At this point in Stranger Things 5 after the thrilling conclusion of episode 2, we officially know that Mr. Whatsit is Vecna, he’s taken Holly, and more kids are in danger. The stakes are higher than ever going into episode 3, titled “The Turnbow Trap.” And somehow, this one takes things up a notch again, improving from the last episode to answer some questions and still thicken a few mysteries. We are more than ready for the conclusion of Volume 1 now. But first...
We recapped and reviewed episode 3 live right here.
Eleven’s kryptonite
Episode 3 opens up with Eleven and Hopper at the wall in the Upside Down, trying to figure out what it could be. Eleven is adamant that they have to get through it, while Hopper doesn’t want to risk hurting her. Suddenly, electric shockwaves create a warped, then soon very painful, feeling for Eleven as the military gets closer.
Joyce finally finds Will and Robin, understandably angry with them. But there’s no time for scolding; Will explains that Vecna is going after children, and they need to stop him. Cut to Vecna’s next victim: a kid named Derek Turnbow.
Meanwhile, Henry tells Holly that Derek will be visiting them at Creel House soon during a conversation at breakfast. Holly has no idea she’s in danger, as Henry, or Mr. Whatsit, convinces her he’s the one keeping her from danger. Plus, he gives her gifts. He also makes Holly promise him that she’ll never go out into the woods because that’s where the monsters are. Hm, I wonder what’s really in the woods.
The military reaches the wall in the Upside Down, and while Eleven and Hopper hide, it’s evident they’re not alone. They use their electric device to try and find Eleven, which causes her to scream out. This is what she and Hopper refer to as her kryptonite, and unfortunately for El, it’s not the last time we’ll be seeing it.
The soldiers find Hopper, and a shootout begins, complete with Hopper’s grenades—which Murray smuggled for the group—which destroys the electric device. Because of this, Eleven is ready to go again, and she and Hopper take down the remaining men.
The plan to save Derek Turnbow
The rest of the Hawkins crew meets up at the radio station to relay what they’ve learned. Dustin lies about how he got injured, while Will delivers the news about Derek being the next target. Mike and Nancy explain that Vecna has been stalking Holly as Mr. Whatsit, questioning why he took the time to build up her trust.
Together, the group forms a plan to save Derek—but the only catch is that it involves kidnapping. Not the smartest plan, but it’s the best thing they can think of quickly. There’s doubt that saving Derek will even help them get closer to Vecna, but Mike has an idea. If they’re able to get closer to a Demogorgon, they can shoot it with a telemetry tracker and follow where it goes. Theoretically, this would take them to Vecna.
And so, the plan is decided: They’ll have to recruit someone that the Turnbow family trusts to go into their home and knock them out. Vecna would then send in a Demogorgon to take Derek, but he won’t be there any longer. Instead, the group will be, and they’ll ensure a tracking device gets inside the Demo. Simple? No. Easy? Absolutely not. But this is Stranger Things, so we can rest assured something will work—even if it’s not in the way they’re initially planning.
The big soundtrack moment in episode 3 is “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany—also used in a memorable scene from Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy—during a scene where Holly explores Creel House while Henry is out. She bakes, watches TV, and looks through Henry’s things, having a great time. That is, until someone repeatedly rings the doorbell, scaring her. When she opens the door, no one’s there, but someone’s left something for her in the mailbox. There’s a note, which she assumes is from Henry, telling her that they need her help. There are directions to meet her, complete with a map and a compass.
Back to Hopper and Eleven, they’ve now captured one of the soldiers, hoping he can help them. Hopper assumes he’ll know the convoy schedule so they can get back to the real world, while Eleven thinks he might know something about the wall. Clearly, Eleven isn’t ready to leave the Upside Down without answers—or killing Vecna—but Hopper is prioritizing her safety.
Erica to the rescue
Great news for all of you Erica fans, because episode 3 is finally when she enters. Mike and Lucas try to recruit her to help them kidnap Derek, knowing she’s friends with his older sister. Erica is angry that she hasn’t been included in the crawls, but she’s eventually convinced to join them.
The most questionable part of the plan is how they’ll be able to knock out a whole family. Well, of course, they have an idea for that. Because Vickie works at the hospital, Robin knows a way to steal Benzos. Will accompanies her, and at the hospital, he admits to seeing Robin and Vickie kissing. He has questions for her, like how she knew that Vickie would want to date her, and Robin explains the signs.
Dustin and Steve are back on speaking terms—though barely—as they prepare Steve’s car for the plan. Just as they tracked Hopper during the crawls, they’ll be tracking the Demogorgon once they get the tracking device inside of it. But this time, they’ll be using Steve’s car instead of the radio station van, and to Steve’s horror, Dustin drills a hole into the roof for their satellite.
When Murray delivers more supplies to the group, he notices Nancy and Jonathan inserting the transmitter trackers into their guns and doubts their plan will work. Nancy is even more fiesty this season, which I love, and has a few really great one-liners. They end up putting the theory to the test, and, of course, it works. The tracker makes it out unscathed when being shot from a gun.
When he’s alone, Jonathan pulls out an engagement ring, clearly unsure of how or if he should pop the question. But there’s not a lot of time for thinking.
The military is keeping something like Eleven
In the Upside Down, Hopper begins interrogating the soldier, who we learn is named Akers (played by one of the actors in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Alex Breaux). He won’t budge at first, but fortunately for them, Eleven can enter his mind. She follows one of his memories, which leads her to a metal vault down a hallway, and she realizes there’s something—or someone–being kept locked away. She tells Hopper that the military is keeping someone powerful like her, and she thinks it’s Vecna.
The group is ready to carry out the plan to save Derek, and phase one is for Erica to visit the Turnbows. She’s invited inside for dinner and offers them a pie with the drugs inside. But while the rest of the family enjoys the dessert, Derek’s brother Tina refuses, saying she’s watching her calories. Suddenly, the family members begin acting strangely and pass out, and Erica is left with no choice but to stick Tina with a needle containing the drugs. Definitely a full-on crime; let’s hope Erica doesn’t get caught!
While waiting for the Demogorgon to arrive, Joyce and Will talk outside and have a really great conversation. Joyce feels regretful for not being there the night Will was taken, admitting to drinking wine and passing out—not realizing he was gone for a full eight hours. They share another sweet moment here, and again, I love scenes between them. A lot of their conversations have been long overdue.
Before long, Steve and Dustin notice the street lights flickering from Steve’s car, and the Demogorgon appears in Derek’s room looking for him. But of course, Derek isn’t there. The group goes full Home Alone with traps here, a fun homage for the holidays, and Nancy and Jonathan begin shooting and throwing grenades at the Demo. It runs back through the portal to the Upside Down, and the group attempts to track the signal from Steve’s car. But Will doesn’t think it’ll work because he feels that Vecna is watching them.
Max is back… sort of!
Now, are you ready for this cliffhanger ending, Stranger Things fans? We’re finally about to get answers about Max. After receiving the note, Holly decides to go out into the woods to follow the instructions to, as she assumes, find Henry. But what she finds is the farthest thing from what she’s expecting. Yes, it’s Max! We don’t get any details here, but you can bet we’ll be getting an explanation in episode 4.
The plot tightens up in episode 3, and I really think it’s because the Hawkins crew is largely together this time, instead of being split apart. All in all, it’s a solid episode that flows nicely, and if nothing else, it sets up exciting things to come.
Episode Grade: B+
You can now stream the first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 on Netflix and read all of our coverage right here at Winter is Coming. The next three episodes of the season will be released on December 25, and the finale drops on December 31.