History Recap / StrangerThingsS2E5ChapterFiveDigDug

Max doesn't believe Lucas's story and rushes off, but Murray believes Jonathan and Nancy's, and the three work together to try and figure out how to get their evidence public without it immediately being discounted. At the lab, Dr. Owens and his team discover that the dirt from the infected pumpkin patches has some strange HiveMind like qualities, while at Terry's house, Eleven continues to try and contact her mother. She doesn't get through to Terry, but sees memories of her birth and of [[MindRape what Brenner did]] [[CompleteMonster to make Terry forget]] (electro-shock therapy after she breached the Lab, killed a security guard, and saw Eleven and Kali playing).

* {{Lobotomy}}: We learn that Terry has been caught in a memory loop ever since she received an electro-shock lobotomy at Hawkins Lab meant to silence her. Eleven is not able to get through to her but does learn the meaning behind the litany of numbers and words Terry keeps repeating.[[note]] "Breathe" is from Becky trying to calm her when she went into labor; "sunflower" is from the sunflowers that Becky brought her in the hospital; "3 to the left, 4 to the right" is the last two numbers to the combination on a gun safe; "rainbow" is from a rainbow decoration that marked Eleven and Kali's playroom; and "450" is the number of volts Brenner ordered in an effort to neutralize her with electroshock (a normal level is 70-150 volts).[[/note]]

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Max thinks Lucas' recounting of the events of the [[GenreThrowback first season]] were "derivative in parts".

* {{Lobotomy}}: We learn that Terry has been caught in a memory loop ever since she received an electro-shock lobotomy at Hawkins Lab meant to silence her. Eleven is not able to get through to her but does learn the meaning behind the litany of numbers and words Terry keeps repeating.[[note]] "Breath" is from Becky trying to calm her when she went into labor; "sunflower" is from the sunflowers that Becky brought her in the hospital; "3 to the left, 4 to the right" is the last two numbers to the combination on a gun safe; "rainbow" is from a rainbow decoration that marked Eleven and Kali's playroom; and "450" is the number of volts Brenner ordered in an effort to neutralize her with electroshock (a normal level is 70-150 volts).[[/note]]

* {{Lobotomy}}: We learn that Terry has been caught in a memory loop ever since she received an electro-shock lobotomy at Hawkins Lab meant to silence her. Eleven is not able to get through to her but does learn the meaning behind the litany of numbers and words Terry keeps repeating.[[note]]"sunflower" is from the sunflowers that Becky brought her after Jane's birth; "3 to the left, 4 to the right" is the last two numbers to the combination on a gun safe; "rainbow" is from a rainbow decoration that marked Eleven and Kali's playroom; and "450" is the number of volts Brenner ordered in an effort to neutralize her (a normal level is 70-150 volts).[[/note]]

* ActorAllusion: Bob jokingly asks if the "X" on the map means [[Film/TheGoonies pirate treasure]].

* CatapultNightmare: Will wakes up this way from a BadDream in which he saw Hopper being in trouble.

* {{Lobotomy}}: We learn that Terry has been caught in a memory loop ever since she received a electro-shock lobotomy at Hawkins Lab meant to silence her. Eleven is not able to get through to her but does learn the meaning behind the litany of numbers and words Terry keeps repeating.[[note]]"sunflower" is from the sunflowers that Becky brought her after Jane's birth; "3 to the left, 4 to the right" is the last two numbers to the combination on a gun safe; "rainbow" is from a rainbow decoration that marked Eleven and Kali's playroom; and "450" is the number of volts Brenner ordered in an effort to neutralize her (a normal level is 70-150 volts).[[/note]]

Max doesn't believe Lucas's story and rushes off, but Murray believes Jonathan and Nancy's, and the three work together to try and figure out how to get their evidence public without it immediately being discounted. At the lab, Dr. Owens and his team discover that the dirt from the infected pumpkin patches has some strange HiveMind like qualities, while at Terry's house, Eleven continues to try and contact her mother. She doesn't get through to Terry, but sees memories of her birth and of [[MindRape what Brenner did]] [[CompleteMonster to make her forget]] (electro-shock therapy after she breached the Lab, killed a security guard, and saw Eleven and Kali playing).

* CasualDangerDialogue: Bob and Hopper don't seem at all surprised to see each other in the Upside-Down. (They ''do'' know each other, as Joyce, Hopper and Bob all went to high school together.)

Mike comforts Will while Joyce finishes piecing together Will's drawings. In the Upside-Down, Hopper comes across some sort of growth shaped like the mouth of a Demogorgon. It shoots spores at him and he passes out, while above him the entrance he dug is sealed over with vines. Later, Will wakes from a nightmare to tell Joyce that he thinks Hopper's in danger. Hopper wakes up, vomiting black sludge, and tries to escape, but realizes he's been trapped. Unbeknownst to him, thick tentacles follow as he searches for a way out.

