‘Stranger Things’ season 1, episode 8 review: Did Joyce and Hopper rescue Will?
After breaking into the Hawkins Laboratory, Joyce and Hopper got caught before getting anywhere near the gateway to the other side. Not only that, but Jonathan and Nancy are on the hunt for the monster, and the kids are on their own and being hunted down by people from the lab. Things are really heating up on “Stranger Things” and with this being the last episode we have to wonder if they are going to get to Will in time!
Joyce and Hopper are being held at Hawkins Laboratory and being questioned separately by Dr. Brenner. Hopper makes a deal with Dr. Brenner, saying that he will hand over Eleven in exchange for Will, then everyone will go their separate ways and pretend that none of this ever happened. Dr. Brenner agrees and lets Hopper and Joyce go to the other side to get Will, but really Brenner is leaving them to get trapped over there. While on the other side, they find Will’s fort, but he’s not there. Hopper sees a stuffed animal in the fort that looks just like the one that belonged to his daughter and we start to think that our theory might be right about his daughter not really being dead. Eventually they find Will and he’s alive, and they manage to find their way back to their world.
Jonathan and Nancy go back to Joyce’s house and set up their trap for the monster, but before the monster shows up, Steve comes to the door trying to make things right with both of them. Steve comes inside right when the monster comes out of the ceiling and for the first time Steve is clued in on what’s really happening. Once they have the monster being lured into their trap it suddenly disappears. Does it know it was being set up? After Steve runs out of the house completely terrified, the lights go out and the monster now has them in it’s trap. Luckily, Steve gathers his courage to go back in and he helps get the monster in the bear trap where they are able to set it on fire. Once they put out the fire, they are horrified to see that the monster is gone.
Mike has big plans for Eleven, thinking that after all of this is over that she can come and live with his family and have a normal life. More then that we saw Mike ask her to the school dance and then kiss her! The good times are quickly over when men from the Hawkins Lab show up at the school where the kids are hiding to collect Eleven. She uses her powers to stop a group of people after them, but then collapses – she is drained. Dr. Brenner shows up to take Eleven, but with all the blood spilled the monster has shown up to eat. It’s enough of a distraction for the kids to escape to another room in the school as Dr. Brenner becomes dinner for the monster. Unfortunately, the monster isn’t done and finds the kids. Eleven uses every bit of power she has and destroys the monster… along with herself in the process.
So is everything all tied up with a nice little bow or is there still something left dangling for “Stranger Things” season 2? We did see Hopper get picked up by men from Hawkins Lab and a month later Hopper is leaving Eggos in a box in the woods. Is Eleven still alive???? Also, Will may be back, but he’s not the same. He is coughing up the same slugs that were found in Barbara’s throat and is having flashes back to the other side. Did Will bring back special powers or is he the gateway between both worlds? Either way it has left just enough questions open for us to be really excited for season 2. Episode grade: A-
What do you think of this season of “Stranger Things” and would you watch season 2? Leave a comment in the box below and share your opinion.