Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things 5 Volume 2
How Volume 2 Ends
- The Hawkins group escapes the MAC-Z gate with everyone alive.
- The win feels temporary, not final.
- Eleven is troubled after Kali suggests they both stay behind when the Upside Down collapses.
- The ending leaves Eleven’s fate uncertain.
Vecna’s Plan
- Vecna wants to merge Hawkins with another dimension called the Abyss.
- He kidnaps children, including Holly Wheeler, and uses them as power sources.
- He claims this will destroy all darkness, but the group believes it will destroy their world.
What the Upside Down Really Is
- The Upside Down is not a separate world.
- It is a wormhole connecting Earth to the Abyss.
- It was created when Eleven first contacted Henry years ago.
Why the Upside Down Survived
- The team attacks a core made of exotic matter.
- The core is damaged but not destroyed.
- Because of this, the Upside Down remains unstable but intact.
The Final Plan
- The group launches “Operation Beanstalk.”
- They let the worlds begin to merge.
- Eleven will enter Vecna’s mind to stop the spell.
- The goal is to rescue the children and destroy the bridge forever.
Key Character Moments
- Max wakes from her coma.
- Will comes out to his friends and is fully supported.
- Nancy and Jonathan break up.
- Dustin and Steve repair their friendship.
Do Any Characters Die?
- No. Everyone survives Volume 2.
What’s Next?
- The final episode airs on New Year’s Eve.
- Vecna is still active.
- The final battle is about to begin.