S1E05
The Flea and the Acrobat
The group discovers the truth about Eleven and the experiments at Hawkins Lab.
š Transcript
Stranger Things ā S01E05 ā Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat | Full transcript [door beeps] [woman] Thanks. [indistinct chatter] [breathing heavily] [indistinct chatter] [sighs] [doorknob rattling] No. [bangs door] [sighs] [gun cocking] Hands up. Hands up! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Forgot all the cameras, bub? Look, Dr. Brenner asked for me specifically. Okay? How else do you think I got in here? [Hopper scoffs] Whatās your name again? Itās Jim Hopper. Chief Jim Hopper. Yeah, Iāve got Jim Hopper⦠[grunts] [man on radio] Come again? [grunts] [both panting] [indistinct radio chatter] Hey⦠you mind if I borrow this one? [beeps] [door buzzing] [door locks] [liquid pouring] [Lonnie] Drink. Itāll calm your nerves. Help you think straight, yeah? I donāt know what to do. I know. I know. [sniffs] This whole time⦠I⦠I could⦠I could feel him. He was⦠He was so close. He was⦠he was right there. I knew he was alive. [thunder rumbles] Our hands⦠our hands were almost touching. Now itās like I⦠uh⦠[sobbing] God, itās like I canāt feel him anymore. Donāt look at me like that. Like what? Like how everybody is looking at me. Like Iām out of my damn mind. Hey. Youāre not gonna like this, but I think you need to seriously consider the possibility that all this⦠Itās in your head. [scoffs] You remember your Aunt Darlene? No. No, this is not that. I mean, when something like this happens, your mind makes up stuff for you to cope, you know? I mean, Jesus, thereās a funeral tomorrow for our little boy and youāre saying his body is fake. Heās in the wall. I mean, how do you explain that? [stammers] It just doesnāt make sense. It doesnāt. At least go talk to a shrink or⦠[sighs] What about Pastor Charles or someone⦠I donāt⦠Well, they canāt help. Joyce, you just told me⦠that Will is gone. What else is there to do? [sniffles] Hey. [sniffles] [Hopper] Will? Will? Will? Will? [Mike] What was Will saying? Like home⦠Like home⦠but dark? [Lucas] And empty. [sighs] Empty and cold. Wait, did he say cold? I donāt know. The stupid radio kept going in and out. [sighs] Itās like riddles in the dark. Like home. Like his house? Or maybe like Hawkins. Upside down. Whatād she say? Upside down. [Lucas] What? Upside down. When El showed us where Will was, she flipped the board over, remember? Upside down. Dark. Empty. Do you understand what heās talking about? No. [Mike] Guys, come on, think about it. When El took us to find Will, she took us to his house, right? Yeah. And he wasnāt there. But what if he was there? What if we just couldnāt see him? What if he was on the other side? What if this is Hawkins and⦠this is where Will is? The Upside Down. Like the Vale of Shadows. [Hopper] Will? Will? [alarm blaring faintly] Will? [alarm continues] [pressing button] [indistinct chatter] [guards yelling] I see him! Hey! Stop! [Dustin] āThe Vale of Shadows is a dimension that is a dark reflection or echo of our world. It is a place of decay and death.ā [Hopper] Will? āA plane out of phase. A place of monsters. It is right next to you, and you donāt even see it.ā [electricity crackling] [Hopper coughing] Will? Will? An alternate dimension. But⦠how⦠how do we get there? You cast Shadow Walk. In real life, dummy. We canāt shadow walk, but⦠maybe she can. Do you know how we get there? To the Upside Down? [sighing] Oh, my God! [coughing] [exclaims softly] What the hell? [rhythmic pulsing] [gasps] [Hopper] Hey! Hey! Hey! [theme music playing] Hey, kid. Whatās going on? Your dadās, uh, gonna stay here tonight. [stammers] On the couch. [Lonnie] Yeah, Iām here as long as you need me, okay? How are you holding up? What happened? Donāt worry about that. Mom⦠that thing you saw before, did it come back? Jonathan, thatās enough. [sighs] Can we talk? Alone? You need to leave. Look, I know youāre upset. We all are. But you need to listen to me. Your mother is sick. Really