🔗 Share this article

During the bulk of season 5 of the popular Netflix show, the young Holly Wheeler and Max find themselves trapped within a psychic prison constructed from the memories of Henry Creel. Their mission for freedom in episode 6 has them witness again a defining event from Henry's childhood—an event that could contain the secret to his downfall for good.

Spoiler Warning: This article contains major spoilers for *Stranger Things* season 5, volume 2.

Unearthing the Secrets of the Cavern

When she finds Max in the world called Camazotz, Holly discovers she is taking refuge in a chamber that Henry is terrified of. An accidental discovery a telescope found in Henry's old home helps Holly understand that the danger lies not within the cave. Matching her view with the shape, she and Max suddenly fall into a deep mine shaft.

They watch a young, eight-year-old Henry come across an man who is hurt and scared. Attempting assistance, the man reacts violently, striking Henry in the hand. In a desperate act of self-defense, Henry strikes the man down with a rock. "Did this make Henry evil?" Holly wonders aloud. The answer is affirmative, but the trauma went deeper than a fight for life.

Like many elements of the final season, the significance of the events in the tunnel is detailed in the stage play the prequel play.

An Interdimensional Incident and A Spy's Mission

The play reveals the infamous Philadelphia Experiment, which allegedly sent a U.S. Navy ship into a plane known as the Abyss. It faced creatures, and the only one to return was the captain, who came back in a unresponsive state with an altered blood type.

That survivor's offspring, a young Martin Brenner, attempted to recreate this dimensional breach in Nevada. One of his scientists pilfered lab samples to hand over to the Communist spies, who were desperate to launch their version of the tests. That traitor in the cavern is that employee.

The Briefcase's Contents

Given what is known about the doctor's experiments, the case would assuredly have samples of Captain Brenner's infected blood. As shown, Henry is bleeding from his hand. Exposure likely occurred upon contact with the blood, which triggered the development of his psychic abilities—powers he would later pass on to the kids Brenner would experiment on.

A second theory, the container could have held exotic matter that later made its way to Hawkins Laboratory, where it helps stabilize the mirror dimension. *The First Shadow* reveals that the boy somehow wound up in the Abyss, returning after half a day with a new blood type and personality. As a youth, he struggles with the influence of a sinister presence, much like how Will Byers was influenced by the shadow monster in the past.

The Power of Fear

Henry's enduring terror of that cave shows how deeply scarring the event was for him. While he commands the Hive Mind and works to collapse the Abyss into Hawkins, a piece of the scared boy remains. Fear is his tool, and the narrative points to a climactic battle between the monster and Will, who has deliberately faced his greatest terrors to gain strength.

Will's growth has effectively disarmed Vecna. Furthermore, Will now is aware of what Vecna himself fears, and this may grant a critical advantage in the series finale ahead.