Stranger Things
Created by: The Duffer Brothers
Stars: Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven / El), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna / Henry Creel / One), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Amybeth McNulty (Vicky Dunne), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Jake Connelly (Derek Turnbow), Alex Breaux (Lt. Robert Akers), Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay), Joe Chrest (Ted Wheeler), Sherman Augustus (Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan), Clayton Royal Johnson (Andy), Hunter Romanillos (Chance)
Season 5 – Episode 3
Episode title: Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap
Director: Frank Darabont
Original release date: November 26, 2025
Episode plot: Hopper and Eleven fail to break through the massive wall and are ambushed by military agents, but they manage to overpower them. Eleven concludes that the military has captured Vecna and is holding him hostage at the base. Will reveals to the group that he can now access the hive mind and establish a telepathic link with Vecna, allowing him to see through Vecna’s perspective and confirming that his next victim is Derek. Mike and Nancy explain that Vecna disguised himself as an imaginary friend to earn Holly’s trust before abducting her, prompting the group to devise a plan to use Derek as bait to trap the Demogorgon, implant a tracker in it, and track it in the Upside Down to reach Holly before more children are taken. The group arms themselves using weapons smuggled in by Murray and enlists Erica to drug Derek and his family. The team splits up, transporting the unconscious family to an abandoned barn while converting Derek’s house into a trap for the Demogorgon. The plan unravels when Derek wakes up and Will realizes the Demogorgon has located his group and the barn. Meanwhile, Holly finds herself in a 1950s-style version of the Creel house, where she unexpectedly encounters Max.
* * *
Stranger Things – S05E03 – Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap | Transcript
[goo splattering]
[Hopper grunting]
[grunting loudly]
[Eleven gasping]
[Hopper yelling]
[wall shifting]
[Hopper] [shouting] God damn it!
[Eleven] I closed the gate. I can break through.
[Hopper] What are you doing?
[Eleven] I need food for my battery.
[Hopper] You had a fully charged battery. You didn’t make a dent. No. We’re not getting through that thing, whatever it is, not this way at least.
[Eleven] We have to.
[Hopper] We don’t even know if Holly’s on the other side. The trail could’ve gone cold for a million reasons.
[Eleven] Battery. … Anything else?
[Hopper] Hey! I… No, I don’t have anything else. I was packing for a party of one, a party of me. You’re lucky I’m sharing with you. Try it. You might like it. Hmm?
[vehicles approaching]
[thunder rumbling]
[Hopper] We gotta go.
[powering up]
[pulsing]
[foreboding music playing]
[Hopper] El? You okay?
[pulsing]
[Hopper] What’s wrong? You all right?
[walkie-talkie beeping]
[Joyce] Will, Robin, I need you to answer me. I’m not mad. I just need to know you’re safe.
[Will] Shit.
[Robin] Is that, uh…
[Will] Yeah.
[Robin] You think she saw us?
[tires squealing]
[Will] Yeah.
[Joyce] Get in. I told you, I explicitly told you, I didn’t want him going anywhere that’s not safe. And not only did you take him, you cut off all communication.
[Robin] Yes, I mean, in retrospect, that was a bit inconsiderate.
[Joyce] Inconsiderate?
[Robin] We really should’ve left a note.
[Joyce] Is this funny to you?
[Robin] Oh. Sorry. It must be my tone. My mother says I sound perpetually insincere.
[Joyce] Okay, this is my son’s life you’re playing with. My son. So next time I say I do not want him leaving my side, that means I don’t want him leaving my goddamn side.
[Will] I’m right here, Mom. You know, you can talk to me, right? And I’m not a kid anymore.
[Joyce] Will, I am still your mother.
[Will] Doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing.
[Joyce] What?
[Will] Your plan? It… It sucked. I’m sorry, but it did. You only liked it because it was safe, but we don’t have time for safe, not anymore. We have to act, and we have to take risks, and thank God we did. Because my plan, it… it actually worked. I spied on Vecna and tapped back into the hive mind, and we found out that Holly was just the beginning. Vecna is gonna take more kids. I don’t know why or what he wants to do with them, but now we know something we can use against him, his next target. So next time you order me to stay by your side, I wouldn’t count on it.
[Robin] But, as I said, in the future, we will try to leave a note.
[Will] We should go. We have to stop Vecna. We don’t have much time.
[engine starts]
[eerie music playing]
[children laughing, playing]
[echoing] Ready for the biosphere?
Yes, I am.
Okay. Think about the difference between land and water.
Okay, got it. Thank you!
[teacher] Hey!
[eerie music continues]
[synth theme music playing]
[classical music playing on radio]
[Henry exhales]
[Henry] You still thinking about your parents?
[Holly] Yeah.
[Henry] They are in the very best possible hands, Holly, I assure you. And I’m told that they are improving with each hour that passes. As soon as they’re healed, they’ll join us here.
[Holly] I… I know. It’s just…
[Henry] You wish to be with them. I understand. But you cannot offer them comfort in Hawkins, Holly. The only comfort they have is knowing you are here, safe. With me. Safe from the monsters. I thought blackberries might cheer you up a little. They’re your favorite, aren’t they?
[Holly] How did you know? That they’re my favorite?
[Henry] Oh, it’s, uh… It’s just a hunch. I’m good with hunches. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll make chocolate chip pancakes. He loves those.
