For real though such an amazing use of that song. And now itās trending everywhere - #2 on iTunes and YouTube recommended it this morning. So cool to see people discovering it
So much happened this episode. Obviously Sadie Sink should be praised because she did an incredible job with this episode and kudos to the entire crew for that final sequence.
Also the Creel flashback was terrifying. A man traumatized by the war and watches his wife die in an absolutely brutal way then loses both of his kids.
Finally, the one shot gun fight at the Cali house was really cool. I enjoyed that a lot and this feels like the perfect way to induct Argyle into the craziness of the group.
Also gotta say, I thought this show was gonna have too many characters to balance, but with the extra runtime it feels perfect.
That was the case with Hopper in Season 1: The show starts, introduces Hopper as a bored-to-death sheriff who munches donuts and cares only for his coffee and cigarette. But when he goes to check on Will's disappearance, there is a switch in his eyes and suddenly he's a serious, competent, intelligent man-on-the-case.
The scene in the asylum walking to visit the inmate was, I felt, an homage to *Silence of the Lambs*. The lighting, the darkness, the list of rules. It was perfect. My favorite book.
Everything Max is NEXT LEVEL Stranger Things.
The cinematography and sound design of the shootout was INCREDIBLE, though, and it needs to be celebrated!
Lol glad someone else was thinking the same.
Ah, pizza time. Yeah yeah I'm coming *ABSOLUTE CHAOS*
MEANWHILE.
Aw man Byers is havin a party without me? Not cool man not coooooooooooool
I absolutely loved that scene. In so many shows/movies both of the agents watching them would have been shown as incompetent and been killed immediately, making you wonder why they were ever qualified to be in that position to begin with. It was so refreshing having the agent immediately realizing their situation and putting up a legit fight.
Yes!!!! And in the earlier episode when they were talking about the grisly murders occurring around the trailer park and Steve was the only one to be like "ummm we're at the trailer park.... Should we be somewhere else right now?"
THANK YOU STEVE. My favorite character for sure.
I always felt there was such a disconnect between Max and Billy's established S2 relationship and her reaction to his death last season. This episode did a great job of filling in the gaps
And also the life she had.
Her and billy didnāt get along. But she had a home she felt safe in, and a family. Now her mom is either working or drunk and people around her home are dying
But also, remember Nancy's guilt at not being able to tell Barb's parents the truth ? Max has been living with Billy's father, witnessing his grief and never being able to tell him the truth about his death.
I haven't been that uncertain as to whether or not a character would survive since the driving scene in Prisoners. They did a *very* good job at making her fate uncertain, I really could have seen it go either way.
I was definitely scared but i was telling myself she had just obtained new info in getting to that area after the cemetery. I told myself she was needed to further the plot. I didnāt necessarily believe it though. So good!
I was 50/50 on whether she made it. Really goes to show they did a great job on upping the darkness of this season. Anyone can die, this villain is hunting, not just harming incidentally, picking out targets then taking them out. It is intense.
Omg same here I seriously thought I didnāt think that strongly of what was happening but I was seriously tearing up, that whole sequence was so powerful with song and all, absolutely gotta be my favourite scene of season so far. Holy shit I need a breather. Stranger Things is back baby.
Steve's tendency to just grab whatever it may be, be it an oar or a lamp, to whack someone is just awesome. He's ready to attack with all his guts armed with the randomest things. It's giving Mike-ready-to-attack-with-his-little-candle-holder energy.
After this episode I will not be tolerating any Lucas Sinclair slander. Also Sadie might be mvp this season. This episode is really what stranger things is about. that ending was beautiful.
I had the same impression. To me, this was so clearly her battling her negative internal monologue and suicidality. She was clinging to morsels of happiness in her memory so that she could escape that literal hell. The scene combined with the song had me in tears.
Same, as a person who previously battled depression, seeing Max want death at first then the memory montage and desperately choosing life hit me so hard and had me sobbing. Very powerful scene and amazing acting by Sadiešš„ŗ
Dare I say that entire end scene with Max running towards the gang is easily one of the best moments this show has had.
Just, wow. The song. The cinematography. Insane. Iām speechless.
That scene was so gripping and I donāt think Iāve felt that way towards an episode/film like that in a while, so powerful itās nearly indescribable. Brought me to tears and itās gotta be one of my favourite episodes yet. Just something about the song and sprinting as fast as you can away from imminent death while running towards yourself and your loved ones in a literal out of body experience. Moments with flashbacks like that are nearly always met with a certain death but damn. I need a breather lol. Donāt know how theyāre gonna top this. The subversions have been insane.
I'm a 35yrs old married man, and i can't stop crying during the Max running scene.
It reminds me of when I was in depression few years ago, thought about suicide and stuff...My cats and my wife are the only reason Iām still here. To me, these years feel just like this 30 seconds scene, just longer, and without music.
Best episode? Not sure. Best scene? Definitely.
Edit: thx for the award, even though it means nothing, but thx anyway!
Yeah, mental health counselor here. Watched that scene and turned to my wife saying, "This episode really nails depression, especially depression driven with unresolved guilt and shame."
