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Prior to 1983, Hawkins was a largely quiet and uneventful town. The last person to be reported missing prior to 1983 was in the summer of 1923, while the last suicide was in fall 1961. The only major incident of note was the Creel family tragedy of 1959, in which Victor Creel was believed to have brutally murdered his wife and two children. The greatest point of interest was the secretive Hawkins National Laboratory, one of several national laboratories which grew out of the scientific endeavors of the Second World War. Unbeknownst to the residents of the town, the lab hosted experiments for the controversial government program known as “MKUltra”. These experiments yielded the births of a number of children with inherited psychokinetic abilities, who were in turn abducted and experimented on. These child test subjects were strictly confined to the lab’s premises, their existence kept top secret by the authorities. In November 1983, during experiments at the laboratory, one of these test subjects, “Eleven”, accidentally opened a gate to an alternate dimension; a predatory humanoid creature was allowed through to Hawkins, which started to abduct residents and bring them to the other world. Among its victims were Will Byers, who was brought home after a week, and Barbara Holland, who was killed by the creature. The circumstances of their disappearances were covered up by the agents at Hawkins Lab. Eleven, who had escaped the lab and evaded their attempts to recapture her, ultimately destroyed the creature in a showdown at Hawkins Middle School, mysteriously vanishing in the process. Following the opening of the “Mothergate”, the alternate dimension, known by Will Byers’s friends as “The Upside Down”, began to slowly influence the surrounding environment. Gigantic, vine-like tunnels grew out from the Mothergate, burrowing deep beneath the outskirts of town and causing fields of crops above to degrade. Will Byers also began to experience strange visions of the Upside Down, with his mother Joyce bringing him to Hawkins Lab to check up on him. PATTHAPHON,21 IG : @CHILLINOUP FB : Patthaphon Boonjan People say Hawkins is cursed. They're not... way off. — Dustin to Eddie, March 22, 1986
This book is one of the courses MD613 303 TECHNOLOGY OF COMPUTER PUBLICATIONS in the 3rd year of the Faculty of Medicine. Medical television branch Khon Kaen University The purpose of this book is to publish and tell stories about the STRANGER THINGS series. The content includes the origin and history of the story. The important personalities of each character in this story. Including summaries of all 4 seasons. Using information from www.strangerthings.fandom.com I have studied the information for a period of 2 months to summarize the information. Rearrange everything to be consistent with the book in each chapter of this book ,hopefully it will be a book that many people will like. Hopefully it can inspire and provide accurate knowledge to everyone. PREFACE Patthaphon Boonjan,21
BOOK REVIEWS 01 CHAPTER 1 05 CHAPTER 2 16 NANCY WHEELER 18 JONATHAN BYERS 06 ELEVEN 20 MAX MAYFIELD 08 DUSTIN HENDERSON 22 JOYCE BYERS 10 MIKE WHEELER 24 JIM HOPPER 12 LUCAS SINCLAIR 26 DR.MARTIN BRENNER 14 WILL BYERS 28 CHAPTER 3
4 CHAPTER ONE History 01
1 Stranger Things is an American sci-fi television series created by the Duffer Brothers. It was first released as a Netflix original series on July 15, 2016. IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Wanting the show to have something more, the Duffers began discussing “more childlike sensibilities”, like having a monster devouring people. They became interested in a paranormal missing child storyline, which would be connected to versions of mysterious, real-life government experimentswhich took place at the tail end of the Cold War. They thought it made sense to set it at the end of the ‘70s or early ’80s and realized it allowed them to pay homage to the films they grew up with. Growing up as avid movie fans, the Duffer Brothers were excited how television was going in a more cinematic direction, and they loved the idea of doing a longform movie.When they started thinking out their ideas in early 2014, they were initially inspired by the plot of the 2013 film Prisoners, which starred Hugh Jackman as a man searching for his missing daughters. They have stated many times that “What made those stories so great and resonant was that they explored that magical point where the ordinary meets the extraordinary.”
2 The pilot script was brought to Dan Cohen, the vice president of production company 21 Laps Entertainment, in late 2014. He showed it to producer Shawn Levy, and within days they started talking about the project and how to bring it to the world. The Duffers created a mock-trailer, where they combined clips from more than twenty-five classic films, including Carpenter and Spielberg movies, and added a John Carpenter soundtrack over it.They also made a little notebook to help sell the show when pitching it with the cover aesthetically modeled after a Stephen King book. IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Being filmmakers, the Duffers were determined to approach the show as an eight-hour movie and not have it feel like typical television which influenced their every key decision in the development process. They did not want anyone else directing as they wanted the show to be unified in the same way a movie is. The Duffers make emotional decisions leading with their heart, so when choosing the crew, they wanted to go with people who understood their idea and the show. Netflix was their first choice when looking for a production company and broadcaster as their format would give them the freedom to tell the story like an eighthour movie. With Cohen and Levy, the brothers pitched the show to Netflix in early March 2015. Netflix was very passionate about the show and bought the entire season within 24 hours of the first meeting. Matt Duffer later stated, “The dream scenario was always Netflix, so we’re very fortunate that we wound up there.”
