Season One: All Episodes

[zxy556575]

Well, it kept me entertained throughout, although I continued to dislike Ryder's clunky performance.

They sure set themselves up for season 2 with the ol' coughed-up slug monster down the city sewer. Poor Will.

Edited July 17, 2016 by lordonia

[QQQQ]

Not sure if the blame lies with the writers or Winona Ryder, but Joyce sure was a one-note character. Kept thinking of a frazzled Vera from "Alice."

[Blue Plastic]

What house were Joyce, Jonathan, and Will living in there at the end?  It looked different and their previous house had been pretty beat up during the course of the season.  I didn't think their family was supposed to have much money, yet at the end of this episode they seemed to be doing better financially if not slug-wise.

Was kind of surprised that Nancy was with the fluffy haired jerk (forgot his name) there at the end.

[zxy556575]

8 hours ago, Blue Plastic said:

What house were Joyce, Jonathan, and Will living in there at the end? It looked different and their previous house had been pretty beat up during the course of the season. I didn't think their family was supposed to have much money, yet at the end of this episode they seemed to be doing better financially if not slug-wise.

Was kind of surprised that Nancy was with the fluffy haired jerk (forgot his name) there at the end.

For a woman who was working two jobs and could barely afford groceries, the new and/or refurbished house didn't make sense to me, either. I also wondered about Jonathan's expensive camera, although he did mention having a part time job.

The writers swerved a bit with Nancy since typically she would have realized that dork next door Jonathan was The One, but they elected to redeem Steve instead. Bad choice, Nancy! Remember all his previous assy behavior? But then, she also forgave Jonathan for his peeping much more readily than I would've.

[marinw]

I'm three episodes in. Perhaps one of the reasons the series is set in the 80's is that children were generally much more "Free Range" than today. Even with the missing child the kids are still sneaking out and roaming around on their bikes at all hours without helmets-something that could warrant a call to CPS these days. It is also interesting how the School Bullies are seen as more an annoyance than a source a permanent trauma.

I am starting to fast forward through poor Winona Ryder's scenes.

Edited July 17, 2016 by marinw
Accuracy

[Andrew Wiggin]

After Watching the last Epsiode i got a thought, can it be the Monster is the Upside/Down Twin from Eleven ?

[Mya Stone]

I still have 11 minutes left to finish the show, but I'm almost positive they set themselves up for a rescue mission to save Eleven. She surely vanquished herself to the "Upside Down" to save Mike, Lucas, and Dustin. It would definitely be in the 80s movie sequel vain to have them search for her next season...

 

of course, this is barring some major change over the last 11 minutes. 

 

ETA: I actually think Will's coughing fit slug demon baby thing and the flash to the Upside Down can tie into that...and then whatever Hopper is up to, as well. I didn't understand leaving the food. Maybe someone smarter than me can explain that. 

[zxy556575]

55 minutes ago, Mya Stone said:

I didn't understand leaving the food. Maybe someone smarter than me can explain that. 

I'm not stepping up for "smarter," but I just assumed that Eleven can return to Rightside Up at will and that she's eating the food.

The Eggo scenes did make me hungry for waffles!

[jmonique]

I see he's 57 according to Wikipedia, but Matthew Modine with a mane of silver hair, and Winona Ryder as the very (believably) mother of a near grown man has made me feel old like few things ever have before.

Am I the only one who thought Mike looked more like Winona Ryder in her youth than his parents?

As marin mentioned, the series brought back memories of riding a bike everywhere, without having to reporting one's every move to your parents. It really captured that freedom of being free range and exploring the world on your own.

I'm also enjoying how smart the middle school kids are. Dustin, in particular, is awesome.

Edited July 17, 2016 by jmonique

[missysays]

9 hours ago, lordonia said:

For a woman who was working two jobs and could barely afford groceries, the new and/or refurbished house didn't make sense to me, either. I also wondered about Jonathan's expensive camera, although he did mention having a part time job.

The writers swerved a bit with Nancy since typically she would have realized that dork next door Jonathan was The One, but they elected to redeem Steve instead. Bad choice, Nancy! Remember all his previous assy behavior? But then, she also forgave Jonathan for his peeping much more readily than I would've.

I was wondering if the Department of Energy or whatever government agency was in charge of Hawkins Labs had to shell out some sort of pay out for Joyce and her family and that's where the money came from to renovate the house. It did look like their old house- had the same door and exterior just completely refurbished. I mean it would make sense if they got a pay out - after all their agents planted a fake dead body and made it seem like her son was dead and the agents who were responsible caused havoc all over town before getting killed themselves.

