Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for the final episode of Stranger Things, currently streaming on Netflix.
“Stranger Things” has ended.
The horror-fantasy sensation that began as a humble ’80s pastiche in 2016 and quickly became a Netflix favorite has concluded with a major series finale written and directed by the show’s creators, The Duffer Brothers. Below is a breakdown of the most important events of the final episode.
Eleven survived!
It appeared that Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) sacrificed herself when the bomb exploded, destroying the Upside Down and effectively closing the bridge for the emergence of evil. She even had one last kiss with Mike (Finn Wolfhard), and all her friends and loved ones mourned their loss. But what a surprise! Her sister Carly (Linnea Bertelsen) actually cast a final spell to create a fake Eleven, so it only seemed like she was dead. In the end, Mike guessed, Eleven was able to safely go on a beautiful hike, far away from people trying to collect her blood.
Vecna and the mind flayer both appear dead.
While Eleven and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) fought inside the giant mind flayer, the rest of Hawkins’ crew fired at the large beast and fought. When Will (Noah Schnapp) jumps into Vecna’s mind to save Eleven, Henry (also played by Jamie Campbell Bower), who says the two villains are the same person, takes too many hits and goes down. Joyce (Winona Ryder) delivers the final blow, decapitating Vecna with her axe. Bonus: Little children were saved too!
Carly is killed.
Lt. Robert Akers (Alex Breaux) escapes firing on Cali just before Murray (Brett Gelman) blows up the helicopter and distracts him. After this, Eleven kills all of the soldiers, takes over Akers’ mind, and shoots him in the head, causing him to commit suicide.
Henry Creel’s traumatic cave memories are revealed.
It turns out that after killing the mysterious man, Henry watched as his younger self opened the briefcase and the pieces inside flew out and crawled into his hands. It turns out that the Mind Flayer didn’t want Henry to remember that he used him as a vessel to get to Hawkins, just as Will was a vessel for Henry. However, Henry disputed this, stating that he and the mind flayer were one and the same.
Eighteen months after Vecna, things are almost back to normal for Hawkins.
The devastating events of the Upside Down may have been covered up as an earthquake, but at least there’s a memorial. We caught up with the crew after a time jump to their high school graduation day. Max (Sadie Sink) was skateboarding and flirting with Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin). Hopper (David Harbour) plays stepfather to Joyce and the children, and takes time to comfort Mike, who is still grieving for Elle. Plus, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) is valedictorian, and of course his speech is all about “Dungeons & Dragons.”
Steve (Joe Keery) is currently a high school sex education teacher and baseball coach, and Derek (Jake Connell) is the team’s catcher. In other news, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) is dropping out of Emerson College for a job in journalism, Robin (Maya Hawke) is studying at Smith College, and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) is working on a film at New York University Film School.
After the graduation ceremony, Hopper proposes to Joyce and suggests she move to Montauk, where she has been offered a new job, for a fresh start. Meanwhile, Mike, Max, Dustin, Lucas, and Will skip an invitation to a graduation party to play a D&D campaign that has a bittersweet ending that reflects their future. Will heads to the big city and begins dating. Max and Lucas are together. Dustin is in college but is still dating Steve. And Mike becomes a writer.
In the final scene, Mike watches as Holly (Nell Fisher), Derek, and their friends start their own D&D campaign.
Mike apologizes for not saying anything about Will’s coming out earlier.
It was funny to see Mike comfort Will at the beginning of the episode. Nothing can fit between these two buds.
Steve and Jonathan get along.
Steve and Jonathan let bygones be bygones and agree that neither is the right person for Nancy.
Holly finally takes the children to the cave and has a heroic moment.
Holly felt so guilty for not helping her mother Karen (Calabuono) and not being brave at times, but she made up for it in this episode.
Unlike modern blockbusters, there are no mid-credits or post-credit scenes.
Hawkins is quiet… for now!
