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TV Review: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 3 brings the Upside Down back to Hawkins, Indiana

The series features returning stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and Joe Keery.
Credit: Netflix

WASHINGTON — “Stranger Things” returns after a year and a half and picks up during the summer of 1985 where El, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Max are struggling as they’re growing up and growing apart. 

These actors do such a great job of encapsulating those awkward teenage years — its cringe-worthy but heartwarming at the same time. 

Meanwhile, the mysterious Mind Flayer is terrorizing small-town Hawkins, Indiana and evil Russians are conducting experiments to reopen the Upside Down. 

It’s a lot of plot material for 8 episodes, but the Duffer Brothers expertly balanced multiple storylines by separating the main characters into groups. These groups each pull on their own threads and (for the audience) all the threads come together to reveal a rich tapestry of a story. 

I love this style of story-telling that the series has been using since the beginning. Does it feel a little repetitive? In a way, yes. Each season follows the same basic formula, but it works well especially when the show is binged all at once.

Another strength of this series' is the detailed world-building the production designers have accomplished. The 80s are known for their wild fashion, music and above all: neon. 

I love that big brands like Burger King, 7-Eleven and Coke allowed production to use their logos and promotional material from the 80s to make it as realistic as possible. The attention to detail is astounding and much appreciated by eagle-eyed fans. 

Each of the three seasons of this show has progressively gotten bigger and my main concern moving forward is that the characters and story lines will outgrow small-town Indiana. There is narrative potential for so much growth and I hope that the Duffer Brothers can grow the show in a way that still feels authentic at its core. 

Overall, I loved watching this season — I watched it all in one sitting and enjoyed it so much. If you haven’t watched this series (or this season), I highly recommend it. An amazing cast of characters set against the colorful backdrop of the 80s mixed with elements of horror and mystery make for such a unique viewing experience.

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