A potential fix to the “Russians under the mall” problem
This fandom seems to have mixed thoughts on the inclusion of the Russians. Some hate them, others think it makes sense with the shows 80s setting. I personally fall into the former camp. But what I think what basically all of us can agree on is that the Russians having a secret base under the mall was goofy AF. It felt like the writers were pulling at strings to make the set piece of the mall be important to the story.
So, I have a different idea for what could be under the mall—the Mind Flayer. Instead of it living in the warehouse (or whatever that building was, I can’t remember), it could be underneath the mall. Luring unsuspecting shoppers in deeper in order to flay them. And maybe the Mind Flayer could have started to take over the mall, like the Upside Down did in Season 1. Instead of some massive flesh monster, tendrils would run through pipes and air vents, essentially turning the mall into a living building.
But I don’t know. Did I cook, or is this even sillier than the Russians?