‘Goosebumps: The Vanishing’ Ending, Explained

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Warning: Spoilers for Goosebumps: the Vanishing.

The second installment of Disney+’s anthology series, Goosebumps, has made its debut on the platform, presenting a distinct narrative from its prior season. This new season, named Goosebumps: the Vanishing, unfolds around a cluster of teenagers in Brooklyn who find themselves enmeshed in the enigma surrounding four missing high school students from 1994. The main characters are Anthony (portrayed by David Schwimmer) and his twins, Cece (Jayden Bartels) and Devin (Sam McCarthy), who come to spend their summer with him.

Growing up, Anthony – now a botanist – has always lived under the looming mystery of his brother Matty’s (Christopher Paul Richards) disappearance 30 years ago. Matty was one of several teenagers who vanished inexplicably while exploring an old military base known as Camp Nightmare. Although Matty’s body was never found, all of his clothes were discovered, leading Anthony to doubt the official story that they had drowned while skinny-dipping.

Thirty years later, Jen (Ana Ortiz), an old friend and present police officer, gives Matty’s jacket back to Anthony. This relic from their teenage years unexpectedly revives something from 1994. The lingering residue on Matty’s clothes triggers this resurrection. Upon examining the mysterious substance, Anthony uncovers a never-before-seen species that devours its host entirely. Due to its plant-like nature and the repulsive black slime it secretes, the botanist is in way over his depth.

The situation becomes more complicated when Trey (Stony Blyden), one of Anthony’s kids, accidentally discovers a mystery in Anthony’s basement and gets captured by a strange creature. This leads his friends into the same predicament. Fortunately, Anthony locates him unharmed while investigating an old military base and rushes him to the hospital. Initially, Trey is left unconscious, but he recovers later on. Regrettably, despite this, neither Anthony nor the teenagers have any idea about what’s truly going on or how it ties back to 1994.

What Really Happened to Matty and the Others in 1994?

It transpired that Matty and his companions hadn’t truly disappeared, but were instead abducted by aliens hidden within a military base. These extraterrestrials had landed on Earth back in 1968 and were perceived as dangerous, leading to their confinement. The truth was known only to Dr. Ramona Pamani (Sakina Jaffrey), who felt that the best way to safeguard those outside was to lock down everything within. So, Matty and his friends stayed entombed in the pods for three decades after their youthful prank gone awry. It wasn’t until Matty’s hoodie material mysteriously activated in Anthony’s basement that this long-forgotten matter resurfaced once more.

How Do Anthony and Jen Save Everyone?

In their pods for three decades, Matty and his companions are freed by Anthony, but soon transform into alien beings after a short while. Meanwhile, Anthony and Jen leave the children behind to deal with Dr. Ramona Pamani. When they return, they find Dr. Avi Pamani (Sendhil Ramamurthy) – released from his pod by his daughter – turning into one of the monstrous aliens. Instead of attacking them, Anthony understands that they need to open the alien spaceship. He believes the aliens are protecting themselves rather than being hostile, so opening the hatch at the old military base could be their salvation.

Just in the eleventh hour, Jen and Anthony successfully rescue the alien spaceship and save the children. However, those who were believed to have disappeared 30 years ago can’t come back as Anthony and his team had hoped. Instead, Matty bids farewell to his brother and shares that the aliens are taking him and the others away, but he shouldn’t worry because it’s ultimately a positive development. Regrettably, it seems they can no longer remain due to the lapse of time. Although this ending is tragic, it does provide Anthony with the closure he’s longed for.

Anthony and Trey Were Podded, So Why Didn’t They Change?

In the show “Goosebumps: The Vanishing,” Anthony and Trey were placed in pods like everyone else, but they didn’t transform into alien creatures as others did. A possible explanation is that the length of time they spent inside the pods might have been a factor. Unlike the others who spent decades, they only spent hours. However, the last scene hints that they might still be in for some transformation. As friends bid their summer goodbyes, Trey vomits a nasty black goo just before the credits roll. It seems the story is far from over, contrary to initial impressions. Goosebumps: The Vanishing is now available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, along with its first season of Goosebumps.

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2025-01-13 05:01