Stranger Things Review

 So, as I've mentioned mentioned previously, I'm very, very late to the party. As in, I only just watched Stranger Things this month. I did want to see it before, but I just got busy with other shows. At first I considered not doing a review, since most of you have probably already seen this show, or you aren't planning to, but then I realized that I have so many thoughts and feelings about this show, and needed to review it, or my family is going to go crazy from listening to me talk about Stranger Things. 

Hence this post.

Stranger Things was created by the Duffer brothers, and stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, and Cara Buono. 

Summary: When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying supernatural in order to get him back.

And, yes, that's only the summary for season one, but I can't really give a proper summary for either of the other two seasons without giving away spoilers.

My Thoughts: 

 Well, since I finished it in about two weeks, I think you can probably tell that I really liked it. As I mentioned in another post, I think I made up for joining the fandom super-late by becoming super-obsessed. Since there's only about twenty six episodes out now, I had originally planned to spread it out a little bit, but it was just so good that I kept wanting to watch more.

What I Liked: 

-I really think the characters are the main reason why this show is so good. The characters who are supposed to be likable are all likable, and I really cared about what was going to happen to them. They all had flaws, too, which made them seem more like real people. And the characters that I was supposed to hate? I hated them with a passion.

-And, of course, the acting was superb. Everyone on Stranger THings is amazingly talented, and I can't imagine anyone else playing these characters. I also really liked that most of them weren't famous when the show started [the exception being Winona Ryder]. This show gave some lesser-known actors a chance to really shine.

-The writing.

The writing for this show is so good. The character development is amazing, the stakes are always high [these writers are truly masters at creating tension], and the main plots are usually solid. There also aren't really filler episodes, because there's only eight episodes per season, which is nice. 

Although, I don't mind filler episodes. I mean, sometimes I do, but sometimes I don't. Does that make sense?

-The special effects

Special effects isn't something I notice as much the first time I watch something, but, in this case, I did. The supernatural plays a huge part in this show, and there are multiple monsters, which could have ended up looking really stupid, but didn't. Kudos to the special effects team.

-The overall aesthetic.

Look at how young they all were. 

Because of my parents, I grew up watching lots of '80s movies, and listening to a fair amount of '70s/'80s music, so this just made me really happy. 

-The ships.

Well, not all of them, but I think that, most of the time, the romances are well-written, and I really hope things work out for so many of them. 

There was probably more that I liked, but we'd be here all day if I talked about all of them, so moving on.

What I Disliked: 

Actually, I really liked this part. It made me smile. Dustin understands the importance of chocolate in a crisis.

I really liked most of this show, but the one complaint that I have is that some of the stories felt a little repetitive. The writers do a good job with making enough changes to keep the show interesting, so this is a very small complaint.

Characters:

Have I mentioned that I love the characters? Ok, just checking. I'm trying not to spoil too many things, but there may be a few small spoilers here (plus a fairly big spoiler in Robin's section), so just read carefully.
Joyce Byers

Joyce is my favorite of the adults on Stranger Things, and one of my favorite characters on the show. She's one of those rare parents on TV who genuinely cares about her kids. She also has great problem solving skills, is incredibly brave, and is usually a sweetheart [unless you make her mad. Don't make Joyce mad]. Also, I love Winona Ryder, so I was very happy to see her in this.

Also, can the writers please stop torturing Joyce? Is it too much to ask for her to be happy? 

Oh, and I ship her and Hopper. Just putting that out there.

Jim Hopper

Hopper is the other adult main character [he's the sheriff], and I wasn't really a huge fan of him at first, but I like him now. He's kind of gruff and has a temper, but you can tell that he really cares about certain characters, and he can be really sweet sometimes.

Mike Wheeler

Mike is sort of the leader of the Party [the main kid characters, in case you don't watch the show], and I really like him. He's another sweetheart [granted, with flaws, but he'd be really boring if he didn't have them]. I appreciate his loyalty and bravery, and the fact that he's such a great friend. And I love him and El together. 

