When we asked our listeners to give us one word to describe how they feel about the Stranger Things 4 finale, we heard words like dissatisfied, numb, anxious, resolved, crushed, bewilderment, depressed, bittersweet, and intrigued just to name a few. Now that we get to hear listeners share in-depth how they feel about it, those words definitely ring true.  Some felt that Stranger Things 4 was the best season ever, while others felt it was the worst season ever.  However, most of you felt like the season did a lot of things right and can't wait for Stranger Things 5. One thing that the entire fandom seems to be united on is the heartbreak over the death of Eddie. In this episode we hear some interesting theories about Eddie, as well as some other fun ideas about what may be in store next season.  With feedback coming in from at least 10 countries and 8 states, this is the most excellent feedback episode we've put together yet!  Thanks to all of you who made this episode possible.

 

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The Stranger Things 4 finale was full of SO MUCH action, suspense, sadness, exposition, humor, and intrigue!  Coming in at the run time of a full-length movie, we still wanted more! How could the Duffer brothers leave the ending on such a massive cliffhanger?  How could they yet again kill off a major fan-favorite character? Will we ever see Max alive again?

Overall we found the season 4 finale to be very enjoyable. Obviously, like most (all?) of the fandom, we are not happy with Eddie's death, but the excellent storytelling in this episode built to an epic crescendo with all of the character groups coming together to push back Vecna.  The music was masterfully woven into the episode, and the use of Metallica's "Master of Puppets" was spectacular.

 

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Why did Will lie to Mike about El commissioning his painting? How will El be able to help Hawkins with no way to get there? Did Dr. Owens have a role in raising Peter the creepy orderly? These are just a few of the interesting questions raised by listeners this week.  We also have insights on the musical selections, predictions on who will die in the finale, and multiple connections to Star Wars in this week's listener feedback episode!

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The penultimate episode of Stranger Things season 4 has arrived and it did exactly what a penultimate episode should do! "Papa" insists that everything he has done for Eleven, and Henry too for that matter, has been in their best interests. Like, El, we strongly disagree with his point of view.  Although we can see how he could come to those conclusions, his methods are hard to justify.  Is Papa truly dead?  Only time will tell.  In Hawkins, Max is willing to put her life on the line to save the town and all her friends.  We think the kids have no idea what they are truly up against, but also agree with them that they have no better choice.  Will Eleven be able to make it to Hawkins in time?  The ending of this episode was perfect with the kids going separate ways and preparing to execute their two-pronged attack on Vecna.  We can't wait for next week's finale!

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With the major reveals and twists of "The Massacre at Hawkins Lab," many of us are updating our theories and coming up with new ones.  Is Peter Eleven's father?  Was Brenner using El to search the void in an effort to find Peter?  Was El a pawn used by Peter, or was he being truthful with her?  Did Peter/Vecna create the upside down, or did it exist before he was sent there by El?  What's up with the earthquakes, and why is the upside down frozen at November 6, 1983? These are only a few of the discussion points and theories brought up by listeners this week.  Two of you even bring back a theory Darrell threw out after watching the very first episode of season one!

We do our best to make sense of these questions, put together a list of who you all think will die this season, update Darrell's predictions from this season, and make a few more predictions on how the rest of the season will play out.

 

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Has there ever been a more amazing or mind blowing reveal than what the Duffer brothers gave us in "The Massacre at Hawkins Lab?" Peter the friendly/creepy orderly is actually Henry Creel. I mean, he's actually 001.  What I mean to say is that he is Vecna.  And to top it all off, El created Vecna!?!?!  Wow, what a crazy twist.  Then you add in the most amazing demogorgon fight scene we've ever seen with the most exploration of the upside down that we've ever seen, and you have one amazing episode of Stranger Things.

We do our best to break down all of these incredible plot developments, and Darrell talks about any spoilers he encountered about the first part of the season as well as all the things that surprised him in this episode.

 

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We're quickly approaching the end of Stranger Things 4 Part 1, and you all continue to come up with intriguiging theories! The debate continues on whether or not Peter is friendly or creepy, and some of you are even tossing out ideas on Peter's possible true identity.  As the community of Hawkins is lathered up into a frenzy by Jason, some of you saw parallels between Eddie's story of this season and the West Memphis 3 real-life events from the early 1990's.  In fact, your insight shared about the West Memphis 3 cause Darrell to reevaluate his theory on Miss Kelley.

We love all the insightful feedback you send in each week, and look forward to hearing all of your amazing thoughts as the season continues!

 

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Steve jumps at the opportunity to leave the kids behind and step out of his babysitter role, but we were not prepared for him to do so! The Dive, episode 6 of Stranger Things' 4th season, left us wanting more! With the citizens of Hawkins in a frenzy thanks to Jason's accusations against The Hellfire Club, it's not only Eddie that now finds himself in their crosshairs. Eleven continues to dive deeper into her memories, exploring her previous life as Brenner's lab rat, and becoming increasing influenced by the creepy/friendly orderly, Peter.  002 is not too happy about her rising strength, and it looks like she's now convinced she is the one responsible for the massacre at Hawkins Lab.

Hopper is preparing to fight a demogorgon, and it looks like his story is nearly ready to combine with that of Joyce and Murray!  Suzie provides a valuable asset to the California crew, and we wonder if Eden will join them in the weed wagon as they leave Utah in search of El.

 

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Brenner is back! While his return is not really a surprise, the events that unfold in "The Nina Project" with Brenner, Dr. Owens, and Eleven do bring quite a few surprises.  We see the appearance of Peter Ballard the Friendly Orderly, and we can not agree on whether or not he is truly friendly, or truly creepy.  In Hawkins, the exploration of the Creel house has us asking new questions about how many dimensions are at play in this story, and how the gang will find their way to Vecna's lair on their own.

