*** Be warned: There will be major spoilers for the entirety of Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 ahead. If you don't want any surprises ruined, it's better to turn back now ***
After a very long wait, Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is finally here, and it's filled with exhilarating moments, unnerving mysteries, epic action sequences, and, as is usually the case with any sci-fi story, plot points that made no sense.
So while we wait for Volume 2 to come our way and explain what the Upside Down truly is, or what Vecna is planning to do with his 12 new targets, it's time to break down moments in episodes 1 through 4 that made us scratch our heads in confusion.
Nobody had ever noticed a huge wall surrounding the Upside Down before
So far, multiple people have ventured into the Upside Down, and Eddie Munson even performed a fantastic rock concert there. Nancy, Steve, and Robin all rode bicycles for entire blocks through this nightmarish dimension, while Will Byers was lost there for about a week. Despite that, not a single soul had ever noticed before that there was a huge wall surrounding the entire place.
The Duffer Brothers have stated that Stranger Things Season 5 will finally explain what the Upside Down really is, and the wall will certainly play a part in it (perhaps dividing the part of Dimension X that looks like Hawkins and the one that is a barren wasteland, as seen in Season 4). However, it's very unlikely that all of these "answers" had been thought out since the show's very beginning, which explains why the wall hadn't been mentioned before. That being said, it doesn't make any narrative sense whatsoever for Eleven, Hopper, Dustin, Nancy, Robin, and Steve to come across this huge discovery until now. Shouldn't you be able to see this thing from miles away, as if it were a building?
The military wasn't aware that there were tunnels underneath MAC-Z
Stranger Things Season 5 has, so far, revolved around an intriguing storyline: Vecna needs to kidnap 12 kids to set his mysterious plan in motion, and it all started with Holly Wheeler. However, the military believes it is Eleven who is going around abducting other people her age. That's why they rounded up a bunch of kids at the MAC-Z facility and used them for bait. Fortunately, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will know the truth behind what's really going on, and they set a plan into motion to free everyone who is being hunted by Vecna. Fortunately, there are conveniently placed, unguarded tunnels right underneath the military compound.
Now, these huge tunnels aren't something new in the world of Stranger Things, as they were a major plot point in the show's second season. However, it's a bit hard to believe that the military had 18 months to set up two bases in two different dimensions and never once came across the tunnels lying right underneath them. And if they did, why didn't they seal them down, especially considering that they run through the entire town, and anyone could use them? It truly seems like a major oversight on their part.
The military wasn't able to find Eleven in a small town for more than a year
The fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, was always described as a small, quiet place. Doctor Kay even stated that there are only 73 kids in Hawkins, which is an extremely low number. Furthermore, it's important to remember that 18 months have passed since the events of the Stranger Things season 4 finale and the beginning of Season 5. That's why it comes as a shock that, during that time, the military never found Eleven.
See, it's explained that Hopper and Eleven have been using the tunnels under Hawkins to move around. However, they have also set up an obstacle course for El to train in multiple times a day. Sure, they even have "burnouts", which are false leads to keep the military away. That being said, an entire military department should've been able to find a girl with ease... which they conveniently do in episode1 of season 5 after 18 whole months.
Karen and Ted don't consider the possibility that their daughter, Holly, might see someone
Strange things have happened in the 'quiet' town of Hawkins ever since November 6, 1983. For starters, Will Byers disappeared from the public eye without a trace. Not long after Benny Hammond died in what was ruled an 'apparent suicide', which Hopper argues is a very rare occurrence. Will's body was then found, and a funeral was held... only for him to come back to life not too long after.
A suspicious fire consumed an entire mall, and a "natural phenomenon" never before seen by humanity isolated Hawkins from the rest of the world. The Military has now created a strange facility at the center of the town, and some people argue that the Hellfire Club was a cult that killed Crissy. There are reports of Terry Ives claiming her daughter was taken from her while Doctor Martin Brenner was sued for the MKUltra experiments. Speaking of which, both Karen and Ted spoke face-to-face with Martin Brenner himself, who arrived unexpectedly at their home and claimed that their son, Mike Wheeler, was in grave danger back in Stranger Things season 1.
It doesn't take a genius to know there truly is something off in Hawkins. So, if your daughter says she's seeing someone, surely you don't write it off as an imaginary friend, right? Except that's exactly what Karen and Ted Wheeler did. Now, in all fairness, it isn't clear how long this has been going on, and maybe Karen did try to do something about the situation and eventually gave up. However, any good parent would surely feel there's something off, and it's not necessarily their kids. That being said, we all know Ted isn't really a good parent, so maybe it checks out on his side.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 will be released on Dec. 25 on Netflix.