It’s a great day to be a Stranger Things fan, because the fifth season has finally begun. The beloved Netflix series, which captured hearts around the globe when it premiered in 2016, has carved out a spot in the cultural zeitgeist, and it’s hard to believe it’s actually ending. After waiting for over three years for the new season, the release is truly bittersweet.
But it’s not over just yet. The first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 are now streaming on Netflix, with the next three releasing on Christmas Day, followed by the finale on New Year’s Eve.
If you’ve binged through Volume 1 already (well, first, we can’t blame you), you’re probably, rightfully so, freaking out about the ending. The fourth episode is action-packed, without a moment to breathe. And the very ending is so exciting, we’re still trying to make sense of it.
Warning: If you haven’t noticed by now, there will be MAJOR spoilers in this post! So please leave if you don’t want the ending of Stranger Things 5 Volume 1 spoiled for you.
Here’s what happens to Will in Stranger Things 5 Volume 1
In the fourth episode, the characters are separated into different groups as they attempt to work together to save Holly—and potentially other kids—from Vecna. After a plan to sneak kids out of military barracks goes awry, Joyce, Mike, and Will, along with a few of the kids, are taken by soldiers and brought to the Mac-Z. There, Demogorgons appear and begin attacking, with an awesome action sequence ensuing.
Vecna then appears and threatens Will, using his powers to lift him up in the air and explaining that kidnapping Will at the start of the series showed him what was possible. But instead of killing Will, Vecna simply walks through the gate and back into the Upside Down. What happens next is very unexpected. Will has another vision, but this time starts seeing memories between him and Mike growing up. This is a callback to a conversation he had with Robin this season, in which Robin encouraged him to embrace his true self, including his strengths.
And embracing his strengths is exactly what Will does. Suddenly, he begins channeling his own powers—literal, psychokinetic powers, that is—and stops the Demogorgons from continuing to attack. In that moment, everyone is shocked by this new discovery: Will could be the one to save Hawkins.
But okay, wait, how does Will have powers?
Now, I know what you’re thinking: Will wasn’t trained by Dr. Brenner at Hawkins Lab, so how the heck does he have powers? Well, he has a connection to Vecna deeper than even Eleven does. As theorized throughout the season so far, it seems that Will has somehow connected to the Hive Mind, which controls the creatures of the Upside Down. When he has visions, he sees through the Demogorgons’ point of view, feeling like he is one of them.
There’s still a lot more we need to learn about Will’s powers, but the fact that he’s, at least in some way, connected to the Hive Mind means he can use some of Vecna’s power. In the opening scene of Stranger Things 5, we also see a little bit of what happened to Will when he was trapped in the Upside Down. At one point, tentacles insert some sort of substance into Will’s mouth—and I don’t think that was nothing.
Again, we have more questions than answers when it comes to what happened to Will in the Upside Down and how that resulted in him having powers, but we know it must be a direct result of whatever Vecna did to him. For better or for worse, he is tethered to Vecna. But now that he’s able to channel his powers, at least he can use this reality for good.
Now that Vecna seems to be building an army of children, it also begs the question of whether or not these kids, including Holly, could have untapped powers as well. Could they all come together—including Eleven and Kali, too—to take down Vecna? It’s certainly possible, but at this point we’re simply speculating.
The first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 are available to stream on Netflix. Keep reading Winter is Coming for more coverage on Volume 1 and beyond!