Chapter Text
HERE WE STAND
Episode #201 (Opening Scene)
“Fathers”
BEGIN COLD OPEN
1 – BLACK SCREEN
EL (v.o.)
Come on, Mike. Harder.
MIKE (v.o.)
Oh, wow, El…
EL (v.o.)
Yeah, doesn’t it feel good?
MIKE (v.o.)
Really good.
EL (v.o.)
Keeping going! Try the chair now too.
MIKE (v.o.)
Oh, um, do you think I can?
EL (v.o.)
Only one way to find out.
2 – INT. HOPPER GREAT ROOM
We fade in at a wide angle looking down over the railing from the second floor hallway. The camera slowly moves closer to MIKE WHEELER and EL HOPPER, floating down toward the floor of the great room, where they’re sitting cross-legged, facing each other. Mike is wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt and El is wearing sweatpants and a gray cotton tank top. They both have their summer tans. Out of the front bay windows, there’s a THUNDERSTORM.
Mike has his arms raised, palms upward. The sofa and the coffee table are LEVITATING. We arrive at the level of their faces and swing around, bringing the recliner into focus too. It starts to LEVITATE. Cut to the coffee table as it wobbles and dips to the floor. Cut to Mike’s face as a TRICKLE OF BLOOD emerges from his left nostril. Wide shot showing the coffee table stabilizing.
EL
Nice! That’s awesome, Mike!
She’s GRINNING at him. Swing around to Mike and he GRINS too, raising an eyebrow. Cut to El from over Mike’s shoulder as she starts to LEVITATE. She giggles and crosses her arms. There’s a FLASH as she opens her mouth to say something.
CRACK! Thunder tears across their neighborhood. El blinks and looks around before refocusing on Mike.
EL
Having fun?
MIKE
Yes, this—
3 – EXT. FIELD
Via handheld camera. A FLASH of lightning, illuminating a muddy field, sodden with torrential rain, then BARE FEET running across the ground.
4 – INT. HOPPER GREAT ROOM
We close in on Mike’s face as he shakes his head and looks around. He seems confused.
EL
Mike?
MIKE
Um.
EL
What’s up? What was that?
Mike lowers El and the furniture to the floor. He wipes his nose with a tissue swiped from his sweatpants pocket.
MIKE
I’m not sure.
El stands and walks forward, sitting next to Mike on the floor. She rests her hand on his forearm.
EL
You like totally spaced there.
4 – EXT. ROAD
Via handheld camera. Gasping breaths, shivering from the soaking rain, BARE FEET slapping on the gravel shoulder of a road. Lightning CRACKS the sky again.
5 – INT. HOPPER GREAT ROOM
Mike flinches and looks around, eyes wide.
MIKE
What the hell?
EL
What is it?
MIKE
I don’t know! It’s like I’m seeing something.
EL
Something?
MIKE
Like flashes of something. Out in the storm.
Mike POINTS to the bay windows showing the darkness of night, lit in spasms by the storm. Rain blows against the front of the house in a loud gust of wind.
EL
In your mind?
MIKE
Yeah. Like a vision.
Close-up on El’s face as she cocks her head at Mike. We can see the curiosity in her gaze. The camera pans down her arm to focus her hand, resting on his forearm. We linger on her bright, light blue nail polish.
6 – EXT. ROAD
Via handheld camera. The lights of a neighborhood up ahead. The feet stop running, harsh breathing that sounds like sobbing cutting through the noise of the storm. The toenails are painted RED.
7 – INT. HOPPER GREAT ROOM
EL
Did it happen again?
MIKE
Yeah.
Cut to GOOSEBUMPS on his arm.
MIKE (cont’d)
Something is coming, El.
El licks her lips and gulps, looking around.
EL
Yeah, I feel it too. Come on.
We’re looking up from Mike’s perspective as El stands, holding out her hand for him. Cut to a wide shot as Mike takes her hand and gets to his feet. The STORM continues as they stand there.
8 – EXT. ROAD
Via handheld camera. They STUMBLE and FALL into the gravel on the side of the road, crying out in pain. Lightning breaks the clouds, so quickly there’s only an after-image of a person huddled on the muddy shoulder. Thunder ROLLS overhead. The person whimpers.
