- Stranger Things: The First Shadow is filming this week
- This previews a Netflix debut for the work soon.
- It could be crucial to understand the next chapter of the series.
Stranger Things season 5 might have concluded the main series, but it looks like Netflix isn’t done with this fan-favorite franchise, as another spin-off is reportedly coming to the streaming platform: The first shadow.
This prequel story set in the Stranger Things universe has already appeared on stages in the UK’s West End and US Broadway, but according to The Hollywood Reported a recorded version of the play will be available on Netflix sometime later this year, and if you’re a fan of the series, this is a recording I recommend watching.
Especially before watching the other Stranger Things prequel the Duffer Brothers teased, one that will reveal how that strange rock in season 5 gave Henry Creel his powers and where it came from.
While The first shadow It wasn’t necessary to watch the main series, I suspect it might be much more essential for that next project.
**Light spoilers follow The first shadow**
Stranger Things: The First Shadow It predominantly follows Henry Creel’s time in Hawkins in 1959, a time after his powers manifested, but before he actually became Vecna.
We’ve seen snippets of this in the Netflix show with Henry’s backstory in season 4, when we see him torment his family, and then in season 5, when Max explores Henry’s memories of Hawkins High School.
The play expands on this backstory with a cast of recognizable faces in the form of the group’s parents, as well as a motley group of young people Joyce, Hopper and Bob who take on a family investigative role, investigating the strange animal killings taking place in the town.
I was lucky enough to be in one of the first audiences for the original production (I bought tickets to one of its first previews, which took place before the official opening night) and I loved it.
A fine blend of familiar but fresh, The first shadow presents an interesting alternative perspective on Henry Creel’s villainous nature, without making him seem saintly, while also avoiding the flaws stemming from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It wasn’t necessary to see it for the main series, and it also didn’t feel like a completely self-contained side story that simply uses the stranger things brand to elevate its pop culture status.
It expanded my understanding of elements of the show’s broader world – I knew what that strange cult stage performance was from Henry’s memories, which Max explored, and I had a better understanding of Henry’s relationship with the Mind Flayer – but you could have easily enjoyed season 5 without it.
you can enjoy The first shadow as its own thing and as part of the whole, and when it is released on Netflix, I would recommend tuning in; I know I will, even though I’ve seen it once before.
But you’ll note that I said that the show “predominantly” follows the life of Henry Hawkins, and it’s the few scenes that buck this trend that I think will be essential to understanding the upcoming Stranger Things spinoff.
**Okay, I’m going to completely spoil the prologue to The First Shadow here and comment on a scene we saw in both the play and season 5 of the show**
in the abyss
Henry Creel’s forced exile to The Abyss (the home of Mindflayer) at the hands of Eleven was not the first time characters from stranger things They met in hell: the first time a visitor was known there was in 1943.
As shown in the play’s introduction, we see the USS Eldridge and its crew transported to The Abyss when an experiment to turn their ship invisible goes awry. Subsequently, most of the crew is killed by several humanoid monsters: the Demogorgons.
However, one member of the crew survived and was able to return to Earth: the ship’s captain, Dr. Brenner’s father (aka Pope).
Genetically altered by his visit, such as developing a unique blood type, Brenner’s father kept the truth a secret and only revealed the true story of what happened on his deathbed to his son. Brenner, inspired by this story, decided to replicate the effects of Eldridge’s experiment in Nevada.
It’s unclear exactly what happened in Nevada, but the skit reveals that one of the scientists in the new experiment defected and became a spy for the Soviet Union at some point during this time. The spy would then steal a key piece of technology and hide in a cave until Henry Creel discovered him.
Season five viewers know the rest. The technology, that strange rock, activated and gave Henry his monstrous powers.
Based on comments from the Duffer brothers, it appears that an upcoming spin-off show will focus on Dr. Brenner’s Nevada experiment and the impact of the discovery of Eldridge’s Deep.
As such, it makes a lot of sense that The first shadow must be added to Netflix. Not simply so that a wider audience can enjoy the work (not everyone can live near London or New York), but also because the franchise will likely expand on the details it explores in an upcoming series.
We don’t yet know when the play will make its streaming debut, but with filming taking place this week, I hope we won’t have to wait long before we can enjoy this excellent show from home.
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