Damnnn! And I said the previous cliffhanger was good!
Without doubt, "Holly, Jolly" is one of the most impactful episodes of this year. The range of emotions you feel from beginning to end leave you exhausted yet yearning to learn more about this small town fable.
As this is a spoiler free review, I'll leave the details for you to experience firsthand, and will focus on the individual elements that help make this such an addictive and rock solid episode.
Basically, it's down to the two females: Winona Ryder (Joyce) and Millie Brown (Eleven) (though Cara Buono gets a special mention for that motherly scene with Natalia Dyer). There's this ancient Urdu proverb that says that even mothers who go mad and fail to recognize no one, recognize their sons. Winona Ryder, in this episode, is the personification of this proverb. Keep a tissue box next to you, people. You'll be needing one.
Mille Brown on the other hand... Oh mann!! She says with no words what many notable actors fail to say with the help of dialogues. Near the end, the interaction between her and Finn Wolfhard (Mike) seems so authentic and real, it hurts.
I say, leave whatever you are doing and go watch this episode. Verdict: 10/10
