Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers

I'm not very quick on picking up new shows even when there is quite much hype about it. I guess I'm the kind of guy who likes to stay with his old favorites, and I'm not very persistent viewer of TV-shows (I still haven't seen farther than 6th season of my all time favorite 'The X-Files'). 'Stranger Things' was recommended to my by one of my colleagues who knew my interest in supernatural, 1980s, Stephen King and 'The X-Files'. I have to say I wasn't disappointed after watching the first two episodes and now I'm hooked.

The start is quite slow, but the characters are likeable, the atmosphere and tension are present to keep the viewer interested. The show is taking place in 1980s and it has the nice authentic feel of classic '80s horror movies (that authentic feel is something that most nostalgia driven movies fail to capture), so the shot of nostalgia is another strong reason to give 'Stranger Things' a shot. Wonderful synth score has a lot to do with adding more eeriness to the autumn forests surrounding the small town Hawkins.

Acting is great altogether, but besides Millie Bobby Brown's marvelous portrayal of Eleven, Winona Ryder's outstanding job as Joyce Byers definitely needs mentioning.

After first episode I was hooked and after second, I think, I might be an addict.

It is always hard to not expect a lot when the hype is so great, having heard nothing but good things about it from trusted friends. Also if the concept is so appetising and if the genre appeals (it did me). 'Stranger Things' in particularly its first season was a truly excellent show at its very best, and while it is not as good now as it was there is still enough to make it one of Netflix's better shows along with 'The Crown' and prime-'House of Cards' (Seasons 1-4).

"Chapter 1: The Vanishing of Will Byers" is a captivating start, and not only is it hugely effective setting things up and introducing all the chess pieces but it is clear what kind of show and tone that 'Stranger Things' was aiming for. Almost everything works here in "Chapter 1: The Vanishing of Will Byers" and it already feels remarkably well settled, not always the case for shows this early on where it can take time to find its groove. Already the groove here feels found.

The production values are superb. Very stylish and atmospheric, with some truly beautiful images that one can't believe such high quality comes from a Netflix show. Not to mention the highly impressive special effects that put a good deal of big budget films in recent years to shame. The music has a wonderful 80s nostalgic vibe while also being quite haunting, enhancing the atmosphere beautifully.

Writing is thought-probing and has a lot of brains and heart. The humour is gentle but very subtly witty and funny, while there is a poignancy (without being too sentimental) and tension. The story sets things, both in events and tone, up and does this incredibly well, while always being intriguing. With suspenseful mystery, darkly creepy horror, inventive sci-fi and 'Stand By Me'/'The Goonies'-like nostalgia, without being tonally muddled.

Characters are already very well written and even better in the acting stakes. While most of the adult cast do wonderfully, it's the younger cast that are even better. The standouts being Finn Wolfhard and particularly Millie Bobby Brown (such an expressive actress in a beyond-her-years subtle way), if they continue to act this way and be wise with their career choices they are very likely to have big careers.

Although some have praised Winona Ryder, for my tastes however she was a little too melodramatic here.

Overall, excellent start. 9/10

So i finally decided to watch this show, and.after this first episode, i am hooked! The premise is ingaging and it is very much about the mysteries! You know something is going on, but you don't know what! The child actors are also doing a great job! If you, like me, haven't watched this show yet, i suggest you do it now!

A good start of the best series ever. Loved the performances

My older sister saw the show during the summer of 2016 and she convinced me to watch it because it reminds me of the classic 80s movies and TV shows that I watched when I was growing up. So, I checked it out and to my surprise, it turned out to be very intriguing. I'll review the episodes of the first season starting with Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers.

The episode takes place in Indiana in the year 1983 where four kids named Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will are playing Dungeons and Dragons. Later, after they finished the game, Will encounters a creature that escaped from the U.S. Department of Energy and after running towards his home, he mysteriously vanishes. The next day, as the adults of Indiana try to find him, a young girl in a hospital gown steals food from a local diner and Benny, the owner of the diner, finds out that her name is Eleven. Suddenly, a bunch of armed men find her before she quickly escapes. Later, while Will's mother Joyce Byers hears his voice on a phone call, Mike Dustin and Lucas try to find Will only to find Eleven.

This pilot episode to the show is with no doubt a intriguing and solid start. Not only is the writing strong, but the characters are well introduced. Will Byers and his friendship with Mike, Dustin, and Lucas is very unique it reminds me of The Goonies, a movie that also has a strong friendship between Mike, Mouth, Chunk and Data. Needless to say, that's a great way to pay homage to the 1980s media. Also, the opening and closing sequences are really great from the disappearance of Will Byers to the his friends' encounter with Eleven with competent directing and beautiful atmosphere. The music score represents the 1980s synthesizers it respects the year and decade the episode takes place and compliments it really well.

The acting is also great. The adult actors David Harbour and Winona Ryder (who starred as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice (1988)) did respectable jobs as Chief Hopper and Joyce Byers, the young adult actors Charlie Heaton, Natalia Dyer and Joe Keery also did respectable jobs as Steve Harrington, the bully, Nancy Wheeler, the older sister of Mike, and Jonathan Byers, the older bother of Will, and the kid actors who played Will, Mike, Dustin and Lucas, including Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb Mclaughlin, and Noah Schnapp filled their respective roles perfectly as did Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven (El), a mysterious young girl with telekinetic powers.

Overall, Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers is not only a solid start to the show, but a great reminder of presenting a story that takes place in the 1980s with horror and science fiction which is blended seamlessly well. It leaves you wanting more and there are a lot of other things to come in the first season. This deserves a thumbs up from me. :)