As for Jonathan's new camera it was a replacement present from Steve and Nancy. Steve asked Nancy when she came back to the living room if she got a chance to give it to Jonathan. It seems that he wanted to make amends. It's pretty clear though that Nancy and Jonathan aren't done and that they're relationship will continue to be explored in the next season (if they get one). Nancy has way more of a natural and intimate connection with Jonathan than she does with Steve. I loved their scenes together- they seem to really listen and think well together in a way that she doesn't with Steve. Even though it seems like she's chosen Steve I think it's really just for now and she and Jonathan will continue to grow their connection. I think one of the reasons why she "forgave" him so soon was because they had a common evil to fight together. But she wasn't ready to completely end her relationship with Steve and start up with Jonathan so she's taking it slow there. But you can tell that she's thinking about Jonathan and connected to him in a way that she's not with Steve.

I also want to know why Hopper left the food for Elle in the woods. What does he know from his ride with the government agents that the rest of us don't?

I was watching an interview with some of the producers of the show and they say that in the next two weeks they are going to meet with Netflix to see if they are greenlit for the second season and if so they're going straight into planning and mapping out of the next season. They seemed pretty confident it would happen because they were talking specifically about how this series is not meant to be an anthology and it's meant to continue the story with the same characters we've been introduced to in season 1. So if it continues we'll most likely get all of our questions answered- plus more!

[Ronin Jackson]

It was driving me nuts trying to figure out where I'd seen Natalia Dyer before until I realized she is the splitting image of a young Emmy Rossum. Even the role is one a young Emmy Rossum would have played.

I enjoyed the show. The kids were great and the 80's nostalgia was on point. There were definitely a few plot problems (the one moment it really detracted was when the cop was able to gain access to a high security military facility and find his way to the gateway with relative ease... and then they let him go for some inexplicable reason). 

[Tarasme]

That was a super fun weekend watch.

I couldn't help compare to Super 8, E.T., Invaders from Mars, Scanners, and every John Hughes movie ever. While it didn't endear me like any of those (every time I think of Super 8 I sigh and smile), I did appreciate that it attempted gritty over sentimental and was bold in using some '80s movie cliches while making a good solid story.

Am I a terrible human being for hating Lucas?

Not sure what to say about Winona Ryder. She has the body language of a '70 yr old with the frenetic pace of a yipping terrier.

Hopper was fun. Of all the characters, I most appreciated his clear motivations while not feeling like I was being anvil-ed with an ever present dead kid. Ok, maybe "fun" is the wrong word.

Did we ever get an explanation for the ash-like stuff falling, the mossy goo, if the demagorgon was the only creature in the upside down, etc?

While I want to shave Steve's head, I did like it that he was a decent human being and it's not a reach to me that Nancy decided to give that another shot. I'm hoping that S2 provides Jonathan with a life outside of taking care of his way too fragile mom and sweet brother.

I was really hoping for a coda of Mike visiting El's mom and telling her how awesome she is/was. Just give that lady some peace show please.

[missysays]

When the "One Month Later..." was playing, I sort of wondered if Hopper and Joyce were going to explore a romantic relationship together. I half expected when he parked his car that he was parking it outside of Joyce's house and that he would show up as a fourth member of that holiday dinner that Joyce and her boys were having. I don't necessarily think they'd be the best match together but they do make a certain sense together in that their emotional wounds fit each other. Hope we get to find out more next season!

[hincandenza]

Pre-emptive apologies for the length of this comment, just jamming 8 episodes of thoughts and reflection in at once. :)

I finished this one on Saturday night, and on the whole really enjoyed it.  Such a fun nostalgia ride for those of us (Gen X-ers?) in the 40+ age bracket! :)  Very few missteps, other than a couple of frustrating "characters not talking" moments (for example, at the very end I didn't buy for a second that Will would just not mention what happened in the bathroom, after that whole ordeal!).

It also had a pretty satisfying ending, although I do have some lingering questions.  That's forgivable, since they wouldn't set themselves up for a (very likely) season 2 if they didn't have some bullets left in the chamber.

 

On 7/16/2016 at 8:39 PM, Blue Plastic said:

What house were Joyce, Jonathan, and Will living in there at the end?  It looked different and their previous house had been pretty beat up during the course of the season.  I didn't think their family was supposed to have much money, yet at the end of this episode they seemed to be doing better financially if not slug-wise.

Was kind of surprised that Nancy was with the fluffy haired jerk (forgot his name) there at the end.

I think it's because of those news clippings we saw in passing at the end: we don't know how much became public (did the government clean up all the bodies at the school before Monday?), but at minimum the state troopers have an ongoing a scandal since the "official" story became that they apparently faked a body and misled a family.  Perhaps a lawsuit/settlement (although one month is awful soon) of some kind?  Or maybe donations from townsfolk?

I kind of liked that Nancy was still with Steve; he wasn't played as 80's mega-evil highschooler, but instead as a somewhat douchey kid who was after all a kid, and thus had a capacity to get better.  I think he reacted well when the monster showed up, and that helped him and Nancy get past their hiccup; once he knew what was really going on, all the little shit stopped mattering.  Mostly, it was him ditching those awful friends of his who were right out of terrible 80's high school kids central casting. :)
 

On 7/17/2016 at 8:23 AM, Andrew Wiggin said:

After Watching the last Epsiode i got a thought, can it be the Monster is the Upside/Down Twin from Eleven ?

