Of the many mysteries in Netflix’sStranger Things,why the Upside Down is still in 1983 is one of the most gripping ones. Introduced as the alternate dimension in charming Hawkins, Indiana in season 1, the Upside Down is the show’s main setting that has quite the history behind it. Learning all the vision that Henry Creel/001/Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) had for this other world is one of the most engaging and compelling parts of the excellent fourth season. These 9 episodes definitely lived up to fan expectations.
From why theStranger ThingsUpside Down is still in 1983 to whether more answers are coming that will flesh out this part of the series, there’s a lot to know about this terrifying and chilling location.
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Why The Stranger Things Upside Down Is Still In 1983
Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) figures out in part 1, season 4 ofStranger Thingsthat when Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) disappeared on November 6th, 1983 and Eleven opened the Hawkins National Laboratory mothergate, the Upside Down became stuck in 1983.Stranger Thingsseason 4 has great charactersand also the answer to this burning and fascinating question.
In season 1, episode 7, “The Massacre At Hawkins Lab,” Nancy says, “This diary should be full of entries, it’s not. The last entry is November 6th 1983, the day Will went missing, the day the gate opened. We’re in the past.” It works that Nancy is the character who figures it out as she has been investigating and using her budding reporter skills for a while now. Fans had been waiting for this answer for a long time and it was gratifying to finally hear it.
There will be atime jump inStranger Thingsseason 5, which is a smart idea given the actors' ages and also the amount of story that was explored in season 4. These 9 episodes gave a great foundation for the final season, with Nancy playing detective, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) more ready than ever to save her home, and the other characters terrified that Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) won’t survive her battle with Vecna.
The Answer Will Be Shared In Stranger Things Season 5
While Nancy seems to be on the right track, fans still have questions about the time period that the Upside Down is in, and those will be coming soon.
According to an interview that the Duffers Brothers gave toDeadline, the much anticipated season 5 ofStranger Thingswill talk about why the Upside Down is still in 1983. Ross Duffer said, “The biggest one being we set up in the Volume One finale how the Upside Down is stuck in time on the day of Will’s disappearance. That’s something we don’t answer in volume two, and that is really the key plot point, the key question that is going to drive our final season as we attempt to wrap up this story and give the rest of the answers out.”
This is definitely somethingStranger Thingsfans want to see in season 5. After four seasons of getting to know this alternate dimension full of vines and spores and pain, it will be satisfying to learn more information about how the Upside Down got stuck in 1983.
What Happens To Will In The Upside Down And How Does He Escape?
While whetherEleven created the Upside Downis a big question, there are a few other questions relating to this memorable setting: what happens to Will there?
When Will rides his bike home one night, a Demogorgon, one of themost terrifyingStranger Thingscreatures, takes him and forces him into the Upside Down. It seems that he spends a week here, trying desperately to survive and to figure out where he is and what’s going on.
In season 1, episode 8 called “The Upside Down,” Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Jim Hopper (David Harbour) go into the Upside Down and see Will in the library. When he gets back home, a doctor checks him out, and everyone is happy and relieved that he seems to be fine.Stranger Thingsis always full of twists and turns, however, and Will goes to the bathroom and throws up a slug and sees the Upside Down again. This suggests that the evil is far from over and he is still being affected.
This is one of the most compelling scenes from all of season 1. Will looks genuinely afraid and emotional, and it’s clear that he feels guilty over potentially worrying his friends and family. He doesn’t want them to know the truth, but asfans know, there are manyscary scenes inStranger Thingsand the show only gets more interesting and intense.