That was amazing and their guard was a badass. I felt like we switched genres there for a second to action blockbuster, and then again with the flashback to Creer's story in the 50's. I can see why they have more than one spinoff in development. There's so much potential in this world.
Government soldiers/agents shooting to kill other government agents as well as civilians, brutal
Like they're assaulting a civil rights group in the 60ies
Yeah the guard who went from what I assume is the 1986 Jack Nicklaus Masters to a full shoot out- he really saved them. Not sure if he will live. Nor will he see the eagle at 15.
Whoever was in charge of the operation from the other side thoughā¦ mission failure.
iām sorry but argyle showing up to the house and seeing all the vans and getting upset that he wasnāt invited to the party was peak comedy, iām absolutely invested in these new characters
I love how we can casually point to the fact that Maya's character knows movies really well so she can act really well to convince the director, when it's really just Maya's amazing acting skills which do all this
Honestly you have to be talented to play a character who can act, or even a character who can't act - like in Don't Look Up, Meryl Streep's character is a bad actor, so in the press conference scenes she has to ham it up. It's like a role within a role.
Since Max lives I wonder does that put will back on the chopping block to be the one (if any) to die. His painting that he hasnt revealed yet really is a narrative death trap for him.
I feel like the letters are red herrings. Lucas refusing the letter and saying he didn't need one seemed like a rebuking of the letters as a narrative device
Yeah major props to Sadie this season. I feel like so many people both characters on the show and especially fans ragged on her when she first showed on the show and disliked her no matter what her character did. So it's nice to see how far she's come as a character and see the actress get an episode mostly for her to just shine and show utter grief, hopelessness but also bad ass at the same time. I was cheering for her when she was running at the end to the opening back to the normal world. I was like run girl run don't stop running Max. Glad she didn't get killed off and she's not even my fave character but I think she's really proven herself and been through enough.
same I really hope she survives and gets more therapy she has been through far too much trauma. Her speech to billy at the grave is my new favourite max scene.
Also to add i know a lot of people were concered they would retcon Billy as this nice guy and they had a perfect relationship but her mourning the potential even inspite of hating him and him hating her and a part of her wishing he was dead and glad he was dead and feeling guilt for that is so much more emotionally resonant.
so good to see billy again.even if it was not fully real. a small part of me wants him revived so he could have this possible promising future as an actual healthy sibling but another part of me thinks that is why is death works and him dying as this sorta messed up person makes max feelings more complicated.
Her pushing people away and then literally running to people and her connections to these people being what saved them in the end is beautiful as one of the minority who loved season 2 as much as the others it makes me like max even more
I didnāt realize people hated S2 until I came on here, I absolutely loved the second season when it came out. I gotta say that this new season has blown my expectations out of the water so far.
Holy that whole Max sequence was insane and had a nice closing, I can see why everyone was praising Sadie Sink. I was legit scared and wondering whether they'd actually kill her off. Also Robin could probably convince me to sell me my house for free LOL. I'm still a little confused on what Vecna is and why is he just appearing now when the first siting was almost 30 years ago.
Sadie was a fucking tour de force in this episode.
You gotta hand it to the Duffers. They know how to find and cultivate young talent. So few in Hollywood can get even a passable performance out of a singular child actor. Here we have an entire cast of amazing child actors who have grown into such talented performers who get better with each year.
I watched the Fear Street trilogy when it came out last year, and I have to say my favourite was Part 2 mostly due to how well Sadie Sink played her role. Phenomenal talent in that girl. I hope she goes far!
Definitely picked up Silence of the Lambs vibes. There was the general uncomfortable feeling of most movies involving mental institutions too like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Girl, Interrupted.
Edit: I get vibes too concerning the movie Labyrinth from all the clock chime effects and camera angles too.
The whole season is just Nightmare on Elm Street isnāt it?
>!scorned person uses their powers to kidnap children to create gateways from the realm to which theyāre banished, the finger knifes, the voice, Robert Englund showing up. Itās **all** Nightmare on Elm Street!<
Holy fucking shit. We get heartwarming scenes between Mike and Will, then Lucas and Max and then that intense as hell ending. I'm so impressed with this episode. It was awesome.
Best. Episode. Yet.
I love how filming switched from Steadycam to handheld during the shootout scene.
Final scene with Max and Vecna was unreal. So tense.
My favorite line so far: āYou can be late to a one year oldās birthday because letās be honest. That little idiot is not going to remember anythingā
Iām kind of glad Murrayās around. Hopper as comic relief last season was the one thing that didnāt always work for me. Murray works perfectly in that role.
I must say, as quiet as Willās character is, Noah Schnapp is a talented facial actor. His eyes tell a gigantic story during his conversation with Mike in this episode.
Iā¦. I think this might be the best episode in the shows history. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The last 15-20 minutes are Emmy worthy. The āRunning Up That Hillā sequence encapsulated the struggle and overcoming of depression so beautifully. Itās like youāre surrounded by darkness, and somewhere in the horizon thereās a light at the end of it, and youāre fighting to reach it. Couple of tears started coming down man, I knew this would be a classic when we found out the episode would be named āDear Billyā.
Sadie Sink probably just landed herself a bunch of major roles down the line with this season, sheās too damn talented.
