Stranger Things

Post by **Cagliostro** » Wed Jul 20, 2016 4:49 pm

This seems to be quickly shaping up to be the next big thing. I've watched the pilot episode and so far I'm feeling the hooks.
It's kind of an X-Files plot with characters from the Goonies, sets from Twin Peaks, and music from Escape From New York, and lettering from Stephen King. And Winona Ryder is in it too. Who so far isn't horrid despite how I felt about her acting in the 90's. I think there may be an element of E.T. in there too, but we'll see.

It all feels very familiar while not feeling completely derivative.

Entertainment Weekly has been talking about it and it sounded interesting, and friends whose tastes I trust have been hopping up and down about it, so I thought I would give it a try.

Anybody else watching this?

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Wed Jul 20, 2016 8:35 pm

I'm halfway through the season. I was intrigued but not all that enthusiastic through the first couple of episodes, but by the end of ep 3 I was hooked.

Post by **Cail** » Thu Jul 21, 2016 4:27 am

Fvcking amazing. We're about halfway through, and they've nailed the early '80s.

And it's creepy as hell.

Post by **Cagliostro** » Wed Jul 27, 2016 4:15 pm

Finished ep. 5. I just want to know what happens!!!

I caught a Dark Tower reference. They mentioned something about the Sombra Corporation, or at least that's what I heard.

Post by **Loredoctor** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 12:38 am

The show is genius. Just finished watching episode 4, and love how everything is now coming together.

Seriously unnerving stuff.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Thu Jul 28, 2016 8:10 pm

I finished the show pretty quickly last week. Really good stuff. Looking forward to a second season.

Post by **Cagliostro** » Sun Jul 31, 2016 6:22 am

I finished it last night and just love it. So good.

Spoiler

I was shouting at the tv when it was ending, "don't have an 80's horror movie ending...don't have an 80's horror movie ending..." but it didn't work. Still, it was fitting. I just wanted everything to be ok.

Post by **aTOMiC** » Wed Sep 14, 2016 2:29 pm

Binge watched first season.

Definitely a fan.

Post by **Cagliostro** » Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:21 pm

Here's a trailer for the second season. It might be a bit of a spoiler in that it gives what is speculated to be the names of the episodes.

Post by **MsMary** » Sun Oct 23, 2016 7:08 am

I started watching this show today. I expect to be done by tomorrow.

Post by **Zarathustra** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 4:19 am

Decent. A bit derivative and formulaic, but it did the formula well. Stephen King feels like the biggest influence. He was even mentioned in the series. I kept getting an It vibe with the kids, their relationship, the clubhouse, the bullies, the monster, the bikes, etc. Of course there's a bit of Goonies, Super 8, X Files, and more ... but King most of all.

Post by **rdhopeca** » Tue Jan 10, 2017 5:56 am

This show is absolutely fantastic. The acting is great, the story is great, the setting believable...and it's not always as predictable as you might think. I'm hooked!

Post by **MsMary** » Mon Feb 13, 2017 8:11 am

rdhopeca wrote:This show is absolutely fantastic. The acting is great, the story is great, the setting believable...and it's not always as predictable as you might think. I'm hooked!

I agree. I raced through it.

There's new about season 2 online, if you search around.

Post by **Hashi Lebwohl** » Wed Oct 25, 2017 6:58 pm

Only two days left before Season 2.

Post by **Cagliostro** » Fri Oct 27, 2017 9:18 pm

New season started, and I'm stuck at work. Will have to start watching it this weekend.
Stupidly, I got my kid interested in it and now he wants to watch Season 2. He is 8 and handled season 1 OK, but with about 2 nights of saying he was scared after watching an episode. I kinda feel like I should watch through it first before I let him watch it, partly because I want to be a responsible parent, but also because I don't want to have to wait for him.

Post by **Hashi Lebwohl** » Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:55 pm

I already binge-watched all of it. Without spoiling anything, I would suggest that you watch them first--things which happen to Will this season might be a little much for an 8-year-old (of course, I don't know your son so I could be mistaken).

Season 2 of many shows sometimes tend to be better than Season 1 because the writers don't have to spend as much time introducing us to certain characters (only the couple of new ones who show up) or concepts--if you don't know what the Upside Down is then you really need to watch the first season first.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 8:44 am

I finished the season last night. I thought it was pretty good, worked well as a sequel and went in some slightly different directions than the first. However, the solo Eleven episode near the end was pretty terrible, and they could have done much better with her in this season.

Post by **High Lord Tolkien** » Mon Oct 30, 2017 3:25 pm

I binged about 10 hours on Sunday on Season 2.
It was awesome!

Post by **Hashi Lebwohl** » Mon Oct 30, 2017 5:10 pm

I'm Murrin wrote:I finished the season last night. I thought it was pretty good, worked well as a sequel and went in some slightly different directions than the first. However, the solo Eleven episode near the end was pretty terrible, and they could have done much better with her in this season.

The important things to take away from that episode are:

Spoiler

1) El isn't the only one...but that forces us to ask whether 1 through 7 and 9 are still alive and if there are even more.

2) Was the target telling the truth? Is Brenner still alive? (Highly unlikely...but you never know). If so, how?

3) How are the people who wish to keep these things quiet going to keep a lid on the events in Chicago? A handful of police saw those things and at least one of them is going to talk at some point.

4) El is gaining much better control of her abilities. She no longer needs an isolation tank, only a little white noise from a radio or TV and a blindfold.

Anyway, they didn't do as much with El this season because this season wasn't about her; instead, it was about the main Party Members. A romantic rivalry over Max--that rivalry will come back to haunt them later on, I assure you, Will being conscripted by the enemy, Mike's withdrawal from the group, etc. If you notice, they never played any D&D this season, only video games once, and they didn't hang out in the A/V room--the core things which had been holding them together aren't there any more.

Once you finish the season don't forget to watch Beyond Stranger Things, the extra "behind the scenes" with the producers, director(s), show creators, and cast. I haven't finished those episodes yet.

Wild, baseless speculation for Season 3: other people like Eleven, possibly three or four of them working together, but nothing more from the Upside Down just yet.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Mon Oct 30, 2017 7:39 pm

Spoiler

For #2 - revealing that Papa is still alive - it has to be true because Hawkins Lab got shut down at the end of the season, and he's going to be the hand behind whoever comes in and picks up the pieces. Or at least that's the obvious direction for them to go.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

Stranger Things

Stranger Things