All 8 Episodes of Stranger Things Season 3, Ranked

One summer can change everything...and this fall will change everything.

Guys. We are officially within two weeks of the release of Stranger Things 5. I don't think anyone on this planet can comprehend how excited I am for the final season of this show. But we aren't focused on that quite yet. Instead, we are talking about Stranger Things 3. My review was posted yesterday, so you know what comes next. Stranger Things 3 has a relatively slow build, but the back half of the season is absolutely amazing, so that is reflected in my episode ranking. Check it out down below.

8. Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?

The first episode feels unnecessarily slow

The beginning of season three is similar to the beginning of season two. It takes some time to get going. Dustin comes back from summer camp, so that allows some time to explore where everyone is in relation to him. We establish the bright summer vibe and show Starcourt Mall as a centerpiece for the season. There are very few hints or moments of foreshadowing about the threat of the Mind Flayer or the Russians, and I think that just makes this episode feel somewhat soft. Normally, hanging out with the characters is just really fun, but this is the height of their teenage angst. They're all rude to each other. Mike and Eleven are no longer cute and charming, because they want to set Eleven on this path of learning that her life isn't just about Mike. Lucas and Max feel like they exaggerate the worst elements of Mike and El's personalities. Hopper feels like he's devolved into a parody of himself. I love the introduction of Robin and Dustin and Steve are still golden, but this is a frustrating introduction to season three.

7. Chapter Five: The Flayed

After the explosive episode four, episode five gives a lot of time for subplots

As with many Stranger Things seasons, episode four is a fantastic transition into the back half of the season that appropriately raises the stakes. With the party aware of the returning threat of the Mind Flayer, it feels like this episode should continue that momentum and raise the stakes more. But it doesn't. Instead, it focuses a lot on the subplots that did not get as much focus in episode four. That means there's a lot of focus on the Russians here, and that's just not as compelling as the other elements of this season. Hopper chases Grigori. The Scoops Troop discovers the entire Russian lab. All of this is just the cheesiest side of the season, and that makes it another relatively frustrating episode.

6. Chapter Two: The Mall Rats

An improvement over the first episode that still has some slow moments

I feel like this is more what the first episode wanted to be. Sure, it still has a lot of the teenage angst and slow, uninteresting moments, but it balances it out with a lot of fun as well as a building sense of dread. The highlight of this episode is Max and Eleven's bonding montage at Starcourt and her eventual dumping of Mike. I think the way they juxtapose the colorful teenage summer with Billy's dark, unsettling turn as he is possessed by the Mind Flayer is really, really cool. It casts a shadow over everything else going on, which sets the stage for an exciting season. I still find Mike to be incredibly unlikable and I'm never going to be crazy about the Russia plot line, but this is a very entertaining episode.

5. Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard

A mix of the frustrating slow build of the season and some great, emotional character work

I know I'm just repeating myself, but the most frustrating part of this season is the angsty, unlikable turn that Mike and Lucas have taken. However, here, it ties into the main plot a bit more, because you see it affecting Will. I think Will destroying Castle Byers is one of the saddest moments in the show, because he's a kid who had his childhood taken away while all of his friends grew up. That's some powerful, impactful stuff, and I think it really demonstrates that this still is the coming-of-age story Stranger Things has always been. Dacre Montgomery also gets his true time to shine as Billy acts really, really creepy towards Max and El in this episode. The danger of the Mind Flayer grows closer, and it all starts to come together in the next episode.

4. Chapter Seven: The Bite

A satisfyingly subversive episode that reaffirms how much you love these characters

I would say there's a pretty big jump in quality from episode three to episode seven. The first half of this season is good. The second half of this season is some of the best stuff in the entire show. The Bite has everything you'd want from a Stranger Things episode: exciting action, graphic, unsettling imagery, and truly powerful character moments. Robin's coming out scene is a stroke of genius from the writers. They set up the subversion perfectly, because you really do believe that Robin is going to be the new Nancy. But this is a satisfying subversion that feels earned because Steve has just misinterpreted all of Robin's hints towards him, and he understands that and continues his friendship with her. Beyond that, Eleven getting bitten by the Mind Flayer and having that absolutely disgusting slug wiggling in her leg is such a memorable, terrifying image that continues the strong build towards the ultimate showdown. And, of course, Alexei's death is shocking and heart-breaking, fully raising the stakes and showing the true danger of the Russians. Stranger Things is always great at setting up it's finale, and this season is no different.

3. Chapter Six: E Pluribus Unum

A continuation of the building intensity that has some all-star performances

Episode six feels like what episode five should have been. Every single plot line is now firing on all cylinders. Hopper and Joyce have captured Alexei and are interrogating him with Murray. The Scoops Troop have been split up, with Steve and Robin being tortured by the Russians and Dustin and Erica trying to find a way to get them back. And, of course, the main crew are searching for Billy. This episode is the continuation of the building momentum from episode four that I referenced earlier. Eleven's exploration of Billy's mind is heart-breaking as we see that Billy was happy when his mother was around, but his abusive dad pushed her away and made him into the broken, angry man that he is. The final scene is just incredible. Billy threatening Eleven is truly scary but also carries so much emotion and sadness because of Dacre Montgomery's facial expressions. He is so good in this season, and he really gets a chance to shine in the way that he manages to be both menacing and sad at the same time.

2. Chapter Four: The Sauna Test

An episode that builds its intensity before reaching an explosive climax

Speaking of Dacre getting his time to shine, The Sauna Test is just an iconic episode of Stranger Things. After Will discovers that the Mind Flayer has returned, the party immediately turns suspicions to Billy. The episode builds and builds to the titular sauna test, where the group traps Billy in a burning hot sauna to reveal whether or not the Mind Flayer is inside of him. This episode would be great no matter what, but Dacre Montgomery's ability to be both terrified and then terrifying in a matter of seconds just makes this an all-timer sequence. This is the moment where season three kicks into high gear, and it is just as exciting and thrilling as you would expect.

1. Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt

An exciting, emotional finale that is everything you'd want from Stranger Things

Every finale of Stranger Things is basically perfect, and that is absolutely the case for the epic showdown that is The Battle of Starcourt. The hour and twenty-minute long episode (which would be one of season four's shorter entries) uses every minute of its gargantuan runtime to have exciting action or emotional character moments. Every character gets their moment to shine. Billy sacrifices himself to save the party after Eleven reminds him of his mother. Steve saves Nancy from Billy by crashing the car into him. Lucas uses the fireworks that he stole from the gas station to distract the Mind Flayer. And how can you not talk about this episode without talking about the absolute perfection that is The NeverEnding Story? After setting up Suzie possibly not existing in episode one, the writers reveal that she is indeed real in the moment where she is most needed. Absolute genius. And, of course, after Joyce closes the gate and the Spider Monster is killed, we move into the epilogue. There are, like, fifteen moments in the epilogue itself that will make you cry. Nancy and Jonathan's goodbye is devastating. Eleven finally telling Mike she loves him is heartwarming. But the big kicker is obviously Hopper's incredible speech that he wrote to Eleven. For my money, that is the most emotional moment in the show. It gets me every single time. David Harbour's warm voiceover paired with a truly beautiful piece of writing just hits after the episode you just watched and the sacrifice he made. Even after season four, this is still one of the best episodes of the show. It is absolutely incredible.