Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 ending explained: What happened to Will and who does [spoiler] have prisoner?

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Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 5 episodes 1-4.

Season 5 of Stranger Things is finally here, and the first part ends with a huge cliffhanger that has everyone eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

The epic showdown has started, and Vecna, also known as Henry (Jamie Campbell Bower), is going after the children of Hawkins, beginning with Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher). The group is fighting with everything they have to finally defeat him.

Linda Hamilton’s character, Dr. Kay, is secretly holding someone from Eleven’s past captive. At the same time, Will has developed amazing abilities that could help protect his friends from the Demogorgons.

Now that we’re waiting for the rest of the season and the big finale, here’s a recap of what happened in the first part of Stranger Things season 5.

Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 ending explained with full spoilers

What happened to Will Byers and how did he stop the Demogorgons?

In the last moments of episode 4, Will appears to use his link with Vecna and the Demogorgons to halt the monsters and save his friends from being attacked.

The last scene of the episode is particularly interesting: Will starts having a nosebleed, just like Eleven does when she uses her abilities. This suggests Will is developing powers of his own, similar to hers.

Will we see Will and Eleven defeat Vecna together? Stranger things have happened…

The last moments of episode 4 see Will, Joyce, and the team’s rescue attempt fail, as they’re confronted by the military, a horde of Demogorgons, and ultimately, Vecna. While the Demogorgons cause chaos, Vecna paralyzes Will and cruelly tells him how easily he could be broken. However, Will manages to resist and fight back this time.

Okay, so right from the start of season five, it became crystal clear that Will and Vecna’s history goes way back – all the way to Will’s vanishing act in season one. And throughout these recent episodes, we’ve seen Will struggling with this strange link to the Demogorgons, almost like he’s experiencing life through their eyes, feeling what they feel. But episode four? That was a game-changer. With some serious help from Robin, Will has actually managed to take control of that connection, and now he can control the Demogorgons themselves. It’s a huge development and I’m really excited to see where they take this.

Will’s journey of self-acceptance and the development of his abilities appear to be connected. This season, he and Robin have grown closer through their shared experience of feeling different, both having navigated challenges with their sexual identities – though Will’s story is currently only hinted at.

While Will faces Vecna and the Demogorgons, we see flashbacks of his happiest childhood moments. Robin reminds him he already knew how to fight them, and that’s when he finally succeeds. It seems Will gaining confidence might be what unlocks his full potential and allows him to permanently defeat Vecna.

Will’s newfound abilities will significantly impact the rest of the season. If he can defeat the Demogorgons, he’ll remove a major danger to Hawkins. Even better, if he learns to control them, he could turn them against Vecna, making his own minions fight for the town and potentially defeating the villain once and for all.

Who is Kali – AKA Eight – and why is Dr Kay holding her prisoner?

Dr. Kay has captured Kali, also known as Eight, and is holding her captive in the Upside Down, probably to learn more about Eleven and her abilities. Dr. Kay doesn’t understand what’s been happening in Hawkins; she mistakenly thinks Eleven is responsible for Holly and the other children who have disappeared. She hopes that by finding Eleven, she’ll also find the missing kids.

I remember when Kali showed up in season two – Linnea Berthelsen did a great job playing her. She’s one of the other kids experimented on at Hawkins Lab, just like Eleven. But while Eleven moves things with her mind, Kali’s powers are all about messing with what people think they’re seeing – she can really warp their perception of reality.

After escaping from Hawkins Lab, Kali was determined to get revenge on those who had harmed her. When Eleven found her in Pennsylvania, Kali was living with a group that targeted people who had wronged them in the past, seeking to punish them for their actions.

I was so bummed when Eleven had to leave Kali and the others to go back and help her friends. But honestly, Kali really helped Eleven understand herself. She showed her that accepting and understanding her feelings was actually the key to getting better at using her powers. It was a big turning point for Eleven, and I think Kali deserves a lot of credit for that.

While searching for Vecna at a military base in the Upside Down, Eleven and Hopper unexpectedly encounter Kali. It’s unknown how Dr. Kay captured her or what she’s been doing to her, but Eleven and Hopper (David Harbour) are now trying to save her – assuming they can first escape the base themselves.

What happened to Max Mayfield, and is she alive?

Yes, Max is still alive, but trapped in two places at once: a coma at Hawkins General Hospital and within Vecna/Henry’s mind.

Holly sees her at the close of episode 3, and in episode 4, she reveals everything that occurred. She explains she should have died, and briefly did, but then felt a pull that led her to wake up within Vecna’s memories. There, she saw his high school years – a connection to the play The First Shadow that will be important in season 5 – and even the moment he seemingly doomed her.

Despite being trapped, she isn’t completely cut off from the world. She can still hear the music Lucas plays for her during his hospital visits – a nod to the memorable Kate Bush scene from season four – and even feels his touch as she nears freedom. Sadly, she almost breaks free from Vecna’s grasp, with the music guiding her toward a portal back to reality, but the music abruptly stops, and the portal vanishes before she can reach it.

Not long after, Vecna discovers her, and she flees through his memories until she finds a cave he’s clearly afraid of. She makes a home for herself there. Though she’d lost hope of escaping, Holly’s appearance has given her a renewed sense of purpose and a new plan. For the time being, Holly needs to go back to Vecna’s house, pretend everything is normal, and stall for time.

What does Vecna want with Holly and the Hawkins children?

Vecna explains that he’s chosen the children of Hawkins because they are vulnerable, both physically and mentally, making them simple to manipulate – he calls them “the perfect vessels.” He cruelly reminds Will that he was the first person Vecna tried to control, and that Will yielded easily.

We don’t know exactly why Vecna first targeted Holly, but it might have been because she was close to Will, as she’s Mike’s younger sister. However, it’s clear Holly wasn’t his only target – he also went after other children, including Derek Turnbow, who actually ended up helping the group fight against him.

The military has discovered how children are disappearing and is now holding them at a facility called MAC-Z. The gang decides to use this to their benefit, sending Derek undercover to infiltrate the base and planning an elaborate rescue mission – similar to the classic film The Great Escape – to save the children Vecna has chosen as targets.

Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Dustin are venturing into the dangerous Upside Down, following clues about the Demogorgon in hopes of finding Vecna and ultimately, Holly. Their search might also be crucial to helping Eleven and Hopper break free from the military base.

As a huge fan, I think the biggest weakness in Vecna’s scheme is that he seriously underestimated the kids of Hawkins – and especially Will. We’ve seen over these first four episodes that Will’s really come to grips with his connection to Vecna, and he’s not just a victim anymore. He’s figuring out how to fight back, and that’s going to be a real problem for Vecna, I think.

The younger kids are eager to help too, with Derek bravely going into the MAC-Z and sharing information with our heroes. He persuades the other children to quietly slip away through the tunnel Joyce (Winona Ryder), Will, and the others made.

Vecna’s overconfidence might be the reason he ultimately fails, but we’ll have to wait for the second part of the story to find out for sure. However, the actor who plays him, Jamie Campbell Bower, has offered a small preview of what’s to come.

He shared his excitement as a fan, saying he was thrilled with how the show concluded. He described the ending as beautiful and a perfect way to say goodbye to a beloved series.

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2025-11-27 09:36