S03.E05: Chapter Five: The Flayed

[Athena]

TBA

[raven]

Yay Steve!  He won a fight.  Good ep for Steve.

I laughed when Joyce overthrew the gun to Hopper.  Speaking of fights, I was thinking that the fights were realistic - Hopper is big and can throw a punch but he's not a professional so it makes sense that Russian keeps beating him.  The show does a good job for the most part of not letting us forget that, with the exception of El, these are regular people without superpowers trying to do the right thing and to survive.  This is NOT the time to be jealous Hopper, jeez, stop it already.

Then the show disappoints me a bit by showing Jonathan barely even getting knocked out after being hit by a steel stool and thrown around the hospital!  He was beat up but it seems he should have been unconscious at least. 

Brutal fight in the hospital by the way.  All those dead people, yikes.

Yes, let's open the gate to the upside down.  What could possibly go wrong?

[tennisgurl]

What is it with governments trying to create portals to obvious hell dimensions, trying to harness horrifying doom monsters, and just cracking open holes in the universe and poking around to see whats there? And the Soviets seem to be particularly lax in their Upside down security and protocol, its like this is some bizarre Chernobyl prequel. 

Good episode for Steve, he even finally won a fight! So the Soviets I assume have a different plan than what the mind flayer has, so that will be a pretty crappy surprise for them! Terminator Guy is very Terminator Like, and the Soviet scientist guy really just wants a slurpie. 

Nice seeing Nancy and Jonathan with the kids working together to solve the mystery, and Nancy and Jonathan both apologizing for being angry with each other. The hospital fight sequence was so intense, all those people dead, and those punches looked like they HURT. This show really does do a great job at showing how much a punch can really freaking hurt a person, and that whole most of the cast does pretty freaking against monsters and conspiracies, they are, with the exception of El, just a bunch of normal people against a bunch of next level craziness. 

Oh, thats not good. It really does look like a monster made out of flayed humans. 

[kokapetl]

You’d think the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, two strikingly attractive people, would be super attractive. I don’t get it. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, I loved Robin trying to use her very limited Russian on the guy in the control room!

Hopper's blatant jealousy was ridiculous. I mean, seriously, Mr. Clarke and Alexei? I liked the not so subtle reminder of what life was like before the internet and apps. Back in ye olden days, if you wanted something translated then you had to find an actual person who spoke that language.

Yay for Steve winning a fight! Dustin was so proud of him!

I totally cracked up at the fact that in the previous episode, the Dread Pirate Roberts referred to the guy Hopper was looking for as Arnold Schwarzenegger and in this episode we got to see his very Terminator-esque personality/abilities.

[bettername2come]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Ha, I loved Robin trying to use her very limited Russian on the guy in the control room!

My favorite part was that the opening sort of made sense. "Tread lightly" sort of worked as something you would say to someone pointing a gun at you.

[AimingforYoko]

Isn't the name of this episode "The Flayed"?

I like that all the storylines are converging now. Gee, I wonder where everyone will meet up?

I also wonder what the hell the Russians are up to. Well, it's kind of obvious what they're up to, but why are they up to it?

[Tipsymcstagger]

5 hours ago, kokapetl said:

You’d think the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, two strikingly attractive people, would be super attractive. I don’t get it. 

I think she’s absolutely lovely. And a pretty damned good actress as far as I can tell. I’m usually annoyed when I read about a celebrity kid “modeling” or acting. But she seems to have the chops. JMO.

[scottiB]

2 hours ago, Tipsymcstagger said:

I think she’s absolutely lovely. And a pretty damned good actress as far as I can tell. I’m usually annoyed when I read about a celebrity kid “modeling” or acting. But she seems to have the chops. JMO.

A commenter at the A.V. club mentioned that she was a perfect 50/50 of each parent. There is an angle where I can see Uma and another where Ethan seems prominent. Then another where l need to unfocus to see both parents. Unfair to the actress, but it really is incredible. And she is lovely. 

This show has been really good with casting. 

