​How far would you go to be with a loved one that has passed on? Most of us would do anything in our power to bring them back, even for a day. Just to make sure we have said our final goodbyes and make sure they know how much we loved them. What would you do if there was a way to bring them back? Would you pay any price to see them one last time, even if it meant that you would be stuck in the bargain that you made for your lifetime as well?

Patrick and Louise have moved to Wake Wood for no other reason than to make a living. With their daughter growing up very quickly, they need to have work to support the household and it was the only place where Patrick could become a well-paid veterinarian. Although Louise is not happy working in a local shop in the small town, she is willing to do whatever she can to make sure her husband is happy and their daughter is taken care of.

After their daughter is mauled by a stray dog and dies from the attack, the couple is trying to lock things down and leave the town. But without having a job opportunity outside of the town, they are saving as much as they can to make a life somewhere else. Wanting to get out of town as quickly as possible, they are confronted by a friend and town elder that gives them an offer that they cannot pass up, the opportunity to see their daughter again.

Although it is for a short three days, the couple are eager to take the deal, but it comes with several rules. One, is that they will not be able to leave the town with their daughter once she has returned and the other is that they will never be able to ever move away. Even though they want to leave, they cannot pass up the chance of being with their darling Alice and agree to the terms. As Alice is reborn, a local woman starts to believe that there is something wrong with the way the child is acting. Keeping their daughter safe is the only priority of Patrick and Louise and they will not allow her to be taken away from them again, and when the townspeople come to collect the little girl before her time is up, a battle will ensue that will change everything for the couple’s new town.

An interesting premise as you are given an opportunity of a lifetime to see a deceased loved one once again. I did not see where this story was going and with enough information being left out, you will never see the scares coming. I enjoyed how the man, Arthur, who is able to perform such an unbelievable miracle, is always calm and full of influence and information to make his magic work, one loved one at a time. Knowing what he can do, he is sure to ask all of the right questions, but if someone lies to him, he holds himself accountable for what comes next. A great character, but it is really about how and what Patrick and Louise are willing to do to be with their daughter once again and the emotions between the reunited family are very memorable. Stay Scared.

Let’s be honest now, there is no way to get something for nothing these days. With all of these offers going around promising a free trip, a free television, even free cable, there are always strings attached, and there is no way of getting out of it. It is always a safe practice to read the fine print when these offers present themselves to you, so that you know what you are getting yourself into.

Young Hannah is looking for a way to impress her new boyfriend. Falling in love with the young man just days into her trip to California, she does not want to leave his side, but he has other ideas. Asking her about what her beliefs are, he finds out that she does not believe in the Devil and has a friend that is willing to wheel and deal for some extra cash. Thinking little of this, Hannah takes the plunge and sells her soul for five hundred dollars, as she knows that this is just a superstition that will not come back to haunt her in the end.

Leigh is a real estate agent that is looking to make it big in any way that she can. Getting a call for a quick sell on a house, she is not able to pass it up. Looking through the fresh estate, she notices that there is some furniture that has been left behind, along with some fire damage on the door of one of the rooms. When talking to the sellers, she finds out that they have both been laid off of work and are trying to sell the house for money so they can survive, and when learns that their daughter has their away from home, it suddenly makes sense why they both seem so shaken about their soon to be former home. When walking the estate, Leigh sees a young woman rummaging around the house and figures out that this is the couple’s wayward daughter.

​While waiting for the inspectors to come to the house, Leigh is late for her sister Vera’s opening art show. As the two have been extremely close over the years since the loss of their parents, Leigh only wants the best for her sister and is trying to get her to settle down and have kids, since she is not able to. Although Vera has her focus other places, she humors her sister by listening, but in no way shape or form plans to settle down at this point in her life. As a storm moves in and Leigh is staying in her new commissioned property, she starts to hear strange things around the house and then a visitor comes in the back door. Thinking that this is the couple’s daughter, Leigh brings her in with open arms, but when she is able to contact the sellers, she finds out that their daughter has returned home to them. Not knowing who the stranger is, Leigh starts to ask questions, but when the young girl vanishes from the table and winds up in one of the rooms, Leigh is able to find out what the noises around the house have been.

