The series was pretty good overall, great cast (felt like the actors matched the characters played), great acting (from everyone, natural, believable), really liked the soundtrack (adequate for the time period, not too loud or flashy or taking away from the actual scene), nice atmosphere (kept me connected throughout). There were a few inconsistencies, nothing too big though.
Great show, the best Netflix only series yet I think. From start to finish they had a vision and it played to the strengths of Netflix, really impressed.
I think a big part of it was growing up in the late 80s in suburban Ontario felt similar. I lived by the woods, we biked everywhere, my parents acted similarly, they captured the medium-town feel really well. Mixing in a bit of sci fi just resonated with my childhood imagination in ways only books seem to.
It was fun and enjoyable, and the child actors weren't annoying. That's probably the hardest thing to get right.
On July 18 2016 19:00 Kipsate wrote: is this show really scary or like Supernatural/Penny Dreadfull scary
im a puss.
The first half of the first episode is the "scariest" part of the series. There are more moments like that throughout the season, but most of them are more action oriented rather than fear driven like the first episode.
I think my favorite part was how three dimensional most of the characters were. There's a couple who fit into very obvious tropes, but for the most part they showed depth and room to grow. The obvious example are Steve and Jonathan. It would've been easy to play Steve off as the typical bad-boyfriend, but he's not and he was actually right when he was chastising Jonathan for being a creep.
It was really easy to root for just about every 'good' character, which is rare. Winona Rider's character was another that easily could've become derivative, but she's still a magnetic actress and the character had enough self-awareness of how crazy she was, not to mention compassion.
It's pretty obvious that a lot of thought and care went into creating the characters and the world. Apparently the Duffy brothers have 30 pages of details on the Upside Down world, and there's loads of DnD mythology buried in there.
i very much enjoyed it. the music was absolutely sick. i felt the acting on joyce's character could have been toned down a little, but it was still well done regardless. the kids were great, can't get much better than what they presented. overall it was very subtle and meaningful. my only real gripe is the delivery with the whole testing complex which made it look like a very barebones research facility. hopefully that part of the story gets fleshed out a bit in a second season as it gets closer to delivering some character deaths and the ultimate conclusion.
i enjoy that having teenage character makes for developments being easier or more acceptable. what i mean is that they can be more accepting of one another and afford to be more fickle with their emotions and actions. i believe all the kids in the show are 13 and the older kids are senior year.
What a great show. Solid plot and cast and atmosphere building. I only have some minor complaints for the CGI.
I am most amazed at how well the three very different age group (children, teenagers and adults) are managed. Each have their own shining moments and conflicts, most importantly none of them overshadow the other.
I actually wouldn't mind if they have whole new characters and location for second season just because I am confident of the production crew and the is series deserves a bigger world setting than a town.
This show was really great and concise to its message and intent. Characters, setting, atmosphere and overall plot was really clear, straightforward, free of filler, and open to a second season. I love all the nuances in the scenes, character interactions, and character growth. It seemed natural and strong, at least within the boundaries of the genre.
Favorite characters would probably be Jonathan, Hopper, and Eleven, though I cannot say anything overly negative towards any of the characters.
they never closed the case on Barb. They did show Hopper/Joyce see her within the Upside Down, presumably dead, but they never addressed it at the end, and didn't have Nancy show any effect from it.
Overall, really strong show with a load of future potential. Child actors were great, believable and really likable, and excited to see what they can do going forward. Keeping with the succint 8 episode seasons would be choice, and I hope they can continue the story without risk of it being watered down.
On August 23 2016 11:11 {ToT}ColmA wrote: good show - was surprised that i liked it, these days tv shows tend to blow
Really? I think we're in an golden era of television.
Anyway, this show was a pleasant surprise. I love that classic 80s' synthesizer soundtrack. It brings out feelings in me that no other type of music has been able to get me to feel.
One thing about this show that is underappreciated is the humor. So many good jokes hidden in this kinda horror scifi story.
Excellent acting all around. Great script. Beautiful camera work and sound. A few things in the last episode kind of meh but overall brilliant wrap up and good balance of information and unresolved points.
The show was great until it started getting unrealistic towards the end. 1. Why did they ever let the cop out of the facility the first time, much less let him go through the portal the second time? Because the gave him their "word"? Please. 2. How did the cop manage to knock out those three government agents near the bus that were armed to the teeth? Is he a part time ninja? 3. Why didn't the government agents listen in on the call to the science teacher and determine they were going to the school? 4. Why did bullets have no effect on that scrawny looking monster that had no armor or thick coat or anything? 5. Why did everyone just accept the fact that these girl had super powers within 5 seconds of hearing it and just went along with the salt water plan with no questions asked? 6. How did they manage to gather all the materials and build the water tank within a couple hours? 7. How did that kid survive in a toxic, cold, wet environment without any food for what seemed like a week? 8. How did the kid communicate via the wall of letters and lights when he couldn't see any of it and had no way of knowing that his actions were having any effect? 9. How does the other side mimic the real world? If I knock down a house in the real world does it change the other side and vice versa? If that's true then why wasn't the alien aware of earth before eleven made contact with him?
