‘Stranger Things 3’ Recap – ‘Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

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When it comes to television shows, a good season finale will do a fine job of satisfying its audience. Because the show in question will undoubtedly offer up resolution to every single storyline it presented over the course of the season and that’s always a wonderful way to see a year of T.V. come to an end. But for some shows, good, just isn’t enough and the powers that be work hard to bring their audience a great season finale, wherein everything is still wrapped up, but breathtaking moments and emotions flow through said story, taking the audience on one incredible ride and it is that latter criteria that applies to Stranger Things, since the season three finale of this saga, was nothing short of incredible.

Because ‘Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt’ offered action and adventure, a stunning final battle and so much more. And really, I want to spend a lot of time on the ‘so much more’ segment of this particular tale, because it is what truly separates this story from other season finales. However, before we dive deep into all of that, let’s take and moment and briefly celebrate the other highlights simply because they were worthwhile as well. After all, having Eleven’s powers disappear for the final fight was a stroke of genius since it forced everyone to find a way to combat the Flayer, and the final battle sequence was epic and unique in its own right since I cannot recall any other battle royale in the genre involving a thirty foot tall monster in a mall, and the comedy was also on point and let’s be honest, The NeverEnding Story moment straight up steals the show here.

But, while all of that was lovely in its own right, what truly impressed me about this finale, is how it took us on quite the emotional roller coaster by dropping two key moments into our laps, the first one being the death of Billy. Because for two seasons now, we’ve seen nothing but jackass-ery from Billy, and the idea of him redeeming himself seemed out of reach. But in the end, a few wonderful words from El helped to remind him of the anger he’s carried his entire life, and that was a turning point for Billy, and it was incredibly heartbreaking to see Billy realize where his fury has taken him in life and while it’s a shame that he had to die shortly after having this epiphany, you couldn’t ask for a better end for such a tormented man. Because he gave his life to ensure that others were safe, including his sister and really, his sacrifice and Hopper’s fate injected some wildly complex concepts into a story about kids fighting gooey monsters from another dimension.

Because in essence, the aftermath of the Battle of Starcourt, more or less explored the fact that loss and pain are a part of life and growing up, and that’s honestly something you rarely see explored in the horror genre. But here it was, in all its glory, and while it hurt to watch since Hopper was gone at this point and poor Max had to figure out what life was going to be like without her big brother, this was all still compelling and magnificent. Because this served as some incredible growth for all of the characters and I know I’m not alone in thinking, or in this case saying, that this was all painfully relatable. For we’ve all bid farewell to friends who had to move away, and we remember the power and the pain of losing a loved one and well, seeing this level of humanity on display in a horror show somehow makes this universe more accessible to its audience and I wonder if this is something we’re going to see more of in this series down the line, and I honestly hope we do.

But in the here and the now, another adventure in Hawkins has come to a close, and I love all the cameos and tributes to past seasons that came into play here. But I’m sure at this point, you’ve noticed that this recap has glossed over Hopper and his fate and there’s good reason for that, because I don’t think he’s dead in the slightest. There’s just no way that a guy as resourceful and intelligent as Hopper would be good with just being vaporized with so much going on for him and while I cannot confirm that he’s alive and well, he is a core piece of the heart and soul of this series and I’m certain we will see him again. In the end though, this really was the finest season finale that this series has assembled to date, and I’m genuinely in awe of how much depth and emotion was present in this tale and I’ll honestly be keeping a close eye on the internet for an announcement regarding the next season, because Stranger Things has truly found its stride and I cannot wait to see what wonders await us in season four. Until next year.       

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