Stranger Things Season 3, American tv Series (2019)

At what point does one stop being a kid? I guess the answer to that question is different for everyone. When I would answer it for myself, I would say that I have never truly grown up, and I have this feeling I never will. Does that make me sound weird? Eh, I guess a little bit. The thing is, I still feel like a kid at heart. I can have a kid’s enthusiasm when I get excited about something totally geeky. Like a new trailer for the latest science fiction movie. Or a new comic book. Or…well, you get the idea right? I am now 43 years of age, and I honestly don’t ever want to have that feeling taken away from me. But when all things are said and done, ofcourse it’s not the same as being a real kid. Things always seemed simpler then. Sure, you probably had you fair share of troubles when you were a child, just like everyone did. Like avoiding your bullies, trying to get over that teenage crush, finishing your homework, you know kid’s stuff.  As an adult though things are much more difficult, and sometimes the responsibilities as an adult can become overwhelming. It’s good than to, at moment like that, feel like a kid again, and unleash your inner child. Don’t deny it: it’s still in everyone. And what better way to set it free by bingewatching Stranger Thing’s new season.

Erm, why are you looking at me like that?

Yes people, the hit Netflix series is back after two years, with it’s third installment. Now at the time of writing this post I literally just finished the series. It’s now the 6th of July, and it was released two days ago. Trust me, I could have finished it in one day if I had wanted to, but I wanted to savour it just a little longer. Like a really good and tasty desert. Expectations for the new season were high, and as such the pressure for the creators of the show must have been equally high. As we all know, sometimes having high expectations for something can really backfire. One only has to look at the final season of Game of Thrones. Or rather let’s not look at that final season again….ever. So, what about all things strange? Did they hit it out of the ballpark with this third season? Or did it all come crashing down, another succesful series totally wasted. Well I know most of you probably already scrolled down this post to look at the grade I gave it. So, having that question answered, can we now continue with the post itself? Everyone back? Cool. So, let’s sharpen our swords, get out our mage staffs, dice, pencils, papers, and delve right into the campaign. Erm…sorry this is not D&D, kind of forgot about that. Moving on!

Someone really needs to use a breath mint.

Our favorite group of kids are slowly adjusting to life being normal again. After Eleven closed the gate in  season 2 one could even argue things have become boring. The biggest change however is the fact that they are all really growing up. Some of them faster than others though. Will for instance still wants to play Dungeons and Dragons, but his friends especially Mike don’t seem all that interested anymore. Mike even says so at one point: “We are not kids anymore”. As usually happens with kids at these ages, romance also is beginning to throw a wrench into things. Mike and Eleven pretty much spend every minute together, much to the annoyment of Hopper. But this being Stranger Things you didn’t expect it to stay normal for long right? It seems the age old foes of the Americans, the Russians have been experimenting on their own, causing the gate to open again. Once more Eleven and her friends, along with some new ones, have to band together and stop the spreading evil. But this time it might not be so easy, as danger lurks around every corner, and everyone of the group has their own foes to fight. The threats are bigger than ever before and come in both human and inhuman form. The end of the world has never been this close……

Well, guess the shirt at least matches the wall paper…..

When I started watching the season on the day of it’s release and had finished the first two episodes a sense of unease began to creep over me. It just felt…off. The episodes were incredibly slow, even bordering on boring, and the characters themselves just acted  weird and didn’t all feel the same. There was some very forced humor, sometimes one might even say cringeworthy humor, and the whole romance subplot just made it feel I was watching another one of those teenage shows that I used to really hate. I don’t mind slow. I even don’t mind spending extra time with some beloved characters. As long as it all has a point and the plot moves forward. I really began to worry that I was in for a major disappointment. The next day though, it changed for the better and my mind was put at ease. The third episode began to pick up the pace, and finally that old nostalgic feeling that made the previous two seasons so much fun to watch was there again. What began as a slowburn quickly turned into a rollercoaster ride of epic proportions and has made this the best season to date. There was so much cool stuff in this third installment that it’s impossible to adress everything. That is I could, but that would make this review way too long.

Come on: I dare you to say I look silly in this outfit.

The characters really have grown up, both physically and mentally, and you don’t really see them as kids anymore. Well, maybe not just as kids anymore I should say. As with last season a few new faces are added to the existing cast, with Robin being the best newcomer. She is a really fun character, that has great chemistry with Steve. The two of them just really play well of each other, and Maya Hawke who brings Robin to life has an  incredible enthusiasm. I definitely hope we will get to see more of her in the future. Winona Ryder’s part in this season was much bigger than in the previous two installments, and I really loved her role. Her character that had always been a lot of fun, just gets much more chance to shine here. It’s also pretty obvious that this season has a way bigger budget. The special effects, especially on the part of the creatures look absolutely terrific and the whole show just feels much larger, almost coming close to a great summer block buster movie. Don’t let the two first episodes fool you. It all pays off in the end, and after finishing this season you will only have one regret: why is it over already? Oh well, at least for now it is. Season 4 is coming, but we will have to wait a while for that. Guess we have to find other things to unleash our inner childhood again until then.

I give Stranger Things Season 3 a 9 out of 10 score.