Derek Is My Favorite New Stranger Things Character, But I’m Worried About One ‘Turnbow Trap’ Loose End

by

Be warned: the following contains spoilers for the first part of Stranger Things Season 5, which is now available to stream on Netflix.

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things has arrived, bringing back many familiar faces for one last battle against Vecna. I initially worried about adding new characters, especially when Derek Turnbow first appeared as a typical school bully. However, his surprising character development completely changed my opinion, and he’s quickly become my favorite new addition to the cast. Despite this, one particularly unsettling moment in the episode “The Turnbow Trap” has me concerned about what’s to come in the second volume.

What Happened In “The Turnbow Trap”

In Episode 3, titled “The Turnbow Trap,” the characters hatched a seriously unlawful plan. It involved drugging someone with pie, breaking into a house, setting up booby traps similar to the movie Home Alone, and kidnapping the Turnbow family as hostages. Surprisingly, their scheme to both tag a Demogorgon and rescue the Turnbows went smoothly… until they realized Derek hadn’t eaten enough of the drugged pie to stay unconscious for very long.

Okay, so the episode left me on a total cliffhanger. Derek wakes up, but his whole family – mom, dad, sister – are still tied up and out cold in a barn that’s about to become a Demogorgon buffet. Thankfully, Derek wasn’t pulled into the Upside Down, and nobody else in the barn met an immediate, gruesome end. But honestly, all the Vecna reveals with Will, and even the show’s most shocking death, couldn’t distract me from one nagging question: what about the other Turnbow family members? We barely saw them, and now… where are they?

Derek’s family – his parents and sister – were found tied up in the barn with pillowcases over their heads. Since Joyce and the others only took Derek when they escaped the Demogorgon, it’s concerning what happened to the Turnbows left behind. This situation could have much bigger repercussions than just Erica and Tina’s falling out.

How Will Stranger Things Tie Off This Loose End?

While the Turnbow family (excluding Derek) won’t be the central focus of Stranger Things‘ final season, they could still cause some problems for Eleven and her friends. Even though Mr. and Mrs. Turnbow didn’t figure out the pie made them pass out, their daughter, Tina, might remember seeing Erica with a syringe.

The most optimistic outcome for Volume 2, releasing on Christmas Day as with previous Stranger Things seasons, is likely that the Turnbows escape their bonds and either forget enough to not implicate Erica and her friends, or are convinced their captors were actually trying to help them. They’re simply a distraction the heroes don’t have time to deal with right now.

As we reach the midpoint of Season 5, things are starting to look grim. Derek’s abduction won’t go unnoticed by the soldiers who survived the attacks by Vecna and the Demogorgon at the MAC-Z facility. If they trace the Turnbow family as a result of the kidnapping, the authorities might figure things out and force our heroes to go on the run. With Eleven caught on camera, it’s clear the army is watching everything in Hawkins.

I’m really worried things are about to get incredibly dangerous in Hawkins – I mean, people could start dying left and right. Poor Mr. and Mrs. Turnbow are completely helpless, tied up in that barn, and wouldn’t have a chance against anything coming from the Upside Down. I guess their deaths might make things a little easier for Eleven and the others, but I can only imagine how much that would haunt them. It’s a terrible thought, honestly.

What’s next for the Turnbows? If they reappear in the next volume, will everything work out for them? Will Derek being kidnapped somehow lead to their rescue by the military? Or will they fall victim to Vecna? I’m trying to figure out if they’re important to the story or just a mistake from the first volume.

The final part of Stranger Things Season 5 will be available on Netflix starting Christmas Day. Volume 2 will premiere on December 25th at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and the very last episode—which is over two hours long—will be released on New Year’s Eve at the same time. Expect plenty of thrills and suspense, and fans are wondering if the Turnbow family will play a role in the story’s conclusion.

Read More

2025-12-05 00:11