When Stranger Things first premiered, it delivered a perfect dose of 1980s nostalgia wrapped in a compelling sci-fi horror mystery. As a result, the show became a word-of-mouth sensation that helped transform Netflix from a streaming service into a global entertainment powerhouse. Its blend of Amblin-esque adventure, Stephen King-inspired horror, and a cast of instantly lovable kids captured the public’s imagination, making it a genuine cultural phenomenon. It’s no wonder the series became a touchstone for a generation, launching its young cast into superstardom and setting a new standard for original streaming content with its cinematic scale and ambitious storytelling.
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Now, after years of battling Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer, and the horrors of high school, the story of Hawkins’ dungeon-crawling children is finally coming to an end. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is one of the most anticipated television events in recent memory, promising to bring the epic saga to a close. Following a lengthy hiatus since Season 4 shattered viewing records in 2022, the grand finale will be released in three distinct parts. The first volume of episodes is set to arrive on November 26, followed by the second on Christmas Day, and the series finale will premiere on New Year’s Eve. Given the long wait and the sheer number of shocking revelations in the last season, a refresher on the key plot points is essential before the final battle begins.
1) Vecna Wants to Destroy the World
The fourth season of Stranger Things revealed that every threat the Hawkins crew has faced has been orchestrated by one malevolent entity. Vecna, formerly Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower), is the true ruler of the Upside Down. After being banished to the dark dimension by a young Eleven, he discovered the hive mind particles and molded them into the Mind Flayer, becoming the general of his own monstrous army. His goal goes beyond revenge against Eleven, as he wants the complete annihilation of a world he views as broken and cruel. To achieve this, he began murdering traumatized teenagers in Hawkins, with each death creating a new gate to the Upside Down. His master plan is to create four gates, allowing the barrier between worlds to collapse so he can reshape the world in his own terrifying image.
2) Vecna Was Severely Injured
In the final battle of Season 4, the separated Hawkins gang launched a multi-pronged assault on Vecna. While Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) served as bait to draw Vecna into her mind, one group attacked his physical body in the Upside Down. Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Steve (Joe Keery), and Robin (Maya Hawke) managed to set Vecna’s vine-ridden body on fire with Molotov cocktails before Nancy blasted him with a shotgun. At the same time, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) engaged him in a psychic duel, and with encouragement from Mike (Finn Wolfhard), she was able to overpower him and break his hold on Max. Although he was badly wounded and forced to retreat, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) later confirmed that he can still feel Vecna’s presence. The villain is alive, licking his wounds, and undoubtedly preparing for his final assault on Hawkins.
3) Max Is in a Coma
Max Mayfield endured one of the most brutal fates in the entire series. To help the team execute their plan, she bravely offered herself as bait, turning off her Kate Bush safety net to lure Vecna into her mind. The plan almost worked, but Vecna overpowered Eleven long enough to begin his gruesome ritual on Max. He brutally snapped her limbs and blinded her, and for a full minute, her heart stopped beating. In that moment, Max technically died. However, a grieving Eleven used her powers to restart Max’s heart, miraculously bringing her back to life. Despite this, Max ended the season in a coma, with doctors stating she is brain-dead. When Eleven tried to find her in the void, she found nothing, leaving Max’s consciousness lost and her ultimate fate as one of the biggest cliffhangers for Season 5 of Stranger Things.
4) A Massive Rift Tore Hawkins Apart
Vecna’s plan required four victims to open the four gates needed to shatter the barrier between worlds. Even though Eleven was able to revive Max, her temporary death for over a minute was enough to count as the fourth sacrifice. The moment her heart stopped, the fourth gate was ripped open, and all four massive rifts converged in the center of Hawkins. This triggered what the public believed to be a devastating earthquake, tearing fiery chasms through the town and killing dozens, including basketball star Jason Carver (Mason Dye). Two days later, the Upside Down began to bleed into Hawkins, with its signature spores falling like snow.
5) The Upside Down Is a Twisted Reflection of Hawkins
One of the longest-running mysteries of Stranger Things was finally solved in Season 4. While trapped in the Upside Down, Nancy Wheeler realized that the dimension was not a real-time reflection of Hawkins. Instead, it is a snapshot frozen in time, specifically on November 6, 1983, the day Will Byers disappeared and Eleven opened the first major gate. Before this, when Eleven banished Henry Creel into the dimension in 1979, the Upside Down was a hellish landscape of rock and lightning. This confirms that the Upside Down, as we know it, was created when Eleven made psychic contact with the Demogorgon, causing the alternate dimension to psychically imprint on Hawkins at that exact moment.
6) Hawkins Still Believes Eddie (and the Hellfire Club) Is Responsible for Vecna’s Murders
Vecna’s gruesome murders, which left his victims with broken bones and gouged-out eyes, sent the town of Hawkins into a full-blown satanic panic. Led by the vengeful and misguided Jason Carver, the townspeople were convinced that the killings were the work of a demonic cult. They quickly turned their fear and anger toward Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), the eccentric leader of the Hellfire Club Dungeons & Dragons group, making him the primary suspect. Despite Eddie’s heroic sacrifice in the Upside Down, where he died fighting off a swarm of Demobats, the public is still unaware of his innocence. As far as the world knows, Eddie Munson was a satanic murderer, and his name remains tragically un-cleared.
7) The Military Is After Eleven
As if facing a world-ending monster wasn’t enough, Eleven is also a fugitive from the U.S. military. A faction led by the ruthless Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan (Sherman Augustus) has been hunting her since Season 4 of Stranger Things. Sullivan incorrectly believes that Eleven is the cause of all the death and destruction in Hawkins, viewing her as a terrorist who must be eliminated. His forces stormed the secret Nina Project facility in a bloody attempt to kill her, an attack that resulted in the death of Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine). Sullivan and his soldiers are still an active threat, and with the chaos in Hawkins escalating, they are determined to capture or kill Eleven, whom they see as the ultimate weapon.
What mystery are you most excited to see resolved in the final season of Stranger Things? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
