02x04 - Chapter Four: The Séance

[bunniefuu]

[ominous music playing]

-[intense music playing]
-[Nikki struggling]

El!

[grunting, straining]

-[Nikki] El! Help us!
-[Mike] El!

[screaming]

[Max straining]

A little help!

[screeching]

[whirring]

[machine turns off]

[Nikki gasping]

Is it gone?

Oh my god,
that thing almost freaking k*lled me!

How did you know that would work?

I did not.

Awesome.

Whoa. I feel weird.

Yeah. Like exhausted, right?

You think that thing did this to us?

Do you believe in ghosts now?

What I believe…

is Lucas is never gonna let me
hear the end of this.

[synth theme music playing]

[music fades out]

[Mike] Dude, we threw everything
we had at that thing, I'm telling you.

Nothing worked, not even El's powers.

I guess she was no match
for the ghost of Bloodaxe Bill.

[scoffs]

Seriously, Max. The evidence doesn't lie.

"Evidence" is a strong word
for a story you heard from some old man.

[sighs]

Fine. If you're not gonna trust Arthur,
trust yourself.

You saw that thing with your own eyes.

And it nearly k*lled you.

Um, not that it… I mean…

Whatever. It nearly got us too.

No ghost story explains
those evil little Hate Sprites

or the fact that thing, like, evaporated
when El destroyed the flowers.

But doesn't that just prove
that they're all connected? That--

That the ghost is in control
of the Hate Sprites and the flowers?

It's like Arthur said,
this must be the curse of Bloodaxe Bill.

What if he's after us
because we disturbed his resting place?

I guess we could talk to him,
Bloodaxe Bill.

Say we didn't mean to disturb him,
and we're sorry,

and maybe he'll just leave us alone.

[sighs]

I wish we had a "speak to the dead" spell
right about now.

This isn't D&D, Dustin.

Nancy. Nancy!

-Mike.
-No, doofus, Nancy!

Does Nancy still have her old Ouija board?

Lucas, you're a genius.
We're gonna have a séance.

[Will] I thought we were
getting supplies like everyone else.

What are we doing here?

We're going beyond the veil.

It's research, Will.
If we're gonna contact Bloodaxe Bill,

we need instructions
from someone who knows how.

[bells tinkling]

[mysterious music playing]

Whoa.

This place is so cool.

"Producing Souls"? "The Graveyard Shift"?
"Guide to Necrotic Animation"?

We've gotta be in the right place.

[match striking]

I sense a dark presence.

Hmm. There is a shadow following you,
a hidden spirit.

Or perhaps…

A curse!

[both gasping]

[mutters in Spanish, clears throat]

Apologies, my visions don't always arrive
at the most polite of times.

Welcome to the strange and wonderful world
of Madam Ortiz.

And what, may I ask,
brings you wanderers into my domain?

Actually, we're looking
for step-by-step instructions

to have a séance.

We want to contact Bloodaxe Bill.

[gasps]

Bloodaxe Bill? No!

To invite evil back into the world
of the living is to invite death.

Bloodaxe Bill was a demon in life.

The underworld can only have made him
into something worse.

Dustin?

[in Spanish] Daughter,
are these your friends?

Sí, mamá.
[in English] They go to my school.

[in Spanish] Ah, good.

[in English] Feel free to stay and shop.

But Bloodaxe Bill,
I will not help you with.

So, you probably know
all about this séance stuff too, huh?

Forget it. I'm not helping you.

Please? I'll owe you.

You still owe me from the last time.
So now, you'd owe me double.

Does that mean you'll help?

Hmm.

What exactly do you need to know?

[Eleven] Why can't we just tell Nancy
what is happening? She would understand.

Are you kidding? She'd blab to Jonathan,
and Jonathan would tell his mom,

and if Mrs. Byers finds out about this,
we're all grounded.

Nancy and her friends used
that Ouija board all the time.

It's gotta still be here somewhere.

Ah!

[Nancy] Mike!
You better not be in my room!

What do you think you're doing?

Uh… Uh, waiting for you.

I… I need your advice about, uh…

[Mike] Uh…

Valentine's Day?

