Stranger Things season 3 Review

Stranger things Season 3 released in 2019, still falling into the science fiction and horror genres. It is created by the Duffer Brothers and stars an ensemble cast including regulars Winona Ryder and David Harbour. Enjoy the complete review by Review Monkey below.

Keeping in mind this may contain spoilers, the stranger things Season 3 cast includes our beloved child cast all dealing with growing up in their own different ways. And that is where this season shines. Growing up isn’t always the same for everyone, some people accept it right away whereas some people have a hard time getting used to it.

It’s now Summer in Hawkins and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) are always making out, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max (Sadie Sink) have an on and off relationship and that leaves Will (Noah Schnapp) feeling that his friends all have different priorities now and feeling left out. Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) comes back from Camp and gets disappointed after he doesn’t get the reunion he thought he was going to get.

Feeling like an outsider, he again teams up with someone who feels similarly to him. That someone is Steve (Joe Keery) who isn’t able to get into any college so he’s forced to work at an Ice Cream Parlour. Which leads to a duo that was basically a standout in the previous season. You just can’t go wrong with Dustin and Steve together, who steal every single scene they’re in.

Joining the gang this time around is newcomer Robin (Maya Hawke), Steve’s coworker and a great part of the group known as the Scoops Troop, along with Dustin and Erica, Lucas’ sister. Fan favorites and series regulars Joyce and Harper also make their return in their own arc.

First, let’s talk about what I liked about stranger things Season 3 episodes. Like I mentioned before, the whole concept of growing up (and apart) is beautifully shown here. Not everyone deals with growing up the same way. Some people make peace with it naturally while some have a hard time accepting the fact. That’s basically what our core group is dealing with this season.

Most of the characters seem to be okay with the idea but Will is the one who shows us the other side to it. He still thinks that his friends would love to play D&D with him when they prefer dating and spending time with or thinking about their significant others. I loved this whole conflict.

Stranger Things’ strength comes from its roster of characters, nostalgia and the overall aesthetic. There is no denying that this season is beautifully shot and directed. The colors and the synth music used throughout is just amazing and adds something to the show that isn’t really found in other TV series. And it heavily relies, just like the previous seasons, on nostalgic references like the Terminator style Russian spy going around to catch Hopper.

Other than all of that, I think the final showdown at the Mall deserves a standing ovation. It legit felt like I was playing an old video game and trying to fight the final boss using different tactics and making sure that everyone in the team has a part to play. The sequence was just so exciting and entertaining and that’s the word I would honestly use to describe this whole season. Once you start one episode, you just can’t stop watching until you have finished the last one. This is the one show that I just have to binge because I just can’t seem to get enough of it.

And now, for the negatives because nothing’s really perfect. I’ve always had a problem with Winona Ryder’s acting. It doesn’t come off as genuine and usually feels way over the top. Every time she was on screen, I wanted the show to go back to the Scoops Troop or the main gang. Plus, some characters feel sidelined or feel too forced. Like Lucas’ sister Erica, Nancy and Jonathan, Max. But I think that’s the gamble you have to make when you have such a large roster of characters.

Then, the story. That is what my main issue with this season was. It feels repetitive. It feels like I have seen it all before and I honestly don’t know how long they can stretch this lore out. To put a twist to it, they introduce Russians working (quite literally) underground in Hawkins. And they all come across as these stupid, “evil” bad guys which is basically the biggest cliche ever.

The adults in this town are pretty dumb too considering how none of them can figure out what a couple of kids figure out on their own, Hopper goes into dangerous situations without calling for backup, I mean, where are the other police officers anyways? Hopper reminds me, that final letter scene really made me tear up. That was one heck of an emotional punch. Rest in peace, Jim. You stole the whole show in your last speech. stranger things Season 3

Overall, I definitely think this season was very exciting and very entertaining but when you look back on it and think about it, the story feels like repetition and it isn’t something that you haven’t seen before in the same show. The gang is all still there and they are just as good as they always have been. But I don’t think that’s enough for the show to go on for more seasons.

Review Monkey on the Fence

Stranger Things season 3 – Images

Check out its trailer here.