5 questions Stranger Things: Volume 2 must answer

At long last, the final season of Stranger Things is here. Volume 1, which debuted the day before Thanksgiving, was an action-packed kick-off to the final showdown between Hawkins’ good guys and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Series creators the Duffer Brothers barely gave fans a moment to breathe, utilizing the massive budget Netflix granted them to film several nerve-jangling action sequences, concluding with quite a cliffhanger in episode 4.

Volume 1 also sparked some questions, while expanding the show’s lore. Volume 2, set to premiere on December 25 at 8 pm ET, needs to provide answers.

Warning: there are major spoilers head.

Why is Henry/Vecna afraid of the cave?

Perhaps to no one’s surprise, Max (Sadie Sink) is likely to wake up from the coma before everything wraps up. In Volume 1, we learn that she’s essentially trapped in Vecna/Henry’s memories ever since he nearly killed her at the end of Season 4. She can’t shake his curse. After a Demogorgon kidnaps Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) in Volume 1’s second episode, “The Disappearance of Holly Wheeler,” she eventually encounters Max. Like Max, she’s Henry/Vecna’s prisoner.

Encountering Holly renews Max’s hope that she can escape and break Vecna’s curse. We also learn that Max has been hiding out in a cave that strikes fear in Henry/Vecna. We don’t yet know the full extent of this or which of his memories are linked to that cave, but Volume 2 needs to expand this aspect of Henry’s backstory. We know how ruthless he can be, so the fact a cave scares him must mean he has a traumatic memory linked to that location, most likely associated with the Mind Flayer and the reasons he became Vecna in the first place.

What further role will the kidnapped children play in Vecna’s grand scheme?

Throughout Volume 1, Vecna orders monsters within the Upside Down to kidnap Hawkins’ children, including Holly. The creatures drag them off to Vecna’s lair, where he’s been powering up since the good guys nearly defeated him at the end of Season 4. In Volume 1’s waning minutes, Vecna tells Will (Noah Schnapp) that children are easy to break and control. He wants to turn them into his instruments.

However, Vecna’s diabolical speech doesn’t fully explain the extent of his plan. Will he bestow powers upon these children and connect them to the Upside Down, like he did to Will? Is he feeding off their lifeforce? We’ll most likely better understand the full extent of Vecna’s plan by the end of Volume 2, especially since Vecna succeeded in kidnapping the rest of the targeted children by the conclusion of Volume 1.

Just how strong is Will Byers now?

The conclusion of Volume 1 is one of the best sequences in the entire series. Will, after learning to accept himself, including his sexuality, unleashes his powers and kills the Demogorgons that terrorize Hawkins. In the process, he saves his mom and his friends. In fact, we see Will brutally finish off the beasts using Vecna’s powers. He freezes the monsters in the air and then snaps their limbs one by one. Ouch.

This is likely only a tease of Will’s new powers, especially if he can now do what Vecna does because of his connection to the Upside Down. Heck, Will may even be stronger than Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).  Yet, because Will and Vecna are still so connected, the new powers may pose a greater threat to the group, especially if Vecna can sense when, where, and how Will taps into his newfound powers.

What role will Eleven’s sister, Eight, play going forward?

Eleven and Hopper (David Harbour) largely embark on their own adventure during Volume 1 in the Upside Down. They believe the military has Vecna at a base in the Upside Down. However, in Episode 4, they learn the military isn’t holding Vecna, but instead, Eleven’s sister, Eight (Kali Prasad), last seen in Season 2.

Most likely, Eleven and Eight will team up to take on Vecna, the military, or maybe both. Heck, I’d love to see a final showdown in which Eleven, Eight, and Will all take down Vecna. That seems very possible, if the characters all make it to the finale. Regardless, Volume 2 needs to answer what the military was doing with Eight and how they discovered her.

Just who is Dr. Kay and what’s her grand plan?

Besides Vecna, Dr. Kay, played by 80s/90s icon Linda Hamilton, is the main antagonist of Season 5. She largely operates out of the military base in the Upside Down. She’s also intent on capturing Eleven, and the two have a brief face-off near the end of Volume 1. However, we don’t know much about her character yet, what she wants with Eleven, and why she held Eight captive. Likely, we’ll get those answers in Volume 2. But she’s a no- nonsense villain who will likely play a bigger role in the upcoming episodes.

Who will die by the Stranger Things grand finale?

The Duffer Brothers have left all the original cast members untouched thus far, though not unscathed. Max is still in a coma, after all. Eleven and Hopper have disappeared for long periods of time. Meanwhile, the Duffer Brothers have received criticism over the years for killing off newer characters, most notably Eddie (Joseph Quinn), while leaving the core safe. However, I don’t foresee any scenario where everyone makes it out of Hawkins alive.

I still think that Eleven, Will, Eight, and maybe Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) are the most likely to die, especially since they hinted at Jonathan proposing to Nancy (Natalia Dyer). Imagine how devastating it would be if he died before that happened or sacrificed himself for Nancy. Talk about heartbreaking. I just hope they don’t kill fan favorite Steve (Joe Keery). Let him ride off into the sunset with Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). Regardless, the final showdown is likely to be bloody and fatal for a few characters.

Stranger Things Season 5: Volume 2 premieres on Netflix on December 25 at 8 PM ET. The finale will screen in theaters and stream on Netflix on December 31 at 8 PM ET.