Season One Verdict: ‘Stranger Things’ [Netflix]

This love-letter to the eighties didn’t just appeal to the nostalgic audience but also fresh, young audiences. Some would be eager to relive that world; some would be eager to experience it.

We’d wager our life-savings to bet that in every outlet that’s reviewed ‘Stranger Things‘, its nostalgic eighties soundtrack and usage of that pulsating electro-synth backing score was widely acclaimed. And so it should be. Even the ‘Stranger Things’ twitter admitted they’d heard it. For a viewer such as myself, it was both refreshing and educational to see this depiction of the eighties, and a nod-back to some beloved films and books. For others, it must’ve been exceptional fun spotting every single detail the Duffer brothers so expertly crafted in their ’83 Indiana small-town world. And by the looks of it, they smashed it.

From the costumes to the hair, everything was spot-on. Steve (Joe Keery) in particular looked like a reincarnation of Danny Zuko. The cinematography was shaky and haunting, just like an actual eighties horror film. We got the clatter of old-school bikes, the nerd-kid gang ala ‘The Goonies’, the rattling telephones and mix-tapes…we were enveloped in a whole new world.

The world-building the Duffer brothers treated us to was magical. We had no expectations going into this whatsoever, and getting the whole eight-episode parcel was simply exquisite.

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There wasn’t a single weak link in the acting department. Not one.

Winona Ryder will be credited as the star of the show for her heart-wrenching turn as Joyce Byers. Joyce’s anxious mannerisms and jitteriness were expertly captured. But, on equal footing was the exceptional David Harbour, stewing with quiet intensity. In addition, there was Matthew Modine, prodding us with ethically sinister science. We had the always excellent Cara Buono, stronghold of the Wheeler household.

We’ll hope to see plenty more of the talented Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo and Noah Schnapp in the future. It’s risky, relying so heavily on child actors—but not once did the boys falter. Remarkably, each of them had not just insatiable chemistry with each other, but also with their adult counterparts.

Lastly, no ‘Stranger Things’ review would be complete without gushing over Millie Bobby Brown. If this starlet does not rocket up into the realms of ‘awesome legend’ status, we’ll eat Hopper’s sheriff hat. She was sensational. Eleven’s squeezed emotion in her big eyes to her ability to convey a world of ‘feels’ with just a singular utterance…it was genius. It’s incredible that amidst the array of true Hollywood talent scattered about this cast, Millie Bobby Brown sweeps all.

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‘Stranger Things’ and the pacing of its plot made it absolutely perfect for Netflix.

Our main criticism after four episodes was that the pace needed a little upping. The cranking of tension was hugely appreciated and skilfully played out. But with so many plot-threads challenging us in the premiere, we speculated as to how they’d all unravel. But boy did the Duffer brothers prove us wrong from episode four and onward. We noted that in their rich world-building it was necessary to provide us with hint-drops and character development. We hadn’t quite anticipated the immense pay-off we were rewarded with as a result. With us barely even realizing, we grew to be 100% invested in these characters, as the conspiracy blew apart.

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Alas, this could’ve been an absolute disadvantage. But this is where the formatting of Netflix comes into play. There could’ve been no other platform for ‘Stranger Things’ to air—because this is single-handedly the most bingeable show of 2016. If it had aired weekly on a TV network, perhaps the ratings would’ve dropped gradually and viewers would’ve missed the ingenuity of the series. But in creating this 8-episode thriller specifically for the Netflix format, ‘Stranger Things’ neared perfection.

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We’ve always raved about the adult mains and the fantastic kids—but the adolescents in-between are certainly stars-in-the-making.

We’ve adored Natalia Dyer. Starting with the foundations of the charade of two-dimensional, Dyer charmed us from the first chapter. Even as she naively navigated her way around high-school, Nancy was never unlikable. There was something irrefutably magnetic about her and that was because of Dyer. Her portrayal of Nancy’s genuine nature—naive, brave, torn—was so believable it hurt.

