🔗 Share this article

For much of the fifth and final season of *Stranger Things*, Holly Wheeler and Max are held captive in a realm of memories forged from the memories of Henry Creel. The search for a way out in episode 6 has them experience a life-altering moment from Henry's childhood—a discovery that potentially carries the secret to his downfall for good.

Heads Up: The following contains major spoilers for the second part of the final season.

Unearthing the Secrets of the Mine Shaft

When she finds Max in the world known as Camazotz, Holly discovers she is hiding out in a chamber that Henry strangely fears. By leaving the lens cap on a telescope taken from Henry's old home lets Holly see that the source of fear lies beyond the cave. By aligning her view with the shape, she and Max suddenly fall into a subterranean passage.

They watch a young, eight-year-old Henry encounter an man who is hurt and scared. As the boy offers aid, the man reacts violently, striking Henry in the hand. To protect himself, Henry strikes the man down with a rock. "Was this the turning point?" Holly wonders aloud. Essentially, yes, but the trauma went deeper than a defensive killing.

Like many elements this season, the full story behind the events in the tunnel originates in the live show the prequel play.

A Naval Mystery and Stolen Research

The play reveals the legendary naval test, which allegedly sent a warship into a dimension later called the Abyss. The ship was attacked, and the lone returnee was the ship's commander, who came back in a unresponsive state with an entirely new blood.

The captain's son, the future Dr. Brenner, sought to replicate this dimensional breach in remote Nevada. However, a treacherous employee took experimental components to give to the Soviets, who were keen to start their parallel research. The man in the cavern was that very thief.

Unlocking the Mystery

Based on what is understood of Brenner's work, the briefcase almost certainly contained vials of the unique blood type. In the scene, Henry is already bleeding. He likely becomes contaminated upon contact with the blood, leading to the awakening of his powers—abilities he would inadvertently transfer to the test subjects under Brenner's care.

A second theory, the box could have held exotic matter that eventually found its way to Hawkins Laboratory, where it helps stabilize the Upside Down. The prequel shows that Henry somehow wound up in the Abyss, reappearing 12 hours later as a different person. Throughout the play, he battles the whispers of a sinister presence, much like how Will was possessed by the shadow monster in the past.

Confronting Terror

Henry's enduring terror associated with the mine highlights how profoundly traumatic the event was for him. Even as he orchestrates the army of monsters and attempts to pull the Abyss into Hawkins, a fragment of his psyche lingers. Vecna uses fear, and the narrative points to a showdown between Vecna and Will, who has confronted his personal demons to become stronger.

Will's growth has neutralized a key tactic of Vecna. More importantly, Will now knows what his enemy truly fears, which could provide a decisive edge in the series finale to come.