Stranger Things – Chapter Eight – The Battle of Starcourt

By starrymag | July 15, 2019

By: Nicole Rodenbaugh

 

Joyce (Winona Ryder), Hopper (David Harbour) and Murray (Brett Gelman) are driving furiously. Joyce asks if Murray is sure they said Food Court. Murray stresses his translation has been correct so far.

At the Starland Mall Food Court Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is on the floor in pain. Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) hands her a spoon to bite down on. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Max (Sadie Sink), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Will (Noah Schnapp), Robin (Maya Hawke), Steve (Joe Keery), Erica (Priah Ferguson) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) all watch cautiously as he cuts into the Flayed portion of her leg. He digs his fingers into the cut to try to remove it. El screams and asks him to stop. El tells him she can do it herself. She uses her power to remove the blob and throw it on the floor while a glass storefront shatters from her power. Everyone looks up and Hopper, Joyce and Murray are standing there.

Dustin explains that the Mind Flayer grew itself using Flayed people with the intent to beat Eleven. Hopper asks how big this thing is and Mike replies that it is 30 feet. Lucas coyly tells him his cabin is destroyed. Max suggests to cut the brain off and kill it. Murray pulls out the Key designs. Erica and Dustin explain they have been down there and can show Hopper the way. Dustin tells Hopper he can do all the hero stuff and they will just lead them where they need to go. Hopper refuses to allow the kids to lead them and starts gathering weapons from the Russians that El has eliminated in the Food Court. Dustin tells Mike, Lucas and Will that he could have used them down in the Russian Hideout. Mike, Lucas and Will tell Dustin they needed him, too. They hug and tell each other they missed each other. Dustin tells Hopper the walkie talkie won’t work to help Hopper navigate since the signal cannot reach. He tells Hopper he needs to use Cerebro and he needs a car to get there.

Robin, Dustin, Erica and Steve get in the car hopper stole and drive away. Joyce tells Will she needs to end this and Will needs to stay away and safe. She reassures him she will be fine. Hopper and El are having a sweet moment. Hopper tells El he needs her safe since the Mind Flayer is after her. Mike, El, Max, Lucas, Will, Jonathan and Nancy leave.

Hopper is mad that Joyce is coming. He believes they will be able to shut down the Key (laser) without her. Murray explains they can also blow up the machine and for this a third person, Joyce, is needed.

Nancy tries to start the car to no avail. She pops the hood and Jonathon notices the ignition cord is missing. A car in the distance aimed at them starts revving the engine. We see Billy (Dacre Montgomery) in the car. The kids runs back into the mall.

Hopper, Murray and Joyce are heading down the elevator and talking about their plan. Murray says he will pull cables to set off alarms and then Hopper and Joyce can access the keys. They will go to the observation room and blow up the place then escape.

The elevator halts suddenly and the door opens. The Russian military is waiting with guns pointed at them. Murray holds up papers and explains in Russian he has important documents for the Commander. Hopper pushes Murray out of the way and shoots them all. Hopper starts to switch his outfit with the dead Russian’s outfit.

Dustin, Erica, Steve and Robin are in the car headed toward Cerebro. Dustin orders Steve to turn off the road and drive up the steep hill. They make it halfway before the car cannot climb any further. At the Starland Mall we see Mike is trying to radio Dustin for an emergency evacuation. Nancy takes a gun off a dead Russian man. Max asks if they are going to kill Billy. Nancy tells her it is just in case of emergency to ease her stress. Nancy spots the car and asks if it will drive. Jonathan points out they just need the ignition cable. They cannot flip the car manually so El volunteers to try. Her powers are not strong enough to do it.

Murray, Hopper and Joyce are now in Russian outfits and he is driving the cart up to a guard. He convinces the man to allow them entry. The team is now in the green goo container room. Murray opens the vent and Dustin radios them through Cerebro. Murray confirms they are okay for now and will radio Dustin when they need help. Murray enters the vent.

El and gang are now lifting the car again manually. They flip the car using leverage. El is digging through the trash. She finds a Coke can. She tries to crush it like she did when they were experimenting on her. She cannot. Max and Mike look up and see the creature walking on the glass roof above them. Mike yells to Nancy to move. The ceiling falls in with the creature entering the food court where they were just previously standing. The Man in Black Grigori (Andrey Ivchenko) comes down the elevator discovering the dead Russians. Hopper and Joyce are arguing in the green goo room and Hopper confides he thinks they are a really good team despite the bickering. Hopper asks if Joyce is still moving out of town. She dodges the question. Joyce suggests a date with Hopper. He accepts.

Murray is moving through the vents. He radios Dustin and asks where to go next. Dustin replies telling him which way to go. Dustin tries radio Mike but the Mind Flayer knocked the walkie talkie out of reach. Nancy, Will, Jonathan, Lucas, Max and El are hiding. Steve and Robin run to the car to help rescue the kids at the mall. El suggests that she, Max and Mike (who are hiding behind a stall) escape through the Gap store. Max falls as they run in. The Mind Flayer hears them and turns it’s attention to the store. It grabs a mannequin that is wearing El’s shirt and tosses it. Mike, El and Max are terrified hiding behind the cash register.

Murray confirms he made it and finds a wall of cords.

Nancy, Jonathan, Lucas and Will are still hiding behind the car while the Mind flayer is still searching the Gap store. Murray pulls the cords causing failures on the systems in the Russian base. The Key is seen sparking. Alarms blare.

