Caution. Contains mild spoilers.
“Stranger Things” continues to be one of the most popular original content from streaming giant Netflix, currently on three seasons fans have nothing but love for the 80s Sci-Fi thriller. Social media is just exploding with posts, tweets, memes and GIFs about the recently concluded third season, which dropped on Netflix on the 4th of July.
The series has become so popular because it knows it’s strengths and plays on them (thank you Duffer brothers!) that and also letting their characters grow beyond the usual 80s tropes, like Steve (Joe Keery) who started out as your typical douchebag jock but has evolved into the best baby sitter and a fan favorite, which is why it was doubly hilarious when Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) had to step up and become the babysitter after Steve gets shot up with truth serum and is basically as high as a kite while in enemy territory. There are some cases wherein some characters fall into certain tropes this season, but more on that later.
The ensemble cast, despite getting bigger also work because the show lets the chemistry between the actors off-screen translate on screen as well. Especially true of El and Max, Millie Bobby Brown and Sadie Sink are BFFs in real life (that “Material Girl” sequence was super fun) and of course Steve and Dustin whose dynamic duo has extended to become known as the “Scoops Troop”.
Working on an obviously bigger budget than the previous two seasons #StrangerThings3 has sweeping drone shots and more terrifying CGI (we’ll talk about the Mindflayer later) -this also probably explains all those product placements (Yes, Burger King and Coke I’m looking at you and dammit, now all I want is a 4-Cheese Whopper!)
With 8 episodes, the third season doesn’t waste any time, moving at a quick and steady pace (and never slowing down)! Also notably there is no side adventure in a nearby city which takes a main character away for an episode or two. I wonder what happened to those other kids though? Maybe we’ll find out in Season 4.
It’s the summer of 1984 and there’s a brand new mall in Hawkins, Indiana, The Starcourt Mall and it has all the kids lining up, eating ice cream, the moms doing aerobic classes and everyone just flocking to see the latest movies, like “Dawn of the Dead” and “Back to the Future” but while the mall is bustling with lights, sounds and fun things to do, there is an evil that is lurking not too far away. El (Millie Bobby Brown) may have closed the portal to the Upside Down in the last season but it seems that there are other forces at work to opening it once again.
Mike and El are officially a couple and are taking their “summer loving” a little too fast, much to the frustration of Hopper (David Harbour) who has now left the grieving, drunken Dad to become a certified hilarious 80s Dad and is it just me or is he looking a little big now? My guess is that it’s also the weight he (might have) put on as Hellboy. I have a bit of a love -hate with Hopper this season, I hate him for being so demanding of Joyce (Wynona Ryder) who is still grieving and having a hard time over the very traumatic death of Bob (Sean Astin) in the last season. Yeah, I know it was hilarious when Hopper was “stood up”and he was even jealous of the Science teacher but dude come on, Joyce needs a friend right now and he’s there huffing and puffing in a jealous rage. Yes, its cute and funny at times but I do think we need more of a sensitive Hopper, which is why I also appreciated the quiet times between him and Joyce. “I want you to feel safe” he says and you know that he means it, from the bottom of his coffee loving heart. And of course how could you not love him after that “keep the door three inches open” letter, which I suppose makes all the huffing and puffing even more hilarious and tear inducing at the same time because you know that behind that strong man front he is putting up is just a sweet old guy.
(Takes a moment, wipes away tears. Continues)
I guess my biggest issue with this season (even though it was way better than season 2) was that it repeated a few themes from the past seasons (working in separate teams on mini missions before joining in for the big finale, Nancy and Joyce being right, etc. etc.) I mean it was fun the first few times but I think they should stick to three times the charm. I will allow for those El makeovers, the kid has had a difficult time growing up, she deserves all the makeovers in the world.
Also until when will the Upside Down be a threat? Although, The Mind Flayer is hands down is the scariest creature, its bigger, badder and the fact that it (spoilers) is made of the flesh and bones of some of Hawkins citizens just gives me goosebumps ala Will. I mean, that is straight up the kind of horror that keeps you up at night.
I think its time to leave Hawkins. Yes, that big change may be a little too hard to swallow but as I said, three seasons where an almost similar plot unfolds in the same setting can get pretty old, pretty fast. So maybe the Byers moving away from Hawkins and a mid-credit scene reveal happening in Russia is moving in that direction.
I love that Billy (Dacre Montgomery) and Mrs. Wheeler’s (Cara Buono) characters were given a chance to redeem themselves and not just be cast into those initial roles that were given to them. I love that we get to see that Billy was a happy child and that his eventual turn into a bully were because of events that happened to him and not because he was born one.
I also appreciated Nancy’s arc this season, I love that she gets a dose of the real world and is trying, as strong headed as she is to prove her worth while working at the Hawkin’s Post, to be more than just the intern who brings the staff coffee and lunch and I loved her heart to heart with Mrs. Wheeler who gave such a strong empowering message to prove her naysayers wrong and to never let anyone tell her that she can’t or that she shouldn’t.
Way to go Mrs. Wheeler!
There is a you will either love it or hate it- Never Ending Story reference in there takes the crown for best 80s nod, ever. Like I said you will either love it or hate it but the response has been somewhat positive and I dare you not to sing along.
8.5/10 Season 3 of Stranger Things is now streaming on Netflix.