“Stranger Things” Comes Back After Three Years

By Lizz Panchyk

Most of you are probably familiar with the Netflix show “Stranger Things,” which initially started in 2016. In the 1980s, a group of kids by the names of Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will, obsessed with the game Dungeons and Dragons, go on to find a mysterious girl named

“Stranger Things” has become more and more popular since its debut in 2016, appearing on every screen.

Eleven with superpowers and adopt her into their group. Eleven came from a lab where strange and abnormal testing occurred and this lab is actually based off Long Island’s very own Camp Hero based in Montauk. It is this lab that is one of the causes for the evil that begins to terrorize Hawkins. She must use these powers to destroy the demogorgons and other bad things that are taking over Hawkins, Indiana and save all of the friends she makes along the way. On Rotten Tomatoes, it is described as being a drama, sci-fi, horror and mystery thriller with a score of 91.

Season three came out on July 4, 2019 and the following season was starting to be filmed until it was cut short due to the pandemic. We waited three years for season four to come out, which was released in two volumes; one on May 27 with seven episodes, and the other on July 1 with the final two, the last one being over two hours long.

After all this time, the Duffer brothers, creators of “Stranger Things,” definitely did not disappoint. There has been a lot of continuous hype surrounding both volumes and a buzz about the new characters. Theories have been spawning out from every social media platform about season five’s possibilities. Netflix even crashed due to the number of people watching Volume 2 as soon as it was released. This includes people of an expansive age-range who have been keeping up with the show, and those who started watching during the long days of the pandemic shutdown. It has long become a must-watch show, particularly in the age group of 17-29.

Since Will, Jonathan and Eleven have moved to California with Joyce at the end of season three, we learn that El is having an extremely difficult time adjusting to the new atmosphere in season four. Meanwhile, in Indiana, the rest of the band of friends have separated, trying to make some good of their lives while they had the chance. It seems that this new force of evil is the one thing that brings everyone back together and working closely alongside each other to try and stop it. New character Eddie Munson has an undeniable presence as he too plays a major role in fighting season four’s villain.

With both sad and happy endings to different storylines, “Stranger Things” left its fans shocked and surprised, and some even angry.

With many shows popping up on Netflix, this one really keeps everyone on the edge of their seat, waiting and anticipating. The graphics and acting are phenomenal and it’s no wonder why the show has gained such popularity over the years. Fans also get the pleasure of seeing their favorite characters grow up throughout the show, although there was a pretty big age gap between season three and season four because of the pandemic. Being that “Stranger Things” takes place in the 80s, it makes for a very nostalgic show for those who lived through that decade. It is relatable for all generations (besides the monsters) and it keeps us wanting more.

Season five will unfortunately be the last and will not come out until 2024. Until then, “Stranger Things” fans will be coming up with theories about how it will all end and waiting patiently to see who survives. But the Duffer brothers did confirm that the last season will involve Will’s character as the greater part of the storyline.