has anyone looked back to the puzzle tales game for lovewinsgate/conformitygate proof yet? i was reminiscing it and looking through my old posts when i found this reblog. that made me raise an eyebrow back then and again now.
Or rather, why Vecna chose to appear to Holly as "a friend" in Season 5...
...and why this has been foreshadowed from the start.
Theory Overview
Theory Summary
1) Mr. Whatsit is in fact "real"
2) Evidence Vecna disguised himself as Will to Holly
3) But how???
4) The Party found out... but they couldn't save Holly
5) What does Vecna want with Holly and Will? Season 1-2 told us already...
Final summary
Theory Summary
After "stalking" Holly, Vecna disguised himself as Will (someone “gentle and kind”, a "friend”) in order to gain her trust.
Will: “I was him. I was Vecna.”
Mr. Whatsit, AKA "Will", told Holly that “there are monsters in Hawkins”, that they eat kids like her... and that he was attacked by a monster when he was a kid!
Mike and Nancy realised that Holly was a target, and told her that Mr. Whatsit was the monster, thinking they could stop his plan.
But then, on November 3rd, Vecna sent a Demogorgon to attack the Wheelers. Mike and Karen were heavily injured in the attack… but Mr. Whatsit “saved” Holly.
Mr. Whatsit: The monsters, they tried to take you. But I saved you just in time.
He took her to the Wheelers' front door – the Demogorgon’s gate to the Upside Down. He told her it was their exit. A dimension door.
Holly: It doesn’t look like an exit… are you sure you’re not a monster?
Mr. Whatsit: Pretty sure.
He convinced her that he was a hero, not a monster.
And so, when Vecna took Holly into the Upside Down, there wasn’t a struggle – he proved to her that he wasn’t a monster through a staged rescue, which was really a kidnapping in disguise.
This explains...
Why the concept of "Mr. Whatsit" was introduced at all
Why Mr. Whatsit's identity was framed like a huge reveal (it is!)
Why the characters never realised who he was until Holly was already taken (they did realise – they tried to save Holly, not Derek)
Why Holly wonders if Max is a monster, but it never amounts to anything (it was about Mr. Whatsit, not Max)
Why the "we have to save Derek" plotline was so important (it was Holly, who is much closer to the Party)
Why Will is repeatedly said to literally be Vecna
and more!
^ there's evidence for all of this!
Now let's get into that evidence!
First, as always, here's a brief overview of my main theory:
MIKE IN THE RIGHTSIDE UP
Mike is stuck in his own version of Camazotz: the Rightside Up.
In the 8 months after Season 4, the gang prepared for a big battle with Vecna. On November 3rd 1986, the Wheeler house was attacked and Holly was taken; then, on November 6th, Mike was taken – on the anniversary of Will's disappearance.
Every important plot point from Ep 1-8 was an edited version of what really happened in those 8 months. Vecna just changed the order, characters or context to suit his own narrative, keeping Mike trapped in the Rightside Up. That's why Mike's real memories will be crucial to his escape in the upcoming episodes: a reversal of the current episode descriptions.
Evidence!
ORDER OF EVENTS: Part 1 (Reality = reversed), Part 3 (12 Episodes), Part 4 (MWTFDYD), Part 9 (Wheeler attack -> Mike's kidnapping), Part 11 (Mr Whatsit = Will)
SCENE ANALYSIS: Part 2 (Will/Robin), Part 5 (Rainbows), Part 6 (The roof talk), Part 7 ("Where's Dustin right now?"), Part 8 (El is missing), Part 10 (Byler's missed date), Part 12 (Byler saw Rovickie kiss), Part 13 (Will's painting)
1) How do we know Mr. Whatsit is “real”?
First of all, how do we know that Mr. Whatsit even… well, exists in the real story?
As I said: every major plot point is based on something that really happened, and Vecna would have changed as little as possible to make it as believable as possible. So if there's a plot point which has huge ramifications and impacts multiple scenes, it's almost certainly part of the real story.
If Vecna didn't target Holly as Mr. Whatsit…
Three big scenes would not have happened (Mike telling Holly that she doesn’t need Mr Whatsit, “What if Mr. Whatsit is real?”, Mr. Whatsit's big identity reveal)
Will would not have realised the full extent of his powers by seeing through her eyes, and his entire character arc would be impacted
Three MORE big scenes would not have happened (Will’s self-acceptance moment + killing the Demogorgon(s), saving Max and Holly, falling into a trance)
Sounds like a pretty big deal to me!
Considering these ramifications? At the very least, Vecna targeted Holly in a way that allowed Will to see through her eyes – and most likely, he did it as Mr. Whatsit!
We can pretty safely assume Mr. Whatsit exists in the real story.
2) Well, how do we know he’s “Will”?
The two final scenes from The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler are pretty much begging us to come to this conclusion.
When Nancy first brings up Mr. Whatsit's name to Karen, who does the shot immediately cut to?
Will Byers.
Every piece of information that Karen gives about Mr. Whatsit also applies to Will Byers. In fact, I would argue it fits Will MORE.
Watch – Yep. Tall – Compared to Holly.
Vest – Will wears vests famously. That's what he was wearing when Vecna took him. Nancy says that he was wearing a vest twice. They want us to pay attention to that detail.
Gentle and kind – Will is notoriously gentle and kind.
Remember in Season 2, when he came across the slug he threw up after being trapped in the Upside Down for six days (basically a representation of all the worst things that have ever happened to him)… and he treated it with kindness? Gentleness?
That’s Will.
Teacher saw talking to W – Mike: "W" as in "Whatsit"?
No, Mike. “W” as in “Will.”
If you heard this description without visuals (like Nancy did)... would you instantly imagine Henry?
"Quick! Tell me which Stranger Things character wears a watch and a vest, is taller than your average child, is gentle and kind, and has a name starting with "W"?
...Or would you imagine Will?
Without visuals, none of this information actually tells us that Mr. Whatsit is Vecna. The ONLY one that does is his name: Henry. But that's the only detail Nancy doesn't say out loud!
If she never heard that detail, would she have known it was Vecna?
Remember, every word was written intentionally. If the writers were really trying to make it clear to the characters that this was specifically Vecna, then the writers would've made it clear to us, too. They could've mentioned his "001" tattoo, or his neat blonde hair... they wouldn't have given him a totally new costume. It's giving... reverse-engineering a costume based on the description of a different character.
It's not just that one scene, though. Onto the other evidence!
If Max telling Holly, “You are your brother,” wasn’t obvious enough, there are also countless scenes like this:
In which Will is not just compared to Vecna, but it’s said repeatedly that WILL LITERALLY IS VECNA.
Will: I was him. I was Vecna.
Considering that the above quote happens at the exact moment the Wheelers figure out that Vecna is Mr. Whatsit? Considering that these two scenes cut between each other, as though they're related?
Will = Vecna -> Vecna = Mr. Whatsit -> therefore, Will = Mr. Whatsit.
So I guess he's not just Henry/Vecna/001. Now he's Henry/Vecna/001/Mr. Whatsit/William. Oh god. The names are multiplying...
Finally, I'd like to mention one more suspicious cut.
Mary: Holly would never run away. She isn’t like that. You’re lying.
Derek: I’m not lying! A monster tricked her. It’s disguised as a girl with weird clothes and red hair.... she calls herself–
[Cut to Will Byers]
Actually, a monster did trick Holly – but it’s disguised as Will (who was canonically bullied for dressing in weird clothes).
So, we’ve established that Mr. Whatsit is A) part of the real story, and B) that he looks and acts like Will Byers.
But how did he even pull that off? And why?
3) BUT HOW???
Now, the biggest and most gaping hole in this theory (thanks for that awful expression, Dustin) is… how exactly could Vecna have done this without everyone finding out?
Well, that’s the thing. Maybe everyone did find out.
So in order to explore how Vecna did this, we first need to explore why Vecna did this.
And… they told us in The Turnbow Trap!
[CUT TO WILL BYERS]. Lmfao.
Nancy: “We think he was trying to gain her trust.”
Vecna was trying to earn Holly’s trust. And how did he do that? By appearing to her as a "friend"! Why exactly did he do that? He learned from the mistakes he made with Eleven and Will.
Instead of...
Doing a bunch of murders and getting covered in blood (scary)
Chasing Holly and snatching her into the Upside Down (also scary)
He tried to appear as "gentle and kind" as he could. (not scary)
And who is more gentle and kind than Will Byers?
Someone who Holly already knows and trusts, considering he's been friends with Holly's brother for her entire life. Someone who would surely tell her about the monsters in Hawkins, because he was genuinely attacked by a monster too.
