25 Moments From "Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2" That Had Me Running Up That Hill

The end is only the beginning. (Spoilers inside.)

Volume 2 of Stranger Things Season 4 finally hit Netflix last weekend, giving audiences worldwide a shocking and heartfelt conclusion to the show's record-breaking season.

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So much has happened in the last two episodes that will have many repercussions in the fifth and final season. Still, it also had many inspiring and horrifying moments that audiences won't forget anytime soon. And so, here are the 25 best moments from Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2.

WARNING: Major Season 4 spoilers and mention of suicide ahead.

25. Dmitri Faces Yuri

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As Yuri continues to sabotage his own helicopter, Dmitri decides to confront the pilot for his deceitful actions. He explains to Yuri the threat that Vecna poses to the entire world, not just America, and reminds him of the war hero he used to be. All of this was enough to convince Yuri to stop dooming his own country and redeem himself by helping their group escape to the US.

24. Lucas vs. Jason

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Of course, Jason had to come in at the worst possible moment. Though Lucas insists that Vecna is responsible for Chrissy's death and not Eddie, Jason lets his rage and ego blind him to the truth, and the two of them end up fighting. It is during this brawl that Lucas realizes that he didn't want to be "normal" if that meant being someone like Jason, which really emphasizes how widespread the anger and hatred the latter holds is in our society.

23. Eleven vs. Vecna

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We all waited for this moment. With her powers fully restored, Eleven confronts Vecna inside Max's mind in a telepathic rematch for the ages. You can see the anger burn in both fighters' eyes as they battle in Max's memory of the Snowball dance. The showdown doesn't last long, though, as Vecna quickly overpowers Eleven and traps her in his hellish Mind Lair.

22. Dustin Meets Eddie's Uncle

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After surviving his war in the Upside Down, Dustin goes to tell Eddie's uncle about his unfortunate death. Though it's a shame that the town sees Eddie as the killer responsible for their misfortunes, thanks to Dustin, all the people who mattered to him still know of his heroic sacrifice, which is enough to keep his good name alive.

21. Vecna Meets the Mind Flayer

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Once Vecna corners Eleven, we finally see how he became the demonic creature fighting for the Upside Down. After getting banished to this alternate realm by Eleven, he comes across a black storm cloud, which he manipulates to take the form of the dreaded Mind Flayer. So, instead of Vecna being the Mind Flayer's "five-star general," Vecna was the one who created it and took control of the Upside Down, making him the true big bad of the entire series.

20. Eleven Confronts Papa

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Though Eleven has regained her powers, Brenner insists that she still isn't ready to face Vecna and that she should stay where she is. He argues that he continues to make the right choices, but Eleven reminds him of all the suffering he caused over the years. While he tries to divert the blame onto her by saying she opened the gate to the Upside Down, she drops a truth bomb on him by stating he made her look for One, inadvertently creating the portal, and that he was responsible for all the death and destruction in Hawkins.

19. Battle of Fort Munson

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After getting the attention of Vecna's bats, Eddie hides in his boarded-up trailer with Dustin, where they must fight them all off in a thrilling but frightening showdown. In a scene straight out of Lord of the Rings, both warriors battle these invading monsters with their spears and shields as they try to break into their fort like the Orcs at Helm's Deep. If only they had sealed the vents.

18. Military Attack

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With Brenner once again taking matters into his own hands, he locks Eleven away in the Nina Project. But that all changes when Sullivan arrives with a squad of heavily-armed soldiers. The military breaks into the facility and shoots everyone like the Stormtroopers at the beginning of Star Wars. And though they nearly succeed in killing Eleven, she uses her regained powers against them and pulls a helicopter out of the sky. All this action is another example of how the series has ascended from being a sci-fi horror show to a dark fantasy war epic.

17. Death of Brenner

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After helping Eleven escape from the military, Brenner succumbs to his sniper wounds. Though he begs her to understand why he did such horrible things to her, she just stares at him with contempt without giving him the satisfaction of thinking he's right. Of course, you should expect this from your child when you have the ego and mediocre parenting skills of Thanos. And so, Brenner dies alone and unloved. This time, let's just hope he stays dead.

16. That Flamethrower

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As Joyce and Hopper fight off the demogorgons in Kamchatka, the two of them get cornered by the monsters in the prison's gladiator arena. But just before they can be turned into gorgon grub, Murray comes in and burns all the beasts with a flamethrower like he's in a Tarantino film. You know the one I'm talking about.

15. Hopper Kills the Demogorgon

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After Murray turns the demogorgons into Upside Down flambé, Hopper faces off against the sole surviving beast. After filling the demogorgon up with bullets, he decides to finish it off by chopping off its head with a sword like Conan the Barbarian. Considering how the series has been repeatedly likened to a fantasy epic, this scene makes it feel like Hopper slew a dragon.

14. Hopper and Joyce Kiss

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Joyce and Hopper had shared a strong bond ever since they teamed up to find Will in Season 1. But after many episodes of romantic tension, Hopper and Joyce finally kiss. It's a delight to see the two of them find love with each other, especially after they both suffered so much loss in their lives.

