Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers

This is good pilot episode as it set out everything we are to expect from the rest of the season. well casted. good acting. love the 80s music and sets/costumes as well. I'll definitely watch the rest as it got me hooked.

Writer/directors The Duffer Brothers pay homage to the fantasy series and films they (and I) enjoyed while growing up, with a particular leaning towards the work of Steven Spielberg. Set in the '80s, Stranger Things takes place in small town America (Indiana, renowned for all things eerie), where a group of teenage nerds find themselves involved in the search for missing friend Will, who has had the misfortune of encountering an escaped experiment from a local scientific research centre. While hunting for their pal, the kids encounter Eleven, a strange girl who is on the run, pursued by 'bad people'.

With children as their protagonists, the Duffers immediately set the '80s Spielbergian tone, and they continue the retro-vibe with parallels to Poltergeist (the missing child only able to communicate via technology) and similarities to ET (dysfunctional family, kids on BMX bikes), as well as numerous references to other genre classics (most noticeably, posters glimpsed on bedroom walls) and a wonderful synthesizer score. All of this will prove a lot of fun for fans of '80s pop culture, but with strong performances all round (even Winona Ryder isn't as annoying as usual), engaging characters, and a neat mystery, Stranger Things should appeal to viewers of all ages.

Eleven is the most promising prospect on this series. Interesting enough to see the next episode.

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.

Mornings are for coffee and contemplation says Chief Hopper (Harbour). And the debut episode of Netflix'd latest offering certainly leaves a lot to contemplate.

The setting is 80's Indiana as the show opens with an ominous scene and notable presence which sets the tone nicely leading to the vanishing of Will Byers (Schnapp).

The stars are 3 three dungeons and dragons loving kids embroiled in their own quest to find their missing friend. The three boys Mike, Dustin and Lucas (Wolfhard, Matarazzo, McLaughlin) are at the centre of the show and fill their roles brilliantly. The chatacters are the usuall high school nerds seen many times before, but it's their combined comradeship that is their strength. The bounce off each other seamlessly and they really out shine the adults of the show at times, often showing more eagetness to find their friend. Mike especially has a breakout scene before the boys initiate their search.

The adult cast compliments the kids nicely. Joyce (Ryder) plays the panicked single mother. She spends much of the episode almost not facing the gravity of the situation, but following a mysterious phone call she breaks out her shell and the hysteric mom comes flooding out, in an emotional scene with her elder son Jonathan (Heaton). Chief Hopper is reluctant early on to get involved the story but this grows greatly after a revelation to his back story. He is a lot more subtle against Joyce's panic driven mum but no less valuable to the cast and has a lot of room to grow in the story.

The final notable cast member is Elle/11 (Brown) and my pick for the most exciting entity of the show. Shows up (not alone) as Will goes missing, very little to say but it's her actions that build intrigue into the character.

There is a minor teenage love story here with Steve and Nancy (Keery and Dyer) which I am sure will connect to the main plot soon enough.

From the Poltergeist-esque opening to the Goonies style friendship. This is a direct throw back to the 80's. Even down to the music and credit font's. Some may say it is outdated in 2016. But giant walkie talkies and biking adventures will always be cool.

The opening and closing minutes were faultless and with about 10 minutes combined outline the entire show leaving this writer eager for more. I can't fault any of the cast who each gave us a good idea of what their character is about. The Chief remains the adult with the most potential with Elle clearly being positioned at the centre of all these Things which by design promise to get even Stranger from here.

There is definitely a lot more contemplation to come...i'll grab the coffee.