(And if SOME of what Mr Whatsit said is confirmed to be true, then the rest must be true too, right?)
Holly might not trust a random stranger. But she would trust Will Byers. Which is especially convenient for Vecna, considering his plans for Will... but we'll talk about that particular "why" later.
For a moment, let's focus on the "how".
It's almost like Vecna is making Will out to be some kind of secret, powerful hero, fighting back against all the monsters in Hawkins, "protecting" Holly and "saving" her loved ones.
Let's explore that superhero-monster dichotomy a little bit further!
The Superhero-Monster Dichotomy (feat. Max the Monster)
Monsters and superheroes form a sort of dichotomy in Stranger Things. As long as you believe in one, you believe in the other; if someone isn't a hero, then they're a monster, and vice versa.
It's a very black-and-white worldview, and we see it most with Eleven.
For example:
In Season 4, Eleven believes she is either a superhero or a monster, with no in-between.
Vecna plays into her superhero-monster worldview to manipulate her. He tells El that Brenner treats her like "an animal, a monster," but that in reality, she is "better". Stronger. Superior, like him.
Vecna has already used this black-and-white way of thinking to manipulate El in the past, and now, he's doing it again with Holly. His "Mr. Whatsit" persona follows this same dichotomy.
Mr. Whatsit: The monsters, they tried to take you. But I saved you just in time.
Mr. Whatsit: Your loved ones will be saved. And you... you will be heroes.
He’s manipulating her by making himself appear like Will Byers, the secret hero who was once attacked by the "monsters in Hawkins", recruiting Holly on a mission to protect her and her loved ones from the very same monsters.
So what's my point here?
This explains why Holly kept asking Max if she was a monster in the Camazotz plotline!
Isn’t it weird how Holly kept asking if she was a monster, but… Max really wasn’t one? The plotline never really went anywhere interesting. Why did they even write it into the show if they weren't gonna do anything with it? Because we simply haven't seen this plotline in full yet.
Vecna has hidden the truth from Mike (and the audience). Of course he wouldn't allow him to know the full extent of his plan. He can't allow Mike to remember what really happened, or he might escape.
Now, let's get back to Vecna, and how the Party found out about his Will Byers hero persona, his Will-sona if you will.
no, i mike
4) The Party found out, but they still couldn't save Holly...
Heroes keep their true identity a secret, right? So Vecna probably asked Holly to keep it a secret, and pretend that he was just her imaginary friend – assuming (incorrectly) that she would.
But she revealed enough information to her family (explored in section 2) that they were able to find out what was really going on. And so, before the kidnapping even happened...
Mike: [Does] Holly ever talk to you about Mr. Whatsit?
Nancy: Her… imaginary friend from the book?
Mike: Yeah. [...] She said that Mr. Whatsit told her that there were monsters in Hawkins. And he warned her that these monsters, they were coming for her.
Nancy: And your theory is… what, exactly?
Mike: What if Mr. Whatsit isn’t a figment of Holly’s imagination?
Nancy looks at Mike in utter disbelief.
Mike: What if he’s real?
Nancy: Real?
Nancy looks at Mike in disbelief again.
It was a little unbelievable at first, but when Will saw from Holly's eyes?
Nancy: How can you be sure that [Holly]'s the next target?
Will: Because I saw. The first time it happened, I saw through Holly's eyes. And this morning, it happened again.
They knew it had to be Vecna. So they actually told Holly the truth.
Joyce: That’s my son, Will. [...] What people don’t know is that when he went missing, he was taken by a terrible, scary monster. And now that scary monster is after you.
[Holly]: Yeah, I know, Mr. Whatsit told me. [...]
Joyce: No, no. Mr. Whatsit is not who he says he is, okay? He is lying to you. All these monsters, they work for him.
Now – remember, Mike is going to be a key focus, so Holly isn't going to fill in for him with another "Holly the Heroic" plotline. I believe Mike promised Holly that Eleven, with her "divine powers" and ability to open "dimension doors", would protect her.
Mike: She'll protect you. I promise.
But on November 3rd, before Eleven could get there fast enough, Vecna sent a Demogorgon to the Wheelers’ house, severely injuring Karen and Mike.
(And like in the current episodes, Will would've seen through its eyes as it ran towards the Wheeler house...)
Then, Mr Whatsit showed up and “saved” Holly from the monster, taking her through a portal in the Wheelers’ front door. A dimension door – just like what Mike said El can make.
The Wheelers’ front door is where the Demogorgon took Holly through a portal, screaming.
The Wheelers’ front door is also where Max and Holly find the portal to Vecna’s mind.
That's when this exchange happens. Instead of Max, it's Mr. Whatsit.
Holly: What is that?
[Mr. Whatsit]: Our exit.
Holly: It doesn’t look like an exit... you sure you’re not a monster?
[Mr. Whatsit]: Pretty sure.
They both step towards the portal.
And she was gone.
Will: [Holly]. Vecna, he's got [Holly]. We failed.
Why It Makes Sense
In the current version of Season 5, Vecna went to all that effort to seem kind and friendly and disguise himself... only to have a literal monster burst into Holly’s house and kidnap her in the most terrifying way possible. What kind of plan is that?
Even if he knew she would forget it all in Camazotz, it’s still a really stupid idea. What if she didn't?!
This would've been a much more logical plan. For Vecna to start by making himself seem all kind and friendly, in order to convince Holly to go with him willingly.
No big battle. Just – whoosh. Gone.
Because everyone found out, he had to improvise a little, which is at least partially why he staged that monster attack + "heroically" saved Holly "just in time". But he – as Will – still ended up the hero!
This was crucial to Vecna's plan.
5) Okay, but what does Vecna want with Will and Holly?
In this final section, I'll aim to answer these three questions!
“Why was Will – specifically Will, taken in the first place?”
"Why was Holly – specifically Holly, taken too?"
“Why would Vecna disguise himself to Holly as Will?”
"What will Vecna be able to do next?"
As I explored in my analysis of the Wheeler attack, Vecna did indeed take Holly on that day, three days before he took Mike. But why?
Dustin: “Holly… why Holly?”
In that analysis, I said that Holly was “the bait”. Meant to take up everyone’s focus, strength and resources until eventually, Mike was left alone on November 6th, free for Vecna to yoink from the hospital.
I stand by that. But there is another reason Vecna may have taken her. Because... Vecna targeting Holly has been foreshadowed (if not already true) since Season 1.
Remember when she went into Will’s room? She was led there. She followed a trail of blinking lights leading to a circle of lamps (which much resembles the circle of lights in the Lab). Then, a Demo almost burst through the wall above her, before Joyce came in.
Why would Will try to lead only Holly into his room, when there were lights all over the house??? No. To me, this reads as Vecna imitating Will's communication attempts in order to do... something.
All the way back in Season 1!
Also, Holly always seems to notice supernatural stuff, when neither of her parents do.
Season 3
Holly: Mommy, look! The trees are moving!
Karen: Why are you looking at the trees, baby? Look at the fireworks!
Because of this, I think Holly may be “sensitive”, like Will, and like Henry. This would also match up to what Vecna tells the kids in Camazotz.
Vecna: [...] You are not like other children. Like Meg, you are special. You have dormant powers in here. And I believe if we work together, we can awaken those powers...
So is Holly bait, or a vessel with "powers" that Vecna can use to do "beautiful things"?
It’s possible that both are true.
Considering that Mike is a highly important character in Vecna's illusion world, and possibly the only person trapped in it right now, Vecna really did intend to go after Mike… but rather than kidnapping any random kid as bait to distract the Party, Vecna specifically chose a kid that had “latent powers”, like him and Will.
Just like the Party had two plans, Vecna did too. That way, if anything went wrong, he had a backup plan – a little superpowered “friend” who was on his side.
He hit two birds with one stone. Or rather...
Joyce: We do both. We throw two darts and pray for a bullseye.
Having Holly as a backup would be especially useful, considering Vecna's plans for Will Byers.
A quick recap – in Season 2, the Mindflayer tried to completely take over Will’s body and mind.
Joyce: “What happens when he can’t remember anything? When there’s nothing else there? What happens when my boy is gone?”
Vecna, that’s what happens.
But his body is deteriorating. Perhaps the Mindflayer wants a new host.
It was going to fully take over Will's body, but too bad! His loved ones made Will’s body so uninhabitable that the Mindflayer was unable to complete the job. They burned it out of him, and it escaped. Chose Billy as a backup host for a backup plan – build a monster, stop Eleven.
But remember…
Will: “I don’t think the connection was ever truly severed.”
Now, I am not the first to point out that all throughout Season 5, Will Byers had been showing signs that he was being possessed yet again.
