If it’s one thing that Stranger Things has dealt with exceptionally well in all of the seasons, it is the mental trauma of the minors. It is not an everyday affair to fight Demogorgon or Mind Flayer and with Vecna’s entry, things take a turn for the worse.
It is still unclear how Robin or Steve remain almost unscathed mentally after going through an almost apocalypse.
Anyway, after the last episode of Stranger Things 3 concludes with a heartfelt letter from Hopper to Eleven, Dear Billy is another emotional approach in the sci-fi series.
It seems that our not-so-friendly monsters from the other dimension grow on their prey’s guilt and fear. Chrissy and Fred had their share of past guilt that was not revealed in this season however Billy’s death pushed Max to a dark mental state.
To make matters worse, they had a strained relationship and Vecna seemingly use this to take over Max. After connecting the dots, the gang realizes Chrissy died after a week, Fred after six days and Max is on her fifth day.
The trailer gave a snippet of Max floating in the air near Billy’s grave leading to numerous theories from the buffs, some of them even explaining that Max turned into the demon for this season.
Max writes letters to everyone after realizing that she may die soon. One of them is for Billy which she reads out at his grave. This scene stands out from all the others as it blends the two facets of Stranger Things- emotions and horror.
Minutes before Max will be tangled by Vecna, Lucas tries to make things better with her especially after Max becomes distant from Lucas due to her own mental instability.
Just as she is reading a very emotional note, she is trapped by Vecna in another dimension. This scene mixes with Nancy and Robin’s mission to find out the truth about Victor Creel as they disguise themselves as researchers and enter the asylum to meet him.
To break free from Vecna’s Curse, one needs to be connected with the reality of this world. Dustin and Lucas try to find Max’s favorite song which is Running Up The Hill by Kate Bush (earning a lot of attention after the series) and just as Vecna is about to enter Max’s mind, she breaks free from his spell and comes back from the Upside Down.
Sadie Sink played a prominent role in this season, almost carrying the whole plot by herself. She gave an extraordinary performance in this episode which was enhanced by Robin and Nancy’s bond.
The two make up a good team and have become one of the most liked combos from the series.
Victor Creel’s story will also play an important role in the subsequent role as is clear from the grandfather clock in his house and the way his family was murdered- in exactly the same way Vecna is now killing other teenagers in Hawkins.
The episode stands out for its wonderfully handled dual-faceted plot where the makers tried to bring out the emotional side of the characters while sticking to the theme of mystery and thriller.
Demogorgon and Mind Flayer were more inclined toward devouring people and killing them but Vecna is a pure antagonist that has rational ideas to take over Hawkins and it is evident that this demon has its own back story.
Even with a plot that keeps you hooked to the screen and the cinematography that plays a major role to keep the viewer’s attention, the performances of all the characters could not be ignored and this is one of the major aspects of Stranger Things- the makers know how to balance between different elements to strengthen the series and do not allow it to become repetitive or monotonous.