I am very curious and unresolved about that.  In one of the threads, someone derided those scenes as mimicking "Under the Skin", but that was clearly on purpose and I think it's meant to suggest a very, very alien place of non-existence.  For now, I think my tentative viewpoint is that the upside-down was created by us.  Or more specifically, it was an empty pocket dimension first visited by the MKUltra test subjects doing remote viewing; in the desire to remote view/play with these powerful forces, they ended up going into the "flea" dimension and as a result began turning nothingness into somethingness.  

I know other media have used that idea, that a dimension comes into existence when we poked a hole into it, and thus is a reflection of our own world (can't recall obvious examples right now... Narnia, maybe? If I recall it was 'created' during a traffic accident in pre-war London or something.  I think the original Marvel comic book "Secret Wars" described the Beyonder's dimension like that as well).  Thus, it's a shadow dimension that reflects the "real" world that people who visit it remember.  This is why it Will could 'conjure' the shadow version of Castle Byers for protection, and why Nancy and Barb and the Hawkins guy who went in while attached to the cable- as well as Hopper and Joyce in the finale- all saw it as a poorly lit reflection of the world they were from.  Which would logically imply the monster is a creation somehow; a reflection of the people who visited the UD.

On the other hand, we apparently see 11's very first visit to the UD with remote viewing that Russian guy, and that's when she first hears "low growling" (yes, I watch with the captions on, why do you ask?) and screams to be let out.  So if it's a creation and not a whole shadow-ecosystem, then it was created then and there by her base fears come to life.  Alternately, it's something that was created there by test-subjects 1-10, and killed them while they were in the UD- hence her being the only one left.  If it's not a creation, then I have no idea what it did for the eternity before humans broke through.

Interestingly, for all the talk of the "gate", the monster did come and go at will- through the trees, through the walls, etc.  That makes sense if it pre-existed, but only can come through once it becomes aware of our world- which it did as soon as we went poking our noses in the Upside Down while trying to fight commies.  That raises the question of where El is, and whether she and it are as you say paired/twins/connected somehow: they're the only two who can apparently transfer back and forth without needing to go through the gate.

Or, here's an even crazier idea: the monster is Terry Ive's stillborn child Jane, and El is the parallel dimension version that lived (or vice versa)... but was stolen to be experimented on, a la Walter & Peter Bishop in "Fringe".  Or like Elizabeth in "Bioshock Infinite", now that I think of it...

Edit: and now I'm kind of in love with this crazy theory, because a minute after hitting "save" on this post, I realized that since the monster seems to reproduce like a facehugger/xenomorph, it would be fitting if it was originally Terry Ive's stillborn child: coming out of Barb's mouth, then coming out of Will's, as a Giger-esque perversion of gestation and birth.

 

On 7/17/2016 at 2:35 PM, missysays said:

I also want to know why Hopper left the food for Elle in the woods. What does he know from his ride with the government agents that the rest of us don't?

I was watching an interview with some of the producers of the show and they say that in the next two weeks they are going to meet with Netflix to see if they are greenlit for the second season and if so they're going straight into planning and mapping out of the next season. They seemed pretty confident it would happen because they were talking specifically about how this series is not meant to be an anthology and it's meant to continue the story with the same characters we've been introduced to in season 1. So if it continues we'll most likely get all of our questions answered- plus more!

That's my other big question: him leaving that food raises a LOT of unresolved questions.  It's pretty vague to me what El did at the end with the monster; she obviously was able to control it using her teke, but what happened to it and her?  Did she banish it back to the UD permanently (thus closing all gates) but in doing so had to go back herself?  If that's true, then why is Hopper leaving food, and why would he know to do that?  It only makes sense if El is able to access it (maybe she's stuck in the UD all alone, but can pull things through), since we don't see rotting food in the box when he shows up.  I think the show will get renewed- a lot of people in my own social circle are talking about it- but I think shoring up their mythos will be key to not descending into mid-series levels of "Lost" incoherency.

The general belief online is that Netflix pretty much always gives its original shows a tentative two-season contract, and only if it's a complete disaster do they pull that back.  But yeah, I think this show is for sure returning since it's been critically applauded, and it's good to know they're eager to start working on it ASAP.  I'm also glad to hear it's not going to be anthology like- i.e., next season completely resetting similar to how True Detective or AHS operate- as I don't think the story is done here.  But I do hope they expand on it, perhaps introduce other people touched by these "Stranger Things".  Hey, maybe in a few years Will or Mike will change their names, and form a group called the "Lone Gunmen" to investigate government conspiracies... :)

13 hours ago, Tarasme said:

That was a super fun weekend watch.

I couldn't help compare to Super 8, E.T., Invaders from Mars, Scanners, and every John Hughes movie ever. While it didn't endear me like any of those (every time I think of Super 8 I sigh and smile), I did appreciate that it attempted gritty over sentimental and was bold in using some '80s movie cliches while making a good solid story.

