When Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 premiered on Netflix, things looked dire for the Hawkins gang. Will Byers was able to tap into his latent powers and defeat the demogorgons, but Vecna was still able to successfully kidnap all 12 “vessels” he needs for his plan to end the world.
But not all is lost. Volume 2 sets up a new schemes on both sides of the Upside Down, and even brings back characters thought to be long-lost. But for every mystery that was solved, another one was presented. Here’s everything that we learned in Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 — and what’s left for the finale to answer.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 Ending Explained
After the group was split up throughout most of Volume 2, Episode 7, “The Bridge” brings everyone — except for Holly, Derek, and the kidnapped kids — to the Rightside Up, where they can formulate a plan on how to reach Vecna, even when he has everything he needs to conquer the world. The key is Dr. Brenner’s lab notes, which Dustin discovered in the Upside Down version of the lab. (It’s also where Nancy and Jonathan discover the Exotic Matter.)
So when Max worries that Holly is lost in a place she doesn’t even understand, Dustin explains he knows exactly where she is. As he said before, everything they know about the Upside Down is wrong. The Upside Down isn’t an alternate dimension, it’s actually a wormhole to The Abyss, Vecna’s homeworld, aka “Camazotz.” That’s why they weren’t able to find him in the Upside Down, he was never there to begin with.
So what’s Vecna’s plan? He’s using the kids he kidnapped to merge the Abyss with the real world. Much like Will, his human “vessels” amplify his power.
Thankfully, the gang quickly comes up with a plan to counteract this. Steve realizes there’s a “beanstalk” that could help them reach the Abyss — if they wait until Vecna brings the worlds close enough that the radio tower reaches through a rift, then Eleven and Kali can use their mental powers to defeat him. Dustin comes up with a final part to the plan: bombing the Exotic Matter so the bridge itself collapses.
What Questions Does The Finale Need To Answer?
Despite having a clear plan, there are still a few hanging threads. Will the plan go without a hitch? So much of Stranger Things has relied on these harebrained schemes, but they often include some sort of hidden ace up the sleeve. Considering how past seasons have gone, it’s possible not everyone will make it out of the series alive.
In fact, two characters are already planning on not making it out alive. Kali tells Eleven that the only way they can protect Vecna and Dr. Kay from tapping into their power is by trapping themselves in the Upside Down, sacrificing themselves to make sure nobody can use them as weapons. Of course, nobody else knows about this, so the finale will show if they’ll find a way to get out alive or if they’ll be causalties in the fight to seal the Upside Down forever.
But the biggest question is if there’s any possibility for more story after this. We already know that Stranger Things isn’t going to end anytime soon thanks to upcoming animated spinoff Tales from ‘85, but perhaps there’s more in store for these characters even after the Upside Down is (hopefully) gone forever.
