Stranger Things 2: Episode 6 “The Spy” Review

M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-Madness

★★★★1/2

Is the main monster in Stranger Things Cthulhu? It's a silly question, but people have been throwing that question around since the first poster of the series was released, based on visual similarities alone, while I’ve been glibly throwing the name around in these reviews basically because the show hasn’t really given us a replacement frame of reference to work from. I don’t completely believe that the monster is Cthulhu, largely because Stranger Things hasn’t been exactly heavy on H.P. Lovecraft allusions so far (also because it doesn't really look like Cthulhu, but “The Spy” might actually suggest that the writers might be drawing from that well more than we think, as Will’s continued connection to the monster causes his grip on reality to crack, splinter and eventually threaten to destroy those around him.

Jeez, this kid just cannot catch a break.

Classically, just looking at the creature Cthulhu is enough to drive the viewer insane, though Stranger Things’ tact has been more of a gradual degredation of Will’s psyche. This degredation increases rapidly during “The Spy”, first taking his memories, and then taking him over. It all gives a new shade of meaning to Will’s comments back in Episode 1 that the Monster isn’t coming for him, but everyone else; it already has him – it’s had him for a while.

If last episode begun the escalation of the ‘trauma’ theme to new horrors, then this episode is the culmination of that momentum. Will’s trauma consumes him almost completely, because something that horrible isn’t “easy-peasy” to turn away from, so to speak, whilst completely upending the lives of those around him. And sure, that comes in big operatic ways, as our characters get closer and closer to the Monster at the heart of the Upside-Down only to find impenetrable misery, but also in other, stomach-churning ways, such as at the episode’s beginning when Joyce follows Will into the hospital and has to watch him burn on the inside with seemingly nothing that she can do.

Also, as with “Dig Dug”, if the trauma scars come closer to the surface then the horror isn’t far behind and “The Spy” is arguably the most unpleasant episode of Stranger Things yet. Noah Schnapp delivers some nightmarish turns in what is a pretty thankless role as the gradually possessed Will, while the filming of the ending massacre is a pretty terrific use of minimalism, as each of the soldier’s headlights go out one by one. By the time we reach the episode’s end and the miniature Demogorgans are hurtling towards the hospital, it feels like the reality of the show has finally snapped and hurtled off the deep end.

Min Demogorgans shifts us pretty nicely over to the episode’s other key focus as Dustin and Steve rally together against D’artagnon’s escape from the basement. Dustin has been arguably one of the least effectively dramatized characters this Season and, at times, “The Spy” feels like an attempt to paint over those gaps. Dustin explains to Steve how he kept D’art largely as a way of impressing Max, which makes sense but feels almost like too little too late at this stage. What makes the whole thing work, however, is his relationship with Steve, whose characterization, this season, has been way more keenly observed than it has before. Joe Keery really does a great job of tapping into the fragile mess lying underneath the haircut and “The Spy” finally opens up the character’s more heroic moments during the action-finale. But, he is still a mess and watching him give ultimately rubbish advice to Dustin whilst Lucas forges a more genuine connection right above them makes perfect sense.

“The Spy” really is great example of how restructuring the show’s pacing has benefited the overall experience. I’ve heard some people complain about how the build to this kind of horror has been too slow, but I’ll take this more dynamic tonal approach any day over Season 1’s wheelspinning blurry mush. With the show endulging in arguably its most apocalyptic cliffhanger to date and Eleven nowhere to be seen, I’m assuming that next episode is going to take a bit of a detour to gear up for the endgame. These character’s have a lot of pain; I’m interested to see how (if?) they can all work through it.

Episode 7 "The Lost Sister" review here.

Other things:

• The doctor in charge of the operation doesn’t seem to have much in the way of nefarious agendas like the previous episodes hinted. He seems largely good-intentioned if his efforts to help Will are anything to go by, but he probably has more in common with Steve than any of the other characters – preferring to bury things quietly, even to the point of ignoring the obvious.

• Nancy and Jonathon get called out on their shared trauma bringing them together and then proceed to do it. I’m still not entirely clear how the whole ‘tape’ subplot is going to intersect with the main plot, so I don’t have a whole lot to add beyond that the performances are really well pitched.

• Max gets sketched in more this episode, revealing herself to be the victim of her stepbrother’s abuse. I’m assuming there’s still more we don’t know about, given how super-prominent her and 80s Zac Efron have been this Season, but for now this gives her a bit more dimension as a character.

• Bob takes to the truth pretty amenably, because of course he does.

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