Original subtitles

That's your favorite, isn't it?

How are you feeling today?

Okay.

Are you up for some more lessons?

Afternoon, Dr. Brenner.

Dr. Ellis.

Okay.

What do you see?

Don't force it.

Let it come to you.

Just like we practiced.

-It's…

…a yellow circle.

The sun.

Very good. Very good.

All right. Now, let's see…

Okay.

Now what do you see?

A…

cow?

It's supposed to be a dog.

It looks like a cow.

It does, doesn't it?

I never was much of an artist.

All right. Let's try something a little bit more challenging.

Is that all right with you?

I want you to find Dr. Ellis.

Can you do that?

Have you found her?

Yes.

What's she doing?

Lessons with Six in his room.

What kind of lessons?

Six is trying to move a block.

-A red block.

Can you hear what they're saying?

Something's wrong.

If you've lost the visual, just let it go.

Try to reorient.

They're screaming.

Why are they screaming?

Ten?

-Peter, Alec, what's going on out there? -Sir, we've got a situation.

Six and Dr. Ellis…

Dead.

They're both dead.

What have you done?

What have you done?

Dear Mike,

Today is day 185.

Feels more like ten years.

Joyce says time is funny like that.

Emotions can make it speed up or slow down.

We are all time travelers if you think about it.

For example, this week is going very fast.

I think because I am so busy.

I have to make something called a visual aid.

I hope Mrs. Gracey will give me an A.

I can send you a previous edition as a loaner

to see if you like the product before committing to purchasing it…

Some exciting news.

Joyce got an amazing new job.

She gets to work at home.

Yeah, I'm… I'm not a robot. You do realize that, don't you?

She says she loves the "freedom."

Prick.

Will is painting a lot,

but he… he won't show me what he's working on.

Maybe it is for a girl.

I think there is someone he likes,

because he has been acting

weird.

Jonathan is acting weird also.

-I think he is just nervous about college.

He is still waiting for his big letter.

-I hope he and Nancy get to go together.

Damn it.

But I don't know how he'll get to college because his car is still broken.

His funny friend Argyle has been taking us to school.

His hair is longer than mine.

And he and Jonathan like to smoke smelly plants together.

Jonathan says the plants are super safe because they come from the earth,

but to not tell Joyce.

Me?

I am twice as happy now.

You were right. It just takes time.

All right.

Hold on to your butts, brochachos.

I think I have finally adapted.

Slow down!

At first, I missed all the spring flowers,

but now I find it pretty here too.

I even like school now.

I am still best at math, but my grammar is getting good now also.

It helps that everyone is so nice here.

I have made lots of friends.

Even so, I am ready for spring break, mostly because I get to see you.

I am so excited to see you, it is hard to breathe.

Are you excited too?

I think you will love it here like me.

I think we will have the best spring break ever.

I hope my spelling was better this time.

Miss you.

Love, El.

-The hell are you doing? It's ten after. -Oh, shit. Shit!

Thirty seconds or I'm leaving without you, okay?

Thirty seconds.

Okay, I have to find my pants.

-Michael, I know your D&D club is tonight. -Hellfire.

Why don't you call it the High School Dropout Club?

-I want you home no later than 9:00. -I'll try.

-No trying. You need to go to bed early. -Why?

-It's a 6:30 flight, Michael. -Yeah, I know, but--

No buts. Nine or no California.

And no sweetie pie.

Mike!

Let's go.

Jesus. How am I gonna survive a whole week without you guys?

Nine.

Remind me, when do they become reasonable human beings again?

That's a negative, Dustybun.

Son of a bitch.

Try "Tigers86."

"Tigers86." Copy that.

Jiminy crickets, Dusty. I'm in.

Holy shit.

What's going on in there? You're gonna be late.

Don't come in! I'm naked!

I'm running out of time here.

Just hold your horsies, Dustybun.

Do you see it?

Yeah, I see it.

Yikes, Dusty.

Yeah.

I will repent later.

Then there's Heidi tomorrow night, but the problem with Heidi

is that she's going out of state for college.

Do I wanna start another relationship that has no point other than sex?

I mean, I don't know. Does that make sense to you?

-Robin, are you listening? -Uh, yes.

-What did I just say? -Something about sex with Linda.

No, I'm talking about Heidi.

-Cut me some slack, please. -Well--

Your love life is one of labyrinthine complexity.

It is 7:00 in the morning, we have the stupid pep rally,

and I woke up looking like a corpse.

You're worried about a pep rally? Expect me to believe that?

-Yeah? So? -So we both know what this is about.

-Not buying that. This is about Vickie. -Absolutely not.

-It is. You know what else? -I don't care--

You gotta stop pretending to be someone else when you're around her.

You just gotta be yourself.

You're literally quoting me to me. You do realize that.

Maybe you need to listen to yourself. Ever think about that?

I listened. Look at me. Boom. Back in business.

-It's not the same thing. Okay? -Well…

You ask out a girl and she says no.

Big deal. Nothing happens. Maybe your ego's a little bruised.

I ask out the wrong girl, and bam, I'm a town pariah.

I'd buy that, except Vickie is definitely not the wrong girl.

We just don't know that, do we?

She returned Fast Times paused at 53 minutes, 5 seconds.

Know who pauses Fast Times at 53 minutes, 5 seconds?

-People who like boobies, Robin. -Ew!

-Gross. Don't say boobies. -Boobies.

Not a big deal, okay? I like boobies. You like boobies.

Vickie likes boobies. Definitely.

It's boobies.

-To the gym, everyone. -Hey, wait up!

Pep rally! Pep rally!

Kyle, good to see you.

Hey, Josh. To the gym, everyone. To the gym.

Go support your Tigers! Go, Tigers!

To the gym! Hi, Amber.

Max! Max!

Where were you yesterday?

Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot it was Thursday.

I'd like to see you today. Come straight after lunch, okay?

Look, I'm not saying that my girlfriend is better than yours.

It's just that Suzie's, like, a certified genius.

You do realize El saved the world twice, right?

And yet you still have a C in Spanish.

And let's hear it for your Tigers!

Whoo!

Good morning, Hawkins High!

First off… Hey.

First off, I'd like to thank each and every one of you.

Without your support, we wouldn't be here.

Give yourselves a big hand.

And of course, of course, I have to give a special shout-out

to the best and the prettiest fans of all time,

the Tiger Cheer Squad.

Yeah!

Chrissy…

Chrissy, I love you, babe.

Aww!

You know…

I think I can speak for all of us when I say

it's been a tough year for Hawkins.

So much loss.

And sometimes I wonder, "How much loss can one community take?"

In dark days like this, we need something to believe in.

So, last night,

when we were down by ten points at half to Christian Academy,

I looked at my team,

and I said,

"Think of Jack."

"Think of Melissa."

"Think of Heather."

"Think of Billy."

"Think about our heroic police chief, Jim Hopper."

"Think about every one of our friends who perished in that fire."

"What did they die for?"

"For us to lose to some… some crap school?"

-"No." -No!

"For us to return home with our heads hung low in defeat?"

-"No!" -No!

"No."

"Let's win this game."

"Let's win this game for them." And that's exactly what we did!

We embarrassed those candy-asses in their own house,

and now tonight, tonight,

we're gonna bring home the championship trophy!

Let's go!

Tonight?

-How is that possible? -They call it a tournament.

You win one game, you go on until there's only one team left.

I don't get the big deal. Just talk to Eddie.

Get him to move Hellfire to another night.

"Just talk to Eddie."

Why don't you just talk to your coach and get him to move the game?

-I think that's a great idea, Mike. Thank you, Dustin.

-This is the championship game. -And this is the end of Eddie's campaign.

A semester of adventuring has led to this moment, and we need you.

Yeah, and the Tigers don't. You've been on the bench all year.

-That's not the point. -Please, arrive at the point.

If I get in good with these guys,

I'll be in the popular crowd, and then you guys will be too.

Has it ever occurred to you that we don't want to be popular?

You wanna be stuck with the nerds and freaks for three more years?

We are nerds and freaks.

But maybe we don't have to be.

Look, I'm tired of being bullied.

I'm tired of girls laughing at us.

I'm tired of feeling like a loser.

We came to high school wanting things to be different. Right?

So now we have that chance.

I skip tonight, that's all out the window.

So I'm asking you guys,

as a friend,

just talk to Eddie.

Get him to move Hellfire.

Come to my game.

Please.

Shit.

Mrs. Ergenbright, let me ask you something.

-Mm-hmm. -Have you ever wished

you could have the answer to any question, right at your fingertips?

Oh, gosh.

Yes. It's just like those… those big fancy books you see on TV.

-Oh, yes, they're lovely.

Yeah, just imagine, you'd never have to go to the library again.

Or, hey, think of the money that you'll save on gas alone.

-Oh, good point. -Anything?

Nothing.

Acceptance letters tend to come end of week to make you sweat.

Well, I'm sweating.

-It's coming, Mrs. Byers. Don't you worry. -I always worry. Thanks.

Oh, gosh. Did I lose you? Hello?

No, sorry. Carol? Can I call you Carol?

-Of… Of course. -Great. So, what are we thinking?

Could do volumes A through C, or we could do the… the whole alphabet.

Well, uh, remind me how much money…

I can't remember--

Carol, uh, can I call you back?

Oh, sure.

After learning to speak,

she traveled the world to spread her message,

and along the way,

changed how the world perceived those like her with disabilities.

And that is why I have chosen

Helen Keller as my hero.

That was wonderful, Angela.

Truly wonderful.

-What an inspiring story.

Okay. Now let's see who has to follow that.

Jane.

Hi.

For my hero,

I…

I chose my dad.

And for my visual aid,

I made a "direyama" of our cabin.

More like diarrhea.

Quiet, everyone.

Let's be respectful.

This is my dad.

His name is Hopper.

He made the best Eggos,

and… …we liked to watch Miami Vice on Fridays.

This is Mr. Fibbly.

-He is a squirrel.

-What?

And this is the alarm that my dad made.

I… I was never scared because…

beca-- because…

Uh, Angela, let's save questions until the end of Jane's presentation.

Yeah. Sorry.

I'm just, like, confused.

I thought this was a presentation about a historical hero.

My dad was in the newspaper.

Your local paper?

I just don't think that's what Mrs. Gracey meant by historical.

This is supposed to be about famous people.

My dad is famous.

He… He saved lots of lives.

In a mall fire.

He was a hero for people.

And he was my hero too.

That's not what I'm saying at all, but it's okay.

I am so sorry, Mrs. Gracey.

I didn't mean to interrupt.

I just wanted clarity on the rules of the assignment.

Well, technically, you are correct,

but Jane has decided to do her father.

So,

please, continue with your presentation, Jane.

El, it wasn't that bad.

Friends don't lie.

I'm not lying.

El.

Come on.

Can you remove your headphones, please?

Sorry.

A C in English and a C-minus in Spanish.

Yeah.

Well, that's not normal for you.

If you say so.

How's your mom holding up?

She's fine.

I mean, she hates our new place, which is, like…

Yeah, it's terrible, but…

she's fine.

Is she still drinking?

Like, yeah, a little, but…

Well, she's working two jobs.

So, it's not easy.

It must not be easy for you either with your stepdad gone.

It's kind of better, honestly.

Better how?

He was an asshole.

So, there's less

assholery.

Are you sleeping better?

Yeah, fine.

No more headaches?

Nightmares?

Billy!

Nope.

Max?

What you've been through, what you're still going through,

it's a lot for anyone.

And it's okay to not be okay.

But I can only help you if you're truthful,

if you open up to me.

Yeah, I… I know.

I'm… I'm being open.

I'm being open.

Max, hey.

Are you stalking me or something?

Oh, no, I… I just wanted to give you this.

-What is this? -A ticket to the game.

I know you never want to go to my games, but this one is kind of a big deal.

A big deal? Lucas, you really care about this?

Yeah, I… I do. Maybe you should find something you care about too.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Uh…

You're just…

It's… It's like you're not even here anymore.

It's… It's like you're a ghost or something.

A ghost?

Really?

Max,

I know something's wrong.

Yeah, right.

Something must be wrong with me because I broke up with you.

No.

No, that… that's not what I meant.

Lucas, look,

people just change, okay?

That's it.

I've changed.

It's that simple.

Good luck.

Hey, are you all right?

Yeah-- Yes, I'm…

I'm fine.

Okay, um…

You're sure?

Please, just go away.

Are you deaf? I said go away.

Chrissy?

Chrissy?

Mom?

You ready to try on the dress again?

I loosened the back a little for you.

Chrissy! Did you hear me?

Open the goddamn door, Chrissy…

…or I'm gonna gut you like the fat pig that you are.

Go away! Go away! Go away!

-Did you hear me? -Go away!

Go away! Go away! Go away! Go away!

Can you hear me?

"The Devil has come to America."

"Dungeons and Dragons,

at first regarded as a harmless game of make-believe,

now has both parents and psychologists concerned."

"Studies have linked violent behavior to the game,

saying it promotes satanic worship,

ritual sacrifice,

sodomy,

suicide,

and even…

murder."

Shit, he seems really revved up today.

He's always revved up.

We'll just act casual.

-Casual. -Casual.

Right, okay.

Totally.

Society has to blame something.

-We're an easy target. -Exactly.

We're the freaks because we like to play a fantasy game.

But as long as you're into band

or science…

…or parties

or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets…

-Loser! -You want something, freak?

Prick.

It's forced conforming.

That's what's… …killing the kids!

That's the real monster.

So, uh, speaking of monsters,

uh,

Lucas has to do his, uh,

balls-in-laundry-baskets game.

So…

…he's not gonna be able to make it to Hellfire tonight.

And I know there's no way we can beat your sadistic campaign without him.

So, me and Mike,

we were talking,

shooting the shit,

and we were thinking that maybe we might…

Postpone.

-Postpone? Can't just drop this on us! -Over my dead body.

-Shut up!

You saying Sinclair's been taken in by the dark side?

-Uh, something like that. -Something like that?

Jesus Christ.

And rather than find a sub for him,

you want… you want to postpone

"The Cult of Vecna"?

I…I don't want to postpone it. We don't want to postpone it.

It's just that, you know, most of the subs will be at the championship game.

-Oh, it's the championship game? -Yeah.

Can I level with you?

Jeff graduates this year.

Gareth's got, what? A year and a half?

Me, I am army-crawling my way toward a D in Ms. O'Donnell's.

If I don't blow her final,

I'm gonna walk that stage next month,

I'm gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye,

I'm gonna flip him the bird,

I'm gonna snatch that diploma.

-I'm gonna run like hell outta here.

-Didn't you say that last year? -And the year before?

Yeah, yeah, and I was full of shit.

This year's different.

This year is my year.

I can feel it.

'86, baby.

-You know what that means?

It means you boys

are the future of Hellfire.

I knew it the moment I saw you.

You sat on that table right over there, looking like…

looking like two little lost sheep.

You were wearing a Weird Al T-shirt,

which I thought was brave.

Thank you.

Mike, you were wearing whatever shit your mommy bought you from goddamn Gap.

And we showed you

that school didn't have to be the worst years of your lives, right?

-No. -Okay, no, no.

Well, I'm here to tell you

that there are other little lost sheepies out there who need help.

Who need you.

And all you guys gotta do

is get your Bo-Peeps on and go and find one.

Where the hell have you been?

I have karate from 1:00 to 3:00 on Fridays.

So let me see if I have this right.

You received a doll in the mail.

-Yes. -And it's creepy.

Oh, yes.

And you believe it's from Russia, huh?

-I know it is. -Hmm.

The… The stamps on the package have that hammer with that hook thingamajig.

-Sickle. -Whatever.

Sounds like it came from Russia.

Wow, I am so glad I called you.

-Should I be worried?

I would be.

Ah!

Could be a threat.

After all, you did sabotage their U.S. operation

and killed about two dozen comrades.

But how would they know my name?

If it's the KGB, Joyce,

and they wanna find out who you are, they will.

Wait, can you undress her?

-What? -The creepy doll.

Can you remove her dress?

I don't…

Okay.

Jesus.

What?

She has nipples.

Yeah!

Okay, now, do you see anything taped to her?

Wires or a bug or something?

I don't know. It's… It's cracked.

Cracked?

Yeah, like, the porcelain's cracked and they tried to glue it back together.

Okay, okay. Uh, do you have rope

and something heavy?

What for?

Smashing.

What do you think, Byers?

I call it a weeder.

You get it, man? Like a feeder?

Weeder?

Clever.

Hey, where are you going, man?

Look, I'm just trying to turn that frown upside down, man.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay, come on, man.

What, are you gonna be moping around all break or what?

-I'm not moping. -You're moping.

-Really? -Mopey Dick.

Wow, wow, that's clever.

Is this because your girl is ditching you?

What? Nancy's not ditching me.

Oh, so she's coming now?

No.

Ah, so she's ditching you.

Dude, no, she's not ditching me.

She has to work.

Who the hell works over spring break?

Nancy. Nancy does.

Maybe I'm missing something, but why can't Jonathan come down here for break?

-Because. -Because why?

Because a lot of reasons.

Curious.

Um, do you mind if I take a crack at this, Candace?

Um, go ahead. All yours.

You said there's lots of reasons he's not coming. Such as?

-Why are you being so nosy? -Call it journalistic instinct.

Okay, well, there's no story here, if that's what you're after.

His mom works,

so he has to watch over his brother.

On top of that, he's not early decision like me,

so he's waiting on his acceptance letter, and he wants to be there when it comes.

Which I totally get.

Okay.

Um, I don't. It just…

…doesn't make any sense, dude.

Okay, let me sift through this mess.

Nancy is the supposed love of your life.

In fact, you're so smitten that you have this grand plan

to go to some fancy-schmancy college, AKA money pit, together?

And yet he's so nervous about this acceptance letter,

he doesn't have time to visit the most desired girl in Hawkins?

That doesn't pass the smell test.

In fact, it stinks to high heaven.

Whoo!

Look, you're a good boy, okay?

You've been a good boy, man.

And I think it's way past due you give that right hand of yours a vacation

and get you some well-deserved hanky-panky.

Okay, first of all, Fred, I'm going to try to forget that you said any of that.

-It's… -Gross, dude.

-It's natural. -You don't understand Nancy.

He's not like you. He's caring and compassionate and…

…incredibly ambitious. She's never done a single thing halfway in her life.

He's so protective over the people that he loves.

If she takes on the editor of the school paper,

she's gonna make that the best paper that ever existed.

And he'll never back down from what's right, what's moral.

No matter the pressure, no matter the personal cost…

-That's why I love her. -That's why I love him.

-Everything between us is… -Perfect.

Eh, I'm still rooting for my alt.

-Nancy!

Nancy, hey.

Um, do you wanna join Hellfire tonight?

Just move your date this one time.

Come on.

What, to hang out with you and Eddie "the freak" Munson?

Uh, yeah, I'll pass.

You're just jealous 'cause I have another older male friend.

Ew. Ugh. Whatever.

Besides, I mean, I really dig this girl.

I think that she could…

Who knows, she could be the one.

Oh, I got some customers. Call you back. Bye.

-No, you can't. I'm at…

…school.

So you fight with dice?

Yes, but these aren't your normal dice.

They have up to 20 sides.

If I play, do I get one of those cool T-shirts?

-Yes. -Really?

Everyone gets a T-shirt. We make 'em ourselves, and if you…

You're being sarcastic.

You being sarcastic?

She was being sarcastic.

Mom says the game promotes Satanism and animal cruelty.

That's just bullshit media propaganda.

60 Minutes begs to differ.

-No. -No.

No.

-No. -No.

I hate high school.

So, screw it.

Screw what?

Screw high school.

What? What? Dustin, where are you going?

Just trust me!

Come on, just talk to me.

Tell me things!

-Wear a helmet! -What are you talking about?

Hello?

Whoa, hey, hey, hey.

Sorry.

Didn't mean to scare you.

You okay?

There's, uh… There's nothing to worry about. Okay?

No one ever comes out here.

We're safe.

I promise.

So, how does this work exactly?

Oh, just like any other old sale,

except, uh, cash only,

and, uh, for obvious reasons,

no receipts.

I'll do you a half ounce for, uh… 20. What do you say?

Plenty of bang for your buck. Should last a while.

Hey, uh, we don't need to do this.

Just give me the word and I'll walk away.

-Okay? -It's not that. I don't want you to go.

It's just…

Do you ever feel like

you're losing your mind?

Um,

you know, just… on a daily basis.

I feel like I'm losing my mind right now

doing a drug deal with Chrissy Cunningham,

the queen of Hawkins High.

You know, this isn't the first time that we've, um…

hung out.

No?

You don't remember?

I'm sorry. I--

That's okay.

I wouldn't remember me either, Chrissy.

Honestly, do I have stuff in my hair?

You don't remember me?

I'm sorry.

Middle school, talent show.

You were doing this cheer thing.

You know, the… the thing you do.

It was pretty cool, actually.

And I…

-I was with my band. -Corroded Coffin.

-Corro-- You do remember. -Oh my God! Yes, of course.

With a name like that, how could I forget?

I dunno. You're a freak.

No, you just…

-You looked so-- -Different?

Yeah. Well, uh, my hair was buzzed,

and I didn't have these sweet old tatties yet.

-You played guitar, right? -Uh-huh.

Still do. Still do.

You should come see us.

Uh, we play at The Hideout on Tuesdays.

It's pretty cool. We… We actually get a crowd

of about five drunks.

It's not exactly the Garden, but you gotta start somewhere, right? So…

You know, you're not what I thought you'd be like.

-Mean and scary? -Yeah.

Yeah, well, I actually kinda thought you'd be kinda mean and scary too.

Me?

Terrifying.

Uh, so,

in other good news, flattery works with me, so…

Twenty-five percent discount for the half.

Fifteen bucks. You're robbing me blind here, you know.

Do you have anything

maybe

stronger?

Nice job, Kate.

Excellent work, Paul. Nice improvement.

Very disappointing, Jane.

Let's talk after break.

-Oh! -Oh my God.

I am so sorry.

I hope Mr. Fibbly's okay.

Whoops!

Oh my God.

Angela!

Holy shit!

What the hell was that?

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

Hey, what's going on here?

What's going on? Jane?

-Jane.

Did someone do this?

I tripped.

It was just an accident.

All right, Angela. You come with me.

-Ooh! -What? Why?

Let's go.

I didn't do anything. Tell her, Jane. Tell her!

Shit. El. El.

Shit.

El…

I'm sorry.

It's gonna be okay.

It… It's not that bad.

We'll fix it together, okay?

Okay? Shit.

Come on, kids.

Don't stare.

Oh, hi.

Mommy, what's she doing?

-Was this really necessary?

If that porcelain belly is pregnant with an explosive device,

you will soon be thanking me.

And remember, you are not lowering this bucket. You are…

Releasing it. Got it.

We want to make sure that we destroy that doll

with as much force as possible.

Yep. Got it.

One more thing.

Joyce. Are you there? Talk to me! Joyce! Joyce!

Joyce! Joyce! Joyce!

-Joyce! Yeah?

What happened?

It broke.

Do you see a bug?

Anything with wires?

Or anything that… that doesn't look like the insides of a doll.

Anything like that?

Joyce! Joyce!

Where'd you go? Where'd you go now?

Why are you not answering me again?

Joyce!

Oh my…

Let's go, Tigers!

Let's go, Tigers!

Does it bother you that, like,

we might win a championship right after you graduated?

Yeah, that's an interesting point.

Thank you so much for bringing that up, Brenda.

Everyone now please rise for our national anthem.

Singing for us tonight, we have a very special guest.

All the way from Nashville,

our very own Tammy Thompson!

-Go, Tammy!

We love you, Tammy!

Told you.

Muppet.

Okay, she does sound like a Muppet.

Oh my God, totally.

She sounds like Kermit.

I was thinking it was more like Miss Piggy.

I used to think she sounded good 'cause I had this massive crush--

Sorry?

Um, we… we took a… a massively hard class together.

We were… We were in Mrs. Click's class together.

Yeah.

Uh…

-Sorry, were you asking me a question? -No.

Oh, okay.

Wow. She sounds amazing, doesn't she?

Absolutely not.

You asked for a sub. We delivered.

This is Hellfire Club. Not Babysitting Club.

I'm 11, you long-haired freak.

My, my, the child speaks.

So, what's your name, child?

Erica Sinclair.

So this is Sinclair's infamous sister.

-He's sharp.

What's your class and level? Level one dwarf?

My name is Lady Applejack.

And I'm a chaotic good half-elf rogue, level 14.

I will sneak behind any monster you throw my way

and stab them in the back with my poison-soaked kukri.

And I'll smile as I watch them die a slow, agonizing death.

So, we gonna do this,

or we gonna keep chitchatting like this is your mommy's book club?

Welcome to Hellfire.

Push 'em back, defense! Push 'em back…

Hey! Yo, you gotta stay on 'em.

Stay on 'em! Let's go! Go!

Looks like my headline has a shot.

-The hooded cultists chant,

"Hail Lord Vecna."

"Hail Lord Vecna."

They turn to you,

remove their hoods.

You recognize most of them from Makbar.

But there is one you do not recognize,

his skin shriveled,

desiccated.

And something else.

He is not only missing his left arm,

but his left eye!

No! No!

-Vecna's dead. -He was killed by Kas.

So it was thought, my friends. So it was thought.

But Vecna lives.

-Yo, what the hell was that?

What the hell was that? That's not me, that's him.

You are scared. You're tired. You are injured.

Do you flee Vecna and his cultists?

Or stand your ground and fight?

Come on.

-Sinclair, you're in. -Huh?

You're in. Son, let's go!

I say we fight.

To the death.

To the death.

To the death.

To the death! To the death!

To the death! To the death!

To the death!

To the death!

To the death!

To the death!

Yeah!

-No! -Defense! Defense!

Shoot it!

Yes!

Come on!

Time-out. Time-out.

Time-out! Time-out!

Guys, I hate to say this, but we've got to flee.

-I concur. -Didn't we just agree "to the death"?

That wasn't literal.

Vecna just decimated us. We can't kill him with two players.

You too? He only has 15 hit points left. Don't be pussies.

Pussies? Really? 'Cause we're not delusional?

-Delusional? How about not cowards? -Hey!

If I may interject, gentlemen, Lady Applejack.

Whilst I respect the passion,

you'd be wise to take Gareth the Great's concern to heart.

There is no shame in running.

Don't try to be heroes.

Not today, 'kay?

One sec.

What do you think?

How many hit points do you and Applejack have left?

Twelve.

Here, on inbound,

they're gonna try and take away Jason and double-team him.

That is gonna free up Patrick.

Wait, no. You gotta let me take the shot.

It's risky as hell.

But you're the ones on the battlefield.

So it's your call.

-What do you say, Lady Applejack? -You really gotta ask?

Screw it.

Let's kill the son of a bitch.

Winners find a way to win. Let me find a way.

The chances of success are 20-to-1.

Never tell me the odds.

Just get me the ball. Get me the ball.

Give me the D20.

That's a miss!

-No! -Shit! Shit!

-Please! -Come on!

-Please! -Come on!

Please!

Come on!

-Crit hit! -Yeah!

What? What?

That's why we play.

Yes! Yes!

Lucas! Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!

That's you, baby! That's you!

Yeah, man.

Hey, Jed, you comin'?

Oh, yeah. Party at Benny's, boys!

Yeah!

Yes!

Lucas. Come on, man.

After a tragic year for our town,

the Tigers have brought home the conference title

for the first time in 22 years.

And what a great game it was, Allen,

ending with a dramatic buzzer-beater from benchwarmer Lucas Sinclair.

He must be feeling on top of the world right--

All right, all right, I hear you.

-It'll be 3.07. -Yeah.

But this is your old friend Billy talking.

You know, just… just a little favor. And I don't think--

No. I don't wanna do that stuff.

Not for you, not for anybody.

-I'm trying to be normal, Billy.

I'm coming. I'm coming.

-Here you go. Good boy.

This is, uh, my castle.

-Okay. All right.

One more. That's it though, right?

Good boy.

Sorry for the mess.

Uh, the maid took the week off.

You, um…

You live here alone?

With my uncle.

But, uh, he works nights at the plant.

Bringing home the big bucks.

How long does it take?

Sorry?

The Special K. How long to kick in?

Oh, uh, well, it depends if you snort it or not.

Uh, if you do,

then, uh, yeah.

It'll, uh, kick in pretty quick.

Oh, shit.

-You're sure you have it? -No, no, I got it.

Um, somewhere.

Uh…

Sorry I'm late, sweetheart.

-You're beautiful.

Eddie? Did you find it?

Eddie?

Eddie?

Eddie?

-Mom?

Just loosening this up for you, sweetheart.

You're going to look… …absolutely beautiful.

Chrissy!

-No! -Chrissy, open the door!

-No! -Let go! Let go!

Chrissy!

Dad.

Dad! Dad?

Gotcha.

Found it.

Peaceful bliss, just moments away.

Chrissy?

Chrissy.

Hello?

Chrissy.

Hey, Chrissy, wake up.

Hey. Hello?

Chrissy. Hello?

Hey, Chrissy.

Chrissy?

Chrissy.

No!

Help! Help!

Somebody, help me!

Time to wake up. Hello? Can you hear me?

Wake up, Chrissy.

Chrissy, wake up!

I don't like this, Chrissy! Wake up!

Help!

Chrissy.

No.

Chrissy! Chrissy! Chrissy!

Chrissy, wake up now! Chrissy!

-Don't cry, Chrissy.

It's time

for your suffering…

to end.

Chrissy!

What…

Jesus Christ!

Looks like that Munson boy's up to no good again.

Mr. Munson.

Where is she?

I just found her there.

I swear, I don't even know her name. I never seen her 'fore.

Just calm down and stay back.

What you boys doing?

Holy mother of God.

-Hey!

You can't be out here. Get back inside.

Back inside.

Hey, Frank. Chief Powell here.

Listen…

We caught a body over here at the Munsons' trailer.

I don't even know how to describe it.

I've never seen anything like it.

Uh, look…

…I need you down here ASAP

to tell me what the hell I'm looking at,

or how someone could even do something like this.

Flight 623 just landed from Indianapolis

and will be arriving at gate two.

Flight 623 from Indianapolis at gate two.

Mike.

Ah!

Oh, careful, careful, careful. You're squishing your present.

It's a gift.

I, uh-- I handpicked those for you in Hawkins.

I know you like yellow, but now I'm realizing it's too much yellow.

I know you also like purple, so I got purple as well.

So I kinda did, like, a 70/30 split kinda thing.

-They're perfect. Thank you. -Oh. Oh!

Hey. How you doing?

-Hey, Mike. -How you doing?

Yeah, good, man.

Great. Uh, what's that?

Um, it's nothing. Just this painting I've been working on.

Cool.

That's a rad shirt, man.

Ocean Pacific?

Oh, hey, Mike. This is, uh, my friend Argyle.

Oh. Hey.

Oh no, no, no.

No, it's a shitty knockoff. Yeah.

But don't sweat it. I'll get you the good threads out here.

I heard a lot about your sister.

Uh.

O-Okay. Um, should we go?

Yeah, this is kinda awkward, man.

Yeah, so awkward.

-I really thought it was Ocean Pacific.

I have our whole day planned.

First, El Rodeo for burritos.

What, really? Burritos for breakfast?

Yes. Trust me.

Yeah, no, I… I trust you. It's just, you know, a little weird.

Then, after burritos, I want to go to Rink-O-Mania.

Rink-O-Mania, okay. What's Rink-O-Mania?

It's the most fun place in Lenora.

They have skating and games.

Sounds awesome. Are your friends gonna meet us?

Friends? What… What friends?

You know, Stacy and Angela.

-Angela? -You'll meet them, I promise.

Just not today. I want today to be about me and you.

-Where to? -4819 Lonzo Way.

Let's go. This is life or death. Snap, snap!

Yes, sir.

Then Vicki laughed. And it wasn't like a cheap, fake laugh either.

It was like… It was a real, genuine laugh.

Of course. It's my Muppet joke. It's hilarious.

My point is that Vicki laughed and everything was just like…

-It was perfect. -But?

But I'm having this problem where it's like, I should stop talking.

I have said everything I need to say.

But then I guess I get nervous, and the words keep spilling out,

and it's like my… my brain is moving faster than my mouth,

or… or rather my… my mouth is moving faster than my brain.

I'm digging this hole for myself,

and I want to stop digging, I'm trying to stop, but I can't.

And I'm doing it right now, aren't I?

Yeah, you are.

Oh, I'm hopeless.

Eh.

We both are.

If only we could just, like, combine.

Combine?

No, think about it.

I know exactly what I want, and I've found the girl of my dreams,

but I can't get the courage to ask her out.

-Mm. -Meanwhile, you go on a million dates.

-And you have no idea what you want. -Mm-hmm.

So if we just combined, all our problems would be solved.

Because, I mean, alone, let's face it…

We totally suck.

Totally and utterly.

Ooh, I think I found our morning movie.

Doctor Zhivago.

Ugh, you know I don't do double VHS.

But it's about doomed love.

-Oh, well, that's relatable. -Precisely.

Also, Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this.

Like, seriously, the most beautiful creature

I have seen in my life.

We're in the Forest Hills trailer park in east Roane County.

We don't have a lot of details now, but we can confirm

that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning.

-Police have not released the name… Holy shit.

…although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family.

You all right in there, Sinclair?

I'm good.

First hangover feels like you're gonna split in two,

but you'll live.

…occurred here is sure to touch a nerve across the community of Hawkins,

which is still reeling from last year's devastating mall fire.

Over 30 innocent…

…completely blocked off at…

Come on.

Just hit it, man.

-Yo, just hit it. -Yeah.

But whatever has occurred…

-Piece of shit. -There you go. See?

…is newly appointed police chief Calvin Powell,

who served as deputy under Chief Hopper.

What's this? I thought we were watching ThunderCats.

Hawkins student got murdered.

What?

Yeah, it's on every channel.

As you can see behind me, Chief Powell and the Hawkins Police Department

are actively investigating the scene…

They say who it is?

No, not yet.

Hey, maybe Chrissy didn't stand you up after all.

Hey, don't say that.

-Relax, it was a joke.

A joke? Come on, someone just died and you're making a joke out of it?

It was at the trailer park,

so probably some druggy OD'd on heroin or some shit.

Oh, see, that makes it funnier.

What is up your ass this morning? It was a joke.

We also don't yet know if foul play was involved.

But whatever has occurred here

is sure to touch a nerve across Hawkins.

Ever since that girl, Barb, died a few years ago,

it has been one thing after another.

I'll tell ya, you start to believe all those things they say,

that this town is cursed,

that the devil lives here in Hawkins.

Nancy!

I don't think anyone's gonna care about the basketball game anymore.

Nancy?

-Earth to Nancy. -What?

I said I don't think anyone's gonna care about the game.

Yeah. No, I know.

Would you be up for a field trip?

Many of the residents we spoke to voiced similar concerns to us.

Grief, shock, disbelief, anger.

Everyone wants to know the same thing,

how can so many tragedies befall a once-peaceful town?

All eyes are now on the police for answers.

Is the new chief of police, Powell, in over his head?

Or is he the very savior this town needs?

We'll be here the rest of the day right here on channel nine,

where we'll keep you posted on all the latest developments.

In the meantime, we recommend you keep your doors and windows locked tight.

This is Beverly Moss, signing off for…

My heart can't take it anymore. It just can't take it.

Chrissy Cunningham?

You're sure it was Chrissy?

Yes, in her cheerleader outfit. Same thing she was in when I saw her with Eddie.

-Did you tell all this to the cops? -No.

No, but I… I can't be the only one who saw them together.

They stood out.

Eddie the freak with Chrissy the cheerleader?

Exactly. You know, his name's not in the news yet or anything,

but I guarantee you Eddie is suspect one now.

That's crazy.

Eddie didn't do this. No way.

No way.

-We can't rule it out. -Yes, we can.

-Dustin! -You don't know him like I do, Max.

Okay?

When we got to high school, Lucas made all his sports friends.

Mike and me?

I mean, no one was nice to us.

No one except Eddie.

Okay. Well, they said the same shit about Ted Bundy.

Yeah, he's a super nice guy,

but then he's murdering women on the weekend.

So you're saying Eddie is like Ted Bundy?

No, I'm not saying-- I'm saying that we can't presume anything, okay?

But it doesn't look good for Eddie.

Why haven't you told the cops this?

I… I don't know.

You don't know?

After I saw Eddie and Chrissy go in the trailer…

…something else happened.

-Okay, all right. Last one.

Come on.

Nothing that weird or anything. I mean…

Eddie always drives like a maniac,

and the power goes off at my place all the time. It's a piece of shit. But…

This morning, I started to think back, and…

I don't know.

The look on his face.

He was scared, Dustin.

Really scared.

Maybe he was scared because,

you know, he… he just killed someone, or…

maybe, um…

maybe be... because…

I don't… I don't know, maybe…

Something else killed her.

But that's impossible.

Right?

I don't know.

It should be.

Only one person knows what actually happened.

-Eddie.

-Have you talked to anyone else? -No.

I can't find Lucas or Nancy, and Mike's in--

California. Shit, shit, shit.

-Where you going? -To see a friend.

-You heard the news. It's not safe. -We'll be careful. Thanks. Love you. Bye.

"Hop is alive."

"He looks ford to date."

"Pleeze to make resarvazion,

call seven-four-one-five-two," blah, blah.

"Open 12 day P.E.T.T."

"No government, please."

"Kind regards, Enzo."

I like it even less in person.

What do you mean, "Like it less"?

I don't trust it.

For starters, who the hell sent this?

A friend?

-A friend? -Of Hop's?

"Hop is alive. No government"?

This looks and reads like a ransom note, and a bad one at that.

-There's no proof of life here. -Yes, there is.

It's signed "Enzo."

-So? -So?

There's only two people who knew about our date at Enzo's,

and that's me and Hop.

So, whoever wrote this,

Hop trusted enough to make him sign it Enzo.

He's sending me a message.

You saw him die, Joyce.

I didn't see a body.

Because he evaporated.

Or…

he survived.

-Okay. Okay.

Let's indulge this fantasy for a moment.

He's Houdini.

He's a cat man with nine lives.

Whatever it is, he survives.

What's he doing in Russia? He was captured, that's what.

Then he probably met some new friends.