[Holly] Who does?
[Henry] Your classmate, Derek.
[Holly] Derek is coming here?
[Henry] You don’t like Derek very much, do you? Should I just let the monsters eat him?
[Holly] No. No, you can’t… you can’t do that.
[Henry] Well, how about this? I will tell Derek that if he misbehaves, or if he hurts you in any way, I will send him right back, and he can face those monsters on his own. How does that sound? [chuckles] I expect to be gone most of the day. While I’m out, you’ll have the whole house all to yourself.
[Holly] The whole house?
[Henry] Everything which is mine is yours. But in return, I need you to promise me one thing. Something very important. Do you think you can do that?
[Holly] Yeah.
[Henry] You must never, under any circumstance, go out into the woods. Do you understand?
[eerie music playing]
[Holly] Is that where the monsters live?
[Henry] But they won’t find you. That is, as long as you don’t–
[Holly] Don’t try to find them.
[Henry] You know, I’m very glad I saved you first. You’re the brightest of them all. Oh, and if you don’t mind, bring my mail in, won’t you?
[Holly] [laughs] How did you know?
[Henry] A hunch.
[foreboding music playing]
[foreboding music builds]
[music fades out]
[indistinct chatter over walkie-talkie]
Base, Alpha 1 checking in. We’re arrived at checkpoint H, H for Hercules. No sign of freak. We’ll recon this area, then proceed to next checkpoint. Over.
[Base] Alpha 1, Base. Acknowledge your location at Hercules. Over.
Alpha 1, out.
Recon?
Meaning, I take a leak, and you guys take five.
You heard the man. Smoke ’em if you got ’em.
[Eleven moaning in pain]
[sizzling]
Some jackass messing with the wall, Lieutenant?
Some jackass, yeah. But not one of ours. Come on.
Get on the hedgehog.
Yes, sir.
[whirring]
[Eleven moaning in pain]
[pulsing]
[screaming]
[pulsing increases]
[moaning in pain continues]
[tense music playing]
Oh!
Hey!
Come up! Come up!
Base, Alpha 1, we’re taking enemy fire. Need backup and air cover now.
[gun clicking]
[soldier] Move!
[tense music rising]
[Eleven grunting]
[Hopper] Okay.
[Eleven screams]
[soldier] Who’s there?
[Hopper grunts]
[pulsing fades out]
[Dustin] It looks like Robin sent up the Bat-Signal.
[Steve] Hey. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?
[Nancy] Yeah.
[Steve] Here.
[Mike] Holy shit.
[Dustin] Yep. Bike crash. Flew headfirst into a light post. Look, I’m sorry about missing the crawl, about everything.
[Mike] It’s not your fault. Don’t beat yourself up.
[Lucas] Yeah, looks like he already did. Is that broken?
[Dustin] I dunno.
[Lucas] Let me…
[Dustin] Don’t touch it. Why…
[Lucas] I wasn’t…. I just wanted to see if you have…
[Dustin] You were going to…
[Robin] Hey, this isn’t a social call, kiddos. Let’s go.
[Steve] Derek? Derek Turnbow? As in the Turnbow family? Like Turnbow Realty?
[Robin] The one and only.
[Lucas] Whole family’s a menace.
[Nancy] How can you be sure? Sure that Derek’s the next target?
[Will] Because I saw. I’ve learned that when I’m close enough to the hive mind, I can tap into it, into Vecna’s mind. I can see who he’s targeting. The first time it happened, I saw through Holly’s eyes the same day she was taken. And this morning, it happened again. Only this time, I wasn’t Holly.
[kid] What the hell?
[Will] I was someone else.
Watch where you’re going, dipshit.
[Derek] Suck a fat one!
[Will] I was Derek Turnbow. I’m positive.
[Steve] Hold on. I’m a little lost.
[Dustin] Shocking.
[Steve] Were you seeing through the eyes of… of Vecna or of Derek?
[Will] Both. I… I was Vecna, but inside Derek’s mind.
[Robin] Vecna’s like a psychic serial killer. He stalks his victims, but he does it by invading their minds. That’s what he did with Chrissy and Max.
[Nancy] Yeah, but the way he’s doing it this time is different. We did some digging at the hospital. It turns out that before he took Holly, Vecna stalked her. But… he didn’t appear as Vecna. He appeared as Henry. As a friend.
[Mike] We think he was trying to earn her trust. Now, why he went to all that trouble, we don’t know. But I highly doubt his long-term goal is friendship.
[Will] Whatever it is, whatever he’s planning, we have to stop him. And we have to save Derek.
[Will] The Turnbows live here. We wait in a van across the street. As soon as they’re asleep, we move in, we grab Derek, and we take him to here, the McCorkle farm. It’s completely isolated. It’s abandoned. The only thing is, we need to make sure he doesn’t see us or know where he is. So we’ll need to blindfold him.
[Steve] Wait. Hold on. What?
[Robin] So that Vecna can’t find him.
[Jonathan] Yeah. What, and Mom, you’re okay with just kidnapping a child?
[Joyce] No, we’re saving a child via kidnapping. And yeah, it’s fine, I think. Yes. Now’s not the time to play it safe, Jonathan.
[Dustin] If I may, though I’m not morally opposed to any of this, there are a few holes.
