The final battle for Hawkins has begun. The first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 have arrived on Netflix, picking up the story eighteen months after the town was torn apart by Vecna. With Hawkins under strict military control, our heroes are united in a desperate search for their enemy, culminating in a stunning power shift that changes everything.
The State of Hawkins
The story resumes in the fall of 1987. Hawkins is a shadow of its former self, living under a harsh military quarantine enforced by the U.S. Army. The center of town, where Vecna’s gates converged, is now a secured area known as the MAC-Z (Military Access Control Zone). The military, led by the mysterious Dr. Kay, is actively hunting for Eleven, believing her to be the source of the town’s calamity.
Hiding from the authorities, Eleven is with Hopper and Joyce, undergoing intense training to restore and enhance her powers. The rest of the group, including Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, Nancy, Steve, Jonathan, and Robin, operates covertly from the local WSQK radio station, using coded broadcasts to coordinate their movements.
The Crawl and the First Attack
The group’s methodical plan to find Vecna is called a “crawl.” Using military supply convoys that enter the Upside Down as cover, Hopper has been sneaking into the alternate dimension to search for their target. After over thirty unsuccessful missions, the latest crawl goes terribly wrong. The convoy is ambushed by a Demogorgon, which slaughters the soldiers and leaves Hopper wounded and stranded in the Upside Down.
The danger is not confined to the other dimension. Back in the real world, Will Byers begins experiencing intense visions, seeing through the eyes of the creatures. He warns the group that an attack is imminent, but they are too late to stop a Demogorgon from invading the Wheeler home. The creature severely injures Karen and Ted Wheeler and successfully abducts their youngest daughter, Holly.
Will’s Deepening Connection
The season opens with a crucial flashback to 1983, revealing that Will’s original abduction was not just the work of a Demogorgon. The creature took him to Vecna, who personally infected him with a tentacle from the Upside Down. This event created a permanent psychic link between Will and Vecna’s hive mind.
In the present day, this connection is stronger than ever. Will doesn’t just get a feeling when evil is near; he can now see what the creatures see. He discovers that Vecna is targeting children, and his first vision was actually from Holly’s perspective. Mike theorizes that Will’s link is so powerful it might be a form of innate magic, telling him, “In real life, you’re more like a sorcerer, because your powers don’t come from a book of spells. They’re innate.”
A Rescue Mission and a Shocking Return
To save the other children, the group stages a trap for a Demogorgon, tagging it with a tracker and following it into the Upside Down. Meanwhile, the military rounds up children to use as bait for Eleven, forcing our heroes to launch a daring rescue at the base.
The mission triggers a full-scale invasion. Demogorgons burst from the ground, slaughtering soldiers and causing chaos. In the midst of the battle, Vecna himself appears, more powerful than ever. He confronts Will, mocking his perceived weakness and revealing why he chooses children like him.
“Can you see them, William? Do you know why I chose them to reshape the world? It’s because they are weak. Weak in body and in mind. Easily broken, ashamed, controlled. The perfect vessels. And you, Will, you were the first. And you broke so easily,” Vecna says.
As Demogorgons advance on his friends, Will remembers advice from Robin about self-acceptance. He flashes back to childhood memories with Mike and, in a stunning display, unleashes telekinetic power. His eyes turn white as he seizes control of the Demogorgons, snapping their limbs and saving his friends. The episode closes on the powerful image of Will wiping blood from his nose, a signature trait he now shares with Eleven.
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Other Key Developments
While Will’s awakening is the climax, other storylines are in motion. Dustin is struggling with grief and anger over Eddie Munson’s death, which causes tension with Steve. The love triangle between Steve, Jonathan, and Nancy resurfaces, adding personal drama to the crisis.
In the Upside Down, Eleven and Hopper infiltrate Dr. Kay’s base, where they find a secret room containing a powerful signal that acts as Eleven’s kryptonite. Behind the door, they do not find Vecna, but a captured Kali (Eight), Eleven’s “sister” from Season 2.
The fate of Max is also explored. She is conscious but trapped inside Vecna’s memories, hiding in a cave he fears to enter. She meets Holly there and explains she has been moving through Henry Creel’s past, looking for a way home.
Also Read: Will Byers Unleashes Hidden Powers in Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 Finale
Credits: IGN