9 – INT. HOPPER GREAT ROOM
MIKE
I think they’re hurt. And they’re not far.
EL
What are you seeing?
MIKE
Someone running out there in the storm. I don’t know where they’re going.
EL
Ok.
El runs her hands through her hair, looking down then around, then back at Mike.
EL (cont’d)
Ok, let me see if I can find them. What do they look like?
MIKE
Hard to say because—
Three heavy KNOCKS on the front door interrupt Mike. Cut between Mike’s and El’s faces as they’re first surprised, then a bit wary, and we finally land on El’s as she clenches her jaw. The lights in the great room FLICKER for a moment.
El turns and walks toward the front door with Mike following her. We turn and follow behind them with a handheld camera, increasing the VERISIMILITUDE of the moment. El takes a deep breath and reaches for the door handle as Mike stops by her side. We move past and swing around them as El opens the door, looking into the house at their faces. Mike’s and El’s eyes widen.
MIKE
Max!
EL
Oh my god!
10 – EXT. HOPPER FRONT PORCH
We’re looking out of the house toward the front lawn and the road beyond. Lightning ARCS across the sky for two seconds, illuminating in stark relief MAX MAYFIELD standing there on the porch.
Max is a wreck. She’s wearing short PJ shorts and a white tank top and she’s completely SOAKED THROUGH. She has a big black eye and a split lip. Her feet are bruised, scratched, and bloody, and everything below her knees is splattered in mud too. She’s cradling her right arm against her body. Her long copper hair is PLASTERED in wet strands around her head and on her shoulders. Her blue eyes are wide.
DARKNESS consumes the frame as the lightning fades. Thunder ROLLS.
END COLD OPEN
BLACK SCREEN
Total silence.
TITLE CARD
Chapter One: Fathers
The noise of the storm fades back in.
11 – EXT. HOPPER FRONT PORCH
From the side, we see Mike and El standing in the doorway. El reaches out for Max, who FLINCHES back.
MIKE
Come on, Max.
His voice is soft, gentle. He steps forward. Max steps back. She’s at the edge of the porch now, and one more step backward will take her off it. The storm still RAGES around them.
EL
Max, let’s get you inside out of the storm.
El gets close to Max and wraps her arms around her, pulling Max gently against her body. Cut to a close-up of Max’s face as her eyes and nose scrunch up and she drops her forehead to El’s shoulder. Max SOBS.
MAX
Oh god…
Cut to Mike’s face as he watches with growing concern and confusion. We hear Max’s cries. Mike walks forward after a moment and supports Max from the other side as El shifts and turns. They guide their friend into the house. Max is MUMBLING through her tears. The only words we can hear are ‘Billy’ and ‘mom.’
12 – INT. HOPPER GREAT ROOM
We dolly in from the far side of the great room as El and Mike bring Max into the house, shutting the door on the STORM once they’re inside. They sit her down on the sectional sofa. El and Mike look at each other as Max looks down at her lap, still sniffling.
The lights FLICKER again, more violently than before. We swing around and look at Mike’s and El’s faces. El is looking at Mike, who is FURIOUS, with his jaw clenched and a SEETHING look in his eyes. He’s staring down at Max and her injuries.
EL (whispered)
Mike!
El’s whisper is URGENT, causing Mike to look over at her. El signals around with her eyes, at the FLICKERING lights. Mike blinks, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. As the lights STEADY once again, El sits down next to Max, who leans into her shoulder. She’s quietly WEEPING and SHIVERING now.
Mike grabs the blanket folded over the back of the sofa and leans down to wrap it around Max. El helps and soon Max is cocooned in the warm blanket. It’s like Max is waking up from a NIGHTMARE, the way she’s rapidly blinking and glancing back and forth between Mike and El.
MIKE
Stay with her. I’m gonna get Hop. And we need the first aid kit.
El nods up at him. Max stays quiet, looking down again. Mike turns away, heading up the stairs two at a time.
13 – INT. HOPPER SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY
From the far, dark end of the hallway, we see Mike crest the stairs and turn toward us. He runs forward to the second door on his right, our left. He KNOCKS twice, loudly. Two seconds pass.
HOP
Huh? What is it?
