"Bitchin'" Stranger Things Season 2, "Chapter 9: The Gate" Season Finale

Everything has been leading up to this moment! The Season 2 finale, "Chapter 9: The Gate," delivers an explosive and emotionally resonant conclusion, tying together critical storylines while setting the stage for what's next.

Reunions, Rescue, and Reckoning

The episode kicks off with a long-awaited and truly emotional reunion between Eleven and Mike. The secret of her living with Hopper for a year finally comes out, leading to a heated exchange with Mike, who then lets his anger out at Hopper before receiving a comforting hug.

After a quick round of hugs and greetings with everyone, including Max, Joyce takes Eleven to see Will. Seeing the "Close Gate" message, Eleven realizes she can close the Upside Down gate. Concurrent to this, Joyce devises a desperate plan: instead of letting Will die with the gate closing, they must superheat his body to force the creature possessing him out.

Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy take Will to Hopper's cabin, cranking up the heat with fires and space heaters, aiming to make it hotter than the sun. Will awakens, screaming that he's burning. As they watch, the heat initially seems ineffective, but Joyce pushes the space heaters even higher. The creature begins to emerge, and in a shocking move, Nancy grabs a hot poker and burns Will's side, forcing the entity to fully evacuate his body.

Closing the Gate & A Father-Daughter Bond

Meanwhile, Hopper and Eleven head back to the DOE building to close the gate before the monster can escape. Before they reach it, the two share a robust, long-overdue conversation, making peace about her disappearance and his overprotective behavior. Once inside the DOE, Eleven experiences vivid flashbacks of her terrifying stay there. They press on, and after receiving confirmation from Jonathan that the creature has successfully escaped Will's body, Eleven prepares to close the gate.

The Kids' Fight & Steve's Sacrifice

While the critical missions unfold, Mike refuses to sit on the sidelines, despite his hatred for sports analogies. He tries to convince Steve to take them to the pumpkin patch. Steve vehemently denies, but Max's volatile older stepbrother, Billy, with his keen "lie detector," senses Steve's deception. A brutal fight ensues, with Steve initially holding his own until Billy unleashes a mad fury. As Billy kicks the crap out of Steve, Max bravely intervenes, grabbing a syringe and injecting her stepbrother with the same sedative Will received earlier. After a tense few minutes, Billy finally goes down, but not before Max threatens him with Steve's bat.

Mike and the gang then head out to the pumpkin patch, with Max driving Billy's car – a truly humorous highlight of the episode. They arrive and enter the Upside Down tunnels, led by Steve, where they begin spraying and dumping gasoline everywhere before igniting a massive fire. This deliberate act of burning mirrors Will's own ordeal at the cabin. Mike and the gang escape, but not before Dustin pauses to give his once-pet Dart a couple of Musketeers, a poignant goodbye.

Eleven's Triumph & Aftermath

As Eleven struggles to close the gate, she remembers Kali's (Eleven's) teaching to harness anger. Drawing upon her deepest resentments and frustrations, she channels her immense power, pushing the creature back and slamming the gate shut. The closure instantly kills all the Upside Down creatures, including Dart.

A month later, things are looking up for Hawkins. The DOE lab has been shut down. Hopper has lunch with a surprisingly alive Dr. Owens, who gives him a momentous gift: the official adoption papers making him the proud father of Jane Hopper (Eleven). Hopper asks how long it will be until she can go out freely, and Owens suggests a year – but then makes an exception for one night.

The episode culminates at the Snow Ball dance. Dustin, sporting a new Steve-inspired hairstyle, sadly loses the chance to dance with Max but finds solace dancing with Nancy. Will also gets a dance partner. Hopper and Joyce share a quiet smoke, reminiscent of old times, hinting at their potential future. But the moment everyone's been waiting for arrives: to the tune of "Every Breath You Take," Eleven (now Jane) appears in a beautiful dress. Mike walks up to her, they dance (awkwardly at first, then sweetly), and share a tender, long-awaited kiss.

With everything seemingly tied up with a nice big bow, the final shot pulls back to reveal the Upside Down version of the school's gym, with the massive shadow monster Will had been seeing still looming over it. Could it be that it's finally going to stay in the Upside Down for good, or will we see this terrifying entity back in Season 3?

