ICYMI: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Vol. 2 Trailer Suggests The Upside Down Is Stranger Than We Think

Is it too late in the story of Stranger Things to re-write the rules of the Upside Down? Judging by this trailer Netflix released for the second volume of the final season, it seems the creators and streaming service believe it’s not too late the change what we think about that dark dimension.

As glimpsed throughout, the Upside Down seems to be altering the rules. Although, a lot of what we know is based on what Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and Will (Noah Schnapp) outlined five years ago … well, five years ago in the story’s timeline anyway. The Dungeons & Dragons names like “Demogorgon” and “Mind Flayer” were applied by the kids as the neither creature felt like identifying itself with a name. But the possibility that what we might think about the realm is wrong was already seeded in the extant Season 5 episodes. Some already believe the Henry Creel (Jaime Campbell Bower) Holly (Nell Fisher) encountered may be what remains of his humanity after the Upside Down hivemind turned him into what the kids named Vecna. That said, the shot of the Mr. Whatsit persona molting into Vecna could be the end of that fan theory. Nevertheless, it’s clear Holly and Max (Sadie Sink) will go on a journey through the Updside Down to learn more about Vecna’s connection to it and, possibly, a way to defeat him.

But isn’t interesting that it seems like The Mind Flayer is the ultimate antagonist?

Meanwhile, Eleven asks for Kali/Eight’s (Linnea Berthelsen) help in defeating Vecna, but as other fans have noted, 11+8 equals 19 and it would need just 1 to hit a 20 by D&D rules. Is Henry ultimately the last piece of the puzzle to defeat the hive mind? The pulsing red thing Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve (Joe Keery) find in the trailer could be a representation of that seemingly primal consciousness, but will locating it be enough for Eleven and Eight to do something without Henry Creel realizing he’s being played, too? Is redemption too much to ask for the character at this point?

Obviously, there’s still plenty for Stranger Things to go — especially with the remaining episodes going to feature-length — and although we were ambivalent about the final season beforehand, we cannot wait for the next set of episodes on Christmas Day.