[Claudia] Dusty!
Dusty, how was it?
[Stammers] How was what?
"How was what?" The greatest night of the year, of course.
Oh. Oh, yeah, it was... It was, uh, tubular.
- What's wrong with you? - Nothing.
- Did something happen? - No. What? No.
Are you constipated again?
No. Mom!
Okay, you're acting weird.
- I am not acting weird! - [Thudding]
- Whoa! - Ah!
- [Laughing nervously] - [Hissing]
Awesome, right? Yeah... I rigged the trap with, uh,
a motor to make it look like I caught a ghost.
Just like the movie.
- [Laughs nervously] Oh, dusty. - [Laughs] Yeah.
[Both laughing]
Funny. Look at that. Look at that.
I told you to keep quiet.
All you had to do was stay still for one minute.
One minute.
Sorry, yertle.
Temporary eviction, buddy.
[Chittering]
What are you, little guy?
What were you doing in my trash?
You hungry?
Nougat.
- Go on, eat. - [Screeches]
Too hot?
Sorry about that, little guy.
[Chuckles]
You like nougat, too, huh?
You're pretty cute, you know that?
I'm glad I found you. [Chuckles]
D'Artagnan.
I'm gonna call you D'Artagnan.
[D'Artagnan chittering]
[Screeches]
[Theme music playing]
[Footsteps approaching]
[Hopper] Rise and shine.
So that's it, huh? You're still not talking?
All right.
I guess I'm just gonna have to, uh...
Enjoy this triple-Decker eggo extravaganza on my own.
[Hopper grunts]
Good, right?
Know the great thing about it? It's only 8,000 calories.
[Sniffles]
You visited him again last night?
He says he needs me.
Want me to go check on him?
I know that you miss him, all right?
But it's too dangerous.
You're the last thing he needs right now.
You're gonna see him. Soon.
And not just in that head of yours. You're gonna see him in real life.
I feel like I'm making progress with these people.
Friends don't lie.
What?
You say "soon" on day 21.
You say "soon" on day 205.
- You now say "soon" on day 326? - What is this?
You're counting the days now like you're some kind of prisoner?
When is "soon"?
"Soon" is when...
It's not dangerous anymore.
When?
- I don't know. - On day 500?
- I don't know. - On day 600?
- I don't know. - Day 700?
- On day 800? - No!
- I need to see him. Tell me! - I said I...
Oh! Shit! Shit!
Friends don't lie!
Jesus. Have you seen them?
- We're looking, mom. - Yeah, we're... we're looking.
- [Bob] A-ha! Found 'em. [Chuckles] - [Joyce] Oh!
Hiding under some jeans, sneaky little buggers.
Thank you. Thank you. You're a life saver.
Can you take will to school today? I cannot be late again.
- He's staying over now? - Can you just take will, please?
I can take him.
- Will you make sure he gets in okay? - Yeah, of course.
What do you say, big guy? Wanna go for a ride in the bobmobile?
Mr. Henderson, you know the rules. Five at a time.
One, two, three, four and five.
Ten.
You already have five books checked out.
My mistake.
However...
I am on a curiosity voyage, and I need my paddles to travel.
These books...
These books are my paddles.
Five at a time.
- Are you shitting me? - Excuse me?
What the hell is...
- Mr. Henderson! - I need my paddles!
Was that you I heard milling around last night, or was that a ghost?
Yeah. Me, probably.
- Another nightmare? - Um... no.
Did I ever tell you about Mr. Baldo?
- Mr. Baldo? - Yeah.
I was a little younger than you,
standing in line for the Ferris wheel at the roane county fair.
- Mmm-hmm. - And suddenly,
I feel this fat white glove tap me on the shoulder.
I spin around, and there he is.
Mr. Baldo.
[Imitating clown] "Hey, kiddo, would you like a balloon?"
[Chuckles] Go ahead, laugh. It's funny.
It wasn't funny back then, I can tell you that.
I couldn't get him out of my head.
Every night, he would come to me in my dreams.
And every night when he came to me...
I ran.
[Sighs] It got so bad that I made my mom stay in the room with me
until I could fall asleep every night.
- Really? - Really.
It went on like that for months.
And then one day, the nightmares suddenly stopped.
