Stranger Things and the Prevailing Light

Lent is a liturgical season that invites Christians into an intentional encounter with sorrow, silence, and the reality of sin and suffering. It is a time when the presence of darkness can feel particularly deafening. In these moments, we may experience a sense of abandonment or begin to believe that evil has won.

Yet as Christians, we know that darkness does not have the final word. The Paschal Mystery reveals that Christ’s death is not the end. As the Gospel of John proclaims, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Jesus Christ—Light Himself—enters into our human suffering and, through His Resurrection, overcomes sin and death.

Still, the reality of daily life reminds us that Christ’s victory does not immediately eliminate all experiences of darkness. Life is a pilgrimage marked by ongoing struggle. The darkness we encounter—whether grief, fear, or shame—often persists when left unacknowledged. As St. Augustine points out, sin and disordered desire thrive in concealment, while healing begins when truth is brought into the light.

Interestingly, the massively popular mystery-horror series Stranger Things offers a compelling portrayal of how unspoken fears and unresolved trauma allow darkness to grow, while honest conversation and shared vulnerability act against it. Focusing primarily on Season 5, I will explore the significance of conversations that are finally brought into the open—conversations that become necessary for confronting consuming darkness.

As I begin to break down the development of these characters, I proceed with the assumption that the reader is generally familiar with Stranger Things. That said, the show engages themes of darkness and violence, and viewers are advised to exercise discernment before watching. I write particularly to those who have been invested since the beginning.
Season 5 opens with the town of Hawkins fractured by deep divisions into the Upside Down, rendering the boundary between the two worlds dangerously permeable. Creatures known as demidogs move freely between worlds, and twelve children have been taken and placed under the control of Vecna—also known as Henry Creel or Mr. Whatzit—who seeks to use them to amplify his power. Max remains in a coma after Vecna took hold of her mind, an act that enabled the final gate to open and Hawkins to be torn apart. In response, the now-familiar Hawkins heroes devise a plan to save the children, defeat Vecna, and reclaim their town.

Vecna’s strategy relies upon exploiting his victims’ deepest vulnerabilities—much like the way the devil can exploit us. He preys upon unspoken fears and unresolved wounds, manipulating minds by forcing victims to confront their most devastating imaginings. Unknown to Vecna, however, he harbors a weakness of his own: a memory he refuses to face.

While Max and Holly search through Henry’s memories for an escape, they stumble upon a repressed moment from his childhood. In it, Henry encounters a scientist clutching a briefcase in an underground shaft. In a state of paranoia, the scientist believes Henry was sent to apprehend him and fires at him. Out of sheer terror, Henry retaliates, ultimately killing the man.

This memory is concealed within a cave that Henry refuses to enter. Desperate to recapture the children, he finally reenters this space, and fragments of the memory assault him, physically weakening him. Nevertheless, he presses on until he reaches the exact moment of the killing—and becomes possessed by the darkness contained within the briefcase.

Throughout this encounter, Will—whose consciousness has been linked to Vecna since his time in the Upside Down—invades Vecna’s mind and experiences his emotions. From within their shared consciousness, Will speaks a word of truth into Vecna’s deepest wound. As Vecna weeps over his younger self within the memory, Will declares, “You were just a kid. It used you. But you can resist it. Help us fight it!”

In this moment, Vecna is given a choice: to embrace the truth of his suffering and choose the light, or to continue clinging to the darkness that grants him power at the expense of his freedom.

Vecna ultimately chooses the latter. Henry is so far removed from reality that he believes he needs the darkness to survive. For years, he has lived alone, isolated in the Abyss, and his decision—rooted in fear—results in his destruction. We see the cost of refusing illumination: when darkness is embraced rather than confronted, it consumes the very one who seeks to wield it.

Now, let us turn our attention to a character who chooses the way of light. Will—having also been exposed to the Mind Flayer—could have followed the same path as Vecna and succumbed to darkness. Instead, Will chooses communion and truth. Vecna exploits Will’s insecurities, feeding him lies—namely, that if his friends truly knew him, they would reject him.

Rather than allowing these lies to take hold, Will shares his fears with his friends, and they do not turn away—they remain. His act of vulnerability creates space for light to prevail and invites deeper communion. By allowing his friends to see his insecurities, Will gains the clarity and resolve needed to resist Vecna’s influence and exercise power over him, rather than the other way around.

Earlier in the season, tension also builds between Dustin and Steve through frequent arguments and growing bitterness. During one confrontation, verbal insults escalate into a physical fight. The encounter ends with Steve walking away, convinced the relationship cannot be repaired.

Later, however, Steve initiates a moment of vulnerability by naming the true source of his anger: grief. He admits that his frustration stemmed from Dustin’s response to Eddie’s death—his emotional withdrawal from those who cared for him. Beneath Steve’s anger was loss; he missed his best friend. Unable to understand or articulate that pain, he allowed it to surface as anger instead. Dustin responds, “Yeah, I missed my best friend, too,” and the two embrace, ready to face Vecna as a united team.

By observing these character arcs in Stranger Things, the themes of Lent come sharply into focus—isolation, darkness, fear, and silence. Darkness gains its power not by its own strength, but by the absence of light. Our Christian response to darkness is not denial or avoidance, but illumination: allowing truth, grace, and communion to restore what has been obscured.

Lent calls believers to move from silence to confession, from isolation to communion, and from fear to courage. By bringing our struggles into the light—through prayer, repentance, and honest encounter—we participate in the ongoing work of redemption, trusting that the Light who conquered the tomb continues to shine within the shadows of our lives.

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Dr. Amber Moseley is a wife, mother and Senior Varsity Catholic Manager for FOCUS (the Fellowship of Catholic University Students). She and her family reside in De Soto, Missouri.