S01.E01: Chapter One: The Vanishing Of Will Byers

[Tara Ariano]

Description tba.

[zxy556575]

The story isn't breaking any new ground (evil government scientists! telekinesis! ET references!) but it moved at a good pace and kept my attention.

The big distraction was Winona Ryder's performance, which I wasn't buying even a little. You'd think she could at least draw on her daily life to portray "nervously chain smoking." Eleven and Chief Hopper made up for it, though.

I suppose there's a reason other than "because" for setting this in the '83?

Edited July 15, 2016 by lordonia

[Eegah]

I'm digging this so far. As a child of the '80s, I very much appreciate how much it nails the period, not just with the props and clothes, but even the soundtrack and credits to give the feel of something that actually could have been made back then. For that alone, I hope the Duffer Brothers can parlay this into a bunch more work.

[Primetimer]

Does Winona Ryder make monster magic in her new TV vehicle?

View the full article

[Silly Angel]

So good. The kid who plays Mike looks exactly like Laure from Les Revenants.

[NeenerNeener]

The pilot hooked me and reeled me in, but by the 3rd episode I remembered why I've never been able to watch more than the first 15 minutes of The Goonies. The adults and teenagers I can watch, but I can't stand all the drama queening of the preteen boys. I wonder how the curly-haired kid managed to chew all that scenery with no front teeth.

[numbnut]

15 hours ago, lordonia said:

I suppose there's a reason other than "because" for setting this in the '83?

Outside of aping Spielberg movies and other 80s films? Nope.

I'm bummed that they killed off McCleary, er, Benny so fast. He was the only character I was invested in. The boys are super annoying, especially when they're yammering all at once. I like David Harbour so I'll keep watching despite the tsunami of cliches.

[Glade]

I struggled to get through the first episode. I hate, hate, hate the style of goonies, ET and other vapid 80's blockbusters, and these sad predictable cliche-characters should never have been plucked from those films for this.

[benteen]

I enjoyed the first episode and definitely made me want to watch more.

I like the kids and the fact they actually sound like real kids.

I was bummed out about Benny too.

[lucindabelle]

20 hours ago, lordonia said:

The story isn't breaking any new ground (evil government scientists! telekinesis! ET references!) but it moved at a good pace and kept my attention.

The big distraction was Winona Ryder's performance, which I wasn't buying even a little. You'd think she could at least draw on her daily life to portray "nervously chain smoking." Eleven and Chief Hopper made up for it, though.

I suppose there's a reason other than "because" for setting this in the '83?

Actually yes it does.

it needs to be in a world before cell phones.

it needs to be in a world where a woman who could be he mother of a 12 year old took part in that "hippy dippy shit."

so it's justifiable. But the reason we're getting w glut of things set then to be honest has more to do with the producers age. No reason that I can see why Dead ofSummer needs to be the 80s.

[SeanC]

All the child actors are great in this.

The diner owner's death was incredibly predictable, but was still sad.  I liked his scenes with Eleven.

Also, and this is a minor thing, I like that they show the episode titles as part of the episode itself.  That's rare these days.

[Corgi-ears]

Quote

I'm bummed that they killed off McCleary, er, Benny so fast. 

Those fuckers shot the Geico camel.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Corgi-ears

[halkatla]

Compared to all the horrible, horrible, boring, stupid and horrible stuff that´s been on tv for the last couple of years (with a few exceptions like GoT) I kind of like this show, I´ll keep watching just for the 80´s style and mystery. But I´m expecting more than that though. I also thought Winona Ryder  did good and fit in.

[mjc570]

It's ok, so I'll keep watching.  The biggest problem for me is Wynona Ryder 's horrible over-acting.  Yeah, I get that she is frantic, that's she's without resources or support (hard not to, with the in-your-face contrast with Mike's family) but the constant crying and whimpering is ridiculous.  I do like the boys, though, and the science teacher.

[Chaos Theory]

If you are looking for something new and exciting; look elsewhere.  This is a throwback to 80s buddy adventures of the Goonies, Stand By Me, ET genre and it hits all them marks.  However it hits the well which is all I ask for.   The friendship between the main boys is believable and Wynona Ryder plays the frantic mother of the missing will extremely well. 

I think it takes place in the 80s because it was a simpler time before cell phones and computers and Internet.  Before instant access and the mother being convicted by the public for Wills "death" five minutes after he disappears.  It allows for a slower more moody show.