At the Devil’s Door focuses around the relationship of sisters Leigh and Vera as they are the only family they have left. Leigh is a real estate agent, while Vera is an aspiring artist. While neither of the women have any family left to speak of, Leigh is hoping that her sister will settle down and become the mother that she could never be. While working on selling her new commission property, Leigh stays at the home and does her own inspection. With a young woman running around the estate, Leigh believes that it is her seller’s runaway daughter and invites her in with open arms. But as Leigh finds out, the young woman is someone else as the couple have found their daughter. Trying to find out who the young woman is, Leigh gets to find out firsthand what really happened in the house. Without being able to protect herself from the force that is inhabiting the young girl, Leigh succumbs and is not able to survive, pulling her sister into the deadly family mix. Trying to understand what happened to her sister, Vera questions everybody involved and finds out the story about young Hannah who sold her soul and she also uncovers what the seller really wanted all along.

Not knowing where this movie was going from the beginning is what really made me enjoy it. With a couple of different stories being played out throughout the film, it makes you wonder what really happened to the characters and what they were able to see. With one of my favorite storylines, making a deal with the devil coming to light, this movie has found a special place in my heart. I have always enjoyed these stories, even when I was a little kid, just to decide for myself if the deal was really worth it. Every story that has to deal with the price of darkness has a different twist, and why not, as the Devil is always looking to torment someone in some way that will make their lives miserable for the foreseeable future. Stay Scared.

Trying to fit in is something that many of us try to do. With cliques coming into full effect during high school, it is important for most of us to find a group that will accept us. But there are other people that do not want to be part of the groups and would rather take on life on their own. Even though these people are great, the harshness of high school makes it difficult for these people to even feel like real people as they get ridiculed to no end.

A group of outcasts are trying to fly under the radar as they are consistently bullied around their school. Wanting to be left alone to pursue their own lives, they constantly find themselves being picked upon and it is taking its toll on them. Wanting to just be accepted for who they are, they have devised a plan of attack that will leave the rest of the school in shambles.

With their love for horror movies, the group has come up with a plan to get revenge on all of those who have been torturing them. Planning a fake party to get all of their bullies in the same place at the same time, the group will be able to inflict the same damage that has been done to them by their fellow classmates. But with their plan being put in to effect, will they have the guts to go through with it in the end?

As the party starts, the group waits for everyone to arrive before putting everything into motion. Adding a sleeping drug into the punch, all of the party goers find themselves shackled when they wake up. With a group of masked individuals calling the shots, all of the unkind students are in for a life changing experience. As each bully is called out for their horrendous acts, the outcasts are able to punish them for what they consider to be their ‘crimes.’ But when trouble starts in the ranks of the group throwing the torture party, everything starts to take a turn for the worse.

In my eyes, his is a very disturbing movie, as I have been through high school and witnessed this going on right in front of me. This movie showed a very touchy subject in a manner that everyone can relate to and it does not pull back any punches. With a fantastic storyline, this movie showed what could happen if someone is pushed too far or hard and what the consequences might be for those that try to take advantage of someone that does not fit in. When watching this movie, you are transported back to your days in high school and it makes you remember the things you did, that could have hurt your fellow classmates, even if you remember it being in good fun. Stay Scared.

​The quest for the truth can be a difficult one. You have seen many reporters putting themselves in harm’s way to deliver the news and people get hurt when finding what they are looking for. Although it can be fulfilling to find out the truth and bring it to the world, in the end, is your livelihood more important? This is a question you must ask yourself before pursuing these answers, as you may find out that it is not worth the price.

Holly King has been given an assignment of a lifetime, to find out what really happened during the Dyatlov Pass Incident. Although there is no place to find the answers of what really happened to nine skiers that died on the pass, she is going to do her best to find out first hand. Gathering other classmates from her school to film a documentary on the mountain where the travesty took place, she is ready to show the world her findings.

Having to travel to Russia is her first obstacle, but when she is able to secure a grant, she is off and running. With her team in place, her next step is to find someone to take her up to the tainted mountain and this proves to be less of a chore than she expected. With the help of a local, she is able to secure an interview with a woman that was part of the first search party that went up the pass, only to find nothing but the dead bodies of the ski party. Knowing that there was a cover-up that took place on the mountain, Holly is ready to take her team up and uncover what really happened.

