Driscoll's fit causes Nancy to visit the kids for help, and as Dustin and the others search the Russian bunker, Hopper and Joyce take a scientist hostage.
The elevator comes to a screeching halt as Dustin and the others scream, and Robin says they can't operate it because they don't have a keycard.
Erica starts ranting about how she needs to get back before her mom looks for her, but Steve says no one can find them. Dustin suggests they climb the elevator shaft, but he and Steve take a look and realize they took a massive fall. Hopper and Joyce investigate the Hess Farm, and although it seems empty, a sound below them leads to discovering a bed that lifts to reveal stairs and a path. The biker from before arrives, and they find two Russians in the tunnel. Hopper orders them to put their hands up, but neither side can understand the other. They hear the biker (Andrey Ivchenko), who plods downstairs with a gun, finding one of the agents gagged and handcuffed, and Hopper gets behind him with his pistol. Hopper demands that he put down the gun and learns the man understands him, but he is sure Hopper won't shoot because he's a cop. Though Hopper proves him wrong after counting to three, the man pushes the gun away and starts fighting, at one point sending out a hail of gunfire. Hopper manages to injure his leg, but Joyce accidentally tosses his pistol to the guy, so they flee with one of the Russians handcuffed to Hopper. A bookcase over the bed entrance keps the biker at bay for a few minutes, but he soon busts out and shoots as Joyce peels out in Hopper's car, damaging it as they escape. Meanwhile, Jonathan wakes annoyed as Nancy repeatedly calls, telling him she's at the hospital. Ignoring his complaints, she says Driscoll is sedated and asks to speak to Will, then wonders if he's safe when Jonathan says he's not there.
While Hopper deals with the broken-down car, Joyce tries to ask the agent, Alexei, (Alec Utgoff) if his machines caused her magnet issue, but he can't understand her.
Hopper angrily asks her to stop and try to start the car, since all she's uncovered is that, like they already knew, Alexei is Russian and works for Starcourt. The engine makes strange sounds as she turns the key, and Alexei pleads pleads with Hopper to stop. Hopper turns to deal with him, not noticing smoke billow from the engine, which soon explodes. They go deeper into the woods, heading for an acquaintance of Hopper's who lives in Illinois, though he sarcastically points out they're not just going to walk. Everyone dissolves as he becomes annoy at bugs, and we see El is watching them with her powers to detail what they're doing for the other kids. Max helps El with her nosebleed and asks about her throat injury from Billy, and Mike worries that something big must be going on. He says it's up to them to do something, and points out even if they stop Billy, they also have to defeat the Mind Flayer. Mike becomes frustrated worrying that Max and El are conspiring against him, but Max soon mocks them for being too loud, and Nancy arrives with Jonathan. Dustin tries to radio for help, but Steve warns that he'll just drain the battery, as even with the mall open, they're not likely to find anyone. Dustin annoys him by again suggesting he and Robin are a thing, and Steve starts peeing down the elevator shaft, much to Robin's disgust. Robin stops Erica from bashing the mysterious canister on a bar, as the girl believes they could end up going without food or water, and she plans to drink the liquid. Robin warns the others after hearing people coming, and they hide in the shaft as two workers, who notice the pee smell, remove some boxes. Steve leaps down as they leave and uses the canister to keep the elevator door open, and though they all slide under, the door then shatters the jar. The liquid melts holes in the floor, and they see a long hallway ahead of them.
Nancy tells the kids that Driscoll's appearance was exactly like what happened to Will when they saved him, and the hospital had recorded low body temperatures for her.
The kids become aware of the rift between her and Jonathan, and confirm their test on Billy happened around the same time she said Driscoll went mad. They realize there are likely more people being controlled, and remember Heather. Nancy and Jonathan recognize her as Tom's daughter, and the group takes off. Back in the woods, Hopper and Joyce bicker about the car, with her complaining he should've listened to Alexei, as she could've been hurt. Hopper leads the argument to Clarke by saying she seems interested in Alexei. The Russian suddenly sprints away, but when Hopper catches up, he discovers Alexei had merely spotted a 7-11. They stop in for refreshments, including a slurpee for Alexei, and as Joyce calls Karen about Will, Hopper commandeers a man's car for a "police emergency." Joyce joins in as Hopper describes how villainous Alexei is, and they take off, leaving the man, Todd, a bewildered mess. Steve discusses the use of the tunnel with the others, with Robin saying it's perfect for transportation, and the group goes on a tangent about whether Steve loses "cool points" for having out with them when they discuss possible importance of the liquid. Dustin and Steve realize this could be related to the Upside Down, but just as they're going to tell the others about the place, they catch the code signal again. They realize it's close, and remember it's strong enough to reach the surface. Nancy takes her group to Tom's house, which is an icebox in disarray, and they find tons of cleaning supplies that were obviously eaten, which Will says is new. The boys believe they're mixing the chemicals within themselves to make something new, as while Max says this stuff would kill, these people aren't human now. Nancy spots the dinner from Max and El's visit, followed by signs of the attack from that night, recalling he had a bandage on his forehead the day before. They follow the signs tot he garage, where Jonathan discovers rope and Nancy theorizes that the "flaying" is happening somewhere else. Eleven says Billy likely didn't want her to see this location, and Will says they can find out where it is to either stop it or find out what it's doing, as Nancy says, by letting Driscoll "go back" like she was begging. With all the pieces finally coming together, Nancy and the others head back to the hospital for a violent reunion, Hopper and Joyce meet with the nearest Russian speaker, and Steve gets a chance to prove he can fight in the Russian lab.
