[Spoiler Alert: I’m literally about to spoil everything.]
Stranger Things season 3 dropped on Netflix and the whole thing feels very “been there, done that.”
The season spends about three episodes just setting the scene which, considering there’s only eight episodes total, is a while to wait for anything real to happen.
But even once things get going, it feels like we’re missing that same momentum we got from season 1, or even season 2. The season just lacks that extra oomph that made it so special in the first place. It’s like the show spent more time thinking about all those ’80s references than they did the actual plot.
Not to mention that there are some things that literally make zero sense. Obviously, I don’t expect Stranger Things to be realistic. But at least in season 1 they made an earnest effort to make sure the science sounded decent and the plots all lined up.
But season 3 just feels… sloppy. There are so many things that are brought up but then never fully addressed. Why were the rats eating fertilizer and poison? Why did the Russians want to open the gates in the first place? What was their ultimate mission?
All of these are things I could forgive if the overall plot and ending had felt satisfying. But frankly, the whole season just feels like a remix of season 2. Another day, another monster. A new host but the same mission.
When Stranger Things first debuted on Netflix, it felt so original, so fresh, so wonderfully weird. But three seasons in and I can’t help but wonder, have they already run out of material?
Nothing proves this more than the cliffhanger we’re left with: a shot of a demogorgon from season two. It certainly doesn’t make me excited for season 4, which, by any indication, will be more of the same.
Listen, the cast is all great in their roles. But there’s only so many times I can watch Millie Bobby Brown use mind control to throw monsters around.
Putting all of this aside, the most offensive part of the season is the way they treat Hopper. The once lovable detective has become unhinged, misogynistic, and overall just plain unlikeable. Maybe my heart is made of stone but I barely blinked an eye when he (supposedly) dies.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, we’re then forced to listen to an incredibly schmaltzy voice-over of Hopper reading a speech meant for Eleven and Mike. Hit me over the head, why don’t you!
At the end of the day, Stranger Things season 3 wasn’t a waste of time per se, but it certainly wasn’t anything to brag about. Next, please!
