WARNING: Some Spoilers Ahead
By Luis Mila
The Stranger Things cast reunites in their town of Hawkins, Indiana to once again combine forces to face the imminent danger of annihilation.
The infamous Demogorgon in Season one became the Mind Flayer in Season two. This gruesome monster returns in Season three despite all the odds going against it – and now it has help from the citizens of Hawkins, turning them into its own pawn within this war of good against evil.
Characters remain divided for nearly the entire season, forming three separate storylines and showcasing different aspects of the situation at hand–one group of characters are stuck under Starcourt Mall, another is investigating the Russian government’s plot to reopen the gate, and the other is trying to get to the bottom of this case of mortal corruption caused by the Mindflayer.
Despite three separate adventures occurring simultaneously, the puzzles of this gargantuan mystery is unraveled and the pieces all fall into place, connecting everything together as the grand scheme comes to light.
In this season, we see more character development between our beloved cast: Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) becomes more of a teenage girl–getting to shop for clothes she likes, discovering her own interests, and fighting for those she loves with a new fiery aggression. Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) now has a girlfriend – whose intelligence is extremely alluring–, joins forces with Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) once more, and even has a spectacular singing voice that ends up saving the world from destruction. Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) both find themselves too mature for their D&D escapades now that they have girlfriends, and Will (Noah Schnapp) can’t seem to let the nostalgia go as his pals do.
Characters such as Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Chief Hopper (David Harbour), Steve , Joyce (Winona Ryder), and Billy (Dacre Montgomery) are the ones that the audience can further understand now: Nancy deals with workplace harassment and constantly being undermined in a society dominated by men, Hopper’s rough past conflicting with present situations that require him to be sensitive, Steve’s popular reputation has now diminished and he struggles keeping ladies around him, Joyce is still eager to get to the bottom of things and prevent dangers from reaching her son, and Billy’s corruption is revealed from an abusive, despairing past.
Through these characters, the show is able to touch on certain subjects while staying true to their sci-fi roots. From gender inequality to large businesses taking over the market, the audience is able to obtain the essence of the 80’s while making these issues relatable to their mainly teenage audience.
With all these amazing values to the show, the best I can say about it was that it was simply decent. While I enjoyed character interactions, immensely better CGI, the comical moments, jumpscares, and even romance, everything seemed too expected – and sometimes forced with major product placements –, even with the loss of some characters.
Stranger Things seems to be already falling into a pattern — as most shows tend to do after the first season. I’d only recommend watching it if you’re a diehard fan. However, I wouldn’t recommend re-binging the entire season if you’re bored.
