Stranger Things Season 3 Chapter 7: The Bite starts out quite innocently and festively with Hawkins’ Mayor Larry Kline’s (Cary Elwes) 4th of July preparations. Unbeknownst to the majority of the townspeople, an evil lurks among the dense greenery in their countryside. Fecal matter is about to hit the fan, in a big way.
Not included in the majority of clueless Hawkins residents are Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), who are attacked by the Mind Flayer. They scarcely escape to a hardware store to recuperate and regroup.
Meanwhile, the older members Scoops Ahoy gang are drugged by the Russians and it is up to Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) and Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson) to babysit them while watching Back to the Future. The out-of-their-minds, albeit temporarily, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) get to bond in the bowels of Starcourt Mall. Once the drugs are out of their systems, Steve makes a confession which is expected but Robin tells him one that is more surprising. The look on Steve’s face upon knowing that Robin likes girls is fleetingly perfect. His reaction is utter perfection. This is why it is imperative that heart-to-heart conversations should be face to face. Watching the reaction of the other person is 95% of the conversation. Words can lie but facial muscles always tell the truth. Steve accepts Robin and the truth in a split second without judgment. Now, we can move on and worship their friendship instead.
The ever multi-tasker, Dustin makes contact with El’s group to try to tell them of Scoops Ahoy’s whereabouts, but fails. As a true friend, El does her best not to let Dustin keep hanging and uses some of what remains of her depleted powers to locate Dustin, and successfully does so.
Concurrently, Jim Hopper (David Harbour), Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman), and Alexei (Alec Utgoff) arrive in the July 4th celebration to rescue the kids but are welcome by the Russians with punches and bullets. One of those bullets penetrates a stuffed toy and the heart of Alexei. But not after Alexei proves that the American games in the country fair are not rigged.
There is only two seconds to mourn the passing of the Cherry Slurpee-loving scientist because the Russians are busy terrorizing the other protagonists of the show. They quickly move to Starcourt Mall to eliminate Scoops Ahoy gang in the middle of a throng of moviegoers (why not? Apparently, there is only one police officer in Hawkins and the rest of the population are oblivious of the weird events that happen in their town). It is a good thing that El arrives on time to rescue Dustin and his cohorts.
The episode ends with El collapsing in pain while her lower left leg throbs and emits a menacing red glow.
RIP Alexei. You and your grin will be missed.
Here are some quotes from Stranger Things – Season 3 Chapter Seven: The Bite:
“He said he was building something. And it was all for me.” – Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown)
“Do you guys hear that?” – Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer)
“He knows we’re here.” – Will Byers (Noah Schnapp)
“It’s the Indy 300.” – Steve Harrington (Joe Keery)
“No, dingus, it’s 500!” – Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke)
“How many times, Dad. I don’t do drugs. It’s only marijuana.” – Steve
“Boop.” – Steve
“We all die, my strange little child friend. It’s just a matter of how and when.” – Robin
“Steve, can you taste the air?” – Robin
“Okay, it’s official. I’m never having kids.” – Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo)
“We’re cooling off. Like Oswald.” – Dustin
“This interminable bickering was amusing at first, but it’s getting very stale and we’ve still got a long drive ahead of us. So, why don’t you two cut the horseshit and get to the part where you admit your sexual feelings for one another?” – Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman)
“Oh, spare me, spare me, spare me! Yes, yes, he’s a brute. I know. Probably reminds you of a bad relationship, and, gosh, you’d really like a nice man to settle down with, but, admit it, you’re real curious to know what he’s like in the sack. And you. Ha! Well, you’re just a big manbaby who’d rather act tough than show his true feelings, because the last time you opened your heart, you got hurt. Owie. And now, rather than admit these feelings, you’re dancing around one another with this mind-numbing and frankly boorish mating ritual. So, please, for my sake, either quit your bickering, or pull over, tear off those clothes, and get it over with already!” – Murray
“You’re gonna have an awesome scar. You’ll look even more badass.” – Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard)
“Bitchin’.” –Eleven
Mike: I’ve been meaning to tell you something. It’s just, being broken up, it’s been hard. And, I like that you and Max are friends now. It’s just, I was jealous at first, and – and angry. And that’s why I said all that stupid stuff. And it’s like I wanted you all to myself. And now I realize how unfair that is. And selfish, And, like, I’m sorry. I just, like, I’ve never felt like this, you know, with anyone before and. You know, they do say, it makes you crazy.
Eleven: What makes you crazy?
Mike: You never – You never heard that term. You know, like the phrase, like “blank makes you crazy,” like the word…
Eleven: Girlfriends?
Mike: No, no, no, no, not – not girlfriends.
Eleven: Boyfriends.
Mike: No! No, no, not boyfriends either. It’s like, it’s like a feeling or a feeling. Yeah, like something, like old people say it to each other sometimes.
Eleven: Old people?
Mike: Yeah. What I wanna say is that I just I know that I …
“Stay put, Freud! You hear me? Stay put!” – Jim Hopper (David Harbour)
“It’s like Carpenter’s The Thing. The original is a classic, no question about it. But the remake…. Sweeter, bolder, better.” – Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin)
“The movies? Dustin’s so freaked out about the gate, he decides to go watch a movie? Yeah, makes total sense.” – Lucas
“Keep mocking my plan, Max. Keep mocking.” – Lucas
“The ceiling stopped spinning for me. Is it still spinning for you?” – Robin
“I think I found someone who’s a little better for me. It’s crazy. Ever since Dustin got home, he’s been saying, “You know, you gotta find your Suzie. You gotta find your Suzie.” – Steve
“First of all, she’s hilarious. She’s so funny. I feel like, this summer, I have laughed harder than I have laughed in a really long time. And she’s smart. Way smarter than me. You know, she can crack, like, top secret Russian codes and … You know? She’s honestly unlike anyone I’ve ever even met before.” – Steve
“Robin, did you just OD in there?” – Steve
“Look, he doesn’t even know this girl. And if he did know her, like – like really know her, I don’t think he’d even want to be her friend.” – Robin
“Listen to me, Steve. It shocked me to my core, but I like you. I really like you. But I’m not like your other friends. And I’m not like Nancy Wheeler.
“It isn’t because I had a crush on you. It’s because she wouldn’t stop staring at you. Tammy Thompson. I wanted her to look at me. But she couldn’t pull her eyes away from you and your stupid hair. And I didn’t understand, because you would get bagel crumbs all over the floor. And you asked dumb questions. And you were a douchebag. And – and you didn’t even like her and I would go home and just scream into my pillow.” – Robin
“Steve, did you OD over there?” – Robin
“She sounds like a Muppet giving birth.” – Steve
“It’s not rigged!” – Alexei (Alec Utgoff)
“You flung that thing like a Hot Wheel!” – Dustin
For related entries, please read The Flayed, E Pluribus Unum, and The Battle of Starcourt.