In the eighth episode of Stranger Things season one, Brenner interrogates Hopper and he suggests a deal – location of Eleven in exchange for access to the portal. Dressed in protective suits, Joyce and Hopper enter the portal to the “upside-down” side, where they find a monster’s nest. They then find Will, who is unconscious with a slug-like creature in his stomach. They remove the creature, give Will artificial respiration, and he finally wakes up.

Meanwhile, Nancy and Jonathan set up a trap to catch the demogorgon. Instead, Steve appears with an intention to apologize to Nancy and Jonathan for the morning incident. The demogorgon appears from the wall and attacks Jonathan. Steve manages to fend it off; they all run down the hall where the monster falls into the trap, but it manages to escape and run back to its dimension. Agents and military police surround the children who hide in the school with Eleven. But El, using telekinesis, kills all the agents. Brenner discovers her, but at that time, the demogorgon appears attracted by the blood of the dead. The children try to hide in one of the cabinets, but it finds them. El, using all her strength, immobilizes the demogorgon and says goodbye to Mike, turning into dust with the creature.

A month later, on Christmas Eve, Jonathan comes home to the Byers’ for his little brother, who is playing with his friends. Nancy gives Jonathan a new camera instead of the one he broke; she has made peace with Steve. Hopper leaves a box of waffles, Eleven’s favorite food, in a wooden box in the middle of the forest. Before the Christmas dinner, Will goes to the bathroom, coughing up a small slug into the sink, and the surrounding world momentarily turns into “the upside-down.