Fans of Stranger Things are speculating about how the gates between the Upside Down and the real world can be closed, as the final season approaches. Season four ended with Vecna using Max Mayfield to open a fourth 'curse gate', fracturing Hawkins and allowing the dark dimension to bleed through. Vecna aims to open more portals and destroy the world, raising questions about whether the gates can be shut down permanently.
The original 'Mothergate' beneath Hawkins Laboratory was accidentally opened by Eleven and fellow test subject Ten on November 6, 1983, when they made psychic contact with a Demogorgon. This rift allowed the Mind Flayer to spread into the real world. A year later, Eleven and Ten sealed the Mothergate using their powers, but by then the Upside Down had already grown. This suggests that psychic abilities are key to stopping Vecna and closing the gates.
In season four, Eleven accidentally opened a temporary portal while battling Vecna in 1979, which was successfully shut. However, the Mothergate was later reopened and left to grow. Other gates include one under Starcourt Mall and the curse gates at Eddie Munson's trailer, Lovers' Lake, and the Creel House. Demogorgons can also rip temporary holes that seal almost instantly, indicating limited control over the portals.
The season five trailer hints that Eleven may seek help from Kali Prasad to stop Vecna and close the rift for good. However, with the rift now larger than ever, previous methods may not suffice. The mythology is set to expand, with Dustin Henderson noting that everything they assumed about the Upside Down may be wrong. Vecna and the Mind Flayer aim to merge the two worlds, possibly requiring more than just the combined powers of Eleven, Kali, and Will to shut down the Mothergate permanently.
