First Things First…
I was disappointed with the second-to-last episode of the season. But the finale is titled “The Upside Down,” so I have high hopes for this. Especially because they haven’t wrapped up the main stories yet. They’ve still got to rescue Will, and Hopper and Joyce have just been captured by Brenner’s goons at the lab. There should be good stuff coming.
5 Things I Like
5. What’s Hopper Doing with Those Eggos?
Killing the Demogorgon seems to kill El, too. I don’t know if she vaporizes or what — there’s no body — but it’s played like she sacrifices herself to save her friends and kill the monster.
Now, did I think she was really dead for even one second? No.
One of the downsides of watching this six years later is that I know she’s still in the show. (Unless there’s an Eleven clone, of course.)
But I don’t know how they’ll explain her return. Or how Hopper plays into it. Does it has something to do with him leaving the gym and getting into a car with those shady looking people.
Part of the episode’s epilogue is him bagging food from the precinct’s holiday party, taking it to the woods, and depositing it in a secret location. Notably, there’s a stack of Eggo waffles included in the stash.
Is he in contact with El? Does he know what really happened to her? Is he trying to hide her? They do a good job of setting up a couple of intriguing mysteries to begin next season, and this is one of them.
4. The Boys Are Back Together
I love seeing all four boys reunited — first in Will’s hospital room, and then playing Dungeons & Dragons at Mike’s house, just like the season began.
It feels like they didn’t miss a beat.
3. First Kiss
Mike is adorable trying to explain to El how his parents will take care of her like they’re her parents, and Nancy will be a big sister to her, but he WON’T be like a brother. When he can’t articulate his feelings and almost gives up, he instead sacs up and goes for the kiss. El’s response is priceless. She’s really good at making that shocked-in-a-good-way face.
Of course, there’s a flip side. The sadness on Mike’s face when he looks back at the makeshift tent for El in the basement is devastating.
2. Will’s Secret (Better Out Than In)
I always figured if they rescued Will after he’s trapped in the Upside Down for so long, he’d be traumatized. And we see that when he’s looking in the mirror and has a brief flash of his bathroom looking like the Upside Down before returning to normal.
What I hadn’t considered is the physical complications. But I guess having a tube-like organism down his throat turned out to be bad.
Will is hiding the fact that he’s coughing up slugs just like Ron Weasley in Chamber of Secrets — but with no reason to hope it’s going to end anytime soon.
So, has he been — ewww, impregnated — by a giant worm or something?
He’s brought a piece of the Upside Down back into the real world. But no one knows it besides him.
I’m sure they’ll find out soon enough. But probably not soon enough.
1. Fighting the Monster
El is the hero. She saves everyone by killing the monster. I’m glad she gets that honor.
But the most fun scene is Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve luring it into the Byers’ house, catching it in their bear trap, and setting it on fire.
Well, I guess Steve doesn’t do any of the luring. But his complete sense of WTF is going on — barging into the house and seeing the weapons, having Nancy pull a gun on him, and then watching a monster crash through the ceiling — are hilarious.
Plus he actually saves the day when he charges back into the house after hightailing it out. He wields the nail bat and forces the monster into the bear trap.
I guess the monster can just disappear at will — they never make that clear.
But it’s fun as hell seeing these three work together. Particularly seeing Steve find out what’s really going on and actually stepping up and helping.
2 Things I’m Mixed On
2. Doting Dad
When we find out early in the season that Hopper lost a daughter, I figured we’d learn about it eventually. But since it took all season to get here, I’d forgotten about it.
I like the scenes a lot. It’s fun seeing Hopper as a doting dad and husband. To see him straight-laced, sober, responsible, and there for his family.
And it’s obviously emotional seeing him lose her to cancer. When he’s crying in the stairwell at the hospital after keeping a brave face while reading to her, it’s another devastating scene.
I just wish these scenes came earlier in the season. Not right away — it’s important to see him as a loose canon for long enough that seeing this side of him hits with maximum impact.
But by now, we’re at the climax of the season. It doesn’t feel like the right time to take focus away from the mission for flashbacks.
1. Love Triangle
As much as I enjoyed them fighting the monster together, I don’t know where I stand on the love triangle with Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve.
Now that Steve has redeemed himself and proven he’s a decent guy, would I prefer to see Nancy with him, like she is at the end of the episode?
Or would I rather see the equally unlikely pairing of Nancy and Jonathan?
Or do I even care?
Honestly, depending on when you ask me, I could go with any of those three possibilities.
3 Things I Don’t Like
3. None of the Bad Men Stay with El?
When the monster shows up at the school, the bad men all immediately turn their attention its way and lose track of El.
I know — it’s a monster. But at least Brenner might’ve stayed focused on what he’s there for.
It becomes very easy for the boys to get her away from them after that, even though the fight with the monster is still to come.
2. Hopper Gives Up El
When Hopper makes a deal with Brenner at the beginning of the episode, I thought he was just buying time.
But he really gives up El.
He’s willing to do anything necessary to get into the Upside Down and have a chance to save Will. I guess he feels that’s worth sacrificing another child for.
Granted, if there’s any child who can defend herself, it’s El.
But still, he gives up a child. A child who just helped them. Who he was just working with.
It doesn’t sit right with me.
1. I Think This Episode Gave Me Epilepsy
I don’t typically have a problem with this, but the strobe light effects while the monster chases them in the school seem to last forever! I had to pause the episode twice because it started bothering my eyes so much.
I know this isn’t about the content of the episode. But I HATED how long this lasted.
Final Thoughts
They stuck the landing for Season One! I loved finally getting to spend more time in the Upside Down, I like how they wrap up the main storylines, and they set up two compelling mysteries heading into next season. Not bad for a day’s work!
Plus, we got the funniest line of the whole season:
I’m just gonna go get some chocolate pudding. I’m telling you, Lunch Lady Phyllis hoards that shit.
Dustin
Tim Matassa
