Right, where were we? After the devestating tonal misstep of the previous episode brought the entire season to a screeching halt, it’s now down to The Duffer Brothers to somehow get things back up to speed and regain that thrilling, storytelling momentum that Eleven’s poorly scheduled side quest drained out of the season in only a single episode. Not to put too much pressure on the show-creating siblings, but they’ve only got two episodes to get that rhythm back until the show ends, but luckily, so much was going on before, they get to hit the ground running.
So exactly how do you return a show to its former glory after a bad episode throws things off? Well, it seems actually pretty simple: you take a monster attack, a character turned traitor and a shock death and use it to recreate Stranger Things’ most gratifying moment – the part where everyone comes together and works in unison like they’re the Doozers from Fraggle Rock. It’s the penultimate episode and shit needs to get fixed – time to get to work.
We zip back to the moment when a horde of slavering Demodogs crawl their way out of the hole in the basement of Hawkins Labs with the intention of turning everyone in the building into interdimensional puppy chow and as a horrified Hopper watches, the creatures make short work of any protective glass or door placed in their path. Meanwhile, Mike has realised that a possessed Will has lost his struggle against the evil corruption that’s nestled inside his brain and is feeling the cloud monster the intel it needs to destroy its enemies. To counteract this, Joyce wastes no time drugging her son to silence the spy in their midst and after formulating a plan, Hopper, Joyce, Bob, Mike and Dr. Owens split up to try and escape the massacre. However, before they can escape, Bob has to go off on his own to reset the power and use his computer skills to unlock all the doors in order for that escape to ocur, but while the rest of the Hawkins players gather outside after having their own adventures, a member of the extended party tragically falls before the toothy flaps of of the monstrous Demodogs.
Retreating to the Byers houss, the surviving members now have to figure out how to stop the approaching apocalypse by pooling all their resources and patching up any negative feelings that have been hurt along the way. Problem one is to know their enemy and after using their trusty D&D manual to name Will’s smokey tormentor The Mind Flayer (catchy, right?), they soon figure out that even though Will’s very pro-Mind Flayer in conversation, there’s still some of the Byers boy left in there somewhere as his fingers tap out messages in more code to try and help.
However even though they’re given the knowledge they need to save the day, that doesn’t stop Will from once again sending the Demodogs to their location – but a (not so) surprise return promises to turn the tide.
If you ever needed proof that Stranger Things deserves the hype, then the fact that the show could instantly regain its footing after it’s last episode wobble offers up all the plaudits you need. Of course, there’s a counter argument that says if Stranger Things was that shit-hot, it wouldn’t have made that mistake in the first place, but we’ve no time for that kind of negativity here now that everything is kicking off. Yes, it’s that time again where virtually everyone connected with what’s happening to converge on one place and start A-Teaming the crap out of the otherworldly issue that’s actively trying to kill them and it proves to be just as exhilarating the first time it occurred. Of course, when I say everyone, I don’t mean everyone…
That’s right, joining the likes of Barb in the list of Stranger Things fatalities that actually hurt is poor old Bob who goes out like a fucking champ after saving the day. Primarily a friendly doof who was installed to prolong that will they/won’t they thing that Joyce and Hopper have going on, Sean Austin infused his kindly boyfriend with a sense of warmth and empathy to go along with the fact that he was a big cheesy dork, his messy end that sees him treated like a trough thanks to the vacationing wildlife of the Upside-Down, is skillfully handled by the directing Duffers. Every mistake he makes, every time he pauses when he goes off on his mission to unlock the doors of the labs has you on the edge of your seat, but when death finally comes for him like a speeding juggernaut, it’s genuinely tragic.
Elsewhere, we get more Daddy Steve thanks to the show cracking what it wants to do with Steve Harrington, we finally get some info about why Billy is such a bitter piece of shit (it wasn’t racism in the end, he’s just hateful because his dad beats him), and even though Dustin is hurt that Max has apparently chosen Lucas to bond with, he’s trying to work through it with as much dignity as he can muster. Once again, it’s the small, human moments that fully sell the stakes once the special effects take over and as Aliens-riffing monster massacres go, the episode nails it pretty well with decent CGI and a liberal amount of blood thrown around the sets. However, while the episode starts with a big old bloodbath and ends with Eleven heroically returning after presumably catching the fastest bus from Chicago in history, the real important plot points covered here involve the show’s nebulous nemesis.
While the first season split it’s villainous duties between the machinations of Dr. Brenner and the monster movie threat of the Demogorgon, all Stranger Things 2 has had to go on is a big cloud monster who looms menacingly in the sky. While it’s undoubtedly a threat, it’s also hardly Heath Ledger’s Joker, so it’s dastardly deeds haven’t really made it much of a tangible antagonist. However, now that Dustin’s given it an appropriately imposing name (admit it, Mind Flayer is pretty badass) and Will is now kind of acting as it’s eyes and ears, the billowing bastard now feels like more of a character than simply a creepy idea or concept. Most of this has been achieved simply how well Noah Schnapp has been selling Will’s possession and his shrill screams and pasty look genuinely makes it look like he’s in a buttload of agony. However, while many films and shows would have the mother character act in a protective way to show misplaced love for their child, the script is having Winona Ryder’s Joyce act in a far more awesome way. In an effort to save her child, there seems to be no annoying trope that sees Joyce block any plan to help Will in a way that hurts and in a welcome switch up from the norm, Will’s mother is all in to do whatever it takes to free her child – including drugging the crap out of him to keep the Mind Flayer blind or lashing him to a chair to try and get through to her boy with happy memories.
In fact, the whole memory scene is legitimately powerful, especially seeing as its giving Will the freedom to tap out a message with his fingers in more code. But with a single episode to go, I’ve now got no worries that the Duffer Brothers won’t deliver the goods. You see, now we have our villain properly set, Eleven installed back into the group and a ghost of a plan to end the horror, the death of Bob means that anything could still happen, especially considering that Will’s bowlcutted ass is metally linked to all the evil shit that’s currently occurring. On the other hand, maybe Will should take a lesson from the season itself – I mean if you can bounce back from chapter 7, you can bounce back from anything.
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