[6.8/10] This may be the first episode of Stranger Things that I didn’t really like. So many of the bits the show introduces here seem like tired clichés, without the sort of lived-in, rough-hewn glimpse of small town life that made the series so vibrant for its first two seasons.
That goes big for Hopper doing the “disapproving dad” routine with Eleven and Mike. I like the notion of them exploring the idea of Hopper wanting to give the kids a wide berth after what they’ve been through, but being unable to turn off his “that darn boy is kissing my daughter” instincts. But the show tackles it in a practically Full House sort of way, with beats you can see coming from a mile away. Eleven and Mike getting to enjoy their young love fares a little better, but even there, the show deploys a lot of hokey bits.
The only interesting outgrowth here is the show continuing to tease Hopper and Joyce. The show’s pretty cheeky with its Cheers reference, and the moment with the two of them in the store where Hopper asks her out is corny. But I like that they’re providing emotional support to one another, and I like that Joyce is still reeling from losing Bob, which is what’s holding her back. It’s one of those echoes of season 2 I’m glad to see the show still grappling with, rather than just moving on from.
The same cannot be said for Max’s brother Billy, who is still a giant, cheeseball of a douchebag and is now courting Mrs. Wheeler. Their routine at the pool may be the biggest cliché in the episode, and I just don’t know why this guy is still a character on the show. The “married mom dates teenager” thing is tired, and he’s a one-dimensional character. My only hope is that the mysterious rat-popping force kills him, and we never have to see him again.
Speaking of which, we see that Nancy and Jonathan have graduated and are working at the local paper. It’s a natural move after their investigative skills shown off in the last season. But the show pushes the “it’s a sexist old boys club” button really really hard that makes me roll my eyes at a point I strongly agree with. Again, the show lays everything on really thick in this episode, which treats the legitimate sexism young women like Nancy faced in 1984 (and still face today) as something too cartoony and exaggerated in the context of the show for audiences to take seriously.
But not everyone has graduated. In one of the few storylines that really interested me, we see that Steve couldn’t even get into the local community college, and is instead working at an ice cream shop at the mall. There’s an interesting story to be told about the jock who used to be at the top of the high school food chain finding himself in a menial role because he didn’t plan for life afterward. Granted, his sarcastic coworker is a cliché, and his painful attempts to hit on customers are more cheese, but at least there’s a solid idea there.
That just leaves the rest of the kids and the hints at the season arc for Strangers Things 3, both of which are positive. One of the few things that maintains its shine is the kids palling around with one another. Their efforts to surprise Dustin on his return home from science camp, sneaking into a movie, and general repartee continues to be relatable and enjoyable. Dustin in particular continues to be a treat, and I’m intrigued by the prospect of his summer camp girlfriend (who is, apparently, a Mormon from Utah).
That said, the “trouble in paradise” between Lucas and Max is, again, pretty trite. Will having crazy sensations about trouble brewing in the Upside Down is standard operating procedure for the show at this point. So while the dynamic is good, what we get from it in the early going isn’t flawless either.
Still, I’m intrigued to see the show leaning into the Cold War shtick and giving us scenes of a Russian science team trying to make contact with the Upside Down as well. The mysterious phenomenon in Hawkins (this time affecting magnets rather than electricity for some reason) is enough to create some tension, and the prospect of our usual heroes crossing paths with Soviet spies has potential. (Americans crossover, anyone?)
Overall, this is the least encouraging start to a Stranger Things season so far, but hopefully this is just the show getting some of its throat-clearing out of the way early so it can get to the good stuff.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-01-05T02:34:09Z
[6.8/10] This may be the first episode of Stranger Things that I didn’t really like. So many of the bits the show introduces here seem like tired clichés, without the sort of lived-in, rough-hewn glimpse of small town life that made the series so vibrant for its first two seasons.
That goes big for Hopper doing the “disapproving dad” routine with Eleven and Mike. I like the notion of them exploring the idea of Hopper wanting to give the kids a wide berth after what they’ve been through, but being unable to turn off his “that darn boy is kissing my daughter” instincts. But the show tackles it in a practically Full House sort of way, with beats you can see coming from a mile away. Eleven and Mike getting to enjoy their young love fares a little better, but even there, the show deploys a lot of hokey bits.
The only interesting outgrowth here is the show continuing to tease Hopper and Joyce. The show’s pretty cheeky with its Cheers reference, and the moment with the two of them in the store where Hopper asks her out is corny. But I like that they’re providing emotional support to one another, and I like that Joyce is still reeling from losing Bob, which is what’s holding her back. It’s one of those echoes of season 2 I’m glad to see the show still grappling with, rather than just moving on from.
The same cannot be said for Max’s brother Billy, who is still a giant, cheeseball of a douchebag and is now courting Mrs. Wheeler. Their routine at the pool may be the biggest cliché in the episode, and I just don’t know why this guy is still a character on the show. The “married mom dates teenager” thing is tired, and he’s a one-dimensional character. My only hope is that the mysterious rat-popping force kills him, and we never have to see him again.
Speaking of which, we see that Nancy and Jonathan have graduated and are working at the local paper. It’s a natural move after their investigative skills shown off in the last season. But the show pushes the “it’s a sexist old boys club” button really really hard that makes me roll my eyes at a point I strongly agree with. Again, the show lays everything on really thick in this episode, which treats the legitimate sexism young women like Nancy faced in 1984 (and still face today) as something too cartoony and exaggerated in the context of the show for audiences to take seriously.
But not everyone has graduated. In one of the few storylines that really interested me, we see that Steve couldn’t even get into the local community college, and is instead working at an ice cream shop at the mall. There’s an interesting story to be told about the jock who used to be at the top of the high school food chain finding himself in a menial role because he didn’t plan for life afterward. Granted, his sarcastic coworker is a cliché, and his painful attempts to hit on customers are more cheese, but at least there’s a solid idea there.
That just leaves the rest of the kids and the hints at the season arc for Strangers Things 3, both of which are positive. One of the few things that maintains its shine is the kids palling around with one another. Their efforts to surprise Dustin on his return home from science camp, sneaking into a movie, and general repartee continues to be relatable and enjoyable. Dustin in particular continues to be a treat, and I’m intrigued by the prospect of his summer camp girlfriend (who is, apparently, a Mormon from Utah).
That said, the “trouble in paradise” between Lucas and Max is, again, pretty trite. Will having crazy sensations about trouble brewing in the Upside Down is standard operating procedure for the show at this point. So while the dynamic is good, what we get from it in the early going isn’t flawless either.
Still, I’m intrigued to see the show leaning into the Cold War shtick and giving us scenes of a Russian science team trying to make contact with the Upside Down as well. The mysterious phenomenon in Hawkins (this time affecting magnets rather than electricity for some reason) is enough to create some tension, and the prospect of our usual heroes crossing paths with Soviet spies has potential. (Americans crossover, anyone?)
Overall, this is the least encouraging start to a Stranger Things season so far, but hopefully this is just the show getting some of its throat-clearing out of the way early so it can get to the good stuff.