And by friends, I mean the KGB.

And believe me when I tell you, these people are the worst of the worst.

I am talking torture, Joyce.

And no matter how strong you think Jim is,

they will break him.

They will get his whole life story.

And yes, that might very well include a planned date at Enzo's with you,

his co-conspirator,

making this all an elaborate ruse to capture you as well.

You just made all that up.

It's a theory.

I prefer mine.

So do I.

Doesn't make it right.

Well, either way,

this could be real.

Hopper could be alive.

I suppose there's only one way to find out.

What are you doing?

We're gonna call that number

and you're going to find out

who the hell sent you that letter.

But we're doing it… my way.

Where do you think you're going?

Tell me, who you work with?

I told you,

no one.

This woman,

who is she?

Why don't you tell me?

She's wearing a Russian uniform.

Get the Elephant.

You want to die for this woman, American?

Hey, Will.

We'll be back at 6:00.

Have fun, okay?

Okay.

You ordered fries?

-Have fun. -Thanks.

-Bitchin', right? -Yeah, bitchin'. Do you come here a lot?

-Yeah. -No.

-Will does not, but I go to parties here. -No--

It's a big party place.

Oh, I forgot. You need socks.

Oh, shit.

-They… They sell them at the counter. -Oh, okay.

How'd you forget about the socks?

I mean, since you come here all the time.

I… I don't know. I just forgot.

Right.

Why do you keep lying?

-What? -Why do you keep lying to Mike?

-I'm not lying. -You're not?

You're friends with Angela and Stacy and you come to parties here?

-I have been to a party here. -For Mom's work.

That's not what you implied.

I just… I don't think Mike's gonna like that you're lying to him.

And he doesn't deserve that. When he finds out, he's gonna be mad.

Okay, so, I asked for vomit green and I got vomit green.

Isn't that awesome?

I'm so bad at this, I'm like Bambi on ice.

No, you're good. You got this.

Okay.

That's what it's all about, right?

Oh my God, guys.

Check it out.

-Who's that twig with her?

I don't know.

But it seems like the snitch has a boyfriend.

Told you spring break's gonna be fun.

All right, let me check.

Hey.

I'm sure it's nothing, all right?

Probably the neighbors complained about the noise or some shit.

You all right?

Yeah.

I'm good.

All right.

And you were here all night?

Yes.

Ask anyone.

Oh, we will, but thank you for the suggestion.

I see a whole lot of beer around.

-You have fun last night? -What, you gonna arrest me for drinking?

It is against the law, so we could.

Should we?

I'd vote for trespassing, myself.

I don't think Benny's family would be too thrilled

to see what you've done to his place.

Yo, people been using this shithole for years, man.

Act like you guys didn't know.

What about your girlfriend?

She party here last night?

Chrissy?

No.

That's odd, what with her being your girlfriend and all.

-Why you asking about Chris? -When's the last time you talked to her?

After the game.

Look, this… this doesn't have to do with that dead student, does it?

What did Chrissy say when you talked to her?

Well, sh-she…

I mean, said she was gonna go home, get changed, something like that.

Did she mention anything about buying drugs for the party?

Drugs? No. No way. Chrissy doesn't mess with that crap.

-Maybe someone talked her into it. -No. She's straight as an arrow.

What about Eddie Munson?

Ever seen her talking to him?

That freak?

No.

No way.

Wait, what…

What does Eddie have to do with all this?

Did that freak hurt her?

He hurt Chrissy?

Did he hurt Chrissy?

Jason. Hey, man, you all right?

Jason, what happened?

Where are you going? Is everything good?

What did they say?

Are they gonna call our parents?

Jason!

-Hey, Steve.

-You see this? -How many phones do you have?

-Someone was murdered. -How many phones do you have?

-Two. Why? -Technically three, if you count Keith's.

Yeah, three works.

What are you doing?

-What are you-- -My pile!

No, no, no! My tapes! Dude.

What are you doing, man?

-Setting up base of operations here. -Base of operations?

-Get off. -I need it.

-For what? -Eddie's friends' phone numbers.

Your new best friend you think is cooler because he plays your nerdy game?

Yes. I never said that.

Seriously, you guys, maybe on a Monday you can play around, but it's Saturday.

It's our busiest day.

-Robin, I empathize, but this cannot wait. -Oh my God.

Calling Eddie's friends is an emergency?

-Correct! -Want me to strangle him or you want to?

We could take turns.

-Can you fill them in while I do this? -Fill us in on what?

What's our game plan?

Game plan?

Yeah.

When you and Jonathan investigated for Hawkins Post, did you split up or…?

Well, first of all, you're not Jonathan.

Clearly not.

I'm here, present and accounted for.

I've gone through a lot of managing editors. Okay?

Ooh, somebody's testy.

Curious.

I'm annoyed he's not here. Okay? Is that what you wanna hear?

And yeah, something's going on with him.

But that's not the mystery we're investigating today.

A student died.

The game plan is for you to let me do the talking, for you to take notes,

and for you to follow my lead at all times.

Is that understood?

Totally and completely.

Shit. Slow down, slow down.

Just act casual.

And follow your lead.

Got it.

-Hi, officer. -Can't get through. Got a crime scene.

Yeah, um, I... I was just going to…

um…

see Max Mayfield, a friend.

She lives in there.

We're restricting access to residents only.

It's just, um,

her mom is working today

and we would really like to check in on her.

We're basically her nanny. Nannies.

Don't I know you?

I don't think so.

Yeah.

Actually, I do know you.

You're Fred Benson.

You killed that kid last year.

What?

That ugly scar on your face.

It's from that crash.

It… It was an accident.

An accident?

Is that why you ran all the way home instead of calling us?

You're a murderer is what you are.

Everyone here knows it.

-A murderer. A murderer. A murderer.

Murderer. Murderer. Murderer.

Murderer. Murderer. Murderer!

-You all right there? -What?

I said, you all right, kid? You're looking a little peaked.

-Fine.

I'm fine.

He's just, um, on edge.

I mean, we all are.

I'll let you check on your friend, but be fast. Yeah?

Of course, officer. Thank you.

Okay, what was that?

I said act casual.

Yeah, it's just…

Sorry.

-Yes!

I don't know.

Part of me expected her to be on that plane.

Or something.

Just like, "Hey, surprise!"

"Here I am."

-But also… -Shit!

…I felt this…

I felt this intense relief

when she wasn't there.

No, that's the Purple Palm Tree Delight working its magic, my man.

Makes your troubles float away

like the seed pods of a dandelion flowing in the wind.

No.

-No, that's not it.

Hey…

If I show you something,

you wouldn't tell anyone, right?

Who would I tell? You're my only friend, Jonathan.

Yes.

What's that?

It's an acceptance letter to Lenora Community.

-That's where I'm going. -I know.

But you're going to Emerson with Nancy.

No, I'm not.

She just doesn't know it yet.

Hold on, what is going on?

Like, I… I can't leave my mom and my brother

to… to… to chase a dream that isn't mine.

You're dead, man. You are so dead.

What was I supposed to do?

-Not lie. -Not lie?

-Yeah. -Not lie?

-Yeah! -What, so I just tell her the truth?

-Yes. -No. No.

Because… Because if I told her the truth,

then she'd just throw her dreams out the window

to come out here and be with me. And I… I just can't take that.

Like, you know?

Like, this… this huge knot of resentment would build,

like… like some cancer,

until eventually she hates me.

And then, before you know it, we're just like my mom and dad.

-We're divorced, my kids hate me. -Shit!

Yeah, shit! I mean, it's all shit.

The cycle never ends.

Yeah, man. Your nightmare cycle.

You want it to stop, but what is your approach here?

To just slow-motion break up with Nancy?

-I guess. -No, man!

I know. I don't know what to do.

Palm Tree Delight! That's what you do.

-Palm Tree Delight? Go, go. Go.

Ándale, ándale.

-Really? Okay. -Ándale. Arriba, arriba. Let's go!

Backpack in the back of the van.

Go!

Got me stressed out. It's not even my girlfriend.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Yup, mine's better.

No, it isn't.

Milkshakes?

Yum.

Where, oh where have you been hiding this handsome thing?

Uh,

Angela, thi… this is Mike,

my boyfriend.

Angela. Pleasure.

Heard a lot about you.

It's really cool to finally meet some of El-- Jane's friends.

Friends?

Yeah.

Super cool.

Come on, friend.

Let's skate, shall we?

-I wanted to finish-- -I'll hold that.

Come on.

Whoo!

Why are you so nervous?

We're just having fun.

-Oh no. -What?

El, she hasn't been telling you everything.

-What you talking about? -She's lying to you.

-Bullshit. -No, listen to me.

-She's having problems here. -Problems. Okay, what kind of problems?

Stay put.

-All right, everyone.

This next song is dedicated to Jane,

the local snitch.

Freak! Go home!

Loser!

-She's a little baby! -Baby!

Gonna cry to Mommy?

Hey!

Hey, hey, turn it off.

Sorry. I can't hear you, dude.

Crybaby!

I said turn it off.

If you say so.

Wipeout.

Oh!

Didn't you see the sign, dummy?

"No food or drinks on the rink."

El! El!

El!

So sad!

El!

Stop. No.

Hey, get out of my way! El!

El!

Murray, we gotta make this call.

One moment, please.

-Voilà.

Okay, you are now calling from Durham, North Carolina.

But if this is KGB, they will still be able to trace us eventually,

so keep it brief.

How brief?

A minute, max, and…

Proof of life. Got it.

Okay.

One, two…

This is Enzo.

Hello, Enzo?

This is Joyce.

I received your message,

-and I would like to make a reservation. -Yes, good, good.

But for reservation, you need to make deposit.

Uh, what… what kind of deposit?

Forty thousand dollars.

You have it in Hopper's trust, for the girl, yes?

Uh, yes. Yes. Forty thousand.

Good.

Bring to Yuri's Fish n' Fly in Nome, Alaska.

Uh, you want me to go to Alaska?

Yes.

You give Yuri money, Yuri gets me money,

I give him your friend.

Simple trade, understand?

-Uh…

…uh, first, we… we're gonna have to speak to Hopper.

We need to know he's alive.

Hey!

I'm afraid not possible.

Why not?

Your friend is, uh, stuck.

But you give me money, I make him unstuck.

You must trust me.

How do I trust you? I don't know who you are.

Forty thousand. Yuri's Fish n' Fly. Two days. Do not call again.

Well, that wasn't the KGB.

But it wasn't a friend either.

So we're both wrong.

Who the hell was that?

Still alive.

But he is barely breathing.

More of this, he will die.

You are strong, American.

Perhaps the Motherland could use that strength.

Send him to Kamchatka!

I never knew you to be generous.

You clearly do not know Kamchatka, Doctor.

This man does not deserve the peace of death.

So I have sent him...

to Hell.

Present arms.

Lieutenant Colonel, welcome to Indiana.

Eddie Munson.

He's a part of that freak devil cult, Hellfire.

The cops, they say Chrissy went to him to buy drugs.

Drugs? No.

That's what I said. Chrissy would never touch that shit.

They wouldn't even show her parents her face.

I don't know what this freak did to Chrissy, but he did something sick.

Probably sacrificed her, drained her blood for the devil.

-Satanists do that. -That's what I'm saying. It's this cult.

Hellfire isn't a cult.

It's… It's just a D&D club.

D… D&D?

Dungeons & Dragons?

It's like a… It's like a game. It… It's fantasy.

And how exactly is it you know all of that, Sinclair?

Uh…

well, it's my sister.

Yeah, she's like… She's like, a total nerd.

-You know? -Yeah.

Nerds? Like, she plays a lot sometimes--

I'm sure your sister isn't killing people, right?

But I've read the wrong person plays this game, it can warp their mind.

They confuse fantasy and reality, and innocent people die.

Been happening all over the country. It's an epidemic.

I've read about that shit. It's real.

And I think Eddie…

He's the wrong type of person, right?

You know, he got lost.

He thought Chrissy was just a part of his… his sick game.

And chances are, he's still in the game. Meaning--

He's gonna kill again.

But not if we can help it.

Would Chrissy want us to just stand by

while the cops go around pursuing some bullshit leads,

spreading rumors saying she's some druggy?

-No! -No, she'd want us to go out there.

-To do something about it, wouldn't she? -Yeah!

-Then let's hunt some freak! -Yeah!

-For Chrissy! -Yeah!

-Let's go! -Yeah!

Let's go!

Have you seen or heard from Eddie recently?

Eddie Munson.

-When's the last time you talked to him? -Seen him?

-Okay. Sorry to bother you. -Know anyone who'd know where he is?

I really don't think he's at the arcade. Yep, I'm pretty sure.

Reefer Rick? No. Does this Reefer Rick have a last name? I mean, it's kind of…

All right, Doctor Zhivago.

It's a double VHS. It's long.

But that's because it's filled with action and romance,

and a little bit of suspense.

So, my boyfriend won't, like, totally puke when I bring it home?

Oh, you… your boyfriend?

Uh, no. No. He's gonna…

He's gonna love it.

Yeah.

-See ya. -Yeah, see ya later.

Alligator.

Goddammit.

Hey, guys, I might have a lead.

-Seriously? -Yeah.

Apparently, Eddie gets drugs from some guy named Reefer Rick,

and sometimes Eddie crashes there.

Sounds promising. Where does Reefer Rick live?

See, that's the thing. No one knows.

He's more of a… a legend than someone that people actually know.

-Last name? -I don't know that either.

Bet the cops know the last name.

-What? -Cops.

I mean, listen, if this Reefer Rick is actually a drug dealer,

I guarantee you he's been busted at some point.

-Means he's in the system. -The cops?

Really, Steve? That's your suggestion?

I think they should be filled in on what we know, what's going on.

-You think Eddie's guilty, don't you? -Whoa.

I believe in innocent until proven guilty, all that constitutional shit.

I just, you know,

don't think we can rule it out.

That's precisely what we're trying to do here, Steve.

And maybe we'd have a little bit more luck

if you spent less time trying to find a girlfriend

and more time trying to find Eddie.

-Somebody has to attend to the customers. -Especially if they're babes, right?

Hey, not fair. Okay?

I attend to all customers equally, babes and non-babes alike.

We've got a very big selection in here. It can be super overwhelming for people.

Yeah, it can be.

-What are you doing? Maybe we don't need a last name.

-Twelve Ricks have accounts here. -Lot of Ricks.

So, let's narrow it down.

Rick Alderman's latest rentals are Annie and Dumbo.

-Chances our drug dealer has a family? -Not likely.

All right. Rick Conroy.

Sixteen Candles, Teen Wolf, Romancing the Stone.

No.

Okay. Rick Joiner. Mask, Footloose, and Grease.

Nah.

Rick Kimbrough. The Blue Lagoon and Splash.

-Definitely not.

-No way. -Okay. Rick Lipton.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Cheech & Chong's Next Movie.

Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams.

-Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke. -Bingo.

-Lipton? -Spelled like the tea. 2121 Holland Road.

-That's out by Lovers Lake. -Middle of nowhere.

It's a perfect place to hide.

Um, hi, I'm Nancy Wheeler from the Hawkins Tiger--

I've talked to enough reporters. Yeah.

Okay, well…

What about that one? With the flag?

Yeah, I tried them twice. They were actually quite rude.

I am not doing that again.

I'm telling you, we've talked to everyone.

Nope. Not everyone.

Hi there. Hi. Did you see something last night, huh?

-Oh, you wanna tell us everything?

Nancy, come on. Let's get outta here.

But he's just the cutest little witness.

Stay here.

Hi.

Uh, I'm a friend of Max Mayfield's, over there.

You're Wayne Munson, aren't you?

Eddie's uncle?

That's right.

I heard you found the body.

-The neighbors, they were-- -Like to gossip.

And I'm not interested in gossiping no more.

Certainly not to a reporter.

What gave me away?

Look, let me level with you, Mr. Munson.

The paper that I write for is… small.

We don't have the staff to keep up with the big guys.

And I'm just… looking for something,

anything really, about what happened last night.

Why?

Far as I can tell, you all have it figured out already.

My nephew's a freak.

He killed that girl.

Ain't that about right?

Let me guess.

You've been speaking to the Hawkins Post?

Chuck Bailey?

Yeah, I used to work with him.

I mean, that guy doesn't know his ass from his elbow.

Let me tell your side of the story.

My nephew,

he may look dangerous,

but he didn't do this.

It just… ain't in his nature.

No matter what anyone says,

and they will say things, believe you me.

But…

this… wasn't Eddie.

The man who did this…

who killed that poor girl,

he's…

pure evil.

"Man"?

You think you know who might've done this?

You ever hear the name

Victor Creel?

I guess you're too young, but back when I was a kid,

everybody knew the name Victor Creel.

He lost his mind.

Killed his whole family.

Kids and wife.

Took their eyes.

Cut 'em right out.

God.

That poor girl I found this morning,

same exact thing.

So I'm thinking

maybe he broke out.

Victor Creel is still alive?

They locked him away in Pennhurst Asylum.

Yeah, as far as I know, he's still there.

That is, unless he broke out.

Like that… What's his name? White mask and killed the babysitters?

Michael Myers?

-Yeah, Michael Myers.

-You ask me, Victor's like that.

He's a real boogeyman.

Um, I'll be right back.

Fred?

Fred!

Fred!

Fred?

Fred?

Murderer.

Murderer!

-Murderer. Murderer! -Murderer.

Murderer.

Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!

Murderer! Murderer!

-Murderer!

You are no longer men.

You are cogs in a machine.

A machine in service of our great Motherland.

And if you are foolish enough to attempt escape,

you will be hunted down.

You will be captured.

And then you will suffer greatly

as you perform your final act

for the Motherland.

There will be no second chances.

Run,

you die.

You hear, American?

Your friend is… stuck.

But you get me money, I make him unstuck.

You must trust me.

How do I trust--

Joyce, whoever Enzo is, the answer is not on that tape.

You don't hear that? In the background?

So he's outside.

Someone's talking. Not surprising.

I think she's talking to Enzo.

Play it again.

Can you translate that?

Uh, I… I can't understand it. It's too low.

Hey!

But you get me money, I make him unstuck.

-Turn it up. -You must trust me.

How do I trust you? I don't know who you are.

She… She wants to use the phone.

She's mad at Enzo.

-Calls him a "moosor." -"Moosor"?

-It's slang. -For what?

Literally, "moosor" translates to trash or garbage.

Like "pig" here, often directed at cops.

Cops?

Or guards.

Hopper's stuck.

And Enzo can get him unstuck.

Yeah. It's not exactly the Ritz, is it?

Welcome to your new home, American.

Enzo's a prison guard.

Maybe Hopper bribed him.

Sounds like Jim, doesn't it?

-Joyce, where are you going? -Bank.

I'm gonna get Enzo his damn money,

and we are getting Hopper back.

Okay.

El?

What the hell? Get out!

-Not there? -No.

-Should've told me she was having trouble. -I didn't know they were gonna be here.

You knew she was having trouble for a year and didn't tell me.

-I didn't know she was lying to you. -Which is why you were a douche all day?

-I wasn't being a douche. -You were.

You were rolling your eyes, moping. You were barely talking.

-You basically sabotaged the whole day. -She was lying to you.

Straight to your face, ever since you got here.

And I've been a total third wheel all day. It's been miserable.

So, sorry if I wasn't… wasn't smiling.

Yeah, whatever, man.

Well, what about us?

What?

You're mad that I didn't talk to you?

You made it super clear that you're not interested in anything I have to say.

-That's just not true. -You've called maybe a couple times.

It's been a year, Mike.

Meanwhile, El has a book of letters from you.

-That's because she's my girlfriend, Will. -And us?

We're friends. We're friends.

We used to be best friends.

Then maybe you should've reached out more. I don't know.

But why is this on me?

Why… Why am I the bad guy?

Let's just… Let's just find her. Okay?

Yeah.

-Oh my God, her face. -Right?

-She looks like she shit herself. -Yeah.

Angela.

-Uh-oh. Look who it is. -She looks upset.

You ruined my day.

Oh no. Did we embarrass you in front of your boyfriend?

I want you to say sorry to me,

and I want you to tell my boyfriend that it was just a joke

and that we are really friends.

Or what?

You gonna hurt us with your mean stare again?

Sorry you can't cry to teacher today.

You'll just have to cry to your daddy instead.

Oh, wait. Can't do that either.

Hey!

Angela.

Holy shit. Angela, you okay?

-Angela, hey. You okay? -Oh my God!

-What did she do? -Oh my God.

-Oh my God, what do we do? -Oh, shit.

You're okay. You're okay.

Oh… Oh my God.

Holy shit, El.

What did you do?

What did you do?

-What have you done? What have you done?

Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here.

-Eddie! It's Dustin! -Great.

Look, we just wanna talk, okay?

No cops, I swear. We just wanna help.

Eddie!

Shh.

Rick!

Reefer Rick!

Don't scream that.

-Rick! -He's not there.

-Reefer Rick! -Just…

He could just be really high.

-Is that a foot? -No, that's a shoe.

Hey, guys?

Hello?

Is anyone home?

What a dump.

-What are you doing?

What are you doing?

He might be in here.

So take the tarp off.

If you're so brave, you take the tarp off.

Hey, look over here.

Someone was here.

Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran.

Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar.

I know you think you're being funny,

but considering everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times,

personally, I don't find it funny in the slight--

-Whoa!

Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Eddie! Eddie! Stop!

Eddie! Eddie!

It's me.

It's Dustin.

This is Steve.

He's not gonna hurt you, right, Steve?

Right. Yeah.

Steve, why don't you drop the oar?

-He's cool. He's cool.

I'm cool, man. I'm cool.

-What are you doing here? -We're looking for you.

We're here to help.

Eddie, these are my friends.

-You know Robin, from band.

This is my friend Max.

The one who never wants to play D&D.

Eddie.

We're on your side.

I swear on my mother.

-Right, guys? -Yes. Yes. We swear.

On Dustin's mother.

Yeah, Dustin's… Dustin's mother.

Jesus Ch…

Eddie…

We just want to talk.

Okay?

We want to know what happened.

You won't believe me.

Try us.

Fred!

Fred!

Excuse me.

Hi.

Excuse me, sorry. Have you seen my friend wandering around?

Uh, nerdy, glasses, scar on his face?

No, sorry.

Hi, officer?

-Officer? -What are you still doing here?

My… My friend from the car earlier, I… I can't find him.

What do you mean?

He was there and then he was just gone and…

Did you maybe see him leave with somebody or…?

I told you kids to go home. Jesus Christ.

This is Glenn. We might have a situation here.

Her body just, like,

lifted up into the air and, uh…

And she just, like, hung there.

In the air.

And her bones… Uh, she…

Her bones started to snap.

Her eyes, man.

It… It was like there was something,

like, inside her head, pulling.

I… I didn't know what to do, so I…

I ran away.

I left her there.

You all think I'm crazy, right?

No. We don't think you're crazy.

Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds.

-We're not bullshitting you. -We believe you.

Look,

what I'm about to tell you might be

a little… difficult to take.

Okay.

You know how people say Hawkins is…

cursed?

They're not

way off.

There's another world.

A world hidden beneath Hawkins.

Sometimes it bleeds into ours.

Like ghosts and shit?

There are some things

worse than ghosts.

Help me!

No, no, no…

These monsters from this other world…

-Help! Somebody! -…we thought they were gone.

-Nancy, please! -But they've come back before.

That's why we needed to find you.

If they're back again, we need to know.

Fred.

That night,

did you see anything?

Dark particles, maybe?

It would almost look like dust, swirling dust.

No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh…

or touch.

What do you want?

I want you

to join me.

No, no, no, no.

You know, I tried to wake her, man.

She couldn't move.

It was like she… she was in a trance or something.

Or under a spell.

A curse.

Vecna's curse.

Who's Vecna?

An undead creature of great power.

A spell caster.

A dark wizard.

Sam.

There were no signs of any attacker. No bruises.

No signs of any struggle.

It's as if her attacker was a ghost.

Does this remind you of anything, Doctor?

No, it doesn't.

Are you sure?

Why are you here?

Really.

I'd like your opinion.

I was fired, in case you forgot.

A foreign government invaded our country, all under your watch.

There had to be consequences. Certainly you understand that.

What I understand is that something… something is going on in that town

that nobody… nobody fully comprehends.

And I also understand that military strength is not the answer.

So what is the answer, Doctor?

More scientists?

Because it was men of science, men like you,

who created this problem in the first place.

Everything that has happened in Hawkins

can be traced back to Brenner's little pet.

Wouldn't you agree?

Dr. Brenner trained her for this very thing.

Remote assassinations.

What you're suggesting is impossible.

-Is it? -Eleven is dead.

-I'm not convinced. -So, where has she been all this time?

There are rumors she's alive

and receiving help from someone on the inside.

Are you saying I'm helping her? Is that what you're saying?

If I wanted to chat, Doctor, I would've picked up the damn phone.

Now, you can make this easy and tell us where she is, or…

we can do this the hard way.

-Not in here. Go! Go! Go!

-Move! -Nothing.

Why are you taking that box?

Those are Peter's old school projects.

You do not need those. Hey!

I'm talking to you!

Sam, do something.

I wanna know everything he's done,

everyone he's spoken to in the past year.

And if we're lucky,

he'll lead us right to the girl.

-Can you tell me your name?

-Um, Angela. -Angela.

Do you know where you are, Angela?

-Um, Rink… Rink-O-Mania, I think? -Rink-O-Mania. Very good.

-Now, where does it hurt, sweetie? -My head.

Your head hurts?

And my nose.

-I can't breathe.

Just try to take some deep breaths.

Breathe slow for me, okay? That's it.

I know it's a lot of blood, but you're going to be okay.

-I don't think so. -I promise.

Just need you to answer a few more questions, all right?

-Okay.

No.

I don't know.

I know this may be, like, upsetting and shit,

but that future prom queen is gonna be fine.

It's just, like, rubber wheels.

-Plastic. -Oh.

Not like hard plastic. Just…

-Just the soft kind. -Totally.

But you ever wonder why the wheels aren't wood, man?

Or metal?

So people don't get hurt when they get shmacked.

-Oh. -Yeah.

Because it happens more than you think, man.

Roller-skate attacks.

Man. Hey, at least it wasn't an ice skate.

That nose would've been sliced clean off, man.

-It could've been so much worse. -So much worse.

In the grand scheme of things, it's just a little blip.

That's a funny word, man.

"Blip."

-"Blip." -"Blip."

Blip, blip, blip, blip, blip, blip, blip.

-Mom?

Well, well! Aren't you lot a sight for sore eyes, huh?

-Hi, Murray. -You kids like risotto?

Yeah.

There I was, headed down the I-5, going to see a client in Ventura.

I'm looking for a motel to stay for the night,

and suddenly, bam, it hits me.

"Didn't the Byers move here?"

Small world, isn't it? It's a small world.

So I thought, "Hey, you know what?"

"Why don't I drop in, say hello to my old friends?"

It's so sweet of you.

-Sweeter of you to let me stay. -And he cooks.

Mm, and cleans. A regular little housewife.

You should stay.

I'd be tempted, Joyce, except, you know, you have that, uh…

Right, that business trip.

Business trip? What business trip?

Oh my gosh. I almost forgot to tell you guys.

-This thing came up at work… -Can you pass me the olive oil?

That's wine.

And it turns out I have to go to a conference tomorrow. In Alaska.

-Alaska? -Tomorrow?

Crazy, right?

That's where they're based, the Britannicas.

Joan and Brian Britannica.

Mm.

So do Eskimos, like, still live in igloos,

or, uh, are they, like, fully-blown, like, living in the… in the suburbs now?

Who is this?

So, Jonathan,

this means you're gonna have to, you know, take charge while I'm gone.

-Yeah. -Wait.

What?

What's going on?

-Oh my… -Your mom's going to Alaska.

You're going to Alaska?

Mm-hmm.

-What's going on in Alaska? -The Britannicas are there.

-The Britannicas? -Mm-hmm.

Jonathan, what is wrong with you?

-I think I know what's wrong with him. -We just had a super stressful day.

Stress, huh?

This girl got shmacked in the head today at the roller rink.

-Shmacked? -Yeah, one of those vicious skate attacks.

-A skate attack? -Yeah, but it wasn't an ice skate. It was…

-It was a plastic skate. -No, it was, like, rubber.

Rubber. Rubber.

-Rubber. -You know what? I'm not sure.

Anyway, she looked like she's gonna be fine.

-She's totally fine. -She didn't look fine.

El, aren't you gonna finish your--

What…?

-What is going on, you guys?

Okay, I, uh, I sense tension.

Is it the risotto? Everyone hates the risotto?

-Absolutely not. No, it's incredible. -Mm-mm.

This risotto is shmackin', dude.

Still have no idea who he is.

What did you do?

What did you do?

-Angela!

What have you done?

What have you done?

He sees all this? He sees us?

He'll shit his pants and cry for Mommy. This guy's no fighter.

Hope he tries something. Gives me a reason.

Hell, yeah.

Well, well, look who's decided to join.

What are you guys doing?

-We're gearing up. -Preparing for the hunt.

Hey, man. Relax.

We're not killers like Eddie.

We just wanna talk to him.

Get him to admit his crime.

Yeah, a little friendly neighborhood chat.

Hey.

You didn't know Chris.

If you're not up to this, you can go home. There's no judgment.

You'll still be one of us, all right?

No.

I'm good.

I wanna help.

All right.

Let's capture us a freak.

Shit.

Oh shit.

-Jesus…

Delivery service.

So we got, uh, some good news and some bad news.

-How do you prefer it? -Bad news first, always.

All right. Bad news.

We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro,

and they're definitely looking for you.

Also, they're, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy.

Like, 100% kind of convinced.

-And the good news? -Your name hasn't gone public yet.

But if we found out about you, it's a matter of time before others do.

And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother

is gonna be gunning for you.

Hunt the freak, right?

-Exactly. -Shit.

So, before that happens,

we find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence.

That's all, Dustin? That's all?

Yeah, no, that's pretty much it.

Listen, Eddie,

I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional,

but we've actually been through this before.

I mean, they have a… a few times,

and… and I have once.

Mine was more human-flesh-based, theirs was more smoke-related,

but bottom line is, collectively, I really feel we got this.

We usually rely on this girl who has super powers.

-But, uh, those went bye-bye, so… -So we're technically in more of the--

-Kinda… -Brainstorming phase.

Brainstorming.

There… There's nothing to worry about.

-Shit. -Tarp.

Tarp. Tarp.

And after you talked to Wayne, what happened?

I heard barking from the dog,

and then… he was just gone.

See anyone lurking about? Who looks like they shouldn't be there?

No. No, no, there was nobody there.

-"Nobody." -I already told this to Officer Daniels.

Did you look into Victor Creel?

-Sorry, what's that? -Victor Creel.

Wayne got it in her head that the old nut did this.

Victor's locked away. Don't need to worry about him, all right?

Now, you said last you saw Fred,

he was by the picnic tables.

-Do I have that right?

Ms. Wheeler.

He was by the picnic tables. Is that correct?

Ms. Wheeler?

Does the picnic table ring a bell?

Whoo!

Hey, guys, there is a 4:00 p.m. showing of Police Academy 3.

Could be fun.

Maybe we just stay home today.

What is this? You guys just gonna mope around all break?

No one's moping. It's just the movie is supposed to suck.

It…

Hey, El.

I, uh, made you some Eggos, but they're getting kinda cold.

Hey, that's cool. Hop's cabin, right?

So, um, are we just not gonna talk about it?

About what?

I don't know, just maybe, like, about yesterday or…

everything.

There's nothing to say.

Yeah, I guess, um…

I guess I'm just a little, uh…

Guess I don't really understand.

Why didn't you tell me what's going on here?

I mean, you know I'm not exactly Mr. Popularity back at home.

I mean, you've seen it. I've been bullied my entire life.

I mean, I… I know what it's like.

No.

You don't.

Okay.

What don't I understand?

I am different.

I do not belong.

You mean in Lenora?

-Anywhere.

Come on, you… you can't actually believe that.

Everyone looks at me like…

like I'm a monster.

They just don't know you.

You think I'm a monster too.

What?

Yesterday.

The way you looked at me.

You… You were scared of me.

No. No. No, that's not… That's… That's not true.

I was surprised.

Maybe I was a little upset in the moment, but, I mean…

I'm sorry. I just… I didn't know what to do.

I mean, it just was so crazy. It happened so fast.

But it doesn't change anything. It doesn't matter.

I… I care for you…

so much.

"Care."

But you don't… you don't love me anymore?

What… Who… Who said that I didn't?

You never say it.

I say it.

You can't even write it, Mike.

"From Mike." "From Mike." "From Mike."

"From Mike." "From."

Okay, okay. Eleven, you're being ridiculous.

What, like… What is this?

You know what I think of you.

You're the most incredible person in the world.

And you can't let these mouth breathers ruin you. Ruin us.

I mean, they're nobodies.

They're nobodies.

And you're a superhero.

Not anymore.

Ten bucks says Mom forgot something.

Yeah.

I'm not taking that bet.

Hi, does Jane Hopper live here?

Uh, yeah. Um, what is this about?

Is Jane's father or mother around?

Uh, no. No, her mom's out of town.

I'm her brother. Um, stepbrother. But, uh…

I'm sorry, what… uh, what is this about?

You may or may not be aware of an incident involving Jane at the Rink-O-Mania.

That was an accident.

-A warrant says otherwise. -A warrant?

Come on, that's crazy. That doesn't need to happen.

-Hey there.

You Jane Hopper?

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

You have the right to an attorney.

If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.

Can you please tell us where you're taking her?

Are the cuffs really necessary?

Officers, answer me.

Eleven. Eleven, listen to me. Okay?

Eleven, will you please look at me?

Everything's gonna be fine.

I am going to fix this. Okay?

Just… Just stay calm and everything's gonna be fine. Okay?

-Just… All you have to do is trust me.

I promise. I'm gonna get you out. I promise!

-Has Mom's flight left yet? -Shit.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign.

Please make sure your seat belts are securely fastened.

Do you think I should've just told them?

What? Told who?

The kids.

About Hopper.

It… It just felt so wrong to lie to them like that.

Mm. Right, right, right.

Well…

…I'm not exactly an expert in parenting.

But, for what little it's worth, I think you did the right thing.

The responsible thing.

Responsible.

Your children, bless their mischievous souls…

…they like to get involved.

This way, what? They play too much Nintendo,

eat too much junk food, smoke some ganja,

pound some beers,

experiment sexually.

-What's the worst that can happen?

Excuse me, ma'am?

Sorry to interrupt, but you're gonna need to fasten your seat belt.

Of course. Mm.

Buckle up.

Like this is really gonna save me if we crash.

What is this, American?

What is taking you this long? Are you tired today?

Pig.

What do you say?

Asshole!

Your Russian is getting better.

So is your acting.

All right. Come on, what is it?

I bring news from America.

I heard from your friends.

They're bringing your money to Alaska.

When?

Today, I hope.

If my pilot gets the money, he will bring it in his plane tomorrow.

Then you can hitch a ride back to your country.

I get rich,

and you're a free man.

-Sound too good to be true, yes? -It does.

This pilot, you sure you can trust him?

His name is Yuri Ismaylov. He's a smuggler.

Supplies American goods to some of us guards here,

including me on lucky occasions.

Cigarettes, peanut butter, Playboys,

the best America has to offer.

-Great. So he's a criminal. -Of course.

Who else do you want to do this job? Gandhi?

You're worried about your woman, is that it?

I can see why you like her, American.

When I talked to her,

I can tell by voice that she's very pretty.

-Feisty too. I like that.

Shame we won't meet.

You promised me that she would be safe.

And she will be.

Let me handle Yuri.

You have more important things to worry about.

Remember, you miss that plane tomorrow,

I am still rich,

and you're still stuck in Kamchatka.

So whatever it is you're planning, American,

best get to it, yes?

Antonov!

Finish with your American toy, we need him on the tracks.

Yes, yes. I am just putting him in his place.

Nosy bastard.

Where do you want it?

You're saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy,

-it's from the Upside Down? -If the shoe fits.

Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell

or a curse.

Now, whether or not he's doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer

or just loves killing teens, we don't know.

All we know is this is something different.

-Something new. -Doesn't make sense.

It's only a theory.

No, Fred and Chrissy don't make sense.

-I mean, why them?

Maybe they were just in the wrong place.

-Were both at the game. -And near the trailer park.

We're at the trailer park.

Uh, should we maybe not be here?

There is something about this place.

Fred started acting weird the second we got here.

Acting weird as in…?

Scared,

on edge,

upset.

Max said Chrissy was upset too.

Yeah, but not here.

She was crying in the bathroom at school.

Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right?

So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman--

-Vecna. -Dunno about you,

but if I saw some freaky wizard monster,

I would mention it to someone.

Maybe they did.

I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley's office.

If you saw a monster, you… you wouldn't go to the police. They'd never believe you.

-But you might go to your-- -Your shrink.

Whoa, whoa, Nance. Nance!

Where you going?

Oh, there's just something I wanna check on first.

Something you wanna share with us?

I don't wanna waste your time. It's a real shot in the dark.

Yeah, okay. Are you out of your mind?

Flying solo with Vecna on the loose?

No, it's too dangerous. You need… You need someone to…

Here. I'll stick with Nance.

Take the car, check out the shrink.

-Don't think you want me driving your car. -Why?

-I don't have a license. -Why?

I'm poor.

-I can drive. -No, never again. Please.

Anybody but you. No.

-No chance. -Come on.

-No. -All right, okay. This is stupid.

Us ladies will stick together.

Unless you think we need you to protect us.

Be careful.

-Just gonna stand there and gawk? -Shut up.

-Why don't we go? Okay? -Shut up and get in the car.

Wipe your feet.

On the outside, not the inside.

Always the babysitter.

Always the goddamn babysitter!

-Hey there, fat-ass. -I said leave me alone!

Can I say no? I can't say no. He'll leave me.

It's just a cough. Doctors are wrong.

She can't force me to go to that awful place.

She wouldn't do that to me.

I'll just tell them I fell again. I slipped. An accident.

You're out drinking again?

Look at me. You're an embarrassment to this family.

Goddamn disgrace.

Patrick, your nose.

-Huh? -Your nose is bleeding, dude.

God, gross.

Well, well, well, what do we have here?