[Lucas] Yeah. Like what if Derek falls asleep before the Demogorgon attacks him?
[Dustin] That’s one.
[Robin] Or what if Derek wakes up before we grab him, alerts his family?
[Nancy] We’ll go to jail.
[Dustin] There’s another.
[Dustin] But the third and most gaping hole is even if by some miracle this plan even works, Holly’s still missing. Hop and El, still MIA. This doesn’t bring us any closer to finding Vecna. This plan just buys us and Derek some time. That’s it.
[Mike] Not necessarily. There might be a way. A way to save Derek and find Holly.
[Mike] This is Derek. And this is the rest of the Turnbow family. We’re gonna need to recruit someone that the family trusts, someone that can gain access to the house. This person will knock the family out. Then we’ll extract the family.
[Joyce] Knock them out?
[Mike] Well, safely. With sleeping pills or something.
[Robin] I might know where we could get some benzos. Those things could knock an elephant on its ass.
[Mike] Perfect. That way if Vecna spies, he’ll just assume Derek is fast asleep in bed. He’ll send his Demos to grab him. Only he won’t find Derek. He’ll find us. And we’ll be ready. We’ll get Murray to supply us with the traps. We’ll burn the sucker. Send him scampering home to its master, but not before we stick him with one of these. We’ll track the Demo across the Upside Down in the Squawk van just like we did with Hopper. And if we’re lucky, the Demo will lead us back to its lair, to Vecna, to Holly. Holes?
[“I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany playing]
♪ Children behave ♪
♪ That’s what they say ♪
♪ When we’re together ♪
[Holly singing along]
♪ ‘Cause what would they say ♪
♪ If they ever knew and so we’re ♪
[rooster crowing]
♪ Running just as fast as we can ♪
♪ Holdin’ onto one another’s hand ♪
♪ Tryin’ to get away into the night ♪
♪ And then you put your arms around me ♪
♪ And we tumble to the ground ♪
♪ And then you say ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ There doesn’t seem to be anyone around ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ The beating of our hearts ♪
♪ Is the only sound ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
[music continues in distance]
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ The beating of our hearts ♪
♪ Is the only sound ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ There doesn’t seem to be anyone around ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
[song fades out]
[doorbell rings]
[doorbell rings repeatedly]
Henry?
[ringing stops]
Derek, if this is you, it’s not funny, you barf bag!
[heavy footsteps receding]
[Holly] “I need your help.” “Meet me at the X.” “Henry.” East.
[medic] Move aside. Coming through! Make way, please!
You’re gonna be okay, man. Just hang in there.
[soldier] Sir! Orders?
Find who did this. Bring them to me. And I will disembowel the son of a bitch!
[soldier] Sir! Let’s go! Move out!
[Hopper] Got that Humvee hid pretty good. If they don’t know it’s missing yet, they will soon. Got more birds. They all got those speakers, whatever they are. I don’t know how, but… seems like our military friends found your kryptonite. Hey. Any movement from our guest? Better not be braindead.
[Eleven] He peed on it.
[Hopper] What?
[Eleven] That soldier. You said he peed on the big wall.
[Hopper] Yeah, no, I heard what you said. I just don’t know why you’re talking about it.
[Eleven] Maybe he knows what it is… or how to get through it.
[Hopper] That’s highly doubtful. What he will know, though, is the schedule for the next supply convoy, which is our way out of this hellhole.
[Eleven] What happens then?
[Hopper] We go back, we tell everybody what we saw, and we… we… make a new plan.
[Eleven] The others? You think they’ll know how to get through the wall?
[Hopper] I don’t know. Maybe, yeah.
[Eleven] They won’t. We’ll be back to the first square.
[Hopper] Square one.
[Eleven] He peed on it.
[Hopper] Even if he knows something, he’s been trained to resist interrogation. The Russians took two weeks trying to break me, and they still couldn’t. We don’t have two weeks. We don’t have two hours. Convoy information, I might be able to get out of him. Classified information? That’s not gonna happen.
[Eleven] With my help, it will.
[Hopper] Oh, yeah, I’m sorry. I forgot about your extensive training in interrogation tactics.
[Eleven] My battery’s charged.
[Hopper] I don’t see how that helps us.
[Eleven] I can break him.
[Hopper] El…
[Eleven] Twenty minutes. You get to ask him about the convoy. You get what you want, then I get what I want. Compromise. “COM-promise.” Remember? Halfway happy.
[banging]
[lieutenant] Hey, what is this? Get me outta here! Get me the hell outta here!
[Hopper] You’re a stubborn punk-ass. You know that, right?
[Mr. Clarke] Einstein-Rosen bridges, more commonly known as wormholes, are often depicted in an hour-glasslike shape, such as this. While the existence of wormholes is entirely theoretical, they have captured the fascination of scientists and science fiction writers alike. Can anyone tell me why that is? Come on. This is easy. Just… What’s neat about wormholes? [sighs] Okay. Erica.
[Erica] Wormholes are neat because they allow matter to travel between galaxies or dimensions without crossing the space between.
[Mr. Clarke] Yes. Exactly right… Again. And, uh, just think of all the places mankind could go. Another galaxy. Another time, even.
[Erica mouthing]
[Mr. Clarke] So why aren’t we doing it now?
