History Recap / StrangerThingsS2E8ChapterEightTheMindFlayer

* KickTheSonOfABitch: At first Neil's behavior towards Billy is this. It's satisfying for about five seconds until you consider the reason Billy is such an asshole is because of Neil and it becomes more a case of KickTheDog.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Billy protests to his father that it is not up to him to watch over his step-sister, and that at her age she doesn't need a full-time babysitter, which isn't unjustified.
** Heck, even Neil himself may have a shade of this in reprimanding his son for his lack of concern, although his overall behavior quickly dispels any sympathy the audience may have for him.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Neil Hargrove casually drops a few bigoted slurs into his dialogue while abusively "teaching respect" to his asshole son.

* HollywoodHacking: When Bob brute-force hacks the computer system at the lab, we're shown the actual BASIC script he uses to acquire the password - which probably damages more believably than the specifics remaining off-camera. [[labelnote:details]]The script recognizably attempts to generate every possible four-digit integer combination, but requires an extraordinary number of lucky guesses. He correctly guesses the system is written in BASIC, he correctly guesses the name of the function to check a password and that it would output a Boolean result, and he correctly guesses that the password would be exactly four integers. Even then: If it all somehow worked, testing 10,000 combinations one by one would be far less than instantaneous - moreso if the system locked him out after the first few failed attempts, as most password systems do to prevent brute-force hacking exactly like this. The function outputs an integer, which would mean if there are any zeroes at the start of the password, it would cut them out (for instance, 0034 is not an integer, so it would return 34). Most decisively, the function unnecessarily calls itself on every loop, which would immediately cause an infinite loop and a crash.[[/labelnote]]

An army of Demodogs erupt out of the tunnels and begin breaking through into the rest of the Hawkins Lab. Those on the inside -- Mike, Joyce, Hopper, Bob, and Doctor Owens -- realize that the creatures are homing in on Will, and Joyce sedates him to throw them off.

* AntagonistTitle: Named for the nickname Dustin applies to the shadow monster, taken from the D&D Monster Manual.
* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: Hopper shows Bob how to use a handgun but doesn't give him any safety instructions other than showing him the safety. When Bob inevitably points the gun at Hopper, he just gently pushes it away. Interestingly, Bob keeps his finger off the trigger while skulking through the base even without being told to.
* AskAStupidQuestion: When Jonathan and Nancy meet up with Dustin, Lucas, Max and Steve outside Hawkins Lab.

** To help jog Will's memory, Jonathan plays the first mix tape he made for Will to drown out an argument their parents were having. The first song on the tape? [[Music/TheClash "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?"]], which Will was able to transmit out of the Upside-Down back in Season 1. Also, when Hopper asks if Jonathan can use Lonnie's old rifle, Jonathan (knowing he's a terrible shot) hesitates, and Nancy steps in to say she can use it.
* CallingParentsByTheirName: When his parents get home at the beginning, Billy refers to his mother as "Susan".

* HollywoodHacking: When Bob brute-force hacks the computer system at the lab, we're shown the actual BASIC script he uses to acquire the password - which probably damages more believably than the specifics remaining off-camera. [[labelnote:details]]The script recognizably attempts to generate every possible four digit integer combination, but requires an extraordinary number of lucky guesses. He correctly guesses the system is written in BASIC, he correctly guesses the name of the function to check a password and that it would output a Boolean result, and he correctly guesses that the password would be exactly four integers. Even then: If it all somehow worked, testing 10,000 combinations one by one would be far less than instantaneous - moreso if the system locked him out after the first few failed attempts, as most password systems do to prevent brute-force hacking exactly like this. The function outputs an integer, which would mean if there are any zeroes at the start of the password, it would cut them out (for instance, 0034 is not an integer, so it would return 34). Most decisively, the function unnecessarily calls itself on every loop, which would immediately cause an infinite loop and a crash.[[/labelnote]]

** Heck, even Neil himself may have a shade of this in reprimanding his son for his lack of concern, although his overall behaviour quickly dispels any sympathy the audience may have for him.