Darrell throws out a few new theories involving 002, Henry Creel, and Peter Ballard, listeners share in some really insightful comments and theories, and we share an opportunity for a special bonus episode we're hoping to pull off at the end of this season.

 

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Are we the only ones who think "Dear Billy" might just be the best episode of Stranger Things yet?  With Sadie Sink's impeccable performance, this episode has us heaping praise upon praise.  Robert Englund's performance as Victor Creel also stood out and his story gave us chills.  Is his story to be believed?  We have our doubts.

The shootout at the Byers home was one of the most impressive scenes of the series with the one-shot steady cam action, and left us on the edge of our seats.  While Yuri's double cross is one we saw coming, the depth of his double cross is NOT something we foresaw! 

Every story element of "Dear Billy" was excellent!  Nancy and Robin faking their way into Pennhurst was hilarious, and the nods to "The Silence of the Lambs" were excellent.  Capping the episode with Max's flashback memories of the kids and Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" were absolute perfection!

We have much to discuss, listeners once again flooded our inbox with incredible insights, and Darrell has put together such a long theory that at least one (hopefully) thing has to be correct!

 

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We saw major developments on every front in, "The Monster and the Superhero."  El is arrested for assaulting Angela with the skate, but ends up rescued by Dr. Ownens and given the option to return to Hawkins, undergo training to restore her powers, and save everyone.  Murray and Joyce make their way to Alaska.  In Hawkins, Lucas finds himself in a delicate position as he tries to provide a layer of protection between Dustin's group and the basketball bullies.  Robin and Nancy find themselves hunting for clues together, unsure how each of them feel about each other or Steve.  Meanwhile, Steve, Dustin, and Max break into the school to examine student records in Ms. Kelly's office.  While there, Max hears the voice of Vecna, wanders out to the hallway, and sees a grandfather clock embedded into the wall.

This episode gave us a lot to think about and we loved it.  We feel like it not only moved each of the story lines forward in significant ways, but it set up the stories in ways that they can carry momentum throughout the rest of the season.  We're very intrigued and concerned about what will happen with Max, excited that it looks like Lucas has abandoned the basketball boys to rejoin his geeky friends, and intrigued by the thought of Nancy and Steve rekindling their relationship.  We're also quite concerned for El as we wonder whether Dr. Owens trip to California has tipped off the government to her whereabouts, or if her arrest record will tip off the government posse.  Either way, we're quite sure El is in danger! 

 

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"Vecna's Curse" is now haunting the residents of Hawkins, just as they beginning to heal from the events of season 3. With the news of Chrissy's death spreading around town, the Hawkins kids begin their own investigations as to what happened?  What the culprit Eddie, the leader of The Hellfire Club, or are their worst fears coming to life and something far more sinister is the cause?  Fred becomes the second gruesome victim of Vecna, and his death gives us more clues to how Vecna chooses his prey.

Out in California, El continues spreading her lies in an effort to bamboozle Mike into thinking her life there is great.  Her lies catch up with her though, and she's once again the focus of Angela's bullying.  Mike watches on in horror as El is humiliated in front of the entire skating rink.  El has had enough, and smashes a skate into Angela's face, bringing back memories of the massacre in the Hawkins Lab we saw in "The Hellfire Club."

Season 4 continues to be thrilling and more horrorific than ever before.  We have lots of thoughts, some new theories, and a great time discussing, "Vecna's Curse" in this week's episode.

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"The Hellfire Club" starts season 4 of Stranger Things off with a bang (or should we say, crack)?  With a significantly darker and more horror tone than previous seasons, the group of Hawkins kids are more splintered and dysfunctional than ever before.  Max is facing significant challenges with her family and personal feelings after the death of Billy and breakup of her parent's marriage, El, Will, and Jonathan are trying to adjust to a new town in California, while Lucas, Mike, and Dustin adjust to life in high school which has them pursuing interests that are testing the limits of their friendship. We also meet new characters, Jason, Crissy, and Eddie, which even after one episode, have each given us reasons to form strong opinions about them.  

This episode looks like it could be the best season yet, and in this episode we break down each of the events from "The Hellfire Club," make new predictions based on what we saw in this episode, and try to work through some of the confusion we have about the various character ages.

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Stranger Things 4 is just a couple of days away, arriving on Netflix on May 27!  Earlier this week we dropped part 1 of our season 4 prep episode, and now we have part 2 for you so that you can be full prepared when Stranger Things 4 arrives.

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Here in our Season 4 Prep Episode Pt 2, we do a detailed breakdown of episodes 5-8 of Stranger Things 3.  We also share our favorite moments from Stranger Things 3, unanswered questions we have, what we hope to see in Stranger Things 4, and make some season 4 predictions.  We top it all of with some listener feedback!

 

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The wait is almost over! Stranger Things 4 arrives on May 27, and we are here to help you get ready!  We know it's been a loooong time since Stranger Things 3, so we don't blame you if you've forgotten a thing or two.

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Here in our Season 4 Prep Episode Pt 1, we cover a few items from seasons 1 and 2 that we think are going to be relevant in season 4.  Then we give a detailed breakdown of episodes 1-4 of Stranger Things 3.  We'll cover the rest of season 3 and share some listener feedback in part 2 which comes our later this week!

 

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Season 4 of Stranger Things is almost here!  Netflix dropped a new trailer on April 12th, and it is LOADED with all sorts of tasty morsels.  Addi and Darrell break down every single moment of the trailer and share some observations from the trailer that lead to some new theories on what might be in store for season 4. If you don't want to know anything about the upcoming episode, then this episode is not for you and this is your spoiler warning. But if you want to know about the main villain of the season, new characters, and who might be the secret to fighting the big bad of the season, then hit that play button and journey to the upside down with us!

