Stranger Things fans spot huge clue in season 5 that may finally anwser why Vecna kidnapped Will Byers in the first place

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Stranger Things fans spot huge clue in season 5 that may finally anwser why Vecna kidnapped Will Byers in the first place News By Megan Garside published 1 December 2025

It looks like season 5 links back to The First Shadow in more ways than one

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(Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 may have hit Netflix almost a week ago, but fans are picking apart the first four episodes, and have found yet another juicy theory that may have given away the entire plot.

Spoilers follow for Stranger Things season 5 volume 1, so turn back now if you haven't seen it, and check out our Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review.

After Holly Wheeler gets trapped in Henry Creel's Mindscape, we soon learn that this is where Max's subconscious has been ever since she was put into a coma at the end of season 4. In a flashback, we see Max wandering through Creel's mind when she falls into one of his memories from the '50s. In the halls of Hawkins High, she sees Will's mom, Joyce, handing out flyers for a play called Oklahoma. However, after doing some digging, Stranger Things fans think that a little piece of paper may be a major clue as to why Vecna has been targeting Hawkins all this time.

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On the flyer, we see that Oklahoma, directed by Joyce herself, starred Jim Hopper, Karen, and Ted Wheeler, two other students named Patty Newby and Alan Munson, as well as Creel. However, it is the date of the play that is the most interesting part: November 6, 1959. Stranger Things fans will know that Will Byers was kidnapped by Vecna on November 6, 1983. Could this have been payback for something that happened the night of the play? We are getting serious Carrie vibes from this one.

"November 6th. All the parents. They were all targeted," said one fan on Twitter, referring to the fact that Joyce, Hopper, and the Wheelers' children are all wrapped up in Vecna's destruction of Hawkins, as well as Alan Munson, who may be a relative of the now deceased teen Eddie Munson. However, the Stranger Things: The First Shadow Broadway and West End stage show actually revolves around this cryptic high school play.

NOVEMBER 6th. ALL THE PARENTS. THEY WERE ALL TARGETED. pic.twitter.com/TFsmOqXZ7fNovember 29, 2025

In the stage show, Joyce pretends to set up a high school production of Oklahoma!, casting freshman Henry Creel and Patty Newby in the lead roles, who soon start to develop feelings for one another. However, this is a cover-up. Joyce was secretly directing Dark of the Moon, a supernatural story about a witch boy who falls in love with a human girl. Furthermore, Joyce and Hopper were using the play to get Henry to testify against his father, who was suspected of killing animals in Hawkins at the time. Patty, on the other hand, told Henry she would run away with him after the play, but that never happened as Creel was kidnapped by Dr. Brenner, and went on to kill his family the same day the play hit the stage.

So what does this mean? Vecna may be targeting the kids to get back at what their parents did to him. However, the play could also be a traumatic memory that Creel is keeping locked away in his mind, just like the cave. This may be the key to unlocking his humanity and stopping him from carrying out his evil plan, whatever that may be.

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Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 is out on Netflix, with volume 2 set to arrive on Christmas Day. See our Stranger Things season release schedule for exact timings. For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to stream right now.

CATEGORIES Netflix Streaming Services Megan GarsideSocial Links NavigationEditorial Associate, GamesRadar+

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.  

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