Am I a terrible human being for hating Lucas?

Not sure what to say about Winona Ryder. She has the body language of a '70 yr old with the frenetic pace of a yipping terrier.

It was fun!  And the constantly allusions and homages were a big part of it; someone on Reddit (or here?) described it as the product of all that Netflix data on what we watch and like, and churned out some algorithm of references and cinematic/plot tricks... and then went on to say it must be a damned good algorithm, because they loved the show. :)

I too hated Lucas; I'm glad he finally came around, because for an 11-year-old he was approaching Dana Scully levels of unbelievably stubborn skepticism.  The less said about Ryder the better; even assuming the constraints of plot and dialogue, I found her acting to be too hammy.  Considering that the directors managed to coax such great, nuanced performances from kids, the blame clearly falls on her.

Edited July 19, 2016 by hincandenza

[marinw]

I also loved the Science Guy who was willing to answer the boy's questions about Parallel Universes and Sensory Deprivation tanks. Remember, this was before kids could look these things up on their phones.

[Tarasme]

11 hours ago, hincandenza said:

Interestingly, for all the talk of the "gate", the monster did come and go at will- through the trees, through the walls, etc.  That makes sense if it pre-existed, but only can come through once it becomes aware of our world- which it did as soon as we went poking our noses in the Upside Down while trying to fight commies.  That raises the question of where El is, and whether she and it are as you say paired/twins/connected somehow: they're the only two who can apparently transfer back and forth without needing to go through the gate.

Good post HINCANDENZA!

I did think, though, that the "gate" only applied to those right side up, including corporeal El. Certainly, there's a lot of plot ground left to cover- should they choose- to examine ideas about gates, soft spots, lines of convergence, etc. The demagorgon had enough energy to bust through as he wished- I thought that the remaining slime worms (eeyyaaahhbleeeccch) were a nutrient tether- not procreation. Anyway, the slime worms fed on Barb, hapless hunters, and Will and allowed the demagorgon to break through... and if I'm wrong- cool- cause I have no idea what sustained that thing previously if the upside down is as barren as it looked while Nancy, Topper, Joyce, and Will ambled through. Weird that a predator wouldn't have apparent prey, but, as you hypothesized, maybe there are other people, other (stranger) things and other "sides" with which the monster interacts. Heck, maybe the demagorgon is a cuddly kitten compared to things not yet seen. 

For El, during her experiences in the baths, I think her free range brain had sensory input but not physical existence. I don't think she was *really* there in the upside down, just like she wasn't there when she acted as a signal_amplifier_two way radio for covert listening. I don't think her body could transfer back and forth without the gate- but either I have to hand wave the scene in the upside down when she found Will or believe El had more that she could do if not impaired by fear and oppression. :::shrugs:::

11 hours ago, hincandenza said:

Edit: and now I'm kind of in love with this crazy theory, because a minute after hitting "save" on this post, I realized that since the monster seems to reproduce like a facehugger/xenomorph, it would be fitting if it was originally Terry Ive's stillborn child: coming out of Barb's mouth, then coming out of Will's, as a Giger-esque perversion of gestation and birth.

eeyyaaahhbleeeccch I hope not. I'd much rather see other inhabitants of the upside down rather than a bunch of baby demagorgons. Blech!

11 hours ago, hincandenza said:

 

(good stuff about Netflix and future of the series)... But I do hope they expand on it, perhaps introduce other people touched by these "Stranger Things".  Hey, maybe in a few years Will or Mike will change their names, and form a group called the "Lone Gunmen" to investigate government conspiracies... :)

Heh. :)

[M.F. Luder]

18 hours ago, hincandenza said:

Hey, maybe in a few years Will or Mike will change their names, and form a group called the "Lone Gunmen" to investigate government conspiracies... :)

I too hated Lucas; I'm glad he finally came around, because for an 11-year-old he was approaching Dana Scully levels of unbelievably stubborn skepticism. 

I was seeing these connections to the characters of the X-Files too. And the scene where they find Will in the green pod and pull the huge worm out of his throat was pretty much identical to the scene in the 1st X-Files movie where Mulder rescues Scully in Antarctica. 

I also think it was a lot like the Dean Koontz novel Door to December. I read that book 15 years ago, so I don't remember everything, but it was basically about a mysterious young girl who is found wandering the streets in a catatonic state and then it's found out she was part of some government experiment where she was placed in sensory deprivation tanks and she gained some psychic/telekinetic powers from it and she was being pursued by the government agents that she had escaped from. This show was basically that, combined with the other realm aspect of the movie Insidious. Basically, I don't think this show is very original.

I did think it did a great job at building intrigue, and most of the characters acted in intelligent ways, which is a nice change to the usual horror movie/tv cliches. But, as soon as the Upside Down universe was explained, I lost a lot of interest. I wanted the bad guys to be intelligent creatures with motivations beyond eating/killing humans. It would make them scarier if they were more like alien creatures instead of mindless killing machines.

