Stranger Things 3: 5 questions after watching Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard

We just watched “Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard” of Stranger Things 3, and we have some big questions that need to be answered. What is the Mind Flayer building?

“Chapter Three: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard” is the most intense episode of Stranger Things 3 so far. There is so much going on with out lead characters, who are starting to put the pieces of this puzzle together.

We have a few big questions after watching the new episode, so let’s get started with an important one about the Mind Flayer and its plans.

1. Is the Mind Flayer building a zombie horde?

At the end of the episode, Will realizes the Mind Flayer is back. He feels it at Castle Byers during his meltdown, and he shares this information with Mike and Lucas.

Earlier in the episode, Will starts a D&D campaign, and in the campaign, the villagers are attacked by a zombie horde. Lucas and Mike’s characters in the game make their moves to stop the zombie horde. The game ends with Will having a meltdown after Mike and Lucas aren’t interested.

A bunch of good stuff happens right after this scene, but I want to talk about the D&D game.

In the first episode, The Party faces a demogorgon in their campaign. Later, Will comes face to face with the demogorgon.

Could this D&D game foreshadow the Mind Flayer’s plans? It’s starting to seem more likely after seeing Billy’s vision with a group of people. I bet Heather’s parents are up for a similar fate as Heather and Billy after they were knocked out at the end of the episode.

2. Why is Mrs. Driscoll eating chemicals?

In this episode, Nancy and Jonathan go back to Mrs. Driscoll’s house even after they were warned to drop the story. There, they find Mrs. Driscoll acting crazy and eating fertilizer like the rat was doing earlier.

It’s clear she has been infected by that thing that evolved from the exploded rat remains, but what is going on? Why is she eating chemicals?

This question remains a mystery to me, but it definitely has something to do with the Mind Flayer. We’ll see what happens.

3. Will Noah Schnapp get an Emmy nom for his performance in this episode?

Noah Schnapp is one of the most talented young actors in the world, and his performance in “The Case of the Missing Lifeguard” proves that.

The season has been building toward Schnapp’s moment, so far. As mentioned before in the “Chapter Two” recap, Will has been asking to play D&D all season. When he finally gets his chance, Mike and Lucas ruin it by not being interested in all the work he put into it.

Will gives Mike a piece of his mind, and in the pouring rain, he rides his bike home and to Castle Byers where he loses it again and destroys the thing he loves so much. It’s the end of an era for Will, and I think he finally comes to grips that his life and childhood will never be the same.

How Schnapp conveys all that emotion in a few scenes is incredible, and I’d love to see him earn a supporting actor nom for the Emmys. It’s that good, and it’s one of the best scenes I’ve seen this year.

4. Are the Byers really leaving Hawkins?

Hopper drops a bomb on the audience in “The Case of the Missing Lifeguard” when he shares Joyce is putting her house on the market and the Byers are leaving Hawkins.

I understand why the Byers would leave. This place is the source of all of their problems and stress. Everything they see and do in Hawkins is a reminder of what they’ve gone through and what they’ve lost. On top of that, there’s always the fear that it could happen again. No one wants to go through that, so I understand why the Byers would leave Hawkins.

I don’t think it will be that easy. Does Jonathan want to leave Nancy? Will Will leave his friends? Will Joyce leave Hopper when she very clearly loves him?

I don’t think so.

5. Will Billy target Eleven now that the Mind Flayer knows who Eleven is?

Outside of Schnapp’s performance in “Chapter Three,” Millie Bobby Brown, Sadie Sink, and Dacre Montgomery also shine in this episode.

Eleven and Max track Billy via Eleven’s powers and see him with a girl. She seems frightened, and they set out to get to the bottom of it. They find Heather’s fanny pack at Billy’s house, see a bathtub full of ice water, and they find blood on his sink. What is going on?

Later, they track Billy to Heather’s house, and Billy is acting weird. He’s very polite, which is completely out of the ordinary for him. We quickly find out that it’s the Mind Flayer, and it overtakes Billy’s body while watching Eleven leave the house.

It looks like the Mind Flayer realizes Eleven is the one who closed the gate. If that’s true, she might be the next target, although the Mind Flayer knows how powerful she is. That might keep her and her friends safe for the time being.

That’s it for “Chapter Three!” Let’s move on to the fourth episode of Stranger Things 3!