[Erica mouthing]
[Mr. Clarke] If wormholes did exist, they would be extraordinarily unstable. Their enormous gravitational force would rip them apart at the very moment they formed. Now…
[Erica] You have 60 seconds to explain why you interrupted my favorite class.
Erica, this is really serious.
[Erica] 57, 56…
[Lucas] OK, it’s kinda hard to explain everything in 56 seconds. But basically, everything went bad at the crawl last night.
[Erica] Wouldn’t know. I wasn’t invited.
[Lucas] That’s why I’m ex…
[Mike shushing]
[Lucas] That’s why I’m explaining. Things went bad at the crawl, and a lot of stuff happened, and now we think Tina’s little brother’s in trouble.
[Erica] That literally makes no sense. And even if it did, why would I care that Dipshit Derek is in trouble?
[Mike] You’re just gonna have to trust us, okay? And to help Derek, we’re gonna need you to get us into the Turnbow house. Tonight.
[Erica] Not possible.
[Lucas] Of course it is. Make plans to hang out with Tina.
[Erica] Tina and I don’t hang.
[Lucas] You hang nonstop. She’s your best friend.
[Erica] Was.
[Lucas] Was?
[Erica] We are now enemies.
[Mike] Enemies?
[Erica] Arch.
[Lucas] Since when?
[Erica] Since PE class 12 days ago.
[Mike] Then apologize for what happened in PE class 12 days ago.
[Erica] No can do.
[Lucas] Yes, can do. All you have to do is use your mouth to form a word that rhymes with “starry.”
[Erica] I’d rather learn about wormholes than apologize to Tina and help you all save Dipshit Derek. Sorry.
[watch alarm beeping]
[Erica] Time’s up.
[Mike] This isn’t about saving Derek. It’s about saving Holly. Vecna took her. And yeah, now he’s after Dipshit Derek. But we have a plan. A plan to both save Dipshit Derek and find Holly. But the plan is… It’s a bit insane. But after it’s over, I don’t think Tina’s gonna wanna talk to you ever again.
[Erica] Well, why the hell didn’t you just start with that?
[Robin] Hi, Doris.
Oh! You here to see Mrs. Massey?
[Robin] You are just psychic, I’m telling you.
I am. Thank you, baby.
[Robin] Thank you.
Y’all go on back there. … Mm!
[Will] Who’s Mrs. Massey?
[Robin] My sweet granny who fell down a flight of stairs and broke nearly every bone in her frail old body.
[Will] Oh God. I’m sorry.
[Robin] Don’t be too sorry. She’s not my real granny. I use her name so I can visit Vickie. I know it sounds unethical, but I always bring her cookies, and I think Mrs. Massey loves me more than her own family at this point. More importantly, she has got, like, a mondo stash of benzos, and her nurse is a slacker who never locks the medicine cabinet.
[nurse] …this story I heard.
[Robin] Shit.
[Will] Oh! What… What are we doing?
[Robin] Hiding.
[Will] Hiding? Right. Why?
[Robin] Down. Jesus, she talks so much. I know. I’m a hypocrite.
[Will] I…
[Robin] We have to go! I promised Vickie that I would take her to Enzo’s tonight, and now I can’t, obviously, meaning I have to ditch her again for reasons that she just can’t understand. A massive fight will ensue, and we’ll never make it to my fake granny’s room. I can’t be the reason Wheeler’s plan fails. Okay?
[Will] Okay.
[Robin] Shoot. Stay low.
[Will] You know, you could always just kiss her again.
[Robin] I knew that was your goddamn bowl cut.
[Will] Yeah, I mean, they’re not that popular anymore.
[Robin] Did I look like I knew what I was doing at least?
[Will] I mean, yeah. To me.
[Robin] I guess that’s something.
[Will] So, how did you know that, with Vickie, right? How did you know that Vickie wanted to…
[Robin] Make out?
[Will] …to date?
[Robin] Oh. Well, we volunteered together. You know, there were, like, signals.
[Will] Signals?
[Robin] Yeah, you know, like a brush of the knee, a bump of the elbow, a shared look. It all just kind of accrued, like a snowball rolling down a hill, until it was obvious.
[Will] How obvious?
[Robin] Let’s say the, uh, snowball became an avalanche.
[man wheezing]
[Will] Oh God, that looks awful.
[Robin] Sure does. And he’s in the same wing as my fake granny. Meaning?
[Will] Same slacker nurse.
[Robin] Jackpot. Jesus, we could knock out half of Hawkins with this shit. Okay, load me up.
[Will] Okay.
[Murray Bauman] Okay, so, I couldn’t get any ethanol, but I was able to scrounge up a gallon of acetone. Now, be very careful. You smoke a Virginia Slim too close to this stuff, it’ll catch fire, okay? Snare wire, various gauges. A creepy, child-sized CPR dummy. Its purpose a mystery to me. Shotgun shells, per our lovely lady’s request. Three 20packs of water balloons. Purpose also a mystery. But I did take the liberty of selecting the grenade style as it felt thematically appropriate. Do keep those far away from… these 3,000 feet of barbed wire. [chuckles] Oh, I almost forgot. Some sparkling new spark plugs for Bilbo Baggins.
[Dustin] Spark plugs, that’s it?
[Murray] I’m also giving out free hugs.
[Dustin] You didn’t get the turbocharger?
[Murray] No.
[Dustin] The suspension kit?
