The following article contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 4.

The latest season of Stranger Things has come to an end, but in Vecna’s words, this is just the beginning. When the first volume of Season 4 premiered, the Hawkins crew had been separated. There were multiple plot threads that fans had to follow, and it seemed like the characters would never be able to reunite. Fans theorized over who would make it out alive, and which characters would lose their lives in the process of fighting Vecna. But despite worries, Vol. 2 wrapped up the stories neatly and tied up all the loose ends.

Season 4 of Stranger Things saw Jim Hopper stuck in a Russian prison, Joyce Byers and Murray Bauman fighting a Russian pilot midair, Eleven trying to regain her powers, and the entire Hawkins crew plotting to kill Vecna. Fans watched through hours of footage to see how the main characters progressed towards their common goal, and it all led to the final confrontation. While at first the season seemed disjointed, with no hopes of the characters crossing paths, Vol. 2 managed to pull it all together, resulting in a tight, satisfying finale to the season.

RELATED: Stranger Things: Most Memorable Quotes From Season 4 Vol 2

When the first seven episodes of Season 4 of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix, fans got to binge-watching and discussing the season. The plot lines were separated from the get go, with the characters going in different directions in Episode 1 itself. Joyce, Eleven, and Will move to a new home in California, where Eleven is seen being bullied in school for being different. Just when it seems like things can’t get worse, Mike comes to visit, and in the process of trying to act normal in front of him, Eleven ends up brutally injuring one of the bullies at a roller skate rink.

Eleven, Mike & Will In Stranger Things Season 4

At this point, it seems like she is being arrested by the authorities for her crime, but instead she is taken to meet Paul Reiser’s character, Dr. Sam Owens. This is when things begin to go downhill. She learns of a new threat that puts her friends in Hawkins at risk, which convinces her to work with Dr. Martin Brenner, a.k.a Papa, to regain her lost powers. While at this secret facility, she is cut off from the outside world, and loses track of her friends and family.

In the meantime, Joyce takes off to Alaska with Murray to track Hopper, which forms the second plot line, and everyone else in California is attacked by the military. It might seem like a lot, but this isn’t even half of it. While Mike, Will, Will's brother Jonathan, and Eduardo Franco’s Argyle try to track down Eleven, the Hawkins crew dives deep into their own secret mission.

The third plotline takes place in Hawkins, where teenagers are being killed mysteriously. Dustin, Max, Lucas, Erica Sinclair, Steve, Nancy, Robin, and the new character Eddie Munson begin to investigate the murders. With Eddie being the prime suspect in the murder of Chrissy Cunningham, they need to figure out the truth, and fast. All clues point towards the Upside Down and Vecna.

Stranger Things Season 4 Finale Vecna Jamie Campbell Bower

With multiple plot lines running simultaneously, it seemed almost impossible to bring them and all the main characters together. Each plot line takes place in a different location altogether, with one in an entirely different time zone as well. But with Vol. 2 of the latest season, the Stranger Things creators and writers managed to add finesse to the timeline, not just of this season, but the entire series. Fan questions about the Upside Down from Season 1 were answered, and a clear explanation for what Eleven was searching for all along was finally offered.

After arriving at the secret facility and becoming a part of the Nina project, Eleven slowly begins to regain her powers and memories. One incident that has remained with her from the beginning is a massacre of her fellow test subjects at the Hawkins Laboratory. “What have you done?” asks Brenner in her memories, over and over again, but she is unable to piece the puzzle together and figure out what happened on that unfortunate day. But Season 4 of Stranger Things dives deep into that memory, and finally introduces 001 to the world. He was responsible for the massacre, and as a result, Eleven banished him to the Upside Down by opening up a gateway between both dimensions.

stranger-things-eleven-one

This gateway is what has caused all the problems in Hawkins throughout the various Stranger Things seasons. It is revealed how 001 created the Mind Flayer, which ties up all the loose ends since the series began. That’s not all — Vol. 2 of the latest season clarifies 001’s intentions, why he is killing innocent teenagers, and his plan of large-scale destruction. More importantly, it brings all the various plot lines involving the main characters together ever so subtly, with all of them fighting for the same cause, and uniting at a common point of interest, Vecna’s lair in the Upside Down. While not all of them are there physically, they are connected through the mind, and through particles that have been transported to different parts of the world.

While Steve, Nancy, and Robin walk into his lair, Dustin and Eddie work as decoys in the Upside Down. Max, Erica, and Lucas stay in the real world, baiting Vecna to bring his guard down. Eleven, on the other, hand piggybacks on Max’s memories and enters her mind to fight Vecna, with the help of Mike, Will, Jonathan, and Argyle. All the way in Russia, Hopper, Joyce, and Murray find the particles from the Upside Down, and decide to kill the Demogorgon to help the kids with their mission. While it seems far-fetched, the plot worked, and brought all the main characters together in their mission to take Vecna down. They do eventually reunite back in Hawkins, only to discover that their mission isn’t over yet. The Season 4 finale had the perfect cliffhanger and was a satisfying end, or rather, “beginning of the end,” tying everything together before the final showdown.

Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix.

More: Stranger Things: Most Terrifying Creatures