In the seventh episode of Stranger Things' fifth season, Max returns to the real world, her words echoing the importance of Lucas's presence over Kate Bush's music in her escape. As El and the others finally arrive at the hospital, they find Karen Wheeler already there, their efforts rendered moot.
Meanwhile, Holly awakens to find herself in the Upside Down, emerging from a cocoon and expelling the darkness that envelops her. Vecna is not far behind, and soon enough, he discovers Holly's whereabouts.
Elsewhere, Dustin and Steve stumble upon Jonathan and Nancy, relaying their discoveries, including Brenner's diary and his research on the gate. Dustin explains that Holly and her dreamworld exist beyond the Upside Down but are still shrouded in mystery.
Holly's journey takes an unexpected turn as she finds herself falling through the gate, landing right in the lab. Of all places, this is certainly a twist!
Back in Hawkins, Mr. Clarke works on his telemetry tracker with Erika and Murray, honing in on Dustin and his friends' location. The military descends upon the hospital in full force, prompting the group to retreat. Mike insists that their greatest weapon against the Demogorgons, Karen Wheeler, remain behind to rest and recover.
In Hawkins, Will recalls Vecna's accusation of him being a spy and confesses to Joyce that he is the one who infected their world with the vines. He blames himself for the turmoil that has ensued.
As he wallows in self-pity, the rest of the group triangulates Dustin's signal to the lab. They manage to communicate with him, only for the signal to cut out abruptly. The only solution now is to lift the metal plates blocking Hawkins and save them all from the darkness that threatens to consume them all.
Eleven journeys with the plates from Hawkins Lab, venturing into the Upside Down on the other side. Alas, Holly is nowhere to be found. Despite her fall, Vecna managed to pull her back into Camazotz, a spectacle that Nancy witnessed firsthand. Max bears the guilt, as the group regroups and heads back to Hawkins. Dustin elucidates that this wormhole is tearing apart Hawkins from whatever lies beyond, coining it "The Abyss" due to its resemblance to a realm of pure chaos and evil. This is the world where the Demogorgons and all other horrors hail from. It is also where Henry would have remained if not for Brenner, who compelled El to find and bring Henry back. When El made remote contact with this Abyss, a bridge was forged between the two worlds. Ever since, Henry and the monsters have used the Upside Down as a conduit to traverse between dimensions.
These children are destined to serve as a colossal vessel to channel and amplify Vecna's abilities to reshape the worlds. Essentially, the Abyss will merge with Hawkins, remaking the world as we know it. Time is of the utmost urgency; they are in the final phase now. This impending catastrophe could spell the end of our world if they do not act swiftly. Their mission is to save everyone, but to do so, they must wade through fire.
Essentially, they will wait until the two worlds are on the verge of collision, allowing El to hack into Vecna's mind and stop him. The Upside Down lab is their destination, and with Max's guidance, the group believes they can use the bath there to enhance her reach. Kali will also be present, following El into her mind.
Dustin's voice interjects with a bold idea: to plant a bomb near the exotic matter within the Upside Down, setting a timer to ensure their escape while the explosion destroys everything in its path—including the bridge—and finally puts an end to this nightmarish reality. Thankfully, Vecna's eavesdropping on Will is temporarily halted.
Meanwhile, the military tracks down where El and the others entered the Upside Down, preparing to join the fray and potentially derail the Scooby Gang's carefully laid plans. Time is of the essence, and they must act swiftly.
Joyce and Hopper engage in a heartfelt conversation about El and his upbringing, with Hopper expressing concerns about Kali's volatile nature and hidden motives. As they speak, Kali privately approaches El with a sense of urgency, believing that ending the cycle of violence is paramount. After Henry's demise, she proposes a drastic measure—sacrifice themselves to ensure that this experiment can never be replicated again.
Holly awakens in Camazotz to find the kids turning on her, their fury palpable. They rip the necklace protecting her from Vecna's influence, and she succumbs to his power.
Back inside the radio shack, Max and Will discuss the cave and ponder Will's fears. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang loads up and prepares for their descent into the Upside Down. With time running out, there's one more crucial matter to address: Will comes out as gay, realizing that he needs to be present in the Upside Down to ensure the plan's success.
The group uses a truck to burst through the military base's defenses. Nancy proves her mettle as an excellent marksman, taking down a significant number of soldiers, while Dr. Kay watches on as El and the others storm through the portal leading to the Upside Down.
As the episode draws to a close, Vecna readies his plan, using the kids as vessels for his sinister purposes.
