By
Zach Moser
Published 15 minutes ago
Zach Moser is a Philadelphia native who loves films, television, books, and any and all media he can get his hands on. Zach has had articles published on satirical sites such as Points In Case, Slackjaw, and McSweeney's.
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
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Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) has become a much more important character in Stranger Things season 5, and it's possible that she's the key to helping Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) escape Vecna's domain. The youngest Wheeler, Holly, has been a minor character for most of the series, but in season 5, she's joined the party.
A sweet girl, though a bit naive, as any young kid would be, Holly believes she's found a guardian in her imaginary friend named Mr. Whatsit. It turns out Mr. Whatsit isn't who he seems, and she's taken to the Upside Down. She's "rescued" by none other than Max, who reveals they are trapped within Vecna's memories.
Together, the pair hatch a plan to escape, one that will necessitate Holly finding a strength and courage that most children her age would not be able to tap into. Her link-up with Max in the Upside Down suggests she'll be critical to stopping Vecna, and it's been hinted at exactly how that could happen.
Holly's "Cleric" Title Suggests How She & Max Escape From Vecna's Mindscape
Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5
In Stranger Things season 5, episode 1, "Chapter One: The Crawl", Mike (Finn Wolfhard) goes to the elementary school to pick up Holly. There, he finds her sitting in the hallway reading A Wrinkle in Time, the 1962 science fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle. In their conversation, Mike calls his sister "Holly the Heroic".
To formalize the title, he offers her a Dungeons & Dragons figurine and tells her she's a cleric with powers that include casting protection spells and opening portals into other dimensions. You can bet that the Duffer brothers did not assign holly that D&D class randomly. There's looking to be big things ahead for our young cleric.
Max and Holly are currently stuck in Vecna's memories, but Max has a plan, one that we won't get to see until Stranger Things returns on Christmas Day. All we know is it involves Holly. If Holly is truly a portal opening cleric, perhaps she will be key to opening some kind of door out of Vecna's mindscape.
Stranger Things Season 5 Already Hinted At When Holly & Max's Escape Will Happen
Max and Holly in Stranger Things season 5Image via Netflix
So with Holly as cleric, Max guiding the way, and episode 4 ending with a plan between the new friends, we can assume they'll be working their way out of Vecna's control while Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the others are working their way to him. One of the future episode titles hints at when that escape will be.
Episode 6, set to drop alongside episodes 5 and 7 on December 25, is titled "Escape from Camazotz". "Camazotz" is a dark prison planet from that book Holly was reading, A Wrinkle in Time, and she explains to Max in episode 4, "Sorcerer", how Vecna's mind prison is similar to Camazotz.
A Wrinkle in Time readers will recall how sibling love is critical to the main characters of that book escaping Camazotz, and Holly and Max's escape will probably require a similar amount of love and friendship for the pair to escape Vecna in Stranger Things season 5.
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Stranger Things
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Drama Mystery Horror Science Fiction Release Date 2016 - 2025-00-00 Network Netflix Showrunner Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer Directors Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz Writers Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
7 Images
Eleven looking into an opening of the Upside Down with pink light in Stranger Things season 1
Jim Hopper (David Harbour) grabbing Jonathan's (Charlie Heaton) shoulders in Stranger Things season 1©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
Eleven with cables all over her head in Stranger Things season 4
Vecna looking towards Will in the trailer for Stranger Things season 5 (2025)
Max and Eleven in Stranger ThingsNetflix
Stranger Things season 2, episode 2 "Trick or Treat, Freak".MovieStillsDB
The Upside Down in Stranger Things season 5Courtesy of Netflix Close
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Millie Bobby Brown
Jane 'Eleven' Hopper
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Finn Wolfhard
Mike Wheeler
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