HAPPY 4TH – IT’S FINALLY HERE!!!!

Yes, I binge-watched the entire series. No, I am not ashamed.

First off, as an avid fan of the two prior seasons, I’m going to give this season an 8/10. Despite having a few unexplained plot holes, Season 3 was still awesome and I loved it! If you hadn’t gathered from the title, there’s going to be several parts to this review – there’s just so much to unpack in eight episodes! Bravo to the Duffer Brothers, who recognize that quality is better than quantity! They knocked it out of the park this season, especially when it came to character arcs!

(SPOILERS) Of all people, Billy stole the spotlight for the greatest character arc in Season 3. Before you say anything, I know! He’s been a complete asshole in the past, with absolutely no redemption in sight. And that is precisely where we were wrong, my friends!

What do we know about Billy so far? We know that he’s a tough pretty-boy who strolls into town, knocks Steve down from his place as King of Hawkins High, and is abusive to his younger step-sister Maxine (“Max”) as well as her love interest Lucas Sinclaire. We know that Billy’s dad is just as abusive to him, which may be a contributing factor to his abhorrent personality. Oh, and he doesn’t mind knocking up Cougars–I mean married women who are unsatisfied in their current relationships (*cough* Mrs. Wheeler! *cough*)

So Billy gets attacked by the revamped version of the MindFlayer (a massive evil force from the Upside Down that makes its way into Hawkins, and is able to possess and use mind control on many hosts at the same time.) This happens in the first episode when he’s out to rendezvous with Mrs. Wheeler after his attempt to seduce her at the swimming pool. Despite her obvious attempts to get his attention at said pool, she looks at her sleeping husband, ring, and family – and decides not to go through with it. (Kudos to her.) When she goes to meet him at the pool again and explain why she can’t engage in this kind of relationship, he’s already been Mind-Flayed – though he is still barely hanging on to a portion of himself by a thread! He manages to keep it together long enough to warn her to stay away from him, despite his new monster-like urges to… well, kill her. Unfortunately, his other lifeguard friend is not so lucky as the Mind-Flayer completely takes over his body, and forces him to kidnap her as the next victim.

There is an interesting moment when the kids manage to trap him in the sauna, hoping to burn the possession of the MindFlayer out of him, in much the same way they did to Will in Season 2. Billy suddenly seems to come back to himself, collapsing on the floor and weeping. He’s displaying intense distress and remorse over what he was “made” to do to that lifeguard girl. He appeals to Max, who has never seen her brother in this state before and wants to help him – though as she gets close to the sauna window, he grabs a broken shard of concrete or rock and flings it at her, shattering the window. Good thing Max has friends to pull her away at just the right moment! Most likely, the MindFlayer was trying to play them the whole time in order to help his host (Billy) escape. Although, a part of me can’t help but wonder if the MindFlayer dropped just enough control of Billy in order to let him genuinely express how traumatized he was by the events… just long enough to lure the children close and take over again. The words, if not the actions, seemed very close to what the real Billy would have said, if he’d been able to. I’ll admit that’s a bit of a stretch in theory, though it is still a plausible and curious matter.

Further on, Elle stumbles into Billy’s subconscious by accident, and discovers old memories of a past where he was happy with his mother in California. It’s revealed that his father was abusive not only to him at a young age, but also to his mother. Clearly, he wanted to stay in California with her, and most likely would have had a good life there… but for whatever reason the divorce prevented that from happening and custody fell into the hands of his father instead. The torment in this mindscape resembles a blood-red tornado or hurricane – an apt portrayal of his unresolved psychological issues mixed with the ongoing assault from the demon which now controls his every move.

When Billy is sent to capture Elle and bring her as a lamb to slaughter before the MindFlayer, not even his step-sister can snap him out of this imposed trance. It is only when the kids are raining down firework grenades on this haunting nightmare that its hold weakens on Billy – just enough for Elle to reach through and embrace what shred of humanity he has left. Together, they cling to that memory on the shore where he was with his mother, a place where there was joy and light. As the dark tendrils ease away from his skin, he conquers the battle for his mind, body, and soul!

When the firework bombs run out, the MindFlayer turns the full force of its fury back on Elle, who is scrambling away and too weak to fight… In this moment, Billy steps forward and faces the Tormentor full-on. As it lashes out with it’s mind-possessing tentacle tongue, he grabs it mid-strike, keeping it back from Elle and the others gathering behind him (including his step-sister, who screams when more tentacles begin striking him from the sides and back all around.) When he is lifted in the air before the towering rows of razor teeth, he shouts his defiance in the face of death – standing up not only for himself, but for those weaker than him – some of whom he once despised… right before a tentacle plunges deep into his chest. As he lays dying on the floor, Max runs to him, and his last words are a sincere apology to her, for everything he’s done.

Make no mistake – his is a story of redemption. His character, without a doubt, achieved the most radical transformation of the entire bunch. Honestly, I grieved when I saw him bleeding out on the screen. A part of me still mourns for him, despite how horrible he was in the beginning. Elle tries to comfort Max who’s sobbing, saying “It’s ok, it’s ok…” NO ELLE, IT’S NOT OK!!!