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How does a Stranger Things fan pass the time during this prolonged break between seasons?  Rewatching previous seasons of our beloved show is certainly an excellent option.  Another excellent option is playing Stranger Things Trivial Pursuit with other Stranger Things fans!  We recently teamed up with a few of the listeners of our podcast, started a Facebook Live broadcast, and played Stranger Things Trivial Pursuit.  We had a wonderful time and recorded the whole thing so we could bring it to you in podcast form.  We hope you have fun playing along! 

Earlier this month we visited Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.  Featured among this seasonal attraction are haunted houses, or mazes, from some of our favorite TV and film franchises.  The biggest franchise for us is the Stranger Things maze.  While not much changed with this years maze vs. last year's maze, we still found the experience to be very enjoyable.  

We also enjoyed mazes themed for Ghostbusters, Jordan Peele's "Us," Frankenstein vs. the Wolf Man, Pandora's Box, Holidayz in Hell, and we enjoyed some delicious Stranger Things themed food!

The best part of all was spending the day with Katrina, one of our podcast listeners!

We spent the next couple of days at Disneyland with podcast listeners Jeremiah, JJ, Blake, and Rachel.  While no Stranger Things tie-ins could be found at Disney, we still spend time discussing our time at those parks and the fun times we shared with listeners.

Eleven is weak. The parasite inside her leg is making things worse. They have to get it out. Jonathan springs into action and finds a knife. The small creature burrows deeper into her tissue. Eleven pushes through the pain and takes control of the situation. She uses her mental might to rip the tiny terror from her flesh. Can they all live happily ever after now? Unfortunately, no, this is only the prelude to the battle to come.

Team Bald Eagle rushes to the Mall. The Scoops Troop heads to Weathertop which is the highest point in Hawkins. It is also the location of the only radio with a strong enough signal to permeate the vast layers of the Russian base. Murray tries to reason with the Russian soldiers. Hopper becomes agitated and takes them down with a machine gun. Mike and the gang fail to make their escape. Someone has tampered with Nancy?s car. They must seek refuge back in the Mall as Billy speeds at them in his car. Within moments the gigantic spider like creature is crashing through the Mall roof. It has periscoping tentacles that relentlessly pursue the kids around corners. Just when it appears Eleven may be captured, Lucas saves the day with his wrist rocket. A balloon pop was enough to divert the Monster?s focus and allow them to escape. High on the hill, Steve spies that there is trouble at the Mall and speeds off to help.

Murray grudgingly accepts the kids help navigating the vents. He finds the vault but then can?t remember Planck?s constant. They must have it to retrieve the keys. Dustin quickly changes frequency to contact Suzie. Back in the food court Eleven tries to flip the car. Her battery is just not recharging. Mike and the gang uses the laws of physics to turn the car over to retrieve the part they need. Nancy?s car is hesitant to start and Billy is reving up to ram them. Then Steve comes to the rescue. Billy is knocked out and the Monster begins pursuing our heroes. Grigori has infiltrated the base under the mall. He only has one thought in mind. He wants to take out Hopper.

Billy regains consciousness and begins to search the hidden hallways of Starcourt. He quickly finds his target and gets Max and Mike out of the way. Nothing will stop him from bringing his Master what it desires. Billy subdues Eleven and carries her away to present her to the Mind Flayer. Down below Grigori and Hopper are locked in a battle. At first it looks as though the Russian will win. In a final moment of strength Hopper shoves Grigori into the laser.

Did I mention that Dustin got the answer from Suzie? That?s right! She is indeed real and she knows Planck?s constant. A problem still remains. There are two keys that have to be turned at the same time. Hopper is fighting with Grigori, leaving Joyce alone in the control room. She ties her belt to one key and reaches her fingers towards the second.

Back in the Food Court, the boys are hurling fireworks at the creature. As Billy lays Eleven down she tries to reason with him. She reminds him about the boy on the beach and the pretty woman. She reminds him of his life before the Mind Flayer came and consumed his existence. He was just a little boy who wanted to make his Mother proud. Billy straightens up and stands tall. He puts himself between the kids and the gruesome entity. He takes the entirety of its wrath. Its tentacles pierce his body. At that same moment Hopper gives Joyce a slight nod. Without words he tells Joyce it is time. She has to activate the explosion and close the gate. Dr. Owens and a fleet of helicopters come flying in. The government backup is here. Is it too late for the beloved Chief?

Three months later, the newscasts are still seeking answers for all that has happened in Hawkins. The Byers are packing up. I think it is just too painful for Joyce to stay here. She will take El and care for her. In the midst of packing she finds the speech that Hopper wrote for Eleven and Mike. It is so sad that he is not here now to deliver those poignant words. Mike promises to see Eleven at Thanksgiving. I am happy to see that this young love has survived the Monster mayhem. Maybe Nancy really could hide Johnathan in her basement. Mr. Wheeler is not very observant. It is Holly they would have to look out for. That little girl knows what?s going on.

Questions still remain. What is the fate of all the Flayed? Are they all gone? Will Eleven regain her power? Is Hopper gone forever, reduced to dust by the giant laser? We have seen Hopper and Will both survive the Upside Down. Jim wrote that having Eleven in his life brought him back to the light. I hope he climbed into that sliver of light before the explosion had the chance to reduce him to molecules.

 

Did you hear that? Was that the fireworks? Did you see that? The trees are moving. Billy said the Monster can see Eleven. I think he is right and it has found the kids! Seconds later the creature?s vast tentacles burst through the walls of the cabin. El uses her considerable power to push the Mind Flayer back over and over. Her friends fight to help her. They shoot and chop at the vicious thing. They use all their might to tug El away from the grasp of its jaws. Ultimately they succeed and the Monster retreats but not before it manages to take a bite.

Team Scoops Ahoy is on the run. Using a stolen key card they are finally able to rise to the surface. They sneak through back corridors and slip into a packed theater to make a plan. They need to buy some time. The eldest among them are still suffering the effects of the drugs given to them by the Russians.

