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The Best Episodes of Stranger Things

Every episode of Stranger Things ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Stranger Things!

When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one strange little girl.
Genres:DramaSci-Fi & FantasyMysteryAction & Adventure
Network:Netflix

Best Episodes Summary

"Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab" is the best rated episode of "Stranger Things". It scored 9.6/10 based on 43300 votes. Directed by Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer and written by Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, it aired on 5/27/2022. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Chapter Four: Dear Billy".

  • Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab
    9.6/1043,300 votes
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    #1 - Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab

    Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 5/27/2022

    As Hopper braces to battle a monster, Dustin dissects Vecna's motives — and decodes a message from beyond. El finds strength in a distant memory.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter Four: Dear Billy
    9.4/1039,478 votes
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    #2 - Chapter Four: Dear Billy

    Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 5/27/2022

    Max is in grave danger... and running out of time. A patient at Pennhurst asylum has visitors. Elsewhere, in Russia, Hopper is hard at work.

    Director: Shawn Levy

    Writer: Paul Dichter

  • Chapter Eight: The Upside Down
    9.3/1028,646 votes
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    #3 - Chapter Eight: The Upside Down

    Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 7/15/2016

    Dr. Brenner holds Hopper and Joyce for questioning while the boys wait with Eleven in the gym. Back at Will's, Nancy and Jonathan prepare for battle.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: N/A

  • Chapter Nine: The Gate
    9.3/1027,029 votes
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    #4 - Chapter Nine: The Gate

    Season 2 Episode 9 - Aired 10/27/2017

    Eleven makes plans to finish what she started while the survivors turn up the heat on the monstrous force that's holding Will hostage.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer
    9.2/1024,325 votes
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    #5 - Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer

    Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 10/27/2017

    An unlikely hero steps forward when a deadly development puts the Hawkins Lab on lockdown, trapping Will and several others inside.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt
    9.2/1032,229 votes
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    #6 - Chapter Eight: The Battle of Starcourt

    Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 7/4/2019

    Terror reigns in the food court when the Mind Flayer comes to collect. But down below, in the dark, the future of the world is at stake.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter Six: The Spy
    9.1/1022,484 votes
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    #7 - Chapter Six: The Spy

    Season 2 Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/2017

    Will's connection to a shadowy evil grows stronger, but no one's quite sure how to stop it. Elsewhere, Dustin and Steve forge an unlikely bond.

    Director: Andrew Stanton

    Writer: Kate Trefry

  • Chapter Nine: The Piggyback
    9.1/1034,444 votes
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    #8 - Chapter Nine: The Piggyback

    Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 7/1/2022

    With selfless hearts and a clash of metal, heroes fight from every corner of the battlefield to save Hawkins — and the world itself.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter Seven: The Bathtub
    9.0/1024,449 votes
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    #9 - Chapter Seven: The Bathtub

    Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 7/15/2016

    Eleven struggles to reach Will, while Lucas warns that "the bad men are coming." Nancy and Jonathan show the police what Jonathan caught on camera.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Justin Doble

  • Chapter Four: The Body
    8.9/1024,890 votes
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    #10 - Chapter Four: The Body

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 7/15/2016

    Refusing to believe Will is dead, Joyce tries to connect with her son. The boys give Eleven a makeover. Nancy and Jonathan form an unlikely alliance.

    Director: Shawn Levy

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter Four: The Sauna Test
    8.9/1022,707 votes
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    #11 - Chapter Four: The Sauna Test

    Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 7/4/2019

    A code red brings the gang back together to face a frighteningly familiar evil. Karen urges Nancy to keep digging, and Robin finds a useful map.

    Director: Shawn Levy

    Writer: Kate Trefry

  • Chapter Three: Holly, Jolly
    8.8/1025,287 votes
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    #12 - Chapter Three: Holly, Jolly

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 7/15/2016

    An increasingly concerned Nancy looks for Barb and finds out what Jonathan's been up to. Joyce is convinced Will is trying to talk to her.

