I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn't expecting much going in but I found myself binging the season in one night. Considering each episode is under 30 minutes and there's only 8 episodes, I think it balanced the plot well with fleshing out the characters and world-building.
I've seen some criticism about the 'gender-identity' subplot, but I think it was well done without dragging the main plot too much. It allowed us to understand one of the other characters while giving us insight about the world Carrie comes from too. While the other character struggles with how to explain to others about what it means to be non-binary, Carrie struggles with how she sometimes doesn't feel like a person at all...more like a tool or a weapon. It's a pretty good way to parallel their experience in a way that allows them to get a better understanding of the other.
I look forward to seeing how they continue to flesh out the characters and further the plot in the future. This show has a lot of potential and I don't think it's being given enough credit. Honestly, aside from teenagers and a place that holds "nightmares", this show has nothing in common with 'Stranger Things'. It's an unfair comparison because they have almost nothing in common and this show isn't even trying to be another 'Stranger Things'.
I hope this show gets picked up for another season, hopefully with longer episodes (or more episodes). I look forward to seeing where the show takes us in the future.