Elsewhere in Hawkins, Mike and the gang break into a grocery store to treat Eleven?s wounds. In a moment alone Mike apologizes to El for being jealous. He is so tongue tied he cannot say the word love out loud. This sweet scene in interrupted by Dustin calling a code red. The batteries give out on his walkie talkie so Eleven must return to the void to find him.

Hopper hopes the government will come and provide backup. He is angry with Joyce for the way she spoke to them. What if they don?t come now? What is so dangerous about the Fair? Why did Joyce insist their children need saving from it? Alexei is able to communicate details about the Russian?s base. You need two keys that are kept in a vault. You need to know Planck?s constant to access it. Someone call Erica and offer her a sundae, She is a math genius. Alexei warns that people must not be near when the laser explodes. He has seen it turn people to dust.

Hopper and Joyce arrive at the Fair and start investigating. Murray decides to purchase Alexei some tickets and show him how fun American Independence Day can be. Unfortunately Grigori catches sight of his former comrade and shoots him for being a traitor. Hopper follows the murderous man into the hall of mirrors. Due to a bulletproof vest Jim is unable to defeat Grigori but gets information on the location of the children. One of the fallen Russians radio provides the clue they need to find them.

Back at Starcourt Robin tells Steve who she really had a crush on. Erica and Dustin track down the giggling pair in the bathroom. The plan to escape is to blend in with the crowd as the mall empties for the night. On their way to the bus they are spotted and have to run. Before long Team Scoops Ahoy is cornered. Time is running out. A car alarm begins to blare. Eleven, Mike and the gang appear and El launches the car at the enemies.

Finally the kids are reunited but the joy is short lived. This ?Red Dawn? situation is certainly related to the gate. The how and why remains a mystery. Billy is tracking El through the blood she shed in the grocery store. I fear he is closing in and the creature he serves won?t be far behind. 

E Pluribus Unum. Out of many one. Powerful is the Monster?s influence. Pulling all those that are infected towards the source. Countless innocent residents of Hawkins giving their lives to the Mind Flayer, as many become one. We must put our hope in the few that understand what consequences reopening the gate will bring.

Team Scoops Ahoy has been discovered by the Russians. Steve and Robin sacrifice their freedom so that Dustin and Erica can get away. They say the simplest answer is the right one. Steve really does work for Scoops Ahoy and really did stumble across the secret compound by accident. Sure he was having a fun time solving a mystery with Dustin. I am not sure that Steve thought it would turn out to be real. I love that we got a vulnerable moment from Robin in this episode. She admits she had a crush on Steve. In a moment where it looks like our heroes can?t take much more Dustin and Erica save the day with a taser. Why do the Russians have this instrument? Do the Russians have creatures from the Upside Down captured here?

Grigori wants to find Hopper. He is using violence to inspire Mayor Kline to give up information. I don?t think the Mayor has the information the intimidating Russian wants. In Illinois Hopper and Joyce are continuing to try to get information from the Scientist. Alexei is afraid. What will happen if he doesn?t do what his superiors want from him? He saw what happened to the last Scientist that did not produce results. Perhaps he will help the Americans. They seem to have experience with things involved in his mysterious research.

At Hawkins Hospital the lights begin to flicker. Will feels the presence of the Mind Flayer. The kids proceed to the fourth floor to see what is going on. Nancy is running from the Monster. She barricades herself in a room thinking that it will give her a moment of safety, however the creature has a disgusting talent. It can break down into the slime that it is made of and squeeze through the grate at the bottom of the door. Nancy came really close to becoming a servant of the Mind Flayer. At the last moment Eleven is able to toss the creature off of Nancy. Then in an extraordinary burst of energy El launches the creature out of the window. The creature slinks into the sewer. They must find Billy. He may be able to shed some light on the plan. What should the next step be?

In the void El is able to find Billy. We finally get some details on why he is filled with so much rage. Billy Hargrove was violent and angry long before the Mind Flayer came to town. The question remains can the kids stop this evil before it controls the mind of every resident in this town? What did Billy mean when he said this was all built for Eleven? What will happen now that the Mind Flayer has El in it's sight. Joyce is concerned that the man relaying a telephone message to Dr. Owens does not understand the gravity of the situation. You know who does understand the urgency of phone messages? Darrell and Addi would love to hear from you as this mystery continues to unravel. 

This is a code red. I repeat a code red. There are innocent children trapped by Russian soldiers under Star Court Mall. That?s right under this completely innocent shopping establishment is a secret Russian base. What is lurking underneath the oblivious shoppers of Hawkins? Does it have anything to do with the Upside Down?

Joyce and Hopper continue their investigation. Joyce is still asking about magnets. Hopper is more focused on looking around the plots of land bought up by the owners of Star Court Mall. They narrowly escape Grigori while he pursues them with a machine gun. They must have answers. Hopper kidnaps Dr.Alexei, a Russian scientist, to try and get some. The language barrier is definitely a problem. Jim said they have to go to Illinois. Joyce questions why there is no one that speaks Russian in Indiana. I think Hopper feels they need someone crazy enough to believe what he is translating. If you need someone to believe a conspiracy you go to Murray Bauman?s house.

Nancy Drew is on the case and she goes to pick up Mike and the gang before heading to the Holloway home to investigate. She really does a good job reconstructing the events that took place there. The Monster is changing. It has developed a taste for cleaning chemicals and fertilizer. Mr. Clarke taught the boys when you combine chemicals together you can create new things. What new nightmare is the Mind Flayer creating? The Flayed want to go back. Go back to where no one knows. Maybe if they follow Mrs. Driscoll they will find what they seek.

