What do teenagers running around the city of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s fighting paranormal monsters in alternate dimensions and I have common? I binge-watched a show this summer, and it just so happened to be this one. If you were unable to guess from the hints by now (and completely ignored the big photo above), the internet-breaking science fiction horror drama series I alluded to is Stranger Things. Stranger Things holds a top slot on my must-watch shows list because it is simply just that good. I have never watched an episode and been disappointed, and the plotlines continue to get better and better each season.
Created by the Duffer Brothers, this show follows what happens to a town after a rift opens to an alternate dimension, called the “Upside Down,” inside Hawkins laboratory. When this happens, a series of events unfold: the first paranormal creature immerges in the show (the Demogorgon), and Will Byers (one of the main characters in the show) goes missing. Will’s friends (Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, and Dustin Henderson) go looking for Will, and that is when they first encounter Eleven (a girl who escaped from Hawkins Lab and has psychokinetic powers). From here, the rest of Season 1 Photo Source follows the storyline of finding Will and rescuing him from “The Upside Down” and learning more about what Eleven is capable of with her powers. Viewers meet other crucial characters in this season, such as Jim Hopper (the chief of police who is tasked with finding Will), Joyce Byers (Will’s mom who is determined to find her son), Nancy Wheeler (older sister of Mike ), and Steve Harrington (Nancy’s Boyfriend and the show’s heartthrob). These characters band together to fight the series of Demogorgons and other supernatural monsters that enter their world from The Upside Down and to find Will. All of this occurs just in Season 1, which means that the following seasons are sure to be even more enjoyable.
Now that you know a little background information on Stranger Things, here are the reasons why I think everyone should watch this show:
- The Cast
Yes, I recognize that this was also my first reason for watching Glee in my last blog post, but the cast of Stranger Things consists of so many extraordinary actors and actresses it needs to be recognized. Today, the actors and actresses in this show are some of the best in the business, but they were superb before starring in Stranger Things. For example, Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin Henderson, got his first big break on Broadway by playing Benji in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. He then would play Gavroche in Les Miserable, Jared Kleinman in Dear Evan Hansen, and appeared in the show The Blacklist. His repertoire scratches the surface of others in the cast. The sheer talent in this cast alone puts other shows to shame as well. Stranger Things has been nominated for 51 Emmy awards and has won 12. This cast exuberates talent, proving why it is one of my reasons to watch Stranger Things.
(Video of the cast of Stranger Things winning an SGA Award)
- The Character Arcs
What can I say? I am a sucker for well-developed character arcs. Watching characters change and blossom into something they never thought could become warms hearts and inspires viewers. For example, Eleven starts as a socially deprived girl with no concept of life outside a lab that she lived and grew up in, could barely speak, and had huge trust issues. Eventually, she learned that she could use her powers for good, how to live a life outside of a lab, and how to love. Eleven realized that she was a Photo Source good person, not just a government project. Eleven also embarks on a journey of self-discovery throughout the show in season 2, where she finds her true self. She carries this through seasons 3 and 4 as she becomes stronger and more compassionate.
- The Themes Carried Throughout the Show
Stranger Things has many recurring themes throughout the show, but my absolute favorite is the idea that you are stronger when working as a team. As the show progresses, challenges arise that test friendship, causing the group to split up temporarily. Then when trying to succeed individually, they are unsuccessful. Only when the group of friends works together do they ultimately emerge victorious in fighting the paranormal monsters. This theme of friendship makes all the difference for the group, creating a sense of family. For viewers, we cannot help but fall in love with the group even more by watching them succeed and overcome the difficulties they face together.
(Video mashup of what times the theme of friendship was seen in Stranger Things)
- Conspiracy Theories
Alright, who else, besides me, loves conspiracy theories? Well, Stranger Things is centered around a real-life conspiracy theory. In the show, it is rumored and later confirmed true that Hawkins Lab was a government facility that kidnapped children from their parents and trained them to be psychokinetic soldiers. This facility was also responsible for an outbreak of alternate-dimensional creatures. The real-life conspiracy Photo Source theory is about the Montauk Project, a government project that began in the 1980s. Allegedly, the Montauk Project includes topics such as the United States government/military experiments in fields such as time travel, teleportation, mind control, contact with extraterrestrial life, etc. This show draws many parallels to something that supposedly took place, but this information can neither be confirmed nor denied.
Stranger Things embodies everything a viewer could ever want in a science fiction horror drama. What starts as a case of a missing boy turns into an entire series focused on battling different alternate-dimensional monsters in life-or-death situations. It has taken me on an emotional journey and has gotten my heart racing from scene to scene. More importantly, the show teaches viewers essential lessons: never give up, anyone can be a hero, and, a Stranger Things staple, “friends don’t lie.” So, with all of this said, I cannot recommend this show enough to everyone. This show is worth watching.
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