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Throughout a large portion of the fifth and final season of the popular Netflix show, Holly Wheeler and Max Mayfield find themselves trapped inside a mental fortress built from the past of the villain Henry. Their quest for freedom in episode 6 forces them to relive a traumatic incident from Henry's childhood—an event that may just hold the means to overcome him permanently.

Spoiler Warning: This discussion contains major spoilers for the second part of the final season.

The Discovery in the Tunnel

After locating Max in the psychic realm known as Camazotz, it becomes clear she is taking refuge in a chamber that Henry avoids at all costs. A clever observation a viewing device pilfered from Henry's old home lets Holly see that the danger lies beyond the cave. By aligning her view with the shape, she and Max suddenly fall into a subterranean passage.

In this place, they observe a young, eight-year-old Henry encounter an man who is hurt and scared. Attempting assistance, the man reacts violently, striking Henry in the hand. Fighting for his life, Henry ends the threat with a rock. "Did this make Henry evil?" Holly wonders aloud. Essentially, yes, but the act involved more than a defensive killing.

Like many elements in volume 2, the significance of the mine shaft incident was first explored the stage play The First Shadow.

An Interdimensional Incident and Secret Science

*The First Shadow* opens with the 1943 event, which reportedly teleported a warship into a dimension later called the Abyss. It faced creatures, and the only one to return was the captain, who returned in a unresponsive state with an altered blood type.

This man's son, a young Martin Brenner, sought to replicate this dimensional breach in remote Nevada. But a disloyal lab worker stole research materials to sell to the Russian agents, who were eager to begin their parallel research. That traitor in the mine shaft is that employee.

Unlocking the Mystery

Based on what is known about his research, the case most likely held vials of the unique blood type. As shown, Henry is already bleeding. He likely becomes contaminated upon contact with the blood, leading to the awakening of his powers—powers he would later pass on to the test subjects Brenner would experiment on.

Another possibility, the container could have held dark matter that was destined to travel to the secret facility, where it maintains the stability of the parallel world. The stage play explains that young Henry somehow wound up in the Abyss, returning after half a day fundamentally changed. Throughout the play, he struggles with the influence of a dark entity, much like how Will Byers was controlled by the entity in season 2.

A Weaponized Emotion

His lasting fear linked to that memory shows how utterly horrifying the event was for him. Even as he orchestrates the Hive Mind and works to collapse the Abyss into Hawkins, a part of him remains. Fear is his tool, and the narrative points to a final confrontation between Vecna and Will, who has confronted his greatest terrors to fortify himself.

His confrontation has effectively disarmed Vecna. More importantly, Will now is aware of what Vecna himself fears, potentially giving him a key upper hand in the series finale to come.