Stranger Things Season 4: Unresolved Plot Holes and the Upside Down Mystery

 

Stranger Things season 4 revealed some important information about the experiments at Hawkins Lab and the Upside Down. However, it also left a plot hole regarding the Upside Down that needs to be addressed in season 5. In season 3, there were many unresolved mysteries and cliffhangers, such as Jim Hopper's fate, the Russians keeping a Demogorgon, and Eleven losing her powers. Season 4 aimed to solve these mysteries and introduce new ones, resulting in more plot holes.

In season 4, the main characters were divided into groups. One group worked to rescue Hopper from the Russians, another protected Eleven, and the third investigated the mysterious murders in Hawkins, which were connected to the Upside Down. A new character named Henry Creel, also known as Vecna, was introduced. He was a former subject of Hawkins Lab who had turned into a monstrous creature in the Upside Down. Unfortunately, Max became one of Vecna's victims, and her death played a significant role in Vecna's plan to take over Hawkins.

Vecna's plan involved opening gates to the Upside Down by killing teenagers. Max's death allowed Vecna to create a massive crack in Hawkins, causing an earthquake and widespread destruction. As the group fought Vecna in the Upside Down, Eleven entered Max's mind to help, but they couldn't save her in time. However, Eleven used her powers to revive Max, which opened a new gate and caused the earthquake to spread. Although Eleven's actions seemingly closed the gates and rifts, it also raised the question of whether her friends were unintentionally trapped in the Upside Down.

The episode didn't show the group escaping the Upside Down, but two days later, they were seen alive and well at home. It's unclear if Eleven's actions truly closed the gates and cracks. The assumption is that she did, as no activity was observed from the cracks after two days. However, it's possible that she only closed the rifts, leaving the gates created by Vecna's curse open. Season 5 will need to address this plot hole by explaining what exactly Eleven did when she revived Max and how it affected the gates and cracks.

The focus of season 5 doesn't necessarily have to be on showing the group's escape from the Upside Down. Instead, it can clarify what happened when Eleven revived Max and what the status of the gates and cracks is. This explanation would help resolve the plot hole created in season 4.