[Racj82]

2 hours ago, Tipsymcstagger said:

I think she’s absolutely lovely. And a pretty damned good actress as far as I can tell. I’m usually annoyed when I read about a celebrity kid “modeling” or acting. But she seems to have the chops. JMO.

Yep, but her acting chops is not what the poster was talking about.

She does look quite bland to me but her personality pops on screen. She has a real presence to her that makes her engaging. 

[DearEvette]

Two of the teams converge.  Yay!  The hospital scenes had me so on edge.  Poor Nancy yelling 'Hep'  My first instinct would be to pull a fire alarm.

So the flayed is really like a hive mind/body?  Hurt one it hurts the others.  I wonder if when they'll figure that out or it becomes relevant.

The homage to The Terminator is a bit too on the nose for my liking.  I can only hope that Arnold-lite will get his in the end.

Honestly I am more scared for the Scoops Ahoy troop that I am for everyone else right now.  They are in deep shit with. 

[MisterGlass]

Steve has been a joke for a lot of this season, but he does have his moments.  The escape under the door using the container as a wedge was good.

The gloopy humans are grosser than the exploding rats.  All the little shifting bones and viscera. Ick. 

[Capricasix]

Even with the dad-belly, Hopper’s still fairly jacked! Guess he hadn’t lost all the muscle mass from Hellboy.

[Enigma X]

1 hour ago, Racj82 said:

Yep, but her acting chops is not what the poster was talking about.

She does look quite bland to me but her personality pops on screen. She has a real presence to her that makes her engaging. 

I think she is a really good actress.

she looks more like her dad to me. I always thought he looked like the average American boy next door. So...

[MissL]

How big is that hospital? Shouldn’t Will have felt the mindslayer when it was directing those two guys to begin with?

And oh my lord that moving glob of melted humans was gross.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

4 minutes ago, MissL said:

How big is that hospital?

It always cracks me up when tv shows portrayed as taking place in small towns end up with hospitals so huge that they have an entire abandoned wing under construction where no one hears the inevitable screams for help.

[Perfect Xero]

28 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

It always cracks me up when tv shows portrayed as taking place in small towns end up with hospitals so huge that they have an entire abandoned wing under construction where no one hears the inevitable screams for help.

Next season they'll go full Sunnydale and have Nancy and Jonathan attending the major state college that's somehow been in Hawkins all along.

[LittleIggy]

When I was watching this episode, there was a thunderstorm and the lights blinked! Freaky!

[ganesh]

That entire hospital scene was crazy. It's was kind of Doctor Who with the running of the corridors. 

The Ice Cream Team is the best plot. I mean, a covert Soviet underground base in 1985 at a Midwestern town is just fucking bonkers. I like the show, but they're really pushing it. 

[Melina22]

13 hours ago, MisterGlass said:

The gloopy humans are grosser than the exploding rats.  All the little shifting bones and viscera. Ick. 

Usually anything blob-like in sci-fi shows is a big yawn, but last night I realized that I literally have to look away from the goo on this show. It's just stomach-turning. Good job... I guess? 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

11 hours ago, Perfect Xero said:

Next season they'll go full Sunnydale and have Nancy and Jonathan attending the major state college that's somehow been in Hawkins all along.

Ha, totally! It always amused me up that Sunnydale went from a one Starbucks town in the first few seasons to a city big enough for a large state university by S4. It will be hilarious if Small Town USA aka Hawkins suddenly has an as yet unseen college appear next year. The show managed to keep Nancy and Jonathan around this season since it's summer but they're going to have to come up with some reason why the older kids are still around next season. I can buy Steve and Jonathan still being around since Steve didn't get into college and Jonathan can't afford to go, but there's no real reason why Nancy (who has the money and the grades to leave Hawkins and go to college) should stick around.

I loved Robin and Dustin casually discussing comic book characters while Erica called them nerds and Steve protested his membership in the nerd club. I also loved how practical Steve was when he told Dustin to stop using the walkie talkie incessantly so he wouldn't drain the batteries. I never would have guessed two seasons ago that Steve would be so useful in crisis situations.

