Why is Everyone Talking about Stranger Things?

Stranger Things season 5 has been highly anticipated and is arguably a global phenomenon. It’s taken over the internet, from the TikTok audios to fan theories to insane promos. It’s a show that appeals to Gen Z because of its 80s aesthetic, nostalgia, and lovers of retro music, most famously “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, which came back to the charts decades later thanks to the show. The show has the small-town mystery atmosphere and blends horror with humor and likable, complex characters. Small-town mysteries involving the supernatural became a whole subgenre and have led to some popular shows in the past few decades, such as Twin Peaks, Teen Wolf, and Riverdale. The general audience seems to be obsessed with small towns, retro atmospheres, and young teens getting to the bottom of a mystery. They love the small-town energy because it is always more interesting when everyone knows each other. Once a large secret is exposed, it unravels a whole rabbit hole of events until nothing is as it seems. However, Stranger Things does it on a whole other level, having a budget of $50-60 million per episode and spending years on a season. It is interesting how often we see this trope in the media. 

 At first, there is this illusion that the small town is innocent and nothing bad ever happens there, but then an event, a murder, a disappearance, or some other mystery happens, and the town changes forever. It is especially entertaining when only a small group of people know what is actually happening and the rest of the town is completely oblivious. For example, in Stranger Things, no one questions why the earthquake left a perfect X in the town of Hawkins, why there are so many suspicious deaths, or what all the military is doing there. They also explore the themes of friendship and found family, something that deeply touches the audience. There are many dynamic friendships in the show, for example Steve and Dustin, Robin and Steve, and Robin and Will. The bonds between characters are central to the show and are partly what gives the show its charm. The show explores finding connections and forming bonds in a very unstable and changing world, something that resonates with the Gen Z audience a lot. Their visuals and visual effects are also very easily recognizable, adding to the brand. They use a lot of red lights and contrast suburban aesthetics with elements of horror. 

Beyond the story itself, Stranger Things has become a marketing phenomenon.  They had organized multiple pop-up experiences such as the Stranger Things Experience in New York, London, and Los Angeles and had immersive themed installations based on locations like Hawkins Lab and the Upside Down and collaborated with brands like Converse, Coke, Nike, and more. You have likely seen one of the ads that they have done, whether it be Tide, Doritos, Spotify, or the Walmart-themed Stranger Things collections. Their marketing decisions have been very unusual, choosing to premiere the first volume on Thanksgiving, the second on Christmas, and the final episode on New Year’s Eve, rather than releasing all episodes together and on Halloween. They have also used technology and filters to make buildings look like they are Upside Down. This adds to the anticipation, with everyone speculating how it’s going to end and which characters aren’t going to make it. (Please Stranger Things, don’t kill my favorite characters). In addition, one of the reasons that the final season has been so anticipated and talked about is because a whole generation grew up on Stranger Things. It’s very nostalgic for me as well, because the first season aired when I was just starting school, and this year I’m about to graduate high school.  Some are speculating that there might be time travel involved and that the show will end with the core four playing D&D in the basement, while others think that the epilogue will end with the characters meeting years later. Whatever the ending is, hopefully all of the fans don't spend their New Year's in tears and rather have an amazing experience and go into the New Year accepting and loving themselves, like Stranger Things always teaches us. Today, Stranger Things isn't just a TV show; it's a franchise, a narrative, and a piece of modern pop culture history.