger Things' episode seven of season four (stacked in an episode where Hopper fights a Demogorgon in Russia, has a sweet reunion with Joyce, while the kids in Hawkins explore The Upside Down) is when the main villain, Vecna, is finally revealed to be Henry Creel AKA Peter AKA 001.
Creel's real backstory (Nancy and Robin's trip to his father Victor in episode four proving to be a red herring) was narrated by him to Eleven, while Nancy saw his story unfold in her attempt to break free from The Upside Down (featuring BARB!).
Vecna was once the young boy named Henry, who was able to manifest his deadly powers, killing his mother and sister and wounding his father. He used his dark powers to feed off of people's darkest memories and then possess their minds, feeding off of their souls (and turning them into a nasty pile of warped bones).
Brenner kidnapped Henry, muted his abilities as he was too powerful, and then lined up other children to be part of his science experiment - with varying results. Years later, Henry/Peter made a connection with Eleven, as he found her to be the most powerful in the facility.
And so, Vecna's true identity has been revealed, and Eleven's connection to The Upside Down. But what's this spider-loving skeleton man's plan next? Well, he's been preying on teen depression and guilt, only picking on a handful of them so far, so we envision there could be a mighty jump in the number of people affected by the time the season gears up for its dramatic ending.
One More Thing
Throwing a spanner in the works, a YouTube video has surfaced over the weekend which reveals the cast knew for years about this shocking reveal in the storyline - but it was all one big fan theory. Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin in the series, was interviewed along with the rest of the younger cast about the phenomenon of 'Stranger Things' back in 2016.
During the segment, Matarazzo says that one possible theory he saw online suggested that some of the test subjects turned into the monsters from The Upside Down, with Millie Bobby Brown then chiming in, "So then that means I'm a...".
Questions We Want Answered
- What's Vecna's deal, huh? And is Max just getting off scot-free thanks to the hero we all need, Kate Bush?
- What other secrets is "Papa" hiding?
- Will Nancy ever get back with Steve?
- Will the rest of the town finally wake up to The Upside Down or is it still pitchforks at dawn for poor Eddie?
- Is Barb - played by Shannon Purser - making a comeback?
The final two 'Stranger Things' season four episodes are titled 'Papa' and 'The Piggyback'. Stream them both from July 1.
