Stranger Things 2 recap: 'Chapter Three: The Pollywog'
Up until this episode, I’d argue that Stranger Things was largely successful based on how charming, or not, you find Spielberg Golden Era nostalgia. But with “Chapter Three: The Pollywog,” Stranger Things 2 is picking up speed, with more plot and fewer atmospheric self-aware ’80s references than ever before.
PREVIOUSLY: “Chapter Two: Trick or Treat, Freak”
After last episode’s cliffhanger, Dustin comes home with something in his Ghostbusters chamber. He’s detained by his mom in one of the show’s funniest scenes to date, both of them giggling maniacally while the contents of Dustin’s box rattle. When he finally makes it upstairs, Dustin temporarily evicts his turtle, Yurtle, and replaces it with a strange lizard slug creature that is obviously from the Upside Down.
“You’re pretty cute, you know that?” Dustin coos at the creature that is very much not cute at all. The slug seems to prefer the cold, cowering in the shade away from the tank’s heat lamps. Dustin offers it pieces of nougat from his 3 Musketeers bar, which inspires him to give the creature the name D’Artagnan — which seems like the least obvious choice (remember: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis are the actual three musketeers) but it does allow a cute nickname: Dart.
Dustin tries to find answers about the mysterious pollywog at school, pulling a Hermione Granger by turning to the library. And when he’s not allowed to check out any more books, he pulls the classic, “What the hell is that?” to the librarian and just runs out with the books he needs while she’s turned around.
At the cabin in the woods, Hopper manages to bring Eleven out of her melancholy by offering her a triple-decker Eggo breakfast, but her mood sours again when Hopper offhandedly says she’s going to see her friends again “soon.” Eleven wants to know when “soon” is — which day? Day 500? Day 800? She reveals she’s been there, cooped up in the cabin, for nearly a year — 326 days — and that she’s been counting the days like a prisoner. “FRIENDS DON’T LIE,” Eleven shouts and, in a moment of rage, uses her powers to sweep the breakfast into Hopper’s lap.
Max, who knows the bullies have been calling Will “Zombie Boy,” gets a partial explanation from Lucas: Everyone thought Will was dead when they found the decomposed “body” in the water last season, and they held a funeral for him. And then Will, like a zombie, came back from the dead.
When Dustin finally shows up to class, late, Mr. Clarke is talking about Phineas Gage, the man whose personality changed after a metal rod was driven through his head. Since all school lessons are thematically relevant in the television universe, a good guess is that Will is our de facto Phineas Gage, dealing with a personality change and not feeling like himself.
While the boys are trapped at school, Eleven is still trapped in her new home, Hopper’s cabin in the woods. We’re offered our longest flashback yet as to how she got there: Hopper brought her in from the woods — it’s his grandfather’s old place; Hopper had been using it for storage — and, one cleaning montage later, made it a place she would be relatively safe, complete with booby trap security and Eggo waffles in the freezer. (Recap continues on page 2)
And there’s trouble with the older kids in Hawkins, too — Nancy can’t understand why Steve didn’t pick her up for school, so he reminds her of what she said to him while drunk at the party and how Jonathan was the one who brought her home. And things get worse when Nancy can’t or won’t tell Steve she loves him. Wracked with guilt, mostly about Barb but probably also about her relationship, Nancy turns to Jonathan to come up with a plan to do…something. After a stop at Radio Shack, Nancy and Jonathan call Barb’s mother and tell her to meet them the next day in person.
While the boys — and Max — separate to find Dart, Max confronts Mike in the gym about wanting to be part of the gang. Mike angrily deflects: They don’t need anyone else. Max asks about El, but Mike claims she was different. El was their mage. “I could be your zoomer,” Max offers, zooming around on her skateboard. “That’s not even a real thing!” Mike responds. The two do the awkward, teasing pseudo-flirting of people who wish they could be flirting for real, and of course, Eleven sees them. Jealous, she flings Max off her skateboard but disappears before Mike can chase her down.
Will finds Dart in the bathroom, but also finds his way back into the Upside Down, where the school is covered with vines and creeping smoke. He runs away until he’s outside the building and sees the massive monster from his nightmares. He tries to stand up to the smoke creature the way Bob taught him, but it does nothing: Smoke just fills his face and sneaks into his nose and mouth. Turns out Upside Down monsters are a little harder to deal with than Mr. Baldo the clown.
Most ’80s Moment: The Hopper and Eleven cleaning montage, the most ’80s of all TV tropes
Best Quotes:
“I need my paddles!” – Dustin, grabbing books from the library
“Why’s he gotta kick the door?” – about Hopper, dramatically leaving the sheriff’s office
“Hey kiddo, would you like a balloon?” – Bob doing his impression of Mr. Baldo, doing an impression of Pennywise