- Wanna know how? - How?
Well, I fell asleep...
And just like always, Mr. Baldo came to me.
Only this time, I didn't run.
This time, I stood my ground.
I just looked at Mr. Baldo
in his stupid face, and I said, "go away. Go away!"
Just like that, he was gone.
Never saw him again.
Easy-peasy, right?
Easy-peasy.
Just like that.
I still don't get why they call him zombie boy.
I mean, I get it. He got lost in the woods for a week or something,
but why is he a zombie? Because everyone thought he was dead?
Yeah. I mean, we had a funeral for him and everything.
After a week?
Well, see, some other kid drowned at the quarry.
We thought it was will because his body was super decomposed.
What?
Okay, that's not funny.
It's not a joke, all right? It's public knowledge.
You can ask anybody.
Except will, because he is really sensitive about it.
All right?
Okay.
[Bob] Have a great day, kiddo.
[Mr Clarke] The case of Phineas Gage
is one of the great medical curiosities of all time.
Phineas was a railroad worker in 1848 who had a nightmarish accident.
A large iron rod was driven completely through his head.
Phineas miraculously survived. He seemed fine.
And physically, yes, he was.
But his injury resulted in a complete change to his personality.
So much so that friends that knew him
started referring to him as "no longer Gage."
At the time, this was known as the American crowbar case.
Although it wasn't a...
[Panting] I am so sorry, Mr. Clarke.
Really, I'm so sorry. Please continue with the class.
Don't mind me.
Really, continue, please. Thanks.
Although it wasn't a crowbar, it was a rod, as I said.
[Softly] We have to meet. All of us. At lunch, av club.
I have something that you won't believe.
Av club. Lunch.
- Dustin! - Yes, my lord?
- Would you care to join the class now? - Please, yes.
- The case of Phineas Gage. - Phineas Gage.
- [Mr. Clarke] Page 104. - [Dustin] 104.104.
- [Mr. Clarke] Focus. - Focusing. Focusing.
[Softly] Av club.
And he began to curse, using terrible words
- that I don't dare repeat here. - [D'Artagnan chittering]
[Powell] And we found some more by Gilbert's farm.
[Callahan] Some real nasty stuff.
- It was sticky. - All right. Where else?
That was it, chief.
That was it, or you get tired of looking?
- It was getting dark. - I mean, it was really dark.
They're called flashlights, you dipshits.
Oh, okay. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
[Powell] More lady problems, chief?
Hey, chief! Where you going?
You want us to go back out there?
- Why's he gotta kick the door? - Hey, chief!
[Sighs]
[Hopper] My grandad used to live here.
Long time ago.
I mainlyjust use it for storage now.
Lot of history here.
So, uh... what do you think?
It's a work-in-progress. You know, it's, uh...
It takes a little imagination, but, uh...
Once we fix it up, it's gonna be nice.
Real nice.
This is your new home.
Home.
[Hopper sighs]
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
All right, this...
This is music.
["You don't mess around with Jim" playing]
J“ uptown got its hustlers the bowery got its bums j“
j“ 42nd street got big Jim walkerj“
all right. [Claps] Let's get to work.
J“ he's a pool-shootin' son of a gun j“
j“ yeah, he's big and dumb as a man can come j“
j“ but he's stronger than a country hoss j“
j“ and when the bad folks all get together at night j“
j“ you know they all call big Jim "boss" just because j“
j“ and they say you don't tug on Superman's cape j“
j“ you don't spit into the wind j“
j“ you don't pull the mask off that old lone rangerj“
j“ and you don't mess around with Jim j“
[static crackling]
J“ well, outta south Alabama come a country boy j“
j“ he said "I'm lookin' for a man named Jim j“
j“ I am a pool-shootin' boy my name is Willie McCoy j“
j“ but down home they call me slim j“
j“ yeah, I'm lookin' for the king of 42nd street j“
j“ he drivin' a drop top Cadillac j“
j“ last week, he took all my money and it may sound funny j“
j“ but I come to get my money back" j“
j“ and everybody say, Jack, don't you know j“
j“ you don't tug on Superman's cape you don't spit into the wind j“
j“ you don't pull the mask off that old lone rangerj“
j“ and you don't mess around with slim j“
[Hopper] Give me those.