You're a little early, fellas.

Show's not till next week.

-Oh, that was music? -We're looking for Eddie.

He's in this band, if that's what you call this.

What do you care?

That's our business.

Lucas?

What are you doing with these douchebags?

You know these freaks, Sinclair?

Uh, they know my sister.

They tried to recruit me to their…

club, cult.

Lucas, what the hell?

We're just trying to find Eddie, man.

Well, you have eyes, don't you? He's not here.

-Hey, man! -Hey!

Hey!

-Where is he? -I don't know!

-Where is he? -I don't know!

-Hey, let him go, man! Let him go!

It's gonna be hard to play drums with a broken hand.

Dustin!

-What? -Dustin Henderson!

-What? -Dustin Henderson!

Man, he was…

he was calling around looking for Eddie. Maybe he found him!

See? That wasn't so hard, was it? Now…

where do we find this "Dustin"?

That's when you struck her?

I'm gonna need you to give me a verbal response.

Yes.

That… That is when I hit her.

And why did you hit her?

I don't know.

You don't know?

You know, the girl you hit, she got a grade 2 concussion.

Did you know that?

No.

She doesn't seem that upset about it, does she?

No, she doesn't.

No, she doesn't.

Did you wanna kill her?

I don't know.

You didn't know if you wanted to kill her?

No.

No, you didn't want to kill her, or no, you don't know?

I don't know.

Turn to the right.

Jane Hopper.

Okay, yes, I see her now. It looks like she's still being processed.

Okay. So, uh, what does that mean exactly?

They're putting her in the system.

After, she'll be transferred to juvenile hall.

-What? -Jail? You're gonna put her in jail?

A detention hall for juveniles.

That's jail.

Hey, look, is there any chance we can just see her?

-Are you a parent or guardian? -No, but--

Well, we're her brothers, and we're family.

That's not enough. You have to be a parent or legal guardian.

You have to be kidding. Ridiculous.

That's the law. You're not gonna change it complaining to me.

You want to see Jane?

Find your mother.

Thank you.

It's bullshit. Such bullshit. I mean, she wasn't even trying to help.

-Then what do we do? -I don't know.

I guess we have to wait for Mom to land in Alaska.

Then she's gonna be in jail?

-Yeah, I don't know. -Hey!

-Hey! -Hey, Mike!

-Hey, stop the car! -What are you doing?

Oh no.

Oh no.

All right. And here you go.

Thank you. Um, how much longer?

Oh, just a few more hours. Almost there.

Okay.

You and your husband have exciting plans?

Um, we're seeing an old friend.

How fun.

One person, one piece. Don't you understand?!

I said one piece per person!

I am no fairy.

No, no.

You…

...hit.

You…

...hit.

I give bread.

I will break your leg.

You…

...hit.

I give bread.

And soup.

Crazy American.

Now.

Again.

Help me get this straight.

Eddie's uncle, Wayne,

thinks that Victor Creel escaped from Pennhurst Asylum

and that he's the one running around committing these murders?

Pretty much.

But Victor committed the eyeball murders, like, way back in the '50s.

Well, '59.

So, that means these murders predate Eleven in the Upside Down

by about 30 years?

Yeah.

Which makes spooky Victor Creel like 70 years old.

-Yep.

So, he's a grandpa murderer

who can turn invisible and lift people into the air.

It doesn't make sense. I know.

That's why I said it was a shot in the dark.

I know. I just thought that by "shot in the dark,"

you were being modest or hiding something super solid up your sleeve

that you were gonna wow us with later.

But this is really, truly a shot in the dark.

Like, we are snipers with blindfolds on who've been spun around 50 times.

Coming!

Hi. Sorry, we're in a bit of a rush.

Could we get the keys to the basement archives?

Of course. Give me one sec.

Did I come off mean or condescending?

-No. -Right.

Sorry. It's just, you seem annoyed.

You don't know me well.

I don't really have a filter or a strong grasp of social cues.

-Okay. -If I say something that upsets you,

just know that I know it's a flaw. Believe me, my mother reminds me daily.

-Got it. -All right, ladies.

Here you go. Have fun.

Yep. We'll try.

Max. Hi.

Hi. I'm so sorry to bother you over break,

but… do you have a minute to talk?

Um, yeah, of course. Of course.

Okay. She's in.

I'm missing collarbones, not eyes.

So,

we gonna talk about… it?

Huh? Sorry, talk about what?

Your temporary insanity earlier today

when you basically threw yourself at Nance?

-That's not what happened. -Pretty sure that's what happened.

It was public. There were a lot of witnesses.

You implying I still have a thing for Nance?

No. I'm not implying.

I'm stating. And, as it relates to your steadfast refusal to date Robin,

it's pretty much the only logical explanation.

That's not the only one.

And as for Nance,

I was just trying to protect a friend.

-A friend, Henderson. Okay? -Okay.

Don't wanna find her with her eyes sucked out of her skull

by this Vecna creep.

You're bright red in the face right now.

I'm not. I don't wanna talk about it.

I'll punch you so hard your teeth will fall back out.

Whoa. Too far.

-Not cool. Sorry. -Not cool. It's okay.

It's just, with everything that's happening,

with all the murders,

it's… it's making everything worse again.

You've experienced trauma, Max,

and when you keep your feelings, your pain, bottled up the way you do,

it doesn't take much to trigger them again.

So now, when it rains, it storms.

Yeah, I know.

Do you think you're ready to talk more about that night?

Billy!

I live next door to where it happened.

I'm sorry?

To where Chrissy was murdered.

The cops asked me a bunch of questions.

Did they talk to you?

I mean, I know you were seeing Chrissy.

Max, you know I can't talk about Chrissy

or any other student.

Yeah, but, I mean,

what if there was a serial killer on the loose in my neighborhood?

Did Chrissy mention anything?

Anything about who might have done this?

Max, I'm… I'm sorry, I… I really can't discuss this.

You wouldn't want me talking to any other students about you, right?

If I were dead and it would help catch the killer, then yeah,

I most definitely would.

Well, let's leave that up to the police, shall we?

Yeah, you're right.

The police totally have this under control.

-Can I use the bathroom? -Sure.

Up the stairs, to the left.

Thanks.

Here she comes. Here she comes.

-What'd she say? -Nothing, just drive.

-Steve, drive. -Okay.

No one's home.

-So, now what? -We keep looking.

The town's not that big.

Only so many places these freaks can burrow.

Where the hell is Sinclair?

Dustin.

It's Lucas. Do you copy? Dustin.

Lucas? Where the hell have you been?

Just listen.

Are you looking for Eddie?

We found him, no thanks to you.

-You found him? -A boathouse on Coal Mill Road.

Don't worry. He's safe.

You guys know he killed Chrissy, right?

That's bullshit.

Eddie tried to save Chrissy.

Then why do all the cops say he did it?

Lucas, you're so behind it's ridiculous, okay?

Just meet us at school. We'll explain later.

I… I can't.

I think some real bad shit's about to go down.

What are you talking about? What bad shit?

Sinclair!

Lucas? Lucas?

What the hell were you doing?

-I was… I was looking for clues. -Clues?

What, freshman think he's Sherlock Holmes or something?

Yo, let's go.

I found one.

What?

A clue.

I know where Eddie's hiding.

-What did you do? -What have you done?

-You transporting a Jane Hopper? -Yeah, what is this?

I'll take her off your hands.

No! No!

Hey, kiddo.

-Come on. We're here.

-Huh? -Come on.

Oh, shit.

Welcome to Alaska.

-Welcome to Alaska.

Oh, God. This is spring?

-Welcome to Alaska.

Welcome to Alaska.

-Welcome to Alaska.

Welcome to Alaska.

Next!

Next prisoner!

Anything… juicy over there?

Nothing new.

Yep, same here.

Victor seemed like a normal guy.

Dead family, missing eyes,

took a plea deal, sent to Pennhurst.

Blah, blah, blah, blah.

What are we looking for exactly?

Nance?

Any mention of dark wizards or alternate dimensions?

Things in that vein?

I don't know. Okay?

It's starting to seem like this was just a big waste of time.

You're obviously bored. Why don't you call Steve?

I'm sure he'll pick you up.

And I mean, I'm not really in danger here, so…

You do know that Steve and I are, like, totally not a thing, right?

What?

So, I figure you and Jonathan are still going strong

'cause you guys are going to college together.

You're one of those unstoppable power couples, but I… I just…

I wanted to make sure that you knew

that Steve and I are just friends.

Like, platonic with a capital P.

Just in case that's adding any tension between us.

It wasn't.

Holy shit. The Weekly Watcher. I can't believe they have this.

Don't they write about, like, Bigfoot and UFOs?

First, UFOs are absolutely real. Bigfoot I'm still on the fence about.

But may I remind you we are looking for information on dark wizards?

If someone's gonna write about that, it's gonna be these weirdos.

Ah.

"Elvis cloned by aliens."

You never know.

"Victor Creel claims vengeful demon killed family."

"The murder that shocked a small community."

Ha, ha. That's very funny.

I'm not kidding.

Get over here.

"According to several insiders,

Victor believed his house was haunted by an ancient demon."

"Victor allegedly hired a priest to exorcise the demon from his home."

Pretty novel for the '50s. Exorcist wasn't out yet.

Keep… Keep going.

Okay, so Victor claimed this exorcism failed,

but it angered this demon,

which then murdered his family, removing their eyes.

Victor believed he was spared as a punishment.

That's pretty convenient for Victor.

Yeah, or super inconvenient.

Victor was declared legally insane by the court, right? What if this is why?

It sounds insane. Just didn't go public because--

The plea bargain. The records were sealed.

What if a demon did invade Victor's home?

It's just, this demon wasn't any old demon.

It was Vecna.

-Dustin, do you copy? -Yeah, I copy.

So, Nancy's a genius.

Vecna's first victims date back all the way to 1959.

Her shot in the dark was a bull's-eye.

Okay, that's totally bonkers, but I can't really talk right now.

What are you doing?

Breaking and entering school

to retrieve confidential and extremely personal files.

-Can you repeat that?

Just get your ass over here, stat.

We'll explain everything.

-Thought they were talking to Ms. Kelley. -We leave them alone for two hours.

It's like a mini-Watergate or something.

-Hawkinsgate. -Didn't those guys get caught?

Holy shit.

You found it?

Yeah, and not just Chrissy's file. Fred was seeing Ms. Kelley too.

So, if Sinclair's right, the freak is hiding here.

We move through the woods here together,

then Patrick and Andy, you split up.

Go around this way.

Me and Sinclair, we keep going,

then flank his ass from both sides.

That freak won't know what hit him.

Sorry about all the theatrics.

I… I didn't mean to scare you.

But you got yourself into quite the little predicament, didn't you?

You know, I relocated you guys to Lenora because I thought, you know,

"Safe town, small, dull, far from Hawkins."

"Nothing could happen here."

And what was it, a roller skate or something?

Ready to order some food?

I think so. Yeah. I'll just… uh…

Some more coffee and, um, I'll have a…

How about the club special?

Whatever you want, kiddo. It's on me.

Waffles, please.

Never too late in the day for breakfast, that's what I say.

Am I in trouble?

For the roller skate thing? No, no, no, no.

We'll make that go away. Don't even…

don't even worry about that.

That's not why you're here?

-To be honest with you, kid, I…

I wish it was.

Last night, I saw something.

Something I've been dreading for some time.

I don't know how to say this other than just to say it.

Hawkins is in danger.

You have fought this evil before and you've won.

But this evil, it's like a virus.

Each time it returns, it comes back stronger,

smarter, deadlier.

A war is coming to Hawkins.

Where you at, freak?

-You sure Eddie was here? -Yeah. I… I'm… I'm positive.

Let's check around the back.

Around the back.

There are good people, brave friends,

who have helped you fight your battle in the past.

But they alone can't win this war,

not without you.

I know it's not fair to ask more of you,

but I wouldn't be here if I didn't think this was the only way,

if I didn't think you were the only one who might have a shot

to hit this thing so hard it can't get back up.

I don't have my powers.

What if I told you there was a way…

a way to bring them back?

I feared this moment would come, so I've been preparing,

developing the means to restore your abilities.

A program has the potential to not just bring them back,

but bring them back stronger than before.

But there are others who don't believe in you,

who think you are the cause.

I believe they're wrong.

I believe you're the cure.

That's why, if we're really gonna do this,

I'm gonna ask that you leave with me now.

The reservation's under "Byers."

But you should know there is a very real possibility

this program fails.

And if it does, you will never see your friends again.

My friends in Hawkins, are they in danger?

I'm afraid your friends in Hawkins are very much…

-Can I see Fred's file? -Yeah.

…in the eye of the storm.

You may feel you need to go to them now,

but if you do,

you will risk everything,

risk everyone.

Max, I know something's wrong.

Max, what you've been through…

Billy!

…it's a lot for anyone.

And it's okay to not be okay.

Max? What is it?

Max! Max!

Max.

They're not the only ones in danger.

It's life as we know it.

-This is why I'm here.

Because I believe you are our best hope.

Our only hope.

What if I'm not good?

What if I'm the monster?

I don't know you that well, kiddo,

but I'm betting the fate of the planet that you're one of the good ones.

But you've spent too much of your life

being told what to do by people like me.

I know that.

So, you say the word and I will take you back home.

Or…

come with me now.

Find out for yourself.

Max.

I'm sorry. I'm having trouble understanding any of this.

I mean, what exactly is going on in Hawkins? What's doing these killings?

-That's what we're trying to ascertain. -Where is El, like, right now?

-For her safety, it's best you don't know. -This is insane! This is insane!

So this training to get El's powers back, how long is it gonna take?

-Could take weeks, could take months. -Months?

Until then, agents Harmon and Wallace will stay with you.

We're not in danger.

Our friends live in Hawkins.

My family lives in Hawkins.

I'll work to contain the situation until Eleven is ready.

In the meantime, it is of vital importance you do not speak to anyone about this.

No. No way.

-I know this is difficult to understand. -It's not difficult. This is impossible.

There are factions within our government who are working directly against Eleven,

who are, in fact, searching for her as we speak.

We can't risk contact.

If they learned about any of this, it will jeopardize Eleven.

And if Eleven is jeopardized, so are your friends.

And so is your family.

So, what? We're just supposed to trust that you're the good guys?

Whoever you are?

We're friends of Owens.

Eleven trusted us.

Now we're asking the same from you.

For you.

It was here.

Right here.

A grandfather clock?

It was so real.

And then, when I got closer, suddenly I just…

-Max, come on. -Max?

…I woke up.

It was like she was in a trance or something.

Exactly what Eddie said happened to Chrissy.

That's not even the bad part.

Fred and Chrissy, they both came to Miss Kelley for help.

Uh, they both were having headaches,

bad headaches that wouldn't go away. And then…

then the nightmares.

Trouble sleeping.

They'd wake up in a cold sweat.

Then they started seeing things.

Bad things.

From their pasts.

These visions, they just…

they kept on getting worse and worse, until eventually…

everything ended.

Vecna's curse.

Chrissy's headache started a week ago.

Fred's, six days ago.

I've been having them for five days.

I don't know how long I have.

All I know is that,

for Fred and Chrissy,

they both died less than 24 hours after their first vision.

And I just saw that goddamn clock, so…

…looks like I'm gonna die tomorrow.

Stay here.

-It's me! -Lucas?

-It's me. -Jesus, what's wrong with you?

-I'm sorry. -I could've taken you out with this lamp!

Sorry, guys. Sorry.

I was… I was biking for eight miles.

Give me a second. Shit.

-We've got a code red. -What?

Dustin.

I've been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy, and they've gone totally off the rails.

They're trying to capture Eddie, and they think you know where he is.

You're in terrible danger.

All right. Yeah, that definitely sucks,

but we've got bigger problems than Jason now.

-Would you get the door? -I'm busy!

I said get the door.

This is unbelievable.

Hey there. Is, uh, is Lucas home?

Negative.

You know where he is?

Uh, we're just… We were supposed to go out and--

Go out? I see he's taken a step down from Max.

I'm sorry.

Uh, well, you're the little sister who plays Dungeons & Dragons, huh?

What's it to you?

Do you know Dustin Henderson?

Know him? I've bled with him.

Chances are, he's with your cheater boyfriend.

Oh, if and when you do find Lucas,

please tell him I've been covering for his ass for two days now.

Each day of covering costs ten bucks, with a DPR.

That's a daily percentage rate of 7.9%.

Another week of this and he's buying me a goddamn Nintendo,

with Duck Hunt.

Where the hell's Sinclair?

That's what we're about to find out.

We've been tricked, boys.

Okay, be honest. Uh…

You guys understand any of this?

-No. -Pretty straightforward.

Oh, straightforward, really?

What's confusing to you?

So far, everyone Vecna has cursed has died,

except for this old Victor Creel dude Nancy found.

He's the only known survivor.

If anyone knows how to beat this curse, it's him.

That's assuming he was cursed, which we don't even know.

How can Vecna have existed in the '50s? It doesn't make sense.

Far as we know, Eleven didn't create the Upside Down.

She opened a gate to it.

The Upside Down has probably been around for thousands of years. Millions.

I wouldn't be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs.

-Dinosaurs? What are we-- -Okay.

But if a gate didn't exist in the '50s, how did Vecna get through?

-How's he getting through now? -And why now?

And why then? Just pops out in the '50s,

kills one family, and he's like, "I'm good."

And poof, he just disappears. Just… gone?

Only to return 30 years later and start killing random teens?

No, I don't buy it.

Straightforward, my ass.

Honestly, Henderson, a little humility now and then, it wouldn't hurt you.

Sorry.

Any idea what she's writing?

Did she sleep?

I mean,

would you?

Okay, so…

-…we have a plan.

Thanks to Nancy's minions,

we are now rock-star psychology students at the University of Notre Dame.

-I'm now Ruth. -And I'm Rose.

Ruth?

Nice GPA.

Thanks.

So we called Pennhurst Asylum, told them we'd like to speak with Creel

for a thesis we're co-writing on paranoid schizophrenics--

To which they said no.

But we landed a three o'clock with the director.

Now all we have to do is charm him and convince him to let us talk to Victor.

Then maybe we can rid Max of this curse.

About that.

We've been doing our Victor Creel homework, and, uh…

…we got some questions.

Lots of questions.

So do we. Hopefully, Victor has the answers.

Wait… Wait… Wait a second. Uh…

Where's mine?

Nancy, you're outta your mind if you think I'm babysitting again.

First, they're not babies anymore. And Max is in real danger.

-She needs people around her. -I know. But why me?

Oh my God, you have a Tom Cruise poster.

You have a Tom Cruise poster.

That's old.

-It's just…

-Can you please not touch anything? -I can't do anything here, Nance.

Maybe I can be helpful with this asylum director dude.

I don't know. I could turn on my… my charm.

-Not the charm we need. -Ouch.

No, I just…

I did a little digging last night, and it turns out this Dr. Hatch

is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association

and a Harvard visiting scholar, okay?

This is a lifelong student of the world. If we're gonna win him over,

we're gonna have to convince him we are too.

That, like him…

-…we are true academic scholars.

Holy shit. There's a little ballerina in here.

Academic scholar? She's giving you an academic scholar vibe? Yeah.

-No, but…

…she will.

Oh, please, tell me you're joking.

It's busy. It's still busy.

Did I do something wrong? It says dial one, then the number, which--

-You can check on your kids later. -I don't understand why it's still busy.

Joyce, there are certain things one can be late to in life.

A dentist's appointment.

A one-year-old's birthday party, because who cares?

Little idiot's not gonna remember it.

But for what is essentially a ransom exchange,

for that, for that, I think you very much need to be

on time.

I'm sorry. I'm very tense.

Clearly.

Head west, through forest. You will see a church with a gray roof.

Wait inside. Yuri will meet you there.

So you heard from her?

Yeah, they arrived last night.

They're meeting Yuri soon.

If all goes well, by tomorrow night you're home,

eating Enzo's with your sexy woman.

She's not my woman.

Of course not. She saves your life because of friendship.

Look, American,

do not put too much hope into this dream.

I have thought long about this,

and I give you odds of success

fifty to one.

You don't even seem nervous, American. I'm impressed.

You're a cool cat.

Like Steve McQueen. The Cooler King. Yeah?

-Let's hope not.

Of course not, because Cooler King went back to cooler.

So, you must be better than McQueen today.

I change mind.

Now I give you odds

a hundred to one.

Our nosy friend again. Where do you want it?

Just not my face.

Of course not. Must be pretty for your woman.

She's not my woman.

Amazing you can get this many people and have it this quiet.

Keep in mind that…

Where are you going?

I'm just getting something to drink.

Is that allowed or… How does this house arrest work?

You're not under arrest.

Right.

No, no, you're… you're here to protect us.

And watch TV, apparently.

I… I mean, I don't think they've thought this through.

If this goes on for a month, or months, and people can't get a hold of us,

they're gonna totally freak out.

Meanwhile, my mom's probably having a panic attack.

And what about Hawkins?

That lady's supposed to keep it "contained."

Like you can contain any of this without El. I mean…

Yeah.

If you keep staring at that, it's not gonna change. You know?

-Yeah. Yeah, you're right.

Before the cops came,

me and El, we… we had a bad fight.

We never fight.

I mean, we fought before,

but just, like, silly fights, stupid fights.

But, I don't know, this one just felt more adult.

Like, it… it just felt more real.

Like, a fight you can't come back from.

Maybe I should've said something, and if I would've said that thing,

then maybe she'd want me there with her, wherever she is.

No. Look, Mike,

you're gonna see her again,

and whatever you didn't say, you can say it to her then.

Okay?

Yeah. Yeah.

She's gonna be okay.

She's not in Hawkins. That's what we should be worrying about.

You don't trust Owens?

No. I don't know.

I mean,

he's been good to us and good to El,

but he wasn't able to protect me.

That was you guys who saved me.

That was you guys.

Looks like it's gonna be up to us again.

It always is, isn't it?

Which is why we can't stay here.

Listen,

let's assume these friends of Owens are telling the truth.

We can't call Hawkins without alerting the military,

putting El in danger.

Fine. Then we'll just go to them.

-Go to Hawkins? -How?

What are you worried about? Ponch and Jon out there?

They're half-asleep now watching golf.

No, Jonathan. I mean, we don't have a car or money.

Then we'll hail ourselves a ride.

A cheap one.

Excuse me, sir?

Excuse me, sir?

What?

We're hungry.

I could eat.

Surf's up. Surfer Boy Pizza, this is Argyle speaking.

We make everything fresh here at Surfer Boy except for our pineapple,

which comes from a can.

But I still highly recommend slapping some juicy pineapple on your pie.

Oh, fruit on your pizza's gnarly, you say?

Well, I say try before you deny.

Hello?

-I know you guys are staring at me. -What, sorry?

-You said you needed something? -Just hanging out.

How you think your eyes boring into the back of my head

is protecting me from Vecna, I don't know.

-You can look at me now. -Thank you. Sorry.

-Sorry. -Sorry.

For you.

For you.

And, um, you.

Oh, and, um, give these to Mike, El, and Will.

If you can ever get a hold of them again.

What are you doing? No, don't. That's not for now. Don't open it now.

Don't… Okay.

I'm sorry. What is this?

It's, um…

it's a fail-safe.

For after.

-If things don't work out.

Wait, whoa. Max, things are gonna work out.

No!

No, I don't need you to reassure me and tell me it's all gonna work out.

People have been telling me that my entire life and it's almost never true.

It's never true.

I mean, of course this asshole curses me.

Should've seen that one coming.

If we go to East Hawkins, will this reach Pennhurst?

-Of course. Yeah. -Why are we talking about East Hawkins?

No. No. No!

Max, Max. Seriously.

Seriously, I'm not joking. I'm not driving you anywhere.

If you think I'm going to spend what is likely the last day of my life

in the armpit that is Mike Wheeler's basement,

you're out of your mind.

Either take me where I need to go or tie me down,

which is technically kidnapping of a minor.

And if I live to see another day, Steve, I swear to God, I will prosecute.

Open the door.

Uh, no.

I know a good lawyer.

Henderson, that super walkie of yours better reach Pennhurst.

I can't breathe in this thing, and I'm itchy. I'm itching all over.

It's not all about comfort.

Okay? We're academics.

Who are evidently coming straight from Easter brunch.

Also, this bra that you gave me is really pinching my boobs.

Okay. Could you just let me do the talking? If that's even possible?

It's not only possible, it's inevitable.

Because shortly, I'll be dead from strangulation.

3.9 GPAs.

Both of you.

Impressive.

And this is a recommendation from Professor Brantley.

Yeah, I know Larry. Quite well, actually.

Eh, you know what they say.

"Those who can't do, teach."

Uh, yes, yes, that's actually why we're here.

I mean, we can only learn so much in a classroom.

Mmm.

And I'm sympathetic to your struggle, truly.

But there is a protocol to visiting a patient like Victor.

You put in a request

and then undergo a screening process,

at which point the board will make a decision.

I can see you're disappointed.

But I'm more than happy to give you a tour.

Perhaps you can even speak to some patients in our low-security wing.

And we'd… we would love that.

It's just that, um…

…our thesis is due next month.

And you're out of time.

Whose fault is that?

Ours. Absolutely.

And I do apologize--

Don't apologize, Ruth. Screw that.

The fact is, we did put in a request months ago and were denied.

And then we reapplied and were denied again.

And coming here was our last-ditch effort to save our thesis.

And I really… I can't breathe in this thing.

Well, Rose, maybe you'd like to go outside and get some air.

-Maybe I should, Ruth. -Mm-hmm.

Because I'm starting to think this whole thing is a colossal mistake.

I'm breaking out in a rash.

My boobs hurt. And I'll tell you the truth, Anthony.

May I call you Anthony? These aren't my clothes.

I borrowed them because I wanted you to take us seriously.

Because nobody takes girls seriously in this field. They just don't.

We don't look the part or whatever. But can I tell you a story?

-1978, I was at summer camp.

And my counselor Drew told me and everyone in Cabin C

the true story of the Victor Creel Massacre.

And little Petey McHew… You know Petey, right, Ruth?

Of… Of course.

Yeah. Little Petey McHew started sobbing right there on the spot.

Full-on hyperventilating.

The other campers couldn't sleep for weeks.

I couldn't either, but not 'cause I was scared.

Because I was obsessed with the question,

"What would drive a human being to commit such unimaginable acts?"

Other kids wanted to be astronauts, basketball players, rock stars.

But I wanted to be you.

I wanted to be you.

So, forgive me if I'll now try anything in my power,

including wearing this ridiculous outfit,

if I might get to speak to the man that ignited my passion

and learn a little more about how his twisted, but let's face it,

totally fascinating mind works.

So, yes, we don't have the official paperwork,

but don't tell me that cry-baby Petey McHew

wouldn't have gotten an audience with Victor in moments

if he'd asked politely,

because you and I both know that he would.

So… ten minutes with Victor.

That's all I ask.

I'm back in 30.

-Mm-hmm.

If things go sideways, I should mention I'm now a black belt in karate.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

-Hello--

Who are you?

I… Uh… We're looking for Yuri.

Why do you need to see Yuri?

It's actually, uh--

It's a private matter. Is Yuri here?

I'm sorry.

I don't know how to tell you this,

but you're a day late.

-What? -You see damage to this hull?

Yuri was on sightseeing trip to see polar bears.

And then bears got into plane

and pull him out of cockpit and kill Yuri.

-No. -Yeah.

And he loved bears.

They broke his heart.

Or rather punctured it

with their bear claws.

-I got you. I got you good.

I'm Yuri. I'm Yuri.

-Oh. -Oh.

-Uh, you… you must be Joycey? -Just Joyce.

-And you are? -Murray.

-Murray? -Yeah.

Yuri. Yuri, Murray, Yuri, Murray. We rhyme.

Yeah. I hear it.

Forty thousand American dollars, as promised.

I love the smell of cash in morning.

-Right.

I hope you do not mind if I count.

You two seem very nice, very trustworthy people.

But so did my brother

before he stole my wife!

Poor bird, you're freezing.

Please, have some coffee. Still hot.

This could be a while

Why are you staring at me?

Huh? I am asking you!

Move, bastard!

Crazy American.

Hey! Get back! Get back!

Get back!

Broken…

Cannot work.

Cannot work.

Stay there.

Where is the American?!

Watch your back, American...

Where do you think you're going, American?

Stand.

Stand up!

Hands.

Hands!

Tool shed! It came from the tool shed!

Open up!

Open the door!

Open the door!

Keep pushing! Hurry!

RUN!

There!

There!

We can't let him get to the tree line!

A hundred to one.

Son of a bitch.

-This better be fast, Mayfield. -Twenty seconds.

That thing's got batteries in it, right?

I'm not even answering that question.

-Yes, it has batteries. -Yeah, I got it.

Mom.

Hey, sweetie. I thought you were with your friends today.

Yeah, I… I was. I am.

Shouldn't you be at work?

Oh, Mr. Bradley let me off early. So I'm just catching up on some chores.

Um, I… I left some letters inside.

For you and… and Granny and Uncle Jack.

And Dad.

If you can find him.

Letters? I… I don't understand.

Uh,

I just… um…

With all the murders and everything, I…

I know it's stupid, but I just started to think,

"What if something happens to me?"

Max, baby, nothing is going to happen to you.

I know. But if… if it did, I just…

There's so many things that I want to say, that I need to say. And…

-Promise you'll give the letters out? -Max, you're scaring me.

-I'm not trying to scare you. -Is something going on?

-No. -Is it, baby?

No. No, you're right. I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm being silly.

Max. Oh, sweetie.

Shh.

It's okay.

-Nothing is going to happen, baby.

I promise.

Nothing you don't deserve.

Mom, let go of me.

Mom? Let go.

Maxine.

You think some letters

are going to make things right?

You've broken everything.

Billy!

Your time

is almost at an end.

Let go!

Hey, that was longer than 20 seconds.

Hey, whoa, whoa. You all right?

I'm fine. Just drive.

-Did something happen? -Can we please just go?

These are our gardens.

Beautiful, aren't they?

We allow them two hours of outside time a day.

Can't they just escape?

They could.

But the vast majority choose to be here.

They like it here.

This is one of our more popular areas. The listening room.

We found that music has

a particularly calming effect on the broken mind.

The right song,

particularly one which holds some personal meaning,

can prove a salient stimulus.

But there are those who are

beyond a cure.

Uh, Dr. Hatch, do you think it might be possible for us

to speak to Victor alone?

Alone?

I… I think that we would just love the challenge of speaking with Victor

without the safety net of an expert such as yourself.

Then we could really rub it in Professor Bradley's face.

Professor Bradley? I don't believe I know a Professor Bradley.

Brantley.

She… she meant to say Brantley.

Didn't I say Brantley? What did I say?

Sorry, silly me. Words, letters.

Guess I'm just nervous. I mean, excited.

So excited to speak with Victor.

Preferably, as she said, alone?

Yes.

Why not?

You've caught me in a rebellious mood.

And there's something rather urgent I need to check on anyway, so…

Sure.

Keep a close eye on them.

-Thank you so much, Dr. Hatch. -Thank you.

Do not startle him.

Do not touch him.

Do not pass him anything.

Stand five feet away from the bars at all times.

Get away.

Is that clear?

-Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.

Victor.

Today's your lucky day!

You got visitors.

Real pretty ones.

Must be in one of his moods.

Have fun.

Victor?

My name is Nancy.

Nancy Wheeler.

And this is…

Robin Buckley.

Um, we have some questions.

I don't talk to reporters.

Hatch knows that.

We're not reporters.

We're here because… we believe you.

And because

we need your help.

Whatever killed your family,

we think it's back.

-You're packed already? -Yeah, I mean, I never really unpacked.

Thanks, by the way.

For what?

For knocking some sense into me. I was being a total self-pitying idiot.

Oh, I didn't say it.

You didn't have to.

Hey, also, about the last few days--

You don't have to say anything.

I… I was being a total jerk to El. I deserved it.

No.

No, no, no. You didn't deserve anything.

Listen, the truth is, the last year

has been weird, you know?

And I mean, you know, Max and Lucas and Dustin,

they're… they're great.

They're great. It's just…

It's Hawkins. It's not the same without you.

And I feel like maybe I was worrying too much about El,

and I don't know, maybe I feel I lost you or something.

Does that make sense?

I have no idea what's gonna happen next.

But, whatever it is, I… I think we should work together.

I think it'll be easier if we're… we're a team.

Friends.

Best friends.

Cool.

Cool.

-That was fast. -Thirty minutes or less.

-All right. You guys ready? -Yeah.

Pizza time. I got it.

Yeah, I'm coming. Hold your horses. Jesus Christ.

Hello there.

-What the hell was that? Shit.

Stay here!

Go in the den!

-What's going on? -Get back!

-Shit! -Listen, we gotta go right now!

-Shit! Shit! -Go! Run!

Move! Move!

Shit!

-Follow me. -Okay.

What the hell is going on?!

Just stay there.

Get down!

I shoot, you run!

Byers, man, having a party and not inviting me, man?

That's not cool.

That is so not cool, man.

-Whoa! -Stop the car!

The hell is going on?

-Go, go, go! -Whoa, is that real blood, man?

-Drive! -Okay. All right.

But… Oh my God. Why is that guy holding a gun?

-Drive! -Okay!

Forty thousand.

Wow, all there.

Okay, now your turn.

Go get Hopper.

I will.

But first, I will call Enzo.

If your friend is dead,

I could save myself trouble and fuel.

I'm kidding. I'm sure he's not dead.

But still, I should check.

I don't like him.

Antonov, phone for you.

You realize we just had an escape?

They say it's urgent.

Hello?

Enzo. It is Yuri.

Why are you calling me here? Are you mad?

I know. I am very sorry. I just felt you should know that there has been...

...a slight change in plans.

What? What has happened?

I just got off the phone

with your warden.

A very productive call.

It turns out, escaped prisoners are worth quite a bit of money.

So Yuri thinks, why not keep the forty grand and make extra money?

That wasn't the deal.

But it is a better deal for Yuri, yes?

And you know what is worth even more than escaped prisoner?

Corrupt guards.

What have you done?!

And worth most of all...

Americans...

...wanted by the KGB.

Goodbye, Enzo.

I'm sorry, poor bird.

Did I make your coffee too strong?

Don't worry.

You will be reunited with your American boyfriend very soon.

Very soon.

Turn here.

Here?

-Max? -Lucas, please, just wait in the car.

-Max, just wait. Max, please. -Lucas, just wait--

Just listen to me. Just, please.

I know something happened there with your mother.

Was it Vecna?

I told you, I'm fine.

Okay?

I mean, as fine as someone who's hurtling towards a gruesome death can be.

Max…

you know you can talk to me.

Right?

Yeah, I know that.

Okay, then why do you keep pushing me away?

Okay, look,

I don't need a letter.

I don't want a letter.

Just talk to me.

To your friends.

We're right here.

I'm right here.

Okay?

I'm here.

Wait in the car. This won't be long.

When he attacks, our friend described it as a trance.

Like a waking nightmare.

That's why we think he's coming for her next.

Does any of this, anything we've told you, sound like what happened to your family?

Victor.

-I know this is hard-- -You don't know anything!

You're right.

We don't know. That's why we're here.

To learn, to understand.

We need to know how you survived that night.

Survived?

Is that what you call this?

Did I survive?

No, I assure you,

I am still very much in hell.

I had been back from the war some 14 years.

Her great-uncle had died, leaving us a small fortune.

Enough to buy a new home,

a new life.

-What'd I tell ya? -Wow.

This is amazing.

It looks like a fairy tale.

A dream.

Alice, no running.

-It's so big!

This is nice.

Yeah.

-It was a magnificent home. -Yeah.

Alice said it looked like it was from a fairy tale.

Alice.

Was this your daughter?

Mmm. Yeah.

But Henry, my…

my boy,

he was a sensitive child…

…and I could see he felt something was wrong.

We had one month of peace in that house.

And then it began.

Dead animals,

mutilated, tortured,

began to appear near our home.

Rabbits, squirrels, chickens, even dogs.

The police chief blamed the attacks on a wildcat.

This… …this was no wildcat.

This was an evil.

And evil neither animal nor human.

This was

a spawn of Satan.

A demon.

And it was even closer than I realized.

Victor!

My family began to have encounters

conjured by this demon.

Nightmares.

Waking, living nightmares.

This demon, it seemed to take pleasure in tormenting us.

Even poor, innocent Alice.

Alice!

It's okay, sweetie. It's okay. Come here.

It wasn't long before I began to have encounters of my own.

I suppose

all evil

must have a home.

And though I had not a rational explanation for it, I…

I could sense this demon,

always close.

I became convinced it was hiding,

nesting,

somewhere within the shadows of our home.

It had cursed our town.

It had cursed our home.

It had cursed us.

Time, weather, and--

It took Virginia first.

I tried to get the children out, to save them.

Come on!

Come on!

Creel.

Creel! What the hell happened here?

But I was back to France,

back in the war.

It… it was a memory.

I had thought German soldiers were inside.

I ordered its shelling.

I was wrong.

This demon,

it was taunting me.

And I was sure it would take me,

-just as he'd taken my Virginia.

But then…

-I heard…

…another voice.

At first, I believed it was an angel.

And I… I followed her,

only to find myself…

-…in a nightmare far worse.

While I was away,

the demon took my children.

Henry slipped into a coma shortly after that.

A week later, he died.

I tried to join them.

I tried.

Hatch stopped the bleeding.

He wouldn't let me join them.

The angel you followed,

who was she?

Victor?

Victor.

-Is he everything you hoped he would be?

I just had a very interesting conversation with Professor Brantley.

Perhaps we should discuss in my office

while we wait for the police.

"Dear Billy, I don't know if you can even hear this."

"Two years ago, I would have said, 'That's ridiculous, impossible.'"

"But that was before I found out about alternate dimensions and monsters,

so… I'm just going to stop assuming that I know anything."

"So much has happened since you left."

"Your dad was

a total mess."

"He and my mom started getting into fights."

"Bad fights."

"I don't think he could stand being here without you."

"So he left."

"And he didn't leave Mom much."

"She's taken an extra job, and we moved to that lovely trailer park off Kerley."

"Basically,

ever since you left,

everything's been…

a total disaster."

"And the worst part is,

I can't tell anyone why you're gone."

