‘Stranger Things’: How To Combine Nostalgia And Originality To Make A Cultural Phenomenon
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It’s hard to believe it’s been eight years since Stranger Things season one first aired. A show that paved the way for some of Netflix’s biggest and boldest productions, it’s no exaggeration to say it has become a cultural phenomenon. Season 4 is currently the second most-watched TV series on Netflix, with 140 million views since its release in May 2022. With season 5 in production, it’s a good time to look back on how Stranger Things used all the right ingredients to become one of the most iconic TV shows in recent years. Fair warning: there are spoilers ahead.
Stranger Thing‘s 1980s setting immediately set it apart from other shows. The Duffer Brothers created a world that feels nostalgic but unique. They struck the perfect balance between homages and references to our favorite 80s cultural phenomena and an original story and cast of characters unlike any we’ve encountered before. It’s a brilliant formula: for anyone who grew up with 80s movies, TV series, music, and fashion, the show feels like a loving tribute to that era. At the same time, younger audiences experience all these things through a fresh and enthralling story.
The characters are a large part of what makes the show work. In a show where the visuals and plot are often dark and brooding, our four boys – Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) – bring childish innocence and excitement to the story. Through them, the audience can suspend their disbelief and accept the strange, supernatural happenings in Hawkins, Indiana, as readily as the boys do. They are Dungeons & Dragons players and science fiction enthusiasts; imaginative and curious boys who would rather face Demogorgons than their parents.
Eleven, on the other hand, has a more adult role from the beginning. Millie Bobby Brown plays the part with all the intensity and fear of a traumatized child who does not understand her own powers. Watching them all grow up and face the struggles of adolescence – in addition to trying to save the world – is part of what keeps the audience coming back for more.
The wider cast of characters never disappoints either. Stranger Things celebrates the tropes and expectations of the 1980s by subverting them, putting a modern stamp on the story through diversity, representation, and gender equality. Steve (Joe Keery) loses his cool-guy persona and wholeheartedly joins Dustin and co in their world-saving efforts. Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) kick as much (if not more) ass as any of their male counterparts, and Erica Sinclair (Priah Ferguson) is a force to be reckoned with in recent seasons.
The show doesn’t shy away from the harsher side of life either. Billy (Dacre Montgomery) remains one of the saddest characters in the show; a victim of abuse who victimizes others in turn, including Max (Sadie Sink), who continues to deal with her grief long after his death at the end of season 3. Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), social outcast, Dungeon Master of the Hellfire Club, and the fan-favorite of season 4, brings the prejudices and “Satanic panic” of the 1980s into sharp focus. Despite sacrificing his life to save the town, Eddie is branded as a murderer and cult leader, with only our main characters mourning him for the hero he is.
It’s impossible to talk about Stranger Things without discussing its soundtrack. The theme tune alone is enough to have fans on the edge of their seats. Add to that the outstanding selection of 80s music and the result is a show that packs a powerful auditory punch. From The Clash to Kate Bush to Metallica, the show’s soundtrack perfectly complements its suspenseful and exhilarating moments. As Collider described it, “these songs make for a perfect marriage between music and TV.”
In January, Netflix announced that Stranger Things season 5 is in production. This will be the final season and plot details are scarce so far. Season 4 left us on a cliffhanger: a portal open to the Upside Down, Max in a coma, and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) wounded but still very much alive. The Stranger Things team has revealed that the title for season 5 episode 1 will be “The Crawl.”
The Duffer Brothers also hinted that more of the mythology and lore will be explored in this season and that the “last remaining questions” will be answered. Given how big the show is and how much is riding on this season, we’re unfortunately going to have to wait a while to see the finished product, with some sources estimating it may be late 2025 or even early 2026 before it’s released.
As excited as we are about this next season, everyone will agree that it’s better for the show to take its time in production. With such an incredible cast of characters and the rich, complex, and riveting story we’ve enjoyed so far, we want the finale to do them justice. Plus, it gives us lots of time to speculate about what will happen in season 5. Will they bring back Eddie? Is there a bigger Big Bad than Vecna lurking in the shadows? Will we lose another of our favorite characters – and, if so, who will it be?
Let us know your favorite theories in the comments section below! And don’t forget to sign up to our email list to get Finds of the Week and our free newsletter, PopPulse Digest, delivered straight to your inbox.
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