{"id":369427,"date":"2025-12-26T06:01:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T06:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/369427\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T06:01:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T06:01:06","slug":"max-and-hollys-escape-nancy-and-jonathans-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/369427\/","title":{"rendered":"Max and Holly\u2019s escape, Nancy and Jonathan\u2019s closure"},"content":{"rendered":"

After that cliffhanger ending of Stranger Things 5 episode 5, we\u2019d bet there\u2019s no way anyone watching isn\u2019t clicking \u201cnext episode.\u201d Of course, we know not everyone will die because of Nancy shooting at the ball of energy in the sky, but something bad must happen, right? <\/p>\n

We recapped and reviewed Stranger Things 5 episode 6, \u201cEscape From Camazotz,\u201d live here at Winter is Coming.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t have to wait long to find out what happens next in the Upside Down. Nancy shoots at the sky, and suddenly, we see a big glowing vortex, followed by an explosion and the emergence of energy bolts that travel across the dimension.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We finally catch back up with Erica and Murray here, seeing the pair pay Mr. Clarke a visit at his home. Though Mr. Clarke is annoyed, once they tell him that Dustin is in danger, he agrees to help them build a new telemetry tracker.<\/p>\n

The truth behind the Upside Down\"Gaten<\/p>\n

Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things: Season 5. | Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX \u00a9 2025<\/p>\n

We then get more information about whatever that energy ball is\u2014and what it did. Dustin explains to Steve that he was wrong about the generator. He learned from Brenner\u2019s journal that the key to destroying the wall is in the lab, but it isn\u2019t the ball of energy. That thing, he says, is something called exotic matter<\/a>, a single source of energy holding the wall together.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, while he wasn\u2019t totally far off, destroying the exotic matter wouldn\u2019t actually help them. And this is when he makes a major revelation: They\u2019ve been wrong about the Upside Down this whole time. It isn\u2019t an alternate dimension; instead, it\u2019s actually a wormhole, and if the bridge between time and space is destroyed, they\u2019ll die, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hopper, Eleven, and Kali watch the bolts reach the wall, but instead of destroying it, it makes it more powerful. Quickly, the wall sucks up Steve\u2019s car, and then all the objects around, like tree branches, get pulled to it. The trio must hide to avoid being sucked up into the wall, and Eleven uses her powers to get them to a gate to the real world.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Nancy and Jonathan are left unconscious up on the roof from the explosion, and everything is melting around them.<\/p>\n

After being warned by Will, Max and Holly run from Vecna and retreat to the cave. But this time, Vecna doesn\u2019t seem so scared. Appearing as Henry, he doesn\u2019t enter the cave, but he does confront the girls, telling them that if Holly doesn\u2019t go with him, he\u2019ll kill Max. Max calls him on his bluff, saying if he wanted to kill her, he could just come into the cave and do it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Henry scares Holly by stating that \u201cthings have changed,\u201d and he has other ways to get to them now. He claims that Max\u2019s life is in Holly\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n

November 6<\/p>\n

It\u2019s now a new day, and that day would be\u2014you guessed it\u2014November 6! It\u2019s the day Will went missing back in 1983, and now, exactly four years later, everything could end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the radio station, Will is still unconscious. Lucas, Robin, and Mike try to figure out what happened and how Will was able to see Max. Robin has a theory, posing that maybe Max isn\u2019t in a coma after all, but rather in some sort of trance in Vecna\u2019s mind. And since Max and Holly have been in Vecna\u2019s mind the longest, maybe they could help.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Will and Vecna meet again\"Noah<\/p>\n

Noah Schnapp as Will Byers and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things: Season 5. | COURTESY OF NETFLIX \u00a9 2025<\/p>\n

We then cut to what Will is experiencing in his consciousness while passed out. He wakes up trapped by the tentacles in Vecna\u2019s lair, and Henry comes to visit him. Turning into Vecna, he reveals to Will that he was his builder all those years ago, and while he was sleeping, he was actually building tunnels for Vecna every night. Vecna claims that Will has a lot of power inside of him, but only because they\u2019re Vecna\u2019s powers, and they\u2019re growing stronger.<\/p>\n

