Winona Ryder Nails Joyce’s Climactic Scene in Just Two Takes
Winona Ryder shares how she captured Joyce Byers’ raw emotion in Stranger Things’ final showdown, revealing why she avoided rehearsals and how the cast brought the series to a powerful close.
Winona Ryder, who plays Joyce Byers, delivered one of the most intense moments in the last episode of Stranger Things’ fifth season. When it came time for Joyce to finally put an end to Vecna, Ryder decided not to rehearse the scene at all. She felt that the best way to keep the emotion genuine was to go in fresh, without overthinking it. According to Ryder, she only needed two takes to get it right, making sure the moment stayed raw and real.
Reflecting on the day of filming, Ryder said,
"I love Jamie [Campbell Bower] so much. 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."
She was keen to keep the performance spontaneous, believing that too much practice would take away from the authenticity of the moment.
Behind the Final Battle
In the much-hyped finale, the Hawkins crew, after dealing with the Mind Flayer in ‘The Rightside Up’, found themselves inside the creature’s body. There, they rallied around Eleven as she faced off against Vecna. Eleven, using her powers, managed to pin down the villain, but it was Joyce who stepped up to finish the job. Armed with an axe, she delivered the decisive blow, while the group flashed back to the mates they’d lost over the years.
The scene was packed with emotion, not just for the characters but for the cast as well. The decision to keep things unrehearsed added a layer of unpredictability, making the moment feel even more powerful for everyone involved.
Joyce as the Heart of Hawkins
Ross Duffer, one of the show’s creators, described Joyce as the group’s protector and mother figure. He explained that her brutal act was a fitting way to close the chapter on Vecna, giving the characters a sense of closure after years of trauma.
Joyce is "sort of the mother of this group, the protector,"
Duffer said, adding that the final blow was cathartic for everyone who’d been through so much together.
For fans, the finale offered a satisfying end to a long-running battle, with Joyce’s actions standing out as a highlight. The cast and crew’s commitment to keeping things real, even in the most dramatic moments, helped make the ending memorable for punters everywhere.