Alright, so on to the other character arcs. So many to choose from! Let’s look at Mike and Elle’s relationship evolution. They are fresh lovebirds in the throes of puberty and teenage hormones. As such, they fall into every obnoxious pet peeve category, which in turn annoys their friends and family. When Dustin returns from summer camp, they abandon him for curfew… at 4pm. Will remarks that they’ve been doing this all summer, going off to make-out with each other constantly. Lucas points out the same when Mike is running late to the movie theater. Hopper is the most aggravated of all, catching them kissing in Elle’s bedroom. Then he has to fight through a telekinetic-locked door to call them off their shenanigans. Hopper later returns to speak with them reasonably about boundaries, only to be mocked by both Elle and Mike. What a slap in the face, since he is trying so hard to reach them on their level and treat them respectfully! In other words… they have become bratty, disrespectful, inconsiderate, and self-absorbed teenagers. This was not what I expected from the beginning of the season, but it was surprisingly realistic.

After Mike has an… *ahem* more convincing run-in with Hopper, he lies to Elle the next day about why he can’t spend time with her – and by doing so, he has broken their biggest rule: Friends don’t lie. Elle feels insecure, and turns to Max for help, who convinces her to go shopping for a girl’s-only day. Little do they know that Mike is feeling just as insecure, and seeks help from his fellow dudes. Ironically, they to go to the same mall to buy a gift for Elle… and the two groups collide. Not only does Elle discover the lie, but major misunderstandings take place as well, where she questions if Mike is trying to control her life and keep her hidden away like Hopper did (albeit for her own protection) in Season 2. Elle feels betrayed and angry, which leads to her breaking up with Mike in front of all their friends.

While remaining distraught back home, she and Max decide to spy on the boys by using her psychic abilities. The betrayal runs deeper when she sees Mike describing females as “another species” in exasperation. She confronts him about this later, which causes him to feel betrayed since he realizes she was spying on them.

However, when the danger starts heating up the situation, as it always does, she extends an olive branch to him at the vending machines. Mike and Lucas are trying to get candy which is stuck, only to have the majority of the candy knocked loose by telekinetic force. The friends subtly clear the area, leaving Mike to mend things with Elle, whom he approaches and tentatively asks if her “species” likes M&M’s. She smiles, and takes the offered candy.

The crew of friends make it back to the cabin, and when trying to figure out how to deal with the monster, Mike and Max get into a huge argument. She accuses him of trying to control Elle’s life, and he protests, making the point that she’s already sacrificed more than enough for everyone. There must be another way than Elle taking on the majority of the creature’s force alone. Max insists that Elle can make her own decisions, and the others argue that she is the most powerful of them all, therefore she is the most qualified – but he yells that he doesn’t care! He’s already lost her once, and he loves her too much to risk losing her again. At this moment, Elle steps out from the side room, and everyone goes quiet. She asks what they were talking about, to which they brush aside the argument and move on.

While I’ll concede that Elle is the most magically gifted of them all, she does have her limitations. For one, due to her upbringing as a lab rat, she can be highly naive and impressionable. It’s imperative for this reason that she surrounds herself with people who have sound morals and genuinely care about her well being. Just imagine what would have happened if she’d run into the gangsters first from Season 2 after escaping the lab instead of the Hawkins kids. That would be a frightening world to live in! Also, while she is incredibly powerful, there’s not a lot of situations where she thinks outside the box – since her psychic abilities usually come through for her. It’s her friends that are more socially adept, more resourceful, and who implement strategy to come up with real solutions for the problems that plague them all. Without them, she is brute force and a low-level mind-hacker at best.

Anyway, back to the plot – Elle does decide to take on the MindFlayer. She becomes not only wounded, but infected by a piece of the monster writhing around in her leg. Mike is the first to rush to her side, holding and supporting her despite the ever-present danger. He continues to remain her vigilant rock when she realizes that she’s lost her abilities, and is no longer a match for any monster, let alone a normal person. She has become vulnerable, and they are all stuck in a death-trap within the mall.

After everything is said and done, Elle must leave town (for reasons that will be explained later in this post.) She still doesn’t have her powers, and is having trouble getting a stuffed teddy from a top shelf. Mike comes in to reach up and take it down for her, encouraging her that her powers are not truly gone – they will come back one day. Perhaps this is a metaphor for their own relationship, since they will not be seeing each other for quite some time. As they make their awkward good-bye’s, Elle heads for the door, but turns back. She tells him that she heard what he said in the cabin, and she loves him too. At this confession, they rush to hug and kiss each other before parting ways… only for a little while. Their future is full of hope.

Joyce and Hopper are one of THE BEST dynamics in the entire Stranger Things universe! Their road is rockier this time around, becoming cringy at moments, but payoff at the season finale is not left wanting! Well… it is, but not in the storytelling sense – not in a… hmm… let me explain. Also, I will be tying Hopper’s relationship as a father to Elle in this portion as well.

As mentioned before, he caught Elle and Mike making out in her bedroom, and after seeking Joyce out for help in the predicament, she consulted that he should talk to the kids in a heart-to-heart. Not yell, not order, not lose his temper – just talk to them. She helps him script and memorize the words, and in a special moment, her hand overlaps his when she is encouraging him about the situation. Overcome by Cupid’s arrow which has been simmering in his own heart for quite some time, Hopper takes a chance and asks Joyce out to dinner. She gently tells him that she has other plans (which result in her drinking alone that night, remembering the good and traumatic memories of Bob – her previous fiance who died to protect them in Season 2.) To make matters worse, when the moment comes for Hopper to address Elle and Mike’s behavior, he is mocked by these teenagers and decides to improvise instead. Coming back into the room, he tells Mike that his grandmother is in the hospital and he needs to go ASAP! Hopper proceeds to haul Mike out to the car, and scares the bejeezus out of him when it comes to respecting authority and dating his daughter. Needless to say, the method worked beautifully!

Hopper returns to Joyce the following day, elated that her counsel worked in its own way. She is thrilled to hear that his situation has improved, and when asking for the details, he invites her to dinner once again – this time, specifying that it’s not a date. With some further prompting on his part, they agree to meet for dinner. On the way out of her store, Hopper accidentally knocks down some magnets, and she discovers that she cannot put them back up in their proper place. This sends her into a tailspin, where she completely forgets about dinner and instead seeks out the kids’ science teacher from school to explain electromagnetic theories to her. When Hopper is stood up at the restaurant, he leaves in an angry huff. The next morning, she shows up at his house with scientific magnet theories, not an apology. This only serves to upset Hopper more, especially when he finds that she spent all night with the science teacher instead, no matter how innocent the circumstances may have been.

In an attempt to lay her nerves to rest, Hopper takes Joyce to Hawkins lab (where she has another flashback of Bob’s death) to give her closure that the supernatural nightmare is over, and that Hawkins can still be her home. She is startled to discover that he knows about her plans to move out of town. Hopper opens up, letting her know that he is fully there for her, he can relate to what she’s been through, and wants to help. She kills the moment when making a joke about the science teacher.

Events escalate with the impending doom of a Russian infiltration into Hawkins, so Hopper and Joyce wind up working together as Chief and Detective. After interrogating the Mayor and gaining further leads, they kidnap the Russian scientist, and get into a shoot-out with Russian Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since the scientist can’t speak English, they turn to none other than Murray, the Conspiracy Theorist from Season 2. He initially complained to Hopper about a Russian presence in Hawkins, and was unceremoniously dismissed by Hopper’s amused skepticism. Oh, how the tables have turned.

Murray agrees to help them (will get into his story arc with the Part 3 blog post) and is suffered to witness Joyce and Hopper constantly bickering and at each others’ throats. Here, we are treated with a parallel scene from Season 2. Murray finally snaps, yelling that they should just go ahead and have sex already to relieve their obvious pent-up tension (a throwback reference to Nancy and Jonathan.) He then becomes a cross-examining couples expert and dismantles their feeble protests into stunned silence.

Upon arriving at the mall, Joyce and Hopper reunite with their kids, and proceed to delve into the underground depths of the Russians’ operation – the ethereal Gate that’s been opened to the Upside Down, which is the source of the MindFlayer’s power. While waiting on Murray to complete his portion of the plan, Joyce and Hopper have another bonding moment where they admit that they actually work really well together. Joyce tinkers with the idea of remaining in Hawkins, and even goes so far as to invite Hopper on a date.

At the final stage of their plan to close the Gate, Russian Arnold Schwarzenegger breaks in and engages in a fight to the death with Hopper. Joyce must remain behind the barrier with both keys, ready to shut the Gate at a moment’s notice, while gazing on in fear for Hopper’s life. Hopper manages to take down the Russian, though time has run out, and he can’t get back to safety to avoid the impending explosion. It is in this moment that Joyce is given the order to close the Gate, and she must choose between losing yet another chance at real love… or saving the world. Hopper nods to her, letting her know that it’s ok, and she pulls the switches. The other Russian employees that were not behind the shield are incinerated instantly from the explosion, leaving no trace of any bodies, and when she looks back for Hopper, she sees that he’s gone…

Joyce adopts Elle, and takes her with their family to leave Hawkins three months later. She finds the letter that Hopper was going to give to Elle, the original heart-to-heart. His daughter reads on where he confesses how much Elle means to him, and that even though he knew she was getting older, he didn’t want things to change between them. He realized that his wishes to keep her a child forever were naive, and he wants her to experience life, love, and to be able to get through pain when it comes… but for the sake of her old Dad, keep the door 3 inches open. It’s in this moment that Elle laughs through her tears.

The amazing news is that this isn’t over! The final scene in Season 3 is at a base in Russian Headquarters, where they talk about “The American.” Of all the possibilities in this series, I’m willing to bet that it is none other than the Hawkins Chief of Police…

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section – and keep an eye out for the next blog post Stranger Things: Season 3 (Part 2).

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