This is the first time Eleven has been allowed to exist as a consumer rather than a lab rat or a fugitive. The episode takes its time here. It lingers on the girls trying on clothes and laughing. This is not plot-advancing in a traditional sense; it is character-advancing. The runtime allows the show to pause the supernatural threat and say, “Look at how much joy she has found.”
In a shorter episode, the revelation of the rats eating the fertilizer and the grotesque introduction of the "Flayed" mayor would likely be rushed. Instead, the episode takes a slow-burn approach. We see the rats swarm in a distinct, almost militaristic fashion, foreshadowing the Mind Flayer’s hive mind. stranger things season 3 episode 2 runtime
The primary reason for the extended runtime of "The Mall Rats" is the sheer logistical nightmare of the season’s narrative structure. Season 3 is arguably the most densely populated season of the show. By Episode 2, the story has splintered into five distinct subplots: This is the first time Eleven has been