Original subtitles

Yeah!

Yeah!

Woo-hoo!

What the...

Pauly!

-Son of a… -Leave him! He's fine!

Just stay on their tail!

I got an idea.

Hey! Where'd it go? Do you see it?

I don't! I… I can't see it!

You're dead meat, Henderson!

She's right! We can't keep running

if we can't even see what we're running from!

Whoa!

And if that thing doesn't get us, then these guys will!

Not necessarily!

Ow! Hey! Watch it!

Hey! You see it?

Oh, I see it!

Okay, okay, okay. Charlie, I'm gonna need you to trust me.

Whatever you want! Just do it fast!

In that case…

Brake now!

You really think you can...

You freaking genius, Henderson! Hell yeah! Hell yeah!

Ride!

You got a ping on the ghost?

Working on it!

-Whoa! -Ah! Ah! Ah!

Come on, baby. Come on!

It's got me!

Hold on, dweeb!

Got it!

Uh-oh!

I got you now.

Hey Charlie! You ever play chicken?

Have I ever played chicken?

On my mark!

End of the line, Dandridge!

Henderson!

Now!

We're not out of the woods yet! Go, go, go!

Faster, faster, Charlie!

I hear ya! I hear ya!

It can't keep going without the flowers.

Did we lose it?

No more dodging, Mr. Dandridge. Just drive.

With pleasure!

Fear? That's what it's been after this whole time?

Think about it. It all adds up.

Wait, wait. I thought you said this thing was a ghost.

Have you ever seen a ghost try to feed someone to man-eating flowers?

I've never seen a ghost, period.

How am I supposed to know what they can and can't do?

Eh, he's got a point.

We have to face it.

This was the Upside Down.

Max was right.

She's been right all along.

But this isn't like any creature we've ever seen before.

Wait a second. Back at the séance, I hit it with some liquid nitro.

Dude, a chunk froze loose, and I grabbed it.

What in the world?

Wait a second.

It's pollen, just like the Hate Sprites were harvesting.

This thing is made of pollen.

That's why it evaporated when we led it away from the flowers.

And why it disappeared

when El shredded the flowers in the garden shed.

Because this thing isn't a ghost.

It's a Lich.

These guys are obsessed with gathering power.

We're way past spooky one-off hauntings.

Liches think big, like world-endingly big.

With all the hauntings and the Hate Sprites,

it's turning Hawkins into its own personal fear energy grid.

But for what?

It's not like there's a gate open. El would've sensed it if there was.

I don't know, but that energy drain is brutal.

We have to stop it before it gets any worse.

Liches store the power they collect in their lair.

We destroy the power stash, and we destroy The Lich.

You think that lair might be the end of the road

for those Hate Sprites?

It's as good a guess as any. But how the heck do we tail a swarm?

What about trapping a sprite?

Do you think it'd lead us to the lair?

If you wanna go rustling…

Hey. You okay?

I want to help, but every time I try, I am useless.

What?

No, you're not useless.

At school, useless.

At the cabin, useless.

That's not true. You did the best you could.

On the road, useless.

That man almost died.

I am supposed to protect you. I am supposed to keep everyone safe.

That is why I am here.

You're here because you're our friend.

Do you think we just like you because you can defend us?

I think you like me because…

I am brave and strong and always have your back.

And I am scared of what will happen

if I don't.

If you can't defend us,

then you have to trust we can defend ourselves.

We're not useless, El.

And even if you can't fight, you aren't useless either.

That's it!

The Hate Sprites are collecting power through flower pollen, right?

Well, guess what I can see through my handy-dandy camera?

This is how we figure out their delivery route,

right to The Lich's lair.

We'll need to go high, way up there, tall enough to survey the whole town.

We might know the perfect spot.

Okay. Okay. Let's see.

Oh, crud.

Double crud.

What?

Oh.

Triple crud.

Here, let me see.

Oh no.

Hawkins is covered in pollen.

Following the pollen trail to The Lich's lair is a non-starter.

If pollen's everywhere, we're nowhere.

Um…

Is it supposed to do that?

Yeah, it's fine.

Dude, these babies have seen some battles.

They just need some…

There we go. Good as new.

These all look like they could use some serious fixes.

