The Pros and Cons of Season 3 of Stranger Things

(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 24, 2019)

(SPOILER WARNING: THIS WAY OF EJ POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3 OF STRANGER THINGS. IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE SEASON AND DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED, WAIT UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE FINISHED THE SEASON TO READ THE ARTICLE)

I will be the first to tell you about how good of a show Netflix has on their hands with Stranger Things. For me, one summer truly has changed everything. Is it the best season the show has had so far? Tough to say. There were definitely moments in Season 3 that made me smile, yet at the same time several times I was left scratching my head at what was being presented in front of me. With that out of the way, I have made a list of pros and cons about the most recent season of Stranger Things. So grab your Eggos and put your yellow hazmat suits on, it’s time to take a trip into the Upside Down.

Pro – The Marketing

I might as well start off with one of the biggest pluses of Season 3 for me, and I did not even have to watch a minute of the show for this to be a plus. The promotion of the show has been absolutely incredible. From T shirts to fast food tie ins to promotional nights at baseball games, Stranger Things Fever has swept across the nation. Burger King created an Upside Down Whopper and there have been several Scoops Ahoy locations that have popped up around the United States and Canada. It is almost impossible to ignore the hype around Season 3, and it has resulted in more people watching Stranger Things than ever before

Con – The Russians 

Now I get that The Duffer Brothers have to make the main antagonists of the season really dislikable. There is a basic formula to do this: make the villains foreigners. It has worked before, why won’t it work now? My main issue is that there is no backstory as to why the Russians have invaded Hawkins. There is no reason given as to why they want to open the gate again and free the mind flayer. Silver lining is that the Russians provided some humorous liners and Alexei was an unheralded star of Season 3. Hopefully Season 4 gives us a reason as to why the foreigners. was even in the series to begin with.

Pro – Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley

Easily the best part of the season has to go to the Scoops Ahoy ice cream shop workers. Steve Harrington, portrayed by Joe Keery, has leapfrogged Dustin Henderson as my favorite character on the show. His wit, look, attitude, and overall demeanor has resulted in me wanting to get some Scoops Ahoy merchandise. His failure to get girls in the season  premiere was cringey yet hilarious at the same time. Robin Buckley, played by Maya Hawke, provided a “You Rule vs You Suck” board in the background, and Steve struck out six times in trying to get the ladies. Her character didn’t originally click with me at first, but that quickly changed as her chemistry with Steve and Dustin made her one of the most likable characters on the show. Her coming out moment in the season finale was a huge turning point in the show, breaking Steve’s heart. However, the good hearted Steve accepted this for who she is. This duo has caused me to laugh more than any other in the show, and Season 4 should only provide more entertainment.

Con – Too Much Romance

Every TV show now a days seems to have some form of romance between characters. There were no couples during Season 1, but by Season 3, romantic pairings are all over the place. Here is a list of all the romantic pairings seen during the past eight episodes:

• Mike and Eleven
• Max and Lucas
• Dustin and Suzie
• Nancy and Jonathan
• Joyce and Hopper (sorta kinda)

That’s way too many. Stranger Things did not need couples to make the show great. Now it almost seems like the Duffer Brothers are relying on romance in order to widen their audience. This is not necessary. Just have mutual friends come together to fight the Mind Flayer or whatever baddie comes to Hawkins.

Pro – Starcourt Mall and Other 80s References

The whole ideology of Starcourt Mall was absolutely genius. It provided a new setting for the kids to explore and a whole new place to do battle. The stores in the background screamed 80s, and the music played over each scene turned a epic story and added some nostalgic greatness. Jim Hopper’s Miami Vice look had me cracking up from the first time he showed up on the series, and the Never Ending Story sequence between Dustin and Suzie made my heart melt. Every other tiny little nuance that went unnoticed by many was beloved by me. The whole 80s mall thing has always fascinated me, and Starcourt was for sure a highlight of the season, and who knows if it will come back for Season 4? I sure hope it does, or maybe we could see some new locations in Hawkins. Or, season 4 may not even be in Hawkins at all?

Con – The Rats and Mrs. Driscoll

Of all of the things that confused me this season, Mrs. Driscoll made the least sense to me. I get why she was introduced and the rats kinda weaved their way in the story by the end of it, but still it seemed unnecessary. Mrs. Driscoll’s character was also unnecessary, as she did not do much and only ended up being one of the Flayed. She did not interact with any characters other than Nancy and Jonathan, a missed opportunity considering how much of the cast would’ve worked well with her. Could you have imagined her being a grandmother like figure to Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will? Surely, it would have been interesting to say the least. In the end, Mrs. Driscoll ended up in the hospital which resulted in…

Pro – The Hospital Fight Scene and the Mind Flayer Storyline

…the best fight scene in Stranger Things so far. Kudos to Billy Hargrove for being a fantastic villain this season. He has the look of someone you love to hate. Once he got taken by the Mind Flayer, he did the monster’s bidding and took several members of Hawkins into the Mind Flayer’s dungeon. Two of which were Nancy’s co workers, Tom and Bruce . They hunted Nancy in the hospital and chased her and Jonathan throughout the building. Jonathan ended up lying on the floor, before Nancy put a pair of scissors into Bruce’s neck and Tom being hit with a punch by Nancy and a fire extinguisher by Jonathan. The scene concluded with a presumably dead Bruce and Tom forming their fleshy corpses together back into the Mind Flayer. The effects were perfect. The dialogue was outstanding (Nancy screaming “Go To Hell!” at Tom before punching him stands out), and the formation back into the Flayer provided a grotesquely beautiful scene to conclude Episode 5

Con – The Byers Move Out of Hawkins

Now I may be in the minority of this, but I felt like the ending of Season 3 really let me down. When the Byers family (Joyce, Will, Jonathan, and Eleven) depart Hawkins in the finale, it felt symbolic of a changing of the guard in Stranger Things. Now Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Nancy must cope with the loss of some of their closest friends and loved ones. You can tell things have changed, and with Season 4 coming soon, who knows if we will see some of these beloved characters ever again?

Other Pros

• Mayor Kline as a villain
• Demogorgan and an American in the post credit scene
• Max and Eleven’s friendship
• Billy Hargrove as a villain
• The emergence of Erica Sinclair as a main character (you can’t spell America without Erica!)

Everything else was Stranger Things level quality of great. The show provides constant entertainment in which everyone can get behind. While the cons are only minor nitpicks in an overall fantastic season, Stranger Things has been a success for Netflix and a revolutionary show. Season 4 is coming soon, ladies and gentlemen.

And boy, we can barely wait to take one more trip to Hawkins.