When hiking up the mountain, Holly and her group encounter problems with their snowshoes, but before it becomes too much of an issue for them to continue, they find the site where the madness took place. Setting up camp and filming where all of the victims fell in the snow, Holly believes that there is more to uncover. Finding strange tracks outside of their campsite on their first night on the mountain has left her crew unsettled but being at their destination hours ahead of schedule has them even more worried. Holly’s search has not ended, since she has been having dreams about this mountain and a door that will lead her to all of her answers. Searching the mountain for traces of radiation, Holly is able to uncover the door from her dreams, but when she is finally able to open it, will it give her the answers that she is looking for?

This is one of those movies that makes you wonder why people try to climb mountains…at all. I understand getting the thrill of reaching the top, but when you are trying to find answers, I am sure there is a better way. Watching as the group makes their ascent to the site where a ski party was found dead without reason is a good story, but once you add in a cover-up, it makes it great. A lot of history and conspiracy theories have been brought into the mix on this film and that would be the reason why I enjoyed it so much. It is not just Russian history, but also American history being brought into the mix to explain what is happening, along with a dash of the horror of the unknown. Stay Scared.

​While being secluded from the rest of the world may allow you to clear your head, it may also help you understand why you did it to start with. Some people are able to live in secluded areas and make it just fine with the bare amenities and no contact, while others would be driven to madness without being able to talk to someone once in a while.

A group of friends are looking for a great getaway. With everyone needing time to refresh, it was recommended that they visit an old resort that one of the girls visited when she was younger. The Mountainbrook Resort is out of the way and three hundred miles away from anything. Since this is outside of the normal range of a car's gas tank, the resort has its own gas station to fill up its customer's tanks before they head back home, but these tanks are not accessible without a key to activate them.  

As the group of friends all arrive at the Mountainbrook Resort, they are surprised to find it empty. No guests, no one working, no one on the property at all. Trying to come up with a reasonable explanation of what could have happened, the group thinks that everyone might have been evacuated from the location. But when checking out all of the cabins, they find things that are out of place and would not be left behind, even if people were in a rush to get out of the area. When one of the group vanishes without a trace while going to the bathroom, the group knows that there is something strange happening and they are in the middle of it.

With their cars all running on fumes, they are not able to pull enough gas together to make the trip back down the mountain. Trying to find safety in numbers, the group stays together in the main lodge of the resort, but whenever someone looks away from their friends, they vanish into thin air. Not knowing what they are in the middle of, tempers run hot and ideas of escaping the resort are high on the list, but without gas, they are stranded. As the group starts to split up to find an explanation of what is happening, they point fingers at each other, along with a higher power for punishing them.

This was an interesting watch with how the story plays out. As this movie is filled with actors that you would recognize from your favorite shows, it is hard to look away until the very end. With the story being more about the people than the events, it is good that there is a strong cast attached as you need to care about the characters for it to work. Without being able to close your eyes, out of fear for the darkness will take you to some place unknown, it is a frightening thought that something as simple as closing your eyes could make the world disappear around you. Stay Scared.

If there’s one universal truth that I’ve learned when it comes to television shows, it’s that, you can absolutely pin point the moment when the show has finally found its stride. Because there’s always that one episode, where everything comes together in beautiful and dynamic fashion, and what you witness on the screen moves you in ways you never thought possible. And that’s on my mind today simply because that all-important moment arrived last night for NOS4A2, since ‘Scissors for the Drifter’ was outright perfection through and through, thanks in large part to the multiple concepts and moods that this particular tale took the time to explore.
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For example, this is a story that took a good long look at the power of safety, and how it can impact us when it is removed from our minds, and that was explored by way of Maggie, who was not doing well in this story. For her emotional wounds ran deeper than her physical ones, and when given the opportunity to turn back to drugs to dull the pain, she was happy to embrace them, to the point where Sheriff Bly had to step in and help her get back onto her feet because she was outright lost. And the lesson inherent here is that not feeling safe, can lead us to embrace things that do, and sometimes what we turn to, is as bad as the fear running through our veins.

