‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Upside Down Reveal Transforms the Series

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Beware – spoilers ahead for the final part of Stranger Things Season 5! After nearly ten years, the show has significantly changed its own established story, almost feeling like a completely new series. In the episode “The Bridge,” which is the second-to-last of the season, the characters finally understand the true nature of the Upside Down. This revelation has been confirmed by the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, and the way they explain this major twist is both fascinating and surprising.

For a long time, people thought the Upside Down was another dimension, but it’s now revealed to be a wormhole leading to a place called the Abyss. This means the Upside Down isn’t the final destination when traveling through those rifts – it’s simply a connection between our Hawkins and the Abyss. As many Stranger Things fans have guessed, the Upside Down isn’t a copy of the entire Earth, just a dark reflection of Hawkins. And a newly revealed piece of backstory will completely change how fans view the show forever.

The Shocking Upside Down Reveal Makes ‘Stranger Things’ Way More of a Traditional Sci-Fi Show


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Although Stranger Things is often labeled as science fiction, it’s always felt more like a horror or supernatural series. While sci-fi elements are present, the show primarily explores how those ideas connect with its supernatural side. The Upside Down has always been presented as a separate dimension with limited access, and recent confirmation that it’s actually a wormhole to the Abyss, while interesting, does lessen some of its enigmatic quality.

The Duffer Brothers, in an interview with ScreenRant, discussed the nature of the Upside Down, addressing whether it was a separate dimension or another planet. While Ross Duffer initially referred to it as “Dimension X” – a name used during the writing of Season 1 – and often described it as a dimension, his brother clarified that it’s technically a different planet.

The reveal that the Abyss is a planet changes everything we thought we knew about the monsters in Stranger Things. It means creatures like the Demogorgon aren’t supernatural – they’re actually aliens from another world. This also makes Eleven’s powers even more impressive. Instead of simply sending Vecna to another dimension, she inadvertently created the Upside Down by tearing a hole in space and time, effectively banishing him to a planet light-years away. This recontextualizes her abilities as something far more powerful, almost like something you’d see in a science fiction epic.

The Abyss Being Another Planet Doesn’t Hurt ‘Stranger Things’ Canon That Much


Netflix

The idea that Hawkins has been linked to another planet is surprising, but it doesn’t really change the feel of Stranger Things. The show was always science fiction, though perhaps not to this extent. When you watch it, it’s easy to see it as a supernatural horror story, even though it could also be about a hidden alien invasion. The fact that both explanations could be true is a testament to the show’s excellent worldbuilding.

While it might seem odd to consider the Demogorgons as aliens, it’s actually a pretty logical idea. Franchises like Alien and Predator have always featured frightening creatures from other worlds as the main source of horror. The key difference is that those stories immediately established the creatures’ alien origins, whereas Stranger Things cleverly kept its monster’s true nature a secret until the very end. Now that the truth is out, rewatching Stranger Things offers a whole new perspective, which is fantastic for dedicated fans.

The Upside Down Twist Also Sets Up the Perfect ‘Stranger Things’ Spinoff


Netflix

Rumors about a potential spin-off series for Stranger Things have been circulating for some time. Given the show’s popularity, it’s not unexpected, but concrete information has been hard to come by. However, it seems likely a spin-off will eventually happen, and the show’s established premise – including the existence of other life forms – creates a lot of exciting opportunities. Similar to how Eleven opened a gateway to the Upside Down, future characters with comparable abilities could potentially open portals to entirely different planets and worlds.

They’ll take you and use your life force to create others – more children destined to endure the same pain we have. And with each new generation, they’ll expand their reach, opening pathways to countless other worlds. Don’t you understand, Jane? It’s a never-ending, cruel pattern – a cycle of suffering.

– Kali to Eleven in Stranger Things Season 5, Episode 7, “The Bridge.”

This new series wouldn’t need any of the original Stranger Things actors or characters. Instead, it could focus on a different town experiencing similar strange events – perhaps caused by a wormhole to another planet. Unlike the original show, which took six seasons to fully embrace its supernatural horror elements, a spinoff could immediately explore that side of the story. Fans already know the Stranger Things universe allows for travel between worlds, giving this new show a unique starting point.

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2025-12-31 02:48