The month-long wait for Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 is almost over, and to say we're excited to go back to Hawkins would be an understatement.
The first seven episodes of Stranger Things 4 were a jam-packed spectacle. They introduced sinister villain Vecna, expanded the show's story to Russia and the American West, and kick-started the Kate Bush Renaissance. However, they also raised a ton of questions. And I crave answers as much as Vecna craves traumatized souls.
From our wildest plot theories to our burning character queries, here are the 11 biggest questions we have going into Stranger Things 4: Volume 2.
1. Is Nancy OK?
The sharpest cliffhanger from Stranger Things 4: Volume 1 is the fate of Nancy (Natalia Dyer). At the end of episode 7, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) transported her into his Mind Lair and confronted her about her guilt over Barb's death. Usually, this would be the part where Vecna would brutally murder his victim. But the trailer for Volume 2 shows Nancy looking alive and well... at least for now.
Nancy's survival must mean that her friends play her favorite song for her and allow her to escape, just like with Max and "Running Up That Hill." But who knows what song to play? Is it Steve (Joe Keery), who she's been reconnecting with this season? Or is it Robin (Maya Hawke), who we saw going through Nancy's cassette tapes earlier in the season?
2. Is Vecna Eleven's father?
One fan theory that's arisen during the gap between Stranger Things episodes is that Vecna is Eleven's biological father. Henry Creel/Number One would have been at the lab while Eleven's mother Terry was there. At one point, he even tells Eleven he knew her mother. Could this mean that Eleven's extra-strong powers come from Vecna being her father?
There are a few problems with this fan theory that make it unlikely to be confirmed. For starters, Eleven's father is canonically a man named Andrew Rich, who dated Terry before dying in the Vietnam War. Andrew is never mentioned in the show, but he is introduced in the Stranger Things novel Suspicious Minds, which follows Terry's time in the MKUltra program. Stranger Things certainly could diverge from the novelization, but I doubt they'd mess with the canon too much.
The other problem with Vecna and Eleven being related is that it would be a boring choice — essentially the Stranger Things equivalent of Rey being a Palpatine. Vecna's manipulation of Eleven in Hawkins Lab is already interesting without him being her father. Hopefully, Stranger Things will steer clear of the surprise relative cliché.
3. How will Stranger Things address Will's queerness?
Fans have long been speculating that Will (Noah Schnapp) is gay, and that he has feelings for Mike (Finn Wolfhard). This season has already hinted at Will's feelings, with the mention of the painting that he's been working on for Mike but never actually gives him. Elsewhere, producers and cast members have weighed in on the topic, and the general consensus appears to be that Stranger Things 4 will address Will's feelings for Mike in its final episodes.
Here's hoping it's as effective and respectful as Robin's coming-out scene in Season 3.
4. Do Joyce, Hopper, and Murray escape Russia?
Joyce (Winona Ryder), Hopper (David Harbour), and Murray (Brett Gelman) have finally reunited in Russia, but what happens now?
Remember, Joyce and Murray crash-landed the plane they flew in on, meaning they're stranded deep behind enemy lines. Someone had better have a foolproof escape plan up their sleeves, otherwise, we could be looking at a lot more time in Russia (which has already proved to be the season's most tiring plotline).
Seriously, I just want Joyce to reunite with her boys and have a chill time for a little bit.
5. Does Eleven officially have her powers back?
Eleven's (Millie Bobby Brown) entire storyline this season has revolved around trying to get her powers back. To do that, she had to participate in the Nina Project, which showed her repressed memories from her time in Hawkins Lab. By the end of her earlier sessions, she regained some control over her powers. Now that she's unlocked her memories of the Hawkins lab massacre, has Eleven unlocked her powers to their full potential?
And if so, does that power set include some handy-dandy teleportation skills? Because it's a long way from Nevada to Indiana, and Eleven's friends in Hawkins could definitely use her help.
6. Why do the Russians have a Demogorgon?
Presumably, the Russians are planning on using it as a weapon, right? However, based on the trailer for Stranger Things 4: Volume 2, it seems like the Demogorgon isn't the only Upside Down threat the Russians have in captivity. We also see glimpses of something that looks like the Mind Flayer locked in a glass cage.
Odds are, this further complicates Joyce and co.'s already unlikely escape.
7. Why has Vecna returned now?
It's been seven years since Eleven sent Vecna into the Upside Down, so why is he just making his resurgence now?
Perhaps he's just been regrouping and getting used to his new squelchy tentacles. Or perhaps he and the Mind Flayer wanted to wait until Eleven was out of Hawkins before attacking again. Still, there have been plenty of chances to wreak murderous havoc since Vecna was banished. Why wait all this time? Something's not adding up.
8. Is Ms. Kelly the guidance counselor working for Vecna?
What's the deal with Hawkins High's guidance counselor Ms. Kelly (Regina Ting Chen)? She's had direct contact with all of Vecna's victims, and she knew about their past traumas and the signs of Vecna's cruse taking hold. A fan theory posits that this is no counseling-related coincidence: What if Ms. Kelly has been working for Vecna, and has been letting him know which high school students he should go after next?
Adding to this fan theory is the fact that Ms. Kelly wears a necklace shaped like a clock on a key. This seems like a direct reference to Vecna and the Creel house clock — which itself has a keyhole that could theoretically match up with Ms. Kelly's necklace.
Does Ms. Kelly just have oddly relevant taste in jewelry? Or is she secretly wearing a Vecna-related talisman? We'll find out soon.
9. Whatever happened to Vickie, Robin's love interest?
Remember school band member Vickie (Amybeth McNulty)? Robin was completely crushing on her in the season's first episode, but we haven't heard from her since. Probably because Robin's been off trying to save the world, understandable. However, McNulty is credited on IMDb as appearing in the season's final two episodes. How large of a role she'll have is unclear, but here's hoping she joins up with the Hawkins gang for at least a little bit.
Seriously, it would be criminal to waste the lead of Anne with an E on one episode.
10. How is the basketball team's Hellfire Club hunt going?
The Hawkins High basketball team, led by jerky jock Jason (Mason Dye), has been going on a rampage through Hawkins in a misguided attempt to avenge Chrissy's (Grace Van Dien) murder. They're attempting to hunt down members of the Hellfire Club, including its leader Eddie (Joseph Quinn). This particular plotline didn't appear in episode 7, so episodes 8 and 9 will get us up to speed — the Volume 2 trailer includes a brief shot of Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) fighting Jason, so we know for sure that their paths cross.
The basketball team's witch hunt is heavily inspired by the real-life Satanic Panic of the '80s. Eddie in particular is based on Damien Echols, a member of the West Memphis Three, a group of high schoolers accused of murder. If the basketball team or police catch him, will he share Echols's fate of being arrested? Or will the Hawkins crew find a way to save him, and themselves?
11. Is Steve Harrington going to die?
Look, it's the question on all of our minds. Will Steve, beloved mother to all of Hawkins youth, bite the dust in these last two episodes?
He already had a pretty scary encounter with some Demobats. Fans are convinced that that was just the warm-up for Steve's grand finale. The good news is, co-showrunner Ross Duffer has said that Steve will not die from his Demobat bite. The bad news is that he didn't rule out his death entirely.
Of course, I'll be gutted if any of our main characters die. But if the show lost Steve — a character who truly went from zero to hero — it would be a great tragedy for all Stranger Things fans everywhere. Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 can't arrive fast enough, because we definitely need closure.
Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 is streaming on Netflix July 2.
Topics Netflix Stranger Things
