Stranger Things S5 Drops Major Hint About Vecna’s Motive

Stranger Things season 5, volume 1 has only just landed on Netflix, but viewers are already deep-diving into every detail, and a fresh theory is making the rounds. The first four episodes have given punters plenty to chew on, especially after Holly Wheeler finds herself stuck in Henry Creel’s Mindscape. It’s soon revealed that Max’s mind has been hiding out there since her coma at the end of the previous season. During a flashback, Max is seen wandering through Creel’s memories from the 1950s, where she stumbles into the corridors of Hawkins High. There, she spots Joyce Byers handing out flyers for a school production of Oklahoma. But it’s not just a bit of set dressing—fans reckon this flyer could be the missing piece explaining why Vecna’s been so fixated on Hawkins all along.

The flyer lists Oklahoma as being directed by Joyce, with Jim Hopper, Karen and Ted Wheeler, Patty Newby, Alan Munson, and Creel himself in the cast. The real kicker, though, is the date: November 6, 1959. For those keeping track, that’s the same date—November 6—when Will Byers was snatched by Vecna in 1983. Some reckon this can’t be a coincidence, and that something went down on the night of the play that set everything in motion. The whole thing’s got a bit of a Carrie vibe, if you ask me.

Unpacking the Clues: Parents, Plays, and Payback

One fan summed it up on Twitter:

‘November 6th. All the parents. They were all targeted.’

The theory goes that Joyce, Hopper, and the Wheelers’ kids are all caught up in Vecna’s rampage because of what happened back in the day. Alan Munson’s name on the flyer has also raised eyebrows, with some suggesting he could be related to Eddie Munson, who met a grim fate last season.

Digging deeper, the Stranger Things: The First Shadow stage show, which has played on Broadway and the West End, actually centres on this mysterious school play. In the show, Joyce pretends to organise a production of Oklahoma!, casting first-year students Henry Creel and Patty Newby in the lead roles. The two start to get close, but the play is just a front. Joyce is secretly directing Dark of the Moon, a supernatural tale about a witch boy and a human girl. Meanwhile, Joyce and Hopper are using the play as a way to get Henry to testify against his father, who’s suspected of animal cruelty in Hawkins. Patty promises Henry she’ll run away with him after the show, but things go sideways when Creel is taken by Dr. Brenner and ends up killing his family the same night the play is performed.

Old Wounds and New Theories

So, what’s the upshot? Some reckon Vecna’s targeting the kids as payback for what their parents did to him. Others think the play itself is a traumatic memory that Creel keeps locked away, much like the cave in his mind. This could be the key to breaking through to what’s left of his humanity and stopping whatever he’s got planned next.

Stranger Things season 5, volume 1 is streaming now, with the next batch of episodes dropping on Christmas Day. If you’re keen to keep up, check the release schedule for all the details. And if you’re after more binge-worthy telly, there’s a stack of top Netflix shows to check out right now.