Netflix
The new season of the sci-fi horror series has the young protagonists facing adult challenges.
In Stranger Things, set in the 1980s in the paranormal hotbed of Hawkins, Indiana, a group of young people — including one telekinetic and telepathic teen — has battled a faceless monster called the Demogorgon, a gigantic faceless monster called the Mind Flayer, and a shadowy science corporation.
The new season of the Duffer brothers’ science fiction series, released on Netflix on July 3, shares the same basic premise. The antagonists include a corrupt mayor, the remnant of one of the monsters the group thought it had slain, and, aptly, the Russians.
But, after a longer gap between seasons than usual, the ragtag cross-generational gang returns with some key differences. Most starkly, the original kids (and the actors playing them) — Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) — are now well into adolescence.
A few have also entered their first romantic relationships, much to the chagrin of some of the other characters such as Will (Noah Schnapp), who doesn’t seem quite ready to give up on childhood, or Hopper (David Harbour), who is very uncomfortable with all the time Eleven and Mike spend together. The former teenagers are now also learning about the perils of adulthood. Nancy and Jonathan are interning at the Hawkins Post, the local paper that has misogynist staffers, while Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) is toiling at an ice cream shop at the newly built mall.
These changes bring fresh new dynamics into existing relationships and introduce some plot opportunities. Steve’s coworker, Robin (Maya Hawke), offers a perfect dose of cynicism to counter the cloying optimism of some of the other characters. Lucas’ sister, Erica (Priah Ferguson), also has a bigger role and provides most of the show’s humor this season.
The freshest addition is the blossoming friendship between Eleven and Max (Sadie Sink). At first they bond while comparing the thoughtlessness of their first-time boyfriends, but the characters grow as the friendship deepens. For the first time, Eleven feels like a character who is making decisions for herself, rather than being a vehicle for the show’s plot. Max, too, evolves to stand against the show’s toxic masculine forces, like her step-brother, Billy (Dacre Montgomery). Their genuine female friendship is one too rarely depicted on television, especially at such a young age.
This season also happens to be the show’s goriest yet. It’s also the most symbolic, with capitalist forces like the recently opened Starcourt Mall and the town’s smooth-talking, Russian-conspiring mayor easily lending themselves to connections to current events and people.
But season 3 is also where the Stranger Things characters are at their most vulnerable, both emotionally and to the show’s evil forces. The directors make ample use of flashback editing, forcing the characters to not only confront the many supernatural threats, but also the trauma, individual and shared, they’ve accrued over the last few years. Their desire to work through the trauma and rely on the community they have created for themselves is incredibly moving. No one does this better than the unstoppable Joyce Byers, played by Winona Ryder.
As the season wraps up with a cliffhanger, I am even more excited for the following season. If Stranger Things continues to grow like it has, I predict that it will maintain its status as one of TV’s best blends of comedy, spookiness and sincerity.