Oh, Mike.
I have been waiting for this moment.

Um…

Yeah.

[laid-back music playing]

You sure there are candles in here?

Pretty sure. Might wanna be careful
of your fingers, though.

-[crackling]
-Ah!

Ow! What are those even plugged into?

We'll probably need these too.

[Nikki chuckles]

-Rad.
-[Anna straining]

[groaning]

There's candles somewhere
in this junkyard.

I'll be right back.

Hi, sweetie.
You and your friends up to something fun?

Yeah, just looking for those crystals
Aunt Lizzie keeps sending us.

The crystals?

Uh, top right shelf
behind the paint cans, I think.

Cool.

Hey, Mom, um,
can I talk to you about something?

[grunting] Aw.

Oh, man. Really?

[giggling]

Glad you think it's funny.

Oh, don't get all sensitive.

I thought you wanted me
to be more sensitive, more romantic.

But when I try
to make Valentine's Day plans,

you'd rather watch WWF?

I just wanted to spend tonight
doing something nice together.

But I forgot.
You're allergic to real feelings.

You have no idea
what you're talking about.

Um…

I know I should be helping out more.

I heard you
on the phone the other day, and…

[scoffs]

You heard that? Oh, honey, no, no.

Well, yeah, but you don't have to worry.

Because I'm working on a plan.
I mean, another plan.

Because the first one that I had
kind of got screwed up. I…

This isn't your problem to solve.
I'm the grown-up here.

Right, but I'm the reason
there is a problem, right?

I'm the reason why we stayed in Hawkins.
So I'll find a way to help out more.

I just gotta think outside the box,
you know? And…

Oh, my sweet girl. Please, please,
I don't want you worrying about this.

Things are gonna be fine.
I promise you. We got by before.

Yeah, but that was when
we were living with Daniel,

and there were two incomes coming in.

Nikki, no. Listen--

You gotta go, Mom, okay?
Your shift starts in--

This is important. We're not done talking.

No, Mom. You should not be late, okay?
It's cool.

We have to get working
on our project anyway.

Okay. But we will discuss this later.

And don't get all New Age-y
with the crystals while I'm gone, okay?

What? You don't want me
to unfocus my spirit colors?

Just kidding. We Baxters are scientists.

Don't tell me
you didn't make Valentine's plans with El.

I did, but they got messed up.

Messed up, but how?

You know what? Never mind.

Have you asked her
to be your girlfriend yet?

Uh, well, it's… It's complicated.

What's complicated?

You guys have been friends
for a while now.

You like her, don't you?

I… Of course I like her. El's incredible.

She's so brave and strong,
and she always has my back.

[Nancy] Well, then I really don't see
the problem, Mike.

Uh, okay. Thanks. Good talk.

What? That's it?

Yep. You are so right.

I gotta talk to El right now.
I, uh, I don't wanna miss my window.

Yeah, well, Valentine's is today,
so you better get on it.

Hey! Can, can I have one of these?

No, you cannot. Hey, Mike!

-Thanks, Nancy!
-[scoffs]

He's hopeless.

Huh.

That's it, basically. Always start
with "hello" and end with a "goodbye."

And never break the circle.

Got it. Thanks.

You sure you want to mess with this?

Lindsay Baker once did a séance,
and then she had to leave school.

What? I thought she had mono.

Just out of curiosity,
where would one go to do a séance?

My mom says
you always want to contact a spirit

in a place they felt peace
while they lived.

Bloodaxe Bill's cabin.

Any ideas?

All we need is a little dash
of liquid nitrogen.

And luckily…

I always come prepared.

[creepy music playing]

I'm really not sure about this.

Aw, it's fine.

I've got the manual.

People underestimate the value
of a good manual.

Oh! Here.

I know a séance isn't exactly
a normal Valentine's Day,

but I did owe you a non-m*rder flower.

Happy Valentine's Day, El.

[giggles]

Come on.

[intriguing synth music playing]

Okay.

It's February 14th, 1985,

and the Hawkins Investigators Club
is recording attempt number one

to establish contact
with the spirit known as Bloodaxe Bill

and catch him on film.

[sighs]

Okay. What's next?