"I can't tell them that you saved El's life."

"That you saved my life."

"I play that moment back in my head all the time."

"And sometimes I imagine myself

running to you,

pulling you away."

"I imagine that if I had,

that you would still be here."

"And everything would be…

…everything would be right again."

"I imagine that we…

that we could've become friends."

"Good friends, like…

like a real brother and sister."

"And I know that's stupid."

"You hated me."

"I hated you."

"But I thought that maybe…

maybe we could try again."

"But that's not what happened."

"I just…

I stood there

and I watched."

"For a while, I tried to be happy."

"Normal."

"But I…

I think that maybe a part of me died that day too."

"And I haven't told anyone this."

"I… I just can't."

"But I had to tell you."

"Before it's too late."

"If you can even hear this."

"I really hope that you can."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm so, so sorry, Billy."

"Love, your shitty little sister,

Max."

Max.

All right, it's been long enough.

-Steve, just give her some time. -I have, all right?

I'm calling it. She wants to get a lawyer, she can.

Max.

Time to giddy up, yeah?

Max?

-Max. Max.

Max!

Max.

I've been waiting to hear those words, Max.

Waiting so very long.

Wake up!

Hey!

Max, wake up!

Max! Wake up!

-Oh, something's wrong. -Max!

Guys!

Come on, wake up!

But it wasn't the full truth, was it, Max?

You know, I think there's a part of you,

buried somewhere deep,

that wanted me to die that day.

That was maybe even relieved.

Happy.

Billy, no, that's not true.

That's why you stood there, isn't it, Max?

It's okay. You can admit it now.

No more lies.

-No more hiding. -Billy, that's not true, I swear.

-I swear it's not true. -That is why you feel such guilt.

-No. -Why you hide from your friends.

-Why you hide from the world. -No. No.

And why, late at night,

you have sometimes wished to follow me.

-Follow me into death.

-That is why I am here, Max. -No.

-To end your suffering, once and for all. -No.

It is time, Max.

Time for you

to join me.

Max, you gotta get outta there! Can you hear me?

-Max! -You gotta get outta there!

Call Nancy and Robin! Go get 'em! Call Nancy and Robin! Go!

-Please, Max! -Shit!

Shit, shit, shit! Shit, shit, shit!

Nancy? Robin? Do you copy? This is a code red. Do you copy?

Shit. Robin!

You're not listening. Our friend is in danger.

Do you really expect me to believe anything you have to say?

It's the truth.

You are free to tell your sob story to the police.

-Move along. -Don't touch me!

Victor said the night of the attack, everything went on in the house,

but he made specific mention of music.

He said music was playing.

And then, when we asked him about the angel, he started to hum.

-"Dream a Little Dream of Me." -Ella Fitzgerald.

-The voice of an angel. -Yeah.

Hatch said that music can reach parts of the brain that words can't.

So maybe that's the key, a lifeline.

-A lifeline back to reality. -It's worth a shot.

-I think we can beat him. -What?

To the car.

Okay. I'm warning you right now, I have terrible coordination.

Took me six months longer to walk than all the other babies.

-Just follow my lead. -No, my God!

Hey! Get back here!

Cinderella, you dropped your shoe!

Stop right there!

-Go!

Oh my God!

You cannot hide from me, Maxine.

-Let's go!

Stop! Get out of there!

-Ah! -Hey!

-Go, go, go, go, go! -Stop! Get out of the car.

-Get out of the car.

Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!

You really are a weird runner.

Robin, where the hell are you? This is a code red. I repeat, a code red!

Dustin, it's Robin. We copy.

Holy shit. Finally!

Please, please tell me you guys have this figured out.

Lucas!

Dustin!

Lucas, please, help! Dustin!

Max, get outta there!

-Can you hear-- -Guys!

-What is this? -What's her favorite song?

-Why? -Robin said if she listens…

It's too much to explain now. What's her favorite song?

What are you doing in here, Max?

Come back to me.

How do you like them, Max?

Would you like to join them?

Shit!

Shit!

No!

No!

-Which one is it? -Okay, okay!

Lucas, which one is it?

What's her favorite song?

-Which one? -It's right here! Got it!

-Give it to me. -Go, go, go!

-Okay, headphones! -Now!

Max!

Max, wake up!

Max! Wake up!

Max, we're right here!

-Come on, Max. -They can't help you, Max.

There's a reason

you hide from them.

Max!

You

belong here,

with me.

You're not really here.

Oh, but I am, Max.

I am.

Max!

Max!

I don't want a letter.

We're right here.

I'm right here.

Max!

Max!

Max!

Max! Max!

Max! Max!

Max! Oh my God.

-It's okay.

It's okay.

I thought we lost you.

-I'm still… I'm still here. -Oh shit.

I'm still here.

Shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit!

-God. -Keep pressure on it.

-It's not slowing. -Keep putting pressure on it.

-More pressure. Get the napkins. -Come on.

-More napkins. -Shit.

-It's not slowing. -Argyle! Get us to St. Mary's.

I don't think praying's gonna help that dude.

-No, you idiot! St. Mary's Hospital. -No, no.

-What? -No hospital.

-We're gonna get you to the hospital. -You need to warn…

…O… Owens.

-Owens, okay. -The girl.

She… She's in danger.

Okay, how… how do we find Owens?

Nina. Nina.

-Nina. Who's Nina? -Come on. A pen.

-Okay. -Shit.

-Here's the number. -Number. Number.

-He wants to write something. -We can call this Nina?

Grab a magazine or something. Will, get something.

-He's really bleeding a lot. -Right here.

-Come on. Hey. -Write the number.

Hey! Look at me!

-Hey! Come on! -Hold on!

-Oh, shit. -Hey!

Hey, yo, yo. Wait, wait, wait.

Why is it so quiet back there, huh?

-Yo, is he dead? Jesus, man.

-Talk to me! Shit!

We should get off the road.

Argyle, Ar… Argyle, get off the road, now!

Shit, he's dead, isn't he?

-This is real bad. -What are you doing?

Get off the road!

Listen.

-I know she was just here.

And if you wanna live…

you're gonna tell me where she is.

Apologies for the bumpy ride, kiddo.

I would've paved the road, but…

kinda ruins the whole "top secret location" thing.

Did you get some rest?

A little.

Good.

I have a feeling you're gonna need it.

Oop.

Okay. Here we go.

You didn't really think we were working out of a shed, did you?

You built all this?

Well, more gave it a face-lift.

Do you know what an ICBM is?

It stands for intercontinental ballistic missile.

It's a… a fancy bomb.

We used to store them in these silos, but we haven't used this one in years.

In fact, there… there's no bomb here at all.

It's just a big ol' empty space.

So we repurposed it to hold something much more powerful than a missile:

you.

-Anne, Tracy. Morning. -Morning, doc.

Morning.

You'll have to forgive the staring. You're a bit of a celebrity down here.

-I am? -Oh yeah. You kidding?

You… You're bigger than Madonna to them.

They've all given up their lives, their jobs, their families

to come work on this program, 'cause they believe in the cause.

They believe in you.

It's okay. Yeah.

We call her Nina.

What is it?

If we told you, it would ruin the surprise.

Hello, Eleven.

I know.

You're frightened of me.

Perhaps, in our time apart, you may have even grown to hate me.

But all I've ever wanted to do

is to help you.

And right now, I think you very much need my help.

Your gifts have been stolen.

I believe I know why.

And I believe I know how to get them back.

Let us work together again.

You and I.

Daughter

and Papa.

Papa!

Yeah, I got her.

Why don't you go back inside? Play nice for the doctor, hmm?

No!

No!

The more you move,

-the more this is gonna hurt. -No! No! No!

Leave her.

-No. -I'm… I'm sorry, Eleven.

This is not how I wanted things to begin.

But everything's going to be all right.

You're home now.

You're home.

Enough!

He is not yours to kill.

Fools.

What I tell you, American?

-No run.

You don't listen.

Now is going to be much pain.

Much.

It could be worse, American.

At least you have company.

Your eyes don't deceive you.

I'm a prisoner now.

Like you.

Yuri, the smuggler, he betrayed me.

Betrayed us.

The pig's in trouble now.

You said we could trust him!

You swore to me!

Because I believed we could.

You think this is what I planned?

I have lost everything. Everything!

We both knew the risks. Both of us.

Do us all a favor. Finish him!

We gambled today,

and we lost.

We lost.

Finish him!

Joyce.

What about Joyce?

There you are, my girl!

Mwah!

Why the long faces?

Are you not excited for your journey across the Iron Curtain?

Yuri, I have a family. I have three kids waiting for me.

Did you know? Peanut butter is banned in motherland.

I buy for dollar-thirty here,

sell for $20 there.

Your mother must be very proud.

My mother is dead.

Dead…

tired of living like a bum!

You see?

Yuri has family too.

And with money I earn from selling you,

I will buy her a new house.

I will buy my daughter

a pony.

Whatever they desire from now on, they will have.

And, yes, for that,

my mother will be very, very proud.

Hold tight.

This is not American Airlines.

Is going to get bit choppy.

When'd Rick get out of jail?

Justice system's a goddamn joke.

Nope.

Yeah.

You'll do.

Hey, Dustin, this is Eddie the Banished.

-You there?

Dustin, can you hear me?

Dustin?

Earth to Dustin.

Hey, it's Nancy.

Wheeler! Hey.

Um, I'm gonna need a food delivery,

like, really soon, unless you want me going out into the world.

No. No, no, no. Don't do that.

Stay where you are, and we'll be there as soon as we can.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Listen, um… can you pick me up a six-pack?

I know, it's stupid as shit, drinking right now,

but a cold beer would really calm my jangled nerves.

Hey, I'm gonna have to call you back.

No, don't you da-- Wheeler? Wheeler?

-Dustin! -Mm.

-Wake up. -What?

Aren't you supposed to be on Max watch?

Yep. Yep, yep, yep.

-Sorry. -Then where is she?

She's right there. A second ago.

I swear, I just dozed off for…

…an hour.

Morning, guys.

Everything okay?

Yeah.

Yeah, everything's okay.

I think it's so sweet that you guys are sticking together like this.

Could try sticking together at a different house for a change.

You know you're welcome anytime.

Totally. You're like family.

-May I? -Absolutely.

Yeah, why not? Take us for all we're worth.

Okay.

Hey.

Hey.

You okay?

Just couldn't sleep.

People kept blasting music in my ears, for some reason.

But Holly let me borrow some of her crayons.

-We've been having fun, right, Holly? -Mm-hmm.

Is this what you saw last night?

I mean, it's supposed to be.

I thought it'd be easier to draw it out than to explain it, but…

not so much.

Is that…?

It was like they were on display.

And then there was this red fog everywhere.

It was like a dream.

A nightmare.

You think Vecna's just trying to scare you?

With Billy? Yeah.

But when I made it here…

I dunno, something was different.

He seemed surprised, almost.

Like he didn't want me there.

Maybe you infiltrated his mind.

He invaded your mind, right?

Is it that big a leap to suggest you somehow wound up in his?

Like Freddie Krueger's boiler room.

Freddie Krueger?

He's a super burned-up dude with razors for fingers.

-And he kills you in your dreams. -Seriously?

Sorry. It's a movie.

It's not real.

Just… think about it.

What if you somehow unlocked a backdoor to Vecna's world?

Like, maybe the answer we're looking for is

somewhere in this incredibly vague drawing.

-God, we need Will. -No shit.

But I tried them again this morning, and it's the same busy signal.

Is this a window?

Yeah.

Stained glass with roses.

Yeah. See? I'm not so terrible after all.

Yeah, well, it helps that I've seen it before.

It's pieces of a house.

Not just any house.

It's Victor Creel's house.

Where you going?

Waking the others.

Sorry, fuel for the road. Thanks, Mr. Wheeler!

No.

No.

No.

Well, well.

Look who finally decided to join us.

Someone's a sleepyhead this morning.

Where am I?

I guess you're still not quite awake, huh?

Am I in Hawkins?

Well, well.

Look who finally decided to join us.

Someone's a sleepyhead this morning.

Don't go too far, sleepyhead.

Lessons begin promptly at 10:00.

Well, well.

Look who finally decided to join us.

Someone's a sleepyhead this morning.

Heart rate's now 120 BPM.

-She's rejecting it. -Give her time.

No, no, no. We shouldn't have just thrown her in like this.

-She's gonna drown in there. -No.

No, she is going to swim.

Oh man.

Okay. This is not the way it's supposed to go, okay?

Oh man, oh man, oh man. Okay, this is so messed up.

This is so messed up! This is so messed up!

Okay. Dude's probably got, like, a family, kids, you know.

All that shit. We gotta go to the cops with this.

Lay it all on 'em. Your superpowered girlfriend, bad government dudes,

-Upside Down dimension planet thing-- -No.

But… But listen!

The bad government dudes are after your super girlfriend, right? Right? Okay.

So maybe cops can help us find out where she is.

They're gonna kill her.

-If they kill her, they're gonna kill us. -Hey!

They might kill us before they kill her.

-I dunno, man. -Argyle!

-Don't know what order they wanna go. -Listen! Hey!

-Eeny meeny miny moe… -Argyle!

-Listen! -What?

Look, I think we can figure this out, okay?

We just gotta open our minds.

Open our minds? That's an open grave in front of me, man!

-Open my mind? What are you talking about? -Listen. Hey, dude! Hey!

Just relax, okay?

-Yeah. -Why don't you just go to the van…

…and do your thing, huh?

-Purple Palm Tree Delight. -Right.

-Right.

It's all worn off.

It's just worn off.

I'm all emotional.

-You're emotional. -Okay.

-I'm sorry. -You're fine.

-Jonathan. -Yeah?

More weed? Is that really a good idea now?

Got a better idea to keep him calm?

Let's just get this done.

You can't let him get to you.

He's stoned out of his mind. Doesn't know what he's talking about.

That doesn't mean he's wrong.

I mean, if that guy would've lived one more second, one more second,

then w… we would know where she is.

Wh… Why didn't he just say the number?

I should've explained myself.

Maybe Eleven would've taken me with her and things would be different, but…

-No. -I didn't… I didn't know what to say.

Sometimes I think it's just scary to open up like that.

To say how you really feel.

Especially to people you care about the most.

Because, what if…

what if they don't like the truth?

Does anybody know the dead dude's name?

-What? -The dead dude.

I'm making him a headstone.

You do realize we spent all morning hiding the body.

Well, I'll just write, uh, "Here Lies Unknown Hero Agent Man."

Yeah. "Saved Argyle, Jonathan, Will, and Mike from certain death."

You… You're gonna write our names on the pizza box?

They're pretty common names.

Okay, dude. Uh, do your thing.

Jesus Christ.

Come on, man.

That's his pen.

What?

Unknown Hero Agent Man,

that's the pen he gave me right before he died.

Piece of shit.

Why would he give me a pen that didn't work?

Come on.

Hey, man, I'm using that.

What are you doing?

Something fell outta that pen, man.

Wh… What is it?

It's the number.

We've had it this whole time.

We got his digits, man?

Did I tell you it's okay to break?

Over there, there is a hand.

A HAND!

Are we animals?

Psst!

Hey, Ivan. Ivan!

-Stop calling my name.

You trying to get me in trouble?

I don't know what they've told you,

but it is all lies.

I'm here by mistake!

I'm sorry. I cannot help you.

I can make you rich.

See this American?

He comes from money.

Old money.

Tell him, American. Tell him how you will make him rich.

You're a real help, American, you know that?

A real help.

Hey.

You want to die here? You want to die? Is that it?

That's what we've been brought here to do.

So, that is it? You give up, then?

What about your woman, huh?

She's captured, yes, but still alive.

We can still save her.

"Save her."

That is amusing to you?

You don't get it, do you? You don't get it.

The closer I get with Joyce, the more danger she's in.

You're not thinking straight, American.

No, I think I am.

For the first time in my life, I think I'm thinking straight.

I used to think I was cursed.

Ever since I was 18.

Got some letter of induction in the mail.

Uncle Sam wants me to go fight some war in the jungle.

Charlie's moving south like a plague 'cause of commie bastards like you, and…

You know, I'm happy enough to go.

Prove to my old man I'm not the piece of shit he thinks I am.

I get over there, I must test well, and they put me in the Chemical Corps.

There I am. I'm just… a kid, you know.

I'm 18 years old, 8,000 miles away,

and I'm mixing up these… 55-gallon drums of Agent Orange.

With just these kitchen gloves, you know?

We used to clean out these buffalo turbines after a run

and just be inhaling the stuff.

No masks, nothing.

"It's not chemical warfare. It's just herbicide to kill plants."

"Harmless." That's what they told us.

Then I got back to real life,

and these guys I worked with, the ones that made it back,

they started trying to get back to normal, you know?

Having families. And then things started going wrong.

Kids born stillborn. Dead in the womb.

Crooked spines, eyes popped out.

The horror…

followed us, clung to us.

My wife Diane, she wanted a baby.

I did too.

We had a baby, and she was, um…

she was born healthy.

She was perfect, you know. Sara.

And then she died.

Blood pressure's dropping.

It wasn't an easy death. She…

suffered.

I knew the risks, but I, um…

I hid them.

And then Diane left me. She didn't blame me. Not with words.

After that, I was just…

I just hid myself in drugs and alcohol.

And then people started coming into my life.

This girl El, and Joyce just happened, and I told myself they needed me.

But that wasn't true.

That's a lie. They didn't need me.

I needed them.

I needed them.

You were right, what you said last night. I knew the risks,

breaking out of here, but I did it anyway.

The minute I sent for Joyce, the minute I sent for her,

I sentenced her to death.

Just like I did with Sara.

Everyone I love, I hurt.

See, I was wrong this whole time.

I wasn't cursed.

I am the curse.

I've heard rumors of a monster.

From America.

I don't know if what you say is true, American,

if you're truly a cursed man, but you're right about one thing.

We are going to die in here.

Can I help you?

We need to look around.

Yep.

I think it's some kind of leak.

I haven't had a chance to fix it with everything going on.

Pack your things. We're moving you.

The devil is here.

I can feel his presence…

growing stronger each day.

But I know Chrissy's in heaven now,

looking down at us, smiling.

Happy to see all the lives she touched and brightened.

But I also know she's frustrated.

Angry.

That the monster that did this to her is still out there.

Still.

Hurting others.

How can he live, while my angel is gone?

-I know God has a plan…

Lord, I've prayed.

And I just do not understand it.

I see no reason.

I see no reason.

So I finally got ahold of Cappelletti.

Photos for the '86 yearbook.

Hot damn.

Sinclair?

Goddamn traitor.

Only reason he'd lead us to a dead end.

The Hellfire Club.

-They're hiding Eddie. -Maybe we should bring this to the cops.

The cops who think Chrissy's a drug dealer?

Who are letting this… this psycho go around killing people?

I'm just saying, what if this cult is doing shit to us?

-Doing what? -They already know we're after them.

-What if they cursed us or some shit? -Patrick thinks he's cursed.

-Hey!

None of this is funny.

Look, I don't believe in that supernatural crap, all right?

But this cult is dangerous.

We have to be smart about this.

I made a list.

Everywhere these freaks have been seen.

We divide and conquer. Check 'em out one by one. Smoke 'em out.

We should add Reefer Rick's house to this.

What?

Reefer Rick.

He's Eddie's supplier.

He's supposed to be in prison, but someone spotted him back in his house.

Now my parents are freaking out and shit.

It's probably nothing.

I don't know.

No, that's good. That's good.

No stones unturned.

Yeah, that's not creepy.

What exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?

We're not sure.

We just know this house is important to Vecna.

Because Max saw it in Vecna's red soup mind world?

-Basically. -Great.

Maybe it holds a clue to where Vecna is. Why he's back. Why he killed the Creels.

And how to stop him before he comes back for Max.

We don't think he's in here,

do we?

Guess we'll find out.

Ready?

-Mm-hmm.

Max.

What are you doing in here,

Max?

It's locked.

Should I knock, see if anybody's home?

No need.

I found a key.

Looks like someone forgot to pay their electric bill.

Where'd everyone get those?

Do you need to be told everything?

You're not a child.

-Thank you. -Huh.

Back pocket.

They just left everything.

I guess a triple homicide isn't good for resale value.

Hey, guys?

You all see that, right?

-Yeah. -Yeah.

Is this what you saw?

In your visions?

I mean, it's… just a clock.

Right?

Like a normal old clock.

Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks?

Maybe he's, like, a clockmaker or something?

I think you cracked the case, Steve.

All I know is

the answers are here.

Somewhere.

Okay, everyone stay in groups of two. Robin, upstairs.

Come on. Let's go.

-Was that a sigh? -No, I did not sigh.

-Why'd you sigh? -I didn't sigh. Just come on, dude.

-I heard you. -W… We're just always partners, okay?

You have a problem with that?

It'd just be nice to, I don't know, mix it up a bit.

-I'm boring you? Is that it? -No, the opposite…

Ah.

Hey, Yuri.

Yuri, I need to take a piss here.

Just give it up. He can't hear you.

I really do have to go, Joyce.

This isn't some ploy to escape.

-He can't hear. -What?

Joyce, what are you doing?

-Joyce! Joyce!

-Joyce! -My leg is too short.

Can you grab that shard with your foot?

Perhaps, you know, we should talk this through first.

What is there to talk through?

-We cut our binds, break free.

Yes, okay. Then what?

-Then you take him out. -Take him out?

You know karate. You said you were a black belt.

We're 10,000 feet in the air, Joyce.

I take him, who flies this plane?

All right, so don't knock him out.

Just get his gun and make him turn us around.

Get his gun. Just like that, huh?

-Is black not the highest color? -Yes.

-It's just… -Just what?

I've never fought in a real-world scenario, okay?

I've only sparred with the other students.

How old?

It doesn't go younger than 13.

Thirteen?

But Jeremiah is 16.

Almost. His birthday is next month.

And… And Jeremiah is a ferocious fighter.

Lightning fast. Very skilled.

And I beat him.

That one time.

And certainly Yuri is not trained or skilled like Jeremiah.

So, yes.

Yes, you're right.

I can defeat Yuri.

Absolutely.

Thank you for talking it through. I feel much better now.

Yeah.

No.

Well, well.

Look who finally decided to join us.

Someone's a sleepyhead this morning.

Stop this!

Let me out!

In 1786,

Nicolas Dalayrac wrote an opera called Nina.

Papa.

It's the story about a young woman whose lover was killed in a duel.

Nina was so traumatized that she buried the memory.

It was as if it never happened.

Every day, she would return to the train station

to await her lover's return.

A return that would never be.

If only Nina could know the truth.

This… This isn't real.

No.

But it once was.

A memory.

Very good.

How?

Never mind how.

Let me out.

I want out!

I'm sorry, Eleven.

You'll have to find your own way out.

Leave your train station.

Stop waiting.

Focus.

Listen.

Remember.

I don't understand.

I don't understand!

Well, well.

Look who finally decided to join us.

Someone's a sleepyhead this morning.

Focus.

Listen.

Remember.

Well, well.

Look who finally decided to join us.

Someone's a sleepyhead this morning.

I'm sorry. Am I… in trouble?

Trouble?

No.

No, why do you think that?

You're just missing out on all the fun.

Training starts any minute.

Okay.

Hey.

There's nothing to be nervous about.

You're going to do great today.

I just know it.

-Good morning, children. -Good morning, Papa.

How are we feeling today?

Good, Papa.

Good.

Number Twelve.

Would you be so kind and open the door?

Yes, Papa.

Please, follow me.

-How's she doing? -Very well.

She's swimming now.

Good. 'Cause I just got off the phone with Stinson.

We don't have much time.

Well then, she'll just have to swim faster.

-There's one. Argyle, slow down. -There's one what?

-Slow down. -Stop barking orders.

Argyle! Slow down!

-Whoa! -Christ!

-202-968-6161.

Is it ringing?

No, it's just making a bunch of weird noises.

Busy?

-Listen to this.

That remind you of anything?

WarGames.

What?

Oh my God, we're not calling a phone.

We're calling a computer.

I don't know if Nina's a computer like Joshua or Owens' lab,

but Unknown Hero Agent Man gave us access to it for a reason.

We just need to find the computer. We find Owens, then warn him.

Then we warn Eleven.

I just need a hacker.

The only hacker that I know lives…

in Utah.

-Wait, Utah? -Salt Lake City, to be specific.

Oh my God.

Oh my God.

What? Why "Oh my God"?

-Oh no.

NeverEnding Story. That scared the shit out of me.

The Nothing, man? That's some proper existential shit, dude.

-You can't be serious.

If we take the I-15 north, we'll get there by morning.

Oh, you're serious.

I know it sounds insane, but Suzie saved the world last year.

Maybe she can save it again.

Shit. Shit.

Looks like Rick's had company.

It's him.

Hey, Dustin.

You there?

It's Eddie. You remember me, right?

Hey, if anyone's there, I really think I might be in a bit of trouble here.

Okay? Wheeler?

Anybody?!

Hey, uh, Henderson?

Yeah?

Could you maybe, uh,

clarify what sort of clues we're supposed to be looking for here?

"The world is full of obvious things

which nobody by any chance ever observes."

Sherlock Holmes.

That's great.

Thanks. That's great.

Really helpful.

Sherlock…

Whoa, whoa.

-What's wrong? -There was a spider.

-What? -It's a black widow.

-Okay. -Don't go in there.

Oh, oh.

-Wait, just… -What?

-Something? Shit. Okay. -Wait. Stop moving.

-Stop. I just… I got it. I got it. -Thank you.

If there's a spider, you're never gonna find it

till it lays eggs and the babies spill out.

-What's wrong with you?

Robin, seriously.

She's got problems.

-Tell me about it. -It's cool you two are friends now.

Maybe after we find Vecna, kill him, save the world and stuff,

maybe we can all go out.

You know? Me, you, Robin, Jonathan, when he's back.

It's not like we're dating. Me and Robin. Not like we're dating.

-She told you? That we're not? -Yes. She made that very clear.

Platonic with a capital P.

Yep. Thank you.

I mean…

I would date her. It's just…

She's… We're just… Never mind. We're friends.

-Just friends. -Right. Right.

Okay. All better.

Great. Thanks.

Well…

Great. Um…

Guess we should, uh, get back to the investigation.

"The obvious things are not what people observe."

Or… "Do… Don't observe."

Or…

Sherlock Holmes.

What?

I wish we had a longer loop.

Forty-six minutes isn't bad.

I think there are bigger concerns.

Like…

What if, by listening to this over and over, I get sick of it,

and suddenly it's not my favorite anymore?

Will it still work? Or will Kate Bush, like, lose her magic power or something?

Kate Bush? Never.

You're a Kate Bush fan?

Uh, yeah. Now I am.

-Really? -Yeah, mega-fan.

She… She saved your life.

Besides, we're hot on this creep's trail. We're gonna find Vecna

and kill him before he even thinks about messing with you again. All right?

In fact, I bet if we hit these suckers in the right combo,

we might just open a door to his secret lair.

Voilà.

You're such a dork.

I thought you were, like, one of the cool kids now.

I'm not cool?

I've really missed that.

Missed what?

Your laugh.

All done.

Work your magic, Kate.

I promise I'm gonna stop asking this, but…

…you're seeing that, right?

Yeah.

Look.

Stop.

Very good, Two.

Very good.

Now,

which brave soul

would like to follow that?

Hmm?

-Hmm? -Me. Me. Me.

Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.

Eleven?

Remember to stay focused.

Find the energy.

Feel it.

Why does he waste so much time with her?

Hey.

Quiet.

They're laughing.

At you.

They think you're weak.

Show them, Eleven.

Show them.

Good.

Now make it move.

Waste of time.

-What is happening? -She's going into arrest.

Okay, that's enough. Pull her out.

Pull her out!

Naughty, naughty bird.

Did you fall out of your nest?

Where do you think you are going?

Come on.

Be a good girl now and get back to your place.

Or what? Are you gonna shoot me?

I… I don't think the KGB would like that.

You're right, I cannot kill you.

But KGB didn't specify condition you must arrive in.

You are fragile cargo.

You can still break.

Not if I break you first.

My fingers are like arrows.

My arms, like iron.

My feet, like spears.

Resist,

and I will end you.

But turn this plane around,

and I will spare your life.

-Kiai!

-Ah! Kiai!

Let him go!

-Let him go!

My fingers are like arrows.

My arms, like iron!

My feet, like spears!

Kiai!

Kiai!

What did you do?

What?

I said, "Don't knock him out."

-I thought you didn't know how to fly! -I don't!

Pull up! Pull up!

I am pulling up!

It's like the Christmas lights.

The Christmas lights?

Yeah, when Will was in the Upside Down,

the lights… came to life.

Vecna's here.

In this house.

Just on the other side.

I think he just left the room.

Did he hear us?

Can he see us?

Headphones.

Wait, wait.

Everyone, turn off your flashlights and spread out.

We're not gonna be able to see if we turn off our flash… lights.

-Jesus Christ.

I got him!

Got him!

I got him.

I… I had him.

Oh, whoa.

Oh, I think he's moving. He's moving. He's moving.

Shit.

I lost him.

No, you didn't.

It's an attic. Of course it's an attic.

Hold up, guys. What if he's leading us into a trap?

Guys, guys.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit.

Dude, he's not here, seriously.

Shut up and keep looking.

Dustin?

Please. Are… Are you there?

Never mind.

-Come with me.

Holy shit.

Hey, freak!

-Where do you think you're going? -Shit.

-Come on!

-Just come on… -You scared of some water? Let's go!

-…you piece of shit!

Come on. Gotta help me out here, man.

Come on.

Come on, you piece of shit!

-Come on!

Goddamn it!

Nope? Okay. All right. Okay.

Shit. Shit.

Flashlights.

Okay, what's happening?

Hey, stay back, man! Stay back!

Stay back!

Come on. We almost have him.

Hey, Patrick.

Patrick!

Patrick!

Patrick.

Hey, Patrick.

Hey, Patrick.

Patrick!

-Air.

Get her some air, for Christ's sake.

It's okay. It will take time to adjust.

But you're safe now, hmm?

Giving us quite the workout. You really wanna do this again?

-No! No! No!

Remarkable.

Stay away.

I said, stay away!

You didn't think it would be that easy,

did you?

I don't understand.

I do.

Papa?

Daughter.

Where is he?

Where was Eddie when that happened?

Wha…

Wait, what?

Eddie.

Where was Eddie when you saw this?

-He… He was in the…

…in the boat, like I said.

Right.

Right. Right.

But then, uh…

…who lifted Patrick out the water?

What…

You're not listening to me.

-Why aren't you listening to me? -Jason, we are listening.

No, you're not. You're not.

Eddie, he's…

Eddie is a vessel.

Just a vessel.

A vessel?

For Satan.

He's made a pact with the devil. Now he has his powers.

You don't believe me.

We're just, uh,

processing all of this, that's all. Okay?

Yeah.

How do you expect to stop the devil if you don't believe he's real?

-I can make it stop.

I can make the pain end.

Where's the girl?

I told you.

I don't…

I don't… I don't know.

There are two proposed explanations for what is happening.

Explanation one,

an invisible boogeyman from another dimension

is slaughtering these kids.

Explanation two,

Dr. Brenner's special little pet has gone rogue again

and he and his lackeys

are now seeking to cover it up.

Perhaps in the hopes of selling their pet to the Soviets.

Now,

which explanation sounds plausible to you?

Hmm?

I don't know.

There's still a chance to redeem yourself, Mr. Wallace.

Where is she?

No!

No! No!

No!

Do you know what happens when someone has a stroke?

The blood supply to the brain is cut off.

It scrambles the signals in the brain to the point where the mind

can forget how to do things.

To eat. To speak.

To walk.

When you were attacked last year,

I believe that your signals were scrambled in much the same way.

But just as a stroke victim can learn to walk again,

I believe you, too, can return to your full power.

Your abilities are still in here.

You just need to remember.

Everything that took place in my lab

was captured on videotape.

Every success and every failure.

It's important for you to not just see your past,

but to fully re-experience it.

In doing so, I believe we can

repair your broken signals.

As we saw tonight, that process has already begun.

If this all happened,

why don't I remember?

Because you do not want to.

Our brains have a defense mechanism in place

to protect it from bad memories.

From trauma.

You buried these memories long ago.

Papa.

When I was in there,

I saw something.

There was blood.

So much blood.

That was another memory,

a… a more powerful one,

invading from your subconscious.

You have demons, Eleven.

You have demons in your past.

That is why we must proceed carefully.

One step at a time,

one memory at a time.

-If we go too fast,

I'm afraid you could become lost in the darkness.

And if you are lost…

so are we all.

Oh.

Hey, Eric. I'm taking five.

You just took five.

Yeah, well, tell Milo to take it easy on the onions next time.

Not to be a wimp, but can I sit in the car?

'Cause this is gonna totally and royally suck.

It'll be fine.

I can't stand to see those dull eyes of Eddie's break again.

I really, really can't.

At least he can drink himself into feeling better.

That's what my mom does.

Why don't we give it a trial?

"Hey, Eddie. Uh, good news first this time."

"We got you some Dustin-approved junk food and that six-pack you requested."

"Oh yeah, and we found Vecna."

"Bad news is that he's in that other, darker, much scarier dimension,

and the gate's closed, so we have no way of getting to him."

"He's entirely shut off to us, so basically you're screwed."

"And, no, I know you were already screwed,

but now you're doubly, triply screwed."

Wait. Maybe we don't put it like that.

"We're one step closer to finding Vecna."

That's what we say. That's what's important.

See, Robin? Positive spin can make all the difference.

Uh-huh.

Oh shit.

Nothing to see.

-Just step back a little.

All right?

-This way. -As many of you know,

the Roane County line received a call

-a little after midnight…

…reporting a homicide here on the lake.

Officer Callahan here and myself

arrived first on the scene.

We made our way to the shore of Lover's Lake,

about ten yards from that house you see behind me.

It was there that we found the victim,

an 18-year-old senior from Hawkins High,

Patrick McKinney.

His limbs…

-Oh my God. -…his body, it was disfigured…

What are we even doing? I mean, where is the FBI?

-There was an eyewitness on the scene… -That's what I want to know.

We got a serial killer on the loose.

We have also identified a person of interest.

Eddie Munson.

We encourage anyone with information

-to please come forward. -Oh man.

-This is not good. Really not good.

You've got a lot of questions, and I'm going to answer as many as I can.

Two o'clock at town hall,

where anyone from the Hawkins community is welcome. But right now,

I've got work to do, and I appreciate your understanding.

Is Eddie still in Hawkins?

Dustin, can you hear me? Wheeler?

Eddie. Holy shit.

Are you okay?

Nah, man. Pretty… Pretty goddamn far from okay.

-Where is he? -Where are you?

-Skull Rock. Do you know it? -Uh, yeah.

-That's near Cornwallis and-- -Garrett, yeah. I know where that is.

Hold tight. We're coming. We're coming.

I can't feel my butt.

Can't feel my butt.

Can you guys feel your butts?

I can feel my butt.

Everyone needs to be on their best behavior, okay?

Why are you looking at me when you say that?

-I didn't. -They're just really religious.

Yeah, and I'm super spiritual, dude.

Yeah, I think they're spiritual too. Just in a different way.

Oh. Hey.

Is Suzie here?

-Ow!

Away, you starveling!

You elf-skin! You dried neat's tongue!

This is my kind of party.

I've been bitten.

Help! Help!

-Beautiful performance. -Excuse me.

Uh, hey, we're looking for Suzie.

Can you not see

that we are filming?

Come on.

All right, stay in it, Tabitha. Stay in it.

Hi, we're looking for Suzie.

Don't know, don't care.

That's too much salt, Peter. Father's kidneys! Father's kidneys!

Cornelius!

How many times do I have to tell you?

That is not a toy.

-Come on.

You make another escape,

-I'm getting Father.

Who the hell are you?

Argyle.

Uh, and you are?

Eden.

-Like the garden. -Wow.

-We're looking for Suzie. -Do you know where she is?

Third floor, second door on your left.

You make sure to give that selfish four-eyed shit a nice little shove for me.

Absolutely.

Eden, I…

I will shove her for you. I will…

I will do anything for you.

Well, great, she's not here.

"Give her a shove."

-Suzie! -Yeah?

Who the heck are you?

And what are you doing in my room?

-Sorry, that's… that's fair. -No, listen.

-We're Dustin's friends. -Yeah.

We really need your help.

You said an hour.

I underestimated.

I thought you were dead.

Might as well be.

We are truly in hell if hell froze over.

There's nothing south, but two miles north I saw some smoke.

Could be a town, a house.

Maybe somebody there knows where we can find this prison.

The top-secret prison.

Really?

Right.

Any luck with our friend?

What do you think?

Hey!

Dipshit!

We're outta here. Last chance.

-Where's the prison?

I told you.

Yuri will help you for the right price.

I told you, we're wasting our time.

-Half. -What?

-What? -You heard me, you stubborn bastard.

Half the reward.

Twenty thousand.

-Thirty thousand. -Twenty-two.

Twenty-five.

All right.

Looks like we got ourselves

a moron!

You thought I was serious?

He thought I was serious.

I got you! I got you good!

There's only one thing you get if you take this deal.

You get to live.

You are not killer.

Oh, you're right.

He's not a killer.

No.

Thing is, we don't need to kill you.

We can just leave you here.

Because there's nothing for miles

-and no one will find you.

No human, at least.

-I saw tracks. -Tracks.

In the woods, Yuri.

-Bears. -Bears.

Who knew you could see your own future?

Shall we fly out of here, little bird?

Uh, da, da.

Bye-bye, Yuri.

Wait.

You should go east, not north.

My warehouse is there. Supplies, guns, truck.

We will need to reach prison by nightfall

if you hope to save your friend.

That is, if he's not already dead.

Out.

Everyone out.

-Let's go! Move it!

This is it, American.

I hope you're ready.

What are you all waiting for?

Move!

Let's go!

Move!

Am I dreaming, American?

Or is this real?

What is wrong with your American friend?

He has lost his spirit to live.

-And he is not my friend.

Isn't that right, Cursed One?

You have lost your spirit to live.

Yeah. Yeah, something like that.

No…

He is American after all.

Big talk, but weak inside.

Tell him to eat.

Or he endangers us all.

We have a big fight ahead of us.

What are you talking about? Fight?