Darkened eyes
Taking off his jacket; “He likes it cold”
Mixed-up memories (Melvald’s only had milkshakes in the 50’s, when Henry was his age)
Speaking eerily similar to Vecna – calling children “weak”, “vessels”, etc.
Being very adamant that he was apparently only siphoning Vecna’s powers (way to be humble, Vecna)
Not just that, but in Season 4, Will doesn’t even remember his own birthday, and only “vaguely” remembers a childhood moment with Jonathan, who remembers it well. Will’s loved ones don’t seem to remember his birthday either.
All signs are pointing to the following conclusion: something is very wrong with Will Byers, and it has been for a while.
By connecting directly with Vecna’s mind in Season 5, and with Vecna choosing to let him in? Will just unknowingly made it so much worse.
So what’s going to happen to him? We can look to the reversed episode descriptions for clues.
The reversed episode descriptions...
A quick recap – my theory (rightsideupgate) is primarily based on the idea that when you flip the Season 5 episode descriptions upside down, you’re actually putting the story in the right order.
I’ve only included the parts that are relevant to this analysis. If you wanna read the whole thing, go here!
One group searched the Upside Down's Hawkins Lab, while another group hatched a plan to connect Will to the hive mind.
Will fell into a trance, and Mike got taken.
[In terms of the timeline, this is where Mike experiences the Season 5 we all saw – the fake story based on real events.]
El must now find a way into Will’s mind.
El comes face-to-face with the enemy [probably in Will’s mind].
My best guess – Eleven will come face-to-face with Vecna in Will’s mind, and like the "fake" episodes, she'll be able to rescue Will surprisingly easily...
Because Vecna will let her believe she rescued Will. In reality, he has already wormed himself into Will's mind, and is beginning to take over Will's body.
Will wakes up, and the crew gets the opportunity to set a trap after he gains unique insight into Vecna’s next move.
Whenever someone (usually Will) has a “unique insight” about Vecna, especially if they say “he didn’t want me to see it”, it’s usually something that Vecna absolutely wanted them to see.
That's what Will said before leading a whole group of soldiers to their deaths in Season 2, after all.
The gang evades the military to scour the Upside Down for Vecna – but fails to notice a threat lurking closer to home…
(My interpretation – Something is wrong with Will. Who was his trap really for?)
El and Hopper must go on a rescue mission.
All signs are pointing to: Will becomes possessed, and El + Hopper's rescue mission might be for him.
[Mike escapes the Rightside Up. Will is saved.]
Epilogue, one year later – November, 1987.
In summation...
Vecna is going to use Will as a spy/vessel/builder again, just like he said he would.
Will is an unknowing double-agent, playing for both sides, until Vecna tries to fully take him over. His memory will likely be slowly erased/replaced (Melvald's milkshakes...), and Vecna will begin to have more and more control over him, like in Season 2.
But this time it will be WORSE, because at the very least, Will can use Vecna’s powers… meaning that most likely, VECNA CAN USE HIS POWERS THROUGH WILL. Not to mention Will's own "innate powers" that he most likely also possesses!!!
Best-case scenario for Vecna:
Spending all that time convincing Holly that he is Will enables Vecna to convince everyone else that he is Will, too. Unlike last time, they'll have no idea that he is possessed – until it's too late.
Working with his “friend” Holly, and her friend "Will", Vecna would be able to use both their latent powers for... well, whatever he wanted. The "beautiful" world he wants to build, presumably.
Vecna would be able to turn Will and therefore Holly against their own families and friends, destroying his enemies with their combined power.
At the end of it all, Vecna could take over Will's body, replacing his current burnt, viney, old body with a younger human one.
Ew. That's pretty bleak.
But, as always – love and memories are the key to defeating Vecna, and they will save the day.
Hint: Vecna used Holly as "bait", and... let's just say it's not looking good for Karen Wheeler...
[A timeline from November 3rd to November 6th, 1986.]
Theory Overview
What happened, exactly? (a summary from Nov 3rd to Nov 6th)
November 3rd, 1986 – The Wheeler attack
Karen's tragic fate
Mike, injured but alive... just what Vecna wanted.
Holly, the "bait"
Mike's hospital stay, survivor's guilt, and becoming Mike the Brave
November 6th, 1986 – Mike's sacrifice and kidnapping
^ I'll provide evidence for all of this!
First, as usual, here's a brief overview of my main theory:
MIKE IN THE RIGHTSIDE UP
Mike is stuck in his own version of Camazotz: the Rightside Up.
In the 8 months after Season 4, the gang prepared for a big battle with Vecna. Mike was taken during that battle, on the anniversary of Will's disappearance: November 6th, 1986.
Every important plot point from Ep 1-8 was an edited version of what really happened in those 8 months. Vecna just changed the order, characters or context to suit his own narrative, keeping Mike trapped in the Rightside Up – a story with a happy ending that he wishes was true. That's why Mike's real memories will be crucial to his escape in the upcoming episodes: a reversal of the current episode descriptions.
Evidence!
ORDER OF EVENTS: Part 1 (Reality = reversed), Part 3 (12 Episodes), Part 4 (MWTFDYD), Part 9 (Wheeler attack -> Mike's kidnapping), Part 11 (Mr Whatsit = Will)
SCENE ANALYSIS: Part 2 (Will/Robin), Part 5 (Rainbows), Part 6 (The roof talk), Part 7 ("Where's Dustin right now?"), Part 8 (El is missing), Part 10 (Byler's missed date), Part 12 (Byler saw Rovickie kiss), Part 13 (Will's painting)
So what happened, exactly?
This is a summary of events spanning from November 3rd to November 6th – I'll provide evidence later.
Nancy's vision came true. On November 3rd, (Lucas tells us this date) 1986, there was an attack on the Wheeler house, and Karen, Holly and Mike were put in grave danger.
Karen was fatally injured (died)
Mike was injured (survived)
Holly was kidnapped (taken into the Upside Down)
Mike was rushed to hospital for his injuries (like Karen), and forcibly sidelined from the upcoming search for his sister, Holly.
The guilt and grief from this traumatic event, along with feelings of uselessness, ate away at Mike – until he was inspired by one of his friends, who assured him that he wasn't useless; he is Mike the Brave, and he has been this whole time.
All of this led Mike to do something very brave on November 6th, 1986. When Vecna sent Demos into the hospital, Mike pulled out his IV, got out of his hospital bed, and set off an explosion to protect his friends (what Karen does in Episode 6). They were grateful Mike saved them – but they said he needed to stay in hospital to recover.
With most of the gang looking for Holly in the Upside Down, the others completing their plan to connect Will to the hivemind, and Mike left alone and severely injured... Vecna had the perfect opportunity to kidnap Mike.
And now, he's stuck in the Rightside Up – kept there by his feelings of guilt, and his desire to believe in a fantasy story with a happy ending, instead of a much more unfortunate truth.
Where does this fit into my theory?
To reiterate: everything we've seen so far from Episodes 1-8 has already happened. Vecna kept as much the same as possible, to make it more believable for Mike – And, as I outlined in my 12 Episodes theory, the remaining plot for Season 5 will be a reversal of the current episode descriptions.
Now, Mike being a part of the Wheeler attack just so happens to match up with the reversed episode descriptions. What a crazy coincidence.
Episode 12 (from my post)
Mike confronts the cost of secrecy after a vicious attack at the Wheeler home [Mike's real memory of the attack]
After navigating through the Rightside Up with Max's help, Mike will have to confront his most traumatic memories... and he'll have to revisit the day that the Wheelers were viciously attacked in their own home: November 3rd, 1986.
Now, let's get into the evidence.
The day of the Wheeler attack: November 3rd, 1986
As mentioned prior, my theory so far has been that Mike was taken on November 6th, 1986.
Well, this might seem obvious, but I literally just realised that it makes total sense for the Wheeler attack to have taken place three days prior; on November 3rd, the date Lucas directly tells us it happened.
Lucas: You know what date it is, right? November 3rd. Will was taken on the 6th.
Remember, Vecna would have changed as little as possible about what happened, to ensure that Mike believed his new story.
Just as the evidence suggests that Jane really did go into hiding on June 13th, 1986, the evidence suggests that the Wheeler house really was attacked on November 3rd, 1986 – except Mike was there for it.
This explains:
Why Holly, Mike's stand-in, feels so guilty about not saving her mother
Why Will randomly goes through the exact same thing as Holly, except he is able to save his mother
Why Mike parallels Karen so heavily in ST5 (limping in a hospital gown, setting off explosives, talking to Holly about Mr Whatsit etc.)