* LetsGetOutOfHere: Dr. Owens tells Bob to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W_szJ6M-kM get out of there!]].
* {{Metaphorgotten}}: Dustin's description of the Mind Flayer that possessed Will and his referral to the Mind Flayer in the D & D game falls apart when he says that using fire is a bad idea (when the Mind Flayer has already been established as being weak to heat) and suggests using an army of zombies to kill it.

* SlowElectricity: When the power cut occurs at Hawkins Lab, the lights go out floor by floor. Justified, as high security facilities are often wired in such a way that each floor is on its own power. It's later shown that Bob has to reset several series of breakers.
* SoMuchForStealth: When Owens tries to guide Bob out of a Demodog-infested lab by having him quietly sneak around, it looks like Bob successfully evades one of the Demodogs by hiding in a storeroom...only for a mop to fall over right next to him, alarming said creature of Bob's presence and forcing Owens to change his plan to a single step: "''Run!''"

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: After having her son possessed and her boyfriend killed, Joyce drops her usual mild-mannered demeanour and says out loud that she wants to kill the Mind Flayer.

* PlotDemandedManualMode: After the lab goes into emergency shut down, locking the heroes in with the demodogs, Bob has to reach the basement to override the security codes with a manual input that will open gates for the group to escape.

* {{Jerkass}}: Mike is ''still'' treating Max like an enemy, despite the fact that she's now a SecretKeeper.

* EveryoneKnowsMorse: Will communicates to his friends this way, and they are able to translate it. {{Justified|Trope}} as Hopper is the one transmitting the pulses, while Dustin, Lucas and Nancy team up to write them down and look up the letters from a decoder chart. Also serves as a CallBack to Hopper teaching Morse to El as a way to communicate with her while he's at work. Also justified for the boys, as incredibly nerdy members of the AV club.

* HypocriticalHumor: Dustin berates Lucas for correcting him about using the word ''metaphor'' instead of ''analogy'', but then goes on to [[FandomBerserkButton correct Nancy]] when she says ''[[AccidentalMisnaming Mind Flamer]]'' instead of ''Mind Flayer''.

-->'''Dustin:''' [''about the Mind-Flayer''] It believes it's the "master race"
-->'''Steve:''' Like the Germans
-->'''Dustin:''' Uh, the Nazis?
-->'''Steve:''' [''embarrassed''] yeah- yeah the Nazis.

* TakeAMomentToCatchYourDeath: Played straight as an arrow with Bob's death. After being chased down corridors by Demodogs, Bob arrives at the lab's lobby which seems to provide safety. He takes a deep breath and shares a loving look with Joyce. Cue a Demodog attacking him [[BehindTheBlack from the side]].

* CuriosityKilledTheCast: To be new to the situation, Max Lampshades this when the others rush to locate the source of the [[AllAnimalsAreDogs Demodog howling]].

* FeetFirstIntroduction: When the door opens in the closing scene, the camera hovers above ground showing only the shoes of the person entering. In slow motion for added effect.

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Dad joke-loving bumbling NiceGuy Bob not only puts his technical abilities to the test by hacking into the lab's computer system to restore it's electricity, but does so while evading literal monsters and staying (reasonably) calm throughout. [[spoiler:Too bad he pauses long enough for one of them to take him down.]]
* CuriosityKilledTheCast: To be new to the situation, the GenreSavvy Max Lampshades this when the others rush to locate the source of the [[AllAnimalsAreDogs Demodog howling]].

** Dr. Owens offers to [[MissionControl stay behind at the lab's control room]] and guide Hopper, Joyce, Mike and Bob out of danger. The episode ends before we learn his fate.

* IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight: Joyce and others shares heartwarming anecdotes with Will to revert his [[LossOfIdentity fading sense identity]] and encourage him to start FightingFromTheInside. It works. Not directly, but it works.

* SoMuchForStealth: When it looks like Bob successfully evaded one of the Demodogs by hiding in a storeroom, a mop handle drops down alarming said creature of Bob's presence.