MIKE
Sorry to wake you up, but you need to come downstairs now, Hop! Max just showed up and she’s pretty messed up. I’m gonna get the first aid kit in the bathroom.
Mike stands there for five to ten more seconds until Hop’s bedroom door opens. JIM HOPPER is there in sweatpants and pulling a t-shirt over his head. We glimpse his FITNESS before the shirt settles. There is a serious cast to his features that reminds us he’s a Deputy Director of National Intelligence and a retired Brigadier General.
HOP
Messed up?
MIKE
Yeah…
We creep closer to where Hop and Mike are standing in the doorway. Mike is looking up at Hop.
MIKE (cont’d)
I think she got beat up. Black eye, busted lip, and something’s wrong with her arm. It looks she ran here in the storm, Hop.
HOP
El’s with her?
Mike nods.
HOP (cont’d)
Ok, bring the first aid kit.
Hop walks past Mike, briefly resting a hand on his shoulder. Then he’s gone, heading toward the stairs and down into the great room. Mike watches him go, then turns and heads toward the camera, pivoting into the guest bathroom. We swing around and watch from the hallway as he pulls a red first aid kit out from under the sink.
Mike walks past the camera and we follow him down the hallway, looking over the railing as Mike speeds down the stairs and rejoins El, Hop, and Max in the great room. Hop is kneeling in front of Max and El. El is biting her lip and Max is crying again, shaking her head.
14 – INT. HOPPER GREAT ROOM
HOP
Let’s get you cleaned up at least, ok?
Mike stops next to the three of them with the first aid kit.
HOP (cont’d)
You don’t need to say anything about what happened right now if you don’t want to.
Hop takes the first aid kit from Mike and opens it, taking out some cotton pads and antiseptic fluid.
MAX
No.
Max’s voice is SCRATCHY and STRAINED.
HOP
We can’t let these get infected. It’ll only sting a little, I promise.
Max shakes her head, her damp locks swinging back and forth.
MAX
That’s not what I mean.
It’s quite evident that Max screamed herself HOARSE, possibly damaging her throat in some way. Mike sits down on Max’s other side from El.
MAX (cont’d)
It’s Neil. My step-dad. He did this.
Cut to extreme close-up of Hop’s face as his jaw flexes and his eyes tighten. Cut to a wider shot of Hop reaching out with both hands to hold Max’s left hand between his hands.
HOP
You’re safe now, Max. He can’t get to you here.
MAX
I know. But my mom isn’t. I tried to stop him…but then he came after me.
Max is WEEPING again.
MAX (cont’d)
I had to get out of there before he could do anything worse, but I don’t know about my mom.
Max BREAKS DOWN, pulling her hand out Hop’s and dropping her face into it. We slowly spin around the group, lingering on Mike’s and El’s and Hop’s faces, as the great room is filled with the sounds of Max’s misery. Many emotions fly across their faces.
The lights start FLICKERING again. Hop shakes his head at El and Mike, telling them with his eyes to CALM DOWN. Mike and El stare at each other as they breathe deeply. Eventually, the lights even out.
HOP
Ok, I’ll check on Susan soon. I’m going to make a couple quick calls, then we’ll get you cleaned up and go from there, alright?
Cut to a wide shot of the great room as Hop stands and pulls his phone out of his pocket, tapping a few times before holding it up to his ear. Outside, the STORM is slowly calming down, SUBSIDING as it passes Hawkins.
HOP
Vivian—yeah, I know it’s late. Listen, I need you to pull together a small team and head over to Max Mayfield’s place at Hawkins Mobile Park. Registered to Neil—
Max FLINCHES into Mike and El.
HOP (cont’d)
—and Susan Hargrove. Full law enforcement rights and responsibilities for this op.
Hop listens for a few seconds. El and Mike are watching him, their arms around Max’s back.
HOP (cont’d)
Yeah, you can bring in local or state as necessary.
He listens again.
HOP (cont’d)
Max ran all the way here in the storm and she’s pretty banged up. Neil—
Max FLINCHES.
HOP (cont’d)
—beat her up. She’s worried about her mother.
Hop listens, nodding.
HOP (cont’d)
Exactly. Keep me updated, Colonel.
Hop hangs up and taps on his phone again. Then he holds it up to his ear.
