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Netflix's Stranger Things Season 4 ended with an epic finale, setting the tone for the series' final season.
The series' creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, provided audiences with two extra-long finale episodes with multiple evocative moments, easter eggs, and intriguing character arcs. The episode featured some heartbreaking casualties as well as a glimpse of what's in-store for the upcoming season.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions and contains spoilers.
Stranger Things Season 4 Vol 2 finale recap
The finale of Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 opened with Eleven, Mike, Will, Jonathan and Argyle devising plans to get back to Hawkins. While thinking about the many ways to establish contact with the team at Hawkins, Eleven came up with the idea of piggybacking on Vecna's infiltration of Max's mind by infiltrating Max’s mind herself and fighting him off remotely. To do this, she needed a bathtub and salt to create a sensory deprivation tank to focus on her powers.
Meanwhile, Hopper, Joyce, Murray, Enzo and Yuri realized that they would not be able to get back in time so they decided to break back into the prison and destroy the black particles, which has now taken over the Demogorgons and Demodogs. Meanwhile, Nancy, Steve, Robin, Erica, Eddie, Dustin and Lucas carried out their masterplan: to return to the Upside Down and kill Vecna.
Mounting complications
However, the plan was not successful after Max allowed Vecna to enter her mind by confessing her deepest, most terrible thoughts about her brother. Eleven, on the other hand, lingered nearby, trying to reach her while Eddie lured the bats away with his Metallica performance in the Upside Down.
The complications, however, began to mount in Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 one after the other. Around the time when Eleven tried to reach out to Max through some of the latter's earliest memories, Jason turned up at the Creel house and tried to force Lucas to wake Max up at gunpoint. At the same time, Steve, Robin, and Nancy were attacked and were held prisoners by the vines in the house.
Fighting off demons
Upon returning to the prison, Hopper, Joyce and Murray discovered that the black particles had taken over the Demodogs and Demogorgons. They came up with the plan to corrall the beings from the Upside Down into the monster pit with Hopper acting as the bait.
On the other hand, in Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2, the swarm of bats managed to break through the trailer's vents, forcing Dustin and Eddie to fight them off. Later, Dustin climbed up the bedsheets to the other side but Eddie cut off the escape route to buy more time, heading right into the swarm and cycling off at high speed, hoping they would follow him.
Lucas fought off Jason, Eleven fought off Vecna while Eddie turned to face the swarm as Dustin climbed back into the Upside-Down to help him.
Invoking memories
Shockingly, Eleven was not a match for Vecna as he overpowered her, binding her with his ichorous tentacles and forcing her to watch as he strung Max up beside her. The fourth kill, the fourth door, and fourth chime of the grandfather clock, would have meant an end for Hawkins and the rest of the world.
Eleven implored Vecna to stop by invoking papa’s name, but it only prompted a backstory. After being banished to the Upside-Down by Eleven, Vecna wandered and explored until he finally became the predator he believed he was born to be. In another scenario, Eddie was killed by a bat-storm, Hopper was attacked by a Demodog, Steve, Nancy and Robin fought for their life, and Lucas was thrashed by Jason while Erica yelled at the door.
Enacting the final phase
Fortunately, Mike was able to reach Eleven by confessing his love for her and begging her to fight. However, Max's arms and legs began to snap and twist. At the same time, Lucas fought off Jason and Joyce saved Hopper, Dustin ran to Eddie and Eleven sent Vecna flying. In Russia, Murray rained hellfire on the demons, causing the swarm to drop out of the sky and Vecna to writhe in agony.
The vines released Nancy, Robin and Steve, freeing them to enact the final phase of the plan while Hopper picked up a giant sword to fight the final remaining Demogorgon. In a couple of moments, Steve and Robin cooked up Vecna's physical form while Nancy unloaded the the sawed-off shotgun into him, and Hopper beheaded the Demogorgon.
The unfortunate casualties
Sadly in Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2, there were casualties at the end as Eddie succumbed to the swarm attack after a heart-touching farewell to Dustin. Max suffered too much damage while under Vecna's sway and died in Lucas' arms. The clock chimed four times and the earth began to tear, rivers of magma tearing through Hawkins.
Meanwhile, Eleven reached out to Max, and as Max's memories were swirling around her head, Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 9 cut to two days later.
Ending of Stranger Things Season 4 Vol. 2
Mike, Will, Eleven, Jonathan and Argyle arrived in Hawkins just as everyone else was leaving the 'cursed' town. The gang reunited and learned that Max was still alive, but that she had suffered a near-death experience, broken arms, legs, and a broken back, and that she might never wake up. Despite this, Lucas was by her side at the hospital, reading Stephen King’s The Talisman aloud to her.
Steve, Robin, and Dustin started helping out with the community relief efforts. Robin got to make PB&J sandwiches alongside Vickie, while Dustin got to tearfully break the news of Eddie’s passing to Mr. Munson. Later, everyone headed towards Hopper’s cabin in the woods to fix it up in an effort to hide Eleven.
Nancy and Jonathan were still reluctant to say what they really felt to one another. Eleven still felt deep guilt over what happened to Max. Will told the group that with all that happened, he can still feel Vecna, lurking closeby. The episode ended with Hopper and Eleven's reunion, which was interrupted with a close-up shot of Will's neck, him feeling the old chills on the back again and ash tumbling from the sky.
When everyone rushed to the nearby hill, they saw black clouds coiling, red lightning crackling, and saw the town’s beauty and nature begin to wither and die. The Upside-Down seemed to spill into Hawkins.
What does the future of Stranger Things look like now?
The end of Stranger Things Season 4 hinted that serious drama will unfold in the final season, even though some of the beloved characters have died. There will surely be real consequences to this final season in order for Stranger Things to bow out on a high note.
Another hint was that the book Lucas was reading for Max, The Talisman, is a fantasy novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub. The story of the book revolves around a parallel dimension that ends with an earthquake that opens up multiple parallel realms. The closing credit track, Spellbound by Siouxsie and the Banshees, also hinted at Will's possible return as the lead in the final season.
Catch Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 streaming now on Netflix.
