I revisited the first season for a little refresher before diving into Season Two. Which is dumb, I know, Season Two has been out for a while. My family and I watched Season One a couple years ago, and they didn't want to continue. I did, however. I wanted to know what happens to Mike after Eleven disappears with the Demogorgon. Then Will puked up the wormy slug thing. It's like what the F? So, here we go.
I've been wondering if we are relying too much on nostalgia that we no longer can tell a compelling story as a whole. I'm not against nostalgia at all, but there's got to be a balance; subtle references instead of it being in your face. This show is a perfect example of that balance. There are plenty of references throughout this series, but they are placed where they aren't distracting. There are times when Dustin would compare the situation to something in pop culture, and it worked because they're a bunch of nerds, so it's not out of place.
The story itself is brilliantly told, blending the many threads together to keep us engaged on a number of characters.
Mike's relationship with Eleven was probably the most compelling and the most tragic. His kindness allowed her to trust him, especially when he was able to adapt to her fears, like when she was afraid of closing the bathroom door. He still gave her privacy while leaving the door partially open. When she changed the compasses' directions away from the lab, he was really mad, and we feel alongside Eleven that she has lost his trust. But it takes true friendship to keep your even if seems lost. When Mike and Dustin were trapped at the quarry, Mike trusted Eleven, who ran away, to save him.
Speaking of trust, Lucas is a kid that is always trying to fit reality in the situation. When he broke off to find the lab himself, he was still willing to radio the others and warn them about the bad men, proving that he was not okay with letting his friends get caught.
Dustin is a gift from God, and you can't change my mind. His brilliant comedic timing helps bring light into their dark situations. When everyone brought various weapons to defend themselves, Dustin brought snacks. Later, he announces to the bullies that Eleven was their friend and "she's crazy." He was also able to get them out of unimaginable situations with Mr. Clarke, the most unobservant teacher ever. It doesn't occur to him how strange it is that a mysterious girl, he's never met, could be related to the destruction of his ham radio, the boys are interested in how to travel across dimensions, and they want to build a sensory deprivation tank for "fun."
Outside the group, there is an array of teen dramas. Nancy, Mike's sister, is your average teen from the eighties. She is secretly rebelling from her parents and is caught in a like/love triangle with two boys: Steve, an equally rebellious teen with a Harry Styles wig who thinks it's okay to sexually molest young girls, which Nancy tragically enjoys, and Jonathan, a mysterious teen who thinks it's okay to watch. Nancy is internally torn between bullying Jonathan, for the spying on their secret party, and defending Jonathan when Steve and his cronies tease Jonathan over Will's disappearance.
Jonathan definitely has a strong relationship with his younger brother, Will, so we could relate the guilt he has when Will was gone. But lucky for him, their bond in music helped keep Will alive because Eleven channeled Will singing "Should I Stay or Should I Go?", and they know he's alive.
Joyce, Jonathan and Will's mother, showed growth in courage over the course of the season. She went from being delirious over Will's disappearance to facing death in the Upside Down to rescue Will. She stopped at nothing to bring Will back even if it meant turning against friends and family because she knows her son was there, and it was tearing her up that she couldn't get to him.
Lucky for her, there was Chief Hopper at her side. The bored chief of police started to take interest in the disappearance of Will Byers when it began to link with the activity at Hawkins Lab. His tragic back story was unknown throughout much of the season but seemed to coincide with Joyce's misery because he actually lost his child to cancer. Throughout the series, he kept saying his distant daughter was bright and she understood all that science crap, and the irony is that he at first was stating that Joyce was making up Will's presence to cope with her loss; he has been doing the exact same thing. Then it all comes to light as he and Joyce travel to the Upside Down to retrieve Will. The flashbacks give the audience more reason to fight for Hopper because, like him, we don't want to lose another child.
I love how this show was balanced between adventure, science fiction, horror, and traditional drama that it keeps you engaged and wanting more. I want more. I can't wait to get to Season Two.
Released On: July 15, 2016
Rating: TV-14
Stars: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine
Directors: The Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96% Certified Fresh
IMDb Score: 8.9 (Average)
Awards
Primetime Emmy Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Videos
Screen Junkies - Honest Trailers - Stranger Things
TV Sins - Everything Wrong with Stranger Things Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers
TV Sins - Everything Wrong with Stranger Things Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street
Screen Junkies - The COMPLETE Stranger Things | CRAM IT!
I've been wondering if we are relying too much on nostalgia that we no longer can tell a compelling story as a whole. I'm not against nostalgia at all, but there's got to be a balance; subtle references instead of it being in your face. This show is a perfect example of that balance. There are plenty of references throughout this series, but they are placed where they aren't distracting. There are times when Dustin would compare the situation to something in pop culture, and it worked because they're a bunch of nerds, so it's not out of place.
The story itself is brilliantly told, blending the many threads together to keep us engaged on a number of characters.
