Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 5 Review: “The Nina Project”

How does fear drive us? Does it make us do things we didn’t think we were capable of? We like to think we will step up when the pressure is on but is this always the case?

In Stranger Things episode 5, “The Nina Project,” Eleven has to go through a journey-both physically and psychologically-in pursuit of regaining her powers. She’s had to resort back to her previous self and even though it may seem like a regression, appears to be critical if she’s going to move forward.

So what is Nina, and how does it/she play into all this?

In this breakdown of “The Nina Project,” we will review the plot, explore some themes, and observations, and point out some of the 1980s references.

“The Nina Project” Plot Summary

This episode is intense right off the bat. Eleven is in danger and we hear of a mysterious “Nina.” It turns out, that 12 hours prior to the events of the last episode, Eleven was taken to a top-secret location in the desert. She and Sam go to an underground bunker, which is like an old missile silo. Very War Games-ish, which will come up again in a bit.

Surprise! Brennen is back, and they begin the training of Eleven. This involves her resorting back to her shaved head state. Back in Russia…