Code Red: Stranger Things 3 "Chapter Four: The Sauna Test"/ "Chapter Five: The Flayed"

Episodes Four and Five of Stranger Things 3 takes exciting television to another level. Here's a recap!

"Chapter Four: The Sauna Test" 

Code Red! Repeat we have a code red!! Mike, Lucas, Will, Max, and El reunite to talk that Will believes that the mind flayer is back. Eleven believes that it's Billy, because of the psychic encounter with Heather. They spy on Billy at the pool and set up a plan to trap him and see if it's true. More to come later.

Meanwhile, Hopper is recovering from his beatdown with help from Joyce. Joyce tells him that the guy was riding a motorcycle and that gives Hopper a clue to someone that might know who that stranger could be. It leads to the meeting with Mayor Klien with nice chitchat that leads to who not only the guy is but who he works for, StarCorp (the owner of the mall). Apparently, the company wants to expand to the east side of Hawkins, which leads to near the old lab.  Joyce and Hopper rush to find one of the houses.

Robin finds a way to get into the other side of the building, through the vents. Instead of Dustin going in because he's getting too big, they go with Erica. After coming to terms with her, she gets to the other side and opens the door. There Steve opens a box, but what's inside is a mystery and it's not Chinese food. Just as they are about to leave the doors close and what apparently is a room turns out to be an elevator going all the way down.

After checking on their source who's was eating fertilizer, Nancy and Johnathan are fired from the paper. After an argument about each other's livings styles, Nancy gets encouragement from her mother and went to check on the elderly woman. She notices that her heart rate was spiking higher and higher. That was due to the fact that the mind flayer connection with Billy, who gets trapped in the sauna from Mike, El, and the gang.

Soon it turned into some serious shit between Billy and El as Billy almost choked her to death. Mike saves by whacking him with a bat but El stops him before he could get his hands on Mike. El throws Billy through the wall and soon runs away. But that won't be the last time as Billy recover his wounds, he and Heather see other Hawkins' residents inline for their Mind Flayer master.

This episode was literally off the chan. It not only had me on the edge of my seat but also had my heart rating pretty high. That scene with the kids and Billy was one hell of a scene that had all the chills, thrills and action, plus the dialogue was great!! Also, Joyce and Hooper were good but the moment I very much enjoy was Nancy and her mother talking about knocking down the wall against the men. All in all, I give this episode a 9.5/10.

"Chapter Five: The Flayed" 

As Joyce and Hopper make it to their final house search on the list; they found an undercover basement with two Russian scientists working on something. Just as Hopper questions them, the biker comes in hunting for them. Hopper cuffs the two and just as the bike makes his way down, Hopper aims his gun to the guy's head. The biker quickly attacks Hopper and not only beats the crap out of him again, but Hopper also returns the favor by knocking the guy's knee with a monkey wrench.

Hopper brings the scientist along and demands Joyce to drive. The scene was totally hilarious and thrilling. But as the truck took a couple of bullets from the biker, the truck soon blew up and the three walks later to Seven Eleven and steals a car to meet with an old friend.

Meanwhile, Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Erica not only sneak their way out but learn what the Russians by opening up the door to the upsidedown world. Oh boy!

Just as Nancy watched Mrs. Driscoel moment, she calls Johnathan to ask him about Will. Soon they join Will, Mike, El, and the gang to head back to the hospital. There Nancy and Johnathan tried to release Mrs. Driscoel but she was nowhere to be found in her room til Tom shows up all bloody and started to go after them. But just as they escape from Tom, Bruce is out there too and he goes after them.

As they try to run, Bruce gets to them taking out Johnathan til Nancy stabs him in the back, which leads to her running away with him chasing. But it was when she thought of using the fire extinguisher to knock Bruce out; which also lead to Tom also getting the effect too. Just as Nancy and Johnathan finished both of them, their bodies melted and walked to each other to combine to a giant mind flayer.
While that was going on, Mike and El seem to be on good terms.

"The Flayed" was such an outstanding episode from beginning to finish. I couldn't get enough of Joyce and Hopper in this episode as both Ryder and Habour's chemistry is amazing. The rest of the cast performances were also amazing with each playing such a role in the episode. If there was one issue that I had in this episode; it had to be the scene sequence of the mind flayers melting from their human bodies. But overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Stranger Things Season 3 available on Netflix now.