Stranger Things Season 3 Chapter 3: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard is the most thrilling episode thus far.
The juxtaposition of the discussion between Eleven or Jane Hopper (Millie Bobby Brown) and Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and the back-and-forth between Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) was too pure for words. It was every teenager and his or her friends’ conversation about the opposite sex. And Max was an empowered woman.
Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) or Will the Wise’s getting intense in his all-out attempt to lure the boys back into playing Dungeons & Dragons was both too heartbreaking and too realistic. All the nerds could relate to it.
Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve Harrington’s (John Keery) interactions were the highlights of this episode. Dustin schooling Steve in the “primitive constructs”, love, and life was akin to a young Padawan teaching Yoda about the Force.
Yet, Billy Hargrove’s (Dacre Montgomery) acts of recruiting Hawkins residents (voluntarily or forcibly) was chilling. It does not bode well for Eleven when Billy is slowly building an army against her.
Here are some quotes from Stranger Things – Season 3 Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard:
“Is Mike a good kisser?” – Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink)
“Holy shit, this is insane.” – Max
“I just don’t understand what I did to deserve this.” – Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard)
“Okay. Stop asking rational questions.” – Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin)
“Because women act on emotions.” – Mike
“Hey! Hey! When I say three inches, three …” – Jim Hopper (David Harbour)
“We make our own rules.” – Max
“Okay, look, I should just warn you, if he’s with a girl, or doing something gross, just get out of there right away before you’re scarred for life.” – Max
“Don’t be afraid. It’ll be over soon. Stay still.” – Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery)
“That is not music, that is the sound of destiny. I have seen into the future, and I’ve seen that today is a new day, a day free of girls.” – Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). Oh, how wrong were you, Will the Wise?
“I haven’t been stood up like that since Alice Gilbert in the ninth grade.” – Hopper showing his teenage drama queen side
“You stood me up, no phone call, no apology, because you had to go to Scott Clarke’s house.” – Hopper
“I don’t think what Scott thinks!” – Hopper. I think you should.
“He’s brilliant, isn’t he? He’s really brilliant. Is he single, too? – Hopper
“I think, when I asked you out, you got scared. I think you got scared, and now, you’re inventing things. You’re inventing things to get out about so that you can push me away. Because God forbid any of is move on! Because that, that would be … I mean, that would be too much, right, Joyce?” – Hopper
Max: When Billy is alone with a girl, they make, like, really crazy noises.
Eleven: They scream?
Max: Yeah, like happy screams.
Eleven: Happy screams? What is ‘happy screams’?
Max: It’s like … I’m just gonna lend you my mom’s Cosmo.
“Why do I get a feeling we’re gonna find all kinds of wrongs here.” – Max
“Ugh. Gag me with a spoon.” – Max
“Dude, you’re the worst spy in history, you know that?” – Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo)
“I don’t get why you’re looking at girls. You have the perfect one in front of you.” – Dustin
“For your information, she’s still in school. And she’s weird. She’s a weirdo. And she’s hyper. I don’t like that she’s hyper. And she did drama. That’s a bad look. And she’s in a band? No.” – Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) on what not to look in a girl
“Now that you’re out of high school, which means you’re technically an adult, don’t you think it’s time you move on from primitive constructs such as popularity? – Dustin’s wise words
“Instead of dating somebody you think’s gonna make you cooler, why not date somebody you actually enjoy being around? – Dustin
“No! It’s a distraction! A trap. Do not answer it.” – Will
“You’re destroying everything, and for what? So you can swap spit with some stupid girl? – Will
“It’s not my fault you don’t like girls.” – Mike
“I’m not trying to be a jerk, okay? But we’re not kids anymore. I mean, what did you think, really? That we were never gonna get girlfriends? That we were just gonna sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?” – Mike
“I cracked it. I cracked the code.” – Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke)
“It is important to me that you feel safe. That you and your family feel safe.” – Hopper
“I want you to feel like this can still be your home.” – Hopper
“So stupid. So stupid. Stupid.” – Will
“He’s back.” – Will
“I’m really sorry about this, Daddy, but it’ll be all over soon. I promise.” – Heather the lifeguard Holloway (Francesca Reale)
For related entries, please read Suzie, Do You Copy, The Mall Rats, and The Sauna Test.