Stranger Things: The First Shadow’s big lore reveal needs addressing in hit Netflix show’s final season

Foreshadowing some major story lore to come?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Full spoilers follow for Stranger Things seasons 2 and 4.

Netflix has unveiled major new details about itsStranger Thingsstage play – and one of those details has me concerned about the hit show’s final season.

As part of its ‘Stranger Things Day’ celebrations atGeeked Week 2023yesterday (November 6),Netflixreleased a behind-the-scenes look (see theYouTubevideo below) that revealed some new information about the series' stage play spin-off. There’s one specific detail, though, that’s been discussed at length by fans and critics alike since the featurette debuted online, and it’s a huge plot point that has the potential to frustrate some viewers.

We’re about to get into spoilers forStranger Things' first side project and the hugely popular series' fourth season, so don’t scroll past the video embed below if you don’t want spoilers.

We already knew plenty of key details about the stage play – it’s calledStranger Things: The First Shadow, it’s a prequel set in the 1960s that digs deeper into Henry Creel’s villainous origins story, and it’ll reunite audiences with some fan-favorite characters from one of thebest Netflix showsof all-time, including Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers (nee Maldonado). Oh, and it’s due to open to the public in London’s West End on Thursday, December 14.

The featurette digs deeper into what fans will see if they attend a showing (or five, I won’t judge you) ofStranger Things: The First Shadow, all of which is pretty interesting. However, there’s one detail above all others that has me slightly worried for the story that’ll play out inStranger Thingsseason 5, aka the show’s final installment.

In the behind-the-scenes video, viewers learn thatThe First Shadowwill confirm that Henry Creel had a high-school romance with none other than Patty Newby, i.e. the sister of fan-favorite season 2 character Bob Newby, who was killed by a pack of Demodogs.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

Why is this important? Well, for starters, this is the first we’ve heard about Henry Creel having any sort of romantic relationship. InStranger Thingsseason 4, we learned a lot about Creel, how he became Doctor Brenner’s first test subject (aka the individual later known as ‘One’) at Hawkins Laboratory, and his evolution into Vecna via the Upside Down, albeit with an inadvertent helping hand from Eleven.

But it was never revealed to us that Creel had the emotional capacity to love, well, anybody. Season 4 made him out to be this emotionally cold, nihilistic individual – even as a child – who sought solace in playing with black widow spiders before discovering he had psychokinetic abilities, thus setting him down a dark, murderous path.

time to enter your villain era. take over the upside down and play as Vecna in Stranger Things VR, available November 30th on @metaquestVR #strangerthingsday #geekedweek pic.twitter.com/9wMxpaIehWNovember 6, 2023

The revelation that Creel had a girlfriend – or, at the very least, was attracted to another human – is, to be blunt, a big piece of lore to drop in theStranger Thingsfranchise’s first side project. It’s not a terrible thing to do, but it does pose a big question about the show’s fifth and final season, namely: will this huge slice ofStranger Things' mythos be addressed in season 5? And, if so, how important will it be to the series' seasonal and overarching narratives?

I’ve previously commented on the possibility thatStranger Thingsis about to run into the big Marvel andStar Warsproblem. By that, I mean that it’ll be necessary for fans to consume every piece ofStranger Thingscontent to keep up with its rapidly expanding main story and universe. It’s a major issue thatMarvelhas recently run into, with movies likeThe Marvelsrequiring viewers towatch up to six MCU films and Disney Plus showsto grasp what’s going on in the upcomingMarvel Phase 5flick.

I expect the Duffer brothers, akaStranger Things' creators, and Netflix to address this Creel-Newby romance in the show’s final outing. However, on the off-chance that they don’t, it’ll be a big kick in the teeth for fans who, for whatever reason, were unable to catch a performance ofThe First Shadow.

Okay,Netflix really wants you to watch itsStranger Thingsstage play before season 5 arrives. It’s a business after all, so it wants to make money – by way of selling tickets to its stage play – by enticing you to watchThe First Shadowin a theater near you, whenever that may be. But it would be a frustrating example of story-based gatekeeping if the Creel-Newby romance storyline isn’t even mentioned, let alone examined further in the series' final entry. To that end, I really hope my fears are unfounded whenStranger Things 5is eventually released.

You might also like

As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.

Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.

Arcane season 2 was reportedly going to run for five seasons, so why is my all-time favorite Netflix show ending after two?

Scavengers Reign co-creator says the hit Netflix show with 100% Rotten Tomatoes has been canceled and fans are heartbroken

I’ve used Genmoji and now I’m convinced Apple Intelligence will be a huge success