In the latest episodes of Stranger Things, particularly Season 5, Volume 2, fans are in for a thrilling revelation about the show’s enigmatic world. Dustin’s statement, “Everything we have ever assumed about the Upside Down has been dead wrong,” encapsulates the fresh insights into the Upside Down and its connection to another mysterious realm called the Abyss.
The Abyss, portrayed as a chaotic and malevolent dimension akin to the Dungeons & Dragons realm of the same name, reveals itself as a starkly different environment from the Upside Down. This new world, characterized by its yellow-tinged landscape, bleak mountains, and floating rock formations, serves as a home to terrifying creatures such as the Mind Flayer and the Demogorgons. As Holly learns in these episodes, falling through rifts in the Abyss leads directly to the Upside Down.
Contrary to longstanding beliefs, the Upside Down is not merely an alternate dimension; it is a wormhole linking our world to the Abyss. This groundbreaking understanding is rooted in Dr. Brenner’s notes from Hawkins Lab, as Dustin uncovers that the Upside Down facilitates the passage between these realms.
Throughout Season 5, hints of this revelation are woven into the narrative, referencing topics like wormholes and Einstein-Rosen Bridges. This connectivity underscores how characters such as Henry, the Mind Flayer, and Demogorgons utilize the Upside Down to traverse to our world, retreating into the Abyss when critically injured.
The pivotal question remains: how did this bridge between worlds come to be? The answer lies in Eleven’s actions in 1979, when she banished Henry to the Abyss after the Hawkins Lab massacre. This banishment inadvertently initiated contact that would lead to the creation of the Upside Down itself, as Eleven’s psychic experiments connected the two realms.
Dustin’s discoveries extend to the concept of exotic matter, which is critical to maintaining the structural integrity of the Upside Down wormhole. This unique matter, a term used in physics to describe substances with unusual properties, is the energy source that binds the worlds together. The stakes are high for the show’s heroes, as the potential destruction of this matter could collapse the bridge, jeopardizing their fight against Vecna.
These revelations set the stage for an exhilarating finale as fans anticipate the conclusion of Stranger Things Season 5. With volumes 1 and 2 now streaming on Netflix and the series finale approaching on December 31, viewers are left hoping for a triumphant resolution for their favorite characters.