Familiar Things

What do you get when you cross science fiction, middle school, and the 1980s?

I watched the first season of Stranger Things over the course of two days. I was in a lot of pain, as I had just had my tonsils removed, but I found the show captivating and the characters perfectly endearing.

I know, I know. There are hundreds upon hundreds of television series available to view these days. But in my opinion, Stranger Things is different. Despite the fact that it is most definitely a science fiction series, it focuses on the aspects of the real world worth keeping. Childhood excitement. Friendship. Love. Discovery.

And some of the hard stuff, too. Loss. Fear. Sadness. Anger. Stigma around mental illness.

There are few shows that handle their characters with the care and the loyalty with which Stranger Things does. There are even fewer shows that allow their characters to change in the ways these characters do over the course of two seasons.

Here’s a Season 1 Trailer if you don’t mind a few visual spoilers:

I don’t have enough kind words to say about this series, so I’ll let the show speak for itself. You can stream both seasons now on Netflix. See you on the Upside Down.

-Margaret Iuni