2x06 Chapter Six: The Spy

[7.6/10] I realized that in my last review, I neglected to talk about Nancy and Jonathan meeting up with Brett Gelman’s conspiracy nut. But it works out, because their time with him is even more fleshed out here. I like the idea of “watering their story down”, presumably just hinting at government impropriety, without getting into all the supernatural business, in the hopes of convincing a legitimate news organization to intervene. Even coming from a guy with some screws clearly loose, there’s a strong concept there of people only being able/willing to accept the adjacent possible and not the fantastical. It’s a smart approach.

What isn’t smart is how (kinda creepily) invested this dude is in the romantic relationship between two teenagers. Why Gelman’s character has to be the all-seeing narrator for the will they/won’t they between Nancy and JOnathan is beyond me, but it’s awkward as hell. I’ve said before that , contrary to Gelman’s character, I’m not at all invested in the young almost-couple, so their final kiss and implied boudoir goings on was pretty meaningless to me. But hey, I hope others found some catharsis in it (and that Gelman’s character wasn’t filming it for blackmail purposes).

But hey, here’s a pairing I didn’t expect to like, but which turned out to be one of my favorite things in the episode: Dustin and Steve. When they first showed up together, I was asking myself, “Why is this a pairing?” But they have a weirdly great dynamic. The two of them asking for and receiving naive (at best) advice on wooing, confiding in one another about hair routines, and tweaking each other when trying to lure the demogorgon was totally delightful. (I laughed like hell at the winking moment between them.)

There’s also something interesting about Dustin trying to apply Steve’s negging/disinterested approach to Max and Lucas aiming to be honest and direct with her. It seems clear which method is working, and I can appreciate that. Max explaining that she’s a child of divorce, and using that as an excuse for ehr brother’s anger is a little weird and reductive, but I can appreciate the show trying to tackle something that was still uncommon but growing in the 1980s like that. It shows some vulnerability in Max, one that she shares with Lucas, a choice that helps bring them closer together, even if the actual dialogue is a little too clumsy.

Speaking of interesting character reveals, I like the fact that, contrary to my expectations, Paul Reiser turns out not to be a totally evil guy, but rather someone who’s willing to put his interdimensional threats and concerns on hold because he wants to try to save the little boy who’s connected to them. The callousness (or, more charitably, utilitarian approach) from his colleagues makes for a strong contrast when Reiser’s character holds steadfast in wanting to save Will without being derelict in his duties.

(As an aside, he’s a pretty cruddy scientist for not torching the worm in another room rather than doing it where Will can see it and have a psychosomatic reaction to it. It’s well within the acceptable bounds of T.V. convenience, but I’ll admit to it bugging me a little.)

Speaking of which, I really like what the show’s doing with Will here. The young actor who plays him does an incredible job not only showing WIll’s distress, but showing the cold Shadow Monster taking over from time to time. The notion of this other presence within him, one that scrubs his memories and makes him do things against his will is chilling, leading to all kinds of adult fears. This is also a great outing for Winona Ryder, whose demands to the room full of scientists make for one of her best scenes.

We also get some action here and it’s...fine? It’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination. There’s a nice sense of calm before the storm when Dustin, Lucas, Steve, and Max set their trap for Dart and wait while the fog rolls in. It’s a good look for Steve when he runs out to be the live bait. And the fact that they’re totally overmatched, until something calls the demogorgon horde away is an interesting beat.

It’s appropriate that Paul Reiser is on board here, because the other action scene calls to mind Aliens, where a group of heavily-armed solider types get utterly trounced by a collection of alien bugs. It’s thankfully more abbreviated and done as something more akin to horror than action. But again, I like the idea of Will being forced to lure his erstwhile allies into that trap, crying and lamenting that he didn’t want to do it. It’s a strong dynamic that everyone in these scenes plays really well.

Overall, this feels like a number of elements Stranger Things has been letting simmer for most of the season coming to a boil. Excited to see where it goes from here.