Stranger Things Recap: One Last Crawl

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Okay, so this is the second-to-last episode of Stranger Things before the big finale, and honestly, I’m on the edge of my seat! It feels like everything is finally coming together, and the show is about to reveal a lot of answers. They’re really setting up the final showdown – laying out the plan for how everything’s going to go down. It all comes down to this, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out!

After Mr. Clarke quickly learns what’s going on, he finds Dustin, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan in the Upside Down using a tracking device. Back in Hawkins, the group – now including Max! – manages to pull them all out. There’s a lot to explain, but you might have noticed Holly isn’t among those rescued. She almost escapes, waking up connected to the central spire and trying to run to a gate leading to another world – the one Vecna intends to merge with ours. She jumps through just as Vecna catches up, and the group in Hawkins Lab hears her scream as she falls from the sky. They rush to the roof, but she’s pulled back by Vecna, who returns her body to the spire. He now has all twelve of the people he needs.

Dustin needs to explain Holly’s disappearance to the group, so he gives everyone – except Mr. Clarke and Erica – a quick lesson on wormholes. The reunited crew gathers at the radio station. Based on Dr. Brenner’s journals, Dustin realized the Upside Down isn’t another dimension, but a wormhole connecting Hawkins to another place and time. He’s decided to call this other world the Abyss. Mr. Clarke adds that it’s “a realm of chaos and pure evil,” pointing out it’s a term from Dungeons & Dragons. It’s a fitting description, considering what they’ve seen. Dustin explains that the Abyss is where El sent Henry (Vecna) when she defeated him in the Rainbow Room – where he’s been hiding since the end of season four. This explains why they couldn’t find him and why El couldn’t sense him in her Void. Dustin believes the Abyss is the original home of the demogorgons and the Mind Flayer. He theorizes that when Dr. Brenner made Eleven find Henry, and she connected with the demogorgon, that’s what created the Upside Down and formed the wormhole. Since then, Vecna has been using this connection to move between worlds with his monsters.

But why does Vecna need children? Will figures out that Vecna previously used him to increase his power, and now he could do even more with twelve vulnerable minds. Now that Max is back, she can share what Holly told her about Henry’s plan to combine the human world and the Upside Down. Will suddenly understands that while Vecna has been trapped in the Upside Down, he’s been creating weaknesses within it, similar to the ones he made in Hawkins. If those weaknesses grow, or if Vecna succeeds, the two worlds will collide. He’s always wanted to reshape the world to match his vision, and this is how he intends to do it. It’s a frightening realization.

Our mission to save the world is… complicated. We need to fly 2,000 feet in the air, enter the Abyss, defeat Vecna, rescue the children, and get everyone back home. It’s a lot, but let’s start planning – just like they do on Stranger Things.

Okay, this part of the story was a real challenge to get through. Things hit a wall when everyone started shooting down Hopper’s incredibly risky plan – going straight into the Upside Down, hijacking a helicopter, the whole nine yards. It quickly became just a lot of arguing and getting nowhere, with Hopper desperately wishing for some kind of easy solution, like a magic bean, to get them into this impossible world. But honestly, that ‘magic bean’ line? That’s what sparked the actual solution! It was Steve Harrington who finally stepped up. It was so satisfying to see him prove he’s more than just the guy with the hair, or the babysitter who’ll fight demobats if he has to. He’s genuinely smart, and it was awesome to see him finally shine!

The plan ends up being called Operation Beanstalk. As Steve notes, they don’t need a magical beanstalk – the radio tower at the station will serve the same purpose. Remember when Steve and Jonathan raced to the top in the first episode? That wasn’t just a silly competition; it was a hint of what was to come. The tower isn’t currently tall enough to reach the Abyss, but if they allow the Abyss to get closer, they can use it to climb up and enter. Eleven can then enter Vecna’s mind, defeat him, and stop the worlds from colliding. This will allow them to rescue the children and save everyone.

Everyone is amazed by the plan, but a few tweaks could make it even better. To get inside Vecna’s mind, El needs to get as close to him as possible. Nancy thinks Vecna’s base in the Upside Down is directly above the lab – the same lab where Brenner used to submerge Eleven in a sensory deprivation tank. That’s where El will attempt to enter his mind. Dustin also has an idea to completely end the conflict: after rescuing the kids from the Upside Down, they can plant a timed bomb to destroy the bridge connecting their world to the Upside Down, severing the connection forever. Of course, everyone knows timed bombs rarely work as planned in movies, and someone usually gets left behind, but they’re putting that depressing thought aside – at least until New Year’s Eve. It’s going to be a memorable time, to say the least.