Do you need to swing by the hardware store to buy new parts?

What? Not everyone's just got cash sitting around

for fun little shopping sprees, Byers.

Great.

This is the part I'm not gonna miss.

"Miss"?

Uh, just about done here. We should head out if we wanna meet up with the others.

-Hey, Nikki. -What?

You said "miss," like you're leaving.

And before, I'm pretty sure I remember

you talking about this being your last mission with The H.I.C.

What's going on?

Uh…

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Just…

Look, there's not gonna be any hardware store runs

or replacement parts. I can't swing it. Not right now, at least.

I'm kind of…

We're hurting for cash right now, me and my mom.

Why didn't you tell me? I… I understand family money problems.

Yeah, yeah, I know, but it's not just that.

Dude, my mom's been working herself to the bone to keep us here,

even though I was the one who made us stay. It's not fair to her.

So, I have to help out and get a job.

After this, that's gotta be my priority.

No more H.I.C.

What's taking those dweebs so long?

They have been up there a while.

Hey! You see anything?

Working on it!

This is impossible.

How are we supposed to find anything in this?

It's so freaking bright, like, everywhere.

Bright?

Hang on a sec. Remember back in the AV room?

The image was too bright, so we turned down the gain and…

Holy macaroni! I see it.

These trails, they're where the pollen is more concentrated.

So, they must be the paths that the Hate Sprites have taken.

Directly to The Lich.

Dustin! Slow down!

Come on, guys! Keep up!

It goes through here!

It was always gonna lead right back here.

Daniel's lab.

It can't be a coincidence, can it,

that The Lich picked here of all places?

Who knows what other experiments Daniel was up to

before his creation ate him?

Any one of them could've spawned The Lich.

El, see any Hate Sprites?

No, not yet.

Hate Sprite.

Dead Hate Sprite.

Guys…

What in the…

Hey, uh…

Do they have that in your monster book, Henderson?

Whoa.

Is that supposed to look like a person?

It's like it has a muscular system.

Yeah, made of what? Roots?

Is this why The Lich needs to harvest fear? To make these?

If it is, it's been busy.

I will check the gate.

Good. You guys make sure Pandora's box is still shut.

We'll check out this nightmare goblin garden.

They're all malformed, twisted.

Like failed experiments?

Hey! Hey! Stop!

Maybe let's not throw rocks at evil statues.

Okay, dork.

Whoa.

Guys…

Seven weird wooden creatures, eight cocoons.

I don't like that math.

Whatever The Lich was collecting power for,

I think he put it to use.

It is closed.

Safe to say nothing's coming out of there, right?

Looks like something tried to pry the gate open by hand.

The Lich.

And if we're in its secret lair, where is it?

I have an idea.

Okay, but do you have to do this in the creepy chasm?

We can wait, come back later when we know it's safe, or…

I will find it now

before any more people are hurt, before things get any worse.

So, do we just, like, stare at this chick or…

Can you please explain to me why Dirtbag Charlie had to tag along?

Like I already explained, we need all the help...

Uh, guys…

One Hate Sprite. It gets close enough, I got it.

That's it? A little light show, then roll credits?

Nothing can help those ugly things.

Would you quit it with the rocks?

Chill out, hall monitor.

Of course they're gonna come alive.

Uh, this is messed up.

Those golems definitely woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

What's the game plan, Mike?

If El can't find The Lich now, she'll lose her chance.

We have to buy her some time.

Whoa! Ah!

Smooth shooting, Mad Max!

-Whoa! -Not smooth enough.

If they won't stay down, we'll have to put 'em down.

Sure! Easy. Just put 'em down.

Quit it with the rocks, huh?

Uh, Mike, how much more time does El need?

As much time as we can give her.

Don't touch her!

-Will! -On it!

Zombie Boy!

Listen up, H.I.C.!

Zombie rules! Kill the head, kill the golem!

Back off!

Ah! Get away!

-Not bad. -Thanks.

I meant me.

Piece of cake. Am I right?

I found The Lich.

It is building something.

This is not right.

It is like The Lich is in two places at once.

The Lich's mind is in a golem,

but their body is somewhere else.

It is Daniel.

Daniel is The Lich.