Stranger Things – Chapter Two: The Mall Rats

By: Nicole Rodenbaugh

Billy (Dacre Montgomery) runs out of the warehouse to his car and peels away. He stops at a payphone and calls 911. Sadly, Billy is transported to see the Upside Down before he can reply to the operator. A group approaches him and he sees his doppelganger.

Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is pacing restlessly. She calls Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) house. Mike is obviously scared of Hopper (David Harbour). Mike lies to El and says he needs to spend time alone since his grandma is sick. Eleven slams down the phone.

Hopper is happy he has created a rift between the couple and sings his way to the General Store. Hopper asks Joyce (Winona Ryder) to go out for dinner stating it’s not a date. Joyce accepts. After he leaves, she discovers all of the magnets have fallen off a display and she cannot get them to stay.

Nancy (Natalia Dyer) asks the Editor Tom (Michael Park) to have another girl run out for lunch for the team. He agrees and she drags Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) out of the dark room to investigate the call she received the night before. Jonathan reluctantly agrees.

Robin (Maya Hawke) greets Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) at Scoops Ahoy. Steve (Joe Keery) runs out to greet Dustin. Dustin tells Steve about his new girlfriend while they hang out in a booth. Dustin says everyone ditched him. He whispers to Steve, but Steve can’t hear him. Dustin then yells to Steve that he intercepted a secret Russian communication. The customers all turn around to look. He asks Steve to help him translate.

Max (Sadie Sink) is trying to skateboard when it flies out from under her feet. El walks up with a scowl and picks up the skateboard. She asks Max to talk. El confides in Max that she is having issues with Mike. Meanwhile, Mike is confiding in Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) telling Lucas he feels bad about lying. Max tells El to give Mike a taste of his own medicine and if it doesn’t work to dump him. Lucas tells Mike it’s not a big issue and he messes up a lot. Lucas promises he can help fix it and drags Mike up the steps leaving Will (Noah Schnapp) alone. Max drags El out of the house saying, “Boys aren’t everything” and “It’s time for some fun”

Back at the pool the moms await Billy’s shift. Mrs. Wheeler (Cara Buono) spots Billy and follows him into the back. She confides that she never showed up to meet Billy because she has a family. Billy is covered in sweat and clutching pool chemicals. He turns around and slaps Mrs. Wheeler. Her body crashes into the brick wall.

Then, we flash back to Mrs. Wheeler pleading for Billy to talk to her. This time Billy turns around and warns her to stay away from him. He walks out to the poolside and his vision is flashing. He is completely disheveled and the sun is overwhelming him further.

At Scoops Ahoy Robin is serving customers while Steve listens to Dustin’s Russian recording. Steve notices music playing in the background. Robin rushes in and yells at the guys for using her whiteboard. Robin says she can hear everything including the Russia conspiracy they are working on. Robin says she can help since she knows four languages and is bored of working. Steve agrees to switch and handle customers.

Nancy and Jonathan arrive at Mrs. Driscoll’s. Mrs. Driscoll (Peggy Miley) leads them down to her basement where rats ate bags of fertilizer. Mrs. Driscoll guesses the rats have rabies since they are not acting normally. A loud banging starts and Mrs. Driscoll confides she caught one. She leads Nancy and Jonathon to a cage that is shaking and emitting a screeching noise.

A protesting crowd is yelling at Mayor Kline is swine outside of City Hall. Hopper walks into Larry Kline’s office. Larry (Cary Elwes) states that the crowd is unemployed workers and owners of local small businesses impacted by the mall. Since the crowd did not obtain a permit, Larry forces Hopper to disperse the crowd. Larry promises to provide the town with the best 4^th of July to secure votes as Hopper leaves the office.

Max takes El to the mall. El states she is not allowed at the mall because there are too many people. Max insures her it will be okay and drags her to go shopping.

Lucas takes Mike to the mall to pick an “I’m sorry” gift for El. Max tells El to pick out clothes that make El feel like herself.

Joyce goes to bring books to a house. There is no answer and Joyce starts to walk to her car. The garage door opens and Scott Clarke (Randy Havens) is standing there to greet her.

Jonathan is taking pictures of the rat that Mrs. Wheeler captured. Nancy uses Mrs. Wheelers phone to see if there are any other reports of rabid rats. Jonathon finishes his pictures and the rat starts squealing in pain. Nancy and Jonathan leave before the rat explodes into a red moving gelatinous blob. As it moves it starts to form into a shape with arms and a head.

At the pool Billy flashes to the Upside Down again and his doppelganger asks him to build what he sees. He looks around and sees a road with lights as he yells that he doesn’t understand. Billy stumbles to the shower as his skin reveals red vein-like shapes. He sees the female lifeguard and she asks him to take her to him. He then flashes to the female lifeguard who is really asking him if he is okay.

Madonna’s song “Material Girl” plays while Max and El try on outfits. El snaps her suspenders. Mike tries to buy El jewelry realizing it is too expense and leave to shop more. El and Max leave The Gap arm in arm with smiles ear to ear. El is wearing a colorful shorts jumper she picked. They then get Glamour Shots. El tries to walk in heels and falls quickly. El makes a group of teens Orange Julius’ explode in their faces.

Robin is making progress translating and the first sentence is “The week is long.”Fran

El and Max are leaving the mall when they run into Lucas, Mike and Will. Mike gets mad that El is at the mall. El asks why Mike is mean to her since he lied to her. She asks why he lies and when he doesn’t answer she tells him she dumps him and gets on the bus.

Hopper is seen arresting a protester from City Hall. He then dresses up and goes to a fancy restaurant. He sits alone waiting for Joyce. Joyce is still in Scott’s garage. She is given a demonstration of an electromagnetic field. He shows her how if the field is manipulated the magnets inside fall. He tells Joyce someone could make a machine big enough to do this to the town but it would be expensive.

Robin, Steve and Dustin have translated the Russian to “The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west.” Robin tells the guys this is a secret code because no one would just say something bad outright. Steve discovers the mall coin operated horse plays the song he heard in the recording. The transmission came from the mall and not Russia.

Hopper drunkenly hobbles out of the restaurant since Joyce never joined him.

Billy’s car pulls up to the Steel Works where the dark creature drug him. He pulls the female lifeguard Heather (Francesca Reale) out of the trunk of the car and carries her inside. He lays her down and tells her not to be afraid as it will be over soon. The creature steps out roaring while Heather is screaming.