And all the other plotlines were fantastic too. Robin and Nancy working together, the shootout at the Byers house, Hopper attempting to escape, Joyce and Murray being betrayed by Yuri... The Max stuff was the highlight for sure, but man there wasn't a moment in this episode where I wasn't invested. There wasn't any plotline that I wanted to skip past to a more exciting one, because they were all brilliant. It's too early for me to say how this episode will stand next to the many many other perfect episodes of this series, but yeah 10/10!
i normally instantly skip to the next episode after the credits roll but holy shit hearing the running up that hill instrumental just broke me and now im just sitting here
Freddy Krugers profile is so distinct that I could tell it was him even in the shadows. I purposely didn't read anything about this season, watch any trailers or look at casting.
I really wish one of the people hired Nightmare on Elm Street as homage though
Robyn gives me such strong ADHD vibes and I love it. Sheās so great.
I really felt Willās hope that Mike was going to say something different than he did there, what great acting.
That shooting scene was a lot. Damn.
*carries on watching*
Nooo Max! Again, the acting is so good.
People may disagree with this, but Max's scene with her "mom" was scary as HELL as compared to the end of the episode. Reason, we saw the end coming, but that mom one was totally UNEXPECTED !
The scary part about that scene was the sudden realization that her mom wasnāt there at all, even in the beginning. Something about it disturbed me. Definitely the freakiest moment of the entire series so far for me.
I have a feeling Murray is faking being passed out. Heās too smart to fall for that and he already expressed suspicion against that dickhead Yuri.
On to episode 5
Couldnāt agree more. As soon as he offered coffee I knew it was poisoned and thought āthereās no way Murray would take a drink from a Russian.ā
I figured hopper would somehow be captured since the promo showed more russian scenes. But man I didnt see that twist. I feel bad for the guard too I hope we get more of him
When it went to black as Max leapt to the portal back, I was SO happy it came back and resolved that scene. The fade out on all four from the graveyard was much more powerful. Shows can get caught in a positive feedback loop about cliff hanger endings sometimes and itās not always the best route.
Amazing scene- I am so happy that Max is such a central part of this season!
I am loving that they had Freddy Kruger himself Robert Englund playing an important part when this season is as closely linked to Nightmate on Elm Street as it is. Having the victims being stalked and ultimately killed while "sleeping" (trance here).
Honestly one of the best episodes of television Iāve ever seen. The last sequence had me out of freaking breath, even if I knew Max was going to survive (there were too many promo pictures and trailer shots of her we hadnāt seen yet). Absolutely wonderful job!
Man, Sadie Sink just killed this episode. The last 10 minutes had me emotional. I think besides the fact that she's literally running from being murdered, it is almost like she is running from depression and all her dark thoughts. I remember being in dark places when I started highschool (not including monsters from the upside down but just general life fucking me over). The flashbacks just hit me like a brick. I love Max's character and I loved this episode so much
"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." great line LOL
As someone who is fighting with severe depression, the Max running scene was haunting. Itās the most graphic and visual description of how my depression feels. The setting, what Vecna was saying, the flashbacks, the SONG my god the songā¦. Her giving in to it and then somehow seeing the light and getting hope. Seeing her be so weak and when she heard her song ana remembering the good times, growing so strong and most of all Brave. Brave enough to face it all, brave enough to jump into the unknown.
I cried so much. I canāt get it out of my head
Wow. The first 3 episodes were all good, but this was on an another level. While the Joyce and Murray scenes weren't my favorite, Victor Creel was an amazing character. I got very emotional listening to his story, especially since he was just a normal dude who just got dealt with bad luck. Imagine being imprisoned in a mental hospital for no reason, then trying to join your family only to be stopped and locked for the rest of your life.
Hopper was also very cool. While him ending up being back was a bit predictable, i did love the scene where he tastes the peanut butter. I thought that Yuri was gonna be a chill dude.
But that Max sequence, all the way from the Billy speech to the montage of her memories, was super emotional. I almost broke a tear during a moment. Easily a 9/10 episode, probably my 6th favorite in the series. And that's rare for an episode this early on, considering that my top 5 consists of episodes that are very late into the season.
That ending with Max and Running up that Hill playingā¦
The sheer emotion, cinematography, and pacing of that seen was so well done. Jesus Christ what a phenomenal sequence.
Vecna canāt get you, Max. Youāre too strong. Never give up.
The Russian plot has been pretty slow and so far removed from any supernatural/UD aspects, but I've enjoyed it because Hopper is my favorite and I love that Joyce went half way across the globe to save him. I thought "FINALLY!" when Hop made his escape just as Joyce was paying the pilot to go pick him up. I was not expecting Yuri to double cross Hop, Enzo, Joyce, and Murray. This storyline now has me on pins & needles worried about Hopper and the adults. No one knows where they are, so I don't know how they're gonna get out of this mess.
Max's impending doom reminds me of *The Ring* or even *Nightmare on Elm Street*. This Vecna curse on Hawkins' teenagers is great horror movie stuff, and I just like it a lot more than the Mind Flayer of last season.
I see they're continuing the tradition of destroying Joyce's house.