3 Dan Cohen (born in San Diego, California) is an American producer and director.
4 Originally, the show was set in Montauk and correspondingly titled Montauk because the twins always loved the idea of the coastal-town Amity feel in Jaws. As it would be impossible to shoot in Long Island during wintertime, production was moved from Montauk to Atlanta. The twins ended up falling in love with the idea that it was more Anywhere, USA, and it reminded them of their childhoods and homes, a world they inherently understood better than the coastal town. IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Montauk,USA
02 CHAPTER TWO Characters
6 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS ELEVEN Jane Hopper (born Jane Ives),----also--known--as Eleven Jane Ives was born with special psychokinetic abilities; Jane’s mother, Terry, was experimented upon in the controversial government program known as ”MKUltra”, which,by accident or by Dr. Martin Brenner’s design, affected Jane in the womb. Upon her birth, Jane was immediately kidnapped by Dr. Brenner, and brought to Hawkins National Laboratory. Jane was redesignated “Eleven”, being the eleventh of Brenner’s series of child test subjects.Throughout-her childhood, Brenner tested Eleven and the others’ abilities at the lab, all the while denying her access to the outside world. Using her powers takes a physical toll on her body. When using her powers to perform more menial tasks, Eleven usually only suffers from nosebleeds. Based on how her powers are executed, it is likely the source of this blood is actually her brain. GET TO KNOW HER Friends don’t lie. “ ” — Eleven
7 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS When accomplishing more daunting tasks, however, she would become physically exhausted, often to the point where she’d be unable to walk. Her most extreme acts caused bruising on her face, her eyes to become bloodshot, her ears to bleed, and fainting. However, if Eleven was sufficiently satiated, this physical toll could be alleviated. Eventually, Eleven’s body had grown accustomed to the recurrent use of her powers, able to go longer durations without succumbing to complete exhaustion. When accomplishing more daunting tasks, however, she would become physically exhausted, often to the point where she’d be unable to walk. Her most extreme acts caused bruising on her face, her eyes to become bloodshot, her ears to bleed, and fainting. However, if Eleven was sufficiently satiated, this physical toll could be alleviated. Eventually, Eleven’s body had grown accustomed to the recurrent use of her powers, able to go longer durations without succumbing to complete exhaustion. abilities
8 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS DUSTIN HENDERSON Dustin Henderson He is the best friend of Mike Wheeler, Eleven, Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers, Max Mayfield, Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington, and is the boyfriend of Suzie Bingham. He is one of the members in The Party. Dustin was somewhat of a typical ‘nerd’, and had a rare genetic disorder (cleidocranial dysplasia) that prevented his teeth from developing properly, making him a prime target for bullies. He arrived at Hawkins Middle School in fourth grade, growing a strong bond with Mike, Lucas and Will and becoming best friends “You always say we should never stop being curious, to always open any curiosity door we find.” “Dustin...” “Why are you keeping this curiosity door locked? — Dustin Henderson and Mr. Scott Clarke,1983 When Will mysteriously went missing, Dustin, Lucas and Mike made it their mission to find him. However, while searching for Will, they stumbled upon a mysterious girl named Eleven instead. After learning Eleven possessed special psychokinetic abilities, Mike believed she could aid the quest to find Will, though Lucas was suspicious of Eleven's behavior and actions; Dustin acted as a meditator between the two, keeping them focused on the task at hand. Dustin and his friends deduced that Will was lost in an alternate dimension.
9 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS This proved to be a mistake when Dart grew into a juvenile Demogorgon; however, due to Dustin’s influence, Dart proved to be somewhat more docile than the rest of his kind. Ultimately, Dustin, Lucas, Max, Steve, and Mike assisted in the Mind Flayer’s defeat by burning a core part of the Upside Down’s hive mind. In October 1984, Dustin and his friends became intrigued by Max Mayfield after her arrival in Hawkins; however, the group became more concerned about Will’s wellbeing after he started behaving unusually; a lingering side effect from his time in “the Upside Down”. On Halloween night, Dustin discovered a slug-like creature in his trash that he named Dart, and hid him in his home. the pack of juvenile Demogorgons, including Dart, died soon after when Eleven closed the gate. One month later, Dustin attended Hawkins Middle’s Snow Ball with his friends; all the girls rejected Dustin’s invitation to dance with him, but Nancy Wheeler invited Dustin to a light-hearted dance, lifting his spirits.
10 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Mike Wheeler Something is coming... something hungry for blood. A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness. It is almost here... Michael "Mike" Wheeler, The leader of the Party, he is the boyfriend of Eleven, the best friend of Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers, and Max Mayfield, and the younger brother of Nancy Wheeler. When Mike's best friend, Will Byers, mysteriously went missing, he and his other friends, Lucas and Dustin, made it their mission to find him. However, while searching for Will, they stumbled upon an escaped girl named Eleven instead. Mike soon discovered that she knew something about Will's disappearance and enlisted her help in finding him. “ ” — Mike Wheeler, November 6, 1983
11 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Still devastated by Eleven's disappearance one year later, Mike called for her every night while also assisting Will with a new supernatural issue. Eventually, he reunited with Eleven. He, along with his friends and Steve, then worked on burning the sprawling network of another inter-dimensional threat, using it as a distraction for Eleven to close the Gate for good. Mike later attended the Snow Ball dance with Eleven, which he previously promised her. Mike and El were seemingly inseparable until the summer of 1985. when their relationship faced new trials and tribulations. In an attempt to establish boundaries, El’s disgruntled adoptive father, Chief Hopper, scared off Mike and jeopardized the teens' relationship; Will also expressed his frustrations with how Mike and Lucas’ relationships had disrupted the dynamic in the friend group. Their attention would turn to more pressing concerns, however, when Will alerted them to the presence of the Mind Flayer. After Max’s stepbrother Billy Hargrove was noted to be acting unusually, they learned Billy and various Hawkins residents had become possessed by the Mind Flayer, and began efforts to defeat it. Three months later, Mike and his friends had to bid farewell to Eleven, and the Byers who were moving out of Hawkins. Before leaving, Mike and Eleven made plans to visit each other at Thanksgiving and reaffirmed their love for one another.
