The plan to destroy Vecna and the Upside Down as soon as and for all is easy at first — effectively, so simple as one thing on this present can get. Eleven, Kali, and Max will use their mixed abilities to enter Henry’s thoughts and kill him there; Dustin, Steve & Co. will enterprise to The Abyss to disentangle Holly and the opposite children from the hive thoughts; and when everyone seems to be out of there safely, Hopper will make the whole Upside Down go ka-boom with a number of C-4.
Nicely, solely a few of that occurs the best way it is alleged to. The C-4 half, just about. Within the interim, there’s a number of mind-hopping amongst Eleven, Max, Henry/Vecna, and even Will — and when Henry finally finds the braveness to enter the cave that had lengthy terrified him in his personal thoughts, it briefly appears that he would possibly by no means be really vanquished. Plus, one of many gang’s best property — the ever-powerful Kali — sadly dies when Lt. Akers shoots her within the abdomen after the navy briefly will get her, Eleven, and Hopper of their grasp.
And oh, it will get worse. We have all been so involved about Vecna, his hive thoughts, and the approaching collision of The Abyss and Hawkins that we sorta forgot in regards to the Thoughts Flayer — and it seems Vecna and his hive thoughts are inside the Thoughts Flayer. That freaky-looking tree that is been in Will’s imaginative and prescient? Yep. Dormant Thoughts Flayer. And it is not dormant anymore.
Happily, Will, Eleven, and all of their buddies haven’t any concern left to spare in these life-or-death situations, in order that they battle as laborious as they’ll in The Abyss to destroy the Thoughts Flayer for good. Nancy, Steve, Robin, and the remainder of ’em go to work on the Thoughts Flayer’s exterior, taking pictures it with bullets and fireplace and every thing else of their arsenal. In the meantime, contained in the creature, Eleven makes use of her well-honed powers to face Vecna finally and rip him aside, impaling him on one thing spiky within the Thoughts Flayer’s insides. (Will helps out right here, too, taking distant management of Vecna so the Huge Unhealthy and his tendril-like arms cannot do any injury to Eleven.)
After a large battle scene worthy of the film screens the place this finale is displaying throughout the USA, the Thoughts Flayer is toast, the youngsters are saved from the hive thoughts, and Vecna is inside an inch of his life — and Joyce, in a well-deserved second of heroism, finishes the job by taking an ax to Vecna till his head falls from his physique. Go, Joyce!
However hey, we have nonetheless bought 58 minutes left on this finale, so one thing devastating’s gotta occur — and it does, simply after the whole group has efficiently pushed throughout the brink that exits the Upside Down and enters common Hawkins. At that threshold, Hopper & Co. have their automobiles reduce off by the navy, and the automobiles are raided searching for Eleven, whom Dr. Kay nonetheless needs to grab. At first, it appears El may need made a profitable escape… however then Mike spots her standing on the precise level the place Hawkins meets the Upside Down. Earlier than Mike can cease her, Eleven has entered his thoughts, and he or she confirms that she’s made the selection to finish her life right here; if she does not, none of this may ever really cease. They’ve a heartbreaking last dialog in Mike’s head, the place they each categorical their love for one another and kiss one final time. And for those who’re a sucker for flashbacks to earlier seasons, this finale will need to have gotten you good: Mike and El’s last chat is plagued by scenes from their friendship and romance, together with reminiscences of the primary day they met.
After they’ve mentioned their goodbyes, Mike returns to the scene in Hawkins, and he and the others are crushed to see El nonetheless standing on the portal to the Upside Down. The C-4 that Hopper beforehand arrange within the Upside Down goes off finally, and the whole world is wiped away — and Eleven goes with it.