Team Scoops Ahoy scores a win using the mysterious green canister to prop the door. They are all able to squeeze out of the elevator. Erica thinks she has caught a glimpse of the radio room. They must be able to contact the surface. Steve Harrington has finally won a fight. He subdues one of the guards so they can get in the room with the blinking lights. What they find there is more than they bargained for. One mystery has been solved the green canisters are being used to fuel a giant laser. What are they doing with it? It appears they are piercing the veil that separates our world from the Upside Down. Don?t they understand what kind of evil lurks there?

At Hawkins Hospital the desk clerk is insisting that only two people can go to Mrs Driscoll?s room. Leaving the kids in the lobby, Nancy and Jonathan proceed to the fourth floor. Mrs. Driscoll is nowhere to be found. Instead they are faced with zombie servants of the Mind Flayer. They may look like Tom and Bruce but they are certainly not completely human any more. Totally oblivious to the chaos upstairs Lucas gives Mike relationship advice.

Above their heads on the fourth floor a Day of the Dead situation is unfolding. Nancy and Jonathan are fighting for their lives. They appear to be the last two people standing on this floor. Remember a few episodes back when the rat exploded? Well we have advanced to the next level now. Once a flayed person is defeated their body melts into a pile of goo. Okay so that?s disgusting but not too much to worry about right? Oh no we are dealing with many people united in a single mind. Like the zombie hoard in Will?s latest campaign. When they appear defeated the remnants of the flayed slither towards each other. They combine into something bigger. They unite into a Monster that defies definition. I wonder if the Dungeons and Dragons book has a name for this?

Some like it hot. The Mind Flayer does not. Eleven is worried that there is something wrong with Billy. Max says wrong is Billy?s default setting, but El can?t get what happened out of her mind. She closed the gate. There should not be any monsters left in Hawkins. Something still seems off. As dawn breaks Lucas is calling a code red. Maybe Eleven is right. Strange things continue in this town.

At Scoops Ahoy the code has been cracked and a plan is forming. The doors are too well guarded. There has to be another way in. Robin buys a copy of the Star Court blueprints from the city. The plan is to crawl through the vents. Despite his lack of collar bones Dustin cannot fit in the small space. As luck would have it, everyone's favorite little sister is at the counter seeking free samples. They tell Erica the plan to defeat the evil Russians. The sassy little girl tells them that she will not agree to the plan until she is told what benefits she will gain by participating.

The group minus Dustin has responded to the code red. They must come up with a way to corner Billy. Will says the Monster is back and will be looking for a new host. How will they know if the Mind Flayer is now controlling Billy? They head off to the pool to observe. Nothing seems too out of place, though Billy is shielded from the sun and sipping a slushy. Heat was used to drive the Monster out of Will. It is time to subject Billy to the Sauna test.

Nancy and Jonathan crossed a line. They were summer interns at the Hawkins Post, not official reporters. Tom is very upset with this turn of events. Nancy and Jonathan are fired on the spot. After how she was treated by her coworkers, Nancy just wants to be right. She didn?t think of the ramifications of what losing a summer job would mean for the Beyer?s household. Tom doesn?t look so good. I wonder what is wrong with him.

Hopper is on the case of the mysterious motorcycle man. He storms into the Mayor?s office and pressures him for details. At his mansion Larry unlocks a safe that contains a number of deeds for various pieces of land. After some more coaxing the Mayor reveals that all of these deeds represent land bought by the owners of Star Court. What are they developing now? Does it all tie back to the Russians?

It is closing time at the pool. Two operations are taking place across town from each other. Mike is using a walkie talkie to lure Billy to the sauna. Back at Star Court Erica enters the vent for ?operation child endangerment?. As things heat up at the pool. Billy is begging Max to let him out. Is this the man underneath the Monster? They don?t have time to ponder this thought as Will feels the Mind Flayer activate. A battle of strength and will begins between Eleven and Billy. Back at the Mall Erica is able to open the door allowing her team to finally investigate the boxes. They certainly do not contain Chinese food. Inside are tubes of what looks like green lightning bugs swirling in formation. Are these another vessel set to spread the affliction across the whole town or farther? Billy gains the upper hand on Eleven for a moment, but in a last burst of power she tosses him through a brick wall.

Dustin and his team work to get out of the secret room. The buttons are not responding. Suddenly the secret room  that turns out to be an elevator begins to plummet. Across town Eleven is completely drained. The kids might have won this battle but the war is on. The man that controls the Newspaper in Hawkins is under the influence of the Monster and he is not alone. The Mind Flayer retreated but is not defeated. Keep your eyes open for all things strange.

Have you seen Heather? She?s a lifeguard at the Hawkins pool. She didn?t show up for her shift today. Come to think of it Billy isn?t there either. Perhaps they are ?sick? together? Their fate is concerning but it?s far from the strangest thing to happen in this town.

Nancy continues to investigate the rat problem even though her coworkers continue to tease her about it. I mean it is weird. Why would fertilizer, cleaning fluid and diesel fuel go missing from several locations around town? Perhaps it is time to check back in with Mrs. Driscoll.

Meanwhile at Starcourt Mall Dustin and Steve are looking for Evil Russians. If only Steve could stay focused? Thank goodness they have Robin. She has cracked the code. The silver cat feeds is Lynx shipping company. A trip to China sounds nice is the Imperial Panda Chinese Restaurant. If you tread lightly leads to Kaufman shoes. When blue and yellow meet in the west. Perhaps this refers to the colors of the hands on the Starcourt clock. What is happening at 8:45? Who is meeting and for what?

Max and Eleven are having a sleepover. In a unique twist on spin the bottle they use the game to decide who to spy on. The bottle lands on Billy and El dives into the void to see what he is up to. She is immediately shaken when she hears screaming. Max is initially not phased by this revelation but agrees to go to her house to investigate further. The girls find a bloody whistle and a lifeguard pack in the bathroom. The search for Heather switches to high gear.

