The one episode you need to watch from every ‘Stranger Things’ series
It’s impossible to manage an additional 35 hours of rewatch to jog our memories before Stranger Things arrives with the first volume of the fifth season on Netflix.
But if you want to make the most of the time that you have left on your hands, we suggest selective viewing with one episode from every Stranger Things season so far.
Stranger Things doubled down with revelations and made every episode a must-watch in the series. However, with the time crunch, the only way to move forward, or backwards, in this case, is to find the episodes that serve the gist of the season.
So, even with just a few hours left, here are the four unmissable episodes that will fill you in on the Upside Down saga until the fifth season opens its floodgates.
The one episode you need to watch from every Stranger Things season
Season one, Chapter eight – ‘The Upside Down’
To arrive at the end, we must start from the beginning of Stranger Things. And what better episode to define the debut season than ‘The Upside Down’? The episode is packed with the climactic confrontation between the Demogorgon and the kids at Hawkins Middle School, where Eleven makes the ultimate sacrifice for the friends she just met this season.
The finale episode hinges on two equally pulsating missions: the kids shielding Eleven and Joyce-Hopper on their journey to rescue Will, who has been trapped in the shadow dimension since the start of the season. The chapter is also layered with the emotional weight of Hopper’s story and his daughter’s death, which fuels the fire to save Will all the more. But even with the conclusion, the one thing that remains is Will’s mysterious connection to the Upside Down, which keeps the door ajar for the story to get only sinister from here on.
Season two, Chapter eight – ‘The Mind Flayer’
The second season of the hit Netflix series was filled with meticulous mythology that expanded the world of Stranger Things. In ‘The Mind Flayer,’ we come to learn that the greatest threat to Hawkins is not the Demogorgon. In fact, Demogorgon and Demodogs are parts of the hive mind, which, in turn, is controlled by a humongous, shadowy creature called the Mind Flayer. The season also introduces a new hero and Joyce’s boyfriend, Bob Newby, who, unfortunately, becomes known for the sacrifice that defines the season.
Most of the major showdowns happen at the Hawkins Lab during an attempt to track the creatures spying on Will and friends, following the alarming drawings he makes of the creatures. They eventually drive the monster out of Will in a makeshift summer sauna, Joyce and Hopper soon realise that it is expanding its network through tunnels underneath. While Eleven is on a journey of her own, trying to figure out her past, she returns to save the day, leading her group underground to shut the gate to the Upside Down.
Season three, Chapter eight – ‘The Battle of Starcourt’
The fourth season finale may take the cake for most fans, but speaking of personal favourites, ‘The Battle of Starcourt’ is hard to outdo. The third season saw the coming up of the new Starcourt Mall, and along with it, a new, more powerful Mind Flayer, controlled and possessed by the Soviets in a secret base underneath the mall. Meanwhile, the Mind Flayer has already possessed Billy, step-brother of the second season newcomer, Max, and other townspeople to build a massive, grotesque monster.
The Mind Flayer’s ultimate goal is to end Eleven, which would ease its plans. But while the adults go on their mission to shut down the Russians’ portal-opening machine, the kids take on the Meat Flayer, which has been unleashed inside the mall, led by Eleven. However, her powers are weakened after saving the group from the Russians and the attacks from the monster. To worsen it, it uses Billy to get Eleven until she manages to restore a bit of his consciousness, which results in his sacrifice to save the gang.
On the other end, Hopper also makes a major sacrifice to close the gate, leaving people to believe he’s dead. While the Byers family moves out of Hawkins for good, in the post-credits, we come to learn he’s very much alive, held captive in a Soviet prison.
Season four, Chapter four – ‘Dear Billy’
While finales are bound to be epic, Stranger Things left us spellbound with a mid-season episode so gripping that we cannot help but give it a forever place in our minds. ‘Dear Billy’ primarily focuses on Max grappling with grief and guilt following Billy’s devastating fate in the last season, which eventually makes her Vecna’s victim who preys on everyone’s insecurities and inner fears.
The central sequence shows Max trapped in the Upside Down while having gone to visit Billy’s grave in real time. Although she nearly succumbs to the trance, Lucas and her friends manage to save her with the power of music, blasting Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ on the Walkman.