Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 Ending Explained: Who Died? Who Got Powers?

Season 5 of Stranger Things got off to a strong start with deaths, surprise character returns — and a new person developing telepathic powers.

The first part of the show’s final season premiered on Wednesday, November 26, with Hawkins in quarantine from the outside world after Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) officially broke the seal between the Upside Down and the real world.

It wasn’t initially clear where Vecna was now hiding since Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) appeared to lose access to most of her powers. Alongside Hopper (David Harbour), Eleven and the others made plans to search for Vecna in the Upside Down during the military’s routine burning sessions.

This time around, Eleven and Hopper ended up trapped in the alternate dimension. Back upstairs, the others figured out that Vecna was now targeting children, starting with Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) sister, Holly.

The search for Holly led them to a rescue mission to save as many kids as possible before Vecna — as Henry — took them with him into the Upside Down. Speaking of Holly, she disappeared at the end of the first episode but she was able to find an ally: Max (Sadie Sink).

Another big surprise came from Will (Noah Schnapp), who was once again plugged into the hive mind. He initially didn’t know what that meant but after some sage advice from Robyn (Maya Hawke), Will realized he was able to access everyone under Vecna’s control — starting with the Demogorgons. The first part ended with Will saving the day and unlocking his surprise powers.

Keep scrolling for a breakdown of where each character ended up — including if they are still alive or dead — in part 1 of season 5 of Stranger Things:

Part 1 confirmed that Joyce (Winona Ryder) is still dating Hopper, she is living with Mike’s family and she is very overprotective of Will. She aided the other members of the group in saving the kids but the military stepped in and their plan quickly fell apart. Joyce was in danger of getting killed by a Demogorgon when Will accessed his powers for the first time and saved her.

While in hiding, Hopper and Eleven prepared for one final battle with Vecna. They got their shot once they were both in the Upside Down but eventually they got caught by newcomer Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton). Initially Hopper planned a mission that would kill him but keep Eleven safe. He backtracked, however, when he discovered who Dr. Kay was keeping trapped in her secret lair.

The Wheeler family was the target of quite a few Vecna-related incidents in part 1. Holly was taken, Mike’s parents were brutally attacked and their plan to save the kids of Hawkins hit a snag. Right before Mike got attacked, Will came to his rescue.