If you haven’t watched it yet, do it! Do it right now, don’t wait until cozy sweater weather or next Sunday. You don’t need any excuse to open Netflix and disappear for the next 8 hours. Make sure you have everything needed handy because I promise you won’t leave the house or make any unnecessary steps away from your screen until the last episode is over.
Thereafter you are gonna wish to be one of them. One of the kids to ride your bike and go on adventures with your friends. One out of hundred things I love about Strange Things: none of the characters is a jerk or the simple one-dimensional archetype. Everything starts with stereotypes – you think ‘Oh the cool and hip kids in school are terrifying the nerdy, poor outsiders’ or ‘Of course, the typical chief of a small province town somewhere in the US hating his unfulfilled job while dreaming of catching the big bad guys’. But NO. Episode by Episode every character is (Except some secondary characters who are there to either make you laugh or to push the story in the right direction) growing and turning and in the end you’ll love them all. Agreed, the outstanding performances play their part too.
I personally always get bored at some part of any Show. For me even many Episodes of House of Cards dragged on and I could have jumped over without missing anything too important for the story line. At least that’s the feeling I get. I only remember ‘Wayward Pines’ as similar to ST. So no surprise that the Duffer Brothers and creators of the show had also been involved in the writing progress of Wayward Pines. Ha, knew it.
Although I am not a child of the 80ies (no, I’ve never seen the Goonies and ET scared the shit out of me the first time I saw it) I got hooked by the spirit of this Show instantly. The feeling of being a child again, of you and your friends against the rest of the world and especially these grown ups who don’t understand one thing on earth. The first time falling in love, times without smartphones and the possibility to reach anyone at any time, monsters, friendship and rules of friendship that really counts, promises and mystery mixed with modern Sci Fi. Do I have to say more?
Oh yeah, one more thing…also the soundtrack is on point! Netflix just announced they will release an official soundtrack (something they only did for House of Cards and Orange is the New Black so far and my conclusion is this could be the key indicator to the success of a Show on Netflix since their policy is to not report any viewer numbers). Listening to Joy Division’s “Atmosphere,” The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” or Toto’s “Africa” makes continuing with your daily life more tolerable once the last scene is streamed. And if you do miss the main theme already here is an extended version of it!