Stranger Things 3 Review

     Stranger Things' third season is a much watch. Period. If you haven't even watched the first season yet, then I recommend you start watching. I was down in a way with the second season. It wasn't bad by any means, but it was a big step down from the first season. I can say that this season is right up there in terms of quality with season one. I was invested from the very first episode of season one, and I was invested with the very first episode of this season. The plot is a continuation of season two's plot which I was okay with because I felt season two's ending felt unfinished. Almost every question is answered in season three that was asked in season two. Though there are just a few minor flaws I can pinpoint, this season was overall spectacular.

     This season definitely feels the most 80s about of all three seasons. The music, hairstyles, and movie references are non-stop, but they are never forced. I love the 80s and secretly wish I could have lived in that time era, so this season gives me all the 80s feels. The Starcourt Mall is brilliant addition to the setting of Hawkins. It is fresh and the showdown between the characters and the Mind Flayer made a great battle to occur in it. I also liked how it housed the underground Russian base that had the key to unlock the Upside Down. That whole underground base was also another great addition to the story. It was a lot better than just going to the infamous lab again, which I feel has run its course as a location to the story.

     The actual story for this season was very interesting, and I really liked that Billy was the center point for it considering I felt like the writers gave him zero content that related the main story in the second season. I wish they would have shown his relationship with Max a little more in this season, though. They were never together until their first confrontation when Billy was under the Mind Flayer's control. His backstory was great exposition to his character traits and why he was the way he was. Speaking of Billy, the biggest WTF of this season was Mrs. Wheeler's "almost affair" with him. It was just so uncomfortable to watch, but I'm glad that she chose not to cheat on her husband. That was the only storyline she got this season and to be honest it was probably her longest one considering she has never been part of the main story, ever. I'm just saying.

     I thought the new addition of Robin as a character was pretty good. She had great banter with Steve. I thought they were going to get together at the end, but then she told us she wasn't into men, so that wasn't in the realm of possibilities. Speaking of Steve, I am glad that he really as turned into a likable, good guy. He went from the school jock/bully to the lovable comic relief of the show. I cannot wait to see what the two of these characters will bring to us next season.

     Eleven has really come into her own this season as well. She really is embracing the 80s and her vocabulary has become more distinguished ever since she has been able to really interact with people. As always, she is badass. She is the perfect match for the Mind Flayer, splitting its head into two and breaking his hands. She's a great match until she is stabbed by one of its claws. I'm pretty sure her leg wound with part of the Mind Flayer's arm took away her powers and gave it to the Mind Flayer. I didn't even notice it get stronger, but I don't think it mattered. The writers wanted to strip her of her powers as a plotline for the fourth season. I thought we were going to get an appearance from Eleven's sister this season, but I was wrong. I am sure we'll see her again next season. I also liked Eleven's relationship with Mike this season. It was one of the character highlights that shows that these kids are turning into young adults, and I think the writers did a great job of showcasing that to the audience.


     The ending to the season was very sad. I thought the death of Billy was upsetting since he actually did something heroic in saving Eleven and telling his sister he was sorry before his death. Also, Joyce's dilemma of destroying the machine with Hopper being in the crosshairs was emotional. This was great acting by Winona Ryder and David Harbour. I was actually shocked when I saw that Hopper was going to die, but alas they cannot find his body and they assume he dies. I don't think he died as I think he was captured by the Russians. In the post-credits scene, the Russians mention an American, but he is not seen. I believe that it is definitely him, which I am happy about, but kind of also upset about. I really wanted the show to have the balls to kill off a major character, but they probably didn't. It would have been a perfect ending for his character since we hear his letter that he wrote to Eleven and Mike. It was a perfect close to his character, but I think it's kind of ruined now a bit. I don't know. We'll have to see what happens next season.

     Some other scenes I liked is when Suzie finally answered Dustin so she could give him the code to access the keys to destroy the machine. I thought it was hysterical how she made him sing to her. Dustin never even has to try to get me to laugh. Another scene I liked was when Eleven threw the car at the Russians who were going after Steve and Dustin and all of them. I thought it was so satisfying. The last scene I really enjoyed was when it was revealed that Billy and his friend Heather had turned many more of the Hawkins residents into hosts for the Mind Flayer with the song "We''ll Meet Again" playing in the background. The song was hauntingly amazing, and it went perfectly with the scene. Again, the score to this season was exceptional.

     My biggest gripe with this season was Will's character. I thought he had no content this season other to "feel" when the Mind Flayer was near even though the other characters probably would have noticed without Will's help. I get it, though. After two seasons of the show really being about him, I guess it was inevitable that he was going to get a break from being the center of attention, but I wish he would have been given something to do rather than just feeling the back of his neck a thousand times. The only time it was really about him was when he was realized that he and his friends were getting older and growing out of their games that they used to play, but that only lasted like twenty minutes or so. I'm sure season four will feature him a bit more prominently, but you probably could have taken him out of this season entirely, and we still would have had the same finished product. This was really my only problem with the season which speaks volumes to how great of a viewing experience this was for me.

     Stranger Things 3 reminds me why I love this show so much. It has horror, comedy, sci-fi, everything I love! I really cannot wait for the fourth season to come out. The show hasn't been renewed yet, but it probably will soon since it hasn't left Twitter's trending page ever since it came out. It will be interesting to see when or if these characters come back together since Will, Joyce, Jonathan, and Eleven have moved out of Hawkins. Overall I am going to give Stranger Things 3 an 8.5/10. Definitely check it out. It is so much better than season two and up there with season one in regards to quality and iconic scenes.