"Chapter Five: The Flayed" shifts Stranger Things Season 3 into 80s-inspired body horror as the Mind Flayer turns victims into "sleeper agents" by breaking down their biology, culminating in the horrifying creation of the "Meat Flayer". The episode serves as a pivotal, action-packed convergence where the disparate storylines of the kids, teens, and adults unite against a tangible physical threat to Hawkins. For an in-depth breakdown of this pivotal episode, read the analysis at Nerd That Geek . 'Stranger Things 3' Recap – 'Chapter Five: The Flayed'