So first of all, welcome to my TV reviews and any TV related stuff of my blogs. Created this in 2010 and haven't written any blogs or reviews on it til now. Sorry about that. I will do my best to keep up with my blogs often and I am now. No excuses. I'm really going for it now. Basically it took me a while to find the first review to do on this very page and I was thinking big bang or Grimm. But I decided on Stranger Things, since it's a recent show and it's getting a lot of buzz. So I decided to start with this show. Basically it's an Netflix exclusive show, which is you can only get on Netflix and to be honest it's worth getting Netflix if yous haven't cause theirs a lot of awesome shows there I highly recommend. Like House Of Cards, Daredevil, etc. So it's worth subscribing under a tenner a month. As with the US, I don't know how much it is over there but get it cause your Netflix is better than ours in the UK. We're alright but we could do with better programmes and a better of films cause our movie selection here in the UK Netflix is pretty shit to be honest. Full of B movies and of course Adam Sandler movies and I do mean his recent ones. The horror. Anyway back on topic and let's talk about this TV show.
This is a show where it's a tribute to the our favourite films and shows back in the 80's and basically it's a love letter to those 80's films, shows, music and pop culture that was in at the time. And it really works well. This show does well on the time period brilliantly, it does feel like you're watching a show in the 80's and it does it with top marks. I love the look and the nostalgia of the 80's that this show plays homages to. It is a 10/10 in that department overwhelmingly.
So the story without spoil anything, is set in a small town in Hawkins, USA of course cause everything is set in America these days. Usually in New York City. I guess it run out of space from so many films and TV shows set in the big apple. Poor fucking city. So glad it's not set in New York. So anyway there's a group of four kids Will, Dustin, Mike and Lucas who are playing role playing games, talk shit, etc like you do when you're with mates and basically when they call it a night and split up. We follow one of the friends Will, who is just cycling down back to his home until he sees a strange figure in the road. Causes him to crash his bike and the unknown creature chases him back to his place. Desperately trying to phone for help, shouting for help but no preveil. So he goes to his hut and grab a rifle to stop this mysterious creature but then he disappears along with the creature and vanishes mysteriously. And the whole first season is set around finding Will who has disappeared. His mother, played by Winona Ryder and his older brother, played by Charlie Heaton look for him. Along with his three mates Dustin, Mike and Lucas and also the Police Chef Jim Hopper as well, played by David Harbour. But along the way there's this mysterious little girl, played brilliantly by Millie Bobby Brown btw, great performance from her. Who is escape from this agency with a sinister plot or something, basically something not good. And she is trying to get away from them til she eventually bumps into Mike, Dustin and Lucas. Will's mates and she is maybe a key to finding Will. Cause you find out that she is not what she appears and has psychokinetic powers in which is a mystery as well.
So basically it sets things up for something big, bigger than just the missing kid. And you find out more about it the more show progresses. But if you reading this and think yourself "sounds dead slow paced this show" it actually isn't slow paced at all. It's all well paced and told dead well. And there's no bullshit filter to slowing down the story. It's a mystery and the characters are figuring out that mystery, as well as the audience. And that's why this show is very well done. Nothing is slow and everything is done well. Through great story telling and the interactions of the characters. All the characters are great.
Especially the mysterious girl who's called Eleven. She was awesome, even without saying much. She trying to fit in and escape the torment from her captures. You feel for her and she really was one of the best characters in the show. All the three kids were awesome, especially Dustin. He was the best, had a few funny one liners and Mike & Lucas were great too. You actually care for these kids and so loveable, you relate to them. Also I'm happy that we got kid characters who aren't shit like in other TV shows. I'm looking at you Carl from The Walking Dead. Also it doesn't stop there, Will's mother was great also. Good to see Winona Ryder back, she still can put on a good performance and I really like the older brother Jonathan. I think he was awesome, also you feel for him. He's mostly a loner and a quiet shy guy, something I can relate to cause I'm like that. But I thought he was good. Same wae Mike's sister Nancy, played by Natalia Dyer (luckily not related to Danny Dyer, thank fuck lol). She was good, she eventually helps out too with Jonathan and that's all I'm saying there. I also like the Chef Jim Hopper. He had a really good story arc, he lost his daughter from cancer and he's basically an Alcoholic. But he's still got good in him and still commited to his job. He is actually imo quite underrated as a character in this show imo. He's basically a man who is hoping to find this kid for like some kind of redemption for himself, you know. So he's really good.
The characters I hate in the show. Will's father who is a total user, complete arsehole. I didn't like Steve, who is Nancy's bf. I think he was a tool. He gets better later on but he come across as a bit of a tool. Also I thought Nancy's pal Barbara was bland, not much to say there. Now the worst ones are these two fucking kids who harass Mike, Dustin and Lucas, omg I couldn't stand these two fucking kids. Your classic cardboard cut out bullies, oh I so hated them and also Steve's pal & his gf. Please kill them, I hated their guts. Total cardboard cut out bullys too. Yeah basically I hate bullies, especially when their underdeveloped. Hopefully we'll get an explanation in season two.
So overall I think this show was awesome. The Duffer Brothers did a excellent job capturing the feel of the 80's and pay homage to the 80's. It does feel like you seem this all before but I think that's the point. It pays tribute to the 80's well and it holds from great characters, a great story and also a great soundtrack too. It maybe not original, but it don't matter. As long as it's awesome, who gives a shit. It's a superb first season and I'm looking forward to seeing more of Stranger Things. Nearly everything is well done.
9/10
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