Edited July 17, 2016 by Chaos Theory

[tennisgurl]

Not a bad start, even though I do not really have any 80s nostalgia personally (child of the 90s here), I have always enjoyed the Goonies/ET/Super 8 stuff. The kids act like kids, and the adults and teens are tolerable as of now. I can already pretty much see where this is going, but I think the directing and writing is a nice for a summer binge watch. 

It sucks they killed off Benny/ McCleary so fast. He was probably my favorite character so far. 

[Guest]

On 7/15/2016 at 3:56 AM, lordonia said:

The story isn't breaking any new ground (evil government scientists! telekinesis! ET references!) but it moved at a good pace and kept my attention.

The big distraction was Winona Ryder's performance, which I wasn't buying even a little. You'd think she could at least draw on her daily life to portray "nervously chain smoking." Eleven and Chief Hopper made up for it, though.

I suppose there's a reason other than "because" for setting this in the '83?

Ha, I just posted about the exact same thing in the final ep thread, about Ryder vs. Eleven and Hopper.  

I didn't hark back to ET (but I see it now) but it did remind me of so many Stephen King books/movies:  Firestarter, Carrie, The Shining, Stand By Me.  The Dustin kid (with the dental issue) even reminded me a lot of one of the boys in Stand By Me, maybe Corey Feldman's character?  One of the eps of this is even called The Body, which is the name of the King story that movie is based on.  

[benteen]

Quote

Also, and this is a minor thing, I like that they show the episode titles as part of the episode itself.  That's rare these days.

I like the credits too.  The look of the credits is what reminds me most of an 80s movie.

[DrLar]

When you were at that 11-12 age in 1983 (like me) you love this show and nostalgia hits hard! I clearly remember that I had 3 friends, I don't know what it was but a group of 4 makes sense, specially playing board games and stuff that required 4 players..

I forgot how they find out Eleven was a girl in the first place since she didn't talk at the beginning. (heck anyone would assume it was a boy just by appearance)

[hincandenza]

5 hours ago, DrLar said:

When you were at that 11-12 age in 1983 (like me) you love this show and nostalgia hits hard! I clearly remember that I had 3 friends, I don't know what it was but a group of 4 makes sense, specially playing board games and stuff that required 4 players..

I agree! I would have been 8 or 9 when this show takes place, and it's all dead on: the props, the settings, the fashion, the Jr. High/High school behavior, the innumerable nods and homages to films and directors of that era... it's a total nostalgia-fest.

[Anela]

13 hours ago, DrLar said:

When you were at that 11-12 age in 1983 (like me) you love this show and nostalgia hits hard! I clearly remember that I had 3 friends, I don't know what it was but a group of 4 makes sense, specially playing board games and stuff that required 4 players..

I forgot how they find out Eleven was a girl in the first place since she didn't talk at the beginning. (heck anyone would assume it was a boy just by appearance)

I was 8 in 1983, and I remember a neighbour playing Dungeons and Dragons, making little character figures using molds. At least, he said it was D&D. I didn't play it myself. 

I'm loving the music, and the opening titles remind me of TV shows from that period. I keep thinking of The Tripods, for some reason. Googling it now... that show used to freak me out. 

[DrLar]

I'm surprised nobody had an Atari 2600, not even the rich guy! but the walkie talkies also seem expensive, at that time only the rich guy from the block had one and we'll line up to see if he let us play LOL.

[Deanie87]

On 7/16/2016 at 3:01 AM, lucindabelle said:

Actually yes it does.

it needs to be in a world before cell phones.

it needs to be in a world where a woman who could be he mother of a 12 year old took part in that "hippy dippy shit."

so it's justifiable. But the reason we're getting w glut of things set then to be honest has more to do with the producers age. No reason that I can see why Dead ofSummer needs to be the 80s.

It also needs to be set during a time when kids had that kind of freedom (and I think that stopped even before the proliferation of cell phones.)  For better or worse, most kids can't just take off on their bikes by themselves or play outside until after dark without their parents knowing their every single move and/or hovering someplace nearby.  Having grown up during the late 70s and early 80s, this was one of the things that I looked back fondly on while watching, the absolute sense of independence and freedom that these kids have.  I don't know if they could even make that kind of movie/show today, unless some kind of dire circumstance had befallen the parents.  Back then it was just the norm.

