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'Stranger Things' – Season 3 | TV Show Review

Another thrilling addition to a stand-out Netflix original… (spoilers ahead).

By Joe HarrisPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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Premises

For those who haven’t yet seen Stranger Things, here is a quick rundown of what it's about. It is a sci-fi horror show set during the 1980s and follows a group of kids as they battle supernatural and horrific monsters from an unknown world.

Season three starts three months after the events of the second, with the group, now slightly older having to deal with more dangers from the upside-down. Not only are the group still under threat from monsters from the Upside Down, but they are now having to deal with relationships and splintering friendships.

Initial reaction

Before I even got round to watching the third season I was already prepared for a good season as everyone around me who had watched it said that it was the best season yet. So with that reaction in my mind, I sat down this weekend and watched all eight episodes.

Set in the mid-eighties, the aesthetic of the era was definitely prominent as it has always been. The kids are now slightly older, and changed from the horrors from the past couple years. From the first episode, you can see how the dynamic has changed; some have gotten close, more specifically with Mike and Eleven who have begun their romantic relationship, which becomes both amusing to watch, and also very reminiscent of all of our first romances, shown as both very serious, yet also awkward and sweet.

Then there is Mike, who over the past few seasons has really been through the wringer when it comes to the horrors that have been tormenting the group. Mike takes more of a backseat role in this season, however the times that are spent on his character focus on his inability to accept that the group are growing slightly apart as they age. He is still very much grounded in his childhood, trying to retain the group's fun adventures and nerdy board games that the others now no longer enjoy. Mike has never been a favourite character of mine, but it was still upsetting to watch him feel left out and ignored by the others, who wanted to focus more on their girlfriends.

Stand-out moments

  • Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown)—As every time, Millie delivers an absolutely superb performance as Eleven, a young girl with telekinetic abilities. This season Eleven (Elle) is dealing with her new relationship with Mike, and how this affects her relationship with her adopted father, Jim Hopper. Throughout this season we are greeted once again with some really badass moments from the powerful Eleven, but then we are treated by some more heartfelt moments where we see how the dangers are actually affecting her and her abilities.
  • Unbelievable visuals—like the other two seasons, there are some absolutely stunning shots. First is the aesthetically pleasing ‘Starcourt’ a very 80s neon-lined and brand new Shopping Mall that acts as the centre point for all the action of this season, one moment is in the final episode where the shop is lit up in a collection of colours from a visually pleasing firework display.
  • Joyce Byers—Of course, I have to give a shout out to my favourite character from the entire show. Portrayed by Winona Ryder, Joyce is Will’s mother who continues to be a force to be reckoned with, and who can blame her after all the things she’s had to deal with when protecting her son and his friends from supernatural dangers. This season is great at showcasing her more ferocious attitude, there isn’t an episode that goes by where she isn't berating one of the male characters for underestimating her, talking crap, or even just generally annoying her. These were the moments that really made me smile, and just solidified her as one of my favourite characters.

Was there a downside?

All shows come with something that was slightly disappointing to see or areas that could’ve been improved. This season was very hard to find anything that I didn’t quite enjoy, especially as this one is by far the best season of the entire show. However, I did think that this season was grounded by a very tentative link as to why there would still be any danger remaining in this town. The whole idea of the Mind Flare still remaining in the normal world because it didn’t quite make it back when they close the gate between worlds just seemed a bit odd to me.

The ending also felt slightly rushed, with the characters who had done wrong (the Mayor being one) getting a very quick comeuppance in a rather quirky and cartoonish news report that kind of killed all the suspense and emotion of the previous scene.

In conclusion

For me, this was a standout season for the show. I entirely agree with all my friends who told me that I needed to watch this season over the others. It retained its neon 80s inspired aesthetic that made the show so lovable, while creating a creepy and thrilling monster that threatened the innocence and lives of the young group. I would definitely recommend watching this season as well as the show overall.

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About the Creator

Joe Harris

A lover of writing with a tonne of thoughts and opinions stuck in his head. Lets see what comes out!

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