Why Vecna Is So Afraid of That Cave in 'Stranger Things' Season 5

Spoiler Warning! If you are not caught up on Stranger Things season 5, volumes 1 and 2, there will be spoilers listed here!

In season five, a memorable scene with Henry/Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Max (Sadie Sink) happens where he’s chasing her and she hides in a cave. Before her escape, Max is alive in a version of his mind, and the only place she’s safe is within this cave.

Stranger Things superfans are aware of a cave in the lore, and we’re here with an explainer.

If you’ve seen the Broadway or West End play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, you might be wondering if the two caves are similar.

Well, the show’s creators, the Duffer brothers, confirmed…it’s the same cave.

Keep reading to find out more…

For some backstory: in the play, which is set in the 1950s, you learn that when Henry was a child in Nevada, his family lived near a military base. One day, he ventured in a cave and was immediately taken to a place called “Dimension X,” which is similar to the Upside Down. He encountered the Stranger Things beast the Mind Flayer, and while he was only there for half a day, it changed him forever.

Variety asked if this cave is the same as the cave in season five: “In The First Shadow, the prequel play that’s on Broadway and in the West End, there’s a reference to a cave in Nevada near an army base where a young Henry Creel first encountered something connected to the Upside Down. Is that the same cave?”

Matt Duffer responded, “Yeah. When we were working on the play with Kate Trefry, we had Henry’s backstory worked out. There was always a balance that we had to find in terms of how much we were going to put in the play. [The director] Stephen [Daldry] and [the produce] Sonia [Friedman] were always pushing for more and we were pushing back and saying, “Well, we have to wait to reveal that in the show.” You’ll see, especially as you reach the final episode, there’s more overlap with the play.”

Ross Duffer added, “And, like, Max finds that Oklahoma poster, which people who haven’t seen the play are maybe like, Why is Henry in Oklahoma?’ But I think it’s nice for us to start to tie those two together.”

Matt then added, “But you absolutely do not have to have seen the play to understand. They’re Easter eggs more than anything.”