I also think love (all forms) is an important theme.

Hops love for El - family
Joyce's love for Will - family
Wills love for Mike - romance
Elevens love for hop/8 - family
Nancy/Jonathan/Steve - romance
Lucas love for Max - romance
Nancy's love for family (holly/mom) - family

Just a fun thought not a legit theory:

What if 8 is the daughter of the girl that henry creel had a crush on? Patty Newby?

What if pattys the big bad (maybe possessing her body to control Henry)

Or Max has to save patty in camazotz because she's trapped too. In his memories?

These are just ideas I'm chewing on, so don't take anything too seriously. We are here for a good time.

If you beat head 1, it frees Henry to help fight the possession of his body, helping Will defeat him. Hopefully Max/holly can follow Henry out

Then head 2 is beat, frees ACTUAL Henry to help fight the big boss (elder brain or dragon, or something). He will show up in the nick of time to save them.

Head one: in Henry's mind. Max and holly/Lucas fight this

Head two: on earth in hawkins. Potentially In will? I think accepting himself truly & revealing secrets will be important here.

Head three: in the upside down. 11 & 8 beating the ACTUAL big boss. 11 choosing to save dad or the world/sis 8

One also could argue that they need 3 people with powers (eleven, eight, & one) on each level/dimension this thing is at, at the same time is at to defeat it

Almost like it has 3 heads. Like you could use 3 headed dragon as a metaphor. Must beat all to win.

Also of COURSE Henry creel is the hand of vecna, why else does he do the creepy hand thing for all his actions.

HIS LEFT HAND. c'mon it's right there. I can't believe I didn't see it before.

This could all be hilarious inaccuracy but I want to see where my brain was while watching it so I can go back later and enjoy the twists better as I see myself figure it out or be TOTALLY off base and shocked!

Either way I'm so excited.

Trauma and secrets make you vulnerable to true vecna (an elder brain), aka the mind flayer... So what secret made Henry creel vulnerable?

What happened in that cave?

What was the thing the mind flayer (true vecna) used to get into his (Henry creels) lil brain?
🤔🪱🧠

Hear me out here:
Henry creel is the hand of vecna (or arkhan) and he "died" and got stuck where Max is. That's why max will have to save him.

The thing operating Henry's empty mind is the mind flayer, aka true vecna.

I think Henry Creel became possessed with the mind flayer initially in that cave back in the day, that's why the vecna/henry won't go there.

That's where this all started. Idk why but 🤷

Mayve max will have to choose between leaving and escaping Henry's mind or staying back to save him and THAT will be the one extra thing that helps them.

Either this or Lucas trades himself for max (and we lose him?).

As someone who doesn't have much biological family support, the way they show up for me just reminds me there's love and hope in the world every time.

I'm so happy I am alive and met them. I'm so happy to be in their lives. And despite the difficulty I am in, I know it will be all right always 🥹🥰🫂

Also if you can donate CASH to your pantry, please do! I suggested gift cards because one I donated to locally couldn't accept cash but COULD accept gift cards.

Pantries know what they need the most! Cash helps them fill those gaps!

Also the app "too good to go" sells cheaper deals from stores local to you on products closer to expiration.