As ‘Stranger Things’ barrels toward its final chapter, fans have spent years dissecting its mythology, character arcs, and emotional payoffs. However, even at the end of Season 5, there are still too many plot lines that are left hanging, swept under the carpet, or intentionally left ambiguous.
Some are small character beats, others are background lore questions that used to seem important until the show decided to ignore them. These are 10 of the largest unanswered questions that ‘Stranger Things’ has ignored, and why they are important.
10. What Happened To Dustin And Suzie
The relationship between Dustin and Suzie has always been in a weird place; it is real enough to save the world, but at the same time, it is far enough to disappear without any explanation. Suzie becomes a major absentee after Season 3. No on-screen separation, no assurance that they remain together, and not even a throwaway line to clarify the situation.
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This kind of silence is strange in a show that tends to focus on emotional continuity. The love story just ceases. It is not clear whether this was deliberate realism (long-distance teenage relationships fading) or simple narrative oversight.
9. Why Did Will Survive After The Hive Mind Was Destroyed?
Among the most confusing lore contradictions in ‘Stranger Things’ is what surrounds Will Byers. It is constantly repeated that the Upside Down is a hive mind, kill the brain, and the body dies. This reasoning is supported several times in seasons. And yet, when the Mind Flayer and Vecna are defeated, Will is left entirely intact.
Was Will no longer related to the hive mind? Did his bond weaken over time? Or was he never really a member of the hive as others were? The show does not resolve its own rules, and fans have to guess whether Will is an exception or a retcon.
8. What Happened To Max’s Letters?
Before the fight with Vecna in Season 4, Max writes letters to each Party member, emotional, possibly transformative moments frozen in time. Afterward? They are never referred to again. We do not see anyone reading them, or replying to them, or even admitting that they exist.
Given that Max survives but is physically and emotionally altered, the lack of those letters seems like a lost chance to get closure and characterization. And if fans saw her writing them, it’s only natural for them to expect to see what she wrote.
7. Does Mike Know The Truth About Will Painting?
The painting that Will gave to Mike as a commission by Eleven was, in fact, Will making an emotional confession to Mike. It is one of the saddest episodes in the series. However, the reality is never disclosed. Mike never learns that the words meant for him came directly from Will’s heart, nor does the show confirm whether Will ever intended to tell him.
That unfinished emotional sincerity looms over their relationship, and fans are left uncertain whether this was a restraint, tragedy, or merely incomplete storytelling. This is further amplified by Will’s confession to the group in Season 5.
6. Who Opened The Door In The Pilot?
The very first episode of ‘Stranger Things‘ features Will fleeing in front of the Demogorgon and locking the front door of his house, only to have it unlock mysteriously in a few seconds. This scene gave rise to a thousand theories at the very beginning: telekinesis, Eleven’s powers, the interference of the Upside Down.
However, it was never explained, and the show does not revisit it. Was it supernatural? Was it an oversight in production prior to the lore being finalized? Or was it a deliberate secret that was silently dropped as the series progressed?
5. Why Was Will Vecna’s Main Target?
One of the most consistent throughlines of the show, and one of the least explained, is Vecna’s obsession with Will. Will is kidnapped, owned, and psychically bound even long after others have been released. However, the show does not provide a clear explanation as to why he chose Will.
Related: Eleven’s Fate In ‘Stranger Things’ Finale Explained
Is it due to Will surviving the Upside Down alone? Because Vecna saw something in him that he could exploit? The lack of clarity makes Will’s importance feel both massive and frustratingly undefined.
4. What Happened To The Turnbows?
Dips**t Derek’s family, the Turnbow, had major screen time in Season 5 vol. 1. They were drugged by the party so that they could take Derek under their protection as he was marked by Vecna. However, their arc ends there.
After Vol. 1, there’s no mention of them, and there are no consequences for what the main characters did to them. We do not know whether they were interrogated, guarded, or even arrested.
3. Did Dr. Kay Survive?
Dr. Kay’s fate is another example of Stranger Things quietly dropping a significant character. Her interest in the Hawkins Lab plot suggests that she had some knowledge that would have been very important. However, her final destiny is never established.
Alive? Dead? Lost in government secrecy? The show does not provide any closure. This is particularly bizarre considering how careful it is in most cases with lab-related repercussions. Additionally, she was one of the main reasons Eleven sacrificed herself. So, leaving her arc hanging was confusing to many fans.
2. Where Did Vickie Go?
One of the most refreshing late additions to the show was Robin’s romance. Her relationship with Vickie was deserved, clumsy, and promising. In the epilogue, however, Vickie does not appear. Robin vaguely mentions overbearing partners, but there is no indication as to whether the relationship was saved.
Given the significance of Robin as a central character, the ambiguity is unusually evasive. And with how Vickie was by her side through the final battle against Vecna, it’s strange to think that they broke up. But now we’ll never know.
1. Where Is Max’s Mom?
Max’s mother is central to her emotional backstory, abusive relationships, instability, and displacement, all of which stem from that dynamic. Her mother does not feature in the story after Max confronts Vecna, and she survives. Is she caring for Max? Absent again? Removed for her own safety?
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The show does not touch on it at all. Some unanswered questions are intentional. Mystery is part of ‘Stranger Things’ DNA. But others feel like abandoned threads. These loose ends may have been intentional, unintentional, or casualties of the pacing restrictions. However, now they’ve become a part of the discussion of the legacy of the series.
