Something I spotted in The First Shadow might be the missing piece of the Season 5 puzzle.
After seeing Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the theatre for the second time, I was amazed all over again but this time, I left with my brain spinning, trying to figure out what the elusive easter egg might be for the final season of the TV show.
Louis McCartney, who played the original Henry Creel when The First Shadow premiered in London, is now reprising his role on Broadway. In an interview recently, he was asked if he knows anything about the easter egg or any hidden details in the play. His response?
“I’m not going to say what because it is so hidden, and it’s really good and related to Season 5. There’s a lot of lore pertinent to this last season. Honestly, there is, but it’s really well hidden. I think you just have to think about it. It’s not that far out but you do have to think about it.”
That comment lit a fire under my imagination. I’ve been mulling over a couple of theories.
One big one? I think Patty Newby will be introduced as a new character in Season 5 likely in flashback sequences delving deeper into Vecna/Henry Creel’s past. She could be the emotional key to understanding his humanity, or maybe even the one to help the crew fight him… or save him. That last part might sound far-fetched, but I can’t shake the feeling she still has a special connection to him, especially given how important she is in the play.
On my second viewing, I noticed something that really stood out: Henry Creel/Vecna is capable of doing good. For example, he helps Patty reunite with her long-lost mother, who had put her up for adoption. He also creates a vision for Patty where she can sing and be truly seen, turning it into a moment of joy for everyone around her. At times, he even resists the Mind Flayer’s control, showing that the darkness doesn’t have a complete hold over him. There are moments where he warns people to run or tries to shield them, his protective instinct breaking through despite everything.
This makes me wonder could the final season hint at Vecna turning against the Upside Down? He clearly has the capacity for love; he just needs to keep the darkness at bay.
And then there’s the radio it plays a role both in the play and the show. Could it be the key to the easter egg? Maybe it’s not just a prop, but a link between worlds or timelines. If the easter egg is “not that far out,” as Louis said, it could be hiding in plain sight, disguised as something ordinary but with huge significance in the final fight for Hawkins.
Whatever it is, I think The First Shadow isn’t just a prequel it’s a puzzle box and if Vecna can do good, maybe Hawkins’ biggest enemy isn’t beyond saving after all..
Is the real Stranger Things Season 5 villain the Upside Down… or something inside Vecna himself?