I’m a sucker for movies/shows that hit me with a brick of 1980s nostalgia, so I’ve been very fond of STRANGER THINGS since the beginning. Season 1 was masterful and Season 2 was excellent with the exception of one very bad episode that was a horrible mistake. STRANGER THINGS 3 doesn’t make a single mistake — it starts slow as it reintroduces us to its robust cast of characters and then amps up the adventures, laughs, and horror (oh, and the show’s horror is at an all-time high with this season) until the balls-to-the-wall climax of the final episode. Everything is so much bigger this season and while bigger isn’t always better, it certainly was brilliant in this show’s case. It’s wonderful to see the original five kids return (Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Eleven — who now goes by Elle), though their paths all go in different directions at times until their imminent reunion. The new friend amongst the group, last season’s Max, is also wonderful and I truly enjoyed seeing her friendship with Elle blossom. Max’s brother, Billy, also returns this season and plays a very important role throughout this year’s storyline. Nancy and Jonathan are back, their story going in a slower-paced direction as they try to solve a mystery within their town of Hawkins, Indiana. This season’s main highlights come from two very specific group of characters: 1) Joyce and Hopper who’re discovering a strange Russian-led conspiracy that’s going on in town, and 2) Steve and newcomer Robin, co-workers at Scoops Ahoy who also stumble across the Russian conspiracy after Dustin brings it to them (the fourth member in this gang of misfits is Lucas’ little sister, Erica). Steve and Robin definitely increased the overall enjoyment of STRANGER THINGS 3. I loved every single scene that they appeared in (Robin is played by Maya Hawke, the real-life daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, and she was fantastic!). Honestly, it’s been three days since I finished the new season and I can’t stop thinking about it. The first few episodes left me feeling like the first season was going to still be best... —— CONTINUED IN FIRST POST BELOW
But by the time ‘The Battle of Starcourt’, the final episode of this season, started, I knew I was watching something special (the final minutes of the final episode are truly beautiful). Did I mention the horror? If you’re a fan of THE BLOB or any type of body horror/creature feature hybrid, you’re gonna love this. The Mind Flayer is one bad-ass monster and I loved every second it was on-screen. Don’t put this season of STRANGER THINGS on the back-burner; it needs to be watched ASAP. It’s so damn good and quite possibly one of the best seasons of any TV show I’ve ever watched. Score: 5/5