Stranger Things Season 1 Breakdown:
Chapter 1
From the beginning, they hit us with such amazing quintessential SciFy/Stephen King/ 80's vibe and thrilling moments. The beginning with just starry night and the beep of the lab for a few seconds, the slow visual of the door before the scientist busts through the door. Great visuals. The D&D moment in the basement, the intro of the group, the moments with the parents. No matter what generation, every gamer has had that moment with their parents. Will being honest with Mike about the Demogorgon getting him in the game really shows Will's character right off. He could have lied, but he didn't. He also could have played it safe and casted protection, but he didn’t. The flicker of the light foreshadows things for us, and we don't even know it at that point.That first monster shot of the silhouette causing Will to crash was a shock to me. Especially knowing that they are big fans of Jaws. Because what made that movie scary was you didn't see the shark until the last bit. I love Wynona Ryder as Will's Mom. She plays neurotic and frantic sooo well.Hopper is the epidemy of small town Chief in the 80's. The boys call the street he disappeared on Mirkwood, which is a great nod to Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Lucas and Dustin even have an exchange about the correct movie. Such a nerd moment.The use of Should I Stay or Should I Go is great. Now you can't hear it without thinking of the show. Millie's performance as 11 is fantastic from the beginning. She barely speaks, but shows so much in her eyes and physicality. Bennie is from This Is Us….great cameo, but doesn't last long at all. Such a shame for a sweet guy.Bennie's death shows us that Hawkins Lab is listening in on telephone conversations. The Party realizing that they are going to have to do it their selves and go on this journey is another homage to the 80's classics like ET, IT, The Goonies, and Stand By Me. Also a link to their D&D party game as well.The end hits you hard with more mysteries as the boys stumble across 11 on a stormy night. All while Joyce gets a scary phone call from Will with growling and a big static shock.
Chapter 2
11 reminds me of the Childlike Empress for Never-ending Story.I love the scene of the boys trying to figure out what to do with her. Very Goonies-esque.The scene with Hopper and Joyce gives us a lot of exposition. Hoppers daughter has been dead. He's divorced. Joyce is divorced. Joyce has a knack for being neurotic apparently and is known for it. Hopper cares for her. 11 has seen Will! The scene where 11 recognizes Will signals Mike that there is more going on than they thought. The scene also gives us a flashback of 11 in the lab being punished for not killing a cat. 11 Explains about the bad men and uses D&D toys to signify Will and the monster.Teen party moments are like something out of every movie moment growing up. Barb sitting on the diving board with the blood drop in the pool and her disappearance is like something out of Jaws and Alien. The end of this episode with the 80's music playing, Nancy and Steve in bed, and Barb's vanishing is like a flashback to Jason or Michael Myers.
Chapter 3
I really feel for Barb. She is fighting to live while Nancy and Steve are canoodling. Some best friend Nancy is!I have never thought of Christmas Lights in a scary manner since Krampus!The Poltergeist feels hit hard!I have never understood why casseroles are used as condolences.I was waiting for a Poltergeist Clown moment, yet, I am thankful it didn't happen.STILL NO TRUST FOR THE GOVERNMENT
Chapter 4
I love how each character is portraying different levels of grief.Again….poor Barb….Nancy seems to be the only people who care….and she was canoodling the whole time!I feel that the creation of the character shows that The Duffers are also Slenderman fans.Dr. Brenner is a terrible human being.11 with blonde hair is weird.AGAIN DON'T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT#JusticeForBarb
Chapter 5
The Jonathan/Nancy subplot is STRONG!Lonnie may be just as big of a jerk as Brenner.Hopper!!!! Very Indiana Jones!I LOVE how the Science teacher treats the kids as adults. He doesn't just "handle" them or humor them. He truly has interest in them and their conversation. HE never looks down or talks down on them.I kinda felt the Steve, Jonathan, Nancy subplot is a little cliché.Nancy going in the tree is the epitome of stupid white girl in horror moment.NANCY!!!!!!DON'T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT!