On 7/4/2019 at 11:50 PM, tennisgurl said:

This show really does do a great job at showing how much a punch can really freaking hurt a person, and that whole most of the cast does pretty freaking against monsters and conspiracies, they are, with the exception of El, just a bunch of normal people against a bunch of next level craziness. 

As much as I enjoy superhero stuff (as well as Eleven's powers), I really like that the show is mostly about regular humans without special powers fighting supernatural evil. The fight isn't about extraordinary strength - it's about normal people strategizing and doing the best they can with their regular human skills.

[Conotocarious]

I don’t know, I thought it was majorly unrealistic how people kept getting up and staggering on at the end of some serious beat downs. 

Edited July 6, 2019 by Conotocarious

[Lady Calypso]

1 hour ago, Conotocarious said:

I don’t know, I thought it was majorly unrealistic how people kept getting getting up and staggering on at the end of some serious beat downs. 

Yeah, I don't know how Jonathan was even standing up, let alone walking, by the end of this episode. His spine got seriously slammed into basically everything. 

I am super happy they brought the kids and Nancy/Jonathan's stories together. It's about time! I like how they brought them together, as well. I like that Nancy figured out that they needed to go to Will, Mike, and their friends. 

 The Scoops Ahoy stuff is definitely the most fun to watch. It's impressive how they have interwoven the 18 year olds with the younger kids. Erica is not as bad as I thought she would be, and I guess they're using her in the best way that they can. Steve got to have some shining moments in this episode as well, which is fantastic. We know he is capable when given the chance. And Robin continues to impress me as the new character on the show. She is seriously awesome, and now equipped with Nerd Status! 

Joyce and Hopper continue to entertain me as well, but now their plot is the weakest. I did laugh with Joyce overthrowing the gun. That's not a TV thing and I appreciate that they subtly acknowledged that they were subverting a classic trope.  

[backhometome]

Finally Nancy and Jonathan met up with another group and not isolated.

Nancy was badass.

How is Jonathan even able to stand up after that beat down.

LOL Robin asking why it would be happening in boring Hawkins and Dustin and Steve just looking at each other.

Steve finally won a fight. 

I love Alexi. 

[VCRTracking]

2 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I am super happy they brought the kids and Nancy/Jonathan's stories together. It's about time! I like how they brought them together, as well. I like that Nancy figured out that they needed to go to Will, Mike, and their friends. 

Yeah I liked that some of the separate stories came together earlier. I think with past experience the characters realized that they needed to contact the others when weird shit is starting to go down.

Edited July 6, 2019 by VCRTracking

[Anela]

9 hours ago, Melina22 said:

Usually anything blob-like in sci-fi shows is a big yawn, but last night I realized that I literally have to look away from the goo on this show. It's just stomach-turning. Good job... I guess? 

Same. Two days in a row, I made the mistake of eating something when I was watching, and both things included tomato sauce. One included ground meat. I won't do it a third time. 

I also don't know how Jonathan is still walking around, but it's something that's bugged me with TV shows for years. Masculine douche-bro fist fights, that are seemingly over one thing, but really over a woman (usually), and none of them even deal with a broken tooth, or a head injury. 

[Captain Carrot]

What was interesting is that the flayed seemed to be focused on Nancy, and not Jonathan. Was that due to lingering dislike from the hosts, or did the Mind Flayer see her as more of a threat?

[gooberfish]

I hardly understand anything. Normal humans get infected by the bad whatever who is in the form of a human (like Billy)?  Then, if they are killed again, they turn into the gross bloody mess that congeals into a monster ? Is there a main monster? Are people inhabited by monsters both by being attacked by pure monsters and by attacks from inhabited people?

I never understand the links to the human bad guys as in the first two seasons.

Where are the plants that were taking over everything? 

Is this stuff all still from backwards land? 

[ridethemaverick]

On 7/5/2019 at 7:41 AM, kokapetl said:

You’d think the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, two strikingly attractive people, would be super attractive. I don’t get it. 

Ok good, it's not just me.

That said, I like that none of the cast are beautiful. They all look like they could be found at a mall in middle America in the 80s, plain and nondescript. So great job to the casting directors.