13. Hopper and Eleven Reunite

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Returning to Hopper's old house, the Party sees a car sent by the US government has arrived. While they feared this could've been one of Sullivan's men sent to kill Eleven, she and the audience are thrilled to see it is actually Hopper. After a whole season of being alone, bullied, and abused, it's a heartwarming relief to see Eleven reunite with the father she came to know and truly love.

12. Mike and Will

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As Mike and his team drive out to save Eleven, he confesses to Will his fear of losing her. Showing him a drawing he made, allegedly at El's request, Will convinces Mike that he is the heart of the group and that she needs him. But while he may be talking about Eleven, we can see that Will is also talking about himself. His speech succeeds in making Mike feel better, but we still see him tearfully hide his true feelings, which makes us all want to jump through our screens and give him a hug.

11. Robin and Vickie

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Robin spent Season 4 trying to start a romance with her bandmate, Vickie, and though the former saw her dating someone else, Vickie reveals she is now single, and Robin finally gets her moment with her. Robin and Vickie are adorable together, and as we see Vickie go off the rails speaking her mind like Robin usually does, we can all see that these two were a match made in heaven.

10. Will and Jonathan's Talk

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While preparing El's sensory deprivation tank, Jonathan decides to have a little chat with his little brother about the trouble he's been having. Jonathan apologizes for being so distant from him and that he'll always love Will, no matter what. There is definitely some queer subtext in this scene, and the fact that Jonathan reaches out to Will and shows that he accepts him for who he is makes this such a beautiful moment of brotherly love.

9. Mike Confesses His Love

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At this point, Eleven struggles to break free from Vecna's psychic grip, so Will encourages Mike to give her the heart she needs. Professing his love for her, Mike admits that he was afraid of losing her and that expressing his feelings would make that loss hurt even more. It's very relatable that he was worried about feeling that kind of pain, but Mike faces his fear by expressing how much he loves and needs her. And this was the push she needed to keep fighting.

8. The Barrier Is Broken

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The Party’s happy reunion is cut short when they see ash falling from the sky over Hawkins. After seeing the plant life die around them, they see a massive storm form from the gate, showing that the Upside Down has begun to invade their town completely. It feels that winter has come once again as Vecna's realm has finally broken through the barrier, which makes us all more excited to see the epic war between Hawkins and the Upside Down in Season 5.

7. Vecna’s Fall

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After Mike gives El the strength to break free from Vecna's prison, she blows the evil wizard away and gives him a taste of his own medicine. At the same time, Nancy, Steve, and Robin light up Vecna's physical body and send him flying outside in an epic blaze. And with Kate Bush playing in the background once again, we feel as though our heroes have finally made it to the top of that hill.

6. Eddie’s Last Stand

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In an attempt to protect Dustin and keep the demobats from entering Hawkins, Eddie stays in the Upside Down and lures these flying monsters away in an inspiring display of courage. And yet, that still wasn't enough for him. He tries to escape from these winged beasts, but in the end, he decides to stop running and face them all head-on, becoming the hero he was meant to be.

5. Max’s Final Confession

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As Max goads Vecna into revealing himself, she confesses her true feelings about Billy's death. She admits that she had wished something terrible would happen to her abusive brother, and she wasn't sure if he deserved to be saved from the Mind Flayer. But with him actually dead, she now claims that she wished something bad would happen to her, showing how far her self-loathing has dragged her down.

4. Eddie Dies

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After finding his true courage and fighting off the demobats, Eddie begins to die as Dustin holds him in his arms. Even on the brink of death, Eddie goes out with a smile, knowing he didn't run away and that this was finally his year. Joseph Quinn and Gaten Matarazzo give poignant performances as these buddies spend their last moments together, making it all the more heartbreaking. Rest in peace, oh brave metalhead.

3. Max's Death

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Just as Eddie meets his demise, Max also succumbs to the wounds inflicted by Vecna. Though she had said she wished something bad would happen to her, it is only at death's door that she realizes that she's not ready to die, a feeling that many survivors of suicide have felt as they tried to end it all. Watching her beg for her life with Lucas crying next to her makes her death especially shattering, and it is her death that ultimately breaks the world.

2. The Final Gate Opens

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Once Vecna’s haunting clock rings, we all knew what was coming. With Max being the fourth victim of Vecna's Curse, the fourth gate to the Upside Down opens, and all hell breaks loose. The four gates rip through Hawkins in a massive earthquake, sending Jason and many other people to their deaths. After all the horrors the people of Hawkins had endured, this event seems to be the thing that finally killed this once peaceful town.

1. Rocking Out in the Upside Down

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To distract Vecna’s bats, Eddie breaks out his guitar and rocks out with Dustin to the tune of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.” Dedicating it all to Chrissy, Eddie gives the performance of his life as he absolutely shreds as red lightning crackles through the heavens. What an awesome way to fight off the apocalypse!

Do you agree with this list? Are there any other moments from Volume 2 that I missed? Please let me know in the comments section below.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org. The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ youth, is 1-866-488-7386.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline is 1-888-950-6264 (NAMI) and provides information and referral services; GoodTherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.