Review: A Perfect Season Capper

"The Gate" was one hell of a good season finale. It beautifully wrapped up several storylines, some of which had been building since the series' inception. The resolution of Dustin's crush on Nancy culminating in their dance, Mike and Eleven finally sharing a kiss at the Snow Ball, and Joyce and Hopper's quiet, intimate moments (they would make a fantastic couple!) all felt incredibly satisfying. I can't pick who outperformed whom because everyone in this episode delivered an outstanding and equally pivotal performance. The only lingering question I have is about Max's stepbrother, Billy – what was his ultimate purpose this season beyond providing intense scenes with Max and Steve? The writing of the episode was simply superb, balancing all these moving parts.

Overall, I give this episode a 9 out of 10.

Stranger Things Season 2: Overall Review

I wholeheartedly believe Stranger Things Season 2 was a significant step up from Season 1, particularly in its writing and character growth. The performances were consistently outstanding across the board. Winona Ryder's portrayal of Joyce was compelling and absolutely deserves consideration for an award. Finn Wolfhard (Mike), David Harbour (Hopper), and Noah Schnapp (Will) were all phenomenal. And Millie Bobby Brown, despite having slightly less screen time than in the first season, still delivered another impressive and impactful performance.

Sean Astin's portrayal of Bob Newby really grew on me throughout the season. While I initially didn't care much for Bob or his advice to Will about facing fears head-on, his later actions, helping Joyce and Mike, and ultimately becoming the superhero he claimed to be, made me genuinely love the character. I also can't leave out Paul Reiser, whose performance as Dr. Owens was excellent. He masterfully balanced the character's initial mysterious and somewhat dark demeanor with a surprisingly kind and caring side by the end of the season.

The anticipation for this season was immense, and it certainly did not disappoint. While there were a few storylines that felt a bit lighter or left me scratching my head, such as the Nancy and Jonathan relationship or the arc involving Max and her stepbrother, the strength of the other narratives, especially those centered on Will and Eleven, made me easily overlook those minor quibbles. The writing was truly amazing, expanding the world and deepening the emotional core.

Overall, I give Stranger Things Season 2 a 9/10!

You can catch seasons one and two of Stranger Things on Netflix now. Also, you can see the Blu-ray/DVD of Season One available in stores now.

Runaways and Judgement Days: Things Season 2, "Chapter 7: The Lost Sister"/"Chapter 8: The Mind Flayer"

Chapter 7: The Lost Sister

In "Chapter 7: The Lost Sister," Eleven embarks on a solo journey, delving into her mother's fragmented mind to uncover the truth of her past, a quest that ultimately leads her to a startling revelation: the existence of a lost sibling.

Eleven's Search for Connection

Venturing out on her own, Eleven sets out to find what she believes is her "sister" — a person who, as her mother's memories suggest, was with her during their time with Papa. Following clues gleaned from her mother's mind and papers kept by her aunt, Eleven tracks down Eight (Kali, the individual introduced at the beginning of the season premiere) in Chicago.

In Chicago, she finds Eight leading a street gang, who possess a certain rebellious spirit reminiscent of The Outsiders. Upon Eleven revealing her identity and purpose, the two quickly form a powerful, albeit complicated, connection. Eight, however, has distinct ideas for how she and her gang can utilize Eleven's formidable powers, primarily for vengeance against those who wronged them and their "mama."

A Near-Fatal Confrontation

Soon, Eleven joins Eight and the gang on a mission to confront and seek retribution from the man who ruined their mother's life. As they corner him, and just as Eleven is about to deliver a fatal blow, she spots a photograph of the man with his daughters. This glimpse of his humanity causes her to hesitate and stop. Eight, unyielding, pulls a gun, but Eleven intervenes, physically preventing her from firing. The man's children, startled by the commotion in their bedrooms, call 911, and the police are quickly en route. Before their escape, Eleven delivers a chilling warning to Eight: never to stop her again.

A Difficult Choice

Back at their hideout, Eight attempts to manipulate Eleven's mind, creating a vivid hallucination of Papa walking into the room, prompting Eleven to apologize. But just as the illusion settles, the Chicago PD storms their location. Using her own mind-bending tricks, Eight helps the group escape. However, in a pivotal moment of self-realization, Eleven chooses not to remain with Eight and her gang. Instead, she makes the difficult decision to leave them, opting to return to her friends in Hawkins, recognizing that Eight's path is not her own.

Review: A Powerful Standalone Journey

"The Lost Sister" stands as a strong and unique episode. I thoroughly enjoyed this standalone adventure, focusing on Eleven's quest to find her lost sister and the subsequent realization that Eight's darker philosophy and methods are fundamentally different from the values she has learned from Mike and her friends. Millie Bobby Brown once again delivers a powerful performance, showcasing Eleven's internal struggle and growth. The writing was excellent, effectively delving into Eleven's past while advancing her character arc.