[tennisgurl]

Steve seems to be struggling a bit with his future, and since he probably can’t write “monster skater” on his resume, I think he should consider doing something in law enforcement, search and rescue, firefighting, or something like that. He can be a bit of a mess in day to day life, but he is a great guy to have around in a crisis. He has a really strong protective instinct, thinks pretty quick on his feet, and isn’t afraid to run towards danger to help people, I think those could serve him well in some careers. Or maybe I just want to watch him become Hops deputy and the hilarity that would ensue. 

[ganesh]

That's a really good point. I think chief of the fire department is the best fit. 

[Kel Varnsen]

On 7/5/2019 at 4:21 PM, MisterGlass said:

Steve has been a joke for a lot of this season, but he does have his moments.  The escape under the door using the container as a wedge was good.

It would have been hilarious  if he had reached back under the door to grab his Scoops Ahoy sailor hat.

So if the Soviets are doing upside down experiments under the mall does that mean that scene from the previous year in the first episode took place in Hawkins not Russia? Also how did the music from the mall pony ride machine get on the radio transmission if they are so far underground?

[blueray]

Yay Steve, you won a fight! I cheered along with Dustin when this happened.  I again really enjoyed this group together and of course the reveal of the upside down.

I was a bit confused weren't there two scientists that they captured? Was one shot? Suddenly when they were outside they just had the one guy and there was no further mention of his co-worker. Anyhow, liked Joyce and Hopper together. I also liked for some reason when Eleven was like she's with your mom to Will and they are going to Illinois.

It was great to see Johnathan and Nancy team up with the kids.  The hospital scene was intense. I so thought it was going to get Johnathan. It was good both Johnathan and Nancy were able to fight. Though I was yelling for them to run when it started to become goo. As watching it just seemed like a bad idea as it may try to take them as a host. Instead it formed a monster. I did like how Will instantly knew something was up, hopefully more on that next episode. I like that Mike and Eleven made up.

[blueray]

11 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

So if the Soviets are doing upside down experiments under the mall does that mean that scene from the previous year in the first episode took place in Hawkins not Russia? Also how did the music from the mall pony ride machine get on the radio transmission if they are so far underground?

I took it as the guy was standing at the mall talking when Dustin intercepted the call.

I also forgot to mention that i really enjoyed them explaining that the parents were wondering about their kids. Both Karen and Joyce made a call about their kids. And Erica mentioned her parents think she's at a friends house.

[Quilt Fairy]

12 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

So if the Soviets are doing upside down experiments under the mall does that mean that scene from the previous year in the first episode took place in Hawkins not Russia?

That first scene in the first episode has a chryon that states the location as Russia.  Then when they pull away for the wide shot you see they're in a remote mountainous region that's definitely not Indiana.

Now, you may ask how the Russians managed to build a huge mall and a huge secret facility in the middle of Indiana in a single year.  For that, I have no answer.

[kokapetl]

Quote

On 7/5/2019 at 7:41 PM, kokapetl said:

You’d think the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, two strikingly attractive people, would be super attractive. I don’t get it. 

😟

I’m not calling her ugly, but Uma Thurman is a goddess, and Ethan Hawke was super hot back in the day. 

[Robert Lynch]

Ethan's first movie was The Explorers. An obsecure 80s film. Remember that one?

[Kel Varnsen]

5 hours ago, blueray said:

I was a bit confused weren't there two scientists that they captured? Was one shot? Suddenly when they were outside they just had the one guy and there was no further mention of his co-worker. 

There were 2 in the facility. Once Hopper realized that there was no way he was winning the fight with the terminator guy (who seriously looks like if they made a clone that was 50% Robert Patrick and 50% Dolph Lundgren), he decided to escape and grabbed one of the scientists to take with him. There was a quick cut where he said something like you're coming with me and cuffed the guy to him.

48 minutes ago, Robert Lynch said:

Ethan's first movie was The Explorers. An obsecure 80s film. Remember that one?

Is that the one where the 3 kids make a space ship out of a tilt-a-whirl? If so that is totally one of those movies that inspired Stranger Things.

[Robert Lynch]

That's it. River Phoenix was there, too.

