Winona Ryder has shared new details about filming one of the most explosive moments in the Stranger Things series finale, revealing that Joyce Byers’ brutal showdown with Vecna was captured in only two takes.
Speaking to Netflix’s Tudum, Ryder said the climactic scene, in which Joyce decapitates Vecna with an axe, was also her final on-set moment with Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays the villain. “I love Jamie so much,” she said. “I remember when he was in that position and we were talking about bands, and he’s the most lovely person. I came in that day just for that. You can’t rehearse a scene like that. You just have to sort of save it for the take. I think I only did it twice.”
The moment lands immediately after Joyce delivers the line, “You f****d with the wrong family,” marking one of the very rare uses of the F-word in the show’s history. Series co-creator Matt Duffer told Tudum that the writers had long been waiting for the right opportunity to use stronger language. “We haven’t used the F-word in the show, and we’ve been looking for a moment for it,” he said. While noting that Dacre Montgomery may have accidentally slipped it in during Season 3’s The Sauna Test, Duffer added, “We were looking for a real moment that would deserve stronger language… If we’re going to go there, this is the moment for it. Let’s give it to Winona.”
Stranger Things season 5 also saw the return of beloved characters played by Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven/Jane Hopper), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Brett Gelman (Murray), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Amybeth McNulty (Vickie), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Jake Connelly (Derek Turnbow) and Linda Hamilton (Dr Kay). Jamie Campbell Bower returned as Vecna/Mr Whatsit/Henry, while Linnea Berthelsen came back as Kali from season 2. Nell Fisher took the centre stage as Holly Wheeler this season.
All three volumes of Stranger Things season 5 are currently streaming on Netflix. Meanwhile, a spin-off from the show is in early development.