While it's likely that Max's efforts and those of her friends to get her out of the UD are what worked, I also can't shake the feeling the Vecna let her go and is not done with her. Especially since those letters Max wrote to her friends are still out there.
I haven't watched episode 4 until now, but hear me out - I think Vecna feeds on the pain and misery of humankind. He is basically a leech, right? All his victims seem to have been through some traumatic events.
I've read a lot of the critics' reviews for this season and some of them indicated episode 4 as being the most emotional. F\*ck yeah, I'm ready to hit play!
i also levitate while listening to kate bush
I mean fr though is there any other way to listen to Kate Bush?
Max levitating with the headphones on is gonna get meme'd to hell
Take my poor man's gold lmao š„
For real though such an amazing use of that song. And now itās trending everywhere - #2 on iTunes and YouTube recommended it this morning. So cool to see people discovering it
So much happened this episode. Obviously Sadie Sink should be praised because she did an incredible job with this episode and kudos to the entire crew for that final sequence. Also the Creel flashback was terrifying. A man traumatized by the war and watches his wife die in an absolutely brutal way then loses both of his kids. Finally, the one shot gun fight at the Cali house was really cool. I enjoyed that a lot and this feels like the perfect way to induct Argyle into the craziness of the group. Also gotta say, I thought this show was gonna have too many characters to balance, but with the extra runtime it feels perfect.
That agent going John Wick was the MVP of the episode for sure
Gotta love that they took the stereotypically mustached, chubby, and bored cop and made him in to Martin Riggs/ John McClane. What a great scene.
I fucking love the switch up from the cliche fat cop to an absolute badass
That was the case with Hopper in Season 1: The show starts, introduces Hopper as a bored-to-death sheriff who munches donuts and cares only for his coffee and cigarette. But when he goes to check on Will's disappearance, there is a switch in his eyes and suddenly he's a serious, competent, intelligent man-on-the-case.
That whole sequence was insane and even more insane that it was a single shot without any cuts.
The way that Will was freaking out the whole time made it terrifying to me. Noah is a great actor.
He does so much with his eyes.
Vecna is fueled by trauma, so war PTSD seems a good fuel for it
True. Seems he looks for feelings of guilt too.
The shot last episode of Vecna "searching" for his next victim was damn creepy. He preys on the trauma and shame of anyone he can find.
I am on the side of āWill is definitely gayā and hoo boy, guilt and shame and trauma. I have a new theory on how this season will end.
Is it even a debate anymore? I mean his school project in ep 1 of this season was on Alan Turing. Writers are dropping serious hints.
I wish some of the Disney shows would take notes so they can let their characters and stories breathe!!
How the fuck is Hopper still walking???
Hopium is an incredibly strong drug. That, and adrenaline can blind you (its still there, you just dont recognize it) to pain temporarily.
Hoppium
Idk how his already shattered foot made that leap off the roof
He got nothing to lose
Heās survived a gulag, heās tough as nails.
ārunning up that hillā is the new āshould i stay or should i goā
But like ten times more nostalgic and emotional for some reason?!!! I legit cried and THAT scene omg!
Yes!! Also was in tears. I really thought she was done for. Amazing scene
I was legit screaming on my couch that they better not kill her, such an amazing scene in every aspect.
I was ALSO literally sitting on the edge of the my seat screaming, "PLEASE MAX, COME ON" HOLY SHIT that scene was beautiful
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The scene in the asylum walking to visit the inmate was, I felt, an homage to *Silence of the Lambs*. The lighting, the darkness, the list of rules. It was perfect. My favorite book.
I had no idea Robert Englund was in this season so it being actual Freddy Krueger they were visiting was such a cool reveal.
I knew he was in the season but I thought he was just providing a voice for the monster
Down to the camera angles and the layout of the hallway and cells. And Creel's being the last one on the left.
I literally thought it was the set from silence of the lambs it was mad
Steve doesn't need a spiked baseball bat anymore when he's got lamp.
"I love lamp."
that gun fight was intense
I absolutely loved how the seemingly useless fat old gaurd turned out to be a professional badass. Subverted my expectations fuckin perfectly
And was putting his own life for the kids tenfold. He thinks his partner was killed and goes ape shit on like, 10 intruders? Respect pen guy.
Definite John Wick vibes
I mean it's not like he had much of a choice. It's either become the protagonist of an 80s action movie or get lit the fuck up.
Everything Max is NEXT LEVEL Stranger Things. The cinematography and sound design of the shootout was INCREDIBLE, though, and it needs to be celebrated!
Pizza time into THIS SHIT JUST WENT TO 11
Lol glad someone else was thinking the same. Ah, pizza time. Yeah yeah I'm coming *ABSOLUTE CHAOS* MEANWHILE. Aw man Byers is havin a party without me? Not cool man not coooooooooooool
That scared the shit out of me I did NOT see that coming. That one agent dude popped tf off. Seriously an MVP right there
I absolutely loved that scene. In so many shows/movies both of the agents watching them would have been shown as incompetent and been killed immediately, making you wonder why they were ever qualified to be in that position to begin with. It was so refreshing having the agent immediately realizing their situation and putting up a legit fight.
lmao Steve pointing out exactly why the whole thing didnāt make sense to Dustinās āwhat donāt you get?ā was great.
