S3E5: Chapter Five: The Flayed

In "Stranger Things" Season 3, Episode 5, the gang's various plotlines start to converge as things get more intense. Joyce and Hopper, after deciphering the mysterious Russian code, manage to capture Dr. Alexei, a Russian scientist who seems to know a lot more than he's letting on. They take him to Murray Bauman's place, hoping his language skills can help extract some useful information. Meanwhile, Nancy and Jonathan are dealing with their own set of problems at the hospital. They've discovered that the Mind Flayer is possessing people in Hawkins, and it doesn't take long for them to have a run-in with Tom and Bruce, two individuals who have been taken over by the creature. A brutal fight ensues in the hospital, and things get messy. Nancy and Jonathan barely escape with their lives. Elsewhere, the kids are on their own adventure. Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Erica find themselves trapped in a secret Russian base hidden underneath the Starcourt Mall. After much sneaking around and some comedic antics—mostly involving Erica's sass—they manage to get into an elevator leading to the lab. But naturally, things don't go smoothly: they end up trapped inside. The episode wraps up with Eleven using her powers to search for Billy. She dives into his mind and gets a glimpse of his troubled past and the sinister presence controlling him. It's clear that the Mind Flayer is far from done with Hawkins, setting up an even bigger confrontation down the line.