What's happened
The play ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ offers new insights into the series' backstory, focusing on Henry Creel’s origins and the early experiments that led to Vecna. It aligns with season five, hinting at major revelations about the Upside Down and the main villain’s origins, as the series finale approaches.
What's behind the headline?
The play acts as a crucial narrative bridge, deepening the series’ mythology. It humanizes Vecna, showing his backstory and the origin of his powers, which were previously unexplored. This background suggests that Vecna is not the original villain but a pawn of the Mind Flayer, which shifts the series’ understanding of its antagonist. The connection to the Philadelphia Experiment and the cave where Henry first encountered inter-dimensional tech indicates that the series’ climax will involve unraveling these origins. The timing of the play’s release and its alignment with season five imply that Netflix aims to build anticipation and deepen viewer engagement by revealing these secrets early, potentially influencing the final episodes’ direction.
What the papers say
The articles from NY Post, The Independent, and AP News all emphasize the significance of the play in revealing the origins of Vecna and the broader mythology of ‘Stranger Things.’ The NY Post highlights how the play hints at major plot revelations, while The Independent and AP News focus on its role in humanizing Henry Creel and connecting to the series’ overarching narrative. The articles collectively suggest that the play is a strategic move to deepen the series’ lore and set the stage for the upcoming finale, with creators and writers intentionally aligning the storylines to maximize impact and viewer investment.
How we got here
The play, set in 1959, explores the origins of Henry Creel, aka Vecna, and the early experiments at Hawkins Lab. It connects to the main series by revealing how Henry’s powers developed and how the Mind Flayer influenced him. The play was developed alongside season five, ensuring narrative consistency and foreshadowing key plot points.
Go deeper
- How does the play change our understanding of Vecna?
- What new secrets about the Upside Down might be revealed in season five?
- Will the series finale resolve the mysteries introduced in the play?
More on these topics