Lucas tries to figure out how to apologize to Max, and Dustin tries to catch the immature Demogorgon now living in his closet. El hitches a ride to Terry Ives's house, but can't get her to respond. Jonathan and Nancy meet up with conspiracy theorist Murray and Nancy corrects his [[StringTheory wall of connections about Barb's fate]]. Lucas corners Max and starts to tell her the truth about what happened to Will.

Bob arrives at the Byers house while Joyce and Mike try to use Will's "map" to locate Hopper. Joyce starts to chase him away, but calls him back when she sees that he's brought some puzzles for Will, realizing he might be able to help them. After some initial confusion, Bob [[SmarterThanYouLook quickly recognizes that Will's scribblings are actually a map of Hawkins]] and leads them to Hopper's location.

In the Upside-Down, Hopper has realized that the MeatMoss surrounding him [[KillItWithFire recoils from fire]] and uses his cigarrette lighter and scraps of his jacket to fashion a torch, which he uses to clear a small window. Dustin buries his mother's cat and tries to get rid of all the evidence of his [[NiceJobBreakingItHero mistake]], all the while trying to get in contact with his various friends.

Becky tries to get to know Eleven a little better, and shows her the room Terry kept for her. She offers to let El stay, and just as El cautiously accepts, the lights start to flicker. El follows them through the house to Terry, where she finds her mother still in a trance [[PsychicNosebleed with blood running from her nose]].

Max doesn't believe Lucas's story and rushes off, but Murray believes Jonathan and Nancy's, and the three work together to try and figure out how to get their evidence public without it immediately being discounted. At the lab, Dr. Owens and his team discover that the dirt from the infected pumpkin patches has some strange HiveMind like qualities, while at Terry's house, El continues to try and contact her mother. She doesn't get through to Terry, but sees memories of her birth and of [[MindRape what Papa did]] [[CompleteMonster to make her forget]].

* CallBack: "Pretty," when El sees the room Terry kept for her.

* CasualDangerDialogue: Bob and Hopper don't seem at all surprised to see each other in the Upside-Down.

* CrazyPrepared: Steve reveals to not only kept the spiked bat from Season 1 but also keeps it in the trunk of his car as if a new Demogorgon threat was something he already anticipated.
* EurekaMoment: Murray's vodka is so strong that he needs it watered down, which in turn inspires Murray to edit the content of the tape to make it much more believable to the public. In other words, Barb’s death is caused by the lab's experimental toxins rather than an evil monster from a parallel dimension.
* FromACertainPointOfView: [[ExactWords Barbara died because of an experiment gone wrong on the Hawkins Lab.]] That much is true. And while it ticks Nancy off that the exact details need to be buried, she's happy that the public may still demand an investigation.

-->'''Mr. Sinclair:''' She's never wrong, son.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Max thinks Lucas' recounting of the events of the [[GenreThrowback first season]] were derivative in parts.
* {{Lobotomy}}: We learn that Terry has been caught in a memory loop ever since she received a lobotomy at Hawkins Lab meant to silence her. Eleven is not able to get through to her but receives clues about her "sister".

* PhoneyCall: Dustin pretends to be talking to a Mr. [=McCorckle=] while we hear an answer machine on the other end. This is part of the SnipeHunt he puts his mother on to find Mews.
* ShrineToTheFallen: The room that Terry had prepared for her baby is exactly the same when Eleven arrives over a decade later.

* {{Telepathy}}: Used by Eleven to explore her mother's memories.

* CantStopTheSignal: Nancy, John and Murray prepare the information on the Hawkins Lab and send it to various newspapers.

* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: A by-invitation version as Terry lets El explore her memories.

* LockAndLoadMontage: Dustin gets one when he's suiting up in [[ImprovisedArmour hockey pads and oven mitts]] in preparation to lure Dart out out of his room.

* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Discussed by Murray when he's told the truth about Barb's death and Nancy insists that they need to tell the world: the whole situation regarding the Lab is so fantastical that it would be laughed off by the world. However, if the truth is given out phrased just ''[[ExactWords right]]'', the public would be outraged and demand the Lab's closure regardless.

Joyce and Bob head into the tunnels to rescue Hopper, leaving Will and Mike on the surface. While the adults search, a fleet of Hawkins Electric vans arrive and surround Joyce and Hopper's cars. Bob and Joyce find Hopper and cut him free, but are surrounded by tentacles. They turn around to find one of the Hawkins Lab scientists armed with a flamethrower. He covers their retreat and starts burning back the attacking vines, which causes Will to collapse, seizing violently with [[BloodFromTheMouth blood pouring from his nose, mouth, and eyes]].

* LockAndLoadMontage: Dustin gets one when he's suiting up in [[ImprovisedArmour hockey pads and oven mitts]] in preparation to lure Dart out out of his room.

-->'''Mr. Sinclair:''' She's never wrong, son.

Bob arrives at the Byers house while Joyce and Mike try to use Will's "map" to locate Hopper.