sick. Yeah. Well, you being here, youāre just making things worse, like always. Worse? Yeah! She took down that wall with an ax. She said that Will was inside and that heās talking to her. Yeah. Maybe he was. This isnāt some kind of joke. Your mom was half frozen to death when I got here. Trembling, scared out of her mind. You come in here and you start feeding into her hallucinations or whatever the hell you want to call it, youāre gonna push her right over the edge. You hear me? [sighs] Look, Iām on your side. Iām here to help. Iām gonna make things better around here for all of us. [scoffs] Thank God youāre here. Do me a favor. At the funeral tomorrow, just behave. If not for me, for your mother. Take that down. Itās inappropriate. Good. Ah! Dad, youāre⦠youāre choking me. Ah⦠there. Itās supposed to be a little tight. Looks good. [zipper closing] Here we go. [sighs] You look nice, sweetie. Anything else? You can borrow my black heels if you want. The ones you wore to Cathyās birthday. Iām fine. Thanks. [whimpering] Ugh. Come on. Time to go. [groans softly] Come on. [sighs] [Pastor Charles] āFear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.ā Itās times like these that our faith is challenged. How, if He is truly benevolent⦠could God take from us someone so young, so innocent? It would be easy to turn away from God⦠but we must remember that nothing, not even tragedy, can separate us from His love. We are here today to find comfort in the truth of scripture, and to surround Will and his family⦠[sniffles] Just wait till we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral. [shushes] [Karen] Iām so, so sorry. Oh, thank you so much for coming. Yeah, if thereās anything we can do⦠I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Take care, all right? Thanks. Thanks for coming out. I see Will the Wise is back. Whatās that shooting out of his cane? Fireballs. I couldnāt find the red crayon, so thatās why itās green. Oh, well⦠if heās so wise, why does he need fireballs? Why canāt he just, you know, outsmart the bad guys? Most of the time, yeah, totally. But⦠sometimes the bad guys are smart, too. You know? Yeah. So he needs the fireballs? Well, yeah, to burn them to a crisp. All right. Well, I donāt know whoās been raising you, but Iām gonna get you some new crayons because it looks like heās shooting cabbages. [both chuckle] [gasping] [breathing heavily] [panting] [dishes clattering] [exclaims] [Lucas] Will! Will, itās us! Are you there? [Dustin] Can you hear us? Weāre here! [Will distorted] Hello? Mom? [Lucas] Why canāt he hear us? [Mike] I donāt know! [Will distorted] Mom, itās coming! She was there. [church bell tolling] This is where we know for sure itās been, right? So, thatās⦠Steveās house. And thatās the woods where they found Willās bike and⦠thatās my house. Itās all so close. Yeah. Exactly. I mean, itās all within a mile or something. Whatever this thing is, itās⦠itās not traveling far. You want to go out there. We might not find anything. I found something. And if we do see it⦠then what? [sighs] We kill it. What are you doing? Just give me a second. Are you serious? What? You want to find this thing and take another photo? Yell at it? This is a terrible idea. Yeah, well, itās the best weāve got. What? You can tell someone, but theyāre not gonna believe you. You know that. Your mom would. Sheās been through enough. She deserves to know. Yeah, and Iāll tell her⦠when this thing is dead. I donāt know what in the world caused it. Letās take a look, huh? Yeah. Mr. Clarke says heās never seen anything like it. Mr. Clarke? Yeah, he runs the AV Club. [repairman] That right? Apparently, some of the less athletic types go nuts for this stuff. [engine starting] [indistinct chatter] [Mike] Mr. Clarke? Oh, hey, there. How are you boys holding up? [munching] Weāre⦠in⦠mourning. Man, these arenāt real Nilla Wafers. [Mike] We were wondering if you had time to talk? We have some questions. A lot of questions. Mr. Clarke explains to Mike, Dustin and Lucas