Henry as a Human Computer
Overall, I think the ultimate mechanism behind what is going on in the show goes back to the lab, the tapes, the HNL subjects’ ability to interact with radio waves, and the MF/Upside Down Stores. The lab is working on something related to Mind Control, this is very central to the conspiracy theories relating to MK Ultra; they are using drugs & sensory manipulation in Season 1. Basically, Seasons 1&2, the characters learn too much about the Upside Down and the lab. Good thing the lab has been working on Mind Control, though!
I personally think that most of the things we see the characters do happen to some extent (shoutout corruptiongate @nightnut !), but what we see on screen are altered, or edited versions of the memories stored on tapes. The memories of our characters are being mined (like data), stored/altered/edited/scrambled; these versions then replace the original memories.
My theory is that Season 3 through Season 5 is the end result of this process, that leads the characters to accepting this specific story. They all get what they think they want, but it’s not what they actually need or want. Season 4 is where Vecna is introduced.
The way this is done is through altering ‘tapes’ with either real ‘downloads’ of the characters’ memories, or through town surveillance a common motif throughout the show (more likely). @lavenderlatte222 on mirrors as surveillance!
The mechanism by which I think this works is that the Shadow Monster/Mind Flayer particles are the ‘transmitters’ of the altered memories. The Upside Down spores are the ‘receivers’ of these memories. By the end of Season 3, most of our characters have had some kind of interaction with the Upside Down that should have exposed them to the spores. Not all of them are directly exposed to the SM/MF particles; by this point, it is our characters who have had interaction with the Mind Flayer or the blood of someone who has had contact with the Mind Flayer. This means that Henry, Kali, El, and Will are the primary characters that we know of who can both ‘transmit’ and ‘receive’ altered memories through the Hive Mind (Hawkins).
An analogy I can provide are bacteriophages. Bacteriophages are viruses that can infect and alter the DNA of bacteria- often killing them, but not always; they are very interesting!! So the UD spores are our ‘bacteria’ infecting the human body (characters/town). The UD spores are then being infected with a virus (SM/MF particles). This virus is altering the spores with altered DNA (memories), using genetic source code from the tapes.
Either it is all a population study that Hawkins is just established as, or it is a town that has already had an established scandal that had to be covered up (thus forgotten). Only to be uncovered once again when Will goes ~missing~.
SO, as our characters that have established connections with both the UD and the SM/MF particles. Henry, Kali, El, and Will could be acting as human compositing systems that are receiving and broadcasting this information out to the rest of the town. I found an interesting ‘system’ today from a defunct company, Quantel, from the 80s and 90s literally called Henry. Technically, it was on the market in 1992 which does conflict with dates, but its prototype was named ‘Harry’ (a nickname for Henry, before becoming associated with names that start with ‘har’). Harry was released in 1984.
I am not actually very knowledgeable about this system at all, nor computers for that matter. So this is very much a looking for words, phrases, and explanations that stand out in relation to the show.
The whole thing was supplemented by memory. Of course, he sat in the cooled technical room; he likes it cold. The artist was given a pen to edit videos on a tablet; Will, our artist, Will’s been painting a lot.
People/artists could be working with Henry for eight to fourteen hours, getting a headache afterwards; headaches being one of the first symptoms associated with Vecna’s curse in Season 4 (this is a stretch but it stuck out to me!).
The Henry Infinity at the top, like our Henry Creel/Vecna in the attic of the Creel House.
Okay, I think some of these are rather like clear, so I’ll attach them.
Whoever writes the archives, stay alive…
Who is our writer of the archives? Well, we have Mike Wheeler! Who is often paralleled with … Dr. Brenner … who happens to have an archive of tapes. I do not personally subscribe to the idea that Mike is the literal dungeon master controlling the narrative. But, what all he knows is often a mystery to the rest of us unless it is directly needed in that moment. I think it may be a strategic play to act as an archivist of the real story, the one he can never tell. Because it is not quite time yet; if he reveals the vital, unaltered version of the truth too soon, it jeopardizes the escape. However, existing in an altered version of reality for too long itself could lead you to believing something false as well.
Here is a picture of a Henry!
Like ummm what the fuck lol
Codebreakersgate, you’ve still got me in a chokehold!
Here is a link to the article I read specifically, but I think I read it too much without a subscription to access it again I hope the link works for you!
https://digitalproduction.com/2024/10/01/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-henry/