Mike and Lucas want to solve another type of mystery. The mystery of the female species. Will would love to distract his friends from their girl problems with a break from reality. He has created a new Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Will is soon moved to sadness and anger. It becomes clear that Lucas and Mike lack focus for the game. Dustin is nowhere to be found. Will storms off biking into the pouring rain.

Max and El arrive at the Hawkins pool but they do not have swimming on their mind. The staff at the pool is no help. The girls must take matters into their own hands. They grab a picture of the missing lifeguard. El returns to the void to search for more clues. She sees a mailbox and a red door. The girls set off armed with the new information and find Heather?s house. They are understandably shocked to find the family sitting down to dinner. Billy is there acting like a gentleman. Heather steps out of the kitchen bearing cookies as if nothing is wrong. After an intense glare between Billy and Eleven the girls escape back into the storm. Left to return to dinner Heather and Billy quickly subdue Heather?s parents.

Is this the work of the Mind Flayer? Does it hide in plain sight as harmless humans going about their normal routines. Monsters? No there are no monsters here. Is it a puppet master controlling the citizens of Hawkins? If any of these seemingly normal people start eating fertilizer like poor Mrs. Driscoll perhaps the men at the paper will take Nancy more seriously.

Joyce is correct. There is still something going on in the lab. Someone made it painfully obvious to Hopper. They don?t want the Chief of Police looking into things. Is the lab connected to the Russians?

Lucas and Mike go out in the storm and find Will in front of a destroyed castle Beyers. These boys may be distracted by girls but at the end of the day they will also be there for each other. This is very good news because he is back. I have no doubt who he is and worst of all he knows the girl that closed the gate lives. Can?t wait to see what happens next week. Keep your eyes open for all things strange. The Mind Flayer now has Eleven in his sight!

Billy is running for his life. He makes it to a payphone and dials 911. Before he can answer the operator his world is turned upside down. Literally Billy is taken to a dark mirror dimension. He is screaming for answers when he is faced with his doppelgänger. This made me wonder. Does the monster not only have the power to possess a body but also take the form of someone that you trust? If it wants Billy to bend to its will it must earn his trust.

Nancy has found the perfect excuse to leave the office. She takes Jonathan to chase down a lead about the rats. Is this just a crazy old lady or the first sign that a new plague is upon Hawkins? Mrs. Driscoll did manage to capture one of the little monsters and it is acting very strange. The rat is desperately throwing itself into the bars of its cage as if being called on by a higher power. Last week I said the rats were not strong enough to host the Mind Flayer. Now this episode reveals the remnants of an exploded rat slinking to it?s master. I wonder if there is a rat monster in the Dungeons and Dragons manual? Perhaps the rats are too weak to be hosts but they can still be minions for the Mind Flayer.

Billy is certainly showing the effects of his bite. The monster likes it cold so being a lifeguard is not ideal. Just like Will before him who also hosted the Mind Flayer it does appear that Billy can sometimes be in control. Luckily for Mrs. Wheeler Billy resisted the monster?s desire to hurt her.

Also hurt in this episode are Eleven?s feelings and it is all Hopper?s fault. He scares Mike into not seeing El. This forces Mike to lie to her. El seeks advice from Max. Max assures her that even though friends don?t lie, boyfriends do. They decide on a boy free trip to the Starcourt Mall. The boys minus Dustin are on a mall mission of their own. Lucas says Mike should buy Eleven an apology gift. Lucas knows all about girl troubles. After all Max has dumped him five times.

Dustin is hanging at the mall as well at Scoops Ahoy. He has enlisted the help of Steve to translate the Russian code. His other friends are not taking this revelation seriously enough so he is a little shorthanded on help. Luckily Robin speaks several languages and has genius ears. Questions are still stacking up. What do the strange sentences mean? Did the message come from Russia? Is the background music enough evidence to prove the message is from a more local source?

Hopper may be rethinking his decision to mess with his daughter?s relationship. Karma seems to be getting back at him. He gets Joyce to agree to meet him for dinner. Looking handsome in his new clothes and ready to impress Jim waits for Joyce. Unfortunately a magnetic mystery has Joyce distracted. She is off on a journey of her own as she seeks the advice of Mr. Clarke. She totally forgets about her dinner with Hopper.

So many questions left to answer. Billy brought the female lifeguard to the monster. Will she be another host? Will the town soon be dealing with an army of evil doppelgängers? The Upside Down always appears so dark and dead. Is the Monster intent on stripping our world of life and color? Is it trying to build a replica of its own world?  Until next week. Keep your eyes open for all things strange.

It is June 28th 1984. What is going on here? I thought the government shut the lab down! Wait! Our government is not in charge here. The fears of Dr. Owens and Murray Bauman are being realized. Russians know about the Upside Down. What are they doing? They clearly don?t understand what will happen if they succeed in tearing open a hole between dimensions. Has the Upside Down spread far enough to become a global problem?

Back in Hawkins we open in the summer of 1985. Things are changing and at the moment it is less about monsters and more about hormones. Mike is still crazy about El. Max and Lucas are still together. Dustin has fallen head over heels for Suzie at science camp. Will seems a little behind his friends. He?s not yet interested in a relationship. His desire seems to be just hanging with his friends playing dungeons and dragons in the basement.

Can Will Byers ever be the same? He went to the Upside Down and lived to tell about it. I think a remnant of the Mind Flayer may still be inside him. The Gang sneaks into the movie theater at the Star Court Mall. Suddenly the power goes out and Will has a flashback. It is clear that Will feels something when the monster across town stirs.

Hopper feels hopeless and seeks Joyce?s advice. El and Mike are always together and are having a hard time sticking to the 3 feet apart rule. Poor Hopper thrown right into the teenager stage of parenting. I love the friendship that has developed between Joyce and Hopper. I think the Chief is ready for the next step, unfortunately Joyce is not quite ready to let go of Bob.