Overall, I give this episode a 9 out of 10.

Chapter 8: The Mind Flayer

HOLY SHIPS! From beginning to end, "Chapter 8: The Mind Flayer" had me either standing up or perched on the very edge of my seat. This episode is a relentless onslaught of tension, delivering one of the season's most intense and pivotal chapters.

Under Siege: Will's Connection and Bob's Sacrifice

The episode picks up immediately from Chapter 6, with the Upside Down creatures having breached and overrun the lab. Mike urgently tells Joyce to put Will to sleep, believing that Will's connection to the Mind Flayer is what's allowing the creatures to communicate and track them. After asking Will a crucial, rapid-fire question, Joyce makes the agonizing decision to sedate him.

Dr. Owens and Hopper manage to reach Joyce, Mike, Bob, and Will, leading them towards the control room, which appears to be their only apparent escape route. Once inside, the power suddenly goes out, leaving it up to Bob to heroically save the day. Bob not only works to restore power but also bravely navigates the creatures away from their escape path.

In a truly heartbreaking sequence, Bob is the last to make it out. With Dr. Owens's guidance, he's made it to safety. But in a tragic turn that viewers have come to dread (the "Barb treatment," as you aptly put it), Bob momentarily slips up. As he steps out of a closet, he knocks over a broomstick, the sound alerting one of the creatures. It chases Bob, and just as he appears to escape death, the creature bursts through the doors and brutally attacks him, a devastating blow to the group.

The Interrogation and a Crucial Message

Hopper escorts a distraught Joyce out, and they, along with Jonathan, Nancy, Lucas, Dustin, and Steve, manage to escape the facility in Nancy's car. They all head back to Joyce's house, desperate to understand what these terrifying creatures are. Mike and the kids theorize that the creature is communicating through Will's mind, and they soon realize that Will himself is still trapped within, communicating via Morse code. What follows is a compelling "interrogation," where they communicate with Will by recounting cherished memories – from birthdays and drawings to music and the very first time Mike and Will met. These scenes, particularly those delivered by Joyce and Mike, are deeply emotional and memorable. They successfully extract a vital message: "Close Gate," which likely refers to the gate to the Upside Down that Eleven previously used.

Eleven's Shocking Return

However, all plans are fragile. The phone in the house rings twice, a clear signal that the creature has located them. Joyce quickly sedates Will again, and everyone is on full alert, bracing for an attack. A beast appears to be circling the house until it emits a piercing scream, and what looks like it jumped through the window... but then it's revealed to be dead. Suddenly, the locks on the front door begin to click open, one by one. As the door swings wide, everyone's faces register pure shock: Eleven is back!

Review: A Masterpiece of Tension and Emotion

Oh my gosh, "The Mind Flayer" was definitely one of the most exciting episodes of the season! It had the perfect mix of edge-of-your-seat suspense, hilarious moments, and some really touching emotional scenes. And can we talk about that iconic ending with Eleven’s return? So amazing! I’m also curious, like your brother, if Hopper might end up being a father figure for Will – their bond is so strong! Additionally, Mike’s heartfelt eulogy for Bob was a truly touching gesture; it effectively demonstrated the profound impact Bob had on the group. The performances from Winona Ryder (Joyce), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), and especially Noah Schnapp (Will) were just incredible and super memorable. I definitely had to grab some tissues for this one! 

Overall, this episode is a tour de force, delivering on all fronts. I give "The Mind Flayer" a 9.5/10!

You can catch Season 2 of Stranger Things available on Netflix now, along with Season 1.  

Chicago Med Season 3 First Look

Last time we last left Chicago Med, it ended with a bang. The hit NBC medical drama returns two weeks from today, Tuesday, November 21st at 10/9c. And for the hard core fans of the show let this be a warning as you are being urged to "keep your tissues close by, just in case."

TV Line has the exclusive first look of the third season with Marlyne Barrett (Maggie) talking about how this season "is about the heartbeat of who we are as a team." Colin Donnell (Dr. Rhodes) agrees with Barrett's statement and adding, "The incident with Dr. Charles is affecting everyone going forward because it happened to one of our own."