Yet while that plot thread and Jahkara Smith’s incredible performance could have carried this episode on their own, we had more to explore about the human condition and that was accomplished by Vic’s journey in this tale. Which focused heavily on the past, and how it haunts us, and how confronting it is sometimes the only way forward, something that was prompted by the actions of her mom and dad. For her darling mother sold her bike while she was in the hospital. Meaning that Vic needed to get her hands on a new Knife, and quick. And while dad was willing to help her find one, his need for alcohol and his inability to acknowledge the hurt he’s caused, prompted Vic to finally unleash her fury and call him and her mom to the carpet when it comes to their ridiculous behavior and the damage they’ve caused over the years, and this was just brilliant to say the least. Because this just goes to show how far Vic has come in the past few weeks, and how she’s finally coming into her own and it should be interesting to see what comes out of this magnificent set of confrontations. 

However, this episode even found a way to throw a similar exploration into Charlie’s story as well, which was quite surprising to say the least. But even immortals aren’t immune to having to deal with yesterday, and with the hours slipping away, Charlie needed Bing’s help to get the Wraith fixed or he would face his end after all. Which meant it was back to that junkyard in Nebraska. Where Charlie’s car killed a man and stole yet another child, and a return to this place forced him to deal with the owner of the junkyard, who remembers Charlie after all these years, and she was happy to make an attempt to bring him down at last. But while this plot thread didn’t exactly bring about growth, or change, since Mister Manx escaped and managed to add another bloody tick to his ever-growing Butcher’s Bill, and is still as evil as ever and healed, unfortunately. I suppose this plot thread did teach us something. In that, the past is always with us and it is quite skilled at coming to the fore front of our lives at the most inopportune of times.

But truly, the centerpiece of the night, was the sheer fact that the series kicked the scares into overdrive in this tale. Because the children of Christmasland were hungry, and for some reason they felt the need to reach out to Vic since dear father spoke of her before he parted their company and these scenes were simply the stuff of nightmares. For there is something supremely disturbing about seeing little kids, transformed into monsters, mocking and taunting people in the hopes of goading them into becoming their meal. But while that was all unsettling in its own right, none of it compared to the final moments of this tale, wherein we returned to and entered Christmasland, at last. Because father made good on his promise to feed his babies, and since Sheriff Bly sold Charlie out to the cops in Nebraska, he was the meal in question, and I’ll never feel the same about seeing little kids moving about with scissors, ever again.

When all is said and done however, it’s best we just declare this episode to be the finest that season one has offered to date. Because truly, everything jelled together seamlessly in this tale, and every concept or notion that NOS4A2 has been working with or toward was either progressed or amplified in proper fashion in this tale, and that includes the scares. Because I truly felt uncomfortable over the course of the hour, and I cringed more than I expected to, and really, all the credit for that goes to Jami O’Brien, the writer of this episode, and the showrunner of this series. Because her script here was sublime and laid the foundation for everything we’ve discussed today and truly, I am both excited and nervous as we head into the home stretch of season one, because something tells me, the story is only going to get more intense from here out. Until next time. 

Once we lock onto a particular goal in our lives, we truly dedicate ourselves to reaching it. We work late hours, we skip out on dinners with friends, all in the hope that a few extra hours a day will get us exactly what we want. But while there’s nobility and respect to be found in regard to that kind of dedication, we often forget that the road to achieving said goal is often riddled with setbacks and disappointment, and how we respond to those little snafus is paramount, since they will decide whether or not we reach the finish line, and it just so happens that setbacks and how we respond to them both served as the focus of last night’s episode of Fear the Walking Dead.
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Because ‘Still Standing’ saw some of the problems that the group were facing go from bad to worse, and some were minor in nature, as was the case with the issues that arose at the Truck Stop. For the fuel lines were ripped on that magnificent, reassembled plane, meaning that the team had to repair them and find fuel in order to get the old girl off of the ground, and that problem fell to Al to fix, since she knew where fuel was. And she wasted no time in solving this issue by taking June with her to the mysterious refueling center Isabelle introduced her to, and she was able to get her hands on what the group needs, with ease. Plus, she even took the time to, sort-of, fill June in on what happened when she was separated from the group, making this storyline the opening chapter to a series of plot threads that lived up to the theme I mentioned a moment ago.

