STRANGER THINGS: Season 3: Chapter 5: The Flayed
The strange definitely get stranger — and darker.
Should You Watch It?
This episode earns its four-star entertainment rating by moving several Season 3 storylines forward with energy. Will, Mike, Eleven, and their friends face a growing threat from the Mind Flayer, while Joyce and Hopper escape danger with a Russian scientist, and Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Erica seek a way out of an underground Russian facility.
The episode also carries a light Christian, redemptive worldview with strong moral, patriotic, anti-communist, and pro-capitalist elements. But the content is severe: extreme violence, many obscenities and profanities, disturbing transformations, smoking, and other objectionable behavior.
So, if you are a discerning adult already watching the series, this is a gripping chapter. For children and young teens, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESWill, Mike, Eleven, and their friends discover that the Mind Flayer may not have left their dimension after all. As people in the community come under the creature’s influence, the group must find a way to stop it before the whole town is overtaken.
Elsewhere, Joyce and Hopper flee a deadly situation with a Russian scientist, while Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Erica search for an escape from the Russian-manned facility beneath the Mall.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this episode is highly effective entertainment. “The Flayed” is action-packed and begins bringing the different plot strands of Season 3 into clearer focus.
The episode balances several groups facing separate dangers, while steadily increasing the viewer’s understanding of the larger story. Its entertainment strength is substantial, though the strong content makes it unsuitable for children and young teens.
The Worldview
The episode presents a light Christian, redemptive worldview with strong moral, patriotic, anti-communist, and pro-capitalist elements. It includes a character describing someone’s first move as an “olive branch,” a child character expressing disdain for communism, and a reference to a Greek mythological character.
The episode also presents an evil monster possessing humans and making them do bad things. Its moral framework recognizes evil as a real destructive force, while the story’s supernatural imagery remains disturbing for viewers who are sensitive to possession and transformation.
The episode’s longing is for people to resist evil and protect their community. Scripture says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
<strong>
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
</strong> Light Christian, redemptive, worldview with strong moral, anti-communist, pro-capitalist elements includes a character notices someone is making the first move and calls it an “olive branch,” a child character mentions communism with disdain, plus a comment is made about a Greek mythological character, and an evil monster possesses humans and makes them do bad things; <strong>
Foul Language
</strong> 34 obscenities, 11 profanities (including several mentioning Jesus and a “Holy Mother of God” comment) implied urinating, and urine depicted apart from the character using the bathroom; <strong>
Violence
</strong> Some very strong and strong violence includes a character jokingly threatens to slit someone’s throat, character gagged, gunfights including one moment with a gun point at someone’s head, a character gets a nosebleed, characters chase after one another, character gets hit with a fire extinguisher in the head and stabbed with scissors in the back, a different character gets stabbed with scissors in the chest, character smashes a vase on someone’s head, one character gets knocked out after a struggle, hospital patients depicted with blood on their person and some lay on the ground, choking, characters possessed by an interdimensional creature convulse and turn into goo; <strong>
Sex
</strong> No sex; <strong>
Nudity
</strong> No sex; <strong>
Alcohol Use
</strong> No alcohol; <strong>
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
</strong> Smoking and character buys cigarettes at a gas station; and, <strong>
Miscellaneous Immorality
</strong> Strong miscellaneous immorality includes teenager yells at his mother, lying, name-calling including one character calls a Russian “Smirnoff” multiple times because he doesn’t care to use his real name, breaking and entering, stealing a car, and kidnapping.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The episode portrays evil as a force that harms and controls people. How does Scripture tell us to respond when evil threatens others?
Romans 12:21 · Ephesians 6:10–18A character calls someone’s first move an “olive branch.” What does it look like to pursue peace without ignoring wrongdoing?
Matthew 5:9 · Romans 12:18The characters work together across several dangerous situations. How can courage and responsibility serve a community?
Galatians 6:2 · Philippians 2:3–4The episode includes references to communism and Greek mythology. How should Christians evaluate the ideas and stories presented in entertainment?
Acts 17:22–31 · 1 Thessalonians 5:21The Final Word
“The Flayed” is a highly entertaining, action-packed episode with a light Christian, redemptive worldview. Its extreme violence, strong language, smoking, and disturbing imagery make it unsuitable for children and young teens. For discerning adults already following the series, the answer is WORTH WATCHING — ADULTS ONLY. For other family viewing, try.
