- Henry was scared of entering the cave because when he was a kid, he got teleported to the Upside Down for the first time through that cave.
- This plot point comes into the picture through the Broadway play titled The First Shadow, on which Stranget Things is based.
- There is a good chance that in future episodes, this plot point could be explored as a flashback for Henry’s origin story.
Netflix has given us some of the most interesting villains with its originals we have ever seen, and among them, Vecna easily has a spot in the top 5. He is menacing, powerful, and probably possesses every single quality one can think of a villain should have in a show like Stranger Things. However, no matter how powerful a villain is, there is always something that scares them, and Vecna is no different. In Stranger Things Season 5, we see that Henry, Vecna’s human form, is scared of a cave that Max used to hide from him. Now the question is, why is Henry scared of this cave? Let’s find out.
Henry Being Scared of the Cave Could Be a Plot Hint from The First Shadow
Image Credit: Netflix (via YouTube/Netflix, screenshot by Shashank Shakya/Beebom)
We are already aware of the fact that Stranger Things is based on a Broadway play titled “The First Shadow”. If we look at the said play, it features this very thing, Henry is scared for and it gives us the reason why the cave scares him. According to the play, Henry is scared because he had his first encounter with the Upside Down through this very cave when he was just 8 years old.
According to the play, a Russian spy stole some technology from Brenner’s lab and hid it in that very cave. Young Henry wandered in the cave and toyed with the hidden tech that briefly teleported him to the Upside Down. This accident became the beginning of his Vecna arc as it gave Henry his powers and established a connection between him and the Mindflayer.
However, This Theory Clashes with the Previously Set Premise of Stranger Things
Now this theory establishes a plot point that has not yet been explored by the series. Moreover, in Stranger Things Season 4, we see a flashback where Henry manipulates Eleven to remove a power-inhibiting chip from him, and once his powers are restored, he brutally murders every other test subject.
Eleven is enraged by this and, in a fit of anger, uses her powers with such intensity that she accidentally opens the first gate to the Upside Down and banishes him to the alternate dimension. If Stranger Things Season 5 brings us this plot point from the play, it will probably be shown to us as an origin story flashback for Henry and his first steps towards the path of ultimately becoming Vecna. So, let’s wait and see what happens as new episodes come our way on December 25, 2025.
Shashank Shakya is an entertainment writer at Beebom. He has completed his Bachelors (Honors) in English Literature and is a published author. Shashank boasts incomparable knowledge about the Marvel and DC universe, along with other branches of entertainment with substantial experience in the field of writing.
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- Stranger Things Season 5 volume 2 will be released on December 25, 2025.
- Stranger Things Season 5 will bring us Episodes 5, 6, and 7 in the next instalment with Volume 2.
- Following this, Volume 3 of Stranger Things Season 5 will be released on December 31, 2025.
We have finally stepped back into the Upside Down as Stranger Things Season 5 takes off with its first installment of episodes. The new season shows us a Hawkins that is quarantined by the United States military, but not exactly to protect the city, but instead, to conduct experiments on the Upside Down and its creatures. The first four episodes have set the stage for what comes next, but concluded on a note that has left the audience rather impatient to see what’s next. So, here, let’s talk about when Stranger Things Volume 2, with the next episodes will come out.
What Is the Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 Release Date?
Image Credit: Netflix (via YouTube/Netflix, screenshot by Shashank Shakya/Beebom)
As we all know by now, Stranger Things Season 5 will be divided into three different volumes, and the one we just witnessed was the first among them. The first four episodes concluded the first volume, and Episodes 5, 6, and 7 of Stranger Things Season 5 will be released with volume 2 on December 25, 2025 . You can check out the Stranger Things Season 5 release schedule for the release dates of the remaining episodes.
The upcoming episode will carry significant weight because Episode 4 finally revealed that Will has powers similar to those of Vecna , which opens a new door for possibilities that could be explored.
Following the release of Vol. 2, the final episode will be released on December 31, 2025. Netflix’s release of the series in this manner is an idea that not everyone stands by. The plus point of following this pattern is that the anticipation will never decrease, and on top of that, Netflix will retain subscriptions for a longer period.
Shashank Shakya is an entertainment writer at Beebom. He has completed his Bachelors (Honors) in English Literature and is a published author. Shashank boasts incomparable knowledge about the Marvel and DC universe, along with other branches of entertainment with substantial experience in the field of writing.
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Stranger Things is over; yeah, it’s really over. The final episode of Season 5 has just arrived on Netflix, and boy, it was surely an exciting journey. And now that it is over, fans may find it hard to move on from the brilliance of Hawkins and the Upside Down. Well, if you’re in the same boat of sadness, here are some other TV shows like Stranger Things you should watch now.