On September 01 2016 02:48 Hyperbola wrote: The show was great until it started getting unrealistic towards the end. 1. Why did they ever let the cop out of the facility the first time, much less let him go through the portal the second time? Because the gave him their "word"? Please.
In exchange for the location of 11, they figured he would just die in the Upside Down world, so they more or less considered him dead anyways. Win-win in their eyes, hes dead and they know were 11 is.
2. How did the cop manage to knock out those three government agents near the bus that were armed to the teeth? Is he a part time ninja?
Got the jump on them? He seems pretty competent I guess. I doubt he'd be able to take out three, but he seems to have gotten them via surprise.
3. Why didn't the government agents listen in on the call to the science teacher and determine they were going to the school?
Good point
4. Why did bullets have no effect on that scrawny looking monster that had no armor or thick coat or anything?
Why didn't it just dimension hop when it was being murdered by 11, I mean it dimension hopped when it was set on fire, right? Monster was pretty inconsistent.
5. Why did everyone just accept the fact that these girl had super powers within 5 seconds of hearing it and just went along with the salt water plan with no questions asked?
I think they'd all seen their share of crazy shit and were more or less willing to accept additional crazy shit. Cop saw the portal, Mom and Johnathon and Nancy had all seen the monster, whats one more crazy thing?
6. How did they manage to gather all the materials and build the water tank within a couple hours?
It wasn't that complicated right, a kiddie pool with salt in the water and some ducked taped goggles. Goggles probably came from inside the school, and its not hard to find a kiddie pool or salt, it was likely getting to be around winter time, and its pretty common for bags of salt for melting snow to be sold.
7. How did that kid survive in a toxic, cold, wet environment without any food for what seemed like a week?
He seemed like he was dying, I could kind of believe the no food part, but for having a "toxic atmosphere" (that Nancy seemed to be just fine in) and it being cold and wet I did figure he'd have just died of hypothermia.
8. How did the kid communicate via the wall of letters and lights when he couldn't see any of it and had no way of knowing that his actions were having any effect?
Good point.
9. How does the other side mimic the real world? If I knock down a house in the real world does it change the other side and vice versa? If that's true then why wasn't the alien aware of earth before eleven made contact with him?
Also weird, but I kind of accept this as something to be explained later, the rules of the Upside Down World are probably strange and specific.
Errrr.... I love the soundtrack to Stranger Things, I bought it in fact and the whole thing is ace. The main theme though... A bit too similar to this:
On September 01 2016 02:48 Hyperbola wrote: The show was great until it started getting unrealistic towards the end. 1. Why did they ever let the cop out of the facility the first time, much less let him go through the portal the second time? Because the gave him their "word"? Please. 2. How did the cop manage to knock out those three government agents near the bus that were armed to the teeth? Is he a part time ninja? 3. Why didn't the government agents listen in on the call to the science teacher and determine they were going to the school? 4. Why did bullets have no effect on that scrawny looking monster that had no armor or thick coat or anything? 5. Why did everyone just accept the fact that these girl had super powers within 5 seconds of hearing it and just went along with the salt water plan with no questions asked? 6. How did they manage to gather all the materials and build the water tank within a couple hours? 7. How did that kid survive in a toxic, cold, wet environment without any food for what seemed like a week? 8. How did the kid communicate via the wall of letters and lights when he couldn't see any of it and had no way of knowing that his actions were having any effect? 9. How does the other side mimic the real world? If I knock down a house in the real world does it change the other side and vice versa? If that's true then why wasn't the alien aware of earth before eleven made contact with him?
I think besides the first 2, and 7 you're overthinking it. It's not trying to be the most scientifically accurate scifi on the planet. It was a fun show.
just binged this one in entire day and oh my god, what a ride this show was..literally perfect setup for 80's ET esque style and with a perfect fitting substance. the most important character of the show was eleven, atleast for me.and that ending!!! .Was will spitting a snail and him seeing underworld was a sign that he is also on the way of becoming next monster? did the monster suck all other people he stole from real world or are they also going to be monsters? excited for season 2. pretty great acting for everyone involed (even smallest of characters)
The only thing that had me bummed is the relationship between jonathon and nancy. i would have liked her ending with jonathon rather than steve at the end. tho ,this is just season 1 and they would rather evolve this love thing in next season as they have shown her not soo happy about being with steve, she still looks like she cares a lot for johnathon .
if you want something very similar (90s style kids adventure) then watch the movie Super 8 (like, watch it right now lol!). watch the movie Tomorrowland too.
if you want more stuff with similar theme of escaping from an abusive facility, watch Gokukoku and Elfen Lied. these are both fantastic 13-episode stories with conclusive endings, unlike Stranger Things which definitely lost its way under promise of a second season IMO.
if you aren't watching it, West World is the other big show this year (let me know about others, i noticed walking ded is started)
Woah guys, I started watching this series yesterday. I can barely watch the episodes though, it's just too scary sometimes. Could someone tell me which episodes have the scariest moments? I am currently watching episode 4.