Stranger Things 4 Vol.1 gave us more information about the Upside Down than any previous season. In the seven very long episodes that we got we met the new bad for the season- Vecna. While his real name is Henry Creel i.e., Victor Creel’s son and the first student of Dr. Brenner’s program, the kids have named him after a D&D character who has the ability to conjure spells, similar to Vecna. This came as a new and different element in Stranger Things. Although that is not the only thing, one thing in the seventh episode that struck me the most was Nancy not finding her guns and then via her diary realizing that the Upside Down is stuck on 6th November 1983. The day everything started- Will went missing, Eleven opened the gate and the Demogorgon slipped in. But it being stuck was a new revelation as we were told until now that the Upside Down is a darker replica of our world. Clearly not but why?
Stranger Things 4 – Is the Upside Down really another Parallel Dimension?
Isn’t this question obvious though? A parallel dimension won’t be stuck back in time as the timeline should be running. Before season 4’s release many fans including me theorized that Stranger Things 4 will bring in the concept of time travel because of the number clocks featured in the promos. Like many others, I was also proved wrong as at least in the first seven episodes we don’t get any hint regarding time travel as a part of this world but you know what’s more bizarre than that? Steve, Nancy and Robin still able to communicate with Dustin even though they’re in 1983.
We could have theorized that the Upside Down is stuck in 1983 and that is how time travel will work in this world. Where characters can travel back specifically to 1983 to maybe stop Eleven from ever opening the gate or something like that but this goes in the trash as well as this plane is still in direct contact with the real world which is about three years ahead in time. So, if not time travel what can be the possible answer for this weird detail the Duffer Brothers have added this season.
Possibility 1: Eleven
This the simplest explanation I could find and to be honest it’s kind of lame but here goes nothing. So, the first breach in reality that we know of was caused by Eleven when she banished 001 to the Upside Down, this was 1979. The second time was 1983, when everything began. What if when she did touch the Demogorgon out of fear and breached reality again, opening the gate her immense power froze the time in the Upside Down? Seems farfetched but evidence El is stronger than even Vecna as she was able to cast him out, so this possibility isn’t deniable.
Possibility 2: One
For this theory I’m ignoring the fact that we’ve been told the Mind Flayer is the main villain of the show. What if as I’ve suspected the Upside Down is not a parallel dimension. Yes, that would change everything we’ve been told but there is support for this theory as well. When El banished 001 in 1979 to the Upside Down he was struck by lightning that mutilated him and he pulverized into a monster that we know and fear- Vecna. What if once became Vecna he wanted to take his revenge on Eleven but couldn’t because he didn’t have access to the real world until 1983.
When El opened the gate, he had access and initiated his grand plan of melding the real world world and the Upside Down into one. For that he modelled the Upside Down after Hawkins as he did the Creel House. This means the Upside Down’s Hawkins is simply a figment of Vecna’s mind- a world free of humans and time, that may threaten his powers. He saw this gave him the opportunity to merge both worlds. Seems farfetched? Sure but it does explain why is it stuck in 1983. These were two theories that I believe may be the reason but here’s Reddit’s take on this.
Check out this Reddit thread:
The Upside Down – heavy spoiler discussion/theory on its origins
by inStrangerThings
Ok theory here about the upside down (contains spoilers for s4)
byu/BradleyBurrows inStrangerThings
To know why the Upside Down is stuck in 1983 tune into Netflix on 1st July 2022 as Vol. 2 drops. Until then stream Stranger Things season 1 to season 4 on Netflix right now.
If you have any questions regarding Stranger Things, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe and share our articles as we here are trying to build a community of people High on Cinema!