1. Dark
Image Credit: Wiedemann & Berg Television (via Amazon)
- Release Date: December 1, 2017
- Director: Baran bo Odar
- Cast: Jonas Gerzabek, Louis Hofmann, Andreas Pietschmann, Dietrich Hollinderbäumer, Ella Lee, Maja Schöne, Lena Urzendowsky, Angela Winkler
- Seasons/Episodes: 3/26
- IMDb/Rotten Ratings: 8.7/95%
Dark might seem different from Stranger Things on the surface, but if you dig deeper, you might discover why we chose it for this list. It is a small town mystery, with missing children driving the plot. On the other hand, like the Upside Down mirrors Hawkins in Dark, you will see different realities existing in layers.
Dark revolves around four interconnected families, who are connected to each other across multiple generations. After a child goes missing, a hidden passage is discovered beneath the caves of the town of Winden. The series shows that a generation’s past sins are never buried; they are simply passed on to the next.
2. Fringe
Image Credit: Warner Bros. Television (via Amazon)
- Release Date: September 9, 2008
- Director: J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci
- Cast: Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Kirk Acevedo, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, Mark Valley, Seth Gabel
- Seasons/Episodes: 5/100
- IMDb/Rotten Ratings: 8.4/91%
Now, you might love seeing Dustin talking about Parallel Universes, time, and every other sci-fi mumbo-jumbo. Well, you’ll see that all of that is discussed in Fringe. This show revolves around unexplained crimes linked to advanced science. In the show, they call it the “fringe science.”
Overall, Fringe is a TV show like Stranger Things that will surprise with its complexity, and of course, with its several alternate dimensions that ultimately threaten humanity. Sure, you don’t get a band of kids fighting off the inter-dimensional threat, but you still get amazing characters like Olivia Dunham, Walter Bishop, and his son Peter.
3. The Umbrella Academy
Image Credit: Dark Horse Entertainment (via Amazon)
- Release Date: February 15, 2019
- Director: Jeremy Webb, Paco Cabezas, Peter Hoar
- Cast: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Mary J. Blige, Cameron Britton, John Magaro
- Seasons/Episodes: 4/36
- IMDb/Rotten Ratings: 7.8/78%
The Umbrella Academy may not be as popular as Stranger Things, but believe me, it’s an awesome show that features some amazing band of characters. In Stranger Things, we have one or two superhero kids, and in The Umbrella Academy, every character has some sort of superpower.
The film centers around the Hargreeves siblings, who reunite after the death of their adoptive father. Each one of them has some ability, and one way or another, the siblings are dragged into tackling issues like alternate timelines and the end of the world. Of course, The Umbrella Academy might’ve disappointed many of us fans in the end, but if you can digest an underwhelming end, it’s for sure an amazing show to watch.
4. Alice In Borderland
Image Credit: Robot Communications (via Netflix)
- Release Date: February 15, 2019
- Director: Shinsuke Sato
- Cast: Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya, Nijirō Murakami, Ayaka Miyoshi, Aya Asahina, Dori Sakurada, Sho Aoyagi, Riisa Naka
- Seasons/Episodes: 3/22
- IMDb/Rotten Ratings: 7.8/78%
Honestly, if you have Netflix and you still haven’t watched Alice in Borderland, then you are seriously missing out on one of the best TV shows like Stranger Things. Alice in Borderland is a Japanese show that centers on a group of people stuck in what we’ll call an alternate dimension. These people have to take part in a variety of deadly games to make it out alive.
Yeah, in a way, Alice in Borderland is a mix of Squid Game and Stranger Things. But of course, don’t expect to see any flesh-eating monsters in this one. Still, the mystery around Borderland and the people running this place is as great as the mystery of Upside Down .
5. Archive 81
Image Credit: Atomic Monster (via Netflix)
- Release Date: January 14, 2022
- Director: Shinsuke Sato
- Cast: Mamoudou Athie, Dina Shihabi, Evan Jonigkeit, Julia Chan, Ariana Neal, Matt McGorry, Martin Donovan
- Seasons/Episodes: 1/8
- IMDb/Rotten Ratings: 7.3/87%
Compared to Stranger Things, Archive 81 is a slow-burning horror that leans more towards a serious side. The show is basically Dan Turner, who is trying to restore the videotapes recorded by Melody Pendras. The events recorded in these videotapes lead Turner on a mystery hunt where he comes across threats like alternate dimensions, occult rituals, and a cult.
Sure, Archive 81 may take some time to grab your interest, but once it does, you stay in it until you see it to the very end. It not only entertains you with a variety of characters, but it also questions you on every stage by making you question what’s real or not.
Aparna is a Senior Entertainment Writer at Beebom with 4 years of experience in the industry. Specializing in Jujutsu Kaisen and everything horror, she brings in-depth insights and a passion for storytelling to her coverage. Recently, she has interviewed Abby Trott, the voice actress behind Demon Slayer’s Nezuko and Dandadan’s Momo. She has also interviewed Adam McArthur, the one to voice Yuji Itadori in JJK, delivering exclusive content for fans. Previously, she contributed her expertise to some notable publications including Sportskeeda, Dexerto, and Forever Geek, honing her craft in entertainment journalism.
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