The team starts getting ready for Operation Beanstalk. When they decide Kali will join El in entering Vecna’s mind – the two sisters are planning to defeat their brother together – Hopper is concerned. As he goes to the MAC-Z to take his post, he tells Joyce he doesn’t trust Kali and will immediately kill her if she does anything to threaten El. He emphasizes that he can’t lose his daughter, and he won’t let that happen. The story suggests Hopper’s worries are justified.

Eleven and Kali finally have a direct conversation about how to stop Henry. Kali believes the only solution is for all three of them to die, but Eleven hopes to find another way. Kali dismisses the idea of a happy ending, and eventually, Eleven agrees to Kali’s plan. They decide to stay trapped in the Void when they defeat Henry, letting the explosion destroy them along with him. Their reasoning is that if they no longer exist, Dr. Kay won’t be able to use anyone to create more children with powers, or more monsters. This makes their already dangerous journey to the Upside Down Hawkins Lab even more suspenseful.

Kali isn’t the only one helping El. Max will guide Eleven through Henry’s memories, as she’s very familiar with them. And Will, another person who knows Henry and can harm him, will also play a crucial role. Will has been struggling since escaping Vecna’s mind, blaming himself for not being strong enough to save everyone. He feels responsible for the tunnels Vecna created and the people who died because of them. However, after Max shares a painful memory from Henry’s past, Will understands that Vecna is Henry – a dangerous person, but still human, with weaknesses. This realization gives Will a sense of purpose and what he needs to do next.

As the team prepares to leave, Will decides it’s time to share something important with his mom. He explains that Vecna has control over him because he knows all of Will’s deepest fears and memories, and uses them against him. While focusing on happy thoughts helped with the demogorgons, it isn’t enough to defeat Vecna. Will realizes he needs to confront his fears directly to take away Vecna’s power. Just as he’s about to open up, Mike walks in, and Will understands he doesn’t just need to tell his mom – he wants to share this with everyone, even Murray.

This emotional moment takes up a significant amount of screen time while everything is falling apart, but it’s genuinely touching. It’s especially moving to see Jonathan, who seems incredibly proud of his brother, echoing his promise of unconditional love from earlier in the season. Will has been terrified of telling people he’s gay, fearing he’ll lose the people he cares about – and that’s exactly what Vecna used against him.

Joyce immediately reassures Will that his fear is impossible – she’ll always be there for him. Jonathan joins in with a hug, promising he’ll never leave his side. One by one, Will’s friends offer the same support. Even Murray seems to be thinking it. It’s a powerful group hug, and after it, Will feels ready to face Vecna. He’s determined to help El, declaring that he’s no longer afraid.

The team sets off, encountering some armed opposition as their vehicle breaks through security and enters the Upside Down. Dr. Kay finally spots Eleven, and they successfully get inside. With that, Operation Beanstalk is officially underway.

However, Vecna also has a scheme in motion. He’s manipulated the other children into distrusting Holly, preventing anyone from attempting to escape. When the moment arrives, he assembles the twelve trapped kids around a dining room table. Abruptly, they all look up, their eyes turning completely white. It’s November 6th, and sadly, Vecna’s plan is now being put into action.

More Strange Things!

Okay, I’ll admit it – I definitely teared up when Max and Lucas found each other again! It was just such a heartwarming moment. He confessed he’d never lost hope she was still out there, and even admitted he’d gotten tired of listening to Kate Bush. But she told him the music wasn’t what mattered, all she ever needed was him. It was all just really touching.

There’s a sweet moment where Dustin and Steve reaffirm their friendship while preparing for the fight. Dustin brings out the same weapons he and Eddie used against the demobats – a bittersweet reminder of Eddie’s sacrifice. Steve takes the opportunity to apologize for speaking badly about Eddie before, admitting he was upset by the changes in Dustin and wishes he’d been a better friend when Dustin needed him most. Dustin agrees, calling Steve’s plan brilliant. They share a touching moment, acknowledging that if the plan fails, they’ll face it together, saying they’ll go down together. It’s a really heartwarming exchange between the two of them!

When so much is on the line, it’s hard to focus on what Dr. Kay and Akers are doing. It would have been better to resolve their storyline earlier. Their continued focus on capturing El makes them seem out of touch with the bigger picture, and it’s difficult to see them as a real threat. It’s clear they’ll probably cause problems for Operation Beanstalk, but they really need to catch on to what’s happening!

Okay, seriously, one of the most genuinely touching moments? When Dustin completely loses it and gives Nancy this huge hug after they rescue her and Jonathan from that… well, melted mess. You could feel how much he cares about her – it’s his Snow Ball dance partner, after all, and he really thought he was losing her. It was a small thing, but it packed a real emotional punch.

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2025-12-26 15:56