Spoilers for the first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 lie ahead! Do not proceed if you haven't watched yet!
- Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 ends with Will Byers using powers to overcome and kill multiple Demogorgons.
- Show creators Matt and Ross Duffer explained exactly how these powers work, and what they mean.
- The next installment of Stranger Things Season 5 drops on Christmas Day. Full Schedule here.
Any one else stay up all night to watch Stranger Things? Same, and we're here to talk about the shocking twist at the end of episode 4, when Will channels the Hive Mind and takes control of the Demogorgons—preventing them from murdering pretty much all his loved ones, and then killing them.
The moment involved Will assuming a very Eleven-like stance (arms outstretched, you know the drill) and even ended with him bleeding from his nose. Which begs the question: does Will have actual powers now?!
According to the Duffer brothers, not exactly. Much like Robin theorized, Will only has powers when he's nearby the Hive Mind.
Ross Duffer explained the situation to Variety, saying, "It’s different in that he’s able to channel Vecna’s powers. But they’re all related. Vecna and Eleven, their powers are similar. The powers aren’t within him. He’s able to channel these powers from Vecna and use it, sort of puppeteering."
Matt Duffer added, "He taps into the hive mind, and then he can manipulate anything within the hive. You’ll see how far he can take it as you continue to watch. But that’s how he’s able to manipulate the monster. So he can’t open a door, because the door is not part of the hive mind.
The brothers also confirmed that Will's powers are "proximity based" with Ross saying, "If he’s not close to the hive mind, he’s not able to access or tap it."
As for how much Vecna knows about what Will's capable of, Matt says, "You’ll see as it goes on, but he completely underestimates Will. He perceives him in the way that so many others have in his life, which is as weak, as nothing, as incapable of achieving anything great. So he completely underestimates him in that moment. Whether that’s going to happen again, you’ll have to watch Volume 2."
Got it!