Overall, I liked it as something to binge watch while I was cleaning up my house, but I won't mind if it never gets a second season.

Edited July 19, 2016 by M.F. Luder

[teddysmom]

Quote

Not sure if the blame lies with the writers or Winona Ryder, but Joyce sure was a one-note character. Kept thinking of a frazzled Vera from "Alice."

 I just watched first 4 episodes last night and Winona's performance is the one that grates on me. The kids are a little off sometimes, but they're kids,  for someone as  experienced as Winona Ryder, she is just too over the top, even for a mother who's  going crazy trying to find her son.

Take notes from JoBeth Williams in Poltergeist.  You felt her terror, but never like she was completely flipped out before the daughter disappeared.

I just realized that the actress that plays Nancy's mom played Faye on Mad Men.  That's been driving me crazy. 

I enjoyed it. It was a nice break from Bloodline which was giving me a heart palpitations.  

[benteen]

Quote

Am I a terrible human being for hating Lucas?

Lucas was exhausting and I found him annoying although Joyce was worse.  Too much crazy for too long on this show.  It's hard to believe that Winona Rider was an Oscar nominee once. 

David Harbour's Hopper character was really good and the kids were terrific.

[janie jones]

I didn't think that Will's family was living in the same house.  I took it to be a new house they had just moved into because there were boxes in the corner.

 

On 7/17/2016 at 1:57 PM, lordonia said:

I'm not stepping up for "smarter," but I just assumed that Eleven can return to Rightside Up at will and that she's eating the food.

The Eggo scenes did make me hungry for waffles!

Watching last night, I was so pleased when I remembered there were Eggos in the freezer.

[withanaich]

Quote

Did we ever get an explanation for the ash-like stuff falling, the mossy goo, if the demagorgon was the only creature in the upside down, etc?

The demagorgon couldn't possibly be a lone monster, though. Because that Home Alone trap Nancy and Jonathan set up pretty much melted it into goo, and then a monster showed up at the Hawkins lab after all those agents got killed. The only way that's the same monster is if the thing can't be killed. (Terrifying thought.)

[Cheezwiz]

I was entertained by this show, but am a bit surprised at how unanimously high the ratings & reviews have been. It was fun, but my mind was not blown. Overall, it seemed to be a mixed bag of strengths and weaknesses.

I was a middle-schooler in 1983, and the show's inspiration comes directly from all kind of things I adore, so in theory it should have been right up my alley, but I was not completely won over. It was almost as if the filmmakers were so intent on cramming as many 80's references in, that they didn't work on polishing their scripts. For about the first half of the series, the writing was so sloppy and lazy, it felt like a network TV movie-of-the-week to me. It did seem to improve toward the end, probably because I was more invested in the characters.

The Good:

The kid actors - they all seemed really believable, and their interactions genuine. Loved Dustin the toothless wonder! Loved Mike's roaring toy dinosaur!

Wasn't familiar with David Harbour prior to this show, but I  enjoyed him as the Chief.

Matthew Modine's snowy white hair. God, I remember him starring in coming-of-age movies  back in that era, and he now looks like a cover model for AARP magazine. I feel ancient.

The Bad:

Winona Ryder - I liked the concept of her playing the Mom, but ye gods she was irritating. It was as if she launched her performance on the highest shrillest note possible and kept hammering it relentlessly. Just no nuance or modulation at all.

Weak writing - plot holes everywhere. Things that were silly enough to take you out of the story. Was there really no one looking for poor Barb? Could the Chief really have slipped into a high-security military lab? Teenage love-triangle. Found it boring - was more interested in the adventures of the middle-schoolers. Felt like some of the nostalgic music choices could have been sharper too.

I was a bit confused by the ambiguity of the ending ( why was the Chief leaving food offerings for eleven when she had sacrificed herself?). Will probably watch a second season, despite these complaints.

[Suzysite]

Here's my take on Upside Down world...it didn't even really exist until El touched the monster in her remote viewing session.  She had tapped into another dimension totally unlike ours with no reference point. The monster existed, and it whether it was a form of her fear or not, it was there.  Once she and the monster made physical contact, it had a conduit into a form of our world - but only the part that El had experience with.  They said it had only appeared within a mile or so radius - the parts El had been around.  And the only Our World people it had eaten are the ones we already heard about because Upside Down was a new location, a connection forged between the monster and El. At the end she was able to break that connection, and the monster's access to the two worlds by destroying herself with it.  Without her, it had no more ability to enter our world or even the parallel version.   If it still exists at all, it is back in that blank space where we first saw it. 

[Chyna]

On 7/18/2016 at 9:26 PM, hincandenza said:

(for example, at the very end I didn't buy for a second that Will would just not mention what happened in the bathroom, after that whole ordeal!)

I took it to mean that maybe Will isn't really Will anymore... at least, not 100%.

