Stranger Things is the Duffer Brothers’ love letter to the 1980s and their passion for the trends and statements of its period has been fully embraced by fans and viewers alike. But beyond its nostalgia are its rich characters that impress in every season, with their emotional journeys and encompassing arcs.
The show fully embraced its horror elements, shown in The Upside Down’s discovery, that are a nod to 80s horror. But balancing this out is the lighter, almost cheesy, moments that are also a part of the genre.
Delightfully Cheesy: Alexei
Dr. Alexei is one of the most notable characters in season 3. He was one of the Russian scientists behind the construction of a portal to The Upside Down. However, Chief Hopper and Joyce Byers captured him and, with the help of Murray Bauman, asked him for information about the Russians.
During his capture, Alexei became accepting of anything American, from kids’ cartoons to fast food. Just seeing the delicate smile on his face is truly irresistible, especially when he finally receives his cherry Slurpee.
Truly Scary: Bob’s Gruesome Death
Bob Newby was thought to be a negative presence for the Byers and for Hopper. But he was actually a good boyfriend to Joyce and a good father figure to Will. This makes his sudden death startling, not only for Joyce, but also for the audience.
Back in season 2, when it is discovered that the Mind Flayer possessed Will, the group takes him out of the facility as it gets infested with Demodogs. But as they head out, the creatures tackle Bob and devour him alive in a horrific sequence.
Delightfully Cheesy: Erica Sinclair’s Burns
Erica Sinclair was one of the minor characters that got time to shine in season 3. Her snarky but honest burns aimed at Lucas and others made her stand out and completed Dustin and Steve’s comical crew who discover the Russian facility under the mall.
Erica’s arc consisted of denying fondness for nerdy hobbies, most especially Dungeons & Dragons. Thus, she deflected every claim with her jaunty mockery and straight-man tendency. Lucas’ sister truly sells her wisecracks, like “Isn't it time you die?” and “You can’t spell ‘America’ without ‘Erica,’”
Truly Scary: The Flayed Among Us
After Eleven inadvertently opened the Gate to The Upside Down, the town of Hawkins, Indiana, became a seat of invasion for the Mind Flayer and its underlings. Throughout the series, the creature created a hive connection underneath the town and affected many of its residents.
Its influence was first seen in Will. Then, it spread to other Hawkins citizens, with some victims being hard to distinguish from the rest. Realizing that such a parasitic behemoth would relentlessly infect anyone and convert them into a gelatinous mass is scary on its own.
Delightfully Cheesy: The Crazy 80’s Fads
Stranger Things gloriously embraced every fad that existed from 1983, from the publicly acclaimed to the clearly embarrassing. For every reference to niche nerd culture, there is a crazy date 80s fad that one character embraces. While they are nostalgic, they are also unintentionally funny.
Several fads include the mullet, big hair, crazy patterns, Eggos, arcades, Radio Shack, jazzercise, video rental stores, photo booths, new Coke and more. But what is funnier about these 80s fads is the fact that society embraced them as a thing. Thanks, Stranger Things.
Truly Scary: The Upside Down
The Upside Down is the mysterious dimension where the Mind Flayer resides. All living organisms are connected to the hive mind dominated by the Shadow Monster itself. The entire realm is nearly inhabitable by man and its ether pollutes those who come across its system.
As witnessed by Eleven, Will and others, The Upside Down is a terrifying place to step inside or be reminded of. And taking advantage of its biology only makes the Mind Flayer’s presence indisputable to the world, causing more people to be dragged there.
Delightfully Cheesy: Romantic Pairings
With a show filled with lovable characters, there's bound to be romantic relationships and crushes, the most central being between Mike Wheeler and Eleven. Mike’s awkwardness and El’s curiosity seamlessly clicked since both share similar struggles in themselves, making for poignant, coming-of-age moments.
For the adults, there is the “will they or won’t they” between Hopper and Joyce. Their clashing personalities made them perfect for action-heavy sequences. Other romantic pairings include Lucas and Max, Jonathan and Nancy, and Alexei and his cherry Slurpee. Hawkins seemed full of love.
Truly Scary: Barb’s Fate
Barb Holland is one of the most beloved characters of the show, despite her limited screentime. Many fans and viewers related to her down-to-earth personality and inexorable humility, probably for the fact that Barb wasn't just another “stick in the mud” friend, as popularly depicted.
However, no one ever thought in the first season that she would face the most horrific death in the show. During a house party, Barb was swiftly snatched by the Demogorgon and dragged to The Upside Down. El seeing her corpse was truly a shocker.
Delightfully Cheesy: Steve Harrington
In retrospect, Steve Harrington has the most evident character evolution in Stranger Things. Initially, he was the stereotypical jock/jerky boyfriend with the ridiculous hair. But in the second season, when Dustin had him tag along and guard them, Steve became the darling everyone loved.
To be fair, Steve wants to care for Nancy, so he ended up as the party’s babysitter and Dustin’s brother figure. And when that ended up going nowhere, it was really hilarious to see him revert to his lothario tendencies, even as he jumped from jock to Average Joe.
Truly Scary: Experimentations On Eleven
One of the core phenomena of Stranger Things is Eleven and her psychokinetic abilities. Being born with such abilities, the Hawkins Laboratory had her undergo harrowing experimentations and manipulate them to gain access to The Upside Down. But in the process, she was scarred psychologically.
The very thought of an innocent child being used as a guinea pig is horrifying and unethical in itself. And following El on her journey to discover herself, no one wants any reminder of her traumatic past. Besides, any story set inside a covert facility or hospital would lead to the most horrifying imagery imaginable.