Because John and Dwight’s journey in this tale only moved that exploration further along. For these two gents were still on the hunt for Sherry, and they were getting further and further away from home base, and supplies were getting scarcer the further along they ventured, which meant, it was time for John to come clean with Dwight, still he was still pining for Sherry and was of the belief she wanted him to continue the hunt. Which meant, John braced for the worst when he gave Dwight the letter, and well, it most certainly did break Dwight’s heart, which was tough to watch since he’s been on this quest for so long. Yet, Dwight handled this complication with class, and opted instead to do everything to get John back to the Truck Stop as soon as possible, to get him back to June and to see if by chance, paying it forward would eventually bring him face to face with Sherry.

Yet, the series still wasn’t done exploring the notion of how to overcome adversity. For Morgan had several tough tasks in front of him. For starters, he had to figure out how to help his friends who were stranded and surrounded by the radioactive dead, and he needed to find a way to help Grace as well, and a little advice from the nuclear whiz allowed for him to solve one of his problems. For he was able to get his hands on some protective gear and a truck, allowing for Strand and Charlie to get to safety, with the propellers, bringing everyone one step closer to salvation and I suppose the lesson here was to never believe in the no-win scenario since you never know what resources you may discover, and never forget to pay back the person who offered up an assist. 

That last notion prompted Morgan to push ahead with his mission to save as many people as possible, and he made his way to the power plant to let Grace know that she didn’t have to sacrifice herself in some blaze of heroic glory. Instead, she could come back with the group, and enjoy what little time she had left in safety and comfort. And while she was initially hesitant to do so, the fact that Morgan was willing to risk life and limb to save her and help her out, genuinely touched her and prompted her to realize that she and Morgan shared something in common, in that; they both believe that other lives are more valuable than their own. It was an epiphany that touched Morgan on a supremely deep level, to the point where he now believes that he and the group need to put together a future that fulfills each and every one of them on a personal level, in addition to saving as many people as they can.
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But while this episode offered up a lot of positivity and wonderful notions after giving us a week of darker moments, the ugly stuff was still waiting for us here, it just so happened to be lurking within Alicia’s storyline. For in this particular tale, she found herself lost in the woods of the dead, and it took an assist from Dylan to bring her to the kids’ base of operations, wherein she once again tried desperately, to no avail, to change Annie’s mind about coming with Alicia’s group to safety. But despite being shut down for the umpteenth time, Alicia was determined to find a way to get these kids away from this dangerous place and back to the Truck Stop, and well, she achieved her goal…in the most unfortunate way imaginable.

Because the dead came calling as they always do, and when Annie was faced with failure and the prospect of losing this new home, Alicia pointed out that letting go is sometimes the only way to move on, and to truly prove to Annie that she was serious about helping them, she put herself in harm’s way and fought the dead head on and alone. But while she was successful in holding them back long enough to get the kids as far away from that place as possible, a horrible mistake was made on Alicia’s part. For she killed one of the radioactive dead, and found herself covered in its blood, meaning that there is a serious chance that her life is in danger now. But before we discover whether or not Alicia suffered a fatal dose of radiation, there’s a bigger problem looming on the horizon. For reactor number two is about to go critical, and now it’s a race against the clock to get everyone to safety.

So, yeah, this is another episode filled to the brim with juicy plotlines and hopeful notions, with a little terror thrown in for good mix and when all is said and done, I really loved this one. Because it’s just awesome to see how this group is working to find the positive in everything, and I love how they handled their setbacks in this tale and that they were able to overcome a majority of them, but I’m also supremely unsettled by Alicia’s conundrum. After all, she’s one of the last original cast members on the show, and she’s grown into someone so strong and so dynamic that losing her would be a blow for certain. So, here’s to hoping she won’t die of radiation poisoning and cheers to an episode that found a way to balance terror and hope in magnificent fashion and sadly, we will have to wait until next week to find out of this group makes it out safely, or if their first successful run at helping people will end in tragedy. Until next time. 

Family secrets can be damaging when they come out to the world. Every family has a secret, your great uncle was a mass murder, or your cousin is actually a Kennedy. Although most families think that this is a bad thing for the world to know, it is more damaging to the children when they find out from someone else much later in life. Telling your children up front about the family history helps them find a direction they want to follow, be it in their family footsteps or the opposite direction to correct what their ancestors have done wrong. With the knowledge of their own history, our children can chose what is right for them, and be able to stand by their decisions when someone tries to call them out on their family history.