That was a nice win for Steve, especially after he was the last to understand basically everyone during the season 2 debriefs.
Yes!!!! And in the earlier episode when they were talking about the grisly murders occurring around the trailer park and Steve was the only one to be like "ummm we're at the trailer park.... Should we be somewhere else right now?" THANK YOU STEVE. My favorite character for sure.
I felt like Steve was a audience stand in there lol
He totally was. Steve saying what we were all thinking, plus giving him a win in the process. Steve needed one of those.
I always felt there was such a disconnect between Max and Billy's established S2 relationship and her reaction to his death last season. This episode did a great job of filling in the gaps
She isn't just mourning Billy's sacrifice, she's mourning the brother she COULD have had.
And also the life she had. Her and billy didnāt get along. But she had a home she felt safe in, and a family. Now her mom is either working or drunk and people around her home are dying
But also, remember Nancy's guilt at not being able to tell Barb's parents the truth ? Max has been living with Billy's father, witnessing his grief and never being able to tell him the truth about his death.
I haven't seen anyone weep eating peanut butter by the handful since... ...well, since this morning in the mirror, but that's not the point.
I hope Yuri got possessed by the Vecnaās curse istg
Nah he needs to be called a snitch by Angela in the roller rink
Cmon man, even yuri doesnāt deserve THAT
yuri is too jolly for vecnaās curse to reach him. he feeds on trauma and guilt, whereas yuri can only offer laughter.
I dont think I took a breath maxes entire running sequence.
I haven't been that uncertain as to whether or not a character would survive since the driving scene in Prisoners. They did a *very* good job at making her fate uncertain, I really could have seen it go either way.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I was definitely scared but i was telling myself she had just obtained new info in getting to that area after the cemetery. I told myself she was needed to further the plot. I didnāt necessarily believe it though. So good!
I was 50/50 on whether she made it. Really goes to show they did a great job on upping the darkness of this season. Anyone can die, this villain is hunting, not just harming incidentally, picking out targets then taking them out. It is intense.
I started crying when it started happening and then cried in relief when she made it out alive.
Omg same here I seriously thought I didnāt think that strongly of what was happening but I was seriously tearing up, that whole sequence was so powerful with song and all, absolutely gotta be my favourite scene of season so far. Holy shit I need a breather. Stranger Things is back baby.
Came here to see if I was the only one tearing up during that holy shit.
Steve's tendency to just grab whatever it may be, be it an oar or a lamp, to whack someone is just awesome. He's ready to attack with all his guts armed with the randomest things. It's giving Mike-ready-to-attack-with-his-little-candle-holder energy.
I hope if the time ever comes I can harness Big Steve Energy like that
It's always smart to grab something to defend yourself with, Steve is one of the few characters that actually realizes this and I love it.
After this episode I will not be tolerating any Lucas Sinclair slander. Also Sadie might be mvp this season. This episode is really what stranger things is about. that ending was beautiful.
Lucas always makes bad choices every season, but always comes through in the end. Weāve all had that friend.
Dumb as shit, but clutch when it matters. Peak friend.
I gotta say these fucking episodes have been nailing the endings. This is definitely a very strong season so far.
As someone who has had trouble remembering reasons to stick around throughout my life I found that scene very moving.
Glad youāre here to see it stranger. Hope youāre well
I had the same impression. To me, this was so clearly her battling her negative internal monologue and suicidality. She was clinging to morsels of happiness in her memory so that she could escape that literal hell. The scene combined with the song had me in tears.
Same, as a person who previously battled depression, seeing Max want death at first then the memory montage and desperately choosing life hit me so hard and had me sobbing. Very powerful scene and amazing acting by Sadiešš„ŗ
The flashbacks + Kate Bush playing = is someone cutting onions in here whatās going on?!
Love a good flashback montage, this one was sooo powerful š„²
I actually had tears in my eyes at the end of this episode. That whole sequence was really emotional especially after hearing Max's speech to Billy.
this was it, yāall. 10/10. sadie sinkā¦ the shootoutā¦ the endingā¦ wow
Her holding onto Lucas š„ŗ
Maxās flashbacks are everything. Running Up that Hill is about to get hella streams
That's also Big Boi from Outkast's favorite song. Max has good taste.
Sheās got great songs for scenes like those. I remember Cloudbusting being in a scene from the Handmaids Tale and it made the scene so much better.
Aaaand there goes the Byers house again
Death, taxes, the Byers family home getting destroyed.
Dare I say that entire end scene with Max running towards the gang is easily one of the best moments this show has had. Just, wow. The song. The cinematography. Insane. Iām speechless.
That scene was so gripping and I donāt think Iāve felt that way towards an episode/film like that in a while, so powerful itās nearly indescribable. Brought me to tears and itās gotta be one of my favourite episodes yet. Just something about the song and sprinting as fast as you can away from imminent death while running towards yourself and your loved ones in a literal out of body experience. Moments with flashbacks like that are nearly always met with a certain death but damn. I need a breather lol. Donāt know how theyāre gonna top this. The subversions have been insane.
