How Stranger Things: The First Shadow Helps Set Up Season 5
Posted on
As *Stranger Things* Season 5 rolls out on Netflix, fans are discovering just how much the prequel stage play, *Stranger Things: The First Shadow*, enriches the story. While only the first four episodes are available, connections to the play are already popping up, offering deeper insight into Henry Creel’s (001/Vecna) origin, Dr. Brenner’s experiments, and the roots of Hawkins’ supernatural events. Here’s a breakdown of everything we know so far, **but beware, SPOILERS AHEAD!**
### **Henry Creel’s Origins and Project Indigo**
Playing the [Phoenix Theatre](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/venue/phoenix-theatre-london),* *Stranger Things: The First Shadow dives deep into Henry Creel’s early life in Hawkins, showing him struggling to control his emerging psychic powers. Season 5’s flashbacks, particularly through Max’s journey into Vecna’s memories, highlight Henry’s inner turmoil—his original fear of hurting others and his growing darkness.
The play details Project Indigo, Dr. Brenner’s early program to mold Henry and later other children, giving context to the lab’s operations in the show. Max walking through the memory of the Rainbow Room in S5 Episode 4 illustrates the early days of these experiments, and the moment Eleven overpowered Henry Creel after he manipulated her in the lab and killed the other children.
### **Vecna’s Fear of Caves**
In Season 5, Max finds refuge in a cave while trying to hide from Vecna inside his mind, and she notices that Vecna is afraid of caves and won’t follow her in there. For viewers, this might seem like a small detail—but *The First Shadow* explains why. In the play, young Henry Creel explored a Nevada cave where stolen experimental technology from the USS Eldridge project was hidden. This was his first exposure to Dimension X, which traumatised him and gave him a lasting fear of enclosed spaces like caves.
### **Henry's Spyglass**
Here’s a fun Easter egg: Henry went into the Nevada cave with a toy spyglass, which he lost there. This spyglass is actually how Dr. Brenner first tracked him down to Hawkins years later. In Season 5, Holly Wheeler—Mike’s little sister—finds and uses that same spyglass in the Creel house after she’s kidnapped and brought into the Upside Down. It’s a clever link between past and present, showing how Henry’s early trauma continues to shape the dangers in the present day
### **Joyce, Hopper, and Hawkins High**
Season 5 flashbacks reveal Joyce and Hopper’s past, showing them as teenagers involved in the Hawkins High School scene. Max witnesses a memory of Joyce organising a production of *Oklahoma* on November 6th, the same day Will goes missing, subtly linking the play’s events to the larger timeline. These glimpses reinforce the idea that Joyce, Hopper, and others knew Henry in high school, adding layers to their backstory, which we see in great detail in the play.
### **Patty Newby and Character Parallels**
The play introduces Patty Newby, Bob Newby’s sister, as Henry’s teenage love interest. Their relationship mirrors the Mike/Will dynamic in Season 5, suggesting recurring themes of affection, control, and the unintended harm caused by supernatural influence. Henry’s struggles with Patty echo Will’s potential conflicts, hinting that Vecna could exploit similar emotional vulnerabilities in the show’s present-day storylines - we will have to finish Season 5 to find out where this theory takes us!
### **The USS Eldridge Experiment: How It All Began**
In *Stranger Things: The First Shadow*, the play explains how the Upside Down started. In 1943, the USS Eldridge (a real U.S. Navy destroyer ship) was part of a secret experiment that accidentally sent the ship to Dimension X, a dark and dangerous realm. Most of the crew died, but one survivor, Captain Brenner, came back changed.
His story inspired Dr. Martin Brenner to start experiments at Hawkins Lab, which eventually led to children like Eleven being tested. The play also shows that Henry Creel (later Vecna) was exposed to this dark force early on, giving fans the first look at how the supernatural dangers of Hawkins began long before the events of the 1980s series.
### **Easter Eggs and Continuity Details**
The play is filled with details that carry over into Season 5:
* The Hawkins high school play flyer connects directly to Will’s disappearance, with the date November 6th.
* Dr. Brenner’s manipulation of Henry in the play is echoed through Project Indigo and experiments on other children, which we see as Max walks through Henry’s memories
* Even the actor playing Brenner in the play on Broadway stars in the role as Lt. Akers in Season 5.
The **Duffer** Brothers have described *The First Shadow* as “additive” and “connective tissue,” offering background and depth without being required viewing. For fans, it’s an invaluable way to understand the origins of Vecna, the lab, and the Upside Down.
### **Why It Matters**
Even after just four episodes of Season 5, it’s clear that the play enhances the story’s depth. By linking Henry’s origin, the Nevada cave, Project Indigo, and the USS Eldridge incident to Season 5’s plot, *The First Shadow* gives fans a richer understanding of Hawkins’ dark history—and how the supernatural forces continue to shape the lives of the kids we’ve followed for years.
### **Why You Need to Watch the Play**
If you haven’t seen *Stranger Things: The First Shadow* yet, now’s the perfect time to dive in. The play offers a brilliant chance to explore Henry Creel’s origin, Dr. Brenner’s early experiments, and the roots of the Upside Down—giving Season 5 even more depth. You can book tickets now, or if you’ve already watched the play, returning after finishing Season 5 lets you see all the connections and Easter eggs in full context. Either way, it’s an essential journey for any fan wanting the complete Hawkins experience.
Book your tickets to [*Stranger Things: The First Shadow*](https://www.londontheatredirect.com/play/stranger-things-the-first-shadow-tickets) today.