This past Fourth of July holiday, Netflix released the third season of one of its most popular TV shows, “Stranger Things.” In a highly anticipated event, Netflix created a massive television fireworks show for the fans.

Stranger Things is a sci-fi drama set in the ’80s that follows an ensemble cast fighting against the forces of evil that emerge from the notorious “Upside Down,” an alternate dimension where there is nothing but shadows and darkness. 

The third season of “Stranger Things” launched fans into the neon world of 1985. The main cast, Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Eleven (Milly Bobby Brown) and a newer member Max (Sadie Sink), are all battling the emotional and physical turmoil that come with being teenagers. 

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The cinematography gave way to many bright colors and fun sets. It was truly something to look at. With the kids hanging out in the new and luminous Starcourt Mall, colors were everywhere, transporting the audience into the ’80s with its “synth-wave” pallets. 

Spoiler Alert: Taking place during the summer, the kids take on not only their teenage demons but also the unraveling of another threat from the Upside Down that the Soviet Union brought back into Hawkins, Ind. With a new enemy to combat, the kids are faced with a new shadow monster that takes over Max’s older brother Billy, played by Dacre Montgomery.

The gore went up a whole new level with this season as people are kidnapped and melted into a ravenous monster that is unlike any other the kids have battled before. The characters also find themselves fighting more common enemies, like the Russians, in order to save their town. 

Romance is also budding for several of the main characters. Audiences are able to see Eleven and Mike finally date, as well as Lucas and Max. The romance was refreshing, as it peaked into the often polar-opposite differences between male and female dating lives. It showed an honest portrayal of trust in relationships and being there for one another.

Despite being a TV show, this season had all the elements of a blockbuster film. There were fighting scenes, romance, humor, gore, an impossible threat and everlasting friendship. It was a fun ride with lots of twists and turns along the way. 

Although, this time around the writing was aimed more towards being fun and fantastic. Compared to the other darker seasons, this one seemed more silly and had a blockbuster-esque feel to it. It was grand and magnificent with theatrical elements such as special effects and fight scenes.

There was not a lot of room for plot and character development in this season because the theatrical elements of the show took the stage. One of the main characters, Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour, lingered in an angry ’80s dad caricature. He did not change or evolve throughout the season. 

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There were also holes in the plot. In the middle of the season, the kids took on Billy and then suddenly he was gone, and no longer a threat. The emphasis on effects and grandeur caused the writing for this season to suffer. 

The main adults in the show, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Hopper, also navigate parenthood after experiencing trauma and heartbreak from past seasons. They deal with the reality of their  children growing into teenagers all while trying to keep them safe from the ever-looming threat of the Upside Down.

Although the end of the show offered an epic 1 hour and 21 minute finale, the last scenes will rock fans to their cores. The cast takes on evil once again and fight hard to keep all their friends alive. 

Fans will hardly be able to wait for what Netflix has in store for a fourth season after a cliff-hanger post-credits scene. It was a wild eight-and-a-half-hour binge. The third season of “Stranger Things” took the story and characters to a new level. While some people took to the streets to watch the fireworks this Fourth of July, many fans were indoors watching the show explode in unimaginable ways.

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