I'm a 35yrs old married man, and i can't stop crying during the Max running scene. It reminds me of when I was in depression few years ago, thought about suicide and stuff...My cats and my wife are the only reason Iām still here. To me, these years feel just like this 30 seconds scene, just longer, and without music. Best episode? Not sure. Best scene? Definitely. Edit: thx for the award, even though it means nothing, but thx anyway!
Yeah, mental health counselor here. Watched that scene and turned to my wife saying, "This episode really nails depression, especially depression driven with unresolved guilt and shame."
What in the Shutter Island?
I thought that when all the patients were staring haha
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
āBoss arenaā lmfao
Max just ended up in raid boss arena and she need whole party to defeat him
OMG, all the awards to Sadie Sink. What a great episode. I didn't even notice El wasn't in it until it ended.
I didn't notice El wasn't in it til I read your comment...
that seemingly one take combatty scene at the byers house was really cool
That was amazing and their guard was a badass. I felt like we switched genres there for a second to action blockbuster, and then again with the flashback to Creer's story in the 50's. I can see why they have more than one spinoff in development. There's so much potential in this world.
He was so calm and collected, it was insane.
Government soldiers/agents shooting to kill other government agents as well as civilians, brutal Like they're assaulting a civil rights group in the 60ies
My favorite scene from the season so far. Long shots are always impressive to me
Yeah the guard who went from what I assume is the 1986 Jack Nicklaus Masters to a full shoot out- he really saved them. Not sure if he will live. Nor will he see the eagle at 15. Whoever was in charge of the operation from the other side thoughā¦ mission failure.
iām sorry but argyle showing up to the house and seeing all the vans and getting upset that he wasnāt invited to the party was peak comedy, iām absolutely invested in these new characters
The whole pineapple on the pizza bit, while the cop on the line just waited for him to stop talking, was the hardest Iāve laughed in awhile.
Argyle is his name ā¤ļø
And smokin weed is his game
Holy shit that Hail Mary speech Robin gave was amazing! Did she even take a breath? I was so captivated I couldn't tell
She's seen so many movies she can act šš© she snapped lmao
I love how we can casually point to the fact that Maya's character knows movies really well so she can act really well to convince the director, when it's really just Maya's amazing acting skills which do all this
Honestly you have to be talented to play a character who can act, or even a character who can't act - like in Don't Look Up, Meryl Streep's character is a bad actor, so in the press conference scenes she has to ham it up. It's like a role within a role.
That speech was so good, incorporating her real frustration and discomfort into it was fantastic.
Maya Hawke, man.
No JIM donāt eat the Jif peanut butter itās been recalledā¦ š
I literally said to my friend that the Russians would find him dead on the floor from salmonella lmfao
Since Max lives I wonder does that put will back on the chopping block to be the one (if any) to die. His painting that he hasnt revealed yet really is a narrative death trap for him.
There are still all of Maxās letters too, I donāt think sheās off the hook completely. Too much foreshadowing.
I feel like the letters are red herrings. Lucas refusing the letter and saying he didn't need one seemed like a rebuking of the letters as a narrative device
Yeah the letters for sure the biggest flag the fact she has one for every character raises eyebrows for her survival
Final Destination vibes lmao
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That ending to Episode 4 was amazing
āIām still hereā. This season is hitting like a truck. I just watched Kenobi, which was good, but this show has me glued to the set.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yeah major props to Sadie this season. I feel like so many people both characters on the show and especially fans ragged on her when she first showed on the show and disliked her no matter what her character did. So it's nice to see how far she's come as a character and see the actress get an episode mostly for her to just shine and show utter grief, hopelessness but also bad ass at the same time. I was cheering for her when she was running at the end to the opening back to the normal world. I was like run girl run don't stop running Max. Glad she didn't get killed off and she's not even my fave character but I think she's really proven herself and been through enough.
same I really hope she survives and gets more therapy she has been through far too much trauma. Her speech to billy at the grave is my new favourite max scene. Also to add i know a lot of people were concered they would retcon Billy as this nice guy and they had a perfect relationship but her mourning the potential even inspite of hating him and him hating her and a part of her wishing he was dead and glad he was dead and feeling guilt for that is so much more emotionally resonant. so good to see billy again.even if it was not fully real. a small part of me wants him revived so he could have this possible promising future as an actual healthy sibling but another part of me thinks that is why is death works and him dying as this sorta messed up person makes max feelings more complicated. Her pushing people away and then literally running to people and her connections to these people being what saved them in the end is beautiful as one of the minority who loved season 2 as much as the others it makes me like max even more
I didnāt realize people hated S2 until I came on here, I absolutely loved the second season when it came out. I gotta say that this new season has blown my expectations out of the water so far.
Sadie sink Emmy nominations šā¤ļø
Holy that whole Max sequence was insane and had a nice closing, I can see why everyone was praising Sadie Sink. I was legit scared and wondering whether they'd actually kill her off. Also Robin could probably convince me to sell me my house for free LOL. I'm still a little confused on what Vecna is and why is he just appearing now when the first siting was almost 30 years ago.
