Posted 35 minutes agoSubscribe to Screen Time NewsletterCaret DownHere's Everything You Need To Remember Before The Final Season Of "Stranger Things"God, I really forgot how much chaos goes down in "Stranger Things" Season 4.by Nora DominickBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink Alright, so it's no secret that it's been a pretty long time since new episodes of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix. It's been over 1,200 days between Season 4 and the Season 5 premiere, to be precise. Netflix So, in case you didn't have time for a rewatch of every season - or even just Season 4 - ahead of the final season, don't worry. I'm here to remind you about what happened, where all the characters are, and what you just really need to remember before the final season of Stranger Things. Netflix Alright, let's get started: THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD FOR STRANGER THINGS! 1. Eleven: Netflix After the destruction of the Starcourt Mall and losing her powers in the Season 3 finale, Eleven moves with the Byers family to California. Eight months later, Season 4 begins with Eleven struggling to fit in at school. Need I remind you of the secondhand embarrassment-inducing scene where she tries to use her powers? This all culminates in her attacking Angela, a mean girl at school, and being arrested. It's then that Dr. Sam Owens takes her from police custody and brings her to a secret lab run by Dr. Brenner called The Nina Project, a program designed to help her rediscover her powers. While undergoing a series of tests, Eleven recalls her upbringing in Hawkins Lab, specifically an orderly who turns out to be One, aka Henry Creel. Eleven learns that when she was younger, she banished Henry to the Upside Down, thus creating Vecna.
This discovery enables Eleven to regain her powers. After escaping the US military and The Nina Project, Eleven is reunited with Mike, Will, and Jonathan. Unable to get back to Hawkins before the rest of their friends fight Vecna, Eleven decides to "piggyback" into Max's mind to attempt to protect her. Despite her best efforts, Eleven is bested by Vecna, who makes her watch him nearly kill Max. 2. Max Mayfield: Netflix Season 4 is Max's season. Following Billy's death, Max is dealing with her grief the only way she knows how, by distancing herself from her friends and breaking up with Lucas. After being the one to see Chrissy at Eddie's trailer the night of her murder, Max alerts Dustin that the Upside Down could be involved.
While trying to find out more about Vecna, Max realizes that she's his next victim after learning she's experiencing the same symptoms Chrissy did before she died. This leads to arguably one of the best Stranger Things scenes when Max is taken by Vecna but is pulled back to her friends thanks to Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill."After learning of Vecna's true plan, Max decides to use herself as bait in order to make Vecna vulnerable, so the others can hopefully kill him in the Upside Down. Max, Lucas, and Erica go to the Creel house to lure Vecna out. Max opens up about how there was a moment when she wanted Billy to die, and her depression following his death, which causes Vecna to grab her again. Although she tries to hide from Vecna in a good memory of the Snow Ball dance from Season 2, Vecna eventually finds Max and nearly kills her until Eleven puts up one last fight.
After losing her eyesight and dying in Lucas' arms, a final gate opens in Hawkins, causing an earthquake and devastation in the town. Eleven is able to bring Max back, but two days later, she's still in a coma at the hospital. 3. Dustin Henderson: Netflix After Eddie Munson is named the prime suspect in a series of murders around Hawkins, Dustin takes matters into his own hands to clear Eddie's name. Following the discovery that Chrissy's death is linked to the Upside Down, Dustin, Steve, Nancy, Lucas, Robin, and Max begin tracking down what could be causing it, which takes them to Vecna and the old Creel house. While trying to hide Eddie, Dustin notices his compass going haywire, which leads to the discovery that a small gate to the Upside Down has been opened at the bottom of Lovers Lake, which Dustin nicknames "Water Gate."After Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie go through the gate and get trapped, Dustin and Nancy figure out they can communicate with each other using the lights, just like Will did with Joyce in Season 1. When the group returns, they realize they must eventually go back to the Upside Down to fight Vecna. Once there, Eddie and Dustin try to create a distraction and fight off a group of Demobats. When it proves to be too much, Eddie sends Dustin back through a gate in order to protect him. However, Dustin goes back just in time to see Eddie be swarmed by Demobats and die in his arms.
Following the battle, Dustin talks to Eddie's uncle and tells him he was with him when the "earthquake hit," and he died. 4. Mike Wheeler: Netflix In Season 4, Mike travels to California to spend spring break with Ele