The third season of Stranger Things was a ton of fun, but that doesn’t mean it was flawless, so we’re breaking down season three to find the high points and the low points. From “interminable bickering” to fresh comic relief, here are the three best and three worst things about Stranger Things season three.
Making things bigger is a classic element of serialized cinema. Simply put, you can’t go on entertaining the masses with the same stuff that hooked them in the first place. Showrunners, directors, and producers are always working on ways to make things newer, better, and badder.
On top of that, the third season is an interesting point in any series, as it serves as a transition point of sorts. On the one hand, it typically connects to original plots from the beginning of the show, while on the other, it attempts to reorient and expand the story to keep things entertaining and map out future possibilities. This is always a difficult task, but in the case of Stranger Things season three, the production crew has actually managed to calibrate and graduate the story to greater heights without losing the cozy, small-town feel of the first season.
Season three clearly has some pretty big fish to fry, like the invasion of the Mind Flayer and the unveiling of a huge Russian base underneath Hawkins. However, it masterfully balances these major plot points with a healthy dose of carnival fun, trips to the mall, a deep dive into the relationships of awkward teenagers, and even a hilarious reference to the massively overblown New Coke fiasco.
It’s incredibly sweet to watch as Eleven and Mike date, break up, and then find their way back to each other. Lucas and Max get in on the fun, too, with their sage relationship advice. Plus, Dustin keeps us endlessly entertained as he loyally maintains his season-long quest to link up with Suzie.
But there’s one relationship throughout the series that’s just beating a dead horse. We’re talking, of course, about the unspoken attraction, disgust, tension – whatever you want to call it – between Chief Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers. The two have been flirting since the earliest days of the show, and by the end of season three, they still haven’t managed to hook up or call it off. Keep watching the video to see the 3 best and 3 worst things about Stranger Things 3!
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Best: Bigger and better | 0:15
Worst: Hopper and Joyce | 1:21
Best: Am-Erica | 2:26
Worst: Not enough Upside Down | 3:19
Best: Murray and Alexei | 4:09
Worst: Hopper the unstoppable | 5:10