3x03 Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard

[7.2/10] The thing about Stranger Things is that it used to have a really nice balance between the relatable “coming-of-age in a small town” stuff with the kids and the fantastical/scary science fiction material with the Upside Down. The problem with season 3 so far is that the sci-fi/horror stuff is still pretty darn good, but the human side of things stinks.

Case in point, what the hell is the deal with the Joyce/Hopper material? Joyce doesn’t apologize for standing Hopper up, or note that there’s nothing going on with Mr. Clark, or explain that after what she’s been through with Will she got wrapped up in this. And Hopper is just a dumb Tim Allen style jerk-dad now, getting instantly jealous and sarcastic about everything in a broad, goofy way. I really liked both of these characters in the show’s first two seasons, but they’re nails on a chalkboard here!

And yet, there’s some real pathos when they go to the Hawkins Lab and Hopper tries to tell Joyce that he understands why she wants to move, but that there’s people here who care about her and have been through it. We get another PTSD flashback for her where she relives Bob’s death. For a moment, the show’s whole again.

It’s followed by some solid suspense and action. The shadow of Hopper’s gun on the doorway after they hear a noise is a cool shot. The blinking red light of the camera as they wander in adds a certain ominousness. The Russian lieutenant kicking Hopper’s ass makes for a surprisingly hard-hitting and harrowing scene. Whatever the clumsiness of the show’s attempt to dramatize their relationship, the show does well once Joyce and Hopper get into the meat of this season’s mystery.

Were that the same could be said for Nancy and Jonathan. I’m becoming a broken record, but the cartoonish sexism of their bosses at the newspaper continues to be hokey as hell. There’s a good scare from Mrs. Driskol’s zombie makeup, but otherwise the duo and their repetitive kid detective routine continues to be a weak point of the show.

That said, as usual, Eleven fares better. I like her and Max as a pairing we haven’t gotten until now (for understandable reasons). Eleven initially using her powers to spy on Billy as part of a sleepover game, only to realize something’s wrong and go on the hunt for clues with Max is strong stuff that makes a turn toward the scary quickly. There’s some strong effects work and editing choices with a pallid Billy turning around and spotting her, when she tracks down his victim Heather being sucked into a bathtub, and in the tenseness of their confrontation with him and Heather’s family at her home.

Likewise, as terrible as Billy was as a character last season, there’s something really unnerving about him and Heather as stepford-esque pod people around Heather’s parents. The brutal takedown of her mom and dad while “American Pie” plays in the background made for a superbly scary scene, and I’m legitimately intrigued by what the business with the Upside Down is this year.

The one part of the show where both the human element and the fantastical element works is the Dustin/Steve/Robin triumvirate. I like Dustin turning things around and giving Steve advice this time, basically to cast off the high school social structure and go after a girl whom he sincerely enjoys being around. It’s the one down-to-earth, interpersonal side of this episode that feels really genuine.

It’s also a nice beat for Robin when she cracks the code and figures out that the Russians (or someone, at least) are using the mall to transport goods at a particular time. Their close shave spying on the roof is the right blend of goofy kid antics with genuine tension.

That just leaves the business with Will, Mike, and Lucas. I like what they’re going for here, with the natural tension between Will who wants to keep doing the nerdy kid stuff their party always has, and Mike and Lucas who are into girls now and ready to leave that stuff behind. There’s something real there, and it allows the show to draw blood from the split between them.

At the same time though, so much of the material is so broad. The “girls are too emotional” “boys just burp and fart” stuff is such a dull cliché. The scene where Mike confronts Will is well-written, but the kids aren’t quite up to it as performers. And while there’s power in the imagery of Will smashing Fort Byers, it’s a bit overblown.

But again, when he feels the bumps on the back of his neck and declares that they’re back, there’s more force to it. Season 3 has been really bumpy so far, but my only hope is that as it moves into more of the legit threats involved in the Upside Down’s latest move, that will continue to be a strength, even as the human side of the equation seems to be faltering.

Best episode of the season so far. All the characters work and have interesting bows now. It seems that surpassed the warm start, the story getting startling with possessed billy and a mysterious Russian organization. Now it seems Strange Things came back with everything. First of all I would like to talk about the script. The screenwriter simply succeeds in making a mysterious, engaging and disturbing story. The characters are very well written and their plots are very engaging. And still had time to put a good mood. Congratulations on the great script. The direction was by Shawn Levy, who does a spectacular job. He manages to lead the episode with mastery and scene increases suspense. This all with a great conduct of the characters. Billy's final scene and Will's scene realizing they grew up were very impressive and very well directed. Full of emotion and suspense. I loved the direction of this episode. Visually it was the best episode. With each scene, the landscapes were more beautiful and the visual was able to set the tone of the scene very well. This series has a very beautiful photograph and this episode was high point. Allied to the visuals, the special effects and design of production are perfect. They can make an episode with a great production and the special effects marry very well with the scenes in which they are used. It's a real visual show and an exquisite work of reconstituting a fantastic time in this episode. The soundtrack has its high point here, bringing several classics of the 80s that married very well with the mystery that surrounded this episode. The music in closing was fantastic. Already the plot of the characters and actors in this episode were very good. Millie and Sadie made an excellent double in this episode, different from the previous one. I loved seeing Eeleven and Max trying to solve the mystery of Billy and the actresses were very well in their roles. The same goes for Habour and Ryder, who are very well off the beaten up Joyce and Hopper. Their plot seems to have evolved and I hope that Joyce and Hopper get together in the end. The chemistry of the actors is very good. Noah already gave a show with Will realizing that his friends are already stopped being children and now they amadurcar. The scene of him breaking his cabin was touching. Already Gaten and Joe are a dynamic duppla and work very well together. And Robin added that the tarant is fine on paper, gave another good pinch to that core. Already Jonathan and Nancy, incredible as it may seem, have a great plot in this episode. She even more than him for being suffering from machismo at work and wanting to prove himself. Natalia and Charlie are very good characters. But for me, the best character so far is the villain Billy. The actor's character is very sensational and his final scene was shocking. I can not wait to see what kind of threat he's going to offer. So that third episode is fantastic and finally gives the starting point for a season that promises. 9/10.