[KaleyFirefly]

On 7/17/2016 at 9:08 AM, marinw said:

I'm three episodes in. Perhaps one of the reasons the series is set in the 80's is that children were generally much more "Free Range" than today. Even with the missing child the kids are still sneaking out and roaming around on their bikes at all hours without helmets-something that could warrant a call to CPS these days. It is also interesting how the School Bullies are seen as more an annoyance than a source a permanent trauma.

I am starting to fast forward through poor Winona Ryder's scenes.

That's how it was in the 80s. We rode our bikes/skateboards around the neighborhood, stayed out till dinnertime.

[KaleyFirefly]

I enjoyed this despite some uneven/annoying acting (I'm looking at you, Winona Ryder and Lucas kid!) It tripped my 1980s nostalgia (I was 12 in 1983; wow I feel old now). I really liked the girl who played Eleven, a very talented actress (she was also good in "The Intruders," playing a creepy/evil girl.

There were definitely some questions at the end, particularly about Will, that I hope a Season 2 will answer.

[AuntiePam]

Haven't finished watching so haven't read the thread, so apologies if this has been asked:  Anyone know how old Joe Keery is?  He plays Steve Harrington.  The first page of google hits doesn't give his age.  (If there's an actors topic, I'm not seeing it.)

I'm at episode six and so far, the show mostly works for me, as nostalgia more than anything new and different.  I think Ryder's doing great, and I'm loving Justin.  Kid's a natural.

[clack]

The villains could have been given more dimension.

A governmental agency staffed exclusively by child-torturing psychopaths?

Then Steve's friends : why would anyone be friends with such a charmless, unremittingly nasty couple?

And the bullies: are they bullies and only bullies all the time, with no other interests? They don't watch movies or read comic books? They've just met a girl with superpowers!

[AuntiePam]

2 hours ago, clack said:

The villains could have been given more dimension.

Yep.  We needed some background, because I'm not sure it all made sense.  They kidnap a baby whose mother had been part of an experimental program involving some kind of drugs.  Why did they think the baby had potential for anything? 

And why leave Hopper alive?  He's law enforcement -- people are more likely to listen to him if he chose to blow the whistle on what they were doing.  He's not a UFO kook. 

[janie jones]

6 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Yep.  We needed some background, because I'm not sure it all made sense.  They kidnap a baby whose mother had been part of an experimental program involving some kind of drugs.  Why did they think the baby had potential for anything? 

I took it to mean that they told her that they were experimenting on the drugs' effects on the test subjects, but what they were really working on was farming telekinetic babies.

[benteen]

Yeah, I was surprised with just how little Matthew Modine's character actually appeared in this series.

[clack]

It would have made for stronger drama if Matthew Modine's character was conflicted about Eleven. After all, he's her surrogate father, has raised her from a baby. Maybe he might have been portrayed as being torn between his fondness for her, and his ambitions?

[AuntiePam]

I didn't care for the scene with the kids at the quarry.  One of the bullies has a knife to Dustin's neck, threatening to stab him unless Mike jumps into the quarry -- certain death.  

For one thing, the bully had no intention of really hurting Dustin and Mike had to know that -- the bully's not a murderer.  For another thing, there was no real tension because we knew that Mike wasn't going to die -- he's a major character.  And in real life, Mike would have just charged at the bully, or called his bluff.  He's not gonna kill himself because of a bully's threat.

The scene would have had a little bit of tension if Mike had seen El nearby, and she had signaled him (head nod, wink) to go ahead and jump.  We'd be wondering "Does he trust her?  Can she levitate a 100-pound kid?  Or is she really the enemy, like Lucas said?" 

We'd still know that Mike wasn't gonna die, but the situation would have made more sense.

[clack]

That quarry scene was really contrived -- worst scene in the entire series.

[raven]

The quarry scene didn't bug me so much because I could see a 1980s Mike believing he really had to jump to save his friend.  The knife wielding bully was right out of Stephen King central casting, mini murderer in the making except he ended up crying to his mommy. 

I can't hate on Lucas :)  He went and did recon by himself and gave everyone the heads up when the bad guys were on their way in.  Not everyone can lockstep agree, and he had funny bits (when they were supposed to be at Will's memorial in the school and were found hanging outside the AV room comes to mind).  I do think Dustin was the biggest surprise, he had the potential to be annoying but instead was funny, smart and sympathetic.  All of the kids were outstanding. 

Even the teens worked - Nancy's badassery, Steve not being 100% an ass and making a Han Solo turn, Jonathan being man enough to give Nancy the gun when the saw she was the better shot.  The plan with the creature was pretty creative and apparently kept it distracted while the Chief and Joyce searched.  Poor Barb though, she didn't deserve to go out like that.  

