Ep 6 “The Dive” is a visually stunning episode that successfully ramps up the tension for the finale, even if it feels like it’s straining under its own weight.
The transition to the Upside Down and the introduction of the Demobats provide the high-stakes horror the season excels at. However, the sprawl is undeniable. While Eleven’s backstory remains compelling, the Russian prison scenes continue to drag, feeling disconnected from the urgent pulse of the Hawkins mystery.
At 7.5/10, it’s a solid entry that sets the stage beautifully, but it suffers from the “more is more” approach to runtime that makes the mid-season feel a bit exhausting.