and gave it a fresh glaze of horror. Being an outsider with a nerd-like obsession for Dungeons and Dragons never seemed so cool. Then throw in an eerie Upside-Down world, a super-powered girl and a terrifying creature to fight and it was effortless, charming, feminist without trying to be, and it explored the bonds of friendship in a way that made for addictive telly-watching.
and we witnessed the central characters' friendship dynamic change as romantic relationships blossomed. The puzzle pieces begin to lock into place for Dustin – who has become something of a genius when it comes to all things Upside-Down. Vecna and The Mind Flayer have this in common, as the beastie also had plans to take over the world. Dustin presents the theory that Vecna is working for The Mind Flayer.
If Dustin is correct and The Mind Flayer is at work, it would indeed make sense that the same trope is being revisited season after season with bigger monsters at the helm of the villainy.