Discussion for episodes 304-306, "The Sauna Test" through "E Pluribus Unum"

A_Ron_Hubbard

For your thoughts on the second act of Stranger Things 3...

kojiattwood

The Terminator homages are pretty obvious, no need for the Mayor to quip about Arnie.

Naugustine

So Robin is Uma Thurman’s daughter and is also going to have a part in Once upon a time in Hollywood 

adobo1148

If you’re going full die hard homage Hopper should have killed the Fake Arnold/Terminator down a flight of stairs 

kojiattwood

Nice Romero nod with the "flayed" concept.

Michelle

"You can't spell America without Erica." haha, props to this sassy little thing.  I'm loving her character this season.

hisdudeness915

Im through episode 5 and I am really not digging Hopper at all this season. I was ready to give them a pass on the episode 1-3 stuff but damn he’s a real whiny asshole in 4&5. Almost as bad as season 2 Mike but as a grown ass man. It’s actually got me not giving a fuck about his and Joyce’s plot and just wishing it would get back to the kids. 

Teresa from Concord

hisdudeness915 said:

Im through episode 5 and I am really not digging Hopper at all this season. I was ready to give them a pass on the episode 1-3 stuff but damn he’s a real whiny asshole in 4&5. Almost as bad as season 2 Mike but as a grown ass man. It’s actually got me not giving a fuck about his and Joyce’s plot and just wishing it would get back to the kids. 

I just finished the episode and came to the forum to say the very same thing. Why the big Hopper character change? I now roll my eyes whenever he’s on screen. And Joyce deserves more than to be his sidekick. I really hope this changes soon. Otherwise I may start a list of “characters I hope go to the upside down”

adobo1148

Joyce and Hopper are my least favorite part of this season. Im enjoying the Dustin/Harrington/ Robyn/ sister of Lucas show. I found Lucas’s sister insufferable at first but she grew on me for sure. I loved Robin and Steve heart to heart about acceptance even if it was rather trite.

ABevs

I’m not sure if they’re spoofing 80’s super patriotic anti-communist propaganda or if they’re trying to create their own or both. It sure seems like with the surge in popularity of socialism in the US right now that there is a lot of pop culture pushing back against it.

ABevs

Murray does have a good line in the next episode though. But he’s the show’s conspiracy theorist so I’m not sure how much weight it holds in comparison to the other stuff. 

asmallcat

I was initially thinking there was too much Erica this season (she was GREAT last season, but she was used very sparingly), but it came back around and now I love her. 

Dee

asmallcat said:

I was initially thinking there was too much Erica this season (she was GREAT last season, but she was used very sparingly), but it came back around and now I love her. 

Yeah, she was annoying me at first (I hate sassy sitcom kids), but she made me think of a mini Whoopi Goldberg and I love Whoopi’s 80s stuff so I came around to her.

rkcrawf

Naugustine said:

So Robin is Uma Thurman’s daughter and is also going to have a part in Once upon a time in Hollywood 

I’ve been impressed with her, having just finished 306. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I looked her up and realized she is both a Thurman and a (Hawke). Star power might be genetic. 

Hatorian

The hopper letting the Russian go and they are playing it like he’s wrong is just gold...that scene is a 10/10.. best scene of the series so far. 

ar311krypton

Hatorian said:

The hopper letting the Russian go and they are playing it like he’s wrong is just gold...that scene is a 10/10.. best scene of the series so far. 

I especially love it because I feel like it vindicates Hopper from a season which (thus far) hasn't featured peak Hopper.

awookiee

Hatorian said:

The hopper letting the Russian go and they are playing it like he’s wrong is just gold...that scene is a 10/10.. best scene of the series so far. 

Agreed 100% I was like the Russian it totally just leaving, NOPE.  Hopper's right of course and just his smug couple seconds on scene after realizing that was amazing.  I didn't have any issues with Hopper on first watch, I thought it all fit his character and what he was going through and been through.  

William

The Body-snatcher/Mindflayer stuff is A+ to me. But I find the Russian Army stuff to be a little eye-rolling in a show that previously introduced these concepts in a way that was previously so clever in how it presented the mystery and conspiracy. I find myself repeating A. Ron's "Wouldn't you just call the cops" a bit too often. Guards with AKs not immediately prompting a 911 call being tops of the list.  

Still enjoying it, but if Steve single-handedly ends the cold war... ... ... actually, that would be pretty dope. 

Dee

William said:

The Body-snatcher/Mindflayer stuff is A+ to me. But I find the Russian Army stuff to be a little eye-rolling in a show that previously introduced these concepts in a way that was previously so clever in how it presented the mystery and conspiracy. I find myself repeating A. Ron's "Wouldn't you just call the cops" a bit too often. Guards with AKs not immediately prompting a 911 call being tops of the list.  

Still enjoying it, but if Steve single-handedly ends the cold war... ... ... actually, that would be pretty dope. 

I think that just plays into the “adults are not around, kids have to fix it themselves” thing that’s going on. You have to let a lot go with this show - like, why aren’t any of the parents (Erica, Dustin, even Steve and Robin) wondering where their kids are this whole time? 

Dee

@Jim, “Fagin and the gang” is an Oliver Twist reference. Fagin was the fence who was running the child pickpocket ring. I’m not sure what it means when Jonathan says it, though. I was confused by that.