I have been in this place one week.

My first night,

I saw six men enter this room.

Six.

Just like us.

They came out

happy and fat, faces smothered in grease.

But when night fell, they were thrown into that pit out there.

But not alone.

You heard those roars, yes?

That is a monster.

-Not from this world.

Thirty seconds it took! Thirty seconds...

And all six men…

You speak no sense.

If they plan to kill us tonight, why waste this food on us?

They want us strong.

So we can fight it.

To test its strength.

To train this monster for war.

But last week, the men got their weapons...

then scattered like fools.

We stick together...

Perhaps we stand a chance!

Perhaps we live to see another day.

Till tomorrow!

Let me guess.

This…

…it's about nine feet tall?

Thin, white skin?

No face?

No eyes?

Come on, come on, come on. Translate!

How do you know this?

'Cause I've seen one.

And I've fought one.

And all your theories about it,

they're all wrong.

You know why they feed captive predators live prey?

Because if they don't, the predator gets bored and it stops eating.

It needs the thrill of the hunt.

We're not here to train this monster with swords and axes.

We're here to entertain it.

And this food…

this food isn't to make us strong.

It's to, uh, make us plump.

So we're full of the nutrients and protein that a growing monster might need.

So eat up, boys.

Enjoy.

This is your last meal.

Which number are you aiming for?

Three.

You know,

sometimes

it's helpful to take a step away for a moment.

Let the mind clear.

Determined, aren't we?

-You know…

…you remind me of someone. Someone I used to know really well.

Can you guess who that is?

One?

-Papa said that he doesn't-- -Exist? I know.

But can I tell you a secret?

Sometimes,

Papa doesn't tell the truth.

I spent years with One.

Right here.

In this very room.

Where is he?

Maybe we'll save that story for another day.

It doesn't have a happy ending, I'm afraid.

But he was a lot like you.

Everything was hard for him.

Then, out of nowhere, he walked in here and it was like

something had changed.

And I asked him what's different, and he said…

he said he had figured it out.

He had found his strength in a memory from his past.

Something that made him sad.

But also angry.

Do you

maybe have a memory like that?

Do you remember the day a strange woman came to see you?

This would've been when Eight was still here.

The woman,

she was calling a name to you.

Jane. No! No!

No! Jane!

That

was your mother.

Mama is dead.

She died making me.

And who told you that?

Papa.

Who doesn't always tell the truth.

This place…

and the people here…

are not what you think.

-Good morning, children. -Good morning, Papa.

I've got something very special planned for you today.

Are you ready?

Yes, Papa.

Good.

Seventeen, would you open the door?

-Yes, Papa. -Off you go.

After you.

We should've just told her the truth.

And risk everything?

No.

She'll find out soon enough.

Dude, I'm telling you, you're taking us the wrong way.

It's north. I'm positive. I checked the map.

You do realize Skull Rock, it's a super popular make-out spot?

Yeah. So?

Yeah, well, it wasn't popular until I made it popular.

All right? I practically invented it.

-We're heading in the wrong direction. -Steve.

-Where are you going? Steve! -Stop whining. Let's go. Trust me.

Okay, so apparently we're going this way now?

I swear to God, if they get us lost…

Hey.

You okay?

Uh, yeah.

I'm fine. Just…

thinking about Patrick. You know?

Yeah.

I mean, it's… it's like,

why him?

But then, I remember this one day,

he… he came to practice with a black eye.

He said he fell, but clearly he was lying.

It's like everyone Vecna targets

has something in their life.

-Something that's-- -Hurting them.

Haunting them.

Yeah.

I… I didn't really know Patrick,

so it was easy to just

look the other way, I guess.

But I did know you.

And I'm sorry I wasn't there.

It's not your fault.

-No. -I disappeared.

No, no, you didn't.

I just didn't look hard enough.

Okay?

But I see you now.

I see you.

Oh my God, they're so adorable. I just wanna squeeze 'em, you know?

If I'm permitted to see a silver lining in this end-of-the-world doom and gloom,

it would be the rekindling of old flames that never should've been snuffed out.

I didn't mean that as a hint or anything.

Right.

But if I did mean it as a hint, would that be so terrible?

To wish for happiness for my friends?

You think I'm not happy?

I… I'm sure you are.

It's just, the other day, I mentioned Jonathan

and you flinched or winced or something like--

I didn't flinch or wince.

-Okay. -Jonathan and I are fine.

-Got it. -We're good.

Right.

It's just…

He was supposed to be here for the break,

and then he backed out at the last minute for some vague, mumbly Jonathan reason.

And, to be honest, I'm not that surprised

because I've been feeling him pulling away.

And I don't know if it's because we're 2,000 miles away

or if he met someone new or what.

And now I can't find out why

because apparently he's blown up his family's house phone or something.

So, yeah, if… if the mention of his name caused a slight muscle spasm on my face,

that's… probably why.

Seems like a perfectly reasonable reason to flinch, wince, or something.

You said, "the happiness of your friends."

So does that make us friends?

As in, officially?

Uh, yeah. I… I mean, right?

Right.

Oh, boom!

Bada bing, bada boom. There she is, Henderson.

Skull Rock.

In your face, man. In your stupid, cocky little face.

Doesn't make sense.

Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you in the face, you can't admit it.

Can't admit you're wrong, you butthead.

I concur.

You, Dustin Henderson, are a…

total butthead.

Jesus, we thought you were a goner.

Yeah, me too, man.

Me too.

How long have you known Eddie was killing these kids?

It was his trailer where Chrissy was killed,

and you expect us to believe he was made a suspect just this morning?

The truth is we've been following several leads,

and, yes, Eddie Munson was one of them.

And we are now doing everything in our power to find him.

In the meantime, for your safety,

we will be enforcing a strict curfew.

-What? -That's your solution?

-Hide from him? -We're already doing that.

It's been days. Days!

So you tell me why he's not behind bars right now.

I understand you all are upset, but I promise you,

we will find him.

No.

You won't.

Jason?

Son, how about we talk about this in private?

Why? So you can keep me quiet?

So you can keep the truth from coming out?

I don't know about the rest of you,

but I can't bear to listen to any more excuses and lies.

-That's enough. -I agree, I've had enough!

In fact, I think we've all had enough.

Last night…

Last night, I saw things, things I can't explain.

Things the police don't wanna believe.

And things that I don't wanna believe myself.

But I know what I saw. I know.

And I've come to accept an awful truth.

-These murders are ritualistic sacrifices.

We've all heard how satanic cults are spreading through our country

like some… some disease.

And Eddie Munson

is the leader of one of these cults.

A cult that operates here in Hawkins.

The mall fire.

All those unexplained deaths over the years.

Some people say our town is cursed. They just don't know why.

Now… Now we do.

Now we know.

They call themselves Hellfire.

That's bullshit!

The Hellfire isn't a cult. It's a club for nerds.

-Erica! -Just the facts.

A club.

A club. A harmless club. That's what they want you to think.

But it's a lie.

A lie designed to conceal the truth.

And now this cult is protecting its leader, Eddie.

Hiding him.

Allowing him to… to continue his rampage.

Last night, I became overcome with this feeling of… of hopelessness.

Then I remembered Romans 12:21.

"Do not be overcome by evil."

"But overcome evil with good."

And God knows there's good in this town.

So much good. It's in this room!

It's in this room, right here, right now.

So I came here today, humbly,

to ask for your help.

To join me in this fight.

Let us cast out this evil and save Hawkins together.

What are y'all just sitting around for?

You heard the kid.

Hey.

I want you all to hear me loud and clear on this.

Anyone interfering with this investigation

will be arrested.

Hey! Hey! We will be implementing a curfew.

If you are not in your house after sunset with the doors locked,

you'll be written up.

And it's gonna go on your permanent record.

Okay, that is a lot to process.

I mean, that might be seriously the craziest thing I've ever heard.

I know, it's hard to believe.

But it's true. All true.

I dial in to this computer and find a location,

and at this location is the Nina Project?

Exactly.

And the Nina Project is the code name for a video game?

No, it's not just a video game. It's a video game console.

It's basically America's answer to Nintendo.

Americantendo.

That's a stupid name.

You're right, it is a stupid name, but, Suzie, it's 16-bit.

Sixteen-bit?

-Why have I never heard of it? -Because it's top secret.

-That's why we're doing this. -Yeah, right. It's for the promotion.

The first people to find the secret location receive a--

-Americantendo? -Uh, an Americantendo.

So you drove 3,000 miles over your spring break

so I can help you get a new video game console

no one has ever heard of?

Yes.

-But it's not for us. It's for Dustin. -Right.

Exactly. It's for Dustin. For Dustin's birthday, which is…

In two months, three days, five hours.

-I don't know what you're doing,

but I am not spending my entire day babysitting.

-Pull your damn weight. -Language!

Oh no, am I gonna burn in hell now?

You tell her, Eden.

-Out of my room. -Don't touch me, you little shit!

-Okay, so can you help?

I would do anything for Dustybun,

but I'm afraid there's been an unfortunate development.

After changing Dusty's grade, I was wracked with the most awful guilt.

Suzie, I am incredibly disappointed.

Father could see my soul was tortured, and he wrenched a confession out of me.

I wanted to help him.

Not only was I breaking the law, I was dating an agnostic.

An agnostic!

-I've never seen Father so angry. -…starting today.

He needed me.

-Naturally… -Father, no!

…after learning the terrible truth,

he confiscated my computer.

And Father is not one to change his mind.

I'm as likely to see it again as I am my poor Dustybun.

Where is it?

His study.

He uses it for work now.

And Father's always working, and his door is, like, permanently locked.

-I'm really sorry.

Truly.

But it looks like you came all the way here for nothing.

-Cornelius!

Unless…

Unless?

There might be a way.

But we're gonna need help.

And I mean a lot of help.

All right.

Guys?

Are you down here?

Guys?

They should've been back by now.

They should be back.

-What time was the movie? -Uh, four hours ago.

Hate to break it to you, Mrs. Wheeler, but they lied to you.

-Holly.

We don't think they're actually involved with Eddie, do we?

I think at this point, anything's possible.

-Our children are not murderers, Ted. -Don't put words in my mouth.

See, she does that, twists my words.

-You're calling the theater?

-The police.

When I got to the shore, I tried calling you guys, but, uh…

my walkie was busted, man.

Drenched.

So, uh, I did the thing that I do now, apparently.

I ran.

Do you know what time this was? The attack?

Yeah, no, I… I know exactly what time it was.

My walkie wasn't the only thing that got soaked.

-9:27. -Same time our flashlights went kablooey.

Which means what, exactly?

That that surge of energy was Vecna attacking Patrick.

Well, we're one step closer.

We know how Vecna attacks.

And where he attacks from.

So now we just need to sneak into his lair in the Upside Down

and drive a stake through his heart.

If he has a heart.

A stake? Is he like a vamp? Is he a vampire?

-It was a metaphor. -A bullet should work on him, right?

I say we chop his head off.

All of the above, but we can't do any of that

-'til we find a way into the Upside Down. -We need El to get her powers back.

Everything was way easier. We had this girl. She had superpowers.

Superpowers. Yeah, you mentioned her.

Hey, uh, Henderson's not, uh, cursed, is he?

Cursed? No, no. He's fine.

-Mental? Absolutely.

Boom!

Bada… bada… boom.

I was right.

Skull Rock was north.

-Seriously? You're serious? -Mm-hmm.

-This is Skull Rock. Okay? -Mm-hmm.

You're totally, absolutely, 100% wrong. Right now.

Yes.

And no.

Oh my God.

This worked correctly when we left the Wheelers'.

Correct when we got in the car on Curly.

But it started to slip the further east we went.

Now it's way off.

When I was leading us here, I wasn't wrong.

The compass was.

So you're using faulty equipment. You're still wrong.

Except it isn't faulty.

Lucas, remember what can affect a compass?

-An electromagnetic field. -Yep.

Sorry. I must've skipped that class.

In the presence of a stronger electromagnetic field,

the needle will deflect towards that power.

So either there's some super big magnet around here, or…

There's a gate.

But we're nowhere near the lab.

But what if, somehow, there's another gate?

A gate that we don't know about.

It'd have to be smaller. Way less powerful.

-Snack-size gate. -How? Why?

No idea. All I know is that something is causing this disturbance,

and the last time we've seen anything like it, it was a gate.

And I hope it is because then we'd have a way to Vecna.

And a shot at freeing Max from this curse.

Where are you going? Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

Eddie's still a wanted man. We can't just go hike in the woods.

This little steel capsule might be the key to saving both Max and Eddie.

What say you, Eddie the Banished?

I say you're asking me to follow you into Mordor,

which, if I'm totally straight with you,

I think is a really bad idea.

But, uh, the Shire…

the Shire is burning.

So Mordor it is.

What is Mordor?

Get your stuff, dude. Let's go.

Today,

we are going to play a game.

The rules of the game are quite simple.

Stay in your circle.

If you leave your circle,

you lose.

The last person standing in their circle

will get to spend an extra hour of free time

in the rainbow room.

Now, even though we are going to be competing against one another…

Two.

Six.

…I don't want you to approach this any differently than one of our tests.

Yeah?

Now, this is very important.

If you allow anger or emotion

to invade your thoughts,

you will fail.

I promise.

Do you understand?

Yes, Papa.

Good.

Begin.

Very good, Two.

Number Six,

please,

take a seat by the door.

Five.

-Ah!

Eleven.

Good luck.

Begin.

He'd found his strength in a memory from his past.

Something that made him sad,

but also angry.

Do you have a memory like that?

Jane. No! No!

No!

Well, well.

It looks like we have a new winner.

I present you… Kyrzran.

You see that gray steeple over there?

That is Yuri's warehouse.

Looks like a church.

Let's see what miracles it holds, yes?

Oh.

Someone has been in my peanut butter.

Very popular, as I say, eh?

Weapons.

Where are the weapons?

-Oh Jesus. -Hey. Not in a church.

You like all this? Wait until you see my flamethrower.

We don't have time for show-and-tell. We need to get going.

She's always this bossy?

You heard her.

Keys, map.

Let's go.

So, prison is here.

Between these two mountains.

Approximately two-hour drive.

I don't see anything.

Because it's not on the map, but it is there.

How do we know you're not leading us into some trap?

Because I do not need to.

You want to break into deadliest prison in all motherland.

It is suicide.

Who said anything about breaking in?

Oh. You just expect to knock?

"Oh hello, let me in. I'm friendly American with a big beard."

Something like that, actually, yes.

You were planning to turn us over to the warden.

Today, if I'm not mistaken.

Ah, I see now.

I bring you in as prisoners

and then set you free inside walls.

It is risky, crazy,

you will still probably die,

yet I like it.

But for this to work, Yuri cannot be tied.

Hey, it's hard to turn over prisoners

when I'm a prisoner myself.

Hey, I think the warden might find that suspicious.

Which is why, from here on out,

you're gonna be Murray.

And I'm gonna be Yuri.

I don't follow.

Don't worry.

It's a silent role.

Ah!

You want to make a fool of yourself, go ahead.

But to bring down these men, leaving them with no hope,

what is the purpose of that?

I tell them truth. You feed their delusion.

Not delusions. Hope.

I believe we can fight. I believe we can win.

I have a son, Mikhail.

I cannot leave this world with him believing his father is a traitor.

I need to get back to him, and I will get back to him.

-Is he slow? -What?

Mikhail, your son. Is… Is he slow? Is he stupid?

Stop talking.

No, he's very smart. Top of his class.

Be silent!

Then you're not his father.

I said go!

You are drunk, American.

I would stop speaking unless you wish to die sooner.

I can. It doesn't matter. I know I'm gonna die today.

But guess what? I know who I am and what I've done,

unlike you and these men,

who can't face the truth.

That you're the reason why we're in here. You're gonna die.

Come on, go!

Your son is not your son…

I said to be silent!

-…and your wife--

Come on! Come on!

You do that again...

we shoot you on the spot.

-Fools.

-You happy now, American?

Was that worth it?

Was that worth it?

We call it a Demogorgon.

I don't know how they got it here or what they're doing with it, but…

everything I said about it's true.

Except it has one weakness.

Fire.

Hates fire.

So I figure, if we want a shot at killing this thing,

we need some fuel.

And I need something to light it with.

So you asked me if it was worth it?

To answer your question…

…yeah, I think it was worth it.

-You son of a bitch.

You son of a bitch.

Don't make me laugh. My ribs are broken. Don't make me laugh.

Cornelius?

-Cornelius?

Cornelius!

-Wait, where's Argyle? -Shit, I don't know.

And three, two…

-Oh my God.

Way to go, Cornelius.

Away, you mouldy rogue! Away!

And we're in.

Holy sh… heck.

Oh holy heck. You did it.

Hold your applause. I don't see an address.

"Office." Try "office."

What is all this?

-Tanner, Tatum, out of the way!

-Cornelius.

-Maybe it's hidden in the code?

-What you just said makes no sense. -Hold your butts. I'll trace the IP.

The… The I-what?

The internet protocol address.

It's a unique numerical label given to all information technology

connected to the Internet.

-What's the Internet? -Don't worry about it.

It's just gonna change the world.

What's happening now?

I'm running the IP through a geolocation software.

Basically a form of data mining.

Tabitha!

Tabitha?

Tabitha. Oh no.

And cut!

Incredible. Just incredible.

And, Father, your terror.

It looked genuine.

Bingo.

Nevada?

Can you print this?

No, my skills end at IP geolocation.

You were being sarcastic.

Yeah.

These kids are gonna drive me to the loony bin.

Hi, Father. You look like you need a nap.

Slow down!

Dustin's right.

You're a certified genius.

I think we just spooked a skunk.

Yo.

My dudes.

Any luck?

You see that, Chief? Openly mocking us.

Stay calm. Stay calm.

A bunch of angry, armed vigilantes are out hunting kids,

openly defying us,

and you want me to stay calm.

Stay calm. Yeah.

Hey, Chief, you copy?

Yeah, I copy.

Found their station wagon hidden up by Skull Rock.

No sign of them though.

-Skull Rock? -Yeah.

-Isn't that a make-out spot? -And a stone's throw from Lover's Lake.

The hell they wanna go back there for?

One way to find out. Hold tight. On our way.

Something's happening.

Dustin? Can you slow down? Dustin?

I think we're getting close.

Watch your step, big guy.

Oh man.

-You gotta be shitting me. -Yeah.

-I thought these woods were familiar. -Lover's Lake.

This is confounding.

There's a gate in Lover's Lake?

Whenever the Demogorgon attacked,

it always left an opening.

Maybe Vecna's the same way.

Yeah, only one way to find out.

-Easy. I… I said easy, man. -Sorry, dude.

-Here you go. -Yeah, I'm just gonna do that.

-Thank you. -Yeah, that works too.

Good, you got her.

-Wheeler. -Thanks.

Hey, hey, hey, you trying to sink us?

This thing holds three people tops, okay?

It's better this way, okay? You guys stay here with Max.

-Keep an eye out for trouble. -You keep an eye out.

-It's my goddamn theory. -You heard Nance.

-Who put her in charge? -I did.

Compass.

Hey, there you go.

Ow.

You said three.

Sorry.

Bedtime at nine, kiddos.

Miss you already!

Please!

-Please, please…

You shouldn't be wandering the halls.

It's against the rules.

And not safe.

You shamed me today.

-I'm sorry. -I didn't wanna hurt you.

You are weak

and pathetic.

I was holding back.

And then you do that before everyone?

Before Papa?

-No.

How'd that feel?

Did you like that?

See a light?

I don't.

Something must've happened to the power.

Stop it! No!

No!

Tell Papa we did this,

we will kill you.

Aw, feeling a little dizzy there?

Poor baby.

What have you done?

What have you done?

-Okay, easy. Deep breaths.

Take deep breaths.

You did well, Eleven.

You did very well.

I know what happened now.

I killed them, didn't I, Papa?

I killed them all.

Okay. Shh.

I killed them all.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down.

Slow down, guys.

-Whoa. -Wait, wait, wait.

They're stopping. What are they stopping for?

Guys, what's going on?

Come on, talk to me.

What's going on?

Uh, Dustin, your compass has gone from wonky to wonky with a capital "aah!"

Steve, what are you doing?

Somebody's gotta go down and check this out.

Unless one of you three can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain

and a certified lifeguard for three years, then…

it's gotta be me. No complaints, all right?

Hey, I'm not complaining.

I do not wanna go down there.

Ugh.

-When'd Steve get so hairy? -Right?

I keep telling him he needs to tame that jungle,

but he claims the ladies dig it.

Let me see.

What?

Hey.

Good luck.

Thanks.

Gross.

-Steve?

Be careful.

You guys realize, if there's a gate down there,

it's technically a water gate.

Watergate.

Where we at, Wheeler?

-Closing in on a minute. -Okay.

Come on, Steve. Come on.

-Down by the water! -Shit. Down!

Shit. Shit.

It was on this shoreline.

Oh Christ!

I found it.

-You found it? -I found it. Yeah. I found it.

-Dustin, you are a goddamn Einstein.

-Steve found the gate--

-Cops. -Shit, shit, shit.

We can't let 'em find Eddie.

Stay with me.

Hey, officers!

-Max! -Over here! I found the killer! This way!

-Shit. -Go!

It's pretty wild.

It's more a snack-size gate than the mama gate,

but still, it's pretty damn big.

Steve!

-Steve! Steve! -No! No!

-What the hell was that, man? -Nancy, really, what happened?

Jesus!

Stop!

Get back here, you little rats!

Wait, wait, wait.

-You're not going in there, are you? -Just wait here.

-No, Nancy! -Nancy!

Goddamn it!

Dustin! Shit.

Hey there.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

What are you doing? She said wait.

Yeah, I heard her.

She's in charge.

Are you kidding me?

I made that shit up.

Don't you go. Don't you--

Goddamn it…

Son of a bitch!

Oh, this is so stupid.

This is so stupid. This is so stupid. Shit! Shit! Shit!

Hey there.

-Quick! Hold it, Robin! -I got it.

-Get it! -Kill it! Kill it!

Shit!

Yeah! Come on!

Nancy!

Come on! Please!

Nancy, behind you! Watch out!

-Oh my God, Nance!

Robin, get it off me!

Got it, got it, got it!

God damn it! Shit!

Let go!

Come here!

-No! -Get it!

-Nancy! -Go to hell!

Come on, come on, come on, you son of a bitch!

I said come on! Let's go!

-Steve! -Jesus Christ.

Jesus H. Christ!

Are you okay?

-Well, they took about a pound of flesh.

But other than that,

yeah, never better.

Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?

-What? -It's just that rabies are, like,

my number one greatest fear.

And I think we should get you to a doctor soon

because once symptoms set in, it's too late. You're already dead.

All right. There's not that many.

We can take 'em.

Right?

You were saying?

The woods. Come on.

Great.

More running.

How'd you sleep, Mr. Wallace?

Have you

reconsidered your position?

-Where's the girl?

Perhaps you need more time to think.

Let's go.

No, wait, wait. Please. Wait!

Please.

Just don't kill her.

Promise me you won't kill her.

We're running out of time here, Martin. Hawkins is running out of time.

I understand the stakes quite well.

Sometimes I wonder if you really do.

Or maybe you've just done all this

'cause you missed your daddy-daughter time.

I've given you everything you asked for.

I've compromised my principles. I've risked my life, my family's life.

All because you assured me this would work,

that this was the only way.

But I don't see any progress out there, Martin.

You know what I see?

I see a frightened, traumatized little girl.

Good for us.

The truth is, you're regressing, Eleven.

You're going backwards.

Eleven, look at me.

Look at me.

I know you're frightened.

You're terribly frightened by what you've seen.

But it's this very fear that's now holding you back.

If you want Nina to succeed,

you cannot hide from the truth, no matter how frightening it may be.

I saw what I did.

I am a monster.

You speak of monsters,

superheroes.

That's the stuff of myth and fairy tales.

Reality, truth, is rarely so simple.

People are not so easily defined.

Only by facing all of ourselves, the good and the bad,

can we become whole.

What if I don't wanna become whole?

Then that is a choice.

Your choice.

The door is always open.

This place

is not a prison.

This is.

You chose to trust me once.

I'm asking you to trust me again.

Journey with me into the past one last time.

Stop hiding, Eleven.

What have you done?

How much time did you skip?

You wanted progress.

I'm giving it to you.

What exactly were you all doing at the lake?

Uh…

-It's comp-- -We were… We were just going for a walk.

A walk?

At 9:00 p.m.?

To the lake.

We were gonna

take a little swim.

Little night swim.

Dusty.

Someone was just murdered there.

Yeah, we… we didn't realize that until we got there.

That's why we didn't swim.

And Nancy, was she with you at this night swim?

-No. -Yes. Uh…

We're not sure.

She was there.

Then she left.

-It's all a little confusing. -That's when you guys came.

Right. Then they dared me to say what I said.

Oh, yeah.

-About the killer.

You're lucky you didn't get shot.

Have you had any contact with Eddie?

That psycho… freak killer?

God, no.

-Nope. Absolutely not. -No. We haven't heard from him.

-We barely know the guy. -Who?

Oh, that's a bunch of bull.

-Erica! -I mean, you realize they're lying.

The whole couch is on fire.

-Erica. -Just the facts.

Are you lying to these policemen, Dusty?

-No. -Lying to cops is a crime, son.

-I'm not lying. -The fire is consuming us.

Threaten them with a little jail time. Maybe that'll loosen their lips.

-Okay-- -You wanna send our kids to jail?

-We need to take this seriously. -He didn't mean it like that.

-Shut up! -Oh my God.

Shut up!

-Jesus. -Shh.

We're gonna try a more civilized approach.

One at a time.

You first.

-Wait, what? Why me? -Follow me.

I'm not even in Hellfire.

Do I need to cuff you?

Up.

Chop-chop.

Let's go.

Oh… okay.

-That was close. -Yeah.

Too close.

Oh, sh… shit.

Steve?

-Jesus. -I'm fine. I'm fine.

No, no, no. You're not. You're losing blood.

Come on, sit. All right?

All right.

-Oh…

Okay.

So the good news is I'm pretty sure wooziness is not a symptom of rabies.

But if you start having hallucinations or muscle spasms

or you start feeling aggressive, like you wanna punch me, let me know.

-Robin. -Yeah?

I kinda wanna punch you.

Sense of humor's still intact. That's a good sign.

Yeah.

-Okay.

Okay.

-You ready? -Yeah.

Just do it.

Sorry.

It's okay.

-Too tight?

-No, that's good. -All right.

Okay.

Thanks.

Yeah.

So, uh,

this place is like Hawkins, but with monsters and nasty shit?

Pretty much.

Wait, watch out for the vines.

It's all a hive mind.

It's all a what?

All the creepy crawlies around here.

They're, like, one or something.

Step on a vine, you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on Vecna.

Shit.

But everything from our world is still here, right? Except people?

As far as I understand it, yeah.

So, theoretically, we could go to the police station

and steal guns and grenades and whatever we need

to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate.

I highly doubt the Hawkins PD has grenades, Robin.

But guns, yeah, sure.

Well, we don't have to go all the way downtown for guns.

I have guns in my bedroom.

You,

Nancy Wheeler,

have guns, plural,

in your bedroom?

Full of surprises, isn't she?

A Russian Makarov and a revolver.

Yeah, you almost shot me with that one.

You almost deserved it.

For your modesty, dude.

Oh my god!

So guns seem like a pretty good idea to me.

Yeah, me too.

So what are we waiting for?

You know,

what we are to attempt is quite mad.

Even by your standards, American.

Yeah?

You got odds for us this time?

I think…

a thousand to one?

Even if we somehow kill this beast, we still must escape.

We fail there,

I don't think they will be so kind as to throw us back in a cell.

They will shoot us on sight.

We'd die as monster slayers.

You'll be a legend.

But still a traitor. You forgot traitor.

Monster slayer trumps traitor.

I bet Mikhail will be proud of his pops, at least.

Mikhail?

-Mmm. -No.

I can't do nothing right with him anymore, it seems.

He will say,

"Papa, I bet that bald American did most of the monster slaying."

He's that age, huh?

-Yeah, he is that age.

It is same for you, American?

With your new daughter?

The last time I was with El, she wanted just about nothing to do with me.

I was just in her way, really.

I think back to the way I was with my dad at that age. I was the same way.

The exact same way.

I think it must be hardwired into us to reject our fathers.

So we can grow and move on.

Become something of our own.

I hope that's what she's doing.

Coming into her own.

But still--

You worry.

To worry for our sons and daughters,

that is natural, isn't it?

Yeah.

But nothing about what El has had to deal with is natural.

That beast,

that monster in there,

it's a part of something that wants to hurt El. To kill her.

I don't understand.

To be honest, neither do I.

All I know is that thing…

that thing shouldn't be here. It shouldn't be alive.

Because it is, it means it still isn't over.

I thought I was put here

to pay for what I've done.

But I might've been put here for some other reason.

Maybe I…

maybe I can still help El.

Even if it's the last thing I do.

You almost sound religious, American.

Religious? I don't know about that.

But maybe I should give that prayer thing a try.

'Cause if we wanna get out of here, get back to El and Mikhail,

you and me…

we're gonna need a miracle.

Can I help you, comrade?

My name is Yuri Ismaylov.

Hello.

The warden is expecting me.

I have a very special delivery for him.

A rare import from America.

Okay, okay. I'm okay.

Try your best not to blink.

Any more headaches?

Nausea this morning?

How about your memory?

Can you remember what happened now?

Perhaps someone else can help fill in the gaps.

Yes?

Good morning, children.

Good morning, Papa.

Today's lesson is going to be about rules.

Ah, for some of you,

this may seem redundant.

For others, it appears a refresher is required.

Eleven, please step forward.

Last night, your sister Eleven suffered a concussion

during her alone time in the rainbow room.

Now, she claims to not have a memory of what happened.

But injuries of this nature don't simply happen.

Someone did this.

Someone in this room.

Now,

who's going to tell me what happened?

She must've… fallen.

Fallen?

You've seen her, Papa.

She's clumsy.

Stupid.

Eleven, you may step back.

Number Two, please step forward.

Collar him.

Thank you.

You think because you demonstrate some talent

that you're somehow immune to the rules, is that it?

No, Papa.

That the rules don't apply to you in the same way

that they apply to your brothers and sisters?

No, Papa.

Then why did you attack Eleven?

-Did she tell you that? -Are you asking the questions or am I?

Did you attack Eleven?

If she told you that, then… then she's lying.

Papa, please, you have to believe me.

Papa, please.

She's lying--

Now,

shall we try again?

What happened?

It was an accident.

Couldn't we have tried a road, or something just slightly less creepy?

I think we're getting close. We're almost out of here. Don't worry.

Eddie.

Eddie. Hey, man. Uh…

Listen, I just, uh…

I just want to say thanks.

For saving my ass back there.

Shit. You saved your own ass, man.

I mean, that was a real Ozzy move you pulled back there.

Ozzy?

When you took a bite out of that bat.

Ozzy Osbourne?

Black Sabbath?

-He bit a bat's head off onstage. -I don't--

-You know? Doesn't matter. -No.

It's very metal, what you did. That's all I'm saying.

Thanks.

Henderson told me you were a badass. Insisted on the matter, in fact.

-Henderson said that? -Oh yeah. Shit.

Kid worships you, dude.

Like, you have no idea. It's kinda annoying, to be honest.

I don't even know why I care what that little shrimp thinks,

but, uh, guess I got a little jealous, Steve.

I guess I couldn't accept the fact that Steve Harrington

was actually

a good dude.

Rich parents, popular, chicks love him. Not a douche?

No way, man. No way. That, like,

flies in the face of all the laws in the universe

and my own personal Munson doctrine.

Still super jealous as hell, by the way.

Which is why I would never have jumped in that lake to save your ass.

Not under any, uh… normal circumstances.

Nope.

Outside of D&D, I am no hero.

I see danger and I just turn heel and run.

Or at least that's what I've learned about myself this week.

-Give yourself a break, man. -See?

The only reason I came in here was 'cause those ladies

came in straight after you.

Now, I was too ashamed to be the one who stayed behind.

But Wheeler right there,

she didn't waste a second.

Not one second.

She just dove right in.

Now, I don't know what happened between you two,

but if I were you,

I would get her back.

'Cause that

was as unambiguous a sign of true love

as these cynical eyes have ever seen.

-Goddamn it!

Here we go again.

Second on my list of least favorite things, earthquakes.

Seriously, I'm unsteady enough as it is.

Nancy!

Where are you going?

Nancy!

Nancy!

Come on.

Steve, do you copy?

Nancy? Robin?

This is Dustin. Where are you?

We've been collared by the law. I repeat, we've been collared by the law.

Do you copy?

Shit!

-Should we get lawyers? -We're not ready for that.

As far as we know, nobody did anything wrong.

But what if they did do something wrong?

-Anything? -Nothing.

-You don't think they went through… -Through Watergate?

Without us? Without a plan? Without weapons?

They wouldn't be that stupid.

Yeah.

They must just be laying low 'cause the law got us.

"The law"?

What is this, Gunsmoke?

The Stupid and the Ugly?

Should I round up the posse?

-Saddle the horses? -Erica.

Please, just go away.

Here's the deal.

Either you tell me what's happening

or I tell Dustin what I found under your bed.

Please, no.

Spill your guts, cowpuncher.

-What'd she find? -Nothing.

Is it gross?

-Scale of one to ten. -A hundred.

A hundred?

The serial killer is a dark wizard from the Upside Down.

And we've been looking for him,

but he's in the Upside Down, which we can't reach.

At least we thought we couldn't,

until we found a gate at Lover's Lake.

That was the reason why we were there, but these stupid cops grabbed us.

And if you tell anyone about this,

that's including Mom

and Dad

and Tina…

…especially Tina,

I…

will smother you

in your sleep.

Do you understand?

Hmm…

Erica?

Do

you

copy?

The smothering in my sleep part, but not much else.

Why would they open up a gate at Lover's Lake?

-What? -The commies.

-The commies didn't. -Then who did?

-Nobody. -So it just opened up for fun?

Erica, you have no idea what you're talking about.

No, she doesn't, yet she raises an essential question.

How did Watergate open up?

Only two gates have opened, so far as we know.

One by El, one by the commies.

But it's not the commies or El this time, so it…

Holy shit.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

"Wait, wait, wait," what?

There's one thing we've never understood.

Which is why Vecna's killing people.

What's his motive?

Killing teens? It always just seemed too random.

Too prosaic.

On top of that, how does the Mind Flayer figure into all this?

Maybe this is it.

This is the answer.

What is the answer?

You sure you just want water?

-We have Coke, Sprite, Dr. Pepper. -Coke works. Thank you.

Okay, just hear me out.

How did El open the Mothergate?

She contacted the Demogorgon.

With psychic contact. Just like…

-Vecna when he casts his spells. -Exactly.

So, what if, with each kill,

he's not simply killing them,

he's making a powerful psychic connection with his victims?

A connection powerful enough

to rip a hole in the fabric of time and space.

He's opening more gates.

Bingo.

Copy. We're still at the Wheeler house.

-Why would he be opening gates? -To take over the world.

Who do we know that wants to take over the world?

The Mind Flayer.

So if the Demogorgon was just his foot soldier,

Vecna's his five-star general.

A five-star general with the power to open gates.

-Holy shit. -Holy shit.

Holy shit. That was incomprehensible.

You lost me at "Mothergate." Please be kind. Rewind.

Okay, so remember the gate?

Oh, no. I blocked that out.

So what was that giant laser?

Might be time to get a maid, Wheeler.

Come on. I don't want to stay here longer than we have to.

Those aren't guns.

These heels are pointy,

but I was hoping for a deadly projectile.

-I don't understand. -Maybe you left them somewhere else.

There's a six-year-old in the house. I know where I keep my guns.

And also, I threw these away years ago.

Jesus. How many did you make?

You said you wanted to help.

I get that grades are important,

but perhaps studying can wait till we get out?

These are from sophomore chemistry.

And this… this wallpaper, this is old wallpaper.

And this mirror, this went to a yard sale.

And you…

you're not supposed to be here.

No, I gave you to Cousin Joanna two years ago.

What is it?

Nancy? You're freaking me out.

I think the reason that my guns aren't here

is because they don't exist yet.

They don't… exist?

This diary should be full of entries.

It's not.

The last entry is November 6, 1983.

The day Will went missing.

The day the gate opened.

We're in the past.

Dustin! Dustin!

Dustin!

Can you hear me? Dustin!

Du-- Hello? Hel… Hello?

-Maybe he really does have rabies. -Hello! Hello?

What are you doing?

Hello!

He's here. Henderson. That little shit, he's here. He's like…

He's in the walls or something. Just listen.

Dustin.

Dustin! Dustin!

Dustin! Dustin! Can you hear me?

That brings us to the question you first raised.

How and why is there a gate at Lover's Lake?

Let's analyze.

What do Eleven and Vecna have in common?

Dustin!

-Dustin? -Dustin!

All right, either this kid can't hear us or he's being a total douchebag.

-Will found a way. -What?

Will.

He found a way to speak to Joyce through the lights.

-Lights? -Yeah.

-The switch. Try the switch. -Okay.

It's not working.

Guys?

You seeing this?

…to open a tear in time and space,

just like the Mothergate.

Whoa.

…are these like the Mothergate…

But a gate nonetheless.

It…

tickles.

It kinda feels good.

Does anyone know Morse code?

No.

Wait, does SOS count?

Is that…

is that good?

So our working theory is that Vecna makes remote contact from his attic.

We don't know why. We assume he can do it from anywhere.

-Are you even listening to me? -I'm listening.

It's just…

You said you followed Vecna through lights, right?

Yeah, why?

Because I think he's here.

It's working.

"S."

"O."

"S."

Hey, uh,

remember when I said they wouldn't be stupid enough

to go through Watergate?

Yeah?

I overestimated them.

Warden, beautiful prison you got here.

How about this? Huh?

How about that? Huh?

Huh?

-That's what I thought, yeah.

Warden.

So nice to meet you.

Uh, I'm Yuri, of course, but allow me to introduce you to my very--

Shit.

-Murray! -I'm sorry.

What?

Can you please stop playing with that thing?

I am not playing. I am practicing.

Will you please stop trying to talk to me and stay in character?

Remember, you are frightened, scared, confused.