(That means it was a job well done.)

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Charlie Heaton’s outstanding nuances were so delicately layered it seemed Jonathan was Heaton’s alter-ego. Heaton’s way of conveying Jonathan’s awkwardness was apparent in the hunched way he stood, and the constant shoving of his hands in pockets. He shifted timidly. He matched toe-to-toe with Ryder. And he shone in the fall-out scene with his estranged father. And when he shouted after Joyce about the funeral. The way Heaton’s voice cracked in despair was heart-breaking.

From heart-breaking to high-school heart-breaker, Keery’s Steve was an excellent parallel. Except he wasn’t really. Keery shaped Steve cleverly—to a point where it would be so shallow to write Steve off as the typical douchebag. He did genuinely care for Nancy, and Nancy had pegged him right. Steve wasn’t a bad guy. But he perhaps wasn’t a big-guy either, molded by eighties high-school hierarchy. He wasn’t anybody’s clique king. He was an imperfect model who came into his own. Steve was, simply, just a teen. He’s growing up. Why wouldn’t Nancy give him a chance? And is there anyone who could genuinely say they hadn’t been shaped at some point by high-school?

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The Duffer brothers nailed what we’d expect from 1983 in the small Indiana town’s reactions to the missing Will Byers, and attitudes towards others (particularly Joyce).

If there were any anachronisms, except for that one song, let TV After Dark know! Because we didn’t spot anything. The sheer detail for the set and costuming was tremendous. But also excellent was the societal maintenance of small-town in Indiana, 1983.

Whereas Joyce is hysterically breaking down, Hopper maintains a quiet grief about his dead daughter. Really, the show could’ve clattered dangerously over the Calm Male/Hysterical Female cobbles, but it didn’t. Joyce was right all along. Hopper’s non-existent paranoia surfaced. Yes, in small-town Indiana, 1983, there would’ve been differing attitudes to Hopper and Joyce’s situations. People would sympathize with Hopper. They’d think Joyce was on a mental spiral downwards (and in some ways, she was). But who can blame her? What the Duffer brothers triumphed in was portraying that subtly, in a story we knew Joyce had sort-of nailed.

The usage of ‘fag’ or ‘faggot’ about Will by Hopper and some of the school-kids was an unpleasant but accurate touch. Even nowadays, people still use “that’s so gay” as an insult. So what would attitudes have been like in small-town Indiana, 1983? Why should the characters radically live by today’s societal standards? The Duffer brothers transported us to the eighties, properly, and yes there was nostalgia. But there was also quiet lurking of misogyny and homophobia too. Those attitudes couldn’t be changed; they simply were. And we had to admire the Duffer brothers for the authenticity of their eighties small-town.

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Final Verdict: Utterly engrossing from the start, ‘Stranger Things’ is possibly the best thing to emerge on television this year, and certainly the most bingeable. A homage, a love-letter it may be to the eighties—but ‘Stranger Things’ is an excellent show of its own.

Surely, ‘Stranger Things’ is a guaranteed season two. It’s one of the most talked-about shows of the year, and rightly so. Its ingenuity and compelling nature means ‘Stranger Things’ earns that hype. And in a mixed bag of television quality this year, this was a lovely blast of surprise. As the fan-base and hype grew, it was exciting to see more and more people hooked onto the show just like we were.

Our stand-out episode has to be chapter six, ‘The Monster’. It brought everyone’s A-game (if they weren’t on the table already). Moreover, we’ve never seen a cast like this. No weak-points, no hammy child-acting, no wobbly plot. It was perfectly balanced and ravenously moreish.

The big question is: where do we go from here? Many of our questions were answered by the ‘Stranger Things’ twitter but it’s natural to ponder this. With the cast growing older, will they ‘Harry Potter’ it? Will we even get the same cast we’ve endeared ourselves to? However, ‘Stranger Things’ isn’t perfect television, and there’s still room for improvement. So, surely that calls for a season two!