Chapter Eight: The Upside Down

"Stranger Things" is a show that is genre-diverse. That is probably the greatest compliment I can give a television program, as I really enjoy when shows tackle more than just "one thing" over the course of a number of episodes. In the case of "Stranger Things", it is science fiction, character drama, dry humor, all mixed together with a heavy helping of 1980s nostalgia. It doesn't all work, but most of it does...easily enough to be a very engaging experience.

For a basic plot summary (only minor spoilers), "Stranger Things" focuses on a sleepy little town in 1983 suburbia. Well, sleepy until it becomes the site of shady government activity, led by the mysterious Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine), which slowly unfurls over the course of the eight episodes in this first season. A group of childhood buds is first to experience the weirdness, with one of their own, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), abducted by a monster of sorts. This spurs group leader Mike (Finn Wolfhard), wiry Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and gap-toothed Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) into action. At the same time, Will's mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) teams up with Sheriff Jim "Hop" Hopper (David Harbour) to try and find an "official" explanation for what is happening.

Of course, the auxiliary characters also help drive the story lines of "Stranger Things" as much as anything. Mysterious stranger Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) factors heavily into the proceedings, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Barb (Shannon Purser) are the classic yin-and-yang, and even chemistry teacher Mr. Clarke (Randall P. Havens) plays a key role the deeper the rabbit hole gets.

"Stranger Things" is the perfect binge-watch show in that each episode ends on a momentous cliffhanger...almost a throwback to the old cinema serials of years gone by. It's almost physically difficult NOT to boot up the next episode, as they each contain such an engaging mix of plot, humor, character development, and nostalgia.

That being said, when one "steps back" for a moment and looks at the show, it is sometimes easy to see that not everything works in terms of plot direction and pacing. The mystery is really strung out, certain characters are up-and-down in terms of focus, and it can lag a bit in spots (treading the same water over and over).

Yet, as evidenced by my 8/10 rating, "Stranger Things" easily does enough things right to make it a very fun show to watch. Simply put, it is best enjoyed "in the moment", without a lot of time for reflection or contemplation. I usually look for the opposite in TV programs (I love to deeply think about the material), but in this case it was kind of a breath of fresh air to just be swept away by the sheer entertainment of it all.

Overall, "Stranger Things" became a bit of a pop sensation, and that designation is (mostly) earned. It will be interesting to see if subsequent seasons are able to recapture that bottled lightning, or if it will be a "one hit wonder".