I watch a LOT of Netflix, and out of all of the shows I've seen, "Stranger Things" is one of my all-time favorites. With its strikingly original content, incredibly talented actors, and effective humor amid the darkness of its narrative, it never fails to leave me wanting more. After watching and re-watching seasons one and two, I was extremely excited when the long-awaited third season was finally released on July 4th.
I was so excited, in fact, that I watched the entire season in one day, and I was not disappointed.
At first, I was skeptical of whether or not the season would be a success because I simply had no idea where else the storyline could go, but as always, the creators surpassed my expectations. They were faced with a difficult task this season, considering the maturation of their once young child actors and embraced this inevitable change by using it to their advantage through the addition of elements of teenage struggles and coming-of-age character developments.
In the first two seasons, we saw a strong unity between the group of young friends who were faced with unimaginable inter-dimensional struggles; a unity that did not carry into the third season. The fact that the characters are growing up, developing love interests, and evolving into very different individuals leads to their division, something that even the monsters of the first two seasons weren't powerful enough to do. While it was sad to watch the strength of friendships fade, it was refreshing to see the "party," as they call it, come together in the end to face their scariest enemy yet.
Although lots have changed since the first two seasons, the third season still stayed consistent enough in incorporating the key Sci-Fi elements that fans love about the show. It effectively included the beloved characters from the first two seasons while also giving some minor characters a bigger role, such as Billy and Erica, and added a few new characters to the mix, such as Steve's witty and intuitive coworker, Robin. This season also expanded beyond the city of Hawkins, introducing a foreign enemy who has come to reopen the gate to the upside-down that the characters fought so hard to close in the previous season. A political aspect was also introduced with the incorporation of corruption surrounding the mayor, adding another element of depth to the plot line.
The season took viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions, was filled with drama, action, and humor, and ultimately ended with a perfect mix of gut-wrenching heartbreak and hope for new beginnings. Once again, I am unsure of where the creators intend to go with season four, but I do have confidence that it will once again be largely successful. For the sake of myself and "Stranger Things" fans everywhere, I hope that we won't have to wait too long to see!