Okay.
Now, this is called a trip wire.
It's like an alarm.
You, uh, set it up like this.
And then, anybody gets close,
it's gonna make a loud noise like, uh, gunfire.
Bang! [Chuckles]
Those bad men aren't gonna find ya.
All right? Not way the hell out here.
We'll take some precautions.
There's gonna be a couple ground rules.
Rule number one:
Always keep the curtains drawn.
Rule number two:
Only open the door if you hear my secret knock.
And rule number three:
Don't ever go out alone, especially not in the daylight.
That's it. Three rules.
I call 'em the, uh...
Don't be stupid rules.
'Cause we 're not stupid.
Right?
Not stupid.
- [Steve grunts] - Harrington, right?
I heard you used to run this school. That true?
King Steve, they used to call you, huh?
Then you turned bitch.
Hey, maybe you should just shut up and just play the game.
Whoo!
That's what I'm talking about! Whoo!
[Nancy] Steve?
- What are you doing here? - What do you think?
Where were you this morning? I missed first period.
I figured Jonathan would take you.
Wha... what are you talking about?
[Scoffs] Jesus, you really can't handle your alcohol.
You remember going to Tina's party last night, right?
- Yes. - And then what?
I remember dancing, and...
Spilling some punch.
You got mad at me because I was drunk...
- And then you took me home. - [Scoffs]
No, see, that's where your mind gets a little bit fuzzy.
That was your other boyfriend. That was... that was Jonathan.
- I don't understand. - It's pretty simple, Nancy.
- You were just telling it like it is. - What?
Apparently, uh...
We killed Barb and I don't care, 'cause I'm bullshit...
And our whole... our whole relationship is bullshit, and...
I mean, pretty much everything is just bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.
Oh, yeah, also, you don't love me.
I was drunk, Steve. I don't remember any of that.
So that makes everything that you said... It's what? Just bullshit, too?
- Yes. - Well, then tell me.
Tell you what?
You love me.
- Really? - [Door bangs]
Harrington!
Dude, we need you, man. That douchebag's killing us. Let's go!
- All right! - Come on!
I think that you're bullshit.
[D'Artagnan chittering]
[Dustin] His name is D'Artagnan.
Cute, right?
- D'Artagnan? - Dart for short.
- And he was in your trash? - Foraging for food.
- You wanna hold him? - No, no.
- He doesn't bite. - I don't want to...
Oh, god, he's slimy!
Ugh, he's like a living booger.
Ugh, oh, god!
What is he?
My question exactly.
At first, I thought it was some type of pollywog.
- Pollywog? - It's another word for tadpole.
- A tadpole is the larval stage of a toad. - I know what a tadpole is.
All right, then you know that most tadpoles are aquatic, right?
Well, dart, he isn't. He doesn't need water.
Yeah, but aren't there nonaquatic pollywogs?
Terrestrial pollywogs? Yep. Two to be exact.
Indirana semipalmata.
And the adenomera andreae.
One's from India, one's from South America.
So how did one end up in my trash?
Maybe some scientists brought it here, anditescaped?
Do you guys see that?
Looks like something is moving inside of it.
- [Screeches] - [Both gasp]
[Dustin] Whoa.
It's okay. It's okay.
- I got you, little guy. - [Chittering]
I know you don't like that. It's okay.
And there's another thing.
Reptiles, they're cold-blooded. Ectothermic, right?
They love heat, the sun. Dart hates it. It hurts him.
So, if he's not a pollywog or a reptile...
Then I've discovered a new species.
[Bell rings]
We gotta show him to Mr. Clarke.
- What if he steals my discovery? - He's not gonna steal your discovery.
You know, I'm thinking about calling it dustonious pollywogus.
- What do you think? - I think you're an idiot.
When I become rich and famous for this one day,
don't come crawling back, saying,
"oh, my god, Dustin, I'm so sorry for being mean to you back in 8th grade.
Oh, my god."
- Have a nice day. - Thank you.
Baloney?
Mmm.
- Last night was fun. - Mmm-hmm.
I'm sorry if I overstepped anything.
No! No, you didn't.
Okay.
I mean...
