Netflix is getting stranger
A girl with shaved hair, a missing boy, a government secret, and a terrifying monster don’t seem like the likely premise of a hit TV show, but that’s exactly what has millions of Americans, including myself, hooked.
“Stranger Things,” is a summer Netflix series that debuted July 15, 2016. The show is a glorious ode to the 80’s, referencing a plethora of movies that were loved by the children of Generation X. The Sci-Fi thriller is a mix of the “Goonies”, with its children on a dangerous adventure plot, and “E.T.”, with a visitor that has to be hidden from the adults aspect. The hit show also has a X-files vibe, given off by the the government workers in the show constantly trying to cover up the truth. The show’s Eleven resembles the character Charlie McGee from “FireStarter”, who is held by the government and has superhuman abilities. Despite not being a part of the 80’s, I felt as if I were watching a nostalgic movie from my parents childhood.
Twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of the show, didn’t miss a beat and led the viewers straight down a rabbit hole and right into the action. The first episode, or chapter as the creators refer to is as, shows the first terrifying death of a charter at only fifteen seconds into the show by a thing that nightmares are made of. The show continues as if nothing has happened and takes viewers into a basement where a classic “Dungeons and Dragons” game is in the midst of being played by four middle school aged friends who seem to be having the time of their lives. Except things take a drastic turn for the worst as one of the friends, Will Byers, mysteriously disappears that same night.
His three best friends Mike, Dustin, and Lucas make desperate attempts to find their friend, but end up stumbling across a girl with psychokinetic abilities and a limited vocabulary who claims to know where there friend is. With every episode they uncover more of the truth as a corrupted government agency that uses the false name of Hawkins Electric Company try cover it up, while an even more insidious force lurks just below them.
One of the biggest reasons that I am in absolute love with “Stranger Things” is that the focal point of the show is not on cheesy romance and a poorly written will-he-get-the-girl plot like what surrounds us in modern movies and television, but rather the spotlight is on (prepare for extreme doses of corny) the power of friendship and the love of a mother. This series shows the extremes that any friends will take for each other in a time of great need, and how hard a mom will search for her child while being called crazy by the people around her. (But the idea of communication through decorative Christmas lights did seem a little out there.) The show does have a little romance between Nancy Wheeler, the sister of the main character, and Jonathan Byers, the older brother of Will Byers, but can be excused because instead of cheeky romance, they’re buying bear traps and slaying terrifying inter dimensional alien hybrids.
As I watched the show all I wanted was to know more about the gripping mysteries that surrounded the once peaceful small town of Hawkins, Indiana, and the girl with chronic nosebleeds and a number for a name. But as I finished the eighth episode and planned on ruining my sleep schedule and watching another one I realized that’s where I, as well as all the other viewers, were left without any more information and at the biggest cliffhanger the show has seen. Although many questions were answered in the finale of season one there was still some loose ends. Luckily the show has been confirmed for a second season, one that The Duffer Brothers hope to have out before July 2017, which means we have a long time to wait. The most known about the show so far is the name of the nine episodes, and cast members have spilled the beans a little bit about new cast members and small plot points.
“Stranger Things” is a great watch for children and adults alike because of its amazing cast, completely gripping original story, and beautiful soundtrack. The show took me on a roller coaster of emotions, from pure joy, to spending half an hour crying. If you aren’t watching this truly amazing series, you need to come join the upside down world of Stranger Things.
