'Stranger Things 2' Recap - 'Chapter Five: Dig Dug'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

I think one could spend an entire day discussing the wonder of Stranger Things and all the various reasons we love it. But for me, if there’s one thing that always sticks out in my mind when it comes to this show, is the sheer fact that when the time comes to get the plot rolling, this series holds nothing back and that proverbial unleashing of the floodgates is exactly what happened with ‘Chapter Five: Dig Dug’, because this episode was packed to the brim with incredible storylines, and the whole thing moved at a breakneck pace.
 
So, with this much to cover, let’s start with Nancy’s plan to get justice for Barb since the story wasted zero time in making that happen since she and Jonathan drove to meet the Private Investigator we met in Chapter One to deliver the tape she recorded at the Hawkins Lab and well…she made that man’s day. It turns out that the story, and the evidence she provided was so damn good that he was able to formulate a plan as to how to get this out to the public and hold the Lab accountable at last for what happened to dear Barb.
 
Plus, Eleven (it’s tough to call her Jane), decided it was high time to meet her mother and abandoned the cabin to hit the road and search for mommy at her last known address and wouldn’t you know it…Terry was still living there, under great care of course. But this reunion gives El the opportunity to learn so much more about her past, and the tragic memories that her mother carries and most importantly…the fact that El may not be alone in the world after all, since she discovered that she shared the Rainbow Room with another girl. 

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But of course, the scares are the focus in this incredible series and once again this story delivered thrills and chills in spades, first and foremost by taking us back into the unique tunnel network beneath Hawkins, where poor Sheriff Hopper was forced to face off against the darkness and the unknown as he tried desperately to find an escape from this awful, awful place. But unfortunately for the Sheriff, there was no easy way out of this hell hole and eventually this extension of the Upside Down closed in on him, putting his fate in a precarious place.
 
Thankfully, Will and Joyce and Mike were on the case since Will had a vision that Hopper was in trouble. So, they enlisted Bob the Brain’s help in figuring out where the Sheriff was trapped and wouldn’t you know it? Bob’s powers of deductions helped lead them right to Hopper and thanks to some perfect timing from the folks at Hawkins Labs, shortly after they discovered that their samples had indeed escaped into the wild, Hopper was saved and it seemed that all would be well, that is until Will found himself suffering great pain when the Lab boys executed an underground burn…
 
So, yeah, whew. This episode quite literally took my breath away. There wasn’t a moment wasted in this one and heck, it was so intense that the whole plotline involving the baby Demogorgon more or less took a backseat because good gravy, there was so much to cover in this one and that ending. Wow. It’s terrifying that Will is apparently that attached to the Upside Down and well, I can’t wait. I have to see what happens next, so for now, I bid you adieu so I can get started on the next episode. Until next time.  

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