[Murray] No.
[Dustin] The aerodynamic spoiler?
[Murray] No.
[Dustin] It wasn’t a goddamn Christmas list, Murray.
[Murray] That’s exactly what it was. And the fact that Santa Murray scrounged all this up in a single afternoon and smuggled it into what is likely the most heavily secured location outside of the White House, Fort Knox, and Area 51 is a goddamn Christmas miracle. So, count your blessings, hang some mistletoe, pucker up, and kiss my jolly ass!
[Dustin] Thank you for the spark plugs.
[Dustin] What are you doing?
[Steve] You gonna help or just stand there?
[Dustin] I’d rather not herniate a disc over a lost cause.
[Steve] Yeah, that’s the attitude.
[Dustin] This van once stalled out chugging up Pickett Road like it was the Little Engine That Couldn’t. It’s not fast enough to keep up with a Demo without serious modifications.
[Steve] What the hell do you think I’m doing? Modifying. A lighter van is a faster van. If we’re just tracking, we don’t need half of the crap in here. Speaking of, can you go empty the window washer fluid?
[Dustin] The window washer fluid. That’ll do it. Good job, Steven.
[Steve] We should go back to the agreement from yesterday.
[Dustin] What agreement?
[Steve] The no-talking agreement.
[“Oh Yeah” by Yello playing]
♪ Oh yeah ♪
[Steve] What are you doing?
[Dustin] Henderson, I’m using that.
[Steve] Hey. You little shit!
[Dustin] I said I’m using that, man.
[Steve] What are you– Yo, hey! Get off the Beamer, man. Get off!
[Dustin] You were right. For once. We don’t need half the crap in there for our mission. In fact, the only thing we really need is a telemetry tracker, which I can affix to any vehicle.
[Steve] Henderson… Don’t you touch her. Henderson! Henderson, I’m dead serious.
[Dustin] No talking.
[Steve] Wait, wait, wait! Hey, hey! What are you… No! What the…
[Nancy] Okay, transmitter?
[Jonathan] Yeah.
[Murray] Whoa, whoa, whoa. Children. Children. What are we doing?
[Nancy] What does it look like?
[Murray] Well, it looks like you’re loading my telemetry tracker into a shotgun shell in what I presume are the hopes of firing it into an interdimensional being.
[Nancy] You told me that these transmitters were designed specifically to withstand harsh conditions.
[Murray] Blasting it out of a shotgun into some beast isn’t a harsh condition. It’s deadly. If the heat from the exploding gunpowder doesn’t destroy the transmitter, the force from the recoil will.
[Nancy] And is that a fact or… a theory?
[Murray] A theory.
[Nancy] Oh. Okay.
[transmitter beeping]
[Nancy] Let’s test it then.
[Murray] What’s her deal today, huh?
[Jonathan] Her deal?
[Murray] Yeah.
[Jonathan] Her sister is missing. Her parents almost died.
[Murray] Sure, sure. But what about, you know?
[Jonathan] No, I don’t.
[Murray] Coltrane, Love Supreme. Did you give it a whirl?
[Jonathan] Yeah.
[Murray] And?
[Jonathan] It was very nice.
[Murray] And?
[Jonathan] What? Thank you?
[Murray] Christ, man! You haven’t done it yet, have you? I thought you were desperate, that things were stagnating, that your mating competition was making moves.
[Jonathan] Whoa!
[Nancy] Hey! Whatever you two are conspiring about back there, please do it later.
[Murray] Our apologies, milady.
[Nancy] And hurry up. We don’t have all day.
[Murray] Why the delay?
[Jonathan] Have you forgotten the fact that her sister is missing and her parents are in the hospital?
[Murray] Could one ask for better conditions? The death of a loved one is the painful but necessary reminder that life is delicate, precious, that one must not take those around us for granted, that one must strengthen bonds. I mean, hell, man, the two of you were brought together by shared trauma in the first place. This is the stuff of fate, of destiny. So, if not for your sake, then for mine. Grow some balls and get it over with already.
[Nancy] Hey! If you don’t shut up right now, Santa, I swear to God I will shoot this tracker into your potato sacks. I’m a good enough shot to hit any mark, no matter how small.
[Murray] Jesus.
[Nancy] Now set up my target.
[Murray] Okay.
[gun cocking]
[Murray] Quite large, actually. My… potato sacks.
[Nancy] Hmm.
[beeping]
[Nancy] [sighs] Well, would you look at that, Santa? Another miracle.
[Murray] At the very least, couldn’t hurt her mood.
[thunder rumbling]
[Hopper] Hey! How’s the head?
[Akers] You’ll get nothing out of me. So if you’re gonna kill me, get to it.
[Hopper] It’s tempting. But no. Just need a little information, okay? I need to know about that fleshy wall.
[Akers] Don’t know a thing about it. I’m just a grunt.
[Hopper] A grunt? [laughing]
[Akers] Is that funny to you?
[Hopper] Let me get this straight. You’re telling me you just, like all the other boots on the ground, came to Hawkins to direct traffic and save kitty cats out of trees. You’re just a red, white, and blue grunt.
[Akers] That’s what I said.
