Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat

'The Flea and the Acrobat' continues the "holy crap" series of suspense endings, but it wasn't my favorite aspect. As good as this is, there's no topping that cold open. Hopper charging into the lab and ending up going full-on paranoid ... I don't want to spoil much here, but Joyce finally finds out about Will's fake body - after having just buried it - and I really hope he doesn't actually turn up dead at the end of the season; this woman's been through enough.

The search for Will continues (as intensely as always) but I found myself more interested in Hopper and Joyce. Didn't expect that.

7/10

While Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat may not be in the same league as the third and fourth episodes, it's still another great episode and shows a sign that things are getting better.

The story, while not in the same complexity as the previous episodes, is still well-written in a scene where Mike and Lucas argue whether or not El is reliable or not that she's still helping them find Will, the writing continues to be superb, the production values are well spent, the performances are still great and the child actors have been getting better each episode thanks to their chemistry while Hooper and Joyce continue to be interesting adult characters, the pacing never drags and the music score continues to respect the 1980s perfectly.

Overall, not in the same complexity as the third and fourth episodes, but still an addictive episode of the first season.

And again, entertaining episode, interesting story. everything are great! but Loser's logic is kinda weird.

This episode just committed three plot flaws that ruin a show for me.

1. Let's not tell anybody. Nobody will believe us.

2. Let's explore in small, easily defeatable groups.

3. I'm a plucky teenage girl and I am going to explore the blood dripping tree where an animal corpse has disappeared that opens up into an ethereal world with that great anti-monster device, the flashlight.

Combined with the tropes of "evil scientist". " government cover-up" and "Bullies and nerds", the show has a lot of lazy writing.

There is a photograph with a shadowy faceless figure right where the friend disappeared by the swimming pool. That would be sufficient to, at least, get someone's attention.

Season 1 was a very promising first season to 'Stranger Things', and to me it's one of the show's better seasons. Of the previous four episodes only "Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street" disappointed a little while still being good. "Chapter Four: The Body" was especially outstanding, with everything that made the previous episodes as good as they were while executing the good things even better while managing to progress the plot.

While not quite as great as the third and fourth episodes, "Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" is still great and the plot and character progression has far from stalled. If anything they expanded with each episode, and "Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" once again does incredibly well at building upon what was set up from the very beginning, adding more layers and setting up what was to come in later episodes.

"Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" is not quite perfect, with a few lapses in logic. Including a big one mentioned by others that did strike me as rather silly and naive.

Everything else is done absolutely brilliantly however. The acting continues to impress, Millie Bobby Brown especially gives acting beyond her year and El is a character that is interesting and rootable. Finn Woolfhard is also on the road to great things if he keeps giving acting as good as in 'Stranger Things' and in 'IT'. The chemistry between the younger cast is beautifully handled, and has a 'Stand By Me' like nostalgia, one of the things most striking about 'Stranger Things'. Winona Ryder can be too melodramatic in some episodes and fine in others, she's fine here.

The production values are superb. Very stylish and atmospheric, with some truly beautiful images that one can't believe such high quality comes from a Netflix show. Not to mention the highly impressive special effects that put a good deal of big budget films in recent years to shame. The music has a wonderful 80s nostalgic vibe while also being quite haunting, enhancing the atmosphere beautifully.

Writing is thought-probing and has a lot of brains and heart. The humour is gentle but very subtly witty and funny, while there is a poignancy (without being too sentimental) and tension. Throughout "Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" has creepiness, intriguing mystery, inventive sci-fi, affectionate nostalgia and emotional impact. The mystery again is even deeper and more complex than before but is always intriguing and never confusing. The ending is suspenseful and makes one excited for what happens next in subsequent episodes.

In summary, great. 9/10.