Why Episode 9 of Stranger Things Stands as the Series’ Most Consequential Chapter

In the Stranger Things series, only Seasons 2 and 4 feature a ninth episode (and thus an episode numbered 9). Season 2 (released in 2017) spans nine episodes with “Chapter Nine: The Gate” as its finale. Season 4 (released in 2022) was unusually long  (split into two volumes) and also totals nine episodes; its finale is “Chapter Nine: The Piggyback”. (By contrast, Seasons 1 and 3 each have only eight episodes.) In fact, showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer noted that the sprawling scope of Season 4 required adding a ninth episode to cover all plot threads, and Netflix approved the extra script.

Plot Summary

• Season 2, Episode 9 – “Chapter Nine: The Gate”: The Hawkins team reunites to stop the Mind Flayer once and for all. Eleven initially plans to simply close the Upside Down gate, but Mike and Joyce realize that would destroy Will (who is hosting the creature). Instead, Joyce and Jonathan execute a desperate plan to “overheat” Will’s body – surrounding him with heaters and burning tunnels of the Mind Flayer’s lair – to exorcise the creature without killing him. During the chaos, Billy Hargrove attacks Steve, Lucas and others, but Max intervenes and injects Billy with a tranquilizer, taking him out of the fight. As the tunnel burns, the Mind Flayer is expelled from Will as a smoky vortex; Will awakens free of the creature and joyfully reunites with Joyce and Jonathan. Eleven and Hopper then descend into the lab’s chasm, where Eleven focuses all her power on closing the Upside Down gate. Her concentrated anger (at the memory of being torn from her mother) knits the gate shut, severing the threat. The episode ends on a hopeful note: at the school Snow Ball dance the kids pair off (Lucas and Max kiss, Dustin is consoled by Nancy, and finally Mike and Eleven share a tender dance). A final pullback shot shows the Upside Down looming over Hawkins, hinting that threats remain, but for now the characters get a much-needed moment of normalcy.

• Season 4, Episode 9 – “Chapter Nine: The Piggyback”: This finale sees the assembled group executing a complex plan to kill Vecna and save the world. Splitting into teams, Dustin and Argyle act as bait, luring Vecna’s Demobats into Hawkins. Steve, Nancy and Robin enter the Upside Down to attack Vecna’s body with flamethrowers (after being lured there by the trigger music), while Eddie decides to stay behind and distract the demobats. In a heroic climax, Eddie stabs himself in the leg and uses his guitar to draw a swarm of demobats over him – sacrificing himself so that his friends can escape. Meanwhile, Eleven, Mike and Joyce create a makeshift sensory deprivation tank so Eleven can project herself into Max’s mind (where Vecna holds Max captive). Inside Max’s mind, Eleven confronts Vecna; the villain boasts that Eleven sent him into the Upside Down and has been controlling it ever since. At Mike’s heartfelt urging, Eleven channels all her power and breaks Vecna’s hold on Max. However, Vecna snaps Max’s neck in the real world, killing her (briefly) before Eleven can lift him out of that vision. Max dies from her injuries, but Eleven immediately uses her telekinetic powers to resurrect Max, preventing a true death.

  At the same time, Hopper, Joyce, and Murray are in Russia, where they fight and kill the remaining Demogorgons holding the ransomed Americans. Back in Hawkins, Steve, Nancy and Robin set Vecna’s body on fire and shoot him repeatedly; this appears to destroy his physical form. Eleven’s effort frees Max, but the victory has unintended consequences: Max’s momentary death “fills” Vecna’s portals, opening new rifts between the Upside Down and the real world. A post-battle montage (two days later) shows Hawkins in shock from a catastrophic “earthquake.” The survivors reunite (Max lies comatose in a hospital) and brace for the looming threat, as Will subtly senses that Vecna is not truly gone.

Character Arcs

• Season 2 Finale: Many characters receive payoff or growth in Episode 9. Eleven and Hopper finally reconcile: Hopper admits his guilt (even crying in front of Mike about his daughter Sara’s death) and treats Eleven as a daughter, not a lab subject. As one reviewer notes, Hopper learns to be “less like ‘Papa’ and more like a father” to Eleven. Mike and Eleven, having been separated all season, joyfully reunite; Mike confides he never gave up, and the two share a long-overdue kiss at the dance. Joyce and Jonathan’s selfless determination frees Will: the Mind Flayer is burned out of him, and a relieved Will returns to normal under Joyce’s care. Max Hargrove grows in confidence by standing up to her abusive brother Billy; she uses her stepbrother’s own sedative injections against him, helping save Steve and the others. Even secondary characters find resolution: Dustin at last finds companionship when Nancy rescues him from loneliness by dancing with him at the Snow Ball. In sum, Episode 9 ties a bow on nearly every major subplot and relationship (Nancy/Steve, Lucas/Max, Dustin/Nancy, Joyce/Will, Mike/Eleven, etc.), giving each character a satisfying moment.

