Not gonna lie – since the satisfying end to Stranger Things’ season 2, I already had my sights (and emotions) set on a third season of Demogorgon drama. That was back in 2017 – imagine my fangirl withdrawals when I found out the release date wasn’t until two years later.
Fast-forward to 2019, and I’ve finally satisfied my 80’s sci-fi-Stephen-King cravings with the much-awaited third season of this Duffer Brothers’ masterpiece. A little too quickly, in fact; with Netflix releasing the full season in one go, I ate up those eight hours like a fat kid with cake. Cue the existential crisis.
The third instalment of this much beloved series brings back plenty of what fans loved from previous seasons, from placing show favourites at the forefront, to laying that gory monster action on thick. Picking things up a year later, our story continues in the tiny town of Hawkins, Indiana – where it wastes no time letting us know that the once baby-faced cast of 11-year olds have now entered the realm of teenhood.
Hopper (played by David Arbour) grapples with being a typical dad, unnerved by the constant clinginess of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) new romantic relationship. Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) returns from summer camp, much to the delight of the gang, while Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Johnathan (Charlie Heaton) deal with the trials of the adult workplace.
The now-fan-favourite Steve “The Hair” Harrington (Joe Keery) reprises his role as a charismatic employee of Scoops Ahoy, a popular ice cream parlour at Hawkins’ newest establishment, the Starcourt Mall. Alongside him, the show introduces a fresh face – a sardonic, snarky worker named Robin (Maya Hawke). These two characters arguably make up some of the season’s best moments, which I’ll get more into later.
A new town terror
In the season 2 finale, we see our characters settle back into their ordinary lives, as the kids set aside their supernatural trauma for a memorable night at the Hawkins’ Snow Ball. As the camera pans out, however, viewers were treated to a glimpse of a greater evil to come: the entity known as the “Mind Flayer”, who, despite Will (Noah Schnapp)’s successful exorcism during previous episodes, is far from vanquished.
If you thought those Demogorgons were creepy, the Duffers definitely kick it up a notch with Season 3’s main villain – a literal flesh-and-blood creature comprised of melted human (and animal) bodies. It also has the ability to possess its victims, treating them as vessels for carrying out its malevolent deeds.
Needless to say, the Mind Flayer made for some intense, nail-biting sci-fi horror that had episodes running at full throttle. Our main kids hardly get to wrestle with their newest adversary, however, until the fourth episode – as this particular season takes its time to focus on its characters before jumping in on the action; a writing decision that had both its pros and cons.
Character development, and lots of it
In its first run, the series provided tons of mystery and sci-fi-driven plotlines – the curious case of the Upside Down, Eleven, and the bad men on her tail. Season 2 takes on a largely similar adventure as the Demogorgons continue to terrorize Hawkins, while Will deals with being under the Mind Flayer’s possession. Each story primarily focuses on the supernatural conflict at hand, taking the audience through exciting twists and turns as characters overcome each external obstacle.
Season 3, on the other hand, eases up on the straight-up action to further flesh out its human characters, exploring their internal conflicts, real-world affairs, and growing pains. Nancy and Jonathan struggle with navigating the harsh adult world post-high school, dealing with office politics and recurring self-doubt. Mike and Eleven fumble through their newfound romance and roller-coaster ride of adolescent emotions – which, thankfully, played off sweet and true to their age, without basking in typical high school cheese. As a result, Hopper deals with the overprotective-dad cliché, aided with advice from long-time friend (and this season’s teeming love interest) Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder).
Most importantly, the show explores Will’s heartbreaking realization that his friends are no longer the same D&D-obsessed nerds of years past, now pre-occupied with relationships and “grown up” affairs. As best stated by Mike in a fantastically acted, emotional scene by Wolfhard and Schnapp: “I mean, what did you think, really? That we were never going to get girlfriends? That we’re just going to sit in my basement playing games for the rest of our lives?”
The coming-of-age elements embedded in these season’s episodes make for far more relatable stories, helping us grow a more sentimental attachment to the characters.
80’s action and monster gore
As with previous seasons, the Duffers bring back much of their staple sci-fi action – this time with an even bigger, badder villain of far more gruesome intentions. The production value of the show remains stellar; each time Eleven wields her powers or the Mind Flayer rears its ugly head, the special effects and cinematography create endless visual excitement that keep you on the edge of your seat.
And the series doesn’t shy way from carnage either – squeamish viewers will likely wince from the vivid scenes of body disintegration, or when Eleven yields a Mind Flayer leech straight out of her leg.
Having “evil Russians” in the mix made for fun, wild-goose-chase entertainment as Dustin breaks from his usual dynamic and teams up with Steve, Robin, and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin)’ sister, Erica (Priah Ferguson), to take down a secret Soviet base with connections to the Upside Down. Joyce and Hopper pair up in this same investigation, taking a Russian scientist named Alexei (played by Alex Utgoff) hostage in the process. Both plotlines teeter between suspense and comedy, and provide enjoyable side thrills that harken back to 80’s style espionage.