Why Karen suddenly becomes an action hero, while Mike is sidelined (they swapped roles)
Why Holly remembers her mother falling in two different positions during the Wheeler attack
And more!
^ We'll explore all of this soon!
Karen the Hero (written by Mike Wheeler)
Throughout Season 5, in a surprising turn, Karen Wheeler becomes kind of a badass.
Protecting Holly with nothing but a broken wine bottle
Miraculously surviving two Demogorgon attacks against all odds
Providing the information that leads to Henry's defeat
Pulling the IV out of her arm and limping through the hospital
Setting off an explosion in a laundry machine, single-handedly saving four of Mike's friends
And by the end of the show, she gets a happy ending. One in which she tearfully tells her son she loves him, hugs him, watches him graduate, and calls him up for her homemade lasagna. Yes – Karen's happy ending is VERY centred around Mike, and there's a reason for that.
Out of everyone, why would Mike turn Karen into a brave hero who can survive anything? Well, heads up, it’s about to get real sad in here!
Karen: I'm fine, Michael. I'm fine.
Vickie: With all due respect, Mrs. Wheeler, you're not. You could get an infection, haemorrhage – God forbid, stop breathing.
...What if she did stop breathing?
Have you ever wondered why Holly remembers Karen lying on the kitchen floor in two totally different positions? [Episode 2 vs Episode 6]
This is why.
When Nancy found Mike and Karen, they were both heavily injured. Mike was lying on his back near the red phone with an injured throat. Meanwhile, Karen was lying on her stomach – dead from a chest wound, and not breathing. Sorry, Nancy.
(Based on the red phone's location, Mike may have even been thrown into his own bedroom, through his own closet – instead of Ted. Nancy even tells Robin, "call my house, tell everyone to get out of there". Maybe she did call the house, and Mike answered using his red phone, but the call came too late.)
When the Wheeler house was attacked, Mike ran to Karen. Then, in the kitchen, he stood there while Karen defended him, and when she was slashed in the chest – right in front of him, like a scary movie he couldn't turn off. Karen probably only found out the truth about the Upside Down when it was already too late.
Mike: You saved us. [...] There's so much that I need to tell you about the Upside Down, but...
But... maybe he can't.
Mike loved his mother. He didn't want her to die. He wants to live in a world where she could've survived; where he could've told her the truth, and she could've seen him graduate, hugged him, told him she loved him, and called him upstairs from the basement one more time.
Just as Kiara said here!
And so, when Vecna kidnaps Mike later on and scrambles his memories, Mike subconsciously separates the true story of the Wheeler attack into three different characters.
Karen, Holly and Will.
He gave his injuries to Karen, and her injuries to Ted, giving his mother another chance at survival. And after that, Mike gave his own bravest moments to her too (more on this later).
Mike also gave his fears and insecurities to Holly.
Holly: When my mom was attacked, I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t even save myself. I just stood there. [...] There's nothing heroic about that.
He couldn't save his mother, only watch – and he blames himself. But as I've explored previously, Mike views his fears and struggles as childish, so he gave them to his little sister.
And then, Mike gave his deepest desires to Will. Everything he wished he could've done instead. Through him, Mike wills it all to be true.
Will: I was afraid. I was afraid for my mom.
Mike: You wanted to protect her.
Will: Yeah, but I just... couldn't. It was like this scary movie you just can't turn off.
In the edited version of Mike's story, now it's Will who couldn't save his own mother – except Mike makes it so he actually did.
All the way back in Season 1, It was Will who "put himself in danger to help the Party" in their D&D game, inspiring Mike – so, from Mike's perspective, Will the Wise is the obvious choice for a hero.
Mike: Are you positive you didn't? Turn off the scary movie, protect your mom, not the other way around?
See what Mike is doing here? He is controlling the narrative subconsciously, telling a story that he wishes was true through Will and Karen, and telling a story closer to his own reality through Holly.
Mike gave all of his "childish" fears to Holly, he gave all of his bravest moments to Karen, and he gave Will everything he ever wanted.
This way, Holly gets to be scared and comforted like any child would be. Karen survives "by some miracle"; she saves him, his friends, and herself. Will gets to accept himself for who he truly is, beat his tormentor, and be the powerful, confident hero of his own story.
And Mike, stuck in the Rightside Up, gets nothing... thereby keeping himself even more trapped, which is exactly what Vecna wants.
And, speaking of what Vecna wants...
Holly the "bait" (A.K.A. Mike Lite)
Lucas: It makes no sense that Vecna took Holly; Holly, who has nothing to do with any of this.
Or does it?
When I was first putting things together in late Jan/early Feb, I was under the impression that Holly was never actually kidnapped, and her story fully replaced Mike.
However, after re-examining the evidence? Holly was kidnapped. But there's a reason Vecna didn't kidnap Holly and Mike at the same time when he very easily could have. She was the bait.
^ These are my old notes btw – no need to read unless you're curious
By taking her on November 3rd, Vecna baited the gang into the Upside Down for a long and dangerous Crawl. This way, their best resources and strength would be expended during the fight for Holly, all of them would be injured, and some might even die.
Come *CRAWLING* faster, obey your master,
Your life burns faster,
Obey your master, master...
Master of puppets, I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
All that effort to get Holly back... only for Vecna to swap her for her brother: Mike.
I'd make a deal with God, and get him to swap our places.
Not only that, but Will probably saw the whole thing. More on that later.
Let's explore how exactly Vecna was able to kidnap Mike on November 6th – starting with Mike's hospital stay, and ending with the brave sacrifice he made for his friends.
Survivor's Guilt! at the Hospital (feat. Lucas)
Now, before the November 3rd attack, Mike had already been feeling a truckload of guilt. We saw only the tip of the iceberg in Season 4, with how Mike considered himself both useless, and totally inferior to El...
Mike: One day she's going to realise that I'm just some random nerd that got lucky that Superman landed on his doorstep.
Mike: I'm scared that one day you'll realise you don't need me anymore.
Mike feels like he's always there, standing by his loved ones, but that no-one actually needs him around. Sure, he figures things out, but he feels like it will never be enough to repay his loved ones for everything they've done for him.
El, who sacrifices herself over and over again for her friends, because if she doesn't, who will?
Will, who goes through trauma after trauma and still remains gentle, brave and kind.
Eddie, who Mike idolised as exactly the kind of rebellious, authentic person he wants to be; he fights with Dustin about whether Eddie's sacrifice was brave or stupid, before ultimately settling on brave.
And finally, the nail in the coffin for Mike's self-image – his mother, Karen, who has always assured him that he can tell her the truth, and who he can always go to for a hug, even when he doesn't say a word. Karen, who died to protect him, never learning the truth until it was too late (and perhaps never learning certain truths at all).
That's why Mike imagines Mike the Brave is "by his side". Not that he himself is Mike the Brave, but that he's just standing there.
He's always just standing there.
And after the November 3rd attack? All of Mike's worst fears about himself have been totally confirmed, in his mind. He is useless, he isn't brave, he isn't honest, and he survived while his mother sacrificed her life for his protection.
[Mike]: I just stood there. Why didn't I fight? Why didn't I help her?
Max: That was old [Mike]. You would now.
Mike wants nothing more than to get out there and fight... but he can't. See, Mike was badly injured during the attack. In the end, these were his injuries:
An injured leg – resulting in a limp [Karen in Ep6] [Vecna in Ep5/6] [Mike in Ep2]
An injured arm – [Karen slips on water and slams against the counter in Ep2] [Mike slips on water and slams against the wall in Ep4]
An injured throat – hurts to talk (but he talks anyway) [Karen in Ep2] [El in ST3]
Mike's throat and arm getting injured have actually been foreshadowed for a while.
SEASON 3
Max: Does it still hurt?
El: Only when I talk.
Max: Well, it’s a good thing you’re not Mike, then. "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," and you'd be in constant pain!
SEASON 3
Will: The juju bites your arm. Flesh tears!
Mike: Oh no, my arm. Look Lucas, my arm.
Stuck in his hospital bed, Mike feels useless, cowardly, and most of all, he feels very, very guilty.
Lucky for Mike, the battle is about to take place, so his friends are coming over for one last visit.
That's when Lucas gives his speech to Mike.
Firstly, if you're curious... out of everyone at the hospital (Robin, Lucas, Joyce and Will – I'll explain later), why Lucas?
This is based off of Max's speech to Holly in Episode 6. In that scene, they each mention one character: Holly mentions Mike, and Max repeatedly mentions Lucas. In fact, "Lucas" is the first word Max says in the scene! Holly is clearly a stand-in for Mike, so... Max is probably a stand-in for Lucas.
A speech like this would fit Lucas' character arc more than the others
Lucas is in several hospital scenes with Mike already
"Lucas and Mike are an underrated duo"... Um, where exactly?
So what happens?
As stated in my 12 Episodes post, the gang cooked up two plans for the final battle:
A larger group will go into the Upside Down to find Holly
A smaller group (Robin, Lucas, Joyce, Will) will stay in Hawkins to connect Will to the hivemind.
During their preparations, the Party did everything they could to prevent themselves from being put under Vecna's curse. They discovered:
Max: Music isn't the only way back. Something that connects you to the real world, to home. Something powerful. Meaningful.
(Kali may have said this, since she's an illusionist – she would know! But that's a theory for another day.)
Since they'll be remaining in Hawkins for the Hivemind plan, Lucas and the others visit Mike to A) say goodbye before the battle, and B) tell him this information.
This is how Lucas and Mike's conversation goes:
Lucas: [We realised that if any of us get stuck in a vision...]
Lucas: Music isn’t the only way back. [...] You just need something that’s special to you. Something that makes you feel safe, something that brings you strength, that brings you hope.
Mike: ...Mike the Brave.
Lucas: Just try and remember what he means to you.
Mike: He doesn’t mean anything important. He’s just a toy. [...] I guess I thought if I ever got scared, I could just become him. But I keep trying and it never works. No matter what I do, I’m still me. [...] When my mom was attacked, I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t even save myself. I just stood there. [...] There’s nothing brave about that.
This continues Mike's long-lasting negative self-image; as someone useless and unimportant – and his devaluing of what he views as "childish", which started all the way back in Season 2 with Mike donating all his favourite toys.
But Lucas pushes back against Mike's self-loathing.
Lucas: There was nothing that you could do in those moments, Mike. I mean, you’re a Wheeler. You’re smart. You honestly think you could’ve stopped that monster with a shovel? And, I think you're leaving a few important things out. [...]
Lucas: So you see, Mike the Brave isn’t just a toy. He’s you, Mike. He’s you.
By challenging Mike's assumptions, Lucas is able to break through his friend's self-loathing and allow him to see the truth – that this whole time, he has already been brave. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stand there, even though you're scared.
Thanks to Lucas, Mike is no longer limited by the belief that he is a useless coward – and as an unexpected bonus, he has all the fuel he needs to do something very, very brave.
And just in time, too.
The day of Mike's kidnapping: November 6th, 1986
I've listed everything that happens in dot points, and next to them [in brackets like this], the scenes they're based on.
The gang split in two. [based on: Lucas and Erica's two plans in Shock Jock]
Most of the gang went out to find Holly in the Upside Down. [based on: the beanstalk plan from the finale, El and Hopper searching for Holly]
The other group, comprised of Joyce, Robin, Will and Lucas, planned to connect Will to the hive mind. But first, they went to the hospital to give Mike and Max one last visit. [based on: Will's hivemind plan from Shock Jock featuring Robin + Joyce + Lucas + Will, the hospital scenes with Robin + Lucas].
While the rest of the gang was putting their resources and effort into saving Holly, Vecna sent Demos into the hospital – and they came straight for Max, Robin, Lucas, Will and Joyce. [based on: Vecna sending Demos to these four characters in the MAC-Z, the tunnels, the barn, the truck, AND the hospital... and somehow they survived every time lol]
Mike heard this over the intercom. Instead of sitting there and staying safe, Mike decided to be brave. [based on: Karen hearing the hospital intercom warning + getting out of bed]
Fueled by his newfound sense of bravery and self-worth, Mike got out of bed and pulled out his IV, limping and grunting in pain. [based on: Karen limping in her hospital gown to save Robin, Lucas etc.]
Mike set off an explosion in the hospital, saving his loved ones from the Demos. He finally got to be Mike the Brave. [based on: Karen's hospital explosion, Mike exploding his "Mike the Brave" figurine in the Upside Down]
Mike had to stay behind and rest while the others completed their plan. [based on: Karen staying behind to rest while the others completed their plan]
Will: Mike, this group saved me when no-one else could. You did that. And we're about to do the same thing with Holly. We're gonna bring her back to you, Mike, I promise. Okay? Yeah?
[based on: Mike reassuring Karen]
Now that his friends are gone, and Mike is even worse for wear than before – Vecna himself appears in the hospital. [based on: Vecna appearing to Mike at the MAC-Z, Vecna appearing to Max and Holly in her memory, Will being Vecna's "spy"]
The thing is, though... Will was connected to the hivemind by this point.
Ep 5 - Shock Jock
[Joyce]: What about Holly? Do you see Holly?
Will: No. [...] [Mike.]
Lucas: Wait, what about [Mike]?
Will: [...] Vecna... Vecna's hunting him.
He could see everything Vecna was seeing, and he tried to save Mike. [based on: Will trying to save Max and Holly from Vecna in her memory]
Will: MIKE! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, YOU NEED TO RUN! RUN!
But MIKE CAN'T RUN! ...His leg.
He tried anyway, limping down the hallway as fast as he could. [based on: Mike limping down the hallway and looking behind him, Karen limping down the hallway, Max and Holly running from a limping Vecna]
Vecna (to Will): Get out. GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!
Will was knocked into a trance. [based on: Will being knocked into a trance in Shock Jock]
Mike was totally and utterly screwed.
Vecna reached Mike easily. He fell to the floor, possibly even falling down a flight of hospital stairs, and slammed his head. [based on: Mike falling to the ground and slamming his head, Holly falling down the stairs and slamming her head, Robin's fake granny in hospital who fell down a flight of stairs]
Mike was knocked out. [based on: Mike getting knocked out by Vecna's explosion at the MAC-Z, Holly knocked out from falling down the stairs, Max almost knocked out by Vecna as he choked her while the scene cuts to her hospital bed]
VECNA KIDNAPPED MIKE. [based on: Vecna kidnapping Holly after she fell down the stairs, Vecna kidnapping the kids in front of Mike]
In a cruel twist of fate, it was Mike's final act of bravery that led directly to his kidnapping.
Vecna now has Will: his builder and Mike: his storyteller – exactly what he needs to complete his plan and create "something beautiful".
Well, shit, right?
What happens next?
Episode 12
Mike confronts the cost of secrecy after the vicious attack at the Wheeler home [his real memory of the attack]
Mike will have to accept the unfortunate reality that he's been trying to run from – that his mother will never learn the full truth; she'll never hear all of Mike's stories from the Upside Down, nor about his love for Will, nor any other secrets he may have kept from her.
But he'll be freed from the Rightside Up – and with this freedom, he'll let go of the idea that he needs to hide, to live in fantasy, or to be someone other than Mike, in order to be loved.
Because in the end, truth and love will triumph over fear.
Vecna can try to convince Mike that there are only two doors, but as long as Max is still running around in his mind, there's a third one.
Escape
:)
...Whew.
This was a BIG ONE, omg. It literally took me around four days to put this thing together – excluding the work I had already been doing to try and piece together Mike's explosion moment. It was worth it though. I love theorising and puzzles, so this is actually, miraculously, fun for me. Hope it was a good read for you!
Thanks for making it to the end!
Also: I found some crazy shit when I was analysing Karen's hospital scene, way too much to fit in here lol. Let's just say "I was him, I was Vecna" makes a lot more sense now – just not in *that* way.
ORDER OF EVENTS: Part 1 (Mike the storyteller), Part 3 (12 Episodes), Part 4 (MWTFDYD), Part 9 (Wheeler attack -> Mike's kidnapping), Part 11 (Mr Whatsit = Will)
SCENE ANALYSIS: Part 2 (Will/Robin), Part 5 (Rainbows), Part 6 (The roof talk), Part 7 ("Where's Dustin right now?"), Part 8 (El is missing), Part 10 (Byler's missed date), Part 12 (Byler saw Rovickie kiss), Part 13 (Will's painting)
Have you ever wondered why Season 5 is listed in reverse?
These 8 episodes are a fake version of the real story, told out of order; flipped upside down.
Mike is the storyteller of Season 5, and he’s a very unreliable narrator. It’s not his fault though; right now, he’s trapped in a fake world, based on his own memories.
"The storyteller keeps telling stories."
EVIDENCE?
It’s not Holly who was kidnapped into a fake world – it was Mike. All the episodes we experienced are based on things that really happened to him (and some of his friends), but they’re out of order. Wrong.
Part memory, part story.
So, for this theory to make sense, what happened to Holly must be what happened to Mike. Are there any similarities or details that suggest this?
Production:
Holly is aged up, and replaced by a different actor
Holly’s character arc completely replaced Mike’s. Most of the time, Mike’s just watching everyone else do stuff. No personal development.
