Winona Ryder Nailed Vecna's Death Scene in Just Two Takes

When it came time to film Joyce Byers' climactic confrontation with Vecna in Stranger Things season 5, Winona Ryder knew exactly what she needed to do. Skip the rehearsals. Trust her instincts. Get it right in two takes.

The veteran actress made a deliberate choice to avoid practicing the emotional scene where Joyce delivers the killing blow to the series' main antagonist. She wanted every moment to feel raw and authentic.

Keeping It Real on Set

"I love Jamie [Campbell Bower] so much," Ryder told Netflix's Tudum. "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 scene takes place after The Party defeats the Mind Flayer in 'The Rightside Up.' Our Hawkins heroes gather inside the creature's body to help Eleven take on Vecna one final time. The telekinetic teen uses her powers to impale the vine-covered villain before Joyce steps forward with her ax to finish the job. Flashbacks of fallen friends play as the group witnesses Vecna's end.

The Mother Figure's Final Stand

Co-creator Ross Duffer explained Joyce's role in Vecna's demise to Variety. He described her as "sort of the mother of this group, the protector." The brutal beheading felt like the right way to end Vecna's reign of terror.

Duffer added that the moment provided catharsis for the characters. It purged years of trauma caused by the evil they'd faced together. Joyce's ax swing represented more than just a killing blow. It was closure.

The decision to limit takes paid off. Ryder's performance captured the weight of everything Joyce had endured throughout the series. No amount of rehearsal could have manufactured that kind of genuine emotion.