Stranger Things season 2: Five theories about Eleven and the new series
STRANGER THINGS season 2 is unleashed on Netflix this Friday, with Eleven and the gang returning to fight a new threat to Hawkins.
Netflix release DRAMATIC teaser for Stranger Things 2
The first season of Stranger Things was the surprise hit of 2016, with millions hooked on the 80s horror stylings of creators Matt and Ross Duffer.
Fifteen months has passed since the first run of eight episodes was released, and fans have spent the entire time speculation about what will happen next.
Matt told The Hollywood Reporter that while some theories are miles off, some “are amazing”.
“Most are wrong,” he said, “but I’ve read a few that are right or very close.”
Ross, his identical twin, added: “Some of these theories are elaborate and smart. They're not crap. I love reading this stuff.”
With just days to go until season two arrives, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite theories from across the web.
Eleven is the Demogorgon
Eleven disappeared as she vanquished the Demogorgon in the season one finale, which some took as proof that she and the monster are one and the same.
Like a teenager-friendly Twin Peaks, Stranger Things is filled with mentions of duality.
The name Demogorgon comes from the Dungeons & Dragons monster with two heads – one deceptive and one destructive, and the Upside Down is of course a dark, parallel version of Hawkins.
In episode six, Eleven even said: “The gate. I opened it. I’m the monster.”
We already know that Eleven is alive, and that Hawkins will come under threat once again. Is it because she is the Demogorgon?
Stranger Things: Eleven defeated the Demogorgon in the season one finale
Stranger Things: Eleven is back in the Upside Down when season two begins
The Upside Down is in Eleven’s head
If Eleven isn’t the monster, is it possible that she created it – and the Upside Down – with her mind?
We’ve already seen her telekinetic powers, which are strong enough to levitate and even to kill.
And we’ve only scraped the surface on her traumatic childhood.
Could she have dreamed up an alternate reality to cope?
Stranger Things season 2: Eleven and Shadow Monster
Will’s coughed-up slug was a baby Demogorgon
All seemed well after Will returned home – until he went into the bathroom and was thrown back to the Upside Down as he coughed up what looked like a slug.
The same creature was seen crawling out of Barb’s mouth after she died, and one Reddit user thinks it could be a sort of monster larvae.
“Once the Demogorgon catches you, it either eats you – like the deer – or it puts an egg or a larvum or some other reproductive propagule in your gut via your mouth,” the theory suggested.
“These slugs are offspring set to grow up into big new Demogorgons.”
A teaser shows Will saying: “I may or may not have turned into a monster.” But could it be that he has in fact birthed one?
Stranger Things: Will cougheed up a slug after returning home to Hawkins
Will returns to the Upside Down
The Comic-Con trailer for season two shows the boys playing an arcade game named Dragon’s Lair, before Will is thrown back to the Upside Down.
Dragon’s Lair is a real game, in which the main character has to rescue a princess locked in a castle with an evil dragon.
Could this be foreshadowing Will’s return to the Upside Down to save Eleven?
Stranger Things: The Shadow Monster is the big bad of season two
The Shadow Monster is a Thessalhydra
Trailers for the new season have revealed that Will sees visions of a creature dubbed the Shadow Monster looming over Hawkins.
Some believe that the beast could be a Thessalhydra – another Dungeons and Dragons monster resembling an eight-headed snake.
In Dungeons and Dragons lore, the Thessalhydra was created by a wizard and can only be defeated through teamwork – a metaphor for Dr Branner and the kids?