• Season 4 Finale: The penultimate Episode 9 drives several character arcs to pivotal turns. Eddie Munson completes his journey from scared-outcast to heroic martyr: he bravely sacrifices himself to protect the others, shooting demobats so that Dustin and Steve can escape. This act validates his friendship with Dustin and gives a noble end to his story. Eleven gains crucial insight into Vecna’s origins – learning Vecna was created by her own powers – and must confront the guilt and fear from her past. Empowered by Mike’s declaration of love, Eleven becomes the hero who literally saves Max. Max endures the darkest moment of her trauma (Vecna’s curse) but survives through Eleven’s intervention, though she is left in a coma. Her fate—fighting to live while Hawkins burns—is now the cliffhanger driving Season 5. Steve, Nancy, and Robin each step up as fighters: they infiltrate the Upside Down and set fire to Vecna’s body, showing bravery and teamwork that far surpasses their earlier comedic roles. (Hopper and Joyce, while not on screen in this episode, continue their protective roles by helping Eleven telepathically and by later annihilating the remaining Demogorgons in Russia.)* Collectively, the ensemble’s arcs are defined by sacrifice and unity: the kids band together across dimensions, the grown-ups coordinate life-or-death rescue efforts, and almost every character risks everything to save Hawkins.

Themes

• Closure & Coming-of-Age (S2): Episode 9 of Season 2 brings thematic closure to the season’s storylines. AV Club notes that many long-promised mysteries and conflicts are “finally kept” in this finale. The act of closing the Upside Down gate symbolizes overcoming past traumas and fulfilling destiny. The Snow Ball epilogue underscores a transition into adulthood: as critics observe, the school dance is “more than a return to normal life; it’s a new chapter,” with the characters pairing off and taking their first steps into young love and maturity. Thus the episode highlights growth and hope – despite the horror, the children emerge stronger and ready to move forward.

• Sacrifice & Heroism (S4): The penultimate Season 4 episode is steeped in sacrifice. Eddie’s death is literal self-sacrifice; Max’s near-death and subsequent rescue underlines the costs of their victory. This “high-emotion, heavy-metal climax” (as Entertainment Weekly called it) leans fully into horror and heroism. Multiple characters risk themselves (setting fires in the Upside Down, entering mental battles) to protect the community. The season’s horror motifs peak here: it spans “four separate dimensions – and Russia, too”, emphasizing the vastness of the threat. Thematically, the episode asks what one is willing to lose to save others. Ultimately, love and unity prevail – Eleven’s love for Max (and Mike’s love for Eleven) become her weapon to heal Max – but the victory comes at great cost.

• Family and Friendship: Both episodes stress that bonds of family and friendship give the characters strength. In S2, Hopper’s role shifts from stern protector to loving father figure. Mike steps up as a loyal boyfriend and friend, Nancy as a protective older sister to Dustin, and Joyce as the fierce mother. In S4, the theme of found-family recurs: Eleven is literally surrounded by friends (and allies) in her mental battle, and Joyce and Murray become Papa/Mama figures to Will’s family again. Mike’s support empowers Eleven (“he is the heart of the group” as one critic phrased it). Across both episodes, characters fight not as isolated heroes but as a community, reinforcing that love and togetherness are the key to facing supernatural evil.

Reception

Critical response to these episodes was generally very positive for Season 2 but mixed for Season 4. Season 2’s finale “The Gate” was widely praised. Critics called it a “potent, poignant” and emotionally satisfying conclusion. GameSpot noted that the episode’s upbeat, cathartic ending was “abundantly happy” – a pleasant surprise of nostalgia and joy after the series’ darker tone. Reviewers commended how the finale tied up all subplots (Barb’s parents, Mike/Eleven, Hopper/El, etc.) in a celebratory fashion. AV Club in particular highlighted the heartfelt moments (Hopper apologizing to Eleven, the Snow Ball dance) as proof that the season kept its long-promised payoffs. The episode remains a fan favorite – for example, IMDb shows it at a 9.0/10 user rating – reflecting broad audience approval of its warm conclusion.

By contrast, “The Piggyback” (Season 4, Ep. 9) earned a more divided response. Entertainment Weekly’s Darren Franich complimented its intense emotional stakes, calling it a “high-emotion, heavy-metal climax”. He praised the powerful imagery (Max’s rescue and the team’s valor) but was sharply critical of the episode’s cliffhanger ending, lamenting that the heroes “just kinda let [Vecna] fall out a window” without immediately finishing him off. In short, EW found the extended runtime and final “red-sky” cliffhanger frustrating, even as it acknowledged the finale’s dramatic high notes (for instance, Max’s sudden death and resurrection, which the reviewer called “the most shocking thing Stranger Things has ever done”). Other critics echoed this sentiment: many enjoyed the action and the payoffs (for example, how Eleven and Mike’s love saves Max) but questioned the narrative choices (some feeling it piled on too many locations and flashbacks).

Audience reaction mirrored this split. Season 4’s penultimate episode spurred heated online discussion. Fans praised Eddie’s heroic sacrifice and Millie Bobby Brown’s performance, but many criticized the pacing and unresolved cliffhanger. Social media buzzed with theories about how the open-ended finale would feed into Season 5. In industry terms, though, the episode – and the season overall – was successful: Netflix reported record viewership for Stranger Things leading into Season 5. In short, Episode 9 of Season 2 is remembered as a beloved, emotionally uplifting finale, while Episode 9 of Season 4 is seen as an ambitious but polarizing climax – thrilling to some for its spectacle and heartbreak, and frustrating to others for its cliffhanger ambiguity.