Stranger Things Finale: Fans Have Theories About Why Lucas Kept His Hands Up

Was Lucas traumatized in the final scenes?

Fans of Stranger Things are revisiting the series finale and offering theories on practically every scene. One suggestion related to Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) is gaining traction on the Internet.

During the final in season 5, moments before El (Millie Bobby Brown) disappears, all of her friends are screaming at her not to leave them. The Hawkins teens are visibly emotional as they try to break free from the military guards holding them back.

Jim Hopper (David Harborough) is fighting with all his strength to get away, as were Dustin Henderson (Gaetano John Matarazzo III) and several others were also attemtping to get to El. Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) is distraught as the guards pull him back and keep him from the woman he loves.

There are bewildered looks, tears, and shouts of "El No." Everyone is .physically attempting to gain freedom from the military, except Lucas. He stands in place with both hands still in the air as he shouts to Eleven.

Was Lucas targeted as a Black man?

The theory is that as a Black man, Lucas is aware that he might lose his life if he resists so he keeps his hands up. There are reasons why some fans believe this to be true.

When the Hawkins gang were first apprehended, Major General Dr. Kay's (Linda Hamilton) men were roughing them up and throwing everyone against the side of the semi-truck.

As the camera panned the action, Lucas was the only one being frisked. This has some fans saying racism was at play. To be fair, the camera did not go down the line to see how each person was treated, so it's possible he was not the only one. Frisking the others may have been cut.

Is there a pattern?

In the Season 4 finale ("Chapter Nine: The Piggyback"), Jason Carver, (Mason Dye), the captain of the Hawkins High basketball team, holds a gun on Lucas in the Creel House attic. He believes Sinclair is part of a cult that will sacrifice Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink).

Was this a case of "Satanic panic" or did Jason have a problem with his basketball teammates' color? Were the Duffer Brothers purposefully expressing subtle racism in the 1980s, or is this all in the fans' imaginations?

After an altercation, Lucas gets away from Jason, but this was a traumatic situation. Could his keeping his hands up in the finale episode have been a reflex reaction due to having a gun on him in the past? Or was he afraid for hsi life as some Stranger Things fans have suggested?

Also fueling the racism theory is how Max's stepbrother, Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) seemed to dislike her hanging out with Lucas. Was Eddie just a creep who would criticize any guy his stepsister seemed to like, or did he have a problem with Lucas being African American?

It's up to interpretation

After El vanishes, everyone is standing free, Lucas has his hands by his side. Dr. Kay and her military men appear dumbstruck. Was it in McLaughlin's script for him to keep his hands raised during El's final moments, or was this the actor improvising?

When Steve Harrington was crying in the scene on the roof while saying goodbye to his friends, it was not scripted. Joe Keery was emotional, and the Duffer Brothers decided to leave the tears in the scene because it was so powerful.

Whether or not the implied racism was in the script, fans will have to classify Lucas's reaction with many other scenes in Stranger Things, where the Duffer Brothers leave things to the interpretation of the viewers, who naturally disagree.