It feels unreal to say it, but Stranger Things is officially over. Netflix’s sci-fi phenomenon ran for five seasons, though with external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes, the series was a part of our lives for nearly a decade. Not only is it the streamer’s best project to date, but it’s also one of the most culturally impactful shows of the 21st century, leaving a lasting impression on television.
The series finale released on New Year’s Eve, delivering an emotional wrap-up for our characters while also devastating fans with a major death—or fakeout death?—in the end. While season 5 is, unfortunately, my least favorite of the bunch, the finale was undeniably affecting and did a great job saying goodbye to a story we’ve fallen so in love with.
That said, the Stranger Things finale didn’t wrap up everything. Here are five questions we didn’t get an explicit answer to in the show—while the creators, the Duffer Brothers, are now commenting on some.
- Who unlocked the door for Will in season 1?
- Did Joyce and Hopper realize Henry was Henry Creel?
- Where did Dr. Owens go?
- What happened to Patty Newby?
- What was the rock in the cave?
Who unlocked the door for Will in season 1?
According to the Duffer Brothers, the Demogorgon has no telepathic abilities and didn’t open Will’s door in Season 1. The last season will uncover who actually did it. pic.twitter.com/tlxLX90oct
— Stranger News (@StrangerNews11) November 23, 2025
A major question going into the final season of Stranger Things was surrounding Will’s abduction in the first season. Of course, the events of the series kick off with Will being taken into the Upside Down as his friends and family try to figure out what happened to him. There’s one scene in which his front door mysteriously unlocks, and fans have been wanting to know what—or who—exactly did that.
Now, the buzz around this question only grew during press for the final season, when the Duffers teased that we’d be getting an answer. During an interview with Digital Spy, Ross Duffer stated: “The lock gets opened telepathically. The Demogorgons aren’t telepathic. I’ll say that much. People have noticed that.”
Fans began to theorize that perhaps Eleven unlocked Will’s door, especially when remembering that she had a reaction to seeing Will in a photo before he was found. However, there was never a big reveal in the finale. At this point, we can assume it was probably Vecna who unlocked the door, but it’s disappointing that we don’t know for sure.
Did Joyce and Hopper realize Henry was Henry Creel?
Another big question mark going into the final season of Stranger Things was whether Joyce and Hopper realized who Vecna really was. Although Henry looked very young when Dr. Brenner took him, he’s actually only a few years younger than Joyce and Hopper. And in fact, they went to school together at Hawkins High.
In the Stranger Things play, The First Shadow, we learn that not only did Joyce and Hopper attend the same school as Henry, but they also interacted with him as they worked on the school play. I’m not going to drop spoilers for the play here, but Henry made quite an impression on Hawkins High and its students, so there’s no way Joyce and Hopper would forget him. This goes for Karen and Ted Wheeler, too.
And even if you ignore the play—which you shouldn’t—we learned from the show scenes of Henry’s memories that he, at the very least, crossed paths with Joyce and Hopper in school. So, did they know the Henry they were fighting against to save the world was the same dorky Henry from high school?
Stranger Things never tells us. However, the Duffers are now responding to the question, with Ross sharing that he’s “sure” Joyce and Hopper talked about it off-screen.
“We had a walk a fine line with the play — we don’t want to frustrate, because so much of our audience is unable to see it,” Ross explained to Variety. “To have them start talking about it would have been confusing in the context of someone who hasn’t seen the play. But I’m sure they did have that conversation.”
That makes sense, but one quick line wouldn’t have confused anyone. As I mentioned, we knew from the scenes of Henry’s memories that they went to school together. The fact that they didn’t include any kind of conversation about it was the confusing part.
Where did Dr. Owens go?
Oh, Dr. Owens. You were such a sweet guy, and the show did you dirty!
You might even be reading this and thinking, “Who’s Dr. Owens?” That’s because the final season totally forgot about him, and you might’ve, too.
A former employee of Hawkins Lab, Owens was introduced in the second season, but had a bigger role in season 4 when helping Eleven escape the military and try to get her powers back. While Dr. Brenner had ulterior motives, Dr. Owens always prioritized Eleven’s well-being and overall safety. The last time we saw him, he was handcuffed by the military in season 4.
There’s no saying what happened to him next, because Stranger Things 5 doesn’t even mention him. It’s possible he was killed by the military, because if he was released, wouldn’t he have tried to contact Hopper or Eleven? He would’ve been a great asset to have in their fight against Vecna, especially considering they were also trying to avoid the military.
What happened to Patty Newby?
This is a pain point related to the play, so if you haven’t seen or read up on The First Shadow, you definitely should. The Duffers have confirmed it’s canon, so what are you waiting for?
Among the many characters we get to meet in The First Shadow is Bob Newby’s adopted sister, Patty. An outcast at school, she forms a close connection with Henry, and they even become love interests. While Henry is a bit scary with his uncontrolled powers, Patty isn’t afraid of him. Again, not going to drop spoilers for the play here, but Patty’s storyline ends with her leaving Hawkins to find an important person in her life.
But considering she’s Bob’s sister, it’s surprising she wouldn’t be at least mentioned in Stranger Things. Yes, I know we’ve moved far beyond Bob’s storyline (RIP!), but if the play is canon, the fans would like to know what happened to her. Plus, there have been theories that she ended up becoming Ms. Kelly, the Hawkins High counselor who Max meets with in season 4.
Of course, the theory never amounted to anything, but it would’ve been cool for fans of the play to get an answer.
What was the rock in the cave?
This might be the biggest question we still have after the finale. In season 5, we learned that Henry had a bad memory involving a cave, and it was so upsetting to him, he couldn’t even go inside it. This benefitted Max, who was hiding there since she was taken by Vecna, and later Holly and the other kids.
We had a ton of questions about the cave going into the finale, and most of them were answered: When Henry was a kid, he stumbled upon an injured man yelling in a cave and wanted to figure out what happened. But there was something wrong with the man, and he shot Henry in the hand. Henry responded by bashing the man’s head in with a rock, and he then opened the briefcase the man had.
Henry found a powerful rock, and the man told him he must control it. It’s this rock that gave Henry his powers and connected him to the Mind Flayer, turning him into the evil being we knew him to become. But what exactly was this rock? Where did it come from? The finale didn’t have time to tell us.
That said, it looks like we will, in fact, be finding out more about this rock. In post-finale interviews, the Duffers have confirmed that the planned spinoff will answer some of these questions.
“The spinoff is going to delve into that and explain that, and you’re going to understand it,” Matt reluctantly told Variety when asked about the rock. “But it’s a completely different mythology. So it’s not a deep exploration of the Mind Flayer or anything like that. It’s very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some of the loose threads that are remaining. “
In another interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Matt elaborated:
“The spinoff is not about rocks or mining the rocks, but I would say that’s the loose end that’s not tied up that will be tied up. But ultimately, and we have said this before, but I guess to reiterate, it is an entirely new mythology. This spinoff does connect and will answer some of the lingering questions. It’s not specifically about the Mind Flayer or the Upside Down, but hopefully it provides some answers to at least those lingering questions related to Henry’s memory.”
There are still so many questions around what the Stranger Things spinoff can cover, but at least we know we’ll be getting more information about the rock at some point.
All five seasons of Stranger Things are now streaming on Netflix. Which questions do you still have about the show? Let us know in our comments section below!