Stranger Issues Season 5’s Largest Twist Will not Shock Any Longtime Followers

This text comprises spoilers for “Stranger Issues” season 5, episode 4 — “Chapter 4: Sorcerer.”

Netflix’s “Stranger Issues” is again for one closing, three-volume spin across the Upside Down. As normal, it affords loads of surprises and twists … however this time, the most important twist the season’s Quantity 1 has in retailer is not fairly as shocking as you’d suppose.

Sure, the cat is lastly out of the bag: Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) has thoughts powers, similar to Henry “Vecna” Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower), Jane “Eleven” Hopper (Millie Bobby Brown), and the opposite poor psychokinetics from Hawkins Nationwide Laboratory. After speculating on the topic, “Chapter 4: Sorcerer” ends with the revelation that Will can certainly management the Demogorgons, and even will get an Eleven-style nostril bleed from utilizing his powers.

The present treats this as a significant revelation, however is it, actually? We have identified for some time that “Stranger Issues” season 5 would use Will’s arc to tie every thing collectively. Over the course of its 5 seasons, the present has additionally given eagle-eyed viewers copious clues about Will’s true nature, to the purpose that it will virtually have been disappointing if he hadn’t pulled an ace from his sleeve. From being launched because the wizard/sorcerer of his Dungeons & Dragons group (“Will the Smart,” anybody?) to surviving quite a few Upside Down threats that ought to have killed him many instances over, William Byers has had a number of brushes with the paranormal and demonstrated a wide selection of distinctive skills. Since each different child with supernatural powers on “Stranger Issues” has psychokinetic powers, it makes good sense that Will has at the very least some stage of these skills, too. 

In “Stranger Issues” season 1, Will is launched because the wizard of his D&D group. His character will get defeated by a Demogorgon, and mere moments later, he is kidnapped by the present’s model of the creature. But, regardless of all types of Demogorgons — the humanoid ones, Demobats, and Demodogs — being extremely aggressive and murderous, Will survives the creature and the Upside Down with resourcefulness that beggars perception. “Sorcerer” reveals this to be Vecna’s machinations, however that is hardly information: season 4 already revealed that Vecna controls the Upside Down and every thing in it. 

Will returns from the Upside Down with a psychic hyperlink to the aircraft typically and the Thoughts Flayer-slash-Vecna particularly. This results in assorted visions, possessions, and energy shows over the course of the seasons, which additional underlines Will’s nature as a particular dude. Whereas different characters like Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) have additionally been manipulated by Vecna, Will’s connection to the Upside Down stays the strongest, he withstands it for the longest time, and his passive skills just like the visions usually appear inherent reasonably than actively brought on by Vecna. The proof has been piling up for some time — going into season 5, Will was simply behind the Upside Down’s energy gamers and Hawkins Lab’s psychokinetic children on our rating of essentially the most highly effective “Stranger Issues” characters.

“Sorcerer” lastly offers the payoff for these teases, and it is excessive time, too. As /Movie has argued earlier than, “Stranger Issues” has stored failing Will Byers in some ways for a lot of its run. Perhaps now, with the endgame in sight, the character lastly will get to shine. 

“Stranger Issues” season 5, quantity 1 is streaming on Netflix.