Finally! I'm so glad to have reached the point where Alexei is interacting with some of the group, because I saw how popular he became.
It's certainly been a treat so far, with how he innocently goes along with whatever happens and seems captivated with what he finds. I can't really blame him for being excited after getting kidnapped, either, considering how we saw him at the start of the series. There is a lot of pressure mounting on him to access the Upside Down, and I can't imagine the dangers he faces if he fails. He and his partner quickly identify Hopper as police, and I feel like he might've been relieved in a way, since he'd be able to get out of his situation. While traveling with Hopper and Joyce, there's plenty of times he could bring attention to them by asking for help, even if people don't understand him, or he could run, like he seems to do at one point, only to lead them to the gas station. There, he has a great time with the stuff Hopper buys, and it's funny how he gives a sweet, goofy grin while Hopper tells a man how Alexei is a dangerous child murderer. The trio is entertaining to watch, though it's still obnoxious how Hopper keeps returning to the Scott Clarke issue. Despite those two bickering, the other groups see people making up, as thankfully Nancy and Jonathan talk, and Lucas helps Mike finally get to El. Whereas Nancy and Jonathan have a deep conversation where each admits their faults that led to the fight, Mike and El have a typical kid makeup. They of course already tried to talk before, ending with El thinking Hopper might've been right, so it makes sense they're now trying to get used to each other again. It reminds me of being a kid when you could have a "big argument" with a friend, then suddenly become friends again the very next day. As we've seen in the previous seasons, the separate groups are starting to coalesce as their goals mix together, and it's helping them piece everything together. The kids had knowledge of Billy being infected, and Nancy's information about Driscoll led them to realizing part of what the Mind Flayer is doing. Nancy actually mentions something I failed to realize last episode, with Driscoll's condition matching what happened with Will's exorcism. It's a nice continued detail to have in the show, as the writers clearly keep track of in-universe things, using them effectively for new plot points. By making the veiny appearance a sign of infection from the Mind Flayer back when it had Will, they established a way for Nancy to recognize other hosts down the line. Despite knowing how to battle the Mind Flayer's infection, the group is still at a disadvantage since they don't know how to fully defeat him or what he's doing. Potentially the most dangerous issue, however, is that they don't know who all has been infected, and even we as the audience don't. The last time we saw the steel mill, Billy and Heather had already amassed a large number of people, and there's no reason for them to stop yet. When it comes to what the Mind Flayer's doing, I'm not quite sure what the chemicals could be used for, but my first thought was that perhaps he's going to try to damage our world enough that he can enter it safely. The Flayer has tons of people already at his bidding bringing him these strange chemicals, and since it's already a pretty dangerous mixture, I wonder if the boys are right that he's making a new dangerous chemical. Once he has this, my thought is that he'll use his dangerous new chemical to harshly damage our world and make it match the Upside Down. With the Russians still unaware of the full threat, he could then try to enter our world through the portal they open. I feel like this would also be fitting for the theme of the characters going through a sort of Cold War situation with their fear of the Russians. In our world, of course, people were terrified during the Cold War as tensions rose between the United States and the Soviet Union, as both sides were armed with nuclear weaponry and was willing to use it if attacked in some way. Neither side trusted the other to reduce their weapons, and there were constantly altercations, like the Cuban Missile Crisis, that led to people fearing annihilation. This was also the time where we got a lot of those classic school scare films that, if you haven't seen yourself, you should definitely check out. Everyone knows the classic "duck and cover" where hiding under a desk saved kids fom atomic bombs, but there are many more. I found some on my own and a history teacher I had showed me some, and it was strange what people claimed, like that if you see the flash of the bomb (which would render you blind) and you aren't near cover, dig a foxhole for yourself. Essentially, despite how stupid these videos were, they had to be made because everyone was terrified they could die any day. The Stranger Things kids also have a reason to be afraid, since a real Russian plot is unfolding and being discovered, along with the dangers of the Upside Down. My thinking with the Mind Flayer corrupting our world is that his chemical will be a sort of metaphor for what nuclear fallout and radiation do, leaving our world a barren wasteland like the Upside Down, maybe in a way suitable for the Mind Flayer. Whatever the case, I have continued excitement to keep watching, especially now that Alexei has joined the mix and the groups are starting to converge.
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AuthorI love the entertainment side of things. Video games, tv shows, superheroes and movies are my passion and I'd love to get the news out for things I enjoy. My contact page has links to my social media, so if you enjoy what I have to say, likes, shares, comments, and follows are always greatly appreciated! Archives
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