Vecna tells Will that he needs him to be his spy one more time, and while Will refuses, it doesn\u2019t look like he\u2019ll have much of a choice.<\/p>\n

Holly and Max regroup on what to do next, and Max says she thinks Vecna won\u2019t come into the cave because of a traumatic memory he doesn\u2019t want to relive. Holly suggests that they could escape through Henry\u2019s bad memory, but Max isn\u2019t so sure. Holly follows her hunch, however, and leaves the cave to look for clues.<\/p>\n

Hopper, Eleven, and Kali make it back to the real world and reunite with the group at the radio station. Will is still unconscious, and Joyce asks El if she\u2019ll try to find him. She agrees, but it\u2019s not so easy, as he keeps slipping away from her when she tries.<\/p>\n

The melting room<\/p>\n

Jonathan and Nancy finally wake up with all of the melted matter around them, realizing they didn\u2019t destroy the ball of energy\u2014they only made it angry. And to make matters worse, they\u2019re not able to escape the room they\u2019re in because of everything melting, including the doorknob.<\/p>\n

Eleven is still having trouble finding Will, and Kali informs Hopper that she needs help. As Mike watches, confused, Kali and Hopper argue over Eleven and their plans. Kali claims that killing Vecna won\u2019t end all of this, but Hop doesn\u2019t want to hear it. He decides they\u2019ll build a tank for Eleven.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lucas and Robin go to the hospital to visit Max, but Vickie sees Robin and pulls her away to confront her about stealing the drugs. The hospital knows, and security guards are looking for her. Vickie demands answers, but what Robin tells her is too shocking for her to believe. Lucas starts playing \u201cRunning Up That Hill\u201d for Max, hoping he\u2019ll be able to get to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Finn<\/p>\n

Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler and Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in Stranger Things: Season 5. | Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX \u00a9 2025<\/p>\n

While they wait for the tank, Mike asks Eleven what Kali\u2019s been talking about. Eleven doesn\u2019t want to talk about it, but eventually tells him about the lab in the Upside Down. Eleven is clearly frustrated and finally coming to terms with reality, protesting against everything Mike says to make her feel better. She tells him that because she has Vecna\u2019s blood in her, this will never end. Mike assures her they\u2019ll figure it out, but this is, of course, very difficult for him to grasp.<\/p>\n

Max follows Holly out into the desert and, after theorizing that there must be a secret location somewhere to access Henry\u2019s memory, she falls through the ground, and they discover stairs underground.<\/p>\n

Steve and Dustin try to find Nancy and Jonathan in the lab, and they have a much-needed heartfelt moment. Dustin gets choked up, telling Steve he doesn\u2019t want him to die. They both get vulnerable and share a hug, understanding that they\u2019ve just been defensive and really do care about each other.<\/p>\n

Nancy and Jonathan\u2019s big confessions\"Natalia<\/p>\n

Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton in Stranger Things season 5. | Courtesy of Netflix \u00a9 2025 <\/p>\n

The melting continues in the room Nancy and Jonathan are in, and they begin to accept their fate that Steve and Dustin won\u2019t get to them in time. Because of this, they have a very honest conversation, thinking it\u2019ll be their last, starting with Nancy telling Jonathan she actually hates The Clash, his favorite band. This turns into a back-and-forth of confessions, including Jonathan admitting to never applying to Emerson College. But Nancy knew that already.<\/p>\n

Nancy and Jonathan discuss their shared drama, admitting the good and the bad about it. Jonathan brings up Steve, but Nancy assures him that she doesn\u2019t feel that way about Steve, despite him being a good person. Jonathan decides to show Nancy the engagement ring he got her, but instead of proposing, he asks if she will \u201cnot marry\u201d him, and, in turn, they mutually decide it\u2019s time for their relationship to end.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, they realize they were so distracted by their conversation that they didn\u2019t notice that the melting stopped, meaning they\u2019re safe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The tank is ready for Eleven, and she goes in, finding Will\u2019s physical body and asking him to show her where he is. Tentacles appear, and she\u2019s transported to Vecna\u2019s lair. She sees Will and tries to wake him up, using her powers to cut down the tentacles around him. But he won\u2019t wake up.<\/p>\n

