Stranger Things Recap: To Catch a Demogorgon

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Okay, after three episodes, I’m starting to get seriously worried about these teenagers and their lack of sleep – I’m always a little concerned about sleep, but these kids really need some! It all started going downhill the night before, and honestly, I don’t see anyone catching any Z’s anytime soon. And it’s starting to show – their plans are getting wilder and wilder. This episode, “The Turnbow Trap,” introduces a scheme that really asks you to suspend disbelief, but hey, it’s entertaining, so I’m willing to go with it.

The team is starting to take bigger risks because they’re running out of time, as Will explains. He’s discovered he can access a sort of shared consciousness, giving him visions of what Vecna is planning. He and Robin have learned Vecna intends to kidnap more children, and his next target is Derek Turnbow – everyone calls him that, and honestly, he’s not the brightest kid. Even Holly, who is usually easygoing, can’t stand him. After this discovery, the team – Hopper, Eleven, and the others – regroup at the Squawk to discuss their next move. It’s worth noting that Holly was easily fooled by the evil monster Vecna and strangely trusts someone no one else can see.

It’s heartwarming to watch Will take the lead in conversations. He and Joyce finally have an honest talk about their relationship, where Joyce apologizes for being too controlling but explains she still feels guilty and scared about when he disappeared. She asks, “What mother doesn’t worry about their child?” Winona Ryder is fantastic in this role, really capturing a mother who wants to let her son grow up, but will always be protective of him. Honestly, if Joyce sacrifices herself for Will in the finale, I’ll be an emotional wreck for days.

Now that Will understands his link to Vecna, and everyone knows about Derek, they need to find a way to keep him safe. Ideally, protecting Derek could also help them locate Holly. Mike thinks he has a plan, though it involves kidnapping a family. However, Joyce, being the most level-headed one present, believes it’s justified because it could save lives.

Robin, with Will helping, has figured out how to get a supply of medication from the hospital, where she’s been spending time with Vickie. Their plan is to bake it into a pie. Meanwhile, Lucas and Mike have brought Erica into the fold – it was only a matter of time! – and she knows Derek’s sister, Tina, who works inside. There’s just one problem: Erica and Tina had a falling out twelve days ago and are now enemies, typical middle school drama. But Mike convinces Erica to help by explaining this isn’t about Derek, it’s about saving Holly, and that helping them will likely ruin her relationship with Tina – a triple win! And that last win is good for us, because Lucas points out that the Turnbow family are all trouble, which is definitely true. Let’s take them all down – safely, of course.

Erica is the ideal choice for dealing with the Turnbows. She convincingly pretends to apologize and brings Tina’s favorite pie as a peace offering. When Tina rejects the pie, Erica smoothly finds a solution. Though Tina’s parents and Derek are all asleep as expected, Tina herself still needs a sedative, which Erica readily gives her. (Does Erica lack empathy?)

Despite the problems with Tina, everything else went surprisingly well. Joyce, Robin, and Will transported the now-sleeping Turnbows to a farm nearby, covering their heads with pillowcases to hide them from Vecna if they woke up. The rest of the group set a trap for the Demogorgon, anticipating Vecna would send it after Derek once he appeared to be asleep. Their aim was to capture the Demogorgon long enough for Nancy to attach a tracking device, allowing Dustin to follow its signal to Vecna—and ultimately, to Holly. The trap involved a mannequin in Derek’s bed, acetone-filled water balloons to make the Demogorgon flammable, and wooden beams to injure it. The final step was a large hole cut in the living room floor, designed to drop the monster into a pit filled with barbed wire, where Nancy could tag it with the tracker before Jonathan set it on fire.

Everything was going pretty smoothly, but trouble started once the creature, called the Demo, began moving. Our team – Steve, Dustin, Nancy, and Jonathan – was tracking it in Steve’s upgraded BMW (it was a whole ordeal getting it ready!), and the Demo was moving quickly through the Upside Down. Steve had to drive through fences and people’s yards just to keep up. Then, Dustin noticed on his equipment that the Demo had suddenly changed direction – it was heading back the way they came, moving quickly southeast.

Will realizes what’s happening: Derek is conscious and has freed himself from the pillowcase, but it’s no use. He warns everyone that Vecna already knows their location, and a Demogorgon is heading their way. Honestly, Derek’s actions are proving everyone’s low opinion of him to be correct.

It’s critical that we act quickly, but it would be really helpful if we could get back in touch with Hopper and Eleven in the Upside Down. They’re working with old information and making their own guesses, which could be risky.

They were still examining the strange wall, but couldn’t find a way through—El’s powers weren’t strong enough to break it open, and they didn’t have much time. Then the military arrived with a new device, nicknamed “the hedgehog,” which turned out to be El’s weakness (according to Hop). The moment the device emitted its sonic blast towards her, she was overcome with pain, unable to move, think, or use her abilities. This new development completely changes the situation.

