New television show release
By Delanie Dickens
Reporter
The latest season of the Stranger Things series on Netflix is a smash hit for the Duffer brothers and has Netflix audiences, including myself, raving in anticipation for the next season. If you aren’t already caught up on this thrilling series, I would highly recommend a good “binge” watch of season three of Stranger Things. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Obviously, one of the major highlights of season three arises from audiences’ favorite characters such as Joyce, Eleven, and Jim Hopper. In season three, the group of kids face new problems. They seem to be maturing more in season three than any of the previous seasons. Their bonds with each other become stronger and they face more serious issues in their personal lives. I think the growing connection between fans and the characters is partly due to the group’s age.
In 2016, when the show first aired, Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas were so young and goofy. The Duffer brothers have spaced out the timing of each season perfectly so far. In each season, viewers see the kids grow more and more. I personally feel my connection to the characters growing rapidly with each season and it’s easy to empathize with what the, now pre-teens, experience in season three, those pesky, awkward junior high years.
By season three, the boys have now entered the dating world, their friendships face new challenges, and they are forced to make bigger decisions than ever before. Eleven, who in season one barely spoke a word, has finally become an almost normal teenage girl, besides her badass supernatural powers, of course. The friendship between Maxine and Eleven, along with the rest of the group’s interactions, makes for a typical pack of ornery junior high kids and will leave viewers laughing and crying simultaneously.
Other Stranger Things 3 characters leave us on the edges of our seats throughout the series as well. Joyce and Hopper remain fan favorites in season three. After Bob’s death in season two, the love interest is finally rekindled at the end of season three, just before Hopper you-know-whats, or does he?
Winona Ryder, the senior actress of the show, keeps viewers entertained with her quirkiness and clever comments, while David Harbour’s abrupt manner blended with his tender heart has romantics awing at the characters’ love tease. It’s safe to say the Duffer brothers hit a grand slam when writing these two characters, the pair simply seems made for each other.
The characters in Stranger Things 3 are a huge factor in the shows success, but probably just as noteworthy is the setting of the entire show. Set in the mid 1980’s, Stranger Things is a great watch for all ages. My dad actually introduced me to this show three years ago when it first arrived on Netflix and I remember thinking, “This is not a show my dad would be interested in.” After I watched season one I realized why he suggested it so strongly.
Every season of Stranger Things is outrageously nostalgic. Adult viewers are obsessed with the spot-on wardrobe, the classic music hits, the pop culture references, and, of course, Steve’s luscious Farrah Fawcett hair. Even as someone who wasn’t alive during the 80s, I’ve always been an “old soul,” especially when it comes to 80’s horror classics like Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween.
The suspense of the plot, mixed with the 1980s time setting makes audiences feel like they’re in a classic horror film. Every scene is directed like a 1980s film, with modern technology and much better acting. The mix of classic pop culture with modern film technique is pretty extraordinary in my opinion.
Season three, once again, places viewers in the not-so ordinary town of Hawkins, Indiana that we have all grown to know and love. The small-town feel of the show is more relatable to the audience members. Hawkins is the town where “nothing ever happens” until something actually does happen.
The setting is really eerie at times, in a good way. The boys ride their bikes around town, and Hopper speeds through the streets in his Sheriff’s Ford Bronco, another classic. As each season takes place around a major holiday, such as the fourth of July in season three, the Duffer brothers do an outstanding job of perfecting the decorations, the town, the carnival. It’s really very impressive how much thought has gone into the setting alone.
I have only begun to scratch the surface of successes that the Duffer brothers have created with season three of Netflix’s Stranger Things. The plot, characters, and setting are so methodically drawn out that their stories have only begun to enthrall audience members.
The huge following for the show has grown tremendously after season three as fans are already creating numerous fan theories about what will happen in season four, what will happen to Eleven, what truly happened to Hopper, and who “the American” might really be. I am completely and utterly addicted to this series and anyone who doesn’t want to take my word for it should witness this thrilling and humorous adventure for themselves.
Leave a Reply