Episode 3 of Stranger Things kicks off with Max and El hatching a plan to snoop on the boys, utilizing Eleven's unique abilities. El closes her eyes, allowing the world to unfold before her senses, relaying the images back to Max with a keen eye for detail. Meanwhile, Hopper returns from a dinner date that turned sour, relieved to find El in the company of Max rather than Mike.
The girls' curiosity piques further, and they decide to shift their focus to spying on Billy. El peers into the shadows, catching a glimpse of Billy kneeling beside the abducted girl. As screams echo through the night, Billy's gaze turns to a hazy outline of Eleven. Intrigued, the girls embark on a mission to investigate what they've witnessed. Inside Billy's house, they stumble upon a bathtub filled with bags of melting ice, a chilling reminder of the girl's fate. Among Billy's belongings, they find the abducted lifeguard's possessions, stained with blood, adding to the mystery.
The next morning, Joyce visits Hopper, eager to share her findings. However, Hopper is still smarting from her absence at their dinner, making it difficult for her to get through to him. She insists that a powerful magnetic field must be at work somewhere in Hawkins, fearing it might be emanating from the lab once again. Nancy, determined to expose the truth, returns to the newspaper office, only to be ridiculed and dismissed by her male colleagues, who refuse to take her seriously due to her gender.
Will, determined to reclaim a bit of normality, manages to convince Mike and Lucas to play Dungeons and Dragons. But their lackluster enthusiasm soon becomes apparent, and Will's frustration boils over. He storms off, longing for the good old days when things were simpler.
Learning that the abducted lifeguard's name is Heather, Eleven resolves to find her. She closes her eyes again, searching for clues. Her vision reveals a haunting red door and a bathtub filled with ice, where Heather's pleading cries echo for help. El reaches out, trying to grasp the lifeguard's hand, but Heather sinks deeper into the frigid water.
Joyce heads to the lab, with Hopper trailing closely behind. Their search yields no tangible evidence, but their conversation outside reveals a deeper understanding. Hopper confesses that he knows Joyce is considering selling her house, a weighty decision that hangs over them both. Meanwhile, Dustin and Steve scour the mall for any signs of Russian men, while Robin delves into the codes, piecing together clues. Her breakthrough comes when she spots a Lynx delivery driver, realizing that the company's feline logo could be a clue to the silver cat mentioned in the riddle. The mystery deepens, and the characters' resolve to uncover the truth grows stronger with each passing moment.