HOP (cont’d)
Joyce—hi. I know it’s late. Give me one sec—I’m going to conference in Karen.
He pulls the phone away and taps on it again, bringing it back to his ear after staring at it for a second.
HOP (cont’d)
Karen? Alright, do I have both of you? I don’t have much time to explain—but could you both come over to my house? Mike and El are here, as you know, and Max just showed up, pretty banged up. She ran all the way here in the storm. Neil beat her up—”
Max SHUDDERS. A loud VOICE comes from the phone, though the words are unintelligible.
HOP (cont’d)
Yes, Karen. I sent Vivian over there under ODNI auspices. I’ll be joining her soon, but I need to get Max cleaned up before I leave.
He listens again.
HOP (cont’d)
Yeah, of course you can bring Will. See you soon.
Hop hangs up and slides the phone back into his pocket. He turns to where Mike, El, and Max are sitting on the couch. Hop kneels on the floor in front of Max again.
HOP (cont’d)
Max, look at me, please.
Cut to a close-up of Max as she looks up. Her uninjured eye is red and puffy and her cheeks are wet. The bruising on her face continues to develop, getting WORSE, especially around her eye.
HOP (cont’d)
I sent Vivian—Colonel Williams—over with a unit of Rangers. They’re acting under my official duties right now, so they have the full rights and responsibilities of law enforcement, which means they will assess, triage, and manage the situation. Your step-father is not going to hurt anyone ever again.
MAX (mumbled)
Ok.
HOP
Now, where does it hurt? I can see your eye and your mouth. And your right arm. Anywhere else?
MAX
I fell on the way over here. My right knee feels weird. And my feet hurt.
HOP
Ok. Mike’s mom and Will’s mom are on their way over. I’m going to head out and join Vivian, but for now, let’s get you cleaned up, ok? Later I think I’ll need to take you up to the base to get you checked out more thoroughly. Would that be ok?
Hop is giving Max all the AGENCY in this situation since her fucking step-dad so viciously ripped it away from her.
MAX (sighing)
Yeah, that’s ok.
We watch as Hop, gently yet methodically, cleans the blood from her face, under her eye and around her mouth. He uses small white bandages that pull the sides of the wounds together after disinfecting them. Then he carefully holds Max’s right arm in his hand, turning it slowly at the elbow and wrist joint, probing with a fingertip. Max GRIMACES but doesn’t otherwise react.
HOP
We’ll need a brace for this, for now. I think your wrist and elbow are only sprained, but we’ll see about an x-ray later to confirm. Are you ok telling me how this happened?
Flash cut to:
15 – INT. MAX’S BEDROOM
MAX (v.o.)
He pulled on my arm really hard.
We see two seconds of NEIL HARGROVE catching Max by the wrist and YANKING her violently back toward him. Flash cut to:
16 – INT. HOPPER GREAT ROOM
MAX (cont’d)
Just as I was running away, he caught my wrist and pulled me back. I kicked him the balls.
Close-up of Hop’s face as he smiles at that.
HOP
Good. It helped you get away, and it’s the least of what he deserves. I’ll be right back.
As Hop turns and exits the great room, we linger on the three teens sitting on the big leather sectional sofa. Max is staring blankly ahead; El seems angry; and Mike is a bit forlorn. He leans forward so he can look into Max’s blue eyes.
MIKE
Max… I’m sorry.
EL
Me too. We’re here for you.
Close-up of Max’s eyes moving back and forth between El and Mike.
MAX (quietly)
I know. That’s why I ran here. I couldn’t think of anything else to do.
Max’s face SCRUNCHES but no tears come.
MAX (cont’d)
I don’t even have my phone.
MIKE
We’ll get it back. And Vivian and Hop will help with everything.
Cut to a wide angle of the great room as Hop reenters it. Dolly in closer as he approaches El, Max, and Mike. He’s holding a Ziplocked bag of ice, a hand towel, and a pillowcase. He wraps the bag of ice in the hand towel and holds it out to Max.
HOP
This should help with the swelling. Alternate every couple minutes between your eye and your mouth.
MAX
Ok, thanks.
HOP
Now for your arm.
