TechSavvyDad Tuesday - Stranger Things on Netflix

You may have seen that we have been tweeting about the latest Netflix original series ‘Stranger Things’.  We have now finished watching series 1, and absolutely cannot wait for the second series. For those who haven’t read anything about the series, I will attempt to explain how good it is, without any spoilers, so feel free to read on if you haven’t yet seen it.  Throughout the series I was convinced it must have something to with Stephen King. The way the story is written, the characters, the feel of the series.  It appears I am wrong as the series has been written by the Duffer brothers, although there is a cursory nod to King in one of the episodes where one of the leads likens the events to a Stephen King novel, so maybe a little thanks for the inspiration. Or is there a pseudonym at work here?

Stranger things is a series set in the 80’s which begins with the disappearance of a young boy, Will Byers. There are 8 episodes in series 1, and I hope this will be extended in series 2.  Will is part of a group of friends, who enjoy playing fantasy board games and are really the ‘geeks’ of their generation.   As the series progresses, there are some clear similarities that can be drawn to other fantastic series’ and films reminiscent of the 80’s timeframe.  Stand By Me, The Goonies, even E.T. come to mind initially - all classics which aren’t easily forgotten.

As the series moves on, without wanting to give much away around the storyline, it becomes clear that things are more sinister than it appears on the surface, and the actors really do make sure that you are genuinely scared, not from a horror perspective, but out of fear for the characters, and what will happen to each of them. Having said that the suspense that is present throughout each episode is really powerful and draws you in.  Again, I couldn’t help but be reminded of other classics such as Steven Speilbergs Taken Mini Series,  X - Files, and at points even Alien and Predator.  To be clear, the isn’t a horror series, its a suspense thriller, but watch it and see if you draw the same conclusions.

According to recent research Netflix have pinpointed the exact episodes when viewers become hooked. Stranger Things has the viewers gripped from episode 3 but for us it was definitely from the beginning. 

Our favourite Netflix original series is still Breaking Bad, and I’m not sure there will be a series that will come close to this for us, in terms of quality, length and fantastic characters and storyline.  However, ‘Stranger Things’ definitely has an opportunity to challenge the mighty Breaking Bad.  We will see in series 2 - see you there.