My Cultural Diet

Stranger Things has never been one to hide its influences, be it Steven Spielberg-style adventure, Stephen King-esque horror, or of course, Dungeons & Dragons. But in its first two seasons, it handily rose above those influences, using them to create something that felt fresh and original. Not so with season three. Make no mistake, season three has some delightful aspects, such as the growing dynamic between Steve and Dustin and the inclusion of new characters like Robin and Erica. Story-wise, however, it was incredibly uneven. On the one hand, you had lots of super-icky Cronenberg-esque body and zombie horror, and on the other hand, a secret Russian base located far below Hawkins’ brand new shopping mall, which felt like a ridiculous homage to cheesy ’80s action movies. (The season even had a Terminator-esque bad guy, for good measure.) And don’t get me started on the teen romance hijinks and melodrama. It was all just a bit too forced and over-the-top, and yes, I know I’m saying that about a show in which a girl with psychic powers battles horrors from another dimension.

I may earn an affiliate commission on items you buy through Opus. These commissions will go directly to support the site and my blogging.