Stranger Things series 3

 Another series I picked up to finish after Noshi dropped out, and again a long time since the previous viewing, but heck, let's finish this!

I loved the first season of Stranger Things and the second was fine as well, of course the soundtrack being a nostalgia trip for someone of my errrrrm time on this planet.

 

Years before the events of the second season, the Russians tried to open a gate to the Upside Down as well.  In the meantime, Hawkins has seen the opening of the Starcourt Mall, which has become the center of attention in the little town.  Joyce is considering moving out of Hawkins after the events of season 2, while Hopper disapproves of Eleven's relationship with Mike.

When Dustin accidentally intercepts a russian transmission, turning to Steve and his coworker Robin with it.  Billy is dragged of the road when his car is ran off, and dragged into a mill where he meets a doppleganger.  He gets possessed by the Mind Flayer, whom Will had privately sensed that it is still alive.

Nancy and Jonathan investigate a mysterious rat case, seeing one of them exploding into a puddle of biomass.  But experiencing sexism, her story is buried by her superiors, unbeknown her head of the newspaper is also under the Mind Flayers control and he wants to keep his return silent.  Eleven senses something worng with Billy, and together with Max goes to check it out, but it all seems in order.  Never the less, together with the boys they trick him into a sauna, revealing that the Mind Flayer has indeed returned.

Dustin and Steve, together with Robin who had cracked the russian code and Erica break into a mysterious isolated room in the mall.   It turns out to be an elevator though, bringing them to a secret russian facility under the town, where they try and re-open the gate Eleven had closed.  Hopper and Joyce have been investigating abandoned properties, and while capturing a russian scientist, they barely escape a hitman after him.  They go to see Murray, who speaks russian, learning the plan of the russians underneath their town.

As the various groups converge together, they decide to take on the russians and close the gate afain, which should bring down the Mind Flayer as well.   As the beast corners the children, Max gets through to Billy who sacrifices himself to save them, while Hopper takes out the hitman, but as time ran out he orders Joyce to close the gate by triggering an explosion that takes him with it.  The Mind Flayer's physical body dies as a result, and the government arrives at Starcourt.

Three months later the cover up for the death's is in place, and Joyce's family, together with a powerless Eleven due to the battle in the mall, prepare to move out of Hawkins, as in Russia a prisoner is fed to a captured Demogorgon...

So, it had a break before I continued watching, but it is not a bad season.  Even though I`m not on the Stranger Things hypetrain, it is a good series to watch during painting series though, and I`ll tackle season 4 in the near future I guess.