That ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Plot Hole Is Actually a Tragic Reveal

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Now that the first part of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things is finished, viewers are busy discussing what might happen next and analyzing every little detail. From Will’s (Noah Schnapp) appearance in a flashback at the beginning, to Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) outfit which seemed inspired by The Goonies, and Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) complex history, fans initially thought they’d found a major plot hole. However, a closer look suggests it’s actually a heartbreaking revelation.

Will Doesn’t Recall His Childhood Accurately


Image via Netflix

Okay, so the end of Volume 1’s fourth episode, “Sorcerer,” was seriously powerful. Will is still reeling from Vecna messing with his head, but then he starts hearing Mike and Robin’s voices inside his head, basically telling him to dig deep and be himself. It triggered a flood of memories – really sweet stuff like meeting Mike on the swings, drawing that rocket for his mom, and building Castle Byers with Jonathan. But here’s the thing that threw me: the details of those memories didn’t quite line up with what we’d been led to believe before. It felt…off, and like a huge clue about what’s really going on.

In Season 2, Jonathan reminisces about this memory with his younger brother. He tells Will how they spent an entire night building Castle Byers, carefully following Will’s design. Jonathan admits he wasn’t very good at hammering, and they ended up getting drenched in the rain while finishing the fort. They were both sick for a week afterward, but Jonathan emphasizes it was worth it. “We just had to finish it, didn’t we?” he says, repeating that they were determined to complete the task.

Jonathan was remembering this story clearly and accurately, likely because he was trying to help Will break free from the Mind Flayer’s control and he’s older. He also mentioned it happened the same day their father left, meaning Will was probably upset and Jonathan built this structure with him as a distraction.

Will remembers this day from Season 5 as sunny and cheerful, with no rain in sight. He and Jonathan appeared to be happily building something together, Will expertly hammering while his brother watched with a smile. Young Will showed no sign of sadness, and it seemed like an ordinary day – you wouldn’t have known Jonathan was trying to distract him from their father’s departure. However, a closer look at this memory suggests a possible explanation: Will might have subconsciously altered his recollection as a way to protect himself and focus on the positive.

Will Might Be Remembering How He Felt, Not What Was True


Image via Netflix

It’s common for children to remember events differently than they actually happened. They tend to focus on the most striking or emotional parts of an experience, rather than the complete picture. For instance, a disagreement between parents might seem huge to a child, overshadowing everyday moments. Similarly, a childhood home can appear much larger in memory than it is in reality. This isn’t necessarily intentional, but a natural way children process and recall events based on what resonated most with them.

Will, who many fans believe is in danger, might be remembering a key moment with Jonathan differently than it actually happened. He seems to be choosing to recall it as a happier time – this is how he prefers to remember the day his father left. It’s possible things didn’t unfold exactly as Will remembers, but his focus on the positive suggests he’s growing stronger and overcoming his feelings of vulnerability.

Will doesn’t recall Joyce ever seeming down or distant, even though she says she sometimes was. Instead, he vividly remembers her happy face when he drew her a rainbow rocket ship with a new set of crayons she’d given him – a moment that subtly suggested he had special abilities. He remembers looking up to his brother while they built something together, blocking out the fact that it was raining, his brother was clumsy with tools, and they both ended up feeling sick. He might have forgotten the unpleasant parts because they were too difficult to deal with. Or, more likely, he intentionally focused on the positive memories, believing they would help him control his powers.

So, what seems like a mistake in the story is actually a sad way of showing how Will remembers things. He naturally focused on the happy times – moments when he felt loved or proud of his brother – and blocked out the painful ones, whether he meant to or not. Things like the rain, the hammer, and his father leaving simply weren’t important to the memories he chose to hold onto.

‘Stranger Things’ Will Flashback Is Not a Continuity Error


Image via Netflix

It really struck me how Will remembered building Castle Byers so differently than how it actually happened, and it made me realize so much about him. Before, he always seemed to dwell on the bad stuff, but in that moment, he took control of his own story. He decided he wasn’t that sad, scared little boy. He wasn’t defined by his dad leaving or the rainy day. Instead, he pictured himself as a genuinely happy kid, loved by his mom and fiercely protected by his brother. It was like he was rewriting his past, and it was incredibly powerful to witness.

The show has had a few continuity issues involving the character Will. One notable example, nicknamed “birthdaygate” by fans, occurred when a Season 4 episode was set on March 22nd – a date previously established as Will’s birthday – but the detail went unnoticed. The creators, the Duffer Brothers, acknowledged the mistake and even considered retroactively changing Will’s birthday. There’s also been confusion regarding Will’s age when he disappeared. In Season 5, Joyce states he was 11, but a missing person poster suggests he was 12. It’s possible Joyce simply misremembered his age while speaking quickly, so that discrepancy is understandable.

Despite what some fans believe, the scene with Castle Byers isn’t a mistake in the show’s timeline. It makes sense as a memory, where someone naturally focuses on the good parts and forgets the bad. It also served as a powerful act of defiance against Vecna and the Mind Flayer. Will chose to remember the experience as he wanted to, reclaiming control over his own memories and healing from his trauma.

Since this scene is presented as a real memory Jonathan shared with Will earlier in the series, it was a deliberate choice by the Duffer Brothers to use this specific memory at such a pivotal moment. They could have easily shown Will being comforted, the brothers working in the rain, or any other memory that would have conveyed the same idea. However, they specifically chose to show an idealized version of a memory we’ve already seen, suggesting this wasn’t an accident.

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2025-12-04 02:50