Welcome to this week’s installment of the TV Binge of Stranger Things, looking back at the season three finale, released July 4, 2019:
“Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt”
Written and directed by the Duffer Bros.
On this episode, Hopper, Joyce and Bauman head below the mall to destroy the Soviets’ device, and close the Gate once and for all. The Scoops Troop head to Dustin’s radio ham tower Cerebro so they can radio them directions through the base, while the rest of the gang (including an injured El) try to leave the mall, only to find themselves pinned down by Billy and the Spider Monster.
1. Stranger Things: The Movie
I’ve spoken a lot about how each season of Stranger Things, a show primarily inspired by ’80s movies, feels like a nine hour film, but Stranger Things 3‘s finale really takes the cinematic feel to another level: as well as the expanded (77 min) runtime and the spectacular Spider Monster running around, “Battle of Starcourt” sees Hopper, Joyce and Bauman infiltrate the Soviet base like a bunch of spy movie characters, as well as a brutal, final Bond-style battle with Grigori on the key’s platform; El losing her powers to increase the tension like many a superhero film; and Dr. Owens’s troops swooping in at the end on helicopters as if they’re in a Michael Bay film:
There’s a lot of slow-mo, and characters step up to become action heroes in ways that would’ve been unimaginable at the start of the show: Hopper mows down a bunch of soldiers with a rifle, Nancy proves to be a calm sharpshooter when Billy attacks, and Steve saves the gang by ramming his car, while Lucas leads the charge against the Spider Monster with a barrage of fireworks. It’s an exciting and emotional extravaganza, full of dazzling pyrotechnics, and combined with the beautiful and evolving color palette of the cinematography, I’ve no doubt it would look truly incredible on the big screen.
2. Suzie!
First of all: Suzie is real! I’m so glad the Duffers didn’t go down the corny route of her being someone Dustin made up so the gang would hang out together in the first episode of the season. And speaking of cheese, Suzie demanding Dustin sing “The NeverEnding Story” before she gives him the numbers for Planck’s constant is a delightfully absurd showstopper: I love the visible confusion on the faces of everyone else listening in, as well as the decision to use splitscreen during this singalong, which feels a lot like the Duffers are winking at the audience and saying, “We know, it’s ridiculous, but we love it.” I love it too.
3. Billy’s Redemption
Despite losing her telekinetic abilities, El manages to break the Mind Flayer’s hold on Billy while her friends distract it, by reminding him of his childhood memories. He then defies the Spider Monster, causing it to attack and punish him, inadvertently buying time for the others to shut down its connection through the Gate. Billy was a thoroughly terrible person, but I think his sacrifice feels earned thanks to Dacre Montgomery’s performance, which always conveyed how he felt tormented by what it forced him to do with the use of some quiet tears, and that to some degree, it’s still a little self-centered, being more motivated out of anger at being used than a need to protect El and Max. (I also think it’s appropriate El reaches out to him, being an abused child herself.)
4. They Got Me
When I watched Stranger Things 3 during its premiere, I had initially intended to spread it out to make it last longer, and ultimately wound up binging the whole season, finishing around three (no pun intended) in the morning. As a result I genuinely believed Hopper died sacrificing himself: sure, we didn’t see him when the key exploded, but I assumed that was to spare us the sight of his body being incinerated. Much later that day, I was reminded that the show used Peter Gabriel’s rendition of “Heroes” before: namely, when the fake body of Will was found in the lake. So clearly, Hopper was always meant to be “the American” prisoner the Soviet guards mention in the mid-credits scene, and I was clearly too sleep deprived, believing David Harbour had left the show for the (ultimately unsuccessful) Hellboy reboot.
Continued below5. A Good Ending?
The Duffers have always said Stranger Things will conclude with its fourth or fifth season, but after this spectacular and emotional closer, I couldn’t help but feel that this would’ve been a great series finale: the scene where El reads the letter Hopper intended to give her at the start of the season, beautifully intercut with flashforwards of her and the Byers leaving Hawkins, reflects a lot of my own feelings watching the show, from how its nostalgic setting offered a balm in an increasingly dark world, to the understanding that it won’t last forever.
Stranger Things 3 got some flack for its summer blockbuster tone, but as Hopper’s words makes clear, change is inevitable: look at the child actors for instance, there’s certainly no way they will behave the same way forever. And on that note, I feel a major reason the final scene leaves me so emotional is because I sense the cast were likely thinking about the day the show does end — that’s something palpable, that can’t be faked. There would’ve left a lot of unresolved storylines if this had been the final season, but on a show this big, there will always be unanswered questions that spin-offs can pursue — to me, Stranger Things is a fantastical but still very true reflection on childhood, and it will only get darker and more heart wrenching as it goes on.
Other Things:
– Bauman meets his match in Erica, which is bizarre in retrospect: did anyone imagine these two meeting in season two? I particularly love how the Scoops Troop dub him Bald Eagle as well: hopefully he’ll learn to wear that codename with pride.
– Dr. Owens looks pretty angry on discovering the Russians reopened the Gate: you have to wonder if he’ll take it out on everyone who forced the government to abandon the area.
– The Demogorgon in the Soviets’ possession was foreshadowed in “E Pluribus Unum;” it’s the reason Erica found an electroshock prod.
– The Scoops Troop dub El et al. the Griswold family over walkie talkie, a reference to the National Lampoon’s Vacation film series.
Well that’s all for now folks, with Stranger Things 4 finally releasing sometime in Summer 2022. And no, we did not time the conclusion of our revisit with the new movie where Mike actually becomes a Ghostbuster, though that would’ve been cool — until then, take care.
