History Recap / StrangerThingsS1E7ChapterSevenTheBathtub

* JerkassHasAPoint: We're not supposed to view Troy's mother as a particularly likable woman, but it's suggested that part of the reason she's so irate is that Officer Callahan made some rather sneering comments about how her son was beaten up by a girl, which Hopper has to grudgingly concede is not cool.

%%** A retroactive case in season four. Since episode 7 of that season implies [[spoiler:Vecna killed Barbs, the fact that her body is intact except for her gouged out eyes serves as a very early hint to the villain.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** Tommy taunts Steve for "always running away", which sets up for a scene in a future episode.
** A retroactive case in season four. Since episode 7 of that season implies [[spoiler:Vecna killed Barbs, the fact that her body is intact except for her gouged out eyes serves as a very early hint to the villain.]]

** Unlike the Demogorgon's other victims, Barb's head is still there - to a degree. However, her eyes are gouged out, and she's webbed in some sort of cocoon. The gouged eyes in particular are the calling card of another villain, who taunts Nancy by hinting that he was responsible for Barb's death.

** Unlike the Demogorgon's other victims, Barb's head is still there- to a degree. However, her eyes are gouged out, and she's webbed in some sort of cocoon. The gouged eyes in particular are the calling card of another villain, who taunts Nancy by hinted that he was responsible for Barb's death.

** Unlike the Demogorgon's other victims, Barb's head is still there- to a degree. However, her eyes are gouged out, and she's webbed in some sort of cocoon. The gouged eyes in particular are the calling card of Vecna, who personally reveals it was actually him who killed Barb.

%%** Unlike the Demogorgon's other victims, Barb's head is still there- to a degree. However, her eyes are gouged out, and she's webbed in some sort of cocoon. - ZCE, what scene is this foreshadowing?

** Unlike the Demogorgon's other victims, Barb's head is still there- to a degree. However, her eyes are gouged out, and she's webbed in some sort of cocoon.

** Unlike the Demogorgon’s other victims, Barb’s head is still there- to a degree. However, her eyes are gouged out, and she’s webbed in some sort of cocoon.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Tommy taunts Steve for "always running away", which sets up for a scene in a future episode.

* ObliviousGuiltSlinging: Joyce gives Eleven a pep talk in which she praises the girl for her bravery and support to her family but the latter is silently disgusted with herself knowing that it was her who opened the Gate in the first place. One more reason for Eleven to become TheAtoner and go into the Dark Place to locate Will and Barbara.

* AlmostKiss: In the opening scene, Mike and Eleven appear to be moments away from sharing a first kiss when Dustin bursts in and interrupts them. Although in Dustin's defence, it's for serious reasons, as Lucas is frantically trying to alert them that government agents are closing in on them.

* BodyHorror: Barbara's already dead when Eleven finds her, but the condition of her body implies that terrible things have happened.

* ExactEavesdropping: Troy's mother just so happens to bring him into the police station in time for Hopper to overhear him deliver a vital piece of plot when he needs it most -- this is somewhat justified, as the events in question are all happening at the same time. Hopper would have heard about it later anyway.

* InstantOracleJustAddWater: Played with -- the sensory deprivation tank magnifies Eleven's powers and allow her to explore the Upside-Down more freely. Eleven floating in "the bath" and using her powers to find Will and Barb certainly calls to mind the image of a submerged oracle.
* JerkassHasAPoint: We're not supposed to view Troy's mother as a particularly likeable woman, but it's suggested that part of the reason she's so irate is that Officer Callahan made some rather sneering comments about how her son was beaten up by a girl, which Hopper has to grudgingly concede is not cool.

* JumpScare: The episode ends with the Demogorgon bursting through the walls of Castle Byers.

** In an attempt to make up with Eleven, Lucas deliberately mentions how "awesome" it was to see the van flying over their heads when they arrive at the junkyard. This recalls Dustin's line about how awesome it was when Eleven [[BlownAcrossTheRoom blew Lucas across the junkyard]] in previous episode.
** Mike's apology handshake to Lucas is also this. In the previous episode, while he was willing to be the first to offer the handshake due to "drawing the first blood", he was clearly sullen and grudging about it and had to be prodded into doing so by Dustin. In this episode, he offers the apology handshake first, but is clearly a lot more sincere in doing so.

* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: We don't see anything except for the first man being incapacitated, but when all is said and done, a small-town police chief neutralized three to four special agents in under twelve seconds.

* WorkingTheSameCase: The whole series has been this, but this is the episode where all the main characters finally realise that their intersecting plotlines are all converging.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Okay, "heart of gold" is stretching it a bit, but it becomes clear in this episode that Steve feels guilty about accusing Nancy of sleeping around, and he stands up to Tommy and Carol for their actions.

* AngerBornOfWorry: After learning that Jonathan and Nancy were investigating the monster, Joyce chews Jonathan out for risking both their lives to save Will, reminding him of the chance that [[AdultFear the monster would get him, too]].

* JerkassHasAPoint: We're not supposed to view Troy's mother as a particularly likeable woman, but it's suggested that part of the reason she's so irate is that Officer Callahan made some rather sneering comments about how her son was beaten up by a girl.

* TheAtoner: Steve in this episode and the next. After his blow-out with Tommy and Carol, he returns to the cinema whose marquee they defaced with SlutShaming graffiti and washes it off for the manager.
* BigDamnHeroes: Hopper arriving just as the government agents catch up to the kids.

* CrucifiedHeroShot: Eleven, as she floats in the home-made sensory deprivation tank.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Tommy taunts Steve for "always running away," setting up Steve's fateful decision on whether to flee the Byers house in the final episode.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Okay, 'heart of gold' is stretching it a bit, but it becomes clear in this episode that Steve feels guilty about accusing Nancy of sleeping around, and he stands up to Tommy and Carol for their actions.

* JustFriends: Mike and Nancy tell each other this about Eleven and Jonathan, respectively.

* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Although "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" aren't used, in "The Bathtub", when the three groups join up, Mike and Nancy ask each other if they ''like'' their new opposite-sex friends. In keeping with this trope, Nancy calmly says that it's not like that, foreshadowing the fact that she and Jonathan remain friends in the end; Mike denies it a bit more vehemently, and ends up kissing Eleven in the next episode.

* TookALevelInBadass: Mike implies this of his sister when he tries to shoulder barge a locked door at the school and she casually breaks the padlock with a rock.

* MeaningfulEcho: In an attempt to make up with Eleven, Lucas deliberately mentions how "awesome" it was to see the van flying over their heads when they arrive at the junkyard. This recalls Dustin's line about how awesome it was when Eleven [[BlownAcrossTheRoom blew Lucas across the junkyard]] in previous episode.

* AlmostKiss: Eleven and Mike at the beginning of the episode, before [[MomentKiller Dustin interrupts them]].

* MomentKiller: In the opening scene, Mike and Eleven appear to be moments away from sharing a first kiss when Dustin bursts in and interrupts them. Although in Dustin's defence, it's for serious reasons, as Lucas is frantically trying to alert them that government agents are closing in on them.

* WaitHere: Hopper decides to follow Eleven's clue and go to Will's fort in the woods by himself, but Joyce protests, so he grudgingly let's her tag along.

%% HandlingSpoilers: Recap pages: An episode recap page is, by default, a spoiler. Readers of these pages are expected to have watched the episode in question. Therefore, there are no spoiler tags on recap pages.