Well, Stranger Things 5 has unveiled another batch of episodes and we are once again left with questions - many, many questions. The Netflix series' newest installments are perhaps the most head-scratching of all but they also provide us with the most context. This conundrum sets up what is undoubtedly going to be a captivating series finale - one that fans are hoping will bring the show to a close on a high note. It is, after all, a decade in the making.
But back to Stranger Things season 5 part 2! This volume consisted of episodes 5, 6, and 7, and they are, without question, thrilling. But, as we said, there are questions. Narrowing those questions down as we head into the series finale wasn't easy, but like the Hawkins Squad, we were determined to try. And, with that, here are some of the most important questions we are asking as we all head into the final episode of Stranger Things.
Who is Dr. Kay?
One of the most intriguing new additions of Stranger Things season 5 has been Dr. Kay. Portrayed by the brilliant Linda Hamilton, there is an aura about her that is really quite captivating. That said, the show has been intentionally ambiguous about who she really is and what she really wants. Although Volume 2 added some much-needed context to her involvement in the military arc, he character is still feeling a little underwritten at this point, relying on the gravitas in Hamilton's performance to do the heavy-lifting.
Eleven knew Dr. Kay by name. The doctor herself is able to bark orders at high-ranking officials we have seen in charge in previous seasons (like Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan). She's also determined to carry on Dr. Brenner's work. There has to be more to the character than what the actual show is giving us right now. Hamilton is fantastic, but we need to know more about Dr. Kay.
Hopefully she will get more screen-time in the extended finale.
What happened to Dr. Owens?
It's the question that Stranger Things fans have been asking for years, and we have still yet to get an answer. Dr. Sam Owens has been a major recurring presence in the Netflix series, with actor Paul Reiser having a main role in both the second and fourth seasons (along with a cameo in season 3). He's grown into a fan-favorite over time, with audiences initially sceptical of him in the beginning but quickly seeing that he was not like Dr. Brenner. And that's why fans are so worried about him.
When we last saw Owens in season 4, he had been handcuffed in the military's Nevada facility. He successfully helped restore Eleven's powers before he was betrayed by Dr. Brenner. However, when Lt. Colonel Sullivan stormed the bunker, he left Owens where he was, leaving his fate uncertain ever since. The likely answer to that question is that he has been interrogated by the military, potentially including Kay and Sullivan, but fans deserve answers.
With just one episode left to go, audiences want to know what happened to Dr. Owens. As one of the only good men that the Hawkins Lab ever gave to us, he must survive!
How will Vecna's reign of terror end?
Vecna has ascended the ranks of TV and movie villains extremely quickly - and that's very impressive considering he has only been a part of Stranger Things for two of its five seasons. From his apocalyptic yet subtle introduction in the season 4 premiere to the Henry Creel / 001 revelation midway through the season, the show wasted little time in making him a force to be reckoned with. And after his truly terrifying return midway through season 5, the Duffer Brothers have successfully doubled down on his effectiveness as the show's primary villain (for now at least).
But it will all come to an end for Vecna in the season 5 finale. It has to. He's been unstoppable this season, showing no signs of weakness and always remaining one step ahead - even though he was temporarily caught off-guard by Will's invasion of his mind. But the man going by Mr. Whatsit is going to have to fall in the finale, and the kids that he has taken prisoner will undoubtedly play a part in that.
Eleven, Will, and Kali will also play a part in it, likely using their combined powers to take him down. But what does the end look like for Henry? He has history with both El and Will, while Kali has history with the military? What will their involvement look lik, and how will it all end? One thing is for sure amidst all this uncertainty: It's going to have to be big.
Where is the Mind Flayer (and who's really in charge)?
If you rewatched Stranger Things ahead of the final season's arrival, you might have noticed that Vecna's introduction felt a little sudden - especially considering that it seemed like the Mind Flayer was the Big Bad of the show. It was especially confounding considering that the Mind Flayer had never been killed. He attacked psychically in season 2 (using his true shadowy form and his connection to Will) before Eleven closed the gate, while resurfacing as a fleshy recreation of that form in season 3. Both times, he was simply expelled from Hawkins when the gate closed.
Season 4 implied that Vecna actually created the Mind Flayer, while the play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, may imply that the shadowy monster actually turned Henry Creel into Vecna. So who is really in charge, and what has the Mind Flayer been up to since his last appearance in season 3? We need answers, and we're hoping that the gang's trip to Dimension X might finally give us them.
Is Eleven going to die?
When the team of heroes head into the Upside Down, some of them don't have plans to return. Kali, a.k.a. Eight, thinks that Eleven and Mike's dream to live happily ever after when they defeat Vecna and end the war with the Upside Down is naïve. She wants her sister to stay behind in the Upside Down with her, allowing the dimension to cease to exist with them both inside it - effectively ending the military's plan to produce more super-powered children.
It seems like El has momentarily agreed to that plan as she doesn't want her loved ones to be in any more danger. But it's hard to believe that this could actually be the outcome of the season. After all, El has been through enough trauma and, as dark as Stranger Things can get, it always maintains its hope. Telling us that its hero is going to sacrifice herself a whole episode before it happens feels like a fakeout. Surely Eleven deserves a better ending than that - and so do all of her loved ones.
We did the whole "Is Eleven dead?" thing in the season 1 finale. We don't need a repeat of it here.