The most maligned episode of Stranger Things may have just been a victim of bad timing.
This article contains spoilers for all seasons ofStranger Things.
Stranger Thingsexcels where other dramas falter because it always gives the audience the feeling of a continuous story.
No hour inStranger Thingsis maligned like season 2s Chapter 7: The Lost Sister.
Does this inconvenient placement of the episode make it as bad as you remember?
Should fans give this side quest story another chance on rewatch?
In a vacuum, the seventh chapter of the season is solid in all aspects of production.
Eleven needed this conquest over her backstory to jump headfirst back into her job as Hawkins savior.
She contextualizes Elevens confusion, emotions, and misery, and it opens up Elevens self-confidence and actualization.
Eights introduction alsoforeshadowed Ones/Vecnas backstoryand the larger operations that happened in Hawkins Labs.
The episode was the first step in expandingStranger Thingsinto a story with an expansive timeline.
Now for that much-needed context we mentioned earlier.
The show needed a little bit of literacy awareness here.
Audiences dont want to meet Eight right now.
They dont want Eleven to undergo a personal growth pilgrimage while her friends are about to die.
The episodes poor reputation is fairly built on its placement within the larger scheme of the proceedings.
All four seasons of Stranger Things are available to stream on Netflix.