Holly has more screen time than even Will, let alone Mike. 95 entire minutes – for someone who's usually a side character!
Interesting, but there’s plausible deniability here. It could all be the result of poor writing. So let’s test that by examining the way Holly is actually written in the show.
In-Show:
Max tells Holly, “You’re not like your brother, you are your brother”.
Holly the Heroic mirrors Mike the Brave. They wish they could become fearless like their characters, but they both feel like they’re not good enough.
Mike and Holly both tell the kids, “Eyes on me.”
Holly’s head wound in Camazotz mirrors Mike’s head wound from MAC-Z.
Holly the Heroic wields a fire poker, like Mike the Brave wields a sword.
Holly and her best friend Mary in the basement on Halloween while Vecna was watching mirrors Mike and his best friend Will in the basement on Halloween while Vecna was watching.
Holly and her friends replace Mike and his friends in the final D&D scene.
Okay, so not only are they written with a TON of similarities, but Max literally tells us straight-up that they are the same character. This doesn’t point to bad writing, it points to very intentional writing! The Holly/Mike switch has evidence, and lots of it!
Taking all of this into account, I can only conclude that Mike is literally Holly. He tells the tale of Camazotz from Holly’s perspective, but really, he is stuck in a fake world.
Why it Makes Sense
We all agree here that at least part of Season 5 is an illusion. But which parts? When does it start? Who is in the illusion? The exact details are extraordinarily hard to figure out, because there is evidence for both.
There’s loads of dream imagery and signs of Vecna’s influence since Episode 1. This points to none of the episodes being real before 8. However, there are also moments from the characters and plot that just don’t make sense if they’re completely fake; for example, Robin giving gay relationship advice to Will. WHY AND HOW WOULD VECNA DO THAT??? LMAO??? This points to all of the episodes being real before 8.
That's the problem with the illusion theory – how can we possibly tell what is real? Well, this theory solves that problem.
ALL of it is real, and NONE of it is real. it's nerf or nothing
These episodes are a fake version of the real story, flipped upside down. Act 1.
C'mon, I'll show you Act 2!
THE REAL STORY OF SEASON 5
I noticed that the episode descriptions for Season 5 are pretty vague. So vague, in fact, that the first and last episodes could pretty much be swapped. Hey, wait a minute–
If you reverse the order of every episode, as they're listed on Google, they tell a very different story. This story makes genuine, logical sense. This is what's really going on.
The Overview
My explanation, evidence, original episode descriptions, the reversed order, the titles, etc are all below this overview!!!
It's 1986. After Vecna took over Hawkins in Season 4, the party planned to defeat him on November 6th.
They split into two groups. One group would go into the Upside Down to search for Holly, who was kidnapped in the Wheeler attack on November 3rd. The other group would connect Will back to the hivemind. Together, they hoped their efforts would defeat Vecna.
But on November 6th, something went wrong. Vecna used Holly as a distraction to take his real target, Mike, into a fake world.
Now connected to the hivemind, Will saw what Vecna was doing, and tried to help Mike. "If you can hear me, you need to run! Run!" But Will was knocked into a trance.
[This is where Mike experiences the Season 5 we all saw – the "upside-down" story of Vecna's defeat, based on his memories of what happened in real-world Hawkins... now scrambled out-of-order.]
[Since Season 4 took a long time to film, and was written in tandem with Season 5, it's possible that some of the "real" scenes were already filmed back then!]
The military tighten their grip on Hawkins. While Mike explores his new surroundings, Joyce wrestles with guilt*, and Jonathan + Nancy reach a turning point*. After Mike's disappearance and Will's trance, they are deeply struggling – and they need to defeat Vecna more than ever.
Now, El must find a way into Will's mind.
Mike plans his escape from the fake world with Max, while Lucas and Robin plan an escape from the military, and El comes face-to-face with the enemy (in Will's mind?).
Will is brought back from his trance. Because of his connection to the hivemind, he claims to know Vecna's next move, so they set a trap... but who is the trap really for?
Meanwhile, Mike fights to escape Vecna's mind – with Max! He confronts his secrets, leading him on the road to escape. Nancy confronts a secret of her own.
Near the end of his memory trail, Mike must confront his memory of what really happened on November 3rd, during the vicious attack on the Wheeler home.
El and Hopper go on a rescue mission (Probably Will, but could be for Kali or Mike – or Holly if they failed to find her initially).
The gang evade the military to scour for Vecna in the Upside Down, but fail to notice a threat closer to home. Something is happening to Will, and Vecna may not only be in the Upside Down.
Timeskip! It's now November, 1987. This is the real epilogue; not sunshine and rainbows, but honest and real.
Edit: (26/2/2026) – Now that I've analysed more scenes, I realised that the gang being "split into two groups" occurs before the illusion world, not after, and the Wheeler attack is a flashback, not a real attack that occurs later.
So, how exactly did we get here?
RIGHTSIDE UP ORDER – ST5, Act 1
Well, here are the normal episode descriptions, for context. I haven't messed with these at all.
THE CRAWL – November, 1987. The gang evades the military to scour the Upside Down for Vecna – but fails to notice a threat lurking closer to home.
THE VANISHING OF HOLLY WHEELER – After a vicious attack at the Wheeler home, Mike and Nancy confront the cost of secrecy, while El and Hopper embark on a rescue mission.
THE TURNBOW TRAP – Will gains unique insight into Vecna’s next move, giving the crew an opportunity to set a trap. Holly explores her new surroundings.
SORCERER – The military tightens its grip on the town. Mike, Lucas and Robin orchestrate a daring escape. El comes face-to-face with the enemy.
SHOCK JOCK – The gang hatches an electrifying plan to connect Will to the hive mind. Tensions flare during a search of the Upside Down’s Hawkins Lab.
ESCAPE FROM CAMAZOTZ – As Holly and Max fight to escape Vecna’s mind, El must find a way into Will’s. Joyce wrestles with guilt. Jonathan and Nancy face a turning point.
THE BRIDGE – On the anniversary of Will’s disappearance, the party reunites to prepare for a battle with world-altering complications.
THE RIGHTSIDE UP – As Vecna prepares to destroy the world as we know it, the party must put everything on the line to defeat him once and for all.
Doesn’t that sound vague to you? Almost like they would make sense in a different order?
UPSIDE DOWN ORDER – ST5, Act 2
Well, here are those same descriptions – flipped. I actually think there will be 12 Episodes total, but for clarity, I kept them separate here.
I reversed the order of everything, except for the lines about Holly – because her story is what actually happened to Mike, so it's already in the right order. I then replaced Holly's name with Mike's.
I also changed every episode title except The Crawl, which I’ve fully explained below!
THE CRAWL - As Vecna prepares to destroy the world as we know it, the party must put everything on the line to defeat him once and for all.
THE VANISHING OF MIKE WHEELER – On the anniversary of Will’s disappearance, the party reunites to prepare for a battle with world-altering complications.
*THE RIGHTSIDE UP – Jonathan and Nancy face a turning point. Joyce wrestles with guilt. As Mike explores his new surroundings, El must find a way into Will’s mind.
*SHOCK JOCK – The gang hatches an electrifying plan to connect Will to the hive mind. Tensions flare during a search of the Upside Down’s Hawkins Lab.
*SORCERER – El comes face-to-face with the enemy. Mike, Lucas and Robin orchestrate a daring escape. The military tightens its grip on the town.
ESCAPE FROM THE RIGHTSIDE UP – Will gains unique insight into Vecna’s next move, giving the crew an opportunity to set a trap. Mike and Max fight to escape Vecna’s mind.
THE PALADIN AND THE CLERIC – Preceding a vicious attack at the Wheeler home, Mike and Nancy confront the cost of secrecy, while El and Hopper embark on a rescue mission.
*THE RAINBOW SHIP – The gang evades the military to scour the Upside Down for Vecna – but fails to notice a threat lurking closer to home. November, 1987.
* = switched, blue = replaced, all other text is simply in reverse order
Don't these descriptions work suspiciously well in their reversed order? Perhaps their vagueness was intentional.
I believe that in their new order, and with Mike swapped for Holly, these descriptions tell the real story.
Although, I think it's more likely they'll condense it into four longer episodes, rather than putting out eight more one-hour episodes. This will result in 12 episodes, as I explore in Part 3.
Why these titles?
Below is an explanation of the new titles I chose for each revised description. You can skip this, but it provides some extra context.
The Crawl = The Crawl. Only The Crawl has been registered for copyright, so I’ve changed every title EXCEPT this episode. Also... when baby Steve got knocked on the head, he stopped CRAWLING in reverse, and started CRAWLING forwards instead. The episodes are now in the correct order.