Beyond that, I really wanted to like this more than I have so far.  I am only two episodes in and my husband and I have been having fun pointing out the 80s movies staples.  We have the harried single mom, the rich, preppy boyfriend (though he has nothing on Jake Ryan), the less attractive best friend for the girl, etc.  But beyond that, the story is only so-so and I regretfully agree that Winona is just not doing it for me, at least not yet. 

Edited July 21, 2016 by Deanie87

[Anela]

18 hours ago, Deanie87 said:

It also needs to be set during a time when kids had that kind of freedom (and I think that stopped even before the proliferation of cell phones.)  For better or worse, most kids can't just take off on their bikes by themselves or play outside until after dark without their parents knowing their every single move and/or hovering someplace nearby.  Having grown up during the late 70s and early 80s, this was one of the things that I looked back fondly on while watching, the absolute sense of independence and freedom that these kids have.  I don't know if they could even make that kind of movie/show today, unless some kind of dire circumstance had befallen the parents.  Back then it was just the norm.

Beyond that, I really wanted to like this more than I have so far.  I am only two episodes in and my husband and I have been having fun pointing out the 80s movies staples.  We have the harried single mom, the rich, preppy boyfriend (though he has nothing on Jake Ryan), the less attractive best friend for the girl, etc.  But beyond that, the story is only so-so and I regretfully agree that Winona is just not doing it for me, at least not yet. 

Yeah, we used to be out playing as long as possible, with our friends.  By a certain age, we were taking the bus into the next town, without parents, and I was going into the small city by myself, after school, when I had enough money saved to buy something. 

[KaleyFirefly]

On 7/15/2016 at 8:12 AM, Eegah said:

I'm digging this so far. As a child of the '80s, I very much appreciate how much it nails the period, not just with the props and clothes, but even the soundtrack and credits to give the feel of something that actually could have been made back then. For that alone, I hope the Duffer Brothers can parlay this into a bunch more work.

I agree! I grew up in the 80s.

[Armchair Critic]

The 80's (I was in high school in 1983) with a Steven Spielberg/Stephen King vibe. I'm in!

Edited July 24, 2016 by Armchair Critic

[CofCinci]

The biggest monster of the series is the pair of pants Nancy's friend wore to school. 

[BengalKitty]

I had those pants! That's what I love about this show.  It is so 80's.  And I like there other than Wynona R. I don't know any of the actors.

[caracas1914]

I actually love Wynona's harried and frantic mother, I mean, it's the 90's teenager as an 80's mother.  : )

The plot Goonie kids seems OK, but the Eleven character is the interesting one, with the young girl giving a great performance.

[Portia]

My husband (who went to high school with me) assures me that this is not the case, but I can't shake the nagging fear that I looked EXACTLY like Barb at that age. 

I think this show is not without flaws, but is great fun. I'm in!

[Ms Blue Jay]

Did people use terms like "pussy" and "douchebag" as insults in the 80s?  I'm genuinely curious.

The kids are so cute.

I was very attracted to the character Benny.

Edited August 1, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[AuntiePam]

10 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Did people use terms like "pussy" and "douchebag" as insults in the 80s?  I'm genuinely curious.

The kids are so cute.

I was very attracted to the character Benny.

They did.  I remember my kids calling each other those names. 

Was Benny the man in the diner?  I liked him too.

[numbnut]

21 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

On 7/31/2016 at 11:10 PM, Ms Blue Jay said:

I was very attracted to the character Benny.

Was Benny the man in the diner?  I liked him too.

I immediately liked Benny because of the actor. In "The Knick" he played McCleary, a gruff cop who becomes endearing as a relationship softens him up. Great role, great show.

Edited August 2, 2016 by numbnut

[AuntiePam]

2 hours ago, numbnut said:

I immediately liked Benny because of the actor. In "The Knick" he played McCleary, a gruff cop who becomes endearing as a relationship softens him up. Great role, great show.

Well phooey!  I just finished watching The Knick and didn't recognize him as McCleary. 

[AncientSand]

On 7/18/2016 at 10:46 AM, benteen said:

I like the credits too.  The look of the credits is what reminds me most of an 80s movie.

I think the font was pulled directly from a Stephen King book.

Between the jump scares and the spot-on 80's flashbacks, I'm not sure if me or my kids are having more fun watching it.