I’ve got to hand it to the Duffers though; amidst all the fun sci-fi action are actual stakes and tension, culminating in the heartbreaking deaths of Jim Hopper and Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery). The show’s dive into their character histories and personal struggles this season made for shockingly poignant departures, coupled with Millie Bobby Brown and Sadie Sink’s excellent performances as a grieving El and Max (respectively).
Steve and Robin
Season 3 unapologetically places Steve in the spotlight, giving Keery further opportunity of charming audiences with his now well-beloved character.
The fan favourite is given greater screen time (and deservedly so) as he pairs up with his newest best friend, Dustin Henderson, to infiltrate Starcourt’s underground Russian base. As delightful as these two are to watch, however, the show introduces Robin – Steve’s spunky ice cream partner with a talent for foreign dialects (eventually helping them in their quest to crack secret Russian codes). It’s when Hawke and Keery get their chance to form an on-screen bond that the season forms some of its funniest and most heartfelt moments – most especially when the two find themselves in a bathroom, drugged up and nauseous over Russian truth serum.
Steve ultimately opens up about Nancy, his past flame; before admitting that he’d found himself someone better – someone who understood him, made him laugh, and was fluent in three different languages. It doesn’t take Robin long to realize that “someone” is her, to which, in a twist of events, she uneasily confesses that she’s a lesbian.
As much as we’re meant to feel for Steve, it’s refreshing to see the show’s efforts in forming a new, enjoyable on-screen friendship, rather than yet another unnecessary romantic subplot. These two are clearly brimming with chemistry, though it’ll be interesting to see what other platonic adventures they have in store, and how this newfound connection will aid in their character development.
A few missteps
Now with all the good stuff out of the way, let’s discuss some of this season’s most glaring pitfalls.
As mentioned, one of the biggest pros of Season 3 was its greater focus on character, and developing their ordinary lives (and relationships) beyond the otherworldly turmoil. It’s effective in further exploring these names and faces we’ve come to love – letting us care about them as people rather than plot devices.
Unfortunately, the writers indulged in this a tad too much this during the season’s first four episodes, and the show took some time to pick up the pace. Don’t get me wrong – as valuable as these moments are, viewers are likely expecting the same balance of character building and horror-esque thrills as we’ve come to expect from past seasons. This is Stranger Things, after all; not your typical young adult drama.
But the first three episodes of the season treats its main characters as just this – typical people with typical real-world trials; and as skilfully weaved in as this was in seasons 1 and 2, it sadly came at the expense of our central monster mystery this time around. As a result, there were occasional moments of slow-burn dialogue, and it’s only when the Mind Flayer finally confronts the main gang in our fourth episode finale, do we finally spring back in on the intense action and high-stakes terror the series is known for.
It seems the writing has also shifted to a much less serious tone, opting for greater moments of fluffy, light-hearted comedy. Again, this isn’t a bad thing on its own – though it seems that the writers went a little gung-ho on the sitcom entertainment at times; turning once-grounded characters into bumbling caricatures.
Joyce and Hopper, for example, had far more subtle moments of affection between them in seasons past. In these recent episodes, however, the two have morphed into your clichéd image of an endlessly bickering rom-com couple. Joyce makes a smart-ass comment here, Hopper emphatically yells in dissent, and vice versa and so on.
Lucas’ sister, Erica, also makes a recurring appearance as the Scoops Ahoy regular who abuses her sampling privileges; and while she pulls off the sassy sister role well in previous seasons, it worked in moderation. Here, the writers turn her personality up to 11, making her a main mouthpiece for snarky one-liners. It’s reminiscent of your cartoony, smart-mouthed 80’s kids at best, and downright obnoxious at worst.
Finally, one of my biggest gripes of the season is the blatant underusage of Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, who spends most of his Season 3 screen time in the backseat.
Given that he’s hardly had much to do as his own character in previous seasons (due to either being trapped in the Upside Down or possessed by the Mind Flayer), you’d think he’d finally have a worthwhile character arc for this one.
And, yes, while he does go through the emotional trials of growing up, it’s only really explored in one episode; and set aside straight afterwards. When he’s not pushed aside by the other boys, most of Will’s on-screen moments were him reaching for the nape of his neck whenever the Mind Flayer came around.
Season 2 was a testimonial to Schnapp’s fantastic acting abilities, so having his character in this season’s peripheral was a pretty big letdown. With the potential for a season 4, let’s hope his character gets a bit more time to shine. Now that Eleven’s pretty much his new, adopted sister – the two could very well form a delightful new bond for the show to explore (and with Schnapp and Brown being besties in real life, this should be easy to achieve!).
A must-watch for any fan
Overall, Stranger Things remains a fun, gripping ride its third time around. Acting performances are top-notch, as they have always been; with the CGI, special effects, and action cinematography at its peak.
Despite the awkward pacing and jarring tone, it provides nothing an already-established fan wouldn’t enjoy. It doesn’t quite capture the same magic as the first season, nor the intrigue of the second – but hey, with compelling characters and a genuinely terrifying antagonist, anyone who’s come this far will have undoubtedly have an awesome time.
(All pictures courtesy of Netflix.)