“Stranger Things” is a Must Watch

Stranger Things is a Netflix original must-watch for those seeking suspense, mystery and action.

By: Maggie Kreztmann

Government experiments, the Upside Down, monsters, a girl with psychokinetic powers, and a boy who has mysteriously vanished. All of these elements help bring “Stranger Things” to life, but who would have thought that the Netflix original would have become so popular?

“Stranger Things” follows three boys and their quest of finding their friend who disappeared without a trace. Set in a small town in Indiana in 1983, Will Byers was riding his bicycle home when he encounters a strange creature. The last time he is seen is when he is hiding in his shed from the monster, and then he’s gone. While Jim Hopper, the chief of police informs Will’s mother Joyce that it’s unlikely she’ll ever see her son again, she begins receiving strange phone calls, as well as experiences flickering lights, and believes that Will is alive and communicating via the lights in her house. As Dustin, Mike and Lucas continue the search for their friend, they encounter Eleven or “El”, a girl with psychokinetic powers (and a love for Eggos waffles). With the use of flashbacks, it is apparent that El was subjected to scientific experiments and escaped a top secret government building.

With the help of El, Mike, Dustin and Lucas team up with Joyce and Jim, as well as Nancy Wheeler (Mike’s older sister) and Jonathan Byers (Will’s older brother), and manage to find Will in the Upside Down, an alternate dimension where this monster had lived before crossing over. Eleven uses her powers and destroys the monster as well as herself.

The last part of the finale takes place a month after everything that had occurred. Nancy is with her boyfriend and all is well at the Wheeler residence. Jim Hopper is seen leaving Eggos in a box in the woods (leaving many viewers to speculate that Eleven is alive), and the Byers’ household is back to normal–that is, until Will goes into the bathroom and coughs up a slug and briefly experiences the Upside Down once before returning to the real world. He returns to the dinner table and acts like nothing happened.

I thoroughly enjoyed “Stranger Things”, as the plot remained consistent, the special effects were amazing and the characters were relatable and developed throughout the show. While there were only eight episodes in the first season, all episodes made sense and were equally filled with suspense, mystery and action. I especially liked that the show took place in the 80’s, and it had that nostalgic feeling to it with the use of science-fiction and music.

The first season was released in July of 2016 and has already been renewed for a second season, which is expected to come out in 2017. I recommend you watch the series for yourself and decide whether or not there are “stranger things” out there we might not know exist–possibly for our own good.