Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat
- Episode aired Jul 15, 2016
- TV-14
- 52m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
23K
YOUR RATING
Hopper breaks into the lab to find the truth about Will's death. The boys try to locate the "gate" that will take them to Will.Hopper breaks into the lab to find the truth about Will's death. The boys try to locate the "gate" that will take them to Will.Hopper breaks into the lab to find the truth about Will's death. The boys try to locate the "gate" that will take them to Will.
John Reynolds
- Officer Callahan
- (as John Paul Reynolds)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen the boys and El (Millie Bobby Brown) are walking to try and find the gate, they walk along railroad tracks in pairs, in a scene very reminiscent of scenes from Stand by Me (1986). "Stand By Me" was based on "The Body" by Stephen King. King is a major influence on this series.
- GoofsWhen Hopper wakes up in his trailer, he storms outside with his gun and we see that there are no vehicles parked. Later, when the officers come to tell him about the missing hunters, we see his truck parked there as the officers are leaving.
- Quotes
Lucas Sinclair: [while following the compasses along the train tracks] How much further?
Dustin Henderson: I don't know. These only tell direction, not distance. You really need to learn more about compasses!
Lucas Sinclair: I'm just saying: how do we know when we get to the gate?
Dustin Henderson: Uh, I think a portal to another dimension is gonna be pretty obvious!
- ConnectionsReferences Bambi (1942)
- SoundtracksGreen Desert
Written by Edgar Froese, Christopher Franke
Performed by Tangerine Dream
Courtesy of Jive Records
Featured review
On a tight rope
Season 1 was a very promising first season to 'Stranger Things', and to me it's one of the show's better seasons. Of the previous four episodes only "Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street" disappointed a little while still being good. "Chapter Four: The Body" was especially outstanding, with everything that made the previous episodes as good as they were while executing the good things even better while managing to progress the plot.
While not quite as great as the third and fourth episodes, "Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" is still great and the plot and character progression has far from stalled. If anything they expanded with each episode, and "Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" once again does incredibly well at building upon what was set up from the very beginning, adding more layers and setting up what was to come in later episodes.
"Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" is not quite perfect, with a few lapses in logic. Including a big one mentioned by others that did strike me as rather silly and naive.
Everything else is done absolutely brilliantly however. The acting continues to impress, Millie Bobby Brown especially gives acting beyond her year and El is a character that is interesting and rootable. Finn Woolfhard is also on the road to great things if he keeps giving acting as good as in 'Stranger Things' and in 'IT'. The chemistry between the younger cast is beautifully handled, and has a 'Stand By Me' like nostalgia, one of the things most striking about 'Stranger Things'. Winona Ryder can be too melodramatic in some episodes and fine in others, she's fine here.
The production values are superb. Very stylish and atmospheric, with some truly beautiful images that one can't believe such high quality comes from a Netflix show. Not to mention the highly impressive special effects that put a good deal of big budget films in recent years to shame. The music has a wonderful 80s nostalgic vibe while also being quite haunting, enhancing the atmosphere beautifully.
Writing is thought-probing and has a lot of brains and heart. The humour is gentle but very subtly witty and funny, while there is a poignancy (without being too sentimental) and tension. Throughout "Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" has creepiness, intriguing mystery, inventive sci-fi, affectionate nostalgia and emotional impact. The mystery again is even deeper and more complex than before but is always intriguing and never confusing. The ending is suspenseful and makes one excited for what happens next in subsequent episodes.
In summary, great. 9/10.
While not quite as great as the third and fourth episodes, "Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" is still great and the plot and character progression has far from stalled. If anything they expanded with each episode, and "Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" once again does incredibly well at building upon what was set up from the very beginning, adding more layers and setting up what was to come in later episodes.
"Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" is not quite perfect, with a few lapses in logic. Including a big one mentioned by others that did strike me as rather silly and naive.
Everything else is done absolutely brilliantly however. The acting continues to impress, Millie Bobby Brown especially gives acting beyond her year and El is a character that is interesting and rootable. Finn Woolfhard is also on the road to great things if he keeps giving acting as good as in 'Stranger Things' and in 'IT'. The chemistry between the younger cast is beautifully handled, and has a 'Stand By Me' like nostalgia, one of the things most striking about 'Stranger Things'. Winona Ryder can be too melodramatic in some episodes and fine in others, she's fine here.
The production values are superb. Very stylish and atmospheric, with some truly beautiful images that one can't believe such high quality comes from a Netflix show. Not to mention the highly impressive special effects that put a good deal of big budget films in recent years to shame. The music has a wonderful 80s nostalgic vibe while also being quite haunting, enhancing the atmosphere beautifully.
Writing is thought-probing and has a lot of brains and heart. The humour is gentle but very subtly witty and funny, while there is a poignancy (without being too sentimental) and tension. Throughout "Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat" has creepiness, intriguing mystery, inventive sci-fi, affectionate nostalgia and emotional impact. The mystery again is even deeper and more complex than before but is always intriguing and never confusing. The ending is suspenseful and makes one excited for what happens next in subsequent episodes.
In summary, great. 9/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Apr 19, 2021
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Filming locations
- Rockdale County Junkyard, Highway 138, Conyers, Georgia(Boys With Eleven, at the Junkyard looking for The Gate)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime52 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
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What is the French language plot outline for Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat (2016)?
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