Stranger Things: 10 Times The Girls Ruled Season 3

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3. Erica's 'Small' Job

Motivated by free ice cream and patriotism — after all, "you can't spell America without Erica" — Lucas' snarktastic kid sister took on a key role in Operation Child Endangerment in "The Sauna Test" by squeezing into a vent and, ultimately, allowing Steve, Robin and Dustin to get into the Russians' underground hideout.

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4. Nancy's Hot Shot

Nancy did not come to play in Season 3. Mm-mm. So when the monster attacked Hopper's cabin in "The Bite," she didn't hesitate to go full-on Lady Rambo on it, opening fire and getting in a bullseye that would've made the thing's face even uglier, had that been remotely possible.

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10. El's Declaration of Independence

Since friends (and certainly boyfriends!) don't lie, El was furious upon catching Mike in a whopper in "The Mall Rats." Luckily, thanks to Max's sage advice, she knew exactly how to handle the situation: "I dump your ass!" El told Mike. Who did he think he was, anyway? Ralph Macchio?

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7. Robin's 'Aha' Moment

In "The Case of the Missing Lifeguard," we discovered that Robin was more — so much more! — than just a fun sparring partner for Steve. It was her limited understanding of Russian, coupled with her unlimited boredom with her job at Scoops Ahoy, that resulted in the Russkies' code being cracked.

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2. El's Smackdown

Guess being Flayed must have given Billy super-strength or something. Otherwise, we can't imagine how every bone in his body wasn't shattered nine ways to Sunday in "The Sauna Test" when, during an epic brawl with El, she hurled his ass through a freakin' brick wall!

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8. Nancy's Detective Work

The misogynists at the Post saw "Nancy Drew" as merely "a coffee-delivery machine." But it was the investigation that the budding reporter launched in "The Mall Rats" that led our protagonists to an understanding of the way the Mind Flayer was weaponizing not only melted rodents but people, too.

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5. Robin's Revelation

Though in "The Bite," Robin expressed her fears that if Steve knew the real her, he wouldn't even want to be friends, she was still brave enough to speak her truth and reveal that she hadn't wanted to be with him in high school, she'd wanted to be with one of the many girls who'd only had eyes for him.

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6. Suzie's Life-Saver

When Dusty Bun — sorry, Dustin — tried to describe his girlfriend, he said, "Think Phoebe Cates, only hotter." But he could just as easily have gone with, "Think Phoebe Cates, only smarter." In "The Battle of Starcourt," she shared with him the digits that made up Planck's constant, in so doing saving... well, the world!

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1. El's Big Flip

The Russkies were thisclose to finding our young heroes hiding behind the counter of a Good Cookie in "The Bite" when El turned her powers all the way up to 12 and reduced them to Russian dressing by flipping in their direction a car that was on display at the mall.

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9. Joyce's Leap of Faith

We know, we know — Joyce also singlehandedly turned the keys that allowed the interdimensional gate-opener to be destroyed. But the act of bravery that really wowed us was both smaller and much larger. Overcoming her grief at having lost Bob, she finally asked Hopper out — to Enzo's, no less!

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