[foxfreakinmulder]

17 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Steve seems to be struggling a bit with his future, and since he probably can’t write “monster skater” on his resume, I think he should consider doing something in law enforcement, search and rescue, firefighting, or something like that. He can be a bit of a mess in day to day life, but he is a great guy to have around in a crisis. He has a really strong protective instinct, thinks pretty quick on his feet, and isn’t afraid to run towards danger to help people, I think those could serve him well in some careers. Or maybe I just want to watch him become Hops deputy and the hilarity that would ensue. 

Yes please! Are you listening Stranger Things? If there is a season 4 let Steve be Hopper's deputy or a firefighter. :-)

Terminator overload. The heavy walking, the robotic movements, even the way he talks, oh, and he rides a motorcycle too.

Loved Dustin's reaction when Steve won his first fight! And of course Steve running his fingers through his lovely head of hair afterwards.

The gooey humans, gross. I was waiting for Nancy and Johnathan to run but they followed the blobs and watched it turn into a monster. Why didn't Will feel them there?

Man, how far down is that bunker? Looks like they're half way to China lol. Hope the Scooby gang finds a way out of there soon.

Joyce trying to throw the gun to Hopper and missing is exactly how I throw. Only I probably would've thrown it right in Terminator's lap.

Only 3 episodes left :-( Why only 8, we waited forever for this season and they only give us 8 episodes? I hate you Netflix. I did read online that if they renew for season 4 it will be smoke free because people are complaining. Come on, what's next, they complain because the kids are out after dark? Give me a forking break.

On to episode 6.

[Racj82]

On 7/5/2019 at 2:59 PM, scottiB said:

A commenter at the A.V. club mentioned that she was a perfect 50/50 of each parent. There is an angle where I can see Uma and another where Ethan seems prominent. Then another where l need to unfocus to see both parents. Unfair to the actress, but it really is incredible. And she is lovely. 

This show has been really good with casting. 

I will say that after watching a interview with her I see the Uma perfectly. It's the bangs that helps.

[Robert Lynch]

18 hours ago, foxfreakinmulder said:

Yes please! Are you listening Stranger Things? If there is a season 4 let Steve be Hopper's deputy or a firefighter. 🙂

Terminator overload. The heavy walking, the robotic movements, even the way he talks, oh, and he rides a motorcycle too.

Loved Dustin's reaction when Steve won his first fight! And of course Steve running his fingers through his lovely head of hair afterwards.

The gooey humans, gross. I was waiting for Nancy and Johnathan to run but they followed the blobs and watched it turn into a monster. Why didn't Will feel them there?

Man, how far down is that bunker? Looks like they're half way to China lol. Hope the Scooby gang finds a way out of there soon.

Joyce trying to throw the gun to Hopper and missing is exactly how I throw. Only I probably would've thrown it right in Terminator's lap.

Only 3 episodes left 😞 Why only 8, we waited forever for this season and they only give us 8 episodes? I hate you Netflix. I did read online that if they renew for season 4 it will be smoke free because people are complaining. Come on, what's next, they complain because the kids are out after dark? Give me a forking break.

On to episode 6.

 I think it was the 1988 Blob remake that made me think of gooey humans. I bet you a million dollars the Duffer brothers watch these scenes. Pre-Stranger Things.

Edited July 8, 2019 by Robert Lynch

[Ravenya003]

After complaining about it last episode, this one granted my wish: two of the groups team up! And the immediately split up again at the hospital. Ah well.

This was a bit of a step-down after the last episode, as everyone regroups and shares information, and the action sequences at the hospital weren't as exciting as those at the sauna/air ducts. Jonathan should have been seriously injured by the beating he took, not wandering around.

Glad both Joyce and Nancy got vindicated by circumstances, and the dudes who kept talking over them acknowledged as such. 

The goop is disgusting. 

[Taryn74]

On 7/4/2019 at 12:57 PM, raven said:

Then the show disappoints me a bit by showing Jonathan barely even getting knocked out after being hit by a steel stool and thrown around the hospital!  He was beat up but it seems he should have been unconscious at least. 

