Summary
Stranger ThingsSeason 5 seems to be setting the stage for one final confrontation between Vecna and Eleven, but while it could be believed that Eleven will be the cause of Vecna’s undoing, there’s one particular side character whose significance to the story could contribute to Vecna’s eventual defeat inStranger Things' final season. Although he only made a brief cameo in Season 4, Robert Englund’s Victor Creel was the sole survivor of the Creel family massacre. Due to his familial ties to Henry,it wouldn’t be too surprising for the Duffer brothers to filter Victor back into the storysomehow, this time with a more pivotal role.
In 1959, Victor Creel pleaded guilty to the homicide of his wife Virginia and daughter Alice, also taking responsibility for putting his son, Henry Creel, into a coma. During the events of Season 4, set in 1986, Victor Creel has been incarcerated for three decades, all the while maintaining that he played no part in the Creel murders and instead blamed some sort of demon. Robin and Nancy visit Victor Creel under false pretenses, pretending to be students studying convicted killers for a thesis. Victor Creel informs them thatvictims can inhibit Vecna’s curse by listening to music, which is how Max Mayfield escapes her close encounter with him.
What Happens to Victor Creel in Stranger Things?
After Victor Creel is incarcerated and framed for the murders of his wife and daughter, he spends 1959 to 1986 rotting in Pennhurst Mental Hospital. During this time,Victor tried to commit suicide to ‘join’ Virginia and Aliceby gauging out his own eyes. His attempt failed, instead leaving him permanently blind.As Hawkins believed Victor to be responsible for the killing, he garnered a reputation as the ‘boogeyman’– a historical figure with which townsfolk like Wayne Munson, Eddie Munson’s uncle, became as familiar as Michael Myers to the people of Haddonfield.
After their visit, Nancy and Robin learn from Victor Creel that it was the music — “Dream a Little Dream of Me” in Victor’s case — that had spared him from a gruesome demise. This wasthe key to stopping Vecnaand saving Max, who found herself in the late stages of Vecna’s curse.Victor is never seen nor heard from again, but during a sequence where Vecna temporarily hijacks Nancy Wheeler’s mind, Vecna tells her in his mindscape how he had considered paying “dumb blind old Victor” a visit. This was how Nancy came to discover that Vecna was a much older, disfigured version of Henery Creel.
Victor Creel Could Be the Key To Stopping Vecna
Despite his limited screen time,Robert Englund’s Victor Creel proved to be exceedingly useful to the Hawkins gang, who were able tospare Max from Vecna’s immediate wrathby playing Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” It was Victor’s insight as to how he survived Henry’s initial rampage that ultimately stretched out Max’s time, giving her another few days before Vecna would return to claim her life. While Victor Creel’s story in Season 4 could have been nothing more than an excuse to include horror legend Robert Englund in some capacity,Victor’s valuable knowledge of surviving Vecna proved to serve the Hawkins gang wellas they faced him head-on.
If Max hadn’t survived her encounter with Vecna in his Mind Lair, theStranger Thingscast wouldn’t have been able to bait Vecna into a convoluted trap using his insatiable need to bring Max into the fold. Using Max as bait, Steve, Nancy, and Robin were able to infiltrate the old Creel House and attack Vecna’s physical body, all while his astral self fought Eleven and Max inside his Mind Lair. Given Victor’s first-hand experience with Vecna and the fact he survived Season 4,it could be presumed that he will play a larger role in the final seasonwhen Vecna returns to exact his revenge.
That meansEleven has a serious advantage over Vecna. Not only does Victor have a personal connection to Henry as his father (and parents always have a certain intuition), buthe’s the only known survivor of Vecna, aside from (technically) Max, but with Eleven’s help resuscitating her. There’s every possibility that Vecna will return to Pennhurst to finish off what he started back in 1959, so Victor isn’t off the hit list just yet. However, Nancy and Robin were able to extract valuable intel from Victor as to Henry’s weaknesses, so there’s no telling what other kinks in Vecna’s armor can be exploited. Vecna is thought to be unstoppable and indestructible, but if Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” can spare Max from an untimely death,there might be more loopholes to Vecna’s abilities than first presumed.
Victor Creel, if he makes it to Season 5, could prove himself a useful asset in the fight against Vecna. Besides,Stranger Thingshasn’t exactly provided closure for many deaths, so at leastit would give Victor some peace of mind knowing that he played a part in stopping Vecna once and for all, at least for the sake of his deceased family. Victor’s story would come full-circle at that moment, but there’s also every likelihood that Victor Creel’s assistance in Season 4 was just a Robert Englund cameo and nothing more.