I... I like you so much.
Not just you, everything that comes with you.
Your family, your boys.
And I hope it's not wishful thinking, but...
I kinda feel like I'm breaking through with them.
Not so much Jonathan. He's a tough cookie to crack, but...
Yeah.
With will, I don't know, I feel like we're connecting.
He likes you, too.
- Yeah? - Mmm-hmm.
I can tell.
Good.
Oh, there was... Something else I was gonna mention, but...
It's not a big deal at all, but...
I just noticed this morning that my jvc was a little dinged up.
- Your what? - The video camera.
-Yeah.
It still works fine and everything. I just...
I went back and watched the tape...
And there were some older kids picking on will.
- What? - They scared him.
Who were they? Were they the Zimmerman brothers again?
Um, I don't know.
They were wearing masks or sort of makeup and...
Maybe. They were the right age.
I'll kill them.
I swear to god, I will... I will kill them.
That's what I love about you. You punch back.
[Chuckles] I was never really one to put up a fight.
I struggled a lot like will when I was a kid.
With bullies.
[Sighs] It's the ones like us, that don't punch back,
that people really take advantage of, you know?
They rub your nose in it, just a little bit more.
I don't know why they do that.
Maybe it makes them feel powerful.
I don't know.
But, hey, look at me now.
I get to date Joyce byers. Ha!
- [Chuckles] - Are you kidding me? I get to date...
It all works out in the end, doesn't it?
Yes, it does.
[Hopper] Grass, crops, trees.
Everything in this area is either dead or dying,
and that's a radius of over three miles.
And it all leads back to here.
See, these patterns here are really pretty. I like the design.
It's almost psychedelic.
- This is a joke to you, huh? - No, it's not a joke. I just...
I don't understand what this has to do with me, chief hopper.
Whatever is happening is spreading from this place, from this lab.
That's impossible. It's... The last burn was two days ago.
It's contained.
- What if there's a leak? - A leak? [Scoffs]
- I don't know, man. You're the scientist. - Exactly.
And I'm telling you there's nothing to worry about.
- Convince me. - Convince you?
Yeah. You and your egghead friends
go out there to every area on this map and you run your tests,
or whatever the hell it is you do, and you see if anything comes up.
[Scoffs] All right, so...
So you're... you're giving me orders now?
- I keep things nice and quiet for you... - Mmm-hmm.
And you keep your shit out of my town.
That is the deal.
I have done my part, now you do yours.
Convince me.
So, he asked you to take me home?
Yeah.
Yeah, he was upset.
I mean, he was... he was really upset.
But he was still worried about you.
Hey.
You need to out yourself some slack, okay?
People say stupid things when they're wasted.
Things they don't mean.
Yeah, but that's the thing.
What if I did mean it?
All this time, I've been trying so hard to pretend like everything's fine,
but it's not.
I... I feel like there's this...
I don't know, like this...
Like there's this weight you're carrying around with you.
All the time.
I feel it, too.
Yeah, but it's different for you.
Will came home.
Yeah.
Yeah, he did.
But he's not the same.
I try to be there for him, you know, to help him, but...
[Sighs] I don't know.
I mean, maybe...
Maybe things just can't go back to the way they were.
Doesn't that make you mad?
Yeah, that those... Those people who did this,
who ruined so many lives, they just get away with it.
The people responsible for this...
- They're dead. - Do you really believe that?
[Rock song playing over headphones]
Your mom's boyfriend.
- He works at radioshack, right? - Yeah.
What are you thinking?
Do you wanna skip fourth period?
[Woman laughing] Isn't this fun?
[Continues laughing]
[Continues laughing] Pump your feet.
[Hopper] "I would feel so sad if I thought I was a disappointment to her...
Because she didn't live very long after that, you see.
She died of a fever when I was just three months old.
I do wish she'd lived long enough for me to remember calling her mother.
I think it would be so sweet to say 'mother."'
do I have a mother?
Yeah, of course you have a mother.
You couldn't really be born without one.
Where is she?
She...
She's not around anymore.
Gone?
Yeah.
I'm sorry about that, kid.
"And, uh, father died four days aftennards from fever, too.
That left me an orphan and folks were at their wits' end,
so Mrs. Thomas said to me, what to do with me.