12 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS LUCAS SINCLAIR Born in 1971, Lucas Charles Sinclair was the firstborn child of Charles and Sue Sinclair, and was raised in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. In 1975, Lucas’ younger sister Erica was born. Some point in the late 1970s, Lucas befriended his neighbor Mike Wheeler and his friend, Will Byers; the boys started playing Dungeons & Dragonstogether, and formed “the Party”. In fourth grade, the boys befriended a new student named Dustin Henderson. Upon starting middle school, the three boys became the targets of bullies Troy Walsh and James Dante. The kids would soon form a great relationship with their science teacher, Scott Clarke, joining the AV Club he ran and taking part in the annual science fair. The boys won almost every year, except in 1982, which Mr. Clarke told the boys was "totally political". I ... I didn't really know Patrick, so it was easy to just look the other way, I guess. But I did know you. And I'm sorry I wasn't there ... I see you now. I see you. “ ” — Lucas Sinclair to Max Mayfield, March 26, 1986
13 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS When Lucas’s best friend, Will Byers, mysteriously went missing, he and his other friends, Mike and Dustin, made it their mission to find him. However, while searching for Will, they stumbled upon a mysterious girl named Eleven instead. Lucas was suspicious of Eleven’s behavior and actions, and believed she was taking advantage of Mike’s hospitality; he also doubted the apparent supernatural circumstances behind Will’s disappearance. A rift grew between the kids, prompting Lucas to investigate Hawkins National Laboratory on his own; however, this only made Lucas realize that Eleven was trying to protect him and his friends from the threat of government agents, and the dangers that lurked within Hawkins Lab. Lucas reconciled with Eleven, Mike and Dustin, and helped his friends battle the Demogorgon. In the end, Lucas was reunited with Will and celebrated Christmas. Lucas Charles Sinclair
14 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS William “Will” Byers, having a recurring but pivotal role in the first season, before being promoted to the main cast from the second season onward. He is the youngest son of Joyce Byers, the younger brother to Jonathan Byers, the stepbrother of Eleven, and the best friend of Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, and Max Mayfield. WILL BYERS Will was a shy, artistic boy from Hawkins, Indiana who loved to play Dungeons & Dragons with his three best friends, Mike, Lucas and Dustin. However, Will’s life would turn upside-down on November 6, 1983; while cycling home from his friends’ latest D&D campaign, Will crossed paths with a humanoid predator hailing from an alternate dimension. Will tried his best to escape, but the creature cornered him, transporting him to its home dimension. For a week, Will evaded the creature while his family and friends desperately searched for him; he found a way to communicate with his mother Joyce across dimensions by manipulating electricity. Will
15 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Will was eventually captured by the creature and taken to the other dimension’s version of the public library, where he was strung up and attached to a mysterious alien vine. Joyce and the local chief of police, Jim Hopper, travelled into the alternate dimension via an interdimensional gateway at Hawkins National Laboratory, and finally managed to locate Will. He was taken to hospital to recover, where he reunited with his family and friends. Although Will returned to his old life in Hawkins, his time in what his friends called “The Upside Down” had left a mark on his psyche; he began to experience visions of the two worlds flickering in and out of existence.
16 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS NANCY WHEELER Nancy Wheeler,Nancy is an aspiring journalist, and an ally to “the Party”. She is the older sister of Mike Wheeler, the former girlfriend of Steve Harrington, and the current girlfriend of Jonathan Byers. ” You know, out of all of my brother's friends, you're my favorite. You've always been my favorite. Yeah. Girls this age are ... dumb. But give them a few years, and they'll wise up. You're gonna drive “ — Nancy to Dustin, December 15, 1984
17 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS In the fall of 1983, Nancy was a straightforward teenager with a straightforward life, unsure whether to prioritize spending time with her best friend Barbara Holland, or with her new boyfriend, Steve Harrington. However, everything changed when Barb vanished without a trace, prompting Nancy to team up with loner Jonathan Byers, whose younger brother Will had also vanished. Slowly, the two put together the pieces of the puzzle, and realized a monster from another dimension had kidnapped Barb and Will. While Will was lucky enough to escape the creature’s full wrath, Nancy was horrified to learn that Barb had been killed, making her Born sometime in 1967, Nancy was the first child of Karen and Ted Wheeler, and she would later be joined by younger siblings Mike (born in 1971) and Holly (born in 1980). Together, the family of five lived at their home in Hawkins, Indiana. Nancy suspected her parents never truly loved one another, and that they married solely to create a "perfect nuclear family" more determined than ever to defeat the creature. Nancy and Jonathan set up a booby-trap at the Byers house, and with the unlikely last-minute assistance of Steve, helped to gravely
18 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Jonathan Byers, He is the oldest son of Joyce Byers, the older brother of Will Byers, the eventual boyfriend of Nancy Wheeler, and the best friend of Argyle. Jonathan’s younger brother, Will, vanished without a trace due to Jonathan working late. Will’s disappearance made Jonathan guilt-ridden for not being there and would soon take a toll on his relationship with his mother, who insisted Will was trapped in the walls and taken by a monster with no face. JONATHAN BYERS
