Prepare For The Upside Down With This 'Stranger Things' Season 1 Recap

The second season of Stranger Things is almost here, which means it's time to rewatch the first season so you're not confused about what's going on in Hawkins, Indiana these days. However, if you're a busy person and have way too many other shows to watch, you may not have time to rewatch the eight-episode first season. If that's you, don't worry because I've got you covered. I'll recap Stranger Things Season 1, so you're totally prepared for whatever the Upside Down is going to throw at us next.

Before I get into the specifics, it's imperative to remember how this show began. The series, which was set in the '80s, follows a group of friends—Michael, Lucas, Dustin, and Will. The four friends love to play Dungeons and Dragons, but one night when they all leave to head home on their bikes, Will disappears, thus beginning a mystery that takes you through the whole season. Similarly, Mike's elder sister, Nancy, convinces her best friend, Barb, to attend a party with her. However, Nancy ends up leaving Barb alone while she gets to know popular guy, Steve, better upstairs. Next thing you know, Barb is gone too.

While Will and Barb disappear, Eleven appears in town and she's got a bit of a backstory as well. Here's what you need to remember going into Stranger Things Season 2.

Eleven Opened A Portal To Another Dimension

Eleven was raised in the Hawkins Lab by Dr. Martin Brenner, who performed various laboratory experiments on her because of her telekinetic abilities. One of those experiments led to Eleven accidentally opening an inter-dimensional gateway to a parallel world, which is now popularly known as the Upside Down.

The Demogorgon Came Through the Portal

It was through this portal that the monster, which Mike and his friends called the Demogorgon, came to Hawkins. He captured people and took them back to the Upside Down where he killed them all, except for one.

Nancy & Jonathan Teamed Up To Find Barb & Will

When no one believed something had happened to Barb, Nancy eventually turned to Jonathan, Will's older brother, for help. The two began investigating the Upside Down on their own and became close friends, putting a strain on Nancy's relationship with Steve. However, in the end, Steve ultimately decided to help them and joined their fight against the Demogorgon.

Eleven's Real Name Is Jane

Joyce and Jim discover that a woman named Terry Ives was involved in an experiment called Project MKUltra, in which she would take psychedelics and be placed in a sensory deprivation tank to expand the boundaries of the mind. She was pregnant during these experiments, but was told that she had a miscarriage. The truth was she did have the baby, who she named Jane and became Subject 011 in the lab's experimentations, and that's how she got the name Eleven.

Mike & Eleven Kissed

Mike was crushing on Eleven pretty much from the moment he first met her, thus this kiss was built up for most of the season. It was great to see these two kids finally share a moment, but it made what happened next that much more heartbreaking.

Dr. Brenner Was Killed By The Demogorgon

Dr. Brenner and his team trapped Eleven and the boys at the school, but Eleven used her powers to melt the brains of one of the agents. That blood attracted the Demogorgon, who then killed Dr. Brenner.

Eleven Killed The Demogorgon

To protect her friends, Eleven faced off against the Demogorgon, using the rest of her power to kill it. However, when the Demogorgon disappeared, so did Eleven.

Will Was Rescued From The Upside Down

Before she faced off with the Demogorgon, Eleven went into the Upside Down and located Will. With that information, Joyce and Jim were able to go into the Upside Down themselves and bring Will home, relatively safely. However, in the finale it was revealed that although Will was physically safe, his mind can sometimes still take him back to the Upside Down, involuntarily. He's also started coughing up some weird goo, which can't lead to anything good.

Now that you're all caught up, you can find out what happens next when Stranger Things Season 2 premieres on Netflix on Friday, Oct. 27.

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