[foreboding music playing]

Some of you need to touch the planchette
with two fingers.

-Planchette?
-The thing.

The thing. The little moving thing.

Hm.

[Dustin] Good. Good. Good.

Now the spirit can use your energy
to move it or something.

Are you sure you know what you're doing?

Yes! What? You wanna try it?

Quit it, guys.

-Yeah. Quit it. I'm concentrating.
-[Lucas grumbles]

We call upon the spirit of Bloodaxe Bill.

Bill, if you can hear us,

we invite you among us.

You know, I used one of these
in the third grade.

Nothing happened then either.

Shh. Quiet. Quiet.

Any moment.

Any moment.

I repeat, Bloodaxe Bill,
we call you into our circle.

If you are there, give us a sign.

[all screaming]

Quit screaming, nerds.

Charlie? What are you doing here?

I followed you here.
And yeah, I know what you're up to.

This was my family's cabin.

What?

You're related to Bloodaxe Bill?

Duh. William Dandridge.

Original loser of Hawkins
and my great-great-grandfather.

The reason my family's cursed.

Wait. You guys questioned my grandpa
and didn't even know his last name?

Old man Arthur. AMD.

Arthur Marvin Dandridge.

Aren't you supposed to be
an investigators club or something?

Man, this town is small.

So, what?
You gonna tell me what you're doing here?

Uh…

Would you believe we're trying to contact
the spirit of your ancestor Bloodaxe Bill

to, you know, ask him to stop haunting us?

Dude! Don't tell him that!

What else is he gonna think? Look around!

We should ask him to join us.

This is not part of the plan!

Come on! A real blood relative?
It'll sweeten the deal!

They do this all the time.
Take a seat, Dandridge.

[Lucas] We can't trust him!

I mean, he's helped us before!

What? If you're gonna summon
the ghost of my great-great-grandfather,

I get to be here to kick his butt!

So, how's this supposed to work?

We seek the spirit of Bloodaxe Bill!

William Dandridge, can you hear us?

[gasping]

Charlie! What the heck?

Hey! Don't pin it on me!

[all] Um… Uh…

[Dustin] Oh my god! Oh my god!

It's working! It's working!

[ghostly growling]

What's going on?

Uh, that doesn't sound good.

-[growling continues]
-[gasps] It's working!

[groaning]

-[growling approaching]
-[whimpering]

Dustin! The protective circle!
Rosario said it would keep us safe!

You said if we just talked
to the ghost nicely, it'd be calm!

Does this look calm to you?

Oh, no!

"Goodbye"! We need to point it
to "goodbye"!

[shimmering]

[dramatic music playing]

Well, I wouldn't exactly describe
that whole thing as helpful.

[Dustin] Wait.

-Wh-what's that?
-What's what?

But… But it…

Huh? Wait!
No, I think he's right! In the corner!

[growling]

If you're really William Dandridge,

then tell me
how to break our family's curse!

Hey! Uh, hello, Mr. Dandridge, sir!

What your descendant here is trying to say
is we just want to--

[screeching]

[all screaming]

Look out! Lucas!

[hissing]

Where'd it go? Can anyone see it?

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Where's Uncle Ernie?
What did you do to him?

[screaming]

Leave him alone!

[screeching]

[Mike] El!

Mike, I cannot stop it.

[Mike] We gotta get out of here!

[Lucas] Come on, you guys! Let's go!

Come on! It won't open!

Stop! What do you want?

Just tell us how to break your curse!

Help us set you free!

[screaming]

[hissing]

No, no, no, no, no!

[Eleven] Dustin!

[Nikki] I got you!

-[Lucas] Max!
-El! The flowers!

[shrieking]

[Eleven straining]

I got it!

So not the priority right now!

Is it gone?

[Dustin] Uh, Mike?

The flowers, they're growing back!

[hissing]

[Nikki] Dandridge! Move!

Are you nuts? You can't freeze a ghost!

Huh?

-[Wraith screeching]
-[Nikki screaming]

Nikki!

[screaming]

[Eleven screaming]

Run!

Come on! Let's go!

[wailing]

[screeching]

[synth theme music playing]