19 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Jonathan was born to Lonnie and Joyce Byers in Hawkins, Indiana, in 1967. Jonathan has mentioned that although “Joyce and Lonnie loved each other at some point, he wasn’t around for it”, meaning his parent’s marriage was already a mess to begin with. I just ... I don't want you to forget that I'm here. And I'll always be here. No matter what. Because you're my brother. And I love you. And there is nothing in this world, okay, absolutely nothing, that will ever change that. You got that? ” “ — Jonathan to Will, March 27, 1986 Nancy and Jonathan spoke to each other when Will went missing, with Nancy reassuring him that Will's going to be fine. Jonathan took pictures of Nancy during a party at the Harrington House and when Nancy found out, she did not hold any resentment towards Jonathan. When Nancy asked for his help in looking for her friend Barbara Holland, Jonathan accepted. The two began to bond over their mutual goal of finding their brother and friend respectively and become close. After discovering Barbara had been killed, Jonathan comforted Nancy and the two worked together in trying to kill the Demogorgon. A month later, after Will's rescue, Jonathan was given a Christmas present from Nancy and was upset on getting Nancy nothing, but Nancy told him it didn't matter and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
20 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Maxine “Max” Mayfield, being introduced in the second season. A newcomer to the Party, and the stepsister of Billy Hargrove, she is best friends with Will Byers, Dustin Henderson, Jane “Eleven” Hopper, Lucas Sinclair and Mike Wheeler; she also has an on-and-off romantic relationship with Lucas. Max was originally from California, and had a keen interest in skateboarding from a young age. Following her mother’s divorce and remarriage to Neil Hargrove in 1984, Max and her erratic stepbrother Billy moved to Hawkins, Indiana. Max quickly gained a reputation at the Palace Arcade for topping the game leader boards, her high scores submitted under the player name “MADMAX”. Max’s high scores captured the attention of arcade regulars Dustin, Lucas, Will and Mike. MAX MAYFIELD
21 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS who mistakenly assumed her to be a boy. After Maxine joined the boys’ class at Hawkins Middle School, they realised the new girl and the mysterious MADMAX were one and the same. On Halloween, Max crossed paths with the boys while trick-or-treating, and despite being weirded-out by their earlier behaviour, had a change of heart, and sought to befriend them. Dustin and Lucas, each secretly pining for her affection, wanted to make Max an official member of “the Party”, but Mike pushed back against the idea.
22 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS She-is-the-financially struggling single mother of Jonathan and Will Byers, the foster mother of Eleven, and the-best-friend/eventual girlfriend of Jim Hopper. JOYCE BYERS Joyce Byers (née Maldonado), portrayed by Winona Ryder, is a main character in Stranger Things. In November, 1983, after Will mysteriously disappeared, Joyce was certain that he was communicating with her through the lights in her house. Despite everyone treating her as if she was having a mental breakdown, Joyce refused to believe that Will was dead, even after his alleged corpse was found. Through cooperation with her friend and local police chief Jim Hopper, Will’s friends, and Jonathan
23 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS she eventually uncovered the circumstances of her son’s disappearance and entered the Upside Down to rescue him. A year later, in 1984, Joyce struggled to live a normal life with her charming boyfriend, Bob Newby, while also growing overprotective of Will, who had been suffering from visions of the Upside Down. As her son's health declined rapidly, she, Bob, Hopper, and Will's friend Mike discover that Will had become possessed by the Upside Down's most dangerous inhabitant: the Mind Flayer, who summoned an army of adolescent Demogorgons called "Demodogs" to attack Hawkins. After losing Bob to said creatures, Joyce refused to lose her son to the monster, burning it out of Will and once again saving him. However, she struggled to recover following the aftermath of Bob's death.
24 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS James “Jim” Hopper, also known as just Hopper, is a main character in Stranger Things. He is portrayed by David Harbour. Hopper was Chief of Police in the small, sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana, where he used to live out a carefree existence, though forever haunted by his troubled past. After an old friend, Joyce Byers, reported that her son, Will, had mysteriously disappeared, Hopper’s life became infinitely more complicated. He began to unravel a conspiracy involving the nearby Hawkins National Laboratory, discovering the lab had conducted experiments that accidentally opened a gate to an alternate dimension. JIM HOBBER After Sara... I saw her too. And I heard her. I didn’t know what was real. And then I figured out that it was in my mind, and I had to pack all that away... otherwise I was gonna fall down a hole, that I couldn’t get out of. ” “
25 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS During their investigations, Hopper and Joyce met Eleven, the escaped child test subject who unwittingly opened the gate using special psychokinetic abilities. Eventually, Hopper and Joyce were permitted to travel through the gate and search for Will, finding him strung up in the alternate version of the public library; he was unconscious, but alive. Jim was somewhat of a ‘ladies man’ during his high school years. On one occasion, he lied to his mother about being on the debate team, when he was really having sex with a girl named Chrissy Carpenter in the back of his father’s Oldsmobile. At some point in ninth grade (around 1956- 1957), he was stood up by a girl named Alice Gilbert. After graduating, Jim served in the Chemical Corps during the Vietnam War, and was exposed to Agent Orange. At some point, Jim became good friends with Benny Hammond.