    Director: Shawn Levy

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Jessica Mecklenburg

  • Chapter Six: The Monster
    8.8/1023,409 votes
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    #13 - Chapter Six: The Monster

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 7/15/2016

    A frantic Jonathan looks for Nancy in the darkness, but Steve's looking for her, too. Hopper and Joyce uncover the truth about the lab's experiments.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Jessie Nickson-Lopez

  • Chapter Five: Dig Dug
    8.8/1020,990 votes
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    #14 - Chapter Five: Dig Dug

    Season 2 Episode 5 - Aired 10/27/2017

    Nancy and Jonathan swap conspiracy theories with a new ally as Eleven searches for someone from her past. “Bob the Brain” tackles a difficult problem.

    Director: Andrew Stanton

    Writer: Jessie Nickson-Lopez

  • Chapter Seven: The Bite
    8.7/1021,593 votes
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    #15 - Chapter Seven: The Bite

    Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 7/4/2019

    With time running out -- and an assassin close behind -- Hopper's crew races back to Hawkins, where El and the kids are preparing for war.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat
    8.6/1023,569 votes
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    #16 - Chapter Five: The Flea and the Acrobat

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 7/15/2016

    Hopper breaks into the lab while Nancy and Jonathan confront the force that took Will. The boys ask Mr. Clarke how to travel to another dimension.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Alison Tatlock

  • Chapter Eight: Papa
    8.6/1022,933 votes
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    #17 - Chapter Eight: Papa

    Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 7/1/2022

    Nancy has sobering visions, and El passes an important test. Back in Hawkins, the gang gathers supplies and prepares for battle.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers
    8.5/1029,924 votes
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    #18 - Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 7/15/2016

    On his way home from a friend's house, young Will sees something terrifying. Nearby, a sinister secret lurks in the depths of a government lab.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter Three: The Pollywog
    8.5/1020,784 votes
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    #19 - Chapter Three: The Pollywog

    Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 10/27/2017

    Dustin adopts a strange new pet, and Eleven grows increasingly impatient. A well-meaning Bob urges Will to stand up to his fears.

    Director: Shawn Levy

    Writer: Justin Doble

  • Chapter Four: Will the Wise
    8.5/1020,528 votes
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    #20 - Chapter Four: Will the Wise

    Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 10/27/2017

    An ailing Will opens up to Joyce -- with disturbing results. While Hopper digs for the truth, Eleven unearths a surprising discovery.

    Director: Shawn Levy

    Writer: Paul Dichter

  • Chapter Five: The Flayed
    8.5/1020,711 votes
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    #21 - Chapter Five: The Flayed

    Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 7/4/2019

    Strange surprises lurk inside an old farmhouse and deep beneath the Starcourt Mall. Meanwhile, the Mind Flayer is gathering strength.

    Director: Uta Briesewitz

    Writer: Paul Dichter

  • Chapter Six: E Pluribus Unum
    8.5/1020,900 votes
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    #22 - Chapter Six: E Pluribus Unum

    Season 3 Episode 6 - Aired 7/4/2019

    Dr. Alexei reveals what the Russians have been building, and Eleven sees where Billy has been. Dustin and Erica stage a daring rescue.

    Director: Uta Briesewitz

    Writer: Curtis Gwinn

  • Chapter Six: The Dive
    8.5/1020,719 votes
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    #23 - Chapter Six: The Dive

    Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 5/27/2022

    Behind the Iron Curtain, a risky rescue mission gets underway. The California crew seeks help from a hacker. Steve takes one for the team.

    Director: Nimród Antal

    Writer: Curtis Gwinn

  • Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street
    8.4/1025,559 votes
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    #24 - Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 7/15/2016

    Lucas, Mike and Dustin try to talk to the girl they found in the woods. Hopper questions an anxious Joyce about an unsettling phone call.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

  • Chapter Two: Trick or Treat, Freak
    8.3/1021,231 votes
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    #25 - Chapter Two: Trick or Treat, Freak

    Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 10/27/2017

    After Will sees something terrible on trick-or-treat night, Mike wonders whether Eleven's still out there. Nancy wrestles with the truth about Barb.

    Director: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer

    Writer: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer