10 Best Episodes Of Stranger Things (So Far), According To IMDb

June 6, 2022 Alexander Illner 0 Stranger Things

This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 4, volume 1.

Stranger Things is a genre-bending adventure that uses elements of science-fiction, horror, drama, and comedy to great effect. Voters at IMDb have had their say on the series’ top installments. The list includes action-heavy battles and quieter, character-driven moments.

The first part of Stranger Things’ fourth season has been released. It’s answered questions and spawned plenty of new theories. Until Volume 2 is released on July 1st, it’s worth revisiting the best episodes of the story so far. Viewers can revisit the now-iconic scenes that come together to make the show what it is.

10 The Sauna Test (Season 3, Episode 4) – 8.9

Dacre Montgomery gives a phenomenal performance as Billy. The Scoops Troop are trapped in a Russian base beneath the mall. Hopper and Joyce are great together as the gang try to figure out what’s going on.

9 The Body (Season 1, Episode 4) – 8.9

Hopper discovers that the body is stuffed with cotton and takes matters into his own hands.

8 The Bathtub (Season 1, Episode 7) – 9.0

It’s all about finding out what’s going on in the Upside Down. The finale also sees Eleven use her powers to flip a van and Lucas and El finally become friends.

7 The Spy (Season 2, Episode 6) – 9.1

This week’s episode shows that Will is now under the control of the Mind Flayer. Dustin, Steve, Lucas, and Max attempt to lure Dart to the junkyard. This offers a more lighthearted plot to balance the scariness of Will’s predicament.

6 The Battle Of Starcourt (Season 3, Episode 8) – 9.2

5 The Mind Flayer (Season 2, Episode 8) – 9.2

Eleven loses her powers when she gets a piece of Mind Flayer out of her leg. Hopper, Joyce, and the Scoops Troop use Dustin’s radio to close the mall gate.

4 The Upside Down (Season 1, Episode 8) – 9.3

The season 1 finale of Stranger Things ended with an emotional cliffhanger. It’s a bittersweet ending that perfectly set up season 2.

3 The Gate (Season 2, Episode 9) – 9.3

The main character reunites with her friends for the first time. She closes the gate using techniques she learned from Kali. There’s a heartwarming ending for El and Mike, who finally got to have that dance.

2 Dear Billy (Season 4, Episode 4) – 9.6

“Dear Billy” is one of the best episodes of Stranger Things season four. The episode sees Max’s curse finally caught up to her as she’s reading her heartfelt letter to Billy. Nancy and Robin learn that music is the key to breaking Vecna’s hold on people.

1 The Massacre At Hawkins Lab (Season 4, Episode 7) – 9.7

“The Massacre at Hawkins Lab” is revealed as the true identity of Vecna. He was originally Victor Creel’s son, Henry, who murdered his mother and younger sister. The episode ends with several of the show’s protagonists trapped in their respective prisons.

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This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 4, volume 1.

Every season of Stranger Things so far has expanded the cast and lore of the sci-fi mystery series. The show first aired in 2016, and each season has explored new character dynamics, which range from sweet to antagonistic but are always compelling.

Stranger Things is a genre-bending adventure that uses elements of science-fiction, horror, drama, and the occasional instance of comedy to great effect, and the show’s best episodes are often those that strike the greatest balance between them all. Voters at IMDb have had their say on the series’ top installments, and whether these episodes feature action-heavy battles or quieter, character-driven moments, they continue to propel the show’s larger narrative.

Updated on June 6, 2022 by Stacie Rook: The release of Volume 1, the first part of Stranger Things’ fourth season, has given fans answers to some long-held questions about Hawkins, but it’s also spawned plenty of new theories too. Until Volume 2 is released on July 1st, it’s worth revisiting the very best episodes of the story so far, reliving the plot twists and now-iconic scenes that come together to make the show what it is.

10The Sauna Test (Season 3, Episode 4) – 8.9

Hopper and Joyce make a great comedic duo in this season 3 episode as they try to figure out what Kline is doing with the Russians. The Scoops Troop is also in full effect, as they get trapped in the Russian base beneath the mall. Will’s strange feelings, combined with Eleven and Max’s observations about Billy, lead the gang to take a closer look at Max’s brother in order to see whether the Mind Flayer really is back in Hawkins.

This all results in one of the most exciting acting sequences of the show so far, with Dacre Montgomery (Billy) giving a phenomenal performance that alternates between frightening and heartbreaking.

9The Body (Season 1, Episode 4) – 8.9

“The Body” follows the aftermath of the discovery of a body (supposedly Will’s) in the quarry. Mike is devastated until El manages to provide him with proof via walkie-talkie that his friend is alive. The party gives El an impromptu makeover and sneaks her into their school so that she can use the HAM radio to channel Will, kickstarting an underrated Stranger Things relationship that needs more screentime.

Will continues to communicate with Joyce, who never gives up believing that her son is alive. Hopper takes matters into his own hands, making the chilling discovery that the body he found in the water is stuffed with cotton.

8The Bathtub (Season 1, Episode 7) – 9.0

“The Bathtub” starts with an exciting chase scene that sees Eleven use her powers to flip a van. The party members make up, and Lucas and El finally become friends in a really sweet scene. Season 1’s penultimate episode sees each group come together with their pieces of the puzzle to figure out what’s going on.

El uses a homemade sensory deprivation tank to locate Barbara and Will in the Upside Down. The former is dead, but the latter is found hiding from the Demogorgon, showing Will’s incredible bravery in such dire circumstances.

7The Spy (Season 2, Episode 6) – 9.1

Stranger Things has many plot twists nobody saw coming, and this episode is no exception, as it shows that Will is now under the control of the Mind Flayer, and is a great danger to those around him.

Meanwhile, Dustin, Steve, Lucas, and Max attempt to lure Dart to the junkyard, and end up attracting multiple Demodogs. This offers a more lighthearted plot to balance the scariness of Will’s predicament.

6The Battle Of Starcourt (Season 3, Episode 8) – 9.2

A tense episode, “The Battle of Starcourt” kicks off with El and the gang trying to get a piece of the Mind Flayer out of her leg. Eleven uses her power to do it, and in a game-changing moment, the pain results in her losing her powers.

With the Mind Flayer out to kill El, it’s everyone else’s turn to save her. Hopper, Joyce, and Murray make up the team that will close the gate while the Scoops Troop uses Dustin’s radio to guide them. The rest of the gang tries to hide but are stopped from leaving by Billy and the Mind Flayer, who trap them at the mall, a move that has tragic results.

5The Mind Flayer (Season 2, Episode 8) – 9.2

The first half of “The Mind Flayer” has a real horror movie feel, as Mike, Will, Joyce, Hopper, and Bob are trapped in Hawkins lab, which is swarming with Demodogs. Bob saves everyone by turning the power back on in the lab, but horrifically, he’s attacked by the dogs and killed.

For a character fans only knew for a short time, Bob made a big impact. Back at Joyce’s house, Mike, Jonathan, and Joyce try their best to bring Will out of the Mind Flayer’s control to no avail. Just as he’s figured out their location, though, El steps in and saves the day with a heroic reappearance.

4The Upside Down (Season 1, Episode 8) – 9.3

The season 1 finale sees Hopper and Joyce convince Hawkins lab workers to let them into the Upside Down in order to find Will. In a truly emotional scene, they find and resuscitate him. Elsewhere, Nancy and Jonathan set a trap for the Demogorgon. When Steve comes over to apologize to Jonathan, he’s roped into their scheme and redeems himself by saving Nancy, proving that he has the best Stranger Things character arc.

The lab workers arrive to take back El, who is saved by the appearance of the Demogorgon. When it begins to pursue her and her friends, she uses the last of her strength to destroy it, disappearing in the process. It’s a bittersweet ending with a cliffhanger that perfectly set up season 2.

3The Gate (Season 2, Episode 9) – 9.3

After waiting an entire season, fans finally got to see El reunite wit