The opening scene of Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 has sparked significant controversy and debate online due to a flashback showing the original encounter between Will Byers and Vecna (Henry Creel) in 1983. Critics have slammed the sequence, alleging it depicts the assault or grooming of a child due to its dark and suggestive visual imagery.
What Happens in the Opening Scene
The controversial scene is a flashback to when Will was first taken to the Upside Down in Season 1:
- Capture: Will is shown trying to outrun a Demogorgon in the Upside Down but is cornered and brought to Vecna’s lair (the Upside Down version of the library).
- The Interaction: Vecna holds Will against a wall. A tentacle enters Will’s mouth and pumps a fluid or particle substance into his convulsing body.
- The Remark: While this is happening, Vecna strokes Will’s forehead and chillingly tells him they are going to do a lot of “beautiful things” together.
The phallic imagery of the tentacle in the mouth, combined with Vecna’s unsettling physical touch and manipulative promise, has led to allegations of child assault/grooming by viewers and critics, including conservative activist Jack Posobiec.
The Context and Controversy
- Vecna’s Motive: The show later explains that Vecna chose Will as his first “vessel” because Will showed him how easily a child’s mind could be manipulated and broken, making children key to his grand plan. Vecna’s manipulative behavior is consistently shown (e.g., appearing as “Mr. Whatsit” to Holly Wheeler in the current season).
- Contradictory Claims: While the imagery is deliberately disturbing and suggestive, the core allegation of depicting an assault is disputed. A Community Note on X (formerly Twitter) was used to correct a claim by Posobiec, stating the specific allegation was “completely made up.”
- Show Rating: Given that Stranger Things carries a TV-14 rating, suggesting parental guidance for children under 14, it is highly unlikely the creators intended to send a literal message of assault, despite the disturbing visual connotations.
As of now, neither Netflix nor the show’s creators, the Duffer brothers, have issued a formal public response to the specific criticism regarding the opening scene.