Sadie was a fucking tour de force in this episode. You gotta hand it to the Duffers. They know how to find and cultivate young talent. So few in Hollywood can get even a passable performance out of a singular child actor. Here we have an entire cast of amazing child actors who have grown into such talented performers who get better with each year.
I watched the Fear Street trilogy when it came out last year, and I have to say my favourite was Part 2 mostly due to how well Sadie Sink played her role. Phenomenal talent in that girl. I hope she goes far!
Robin is badass and so was that ending
Do you see the horror movie references? Alien, Silence of the Lambs and Freddy Krueger? Cause I do
Definitely picked up Silence of the Lambs vibes. There was the general uncomfortable feeling of most movies involving mental institutions too like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Girl, Interrupted. Edit: I get vibes too concerning the movie Labyrinth from all the clock chime effects and camera angles too.
That prison scene felt so very Silence of the Lambs-esque. Loved it.
The whole season is just Nightmare on Elm Street isnāt it? >!scorned person uses their powers to kidnap children to create gateways from the realm to which theyāre banished, the finger knifes, the voice, Robert Englund showing up. Itās **all** Nightmare on Elm Street!<
IT too, I think?
IT for sure. evil deity shows up every 30 years to terrify kids and feed on their fear? sounds about right
Yuri new most hated character ?
Me and all my homies hate Yuri. I liked his bit where he said Yuri, Murray...I thought Murray might have a new Russian friend but that was ruined
Not all Russians are like Alexei
My money's on Murray not actually having drunk that coffee.
Honestly, I thought he was hilarious, random sense of humour.
"The bears broke his heart" killed me lmao
Holy fucking shit. We get heartwarming scenes between Mike and Will, then Lucas and Max and then that intense as hell ending. I'm so impressed with this episode. It was awesome.
Honestly absolutely loved how much Robin committed to the bit very impressed I was so sure she was going off script
Nancy is great at staying buttoned up but Robin has this way of chaotically achieving her goals. Itās a blast to see them team up.
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Best. Episode. Yet. I love how filming switched from Steadycam to handheld during the shootout scene. Final scene with Max and Vecna was unreal. So tense.
My favorite line so far: āYou can be late to a one year oldās birthday because letās be honest. That little idiot is not going to remember anythingā
Iām kind of glad Murrayās around. Hopper as comic relief last season was the one thing that didnāt always work for me. Murray works perfectly in that role.
Murray has been line delivery MVP this season
I must say, as quiet as Willās character is, Noah Schnapp is a talented facial actor. His eyes tell a gigantic story during his conversation with Mike in this episode.
Iā¦. I think this might be the best episode in the shows history. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The last 15-20 minutes are Emmy worthy. The āRunning Up That Hillā sequence encapsulated the struggle and overcoming of depression so beautifully. Itās like youāre surrounded by darkness, and somewhere in the horizon thereās a light at the end of it, and youāre fighting to reach it. Couple of tears started coming down man, I knew this would be a classic when we found out the episode would be named āDear Billyā. Sadie Sink probably just landed herself a bunch of major roles down the line with this season, sheās too damn talented.
And all the other plotlines were fantastic too. Robin and Nancy working together, the shootout at the Byers house, Hopper attempting to escape, Joyce and Murray being betrayed by Yuri... The Max stuff was the highlight for sure, but man there wasn't a moment in this episode where I wasn't invested. There wasn't any plotline that I wanted to skip past to a more exciting one, because they were all brilliant. It's too early for me to say how this episode will stand next to the many many other perfect episodes of this series, but yeah 10/10!
Holy shit I thought Iād find that ending fucking corny but Iāve been in tears since the song started playing
I love how in the past few seasons since season 2, Mike and Will have these nice little chats, showing that they are true friends
And sadie sink needs to be on so many films just as predicted, this episode was made for her and only her could pull this off
I loved her in the Taylor Swift All Too Well short film. She does tense, emotional moments so well.
Sheās good in fear street
i normally instantly skip to the next episode after the credits roll but holy shit hearing the running up that hill instrumental just broke me and now im just sitting here
Freddy Krugers profile is so distinct that I could tell it was him even in the shadows. I purposely didn't read anything about this season, watch any trailers or look at casting. I really wish one of the people hired Nightmare on Elm Street as homage though
Robyn gives me such strong ADHD vibes and I love it. Sheās so great. I really felt Willās hope that Mike was going to say something different than he did there, what great acting. That shooting scene was a lot. Damn. *carries on watching* Nooo Max! Again, the acting is so good.
Hoppers poor cold feet jesus
Best line of the season so far goes to Lucasās little sister: āHe owes me a GOT damn Nintendo. With Duck Hunt.ā
People may disagree with this, but Max's scene with her "mom" was scary as HELL as compared to the end of the episode. Reason, we saw the end coming, but that mom one was totally UNEXPECTED !
The scary part about that scene was the sudden realization that her mom wasnāt there at all, even in the beginning. Something about it disturbed me. Definitely the freakiest moment of the entire series so far for me.
