No one keeps these kids on the bench Our long, small-town Halloween nightmare is over. Of all those feelings, it’s young love that bookends this finale. Hopper takes the boy into another room to let him vent in private. Credit: Netflix He asks Mike not to blame Eleven; Mikereallydoesn’t. “I blame you!” and studied Will’s message: “CLOSE GATE.” How are they just now figuring this out? Good thing Hopper has just the right obscure cabin in the woods for an amateur exorcism....

The Netflix series spins its wheels exploring familiar terrain. So by late July you were getting invitations toStranger Thingsparties and everyone was talking about Barb. The algorithm behindStranger Things particular nostalgia (the nostalgiorithm?) Netflix A group ofGooniesrodeETbikes with their pal Dark Phoenix, while the local teensPretty in Pinkd until theyHalloweend. And the performers, many previously unknown, were great. And Millie Bobby Brown was a genuine discovery. Eleven was nicer, obviously, and comparingStranger Thingsto its more obvious inspirations made the show feel sanitized....

Or rather, a pitt stop. This is not Hawkins. Okay,nowit’sStranger Things. Credit: Netflix And with that, the opening credits roll, and we’re finally in Hawkins. It’s 1984, about a year after the events of last season took place. You would be having some extreme emotions and reactions if your kid disappeared! If not, then, I don’t know, get a fish or something. (That is where my guesses end. Turns out, there are basically zero famous people named Max....

But most importantly: What about Bob? Yeah, it’s not like any of these scientists have ever been wrong about anything before. To his credit, Owens quickly realizes his mistake and sets off the alarm. Credit: Netflix Now back to the whole “put Will to sleep” thing. Let’s check back in to see if those scientists are doing okay. Ugh, no, they’re dead. At least this one has security cameras! Elsewhere in Hawkins, things are equally scary for Billy....

Luckily for him, the Byers family is hard at work trying to figure out where he went. He has his friends around to help. He solves the puzzle: When connected like this, the drawings form a map of Hawkins. Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix So it’s just a matter of matching this map to real-world Hawkins to figure out where Hopper is. The next day, they finally make contact with Murray....

“It got me, Mom.” She storms inside before he can confront her, but he follows her inside. “Friends don’t lie! Credit: Netflix Isn’t that your bullst saying?” Hopper tries to move the TV but Eleven uses her powers to keep it stationary. The struggle continues until Hopper declares there will be no TVat alland pulls the plug out. “You are like Papa!” Eleven shouts, likening him to the evil man who kept her locked up in the lab....

On paper, an Eleven bottle episode sounds amazing. But perhaps the biggest problem with “The Lost Sister” is the placement of the episode. “Mama,” Eleven can be heard saying. Credit: Tina Rowden/Netflix “It’s me, Jane. I’m home.” The episode opens inside Eleven’s mother Terry’s “dream circle.” Suddenly, Eleven snaps out of it; her nose and Mama’s nose are bleeding. This causes to Eleven to run off. Meanwhile, Mama’s TV goes from static to the Action 8 News....

He later calls into his home radio to try communicating with Eleven, who’s long gone. “I know that I’ve been gone too long,” he says. “I want you to know that it’s not about you and it’s not about our fight. Credit: Netflix I want you to know that I’m not mad. I’m just sorry about everything.” It’s heartbreaking how much she’s come to mean to him. And what have you done?...

“You’re pretty cute, you know that?” Dustin coos at the creature that is very much not cute at all. The slug seems to prefer the cold, cowering in the shade away from the tank’s heat lamps. Credit: Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix to the librarian and just runs out with the books he needs while she’s turned around. Eleven wants to know when “soon” iswhich day? “Did I ever tell you about Mr....

Eleven wants a real Halloween Stranger Things' first season debuted in the summer. It was an anomalya wonderful, welcome anomaly. PREVIOUSLY:“Chapter One: MADMAX” This season is, obviously, premiering just days before Halloween. Credit: Netflix Eleven is also disappointed. Not quite trick-or-treating, but it’s the best he can do. She weakly whispers his name, but it’s not enough. Eleven’s not the only one having a sty night. Mike and Will then go home and talk about what just happened....

Warning: The following post contains spoilers fromStranger Things 2. But I think it was important in terms of the stakes of the show. This is not a kids show and there are consequences and people do die. Netflix But we are sad to lose him because he really just blew us away." And there might be hope for Bob… somehow. EW talked with Astin about the terrifying death scene and the heroic quest of Bob....

Good news: Theres a super-cute new mall in Hawkins, Indiana. Bad news: Hawkins is still the location of an interdimensional portal with a lot of evil stuff. Watch the new trailer above. Credit: Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix Netflix

Some things have changed in Hawkins, Ind. (there’s a new mall! ), and some things haven’t (the Upside Down is still creepy AF!). Credit: Netflix “The season takes place during the last summer before high school. The kids are growing up, and that transition is going to be messy and awkward and painful. Are they able to grow up without growing apart?” Netflix Oh, and their hometown is still a hot spot for a lot of interdimensional terror....