WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Stranger Things season 2.

After the events of the first season of Stranger Things, from co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer, and the series became a sleeper hit of 2016, gaining popularity until it became on of the most talked about series of the year. The first season followed the residents of Hawkins, Indiana as they searched for Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) and discovered secrets hidden by Hawkins Lab, including the telekinetic child named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and the Demogorgon monster that escaped from the Upside Down.

The season 1 finale of Stranger Things left viewers with a number of mysteries to puzzle over, many of which were addressed in season 2. In the season 2 finale, Eleven and Chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour) attempt to close the Gate to the Upside down, while Joyce (Winona Ryder), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) try to free Will from the grip of the Shadow Monster. Meanwhile, Steve (Joe Keery), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Max (Sadie Sink) try to help Eleven by drawing the attention of the Demodogs. So, what exactly happened and what does it mean for life in Hawkins?

Related: Stranger Things Season 2 Premiere Review

The season 2 finale of Stranger Things, 'Chapter Nine: The Gate', follows much the same structure of the season 1 finale in that it features a final battle in which each member of the team plays a key role. Like the previous season finale, 'The Gate' also features an epilogue of sorts that skips ahead a month after the main events of season 2, though this particular sequence offers more closure to character arcs than teases for what's to come. Still, there are some hints that we'll break down and explain about the Stranger Things season 2 finale.

Will the Cured?

The Shadow Monster had control over Will for much of season 2 and while, at first, Joyce and Mike tried to keep him comfortable, their plan in the finale to cut the connection between the Shadow Monster in the Upside Down and its army in their world potentially endangered the youngest Byers. As a result, Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan attempt to kill the Shadow Monster's virus that has infected Will. To do so, they need to make Will's body uninhabitable to the Shadow Monster and, since the beast and its army thrives in dark, cold places, they create an environment in which Will won't be cold.

To do this, Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan bring Will to Hopper's cabin in the woods and set up a series of space heaters in addition to building a fire in the fireplace. The resulting heat makes the extension of the Shadow Monster possessing Will grow increasingly uncomfortable and violent, lashing out at Joyce until Nancy uses a fireplace poker to burn Will. The Shadow Monster is expelled from Will's body and resembles a cloud of dark, shadowy matter that must be able to wield some energy as it bursts out of the cabin and disappears into the night sky.

Will, who had been losing his memories the longer he was possessed by the Shadow Monster, awakes and instantly recognizes his mother, which would seemingly indicate he's been cured. Certainly, there's nothing amiss with the youngest Byers in the epilogue of 'The Gate' as he dances with Joyce, then one of his classmates at the Snow Ball. By all appearances, Will has finally returned to the normal, healthy kid he was prior to being lost in the Upside Down.

However, it's unclear what happened to the bit of the Shadow Monster that was exorcised from Will. The Demodogs and vines that were extensions of the monster in the real world died once they were cut off from the Upside Down, but did the same happen to the cloud of shadow that came out of Will? It's certainly possible it died, but since it was the Shadow Monster's virus - and, perhaps, a piece of the monster rather than a member of its army - it also may have survived in the real world. If that's true, it could return in a later season, either having survived on its own or by finding another host.

Eleven Closes the Gate

While part of the group is preoccupied with curing Will - and the rest of the kids, plus Steve, make themselves useful by luring the Demodogs away from Hawkins Lab - Eleven and Hopper have the most difficult task: closing the Gate and trapping the Shadow Monster in the Upside Down. However, as revealed earlier in season 2, the Gate that Eleven opened prior to the events of season 1 has grown exponentially bigger. Not to mention, the Shadow Monster has a whole host of Demodogs under his control, which he uses to try to prevent Eleven from closing the Gate.

Of course, Eleven has Hopper - and his many guns - on her side; using the method of channeling her powers as taught by her "lost sister," Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), Eleven is able to close the massive Gate that has grown and expanded below Hawkins Lab. As a result of Eleven closing the Gate, the Shadow Monster's connection to his army in the real world, which largely consists of the Demodogs and the vines growing in the tunnels beneath Hawkins, are defeated. It's unclear if the Demodogs and the vines die, but they certainly appear to be gravely wounded. The Demodogs that had been attacking Hopper and Eleven in the shaft under Hawkins Lab begin falling, and Dart is shown lying on the ground in one of the tunnels.

Further, as shown in the epilogue immediately following Eleven closing the Gate, Hawkins Lab is designated a restricted area by the Secretary of Defense - a branch of the government - and the building becomes off limits. Does this truly mean Hawkins Lab has shut down and the government has ceased the testing that led to the Gate being opened? Likely not, but considering the amount of damage done to the facility by the Shadow Monster's army of Demodogs, it's understandable that the government would just cut their losses and move elsewhere. Or, as the case may be, shut down the project altogether now that the Gate is closed and Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) is still in hiding. Though, with Brenner confirmed to be alive, we definitely haven't seen the last of him.

What that means for Eleven and her friends in Hawkins seems to be that they're relatively safe for the time being. There aren't any obvious remnants of the Shadow Monster in Hawkins - at least, as far as viewers are shown in the epilogue for 'The Gate'. But, that doesn't mean Stranger Things has shown viewers everything.

The Epilogue

As far as teases for what's to come, there's little in the epilogue at the end of the season 2 finale. However, the sequence does wrap up a number of character storylines that were developed throughout the season. One of the biggest revelations is that Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser) made good on his promise to Hopper and offered Eleven a chance at a normal life by forging a birth certificate for 'Jane Hopper' - combining Eleven's original name as given to her by her mother, Terry Ives, with Hopper's last name. Additionally, though Owens urges Hopper and Eleven to lay low for another year (indicating how much time will until the next season of Stranger Things), Hopper allows El to attend the Snow Ball at Hawkins Middle School, where she dances with Mike.

At the Snow Ball, 'The Gate' also seems to establish Nancy and Steve are no longer together, which makes sense considering her and Jonathan (sort of) itted their feelings for one another. Lucas asks Max to dance, and the two share a kiss. Dustin, meanwhile, winds up dancing with Nancy after being rejected by a few of his classmates. Still, it seems both Nancy and Steve have taken Dustin under their wing, which will undoubtedly have an interesting - and, likely, humorous - effect on him in future seasons. Outside the dance, Joyce and Hopper share a cigarette, with the former still dealing with the death of Bob Newby (Sean Astin).

However, if viewers were lulled into a false sense of security by the wholly normal epilogue, the final scene of the season 2 finale features an exterior shot of Hawkins Middle School that rotates until the Upside Down version of the school is revealed. Though the alternate dimension seems quiet at first, a storm brews and lightning reveals the Shadow Monster looming over Hawkins Middle School - no doubt a visual representation of the evil monster biding its time until it's able to try to escape the Upside Down once more.

So, while Stranger Things largely wraps up its storyline thus far in the season 2 finale - even giving season 1 fan-favorite Barb (Shannon Purser) a funeral of her own - there's obviously more to come for the residents of Hawkins, Indiana. Certainly, the revelation of Kali earlier in season 2 leaves the door open for more individuals with abilities like her and Eleven to be alive and living elsewhere; even if they're the only ones, Kali's mission to exact vengeance on all the Bad Men will no doubt resurface at some point. Plus, with the Shadow Monster not yet defeated, it will rear its scary head once more. But viewers need not worry, as the Duffer Brothers have plans for further seasons already in the works. Until then, share your theories about what will happen in Stranger Things season 3 in the comments!

Next: Stranger Things Season 2: Eleven's Origins Explained

Stranger Things seasons 1 and 2 are currently available in full on Netflix.