For those of you who haven't caught up, Dr. Charles was shot at the end of the second season finale. But it's not the only source of drama that's going down this season as the video shows that the doctors' personal lives are in different states of flux. From Dr. Manning and Dr. Halstead's relationship to Dr. Choi and April keeping their relationship a secret as one of them is tired of sneaking around.

You can catch the season premiere of Chicago Med Tuesday, Nov. 21st at 10/9c on NBC.

Blind Faith: Supergirl "The Faithful"

Faith is challeneged in a way that even Kara has never seen before with cult following.

Back in 2015 when a plane's engine blew and Supergirl saved the plane and the passangers in it, that included Alex. There was one passanger, Trevor (Chad Lowe), who took her into inspiration. Back to the present day, when Kara spotted a pamphlet of a religious group on Samantha's desk and took it to investigate it. When her, Winn and James investigated it, they find that it's a religious cult of those that have been saved by Supergirl and believe that she's the one. And this is founded by the man who saw Supergirl, Travor.

Kara comes to realizes that these cults followers are causing trouble just to be saved by her for which seems like a crime but to Maggie it really isn't. Kara meets with Trevor to talk about his group and soon he sees that Kara is Supergirl. 

Soon the group goes attempts to blow up the stadium with over a thousand people in it. Supergirl tries stopping them and while trying to stop the bomb, there happens to be kryptonite inside. Alex gets there and tries to help a weak Supergirl. Kara has one last idea and used all of her strenght to use her heat vision to create a hole that goes all the way down in the Earth so Alex and Trevor can push it down. 

Kara meets with Trevor in prison and asked him if things are okay and if she has to worry about him knowing that she's Supergirl. Of course, he says he has no clue who Karas full name was so the close is clear for no, I guess. 

Meanwhile, Samantha is having a hard time balancing work and her daughter. Trouble with the merge of L Crop and another became a huge priority while her daugther wanted her to help practice her song for the talent show. Samantha gets to hangout with Kara, Lena, Maggie and Alex as a girls night out, which was really. With the merge a success, she gets to her daughter's performance along with Lena, Alex and Kara just in time to see her perform. 

After Samantha's daughter's performance, Alex got so emotional that she walked away and talked to Kara about how Maggie doesn't want to have kids and she does. Kara believes that Maggie will come around. 

And not if Samantha's night wasn't tough enough, as she prepares for a bath, she spots numbers and letters on her face and sees a vision of a monstrous creature walking towards her to tell her that soon it will "reign." 

"The Faithful" was a very good episode that had a really good growth of characters with Samantha and Kara as they face some challenges with life and faith. Not to mention Alex with her wanting kids and Maggie doesn't. The writing was really good. I very much enjoyed Annable's performance and even her storyline so far as it's really building quite well. Overall, I give this episode a 8/10.

You can catch Supergirl Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.

Reunited And It Feels So So Good!: Blindspot "Back to the Grind" Season Premiere

The one way that best describes the season three premiere of Blindspot: Adventureful blended with fun.

In the season premiere we jump into a flashback of Jane and Weller's wedding and living the happy family life. That was until a group of assisans came in to collect the bounty on Jane. Thinking that Weller and Jane will worked together on this, think again as she goes her way to run so she can protect Weller.

We soon jump eightenn month later in the present day, Weller gets a visit from the director of the FBI and gets informed that Reade, Zarpata and Patterson have been kidanpped and was left with a case that has Jane's name on it. Weller soon reunits with Jane and discovers that she's covered in new, bioluminescent tattoos that form in a pretty cool way.

The clue that they get leads them to Venice, where in fact little brother Roman is there and is responible for the tattoos. After talking and battling, Roman gives Jane a choice to stop the bounty by faking her death, for which she and Weller did and showed the one who put the bounty something to think about.

Things have chnaged since the last time we saw the other team members: Reade is now the head of the FBI NY field office, Zapata is with the CIA and Patterson works with a tech company. But the three of them get kidnaped by Venezuelan soliders, who demand that they decrypt a CIA computer. But Patterson came up with a way to escape by blowing up the computer with their meal bag that they were given and as soon as they escape, they get rescued by Weller and Jane in like one of the best rescues of the television season: with a tank.

Back in New York City, the FBI and CIA create a joint task force to deal with Roman and the new tattoos. The team is back and it just feels so good. But not only does the orginal team reunit, they are added with a few more, let alone of them being Rich Dotcom, who he and Patterson have been secretly been contacting each other.

Also, Zapata mentions the mysterious dragonfly tattoo to KEaton, which she wants to keep that a secret.While Jane stashes cash and passports from Weller, while Weller gets accosted by Roman, who threatehns to tell Jane "what happened in Berlin" unless he follows his demands.

