it's all coming back

Guys, we need to LOCK IN, because this book has been out for a whole week and no one has taken a closer look at the street names on the map? Almost all of the street names don't line up with any of the in-show streets, and if you look at what they're called, you'll see that they are CLUES! I only had time to properly look today, but holy, it has opened my eyes AAAAH!

Idk if I mentioned, but from what I've seen, the season 5 maps are kind of consistent, and I think the photos I'll show you below confirm that the map in the book (and season 5) is a projection from Henry's mind. And Max is projecting from his mind, and sending clues to WAKE US UP!!

It's FILLED with clues, holy mother of god !

As a warm-up - here's a whole fucking street named Henry and one for Mayfield, at the veeeeeery edge of the map!

And of course 'Michael' is right above the Mindflayer:

There's also a street called 'setup':

We also have 'Colony', 'Dominion', 'Industrial Distribution', 'Wake', 'Secretary', 'Profit', 'Commodity', and 'Merchant':

And not only that, you can CLEARLY tell it's a fake map, because for some reason, the street names are non-sensical, and are either first names that were popular in the 50s, or names of Ivy League universities. You know, street names that someone would come up with if they, uh, were banished to another dimension at a young age and had to make up when trying to make the illusion seem real. And, oh yeah, fun tidbit, none of the 'street' names have actual designations (e.g. X street, Y road etc.) - they did have that in the original season 2 map I show below (e.g. Kerley Blvd and Cornwallis Rd).

Here are some of the street names that I've found that are OLD names:

We've had streets called:

- Terry (!!!)

- Henry

- Clyve

- Eileen

- Daisy

- Robert

- Karen (!!!)

- Philip

- Aubry

- Randolphe

- Willard

- Sheldon

- Griffin

- Herbert

- Tyler

- Jessie

- Florence

- Margaret

- Irene (2 different streets)

- Clover

- Trenton

- Garcia

- Glen

- Arthur

- Lincoln

- Randall

- Bethany

- Allen

- Wayne

- Gilbert

- Eleanor

- Daisy

- Cindy

- Victoria

- Barrton

- Buttland

- Brogdon

- Ludwig

- Pierce

- Donnell

There's lots and lots more, but I was getting tired!!!! AAAAAH

ALSO why is no one questioning how the NOTORIOUSLY WEALTHY Steve Harrington is neighbours with the NOTORIOUSLY POOR Will Byers?! WHAT !

And you know the big deal with Mirkwood being located on the intersection of Kerley and Cornwallis? The big fucking deal they make of Mirkwood being proximal to the lab?

They got the location right in the original season 2 lab:

They're listed on other sides of the town in the book map:

Guys, I'm telling you - the book is a big puzzle and contains tons of hints, and you need to really look at the details.

I’ve seen a few interesting posts about these mysterious 11 tapes here and here, and it’s got me thinking & digging…

Did you know it looks exactly like the Limited Edition Season 2 tape?

(same yellow sticker and everything!)

This was Season 1 for comparison:

Like it’s been mentioned, the Snowball ‘84 being crossed out is literally Season 2 being overwritten.

And the definition of red tape might as well be the definition of what conformitygate feels like 😭

There was also this interesting 80s RCA/Columbia Home Video anti-piracy campaign:

We’ve all theorised that the colour red is like an alarm. A symbol of the corrupted truth, screaming to be looked at closer.

Let’s apply this “if it isn’t red, it isn’t real” rule:

Most of Season 5 clips uploaded to YouTube has this red border around it. (could be just a style choice…or maaaybe not)

And to me it’s asking us to question, “am I real?Am I as real as I’m claiming to be?”

If it isn’t red, it isn’t real:

If it isn’t red, it isn’t real:

If it isn’t red, it isn’t real:

The yellow “be kind, rewind” sticker on the tape also has implications of its own.

Surveillance but also corruption (see link in this post):

And also connects to the Watchmen:

This S4 teaser included a nod to The Watchmen “Doomsday Clock”, which symbolised the looming apocalypse with the time stuck on 5 mins to Midnight:

(A user on Reddit clarified the exact time on the clock:)

Once it reaches Midnight, Game Over. And that’s exactly what happened in S4 - they lost.

So S5 continues to not make sense:

So how do they fix this?

Most of us think the signs are pointing to “re-winding” the proverbial tape to S2 and The Snowball, where everything literally went Upside Down:

Full Snowball clip here

It’s interesting because The Snowball is also the same episode when they “closed” the Mothergate:

(Erica said it!! We have to go back…)

El closing “the Mothergate”:

Does this possibly imply that something went wrong when the Mothergate was closed? Will’s connection was severed but still dormant. In S5, Will even mentioned himself that closing the gate didn’t work for him. Does this mean they need to go back to the Snowball, and also rewrite events of closing the gate??

And speaking of S5 maybe all being in Mike’s head, Mr. Whatsit seems to be a manifestation of himself at the Snowball 💀

Something about that night continues to haunt him:

There are also some Matrix connections:

(if it isn’t red, it isn’t real)

It’s been pointed out by Kelly on TikTok that a lot more CG edits are leaning into The Matrix hints:

People who accepted the ending took “the blue pill” (comfort and happiness)

People who thought S5 felt off took “the red pill” (conformitygate)

And if you saw the “black cat” twice in The Matrix, it means there’s a glitch in the simulation:

Serious deja-vu:

Serious deja-vu:

Serious deja-vu:

Their realities seem to be looping over and over again. And by the time we got to S5, no one in Hawkins seemed to have noticed.

That’s why the inconsistencies like shifting colours and false memories (Will’s speech) suddenly became more obvious. It’s begging us and the characters to notice the truth of their realities.

If it’s not red, it’s not real:

I think the painting is part of taking “the red pill” and waking up to the truth.

Can’t help but notice their red & blue ties here 👀

I’d say it’s time to “be kind and rewind”

here's the link to the 'declassified' files, that somebody found by cracking the code from the official book that released today:

this concept art for the rifts being a spiral, or a time vortex that leads into a time tunnel (as suspected!!! ding! ding ding!)

DING DING DING

why is Max listed as being born in 1972 and graduating in 1990? that would make her 1 year younger than everyone?

also there is some puzzle to solve here, but my brain is too tired:

probably relates to the hawkins lab floor plan too:

Brenner's notes:

and for all you Russian speakers, have a field day:

Mike Wheeler when his parents almost die, his sister gets taken by Vecna, all his loved ones are in danger, he goes to the upside down for the first time, his best friend came out as gay, and the world is ending:

Like omg