I didn't mind Winona Ryder maybe 95% of the time.  I did love that she was unwavering in her belief that Will was alive and that she had no tolerance for autopsy BS and refused to be left out of the rescue.  The scene in the street with Jonathan after the morgue visit with was heartbreaking - I felt for her because she looks and sounds crazy but we know she's right and I felt for Jonathan because at that point he thinks his brother is dead and his mother is nuts.   I also warmed towards her when she was supportive of El in the tank, telling her to stop anytime, they were there for her and holding her.  I was a little uncomfortable with El being used that way, even though she offered, she's still an abused child.   Fantastic job by Millie Bobbie Brown.

Science teacher Mr. Clarke!  Another sleeper star :)  Guy's on a hot date and stops to explain a sensory deprivation tank to an enthusiastic student.  Awww.  When evil blonde government lady stopped by his house to get the kids names I was so sure he would end up "having a suicide" like the diner owner and was VERY relieved when he was back, explaining the acrobat and the flea.  I was also waiting for him to fold the paper together and talk about tesseracts but no :(  Anyway, he rocked.  Not as much as hot Chief Hopper but that's OK.

Here's my take on Chief giving up El to the bad guys - it was the only way they were going to let him and Joyce go and he didn't know the teens had left.  Between El's power and everyone being hyper aware, he may have been hoping that the teens would get everyone out.  If there's a S2, I hope this "Lando" behavior is brought up.   I wonder if part of his deal was to bring something back from the Upside Down, some goo or something?  Maybe that's why he was picked up in the car at the end?  I don't know why he was leaving food for El and assume that's for S2 if there is one - I like that there was hope about her (no way she's dead!).  Though how would she fit in with regular kids, being as powerful as she is.  There's lots of material for S2.

Quote

And the scene where they find Will in the green pod and pull the huge worm out of his throat was pretty much identical to the scene in the 1st X-Files movie where Mulder rescues Scully in Antarctica. 

That scene was straight out of Alien/Aliens for me.  The Upside Down had a lot of Aliens - the cracked open pod (did the creature hatch from it?), the skulking in suits with flashlights, the dry goo and drippy goo. 

The show hit lots of nostalgia points for me too.  I'd be curious to know how those who weren't kids/teens in the 80s feel about it.  It's not perfect but I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories, plus the dog survived :) so bring on S2.

[f00ktoss]

I have to say my favorite secondary character was the science teacher. He was super enthusiastic to impart his knowledge to those kids and didn't dumb things down because he knew they were smart enough to get it. He wanted them be curious and ask questions. I really hope he comes back next season.

 

Additionally good on him for finding the one Asian woman in the whole town!  

Edited July 29, 2016 by f00ktoss
a word

[zxy556575]

I was more scared that the government evildoers were going to vaporize Mr. Clarke than I was about any of the kids.* He's totally the girlfriend-having Bill Nye of Hawkins, Indiana!

 

*I mean, this isn't the kind of show that's going to kill off its young stars.

[gator12]

I don't think Jonathan has anger management issues, if he did he would have beaten up Steve and co way before they were in his face accusing him of killing his brother

[AuntiePam]

Another thing I liked was Nancy being worried that Steve would brag about his "conquest" to his friends.  It showed in her face and her attitude the next day at school.  You could see that she was nervous, looking to see if anyone looked at her in a different way.  That was so "Will you still love me tomorrow?"  Brought back memories.

I didn't quite buy the graffiti on the movie marquee though.  Writing something on a school locker or the boys' bathroom wall, okay, but in a place where everyone in town could see?  I can't see Steve doing it -- there'd be no going back with Nancy, and I can't see his friends doing it either -- risking an arrest for vandalism?  And it was a bit unbelievable that Nancy immediately knew what the kid meant when he said "I can't wait to see your movie."  My first suspicion would be that someone had a video camera, not that some kids wrote "Nancy's a slut" on that marquee.

[bosawks]

My biggest issue with Steve was that he looked like Jean-Ralphio Saperstein from "Parks & Rec".

Just couldn't envision Jean-Ralphio as the big man on campus....

[AuntiePam]

13 hours ago, bosawks said:

My biggest issue with Steve was that he looked like Jean-Ralphio Saperstein from "Parks & Rec".

Just couldn't envision Jean-Ralphio as the big man on campus....

Steve and his friends didn't really fit in any of the stereotypical campus categories.  I kinda liked that.  I don't know that there's ever been a name for the "outliers", kids who aren't jocks, nerds, greasers, druggies, etc. 

[Dev F]

On 7/22/2016 at 3:54 PM, withanaich said:

The demagorgon couldn't possibly be a lone monster, though. Because that Home Alone trap Nancy and Jonathan set up pretty much melted it into goo, and then a monster showed up at the Hawkins lab after all those agents got killed. The only way that's the same monster is if the thing can't be killed. (Terrifying thought.)