about the Upside Down by using the analogy of the tightrope, the acrobat, and the flea [Mike] So, you know how in Cosmos, Carl Sagan talks about other dimensions? Like, beyond our world? [Mr. Clarke] Yeah, sure. Theoretically. [Mike] Right, theoretically. [Lucas] So, theoretically, how do we travel there? [Mr. Clarke] You guys have been thinking about Hugh Everettās Many-Worlds Interpretation, havenāt you? Well, basically, there are parallel universes. Just like our world, but just infinite variations of it. Which means thereās a world out there where none of this tragic stuff ever happened. [Lucas] Yeah, thatās not what weāre talking about. [Mr. Clarke] Oh. [Dustin] We were thinking of more of an evil dimension, like the Vale of Shadows. You know the Vale of Shadows? [Mr. Clarke] An echo of the Material Plane, where necrotic and shadow magic⦠[Mike] Yeah, exactly. If that did exist, a place like the Vale of Shadows, how would we travel there? [Lucas] Theoretically. [Mr. Clarke] Well⦠Picture⦠an acrobat⦠standing on a tightrope. Now, the tightrope is our dimension. And our dimension has rules. You can move forwards, or backwards. But, what if⦠right next to our acrobat, there is a flea? Now, the flea can also travel back and forth, just like the acrobat. Right? [Mike] Right. [Mr. Clarke] Hereās where things get really interesting. The flea can also travel this way⦠along the side of the rope. He can even go⦠underneath the rope. [boys] Upside down. [Mr. Clarke] Exactly. [Mike] But weāre not the flea, weāre the acrobat. [Mr. Clarke] In this metaphor, yes, weāre the acrobat. [Lucas] So we canāt go upside down? [Mr. Clarke] No. [Dustin] Well, is there any way for the acrobat to get to the Upside Down? [Mr. Clarke] Well⦠youād have to create a massive amount of energy. More than humans are currently capable of creating, mind you, to open up some kind of tear in time and space, and then⦠you create a doorway. [Dustin] Like a gate? [Mr. Clarke] Sure. Like a gate. But again, this is all⦠[Lucas] Theoretical. [Mike] But⦠but what if this gate already existed? [Mr. Clarke] Well, if it did, I⦠I think weād know. It would disrupt gravity, the magnetic field, our environment. Heck, it might even swallow us up whole. Science is neat. But Iām afraid itās not very forgiving. Whoa. Hey, Chief! [knocking] Hello? Whoa! Hey! [Powell] Jesus, Chief. You all right? What are you doing here? We tried calling, but⦠Yeah, the phoneās dead. Hey, so Bev Mooney came in this morning all upset. Said that Dale and Henry went hunting yesterday⦠and they didnāt come back home. She thought they were on another binger, but sheās not so sure now. I think this whole Will Byers thing has everybody on edge. Where was this? It was at the station. No, no. Where did Henry and Dale go hunting? Oh. Uh, out near Kerley. Mirkwood. What? Okay. You go back to the station. Iāll take care of this, all right? Are you sure? Yeah, leave it. Oh, hey. Uh, they found Barbaraās car. What? Barbara Hollandās car. Seems she ran away after all. Staties found it late last night at a bus station. Funny, right? They keep doing our job for us. Yeah. [chuckles] Itās funny. [door closes] Is he off his meds again? [engine starts] Heās been spending too much time with Joyce Byers. Thatās what I think. [sighs] What are you doing? What does it look like Iām doing? You want to freeze to death all winter? [hammering continues] I told you not to take these down. They were in the way, babe. How long are you gonna keep those up? I mean, really? You know, itās a shame what theyāve done to this family. What? The Sattler Company. I went to the quarry on the way over here. I just wanted to look around, you know? Couldnāt believe it. I just couldnāt believe it. No warning signs, no fence, no nothing. Ought to be held accountable if you ask me. It would take a lot of energy to build a gate like this. But thatās got to be what happened. Otherwise, howād Will get there, right? Right. What we want to know is, do you know where the gate is? Then how do you