Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Stranger Things, season 5, volume 2

Finally, a key Stranger Things side character has learned about the Upside Down. At this point, nearly every prominent character in the Netflix series is now aware of the true threat in Hawkins with Vecna and the Upside Down. That said, one character only just learned the truth in Stranger Things season 5 (and it’s about damn time).

In Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2, the search for Holly Wheeler and the other kids taken by Vecna is ongoing. However, “The Party” is also trying to locate Dustin, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan. This results in an exciting addition to the team with Mr. Clarke (Randy Havens), science teacher at Hawkins Middle School.

After Nine Years, Stranger Things’ Mr. Clarke Finally Knows About The Upside Down

With Dustin, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan trapped in the Upside Down, Erica realizes the group needs some major brainpower to help build a new means of finding them. This leads to her idea to recruit Mr. Clarke, Dustin’s longtime mentor, who builds a new telemetry tracker the moment he learns that his star pupil is in danger.

In the process, Mr. Clarke finally learns the truth about Hawkins, the rifts underneath, and the monsters that have been terrorizing the town for the last few years. As such, it’s very exciting to see him officially join the party by the end of Stranger Things season 5, episode 7.

Stranger Things Season 5 Proves Mr. Clarke Should Have Joined The Party WAY Sooner

Mr. Clarke has always been one of the show’s most reliable and helpful side characters, explaining key concepts like alternate dimensions and Einstein-Rosen bridges aka wormholes. However, he’d always been kept in the dark about what was really going on in Hawkins.

Now, Stranger Things season 5 highlights how absurd it was to keep Mr. Clarke on the sidelines for so long. Not only does he have a brilliant mind that helped find Dustin, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan, but he’s also a perfect fit with The Party overall.

Case in point, Clarke’s dynamic with Murray is instantly hilarious. He’s also just as big a nerd as his students, immediately recognizing “The Abyss” as a reference to Dungeons & Dragons. Even better, Clarke opens up the security gate to the MAC-Z while saying “Mellon” (the Elvish word for friend, which opened the doors to the Mines of Moria in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings).

All in all, Stranger Things season 5 confirms the truth right before the series finale that many fans have known since the very first season: Mr. Clarke should have had a more prominent role much sooner.

The series finale of Stranger Things releases on New Year’s Eve.