Henry\u2019s cave memory<\/p>\n

Max and Holly go down the stairs to a tunnel, where they find blood and a pair of glasses on the ground. They remind themselves that they\u2019re just in a memory, not real life, and soon stumble upon an unidentified man <\/a>with a briefcase and a gun. <\/p>\n

Max and Holly watch as a young Henry appears and walks up to the man, and the man shoots Henry in the hand. To retaliate, Henry then picks up a rock and bashes the man\u2019s head in. Max then begins to hear \u201cRunning Up That Hill\u201d playing, while Holly watches Henry open the briefcase.<\/p>\n

Max grabs Holly, and they begin taking down rocks from one of the tunnel\u2019s walkways, getting closer and closer to the song playing. As they do this, Max\u2019s monitor in the hospital begins beeping faster.<\/p>\n

Vecna finds Max in the real world\"Sadie<\/p>\n

Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things: Season 5. | Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX \u00a9 2025<\/p>\n

In Vecna\u2019s lair, Eleven is finally able to wake up Will, but it might be too late. Vecna was able to look through Will\u2019s consciousness to see where Max is in the real world, and he\u2019s coming for her. Cut to the hospital, and a Demodog shows up, killing military soldiers. Vickie and Robin flee, but more Demodogs appear, and they realize they\u2019re not after them. The creatures have a very specific mission there.<\/p>\n

Robin uses the loudspeaker to warn Lucas that they\u2019re coming for Max, and he runs to the elevator holding Max in his arms, escaping the Demodogs. Meanwhile, Karen wakes up in her hospital bed.<\/p>\n

Max and Holly crawl through a small space from the tunnels and see Vecna\u2019s Mind Lair, ready to follow the music.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Back at the hospital, Lucas, holding Max, finds Robin and Holly, and they hide from the Demodogs in the laundry room. Robin tells Lucas he needs to turn off the music so they aren\u2019t found, but he can\u2019t\u2014he knows Max is close. One of the washing machines makes a weird noise and distracts the Demodogs, followed by an explosion that takes them out. Karen then emerges, having put a can of oxygen in the machine to kill the creatures.<\/p>\n

\"STRANGER<\/p>\n

Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, Amybeth McNulty as Vickie, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, and Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things: Season 5. | Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX \u00a9 2025<\/p>\n

Max and Holly go their separate ways<\/p>\n

In the Mind Lair, Max and Holly see the portal to go back to the real world, but Max makes a shocking statement: Holly can\u2019t come with her. She tells Holly that she has to figure out how to make it home, and it doesn\u2019t have to be music; it can be anything meaningful. Uh, this is a little surprising, right? Max is just abandoning Holly?<\/p>\n

Holly tells Max about her Holly the Heroic figure that she carries with her, and Max convinces her that she is heroic. Suddenly, another portal opens up for Holly to go home, too. They go their separate ways and begin to run to their respective portals as the episode comes to a close.<\/p>\n

Okay\u2026 what? What a weird ending, right? First, Max decides she can\u2019t help Holly after all, and then, within minutes, she convinces Holly she can do it on her own, and another portal just magically opens up for her? And the music didn\u2019t even need to be music? I know there\u2019s an extra level of suspending your disbelief when watching Stranger Things because of all of the easy resolutions that conveniently work out, but this is an all-time low on that front.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t want Holly to go home, but the show, this season in particular, has proven that things, more often than not, are just going to work out, removing nearly all of the stakes. If we know Nancy and Jonathan are going to be saved, why should we care that the walls are caving in on them? If we know a portal is going to appear for Holly, why should we care that she has to figure out how to get home herself?<\/p>\n

There are good moments throughout this episode, but the ending really reinforces a problem Stranger Things has kind of had from the start\u2014but especially in the final season. It\u2019s hard to care when problems are solved so easily.<\/p>\n

Episode grade: C+<\/p>\n

Stranger Things 5 recaps and reviews:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After that cliffhanger ending of Stranger Things 5 episode 5, we\u2019d bet there\u2019s no way anyone watching isn\u2019t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":369428,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[49,48,75,348],"class_list":["post-369427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-entertainment","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369427\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/369428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}