know about the Upside Down? [Mike] Dustin, what are you doing? Dustin? Dustin! Dustin! I⦠I need to see your compasses. What? Your compasses. All of your compasses, right now! Whatās exciting about this? Well, theyāre all facing north, right? Yeah, so? Well, thatās not true north. What do you mean? I mean exactly what I just said. Thatās not true north. Are you both seriously this dense? The sun rises in the east, and it sets in the west. Right? Which means thatās true north. So what youāre saying is the compasses are broken. [sighs] Do you even understand how a compass works? Do you see a battery pack on this? No. No, you donāt. Because it doesnāt need one. The needleās naturally drawn to the Earthās magnetic North Pole. So whatās wrong with them? Well, thatās what I couldnāt figure out, but then I remembered. You can change the direction of a compass with a magnet. If thereās the presence of a more powerful magnetic field, the needle deflects to that power. And then I remembered what Mr. Clarke said. The gate would have so much power⦠It could disrupt the electromagnetic field. Exactly. Meaning, if we follow the compassesā north⦠They should lead us to the gate. [sighs] Whoa, whoa, hey, whoa, whoa. [exhales] What are you doing here? What are you doing? Nothing. I hope thatās not meant for me. What? No. Oh, no, I was just⦠thinking about joining softball. Oh. Well, uh⦠listen, Iām really sorry. I mean, even before you threatened me with the baseball bat. Okay. I panicked and⦠[sighs] I mean, I was a total dick. Yeah, you were. [sighs] Did you get in trouble with your parents? Totally, but⦠you know, who cares? Screw āem. Any news about Barbara? Parents heard from her? Or⦠No. Hey, listen. Why donāt we, uh, why donāt we catch a movie tonight, you know? Just kinda pretend everythingās normal for a few hours. All The Right Moves is still playing. You know, with your lover boy from Risky Business? [chuckles] Yeah, I know. You know, Carol thinks I actually kinda look like him. What do you think? Huh? āŖ Just take those old records Off the shelf āŖ āŖ Iāll sit and listen to them by myself āŖ I just, I⦠I donāt think I can. Iāve been really busy with this whole funeral thing and⦠[inhales] with my brother. Itās been really hard on him. Yeah, sure. Sure, yeah, yeah. So⦠I should go. Sorry. Iāll call you later. Is that okay? Yeah. Yeah, of course. āŖ Just take those old records Off the shelf āŖ āŖ Iāll sit and listen to them⦠⪠[sighs] [Joyce] You were here for the money! [Lonnie] No! The money! Admit it! You arenāt here ācause of Will. You never cared about him. You never did! Jesus, Joyce, it was his funeral today. Do we have to do this right now? I canāt believe I fell for this. Iām here to help, Joyce. To help? We could use that money for good. [stammering] Oh, like maybe to pay off your debts? To pay for Jonathan to go to school! Oh, donāt do that. Do what? Lie to me! Iām not lying to you! Yeah, well, where does he wanna go? Huh? What? Where does Jonathan want to go to college? We get that money, anywhere he damn well pleases! NYU, Lonnie! Heās wanted to go to NYU since he was six years old! So then he goes to NYU! Get out. Get out! You need me here, Joyce. [laughs] Oh, brother, I have not needed you for a long time! Oh, no? Look what happened. [scoffs] Oh, donāt you dare. At least I was here! Oh, come on, Joyce. Just look around at this place. All your Christmas lights. What the hell am I supposed to think? Youāre such a great mom? Youāre a mess! Maybe I am a mess. Maybe Iām crazy. Maybe Iām out of my mind! But, God help me, I will keep these lights up until the day I die if I think thereās a chance that Willās still out there! Now, get out! Get out of my house! [sighs] [Nancy] Youāre supposed to hit the cans, right? No, actually, you see the spaces in between the cans? Iām aiming for those. Ah. You ever shot a gun before? [scoffs] Have you met my parents? [chuckles softly] Yeah, I havenāt shot one since I was ten. My dad took me hunting on my birthday. He made me kill a