Stranger Things - Season 3

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Even though I've watched it a couple of times now, I realize I still haven't actually reviewed the third season of Stranger Things. So, that's what I'm going to do. One of the first things about the third season I really appreciated was the fact that most of these kids are growing up. All of them are in relationships except for Will. But, I also like the way they dealt with Will in this season as well. I kind of think Will is the least interesting of the core kid group. But, with season 3, there's more of an effort to flesh him out. For most of the season, he's still kind of stuck in the past while his friends are growing up around him. I like it because it feels relatable. We've probably all known someone like that, or maybe we've been in Will's shoes. I also think Billy was a much more improved character this season. I thought he was kind of one-note in the majority of season two. If anything, this season cements him as one of the show's best villains. Some of the new additions are pretty fun. Cary Elwes is awesome as a sleazy politician. Murray returns for this season, and is quite a bit stronger in season 3. It doesn't hurt that he gets a bromance with a Russian defector named Alexei. Alexei's great too. Basically, he's just a big child. The motivations behind his attempts at bribery are Cherry Slurpees and being allowed to watch Looney Tunes. My favorite new addition has to be Robin. I speak so much to the characters on the show in my reviews because they are the highlights for me. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the action. I like the effects. I like the nostalgic callbacks. But, the characters and their relationships are the heart of the show. The one thing about this season I'm not entirely sure needs to be there anymore is Mike's parents and little sister. Mike and Nancy continue to feel like they are growing and developing. I'll say Mike's mom had some development. However, I don't entirely know what the dad and baby sister really offer anymore. They aren't awful characters. I just kind of feel like they are just there. I love how this season just kind of keeps building with each episode as well. There's an episode in the third season, The Sauna Test, that is easily in my top five. The episode just feels so tense, and actually raises the stakes. Overall, I think this season about on par with season one.

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