The Vanishing of Mike Wheeler, because… duh. Also, "The Vanishing Of..." only reveals that it's Holly Wheeler after you watch the episode. Perhaps they did that for a reason... ;)
I swapped The Turnbow Trap with The Rightside Up, because this is the episode in which Mike finds himself trapped in his version of Camazotz. Except Mike wouldn’t name it after a book he hasn’t read. He would be much more likely to compare the fake world to the Upside Down. Therefore, it’s the Rightside Up! Here’s my theory that the Rightside Up is a place.
Similarly, I replaced Escape from Camazotz with Escape from the Rightside Up, because… duh.
I simply swapped Shock Jock and Sorcerer. They both start with “S” and they’re both right next to each other. Interestingly, the official art for Sorcerer uses a frame from Shock Jock, and the official art from Shock Jock uses a frame from Sorcerer. Hmmm.
The Season 5 titles were leaked before they were announced, and the only incorrect leak was Episode 7 – The Paladin and the Cleric. So, that’s what I chose. Similar titles have been used throughout the series (The Flea and the Acrobat, The Monster and the Superhero) so it’s plausible. It matches Mike and Will's D&D characters... but it ALSO fits El and Hopper, who are a duo in this episode. Why? Mike's campaign from the epilogue. El is the mage of Saint Markovia, but in D&D lore, Saint Markovia is a cleric. Mike called Hopper a paladin in that same campaign.
Now, the final episode. I have literally no out-of-show evidence for the final episode’s title could be, so here’s my idea. As a replacement for The Turnbow Trap, I chose The Rainbow Ship, because of the strong rainbow themes throughout the show. The rainbow room from the lab, "rainbow, sunflower" etc, Holly’s association with rainbows, the rainbow El sees between the two waterfalls, and crucially, Will’s rainbow ship drawing. His drawing of Castle Byers became real, his drawings of Will the Wise became real, his drawings of the tunnels... and presumably, the rainbow ship, too.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY! “There upon a rainbow is the answer to a never-ending story.”
ALSO IMPORTANTLY! As @persistentmimicgrail pointed out, the USS Eldridge ship was part of project rainbow. RAINBOW SHIPPPPPPP~
Easter egg – a rainbow forms when water and light combine. Will is associated with light, while both Will and Mike are associated with water.
Also, I think it would be hilarious if the episode where Will + Mike get together is called The Rainbow Ship. COME ON!!! THAT WOULD BE SO FUNNY!!! If the Duffers don’t do this, it’s going straight to my ao3 account, that’s for sure.
MIKE WHEELER: the storyteller, or the Dungeon Master?
As well as being Mike the Brave, Mike used to be the Dungeon Master. The one in control of the story. Now, he’s merely the storyteller of Season 5, telling fake stories, trapped in a fake world built from memories, with no control at all.
“The storyteller keeps telling stories. Stories inspired by his friends.” He hopes “all can know of their great bravery.”
Isn’t that sad? Mike’s friends get to be brave, but the only thing Mike The Brave gets to do is tell their stories. Not his own.
This reminds me heavily of Owen from I Saw The TV Glow (2024).
[SPOILERS!!!]
Owen is a heavily queercoded character trapped in a fake world, while the real world is presented as a TV show Owen and their friend are obsessed with.
Throughout the film, timeskips get larger and larger, and Owen slowly loses control of the narrative, going from the protagonist to a background character in their own life, no longer in the center of the frame. Owen's friend from the real world tries to help them escape, telling Owen that they must choose to give up their fake self to get back to reality. But Owen isn’t brave enough. Instead of choosing to escape, Owen runs away. Chooses conformity instead.
“There’s still time” for Owen to accept reality, but that time is quickly running out.
This is what Mike is going through. Being trapped in a fake world with altered memories. Starting as the protagonist, but fading into the background. Timeskips and time distortion. An ambiguous ending. Queerness. Repression. Conformity. Bravery.
Why is it that the way Mike is written is incredibly similar to the main character of an explicitly queer film? A film about the difficult choice to end your “normal” self in order to keep your true, authentic self alive – and the deep, dreadful horror of living in queer repression after failing to do so?
This film isn’t even listed as inspiration for Stranger Things, yet Mike’s story mirrors Owen’s near-perfectly. How is that even possible? Because they’re about the same thing. Queerness and conformity.
“There is a story he can never tell. The story of the mage.” Cut to Will. “Or at least, not the real story.”
Mike is going to escape his own doomed narrative. He is going to take back control, confront his secrets, become the protagonist of his life again – the Dungeon Master of his own, personal game of D&D.
Why does it need to be Mike – not Holly?
Thanks for the question, @poisongardens!!
From a character perspective, I think it relates to how Mike sees himself. Mike sees his fears as childish and silly, so it makes sense he projected them onto a more "acceptable" replacement – his little sister. It's okay for Holly to be scared, but not Mike, right? He also thinks he's not important or brave enough to be the hero of his story, so he replaces his character with a different one.
From a writing perspective, I think the "bad ending" happened because the characters succumbed to their fears and insecurities; the "good ending" will be the result of bravery, love, non-conformity etc. So, Mike needs to be in control of his own story to achieve this, not Holly… meaning Mike must have something Holly doesn't.
This analysis gave a great explanation!!
Even though Holly and Mike live in the same house, their experiences are different. They both see their parents argue, but Holly sees them argue about her. They both have close best friends who are under Vecna's control (Will, Mary) but while Will is able to remember Mike, Mary doesn't, and even attacks her. Holly befriends Derek, but he's too scared to defend her when she's in trouble. Holly can talk to Mike, but he doesn't tell the full truth, and he's stuck in Camazotz too.
Holly is like Mike, but with less support/accessible love (similar to Henry vs. Will). Believing in herself unfortunately wasn't enough – because when she fell, no-one was there to catch her.
Mike's different though. He has people there to support him, who aren't stuck in conformity – and he has love that is accessible to him, but only if he's brave enough to seek it out.
How's it going to end?
Well, to reference the Truman Show – a film that is on the Stranger Things inspiration board – it starts with Mike walking up the stairs, and out that basement door.
The ending has already begun.
Thanks to @astrangerthingsblog, @warmglowhc, @atsadi, @thatgirlalt, @thebestofmyrmidons, @whispering-goat, @vecnapilled… and a bunch of other peeps I’ve probably left out by accident. Your theories and analyses inspired this one!
Ever wondered why Will suddenly had hope for a relationship with Mike during Volume 1, then gave up again?
Vecna told their story in reverse.
MIKE'S CAMAZOTZ (and the mandela effect)
Mike is stuck in his own version of Camazotz: the Rightside Up.
In the 8 months after Season 4, the gang prepared for a big battle with Vecna. Mike was taken during that battle, on the anniversary of Will's disappearance: November 6th, 1986.
Every important plot point from Ep 1-8 was an edited version of Mike’s memories from that timeframe. Vecna just changed the order, characters or context to suit his own narrative and keep Mike trapped in the Rightside Up, believing he'd won. Because of this, Mike is kind of experiencing the Mandela Effect – remembering things differently than how they really happened.
My evidence for this theory is here!
ORDER OF EVENTS: Part 1 (Mike the storyteller), Part 3 (12 Episodes), Part 4 (MWTFDYD), Part 9 (Wheeler attack -> Mike's kidnapping), Part 11 (Mr Whatsit = Will)
SCENE ANALYSIS: Part 2 (Will/Robin), Part 5 (Rainbows), Part 6 (The roof talk), Part 7 ("Where's Dustin right now?"), Part 8 (El is missing), Part 10 (Byler's missed date), Part 12 (Byler saw Rovickie kiss), Part 13 (Will's painting)
We will flash back to what really happened in Episode 9, when Mike realises he's stuck in a fake world. The resulting plot will be a reverse of the current episodes; a reordered, recontextualised version of the same story – where Mike's real memories are crucial to his escape from the Rightside Up.
THE REAL STORY
Vecna told the truth in reverse. Upside-down.
After Season 4, this is what really happened: Will started with no hope -> befriended Robin -> Will came out, repairing his friendship with Mike -> Mike got closer with him -> and they both GAINED hope for a relationship.
But after that came November 6th, 1986: the battle with "world-altering implications". Vecna trapped Mike in a fake world and altered his memories of what brought him there, turning them into a tragic story of lost hope.
Remember, he doesn't lie. He tells the truth differently. Edits parts out, exaggerates others, and scrambles it to fit his vision.
