S5E7 · Chapter Seven: The Bridge

Complete story — includes the ending

Max awakens safely in the real world, while Holly awakens inside Vecna's lair and escapes through a gate, falling through the Upside Down before being pulled back by Vecna. Erica, Murray, and Mr. Clarke map Dustin's location in the Upside Down to the lab, and Eleven opens a rift so the group can reunite. Dustin deduces that the Upside Down was created when Brenner forced Eleven to contact Henry, and now serves as a bridge to a separate realm, "the Abyss", which Henry plans to merge with their world, likely that night. The group decides to let Henry draw the worlds close enough to climb the WSQK radio tower into the Abyss, rescue the children, and then destroy the Upside Down by detonating a time bomb near the exotic matter to stop the worlds from merging. Max volunteers to guide Eleven through Henry’s mind, and Kali insists on joining. Will comes out as gay to the group, reasoning that confronting his fears weakens Vecna's hold. Henry manipulates the kidnapped children into turning against Holly; she is forced to join hands with the children and Henry, who puts them in a trance.