No, Nancy isn't "controlled" by Vecna like his victims; instead, he psychically possessed her to reveal his backstory and plans, using her as a temporary conduit to taunt the group and show his power before she escaped, making her a crucial source of information, not a possessed pawn. Vecna targeted Nancy because she was a significant threat, close to uncovering him, and still carrying trauma (guilt over Barb's death), but he chose to reveal his story to her rather than kill her immediately.
He later possesses Nancy Wheeler, to whom he reveals his past, then shows her a vision of the future in which Hawkins is torn apart by cracks before freeing her.
Additional note: Nancy Wheeler was put into a trance by Vecna, but was not technically cursed as she did not experience symptoms and the latter did not aim to kill her.
TL;DR - Vecna exploited Nancy to make her impulsively attack him at a time, place, and with personnel that he wanted, in order to execute his plan. And furthermore he sought to use her to bring El into his longer term plan.
In late 1983, Barb mysteriously vanishes, which leads Nancy and Jonathan Byers to investigate her disappearance. Eventually, it was revealed that she had been killed by the Demogorgon.
While Nancy Wheeler loses her virginity to Steve Harrington, Barb Holland awakens in a waterless, dark version of Steve's pool, every surface covered in fleshy black vines.
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Before they embark into the Upside Down, Will comes out as gay to his family and close friends, explaining that Vecna showed him visions of his failed and distant relationships with his loved ones after they learnt the truth.
Nancy is also occasionally joined by her boyfriend Ned Nickerson, a student at Emerson College, who is introduced in the seventh book.
Nancy's guilt about her best friend's death has been the driving force of every decision she has made since early in Stranger Things' first season. Before Barb went missing, Nancy was a typical teenager. She was a good kid trying to find who she was and how she fit into the world.
If Nancy is 4 years older than Mike, born in 1967 compared to Mike's 1971, how is Nancy a senior in season 4 but Mike is a freshman?
001, also known as Henry Creel, became Vecna after Eleven banished him to the Upside Down (Dimension X) where his body was mutated and burned by its energy, transforming him into the monstrous entity that terrorizes Hawkins. He was originally a powerful psychic child who killed his family, then became Dr. Brenner's first subject (001) before being cast into the parallel dimension, where he eventually grew powerful enough to control its creatures and become the Mind Flayer's emissary.
Nancy is terrified to stop and face her guilt. She's always moving forward to outrun her past. It's why Vecna's attack on her parents broke her for just a moment.
Nancy asked what happened between them, saying that she waited for Jonathan before ultimately ending up with Steve again. Jonathan retorted by saying she only waited a month and he was busy looking after Will.
Vecna also went after Chrissy Cunningham early in the season, as her trauma from her mother made it easy for her to fall into his hands. Stranger Things season 4 delved into Vecna's origin story as well, from his upbringing at the Creel House to becoming Dr. Brenner...
Sam Owens's confession, which compelled Hawkins Lab to acknowledge their coverup of Barb's death. They claimed her death occurred due to the leak of an experimental chemical asphyxiant, a cover story that Nancy, Jonathan and Murray reluctantly agreed to.
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But Nancy Drew treated all their queer characters with such respect and creativity that it wasn't a stretch for them to be able to wrap things up beautifully and realistically in just a few episodes. Not to mention, Bess plays a pivotal role in the series finale. She's as important as Nick or George or Ace.
Now aware that Nancy is his biological daughter, Ryan attempts to form a relationship with her. She keeps him at a distance by repeatedly refusing his help, even after he saves her and the Drew Crew from his father when they break into the Hudson Lodge.
Yes, Will Byers from Stranger Things is canonically gay, a truth strongly hinted at since Season 1 and explicitly confirmed through his internal struggles and eventual coming-out in Season 5, where his feelings for his best friend Mike Wheeler become central to his character arc and even his powers, resolving years of "queerbaiting" accusations from fans.
The Duffer Brothers, confirm that in the coming-out scene, Mike realized he was Will Byers' crush. I liked this scene, Will putting his biggest fear — rejection of self — on the line before (most of) the people he cares about.
Yes, Billy Hargrove from Stranger Things is widely considered a queer-coded character due to his hypermasculine facade, antagonistic focus on Steve, homoerotic subtext in scenes (like staring/lip-licking), and underlying vulnerability stemming from abuse, leading many fans to interpret his aggressive behavior as a defense mechanism for repressed sexuality or identity struggles. His character arc, ending in a redemptive sacrifice against the Mind Flayer, is seen by some as a tragic example of the "Bury Your Gays" trope in media, where queer-coded characters are eliminated.
The first character to say the "f-word" in Stranger Things was Will Byers, who uttered it during a heated argument with his friends in Season 1, shocking viewers as he was typically soft-spoken, with later significant uses by characters like Billy Hargrove.
The "worst" Stranger Things episode is subjective, but Season 2's "The Lost Sister" (Chapter Seven) and Season 5's "The Bridge" (Chapter Seven) are consistently cited as the lowest-rated by fans and critics, with "The Lost Sister" often criticized for its slow pace and spinoff potential, while "The Bridge" drew mixed reactions for its pacing and Will's storyline.
Yes, Dr. Martin Brenner died at the end of Stranger Things Season 4, shot by a helicopter sniper in the Nevada desert after his plan to help Eleven failed, seemingly marking a definitive end to his character, despite previous instances where his survival was hinted at.