Annie has returned home after many years to help her sister take care of her daughter. But upon arriving at her childhood home, she finds that her sister has gone missing. Not knowing what to do what the future holds for her niece; Annie tries to stay positive in the house that has haunted her dreams for many years. When Annie tries to find a way to keep young Eva from the same terrors she experienced in the house for so many years, an unseen force awakens and begins pushing her around the house, forcing them both to leave.

Reporting the strange occurrence to the police, Annie is treated like a crazy person, but one officer will go and try to investigate what is actually happening. Not witnessing anything on his visit, he tries to keep Annie at bay until she can receive the help she needs, but Annie will sit by and wait as she knows that there is something or someone in the house that is trying to tell her something. Persuading the officer to return, they uncover a secret room that has been boarded up that Annie has no recollection of being there. Taking pictures of the house, the officer seems to believe that there is nothing out of the ordinary going on, it is just her imagination getting the better of her. But when reviewing his pictures of the old estate, he finds that there are strange things that are appearing in front of his camera that cannot be seen by the naked eye.

Annie knows that there is something strange happening in the house and needs to know who is trying to show her something. Finding that an old classmate is still living in town, Annie puts her trust in Stevie who was known to see strange things when they were growing up. As Stevie and her brother enter the house, she believes that the woman that she is seeing is Annie’s mother, but when Annie sees the same woman, they know that something sinister has happened. Stevie captures all of the emotions around the house, even being able to see what Annie was trying to run away from, but when she enters the hidden room, something darker comes out to play as she is touched by the unseen force as well. Without getting the answers of what is really happening in the house from her old classmate, Annie has to find out what other secrets have been kept from her by her mother, but when she finds what she is looking for, will she be able to take the next step and do what needs to be done?

This is a very interesting movie, as you have a young woman that was terrorized by her mother growing up, returning to the house that changed her life forever. That, combined with her sister going missing and leaving her niece unattended to, it seems like Annie was going to be the perfect fit for the job. But with all of the strangeness happening around the house, there seems to be no way of escaping what evil still is lurking around her old prison. I really enjoyed how the script came together in this movie, as even when you think you know what is happening in the house, there is still more that you may never see. I must say that if I find out that my family has been keeping a secret like this from me in all my years, I would not be one to be around for many, many months. Stay Scared.

There are so many reasons to love Stranger Things on Netflix. But being the giant writing nerd that I am, one my favorite things when it comes to this series, is how it structures its early episodes. Because the season premiere is more is less designed to initially provide the audience with a sense of comfort, since we spend a lot of time catching up with everyone and how they’re doing after the events of the prior season, and then, just like that, the season finds the perfect moment to kick the plot into overdrive and we are now a part of one wild ride, and season three is no exception to this unspoken rule. Because ‘Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?’ provided the audience with a lot of warm and fuzzy and funny moments, allowing for us to settle back into the world of Hawkins, Indiana, just before the juicy stuff got underway with Billy.

Which quite frankly, left this reviewer excited, since that meant, answers and surprises were likely on their way and ‘Chapter Two: The Mall Rats’ did not disappoint when it comes to that in the slightest. Because it didn’t take long for the audience to learn that whatever gooey thing Billy encountered in that barn, has a purpose and a design for him since it asked for his help and seemingly transformed his mind since he wasn’t well in this tale. And what made Billy’s journey so stunning and shocking is that he didn’t back away or fight whatever was attempting to consume him since he did its bidding and apparently provided it with human food and while we don’t have specific answers as to what this force from the Upside Down specifically wants just yet, its actions and demands of Billy fill in the blanks just fine, in that, it does at least want a piece of our world.
Yet while that plotline, and all the gooey-ness that came with it was awesome in its own right, I was also impressed with how far the Russian radio transmission storyline was advanced in this tale.

Because that really seemed like it was going to need more time to blossom and grow but the wonder that is Robin changed things up in this particular tale since she dove head first into the matter and translated the message with some sense of ease and well, what I love the most about this particular thread, is how it ends. Because Steve’s discovery of the fact, that the song on the tape was the exact one that the horse in the mall plays is chilling to say the least. Since it means that something in that mall is not at all what it seems and honestly, of all the plot points taking shape this season, this one fascinates me the most because well, the thought of Russians on American soil in an era where the Cold War was at its peak, is a unique and intriguing concept that can go all kinds of awesome places.