rabbit. A rabbit? Yeah. I guess he thought it would make me into more of a man or something. I cried for a week. Jesus. What? Iām a fan of Thumper. [chuckles] I meant your dad. Yeah. I guess he and my mother loved each other at some point, but⦠[gun cocks] ā¦I wasnāt around for that part. Um, yeah. Just, uh, point and shoot. I donāt think my parents ever loved each other. They mustāve married for some reason. My mom was young. My dad was older, but he had a cushy job, money, came from a good family. So they bought a nice house at the end of the cul-de-sac⦠and started their nuclear family. Screw that. Yeah. Screw that. [beer can clatters] [both chuckle] [dialing] [line ringing] [woman] Hello? Hey. Jim? Yeah. [sighs] Why are you calling me here? I told you not to call me. I know, I know, I know. I just wanted to⦠I just wanted to hear your voice and, uh⦠I just wanted to say that, um⦠even after everything that happened, I donāt⦠I donāt regret any of it. And those seven years, they were⦠everything to me. Have you been drinking? No. No. [baby crying over phone] [woman shushing] Honey, hey⦠Hey, itās okay⦠itās okay. [shushing] [crying continues] You know what, actually, I have been drinking, Iām sorry. Jim, I canāt⦠Just take care of yourself, okay? Say hi to Bill for me. Are you sure⦠[phone ringing] [ringing stops] [sighs] How much further? I donāt know. These only tell direction, not distance. You really need to learn more about compasses. Iām just saying. How do we know when we get to the gate? Uh, I think a portal to another dimension is gonna be pretty obvious. [sighs] Do you think sheās acting weird? Youāre asking if the weirdo is acting weird? I mean, weirder than normal? I donāt know. Who cares? [breathing heavily] How far, Papa? Farther than weāve ever gone before. The bath? Yes. Yes, the bath. Is that okay? Okay. Mike. Yeah? Turn back. What? Why? Iām tired. [sighs] Look, Iām sure weāre almost there. Just hold on a little longer, okay? [sighs] [Nancy] You never said what I was saying. [Jonathan] What? [Nancy] Yesterday. You said I was saying something and thatās why you took my picture. Oh, uh⦠I donāt know. My guess⦠I saw this girl, you know, trying to be someone else. But for that moment⦠it was like you were alone, or you thought you were. And, you know, you could just be yourself. That is such bullshit. [stammers] What? I am not trying to be someone else. Just because Iām dating Steve and you donāt like him⦠You know what? Forget it. I just thought it was a good picture. Heās actually a good guy. [stammers] Okay. Yesterday, with the camera⦠Heās not like that at all. He was just being protective. Yeah, thatās one word for it. Oh, and I guess what you did was okay? No, I⦠I never said that. He had every right to be pissed⦠Okay, all right. Does that mean I have to like him? No. Listen, donāt take it so personally, okay? I donāt like most people. Heās in the vast majority. You know, I was actually starting to think that you were okay. Yeah? Yeah. Yeah, I was thinking, āJonathan Byers, maybe heās not the pretentious creep everyone says he is.ā Well, I was just starting to think you were okay. Oh. I was thinking, āNancy Wheeler, sheās not just another suburban girl who thinks sheās rebelling by doing exactly what every other suburban girl does⦠until that phase passes and they marry some boring onetime jock who now works sales, and they live out a perfectly boring little life at the end of a cul-de-sac. Exactly like their parents, who they thought were so depressing, but now, hey, they get it.