-Yes, I am frightened, scared, and-- -Okay. All right. Yes. Good.

Yuri Ismaylov.

At last, we meet.

Comrade Major.

This is the Bauman spy?

He looks different.

Uglier in person, I know.

He also shaved his beard to disguise himself.

Tricky bastard.

Silence, American scum! Enough from you. Enough!

Now this one…

This one I would recognize a continent away.

She was more beautiful in her uniform, but still,

quite striking, isn't she?

Yes, very pleasing to the eyes, comrade.

But not so pleasing to the ears, I am afraid.

Where is he?

What have you done with Hopper, you vile commie pig?

As I said,

unpleasant.

But, I must say,

I, too, am curious.

The other American.

What did you do with him?

I don't know why, but I imagine him on a rack,

in the cold, stretched thin,

birds pecking his eyeballs.

Am I... close?

I have heard stories of Yuri Ismaylov,

the Peanut Butter Smuggler.

And you…

you are not the Yuri I have heard of.

I am…

I am not?

No.

No.

The Yuri I was told of had a screw loose.

And you…

have many screws loose!

I hope we have not missed the show.

On the contrary, just in time.

This key here will give you access to that weapons locker.

Choose any weapon you like.

Work together or alone.

What… what is happening?

They are being told the rules.

Rules for what?

I could tell you...

but that would spoil the fun, now, wouldn't it?

You wait for the buzzer.

You wait.

You move before the buzzer...

you will be shot.

Is that understood?

Is that understood?

Yes.

I'd wish you luck

but it won't help you.

Let us hope your prayers have been heard, American.

You open for something a little more challenging?

Try not to show any emotion as I speak, okay?

Just keep playing the game if you understand.

Two is still in the infirmary recovering.

He's being watched now, but once he is released,

he and the others are going to attempt to kill you.

Right here,

in this room.

And Papa

will allow it to happen.

In fact, he wants it to happen.

He's been planning it for some time now.

Stay calm.

Focus on the game.

There's a reason why Two and the others were able to escape their room last night.

Why the security cameras were turned off.

Why Papa punished Two today.

They don't even realize it,

but he is moving them like pieces on this board here.

Driving them

to do exactly what he wants,

which is…

Why?

You frighten him.

He knows you are more powerful than the others.

And he also knows he can't control you.

That's all he wants.

Control.

I saw all this happening.

That's why I wanted to help you, but I only made things worse.

Helping me…

made Papa hurt you.

And it is why you must escape.

Today.

But they are watching us.

Closely.

If you want to make it out of here alive, you must do exactly as I say.

Do you understand?

Why do you still help?

Because I believe in you.

It is time you are free from this hell.

Hey!

-I'm sorry! -Sorry, sorry, sorry.

For your understanding.

Come on. Come on.

-Okay, that's it. Go, go, go. -Yeah, okay.

Okay, you guys seeing this?

…seeing this?

-Holy shit!

We're not moving it, but we're gonna unplug it. Stand by.

Yank it.

Okay, try it now.

-Try it now. -Okay.

Um… Uh…

"H."

"Hi"!

-Hi! -Hey! Hi.

That worked!

Yes! Yes!

Hi!

Okay. Um…

Um…

"S… T…"

"U…"

-"Stu…" -Stupid? Stupid?

"…C… K."

-"Stuck." -Stuck.

-Yes. -We are.

-They're stuck in the Upside Down. -Okay.

Uh, you can't get back through Watergate?

-What the hell's Watergate? -'Cause it's in water and it's a gate.

-Oh. -That's cute.

-Right. -Um, no. It's…

That a six?

-"G"? -No, "G."

-Yeah. -"U… A… R."

"Guar"?

Guar…

Guar… Guar…

-"Guard…" -"Guarded."

-"Guarded"? -Okay. Uh, Watergate's guarded.

Perfect. Yes. Yes. Yes.

We think we have a theory that can help with that.

-Yes. -Genius child.

We think Watergate isn't the only gate.

That there's a gate at every murder site.

…murder site.

Does anybody understand what he's talking about?

-No. -No idea.

Okay. Seriously?

How many times do I have to be right on the money before you trust me?

Jesus Christ. This kid's gotta get his ego in check.

It's his tone. Right?

-I know. -Okay.

So… So how far is your trailer?

Seven miles.

Nancy?

Uh, I know your house here is, like, weirdly, creepily frozen in time and shit,

but haven't you always had bikes?

So, anything?

-Nope. She's sticking to her story.

They went to the lake for a night swim.

Nancy showed up at some point…

Come on!

…same thing she said here on the couch.

Pretty much all she told us.

She stuck to her guns.

Honestly, shouldn't have gone with her first.

She was, like,

kinda mean.

We'll find your daughter, Mrs. Wheeler.

Don't worry.

One of these little brats is gonna squeal. I just know it.

Where are they?

Upstairs.

Moping.

Oh little pigs.

Oh little pigs.

Let Officer Callahan in.

-Let's go. -Careful.

Hey!

-Excuse me! No, get back here!

Let's go! Let's go!

-I guess it's just a minor misdemeanor. -Hey! No!

No!

-Lucas! -Dusty!

Dusty!

Lucas, Erica! Get back here!

Dusty!

That's your favorite, isn't it?

How are you feeling today?

Okay.

Are you up for some more lessons?

Good.

I feel dizzy.

Dizzy?

Yes.

And the light.

The light is hurting my head.

Sorry to bother you.

-Everything all right? -Not sure.

She says she's still dizzy. Lights are hurting her.

Hurting who?

Quiet.

Follow me.

Now,

it's going to be a bit scary in here,

but this,

this will lead you out beyond the lab fence to the woods.

But you're too big.

I'm not going with you, Eleven.

I meant what I said when I called this place a prison.

And everyone here is a prisoner, not just you.

Not just your brothers and sisters, but the guards, too, the nurses.

Me.

Here.

Can you feel it?

Your papa calls it Soteria.

It weakens me. It tracks me.

Even if there were another way out, he will find me.

And if he finds me, he will find you.

What if I make it go away?

You helped me.

I help you.

Stay calm.

Stay close.

Stick to the plan.

American!

I enjoy this part...

When they still believe there is hope.

Whatever comes out of there...

hold your ground.

HOLD YOUR GROUND!

What is the American doing?

I don't know.

Find out!

You move so much as an inch, I'll kill you.

What?

Oh, come on!

What is this? Some kind of sick joke?

It's no joke. As I said…

…the Americans are very tricky.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Tell me that's not out of fluid.

Come on! Come on!

If you wanna live,

then whatever sick, twisted game this is,

you're gonna stop it and you're gonna free our friend.

Then I'm afraid you're going to have to kill me.

Because your friend is already dead.

Come on!

Come on! Oh, come on!

Come on!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

STAY TOGETHER YOU FOOLS!

Order your men to shoot. To kill it!

If I give that order, I will be shot tomorrow and die a traitor.

You want to kill me, do it!

Come on! Come on! Come on!

Ah! Ah!

Get back! Get back!

Get the hell back!

Get back! Get back!

I'll kill him! I'LL KILL HIM!

TOSS YOUR GUN! OVER TO ME!

You, open all the doors below.

You understand?

OPEN THE DOORS.

You open all the doors,

that monster will get loose in this prison

and we are all dead.

I will pull this trigger! OPEN THE DOORS!

They would need a battering ram to open that door.

Let the monster feed.

You think I'm playing?

You think I won't do it?

OPEN THE DOOR!

If I open those doors,

I condemn not just myself,

but all of my comrades to death.

In good conscience, I cannot.

I will not.

I gotta hand it to you commies. You're committed.

Stay back!

Back! Back! Get back!

Get away!

-Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

-What are you doing? -No idea. There's a lot of buttons.

I can't see. I need my glasses. Gimme a second.

Come here. No.

Give me. Mine!

Running out of time here!

I'm trying!

No, no, no. Joyce, we have no idea what these buttons do.

You can't just press away like that.

Get back!

Back! Get back!

Joyce, just relax.

Come on!

American!

That did it! That did it!

Close it, Joyce.

-Close it!

For a second, I thought we had your miracle.

But out of one prison into another.

Right here.

That's gotta be a Guinness World Record. Most miles traveled interdimensionally.

Just inhaled a bunch of that crap. It's stuck in my throat.

Goddamn.

This is where Chrissy died.

Like, right where she died.

I think there's something in there.

What the hell is that?

No way.

Hi there.

-Hi. -Hi.

Holy shit, this is trippy.

Bada-bada-boom!

Remember, you can't hurt me more than they already have.

Huh.

Who knew something so small could cause so much trouble?

Thank you.

There they are!

-Stop! -Run.

Freeze!

Stop!

Lock it down! Lock it down!

Hey!

Where do you think you're going?

Against the wall.

Both of you. Now.

No.

You don't have to be afraid of them, Eleven.

Not anymore.

Take 'em.

Come.

Wait here. Don't move.

-I'm going to find us a way out. -Wait.

How did you--

Like I said,

we're alike,

you and I.

Those stains are, uh…

-I dunno what those stains are. -Mmm.

Not quite sure how these physics work.

But, uh…

here goes nothing.

-There we go.

And if my theory is correct…

-Huh. Abracadabra. -Holy shit.

All right, pull on it! See if it holds!

This is the craziest shit I've ever seen in my life.

And I've seen some crazy shit.

Guess I'm the guinea pig.

Let's clear the landing pad.

Oh my God!

Oh, thank God.

That was fun.

All right, guess I'll go.

All right.

Easy, easy.

That

was fun.

Shit.

See you on the other side.

On the other side.

Nice.

Nancy.

Hey! Hey!

Stay with me. Nancy! Hey!

Nancy, wake up.

-Wake up! Nancy! -Vecna.

Do you remember what you did, Nancy?

Or have you already forgotten?

When I kill someone…

…I never forget.

Nancy!

I asked you to wait.

Why do you cry for them, Eleven?

After everything they did to you?

Hmm?

You think you need them, but you don't.

You don't.

Oh, but I know you're just scared.

I was scared once too.

I know

what it's like

to be different.

To be alone

in this world.

I see you've been looking for me, Nancy.

You were so close.

So close to the truth.

How was old, blind, dumb Victor?

Did he miss me?

I've been meaning to check back in,

but I've been busy.

So very busy.

-What'd I tell ya? -Wow.

This is amazing.

It looks like a fairy tale.

A dream.

-Alice, no running. -It's so big!

This is nice.

Yeah.

-Yeah. -Like you,

I didn't fit in with the other children.

Something was wrong with me.

All the teachers and the doctors said I was…

"Broken,"

they said.

My parents

thought a change of scenery, a fresh start in Hawkins,

might just cure me.

It was absurd.

As if the world would be any different here.

But then…

to my surprise, our new home provided

a discovery.

And a newfound sense of purpose.

I found a nest of black widows living inside a vent.

Most people fear spiders.

They detest them.

And yet,

I found them endlessly fascinating.

More than that,

I found a great comfort in them.

A kinship.

Like me,

they are solitary creatures.

And deeply misunderstood.

They

are gods of our world.

The most important of all predators.

They immobilize and feed on the weak,

bringing balance and order to an unstable ecosystem.

But the human world was disrupting this harmony.

You see,

humans

are a unique type of pest,

multiplying

and poisoning our world,

all while enforcing a structure of their own.

A deeply unnatural structure.

Where others saw order, I saw a straitjacket.

A cruel, oppressive world

dictated by made-up rules.

Seconds, minutes,

hours, days, weeks, months,

years, decades.

Each life a faded, lesser copy of the one before.

Wake up, eat, work, sleep,

reproduce, and die.

Everyone

is just

waiting.

Waiting

for it all to be over.

All while performing in a silly, terrible play,

day after day.

I could not do that.

I could not close off my mind

and join in the madness.

I could not pretend.

And I realized

I didn't have to.

I could make my own rules.

I could restore balance to a broken world.

A predator…

but for good.

As I practiced, I realized

I could do more than I possibly imagined.

I could reach into others,

into their minds,

their memories.

I became an explorer.

I saw my parents as they truly were.

To the world,

they presented themselves as good, normal people.

But like everything else in this world,

it was all a lie.

A terrible lie.

They had done things, Eleven.

Such awful things.

I showed them who they really were.

I held up a mirror.

My naive father believed

it was a demon cursing them for their sins.

But my mother somehow knew.

Knew it was I who was holding up that mirror,

-and she despised me for it.

-She called a doctor, an expert.

She wanted him to lock me away, to fix me,

even though it wasn't I who was broken. It was them.

And so she left me with no choice.

No choice but to act.

To break free.

With each life I took, I grew stronger.

More powerful.

They were becoming a part of me.

But I was still a child.

And I did not yet know my limits.

And it nearly killed me.

He was arrested, blamed for the death of my sister and mother,

just as I had planned.

But I was far from free.

I woke up from my coma only to find myself placed in the care of a doctor,

the very doctor I had hoped to escape.

Dr. Martin Brenner.

Papa.

But the truth…

the truth is he did not just want to study me.

He wanted more.

He wanted to control.

When Papa finally realized he could not control me,

he tried to recreate me.

He began a program.

And soon,

others were born.

You were born.

And I am so glad you were, Eleven.

So very glad.

They're not gone, Eleven.

They're still with me.

In here.

You tricked me.

Tricked you?

No, I saved you.

You are a prisoner here,

just like me.

To your papa, you are nothing more than an animal, a monster,

a lab rat to be tamed.

But the truth, Eleven,

the truth is just the opposite.

You are better than they are.

Superior.

That is why you frighten him.

If you come with me,

for the first time in your life, you will be free.

Imagine what we could do together.

We could reshape the world,

remake it however we see fit.

Join me.

No.

He had found his strength in a memory from his past.

Something that made him sad.

But also angry.

Do you have a memory like that?

No! No! Jane!

No! No!

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

Jane.

I love you.

Jane.

It's happening.

[eldritch thrumming]

[heavy breathing]

[jarring stinger]

[gate writhing wetly]

[ominous music playing]

[discomforting slithering]

[door creaks open]

[ominous music fades]

[intense music playing]

What have you done?

What have you done?

[thud echoes]

[faint buzzing]

[tattoo needle buzzing]

[clang echoes]

[menacing music playing]

[Brenner] All done.

Not so bad, was it?

See?

There's nothing to be afraid of.

Is there, Nancy?

[jarring stinger]

[distorted] Why don't you take a seat?

[distant screaming] No!

[distant screaming]

Nancy, just stay with me. Stay with me, okay?

Whatever you guys are doing, hurry up!

Steve says you need to hurry!

-Yeah? No shit! -We're trying. We can't find anything.

-What is all this shit? -What are you even looking for?

Madonna, Blondie, Bowie, Beatles? Music! We need music!

This is music!

[sinister music intensifies]

[exhales]

Son of a…

God!

[Vecna] Nancy.

[panting]

What are you doing?

It's not time for you to leave.

[gasps]

[planks creaking, breaking]

Now that you've seen where I've been…

[Nancy exclaims]

…I would like very much to show you

where I am going.

[planks clatter]

[panting]

[grunts]

-[distorted] Take a seat, Nancy. -[music intensifies, halts]

[Nancy panting]

[electricity surges]

[wet writhing]

[panting]

[tentacles chittering]

[threatening music playing]

[Vecna breathing heavily]

I…

want you to tell

Eleven.

I want you to tell her

everything you see.

[guttural gurgling]

No!

[clock chimes]

No!

-Tell her… -No!

…everything.

[music intensifies]

No!

[gasps]

Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

-[Nancy panting] -It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.

-[Nancy gasps] -It's okay. I'm here.

[Steve pants] I'm right here.

[music intensifies, halts]

[Nancy's gasp echoes]

[theme music playing]

[snarling]

[menacing industrial synth music playing]

[in Russian] What's going on there?

Get the power back on!

-[radio beeps] -[guard speaking over radio]

Tell him that the prisoners are contained...

and that you're working on the power.

Tell him!

And that door there, where does it lead?

To-- to cell block two...

No cell blocks!

I need a safe way out of here.

-[Yuri yelling, muffled] -[shushing]

[indistinct chatter continues]

[in English] Guess you got my message, huh?

Oh, no, I just have always wanted to visit the Soviet Union.

With Murray.

You two getting along?

He's the Starsky to my Hutch.

I thought you were dead.

[tender, emotional music playing]

Thought I lost you.

I did lose you.

For eight months.

[exhales]

We had a funeral.

Anybody show?

Are you kidding?

You're the hero of Hawkins.

[chuckles]

[Joyce] It's true.

Yeah, I always felt I'd be easier to like when I was dead.

[clicks tongue]

[chuckles]

How about El?

She's good.

She misses her dad.

We all do.

[Murray] Uh, I hate to interrupt,

but apparently, they can climb too.

-[Demogorgon chittering] -[guard yelling]

[ominous music playing]

[guard in Russian] Lower your weapons.

Lower your weapons!

Don't shoot!

-[bellows] -[gunfire]

Stop!

[gunfire continues]

[Antonov] The hell is that?

[Murray] Please tell me they don't have another one of those things.

-[guns click] -[shrieks]

[yelling]

[in Russian] You can't go in there!

It's dangerous!

[roaring]

[scientist] It's dangerous!

[loud banging, thrashing]

[shrill trilling]

[gun cocks]

[shrill trilling continues]

[eerie ringing]

[chittering]

[Demodog roars]

[gunshot]

[unsettling music playing]

[liquid gurgling]

[in English] Oh my God.

[delicate, distressing music playing]

The hell are they doing?

[eerie whooshing]

[unsettling audio distortions]

[distortions intensify]

[Antonov] Hey.

Found something.

[tense, determined music playing]

[Hopper grunts]

-Think this'll lead us outta here? -I give it a hundred to one odds.

[Hopper chuckles]

[music intensifies]

[music stops abruptly]

[woman] And one, two, three.

[dull whoosh]

And one, two, three.

[dull whoosh]

Again.

-One, two, three. -[electricity whines]

[paddles discharge]

[gasps]

-[monitor beeping] -[panting]

[disoriented grunting]

Pulse is dropping. One-fifty now. BP's 160…

[air hissing]

-[Eleven moaning] -[monitor beeping faintly]

How do you feel?

[Owens] Can you hear us?

[distorted] Eleven. Can you hear us?

[faint whooshing]

No, leave her.

[Terry] Hi, Jane.

[Eleven moaning faintly]

[monitor continues beeping]

[monitor flatlines]

[deep, determined breathing]

[low, tinny audio distortion]

[faint audio distortions]

[mysterious music playing]

[tank rumbling]

[energy thrumming]

[rattling]

[tank groaning, creaking]

[bolts snapping]

[music intensifies]

[metal groaning]

[metal groaning]

[dramatic music continues]

[tank guards click, set]

[dramatic music fades]

[unsettling music playing]

[music swells, fades]

[reggae music playing faintly over stereo]

[Jonathan inhales]

Holy shit, dude. Check it out.

I didn't know they expanded into Nevada.

[chuckles]

Watch out, Domino's.

Your dominoes are gonna fall.

[Will] How far is Nina from Vegas?

From Vegas?

Um, as long as Suzie's coordinates are right,

about another 90 miles. Why?

Well, once we save her, El, we should stop on the way back.

El could make us, like, super rich, and we'd never have to work.

We could just play D&D and Nintendo for the rest of our lives.

Yeah. Totally.

We're gonna make it, Mike. She's gonna be okay.

Yeah, I know. I… I know she is.

But… But what if after all this is over, she…

sh… she doesn't need me anymore?

No, o… of course she'll still need you.

She'll always need you, Mike.

I keep telling myself that, but I…

I don't believe it.

I mean, she's special.

She was born special.

Maybe I was one of the first people to realize that.

But the truth is, when I stumbled on her in the woods,

she just needed someone.

It's not fate. It's… It's not destiny. It's just simple dumb luck.

And one day she's gonna realize I'm just some random nerd

that got lucky that Superman landed on his doorstep.

I mean, at least Lois Lane

is an ace reporter for the Daily Planet, right? But…

[Mike scoffs]

-Sorry. -No.

No, i… it's so stupid, given everything that's going on.

It's just… I… I don't know, I just…

Uh…

You're scared of losing her.

[tender, emotional music playing]

Can I show you something?

[chuckles]

This is amazing.

Did you paint this?

Yeah. Yeah. I mean…

I mean… I mean, El asked me to.

She commissioned it, basically. I mean, she told me what to draw.

Anyway, my point is,

see how you're leading us here?

You're guiding the whole party, inspiring us.

That… That's what you do.

And see your coat of arms here? It's a heart.

And I know it's sort of on the nose,

but that's what holds this party together. Heart.

Because, I mean, without heart, we'd all fall apart.

Even El. Especially El.

These past few months, she's been so lost without you.

It's just, she's so different from other people, and…

[haltingly] …when you're… when you're different,

sometimes…

[sighs] …you feel like a mistake.

But you make her feel like she's not a mistake at all.

Like she's better for being different.

And that gives her the courage to fight on.

If she was mean to you

or she seemed like she was pushing you away,

it's because she's scared of losing you, like you're scared of losing her.

And if she was going to lose you,

I… I think she'd rather just get it over with quick.

Like ripping off a Band-Aid.

So, yeah, El needs you, Mike.

And she always will.

Yeah?

Yeah.

[mysterious music playing]

[mysterious music intensifies]

[Brenner] After the attack,

you fell into a coma.

Like One, you had pushed yourself beyond your limit.

And it very nearly destroyed you.

But that is where your similarities ended.

[garbled static]

What you displayed that day

was beyond anything I'd ever imagined.

[One screaming]

A potential I'd only dreamed of.

[screaming continues]

But when you awoke,

something had been lost.

Your memories,

along with whatever else you'd found within yourself that day.

[monitor beeping]

But I knew then, just as I knew today,

that your powers had not been lost.

They just needed a spark.

[can crunches]

But that day,

you awakened something else.

A doorway to another world.

[building crumbling]

[unsettling music playing]

I always thought that Henry was out there,

hiding in the darkness.

I didn't know for sure, not beyond a feeling.

Until now.

He's claimed three victims so far, and when I saw the eyes,

I knew… I knew that was him.

He was sending us a message, letting us know he's back.

That's when I came to see you.

[gasps softly]

My friends.

Well, we… we haven't risked contact,

but, as far as we know,

they're… they're all safe.

But I'm not gonna lie to you, Eleven.

Your friends are in terrible danger.

With each victim he takes,

Henry is…

chiseling away at the barrier that exists between our two worlds.

"Chiseling"?

[Brenner] Imagine, if you will,

the barrier between our worlds is a…

concrete dam.

[menacing music playing]

Henry is putting cracks in this dam.

Cracks in dams

create pressure.

Left unchecked,

the pressure will build.

And build.

And eventually, it will reach a breaking point.

And the dam will burst.

[snap echoes]

And when that happens,

Hawkins will fall.

[exhales]

Well, that went very well, I thought.

You eased her into it, nice and gentle, just like we talked about.

Not ominous at all.

[introspective music playing]

[breathing heavily]

[slams loudly]

-[water gushes] -[Eleven sighs]

[exhales]

[Nancy, hoarsely] He showed me

things that haven't happened yet.

The most awful things.

I saw

a dark cloud

spreading over Hawkins.

Downtown on fire.

Dead soldiers.

And this…

giant creature

with… a gaping mouth.

And this creature wasn't alone.

There were so many monsters.

An army.

And they were coming into Hawkins.

Into our neighborhoods.

Our homes.

And then…

he showed me my mom.

And Holly.

Mike.

And they…

they were all…

[breathes shakily]

Okay, but… he's just trying to scare you, Nance.

Right? I mean…

I mean, it's not real.

Not yet.

But there… there was something else.

He showed me gates.

[haunting music playing]

Four gates.

Spreading across Hawkins.

And these gates, they looked like the one outside of Eddie's trailer,

but… they didn't stop growing.

And this wasn't the Upside Down Hawkins.

This was our Hawkins.

Our home.

[Max] Four chimes.

Vecna's clock.

It always chimes four times.

[music pulses ominously]

Four exactly.

I heard them too.

He's been telling us his plan this whole time.

Four kills.

Four gates.

End of the world.

If that's true…

he's only one kill away.

Oh Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ.

Try 'em again. Try 'em again.

[keypad beeping]

[line ringing]

-[busy signal droning] -[phone clattering]

-[Dustin] Anything? -[Max] No.

Rang a few times, then went to busy signal.

[Steve] Maybe you punched it wrong. Try again.

-[Max] I didn't punch it in wrong. -[Steve] Well, I don't know.

[Dustin] I think she knows how to use a phone.

[Steve] I'm just saying, she could've typed it in wrong.

[line ringing]

[busy signal drones]

-Same shit. -[Lucas] How is that possible?

Joyce has this telemarketer job. Always on the phone.

Mike won't stop whining about it.

Yeah, but this phone's been busy for, what, three days now?

That's not Joyce.

No way. Something's wrong.

[Nancy] She's right.

It can't be just coincidence. It can't be.

Whatever's happening in Lenora is connected to all of this.

I'm sure of it.

But Vecna can't hurt them.

Not if he's dead.

We have to go back in there. Back to the Upside Down.

-[Steve] Whoa, no, no, no. What? -Nope.

-Let's think this through. -What is there to think through?

-We barely made it out of there. -Yeah, because we weren't prepared.

But this time, we will be. We'll get weapons and protection.

We'll go through the gate, we'll find his lair, and we'll kill him.

Or he'll kill us.

The only reason you survived is because he wanted you to.

-He's not scared of us. -And for good reason.

We were wrong about Vecna. Henry. One.

Sorry, what are we calling him now?

-[Dustin, Lucas] One. -Vecna.

-Henry. -Right.

We've learned something new about Vecna/Henry/One.

He's a number like Eleven,

only a sick, evil, male, child-murdering version of her with really bad skin.

But my… my point is, he's super powerful.

Could turn us inside out with a snap of his fingers. It's not a fair fight.

[Dustin] Then why fight fair?

You're right. He's like Eleven. But that gives us an upper hand.

We know Eleven's strengths.

And weaknesses.

Weaknesses?

When El remote-travels,

she goes into this sort of trance-like state.

I bet the same is true of Vecna.

That would explain what he was doing in that attic.

Exactly. When he attacks his next victim,

I'll bet you he's back in that attic, physical body defenseless.

Defenseless? What about the army of bats?

True. We'll have to find a way past them.

Distract them somehow.

-And, uh, how do we do that, exactly? -No idea.

But once they're gone,

he doesn't stand a chance.

It'll be like slaying sleeping Dracula in his coffin.

That all sounds good in theory,

but there is no pattern to Vecna's killings.

Not one that I can decipher.

We don't know when he's going to attack next.

-Don't even know who he's going to attack. -Yeah, we do.

I can still feel him.

-[ominous audio distortion] -I'm still marked.

Cursed.

I ditch Kate Bush,

I draw his focus back to me.

Max.

You can't.

He'll kill you.

I survived before.

[dire synth music playing]

I can survive again.

I just need to keep him busy long enough so that you guys can get into that attic.

Then you can chop his head off.

Stab him in the heart. Blow him up with some explosive Dustin cooks up.

I honestly don't care how you put this asshole in his grave.

Just…

[music intensifies]

…whatever it is…

whatever you do…

try not to miss.

[music swells, fades]

[faint clattering]

[person grunts]

[grunts]

[Hopper grunting]

[panting]

[grunting]

[optimistic synth music playing]

[music swells, fades]

Bam.

Durak.

[in Russian] Son of a bitch!

[grandiose Russian opera playing]

[horn honking frantically]

Sayonara! [cackles]

[gun cocks]

[gunfire]

[Joyce, Hopper grunt]

[in English] Oh God! Oh God!

[empty gun chamber clicking]

[in Russian] Son of a bitch!

[music halts]

-[in English] You okay? All right? -Yeah.

-You okay? -Okay? I'm great! Whoo!

Oh, nothing like a little prison escape to get your day started, am I right?

We're not out of the woods yet.

My people do not take kindly to escapes. They'll be hunting us.

Yeah, well, we aren't exactly planning on sticking around.

-Where's the plane you came in on? -That plane? Um, that crashed.

-Crashed? -His fault.

-[Yuri yelps, muffled] -[Murray] A word of warning.

That man is more slippery than an eel dipped in baby oil.

I wouldn't trust a word out of his mouth.

[coughs, splutters] My tongue. My tongue!

I… I can't feel my tongue.

We need to get out of here, back to the States.

Can you get us to another plane?

Now?

You're asking for Yuri's help

after dragging him through miles of shit tunnel?

I could have told you we are going wrong way hours ago.

You Neanderthal--

Watch your mouth, or I am gonna take this,

I'm gonna rub it along the bottom of my shoe,

and I'm gonna jam it down your throat.

Well, go ahead! [yelps]

But then you'll never make it out of my country alive.

So you can get us out.

For a glass of water and hot steam bath

and five-inch stack of American dollars,

-Yuri will fly you to moon. -[gun clicks]

You make another demand, you double-crossing mudak,

I'll decorate the roof of this van with your brains.

Why so angry, comrade?

Rough couple of days for you, I'm sure.

But now you are free.

Everything works out. Happy ending for everybody.

No?

For you, that will very much depend on how you answer. Comrade.

Will you take us to America?

Yes?

[gun cocks]

Or no?

[dramatic musical flourish]

[Eddie] Check this out. The War Zone.

I've been there once.

It's huge.

They got everything you need for, uh…

well, killing things, basically.

You think fake Rambo has enough guns there?

Is that a grenade? I mean, how is any of this legal?

Well, lucky for us it is, so…

This… This place is just far enough outside of Hawkins.

As long as we steer clear of main roads,

we oughta be able to avoid cops and, uh, angry hicks.

If we're trying to avoid angry hicks,

maybe we shouldn't go to some store called the War Zone.

Normally, I'd agree, but we need the weapons.

-So I think it's worth the risk. -Me too.

But is it worth the time? It'll take all day to bike there and back.

-Who said anything about bikes? -You got some car we don't know about?

It's not exactly a car, Steve.

And it's not exactly mine,

but, uh… it'll do.

Hey, Red, uh, you got a ski mask or a bandanna, something like that?

[spooky synth music playing]

[man speaking indistinctly over radio]

That was suffocating.

Go! Come on.

Where'd you learn how to do this?

Well, when the other dads were teaching their kids how to fish or play ball,

my old man was teaching me how to hot-wire.

Now, I swore to myself I wouldn't wind up like he did,

but now I'm wanted for murder,

and soon, grand theft auto.

So, uh, I'm really living up to that Munson name.

Eddie, I'm not sure I love the idea of you driving.

Oh, I'm just starting this sucker. Harrington's got her.

Don't ya, big boy?

-[engine starts] -["Up Around the Bend" playing]

What the hell?

Hey! Open this door!

-Hey! -[woman] They locked the door!

Shit! Go.

It's just a car. Everybody, hang on to something!

[Lucas] Oh my God! Let's go! Let's go!

Drive, Steve! Drive!

[Robin] Go, go, go!

♪ Hitch a ride to the end of the highway ♪

♪ Where the neons… ♪

[Lucas] Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!

Shit, they look pissed.

It's not every day you lose your house and car in one fell swoop.

♪ …around the bend ♪

Hold on! Hold on!

♪ You can ponder perpetual motion… ♪

Them!

Stop 'em! God bless it!

Okay.

♪ …a good conversation ♪

♪ There's an ear for what you say ♪

[tires screech]

♪ Come on the rising wind ♪

♪ We're going up around the bend ♪

[song distorts, fades]

[wind whistling]

My friends. I saw them. You told me they were safe.

-They are not safe. -Whoa, whoa, whoa, okay.

Uh, just give us a second, please.

Please.

Okay, okay, first… first things first.

We're not gonna let anything happen to your friends, okay, kiddo?

I will personally make sure of that.

Did… Did you see where they were?

They were at… They were at Max's house.

They're planning to kill him.

To kill Henry.

-[Eleven breathes shakily] -Okay. Okay.

This… Does this Max have a last name?

Max… Max Mayfield.

Okay. So here's what's gonna happen.

I have people in Hawkins, and I'm gonna send some to Max Mayfield.

-And they will stop him-- -Her.

Stop her. And the rest of them

from whatever foolish, although well-intentioned, mission

that they're attempting, alright?

No. No, do not send your men.

Send me.

Your friends are not prepared for this fight, Eleven.

And neither are you.

[ominous music playing]

You must understand,

when One kills, he doesn't simply kill.

He consumes.

He takes everything from his victims.

Everything they are and everything they ever will be.

Their memories, their abilities.

And we do not know where he's been these lost years.

But if he has survived this long,

we can only assume

that he has grown in strength.

To underestimate him,

to act rashly,

would be very dangerous.

I don't want to upset you, Eleven.

What you've accomplished is nothing short of a miracle.

[intense music playing]

You came to me broken.

And you've learned to walk again.

But if you want to stop One,

you will need to do more than walk.

You will need to do more than run.

You will need to fly.

And you're not ready.

My friends need me.

I've stopped him once. I will again.

I'm sorry. You can't.

It's impossible.

Nothing's impossible.

I can call Stinson. She's got connections at Nellis. That's two hours away.

And if we hustle, I'll bet we can be in Hawkins before nightfall.

That would be a grave mistake.

Waiting would be an even greater mistake.

What if One makes his move

before we've had a chance to throw a punch?

Then what is the point of all this?

That's a risk we're going to have to take.

We pushed her before and look what happened.

She lifted a 10,000-pound tank into the goddamn air.

You don't understand what he's capable of!

Maybe you're right. Or maybe you are overestimating him.

Either way, doesn't matter because this is not our choice.

We agreed this was not gonna be a prison.

We'll show her what this is,

what we can offer,

and then it is her choice whether she wants to stay or go.

Right, Doc?

You may not agree with it,

but here she is, standing before us,

making a choice.

You're sure you wanna do this?

[determined synth music playing]

Okay. Pack your things, say your goodbyes.

["Fire and Rain" by James Taylor playing]

-[Nancy] How's it handle? -[Steve] Not half bad.

Considering that this is a…

house.

♪ Yesterday mornin' They let me know you were gone… ♪

Yeah, it's…

it's silly, but I… I've actually…

I always had this dream that I'd have this really… really big family.

I'm talking, like, uh,

a full brood of Harringtons.

Like, five, six kids.

-Six? -Yeah. Six little nuggets.

Three girls, three boys.

[laughs] And… and every summer, I figured all of us Harringtons,

we would pack into something like this

and… just see the country.

You know, the Rockies, Grand Canyon,

maybe Yellowstone.

End up in some beachside town in California.

Spend a week parked in the sand.

Learn how to surf or something.

That sounds nice.

Yeah?

[tenderly] Yeah.

Well, uh, except for the six-kid part.

That sounds like a total nightmare.

If only I had some practice.

All right. Fair.

That's fair.

♪ Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain ♪

♪ I've seen sunny days That I thought would never end ♪

♪ I've seen lonely times When I could not find a friend ♪

[Lucas] Hey.

♪ But I always thought That I'd see you again… ♪

So I've been thinking,

two of the three of Vecna's victims were seeing Ms. Kelley, right?

-Yeah. -Okay.

So I figure there's a good chance Vecna cursed another one of her students.

We go back to her office. We read all of her files.

Look for mentions of headaches, nosebleeds, nightmares.

-We identify his most likely next victim. -Lucas.

-We stake out his house-- -Lucas, stop.

We don't have time for any of that, okay?

And even if we did,

even if your plan did work,

we'd be putting a total stranger at risk.

A stranger who has no idea what they're up against.

I do.

He uses my memories against me.

But… only my darkest memories.

-Same with Chrissy and Fred, right? -Right.

It's like he only sees the darkness in us.

So, I'll just run in the opposite direction.

Run to the light.

[mysterious music playing]

And maybe he won't be able to find me there.

Now, how exactly do you plan on doing this?

I'm not sure.

But it's my mind.

Not his, right?

So I should be able to control where I am.

I just need to… push him away.

Find a happy memory and hide there.

Hide in the light.

You got a memory in mind?

Yeah.

It was a time when I was

the happiest.

Was I there?

[tender, emotional music playing]

That's presumptuous of you.

[chuckles]

But yeah.

You might've been there.

Okay, but the second you start to lift,

I'm calling in Kate Bush.

-All right? -[chuckles] Okay.

-Deal. -Deal.

-[somber music playing] -[wind whistling]

[grunts]

Heh, come on. This way.

[in Russian] If I get a whiff of any funny business, smuggler...

I will not hesitate to kill you.

In fact... I am just looking for a reason. Understand?

Are you a parrot, cop? You keep repeating the same thing.

[in English] You were trapped in a cell with this dull man

and you didn't take opportunity to smother him.

[Yuri tuts]

[Yuri vocalizing]

-[door slams] -Beautiful, yes?

Please tell me this is another poor joke.

You said you had a plane.

-A plane! -No, no, no.

I… I told you I could fly you home.

And Katinka can fly you home, little bird.

She was named Katinka after my first lover.

[laughs] Katinka also had very beautiful, very round buttocks.

Uh, mu… much like this.

[Yuri laughing wheezily]

This cannot fly us to America.

Why not?

As long as winds are not too strong

and your military friends do not shoot us out of sky,

we can make it to the coast.

There, while we refuel,

we skin dip in ice-cold water and wash off this muck.

-[Joyce scoffs] -Then we fly her rest of the way.

Happy ending.

Okay, what is the furthest Katinka has ever flown?

For me, she is still a virgin. [chuckles]

Uh, not real Katinka. Goodness, no.

[wheezy laughter]

That Katinka, no.

But this Katinka, pretty much unspoiled.

But I'm sure she will soar when given a chance.

She just need little tune-up.

[tools clattering]

-I did warn you, Jim. -[Antonov] Okay.

Should I shoot him now? Or later?

What about Owens?

He… He's gotta have contacts or spies here that could help us.

Can we do that?

Can we make a call to the States?

[tense music playing]

[tense music playing]

-[line ringing] -[indistinct chatter]

[in Russian] Yes, hello, miss.

I'd like to place a call to the United States. A very sick relative.

[indistinct response]

Correct. Yes... The number is...

-[in English] The number? -It's 775…

-[Antonov translating] -…305…

…3450.

[translating into Russian]

[indistinct response]

Da, spasibo.

-[in English] What are you doing? -How exactly do you think this works?

They will make the call for us, and then they will call us back.

