Ep 5. The Flea and the Acrobat

In Stranger Things season 1 episode 5 titled "The Flea and the Acrobat," the intensity of the plot is heightened as the characters face several new twists and turns.

The episode opens with the young Will Byers' mother, Joyce, trying to communicate with her missing son through the electric signals of her Christmas lights. Meanwhile, police chief Hopper and Will's friends, including Dustin, Mike, and Lucas, are trying to figure out what could have happened to the boy. The disappearance of Will is still a mystery, but the kids' suspicions that he is trapped in some alternate dimension, which they refer to as the Upside Down, are growing stronger.

The episode also focuses on the dysfunctional relationship between Jonathan, Will's older brother, and their father Lonnie. Jonathan confronts his father about leaving the family when the boys were young but their conversation becomes heated very quickly. This dynamic further highlights the trauma that the family has suffered, and it offers a glimpse into the impact that Will's disappearance has had on the family.

Elsewhere in the episode, Nancy and Steve's relationship is on the rocks, and tensions run even higher when Nancy speaks with her former friend Barb's mother. Barb has also gone missing, and her friend's parents are very frightened. Nancy begins to regret her actions and fears she may have inadvertently caused her friend's disappearance.

As the episode continues, viewers watch as the group of friends tries to create a make-shift communication system with Will, using Dustin's walkie-talkie and a homemade transmitter. To contact the other side, they decide to tune in to the right frequency, but they meet some resistance from another user. The boys' determination to reach out to their lost friend and communicate with him reaches an almost desperate level.

Meanwhile, the supernatural elements of the show come to the forefront as Eleven begins to use her telekinetic abilities to access different areas of the house. As strange as it seems, Eleven seems to know something about the Upside Down and the experiments that have been happening there.

Towards the end of the episode, the tension ratchets up even higher. Hopper and Joyce continue their investigation, believing that Lonnie may be involved in Will's disappearance. Tensions between Nancy and Steve also come to a head, and the group of boys find themselves in a harrowing situation, facing off against both a pack of bullies and a new threat from the Upside Down.

Overall, Stranger Things season 1 episode 5 is a gripping and thrilling chapter in the story. It continues to introduce new mysteries and unanswered questions while offering glimpses into the troubled lives of the characters. Viewers are left on the edge of their seats as new twists and turns are revealed, and the episode leaves them eager to see what happens next.