You see, nobody wanted me even then.
It seems to be my fate."
[Woman] Is your mom here?
Sweetie?
School.
Where is school?
The school? It's, uh... It's about a mile that way.
At least.
Where are your parents?
[Metal squeaking]
[Girl] Look, mommy, look.
[Phone ringing]
Radioshack, Bob newby speaking. How can I help ya?
Bob, it's Joyce.
Hey, Joyce, how ya doing?
Hey, um... I'm trying to watch your video thingy,
and the tape, it's... it's tiny. It's like it's shrunk.
[Chuckles] That's 'cause it's a vhs-c, not a vhs.
You gotta find the rf-p1 u with coaxial cable
so you can connect the video ins and outs.
Bob, English.
Right. Sorry. Um...
No, yeah, I did the coaxial things in the back, so I...
This one just goes into the camera itself?
- Yeah. Yeah, exactly. - It's blue. I think it's working.
I was thinking maybe tonight...
- [Dial tone] - Joyce?
So you hit t to zoom in, and wzooms back out.
See? Easy-peasy.
[Boy 1] Watch it, zombie boy.
[Boy 2] Trick or treat, freak.
- [Boys laughing] - Loser
[will] Mike! Mikel
[Ringing]
Will, you coming? Let's go show Mr. Clarke.
What?
It's about D'Artagnan.
This is the reason I was late for class.
Pretty neat. These doors function?
Well, yeah, obviously. But it's not about the trap.
It's what's inside.
Now, this very well may change your perception of the world.
Consider my interest piqued.
All right, first, let's just clarify that...
This is my discovery, not yours.
Dustin, Jesus! Just show him!
- I'm just trying to clarify... - Dustin!
- Okay, fine. - [Door opens]
[Mike] Stop!
I'm sorry, Mr. Clarke. It was just a stupid prank.
- What are you doing? - I told him to stop. We need to go.
- [Dustin] Mike! - Right now. Right now!
So, your sister coming or what?
Screw it. That little shit can skate home.
- And don't call her that. - What?
Sister. She's not my sister.
[Rock music playing loudly]
[Banging on door]
Hello? Hello?
- Guys, come on. Can I come in yet? - [Mike] No!
- I don't understand. - What do you not understand?
Will saw something that looked like dart last year?
Kind of, but there was no tail.
But then he heard it yesterday. The exact same sound.
- Why didn't you tell us before? - I wasn't sure.
- A coincidence. - [Mike] Or not.
What if when will was stuck in the upside down,
he somehow acquired true sight?
True sight?
It gives you the power to see into the ethereal plane.
[Sighs] Elaborate.
Maybe these episodes that will keeps having aren't really flashbacks at all.
Maybe they're real.
Maybe will can somehow see into the upside down.
- So that would mean... - Dart is from the upside down.
- [Sighs] We have to take him to hopper. - I agree.
No way. If we take him to hopper, dart's good as dead.
- Maybe he should be. - How can you say that?
How can you not? He's from the upside down.
Maybe. But even if he is, it doesn't automatically mean that he's bad.
That's like saying just because someone's from the death star
- doesn't make them bad. - We have a bond.
A bond? Just because he likes nougat?
No, because he trusts me!
He trusts you?
Yes, I promised I would take care of him.
[Dart screeching]
Guys, what's going on? Come on.
- Don't hurt him. - Only if he attacks.
Just open it already.
Holy shit!
Oh, shit!
[Max] What the...
Oh, shit!
[Lucas] Where'd he go?
- What was that? - Dan!
- What? - You let him escape!
- Why did you attack him? - Come on.
Don't hurt him. Don't you hurt him!
Jonathan?
Uh... Mrs. Wheeler.
- What a pleasant surprise. - Yeah.
- Uh, we have a test tomorrow. - Hmm.
- Oh, did you go shopping? - Oh, uh, yeah. My walkman broke.
- Aw! - [Jonathan] Bummer.
Anyway, we should go. It's a really big test.
-Yeah.
- Stressful. - Very.
- Bye, Mrs. Wheeler. - Bye! It's good to see you.
[Sighs] Okay, are you sure about this?
[Phone ringing]
Hello. Marsha speaking.