I've seen a lot of confusion about this, but to me the sequence of events seemed pretty linear and straightforward:

1. The demogorgon is very badly injured in Nancy and Jonathan's trap, but it's able to transit back into the Upside Down in order to escape from the bear trap / flames.
2. The monster retreats to its lair in the Upside Down version of the library to feed off Will and recover, which is how Joyce and Hopper are able to follow the trail of blood there.
3. Having recovered sufficiently, the monster goes back into hunting mode; attracted to all the blood at the middle school, it transits back into the normal world to gather more victims.

[Soobs]

On 7/19/2016 at 1:38 PM, M.F. Luder said:

I was seeing these connections to the characters of the X-Files too. And the scene where they find Will in the green pod and pull the huge worm out of his throat was pretty much identical to the scene in the 1st X-Files movie where Mulder rescues Scully in Antarctica. 

 

Totally. I thought of that too. When Will barfed up the worm at the end, I thought of the X-Files episode where the half man/ worm creature is living in the New Jersey sewer. There's a scene where a worker who gets bit, barfs up a worm in the shower.

In addition to Goonies, this show also made me think of War Games, especially with the older teenagers banding together. I watched this while working on a long project and I'll be happy to see a second season. I was really happy they didn't blow the ending like the writer of the first season of True Detective did.

Edited August 1, 2016 by Soobs

[s.anthony]

thought I'd share this tribute song! just a bit of fun :D

[littlemommy]

I thought Steve looked exactly like Michael Durrell, who was in the ulrimate 80's miniseries "V".

 

Okay, a kid version of Michael Durrell.

Edited August 2, 2016 by littlemommy

[zxy556575]

Haha! That kid with the homage song is awesome -- it's James Taylor 80s lite!

What kind of person watches this show and decides to write a soft rock recap about it? The creative human spirit is indeed a wonderful, soul-lifting thing.

[placate]

On 7/18/2016 at 10:26 PM, hincandenza said:

Edit: and now I'm kind of in love with this crazy theory, because a minute after hitting "save" on this post, I realized that since the monster seems to reproduce like a facehugger/xenomorph, it would be fitting if it was originally Terry Ive's stillborn child: coming out of Barb's mouth, then coming out of Will's, as a Giger-esque perversion of gestation and birth.

This game kinda reminds me of Darkseed.  Giger did the artwork for it.  Basically a guy moved into a house that was a portal to another world that reflected his own town.  He starts getting really bad headaches after he moves and at the end he ends up

Spoiler

giving birth to an alien monster that bursts through his head.

The game is 20 years old but there are some amusing playthroughs of it on youtube.  Somehow it managed to get a sequel.

[Capricasix]

Eleven reminds me a bit of the kids in "Midnight City"... (I don't know how to embed a video, sadly!)

https://youtu.be/9aZFcosBTaQ

I was in my basement a little while ago, and my husband thought it would be amusing to flick the lights on and off O_o To be fair, he didn't know that I'd been watching the show, or the significance of flickering lights, but I was all "DON'T DO THAT" :D

[peggy06]

On 7/17/2016 at 11:51 PM, Ronin Jackson said:

It was driving me nuts trying to figure out where I'd seen Natalia Dyer before until I realized she is the splitting image of a young Emmy Rossum. Even the role is one a young Emmy Rossum would have played.

I enjoyed the show. The kids were great and the 80's nostalgia was on point. There were definitely a few plot problems (the one moment it really detracted was when the cop was able to gain access to a high security military facility and find his way to the gateway with relative ease... and then they let him go for some inexplicable reason). 

I had that same lightbulb moment about Natalia Dyer this morning!

[Amerilla]

On Saturday, July 16, 2016 at 11:39 PM, Blue Plastic said:

What house were Joyce, Jonathan, and Will living in there at the end?  It looked different and their previous house had been pretty beat up during the course of the season.  I didn't think their family was supposed to have much money, yet at the end of this episode they seemed to be doing better financially if not slug-wise.

My assumption was that Hopper made some sort of deal that put things right for the Byers, in return for everyone keeping quiet and/or him going to work for the facility. I don't think it was a different house (based on the establishing shot in the scenes), but it was cleaned and repaired. I would imagine that hospital bills were also paid and cover stories explaining how Will's body was falsely identified were placed in the papers.

On Saturday, July 16, 2016 at 11:39 PM, Blue Plastic said:

Was kind of surprised that Nancy was with the fluffy haired jerk (forgot his name) there at the end.

Since this was in part a homage to the '80s movies, I figure this was their Pretty In Pink moment, where Andie/Nancy ends up with Blaine/Steve, even though she belongs with Ducky/Jonathan.

On Monday, July 18, 2016 at 11:20 AM, missysays said:

 

When the "One Month Later..." was playing, I sort of wondered if Hopper and Joyce were going to explore a romantic relationship together. I half expected when he parked his car that he was parking it outside of Joyce's house and that he would show up as a fourth member of that holiday dinner that Joyce and her boys were having. I don't necessarily think they'd be the best match together but they do make a certain sense together in that their emotional wounds fit each other. Hope we get to find out more next season!

 

I thought so, too! I kept expecting him to walk in the door after dropping off the food in the woods.