Between the July 4th holiday events and Los Angeles earthquakes this past weekend, like everyone else, I managed to binge #Netflix 's "#StrangerThings". I was suprised it was only an eight episode season, that seems light to me. Considering, we wait a year to see the next season of a show, eight episodes doesn't seem to be enough. Yet, I must say, it's a concise, story forward driven season. In the past few years we have accepted short seasons like a twelve or a thirteen episode arch. I hope this trend isn't going to continue but recent short seasons of #VEEP and #GamrOfThrones might be a prelude to our new viewing future. Hope not.
I like #StrangerThings, I don't love it though. I think season one was really good, season two so-so and I'm glad that season three was back to it'a first season standards. Visually it feels like they got more money to spend this season, especially on their main set: the #StarcourtMall. I honestly thought it was a huge set, they tricked me. It's an abandoned mall outside of Atlanta. The overload of 80's throwback is strong with this season. It's a lot to visually absorb. The Burger King wrappers to the striped scooped-end Slurpee straws, they really went for it. Having been kid of the 80's it defiantly made me reflective on my mall time and the 80's clothing style. I had banana clips and jelly shoes, and half my wardrobe was neon colors. So visually this was a fun looking season. The Starcourt mall with it's neon strips and all the old fonts of The Gap, Spencer Gifts and JC Penny store give great nostalgia. Although I never went to a mall with carpet, I'm sure the Designer, Chris Trujillo and Set Decorator: Jess Royalhad a plethora of research to draw from. Decorating stores always gives me anxiety, that i'm never going to get enough items or be able to find 20 of the same thing to make it look like stock. I definitely applaud Jess Royalhad, all the stores looked great.
The story for the third season is set in Summer of 1985. I'm not giving anything away that the monster is back but I think the better story is seeing these sweet children growing into awkward teens. It's gotta suck to be on film in these years of your life and compare your sweet child face to the every changing look of a teenager,.. like puppies with paws that are too big. To make it worse: put some bad 80's hair or wigs on, yikes, hair was bad. I'd say the weakest part of the season is the whole Russian story and the wanna be Arnold Schwarzenegger. I know it was all about hating the Ruskies in the 80's so it makes sense to me to bring them into the story, it was just a little far fetched.... and yes, I know, I'm watching a series about strange life forms and people having super powers. But my spectrum of disbelief can only be stretched so far. There were a lot of holes in the story.. including a whole day goes by and Ele doesn't know or ask where her dad is but yet has time to change into some fresh new threads.. and where did she get the money for all the clothes she bought in her makeover montage?!?! I'm pretty sure Stranger Things is coming back for another season, already looking forward to it.