If you’ve already binged part one of Stranger Things season five (same), then you might also be wondering, what the actual hell has happened to the Upside Down? And since when did everyone get so chill about being there?!
Credit: Netflix
Back in season one, the Upside Down was terrifying. Dark, slimy, cold, and literally nightmare fuel. The air was apparently toxic, the scientists needed hazmat suits just to breathe in there, and now? The gang are just waltzing around like they’re on a scenic walk.
Where have the monsters gone? The Demodogs? Those horrific flying bat things? All vanished. Instead, we now have… the military building helicopters and literal bases down there. Sure! Because apparently the same monsters that used to be drawn to even a faint sound now can’t hear a flipping chopper.
Oh, and remember when they nearly froze to death? Yeah, tell that to the characters casually calling certain areas of the Upside Down “boring” now. Boring? Be so for real.
Credit: Netflix
Even escaping used to be a life-or-death mission, and now they’re like “follow that demogorgon, lads” and just hop right in.
Also… since when was the Upside Down red and black? We all remember the murky green-grey dead world aesthetic. Now it’s giving Vecna-core mood lighting. Last season, Steve had to tiptoe over living vines not to get strangled. Now? Full-on Jeeps driving about.
And what about the electromagnetic stuff? Flashlights and radios used to fail instantly. Now they’ve got functioning headlights, vehicles, full communications. Sure, why not, science is cancelled!
So yeah, the plot hole spreadsheet is looking hefty right now. But of course, there are theories, because the Duffers just love a little lore.
Credit: Netflix
Some people think Vecna is redecorating
The first theory to explain why the Upside Down is so different this season is that it isn’t static, it’s growing, becoming more connected to the real world, and being reshaped by the creatures within it. Vecna especially seems to be leaving his crusty fingerprints over everything.
Before Henry/Vecna landed there, the Upside Down might’ve been a barren wasteland. Once the Mothergate opened, it copied Hawkins, and now Vecna’s redecorating again to build his own nightmare throne room.
Credit: Netflix
Others think it’s getting stronger with time
Another theory suggests that the Upside Down has been growing stronger with every season. In season one, it was essentially a newborn dimension, unstable and only just opened. By season two, it had developed enough to start fighting back against intruders and protecting the Demodogs. Season four showed the dimension at a terrifying peak, with violent storms and lightning signalling its increased power.
They’re patiently waiting to strike
And then there’s the wildest, yet strangely convincing, theory of them all. Some people believe the creatures we haven’t seen yet aren’t gone at all… they’re just waiting. The idea is that Vecna and the monsters are biding their time in Dimension X, gathering strength for the perfect moment to strike. Vecna could be using the 12 missing kids as living power sources to rip open a massive wormhole between worlds.
One big enough for the Mind Flayer itself to finally cross into the real world.
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Featured image credit: Netflix