What they need now is a remake of all the raunchy films back then.  Bachelor Party, Hot Dog, Last American Virgin, etc.

[Taryn74]

On 8/1/2016 at 1:10 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Did people use terms like "pussy" and "douchebag" as insults in the 80s?  I'm genuinely curious.

"D-bag" stood out to me because I'm 42 years old and had never even heard the term until about 5 years ago, heh.  Otherwise everything seems exactly like it would have in the early/mid 80's to me.

Hubby and I are about four eps in right now and REALLY enjoying it.

[nodorothyparker]

This show has definitely got the look of the time period down, from the harvest gold rotary wall phones to the horrible jeans and feathered hair, to the wood paneled station wagons.  Sure, all the movie cliches are here, but as someone who was about these kids' ages in the Midwest, the kids still feel pretty spot on

Winona Ryder isn't doing much for me yet, but I'm hoping she gets better.  Eleven (?) is doing a lot with a script that's giving her very little to say.

[ihartcoffee]

I graduated HS In 89 so I'm loving this show!  The first episode had me hooked!  WR is a bit manic, but someone has to be.  

[Danny Franks]

This is really, really good. I've watched the first three episodes back to back so far (and will probably watch the rest by the end of the day). Yes, it's full of the Amblin-style, 80s tropes. Small town America, kids on BMXs, D&D and nerds and asshole bullies. Just like Super 8 was. But that's fine, because all that stuff strikes such a chord in me. I didn't grow up in 80s small town America, but I grew up watching it in movies and on TV.

The kids are all really good actors, with very natural performances. Nothing studied or false about them, and they're all realistically goofy looking, rather than being tween model types. The older teens are good as well, and I get such strong Goonies vibes from Will's older brother and Mike's older sister and her friend.

Winona Ryder is obviously the big name, and she seems well suited to this role. Oddball single mother who wishes she had more time for her kids. I expect she'll grow more and more unhinged as the show goes on. I like David Harbour in everything I see him in, and he brings a calm, still presence to this, as the burned out police chief.

As for the title font, as I know that's got quite a bit of attention, it really reminds me of the Fighting Fantasy, choose-your-own-adventure books that my best friend and I were really into as kids. Deathtrap Dungeon, Crypt of the Sorcerer etc. It's a really nice touch. As is the credits score, which could have come from any of a dozen 80s movies.

[thuganomics85]

Giving this a go after hearing all about it from pretty much everywhere (one of the few shows where I've have people both on the net and in my everyday life/work tell me about it.)  Pretty good premiere, I thought.  I'm definitely digging the 80s vibe and all the trends and pop culture stuff (Dungeons & Dragons!), the music ("The Rains of Africa!"  Ha!), and overall feel to it.  So far, it definitely feels like a hybrid of The Goonies and The X-Files (even though the latter was in the 90s.)

The kids all seem to be well-casted enough and pretty natural.  Winona Ryder was decent, even if she was creeping up close into over-the-top territory at times.  David Harbour was my favorite.  He awesome in pretty much everything, and I'm already digging his character.  I'm guessing there will be more of Matthew Modine (as one of the scientist/government guys), the more this show goes on.  Took me a second to recognize Cara Buono as the other mother.

Not sure what to make of either Will's abduction or this mysterious 11 character.  Sucked about poor Benny though.  I was really digging him.  The actor really did make the most of his screen time and will be missed.

The opening credits were great.

I'm definitely in.  Off to watch the second episode, now!

[Dobian]

Just started this one.  It's very derivative with the Goonies kids, the bicycles out of E.T., the school bullies from about fifty Stephen King books, the Terminator theme and background music.  Not sure why they chose White Rabbit for the key scene in the episode, wouldn't an 80s song have been more fitting?  That diner owner is pretty good at spotting girls because I kept wondering why he was calling this boy "she".  Never been a big fan of Winona Ryder, I've always thought she was an overrated actress.  Will see how things go.

Edited August 26, 2016 by Dobian

[Boilergal]

On 8/1/2016 at 2:10 AM, Ms Blue Jay said:

Did people use terms like "pussy" and "douchebag" as insults in the 80s?  I'm genuinely curious.

The kids are so cute.

I was very attracted to the character Benny.

I graduated High School in 1984 and I do not remember anyone every calling someone else and douchebag and this really annoyed me while watching.  Maybe it's a regional thing.