Chapter 6
11 is starting to remind me so much of Charlie in Stephen King's Firestarter!Steve and his delicate male ego truly showed the biggest cliché move with the slander. However, Jonathan laid the smacketh down on him.Steve's friends are soooooo annoying!Josh don't you know one of those girls?The episode was a little slow for me, but I didn't hate it.Yasssss 11!She's our friend and she's crazy!!!!!DON’T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT
Chapter 7
Almost kisses are so romantic. The kids cussing is hilarious. I also love that this show teaches the new generation about old phones. ET moment anyone? Awh what a BROment between Lucas and Mike. "What happened to her hair?" may be the funniest moment. It made me think that Brenner may have some sort of powers as well. He got Mike's mom to calm down waaaayyyyy too easily. Hiding in the bus above your bikes may be the most childlike mistake I have ever seen a group of kids make Jonathan reminds me of like Kurt Kobain and The Beatles rolled into one person. The bully Troy looks like a troll. Steve sucks at being the top guy. He can't fight anyone. I love the walkie talkie aspect of the communication. It adds such a nervousness to it. Like you cant just reach someone if you are out of zone .Steve's redemption story starts a little late to me. Hopper looks like Indiana Jones when he punches the guy and walks in with the gun in his hand. I love that Dustin is just so let down that people do not know how compasses work.I love that Mr. Clark is so willing to help these kids. Sooooo lucky to have all that salt at the school. Thank God for salt!What a terrible kitty pool to have to deal with. Loved the reunion of everyone finally being on the same pageThere are so many "science" project moments Again….poor Barb He's MY son! Yeah…Nancy wants to kill it….so let's just leave the middle schoolers alone to go on a monster hunt.
Chapter 8
JOYCE IS AMAZING IN THIS EPISODEHopper pushing the suits around is great.I forgot how short Wynonna Ryder is.Them suiting up and going into the riff is like something out of Alien or The Thing or The Abyss or something like that.I kinda thought showing Hopper's daughter dying in a flashback was way overdue. I would have probably put it sooner in the season.The trap is almost the same as the trap in the first Nightmare on Elm Street.Steve….GET OUT!BIG BAD STEVE IS A CHICKEN!The egg looks a lot like the egg from AlienThe Hopper flashbacks hit hard.STEVE TO THE RESCUEI loved the moment where they were at the house at the same time, yet not really. Jonathan realizing that it's his Mom.There is something nasty to me about chocolate pudding in a can you have to use a can opener to open.Awkward teenage kiss. That was actually her first kiss.Dr. Brenner is an amazing actor.The kids running away from the suits in the school was stressful, but boy did I love 11 killing the woman who shot Bennie!!! Fun fact: The glare and the head movements were Millie's idea.The Demogorgon busting through the wall with his mouth open looked like the flowers in Mario.We did not see Brenner's Body so I will not say he is dead yet. IF you have epilepsy, be warned!
NOOOOOOOO 11!!!!!I
Don't get putting Steve and her back together, but I like Steve. Loved they gave him redemption. However, we know where the love triangle is heading….because we have seen this all before.I want Hopper to just grab Joyce and kiss herWill….you are NOT okGreat finale and great set up for season 2.
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Overall, this is one of the best shows to come out of Entertainment in the last few years. If you haven't seen it…..you are simply lame….if you have seen it, and don't like it….you're entitled to your very wrong opinion.
10/10 would recommend!
11 Unknow Facts about Stranger ThingsSeason 1
•The original name for the show was going to be called Montauk and is loosely based on a true story:
-The Montauk Project was a series of secret U.S. government projects conducted at Camp Hero, or Montauk Air Force Station, on Montauk, Long Island. The purpose of this project was to develop psychological warfare techniques and exotic research including time travel. Stranger Thingsis allegedly based on the Montauk Project. Hence, the show was named Montaukin the beginning.
•Before being picked up by Netflix, Stranger Things was rejected by 15 networks!
•The Duffer Brothers auditioned 906 Boys and 307 Girls before finding the leads for the show. Their first hire was Gaten Mozzarato, who plays Dustin, but auditioned for Mike. Also, Gaten has Microcranial Dysplasia in real life, which is why his character does.
•Project MK ultra in episode 3 was a real project in the U.S. and is known as the CIA's mind control program. It started in the 1950's and was halted in 1973.
•When the Stranger Things series was released, people instantly connected with her character. So, after Barb’s untimely death, many hashtags started trending such as “#JusticeforBarb” and “#WeAreAllBarb”. Due to her increasing fandom, Shanon Purser, who plays Barb on screen, has to quit her job at a movie theatre. That’s because people kept dropping by the theatre to try to get a glimpse of Stranger Things‘ tragic heroine.
•The police uniforms and vehicles of Hawkins are copied from the uniforms and vehicles in Jaws and Jaws 2 because The Duffer Brothers are huge fans of the movies.
•The quarry featured in the show is the same quarry seen in The Walking DeadSeason 1 that Carol and Andrea are washing clothes in.
•Kellog's hit their highest stock prices ever 4 days after the show debuted.
•1,200 pounds of Epsom Salt was used to make Millie, who plays 11, actually float in the kiddie pool.
•Teri Ives, 11's Mom….is actually The Director of Photography's name. They made that her name for fun.
•Chief Hopper comes to learn about an experiment involving LSD in Episode 3: Holly, Jolly. The Duffer Brothers created this scene in homage to Stephen King. Stephen King’s novel, Firestarter, also features LSD which is used by Charlie’s father Andy during his college years. It is similar to Eleven’s mother being subjected to LSD while involved in the experiments of MK Ultra during her college days.