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Stranger Things 3X8: Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt
🕑 Added 2024-09-18 19:00:07 +0000 UTCOkay, so it definitely was a piece of the Mind Flayer/Demogorgon (I'm still not sure of the difference between the two) stuck in El's leg. Initially, Jonathan tries to dig it out with a knife and and his hand, but eventually, she tells him she'll do it herself, and uses, basically, all her strength to get it out. Afterwards, she's completely drained, and never gets her powers back.
Hopper, Joyce, and Murray show up, and come up with a plan. The three of them will go down to the gate, Dustin and Erica will navigate from Dustin's super radio tower, and the rest will protect El, since she's what the Mind Flayer is actually after. Steve and Robin go with Dustin and Erica.
They group with El tries to leave the mall, only to find that Billy has disabled the car and ready to kill them. They head back into the mall, but Billy sees and sends the Mind Flayer after them. Billy attacks El, Mike, and Max, and brings El as on offering of sorts, to the Mind Flayer. However, El is able to reach inside Billy's mind and free him from the Mind Flayer. He then sacrifices himself to save El.
Meanwhile, Joyce, Hopper, and Murray are trying to blow up the machine that re-opening the gate. If they destroy it, the Mind Flayer will die. Just as Joyce and Hopper are about to turn their keys to make it explode, the Russian Terminator shows up and attacks Hopper. Then Joyce. Both are unconscious for a time. Hopper comes to and the two of them fight. They end up down by the machine. While this is happening Dustin is repeatedly screaming into the walkie-talkie for the them to hurry up and destroy the gate. Joyce comes to, and realizing she's alone, devices a plan to turn both keys at once. Hopper has defeated the RT, but he's unable to get back to safety in time, and they decide that Joyce will blow it up and he'll die. I have no idea why they came to this decision, but they did. I don't understand why he couldn't just run back up into the room with her. She does, the gate closes, the Mind Flayer is dead, and it seems like so is Hopper (but I'm still holding out hope he somehow got transported to Russia during the explosion).
We cut to three months later, and the Byers' and El are planning to leave town (I guess Joyce is just basically adopting El). Jonathan and Nancy say their goodbyes, as do Mike and El, but they make plans to get together over the holidays.
And then we get a post credit scene. We're in Russia and some soldier are looking for a prison, but they say, 'Not the American,' (Please, for all that is good and holy, let this American be Hopper) and chose another one. They stick it in a larger cage and release a Demogorgon that eats him. Are we using them as weapons? A form of punishment? What the hell is happening here?
I don't know where we go for S4. Everything is so altered right now. Billy and Hopper are dead (maybe), El has no powers, she and the Byers are moving, the gate is closed and the Mind Flayer is dead, the mall is destroyed. Where do we go from here?
Comments
Dana Licciardello
I hope we get more from the two of them. It really was a delightful moment, but not now! Lol. That said, I've been singing the Never Ending Story theme for days now. Oh, that's lovely! My first thought was, "I wonder if Caleb was in the Lion King when I saw it?" Then I realized there was probably very little chance he was even alive yet. 😳 El is such an interesting character between is everyday life, she's fairly monotone, but whenever something is heightened, she's so over the top expressive about it. (I'm not sure if that sounded like an insult, but it absolutely wasn't meant to). Ooh, that's exciting! I don't know where we're going in S4, but I'm still holding out hope that wherever it is, somehow we find Hopper there.
Elsa Reinsch
We always have time for a Dustin and Suzie singing interlude lmao. That scene absolutely slays me... I mean the imagery of Steve, Lucas, Robin and Will driving with a monster chasing after them as Dustin and Suzie sing "Never Ending Story" is absolutely hilarious. And Lucas' facial expression is priceless. Fun fact, the actors Gaten (Dustin), Caleb (Lucas), Sadie (Max), and Gabriella (Suzie) all knew each other and were friends years before they were cast on Stranger Things. All 4 of them were in Broadway shows at the same time. Gaten was in Les Miserables, Caleb was in "The Lion King", Sadie was in "Annie", and Gabriella was in "Matilda: The Musical" and they all used to play in a playground that was frequented by Broadway kids so it was a total coincidence when Gaten, Caleb and Sadie showed up for their auditions and were cast. I think they cast Gabriella on purpose because they knew that she was friends with the other three. All 4 of them have great singing voices so I love that they put that in the show without going full musical episode lol. On another note, the ending of this episode with Hopper dying, El finding out about it, and her reading the letter makes me sob every time. Millie is such a great onscreen cryer and it destroys me every time. The scene with them fighting the monster with the fireworks is easily my favorite fight scene in all TV and movies. That was a stroke of genius by Lucas. There is literally no prettier way to fight a monster 😍 I can't wait for you to start season 4. Season 4 is an absolute masterpiece... and believe me, I'm far from the only one to say that it is a fucking masterpiece! Every season is such a different vibe and season 4 is no different but there is a lot of epic moments and some of the best episodes of the series. The two top rated episodes of the whole show (by fans on IMDB) are in season 4. The Mind Flayer and the Demogorgons are two separate creatures/entities but everything in the Upside Down is a hive mind so if the Demogorgon feels pain then so does the Mind Flayer. BTW I'm with you, I love season 3!! Season 3 is maybe some people's least favorite season but even the least favorite is pretty beloved by most people in the fandom. For me, season 1 is my least favorite. It's funny because I adored that season enough to become obsessed with this show but ever since I watched the later seasons, it's just too lowkey. It's less funny, it's less bright... it's just less of everything and I feel like the later seasons have spoiled me rotten lol... I still love S1 but if I had to choose a least favorite it would be on the end.
