Stranger Things Season 1: A Rollercoaster of Bizarre Delights

Well, now Stranger Things season one was just...what's the word...bizarre? Peculiar? Abnormal? I'm grasping for the right phrase here because this show threw me for a loop and then some. Now where do I even begin with this oddball of a series that seemed to come out of nowhere? I guess I'll start by saying that it was unlike anything I've ever seen before. The characters, the setting, the story...everything was so unique and captivating. I'm eager to watch season two and see what sort of oddities and surprises await me.

Alicia Quan

The story kind of creeps up on you slowly at first, lulling you into a false sense of normalcy in this sleepy Indiana town where some boys are just biking around and playing D&D. It makes you think you're in for a nostalgic sci-fi throwback. But then, BAM things swerve into crazy town with these ultra-intense scenes that make you leap out of your seat, wondering what the heck is happening.

There's telekinetic superpowers, flesh-eating monsters, alternate dimensions, secret government experiments, etc. I could go on and on listing the uncanny concepts they packed into this bundle of strangeness. And the twists just keep body-slamming you when you least expect it. Like finding out about the weird psychic girl Eleven and her even weirder backstory, which they take FOREVER to explain. It drives you mad not knowing what her deal is for so long while watching her flip trucks with her mind.

And oh gosh, those creature effects are straight messed up! That faceless thing with flower petal face will poke around your nightmares for sure. Those Demogorgons are nasty beasts too with their freaky flower head things that open up. So bizarre and scary at the same time. But the absolute weirdest part is how they treat all this supremely abnormal stuff unfolding like it’s just another day in this small town.

The adults are obliviously going about their boring lives while their kids are battling inter-dimensional demons with telekinetic super girls and junk. The disconnect is hilarious, but makes it all feel extra surreal. Like two different shows happening at once—one an absurd monster mystery and the other a drama about struggling single moms. It was totally perplexing how they mashed those diverging tones together so well.

Photo from Flickr

And don’t even get me started on Chief Hopper’s character arc because talk about confounding shifts. He devolves into a lazy pillow, punching drunk, but then tries to suddenly play hero, making eggos for psychic abnormalities living in his basement. It’s a peculiar portrayal that keeps you guessing. Honestly, nothing about this show follows a coherent trajectory.

It’s like riding the world’s most erratic rollercoaster that refuses to ever let you comfortably settle in before it goes careening down another wild track. Just when you think you’ve found steady ground, BAM the floor falls out! If you like keeping your brain boggled and perpetually uneasy, then this beast of baffling entertainment will surely burst your mind grapes in the best way. What a weird watch!