“Persephone’s Handmaiden” 2019

“He rather thought he preferred the wallflowers” - AOFAG

Stranger Things 4, vol. 1 spoilers ahead + me putting my literature minor to use

Let’s talk about Will Byers as a character, Vecna’s curse, and the Mind Flayer. This theory will have a part 2 relating to my Byler-centric ideas about how this could all play out in vol. 2 (and how I think it will trickle into season 5), but for now I’ll focus on the theory itself.

Mirroring in Stranger Things

Stranger Things references the effects of mirroring throughout the series in multiple avenues, both within the text and visuals, along with the subtext. Most obviously may be the Upside Down, which we know as a twisted / dark mirror of Hawkins’ reality. Within season 4 (and previous seasons) a lot of the shots themselves further the idea of mirroring: El in the rainbow room, the biking sequence, the end of ep. 7 with the rope between realities, etc. This shows up in characters as well, like Henry Creel (001) who is mirrored and realized within Vecna himself. Mirroring is a common storytelling device which is used to draw comparisons between characters, plot lines, places, and other elements in a story. We clearly see this within much of Stranger Things. 

I’ve seen some people point out Henry Creel as a mirror or foil for Will due to some similarities in their character traits. They’re both sensitive and drawn to interests seen as odd or even dark by the larger world (black widow spiders which Henry emphasizes with despite their links to death; D&D for Will, which is seen as silly by some, and even potentially Satanic by the town during season 4). They also both have a talent for drawing, and are shown drawing these “unusual interests.” These similarities could be used as a way of building empathy towards Henry (making his motives more understandable) by drawing comparison to an established outcast character who we know to be good. It’s their actions and the ways they react to being outcasts that set them apart. But the similarities could also be building towards a full-circle moment of Will confronting Vecna in one way or another. More on that later. 

Will and the Upside Down

Will has a connection to the Upside Down like nobody else in the series, which further sets him apart. Although others are shown as having connections to the Upside Down, the entire story began because Will went missing: lost in a mirror dimension. A parallel world. In season 1, Will is frightened and sings to himself in Castle Byers (a location which symbolizes his childhood innocence). With the help of his friends, Will is returned to reality and the real world Hawkins. But as we know, he is scarred from his experience there, dealing with “True Sight” and a deepening connection to the Mind Flayer in season 2. In season 2, he’s the only character who has this kind of connection to the Upside Down. Even El, who we now know to be involved in the creation of the original gate, doesn’t have such an intimate tie to it. Although Will is no longer possessed in season 3, his connection to the Upside Down continues as he is able to sense the presence of the Mind Flayer. Then the gate is destroyed, the Meat Flayer is destroyed, the Byers move away, and all seems well. 

The Mind Flayer

Now, I want to create a little side-note about Vecna vs. the Mind Flayer, because I know there is a lot of discourse about which is the true big bad of the series. Personally, I see the Mind Flayer as the real villain pulling the strings. I think season 4 pushes this idea because we know the Upside Down existed before Vecna/Henry Creel/001 were banished there. The Mind Flayer seems to be a much larger, more cosmic deity who is quite Lovecraftian and clearly not human. There are lots of other reasons for this that I could elaborate on in another post. But for now the main takeaway is that I agree with Dustin about Vecna being the top general of the Mind Flayer, who acts in accordance to the true villain. 

If the Mind Flayer is the real villain, then Will’s connection to it is even more crucial and powerful. This is potentially the most powerful being in the entire series, and Will has a tie to it like no other character. 

Vecna’s Curse

Like many others, I think Will will (ha) fall under Vecna’s curse in vol. 2. In fact, I think it’s inevitable for this to happen. It wasn’t until the gate closed that Will lost his ability to feel the presence of the Mind Flayer (and its soldiers), and then he moved away. Now, Will is likely going back to Hawkins where we know there is not just one opening to the Upside Down, but at least three presently. In other words, the Mind Flayer is still in there, and when Will returns I believe that Vecna (operating within the Mind Flayer’s hive mind) will use the “spell” on him. Vecna preys on teenagers who have trauma in their pasts, which Will certainly does. Out of the Party as a whole, I think he’s the person most likely to be targeted next. 

Vol. 1 reveals that music has the power to block out Vecna’s curse. Will has an obvious connection to music in general, throughout the entire series, and especially to The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” Will himself even sings the song multiple times when he’s in the Upside Down and it seems to ward off the monsters, if even momentarily. If Will does fall under the curse as I suspect, then I think it would be the most perfect full-circle moment for the series to bring back the song. Whether Will himself sings it, the Party plays the song, or Mike sings it to Will (part of my Byler-centric speculation), if he’s impacted by Vecna’s curse, it seems only natural that this would be the song he’s most connected to. In a lot of ways this would mirror the beginning of the entire series, with Will trapped in the Upside Down, listening to and singing The Clash to get himself through the traumatic experience. 

But what does it mean that Will has a stronger connection to the Mind Flayer than everyone else? Would this change the way Vecna’s curse impacts him? I think it potentially could. I don’t personally believe they will kill off Will in vol. 2 (it doesn’t really make sense for his character arc), but I do think the curse could play out differently in him than the others. There are lots of things that could happen (I could speculate possibilities all day). Some see a dark Will arc in the making, with Will as the final villain, but I personally don’t see this as likely. One option I could see happening is that Will is stuck in the Upside Down at the end of season 4, leading into season 5 with him in a similar predicament to the start of the series. Perfectly mirroring the events of season 1. 

My Final Thoughts 

I love the idea that season 5 is a bigger and darker version of season 1 revolving around Will and taking down the Mind Flayer for good. I think it would be a phenomenal end to the series, and the story would have a cyclical effect that would resemble the way the characters, relationships, dialogue,  and locations themselves are oftentimes mirrors for each other.