In Vecna’s retelling, this is what happened: Will started with high hopes -> befriended Robin -> Mike suddenly got less close with him -> Will came out, not changing his friendship with Mike -> and they both LOST hope.
That's what we saw in Episodes 1-8. Now, I dunno about you, but to me, Mike and Will's story makes a LOT more sense in reverse.
BUT WHY? To remove Mike's hope for escape, of course! :)
Vecna needed Mike to believe that everyone had won, to BELIEVE that he got the happiest ending he could, and most importantly: to believe that ending up with Will would never be an option for him. Mike doesn't know Will loves him. Will wants to be "friends."
Max escaped with help from memories of Lucas and El. Will fought his possession with help from memories of Mike, Joyce and Jon. El saved Max with their shared memories, reversing her death. Love and memories are the key. If Mike was to remember his love for Will, he'd be able to escape – but that would ruin Vecna's plans for a "better world".
...Which is exactly why conformitygate and MWTFDYDgate are intrinsically linked. The only way Mike can escape Vecna's curse is to REMEMBER what really happened in the months before the battle.
So, what did happen?
MWTFDYD: An Overview
Well, we've already seen parts of it, scattered throughout Episodes 1-8. Just with changes to the order, characters or context.
MARCH-MAY
Season 4 ending. March 29th, 1986.
Remember how El wasn’t talking to Mike at all at the end of Season 4? And how for most of Season 5, they weren't together? Mike and El break up. {Vecna later uses this memory to tell the story of Jonathan and Nancy's breakup.}
Eleven: "I hate [Eggos]"; "You are always exactly six minutes late." "You wanted honesty." Friends don't lie.
Mike: "That spring break, when you were in Lenora..." "[physics mention]"; "I just felt like I was doing something wrong. Like I was going against the natural order of things."
Mike: "It made me feel safe, but also... I dunno." Eleven: "It was suffocating." Mike: "Yeah."
Will + Robin start hanging out. {This probably happened the same way – after he saw Rovickie kiss.}
The Byers are staying with the Wheelers. Mike and Will share the basement, which explains why they forgot to set an alarm in The Crawl. Mike is ALWAYS late!!! Every season except 5!!!
Will: "It's always [Mike's] fault!"
JUNE-JULY
Robin and Will have their coming-out talk from Shock Jock! They're quickly becoming friends, supporting each other. They both agree to come out to someone new. Will decides to start small, and Robin wants to go big.
Will: "You wouldn't happen to have any more of that truth serum left, would you?"
Will quietly comes out to Mike, Jon and Joyce – his own choice. This explains why the Duffers said they originally wrote the scene this way, but changed it. Right after Will's coming-out, in a private moment, Mike gives his apology from the tower in The Rightside Up.
Mike: "Hey, um… I’m sorry. I mean, not sorry about what you said. That came out wrong. I mean, not ‘came out’ wrong! Jesus Christ!" LMFAOOOO
Because of that coming-out heart-to-heart, Mike and Will become much closer again.
Robin comes out to everyone, so she can “double her audience”. That's why there was so much rambling in that scene, and why Tammy was mentioned! Robin says she likes girls, talks about her "Tammy", and maybe even mentions finding her "Vickie".
Mike has an epiphany. Perhaps he had his Vickie all along.
AUGUST-OCTOBER
Will talks to Robin. He asks how she knew that Vickie wanted to date – their talk from the hospital. He immediately starts flashing back to all their little snowballs... "a brush of the knee, a bump of the elbow, a shared look."
Mike talks to Robin. Maya Hawke said her character would "mentor" TWO others this season. What if Mike's the second? He's amazed after her coming-out, and asks her for a bit of advice. Probably also about Vickie, haha.
Mike gets Jonathan's help to make something special: a mixtape for Will. Jonathan makes it, and gives it to Mike. {Later, Vecna uses this memory to create the scene where Murray gives Jonathan the mixtape for Nancy.} Also – Charlie Heaton said Jonathan would help his brother "get something he wants" in Season 5. This concludes Jonathan's arc of noticing what's going on with Will and Mike, but never intervening.
In the Wheelers' basement, Mike gives Will the mixtape. This is the avalanche; the thing that made it obvious.
Mike: "One last confession. A big one." He pulls out the mixtape. "I figure I've screwed up enough with you. It'd be nice to get something right for once in the end. Here." {Later, Vecna uses this scene for Jonathan and Nancy's breakup, where he takes the ring out and throws it away, in a confusing un-proposal}
This could explain the cutgate claims that Mike and Will were apparently supposed to have a basement scene together, and that music was supposed to play a fundamental role in scenes – e.g. "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure.
Possibly birthdaygate too; a late present?
I'm just speculating here, but... I think they'll use this to recontextualise the Purple Rain scene. Purple Rain plays from the mixtape as Will says Eleven's words from Episode 8. Quiet and intimate, not life-or-death.
Will: You understand me better than anyone. You always have. From the day we met, you've seen me. The real me. {Later, Vecna uses these words to evoke Mike's guilt – about Eleven's fake death, and his unreciprocated romantic feelings. This is to keep him trapped in the Rightside Up, AHHHH–}
After this scene, Mike and Will are either together, or plan to be together. This does multiple things narratively. It gives Vecna something he can use to manipulate them, it will also be one of the memories that helps Mike escape the illusion, and if Mike and Will were together throughout Episodes 1-8 but just didn't remember, those episodes are totally recontextualised!!!
ALSO!!!! This explains why the Duffers said that Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind was a big inspiration for Season 5. Two lovers' memories of each other are erased, but they find each other in the end, with the help of a CASSETTE TAPE!!!!!!!!
Apologies for the avalanche of exclamation marks.
NOVEMBER 3RD, 1986 (Edited: 24/02/26)
As @mixu suggested, Mike and Will may have planned to go on a date on November 3rd. This is supported by:
The video clip of Mike saying "You know I had dinner plans, right?" Dustin replying, "With who?" and Mike avoiding the answer. [Unless Mike and El have broken up, it should be obvious who...]
Rovickie having a date planned for November 3rd, but Robin having to cancel for reasons Vickie "just can't understand" – and Robin saying that she doesn't "want to be the reason Wheeler's plan fails".
November 3rd is the day of THE WHEELER ATTACK. And like Nancy's vision, Karen was fatally wounded, Holly was kidnapped, and Mike? He was severely injured by the Demogorgon, and rushed to hospital. He had to miss his dinner plans with Will.
So... just like Jopper, Boyce, Lumax and Rovickie's date plans, Byler missed theirs because of Upside Down shit too.
Not just that, but remember how Robin promises Vickie that they can go on ANOTHER date, only for them miss that one too?
Well...
Henry: Tomorrow, it begins.
NOVEMBER 6TH, 1986 (Edited 24/02/26)
Will: "...Today is the day. The day Vecna's gonna act. I thought I had him, but the truth... the truth is I never stood a chance." Will isn't ready to fight Vecna, but he won't have a choice.
Meanwhile, Mike is still in hospital, recovering from his injuries. This is when Vecna sends the Demos to the hospital – and soon after, Vecna himself arrives to take Mike.
Now able to see through Vecna's eyes, Will attempts to save Mike. But like in Shock Jock, Will fails. {Vecna later uses this scene to give Will a winning moment where he's rescued, to sell the narrative that they were able to beat him easily later on}
Will: "Mike, if you can hear me, you need to run! RUN!"
Will is knocked into a trance [Shock Jock] and Mike – with his broken leg from the Demo attack – is unable to run. Vecna knocks Mike out and takes him to the Upside Down, swapping him with Holly.
This explains why both Mike and Holly have the same head wound, and why Mike heard the clock chime and had multiple reaction shots to seeing Vecna – but nothing came out of it.
Mike is now trapped in the Rightside Up. And like the Stranger Things recap video, he's now being forced to miss his dinner plans again... all so he can rewatch edited clips of the show... i.e. his own memories.
Meanwhile, Will is stuck in a trance, building Mike's illusion in his sleep.
...
It's not over, though! After that are Mike's altered memories, everything from Episode 1-8.
"Tomorrow", on November 6th, "it begins..." Season 5, that is.
And after that... the final episodes!
(And hopefully, a somewhat happy ending :D)
Robin: It's a mandala! [...] Is it a mandala? Mandahla? Or a man-dala? Or a mendela? Or...
got a comment on instagram asking how i make mike and will look like themselves without actually looking like themselves and i think that’s because i haven’t looked up a reference of finn and noah while drawing in two years now lol. i have them memorised but it’s slightly off like in the backrooms
everyone talks about ovulation like it’s you going into heat which i don’t experience. what i do experience is my period being a fast pass to depression max limited edition
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