Stranger Things 4: Our Thoughts for Volume Two…
Stranger Things. The Netflix original show that took the world by storm way back in 2016 is finally back for its fourth season and it’s bigger than ever before! With each episode having a budget of 30 million USD, and a bunch of new characters being introduced, what do we know about the show and what can we predict for Volume 2? This article will contain spoilers (obviously), so bear that in mind as we unpack and discuss some of the amazing theories fans have for Volume Two.
Just as a disclaimer, if you are like me and will probably need a recap of everything that happened before Volume Two, or you just want to refresh yourself before reading the theories, please check out our podcast. This week’s OYISTER Podcast’s media section, where I recommend and review books, films, and TV shows, will feature a full recap of Volume One, as well as my opinions along the way! Please give that a listen if you’re interested, as it will go hand-in-hand with this article.
Theories & Predictions
After watching Season 4: Volume One, hopefully we all had LOADS of questions and predictions for Volume Two! I’m going to share some predictions and theories that others have come up with, as well as my own thoughts and predictions.
TRAITOR!
To start off the theories, we’ve got a very interesting one that I have been seeing a lot online: that Ms. Kelley, the guidance counselor, is actually working for Vecna. Yes, I know this sounds insane, but there is actually quite a lot of evidence for this theory: throughout Stranger Things, monsters and beings from the Upside Down have frequently possessed and infiltrated the minds of victims. They do this to spy on the characters, gain information, and manipulate people. The theory is that the same thing is happening with Ms. Kelley.
We know that Vecna targets victims who have experienced trauma, terrorising them with flashbacks and memories before he kills them, and who would be the only other person to know all of this? Ms. Kelley has spoken to most, if not all, of Vecna’s victims, and has kept records of all of their discussions, making her a great target for Vecna to use.
Another piece of evidence, however, is the clock. When Vecna is about to strike, his victims will see a grandfather clock and hallucinate it striking the hour. One thing you may not have noticed, though, is the small keyhole that is consistently on the face of the clock. Fans predict that this keyhole, when unlocked, will unstick the time warp that the Upside Down is stuck in and will help kill Vecna! How does this relate to Ms. Kelley, you may ask? Well, throughout the season, we see Ms. Kelley wearing a necklace shaped like a small key with a clock design on it. Fans predict that this key fits into Vecna’s clock and may be useful in later episodes!
I personally think this is a super creative and plausible theory. Firstly, Ms. Kelley has been given quite a bit of screen time, considering she isn’t a big character, and the key seems like very obvious choice for accessories? While I am not completely convinced, I do think that this theory makes a lot of sense and I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be true.
Steve…
OK. I know what you’re thinking! NONE OF US WANT TO BELIEVE IT, but Steve is probably going to die this season, or at least before the show ends. Many cast members have said that this season is going to be the scariest and that we should expect some major deaths, so let’s break down why I think Steve will be one of them.
Although many characters could die this season, Steve seems to make the most canonical sense. Firstly, he has had arguably the biggest character development arc of all of the characters, and now that that major arc is coming to a close, he isn’t the show’s main development focus. It’s also hinted at throughout this season that Steve and Nancy may still have feelings for each other, and while this isn’t a bad thing, the whole love triangle with Steve, Nancy, and Johnathon has been going on long enough, and it would make a lot of sense to kill off one of them.
Steve was also the only one left in the Upside Down at the end of this volume when Nancy was possessed by Vecna, and is also already injured by a bite from one of the Stirges (mosquito-bat hybrid-like creatures) from before. Robin makes frequent remarks about him catching a disease or infection from the bite, and the evidence is piling up…
With Hopper in Russia, Steve is left as the pseudo-protector of the younger kids, and him sacrificing himself for one of the kids, or for Nancy, would make a lot of sense.
Steve is one of my favourite characters, so I just know that if this does happen, you should expect to see some waterworks from me. However, it does make a lot of sense.
The saving of Nancy
This volume ends with Nancy being trapped by Vecna in the Upside Down, and here is how I think this is going to play out based on the new trailer and the information we have so far.
I believe that Steve is going to stay behind to try and save her, but that Eddie is going to follow him back down and set up his mini-concert that we see in the trailer in order to play her favourite song. How will they know her favourite song, you may ask? Well, that is where Robin comes in.
We previously saw Robin in Nancy’s room admiring her posters and cassette tapes, and she commented on Nancy’s taste and even picked up and looked at her music. My prediction is that Robin will use her knowledge of Nancy’s music to find her favourite song for Eddie to play. While Eddie plays this song, Steve will likely help save Nancy and die in the process.
While I don’t think that this is as likely, I do secretly hope that they call in some band members to play a song as well; possibly Vickie? Vickie is one character that I really want to see a lot more of, and I’m hoping that her musical abilities will come in handy in these last episodes, and that she and Robin can get the romance story we are all hoping for!
Eddie is actually 010?!
Our last theory is one that is a little bit strange, and that involves the idea that Eddie is actually another one of the children from the lab and that he is even number 010! While there isn’t as much evidence for this theory, we do have some interesting clues.
When we first meet Eddie early on in the show he says that when he was younger he “used to have buzzed hair,” which is the standard hairstyle for children at the lab. He also seems to avoid the questions about his past, which could just be a coincidence, but could also be due to his secrets regarding the lab and his time there.
Another piece of evidence regarding this theory is that Eddie looks quite similar to 010, who seemed to be important in the beginning of the series. Although it may seemed like he died, 010 was actually the only victim whose eyes we didn’t see had blown up. We don’t see any clear blood tracks on his eyes, proving he may have made it out alive with Dr. Brenner. Eddie wears a watch throughout the season that always covers the same part of his wrist, possibly used to hide his number tattoo.
Eddie also didn’t seem surprised at all when Steve told him about Eleven’s powers, suggesting he may already be aware that other children like this exist? While this theory isn’t as plausible, it could definitely make sense and is a super cool theory!
Conclusion
So that concludes some of our interesting theories and predictions for Stranger Things Season 4: Volume Two. Stranger Things continues to be one of my favourite TV shows and I always love seeing what they do next.
If I missed anything, please leave a comment and let me know! Let’s see what happens in Volume 2!!
