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Could a second hive form now?
posted by chrisjdelSTAFFMOD on November 4, 2017 at 11:43 AM
When the infection was driven out of Will it collected into an airborne mass and crashed through the door to get out of that hot cabin. Part of it was shed and dispersed outside (dead tissue?) but part of the mass stayed intact and went streaking off into the sky. So, what if that starts to grow into a new Shadow Monster? A second independent hive based in our world.
Could be a very bad situation. Not necessarily though; at its current size it probably isn't intelligent yet, but does carry at least some of Will's memories. So the new hive wouldn't be a guaranteed enemy, it might even become an ally. At the very least it wouldn't want the other Mind Flayer crossing over and conquering its domain. That could prove useful even if the new hive is just as hostile as its parent. Any thoughts?
Reply by MirrorMask
on November 7, 2017 at 1:35 PM
That's a very good point! The Duffer brothers said that there were many ways they could have ended the season but they decided to end it on a lighter note. I think one of the ways would have been showing the MindFlayer possessing another person.
Now I'm going to be on the look out for a new character trying to get close to Eleven next season.
Reply by chrisjdel
on November 8, 2017 at 1:04 AM
Actually the new hive might not be aware of Eleven since it would be forming after the gate was closed. The trouble is, if it's every bit as hostile as the one in the Upside Down there's no door to slam shut and keep it out. It's here.
I could see it using a different strategy though. Rather than growing creatures like the demogorgons that might raise an alarm if too many sightings got reported, it uses people. Takes them over as hosts and assimilates them into the hive like Will. They can move around and do its bidding unnoticed. After a while you wouldn't know who in the town was still normal, and who was one of them. Like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Reply by MirrorMask
on November 8, 2017 at 11:29 AM
What infected Will was connected to the MindFlayer so I would assume that even with the gate closed it's still connected and aware of Eleven because the MindFlayer is aware of her.
Reply by chrisjdel
on November 8, 2017 at 6:07 PM
The Mind Flayer has what the boys were calling "true sight". It's able to see through the barrier between worlds even without a gate, but it can't maintain the hive connection. That's why all the demodogs fell down the shaft and died, and the vines started withering. The link was severed when Eleven closed the gate. Otherwise the invasion could've continued, the Mind Flayer wouldn't actually need physical access to our world if it could still control its creatures on this side.
The cloud that escaped from Hopper's cabin is like a piece of a starfish that's been cut off. It might be able to grow into a new Mind Flayer, separate and distinct from the one in the Upside Down. Being in our world there's no gate to close. No way of defeating it except to destroy it completely.