26 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Dr. Martin Brenner, portrayed by Matthew Modine, was a main character in Stranger Things, appearing in the first and fourth seasons. Brenner starts out as one of the show’s main antagonists, but returns in a more morally ambiguous role in the fourth season. Brenner also makes a guest appearance in the show’s second season, and is the main antagonist of the novel Stranger Things: Suspicious Mindsand the comic Stranger Things: SIX. DR.MARTIN BRENNER Brenner, who allegedly worked for the US Department of Energy, was a government figure steeped in mystery and controversy. He was a research scientist, and the Director of Operations at Hawkins National Laboratory until November 1983. He had a major role in various controversial experiments and programs, including Project MKUltra.
27 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS In 1959, Brenner was contacted by a fearful woman whose son, Henry, displayed unusual behavior. Shortly after, Brenner discovered that Henry possessed dangerous psychokinetic abilities, and had killed his mother and sister. After convincing the government to let him take Henry into his custody, Brenner disabled the boy’s abilities via an implanted chip, while also reproducing his abilities in several child test subjects at Hawkins Lab, including Eleven. On September 8, 1979, Henry, who Brenner forced to work as a lab orderly, convinced Eleven to remove his suppressant chip. His abilities restored, Henry committed a massacre, killing all of Brenner’s colleagues. and and ‘children’. However, Brenner survived; he learned Eleven had somehow defeated Henry, causing him to vanish.
28 03 CHAPTER THREE plot summary
29 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Young Will Byers is cycling home from a disappointing “Dungeons & Dragons” campaign at a friend’s house, when a terrifying figure suddenly appears... Will tries to escape and hide, but he is abducted... Will’s friends Dustin, Lucas and Mike begin investigating his disappearance; while looking for Will in the local forest, the boys find a girl with a shaved head in a hospital gown, who they let stay in Mike’s basement. They learn her name is Eleven and that she has psychokinetic abilities. SEASON 1 Will’s mother Joyce becomes transfixed by supernatural events affecting the house electricity - she’s convinced Will is communicating with her. As these strange events continue, she witnesses the same monster that took Will, which threatens her on numerous occasions. Meanwhile, police chief Jim Hopper grows suspicious of the nearby national laboratory after he finds a torn piece of hospital gown outside the lab grounds. Mike’s older sister Nancyattends a pool party hosted by her new boyfriend Steve, begrudgingly accompanied by her best friend Barb. Jonathan, Will’s brother, witnesses the events of the party, taking photos. While alone, Barb is abducted by the Monster.
30 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Hopper researches Dr. Martin Brenner, the laboratory, and a woman, who claimed her daughter was taken by scientists. Steve discovers Jonathan’s photographs and destroys them, but an anxious Nancy retrieves the fragments of a photo showing Barb. She goes back over to Steve’s house, to look around for Barb - she briefly sees the Monster run through the woods, scaring her and prompting her to flee. Jonathan realizes that Nancy’s description of the creature matches his mother’s: a humanoid figure with long arms and no face. They team up to learn more about the creature, in the hopes of saving Will and Barb. The two teens look around Hawkins, hoping to find the creature and potentially kill it. A suspicious Hopper finds and cuts open Will’s body, discovering it to be fake. He heads to the laboratory and breaks in, finding Eleven’s bedroom and a huge, sprawling gate to an alternate dimension after being knocked out by agents. He wakes up in his own home and finds it bugged. After pulling together all their knowledge and speculation on the supernatural events, the boys search for a hypothetical Gate to the other world, which they’ve now nicknamed the Upside Down. What appears to be Will’s body is discovered in a quarry; however, Eleven proves Will is still alive, manipulating several radios to project the sound of Will’s voice. Examining Jonathan’s photo of Barb, Nancy realizes the monster is also visible.
31 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS The boys eventually realize that a fearful Eleven - afraid of the lab and the Upside Down - has been misguiding them while exploring through Hawkins. A fight breaks out, resulting in Lucas being injured by Eleven and the group splitting up. Throughout the season, Eleven experiences a series of painful flashbacks to the experimentation conducted on her by Dr. Brenner at the laboratory. This culminates with a flashback to an experiment in which she was placed in a sensory deprivation tank. Within an altered psychic state, she accidentally opened the Gate to the Upside Down after making contact with the creature. After sharing what they know, Hopper and Joyce track down Terry Ives, learning more about Eleven and Dr. Brenner. While Lucas attempts to once more find the Gate, Mike and Dustin find Eleven, who saves Mike from falling of the cliff. The trio then reconcile with a hug and return to Mike’s house. Lucas sees agents leaving the laboratory, realizing they are on their way to capture Eleven. Mike, Dustin, and Eleven narrowly escape, reuniting with Lucas. Joyce and Hopper return to Hawkins, sharing their knowledge of the creature with Nancy and Jonathan.
32 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Joyce, Hopper, Nancy and Jonathan contact and eventually find the kids, formulating a plan to make a sensory deprivation tank to enhance Eleven’s powers - this way, she can psychically view Will and Barb without entering the Upside Down. The group break into Hawkins Middle School and set up their makeshift tank there. Using the tank, Eleven discovers Barb to be dead and Will alive, hiding in Castle Byers, his makeshift fort. Hopper and Joyce break into Hawkins Laboratory to pass through the Gate and save Will, but are apprehended by security. Nancy and Jonathan resolve to kill the monster. In the Upside Down, the monster breaks through Castle Byers, taking Will. Interrogated by Brenner, Hopper gives up Eleven’s location in exchange for access to the Gate. Hopper and Joyce enter the Upside Down, discovering the creature’s nest, where an unconscious Will has been strung up with a tendril extending down his throat. After detaching and killing the creature, Hopper and Joyce attempt to revive Will, and Hopper remembers the moment his daughter died - he’s determined to spare Joyce from the same grief. Will is eventually found and revived, and the three return through the Gate.
33 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Meanwhile, Nancy and Jonathan set up a trap at the Byers house before cutting their hands to attract the creature with their blood. Steve arrives, intending to apologize to Jonathan and Nancy following a previous argument. The monster attacks, and although Nancy, Jonathan and Steve successfully injure and trap it, it escapes to the Upside Down. At the school, Dustin attempts to find food as Mike and Eleven share an intimate moment. However, agents arrive and storm the school, but Eleven kills many of them, crushing their brains. As Brenner recovers a weakened Eleven, the wounded monster, attracted by the bloodshed, enters the school and attacks Brenner. The boys escape with Eleven and hide in a classroom with Mike trying to calm her, but the monster finds and attacks them. However, before it could harm the boys, Eleven pins the creature against a wall, looks back and says goodbye to Mike. In a painful and self-destructive act, Eleven dissolves the creature into a thick mist in which she too vanishes. Mike is left in tears as Eleven vanishes. Will is hospitalized and reunited with his family and friends. Hopper is reluctantly picked up by a black government car. One month later, Nancy has gotten back together with Steve, and they’ve both befriended Jonathan. The four boys play D&D in Mike’s basement, where Mike has kept Eleven’s pillow fort in perfect condition in regards to her memory. Hopper leaves eggos in a concealed box in the woods. Will coughs up a slug-like creature in his bathroom sink and has a momentary flash into the Upside Down, though he doesn’t reveal the event to his family.
34 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS At the arcade, Will experiences an “episode”, where he finds himself in the Upside Down version of the arcade. In the episode, he sees a large “shadow monster”. The next day at school, they meet a new student from California named Max Mayfield, who immediately captures the affection of Lucas and Dustin. Dustin believes she is “MADMAX” but Lucas is skeptical. At Hawkins High, Max’s stepbrother Billy Hargrove arrives, and begins to compete with Steve for the title of “King”. Will, who has been experiencing the episodes frequently, is taken by Joyce and Hopper to Hawkins Lab, where he is seen by Dr. Sam Owens, the new head scientist. Meanwhile, Joyce has begun seeing Bob Newby, a classmate from high school and the manager of the local RadioShack. Nancy and Steve have been having regular dinners with the Holland family following Barb’s death. A group of criminals killed a man; they flee in a van but are pursued by police. They escape from police when the group goes under a tunnel, where rocks fall and block the opening. However, it is revealed that the rocks were only a vision in the mind of the lead policeman. Back in the van, it is revealed that a girl named Kali, a member of the gang, has caused the vision. She is bleeding from her left nostril and we see a tattoo marked “008” on her wrist. SEASON 2 Back in Hawkins, the boys go to the Palace Arcade, where they find that someone with the name "MADMAX" has beaten Dustin's high score in "Dig Dug" by over 100,000 points.
35 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Nancy, who is still grieving Barb’s death, learns that the Hollands (who are unaware Barb is dead) are selling their house to afford to pay an investigative journalist named Murray Bauman to find Barb; Nancy feels responsible and guilty. Mike has been trying to contact Eleven for 352 days in a row after her disappearance, though unsuccessful. Later, Hopper goes to a cabin in the woods, where it is revealed he lives there with Eleven, who is alive. Flashbacks show that after killing the Demogorgon, Eleven turned up in the Upside Down. She escapes through a portal and goes to see Mike at the Wheeler house, but flees into the woods after seeing government agents at the house. More flashbacks show that Hopper finds her and sets up his grandfather’s hunting cabin as a place for them to live. Back in the present, Eleven wants to go trick-or-treating, but is told “no” by Hopper as it is too dangerous. Hopper is called in to a pumpkin patch after reports of rotting pumpkins. Nancy wants to tell the Hollands the truth, but is persuaded out of it by Steve. They attend a Halloween party, where Nancy gets drunk and berates Steve, putting the blame for Barb’s death on them and saying she doesn’t love him. Steve leaves, upset, and Jonathan finds Nancy and takes her home.
36 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS which he has now named D’Artagnan from The Three Musketeers novel. Will describes his episodes, and the boys conclude Dart is from the Upside Down. Dart escapes from the AV room, and the boys and Max scramble to find Dart. Mike, in the gym, gets into an argument with Max, as Mike is angry at Max because Lucas and Dustin want to bring her into the party. Eleven leaves the cabin to look for Mike, and interprets Mike’s argument as flirting. She uses her powers to knock Max over and leaves. At the Byers house, Joyce discovers an image of Will’s vision, including a vague outline of the shadow monster, on the video Will recorded while trick or treating. After seeing the tracing of the outline matches with a picture Will drew, Joyce goes to the middle school. Will finds Dart, but this triggers another episode, where he comes face to face with the shadow monster. Will follows Bob’s advice and Will has another episode and tells Mike about the vision, but requests him not to tell anyone. Mike admits to Will that he has been unsuccessfully trying to communicate with Eleven. Eleven tries to contact Mike, who was also simultaneously calling her using his Supercom from the basement, but is unsuccessful. Dustin returns home after trick-ortreating to find a small, strange, slug-like creature in his trash can, which he determines is a pollywog. Bob encourages Will to stand up to his fears. Nancy is able to persuade Jonathan to help her tell Barb’s parents the truth. Hopper asks Owens to investigate the pumpkins. Dustin brings the pollywog to school.
37 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS and confronts the monster, but the monster forces a tentacle down Will’s throat. Will awakens from the episode to the concern of Joyce and his friends. Joyce takes Will home, but he begins acting strangely, and begins drawing scribbles on multiple pages. Joyce calls in Hopper, and they find the scribbles line up, which form a network of vines. Hopper recognizes an area and leaves. Nancy and Jonathan arrange a meeting with Barb’s mother, but are caught by undercover lab agents. They are taken to the lab, where Owens shows the two the Gate to the Upside Down and admits Barb’s death. He tells them they have been tapping phones (how they discovered Nancy’s meeting with Barb’s mom) to keep other governments from learning about the portal. When they are released, Nancy reveals she recorded the confession. portal. When they are released, Nancy reveals she recorded the confession. At the cabin, Eleven has an argument with Hopper, and later finds his research into her biological mother, Terry Ives, and attempts to contact her with her powers.
38 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS urray and Nancy decide to change the story to say that Barb died from toxins from the lab. Murray sends the tape to the Chicago SunTimes (where he was previously employed). Lucas tells the events of last year to Max in an attempt to gain her respect, but she doesn’t believe him. Dustin lures Dart to his storm cellar and traps him. He goes to the Wheelers’ house to find any of the boys, even asking for Nancy, but none of them are there. On his way out, he runs into Steve, who is coming to apologize to Nancy. Dustin enlists Steve for help, and tells Mike worries about Will and goes to check him at the Byers house after requesting Dustin and Lucas to search for Dart. Hopper goes to the pumpkin patch, where he digs a hole, which leads to a tunnel system in the Upside Down. He becomes trapped and passes out. Will sees a vision of Hopper’s state, but Joyce cannot figure out the meaning of the vision. She enlists Bob for help, as his nickname in high school was “Bob the Brain”. Bob is able to identify the tunnels as a map underneath Hawkins, and is able to roughly locate where Hopper was trapped. Lucas tries to get closer to Max, but Billy warns her to stay away from him. At Dustin’s house, he finds Dart has broken from his cage and ate his pet cat; Dustin then finds that Dart is a baby Demogorgon. Nancy and Jonathan go to Murray Bauman with the tape. Murray knows the public won’t accept the story as-is (with monsters), but suggests watering down the story. Murray and Nancy decide to change the story to say that Barb died from toxins from the lab.
39 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Will is rushed to the lab where he displays memory loss, unable to remember Bob or Hopper. Owens speculates that the shadow monster is like a virus that has infected Will and that any damage to the tunnels might be lethal to him. Nancy and Jonathan spend the night at Murray’s, where he prods them about their relationship. The two later have a romantic encounter. Dustin and Steve decide to lure Dart to the junkyard, and Dustin calls Lucas for help. Lucas brings Max, and the four ready the junkyard to trap Dart. Max opens up to Lucas and explains Billy’s attitude is due to his father marrying Max’s mother. Dart appears at the junkyard with creatures identical to him, and the group learns that there are packs of them. The group hide in the bus, and Steve later attacks them with the bat, but the creatures all run away suddenly; Steve speculates they are going somewhere. him to get the bat of nails from last season. They attempt to kill Dart, but instead find his shed skin and a tunnel dug. Eleven goes to Terry’s house, where she is able to communicate with her powers. She gains Terry’s memories of Eleven being taken at birth and Terry’s attempts to rescue her before she was subjected to shock therapy. Eleven finds there was another girl at the lab like her. Joyce, Bob, Will, and Mike are able to rescue Hopper, but lab personnel arrive and blaze the tunnels with flamethrowers. When the fire is set, Will collapses in agony.
40 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Meanwhile, Eleven goes to Chicago in search of the girl in Terry’s memories, who is revealed to be the psychic girl from the events in Pittsburgh, a woman named Kali. The two connect, where Kali shows Eleven her powers. She explains to Eleven that her gang is attempting to kill the lab scientists who worked under Brenner for what they did to her, and introduces Eleven to the group. Kali tells Eleven to channel her anger, which strengthens her powers. The group goes to the home of a lab worker who performed shock therapy on Terry, who claims Brenner is alive. Eleven decides not to kill him after learning he has kids, and the gang is forced to flee. Eleven has a vision of Mike and Hopper in grave danger at the lab and leaves to return to Hawkins. At the lab, Will views pictures of the map taken by lab agents, and points out a location that the shadow monster wants to avoid. Owens sends in a team to investigate, but the pack attacks the team and enters the lab. They realize that the monster has been manipulating Will.
41 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Back at the lab, the pack of Demodogs overwhelm the lab, killing many of the workers. Outside the gates, Nancy and Jonathan have arrived at the lab, and encounter Steve, Dustin, Lucas, and Max, who have followed the screams of the pack to the lab. Mike is able to convince Joyce to sedate Will. Mike, Will, Hopper, Joyce, Bob, and Owens flee into the security room, where they are trapped. The power goes out, and Bob, knowing how to reset the power, volunteers to do so. Bob successfully activates the power, and Owens stays behind in the room to guide out the group. Mike, Will, Hopper, and Joyce are able to escape to the lobby. Bob makes it to the lobby, but is caught and killed by the pack. The remaining four regroup with the others outside the gate and go to the Byers’ house. The group deduces that the shadow monster is a hive mind controlling Will and the pack, and if they kill it, its influence on those they control will end. Mike, who previously deduced that the shadow monster is using Will like a spy, tells the group, who decide to remodel the tool shed so Will doesn’t know where he is so the shadow monster cannot spy. Will awakens, where Joyce, Jonathan, and Mike share their fondest memories of Will in an attempt to get him to snap out of it. Will doesn’t respond vocally, but taps out a message in Morse code, which reads “CLOSEGATE”. However, the house phone rings, leading to the monster to identify their location. As the pack moves in, the group barricades themselves in the Byers’ house, armed, but the pack is surprisingly dispatched by Eleven, who has returned to Hawkins. Mike and Eleven get emotional to see each other alive after a year and embrace together.
