The highly anticipated Stranger Things season 5 has finally landed on Netflix, introducing a perplexing new character that has fans buzzing with theories. The mysterious Mr Whatsit, who appears as an imaginary friend to Holly Wheeler, is at the centre of the new season's chilling narrative.
The Enigma of Holly Wheeler's New Companion
In the opening episodes of the latest series, viewers are introduced to Holly Wheeler, played by Nell Fisher, the younger sister of Nancy and Mike. She, along with other Hawkins children like Derek Turnbow (Jake Connelly), has an imaginary companion named Mr Whatsit. However, in true Stranger Things fashion, this entity is far from a harmless figment of a child's imagination.
One pivotal scene shows Holly setting the dinner table when she suddenly points to an unseen presence outside the window, giving audiences their first proper glimpse of the mysterious figure. Later, she is seen conversing with him by the school fence, only for him to vanish when her teacher appears, deepening the mystery surrounding his true nature.
Unmasking the True Villain
The spine-tingling revelation occurs during a tense hospital scene involving Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono). After a demogorgon abducts Holly into the Upside Down, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) embark on a frantic investigation to uncover Mr Whatsit's identity to save her.
Their mother Karen, herself a victim of a vicious attack that leaves her with a severe throat injury, becomes a crucial source of information. Unable to speak, she manages to communicate that Mr Whatsit is a tall, seemingly gentle figure who carries a pocketwatch and wears a hat. Most crucially, she scribbles down that his real name is Henry – a name fans instantly recognise as belonging to Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
The A Wrinkle in Time Connection and Vecna's Cunning Plot
The alias Mr Whatsit is a deliberate and cunning reference to the benevolent character Mrs Whatsit from Madeleine L'Engle's classic novel, A Wrinkle in Time. In the book, Mrs Whatsit is a kind, almost celestial being who aids the protagonists. This clever ruse makes it easier for Vecna to lower the children's defences, manipulating the young and vulnerable of Hawkins.
Mike's memory is jogged when he spots a copy of A Wrinkle in Time in the hospital, prompting him to connect the literary dots. The parallels are stark: like the novel's character, Vecna can shift his appearance and travel between dimensions, though his intentions are purely malevolent. This pop culture homage is a signature move from the show's creators, the Duffer Brothers.
Fans will have to wait until Boxing Day, 26th December, when Stranger Things season 5, volume 2 is released on Netflix UK and Ireland at 1am, to discover the full extent of Vecna's plot and his manipulation of the children through the Mr Whatsit persona.