Hopper quickly hides himself and Eleven behind a broken billboard, trying to keep her quiet despite her pain. They almost manage to stay hidden, but a soldier – Sullivan’s assistant, Akers – spots a knife Hopper left behind while relieving himself against the wall. This leads the soldiers to reactivate the device restraining Eleven, causing her intense pain. They realize who’s there and a gunfight breaks out. Hopper, surprisingly skilled, fights like a one-man army, using grenades to take down most of the soldiers. He then shoots and disables the device. Finally, Eleven, now fully powered, knocks out Akers, the last remaining soldier.

Rather than escaping, Hopper and Eleven capture Akers, hoping to question him. Hopper wants to find out when the next shipment of supplies will arrive so they can reverse the effects of the gate’s flip. Eleven, however, is focused on the wall itself – she believes Akers might know something about it if he’s been near it, and she’s determined to find a way through. They eventually agree to split the interrogation, a typical compromise for the two of them.

Hopper questions Akers, trying to get him to reveal information he’s clearly hiding. Meanwhile, Eleven secretly enters Akers’ mind. He’s frightened and pleads with her to leave, but Eleven is skilled at this now. She finds a memory of Akers and Sullivan speaking with Dr. Kay in her lab. This leads her to a secure hallway and a heavily locked metal door. Hopper tries to get Akers to reveal what’s behind it, but he insists he doesn’t know. It doesn’t matter, though, because once Eleven leaves Akers’ mind, she tells Hopper she sensed a powerful, familiar energy – like a weakness to her powers – coming from behind the door, even stronger than what the soldiers’ vehicle emitted. She believes it’s Vecna, and that the military has captured him and is exploiting his abilities as a weapon. This seems unlikely, considering Vecna has been freely entering people’s minds, so the question remains: what’s really behind that door?

We finally see Vecna in action this episode, though it’s as Henry Creel, acting as a surprisingly caring host to Holly. He takes her to a perfect, idealized version of the Creel house, filled with everything she could wish for – except her parents, who he promises are being cared for. He provides a beautiful breakfast, endless dresses, and even a special tape player with a Tiffany cassette. He tells her he has to leave to attend to other ‘children’ and gives her the run of the house, with only one rule: stay out of the woods. It’s a little odd, though – if this is Vecna’s created reality, why can’t he simply prevent her from going into the woods? Just a thought!

I was immediately intrigued by the setup. We see Holly enjoying some peace and quiet, but that doesn’t last. Soon, she finds a mysterious letter from someone named Henry asking for help. It’s classic horror movie stuff – he wants to meet her in the woods, near some rocks, and even includes a map! Honestly, as a viewer, I was yelling at the screen – this all felt way too convenient. Holly seems bright, so why she’d fall for this is beyond me. But, of course, she heads into the woods anyway, and her outfit – a mix of Dorothy and Little Red Riding Hood – just screams ‘danger!’ It’s a perfect visual cue that things are about to get interesting… or terrifying.

Holly finally reaches the rocks, hoping to find Henry, but she’s startled by what looks like a monster in the cave and immediately runs away. Surprisingly, it isn’t a monster chasing her, but someone wearing boots and jeans. She looks up and sees Max Mayfield – alive, at least within the confusing, vision-like world Vecna has created. The important thing is: Max is still alive in there.

More Strange Things!

I understand Dustin is struggling with grief, but his behavior is really hurtful. It’s hard to keep excusing it just because he’s upset about losing a mentor and is taking it out on Steve. Like, drilling into Steve’s car to install that system was way out of line. They seriously need to resolve their issues soon, because watching them fight is incredibly frustrating.

Steve notices Dustin telling his friends a made-up story about his injuries, and suspects this will lead to a serious conversation soon.

Jonathan is really stuck on his feelings for Nancy, which is annoying. Meanwhile, Murray secretly hid an engagement ring inside a Coltrane cassette, expecting Jonathan to have proposed by now. It’s clear that proposal isn’t going to go well.

During questioning, Hopper angrily tells Akers he’d kill a thousand soldiers to protect the person he loves. It’s a surprisingly emotional moment, until you consider he’s just given the enemy a valuable piece of information.

Okay, so in this scene, Mr. Clarke is explaining wormholes to his class – and you can tell Erica Sinclair is really getting it! He’s basically saying they’re these theoretical tunnels through space, linked to the Einstein-Rosen bridge, but the big takeaway is… they’re super unstable. It’s a cool bit of sci-fi setup, and it really highlights how smart Erica is, picking up on this complex idea.

I’m really enjoying Robin and Will’s scenes! They had a sweet moment at the hospital where Will was curious about how Robin knew Vickie liked her. Robin explained it beautifully, saying it started with small signs that built up over time. And honestly, their playful banter about Will’s bowl cut was just adorable – it’s great to see them connect like that!

• Bring back calling people “barf bags”!!

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2025-11-27 16:58