Will Byers

WILL. I love him [well, okay, I didn't like him as much in Season 3, but he also didn't have as much to do in that season]. He's so sweet, and is that adorable cinnamon roll character that you instantly want to protect......which means he gets tortured as much as Joyce. He may be quiet, but he makes a big impact on you very quickly [or at least he did for me].

Dustin Henderson

Dustin is another character who I love. While all of the main characters are pretty nerdy, Dustin's the one who seems to care the most about science, which is really cool. He also serves as the mediator between Lucas and Mike in the first season. I love his enthusiastic and curious personality [even if it leads to trouble sometimes], and his odd friendship with Steve is just the best. 

Lucas Sinclair

Lucas is the most levelheaded member of the Party, I think. He's also the most suspicious of new things and people [especially with El. I think that lessened as the show went on]. He's a great character, too [especially in season two], and I really like him.

Eleven

Eleven or El is a girl with superpowers who spent her entire life living in a lab. She's super brave, a fierce fighter, and a loyal friend. In the first season, her social skills aren't the best [due to living in a lab], which could have been really exaggerated and annoying, but Millie Bobby Brown did a really good job playing El in a very realistic way.

Max Mayfield

Max is introduced in Season Two, and she's another one of my favorites. She's a bit of a tomboy, who spends most of her time skateboarding or playing video games. When the show starts, she's kind of aloof and standoffish. In Season Three, she becomes a little more open and friendly, but without losing her fiery and snarky personality. Also, she skateboards, which I love.

Nancy Wheeler

Nancy is another character that I really love. I think she developed a lot as a character throughout the show. She's brave, brilliant, and caring [yeah, I know I just ruined my alliteration]. She's also just....a really interesting character. Her and Mike's interactions seem like normal siblings interactions [like that part where she and Mike promised not to lie to each other....and then, right after that, they lie about who they have a crush on], and I like that. Also, she's such a fighter, which is awesome.

Jonathan Byers

Jonathan is Will's older brother. He's a shy photographer, and he and Nancy team up a lot. 

I do really like him, but I feel like I would like him more if he had more screen time. There are so many characters, so it's understandable, but I still would like to see a plot that focuses more on him. Just a thought.

Steve Harrington

STEVE. I think he got the best character development. I really, really didn't like him in Season One, and, now, at the end of Season Three, he's probably my favorite of the teenagers. He's just so nice now, and he's really funny and kind of dorky, and he has the best hair. Also, I love his odd friendships with Dustin and Robin. 

Billy Hargrove

So, in Season Two, I really, really hated Billy, If he had gotten run over by a car, I wouldn't have been even a little sad [this makes me sound like a really horrible person, but I promise I'm not. If you've watched the show, you know what I mean. Season Two Billy is the worst]. And, in Season Three, I liked him a lot better. I still haven't forgiven him, but I understand him a lot more now. The writers actually wrote a good redemption arc for him.

Robin Buckley

Robin was another one of my favorites. She's smart, she's witty, she's cool, and I thought she made a great addition to the show. I love love love her friendship with Steve, and I think they make a great team. Also, she can speak four languages, which is awesome. 

I know some people had issues with the whole Robin being gay thing, but I think the writers did a good job with that. We get to know Robin as a person before we know her as a lesbian.

I would love to see a love interest for her, and one for Steve, but I'd also be fine if they both just stayed single. Whatever works better for the plot.

Content: First of all, Stranger Things has lots of horror elements. I didn't think it was that scary, but just keep that in mind, if you're thinking of watching it. There's also a fair amount of violence [especially in Season Three], and language. There's also some smoking and mentions of sex, but I'd say there are less of those two things.

There's also some flashing light sequences, which [according to Netflix] might bother you if you're photosensitive.

Overall, I really loved this show, and I'm so glad I watched it. 

So, let's talk. Have you seen Stranger Things? Do you want to? 

And, if you have seen it, just feel free to fangirl as much as you want. I want to know all of your Stranger Things opinions. What do you agree with me on? Who are your favorite characters? Favorite ships? Favorite Season?