Lucas uses his slingshot to hit the creature. It squeals and leaves The Gap. The kids are now running in two groups towards separate exits. In the Russian Base, Hopper and Joyce run by during the confusion and sneak into the room containing the keys. Hopper enters the Planck’s constant code and it is wrong. Dustin hears they don’t know the number and turns the radio to static.

At the mall Jonathan is trying to start the car while Nancy has the gun pointed at Billy. Billy rushes towards them and Nancy starts to fire at him. Right before Billy crashes into Nancy and the car Steve slams Billy’s car away. Steve and Robin look up to see the Mind Flayer. It is moving towards them. Jonathan pulls up in the station wagon and rescues Steve and Robin as they speed away.

Dustin gets a hold of Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) on Cerebro. He tells Suzie he forgot Planck’s constant and if she can tell him she will help save the world. Suzie forces Dustin to sing to her a song from the Never-ending Story movie. Everyone can hear them singing together. Suzie confirms the number 6.62607004 and Hopper enters the code and it works.

Billy coughs as he exits the car limping. He sees Max, El and Mike running out. Max shuts a gate as they run from Billy.

The Mind Flayer is following the station wagon.

Billy forces the gate open.

Hopper and Joyce now enter the control room with the keys and order everyone to leave. They rush out after Hopper fires his gun.

El team is hobbling down a hall and Billy appears right behind them. Max pleads with Billy to stop. He smacks her to the ground. Mike walks up to Billy and is tossed aside. El tries to use her power, but Billy clutches her and throws her down first. He picks up El off the floor. Billy is covered in black veins as he carries El away.

Hopper and El are counting down to use the keys when Grigori grabs Hopper and tosses him down. Next, he throws Joyce into the console. Hopper tackles the Man in Black and they fight exchanging blows.

Billy is carrying El to the food court. He lays her down. He tells her not to be afraid. The creature now appears walking towards El. She is about to be flayed. Lucas and gang are on the second floor and tossing fireworks down injuring the Mind Flayer.

Hopper and the Man in Black are still fighting. They move their fight out of the control room down steps towards the Key (laser).

Every firework hurts the creature but Billy is also being hurt. Yet Billy manages to grab El before she can get away and pin her down.

Hopper is pinned down by Grigori. The fireworks are almost gone and Dustin radios to close the gate now. Joyce is alone in the control room.

Max and Mike regain consciousness and Mike asks Max if she knows where El is.

El flashes back to her vision of Billy’s childhood and reminds Billy about his beautiful Mom. She starts explaining the entire scene and Billy seems to start being responsive. Billy starts to cry since he is remembering the moment. Joyce uses her belt to try to turn both keys at the same time. Hopper tosses the man into the laser.

The last firework has now been thrown and the creature is still alive. Billy stands up towards the monster. They are now face to face. He blocks the creature’s arm reaching for El. The creature bites and latches onto Billy with multiple arms. He screams in pain.

Joyce sees Hopper next to the machine. The Mind Flayer lands one final life ending blow into Billy’s chest. Hopper nods to Joyce to turn the keys. She pulls hard and turns both keys. The laser explodes disintegrating everyone in the room. The Mind Flayer falls lifelessly to the ground.

Joyce sees Hopper is gone. Mike consoles El. Max consoles Billy as he takes his last breaths. Joyce is crying and Murray runs up to her. They see more Russian military and run exiting knowing Hopper is gone.

The US Military finally arrives landing multiple helicopters. They find Joyce and Murray. Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser) is looking at the crack to the Upside Down. Joyce finds Will in an ambulance and they hug in relief. Eleven is looking for Hopper and Joyce spots her. Joyce starts to sob and El realizes Hopper is gone. El starts to cry.

Flash forward 3 months.

A news report is featuring Hawkins. It is reporting a chemical leak and suspicious deaths. Steve and Robin drive up to the video store to drop off applications for a job since the mall burned down. Robin sweet talks the cashier into hiring both Steve and her.

Joyce and Jonathan are packing a U-Haul. Max and Lucas are singing the Never-Ending Story song. As they help pack they are making fun of Dustin. Dustin refuses to sing a verse for them. Will is donating his D&D books. Mike asks him why he is not keeping them. Will says he will never join another group and they can use Mike’s stuff. Jonathan is sad while looking at his empty room and Nancy consoles him. She starts to cry knowing he is leaving and cannot stay. They kiss and embrace.

Eleven is packing the closet. She cannot reach a bear on the shelf. She tries to use her powers to pull the bear. It doesn’t work. Mike saw her attempt and tells her the powers will come back. El is moving with The Byers. El tells Mike she loves him and they kiss.

Joyce is packing Hopper’s stuff. She finds the speech she and Hopper wrote in a pocket. El walks in and asks what the paper is. She reads the it. We flash to a scene of Hopper rehearsing the speech. He expanded on the note and he narrates this portion saying that El brought him back to life out of a cave to feel things and be happy. Hopper tells Eleven he is just scared because he is scared of changes. He admits El will need to continue to grow up. Hopper continues to say that, “When life hurts you, and it will, remember the hurt because that means you are out of the cave.” He ends by asking her to keep the door open 3 -inches.

Eleven cries clutching the note and tucks it in her pocket. They finish packing the U-Haul. Joyce closes the door.

In Russia we see a base. Two Russians are walking by closed doors and we hear one say “Not the American” as they walk past the doors. They go to the next door and pull out a Russian prisoner. They lock him in a cage. They open a door and out comes the Demogorgan. The man screams as the Demogorgan screams in his face.