Nancy and Johnathan have taken the next step. They are both dating and working together at the Hawkins Post. The newspaper is looking for the next big story. Nancy suggests an article about how the new mall is hurting small local businesses. The men ignore her idea and mock her for getting their lunch wrong. While working late Nancy receives a call. Something strange is going on. Why are all the rats moving in a single direction? Where is the new Lifeguard? The housewives of Hawkins will certainly miss Billy if he doesn?t make it to the pool tomorrow. The rats are too weak to host the Mind Flayer and they explode under the pressure. It needs something stronger. I think Billy might be late for work tomorrow and Nancy might get the story that turns this town Upside Down.

I am not sure if Suzie will ever answer Dustin but I know Darrell and Addi would love to hear from you. Spend your summer vacation with us as we take this strange journey week by week chapter by chapter. Suzie didn?t copy but Russia is sending a code. Do you know what it means? Until next week. Keep your eyes open for all things strange.

It's almost time for Stranger Things 3! On this episode of The Stranger Things Podcast Addi, Darrell, Blake, Chris, Adam, and Bradley discuss season 2 of Stranger Things. They discuss the season episode by episode. With Stranger Things 3 coming soon, they share their predictions and hopes for season 3, along with unanswered questions from season 2. They share their favorite moments and favorite episode of the season.

Are you ready for Stranger Things season 3? In this episode of The Stranger Things Podcast, Darrell, Addi, Bradley, Chris, Adam, and Beth recap season one of Stranger Things. Darrell gives a short summary of the episode then they talk about notable moments of each episode then answer a few questions, such as ?what?s your favorite episode?? And ?what unanswered questions do you have??

Yottalogical (aka Adam), and Bradley join Addi and Darrell to discuss the music in Stranger Things. They talk about the music created by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein and also the pop music featured in both seasons of the show. They discuss different facts and topics related to the music of this Netflix series. They go into a discussion about season one and season two individually.

We almost needed a bigger podcast to talk about all the connections between Jaws and Stranger Things! Addi, Darrell, and guest host Bradley, discuss the 1970 film Jaws. They share their thoughts about the film and how it ties into Stranger Things. Bradley shares amazing ties into Stranger Things and Jaws. Darrell pays a short tribute to David Ward.

They talk about news items relating to the Duffer Brothers? lawsuit and Stranger Things coming to baseball fields around the US. They talk about fun facts about the movie, their memories about the first time they watched the movie, and their favorite scenes.

Poltergeist left an indelible mark on the 80's and certainly still bears relevancy today. On this episode of The Stranger Things Podcast, Addi, Darrell, and Bradley talk about another movie that influenced Stranger Things: Poltergeist. For the news segment, they discuss the Stranger Things 3 trailer and all the details that come with it. They discuss their favorite parts of the trailer and of the film, and their memories of the first time seeing the movie. Some of their favorite parts were the guy pulling his face off and any scene with Zelda Rubinstein in it. Next, they jump into some fun facts about Poltergeist followed by some listener feedback.

Featured prominently in Stranger Things, this month Cory joins Addi and Darrell to discuss John Carpenters classic thriller, The Thing. They kick things off with news and rumors and general information about the movie. Then the three of them discuss their memories from the first time seeing the film and their favorite scenes of the movie. They wrap things up with fun facts about The Thing and listener feedback. Lastly, they announce next episode?s movie will be Poltergeist and don?t forget to stay strange!

In our news section we reveal an upcoming book called Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher. We talk about a new Stranger Things prequel comic that will introduce us to test subject Six. And for all you board game fans, we're soon to be greeted with a special Stranger Things edition of Trivial Pursuit!

What do Firestarter and Stranger Things have in common? A powerful little girl, bad guys trying to do experiments, and both happened to be reviewed on The Stranger Things Podcast. Darrell, Addi, and Beth talk about Firestarter, how it ties into Stranger Things, their favorite moments in the movie, memories from the first time watching the firm, and more. One common favorite moment was the destruction scene at the end of the movie.

One of the most popular 80s movies, The Goonies, plays a major role in inspiration for Stranger Things. The film stars Corey Feldman, Anne Ramsey, and Sean Astin. In this episode of The Stranger Things Podcast, Darrell, Addi, and guest-host Faith discuss this iconic 80s movie, including talking about favorite scenes, memories from the first time watching the movie, and talking about how it relates to Stranger Things. They also share listener feedback, and news about Stranger Things.

 

Regarded as one of the best sequels ever made, Aliens also serves as one of the main influences of Stranger Things. As we continue our series looking at the movies that inspired Stranger Things, we turn to fellow Golden Spiral Media host, Corey Meltcalfe to help make the journey to LV-426. We discuss our favorite moments from the film, memories from the first time each of us watched it, fun facts about the film, and of course, how it ties into Stranger Things. We also share their listener feedback as well as telling news about things related to Stranger Things. Some of our favorite moments include Ripley?s and Newt?s moments together, Ripley vs. the alien queen, and when Ripley decides to go back for Newt.

You may not have noticed all of the ways Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom influenced Stranger Things, but there are many nods to the Spielberg classic if you have a keen eye. As we continue our look at the films that inspired Stranger Things, Addi, Darrell, and guest-host listeners Blake and JJ talk about the 1984 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. For the first time in TSTP history, listeners join in to guest-host the show. A scene that was a common favorite with this group of hosts are the mine cart chase scene, but there were other various fight scenes that were well-liked. They also talk about their memories from first seeing the film. They talk about facts about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and how the film ties in to Stranger Things.

Addi, Darrell, and guest host Jeremiah, discuss the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Jeremiah watched the film as a kid, but Addi and Darrell just recently watched it. They share their thoughts about the film and how it ties into Stranger Things. Darrell pays a short tribute to David Ward.

