This story incorporates spoilers for Stranger Issues 4
With the discharge of its remaining two episodes on July 1, Stranger Issues 4 has ended—and a few main characters meet their finish by the finale, too. Netflix’s flagship sci-fi present has by no means been afraid to kill off characters earlier than (RIP Barb), and the ultimate feature-length episodes included a few massive deaths—and a few near-death moments certain to have large ramifications for the present because it heads into its fifth and remaining season.
Right here’s every little thing to know in regards to the main—and devastating—deaths of characters in season 4, the characters who almost died, and the few whose fates stay unknown. (A full recap of the ending of season 4 is out there right here.)
Who died in Stranger Issues 4?
Physician Brenner
Followers have lengthy assumed that Physician Martin Brenner (Mathew Modine), the researcher accountable for Hawkins Lab who studied and abused Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the opposite telekinetic kids, died when a Demogorgon attacked him in season 1. However in season 4, it’s revealed that Brenner survived his accidents and created the NINA Venture—a top-secret lab within the Nevada desert designed to present Eleven her powers again.
Whereas Eleven and her “Papa” preserve an uneasy alliance at first, and work collectively to unlock recollections of Vecna’s origins and restore Eleven’s powers, Brenner ultimately betrays her. As an alternative of permitting Eleven and Physician Owens to go away for Hawkins, Brenner says Eleven isn’t “prepared but” and has his males handcuff Owens whereas he sedates Eleven and places a power-inhabiting collar on her.
Simply then, although, Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan (Sherman Augustus)—the chief of a rival governmental faction who thinks Eleven is a menace who must be killed quite than empowered—assaults the bottom. Brenner makes an attempt to flee with Eleven, however he’s shot a number of occasions by a sniper in a helicopter. Regardless of the collar, Eleven is ready to use her powers to carry down the chopper. It’s too late for Brenner, although, and in his dying moments, he unlocks Eleven’s collar. He was a megalomaniacal monster who abused Eleven and plenty of different kids, however he did have an earnest if extraordinarily poisonous and warped affection for Eleven. Likewise, Eleven’s difficult previous with “Papa” meant it was nonetheless a touching second when he died.
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven and Matthew Modine as Dr. Martin Brenner in ‘Stranger Issues’
Courtesy of Netflix
Eddie Munson
Persevering with Stranger Issues’ grand custom of introducing a brand new most important character solely to kill them off by the tip of the identical season they debuted in (See: Bob Newby, Alexei), Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) doesn’t make it to the tip of season 4 alive.
Eddie and Dustin had an necessary function within the plan to defeat Vecna. Whereas Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Steve (Joe Keery), and Robin (Maya Hawke) went after his physique, the pair would create a distraction to lure his hordes of demobats away. Eddie, in essentially the most metallic second of the sequence, does this by crushing a Metallica solo on the roof of the Upside Down RV. Regardless of their fortifications, the bats are capable of break into the RV. Eddie methods Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) into retreating into the actual world for security, however he stays behind to purchase his associates extra time. All season, Eddie had been suffering from guilt for simply operating away when Chrissy (Grace Van Dien) died, horribly, in entrance of him again within the premiere. In the long run, he finds his braveness, first luring the bats away from the RV after which making a fateful determination to cost proper into battle with them. The bats fatally wound him, and Dustin makes it again to the Upside Down simply in time for Eddie to die in his arms.
Eddie died a hero, however the folks of Hawkins suppose he’s a villain. He’s nonetheless the prime suspect in all of the brutal murders, and other people suppose his love of metallic and Dungeons & Dragons is definitely a part of some satanic cult—a reference to the real-life satanic panic within the Nineteen Eighties. Solely his associates know the way courageous he was in the long run, however Dustin makes an attempt to inform Eddie’s uncle the reality. He can’t inform the entire fact, after all, however a minimum of Eddie’s household can take some solace in realizing that he fought (towards an earthquake?) for his associates. RIP Eddie, you’re shredding with the angels now.
Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, and Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in ‘Stranger Issues’
Courtesy of Netflix
Whose destiny stays unclear in Stranger Issues?
Max Mayfield
Max (Sadie Sink) virtually dies within the first half of the season when she turns into Vecna’s goal. Due to her favourite music—Kate Bush’s “Operating Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”—that Max regains a tether to actuality and escapes Vecna’s psychic realm. She spends the remainder of the season along with her Walkman close by so she will blast the music once more to maintain Vecna at bay, however to ensure that the plan to battle Vecna to work, she must be bait. She forgoes the Walkman and makes a plan to keep away from Vecna inside her personal recollections because it’s her thoughts that he’s invading. The plan works—at first.
Catastrophe strikes when Vecna overpowers all of Max’s associates. His bats take out Eddie whereas his vine-like tentacles ensnare Nancy, Steve, and Robin. And, though Eleven involves her rescue and tasks into Max’s conciseness to battle Vecna, the villain is ready to defeat Eleven. To make issues worse, Chrissy’s psycho boyfriend Jason (Mason Dye) accosts Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) whereas he’s defending Max’s physique, accusing him of being concerned in Eddie’s “satanic” cult. Jason unintentionally destroys the Walkman, which suggests Kate Bush can’t come to the rescue.
Max floats into the air, her eyes begin bleeding, and her limbs start to snap like twigs. Then, Eleven, with Mike’s encouragement, summons the energy to defeat Vecna whereas Nancy’s crew torches his bodily physique. Max falls to the bottom earlier than her eyeballs explode like previous victims, however she’s been fatally wounded. She dies, scared, in Lucas’ arms. Along with her loss of life, the fourth gate to the Upside Down opens.
Eleven gained’t stand for this, although, and she or he makes use of her energy to carry Max again to life. After a two-day time leap, we be taught that Max is alive once more, however barely. She’s within the hospital, all her limbs are horribly damaged, and she or he’s in some type of coma. The medical doctors don’t know if she’ll ever get up, and when Eleven tries to go inside Max’s thoughts, no one is there. Although Max is technically alive, it stays to be seen to what extent she’ll ever recuperate.
Physician Sam Owens
It’s unclear if Physician Owens (Paul Reiser) survives the season. We final see him handcuffed to a pipe after Brenner’s betrayal, begging Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan to not kill Eleven. Whereas Sullivan’s males haven’t any qualms about killing, it’s unclear whether or not he would have Owens executed when he’s already bought him captive as a prisoner. Owens could or might not be alive, however even when he survives the season, he’s going to be in a foul place when season 5 begins.
Vecna in ‘Stranger Issues’
Courtesy of Netflix
Who is certainly nonetheless alive in Stranger Issues?
Venca
Eleven defeats Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in a psychic battle, Steve and Nancy gentle his physique on hearth, and Nancy shoots him a number of occasions with a sawed-off shotgun. However it’s not sufficient. Vecna’s physique goes flying out the window of the Upside Down Creel home and he lands with a thud. Nevertheless, the physique quickly disappears—virtually definitely a direct homage to when Michael Myers does the identical disappearing act on the finish of Halloween.
A few of our heroes are hopeful that he died of his wounds in any case and actually is gone for good. However Will (Noah Schnapp), who was possessed by the Thoughts Flayer (revealed to have been a servant of Vecna) in season 2, has a reference to the Upside Down, and is aware of Vecna isn’t gone. His concept appears to be confirmed appropriate when, within the closing moments of the finale, ash begins falling from the sky because the Upside Down invades the actual world.
It’s as Vecna warned: His defeat wasn’t the tip, it was solely the start of the tip. He’s virtually definitely nonetheless alive and our heroes should end the battle in season 5. Let’s hope all of them survive.
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