However, while that is a lot to digest in its own right, this episode gets serious credit for breaking up the juicer storylines with some of the good old-fashioned lightheartedness we enjoyed in the season premiere. Because seeing Eleven get the opportunity to be teenager and shop and have a good time at the mall, and offer up a little surprise for the popular kids was a sheer delight, as was the flip side to her story since Mike was desperate to figure out how to win her over after lying to her. And really, it’s nice to see these kids be kids for a change, and deal with the growing pains that come with growing up and well, I guess it’s best at this point to wish Mike best of luck on his relationship because Eleven is pissed. Oh, and speaking of relationships, I also found Hopper’s journey in this tale to be downright fascinating as well.

Because it is inherently clear that he’s really concerned with being a good dad for Eleven, and apparently having a complete family is something he believes is needed for that, and his pursuit of Joyce is clearly part of the process in getting that to come to fruition and well, it’s just fascinating to see him in this lonely place and vulnerable for a change. In the end however, this was just another fantastic episode, and I love how the plot is chugging along nicely, I love that there’s plenty to keep us interested and how about that Cary Elwes cameo? Too, freakin’ cool. The Duffer Brothers really do a great job with sneaking 1980s icons into this series and well, I’m ready for more. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to hunt Russians with Steve and Dustin and Robin. Until next time. 

Taking trips can be great, but having someone there with you is even better, especially if they are your friends. Needing to get away from your everyday life is something that I will speak to on a daily basis, and if you are able to take this break with your best friends and decompress a bit, it is that much better. As long as you can find what you are looking for, it is easier with your friends around to make sure you are looking in the right direction, as you would be lost without them.

A group of friends are heading up to a rental to get away from their life in college. Although they are in their final semester, they still need to find a way to get their minds right for finals week. When driving up the long winding road to their cabin getaway however, the swerve to miss a guy that seems to be crazy and is walking in the middle of the street. Not being able to regain control of the van, the group finds themselves stranded on the side of the mountain road with no chance of rescue.  

Thinking that their getaway lodge is not too far off, the group decides to start their descent deeper into the woods. Finding what appears to be their cabin, the group heads in and finds it is much nicer than they could have expected but they are missing a couple of other friends that were supposed to be there with them. Not worrying for the night, the group has their opening party, but Michael is not in a party mood and decides to go to bed early. As the group plays their music loud and drinks to their hearts content, Michael battles with dreams of himself killing and hiding bodies around the cabin. Not believing what he is seeing, he is trying to prove to himself that he can remain sane without the help of any drugs, even if they are prescribed for him.

​When taking a run through the woods, one of the group members finds an abandoned mine that he wants the group to check out. With everyone being adventurous, they all duck into the see what is under the ground, but strange sounds in the mine drive them out and quickly. When another member of the group thinks that he has lost his wallet in the hole, he goes back down into the darkness, but finds something much darker than he expected, his own dead body. Knowing that this is not right, the rest of the group go to investigate what they can only assume being an elaborate joke, but when they find out it is real, they need to find a way to escape the woods with their lives. One by one, the group members have to battle their own fears of death and then have to face it, head on.

Mine Games follows a group of college students getting away from school for a long weekend before finishing up their last semester. With long relationships between them all, they seem to find a common ground to stand on, but they are all keeping an eye on their friend Michael who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and has not been taking his medication. Seeing and hearing things in the woods, but not being able to explain them, the group is feeling safe in their surroundings, but that all changes when they run across an abandoned mine on the property. With everyone eager to take a look, they find more than they bargained for as a couple of the group members bodies are found dead in the depths of the underground cavern. As they are alive and dead at the same time, they have to find a way out of the woods and get back home before something bad happens and locks their future in stone. But with every attempt, they keep coming back to the same place and have no way of escaping their doom, unless they are able to break the cycle as someone prior has warned them.

Being trapped without escape, is not a new idea in the genre, but what the group deals with in regard to that, is pretty original. As each of the group members are able to see the way they die, they try to protect themselves from it, but with all of them being friends, how could they not trust each other. I especially enjoyed Michael’s journey down the rabbit hole as he is dealing with his illness and having grizzly visions of things that he has not done. It played out very well in the end, and I liked how the only person that could help solve what is happening in the wilderness is next to death, while everyone else is waiting for their own to come about. Stay Scared.