How long's that gonna take?

Five minutes. Five hours.

Five days. Who knows?

And when we do get the call,

assume the KGB will be on the other line, listening to everything you say.

So,

I suggest talking in code.

Say the wrong thing

and they will be on us like flies on shit.

Welcome to the Soviet Union.

["Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" by Rick Derringer playing]

♪ Couldn't stop moving When it first took hold… ♪

So much for avoiding angry hicks.

Let's be… fast.

-Yep. -Definitely.

[patrons chattering indistinctly]

♪ Don't ya know I'm never gonna lose that funky sound?… ♪

-How many of these do you think we need? -Five or six.

[romantic music playing]

What are you gonna do? Stand and gawk?

Shut up.

-Ah! -[yelps]

-Jesus, you scared me. -[chuckles]

Whoa. You gonna mace me with that?

[Vickie] If it keeps you in line, yeah.

[boy scoffs]

[music turns melancholic]

See? Not so scary.

[Steve] Robin. Robin!

Who's that?

Someone from band.

[gun cocks loudly]

How much is this?

$120.99, but I'll throw in 20 rounds of buckshot for ya.

[Jason] Hey, can I see this real pretty .357, please?

-[uncomfortable music playing] -[clerk] Sure thing.

-Here you go, son. -Thank you.

Nancy Wheeler.

Wouldn't expect to find you here.

Yeah, well, it's just… scary times.

[menacing music playing]

[cart squeaks]

I'm… sorry about Chrissy.

Want my advice?

Shotguns are not good for much of anything past killing small birds.

I mean, they got power, sure,

but not much range.

And that's just gonna force you into close-range combat,

then someone can just grab that barrel like this…

[ominous stinger]

…and redirect it.

[cart squeaking]

[threatening stinger]

Well, you look nervous.

Like I said,

scary times.

Now, your brother, he, uh…

is he here with you, by chance?

Mike?

Mike.

No.

I only ask because he's…

he's in Hellfire, isn't he?

-I don't know what you're talking about. -What about his friends?

They here with you?

Would you let go?

[forcefully] Let go.

What the hell is taking so long?

[dramatic stinger]

-What happened? -Gotta go.

-Your old friends are here. -Shit!

-Let's go! Let's go! -I'm going! I'm going! Sit down!

[tense music playing]

Should be up on our right.

There's nothing out here.

[van jittering]

[sleepily] Mmm. We there already?

-Already? It's been nine hours. -It's gotta be around here somewhere.

What are we looking for, my dudes?

-Some sort of facility. -A fence. A building.

Any signs of life would be nice.

Since when did we decide Nina was a building and not a small woman?

Sounds like a small woman to me.

It's not a small woman.

Small woman out in this desert would be hard to see.

-How is he still high? -Sure you got your measurements right?

Yes, they're right.

-You're 100%, right? -Yes.

Maybe latitude and longitude are wrong.

-Are you really questioning Suzie? -She's a genius, Jonathan.

-Even geniuses make mistakes. -Well, she didn't.

If that small woman is small enough, she could fit behind a small tree.

Stop! Just…

[brakes screech]

-Ouch. -What are you doing?

I am stopping us before we get more lost.

[dramatic stinger]

-[Jonathan] Give me the coordinates. -[Will] Um, okay.

Longitude is 116 degrees, five minutes, and 17--

Slow down. Slow down.

[bird caws]

Nina!

Nina.

Nina?

[echoes] Nina!

[chuckling] Holy macaroni.

All right. You just go straight down. Like, straight… straight…

Right on the money, as I said.

-It just doesn't make sense. -[Argyle] Yo, dudes!

My dudes!

Jesus Christ.

Come check this shit out!

What is it?

Gotta see it to believe it, my dudes!

Come on! Hurry!

Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! Pronto!

Okay.

So no small woman named Nina.

But you said any signs of life, am I right?

Right.

Well,

these are no regular tire tracks, brochachos.

I mean, look at the tread on these monsters.

They're fatties. And you know what that means.

Military.

We gotta go.

[dramatic music playing]

Well, I wouldn't do it if I didn't think she was ready.

But either way, I don't think we have any other choice.

-Do you? -No, I don't.

Yeah.

-It might take me some time though. -Just… As fast as you can.

It's gonna take us two hours to get to Nellis as it is.

And, Ellen, one more favor.

Can you send somebody over to a Max Mayfield's house?

There are some kids there that just need looking after, okay?

-[line clicks] -Ellen? Hello?

-[dial tone droning] -Sam? Hello?

[door opens]

[threatening music playing]

Why the long face, Doc?

We just wanna talk.

[music swells, fades]

[momentous music playing]

[door clangs]

No! Wait!

No! No!

[door locks]

[panting]

What…

[Brenner] You can't leave, Eleven.

[distressing stinger]

Where is Dr. Owens?

Dr. Owens had a change of heart.

I know you wish to go to him,

and there's nothing I can do to stop you

from forcing open that door.

But if my men hear you coming,

they will kill him.

-[Owens grunts, strains] -[handcuffs clicking]

And alone, you will never find your way out of this desert to your friends.

Here's what we're going to do.

You and I are going to complete our work together.

And when I decide that you are ready,

we will return to Hawkins, together.

Papa and daughter.

[exhales] Why are you doing this?

Because there's no other choice.

There is a choice.

Only one that is right.

And you make the right choices?

I try.

Did you make the right choice with Mama?

Four-fifty.

[electricity hums]

Your mother was sick, Eleven.

She was a danger to herself and to others.

She brought a gun into the hospital. She killed a man.

Hospital?

No.

A prison.

Everything I have done was for your own good.

For your own protection.

And Henry?

[chilling music playing]

You kept Henry in that lab.

With the children.

Was that for our good?

Was that a right choice?

I had no idea what Henry would do.

I cared for you.

I loved you. I loved all of you.

Even Henry?

Yes.

I was trying to help Henry, to understand him. Yes.

Yes, I cared for him.

Even after what… what he did?

Yes.

Because I knew I had failed him.

So this morning,

you said you believed he was always alive in the darkness.

Is that why I was searching the darkness?

[eerie snarling]

Was I looking for him? For Henry?

No. No.

We were focused on the Soviets.

You knew that.

"Papa does not tell the truth."

Henry said that.

And now you trust Henry?

Henry, who's manipulated you like some puppet?

You are the one who released him from his prison.

You.

And now you are angry with yourself

and you're taking your anger out on me

and you're risking everything.

No.

No, you.

You have risked everything!

You have lied!

You made me look for him!

-[Demogorgon snarls] -[screams]

The gate.

[wall crumbling]

The Mind Flayer.

[insidious hissing]

So many dead.

-[all screaming] -[bones cracking]

And all because of you.

Because you could not stop.

You could not let him go.

I came here to try and understand who I was.

To see if I…

if I was the monster.

[groaning]

[shock prods sparking]

Papa!

And now I know the truth.

It is not me.

It is you.

You

are the monster.

I am going to open that door,

and I am going to leave

with Dr. Owens.

If you try to stop me, I will kill you.

[determined synth music playing]

-[lights buzzing] -[door groaning]

[Eleven yells]

-[startling stinger] -[yells]

[grunts]

[grunts]

You'll soon see the truth, Eleven.

[Eleven screams]

[Brenner grunts, screams]

[distorted screaming]

Ah!

[distorted audio]

[distressing music building]

[music climaxes]

Is this legal?

Actually, I think it's a felony.

Right.

But it guarantees one thing.

I won't miss.

[metal clangs]

-[Dustin] How's she feeling? -Light. But durable.

Deadly.

-But reliable. -[Dustin chuckling]

[dramatically] Hear me now.

There will be no more retreating…

[in regular voice] …from Eddie the Banished.

Hey, you're really ready for bat-tle.

[chortles]

You get it?

"Bat-tle."

B-A-T.

No? [groans]

I thought I had a good one.

[bright, hopeful music playing]

What are you doing?

-[Eddie grunts] -You son of a bitch!

[Dustin] No wedgies! No wedgies!

Never change,

Dustin Henderson.

Promise me?

I wasn't planning on it.

Good.

-Good. -Good. [laughs]

Hey, Sinclairs.

How are those, uh… those spears coming on?

Flip that damn thumb around.

What?

It's too loose, Lucas.

This isn't a basketball game

where they blow the whistle when your shoes fall off.

Okay, okay, for the record,

my shoes never fell off.

Okay, for the record,

it's kinda hard for your shoes to fall off when you're riding the bench.

Yet, for some reason,

you show up to every game.

Mmm, except the one that mattered.

Plus, Mom and Dad forced me.

Bull. Mom and Dad can't force you to do shit.

Well, even though you're a bench-riding loser,

you're still my brother.

Just the facts.

-[Steve] It just doesn't make sense. -What doesn't make sense?

That was Dan Shelter. He graduated, like, two years ago.

-So? -So he's in college.

Which means he was visiting on spring break.

Fast Times was returned, like, I don't know, a week ago?

Right? Unless she's got some horndog brother we don't know about.

Which is possible.

Or she's just really into Judge Reinhold?

-Steve. -Nah.

-What? -I don't care.

I don't understand why you do either with everything that's going on.

Honestly, this feels like a perfect time for that little pull of the rug because…

in the face of the world ending, the stakes of my love life

feel spectacularly low.

Yeah. I mean, I get you there,

but… I still have hope.

-Not everything has a happy ending. -Yeah, yeah, believe me, I know.

[Robin chuckles]

[pensive music playing]

I'm not talking about failed romance.

I just…

I have this terrible,

gnawing feeling that…

it might not work out for us this time.

You think we shouldn't be doing this?

I think we're mad fools, the lot of us, but…

[sighs] …but if we don't stop him, who will?

[indistinct chatter]

We have to try, right?

Yeah.

To killing Vecna.

Slash Henry.

-Slash One. -[bottles clink]

[low, menacing thrumming]

[high-pitched ringing]

[panicked breathing]

[Brenner] It's only a precaution, Eleven.

I never intend to activate it.

[chilling music playing]

I very much hope

our fighting has come to an end.

[whimpers]

Shh.

-Shh. -[whimpers]

I know.

You're angry with me.

But it was the only way.

[breathing shakily]

The best way.

[alarm blares]

[alarm continues blaring]

-What's going on? -[soldier] It's Sullivan.

They found us.

[dramatic music playing]

[soldier] Go, go, go!

[alarm continues]

Three! Two! One!

[muffled explosion]

-Go to the back! -Get moving!

-Move out! -Go!

-Get 'em out of here! -No more time!

Evacuate now!

[dramatic music halts]

[alarm continues blaring]

[electricity buzzing rhythmically]

[eerie crackling]

[loud boom]

[intense synth music playing]

[soldier 1] Move!

[soldier 2] Steady! Fire!

[bullets ricocheting]

Eleven, we have to go.

-What is happening? -They've come to kill you.

[gunfire in distance]

[PA system] Evacuate immediately. Please proceed…

-[soldier 1] Clear. -[soldier 2] Clear!

Quarter and search by twos. Hicks, take the upper level.

Yes, sir.

[intense synth music continues]

Sir?

We found something you're gonna wanna see.

[electricity crackles]

[Sullivan] Well, well.

And what happened here?

Hmm?

Are Mommy and Daddy fighting?

Okay.

Let's try this again, shall we?

Where's the girl?

[Brenner grunts]

[wind rushing]

[Brenner grunts]

[sharp whooshing]

-[gunshot] -[grunts]

[helicopter blades whirring]

[menacing synth music playing]

[gunshot]

Where do you think you're going, Doc?

[gunshot]

-Why don't you give 'em some lead? -I got it.

[intense music swells]

[grunting]

-[flesh bursts] -[Brenner grunts]

Down he goes.

-[high-pitched ringing] -[coughs]

[helicopter blades whirring, distorted]

[gun cocks loudly]

[indistinct radio chatter]

Victor-Two-Sierra, this is Charlie-Lima-Golf.

Do you copy, over?

Victor-Two-Sierra, I copy, over.

We've got the target in our sights.

Requesting permission to take the shot, over.

Jack, you don't have to do this.

It's over, Sam.

Wait! Wait! Wait! I can put her in a coma.

A medically induced coma.

We have the drugs. We can do it right here.

And we'll see if… if these murders keep happening.

If you're right, the killing ends, and you can pull the plug on her.

In fact, I'll do it myself.

But if you're wrong about this,

God, are we gonna need her.

Jack.

Don't do this.

I'm begging you.

[breathes deeply]

Take it.

You son of a bitch!

No! You son of a bitch!

Green light. Light her up.

[tense music playing]

[horn honking]

Civvies. Five o'clock.

[honking continues]

The hell?

-There she is! There she is! -Where?

-[Mike] On the ground! -What are those dudes doing on the ground?

-Is that blood, man? -Shit.

[engine revs]

Victor-Two-Sierra, we've got a civvy headed our way.

-[radio beeps] -Ignore it. Just take out the girl.

Copy that. Ignore the civvy. Take the shot.

[intense stinger]

Found ya.

[metal creaking]

[gunshot]

-Hell are you doing? Hold her steady! -I don't know, man. Something's wrong!

[dramatic music playing]

Jesus Christ.

[blades whirring erratically]

Holy shit!

Shit!

[metal groaning]

[blades continue whirring erratically]

I'm losing her!

Shit!

-Shit! -Shit! I can't! I can't hold it!

[Eleven screams]

[scream echoing]

[slowed-down, distorted whirring]

-[screaming] -Shit! Shit! Shit!

[pants]

[epic music playing]

[Eleven breathing heavily]

[Mike, muffled] Eleven!

[music swells]

Eleven.

[powerful, emotional music playing]

Oh, Mike.

[breathing heavily]

It's really you?

It's me.

-I'm here. -Okay.

Everyone's here.

[powerful, emotional music continues]

[both crying]

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Oh shit.

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Shit!

Eleven.

You… Are you okay?

-I'm okay. [titters] -Okay.

Hey, guys. We gotta go.

We gotta get you outta here.

[collar unclasps]

[music fades]

[collar clinks]

[wind rushing]

[thud echoes]

Papa.

Eleven.

[breathes shakily]

I want you to know

I'm proud of you.

So very proud.

You

are my family.

[breathing shakily]

My child.

[Brenner gasps]

[gentle, emotional music playing]

I've only ever

wanted to help you.

To protect you.

[Brenner struggling]

Everything I did,

I did for you.

I need you to understand.

Please tell me you understand.

[gentle, emotional music continues]

Please.

Goodbye, Papa.

[hopeful music playing]

[wind whistling]

[hopeful music continues]

-We need to get to Hawkins. -I know. And we will.

But we need to get you somewhere safe. Gonna be people behind us.

No, Mike, we need to get to Hawkins tonight.

We'll never make it. That's over 2,000 miles.

We need to find a way.

If we don't, they are going to die.

Who's gonna die?

El, who's gonna die?

["Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" by Journey playing]

♪ Here we stand ♪

♪ Worlds apart, hearts broken in two ♪

♪ Two ♪

♪ Two ♪

♪ Sleepless nights ♪

♪ Losing ground ♪

♪ I'm reachin' for you ♪

♪ You ♪

♪ You ♪

[music swells powerfully]

[resolute drum line plays]

♪ Someday, love will find you ♪

♪ True love won't desert you ♪

♪ You know I still love you ♪

♪ Though we touched And went our separate ways ♪

[music builds to dramatic climax]

[music halts]

[owl hooting]

[sinister outro music playing]

[wind whistling]

-[tools clattering] -[indistinct chatter]

[Yuri grunts]

[Yuri humming softly]

[Murray] It's perfect.

-[Murray] Somewhere like… -[Antonov] Yeah.

[Murray] I can totally see it. You in Indiana.

-[Antonov] Indiana? -[Murray] Yeah.

Well, you have a certain stoic-- More Clint Eastwood than--

Good news, my friends.

Katinka feeling better.

Shall we give her another try?

Why not? [chuckles]

Asshole.

[Antonov scoffs] This guy.

[Yuri grunts]

[exhales]

[sniffs, hums]

[machinery powering up]

[sighs]

[speaking in Russian]

[engine splutters, wheezes]

[engine continues spluttering, wheezing]

[engine jolts]

Yuri!

That's enough.

That's enough! Hey!

The hell you think you're doing?

Get your hands off me, potatohead.

You're trying to break her, aren't ya?

Get us captured again so you can get your reward? That it?

What do you two lizard brains know?

You're engineers now?

I know that sound is not good.

On contrary, those noises you hear,

that… [imitates engine whining]

…it's very good sign.

-Good sign, huh? -Yeah.

My women make noise when I please them.

You don't know what that is like. I understand.

But for those like me who knows what and where to touch,

much noise.

[engine splutters]

[stops spluttering]

[spluttering resumes]

[light buzzes]

[Joyce inhales, groans]

Yeah.

These are the smallest I could find.

That's it for shirts.

-[Hopper grunts] -Oh. Well…

Cute.

[Hopper chuckles]

Yuri has good taste. What can I say?

Um…

-Oh, sorry. -Sorry.

-[chuckles] I'll go over here. -Okay.

[Joyce sighs]

[delicate, yearning music playing]

[sighs]

[Hopper grunting gingerly]

[inhales sharply]

[sighs]

What did they do to you?

Oh my God.

No, it's not that bad. It's… [exhales]

You know, I needed to lose weight anyway.

It's given me time to think, you know?

About who I've been and…

and what I've done.

I never should've sent you that message.

You didn't know what was gonna happen.

I knew it'd be dangerous.

So did I.

I made this choice.

And I would choose it again, even knowing everything that I know.

I would.

Plus, you know, we do have that date to get to. [chuckles]

Remember?

[chuckles] "Remember"?

I've been dreaming about it.

Oh, yeah?

[Hopper] Yeah.

I have it all planned out.

Pray tell.

I'm getting two orders of bread sticks. Two.

Those things knock your socks off.

Enzo puts some spice on 'em.

I don't know what it is, but it's good.

And you dip it in olive oil? Forget about it.

And, uh, I'm wavering on the main course between the veal and the lasagna.

But I think I gotta go with lasagna, right?

So, you… you've been dreaming about bread sticks and lasagna?

I've been on a diet of watery soup, moldy bread, and maggots,

so, yeah, I've been dreaming about bread sticks and lasagna.

I mean, sue me.

[chuckles]

Should I have been dreaming about something else?

You tell me.

Well,

there's wine.

Oh, well, wine's good.

I was thinking about a nice "Cheeanti."

-Chianti. -Chianti, right.

-Then there's dessert. -You gotta have dessert.

Gotta have dessert.

And after that?

[tender, emotional music swells]

I don't know.

Use your imagination.

Who needs imagination?

[bright, hopeful music playing]

[Joyce moans]

[both exclaim]

[both moaning]

-[phone rings] -[Joyce groans]

-Damn it! [sucks teeth] -Remember, they're listening!

-[phone ringing] -[dramatic stinger]

[owl hooting]

[Nancy] Okay. I wanna run through it one more time.

[ominous music playing]

-Phase one. -We meet Erica at the playground.

She'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready.

-Phase two. -Max baits Vecna.

He'll go after her, which'll put him in his trance.

-Phase three? -Me and Eddie draw the bats away.

[Nancy] Four.

[Robin] We head into Vecna's newly bat-free lair, and…

-[liquid sloshing] -…flambé.

Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied.

Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what.

Got it?

[all] Got it.

[low, ominous music playing]

[tense, martial music playing]

-Be careful. -Thanks, buddy.

[inhales] Here goes nothing.

[grunts]

[gate pulsates wetly]

[mutters sarcastically] What does he want us to do, applaud?

[grunts] All right.

Let's go.

[gate squelches]

[Nancy grunts]

[Steve] Gotcha.

[yelps, pants]

[thunder booms]

Hey, guys, listen.

If things here start to go south, I mean, at all,

you abort.

Okay? Draw the attention of the bats.

Keep 'em busy for a minute or two. We'll take care of Vecna.

Don't try to be cute or be a hero or something.

-Okay? You guys are just-- -[Steve, Dustin] Decoys.

Don't worry. You can be the hero, Steve.

[Eddie] Absolutely. I mean,

look at us.

We are not heroes.

[music pulses ominously]

Hey, Steve?

Make him pay.

[sinister industrial synth music playing]

[music swells]

[music fades]

[theme music playing]

[Jonathan] No, no. Like I said, I… I've tried everyone.

Yeah, TWA, Pan Am, Eastern.

No, it doesn't have to be a one-way.

I'll take one seat, if you have it.

I mean, please, there has to be something that you can do.

One of our family members is really, really sick,

and I don't know if she's gonna make it through the night.

Is there any way that you could just…

-No. No. No. -[pensive music playing]

Like I said before, I… I've tried them already.

Okay, well, is there any way that I could speak to a manager?

There… There's no one there?

No, that's the problem. I can't call back.

[Jonathan continues indistinctly]

[music turns enigmatic]

[Terry] Breathe. Sunflower.

Rainbow. Three to the right. Four to the…

Three.

Rainbow.

-[wings fluttering] -[birds cawing]

Get away! [screams]

-Damn it. -[Will] What'd they say?

Earliest is tomorrow.

-No. That's way too late. -Shit.

-I know. -[Argyle] Hey, dudes?

Ask 'em if we can ride in the baggage compartment.

The baggage compartment?

We'd suffocate.

Dogs ride in there all the time, man.

They don't suffocate.

-Jesus Christ. -Holy shit.

[Eleven] I have a way.

[country music playing faintly]

A way to protect Max.

From here.

This is Max.

When One attacks, he'll be in her mind.

But I can do that too.

I went into Mama's mind, into Billy's.

I can go into Max's.

She can carry me to Vecna.

I can piggyback.

I can protect her.

From One.

Fight him from here.

Mind fight. Righteous.

Wait, so you actually think this can work?

A bathtub would help.

Yeah. Gotta be clean to enter the mind.

What? No, no. It's a sensory deprivation tank.

It helps her calm down and focus on her powers.

Wait, we… we just passed a motel.

Yeah, but they won't have enough salt.

Well, how much salt are we talking here, my dudes?

Well, depends on the size of the tub, but a lot.

Does 600 pounds suffice?

You know a place that has 600 pounds of salt?

[quirky synth music playing]

Let's see…

Yep.

Mm-hmm.

Yep. It'll work.

What will work?

I know a magical place that has all you need,

my brave, little superpowered friend.

That mind fight is on.

Come on.

¡Vámonos! Let's go! Pronto!

[van door slams]

[engine splutters, revs]

[quirky synth music fades]

["Running Up That Hill" playing on headphones]

♪ Do you want to know That it doesn't hurt me? ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Do you want to hear about The deal that I'm making? ♪

[unsettling audio distortion]

[tense, eerie music playing]

[lantern buzzing]

[floorboards creaking]

[eerie music swells]

[lantern buzzing rhythmically]

[Max's lantern buzzing loudly]

[door creaks open]

[tense music playing]

[discordant notes]

[Erica panting]

[dog whimpers]

[dog barks]

[gunshot echoes]

[gunshot echoes]

[dogs barking]

-[door opens, slams] -Hey!

-I think we got something. -Send Ryan.

I don't wanna waste any more time with bullshit leads.

I don't think you'll wanna send Ryan on this one.

[foreboding music playing]

You know the murder house on Morehead?

Yeah.

-[flames crackling] -What about it?

[foreboding music intensifies]

Okay, and, uh, who exactly was this mystery woman?

Not sure.

I mean, she wasn't exactly Miss Talkative.

You know? I spent five minutes trying to convince her I was real.

I'm supposed to be dead, remember?

Anyway, I finally get around to half-convincing her,

she starts to open up a little, then says that she's…

A friend of the doc's.

Great, so am I. Now put me on the phone with him.

I'm afraid the doc is indisposed.

"Indisposed"?

It gets worse.

She said the doc's with the girl.

And the girl went off to fight some evil in Hawkins.

Then they all went off-grid. The doc, the girl, everybody.

"The girl," meaning… El.

Yeah, it has to be.

This is your daughter, American?

Mm-hmm.

And they're not alone.

Joyce's kids are with 'em.

[tense chord plays]

[Joyce sighs]

Okay, I… I see the mood here is bleak.

And understandably so.

But I do think we need to consider

the very real possibility

that this mystery woman is, in fact, KGB.

-And she's-- -[Joyce] No.

She's telling the truth.

When we were in the lab, those particles we saw,

they were alive.

And if they're alive, that means a gate's open in Hawkins.

"Gate"? What does this mean?

It means we have to go home right now.

What is taking so long?

I thought you said he was close.

Yeah, close to sabotaging us, you mean.

We think he's playing us again.

So put a goddamn gun to his head.

And then what? He just spits out more lies.

[Murray] It's moot anyway.

If your kids are truly in some kind of imminent danger,

even if we were to leave this very moment, we wouldn't make it in time.

The earliest we'd get there is late tomorrow.

No, we… we don't have to make it back.

Not tonight.

Whatever this evil is,

we know it's connected to the hive mind.

And now we know part of that hive mind is in Russia.

So we don't need to get back to Hawkins to fight it.

All we need is to destroy those particles.

[Joyce] And if we're lucky,

it'll hurt it enough to give the kids the upper hand.

Wait, time out.

We're talking about the particles inside the prison?

The prison that we just narrowly escaped from?

We broke out.

We can break back in.

Jim!

The entire Soviet army is looking for us.

Sure. And we'll be exactly where they least expect.

All right. There is a fine line between courage and stupidity,

and this falls very far on the side of stupid.

This is Dirty Dozen stuff.

Except there are, uh, four of us.

Three, actually.

Breaking back in's gonna be easier than breaking out.

Which is why we need an airlift. This is where you come in.

I don't care what it takes.

You get Yuri in line, and you get that bird in the air.

On it.

Yu… Yuri mentioned something about a flamethrower, right?

[crate lid clatters]

[Hopper sighs]

Oh, yeah.

This'll do.

This'll do just fine.

[tense music swells, fades]

You gotta be shitting me.

[bright, uplifting music playing]

Trust me on this one, my dudes.

[surfer rock guitar music playing]

Surf's up, my dude.

Uh, whoa.

Nice shirt, my dude. [chuckles]

Thanks, my dude.

Uh, listen, I would love to feed a fellow Surfer Boy,

but kitchen closed, like, five minutes ago,

so no more pies tonight, man.

[chuckles] That's all right, my dude.

We're not here for your tasty pies.

You see this weird girl behind me?

She needs a tub with a bunch of salt so we can enhance her psychic power

so she can save the world from this super bad dude.

But to make this salty tub,

we require your kitchen.

Ah.

Well, it's just, uh…

I'm supposed to meet Chaz at Taco Bell

in, like, ten. So…

My dude.

We're not asking you to help for free.

You ever partake in…

Purple Palm Tree Delight?

It'll make all your troubles float away.

Like the seed pods of a dandelion in the wind.

[tense music playing]

[freezer door slams]

First-ever mind fight held in a pizza dough freezer.

Pretty rad, right?

[fence rattling]

[planks clatter]

[drill whirring]

[hose squeaking]

[drills whirring]

[tense music continues]

[fence rattling]

[drill whirring]

[dough whooshes]

[tense music intensifies]

[thunder booms]

[Eddie] Not bad.

Not bad at all.

[Eddie chuckles]

Now for the fun part.

Jesus Chr…

-[Eddie whimpers] -[chuckles]

It's like… she was destined for an alternate dimension.

[audio distortion pulses]

What do you say, Henderson?

[guitar strings sing]

Are you ready for the most metal concert in the history of the world?

That a rhetorical question?

Let's do it.

[thunderclap]

[unseen creatures chittering]

[Robin] Uh… I don't mean to freak anyone out,

but I swear we've seen this tree before.

-[Nancy] That's impossible. -That would suck, right?

If Vecna destroyed the world because… 'cause we got lost in the woods?

-[Nancy] We're not lost, Robin. -[Robin chuckles]

Robin, hey. Watch out for the vines! Hive mind.

-Remember? -Thank you!

[Steve] Uh, Don't worry about her.

She's just stressed.

You know, scared.

Yeah. Yeah. I… I know.

It's just…

She's a super klutz?

[chuckles]

She did tell me that it took her longer to walk than most babies, so…

[chuckles] I really shouldn't laugh.

When I was a baby,

I actually crawled backwards.

Crawled backwards?

You know, I'd push with my hands like this. Beep. Beep.

Always in reverse, you know?

Come on, it makes sense. You push to move, right?

No, no, it doesn't make sense.

Well, it did to my tiny little Harrington brain.

That is, until I reversed my baby butt down a flight of stairs

and thumped my head really good.

Yeah.

Wow. That explains

so much.

Yeah. [chuckles]

I think it kinda does.

I think, like, right out of the gate, like, I'm super confident.

But I'm also, like, an idiot.

Which is just… I mean, it's a brutal combination.

But, I mean, the good news is,

I get a big enough thump on my head, I can change, you know?

I can learn.

I can

crawl forward.

[wondrous music playing]

Listen, I guess what I'm trying to say in a really stupid, roundabout way is, um…

[clicks tongue] …is thank you.

Thank me?

-Yeah. -For…?

For giving my head the biggest thump of its life

two years ago.

I needed it.

It's changed my life.

And now I'm crawling forward.

Slowly.

I just wonder sometimes…

you know, if… some other girl had given me a proper thump before we'd met,

would things have been different?

Like, if we were meeting together for the first time right now, part of me…

I dunno, part of me thinks we would've made it.

Steve…

Remember the dream I told you about?

About the Winnebago?

Seeing the country with my six lil' nuggets?

It's all true.

Every last word.

But I left one part out.

It's the most important part.

You're there.

[heart-felt chords play]

You've always been there.

[tender, emotional music playing]

[Robin] Hey, guys!

You guys! Awesome news!

[panting]

Looks like we weren't going the wrong way after all.

[exhales]

[Robin] Come on.

-Let's go! -[Steve] Okay.

Ro… Slow down! Ro… Robin!

[intricate, macabre music playing]

Erica.

[music halts jarringly]

Where are the guards?

Maybe this'll be easier than we thought.

I don't know, Jim. I got a bad feeling about this.

[radio static]

[yelling, gunfire over radio]

[screaming over radio]

[gunfire, terrified yelling]

[dramatic stinger]

[wind whistling]

[gunfire in distance]

[menacing music pulses]

[creature snarling]

[tools rattling]

[in Russian] I have a question.

What if I don't want to answer?

Have you always been a coward?

[tool clatters]

Yuri Ismaylov

is many things, you traitor.

But he is…

no coward.

If that is so,

why do you continue to stall?

What do I owe these Americans?

Nothing!

This isn't just about America, smuggler.

[uneasy music playing]

They have warned us of a great evil in the world.

An evil that does not rest,

that does not respect borders.

After it has consumed everything in their land,

it will come for us.

For our families.

For our Motherland.

You saw it with your own eyes.

You know it to be true.

And yet you continue to play tricks!

[music fades]

I was told the Peanut Butter Smuggler

was once a great man.

Before he lost his way to drink and cards.

That he led his men to victory over the Chinese in Damansky.

Is it true?

It is true.

That hero, where is he now?

Because I do not see him.

[somber synth music playing]

[exhales]

[music swells]

[music fades]

[ethereal music playing]

["Running Up That Hill" playing faintly]

♪ Be running up that road ♪

♪ Be running up that hill ♪

♪ Be running up that building ♪

[vocalizing]

♪ And if I only could, oh ♪

♪ It's you and me ♪

♪ Won't be unhappy ♪

♪ Oh, come on, baby ♪

♪ Oh, come on, darling ♪

♪ Let me steal this moment from you now ♪

♪ Oh, come on, angel ♪

♪ Come on, come on, darling ♪

[tender, emotional music playing]

[pages rustling]

[music swells poignantly]

[music fades]

[tense music pulses rhythmically]

Come on. Come on.

Okay, the lovebirds have copied.

Max is moving into phase two: distracting Vecna.

So far, so smooth.

Yeah, we're not even at the hard part yet.

[thunderclap]

[creatures shrieking]

[swarm chittering]

[Nancy] Take the bait, you son of a bitch.

Take the bait.

[tense industrial synth music playing]

[music fades]

["Running Up That Hill" playing over headphones]

♪ Say, if I only could ♪

♪ Oh ♪

[lantern buzzing rhythmically]

♪ You ♪

[vocalizing]

♪ You and me ♪

♪ You and me ♪

♪ Won't be unhappy ♪

-[tape deck clicks off] -[Max inhales]

Hey!

Asshole!

I'm here.

No more music.

No more games.

Do you hear me?

What are you waiting for, huh?

Come on! Do you want me or not?

[lantern buzzes, fades]

[lantern buzzes]

[delicate, sinister music playing]

[Mike] Okay, almost done.

[hokey muzak playing]

Okay, so, hopefully this blocks out any peripheral light, right?

And it's totally dark, which means it works.

But I have one more important question:

do I look cool?

-[laughs] -Feel like I look really cool.

Are you giggling?

-[giggling] -You're giggling because I look awesome.

I can't see it, but I know you're smiling because I look so good. Right?

-Mike. -Yeah?

[tender, emotional music playing]

I…

missed you.

[exhales] Yeah.

Yeah, I missed you too.

You know,

the last few days, I… I've had to think about the last talk we had.

You know, before the cops and…

the whole world went to shit?

I… I guess

I just…

I dunno.

I guess I just wanted to say that--

-[tray clatters loudly] -Surf's up, Romeo.

[hokey muzak resumes]

Oh, uh, too much flavor awesomeness can't overpower your battery, can it?

-Dude, this is pineapple. -Try before you deny.

-Good. -[Argyle] Hmm?

-It's good? What do you mean? -Really good.

What? That's insane. Blasphemous. Putting fruit on pizza?

-Did you try? Try before you deny. -No. I--

-Try before you deny! -Stop! Enough! I'm not a dog!

-No, not a baby! Thank you! -Try some.

-Try before you deny! -[Mike] No!

[Mike] No! Stop it! [yelping]

-[Mike] Okay! Okay! -[Argyle chuckles]

[hokey muzak continues]

[Mike] No, you're right. It's good.

Do you remember that time you told me you had a Lego stuck up your nose?

-What? -Yeah.

Like, it was like a… It was like a construction guy.

You'd call him Larry. Come on! You don't remember?

He had the high viz jacket and removable hat?

Yeah.

Vaguely.

Well, I remember it like it was yesterday.

Man, I was… I was freaked.

'Cause… 'Cause this Larry… I mean, Larry was way, way up there.

I don't even know how you got him that far up.

I had to do surgery. I… I had to get tweezers to pull him out.

-Bull. -[chuckles] No.

No, no, I swear on my life.

[Jonathan sighs]

I don't know, I just…

I feel like you used to come to me more for help.

Or to just… talk, you know?

'Cause, like, you don't do that anymore.

Not like before.

A lot of that is probably my fault.

This last year… [sighs]

[wistful, emotional music playing]

…I know I've been distant.

Or stoned.

Or stoned.

Yeah.

But that has nothing to do with you.

And that's me dealing with my own shit.

Hiding from my own problems.

The truth is,

I miss talking to you.

I, like, really miss it.

And I think,

right now,

we need to talk more than ever.

Because things are getting just complicated.

A lot more complicated than Legos up the nose, you know?

I just…

I don't want you to forget that I'm here.

And I'll always be here.

No matter what.

Because you're my brother.

And I love you.

And there is nothing in this world, okay,

absolutely nothing,

that will ever change that.

You got that?

[voice quavering] Yeah.

And I'm always

here for you too.

I know.

I know you are.

Come here.

[Will stifles sob]

[Will weeping quietly]

[emotional music swells]

It's gonna be okay.

-Yeah? -Yeah.

[Jonathan exhales]

I think it's ready.

All right.

It's time.

[resolute synth music playing]

[static droning]

[exhales]

[electricity buzzing]

Wild.

[electricity pulsing]

I found them.

They're carrying a light.

A blue light.

[lantern buzzing]

[warped tones play]

[restrained, melodic music playing]

[lantern whines, buzzing dies]

What are you waiting for, asshole?

[echoing] Hmm? I'm right here.

I'm right here!

[Mike] Okay, El, what's going on?

It's not working.

What? What's not working?

Max's plan.

I know you can hear me.

I know you can read my thoughts.

Even the worst ones.

Maybe mostly the worst ones.

[lantern buzzing steadily]

I thought about what you said.

About how I wanted my brother to die.

I thought you were just trying to upset me.

To anger me.

But you weren't, were you?

You were just telling the truth.

[emotional music playing]

Billy, he made my life living hell.

Every chance he got.

So, sometimes…

when I would lie in bed at night, I would…

I would pray…

[sniffs] …I would pray that something would happen to him.

Something awful.

I knew that he drove too fast, so I would imagine him

crashing.

Dying in that stupid car.

I just…

I wanted him out of my life.

Forever.

I wanted him to disappear.

[echoing] The day that he died…

I think that's why I just stood there.

Watched.

Not because I was scared or… weak.

But because…

I didn't know if he deserved to be saved.

And I've tried to forgive myself.

I've tried, but…

I can't.

I can't. [sniffs]

So now…

now, when I lie in bed at night…

I pray that something will happen to me.

That something terrible will happen to me.

So that's why I'm here.

Because…

I just want you to take me away.

And I want you…

to make me disappear.

[Lucas] Is that all true?

You wanted Billy to die.

Why are you talking?

You ever have thoughts like that about me?

What?

No, Lucas, never.

Normal people don't fantasize about killing other people, Max.

-[sinister music pulses] -You realize that, right?

Lucas, please.

I thought you were getting better.

But you're not, are you?

You are sick.

Lucas, you don't mean that.

[music pulsing rapidly]

Maybe it is good he takes you.

Maybe it's for the best.

In fact…

[ragged breathing]

…I'm glad it's going to be you.

[distorted] You will be the chosen one.

The fourth. The final sacrifice.

[Vecna and Lucas] It's going to be you that breaks the world.

[menacing chords play]

Max? Can you hear me?

Max!

[echoing] Max!

He has her.

[electricity flickering]

Max.

-Where are you going? Don't be scared. -Stay away from me.

Max, I thought you said you were ready.

Ready to disappear!

I said, stay away!

[grunts]

[music swells]

[music fades]

Max. It's okay.

-[Max panting] -I'm coming.

I'm coming. Just hold on a little longer.

