Chapter Eight: The Upside Down

Yeah, I'd call that an appropriate finish. Wraps everything up with a nice bow and still leaves you with burning questions. The main arc gets resolved, but somehow . . . doesn't. The Upside-Down clearly isn't finished with Will. And I love that they actually refer to the monster as the Demogorgon.

One thing I hadn't expected was to see Hopper emerge as the favorite character. He'd started out as a funny curmudgeon but really deepened in such a short time. And this is saying something coming in an episode that loses a main character.

I have the kind of questions that would drive a person nuts if the show's future were uncertain. Suffice it to say, I'm looking forward to the next season. It's just an eerie and addictive show. And as a finale, this was top-shelf; intense, moving and absolutely engrossing.

10/10

"Stranger Things" is a show that is genre-diverse. That is probably the greatest compliment I can give a television program, as I really enjoy when shows tackle more than just "one thing" over the course of a number of episodes. In the case of "Stranger Things", it is science fiction, character drama, dry humor, all mixed together with a heavy helping of 1980s nostalgia. It doesn't all work, but most of it does...easily enough to be a very engaging experience.

For a basic plot summary (only minor spoilers), "Stranger Things" focuses on a sleepy little town in 1983 suburbia. Well, sleepy until it becomes the site of shady government activity, led by the mysterious Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine), which slowly unfurls over the course of the eight episodes in this first season. A group of childhood buds is first to experience the weirdness, with one of their own, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), abducted by a monster of sorts. This spurs group leader Mike (Finn Wolfhard), wiry Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and gap-toothed Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) into action. At the same time, Will's mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) teams up with Sheriff Jim "Hop" Hopper (David Harbour) to try and find an "official" explanation for what is happening.

Of course, the auxiliary characters also help drive the story lines of "Stranger Things" as much as anything. Mysterious stranger Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) factors heavily into the proceedings, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Barb (Shannon Purser) are the classic yin-and-yang, and even chemistry teacher Mr. Clarke (Randall P. Havens) plays a key role the deeper the rabbit hole gets.

"Stranger Things" is the perfect binge-watch show in that each episode ends on a momentous cliffhanger...almost a throwback to the old cinema serials of years gone by. It's almost physically difficult NOT to boot up the next episode, as they each contain such an engaging mix of plot, humor, character development, and nostalgia.

That being said, when one "steps back" for a moment and looks at the show, it is sometimes easy to see that not everything works in terms of plot direction and pacing. The mystery is really strung out, certain characters are up-and-down in terms of focus, and it can lag a bit in spots (treading the same water over and over).

Yet, as evidenced by my 8/10 rating, "Stranger Things" easily does enough things right to make it a very fun show to watch. Simply put, it is best enjoyed "in the moment", without a lot of time for reflection or contemplation. I usually look for the opposite in TV programs (I love to deeply think about the material), but in this case it was kind of a breath of fresh air to just be swept away by the sheer entertainment of it all.

Overall, "Stranger Things" became a bit of a pop sensation, and that designation is (mostly) earned. It will be interesting to see if subsequent seasons are able to recapture that bottled lightning, or if it will be a "one hit wonder".

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...

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. :)

Season 1 was of a consistently high quality, with all the episodes ranging between good (Chapters 2 and 6) and incredible (over two thirds of the season). 'Stranger Things' was a big surprise when first getting into it, the premise did sound great but Netflix's original output have always varied with some being great and others not being very good. Luckily it very quickly became one of their best (along with 'The Crown' and 'House of Cards' in their prime).

"Chapter Eight: The Upside Down" is an incredible finale and Season 1 couldn't have ended on a better note than this. Anybody who has seen some disappointing season finales recently or in their time will find "Chapter Eight: The Upside Down" is a relief, and proof that season finales can be great and more. Not only is it a strong contender for the best episode of Season 1, and that took some beating, but three seasons later it's still one of the best episodes of 'Stranger Things' and essentially what it's all about.

The production values are superb. Very stylish and atmospheric, with some truly beautiful images that one can't believe such high quality comes from a Netflix show. Not to mention the highly impressive special effects that put a good deal of big budget films in recent years to shame. The music has a wonderful 80s nostalgic vibe while also being quite haunting, enhancing the atmosphere beautifully.

Also incredibly impressive is the beautifully balanced writing. That has a lot of thought and intrigue, with the usual brains and heart. The storytelling is tremendously engaging, atmospheric and never simplistic or convoluted, as well as doing wonderfully at building upon the chess pieces that began to fully fall into place in the previous episode. It is rich in affectionate nostalgia (reminiscent of Stephen King's depiction of childhood), poignant emotional impact and suspenseful turns in the more mysterious elements.

Furthermore, the character writing is spot on, especially the richer writing for Jim Hopper. The character interaction likewise, especially between the younger cast in an interaction reminiscent of 'Stand By Me'. The performances are superb across the board, especially beyond her years Millie Bobby Brown and nuanced David Harbour.

Overall, incredible. 10/10.