🔗 Share this article

During the bulk of the fifth and final season of the popular Netflix show, Holly Wheeler and Max Mayfield are held captive in a realm of memories built from the recollections of Henry Creel. Their mission for an escape route in the pivotal sixth episode has them witness again a traumatic incident from Henry's childhood—a moment that may just hold the key to defeating him for good.

Spoiler Warning: This article reveals crucial plot points for the second part of the final season.

Unearthing the Secrets of the Tunnel

After locating Max in the mental landscape called Camazotz, it becomes clear she is taking refuge in a chamber that Henry strangely fears. An accidental discovery a spyglass taken from Henry's old home helps Holly understand that the source of fear lies outside of the cave. By aligning her view through the cap, she and Max suddenly fall into a abandoned tunnel.

They watch a child version of Henry find an wounded, fearful individual. Attempting assistance, the man fires a gun, wounding the boy in the hand. Fighting for his life, Henry strikes the man down with a rock. "Did this make Henry evil?" Holly asks tearfully. Essentially, yes, but the act involved more than a simple act of survival.

Like many elements of the final season, the truth about the events in the tunnel was first explored the live show the prequel play.

The Philadelphia Experiment and Secret Science

This backstory explains the 1943 event, which reportedly teleported a U.S. Navy ship into a dimension dubbed the Abyss. Demogorgons assaulted it, and the only one to return was the ship's commander, who returned in a unresponsive state with an entirely new blood.

That survivor's offspring, a young Martin Brenner, sought to replicate this phenomenon in remote Nevada. However, a treacherous employee pilfered lab samples to give to the Russian agents, who were desperate to launch their version of the tests. That traitor in the mine shaft is the one who stole the materials.

So, What's in the Case?

Given what is revealed about his research, the case almost certainly contained samples of the altered blood. At that moment, Henry is already bleeding. Exposure likely occurred upon handling the contents, which triggered the development of his psychic abilities—abilities he would genetically impart to the children under Brenner's care.

A second theory, the case could have held exotic matter that eventually found its way to the Hawkins lab, where it acts to anchor the parallel world. *The First Shadow* reveals that the boy somehow wound up in the Abyss, returning 12 hours later fundamentally changed. Throughout the play, he battles the whispers of a malevolent force, reminiscent of how Will was influenced by the Mind Flayer in season 2.

The Power of Fear

The reason Henry avoids the cave of that cave demonstrates how profoundly traumatic the incident was for him. Even as he controls the Hive Mind and attempts to pull the Abyss into Hawkins, a part of him still exists. Vecna uses fear, and the narrative points to a final confrontation between Vecna and Will, who has confronted his own deepest fears to become stronger.

This journey has neutralized a key tactic of Vecna. Furthermore, Will now knows what his enemy truly fears, and this may grant a decisive edge in the endgame conflict ahead.