42 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS At the Byers’ house, Mike, concerned about Eleven, convinces the group to burn the tendrils at the tunnels to distract the Demodogs from attacking Hopper and Eleven. But Steve rebuffs the plan and refuses. Back at Billy’s house, his abusive father reprimands him for losing track of Max, and sends him to find her. His search takes him to the Wheeler’s house, where Mrs. Wheeler gives him Joyce’s address. He goes there, where after a tense confrontation with Steve, goes inside. After seeing Max with Lucas still, Billy grabs Lucas, but Steve attacks Billy and they have a fist fight. Billy knocks Steve unconscious, but continues to punch him. Max grabs the syringe Mike brought from the hospital, and injects Billy with it, and threatens him into obedience with the nail bat. Max steals Billy’s keys. Steve awakens in Billy’s car, where Max drives the group to the tunnels. Steve and the kids The group briefly reunites with Eleven. When Eleven convinces Hopper that she can close the gate, Mike points out that it may also kill Will. Joyce remembers something Will said about the monster in the lab, “he likes it cold”, and decides to burn the monster out. Hopper and Eleven go to the lab to close the Gate. Before leaving, Eleven promises Mike that he will not lose her again. Meanwhile, Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy take Will to Hopper’s cabin. The group turns on the fire and heaters, and are finally able to purge the virus from Will after Nancy prods him with a hot iron.
43 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS in gas and ignite it. Since the tunnel is ignited, the Demodogs become distracted and return to the tunnel, leaving the lab unguarded and so, Hopper and Eleven enters the gate without facing any of them. Meanwhile, the kids go to leave, but encounters Dart. However Dustin is able to calm him down and the group escapes. A month later, the lab has been shut down by the government following the publication of Nancy’s tape. The Hollands hold a proper funeral for Barb. Owens meets with Hopper in a bar, where he gives Hopper a forged birth certificate listing him as the father of “Jane Hopper” (Eleven). Steve drives Dustin to the Snow Ball, the annual Hawkins Middle winter dance, where he meets with the party. A slow dance starts, and Will is asked to dance. Lucas asks Max to dance. Dustin asks multiple girls to dance, but is rejected. Nancy, who is serving punch at the dance, sees Dustin alone and upset, and dances with him. Outside, Joyce talks with Hopper. Eleven shows up, where she dances with Mike. Lucas and Max kiss, and Eleven and Mike kiss right after. The students enjoy themselves at the dance, unaware that the shadow monster is still alive, towering over the school in the Upside Down. When Eleven tries to close the Gate, the Mind Flayer senses her strength and sends the Demodogs to attack her. As Hopper defends Eleven from the swarming Demodogs, Eleven is able to channel her anger, and closes the Gate, killing the remaining monsters in the process.
44 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Soviet scientists attempt to force open a gate to the Upside Down. However, the mission fails. Hitman Grigori kills a scientist under orders of Stepanov, who gives the other scientist Dr. Alexei one year. One year later in Hawkins, the divisive new Starcourt Mall has forced much of the town out of business. Mike and Eleven have begun a romantic relationship, much to Hopper’s chagrin; he later threatens Mike into agreeing not to see her. Dustin returns from summer camp and sets up a radio tower to contact his new girlfriend, Suzie, but his friends ditch him; soon after, he accidentally intercepts a Russian-language transmission. Will, possessing a lingering connection to the Upside Down, privately senses that the Mind Flayer may still be alive. Rats congregate in an abandoned mill called Brimborn Steel Works, where they explode into an organic mass. On his way to a rendezvous with Karen Wheeler, Billy is run off the road by an unseen creature and dragged inside the mill. Billy escapes, but not before the creature induces a vision of the Upside Down. Tormented by further visions and voices, Billy is guided by the creature into kidnapping his co-worker Heather Holloway, taking her to the creature. SEASON 3
45 IN THE MOOD FOR STRANGER THINGS Nancy and Jonathan, working as interns at the Hawkins Post, investigate the home of Doris Driscoll, an elderly woman concerned about rabid rats eating her fertilizer. Max and Eleven bond to distract themselves from Mike and Lucas while shopping at Starcourt; Eleven breaks up with Mike after he lies to her about Hopper threatening him. Joyce investigates a strange loss of magnetism among objects at her home and workplace, accidentally standing Hopper up for a date. At Starcourt’s ice cream parlor, Scoops Ahoy, Dustin reunites with Steve, who now works at the parlor. Steve’s co-worker and former classmate Robin becomes curious about their activities, and helps them translate the Russian transmission; the three uncover a coded message. Eleven uses her powers to spy on Mike, and later Billy, who senses her presence. She and Max discover that Heather has gone missing. Nancy and Jonathan find reports of missing fertilizer and strange behavior among rats across town, and they discover Mrs. Driscoll herself eating fertilizer in her home.