Hop holds up the pillowcase and rips it open along the seams. The three teens watch this in confusion. Hop kneels in front of Max again and gently creates a brace for her arm with the pillowcase. He’s practiced and swift, almost like he’s done it many times before. When finished, Max’s right arm is pulled against her stomach and held in place by the makeshift brace.
HOP (cont’d)
Let’s have a look at your knee and feet.
Close-up of Max’s legs as she moves her blanket out of the way. Her right knee is swollen and bruised. Her lower legs and feet are muddy and bloodied, particularly her feet. Cut to Hop’s face as he takes in the extent of her injuries. He looks up at Max, then focuses on El next to her.
HOP (cont’d)
Ellie, do you think you can take Max upstairs and help her clean off in the shower? She could use a fresh set of clothes too. I would, but these aren’t life-threatening injuries, and I don’t want to invade your privacy, Max.
EL
Yeah, dad. You ok with that, Max?
Max nods, though her face is still WRIT with disbelief as she stares down at her own legs. We pan down from her face to her injuries again, lingering there to let her trauma settle in.
HOP
Can you put weight on that knee?
Hop stands and moves back. Mike and El do too, and they both help Max up off the couch. Mike is clearly averting his eyes from her wet, transparent tank top, looking only at her face and El’s face. Max drops her right foot to the floor and immediately grimaces, hissing in pain.
EL
I got you.
El holds out a hand and Max FLOATS two inches off the floor.
MAX (teary)
Thanks, El. And thank you, Hop. You too, Mike.
Mike nods at her. As soon as she and El turn away, his face contorts in a rictus of fury. We see something flash through his eyes and can almost hear his thoughts: he wants to rid the world of Neil Hargrove forever. The camera pans to follow El’s and Max’s progress up the stairs, Hop and Mike becoming blurry in the foreground. When the girls disappear from sight, we focus on Hop and Mike again as Hop turns to Mike. They stare at each other for several seconds.
HOP
I’m going to change. I’ll be right back. Could you let Joyce and Karen in if they get here while I’m upstairs?
MIKE
Yeah, can do.
HOP
Good man. Thanks.
Hop turns toward the stairs and the process repeats itself—we pan and follow him as Mike blurs in the foreground. When Hop disappears from the frame, cut to a close-up of Mike’s face. He’s furious again and his nostrils are flaring. His eyes are unfocused. Thunder RUMBLES in distance. One tear appears from an eye and rolls down his cheek.
Mike blinks and seems to come back to the present. He raises a hand to his face and wipes the tear away, looking at his hand afterward as if it betrayed him. Another tear falls and he wipes that away too. Mike bows his head and breathes deeply.
HOP
Hey, how are you doing?
Mike jumps. Cut to wider shot of the great room. Hop is walking toward Mike in military fatigues with DEPUTY DIRECTOR HOPPER on the chest, black combat boots, and a camo baseball cap. There’s a sidearm strapped to his hip. It’s a sudden transformation from El’s sleepy and rumpled dad into a high-ranking el-military government official.
MIKE
Um…
HOP
Mike, it’s ok to not be ok. Nothing about this is ok. Don’t be ashamed of how you’re feeling right now.
Mike wipes his cheeks again and nods.
MIKE
I’m just so angry, Hop.
Hop comes forward and lays a hand on Mike’s shoulder. We see one of the most serious looks in his eyes yet. At 6’4”, Hop is seven inches taller than Mike.
HOP
Anger is natural. I’m angry. But you can’t let it consume you. Trust me—I’ve learned that lesson that hard way. It’ll only cause more pain and suffering, and it won’t help Max at all.
MIKE
But how could he do that to her?
Hop SIGHS and shakes his head.
HOP
Some things defy explanation. When I was in the military, we used to call it ‘the banality of evil’ when we were confronted with similar things. What her step-dad did doesn’t deserve rationalization anyway, since you and I both know there’s nothing that could ever make it right.
Mike INHALES a deep breath and EXHALES slowly. He’s considering Hop’s words.
HOP (cont’d)
You can channel that anger, though. You can channel that energy. You can be there for Max and help her and support her as she comes to terms with all of this. Trauma isn’t a straight line, Mike, so what Max needs most right now is for her friends to be there for her.
MIKE (nodding)
I can do that. And I know El and the rest of the Party will too.