[Hopper] I used to be a grunt. So I know the difference. You’re something else. Some kind of special forces puke. I used to have to put up with guys like you in Nam. Guys who cut the ears off enemy corpses, make a necklace out of them. Pretty sick, you ask me. Grunt, my ass. You’re one of Sullivan’s attack dogs. You’re the psychos he lets slip off the leash when he wants to, I don’t know, go into the desert and massacre a group of unarmed scientists all in the pursuit of one little girl.
[Akers] Little… Little girl? She’s a freak! She took down a helicopter just by looking at it. I had friends in that Huey, man.
[Hopper] Oh my God! My heart is breaking for you.
[Akers] You, whoever you are, you just took out more of my guys, so go to hell.
[Hopper] I’m already there. Look around you. I gotta tell you something about this old ex-grunt. Those guys I killed, I’d kill them a hundred times over. I’d kill a thousand guys like you to protect the one person that I love.
[clanging]
[Hopper] All right. So you don’t know about the wall, huh? Who does? Dr. Kay?
[Akers] Who?
[Hopper] Kay. The one that even Sullivan takes orders from.
[Akers] Don’t know who you’re talking about.
[Hopper] Really? Then why’d you tell us her name?
[Akers] What?
[Hopper] Her name. You told us her name.
[Akers] Us?
[Hopper] That little girl you’re looking for? She’s rooting around in that tiny brain of yours as we speak. She can see everything. Everything you’ve ever thought, everything you’ve ever seen. So you might as well start talking. ‘Cause if you don’t give me answers, she’ll find them. So why don’t we save some time? Where do I find Dr. Kay?
[Akers] I… I don’t know where she is.
[Hopper] You can lie to me all you want. You can’t lie to her.
[Akers] I’m not lying to you.
[Hopper] Yes, you are. You know this Dr. Kay. Where is Dr. Kay?
[Akers] I don’t know [groaning]
[Akers] [echoing] Is it really necessary to take these lashings from Kay in person?
[Lt. Colonel] Just shut up and drive, Akers.
[Eleven] There’s a base in the Upside Down. Gable Ridge Road.
[Hopper] Gable Ridge Road Base.
[Akers] What the hell is she doing to me?
[Hopper] I don’t exactly know how it works, but I know it’s probably not a good idea to have her rooting around there for too long. What was this meeting about with you and the good doctor?
[Akers] The freak. She wants the freak. That’s her mission. That’s all I know.
[Akers groaning]
[Dr. Kay] You have one more month, Lieutenant Colonel. Then I find someone else to lead this operation.
[Lt. Colonel] Thank you, ma’am.
[Lt. Colonel] Akers, let’s go.
[mysterious music playing]
[lock beeping]
[Eleven] There’s a door at the end. Big, metal, like a vault.
[Hopper] There’s a door, a big door, secure door, down a corridor, down a hallway. What’s behind that door?
[Akers] I don’t know.
[Hopper] What’s behind that door?
[Akers] I told you I don’t know. God!
[Eleven] There’s something back there. He doesn’t want me to see.
[Akers] [groaning loudly] My head! My head!
[Hopper] Hey, I can make it stop. What’s behind the door?
[Akers] Secret shit. I don’t know. Just get the freak out, man.
[intense music playing]
[Hopper] I can make it stop, but you gotta tell me the truth. What’s behind that door? Does it have something to do with the wall?
[Akers] I told you I don’t know.
[Hopper] Come on! What’s behind the door?!
[creaking]
[Akers] I swear to God, I don’t know! Just get her out of my head! Get her out of my head!
[Eleven] [screaming]
[Hopper] Hey, hey, hey! Hey!
[intense music continues]
[Hopper] Hey! Hey! What the hell was that? What happened? El, are you all right? El?
[music fades out]
[Eleven] Kryptonite.
[Hopper] What?
[Eleven] I heard it behind the door, louder than before. The doctor’s keeping someone there, someone powerful like me. It has to be.
[Hopper] It has to be what?
[Eleven] The military, they have him.
[foreboding music building]
[Eleven] They have Vecna.
[Holly] It doesn’t make sense. Henry said never to go into the woods. Never, ever. Why am I talking to you anyways? You’re a pop star. What do you know about monsters? [aggravated groaning]
[Holly] What would you do?
[hopeful synth music playing]
[music trails off]
[Holly] Stupid.
[ominous music playing]
[game beeping]
[door opening]
[Tina] It smells like ass in here, dipshit.
[Derek] Probably from all my farts.
[Tina] Disgusting. Mom wants you down for dinner.
[Derek] Mom can suck a fat one.
[Tina] [grumbles]
[Derek] Hey! Tina! Give it back, Tina!
[Tina laughing]
[Derek] Tina!
[Mrs. Turnbow] Ah, ah, ah. Enough. How many times must I repeat myself? This home is not a playground.
[doorbell ringing]
[Mrs. Turnbow] Derek, wash up. Tina, get the door, and be polite. Unless it’s a Mormon. Or a Democrat.
[Erica] Listen, I know you probably hate me right now, but I thought you might want your favorite pie. And also, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. [sniffling] I’m so sorry, Tina.
[Dustin] She’s in.
[Steve] She’s in. Hey. What…
[Dustin] Sinclair, come in. Do you copy?
[Lucas] Yep, this is Sinclair. Copy. Go ahead.
[Dustin] Sinclair, I’m confused. I thought your sister said that Tina was mean.
[Lucas] Oh, no, no. She’s not mean. She’s a villain. Kill the puppies for a fur coat kind of villain. Trust me.
