Review: ‘Stranger Things 3’: From Fighting Demogorgons to Handling Puberty

[00:00:05] Stranger Things 3 – From Fighting Demogorgons to Handling Puberty, by Papri Das Wow! That escalated quickly. This used and abused phrase sums up just how Stranger Season 3 of Stranger Things is, right off the bat.

[00:00:21] Beat the wordless opening sequence that makes you check your speakers or the sci-fi elements that look completely foreign to you. Figuratively of course, you know this one will be a different ride.

[00:00:33] The Duffer Brothers return with the third season of Stranger Things on Netflix this 4th of July with a not-so-gentle reminder for fans. Time flies! You are caught off guard when the nerdy, awkward but innocently adventurous kids from Season 2 are thrown onto your screen in their adolescent avatars.

[00:00:52] Yes, Puberty hit them and Netflix didn't wait for you to catch up. Though we at the Quint did get a head start with the first six episodes shared with us for reviewing.

[00:01:03] This season has 8 50 minute-ish episodes in total so I still don't know how it all ends. Netflix, this is a torture! As if drawing parallels with the kids' sudden tolerance or should we say appetite for horror, thrill and adult-like things that teens want to like,

[00:01:21] the showmakers have also scaled up the visually terrifying and scream-inducing elements in the show. The season is not so faint-hearted though Season 1 and Season 2 do prepare you for some of it. After your done jump-screaming to the iconic synthwave credit tracks that define Stranger Things, Season 3 introduces the gag,

[00:01:44] Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, Max and L having their lives best summer till date or so it seems. The showmakers were kind enough to do fan service with references and callbacks throughout the season.

[00:01:57] When fighting a demagogan was easier than handling Puberty. As mentioned before, this is a different ride from the previous two so prepare yourself for some new and unexpected dynamics to play out on screen and some OG-borns seeing some cracks.

[00:02:14] In fact, after catching up with the elements of horror, mysteries, action and sci-fi both visually and through the narrative the key conflict or struggle that Stranger Things Season 3 explores is how our protagonists deal with the change within and among themselves.

[00:02:31] Unlike the previous seasons where most of the focus was on what's happening to the kids, this one gives significant screen time to how they are dealing with things. Possibly because the actors too are now mature enough to deliver that.

[00:02:46] This extends to the other key characters too like Nancy and Jonathan who now have to dance around their new realities of adulting, Mr. Byers and Hopper dealing with familiarity and intimacy and just being their pedantic selves actually.

[00:03:01] You can't blame them. Season 1 and Season 2 had kept them way too busy and now they have some spare time apart from their dramas. Throw in some classic American wonder of capitalism, a giant mall into the mix and suddenly all these people from Hopkins

[00:03:19] have a lot of way to laser round and do nothing. This isn't some coming-of-age story. This is horror. And once you are fully baited with sundry summer teen drama, the directors yank you from your unsuspecting senses

[00:03:34] to remind you that Stranger Things is not a coming-of-age story about a bunch of kids. It's the opposite or should we say upside down.

[00:03:45] The viewers are given the mixed pleasure and agony of slowly watching how much of a mess our heroes are in while they are shooting their teen drama. That doesn't stop you from peeking out with them when shit hits the fan.

[00:03:57] Suddenly you are falling multiple high-octane sequences in classic Stranger Things style and the brilliant scene transitions keep you hooked on all of them. Did everyone hit their head last season? What does get frustrating to watch till that moment is how most of the characters ignore obvious trained signs.

[00:04:19] Staying in disbelief or gaslighting people like your average Joe, when for two whole seasons they were either hunting interdimensional monsters or tracking government's conspiracies. Did all the characters seal their basic instincts in upside down when Elle closed the gate in the last season finale?

[00:04:40] If the intention was to have the viewer panic for them it didn't quite work. All it did was make them look dumb and out of character. Time to update the meme bank.

[00:04:51] Thankfully they come out of it. After all the appeal of Stranger Things comes from the characters' dynamics, screenplay, effortless on-screen chemistry and comic timing. If you go back to the last two seasons what defined the side arcs was seeing characters develop through just conversation.

[00:05:09] Steve and Dustin are the classic examples. Steve became more than just a jock character through his scenes with Dustin. The makers of Stranger Things risk upsetting fans if the duo don't get their sidequests in season 3.

[00:05:24] They also risk reducing Steve and Dustin to cameos and kill the character development from season 2. The Duffer brothers have gone with a smart middle path by throwing fresh characters into the blend with them.

[00:05:36] They have also tried fresh pairs as side arc buddies. Elle and Max are one such odd pair. Though it's used to give Elle some cliched coming off age experiences and may seem forced at times, it does the trick.

[00:05:51] Does it also give a new perspective on Max? I guess we will find out together on 4th July when the show premieres on Netflix.