Billy Hargrove may have had a short run on Stranger Things, but it was definitely memorable. With his mullet and mustache, he made the perfect vessel for Season 3’s villain. But during Season 4 and the rise of Vecna, his role was limited to his grave being the setting of Vecna’s first encounter with Max. Looking back on Season 3, however, was Vecna there from the start? This TikTok theory suggests just that.
TikTokker st.obsession_ recently analyzed a clip from the first scene Billy shared with Eleven, where he introduces her sister as Maxine and asks Eleven for her name. When he does this, his voice seems to change and his posture shifts to his hands clasped in front of him, which is the same way 001 walks in Eleven’s flashbacks. Could this be evidence of Vecna possessing Billy in his day-to day activities, or at least influencing his actions?
Adding more evidence to this theory is the fact that Vecna called Max “Maxine.” Throughout Season 4, Vecna’s observance of nicknames is all over the place. Chrissy is called Chrissy, but Max is always Maxine. Why would Vecna be this formal unless it was referencing an event in the past, like her brother randomly using her full name out of nowhere?
Does Vecna have the power to temporarily take over people, and if so, are there moments he took over Max in Season 4 that we didn’t notice? In addition to bringing his victims into his consciousness, does he have the power to bring himself into theirs?
As the Hawkins Gang prepares to finally defeat Vecna for good, this new power could rear its ugly head. Will they have to deal with possessed allies, and possibly make some impossible choices that lead to tragic deaths? It’s possible this is just a coincidental acting choice, but the name issue is just too convenient to ignore.
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is incredibly mysterious (and incredibly far off) but this could be our first clue as to what threat Vecna and the Upside Down holds for their final confrontation. Maybe there are other clues we’ve missed in earlier seasons. Has this been the Duffer Brothers’ plans all along? It may just be the perfect excuse for a re-watch.
Stranger Things Season 4 Volumes 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix.