Stranger Things: Season 3, Episode 5 “Chapter Five: The Flayed” – Recap, Review (with Spoilers)
As the Mind Flayer shows both a weakness and strength, Hopper meets up with an old friend and Steve’s crew make a grand discovery
As the Mind Flayer shows both a weakness and strength, Hopper meets up with an old friend and Steve’s crew make a grand discovery
| Network | ||
| Netflix | ||
| Director(s) | Uta Briesewitz | |
| Writer(s) | Paul Dichter | |
| Air Date | 7/4/2019 | |
| Introduced This Episode | ||
| Grigori | Andrey Ivchenko | |
| Alexei | Alec Utgoff | |
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Recap
A Wild Goose Chase To A Crazy Goose: Grigori, Murray, Joyce, Alexei, Hopper
Thanks to the information they got from Larry, Joyce and Hopper find a house which has two Russian engineers. Problem is, neither speak English, and then Grigori shows up and does his impression of the Terminator. Leading to Hopper and Joyce kidnapping one engineer, Alexei, and bringing him to Murray since no one else speaks Russian in the area. As that happens, Grigori is on their trail, ready for another round.
Below The Starcourt: Robin, Steve, Dustin, Erica
Due to sheer luck, not only do Steve, Robin, Dustin, and Erica get out of the elevator, but they trek ridiculously long hallways without being seen. Also, they make it into a communications room without being found, despite passing a Dr. Evil styled set on the way, and Steve even knocks out a soldier. But rather than make a quick exit, Robin gets curious and finds out the Russians are opening a gate to the upside-down. Basically repeating the same stupidity the Americans did a season before.
The Contingency Plan: Tom, El, Mike, Lucas, Max, Jonathan, Nancy, Will
With what she discovers, Nancy makes sure to gather Jonathan, Will, and his friends to talk about what they’ve known and seen, and prepare their next move. Which, originally, was to go see Mrs. Driscoll. However, all they find, Jonathan and Nancy, is Tom and his associate who either try to kill them or knock them out to add to the Mind Flayer’s army. But, as luck would have it, hit one person it damages the other, so their combined forces allow them to defeat Tom and his friend.
Though that doesn’t mean they are safe. With killing (?) Tom and his peer means the Mind Flayer’s goop liquefies the body and seeks to reconfigure. Leading to a monster bigger than any Demogorgon we’ve ever seen.
As for what the kids were doing during all this? Well, Will was being a fifth wheel, as Lucas and Max made up, as well as Mike and El. But as the lights flicker, he reminds everyone that they didn’t come to the hospital to hang out and steal snacks from a vending machine.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- So is killing someone formerly possessed by the Mind Flayer considered murder?
Highlights
The Fight Scenes
While we won’t know who dies this season until further towards the end, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I thought Jonathan was a goner. But, even for those who weren’t likely to die, you had to admire the back and forth tussles. Be it Grigori and Hopper, or even Nancy holding her own against Tom’s blonde friend. Granted, she got as lucky as Jonathan, but considering El could have been raised anywhere and not have returned to Hawkins in season 2, luck is a pretty big thing when it comes to survival.
On The Fence
All Those Russians & Tech, Yet They Didn’t Have Cameras?
From 10-year-old Erica to Steve who is 18, maybe 19 at most, the fact they can sneak past and knock out trained soldiers is laughable. Especially considering CCTV and security cameras were made in the 1940s, and when have Russians, specifically the KGB, not have a strong association with spying and surveillance? So the fact not a single camera caught these 4, or no one heard them, seems very strange.
Yet, we have gone through 2 seasons of everyday people, minus El, somehow taking on demonic-looking creatures and the US government and coming out alive. Minus Barb and Bob.
Rekindling Romances
Unpopular Opinion: Most of the couples, if not all of them, on this show don’t have much chemistry. At least, at this point of the show, none of them come off that cute. Nancy takes advantage of Jonathan left and right. Joyce being with Hopper would strictly be because she doesn’t have better options vs. her choosing him because he is the one she wants. Then, with the kids, again there is this sense of convenience. El with Mike is because that’s her first love, the first person who was consistently nice to her, and because no one else is likely to approach her.
Then with Sadie, similar to Robin, it seems like they are way too cool for their love interest, yet because their love interest are OGs on the show, they have to have someone. So, whether they seem like a good match or not, they will be smooching and have to deal with it. Thus reminding you that on top of paying homage to many films and classic shows, Stranger Things also is subject to borrowing their storylines as well and not always their best ones.
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