I have a lot I want to say about the Stranger Things Television Series. I watched Seasons 1-4 recently, I am waiting for 5 to come out, which could be in a few years. I’m not even sure where to start because I have a lot of interest in this show, the characters, and a deep attachment to the storyline.
Before you continue reading, anything below this point WILL have very extensive spoilers. Do not read any further if you have not watched everything through Season 4.
I don’t think this blog post will have any cohesion or structure in regards to how I bounce around topics I’m just going to jump in and discuss a few random thoughts and opinions about the show.
Before I start that, I wanted to point out how amazing the storyline is, as well as the characters.
Below is a breakdown of the storyline in a nutshell.
Stranger Things is a science fiction-horror series set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s. The first season follows the disappearance of a young boy named Will Byers, and the investigation into his disappearance by his friends, family, and the local authorities. This leads to the discovery of a mysterious girl with supernatural powers named Eleven who was being held captive by a secret government organization. With the help of Eleven and other friends, they work to uncover the truth behind the strange occurrences happening in their town and save Will from the Upside Down, a parallel dimension that is slowly leaking into their world.
In subsequent seasons, the characters face new challenges, including the return of Will with a deadly force known as the Mind Flayer following him. The group must band together once again to stop the Mind Flayer and save their town. Along the way, they uncover more secrets about Eleven’s past and the government’s involvement in Hawkins. In the fourth season, the characters are transported to a secret lab in Russia, where they encounter a new threat and must work together to escape.
Throughout the series, the characters navigate their growing up, facing new challenges and relationships, and dealing with personal struggles. With each season, the stakes are raised, and the characters are forced to grow and mature in order to survive. The series blends elements of science fiction, horror, and nostalgia to create a unique and captivating storyline that has captured the hearts of audiences around the world.
The characters are well developed and tend to cause viewers to get deep emotional attachments to them. The fanbase has a habit of simultaneously loving and hating most characters in their own.
“Mike” Wheeler: A close friend of Will Byers and one of the main investigators into his disappearance. He is brave and loyal, often putting himself in danger to protect his friends.
“Eleven”/Jane Hopper: A young girl with psychic abilities who is on the run from the government. She is quiet and reserved, often struggling to express herself, but is fiercely loyal to those she cares about. I have more to say about Eleven than I can put in a blog post. She is an amazing character and causes a deeply emotional reaction in the viewer. Both her past trauma, her rising past, and, through that, her relationship with Will and everything else. She’s a complex and deeply emotional character. The scenes of her getting bullied bothered me a lot.. It’s something that affected me and made me angry. I was pleasantly surprised when she finally got some revenge on one of the girls that were bullying her.
“Will” Byers: A young boy who disappears at the start of the series and is later found to be trapped in the Upside Down. He is kind and sensitive, but also brave when faced with danger.
“Dustin” Henderson: A friend of Mike, Will, and Lucas and a member of their group of investigators. He is intelligent and quirky, often providing comic relief.
“Lucas” Sinclair: A friend of Mike, Will, and Dustin and a member of their group of investigators. He is tough and sarcastic, often acting as the voice of reason in the group.
“Nancy” Wheeler: Mike’s older sister who becomes involved in the investigation into Will’s disappearance. She is determined and resourceful, often going to great lengths to uncover the truth.
“Jonathan” Byers: Will’s older brother who is also searching for answers about his disappearance. He is quiet and reserved, but also brave and determined.
“Steve” Harrington: A popular high school student who initially comes across as arrogant and selfish, but later shows a more caring side.
“Jim” Hopper: The chief of police in Hawkins who becomes deeply involved in the investigation into Will’s disappearance. He is gruff and sarcastic, but also caring and brave.
“Maxine” “Max” Mayfield: A new character introduced in season 3, she is a confident and sarcastic skateboarder who becomes friends with the main characters. She was a character that I HATED when she went out of her way to cause issues between Eleven and her relationship, but she turned out to be one of my favorite characters. How she developed was amazing and she had some deeply impactful scenes. Dear Billy was an amazing episode, among others. Her entire story arch where she almost died multiple times before finally ending up in the hospital was extremely emotional and by then I was deeply connected (and affected) by the character and her storyline.
“Joyce” Byers: Will’s mother who is deeply affected by his disappearance and will stop at nothing to find him.
“Billy” Hargrove: A new character introduced in season 2, he is initially depicted as a bully and antagonist, but is later revealed to have a complex background and inner turmoil. Some love to hate him, while others sympathize with his emotional block and wish he had survived to grow with Max. I was really upset by how he turned out. He was an asshole at first. When I first saw him I thought the character was a bad ass. Then as it unraveled it revealed how abusive he was, which bothered me. But he changed and evolved over time into a great character with what could have formed into a deep and powerful emotional connection between him and Max. It sucked when he died. The episode “Dear Billy” was absolutely heart wrenching as well.
“Eddie” Munson: A new character introduced in season 4, he is the lead singer of the Hawkins High School metal band, “The Hellfire Club”. He is initially depicted as arrogant and selfish, but later shows a more vulnerable side.
I want to go into detail now about a few very specific scenes that really drew me in and that i considered deep, impactful and emotional.
The scene where Billy was trapped in the sauna because he might be a host for a mind flayer was awesome.
- Billy was incredible—the emotions he expressed and his connection. His sister’s facial expressions and the depth of their relationship that was seen throughout the show.
- The emotions between Eleven and Mike during their fight—Eleven’s love for him and her powers from being afraid to lose him. Mike putting himself in front of her and then Eleven’s rage.
- The looks of terror on everyone’s faces while they watched the fight.
- And, especially, when Eleven started crying at the end, then held the side of Mike’s hair in relief when she thought he was dying.
This is just one example of a scene that really had me experiencing a deep connection. I loved every minute of it, and it wasn’t the only good scene (just one of the more impactful).
The entire season related to Max’s near-death experiences was very emotional and deeply connected me to her character. The first time she almost died, I was crying. Then when she had that sudden save, and we had that huge relief, just for her to end up in a coma anyway after it was over with, killed me.
Stranger Things is one of my favorite series because it is a unique blend of science fiction, horror, and drama. It has a great mix of characters and storylines that keep you engaged throughout the entire show. It’s incredibly well written and acted, and I love how each season has its own story arc but still connects to the main plot line. The visuals are amazing, with some scenes that truly take your breath away. But most importantly, it’s relatable in so many ways—the friendships, relationships, and family dynamics among the characters have been so beautifully portrayed that it has made me feel like these characters are my own family. Most of all though, I can’t help but be in awe of Eleven’s incredible powers, her bravery, and her strength. She is an example for us all of how to be courageous no matter what life throws at us.
Maxine Mayfield is another one of my favorite characters because she is strong-willed and independent yet also caring and loyal to. Her connection to Billy is another aspect. She starts off as an amazing character. The mystery, attitude and everything else. She gets annoying to an extent when here and Eleven start developing a friendship. Then she bounces back far better than before. I think a lot of it was the characters were learning how to write female characters better and their friendships. Such an amazing character overall despite her dips. The actress (Sadie) pulled her off really well.
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