Winona Ryder nailed Joyce’s intense Vecna scene in Stranger Things season 5 in just two takes: “You can’t rehearse something like that.”

Joyce Byers delivered one of the most intense moments in the finale of Stranger Things season 5 when she finally defeated Vecna, but Winona Ryder chose not to rehearse the scene. She believed it was crucial to capture the raw emotion in just a few takes.

“I love Jamie [Campbell Bower] so much,” Ryder shared. “I remember when he was in that position and we were talking about bands; he’s such a wonderful person. I came in that day just for that. You can’t rehearse a scene like that. You have to save it for the take. I think I only did it twice.”

After the gang took down the Mind Flayer in ‘The Rightside Up’, the heroes from Hawkins gathered inside its body to assist Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in confronting Vecna. Using her telekinetic abilities, Eleven impaled the vine-covered villain, and Joyce delivered the final blow with her ax, all while reflecting on the friends they had lost throughout their long battle.

“She is sort of the mother of this group, the protector,” co-creator Ross Duffer explained about the brutal beheading. “Also, we never got to see her hit anything with that ax, so it felt satisfying to have her deliver the final blow to Vecna. In the editing room, we decided to include flashbacks of her remembering Bob, which built up that anger. It felt right that it wasn’t just a ‘heck yeah’ moment.”

“It was also a cathartic moment for our characters, purging the trauma they’ve endured. It’s not just about cheering; it’s a reminder of the pain this evil has caused them.”

Stranger Things is currently streaming, and you can dive deeper into the finale with reviews and explanations of the ending. For more recommendations, check out some of the best shows available for your watchlist.