Is the Pollywog in 'Stranger Things' a Baby Demogorgon?
Dustin's new pet creates a rift in the group.
Dustin makes a new friend in Stranger Things 2, but it’s probably not one he should keep for very long.
Spoilers follow for the third episode of Stranger Things 2 and the nature of Dustin’s new pet.
When Dustin gets home towards the end of Stranger Things 2 Episode 2, he hears a rustling in the trash can outside his house. It’s clearly not Mews, his family cat. “Holy shit,” he says after finally getting a look at the thing. With good reason, Episode 3 then gets named after what they call the creature: “The Pollywog.” Desperate to have something of his own, Dustin adopts the weird creature, naming it D’Artagnan, or Dart for short.
The creature is slimy and, as Lucas says, “like a living booger.” All of the kids want to know just what the creature is. Dustin’s first theory is that it’s some kind of pollywog, another term for tadpole (baby frog). Even though it looks amphibious or reptilian, it’s neither. And the only tadpoles that travel on land are from India and South America; the party also quickly realizes that the critter is warm-blooded, aversive to light, and makes some angry noises that triggers Will’s visions.
Remember that slug from Will's vision?
Everyone’s afraid that they might be dealing with a baby demogorgon, and even if they’re not, it’s clearly from the Upside Down and is a danger to them all.
Dusty’s in denial about the whole thing, and treats Dart like he’s a cute little hamster. Mike goes on the attack, eager to protect Will and the rest of the party. Will seems to “remember” that time he coughed up a slug into the sink, and it seems increasingly likely that Dart is that same slug. We all wondered at the end of Season 1 if that scene was “real,” and it now looks like it was.
The rest of the gang is justly skeptical about keeping Dart around while Dustin remains sentimental, even after it triples in size and sprouts some hind legs that look like a frog’s. They spend the back-half of the episode tracking it down after it escapes and trying to hide it from Mad Max.
TFW your buddy is acting all sorts of dumb.
Will Dustin’s sentimentality be the downfall of them all?
Maybe, just maybe.
Stranger Things 2 is now available to stream on Netflix.