Hello?
Mrs. Holland. Hi, it's, um... it's Nancy.
Nancy?
I, uh...
I need to tell you something. Something about Barb.
About that night. I, uh...
I, uh... I haven't been honest with you.
But I can't tell you here on the phone.
Meet me tomorrow, forrest hills park, 9:00 am.
Don't tell anyone.
And don't call me back here. It's dangerous.
[Marsha] Nancy, what is this?
[Nancy] I just need you to trust me. Please.
[Owens] Well, you were right about these pumpkins.
Some nasty stuff.
[Chuckling] And the smell... Gee, mother of god.
What exactly do you think is going on...
Well, I told you what I think.
But we'll run the tests, and we'll see what comes up.
In the meantime, I just need you to keep the area clear for us.
I don't think it'll be more than a day or two.
What do you want me to tell people?
I'm sure you'll figure something out.
- [Powell on radio] Hey, chief, you copy? - Yeah.
Do you remember that Russian girl Murray was going on about the other day?
Yeah, well, now I'm thinking he's not so crazy after all.
Stay where you are. Do not move.
East is clear. No sign of dart.
Where'd you go, you little bastard?
West is clear, too. Will?
South is clear. Lucas?
Anything?
Excuse me! Mr. Sinclair!
[Stammering] Sorry, I was looking for study hall.
Bye.
Nothing here, man.
[Objects clattering]
[Yells]
- What the hell are you doing? - What are you doing?
- Why are you in here? - Looking for dart.
- This is the boys' room. - Yeah, so?
So you should go home.
- Why do you hate me so much? - I don't hate you.
- How can I hate you? I don't know you. - But you don't want me in your party.
- Correct. - Why not?
Because you're annoying. Also, we don't need another party member.
I'm our paladin, will's our cleric, Dustin's our bard, Lucas is our ranger,
and El is our mage.
- El? Who's El? - Someone. No one.
Someone or no one?
She was in our party a long time ago. She moved away, okay?
She was a mage?
Well, what could she do? Like, magic tricks or something?
Well, I could be your zoomer.
- That's not even a real thing. - It could be.
- See? Zoomer. - Mind-blowing.
Come on, you know you're impressed.
[Mike] I don't see any tricks. You're just going around in a circle.
[Max] If it's so easy, you try it.
- [Mike] No. - [Max] Why not?
[Mike] I don't know how.
[Max] So, then you admit it's kind of impressive.
[Mike] I think if I spent, like, all day practicing, I could do that.
[Max] I would give you a million bucks if you could.
[Mike] Okay, you're making me dizzy.
- Please just stop. - I'll stop when I join your party.
- Come on, just stop. - It's a simple question. Am I in or out?
[Grunts]
Jesus! Are you all right?
Yeah, yeah. I think so.
- What happened? - I don't know.
It was like a magnet or something pulling on my board.
I know that sounds crazy.
- [Line ringing] - [Sighs] Come on, come on, come on!
[Phone ringing]
Hawkins middle. May I help you?
Yes. Hi, Doris. It's Joyce.
- Uh, Joyce byers. - [Mouthing] Joyce.
Uh, will has a v club today. Could you transfer me to Mr. Clarke?
- Mr. Clarke? Huh. You know what? - What?
I just saw him leave for the day. Maybe av was canceled?
- What? - Would you like me to...
[Dart chittering]
Guys...
- I found him. - [Dustin] Where?
In the bathroom by Mr. Salerno's.
[Mike] Copy that.
It's okay.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
[Screeches]
[Monster growling]
Hey, buddy.
- Come here. You know I won't hurt you. - [Chittering]
It's okay. It's just me.
You're okay.
- [Mike] Let's go. Down here. - [Lucas] We're coming!
Stay low. Keep quiet.
Where's dart?
- I don't know. Not here. - What?
- [Max] He said by salerno's, right? - [Dustin] Yeah, maybe will has him.
Where is will?
Only this time, I didn't run.
This time, I stood my ground.
[Breathing heavily]
[Screeching]
I said, "go away. Go away!"
Go away!
Go away! Go away!
- Go away! - [Screeching]
Easy-peasy, right?
Easy-peasy.
Just like that.