A mind-blowing theory has argued that Stranger Things is stuck in a time loop – and it has major parallels with another show.
Volume 2 of Stranger Things 5 drops on UK Netflix at 1am on Boxing Day (26 December), which means we're just days away from untangling the sprawling mess which has spawned out of Hawkins, Indiana.
And because it's nearly Christmas and none of us has anything better to do, why not fill our time by speculating about how the series could wrap up?
Amongst the more popular theories we've seen are suggestions that Mike and Will, aka 'Byler', will happen to the role in which Kali/Eight could play in the finale and even the surprise return of Joseph Quinn's Eddie Munson from beyond the grave – but what about the idea that everyone in Hawkins has been stuck in a time loop all along?
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This all sounds very ridiculous, but bear with me on this one.
Stranger Things time loop theory explained
Theories about the inclusion of time travel in the conclusion of Stranger Things aren't anything new, with fans pointing to countless clues such as Mr Clarke's lesson on wormholes, numerous references to Back to the Future and the fact that the Upside Down is frozen on 6 November 1983.
However, the latest theory, shared by Mr Whatsit (hopefully not the Mr Whatsit in the show) on YouTube, claims that the town of Hawkins, and everyone in it, has been doomed to live out the same time loop over and over again.
He begins by pointing out several 'clues' which he believes have been littered throughout the series, such as Eleven's instant recognition of Will in season one, despite never meeting him - a moment also picked up on by this Tumblr user - and Dustin's instant trust of El, which suggests the characters subconsciously recognise each other from previous loops.
Add in the fact that characters have 'impossible knowledge' of events yet to happen – one example being Will's ability to draw the Hawkins underground tunnels in season two, despite never visiting them – Vecna's usage of grandfather clocks to taunt his victims as well as plans to abduct 12 children, and you have more than enough evidence to suggest time travel may be involved in how the series wraps up.
Will's powers also play a crucial role in this theory, with the user arguing that he is responsible for 'resetting' the loop every time someone he loves dies.
Where does the loop begin and end?
In this theory, the user believes time 'fractured' when Henry Creel/Vecna first went into the cave in 1959, with the loop later activating after Will's abduction and Eleven opening the first gate to the Upside Down.
So what does this mean for the series finale? The theory suggests that to defeat Vecna and close the gate to the Upside Down, the gang will need to break the time loop.
To do this, the user presents multiple theories, including: going back to the origin of time fracturing (Henry's trip into the cave), accepting the death of loved ones (which means seeing at least one of the main characters die) or one of the characters realising they're stuck in a loop and 'breaking' it externally, which he argues would be Will sacrificing himself.
Breaking or fixing the loop could also see major changes in the arcs of other characters, with a similar theory posted on Reddit suggesting that Eleven will fix the mess created by Henry/Vecna by sacrificing herself to close the gate.
In this new timeline, Eleven, Vecna, and the Upside Down would never exist, Will would never be abducted, and life in Hawkins would play out as it should have, without the alternate dimensions, demogorgons, and humans with superpowers.
So what do the Duffer brothers think about all the Stranger Things fan theories?
The volume of theories that dominate the current Stranger Things discourse has naturally made its way back to the show's creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, with the pair recently shutting down every popular fan theory they've read online.
"I’ve seen a lot of theories; none of them have got the ending right. None of them," Ross said during a recent interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. This likely means the bigger theories are out and newer ideas, such as the days-old video created by Mr Whatsit, are in.
However, not everyone is on board with the idea of the series ending with a time loop, with several people arguing that it would draw too heavily on another hit Netflix show, Dark.
Like Stranger Things, the German-language series takes place in a small town with missing children in the 80s, cordoned-off government facilities, and caves associated with time travel.
The series only resolves when the main characters realise they are doomed to relive the same loop and sacrifice themselves to free the rest of the town – a detail noted in several critiques of Mr Whatsit's theory.
"Just the show DARK at this point," read one comment, while a second person added: "I swear - if Stranger Things turns into a Dark rip off, I’m gonna lose it."
Topics: Stranger Things, Netflix
Brenna Cooper