One of the most popular Netflix Originals, created and produced by the Duffer Brothers, “Stranger Things” is the number one series on Netflix’s top 10 Chart. This series premiered in the summer of 2016 and has been running strong ever since with four seasons currently out and a fifth on the way.  

   This horror fiction thriller series, with charismatic characters who you instantly fall in love with, is set in the 1980s. Season one starts off with a young boy, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), going missing on his way home from playing Dungeons and Dragons with his three friends by a mysterious figure. Will’s friends Mike, Lucas and Dustin began searching for Will in the forest, where they stumbled upon a girl named Eleven (Milly Bobby Brown) wearing a hospital gown with a shaved head. The boys kept her hidden in Mike’s basement and later found she had supernatural powers. Will’s family and friends continue looking for him as he is trapped in what is known as the “Upside down” with terrifying monsters known as “Demogorgons.” This first season of “Stranger Things” had a watch rate of 45.22 million hours according to the Los Angeles Times and a 97% rotten tomato ranking. 

   Soon after season one, season two was launched in 2017, quickly introducing new characters. Season two begins with the introduction of a young girl named Max, as the boys discovered she was the one who had beat their high score in the arcade game, “Dig Dug.” Will began noticing particles of the “Upside Down” in his world and realized he was in an alternate dimension, where Mike brings him back to reality. Will later experiences a similar event, but with a shadow figure with spinning dust coming at him. Joyce, Will’s mother, notices drawings Will created and found that they created a map of tunnels under Hawkins. Hopper gets lost in these tunnels and is eventually saved. While this was happening, Eleven goes to find her mother and unexpectedly finds her sister “008” who also has supernatural powers. At the end of the season Eleven returns and everyone is reunited and goes to the school dance. This season had 30.3 million views and a 94% rate of rotten tomatoes.  

   In 2019, “Stranger Things” fans were hit with season three. This season starts off with Russian scientists trying to force open a gate to the “Upside Down.”  The film then switches back to Hawkins at the new Starcourt Mall, where Dustin goes to tell Steve who works at Scoops inside the mall, about a Russian transmission he caught when trying to communicate with his new girlfriend through a radio tower. While Dustin, Steve and his coworker Robin try and decode the Russian message, Nancy finds exploding mice that form into a bigger creature when called. Will finds the “Mind Flayer” is still alive and trying to attack him and his friends. Billy, Max’s brother, is possessed by the “Mind Flayer” and later dies, as he is brought back to his normal self and saves Max and her friends. Back at Starcourt, Robin decodes the message and finds that the Russians are attempting to open the gate again. This season received 89% rotten tomatoes and was watched with a whopping 7.2 billion minutes of streaming according to “Deadline.” 

   In May of 2022, the first couple of episodes of season four of “Stranger Things” is released with the last two episodes released in July. This season started off with seeing Joyce and her family in California. Joyce later discovers a Russian doll that encourages her and Murray to find Hopper, who is presumed dead. The film then shows Hopper being a prisoner at the Russian base, who is later saved by Joyce and Murray. Eleven is still needed to save the world and goes to “Papa” to help revive her powers. A new monster called Vecna is discovered and chases after kids with trauma. Max is soon found to be a target. Her friends help her by discovering that listening to your favorite songs allows for an escape from Vecna’s control. Eleven finally gets her powers back and tries to save Max from Vecna’s wrath. This season had a rotten tomato rate of 88% and was watched for 188.2 million hours, according to “Variety”. 

   Season five is said to come out sometime in 2024. 

   “Stranger Things” is one of the most famous and loved series worldwide. “I love everything about this show and the ending of season four was so good, I can’t wait for season five,” says a student here at Gulf Breeze, Annie Driskell.