Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 4.
Stranger Things season 4, volume 1 finally explains at least six mysteries raised in season 1. The newest installment of the Netflix series boasts new additions to the familiar cast, longer-than-ever Stranger Things episode lengths, and pay-offs several years in the making. Even though the season has yet to air its final two episodes, its first volume covers a lot of ground and reveals the answers to many questions raised as early as the show's first season.
Though not the focus of Stranger Things season 1, many mysteries swirled around Hawkins Lab and the shady government officials working there. The series prioritized other storylines but left tantalizing hints that there was more to still be uncovered. Season 4 has gone out of its way to focus on some of those mysteries and dig into the lore and background of a number of its characters.
Matt and Ross Duffer created Stranger Things and decided early on that what isn't shown on screen is more scary and interesting than what is. For this reason, it makes sense that the series has gone on as long as it has without exploring its deeper lore and history—it hasn't needed to. The show is plenty interesting and intriguing without plumbing the depths of its lore for specifics. That the Duffer Brothers are showing parts of their hand now suggests a desire to reward loyal fans and prepare audiences for an ending that will lean more on the contextual history of Hawkins, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and other characters. Here are six mysteries suggested in Stranger Things season 1 that season 4 has already revealed answers to.
What Happened To The Other Kids At Hawkins Lab?
Though explored lightly in Stranger Things season 2, the question of other kids being at Hawkins Lab was more or less avoided until season 4. One of the first things season 1 revealed about Eleven was the tattoo on her arm, implicitly suggesting that at least ten other experiments came before her. When Kali (Linnea Berthelson) was revealed in season 2's opener, it seemed that Stranger Things might be gearing up to explore more of those potential children, but aside from appearances in the Stranger Things comics, it never paid off further than Kali in season 2, with season 3 having no reference to any other Hawkins Lab kids.
Season 4's opener shows Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine) in 1979 going about his regular daily routine and ending up at Hawkins Lab, where he enters the infamous rainbow room. The sequence features several kids who live at Hawkins Lab. The scene ends in tragedy, with Eleven apparently responsible for their gruesome deaths. It's later revealed that One (Jamie Campbell Bower) is the one who really killed the other children, having manipulated Eleven to remove a device that stopped him from using his powers.
How Was Eleven Able To Open The Gate To The Upside Down?
In her struggle with One, Eleven is able to use some advice he'd given her prior to defeating him. One explains that her powers were stronger when fueled by memories of pain and anger. When she finds that isn't enough, Eleven is able to access a memory of her mother telling her she loves her, and that gives her the boost she needs to tear a hole in reality with her mind and banish One to the Upside Down before he can do more damage.
How Eleven opened a portal to the Upside Down went unexplained for the first three seasons, except showing that she found the mind of a Demogorgon while remote viewing. Season 4 explains that a strong psychic connection to a mind can serve as the basis for a portal to the Upside Down. It might not yet be evident how Eleven first accessed the Upside Down to banish One. Still, it now makes total sense that she was able to accidentally open another portal—her mind was already tuned to the other dimension.
How Did Eleven Escape From Hawkins Lab?
While it was suggested in season 1 that Eleven potentially used a drainage pipe to escape Hawkins Lab, season 4 not only confirms this but shows how she learned about the escape route in the first place. A friendly-seeming orderly at Hawkins Lab—really Number One or Henry Creel—showed Eleven her future escape route to gain her trust and secure her help in removing the inhibitor from his neck. Eleven finally used it to escape after opening the portal to the Upside Down, perhaps unconsciously running away from potential vengeance from a banished One.
What Are The Origins Of Hawkins Lab?
What started Hawkins Lab's experimentation on children was never clear in Stranger Things season 1. Season 4 explains that Henry Creel was the first psychic child that Dr. Brenner had seen and inspired him to try and create more like him. Because One was so hard to control, Brenner seemed to believe he'd have more success if he started working with the children at a younger age. While it's not yet certain that every other child in the lab was created through the heavy use of psychedelics on pregnant women, it's implied that this happened in more than just Eleven's case.
Did Dr. Brenner Survive The Demogorgon Attack In Season 1?
What happened to Dr. Brenner after season 1 was an open question until Stranger Things season 4. His body was never seen after the Demogorgon attack in season 1. Season 2 suggested that he was still alive—something confirmed by the Duffer Brothers—but nothing came of it in the rest of season 2 or season 3. Season 4 confirms his survival canonically and shows that Sam Owens (Paul Reiser) has been working with him and a secret team behind the scenes, pulling strings and preparing a device to help Eleven get her powers back.
What Happened To Hopper's Daughter?
Jim Hopper (David Harbour) was shown to have had a wife and daughter before the start of Stranger Things season 1. It was revealed in season 1 that his daughter, Sara, got sick and passed away, driving a wedge between Hopper and his ex-wife. Hopper felt responsible for Sara's death, but the reason for his feeling that way was never hinted at. In an emotional scene, Hopper explains that during his military service in Vietnam, he was regularly exposed to Agent Orange. Based on the effects it had on other soldiers' children, he ought to have known better than to tempt fate and have a daughter. He blames his ignoring this fact on Sara's illness and eventual death. While this can likely never be proven, the answer to the mystery of Hopper's guilt is one of the saddest reveals Stranger Things has ever tackled.
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