"Back to the Grind" was one hour of fun, thrilling episode. The writing was so good that for the first twenty minutes of the episode was literally on the edge of my seat. This episode had such good balance of drama and comedy and I feel it had a lot more humoiest moments that some like Jane and Weller kicking ass in the church, the gang (Weller, Jane, Patterson, Zapata and Reade) in the tank, to even Patterson deciding to come back to working with the FBI after learning that Rick Dotcom is working with them. Performances from everyone was so good as well. I feel that this might be a really strong good season. Overall, I give this episode a 9/10.

You can catch Blindspot Fridays at 8/7c on NBC.

The Blacklist "The Travel Agency (No. 90)"

This week's Blacklister isn't quite your normal to catch a villain kind but more of a capture before he's harmed as well.

"The Travel Agnecy" is another one good hour of television that leaves you wondering til the very end about this week's blacklister. With some twist and mostly coming near the end of the episode, one being that the blacklister isn't really all in the head as he's suffering from a relaps of memory (think of it as 50 First Dates). The blacklister is given the same assignment but killing those that were part of The Travel Agency.

The other twist comes when after watching the blacklisters get taken down, Liz gets thinking of what she really wanted to do, get married to Tom right here and right now at the end. As much as I loved the first non-wedding, this one was good enough.

While Liz and the team go after the blacklister, Cooper goes out his way to help a son of a friend out of danger and thinking that he's doing drugs again. He and Red team up and have a nice adventure in this episode that had they given demands on where the kid was by given the drug dealer the ulitmate high to even almost given their head blown off from the kid that they're saving.

I've every much enjoyed watching Cooper getting a nice story. We got to see him be a badass at times. There was a scene with Red given a speech about how the justice system protects the police officers no matter if they kill someone one accident or on purprose.

And not to mention Tom's search for Peter McGee, whos' taken the suitcase of bones. McGee's wife/girlfreind gets a message that she no longer knows the guy or ever met the man from a strange dude. And when Tom gets her to help him dig in Pete's computer and finds out that he's using her name for credit cards and such. That strange dude informs his boss about the girlfriend and Tom working together.

The episode had some very good moments from Red and Liz at the putt putt course to Cooper and Red during their adventure, Liz and the wife of the blacklister talks about being a mother,  and not to mention Tom and Liz getting married. I do wonder who the strange dude is talking to and how bad this guy is that he wants those bag of bones. I will say that with a small scene of Tom and Red talking about suitcase was chilling at times. I thought that writing of this episode was very good. Overall I give this episode a 8/10.

You can catch The Blacklist Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

Here's a promo for next week's episode:

Fresh Off the Boat "It's A Plastic Pumpkin, Louis Huang"

It's Halloween and Louis' favorite time of the year. With that in mind he's got plans for another family Halloween costume for when they give out candy but none not even Evan wants to do it.

It' Halloween and Louis got his family's costume for this year as it turns out to be Seinfeld. With Jessica passing on being Elaine and Eddie passing as Newman. That only left with Emery and Evan. Emery wanted to but didn't want to ruin it because of his bad year and Evan passed on it as well even if he was going to be George.

Louis figures out why Evan doesn't want be with him for Halloween and finds out that he is going to Deidre's Halloween party. Trying to talk Evan of not going, Louis thought he was going to be with him until Evan was at the party passing out non-alcoholic drinks. Louis drags Evan back and they do their passing out the candy as Jerry and George and did their bits, which was kind of cheesy at times but funny.

But when both understands each other, Louis walks Evan to the party and do their Seinfeld bit again.

Meanwhile, when Jessica is trying to get Chapter 2 done of her book, she gets writer's block. Emery comes in and asked about noises coming from Grandma's room. When they check on her, they hear some man's voice inside and decided to go in. They see no one but grandma.

Later there were people at the door that were to pick up Grandma. Jessica and Emery went to investigate and to get Jessica some twisted storyline ideas until they found out that Grandma was at English Language Studies.

I thought that this episode was pretty good. The Louis and Evan story was pretty good. Yeah, there might be some chessy jokes in there with Seinfeld. Jessica, Emery and Grandma was good too. Wish they would have used George Takei more than what they had him doing.. And watcing Eddie and the gang trying to get into a party by looking cool and bad was okay at times. Overall, I give this episode a 7/10.

You can catch Fresh Off the Boat Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC.