Netflix’s hit show, “Stranger Things” is a horror-fiction coming-of-age drama and is officially back for its fifth and final season after a three year hiatus. This show struck a generation. Every time it comes back for a new season it hits the top of the charts, with seasons 1-4 becoming Netflix’s top 3 watched series in the U.S. So what makes Stranger Things so unique and captivating for viewers? 

“Stranger Things” is a Netflix original series. Set in the 1980s, it follows a friend group of young teenage boys who love to play Dungeons & Dragons. In their small town of Hawkins, Indiana their friend Will goes missing. The boys plot to save Will, who has been taken to an alternate dimension by monsters. With the help of their families and a girl with psychic abilities, they defeat the monsters and bring Will back home. 

What makes this show truly so fascinating is the fact that it’s not quite like any show that has been made within the last decade.

Supernatural teens shows are a lost art of the early 2000s. “Stranger Things” not only brings back this element in television, but the writers directly took inspiration from 80s classics like “The Goonies” and “E.T”. 

With the rise of technology such as personal computers and Walkmans, the 1980s was an iconic time for popculture. Nintendo and other video games, movies, music, as well as fashion were a distinctive staple for the time. These elements draw a viewer towards the show more. Though “Stranger Things” isn’t the best representation of the 80s as a whole, people associate the show with the same vibrant colors, fashion, hair, and technology of the 80s. 

Watching a show like “Stranger Things” that executes the aesthetic alone of the 80s so perfectly can give the viewer a sense of comfort to immerse themselves into a world they otherwise would have never got to experience. The show is so cinematic, with a budget of $480 million, colors and visuals, attention to detail, and a cultivated soundtrack that catches your attention. “Stranger Things” is simply impossible to look away from. 

Plot lines within the show are extensive so there’s always more to learn and uncover. Since the first season, Stranger Things has been doing multiple plot lines that come together at the end to solve the mystery and defeat the threat for that particular season. So whether you’re more interested in the story lines of the young teens, the older teens, or the adults, each episode flips from one group to another so the viewer is always entertained. 

The lore of the supernatural element of the Upside Down, an alternate dimension under Hawkins goes very deep. There are many elements that went into the creation of the Upside Down that gives the show more depth.  It was created by one of the main characters, Eleven when she fought Henry who was an orderly that worked in the lab Eleven was raised in. As Eleven uses her powers to defeat him she opens the “MotherGate” which leads into the Upside down. By banishing Henry into the Upside Down he turns into Vecna who is the main villain in seasons 4 and 5.  Every season a new puzzle piece is revealed to show how the Upside Down and the monsters that inhabit it were created. 

But why do people, especially Generation Z connect to this show?

As a generation, Gen Z craves nostalgia. The obsession with other decades comes from the desire to escape the world collapsing around us. Anything that seems simpler or less depressive can create an outlet from our current reality. “Stranger Things” is a show made for outcasts and, in a world where it feels like society is against you, teens and young adults can gravitate towards a show where the main characters come together to create a “found family” to support each other through difficult times. The main boys, Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas, have all been constantly bullied throughout their lives. They are misfits, but that doesn’t matter. They are still unapologetically themselves and stand up for what they believe is right. The show also makes sure that representation isn’t few and far between. 

Characters are also made relatable through the loss they experience. Max, one of the main female characters, loses her brother Billy when he sacrifices himself to save everyone from one of the monsters. Max struggles with depression through the whole 4th season and her losing interests in activities and disconnecting with her friends gives her character such a more realistic lookout.  

There is LGBTQ+ representation in the form of Will Byers and Robin Buckely, two main characters within the show. Even though the show is set in the 80s, a time where homosexuality wasn’t as normalized or portrayed as it is today, having two queer characters go through self discovery and coming out holds so much importance. There are also many empowering female leads, such as Eleven, Nancy Wheeler, and Joyce Byers. The show passes the Bechdel test, and has non stereotypical Black female and male leads in the form of Lucas Sinclair and his sister Erica. 

Having media on tv that portrays loss, discovery, inclusivity, strong plot lines, and so much more in such a beautiful and in-depth way make it easier for people to connect with “Stranger Things”. Viewers don’t have to just rely on the theatrics of the show. That is why “Stranger Things” is so well received by the public, and why everyone simply cannot stop watching.