Hop SMILES at Mike in a rather paternal way.
HOP
I have no doubt.
Hop pauses and drops his hand from Mike’s shoulder.
HOP (cont’d)
You and El were practicing?
MIKE
Yeah.
HOP
How did it go?
MIKE
Fine! I was able to levitate the sofa, the chair, and the coffee table at the same time.
HOP
Wow, that’s great work, Mike. Make sure to keep practicing when you get the chance. Have El help you as much as time allows, too.
MIKE
That’s the plan.
Mike purses his lips and tilts his head.
MIKE (cont’d)
Why are you pushing it so much?
HOP
You and El have novel abilities, and you’re both the only two people to have ever directly faced off against the Mind Flayer and won. If it ever comes back, my hope is both of you can support each other and finish it off once and for all. So all that practice is peace of mind for me, really—and your parents.
MIKE
My parents?
HOP
We had a long talk maybe two weeks ago. Nothing bad! But nonetheless we discussed what you developing these abilities means in the grand scheme of things. Nothing needs to really change, but we all have to acknowledge that the Mind Flayer is coming after El for the reasons you both described, and now that includes you too. The stronger you are, the easier you’re able to wield your abilities, the better equipped you’ll be to fight off the Mind Flayer.
MIKE
Ok, Hop. That makes sense.
HOP
We have our best minds working day and night to figure all this out. I don’t want to have to rely on both of you for this, and I’m hoping we can learn more soon and develop countermeasures. However, hope is not a plan, so best to be prepared, right?
MIKE (determined)
Agreed!
HOP
Ok, I’m going to head out and meet up with Colonel Williams.
Hop FROWNS and we can see how tense he is in the set of his shoulders.
HOP (cont’d)
As I said, Karen, Joyce, and Will should be here soon. Keep an ear out for El and Max in the meantime. If you don’t see them in the next fifteen or twenty minutes, it’s ok to check on them.
MIKE
Got it.
HOP
I’ll be back as soon as I can. I anticipate we’ll head up to Grissom after that to have Max checked out. I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but she could really use her friends tonight, so I’ll ask Karen if I can bring you along.
MIKE
No, that’s ok. I’m in. El will be too.
Hop nods at Mike, then walks around him through the great room toward the dining room. Mike turns to watch and we swing around him to watch too. Hop stops and looks back at Mike at the threshold.
HOP
If anything happens, Mike…don’t hesitate. Especially if it’s something you can’t explain. Immobilize with your abilities first and ask questions second.
Mike processes Hop’s words for a moment. Then he nods and raises his hands a few inches, flexing his fingers.
17 – INT. HOPPER DINING ROOM
Cut to an angle looking into the great room from the dining room, behind Hop. All the lights we can see start FLICKERING. Hop looks around to take it all. Mike lowers his hands and the lights even out.
18 – INT. HOPPER GREAT ROOM
Hop salutes Mike and turns away, exiting the house. We stay with Mike in the great room as we hear a vehicle starting up. He walks to the bay windows at the front of the great room and looks outside where Hop is rolling down the driveway in the Escalade. At the road, red and blue law enforcement lights FLASH OUT into the night from the dashboard. Hop turns onto the road and ten seconds later his taillights disappear around a corner.
Mike checks the time on his phone. He sits on the sofa and stares ahead for a moment. Then he looks down at his hands and flexes them a few times. We zoom in on a spot of blood on one of his palms, presumably Max’s blood. Mike stands SUDDENLY and rushes out of the great room.
19 – INT. HOPPER KITCHEN
Cut to the kitchen as Mike hurries over to the sink and starts scrubbing his hands. Tilt down into the sink as the red-tinted water starts to flow down the drain. We get closer as the sink fills the frame and the sound of the water increases to override all other noise.
It starts to blend with another noise that sounds like an engine—
Cut to:
20 – EXT. SUBURBAN ROAD
We watch from the apex of a curve as the Escalade rushes past, its lights flashing. The roads are damp and the big vehicle kicks up mist in its wake. The noise of the engine is all we hear, complete with a Doppler effect, before fading away. Around us, as the Escalade disappears from sight again, Hawkins is dark due to the late hour.
Cut to:
21 – INT. ESCALADE
Hop is FURIOUS.