I wouldn't know.  They aren't kidding around with that photosensitivity warning at the beginning of the episode.  I had to "watch" the hospital fight sequences with my eyes closed and a blanket over my head, waiting for my son to tell me the flashing was over.

Editing because I don't want to double post -- we finished through this episode tonight and there are two things that are still bugging me about this season:

1) Erica continues to be a caricature rather than a character, and not only is she annoying most of the time in an obviously staged way, but because it's in an obviously staged way it not only annoys me, it completely takes me out of the show.  It's just too jarring.  ("You can't spell America without Erica" was hilarious, though.)

2) Joyce and Hopper's sudden over-the-top denial of any attraction/relationship potential.  Real people don't really act like that.  I feel like I'm watching an episode of Moonlighting or Who's the Boss.  Great for the 80s nostalgia, not so great for immersing myself in the show.  (See 'jarring' complaint above.)

Edited July 9, 2019 by Taryn74

[thuganomics85]

Glad that we are getting more merging with the storylines, as now Nancy and Jonathan have teamed up with the Eleven/Mike/Lucas/Max/Will gang.  Hopefully in the next few episodes, Hopper/Joyce and Scoops Ahoy (hee!) will join up, and the entire game will be together for the endgame!

Loved the beginning fight/escape, where Joyce accidentally overthrew the gun to the bad guy instead of Hopper, and then Hopper dramatically tosses the car keys to her, which are not only dropped, but it takes her a while to find the right key.  It never goes the way it is suppose to!  Hopper is clearly being overtly-jealous when it comes to Joyce, although I do think the smart ones are her type.  Glad to see Murray/Brett Gelman's character again.

Yay, Steve is 1-2 now, when it comes to fighting!  Dustin was so proud of him.  I have to imagine they'll have to tell Robin and Erica the truth at some point, now they have discovered the Russians are trying to open up the gate.  The question is will they believe them?  At this point, I figure they would be open about anything.

I was hoping Jake Busey's character would pay for his dickery, but being an another victim of the Mind Flayer was not what I had in mind!  He really reminded me of his father when he was in possessed mode.  The final sequence was well done and intense, although Jonathan really should be down for the count after getting tossed around and taking a stool to the back.  This isn't pro-wrestling, dammit!  You can't just walk that off!

[VCRTracking]

[The Companion]

Things got real this episode! I really love this season so far. It has been really well done. I found myself way too tense during the hospital scene. 

I love how they have let El start to have friends and branch out. She is so isolated. The little moment where she didn't know what a roller coaster felt like was really great. 

Echo how fun it was for Steve to get to do something. I loved the entire sneak sequence. 

[kieyra]

On 7/7/2019 at 2:26 PM, kokapetl said:

I’m not calling her ugly, but Uma Thurman is a goddess, and Ethan Hawke was super hot back in the day. 

I have a feeling she’s gonna be okay.

[Rambler]

Watching Steve and Robin sneaking around a secret Russian military base in cute sailor outfits has got to be one of the funniest visuals ever, especially since I think of them as wearing their very own dorky superhero costumes.

It was curtains for the Russkie once Steve got a hold of the microphone and started twirling it around like his signature S2 baseball bat. Never bet against Steve with a club in his hand!

[DearEvette]

On 7/6/2019 at 8:01 AM, Conotocarious said:

I don’t know, I thought it was majorly unrealistic how people kept getting up and staggering on at the end of some serious beat downs. 

Heh.  i wrote about this very thing on the 'This only happens on TV' Thread.

On 7/6/2019 at 11:23 AM, backhometome said:

Nancy was badass.

I really enjoy how Nancy appears to be this tiny, sensitive little thing.  Even somewhat prissy.  And yet when it is time to face down a monster-creature, girlfriend is like no nonsense, looking it dead in the eye and saying, "Bring IT!"  They've done this every season.  The scene of her and Jonathan in Joyce's house from season 1 with the nail bat and the shotgun and trying not to hear any of Steve's shit remains one of my favorite scenes.  Added bonus was Steve's realization that much more was going on than just high school posturing.