Down the Stranger Things Wormhole of Theories and Timelines

If you are like me, Season 5 of Stranger Things has been a bit confusing due to some odd story choices, and fans of the show not realizing how important the play, The First Shadow, is to the overall show. We only have one episode left and I’m worried that the 10-year wait might not live up to expectations. If I’m being honest, this season has been full of filler and barely focusing on the main characters (more about this in another post). Regardless, to help you (and me) make sense of things, I created the following timeline that explains all of the back-story based on events that happened in the show and the play.

Note: This timeline is heavily influenced by New Rockstars breakdown of the play (found here), and theories I’ve discovered or generated myself.

1940s – Project Rainbow and the Discovery of Dimension X

• In 1943, a secret US military experiment failed to make the USS Eldridge, a warship, invisible via electromagnetic energy. This experiment was called Project Rainbow.
• During the experiment, the ship was transported to an unknown location, theorized by fans to be Dimension X.
• While the ship was in Dimension X, a demogorgon kills everyone on it, except for its Captain. The Captain is Dr. Martin Brenner’s father. 
• When the ship returns to reality, Captain Brenner is noticeably changed by his experience. He has a new personality and a new blood type.
• It is also theorized or suggested that an unknown material (possibly Mind Flayer particles) return with the ship.
• Although the project failed, this doesn’t stop the military from holding future experiments. 
• In London version of the play, Dr. Brenner’s father tells his son what happened to him before he dies. This motivates Dr. Brenner to join the efforts of future experiments. 

It is theorized that Dr. Brenner takes vitals of blood from his father to study it and ends up separating Mind Flayer particles from it. AND/OR studies the unknown material that returned with the ship. Whether he does this before or after Project Nevada isn’t clear.

Early 1950s – The Dark Shadow (Nevada)

• In the 1950s, Dr. Brenner is in charge of Project Nevada, a project dedicated to replicating what happened to the USS Eldridge. The project is  conducted near an area where the Creel family live. 
• A scientist that is theorized to be a Russian spy, defects from the project, and steals (maybe) the Mind Flayer particles that were discovered by Dr. Brenner. 
• The spy is injured and found by a young Henry Creel that wants to help him. The spy shoots Creel which leads Creel to kill the spy. Creel ends up getting infected by whatever the spy stole.
• In 1953, Dr. Brenner starts Project MKUltra. 
• Project MKUltra gives its test subjects “drugs” (possibly Mind Flayer blood infusions) to see if they can develop telekinesis or other powers. The goal of the project is to weaponize the powers of these test subjects for US military purposes. 

Note: It would seem plausible that the spy that Henry killed was Russian because it happened around the start of the Cold War. Also, it would explain why we see a lot of Russian involvement in the show. It would appear that the US and Russia are trying to utilize the material found in Dimension X for military purposes to have an advantage.

Late 1950s – The Dark Shadow (Hawkins)

• In 1959, the Creel family moves to Hawkins. 
• Henry has special abilities while haunted by “a Dark Shadow.” 
• Henry’s special abilities are: telekinesis, telepathy, illusion projection, psychic sensing, and others.
• While attending Hawkins High, Henry and Patty Newby develop a romantic relationship, and they are cast to play the lead in a school play directed by Joyce Byers. The play was to occur on November 6, 1959. 
• Patty wears a key necklace. The only other person seen wearing a key necklace is Ms. Kelley, the Hawkins High School counselor in the 1980s. It is theorized that Ms. Kelley is Patty and helps Vecna select the 12 “weak” kids for his plan. 
• Patty convinces Henry to use his powers to track down her biological mother. While doing so, Henry encounters the Mind Flayer and fights it off.
• Henry’s mother takes Henry to Dr. Brenner for medical help because she is aware of Henry’s unnatural condition. 

Major Events of November 6, 1959

• Henry has a psychic outburst and creates a “gateway” between Hawkins and Dimension X (or maybe its the Upside Down). This gateway does not remain open so maybe its not a gateway but rather a tear in reality which gives a peek into the unknown?
• The Mind Flayer manifests and begins consuming energy from the town causing a major blackout, individuals begin to hallucinate, feel weird, etc.
• The Creel house is the epicenter of the electrical storm caused by the Mind Flayer. 
• Henry kills his mother and sister. 
• The Mind Flayer dissipates.
• Henry’s father is accused of the murders of his mother and sister. 
• Henry is found by Dr. Brenner and taken to Hawkins lab where he becomes patient 001.

1969-1979 – The Birth of Eleven 

• In 1969, Terry Ives, Eleven’s mother, takes part in the MKUltra project where she is possibly injected with “drugs” to see if she will develop powers. Could it be that she was injected with Henry’s blood? Or a big theory being proposed is that she was artificially impregnated by Henry – making Henry Eleven’s father! Eleven is different than most – maybe this is due to her mother being injected with Henry’s blood and being artificially impregnated by Henry.
• In November 1969, Brenner initiates Project Indigo where he begins to train children that have telekinetic abilities injected with Henry’s blood. Henry was patient 01.
• May 1970, Terry discovers she is pregnant and in her third trimester. Dr. Brenner gives her an injection to speed up her pregnancy by one month. Terry’s child become patient 011.
• September 8, 1979 is the day of the lab massacre occurs where Henry kills most of the children and is transported to Dimension X by Eleven.
• Eleven and Eight are the only children to survive Project Indigo.

Start of Season 1

• November 6, 1983, marks the start of Season 1 when Will Byers goes missing. This is the same day that Eleven touches a demigorgan while using her extrasensory powers. This action creates the gateway to the Upside-Down. 
• November 11, 1983, Will is captured by the demigorgan and taken to Vecna (aka Henry) in the Upside-Down. 
• November 12, 1983, Will is rescued in the upside-down by Hopper and Will’s mom. By this time, Will was already infected by Vecna – supposedly with Mind Flayer particles.

The Conclusion is…

The best theory I’ve heard so far is that the big bad of the show isn’t Vecna but rather the Mind Flayer. This seems to track since Vecna has taken Holly and eleven other children to Dimension X and placed them in what looks like a dead, upside-down spider (similar to the form of the Mind Flayer).

It is possible that the Mind Flayer once “died” and the majority of it turned to particles. Vecna is using the twelve children to regenerate the Mind Flayer (that now has a beating heart) and shown in the penultimate episode. Therefore, Henry is not trying to merge Dimension X with reality, instead he is trying to reanimate the Mind Flayer and send it to reality to destroy it.

If you would like to hear my best friend and I discuss Season 5, Volume 1 check out our podcast found here where we discuss all kinds of shows, movies, and more!