[maraleia]

11 hours ago, Boilergal said:

I graduated High School in 1984 and I do not remember anyone every calling someone else and douchebag and this really annoyed me while watching.  Maybe it's a regional thing.

Where did you live while in HS? I grew up in IL in the 70s and 80s and heard people say douchebag all the time.

[Guest]

This was interesting.  

http://dialectblog.com/2011/07/01/on-the-evolution-of-douchebag/

I guess 'douchebag' appeared in the novel form of ET.

[Unclejosh]

Yeah douchebag was pretty common in Mass for sure during that time.  You know because chances were your mom actually had one in the bathroom cabinet/closet.   It is weird it is still in use considering most people today have never even seen one nor know what it does. 

[breezy424]

So Chris Sullivan who plays Benny is now on This Is Us as Toby.  Took me a moment to recognize him because he looks thinner on Stranger Things.  Interesting if you watch This Is Us.

I think they did a pretty good job of capturing the time frame.  I also think that Winona Ryder isn't very good in this role.  The kids are great.  I'll continue to watch but I'm not hooked.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I have been putting off watching this show for almost an entire year because I am a wuss and I thought it might be too scary for me. The first eight minutes were a little suspenseful but I'm glad I stuck with it!

One thing I LOVE about the show so far is that they immediately established the feel of 1983 in a realistic way. They got so many of the details just right (unlike The Carrie Diaries which just threw in any crazy 80s stuff willynilly regardless of when it was actually from which resulted in some majorly mishmashed outfits).

Funny to see people referring to things like kids riding their bikes as cliche. To me, it's an accurate portrayal of the 80s rather than a cliche because that was the reality back then. Kids had bikes and they rode them to each other's houses after school and on the weekends. Calling it a cliche would be the equivalent of thirty years from now, a tv show is set in the 2010s and viewers refer to everyone having iphones as cliche.

Nancy and Steve making out in the bathroom was giving me Angela/Jordan Catalano flashbacks. Pro: he suggested going out that night which took a lot longer for Jordan to get to Con: he wanted to make out in the bathroom at school. Ewwww. Nancy is a lot braver than I was at that age. I was way too chicken to let a guy sneak into my room and make out with him while my parents were still in the house AND awake.

I saw E.T. when I was a little kid and the guys in the quarantine suits were one of the scariest things about that movie for me, so when I saw the guys on the show walking down the hallway in their quarantine suits, I was already getting tense due to my association with those scary suits! (I didn't watch that movie again until I was in middle school and some kids I was babysitting were watching it when I arrived - even then I was a little afraid that I would freak out!)

I loved seeing the kids get so excited about the ham radio! They were sooo excited about the possibility of talking to someone in New York, California, or Australia. Then I realized kids don't get that excitement now because they can talk to people all over the world now thanks to the internet.

The person I felt most sorry for in this episode was Will's brother Jonathan. The poor kid took an extra shift because he knew his family could use the money and now he's probably going to feel guilty about it for the rest of his life (despite the fact that even if he had come home sooner, there's nothing he could have done to save or help Will).

Ted is the most annoying oblivious kind of dad who thinks he's actually being helpful and supportive when he's just being an ass.

Poor Benny! He was just trying to help Eleven and he got killed for his trouble.

What are the boys going to do with Eleven? Take her home and tell their parents, "We found her in the woods. Can we keep her?"

[freebie]

Late to the party, but, I just took the plunge and am two episodes in. Will probably binge the rest this weekend. I'm only commenting now because of the dialogue question up above. I remember "douchebag" being used in ET itself. The harried single mom in that movie reprimanded her older son for saying it. I can still hear Dee Wallace's delivery of "No douchebag talk in this house!"

[bettername2come]

Rewatched after post-season 2 withdrawals. I love the reveal of Eleven at the end. Poor Benny. Loved his performance here, definitely preferable to his work on This Is Us. Love the scene before Will gets taken. He's prepared and he tries to fight. Major respect for the character for that.

Spoiler

Love the parallel in 2x08 with the chain coming undone because El was unlocking it vs the monster unlocking it as it got Will here.

[CeeBeeGee]

Re douchebag: I graduated HS in '85. In 8th or 9th grade I remember having a lengthy (and humorous) "passed note in study hall" discussion with my friend about who was a douchebag, who was a used douchebag, who was so defective (and therefore never even used) douchebag...yes, the term was around then ;) At that time I was living in New Hampshire, if that helps.