We Might Finally Know Who Created The Upside Down On Stranger Things
Potential spoilers for "Stranger Things" Season 4 ahead
Netflix has produced numerous original television shows and movies over the years, yet few have become as widely recognized and hyped as "Stranger Things." The Matt and Ross Duffer-created series debuted in 2016, bringing with it a 1980s aesthetic, a troupe of rising Hollywood stars, and a blend of science fiction and horror that subscribers immediately fell in love with. Now six years past its debut, Season 4 is right around the corner and based on what little we've seen so far, we're in for yet another thrilling batch of nine episodes.
Aside from the surprising revelation that Jim Hopper (David Harbour) managed to survive the explosive events of the Season 3 finale, odds are Season 4 will focus on the fact that Russian forces have managed to capture a Demogorgon of their own. Of course, they wouldn't have such a dangerous creature if it wasn't for the existence of its horrifying homeland, the Upside Down. This parallel dimension has featured quite heavily on "Stranger Things" since the beginning, yet we know very little about it outside of what the program has shown off directly.
One of the many enduring mysteries surrounding the Upside Down is who can claim responsibility for its creation. After years of waiting, however, we may finally have an answer to that very question.
Did Eleven create the Upside Down?
The "Stranger Things" crew first made contact with beings from the Upside Down thanks to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who accidentally opened an inter-dimensional gateway using her telekinetic powers. This not only invited Demogorgons to the streets of Hawkins, Indiana, but it allowed the feared Mind Flayer to temporarily gain a foothold on Earth. Considering Eleven and her friends helped keep the Upside Down's inhabitants from taking over the world, one would imagine she had nothing to do with its creation, right? In reality, that might not hold entirely true.
During an interview with SFX Magazine, "Stranger Things" set designer Chris Trujillo let slip that perhaps Eleven had to do with the manifestation of the Upside Down. When speaking about the process behind creating the Wheeler House, Trujillo said, "The moment that the Upside Down was 'created,' inadvertently by Eleven, the set dressing, and the world is frozen in that moment." He easily could've misspoken, but should it turn out that his claim is true, that would drastically change the complexion of all four seasons of "Stranger Things" as we know them.
While this is far from official confirmation that Eleven is linked to the genesis of the Upside Down, it's no less an intriguing tidbit of information. One can only hope that confirmation one way or the other will come during the final two seasons of "Stranger Things."