[Joyce] How long before the drugs kick in?
[Robin] Depends how much pie they eat.
[Mike] And how fast they eat it.
[Robin] What they had for lunch. When they had lunch.
[Mike] Caffeine intake, alcohol intake. It’s a lot of variables.
[Robin] Yeah, what could go wrong, right?
[Lucas] Aside from everything.
[classical music playing]
[Turnbow parents laughing]
[Mrs. Turnbow] Aw, you know, I’m so happy you girls made up. We’ve missed you, Erica. Haven’t we, dear?
[Mr. Turnbow] We missed this pie, that’s for sure.
[Mrs. Turnbow] Hmm.
[Mr. Turnbow] Now, Erica, you’ve done something different this time.
[Erica] Sorry?
[Mr. Turnbow] Your pie. It’s got a little… something extra tonight. A little hint of…
[Erica] Nutmeg.
[Mr. Turnbow] Nutmeg! Of course. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brill… Brilliant.
[Erica] Tina, aren’t you gonna try some?
[Tina] Oh, I wish. Looks super good. Just gotta watch those calories, you know.
[Derek] Fatty McFatFat.
[Mrs. Turnbow] Derek, remember what we talked about. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all.
[Mr. Turnbow] [slurring] This is how you alienate your spears, Derek.
[Derek] My spears?
[Mr. Turnbow] Your spears. Sph… Spheres. Peers.
[Derek] Holy shit, Dad’s wasted again.
[Mrs. Turnbow] Derek. Please, language.
[Erica] Well, I used a low-fat creamer, so you can enjoy guilt-free.
[Tina] Thanks, but I’m just not hungry.
[Erica] But I made it for you.
[Tina] I said I’m not hungry.
[Erica] Just a bite or two.
[Tina] Okay, why are you being so weird?
[Erica] What?
[Tina] Why do you care so much if I eat your stupid pie?
[Erica] Because it’s for you.
[Tina] Oh my God. It’s because you want me fat, isn’t it?
[Mrs. Turnbow] Girls, please.
[Erica] Why would I want you fat?
[Tina] Because you’re still jealous of me and Josh, and you wanna sabotage our chances of being together.
[Erica] I was never jealous of you and Josh.
[Tina] Then how do you explain PE?
[Erica] It was an accident.
[Mrs. Turnbow] Ken, where are you going?
[Mr. Turnbow] I’m not feeling good.
[Tina] It wasn’t an accident.
[Erica] It was dodgeball. In dodgeball, you throw balls at people.
[Tina] Not that hard. You gave Joshy a black eye. Now he won’t even look at me.
[Erica] That’s stupid. You didn’t throw the ball.
[Tina] It doesn’t matter. He associates us. He associates us. And you humiliated him.
[Erica] He humiliated himself by crying like a goddamn pussy.
[Mrs. Turnbow gasping]
[Derek cackling loudly]
[Mrs. Turnbow] Ken? Oh my God.
[Tina] Mommy! Mommy!
[Derek cackling slows to a stop]
[Tina] Mom. Erica, call 911! Erica! Mom, wake up. Erica! Mommy, wake up. Daddy. Erica, I told you to call 911.
[Erica] And I told you to eat your damn pie.
[Tina screams]
[upbeat music playing]
[marker squeaking]
[pumping]
[transmitter beeping]
[gun cocking]
[music ends]
[Dustin] This is gonna work.
[Steve] It better work. It’s not like we’re conspicuous or anything.
[Robin] Hey. Talk to me, guys. How’s it looking out there?
[Steve] It’s boring. How are the Turnbows holding up?
[Robin] They’re still in their “food comas,” but I swear to God, this Demo better show. If we took out an entire family for nothing, Â my conscience will never recover.
[Steve chuckles softly]
[Will] I thought you quit.
[Joyce] Quit what?
[both laugh]
[Will] Pretty smooth.
[Joyce] Thanks. Where’s your coat?
[Will] It’s in the barn.
[Joyce] Well, you should get it if you’re gonna be out here.
[Will] Mom, about this morning…
[Joyce] Will, it’s fine.
[Will] No, no, it’s not. I shouldn’t have talked to you that way, and I was a jerk, and I’m sorry.
[Joyce] Honey, I’m sorry too. I know I can be… I can be a lot.
[Will] That’s not true.
[Joyce] It’s just, when I couldn’t find you this morning… I don’t know. [she takes a deep breath] I think about that night all the time. The night it came for you, the night all this started.
[emotional music playing]
[Joyce] I wasn’t even home. My shift ran late. When I finally do get home, what do I do? I smoke cigarettes, drink cheap wine, and watch Cheers reruns until I pass out. I didn’t know you were missing for eight hours.
[Will] Mom, what happened to me, it’s not your fault.
[Joyce] Eight hours. What kind of mother doesn’t check on their 11-year-old boy?
[Robin] That is ridiculous!
[Joyce] The jury’s still out on your new friend. She certainly is interesting. But one thing I know for sure, she’s not your mom. She hasn’t seen what I’ve seen, and I am not gonna look away. Not again. Not until this is over, and you’re safe.
[Will] You don’t have to look away, Mom. I… I just… I need you to trust me.
[Joyce] I do trust you, Will. But, you know, trust is a two-way street. Even though my plan last night kind of sucked…
[Will] Kind of?
[Joyce] Hey!
[both chuckle softly]
[Joyce] Let’s get your coat on. It’s a lot harder to save the world if you have the sniffles.
[Robin] So, like, what kind of criminals does your uncle defend exactly? You know, are they, like, white-collar criminals? Because that does seem like a Harrington thing to do, like, defend rich douchebags. And in this situation, I think that the rich douchebags would be coming for us.
[crackling]
[Robin] Steve? Steve? Are you there?
[Steve] Yeah, I hear you. Just stop talking. I think we’ve got company.
[dark music playing]
[Dustin] Moving south down Arlington, T-minus 30 seconds.
[Steve] South down Arlington, T-minus 30 seconds. Status check. Taggers?
[Nancy] In position and set. Launcher?
[Lucas] Set. Catcher?
[Mike] Set. Trackers?
[Steve] Set. Let’s do this thing already.
[Dustin] It’s inside. Minimize chatter.
[Steve] It’s inside. Keep your traps shut.
[electricity buzzing erratically]
[dark music rises]
[Demogorgon growling]
[Demogorgon clicking]
[snarling]
[roaring]
[Lucas] Catch this!
[Demogorgon shrieking]
[Lucas] [screams] Get him!
[Nancy] Now!
[Jonathan] Nancy! Nancy! Hurry! Come on!
[Lucas] Get him, Mike! Get him, Mike! Mike, get him! Get him!
[Lucas] Ah!
[Mike] It flipped! It flipped!
[Dustin] Signal acquired. Headed our way.
[Steve] How close? Dustin, how close?
[electricity buzzing erratically]
[Steve] Whoa, whoa, whoa.
[Dustin] Shit.
[both yelling]
[Steve] Jesus Christ!
[Jonathan] Where is it?
[Dustin] Hold your horses. Bearing northwest and fast.
[Steve] Oh, come on.
[Dustin] Demo tagged and released. Trackers in pursuit. Repeat, trackers in pursuit. Hit it!
[tires squealing]
[Dustin] All right, signal holding. Just keep steady. Holding. Turn right.
[Steve] Right?
[Dustin] Right! Turn right! Right now!
[Steve] Sorry, sorry, sorry!
[Dustin] Whoa! You’re gonna crash!
[Steve] You said right!
[Jonathan] Jesus Christ!
[Dustin] Stop! Stop! Stop right now! Stop here!
[Steve] God damn it! Henderson, what are we doing?
[Dustin] We lost the signal!
[Steve] Come on. Come on!
[Dustin] Shit, shit, shit. Shit, shit, shit. I got it! It’s headed southeast now!
[Steve] God damn it. Jesus!
[Dustin] Sorry!
[Steve] It’s okay.
[Dustin] Whoa, whoa, whoa! Shit!
[Steve] Hang on!
[Jonathan] Shit, shit, shit!
[Steve] Jesus Christ.
[Dustin] All right, I’ve got it.
[Steve] You got it?
[Dustin] Yes, I got it.
[Joyce] Why would they turn around?
[Erica] Maybe he’s trying to shake them?
[Will] No, that’s impossible. It doesn’t know it’s being tracked.
[rattling]
[Derek] [grunting] Stay away from me! Stay away!
[Robin] No, no, no, no, no. I’m so, so sorry, okay? I’ll probably explain this at some point, but for now, don’t move. I thought he ate, like, two slices.
[Erica] He did!
[Robin] Why is he awake then?
[Will] It doesn’t matter. Not anymore.
[foreboding music playing]
[Will] We’re southeast. That’s why it turned around. Vecna’s seen. He knows where we are.
[birds chirping]
[mysterious music playing]
[mysterious music builds]
[soft, eerie music playing]
[Holly] [echoing] Hello? Henry? Are you there? Henry?
[intense music playing]
[Holly] [grunting]
[footsteps approaching]
[Max] Hi.
[“I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany playing]
♪ Children behave ♪
♪ That’s what they say ♪
♪ When we’re together ♪
♪ And watch how you play ♪
♪ They don’t understand and so we’re ♪
♪ Running just as fast as we can ♪
♪ Holdin’ onto one another’s hand ♪
♪ Tryin’ to get away into the night ♪
♪ And then you put your arms around me ♪
♪ And we tumble to the ground ♪
♪ And then you say ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ There doesn’t seem to be anyone around ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ The beating of our hearts ♪
♪ Is the only sound ♪
♪ Look at the way ♪
♪ We gotta hide what we’re doin’ ♪
♪ ‘Cause what would they say ♪
♪ If they ever knew and so we’re ♪
♪ Running just as fast as we can ♪
♪ Holdin’ onto one another’s hand ♪
♪ Tryin’ to get away into the night ♪
♪ And then you put your arms around me ♪
♪ And we tumble to the ground ♪
♪ And then you say ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ There doesn’t seem to be anyone around ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ The beating of our hearts ♪
♪ Is the only sound ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ There doesn’t seem to be anyone around ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ The beating of our hearts ♪
♪ Is the only sound ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ The beating of our hearts ♪
♪ Is the only sound ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ There doesn’t seem to be anyone around ♪
♪ I think we’re alone now ♪
♪ Alone now ♪
♪ The beating of our hearts ♪
♪ Is the only sound ♪
