History Recap / StrangerThingsS3E8ChapterEightTheBattleOfStarcourt

* ShownTheirWork: The ConspiracyTheory of the Satanic cult is a reference to the real-life "Satanic panic" of the era, which fittingly uses ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' as a [[MoralGuardians scapegoat]].

* UnintentionalFinalMessage: As she is preparing to leave Hawkins with the Byers family, El receives the ultimately unused script Hopper wrote in preparation for his talk with her about her romantic relationship with Mike. It turns out to be a surprisingly heartfelt and loving letter about how change is difficult but necessary. Reading the letter helps El come to terms with his death as well as her move away from her friends.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: El leaves town with the Byers. It doesn't matter how much of a psychic she might be, to most of the world, legally, she is a minor who must have an adult responsible for her. Since there is no family available, it is either a state facility or with Joyce Byers.

* ExtraLongEpisode: At 78 minutes, it's the longest episode yet.

* BigDamnHeroes: Just when Billy is about to run his car at full speed against the car where the Party is hiding (and with Nancy standing in the middle), Steve appears out of nowhere with the car he's driving and crashes into Billy's.

* LetMeGetThisStraight: Steve summing up the Mind Flayer's FleshGolem origin:

* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: The Soviet guards in the base prove to be extremely unobservant as they don't only fail to notice that Hopper and Joyce don't speak a work of Russian, but that the uniforms they're wearing are ''full of visible bullet holes''.

* NeverLiveItDown: The stinger show that the party (or at least Lucas and Max) are not going to let Dustin forget about him singing the theme of ''Film/TheNeverEndingStory'' with Suzie.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: El leaves town with the Byers. It doesn't matter how much of a psychic she might be, to most of the world, legally, she is an minor who must have an adult responsible for her. Since there is no family available, it is either a state facility or with Joyce Byers.

* UnintentionalFinalMessage: As she is preparing to leave Hawkins with the Byers family, El receives the ultimately unused script Hopper wrote in preparation for his talk with her about her romantic relationship with Mike. It turns out to be a surprisingly heartfelt and loving letter about how change is difficult but necessary. Reading the letter helps the El come to terms with his death as well as her move away from her friends.

* VehicularSabotage: The reason the Wheelers' car won't start is because Billy stole the ignition cable. They eventually manage to restore it by using the ignition cable from the car in the mall, which Eleven wrecked earlier.

* WalkieTalkieGagOver: Hopper, Joyce and Murray utilize Dustin and Erica's assistance as MissionControl as they infiltrate the Russian ElaborateUndergroundBase. The kids agree on the condition that Murray's code sign would be "Bald Eagle", and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de1O4xmXXsg milk the gag for all it's worth]].

* MissionControl: Due to their familiarity with the Russian underground base, Dustin and Erika act as mission control for Hopper, Joyce and Murray.

** After Eleven assures Hopper that she will deal with the Mind Flayer, she ends up getting depowered for some reason, and it takes the rest of the Party to stop it.

* VodkaDrunkenski: Discussed. Murray, in disguise, mentions to one of the Soviet guards that they won't need sunlight as long as they have each other and a bottle of "Stolichnya". Both laugh hard.

* WalkieTalkieGagOver: Hopper, Joyce and Murray utilize Dustin and Erika's assistance as MissionControl as they infiltrate the Russian ElaborateUndergroundBase. The kids agree on the condition that Murray's code sign would be "Bald Eagle", and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de1O4xmXXsg milk the gag for all it's worth]].

* TheStinger: There is a SequelHook midway through the end credits showing us that the Soviets are in possession of an adult Demogorgon. And there is an American prisoner important to the Soviets...

* UncertainDoom: Despite the above mentioned HeroicSacrifice, TheStinger provides evidence that Hopper may still be alive, albeit as a prisoner in the Soviet Union.

* GoOutWithASmile: Hopper accepts his death with this as he understood he won't make it in time, signaling Joyce to go ahead with destroying the collider. Might be Subverted in TheStinger...

* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: Everyone who hears Dustin and Suzie singing the theme to ''Film/TheNeverEndingStory''. Special mention goes to Joyce, who balls her hands and leans her head against the wall in frustration, Erica, who is sitting next to Dustin in open-mouthed shock while he sings, and Steve, who looks like he's considering jumping out of the car so the Mind Flayer can kill him.

* WalkieTalkieGagOver: Hopper, Joyce and Murray utilize Dustin and Erika's assistance as MissionControl as they infiltrate the Russian ElaborateUndergroundBase. The kids agree on the condition that Murray's code sign would be "Bald Eagle", and [[https://youtu.be/P6-x_ZZOlVo?t=82 milk the gag for all it's worth]].

* MeatGrinderSurgery: When the group sees something ''moving'' under Eleven's bite mark, Jonathan flash heats a butcher knife to cut her leg open, with the poor girl's only pain management being a wooden spoon to bite down on and Mike and Max's hands to squeeze. After Jonathan fails to get it out using ''his fingers'', Eleven uses her powers to rip out what's inside her leg.

* InstantDeathBullet: Hopper takes a wild swing with a submachine gun and instantly kills five Russians.

* ShownTheirWork: The ConspiracyTheory of the Satanic cult is a reference to the real-life "Satanic panic" of the era, which fittingly uses ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' as a scapegoat.

* TheStinger: There is a SequelHook midway through the end credits showing us that the Soviets are in possession of an adult Demogorgon.

* WhamEpisode: Billy dies a hero's death, Hopper is presumed dead, Eleven loses her powers and is taken in by Joyce, and the Byers move out of town, taking Will and Eleven and breaking up the Party. When they said [[{{Tagline}} one summer can change everything]], they meant it.

* PleaseWakeUp: Following his HeroicSacrifice, Max desperately begs him to get up.