Eleven Days: Day nine

Where I do an episode-by-episode review of Stranger Things season 3. 

Because I’ve been AWOL for the past 3 days, I’m posting two episodes today so as to finish it up on time. Such a disciplined person I am. 

Episode 6, ‘E Pluribus Unum’: After wrapping up Nancy, Jonathan and the kids’ encounter with the monster at the hospital (where El kicks some serious ass), the episode begins with the show’s best team- Dustin, Steve, Robin and Erica. Steve and Robin get captured and send the kids to get help. It’s quite courageous of Steve to not yield to the Russians even after being beaten to a pulp. And we get to know that Erica, contrary to her claims, is also a nerd, which was fun to watch.

This time, Eleven’s spying on Billy was even freakier than usual. For one, she goes into his past. For two, he grabs hold of her. Although ultimately Eleven manages to escape, her whole time spying on Billy was engrossing and intriguing. And we also got a glimpse into Billy’s childhood. The makers have tried to create some sympathy for the character by showing his troubled childhood with his violent father, but it’s quite an overplayed trope and nothing can excuse the fact that Billy was an asshole right from season 2, even without the Mind Flayer inside him. But I believe this experience is going to change him for the better.

On the adult front, the tiff between Hopper and Alexei is enjoyable to watch. Language is no barrier for these two, with Murray acting as the translator. When Hopper threw Alexei out of the house, my reaction was the same as Joyce’s- he had the keys, he could escape and their chance to know what was going on would also be lost. But ultimately when Alexei comes back, muttering ‘I like strawberry too’ in Russian, I went ‘Go Jim Hopper’ for the second time in this season. He tells them what we as an audience already know- that the Russians are opening the Gate. What we still don’t know, though, is why they’re doing it.

And then we go back to Robin and Steve, who fall down tied to chairs back-to-back trying to hop and get to the scissors kept nearby. Their heart-to-heart talk is nice to watch, works wonders for character relationship development- but what I still don’t get is that if Robin was a nerd in college, why is she here slinging ice-cream with Steve Harrington?

Robin and Steve tell a lot to the Russians under the influence of the drug, but you can’t really blame them- Steve’s fingernail was about to be pulled out and of course, they were drugged. Dustin and Erica burning holes in the floor and getting to them was a hoot-worthy moment.

It’s a one-of-a-kind experience for El this time- not many people can feel her in the void- and I have a feeling it’s gonna be psychologically scarring for her.