[Max breathing heavily]

[anxious synth music playing]

[heart beating steadily]

-[music intensifies] -[electricity flickers]

[Max] I dunno if you can hear this. I'm sorry.

I'm so, so sorry, Billy.

-[Max's mom] Max, sweetie. -[Max] Mom?

It's gonna be okay, baby.

[Max] Ready?

♪ Turn around ♪

♪ Look at what you see ♪

Hi.

-[kids] Trick or treat! -Should've seen the look on your faces.

[Mr. Clarke] Maxine.

[music builds to climax]

[suspenseful music playing]

[skateboard clattering]

What's happening now?

I think

I am in a memory.

A Max memory.

[indistinct hollering, chatter]

[wheels whooshing, distorted]

Do you see her? Do you see Max?

[Eleven] No.

But she's here.

[echoing] She has to be here.

[suspenseful music continues]

[music fades]

Okay, she's in. Initiate phase three.

She's in. Move on to phase three.

Copy that. Initiating phase three.

Let's hope they hear this.

[amp whining]

[feedback crackles]

Chrissy, this is for you.

[yelps, strums out heavy metal chords]

[plays "Master of Puppets" by Metallica]

[creatures gurgle]

[snarls]

[swarm chittering]

[Nancy] Okay, it's working.

Let's go.

♪ End of passion play ♪

♪ Crumbling away ♪

♪ I'm your source of self-destruction ♪

Where are you going, Maxine?

♪ Veins that pump with fear… ♪

-You see her? -Yeah.

I see her.

-[engine revs] -[brakes screeching]

♪ Taste me, you will see ♪

♪ More is all you need ♪

♪ Dedicated to how I'm killing you ♪

♪ Come crawling faster ♪

♪ Obey your master ♪

♪ Your life burns faster ♪

♪ Obey your master ♪

♪ Master ♪

Max!

Let me out of here!

♪ Where's the dreams That I've been after? ♪

♪ Master, master ♪

Max! Open the door!

-Open the door! -[glass shatters]

-[Billy yells] -Get off!

♪ Laughter, laughter… ♪

[creatures shriek]

Eddie!

We gotta lock down in T-minus 30 seconds!

[bellows]

[swarm chittering]

T-minus 20!

[ferocious guitar riff]

[shreds guitar solo]

[Billy] Max! Let me out!

Max! Max!

[Billy raging]

[continues solo]

T-minus ten!

-Max! -[chain rattling]

Five!

One!

[solo swells, trails away]

Holy shit.

[chuckles]

-[Eddie] Move! Move! Move! -Let's go!

-Eddie, come on! -Hurry!

-[Eddie] Go, go! -[Dustin] Shit! Shit!

Hurry! Eddie, shut it!

-[fence clatters] -[Eddie grunts]

[creatures shrieking]

[Dustin] Hurry! Come on!

[panting]

Dude!

-Most metal ever! -Oh my... Oh my God.

[both hollering in excitement]

-[excited hollering fades] -[light buzzes, flickers]

[distant baying]

Oh dear God.

[chilling music playing]

[shaky gurgling]

[gasping for breath]

[in Russian] What happened here?

[strained wheeze]

[speaking in Russian]

[in English] The monster got in.

[officer continues in Russian]

The guards, they tried to stop it.

[speaking Russian]

The gunfire shattered the tanks.

[speaking in Russian]

The others came alive.

The particles.

Ask him about the particles.

[speaking in Russian]

[speaking Russian]

[speaking Russian]

[in English] He says they call it "the shadow."

The shadow

went into them.

Into who?

[speaking in Russian]

[speaking Russian]

[wordlessly gasping]

[repeats in Russian]

[chilling music swells, fades]

-[sighs] -[Demogorgon, Demodogs bellowing]

[flamethrower whooshes]

[intense synth music playing]

[Murray] I think this answers your question, Jim.

The shadow is in them.

[intense synth music swells]

[door hinges squeak, creak]

[tentacles roiling wetly]

[Steve] Oh shit.

That's not good.

[Robin] Shit.

It's okay.

You got this.

[resolute synth music playing]

Shouldn't you be playing with dolls or something?

Shouldn't you bag your face?

[bully scoffs]

[mysterious music playing]

[echoing] Max.

Max!

I found her.

But she's young.

She can't see me.

Can't hear me.

Do you see anything weird

in this memory?

Any sign of Vecna or… or the Mind Flayer?

No, everything

is normal.

["Every Breath You Take" by the Police playing, distorted]

There is something

that doesn't fit.

[uneasy music play]

I think it is

another memory.

A memory within a memory?

♪ …breath you take ♪

♪ Every move you make ♪

♪ Every bond you break Every step you take ♪

♪ I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Every single… ♪

[jolting explosion]

[menacing music builds]

[sinister industrial music pulses]

[record warps, distorts]

♪ …do love you ♪

♪ Dream a little dream of me ♪

["Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Ella Fitzgerald playing]

♪ Say nighty-night and kiss me ♪

♪ Just hold me tight And tell me you'll miss me ♪

♪ While I'm alone and blue as can be ♪

♪ Dream a little dream of me ♪

[disconcertingly jaunty music continues]

[Louis Armstrong] ♪ Stars fading but I linger on, dear ♪

[Fitzgerald] ♪ Oh, how I do linger on ♪

[Armstrong] ♪ Still craving your kiss ♪

[Fitzgerald] ♪ How you crave my kiss ♪

[Armstrong] ♪ Now I'm longing ♪

[enigmatic synth music playing]

[desiccated withering]

[thunder booms]

[dramatic music builds]

[music fades]

[harsh, claustrophobic chords play]

Oh shit.

-[lantern buzzing] -[Lucas panting]

What the hell is taking so long?

-Let me go, you meathead! -Shut your mouth or I'll break your arms.

Hear me, you little shit?

[floorboards creaking]

Shit.

[ominous stinger]

Jason?

You can't be here right now, man.

-The hell have you done? -Jason.

You need to leave.

Is this what you did to Chrissy?

-Just listen, Jason. -Hey.

-You need to go, man. -Hi. Can… Can you hear me?

Jason, don't touch her.

-I'm not messing around. -Hey.

-Please, just-- -Hear me?

-Hey, back up! Back up! -[dramatic stinger]

Not another step.

Wa… Wait. We… We don't have to do this.

-We don't have to do this. -I hope you're right.

-[Lucas] Wait. -Is there anyone else in the house?

No. No.

Turn around.

-What? -Turn around!

Okay, okay. Relax, relax.

-And put down your flashlight. -It's okay. Okay.

[flashlight clatters]

[Jason] And empty your pockets.

-Empty your pockets! -Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay.

Now, this is what's gonna happen.

I'm gonna back away to the top of the stairs there.

Then I'll watch as you wake her up from whatever the hell this is.

I can't.

Jason.

If I wake her too soon,

we all die.

No.

You don't wake her up right now, you die, Sinclair.

[safety clicks]

Just you.

[tense music pulses rapidly]

[music fades]

-You shut off this fence, right? -Yeah.

Good. So you can turn it back on again.

[chuckles] Jim, you wanna clue us in on what you're thinking here,

or are we supposed to read your mind?

This pit was designed to trap monsters.

We get 'em in here, we lock it up,

we rain fire from above,

and we hope to hell that gives El and the kids an upper hand.

Okay.

I'm with ya.

Except the whole, uh… [chuckles]

…"getting them all in here" part.

It's a hive mind.

You draw one,

you draw 'em all.

[dramatic synth music playing]

-You're the grill master. -Okay.

And you, you're the jailer. You get that fence turned on.

And once they're all in here, lock that door behind 'em.

What about you?

I'm the bait.

[dramatic music swells, fades]

[Hopper] That one there. See him? In the laundry room?

It's not far from here.

He's all alone.

[sorrowful music playing]

He's our target.

[muffled scream]

[snarls]

-[slowed down] No! -Let's go!

[Hopper] Hey.

I'm gonna die someday.

But not today.

[hopeful synth music playing]

[whispers softly] I still got a date to make, remember?

[exhales]

I don't know, Hop.

This time,

it's gonna be different.

It better be.

I am not having another funeral.

[thunder booming]

[swarm screeching, thrashing]

[creatures slamming against walls loudly]

[swarm stops screeching, thrashing]

Hey, dipshits!

-Give up that easy, huh? -Shh!

Is that really necessary?

[clattering]

They're on the roof.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

-[swarm trilling] -[ceiling creaking, rattling]

[clattering continues]

They can't get in through there, can they?

[jarring stinger]

[shrieking]

[both yelling]

-Die! Die! -[creature shrieking]

Die! Die! Die!

[tentacles undulating moistly]

[Robin grunts]

Ugh.

[thunder rumbles]

Easy.

[rumbling]

[all panting]

[tentacle trilling]

[tentacle adheres wetly]

[Robin yelps]

Steve!

Nancy!

-[tentacle trills, shrieks] -[Steve grunts]

[Steve struggling]

[yelps]

[panting]

[tentacles slither wetly]

[grunts]

[Robin, Nancy choking]

[grunts, struggles]

[lights buzzing erratically]

[Joyce breathing shakily]

[rhythmic thumping]

[rhythmic thumping continues]

[flesh tearing]

-[bones crunching] -[Demodog trills]

[Demodog chittering]

[whistles]

[roars]

[frantic percussive music playing]

[metal clanging]

[Dustin, Eddie yell]

Eddie!

I need you!

Get out of the way! Get out of the way!

[yells]

-[creature trilling] -[both panting]

[Eddie breathing heavily]

Holy shit. Holy shit.

-Nice. -Thanks.

Are there other vents?

Oh, shit.

-Shit! -Shit, shit, shit, shit.

[shrieking]

Shit!

-Shit! -[swarm thrashing]

That's not gonna hold!

Let's go! Let's go!

[Dustin grunting]

Come on! Quickly!

-[gate oozing] -Ah!

[loud thud]

Eddie, come on!

[door cracking]

[Dustin] Eddie, come on! Let's go!

Eddie, you're so close! Eddie! Let's go!

[somber, thoughtful music play]

Eddie.

[creatures chittering]

Eddie!

What are you doing? Eddie, no!

[yells]

Eddie!

Eddie, stop! Eddie, stop!

Stop! Stop!

Eddie, what are you doing?

-I'm buying more time. -No!

Eddie, please!

[swarm screeching]

[snarls]

[frenetic synth music playing]

-["Dream a Little Dream of Me" playing] -♪ Stars shining bright above you ♪

♪ Night breezes seem to whisper ♪

♪ I love you ♪

♪ Birds singin' in the sycamore trees ♪

[ominous stinger]

♪ Dream of me ♪

[door creaking]

[Vecna] You can't hide from me, Max.

[low, unnerving synth music playing]

[mysterious music playing]

You think I don't see what you're doing?

-Is Mike a good kisser? -[both giggle]

[Vecna] You think I don't see

everything?

-Please. -[Vecna] You thought you could trick me?

You thought your friends

could stop me?

I see them.

I see your friends.

Just as clearly

-as I… -Stop!

…see you.

I can feel them.

I can feel them

dying.

[gasping]

[clock chimes]

It's time, Max.

["Dream a Little Dream of Me" continues, warped]

[disturbingly distorted] ♪ Dream a little dream of me ♪

♪ Say nighty-night… ♪

It's time.

-[ominous music playing] -[yells]

[crying out in pain]

[Max whimpering]

[wet footsteps squelch]

[Lucas] We call him Vecna.

He lives in another dimension.

That's why you can't see him.

And Eddie Munson and his… his Hellfire acolytes,

what, you all summoned this Vecna?

No, no, you're not listening. Just listen.

There… There's no cult.

There never was.

-You expect me to believe that? -It's the truth.

-Then why was Chrissy at Eddie's trailer? -She was buying drugs.

-Liar! -[safety clicks]

Okay. [panting]

Okay.

Chrissy…

She was seeing things.

Terrible things.

Things Vecna forced her to see.

-She was scared. -No.

She just needed help.

That's how I know you're lying.

If Chrissy was scared,

if… if Chrissy wanted help, she would've come to me!

Not Eddie!

Not that freak! Never!

You're wrong about Eddie.

No.

But I was wrong about you.

I never should've let you in the door.

And I never should have knocked.

I thought I wanted to be like you.

Popular.

Normal.

But it turns out,

normal's just a raging psychopath.

You have five seconds to wake her up.

Four.

-Three. -[grunts]

[gunshot]

Hey! Hey!

[groaning in pain]

Crit hit!

[Lucas] No! No!

[both grunting]

[tense music continues]

[Max struggling]

[eerie, distorted synth music]

[Vecna growling]

[whimpering]

You are brave, Maxine.

[panting]

Much braver than your brother.

But in the end…

you are weak

and fragile,

just like him.

Like all the rest of them.

And you

will

break.

[eerie, distorted synth music continues]

[high-pitched tones whining]

[Vecna panting]

[resolute synth music playing]

[low rumbling]

[growling]

You.

Hi.

-[music intensifies] -[Vecna grunts]

[wheels rattling]

[swarm shrieking]

Come get me, you sons of bitches!

[tense industrial synth music playing]

Screw it.

[yells]

[strains]

-[swarm chittering] -[Eddie grunts]

[Dustin yells]

[pained scream]

[breathing erratically]

[jarring stinger]

[introspective music playing]

[Eddie] I didn't know what to do, so I… I…

I ran away.

I just ran, and I left her there.

I mean, look at us.

We are not heroes.

[resolute, determined music playing]

[spearhead rings out]

[chittering]

[bellows]

[grunts]

Shit!

[snarls]

[tense music playing]

[breathing shakily]

[frantic industrial synth music playing]

[Lucas, Jason grunting]

[Lucas grunts]

[Lucas panting]

[thunderclap]

Max, are you okay?

Huh?

Are you okay?

Yeah.

Are you…

Are you real?

Di… Did I make you?

I'm real.

How?

I piggybacked from a pizza dough freezer.

What?

-Uh-- -[rustling, clattering]

[wood creaking]

-[Vecna grunting] -[wood splintering]

[boards creaking]

[raspy growling]

[low, menacing music playing]

[neck cracking]

Stay back.

[raspy growling]

If you touch her again,

I will kill you again.

Is that what you did?

Hmm?

Did you kill me?

I am so glad

you are here, Eleven.

This…

is going to be

beautiful.

[intense industrial synth music plays]

So beautiful.

[boards splintering]

And it's all thanks to you.

[grunts]

[grunts]

[exclaims, pants]

[lights buzzing, flickering]

She's fighting him.

[eldritch thrumming]

[ominous percussive music playing]

[grunts] Eddie!

Eddie!

Eddie!

[dire choral vocalizations]

[swarm chittering]

Eddie!

-[Eddie grunts] -[creature yelps]

Come on!

-[music trails off] -[whimpering]

-[rapid footsteps] -[yells]

[yelps]

[thunderclap]

[Eleven whimpering]

[hand unfurling creakily]

[low growl]

[Eleven grunts]

[ominous dirge playing]

[hand unfurls creakily]

[Eleven chokes, seethes]

Before

I kill you…

[sinister vocalizations]

…I want you to watch.

-[music swells] -[scream echoes]

[grunts]

[tentacles slither]

[disturbing choral music playing]

[ichorous tentacles constrict]

[disembodied screaming]

[clock chimes]

[clock ticking]

[gasps]

[wet squelching]

[Eleven echoing] Papa is dead.

[music fades]

[grunts]

I know what he did to you.

[panting] You were different.

[sobs] Like me.

And he hurt you.

He made you…

into this.

He is the monster, Henry.

Not you. [shuddering breath]

Not you.

You're right.

You

and I,

we are different.

And Papa did hurt me.

But he was no monster.

He was just a man.

An ordinary, mediocre man.

That is why he sought greatness in others.

In you.

And me.

[breathing shakily]

[Vecna] Hmm.

But in the end…

he could not control us.

He could not shape us.

He could not change us.

Do you not see, Eleven?

He did not make me into this.

You did.

[deep, unsettling chord playing]

[screaming]

[wailing]

[Vecna] At first,

I believed you had sent me to my death.

To purgatory.

But I was wrong.

I was somewhere new.

[disturbing choral music playing]

I became an explorer.

[Demogorgon trills]

An explorer of a realm

unspoiled by mankind.

I saw so many things.

And one day,

I found the most extraordinary thing of all.

Something

that would change everything.

[droning]

I saw a means to realize my potential.

To transcend my human form.

To become the predator

I was always born to be.

[unearthly rustling]

[dissonant gibbering]

[disturbing choral music intensifies]

[thunderclap]

[blows]

It was…

It was you.

Always you.

All I needed was someone to open the door.

And you did that for me.

Without even realizing it.

Didn't you?

-[flesh squelches] -[roars]

[screams]

And when you did realize,

you chose to resist.

[screaming]

[shrill shrieking]

So I sought a means to open my own doors.

I sought…

your power.

All this time, we've been building it.

For you.

[grunts]

So, don't you see?

Once again,

you have freed me.

No.

You don't have to do this.

You can still stop this.

It is over, Eleven.

Your friends

have lost.

[sorrowful music playing]

No!

[Jason grunting]

[choking]

[screaming] Eddie!

[plaintive piano line playing]

There is nothing…

nothing you can do

to stop this now.

[Demodog chittering]

[grunt echoes]

-[flesh rending] -[anguished wail]

Hawkins will burn and fall.

And the rest of this senseless, broken world.

And I will be there.

[Erica echoing] Lucas!

[Vecna] I will be there to pick up the pieces when it does.

Lucas!

And remake it into something… beautiful.

[Vecna grunts]

There was a time

when I had hoped to have you by my side.

But now I just want you to watch.

[Eleven whimpering]

[sinister music builds]

[whimpering continues]

[airy whimpering]

[Vecna growls]

Don't be afraid.

[sobbing]

Try and stay very still.

No.

It will all be over soon.

-Max! -[labored breathing]

[menacing audio distortions]

[sinister music continues]

[Vecna grunts]

[Max struggling]

[labored breathing]

El! El, can you hear me?

El, come on. Wake up! Wake up, El!

-Wake up! El! -[Jonathan] She can't breathe.

-[tentacles constricting] -[Mike] El, get outta there!

God, El! Wake up! Wake up!

Help me! Help me!

On the table. Get her on the table.

[choking, spluttering]

El, can you hear me?

[Mike] El! El!

Can you hear me?

El! El!

El!

[coughs, gasps]

Mike.

[emotionally] Don't stop. Okay? You're the heart.

Okay? Remember that.

You're the heart.

[tense chord holds]

El?

I don't know if you can hear this, but… but if you can,

I want you to know I'm here, okay?

I'm right here.

And…

I love you.

El, do you hear me?

I love you.

I'm sorry I don't say it more.

I… It's not because I'm scared of you.

I'm not.

I've never felt that way.

Never.

But I am scared that one day

you'll realize you don't need me anymore.

And I thought if I said how I felt, it would somehow make that day

hurt more.

But the truth is, El, I don't know how to live without you.

I feel like my life started that day we found you in the woods.

You were wearing that yellow Benny's Burgers T-shirt.

And it was so big, it almost swallowed you whole.

[chuckles]

[Mike] And I knew right then and there, in that moment, that I loved you.

And I've loved you every day since.

I love you on your good days.

I love you on your bad days.

I love you with your powers, without your powers.

I love you for exactly who you are.

You're my superhero.

And…

I can't lose you.

Okay? Do you hear me? I can't lose you.

You can do anything.

You can fly. You can move mountains.

I believe that.

I really do.

But right now,

you just have to fight.

Okay?

El.

Do you hear me?

-[Max struggles] -[Mike] You need to fight!

[dramatic synth music playing]

You have to fight.

Fight!

Fight!

[epic synth music building]

[lights buzzing]

That's it, El.

Fight, El.

Fight.

Fight!

[epic synth music intensifies]

-[both grunting] -[glass shatters]

[forceful blows]

[Max grunts, gasps]

[bones cracking]

[Demodog snarls]

-[anguished wail] -[flesh rending]

Eddie!

[bones cracking]

Max!

Fight!

[Eleven yells]

[music trails off]

-[thunder crackling] -[muted yelling]

[muted screaming]

[Demodog chitters, snarls]

[electricity crackles]

-[prod sizzles] -[Demodog trills]

[muted screaming]

-[Vecna grunts] -[tentacles whip]

[snarls painfully]

Joyce!

[Joyce] Hop!

-[snarling] -[Joyce gasps]

[tense music playing]

[Demogorgon snarls]

[gunshots]

[grunts]

[both gasp]

-[growls] -Hey, assholes!

[Demodogs shriek]

[yells]

[pained howling]

[yelling]

[all gasp]

Yeah!

[Demogorgon, Demodogs shrieking]

[panting]

[flames crackling]

-[tentacles slithering] -[Nancy, Robin, Steve coughing]

I don't believe in a higher power

or divine intervention.

But that was a miracle.

Then we better not waste it.

[gun cocks]

Phase four.

Flambé.

[guttural growling]

[trigger clicking]

[steady, measured music playing]

[feral roar]

[Vecna struggling]

[steady synth beat continues]

[steely, resolute chords play]

[straining] You and your friends

believe you have won.

Don't you?

But this

is only the beginning.

The beginning of the end.

[lighter clinks]

[flames whoosh]

You have already lost.

No.

[steady exhale]

You have.

[ethereal piano line playing]

[epic synth arrangement of "Running Up That Hill" playing]

[powerful drum line builds]

[beat increases in tempo]

[Hopper grunts]

[Vecna bellows]

♪ It doesn't hurt me ♪

♪ Do you want to feel how it feels? ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Do you want to know Know that it doesn't hurt me? ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Do you want to hear about The deal that I'm making? ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

Max! Max! Max!

[baleful, threatening chords play]

♪ Building, building, building ♪

♪ Building, building ♪

[Vecna's flesh sizzling]

[lighter clinks]

[music swells]

[music halts]

[triumphant drum line playing]

♪ And if I only could ♪

♪ I'd make a deal with God ♪

♪ And I'd get him to swap our places ♪

♪ Be running up that road ♪

♪ Be running up that hill ♪

♪ Be running up that building ♪

♪ Building ♪

♪ Building, building ♪

-[reload echoes] -♪ Building, building ♪

♪ Building ♪

♪ Building ♪

♪ Building, building ♪

[blood splattering]

[Vecna grunts]

[Demogorgon roars]

[Hopper yells forcefully]

♪ And if I only could ♪

-[nightmarish howl] -♪ I'd make a deal with God ♪

♪ And I'd get him to swap our places ♪

♪ Be running up that road ♪

♪ Be running up that hill ♪

♪ Be running up that building ♪

[vocalizing]

♪ Say, if I only could, oh ♪

[echoing thud]

[music fades]

[understated, hopeful music playing]

[blades whirring]

Son of a bitch!

[Murray laughing]

[Murray] Whoo! [laughs]

Yeah!

Yeah! [laughing]

Katinka!

[Murray continues hollering]

Yeah!

[suspenseful music playing]

[jarring stinger]

-Eddie! -[creatures mewl pathetically]

Eddie!

-[Eddie struggling, choking] -Oh God!

Oh God, Eddie.

Bad, huh?

No. You're gonna be fine.

-Just gotta get you to a hospital, okay? -Okay.

-All right. All right. -I think…

[Dustin] Come on.

I think I just… I think I just need a second, okay?

Okay.

[Eddie choking]

["When It's Cold I'd Like to Die" by Moby playing]

I didn't run away this time, right?

No. No. No. No. [sobs]

You didn't run.

You're gonna have to look after those little sheep for me, okay?

No, you're gonna do that yourself.

Nah, man.

Say, "I'm gonna look after them."

Say it.

[tearfully] I'm…

I'm gonna look after…

[Eddie] Good.

'Cause I'm actually gonna graduate.

[chuckles weakly]

I think it's my year, Henderson.

[struggling] I think it's finally my year.

I love you, man.

[voice trembling] I love you too.

Eddie…

[Eddie choking]

Eddie?

Eddie?

[Eddie stops choking]

♪ Where were you ♪

Eddie!

Come on.

♪ When I was lonesome? ♪

[wails] Eddie!

♪ Locked away ♪

♪ In this freezing cold ♪

[Dustin sobs]

♪ Someone flying ♪

♪ Only stolen ♪

Lucas!

We need a doctor!

Call an ambulance!

Hurry! Call an ambulance!

[sobs]

-Lucas… -Yes, yes I'm here. I'm here.

I… I can't feel or… [gasps] …see anything.

I know. I know. It's okay.

We're gonna get you help, okay?

Just… Just hold on.

Lucas, I'm scared. I'm so scared. I'm so scared.

[tearfully] I know. I know. I know.

I don't wanna die. I'm not ready.

You're not gonna die. Hang on.

I don't wanna go! I'm not ready.

You're not gonna die!

Just… Just hang on!

Max. Max! Max!

No, no, no, Max. Stay with me.

-[sobs] No. -Stay with me! Don't go, Max.

Max, stay with me.

Just look at me, Max. Max, look.

No. Stay with me, Max.

Hang on. Just hang on.

Erica, help!

♪ I don't want to swim the ocean ♪

Max?

Max? Max? Max?

Max, stay with me.

Max, stay with me.

[desperately] No! No!

Max! Max! Please, stay with me!

[wails] No!

[anguished sob]

[Lucas's sob echoing]

[song distorts]

Max!

Max!

[song fades]

[ticking]

[ticking increases in pace]

[high-pitched ringing]

[gears whirring frantically]

[clock chimes]

[clock chimes]

[clock chimes]

[clock chimes]

Four chimes.

Max.

[loud rumbling]

[frenzied ticking]

[floorboards cracking]

[clock chimes]

[Jason howls in agony]

[clock chiming]

[chiming increases in frequency]

[frenetic ticking]

[clock chiming]

[Holly screams]

Holly! Holly!

[rhythmic chiming pulses, stops]

[rhythmic chiming fades]

[Mike breathing heavily]

Come on.

Come on.

Come on. I know you're in there.

I know you're in there. Wake up.

Wake up.

Wake up. [echoing]

[water lapping]

[softly] No.

You're not going.

No.

[inhales deeply]

[Eleven's breathing echoing]

[mysterious synth music playing]

Hi.

Hi…?

[Eleven] Max wanted to have a sleepover.

Which one?

This is Wonder Woman.

AKA Princess Diana.

Not Hopper.

Not Mike.

You.

-[Max, Eleven laughing] -[Max singing]

Holy shit. This is insane.

Is this really gonna work?

See? What'd I tell you?

There's more to life than stupid boys.

Against the rules?

We make our own rules.

[music swells, fades]

[vehicle approaching]

[somber synth music playing]

[helicopter blades whirring]

[reporter] It's been less than 48 hours since a 7.4 magnitude earthquake

rocked the quaint town of Hawkins, 80 miles outside of Indianapolis,

in an event that seismologists are calling

"a natural disaster of near-unprecedented scale."

The death toll now stands at 22.

But with hundreds more filling Roane County hospitals

and many more still missing,

officials expect those numbers to rise.

Go! This way! This way! Let's go!

[reporter] This is only the latest tragedy to befall this once-safe town.

Most recently, a string of high school students were killed

in a series of ritualistic murders,

which have been linked to a local satanic cult

known as "Hellfire."

Eddie Munson, the leader of this cult and prime suspect in the murders,

has been missing since the earthquake and is presumed dead.

But this offers little comfort to the people of Hawkins,

who are scared, angry, and searching for answers.

Why their town? What have they done to deserve so much suffering?

A growing chorus believes the two recent tragedies are linked,

claiming the Munson murders opened a doorway between worlds.

A doorway, they say, into hell itself.

Are you hearing this?

They're now calling it a doorway into hell.

Great. More hysteria. Just what we need.

Well, it's the news.

Now indistinguishable from the tabloids.

Hey, Nance!

I found some more of your old stuff in the attic.

[gasps]

Mr. Rabbit.

It's okay if you wanna save him, you know?

No, he'll be more loved in a new home.

[vehicle approaching]

-Someone order a pizza? -Pizza?

[horn blaring]

[gentle, emotional music playing]

[Mike] Mom!

[Jonathan] Hey!

You are never going on vacation again, you hear me?

In fact, you can forget about college.

You are staying right here.

[Jonathan] Are you okay?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm okay.

But, Jonathan--

This isn't an earthquake.

I know.

I know a lot more than you think.

How?

-We've been trying to call you-- -I know.

I know. I'm sorry.

We just couldn't risk contact.

"We couldn't risk contact"?

Hey, hey, I'll tell you everything, okay?

-Okay. -I promise.

But, for now,

I'm just glad you're safe.

[Will] Where's Lucas?

He's at the hospital.

Was he hurt?

No. No, he's…

Oh God.

You don't know.

[Lucas] "He opened his eyes, and further words died in his throat."

"He forgot about the need to sick up that horrible parody of wine."

"He forgot about his mother,

and Uncle Morgan, and his father,

and almost everything else."

"Speedy was gone."

"The graceful arcs of the roller coaster against the sky were gone."

"He could feel the hair stirring on the nape of his neck,

could feel a goofed-up grin pulling at the corners of his mouth."

"Speedy! I'm here, my God!"

"I'm here in the territories!"

[door opens]

[Lucas] Oh my God.

-We've been calling you guys like crazy. -[Mike] I know.

We came as soon as we heard.

[breathing shakily]

I'm sorry.

[monitor beeping]

[poignant, melancholy music playing]

Do they know…

when she will wake?

No.

They say she might not.

Her heart stopped.

For over a minute.

She died.

I… I mean, clinically, but…

then she came back.

[inhales deeply]

The doctors don't know how.

They say it's a miracle.

I'm here, Max.

[dramatic stinger]

[crowd chattering indistinctly]

[mysterious music playing]

-Hi. -Hi.

Uh, so these are blankets and sheets.

And some… some clothes and… and some kids' toys.

Wow. It's already so organized.

We appreciate that.

-Do you want a tax receipt for it? -Um…

No. I don't think that we need one. Thank you, though.

But is there anything else that we can do to help?

[volunteer] Okay, then we sort by age.

We've got infants, girls, boys, men, women…

Oh, if anything is in too bad shape, we really don't want that.

I found another jar of peanut butter, and it's crunchy…

Robin.

Hi.

-What are you doing here? -I am…

I… I am making PB&Js.

Right, yeah. No. Duh. Of course.

Uh, I… I am also making PB&Js, as it so happens.

[Vickie chuckles]

Cool.

Hey, uh, I… I'm sorry if that came out weird.

I didn't mean it like, "What are you doing here?"

I just meant, "What are you doing here?" Like, "Nice surprise. Great to see you."

Uh…

-I didn't take it as anything negative. -Okay, good. Good.

No, I… I'm sorry. My brain's been a little frazzled lately.

-'Cause-- -Of everything?

Yeah. [chuckles]

Yeah, and Dan.

Um, he's my boyfriend.

Well, was my boyfriend.

He was visiting, took one look at this,

and it's not what he was envisioning for spring break.

He was like, "I'm outta here. Back to Purdue. Good luck."

Which, ultimately, it's bordering on a good thing, 'cause he was grating on me.

He is the type who trashes Fast Times 'cause it has no plot.

I should've just ended things right there and then.

[knife clatters]

Sorry. [exhales]

I'm so sorry.

I am rambling about my dumb boyfriend when there are people out there suffering.

Who need… food.

And I have just made a peanut butter on peanut butter monstrosity.

[Robin chuckles]

Um…

[tender, emotional music playing]

I don't know what's wrong with me.

Um, it's like sometimes my mouth is moving faster than my brain,

and it's like this runaway train,

and I cannot seem to get it to stop, no matter how hard I try.

You know what I mean?

Uh, yeah, I think I know what you mean.

It's a gift.

-Oh, for me? -You're welcome. Mm-hmm.

-You really shouldn't have. -Oh, but I did.

-I just don't even deserve it. -But I did.

-I mean, thank you. -Early birthday.

Thank you so much. Oh, oh, wow.

H2O?

Vital for all forms of life.

[indistinct chatter]

[Dustin] Mr. Munson?

I'm Dustin Henderson.

Can we talk?

I can't imagine we got anything to talk about.

My nephew is innocent.

He's still missing.

I'll put up as many posters as I need until he's found.

Good day to you.

I was with him.

I was with him when the earthquake hit.

[sorrowful synth music playing]

And… where is Eddie now?

[voice quavering] I'm…

I'm so sorry.

[gentle, heart-felt chords playing]

[breathing shakily]

I wish everyone had gotten to know him.

Really know him.

Because they would've loved him,

Mr. Munson.

They would've loved him.

Even in the end…

he never stopped being Eddie.

Despite everything.

I never even saw him get mad.

He could've run.

He could've saved himself.

But he fought.

He fought and died to protect this town.

This town that… hated him.

He isn't just innocent…

Mr. Munson, he's…

he's a hero.

[sobs]

[Mr. Munson weeps]

[birds tweeting]

[inhales, exhales]

Oh Jesus.

Holy shit.

This place is a total disaster.

[Jonathan] Yeah.

Well, that's a bit of a problem.

[Argyle] I get we gotta hide Supergirl,

but this isn't exactly the Fortress of Solitude, man.

It's more like a fortress of grodiness.

Come on, guys, seriously.

I've seen Mike's room look worse than this.

[Argyle] Ah, brutal, dude.

-[pipes rumble] -Ah! See?

Water still works.

And, voilà. Cleaning supplies.

[dramatic stinger]

[Jonathan] All right. That's good.

Hold it right there.

What's he doing?

[Jonathan] Looks like he's gathering mushrooms.

He's a little on the eccentric side.

Welcome to the club, right?

Yeah, welcome to the club.

[Nancy hammering]

Hey, Nancy?

Yeah?

I'm sorry I wasn't here.

Oh. I mean…

to be honest, I'm kinda glad you weren't.

[tender, emotional music playing]

I just mean, I'm glad you were with Mike.

And Will.

And I'm… I'm glad you were here too.

Otherwise, who'd have been in charge?

Steve? [chuckles]

He's actually grown up quite a bit, you know?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm sure.

Hey.

Yeah?

Are we okay?

Yeah.

-Yeah? -Yeah, totally.

Yeah, it's… it's just…

You know, it's hard.

I feel like

life keeps throwing things in the way of our big plans.

Yeah, sure seems like that.

You think it's too late to throw "saving the world" on your college resume?

Your… Your application letter…

Not that it matters at all anymore, but…

did it ever come?

No. No, uh…

Not yet.

-[whooshing] -[door creaks]

Did she… talk to you at all?

Not much.

I mean, a little bit.

[Mike sighs]

Dr. Brenner.

He says that she wasn't ready.

And now she's starting to think he was right.

That's crap.

If it wasn't for her, if she hadn't left the lab,

-Max wouldn't be alive right now. -I know.

It's just, she's, um…

She's never lost before.

Not like this.

-She'll have another chance. -Let's hope not.

Let's hope One is dead and rotting.

He's not.

[haunting music playing]

[voice quavering] Now that I'm here, in Hawkins,

I can feel him.

And he's hurt.

He's hurting.

But he's still alive.

It's strange, knowing now who it was this whole time, but…

I can still remember what he thinks,

and how he thinks.

And he's not going to stop.

Ever.

Not until he's taken everything.

And everyone.

We have to kill him.

And we will.

We will.

[vehicle approaching]

[ominous stinger]

Government.

[exhales]

[exhale echoes]

[bottle rattling echoes]

[bottle rattling]

[steady beating]

[medical monitor beeping]

[gasps]

Max?

Max?

Max!

Max!

[bottle rattling]

-Max! -[suspenseful music builds]

[music fades]

[shuddering gasp]

[ticking]

[door opens]

[footsteps approach]

[door creaks]

Hey, kid.

[emotional gasp]

[tender, sentimental music playing]

[chuckles]

[voice cracking] Hi.

[Eleven breathing tremulously]

I kept it open.

-I kept the door open three inches. -I know.

I never stopped believing.

[chuckles] Oh, I know. It's okay.

It's okay.

-[sobs] -It's okay. I'm here.

I'm here.

You look… [sniffs]

-Not fat? -[chuckles]

And your hair.

My hair?

Look at your hair.

[Eleven chuckles]

Yeah. [exhales]

I kinda stole your look, kid.

Yeah. [sniffs]

Well, what do you think?

-Bitchin'. [chuckles] -Hmm.

[indistinct, overlapping chatter]

You aren't the only one that didn't stop believing.

Oh!

I'm happy

you went to your…

conference.

That was quite the experience.

[Joyce] Oh.

-[car door slams] -[engine starts]

Hey.

You've grown.

Yeah.

You shrunk.

[Hopper chuckles]

-[sibilant trilling] -[sinister theme music playing]

[clouds rumbling]

[thunder rumbling]

Mom, it's snowing!

[crowd murmuring]

[music builds]

[desiccated withering]

[dire choral vocalizations]

[thunder rumbling]

[music crescendos]

[music fades]

["Spellbound" by Siouxsie and the Banshees playing]

♪ From the cradle bars Comes a beckoning voice ♪

♪ It sends you spinning You have no choice ♪

♪ You hear laughter Cracking through the walls ♪

♪ It sends you spinning ♪

♪ You have no choice ♪

♪ You hear laughter Cracking through the walls ♪

♪ It sends you spinning ♪

♪ You have no choice ♪

♪ Following the footsteps Of a rag doll dance ♪

♪ We are entranced ♪

♪ Spellbound ♪

♪ Following the footsteps Of a rag doll dance ♪

♪ We are entranced ♪

♪ Spellbound ♪

♪ Spellbound, spellbound ♪

[vocalizing]

♪ Spellbound, spellbound ♪

♪ Spellbound, spellbound ♪

♪ And don't forget When your elders forget ♪

♪ To say their prayers ♪

♪ Take them by the legs ♪

♪ And throw them down the stairs ♪

♪ When you think your toys Have gone berserk ♪

♪ And it's an illusion you cannot shirk ♪

♪ You hear laughter Cracking through the walls ♪

♪ It sends you spinning You have no choice ♪

♪ Following the footsteps Of a rag doll dance ♪

♪ We are entranced ♪

♪ Spellbound ♪

♪ Following the footsteps Of a rag doll dance ♪

♪ We are entranced ♪

♪ Spellbound ♪

♪ Spellbound ♪

♪ Spellbound ♪

[vocalizing]

♪ Spellbound ♪

[song ends]