Chapter Eight: The Upside Down

It's amazing for end session and sad end omg I cry it's very very good

TV shows now are becoming bigger and better than ever, budgets have grown, casting has improved and the demand for good Television is more intense than ever. Netflix has played a huge part in this, within its own Netflix Originals series it has produced some fantastic TV and Stranger Things is a fantastic addition to its growing collection. Television has changed massively over recent years, it is competing with Hollywood Movies in terms of popularity and demand and this allows them to be created with much more quality.

Not only is Stranger Things set during the 1980's it also goes the extra mile to really pay homage to this era and to the movies that were produced around that time. It doesn't simply create sets and props to fit in with that era but It makes reference to things that were relevant at that time such as films, books, games and music and this detail is something which makes this show so special. The 80's score is utterly fantastic and it really goes a long way to adding to the nostalgic 80s vibe.

The cast is quite large and varied but it ultimately centres around four young children who well and truly, completely steal the show. Their acting is superb and believable from them; they are convincing in all aspects of the role whether it's portraying comedy, sadness or fear. It has a corny feel to it at times, like many 80s shows did, the dialogue can be cheesy with some childish scripting. The rest of the cast are also good with David Harbour and Winona Ryder giving superb performances as the Detective and the troubled Mother.

I have seen many negative reviews slating this for not being original and adding nothing new to the genre. 80s Sci-Fi/Horror isn't a genre that I am very experienced in so I cannot say that I found it unoriginal. It did however contain some very cliché moments and was very predictable at times.

Filmed over 8 episodes with various runtimes between 45minutes to 1 hour in length, the pacing is done quite well. The main story moves along at a well-structured pace and the mystery isn't revealed early on in the show. Tension and the unknown are what makes this show so great and the creators do a fantastic job of not ruining this, keeping our attention throughout the duration of the series. The scene in which Wills Mother sets up all the Christmas lights in their home was a fantastic scene. However I did feel that there was plenty of filler stories which weren't completely necessary to the telling of the story. I wouldn't say that these scenes dragged as such but I did find myself questioning their importance as they sometimes felt out of place.

I'm not an 80s child so I hold little affection to that era, however that didn't discourage my enjoyment for Stranger Things. It's a very well made show which is only made better by the 80s nostalgia. I binged on this in two sittings and the time completely flew by, every minute was fulfilling and I'm very glad that I jumped onto the hype. Series 2 has been confirmed and I can only hope that they do series 1 justice and keep true to their roots, please don't ruin such a great show with a shallow, rushed, money-spinning sequel.

9/10

The Upside Down is one of the best season finales and I put it up there with some of the other shows best season finales (Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Once Upon A Time, etc, etc.) Not only does it provide some great character depth including fleshing out Steve, the bully introduced in the beginning of season 1 now realizing the way he treated Jonathan and the others and decides to help the others defeat the DemoGorgon, but it wraps up everything else the first season established. There's also a cliffhanger (which I won't spoil to those who haven't seen the show yet) which might leave you interested. The story continues to be well-written providing an emotional punch to the climax where Eleven sacrifices herself to defeat the DemoGorgon and save Mike and the others while Hopper and Joyce save Will from the Upside Down. The pacing is great, the music score and production design continue to compliment the 1980s setting respectfully, the effects are great, and the acting from everyone involved is great with Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, and Finn Wolfhard giving the best performances as did the other two who played Lucas and Dustin who shared some funny moments throughout the whole season. Overall, The Upside Down is a perfect season finale. Recommended. :)

Eleven! El! El! Eleven! El, where are you? El! El!.......

And the tears that fell from Mike. Oh, what a emotional, heartbreaking & splendid conclusion to the first season it has been. Such sacrifice made by Eleven to protect his friends and especially Mike from the Demogorgon, just minutes after Mike confessed his love to Eleven and kissed her and watching Brenner, his papa meeting a tragic end, just rips the audience heart and shreds the joy of life into pieces. The cast has done an enchanting work to bring the set-pieces much more sentimental but real at the same time. The twists and turns the episode has brought is a true masterpiece. David Harbour has also acted particularly well as Hopper bringing his character to life. The Duffer Brothers have really packed some shocking 50 minutes of horrifying masterwork. And hopefully, Eleven is not vanished forever as we did get to see Hopper placing Eggos in a box, somewhere in a forest. Obviously, waiting for the series to continue on...

Wow wow wowwwww. i cannot describe in words how much i love this show. the Duffer brothers are amazing and so is everyone involved in making this. i was bawling by the end, and a good show should tug on the heart strings. stranger things did exactly that. please watch this, your life will be better for it.