Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?
The long wait is over,Stranger Thingsfans!
We’re back in Hawkins, the weirdest fictional town in Indiana outside of Pawnee.
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But first, a short prologue from Russia, where some scientists fail spectacularly at breaching the dimensions.
Remember their faces because you better believe we will be seeing them again.
Hopper understands but takes his frustrations out on Mike later on, preferring threats to calm discussion.
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The swirl of hormones also leaves Will and Dustin a little out of sorts.
In the midst of Reagan’s Cold War America, Dustin goes on high alert.
Of course, this being Hawkins, that’s not the only disturbing thing bubbling under the surface.
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The rats start exploding in a truly disgusting scene.
He doesn’t want to admit it, but he knows the Mind Flayer stirs.
On the way to meeting her for a rendezvous at the Motel 6 (sexy!
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), he crashes near the steelworks and gets sucked screaming inside.
Reality becomes distorted as he suffers from violent and disturbing visions.
He isn’t the only one under the Mind Flayer’s control.
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They see the rat for themselves but leave before it explodes and slithers from its cage.
and Mike stands Eleven up.
Such news would normally thrill Hopper, but he suffers a romantic setback of his own.
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And what did Joyce stand our loyal police chief up for?
Though Joyce is often right in her suspicions, the magnet plot seems really kooky even for her.
How quickly did she get all those library books before abandoning work entirely?
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Whatever has happened to Billy, he’s in deep and only getting more dangerous.
But a sleepover game leads her and Max to choose Billy as another spying target.
This time the results are terrifying as Eleven sees Billy kidnap Heather and hears her blood-curdling screams.
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Eleven and Max continue their sleuthing only to discover Heather hasn’t turned up for work at the pool.
Billy gets the suspicious girls to leave by acting as normal as he can.
After some well-timed actual parenting by Mrs. Wheeler, Nancy decides to forge ahead on her own.
Meanwhile, Joyce somehow gets Hopper back to his cabin where he wakes up completely naked and visibly bruised.
Steve and company are not the only ones in peril.
After stalking Billy at the community pool, the gang traps him in the sauna once the pool closes.
Knowing she’s the one thing standing between the Mind Flayer and total domination, Billy starts choking Eleven.
And it’s gotten very large.
Chapter Five: The Source
Storylines are starting to converge in Hawkins, Ind.!
The group heads back to the hospital in hopes of getting Mrs. Driscoll to lead them there.
So, um, that’s not a great development.
Meanwhile, Hopper and Joyce are hightailing it out of Hawkins.
Dustin and Steve are, to say the least, alarmed.
STEVE HARRINGTON FOR EVERYTHING, YOU GUYS!
Like, I get it, but that’s the truth, comrades!
Hopper’s right because OF COURSE HE IS, THAT DREAMBOAT.
They’re headed back to Hawkins to save their kids.
It’s just in time, too, because those kids are going to need some help.
After El saves Nancy from being devoured by that flesh monster, the team regroups.
It works, and El sees the Flayed gathering at the steel mill, but it backfires.
Cool, cool, cool.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE.
Chapter Seven: The Bite
Murray Bauman is a true hero for our times.
Alas, there is no time for smooching.
As they race back to Hawkins, Alexei explains how to destroy the machine currently opening the Gate.
Their kids are in trouble!
Trouble is an understatement.
The family reunion is interrupted when Eleven collapses to the ground in pain.
It’s really bad!
AND THERE IS SOMETHING MOVING INSIDE OF IT.
So, that can’t be good.
Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt
Finally, the band’s back together!
Everybody else will go to Murray’s fortress to hide from the monster.
Well, that’s the plan anyway.
Once Nancy hops in the car to drive them to safety, they realize someone stole the ignition cable.
That someone was Billy, menacingly sitting in his car at the other end of the mall parking lot.
So, back inside the mall it is!
Of course, this means they’re sitting ducks.
The adults' plan isn’t going exactly as they hoped either.
But Dustin’s listening in and do you know who knows Planck’s Constant?
Dustin’s girlfriend Suzie.
He and Hopper fight out on the platform next to the machine.
The kids really need the Gate closed, like, now.
Billy captures El and calls the monster to finally put an end to her.
She reminds him of the memory she saw of his mother, of who he really isand it works.
Billy protects El from the monster and winds up sacrificing himself.
Down below, Joyce has a belt on one key and her hand on the other.
The Byers are leaving Hawkins and Eleven is moving with them.
Anyway, I’ll be over in a corner, bawling.
But what is this?
