On the 15th of July 2016, the first episode of Stranger Things was released on Netflix. The horror series has been created and written by the Duffer Brothers. It has 4 seasons that run for around 7 hours each. It is a great series to watch if you have free time and would love to binge-watch something scary but funny at the same time.
Storyline
The first season starts with the 4 main characters Mike, Lucas, Will, and Dustin playing D & D (Dungeons and Dragons) at Mike’s house. After the game Lucas goes home, while Will and Dustin decide to have a race back to Dustin’s home. While Dustin is far back and Will is winning the race a creature appears in front of him which causes him to fall off his bike. In fright, Will runs back home where the strange monster confronts him. No one sees Will after that.
The remaining friends and their new magical friend Eleven take matters into their own hands and try to find him. The first episode- ‘The vanishing of Will Buyers’, not only impacts the first season but also the following three to come. Eventually, Hopper and Joyce are able to rescue Will, and Eleven (El) is able to defeat the monster and send him back to the ‘upside-down’ (a different dimension- home to all the monsters). But in the process El accidentally gets herself stuck in the ‘upside-down’.
Everyone believes El is dead and a new problem arises. The Demogorgon (The monster) is alive. And not only that but there is a whole army of them. The army is being controlled by the Mind Flayer who also happens to be possessing Will. Meanwhile, El manages to get out from the ‘upside-down’ and ventures out to fight the dangers that lurk around every corner. She also defeats the monster and closes the portal from which the monsters are coming.
Everything is all right for a while but soon things start going wrong again. The mind flayer returns and starts converting itself into a physical form. A series of events follow and Vecna is revealed as the monster. Vecna proceeds to possess and kill many people. El tries to intervene but tragedies happen in the process. The bizarre events lead to more eccentricities which find some of the most peculiar happenings taking place.
Characters
There is a string of very strong characters in the series but some of them really appealed to me. I love how determined Max is and how much she contributes to the story. Another character I enjoyed watching is the mighty ELEVEN- the main heroine and our most favourite fighter! Last but definitely not the least, our guy Dustin. From singing songs to fighting monsters, Dustin is the topmost in my Stranger Things ‘Hall of Fame’- heroes.
Humour
How can something keep you biting your nails but at the same time make you double up in laughter? That’s my first thought after watching Stranger Things. From horror to comedy and then to romance, Stranger Things fits all genres- a huge factor for the show’s massive popularity. While people tend to watch it for the action, I loved watching it because of its inadvertent humour. It turns out to be so hilarious that I tend to forget the terrifying monster that lurks behind the corner. Its humour is something to really watch out for.
In all, this hilariously scary series has brought much entertainment to my life. It has become the number one most watched series on Netflix and the song called ‘Running Up That Hill’ currently has over 1 billion streams on Spotify. The outrageous comedy, the terrifying plot and the heroic characters have all made me laugh, cry and scream. While most of the things in this series cannot be proven scientifically, ‘Stranger Things’ can still be called a scientific marvel and an entertaining masterpiece.
Writer : Jiyah Nair
Grade : 7 (Year 2024)
Place : Sydney, Australia
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