Mike's relationship with Eleven was probably the most compelling and the most tragic. His kindness allowed her to trust him, especially when he was able to adapt to her fears, like when she was afraid of closing the bathroom door. He still gave her privacy while leaving the door partially open. When she changed the compasses' directions away from the lab, he was really mad, and we feel alongside Eleven that she has lost his trust. But it takes true friendship to keep your even if seems lost. When Mike and Dustin were trapped at the quarry, Mike trusted Eleven, who ran away, to save him.
Speaking of trust, Lucas is a kid that is always trying to fit reality in the situation. When he broke off to find the lab himself, he was still willing to radio the others and warn them about the bad men, proving that he was not okay with letting his friends get caught.
Dustin is a gift from God, and you can't change my mind. His brilliant comedic timing helps bring light into their dark situations. When everyone brought various weapons to defend themselves, Dustin brought snacks. Later, he announces to the bullies that Eleven was their friend and "she's crazy." He was also able to get them out of unimaginable situations with Mr. Clarke, the most unobservant teacher ever. It doesn't occur to him how strange it is that a mysterious girl, he's never met, could be related to the destruction of his ham radio, the boys are interested in how to travel across dimensions, and they want to build a sensory deprivation tank for "fun."
Outside the group, there is an array of teen dramas. Nancy, Mike's sister, is your average teen from the eighties. She is secretly rebelling from her parents and is caught in a like/love triangle with two boys: Steve, an equally rebellious teen with a Harry Styles wig who thinks it's okay to sexually molest young girls, which Nancy tragically enjoys, and Jonathan, a mysterious teen who thinks it's okay to watch. Nancy is internally torn between bullying Jonathan, for the spying on their secret party, and defending Jonathan when Steve and his cronies tease Jonathan over Will's disappearance.
Jonathan definitely has a strong relationship with his younger brother, Will, so we could relate the guilt he has when Will was gone. But lucky for him, their bond in music helped keep Will alive because Eleven channeled Will singing "Should I Stay or Should I Go?", and they know he's alive.
Joyce, Jonathan and Will's mother, showed growth in courage over the course of the season. She went from being delirious over Will's disappearance to facing death in the Upside Down to rescue Will. She stopped at nothing to bring Will back even if it meant turning against friends and family because she knows her son was there, and it was tearing her up that she couldn't get to him.
Lucky for her, there was Chief Hopper at her side. The bored chief of police started to take interest in the disappearance of Will Byers when it began to link with the activity at Hawkins Lab. His tragic back story was unknown throughout much of the season but seemed to coincide with Joyce's misery because he actually lost his child to cancer. Throughout the series, he kept saying his distant daughter was bright and she understood all that science crap, and the irony is that he at first was stating that Joyce was making up Will's presence to cope with her loss; he has been doing the exact same thing. Then it all comes to light as he and Joyce travel to the Upside Down to retrieve Will. The flashbacks give the audience more reason to fight for Hopper because, like him, we don't want to lose another child.
I love how this show was balanced between adventure, science fiction, horror, and traditional drama that it keeps you engaged and wanting more. I want more. I can't wait to get to Season Two.
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Released On: July 15, 2016
Rating: TV-14
Stars: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine
Directors: The Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96% Certified Fresh
IMDb Score: 8.9 (Average)
Awards
Primetime Emmy Awards
- Outstanding Drama Series - Nominated
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series David Harbour - Nominated
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Millie Bobby Brown - Nominated
- Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series The Duffer Brothers - Nominated
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series The Duffer Brothers - Nominated
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Shannon Purser - Nominated
- Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period Program (One Hour or More) Chris Trujillo, William Davis& Jess Royal - Nominated
- Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series Carmen Cuba, Tara Feldstein & Chase Paris - Nominated
- Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour) Tim Ives - Nominated
- Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Dean Zimmerman - Winner
- Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series Kevin D. Ross - Nominated
- Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series Sarah Hindsgaul & Evelyn Roach - Nominated
- Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) Myke Michaels & Teresa Vest - Nominated
- Outstanding Music Supervision Nora Felder - Nominated
- Outstanding Sound Editing for a Drama Series Bradley North, Craig Henighan, Jordan Wilby, Jonathan Golodner, Tiffany S. Griffth, Sam Munoz, David Klotz, Noel Vought & Ginger Geary - Winner
- Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) Joe Barnett, Adam Jenkins, Chris Durfy & Bill Higley - Nominated
- Outstanding Main Title Design Michelle Dougherty, Peter Frankfurt, Arisu Kashiwagi & Eric Demeusy - Winner
- Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music Michael Stein & Kyle Dixon - Winner
- Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media within a Scripted Program Stranger Things VR Experience - Nominated
- Best Television Series Drama - Nominated
- Best Actress in a Television Series Drama Winona Ryder - Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Main Cast - Winner
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Winona Ryder - Nominated
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Millie Bobby Brown - Nominated
Videos
Screen Junkies - Honest Trailers - Stranger Things
TV Sins - Everything Wrong with Stranger Things Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers
TV Sins - Everything Wrong with Stranger Things Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street
Screen Junkies - The COMPLETE Stranger Things | CRAM IT!
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