ā [scoffs] [scoffs] [pounding on door] Go away, Lonnie. [continues pounding] Seriously! I am gonna murd⦠[whispers] What? What? [Hopper sighs] Oh, Jesus. [scoffs] Oh, no. āOh, noā? Whatās, āOh, noā? Weāre headed back home. What? Are you sure? Yeah, Iām sure. Setting sun, right there. We looped right back around. And youāre just realizing this now? Why is this all on me? Because youāre the compass genius! What do yours say? [both] North. [Lucas sighs] Makes no damn sense. [sighs] Maybe the gate moved. No, I donāt think itās the gate. I think itās something else screwing with the compasses. Maybe itās something here. No, it has to be like a super magnet. Itās not a magnet. Sheās been acting weirder than normal. If she can slam doors with her mind, she can definitely screw up a compass. Why would she do that? Because sheās trying to sabotage our mission. Because sheās a traitor! [Mike] Lucas, what are you doing? You did it, didnāt you? You donāt want us to reach the gate. You donāt want us to find Will. [Mike] Lucas, come on, seriously, just leave her alone! Admit it. No. Admit it! Fresh blood. I knew it. Lucas, come on! I saw her wiping her nose on the tracks! She was using her powers! Bull! Thatās old blood. Right, El? Right, El? [crying] Itās⦠not⦠itās not safe. [Hopper panting] [light bulbs clattering] [panting] Okay. Should be okay, I mean⦠I canāt guarantee it, but it should be okay. What the hell is going on, Hopper? They bugged my place. What? They bugged my place. They put a microphone in the light. [sighs] Itās because Iām on to them and they know it. I donāt know⦠Who? I thought they might be watching you, too. I donāt know, the CIA, the NSA, Department of Energy⦠I donāt know. You gotta explain this to me, ācause I am not⦠I went to the morgue last night, Joyce. What? It wasnāt him. What? Willās body, it was a fake. [Joyce exclaims] You were right. This whole time, you were right. What did I tell you? Sheās been playing us from the beginning! Thatās not true. She helped us find Will! Find Will? Find Will? Where is he, then? Huh? I donāt see him. Yeah, you know what I mean. No, I actually donāt. Just think about it, Mike. She couldāve just told us where the Upside Down was right away, but she didnāt. She just made us run around like headless chickens. All right, calm down! No! She used us, all of us! She helped just enough so she could get what she wants. Food and a bed. Sheās like a stray dog. Screw you, Lucas! No! Screw you, Mike. Youāre blind⦠blind because you like that a girlās not grossed out by you. But wake up, man! Wake the hell up! She knows where Will is, and now sheās just letting him die in the Upside Down. Shut up! For all we know, itās her fault. Shut up. Weāre looking for some stupid monster⦠but did you ever stop to think that maybe sheās the monster? I said shut up! [grunting] Stop! [Dustin] Knock it off, you idiots. Stop it! [Dustin] Mike, get off! Stop it! [grunting] [screams] Jesus! Lucas! Lucas! Lucas, are you all right? Lucas. Lucas, come on! Lucas, wake up! Lucas. [Dustin] Come on, Lucas! Why would you do that? [Dustin] Come on. Whatās wrong with you? [distorted] What is wrong with you? [indistinct overlapping chatter] [chatter continues] [man speaking Russian] [man continues speaking] [man continues indistinctly on PA] [speaking Russian] [growling] [distorted snarling on PA] What is that? I have no idea. [breathing heavily] [indistinct snarling] [muffled screaming] Help! Help! [sobbing] [Dustin] Come on, wake up. Come on! Lucas⦠Lucas, come on! [Dustin chuckles] [Mike exhales] [Mike] Lucas. Lucas, you okay? [Dustin] Lucas⦠Lucas, how many fingers am I holding up? Lucas, how many fingers? [Mike] Let me see your head. Get off of me! [Mike] Just⦠Lucas. Lucas, let me see. Get off of me! Lucas, come on. Let him go. Man, let him go. Where is El? [breathing heavily] [shouting] El? El! Eleven! El! Eleven! El! Eleven! [indistinct whimper] What, are you tired? Shut up. What? I heard something. [indistinct whimper] [whimpering continues] [Nancy] Oh, God. [whimpering] [Jonathan sighs] [Nancy] Itās been hit by a car. We canāt just leave it. [whimpering] Iāll do it. I thought you said⦠Iām not nine anymore. [sighs] [cocks gun] [breathing heavily] [both gasping] What was that? [both panting] [Nancy] Whereād it go? I donāt know. Do you see any more blood? No. [liquid dripping] Jonathan? [snarling] [gasps] [gnawing] [twig snaps] [roars] [screams] [gasps] Nancy! Nancy? Nancy? Nancy, where are you? Nancy! Nancy! [rock music playing]