Stranger Things — Series 5: Chapter 3 — The Turnbow Trap — A Review

20th February, 2026.

“The Turnbow Trap”.

An Introduction.

Right at the moment … ?

I’m contemplating dinner.

I actually have enough to get a take out: and eat it in front of … 

Well, practically anything that’s on TV, to be honest.

My building’s communal aerial got fixed, this morning.

So watching TV’s something of a delight.

That said … ?

I’ll probably be watching something on YouTube, rather than the usual news channels.

There’s only so much about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor a body can put up with … !

~≈🐙≈~

At any rate … ?

I’ve a busy weekend, this weekend: I’ve got my nephew, tomorrow, hopefully, and be having dinner at my mothers on Sunday … 

So … ?

I’ll be watching the next episode of Stranger Things 5, “The Turnbow Trap”, tonight: then … ?

Given some luck, patience and a halfway decent meal, I’ll have this review posted by Monday, 23rd February.

That’s we both of us will find out how good the episode was … 

~≈🐙≈~

21st February, 2026.

Part One.

The Summary.

Chapter 3 — “The Turnbow Trap” — opens with with grunts of effort made by Jim ‘Hop’ Hopper (David Harbour): as he tries to slice through the impenetrable wall in the Upside Down with a large knife, whilst Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown) uses her powers to try the same thing.

Neither are successful.

And both have to hide from the approaching Army patrol: an army patrol now using a strange device that causes pain to Eleven: and prevents her from using her powers.

It’s only in the ensuing gunfight that the outnumbered pair manage to disable the device, and capture the patrol’s leader.

Back in the real world … ?

Back in the real world, Robin and Will (Maya Hawke and Noah Schnapp), are fleeing Hawkins: only to be found, and helped, by Will’s mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder).

Found … helped … and lectured by, Joyce: who’s not pleased at the danger Robin has put Will in.

It’s only once Joyce has calmed down, that Will is able to explain the situation to her.

Explain that he’s now able to connect himself to Vecna, that he knows Vecna’s disguising himself as Mr Whatsit … and that he knows who Vecna’s next target is … 

~≈🐙≈~

Part Two.

Thoughts.

Now … what did I make of this episode, of the bundle of joy that is “The Turnbow Trap”?

There are few things in life as enjoyable as a good heist movie: and I say that, knowing full well that my definition of ‘a good heist movie’ is going to be different from yours.

My point … ?

Is that this episode is a heist.

The episode sees the team planning to ask a reluctant Erica (Priah Ferguson) to feed a poisoned pie to the Turnbow family, blindfold Derek Turnbow, hide him and his family in a local barn and boobytrap the Turnbow house: all so they can plant a tracker on the Demogorgon and follow it to the Upside Down.

That’s the plan.

In practise, the plan goes like this: the Turnbows’ are poisoned, Derek is blindfolded, the family hidden, the booby traps set off … all after Tina Turnbow refuse to eat the pie!

That?   Is when things start going badly wrong.

~≈🐙≈~

Part Three.

Observations.

OK … that’s my initial thinking … but what did I notice about this episode … ?

I don’t know that I can tell you much.

Except … that I’m vaguely reminded of the old fairy tale, of Little Red Riding Hood.

Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) is in this episode.

After being captured by Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), she’s guarded by Vecna himself, in his far more palatable form, Mr Whatsit.

Fed with endless amounts of treats, gifted a boombox, and a cassette copy of Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Along Now” … but warned, as in any good fairy tale, that she mustn’t go into the woods near the house, or else she’ll be eaten by monsters.

Fairy tale is possibly the right word.

In Episode One, in “The Crawl”, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), tell Holly that he’s made her a Dungeons and Dragons character, painted up a miniature, and called the character, “Holly the Heroic”.

Hoping the figure would interest Holly in the game, but also be vaguely inspirational.

The painted miniature is.

As “The Turnbow Trap” sees Holly inspired to steal some of the clothes in Vecna’s house, dress up as her Dungeons and Dragons character … and bravely go and look for the monsters Vecna has warned her about.

Red hooded cloak, monsters in the wood … 

Now I see think about it, “The Turnbow Trap” definitely reminds me of Little Red Riding Hood.

I grant you, Vecna — and not the monster in the wood — is the Big Bad Wolf.

But?

“The Tunbow Trap” is the first time that I know of, that Stranger Things has reference an old fashioned fairy tale* … 

~≈🐙≈~

Part Four.

A Scene.

Another thing that caught my attention was a conversation between Joyce, and her youngest son, Will: a conversation where the pair talk about trust, and sees the pair apologising for their behaviours, that morning.

It’s hard to pin down why … but this one conversation was a beautiful one to watch!

Granted, there’s finer screen moments.

The entirety of a Buffy: The Vampire Slayer episode called “The Body”, a confrontation between the Fourth Doctor and Davros in the fifth episode of Genesis of the Daleks, the Doctor’s “Do I have the right?” speech in Episode Six.

This scene, of a mother and son talking, together, possibly isn’t on a par with those others.

But … ?

The scene’s emotional depth, and restraint, is touching to watch.

~≈🐙≈~

Part Five.

Finally.

So … what did I think of “The Turnbow Trap”?

Of Stranger Things Five’s version of a heist movie?   A crime caper?

I loved it!

Granted, I don’t think the show’s played this episode for scares, as it has in other episodes.

But, sometimes, even the scariest of scary stories has to have changes in pace: has to have action, emotion, lightness — and a surprise ending — in order for the scares to time to be even scarier.

Frankly?

“The Turnbow Trap” does that, and does it well.

I will be looking forward to the next episode with a certain amount of anticipation.

Because?

“The Turnbow Trap” has set us a bar.

“The Turnbow Trap”

★★★★

~≈🐙≈~

Part Six.

Last Words.

That?

Is where I’m going to leave things.

But I will thank you for reading this post: or watched the video version, if that’s what you’ve done.

Before I go, I’ll tell you one last thing.

I’m going to be watching the fourth episode of Stranger Things Five, “Sorcerer” by Saturday, 28th February, and will have my written and video reviews, up by next Monday: at the very latest.

Feel free to have a look at the rest of my content, to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and follow Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar.

I’ll see you next time.

*        Just as a minor point … ?   I’ve watched the scene between Mike and Holly, again: at least one person has posted it to Instagram.   In it, Mike mentions that Holly’s Dungeon and Dragons character can cast a spell call “Dimension Door”, a spell that can take its caster to wherever they can imagine.   I’m wondering … is this dimension door another example of Chekov’s Gun†?   Is it something we’re going to see used in the last episode … ?   Who knows … !

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†        (You last discussed that in a review of episode three of The War Between …)