Stranger Things Season 5 will take the perspective of multiple "Alices"
and also me proving that Will Byers is so fem-coded.
I've noticed a pattern that has stuck out to me for a little while. Why is it that every one of Vecna's victims, and I mean personal victims that he knows and interacts with - not just the people that he's killed offhandedly for sport- all female?
Nancy, with Vecna delivering a personal message to her out of everyone in that group. Max, who has faced him multiple times and is now stuck in his mind. His sister Alice and his mother Virginia. El, of course. And now he's struck up a relationship with his newest target Holly. The one exception being Will -- known to be the most gender non conforming of the boys.
And nearly all of them have rabbit symbolism. He seems to have a particular affinity for seeking out these 'Alices'.
El's/Jane's nursery room. Nancy's old stuffed rabbit.
Holly's rabbit lite-brite, Alice finding the dead rabbit.
Another defining feature of 'Alice'ness: Waking up in an unknown world that Vecna controls. Whether it's the Upside Down or the new 50s Henry Mindscape, outfitted to look like Wonderland, that we're seeing in these previews (which by the way - Max and El are said to be inside at one point).
Especially when you fall into it like this...
El's S5 mission: most likely bringing Max out of her coma.
Nancy's: unknown so far, but probably related to making sure the 'future' Vecna showed her doesn't come true.
Will's: my prediction is attempting to rescue Holly.
I think each of them lead their own story-line, which is typical already for El and Nancy, and almost a given for Will in Season Five. All of them possibly converging into the Wonderland-like space that is now the Creel House vision.
I think even Erica might be involved at some point, considering the kids being kidnapped this season and her costume design in this picture foreshadowing a 50s vibe that hearkens to poodle skirts and at the time very common shape of collar and bow.
One last note on my Alice thoughts for today:
I think there's a distinct possibility that the 'Upside Down' got it's name from Alice in Wonderland. AIW might be one of the bigger inspirations for the entire show.
Wonderland is an, "upside down" realm. Alice falls through the rabbit hole and the gravity switches the other way 'round, same as the scene when the teens are using the rope to get to the Upside Down in Eddie's trailer.
The original book references with specific words being upside down. There's a 1949 live action musical adaptation whose main song is 'I'm Upside Down'. The 2010s live action film mentions (again specifically) being upside down.
(a final shout-out to the 15th anniversary of Alice by Avril Lavigne, which made me want to post this today).