They talk about news items relating to Stranger Things including Universal Studios Stranger Things Halloween maze is open. They talk about fun facts about the movie, their memories about the first time they watched the movie, and their favorite scenes.

 

 

David Ward from the Don't Blink podcast joins us for this episode of The Stranger Things Podcast as we discuss the 1984 film Ghostbusters. David is a fan of Ghostbusters and cosplays as a ghostbuster (as well of other characters from other movies and shows). They talk about news, including some new revelations from Shawn Levy and David Harbour about season 3, and an exciting announcement from McFarlane Toys featuring the Stranger Things kids figures in their Ghostbusters uniforms. Read More...

The post TSTP S2E16- Ghostbusters and Stranger Things appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Joined by Jeremiah Panhorst, Addi and Darrell, talk about the classic 1984 movie, Gremlins. They talk about the connections between Gremlins and Stranger Things. Some topics discussed are news, fun facts about Gremlins, how Stranger Things and Gremlins are related, memories from watching Gremlins for the first time, and favorite moments from the movie. Read More...

The post TSTP S2E15- Gremlins and Stranger Things appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers have found inspiration from many films from the 80's, and perhaps none have been more influential than E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. In this episode of TSTP, join Addi, Darrell, and John as they talk about the connections between Stranger Things and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. This is the first episode of a series where we'll be watching movies that inspired Stranger Things. Some topics discussed are news, fun facts about E.T., how Stranger Things and E.T. are related, memories from watching E.T. for the first time, and favorite moments from the movie. Read More...

The post TSTP S2E14- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Stranger Things appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

On April 6, 7, and 8, over 60,000 sci-fi, anime, gaming, and comic fans descended on the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in downtown Dallas for Fan Expo Dallas. We were among them. For us, the biggest draw for this convention were the three stars from Stranger Things, Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), and Sadie Sink (Max). Addi had prepared to cosplay as Eleven from Stranger Things season 1, and I would be cosplaying as season 1 Dustin. We take a look at Fan Expo Dallas while asking the question: Is Fan Expo Dallas a con worth traveling to? Addi and Darrell agree that the answer is YES! Read More...

The post TSTP S2E13- Fan Expo Dallas 2018 Review appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Fan Expo Dallas 2018 was filled with many current top TV & Film stars, as well as quite a few stars from our favorite movies and TV shows of yesterday. Of course, none made us more excited to attend Fan Expo Dallas than Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Sadie Sink (Max), and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas). Moderated by Aaron Sagers, the three stars didn't disappoint. Read More...

The post TSTP S2E12- Fan Expo Dallas Stranger Things Panel appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Not only did Netflix give us a fantastic sophomore season to Stranger Things, they gave us a companion show, "Beyond Stranger Things," to go with it. Hosted by Jim Rash, the 7 episode show contains a lot of fun, insightful, and interesting moments from the Duffer Brothers, director Shawn Levy, and stars Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Caleb McLaughlin, Joe Keery, Millie Bobby Brown, Natalia Dyer, Brett Gelman, Gaten Matarazzo, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, and David Harbor. In this episode, Addi and Darrell share some of their favorite moments from the companion show. Read More...

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Joining us today are Karen and John from the Maid of Steel Podcast! We take a look back at Stranger Things 2 and get their perspective on quite a few things including the new characters, "The Lost Sister," season 3 predictions, and Barb's death. Read More...

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It has been 353 days since Eleven has seen her friends. Mike called to her each and every night. The reunion is sweet but the joy is short lived. Will is getting weaker and the Demo-dogs are still prowling around. Mike is angry at Hopper for keeping Eleven isolated. Hopper explains that he was protecting her and keeping everyone else safe. In this moment I realized how much the kids lean on Joyce and Hopper because the other adults don?t have a clue what is going on. Read More...

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Jim Hopper stares in horror as the Demo-dog climbs out of the abyss. Dr. Owens says the creature cannot get through the glass but he is wrong. The demo-dog roars to his friends and together they break through and enter the lab. Dr. Owens sounds the alarm but it?s too late. The attack has begun! They are plunged into darkness as the power goes out and the Demo-dogs obtain free reign of the lab. Read more...

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Eleven is traumatized by what she sees in Terry?s dream loop. Mama wants her to find the other girl in the rainbow room. Becky kept all the files that Terry collected of the missing children. Terry always believed that this conspiracy was bigger then just her daughter. The channel Eight news is playing on the television. Eleven goes to lay down and focus on the picture she found in her mother?s file. In her dream she finds what she is looking for. Eleven rushes to share her discovery with Becky and finds her talking on the phone. Fearful of being taken back to the ?bad men? Eleven steals money from Becky?s wallet and flees into the night. read more...

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There is a spy in our midst and it looking to take down the town of Hawkins from the inside. Will is being rushed to the lab. His temperature has spiked to 106. He is screaming that he feels burning everywhere. Unable to contact his friends, Dustin finds an unlikely ally in Steve. Armed with the nail bat they go to investigate the cellar. What they find is very worrisome. Dart has shed his skin again and escaped into the tunnels. read more...

The post TSTP S2E6-The Spy appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Will is suffering the effects of his ?now memories?. He tells Mike that at first the Shadow Monster was in the back of his mind like thoughts from a half remembered dream. Now the monster is in the Upside Down and here. Mike does his best to support his friend. Mike tells Will to use the monster?s invasion of his mind to their advantage. Mike says Will can be a Super Spy. He can gather intelligence to contribute to the monster?s demise. read more...

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After discovering that there isn?t an AV Club meeting Joyce rushes to Hawkins Middle School to see what is really going on. When she arrives she finds Will in a trance like state. Joyce screams at her son to try to snap him out of it. Inside his mind Will is facing the Shadow Monster in the Upside Down and he is not winning. The creature invades Will?s body! read more... The post TSTP S2E4- Will the Wise appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.