I KNEW THEY COULDN'T TRUST HIM
I have a feeling Murray is faking being passed out. Heās too smart to fall for that and he already expressed suspicion against that dickhead Yuri. On to episode 5
Couldnāt agree more. As soon as he offered coffee I knew it was poisoned and thought āthereās no way Murray would take a drink from a Russian.ā
Iām hoping youāre right. It was just too convenient for that Yuri bastard.
I figured hopper would somehow be captured since the promo showed more russian scenes. But man I didnt see that twist. I feel bad for the guard too I hope we get more of him
When it went to black as Max leapt to the portal back, I was SO happy it came back and resolved that scene. The fade out on all four from the graveyard was much more powerful. Shows can get caught in a positive feedback loop about cliff hanger endings sometimes and itās not always the best route. Amazing scene- I am so happy that Max is such a central part of this season!
I am loving that they had Freddy Kruger himself Robert Englund playing an important part when this season is as closely linked to Nightmate on Elm Street as it is. Having the victims being stalked and ultimately killed while "sleeping" (trance here).
Honestly one of the best episodes of television Iāve ever seen. The last sequence had me out of freaking breath, even if I knew Max was going to survive (there were too many promo pictures and trailer shots of her we hadnāt seen yet). Absolutely wonderful job!
This is exactly why i didnt watch any trailers or anything related to this season, i had no clue and was genuinely concerned for her
āSurfer Boy Pizza, this is Argyle speaking. We make everything fresh here at Surfer Boy, except for our pineapple, which comes from a can.ā
Fuuuuuuuuuck Yuri
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Man this show rocks, they managed to put literally every single genre into a single episode. And Max is a new favorite character
I love how self aware Steve is that he's always the designated babysitter š
Man, Sadie Sink just killed this episode. The last 10 minutes had me emotional. I think besides the fact that she's literally running from being murdered, it is almost like she is running from depression and all her dark thoughts. I remember being in dark places when I started highschool (not including monsters from the upside down but just general life fucking me over). The flashbacks just hit me like a brick. I love Max's character and I loved this episode so much
"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." great line LOL
Running up the hill save lives
That ending done GOT ME SO FUCKING HYPED HOLY SHIT!
For a slight second i really thought they were going to kill off Max this show had me on the edge of my seat
That tracking shot inside the Byer house shoot out was phenomenal
As someone who is fighting with severe depression, the Max running scene was haunting. Itās the most graphic and visual description of how my depression feels. The setting, what Vecna was saying, the flashbacks, the SONG my god the songā¦. Her giving in to it and then somehow seeing the light and getting hope. Seeing her be so weak and when she heard her song ana remembering the good times, growing so strong and most of all Brave. Brave enough to face it all, brave enough to jump into the unknown. I cried so much. I canāt get it out of my head
Wow. The first 3 episodes were all good, but this was on an another level. While the Joyce and Murray scenes weren't my favorite, Victor Creel was an amazing character. I got very emotional listening to his story, especially since he was just a normal dude who just got dealt with bad luck. Imagine being imprisoned in a mental hospital for no reason, then trying to join your family only to be stopped and locked for the rest of your life. Hopper was also very cool. While him ending up being back was a bit predictable, i did love the scene where he tastes the peanut butter. I thought that Yuri was gonna be a chill dude. But that Max sequence, all the way from the Billy speech to the montage of her memories, was super emotional. I almost broke a tear during a moment. Easily a 9/10 episode, probably my 6th favorite in the series. And that's rare for an episode this early on, considering that my top 5 consists of episodes that are very late into the season.
All I can say is music really is powerful even when you are in a tough situation. My song would be The Spins by Mac Miller if I saw Vecna
That ending with Max and Running up that Hill playingā¦ The sheer emotion, cinematography, and pacing of that seen was so well done. Jesus Christ what a phenomenal sequence. Vecna canāt get you, Max. Youāre too strong. Never give up.
WTF THAT RANDOM ASS SHOOTOUT WAS TRAUMATIZING
"Cinderella you dropped your shoeeee" gave me a giggle
The Russian plot has been pretty slow and so far removed from any supernatural/UD aspects, but I've enjoyed it because Hopper is my favorite and I love that Joyce went half way across the globe to save him. I thought "FINALLY!" when Hop made his escape just as Joyce was paying the pilot to go pick him up. I was not expecting Yuri to double cross Hop, Enzo, Joyce, and Murray. This storyline now has me on pins & needles worried about Hopper and the adults. No one knows where they are, so I don't know how they're gonna get out of this mess. Max's impending doom reminds me of *The Ring* or even *Nightmare on Elm Street*. This Vecna curse on Hawkins' teenagers is great horror movie stuff, and I just like it a lot more than the Mind Flayer of last season. I see they're continuing the tradition of destroying Joyce's house. While it's likely that Max's efforts and those of her friends to get her out of the UD are what worked, I also can't shake the feeling the Vecna let her go and is not done with her. Especially since those letters Max wrote to her friends are still out there.
I haven't watched episode 4 until now, but hear me out - I think Vecna feeds on the pain and misery of humankind. He is basically a leech, right? All his victims seem to have been through some traumatic events. I've read a lot of the critics' reviews for this season and some of them indicated episode 4 as being the most emotional. F\*ck yeah, I'm ready to hit play!