7 Best Episodes of Stranger Things Ranked

Remember back in the summer of 2016 when this little show popped up on Netflix with a logo design that resembled a paperback horror novel from the 1980s? We’ve come a long way as a society over those eight and a half years. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but one constant through it all has been the show Stranger Things. Netflix’s coming-of-age mystery-horror show felt like it was ripped out of the same universe of films like E.T. or The Goonies and helped build Netflix into what it is today. Now we’re waiting for the fifth and final season of it, which is said to be its biggest yet.

It’s crazy to think that in less than a decade, the Duffer brothers have given us a show that has defined an era of streaming television. As Stranger Things gears up for its final season this year, it’s time to look back at the episodes that have defined the series over its unforgettable run. 

WARNING: Spoilers below for all four seasons of Stranger Things

7) “The Case of the Missing Lifeguard”

Season 3 Episode 3 – This one may fly under the radar and get some flack, but the third season is when things start to lean more toward grisly and gory moments of the show. Case in point: the needle-drop moment where Billy and his girlfriend kill her parents after a dinner party goes wrong, with the song “American Pie” playing over the scene. It’s almost as if, just like the song used in the scene, the theme of innocence is lost in the characters and the show as a whole now.

To back that statement up is none other than the emotionally charged scene where Will destroys Castle Byers. The scene is sad and an excruciating sequence to get through as we are watching a boy shred all the things that have kept him safe over the years. Will Byers is a character that has undiagnosed trauma that dates back to him being trapped in the Upside Down world in Season 1, and it is here that he has what feels like his most pivotal scene in the show so far, where he tears down all that is him up until that point and time. 

6) “The Battle of Star Court”

Season 3 Episode 8 – The Season 3 finale massively culminates the season’s major plot points. The setting of some of the season in the world of ’80s mall culture is a major highlight, but the ’80s nostalgia of it all isn’t what makes this episode highly admired. It’s how things end with Hopper and Eleven, at least for the time being.

In an act that makes it seem like Hopper has sacrificed himself at Russain’s hub (for he is only to return in Season 4), Eleven discovers Hopper’s touching “keep the door open three inches” letter. It’s arguably the most poignant moment in the whole series and a real tear-jerker, and even though Hopper still ends up being alive, the heartfelt message in it still holds up.

5) “The Massacre at Hawkins Lab”

Season 4 Episode 7 – The Stranger Things Season 4 midseason finale was one for the ages. Until that point, despite being the baddest villain yet, you thought Vecna was just the season’s new big bad for eight to ten episodes; it turns out he’s been the mastermind of the whole series and all its evil doings. There are a lot of loose ends tied up in the episode to gear audiences up for what would come a few months down the road when Netflix dumped the final episodes for people to watch.

Hopper battles a vicious Demogorgon in Russia and reunites with Joyce. Half the team is in the Upside Down, and the other half is back in the real Hawkins, trying to find out why Vecna is opening gates to the real world. Vecna’s backstory and identity are revealed. He was Victor Creel’s son and Brenner’s first patient. 

4) “Dear Billy”

Season 4 Episode 4 – The summer of 2022 really had us on edge as Stranger Things leaned heavily into the world of horror. It was the biggest season yet budget-wise, too, with Netflix spending $270 million on it and each episode costing nearly $30 million to produce. An episode that really set the tone for the season was “Dear Billy.” It becomes clear that Vecna’s next victim will be Max due to her isolation and experiencing the same visions as the previous victims. 

Max surely faces what she feels is the certainty of death and an eternity in the Upside Down, so she pens a letter to her brother Billy and visits him at his gravestone. A heart-racing sequence follows of her going to hell and back while listening to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” Many feel this episode is the best of the season, and it does what Stranger Things does best: blend pop culture with great storytelling. 

3) “Holly Jolly”

Season 1 Episode 3 – When Stranger Things first hit Netflix back in 2016, many people just looked at the show as a weird piece of nostalgia bait of the 1980s with Winona Ryder in it. After a few weeks, the fan base grew, and the show became more than just a flash in the pan in the sea of content you could watch on the streaming service. One of the first significant visuals people think of when they think of Stranger Things is Joyce being able to communicate with Will through Christmas lights being put up in her living room while her son is trapped in the Upside Down. 

There are other great parts of the episode, like Barb being dragged to her death, a moment that had social media creating the hashtag #JusticeforBarb. It gives us a good look at the dark, decaying Upside Down world. However, the scene in which Joyce notices the Christmas lights around the home shows that her son is still out there. It’s a moment showing that Stranger Things was more than just a show with ’80s nostalgia but a well-written series with characters you could genuinely care about. 

2) “The Mind Flayer”

Season 2 Episode 8 – Unlike the first season, the stakes began to get high as we delved into Season 2. The body count got higher, deaths became more grisly, and the threat of Demogorgons entering our world became more prevalent. Luckily, we had Bob (Sean Astin), who saved the day by using his coding skills, only to be killed off by the creatures of the Upside Down during a breach at Hawkins lab.

The Hawkins gang decides to go on the offensive by using Will and his connection to the great monster of the Upside Down. The episode ends with a big surprise: the return of Eleven, dressed head to toe in ’80s goth gear.

1) “The Upside Down”

Season 1 Episode 8 – This is how you end a show’s first season and set it up for an all-time classic run. The finale of Stranger Things‘ first season has Nancy and Jonathan going to war as they prepare to take care of the Demogorgon. Joyce and Hopper are able to get into the Upside Down and find Will. Hopper has flashbacks to his late daughter, which makes his journey to find Will an even more powerful redemption arc.

Oh, did we say redemption arc? How about Steve and the fact that a mere few episodes earlier, you hated this guy? He was the perfect villain boyfriend to a female protagonist in an ’80s movie and then became one of the most likable characters in the series as he joined the fight to save Will. El defeats the Monster but then disappears until she returns in Season 2. There are a lot of answers and some questions being asked as Hopper leaves waffles out in the woods and a love triangle blossoms between Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan. 

Do you agree with this list? What are you looking forward to most in Season 5? Let us know in the comments below!