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Stranger Things

Stranger Things is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers for Netflix. Produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment, the first season was released on Netflix on July 15, 2016. The second and third seasons followed in October 2017 and July 2019 respectively, and the fourth season was released in two parts in May and July 2022. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is expected to be released in 2025.

This article is about the television series. For other uses, see Stranger Things (disambiguation).

Stranger Things

The Duffer Brothers

United States

English

4

34 (list of episodes)

  • Karl Gajdusek
  • Brian Wright
  • Cindy Holland
  • Matt Thunell
  • Shawn Levy
  • Dan Cohen
  • The Duffer Brothers
  • Iain Paterson
  • Curtis Gwinn

  • Tim Ives
  • Tod Campbell
  • Lachlan Milne
  • David Franco
  • Ricardo Diaz[1]
  • Caleb Heymann[2]
  • Brett Jutkiewicz[3]

42–139 minutes

$270 million (season 4)[5]

Netflix

July 15, 2016 (2016-07-15) –
present (present)

Set in the 1980s, the series centers around the residents of the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana, as they are plagued by a hostile alternate dimension known as the Upside Down, after a nearby human experimentation facility opens a gateway between Earth and the Upside Down. The ensemble cast includes Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, Jamie Campbell Bower, Eduardo Franco, Joseph Quinn, and Amybeth McNulty.


The Duffer Brothers developed Stranger Things as a mix of investigative drama and supernatural elements portrayed with horror and childlike sensibilities, while infusing references to the popular culture of the 1980s. Several thematic and directorial elements were inspired by the works of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, David Lynch, Stephen King, Wes Craven and H. P. Lovecraft. They also took inspiration from experiments conducted during the Cold War and conspiracy theories involving secret government programs.


One of Netflix's flagship series, Stranger Things has attracted record viewership on the streaming platform. It has been received positively for its characterization, atmosphere, acting, soundtrack, directing, writing, and homages to 1980s films. It has received numerous nominations and awards. An animated spin-off series, developed by Eric Robles and produced by Flying Bark Productions, is in development.[6]

Overview

Stranger Things is set in the fictional rural town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s. The nearby Hawkins National Laboratory ostensibly performs scientific research for the United States Department of Energy but also secretly experiments with the paranormal and supernatural, sometimes with human test subjects. They have inadvertently created a portal to an alternate dimension they refer to as the Upside Down, whose presence begins to affect the residents of Hawkins in unusual ways.[7][8]


The first season begins in November 1983. Will Byers is abducted by a creature from the Upside Down. His mother, Joyce; the town's police chief, Jim Hopper; and a group of volunteers search for him. A young psychokinetic girl named Eleven escapes from the laboratory and is found by friends of Will. Eleven befriends and assists them in their efforts to find Will.[9]


The second season is set eleven months later, in October 1984. Will has been rescued, but he begins having premonitions of the fall of Hawkins caused by a creature in the Upside Down. When it is discovered that Will is still being possessed by an entity from the Upside Down, his friends and family learn that there is a larger threat to their world.[10]


The third season is set nine months later, in the days leading up to the Fourth of July celebration in 1985. The new Starcourt Mall has become the center of attention for Hawkins residents, putting the majority of other local stores out of business due to the mall's popularity. Hopper becomes increasingly concerned about Eleven and Mike's relationship and becomes very protective of his daughter. Unbeknownst to the town, a secret Soviet laboratory underneath Starcourt seeks to open the gateway to the Upside Down. Meanwhile, the Mind Flayer uses mind control to make Billy do his bidding.[11][12]


The fourth season is set eight months later, in March 1986. Joyce, Will, Eleven, and Jonathan have moved to Lenora, California for a fresh start. In California, Eleven struggles with the loss of her powers and being bullied in school. Meanwhile, in Hawkins, a being from the Upside Down—an entity later dubbed Vecna—begins killing the residents of Hawkins, opening new gates between the two worlds in the process. Planning to stop Vecna, Dr. Sam Owens takes Eleven to a facility to help her regain her powers. Simultaneously, Joyce and Murray fly to Russia to rescue Hopper from the Gulag in Kamchatka.

as Joyce Byers,[13] the mother of Will and Jonathan Byers. She is divorced from Lonnie Byers, the father of Will and Jonathan. In season two, she dates her old high school classmate, Bob, until his death later in the season. She and Hopper have feelings for each other.

Winona Ryder

as Jim Hopper,[13] chief of Hawkins Police Department. After his young daughter Sara died of cancer, Hopper divorced and lapsed into alcoholism. Eventually he grows to be more responsible, saving Will Byers after he is taken in season 1, as well as taking Eleven as his adopted daughter. He and Joyce have feelings for each other.

David Harbour

as Mike Wheeler,[14] middle child of Karen and Ted Wheeler, brother of Nancy and Holly, and one of three friends of Will Byers. He is an intelligent and conscientious student and is committed to his friends. He develops romantic feelings for Eleven and later dates her.

Finn Wolfhard

as Eleven / Jane Hopper ("El"),[14] a teen girl with telepathic and psychokinetic abilities, a result of being one of Dr. Brenner's subjects from Hawkins National Laboratory. She escapes the lab and eventually becomes an adoptive daughter to Jim Hopper taking his surname, and adjusts to living a normal life with the help of Mike (whom she later dates) and his friends.

Millie Bobby Brown

as Dustin Henderson,[14] one of Will Byers' friends. His cleidocranial dysplasia causes him to lisp. In the second season, he is proud of his new front teeth and is attracted to Max. In season 3, he gets a girlfriend, Suzie (portrayed by Gabriella Pizzolo), whom he met at Camp Know Where prior to the start of the season.

Gaten Matarazzo

as Lucas Sinclair,[14] one of Will's friends. He is wary of Eleven but later befriends her. In season two, he is one of Max's love interests and eventually becomes her boyfriend in season three. He becomes more popular in season 4 as a result of joining the Hawkins High basketball team, which briefly puts him at odds with his regular friend group.

Caleb McLaughlin

as Nancy Wheeler,[14] daughter of Karen and Ted and older sister of Mike and Holly. Studious and rule-abiding, Nancy finds another side of herself while investigating the Hawkins Lab and the death of her friend Barbara. In the first two seasons, she is the girlfriend of Steve Harrington but breaks up with him and then dates Jonathan Byers. She is an aspiring journalist.

Natalia Dyer

as Jonathan Byers,[14] the older brother of Will Byers and the son of Joyce Byers. He is a quiet and kind-hearted teenager, an outsider at school, and an aspiring photographer. He is close with his mother and brother, and he becomes the boyfriend of Nancy Wheeler.

Charlie Heaton

as Karen Wheeler,[15] mother of Nancy, Mike, and toddler Holly. Karen has a brief fling with Billy in season 3.

Cara Buono

as Martin Brenner (seasons 1 and 4; recurring: season 2),[16] the scientist in charge of Hawkins Laboratory and training Eleven. Manipulative and remote, he and his team are searching for Eleven in season 1 after she escapes. He is referred to as "Papa" by Eleven. In season 4, he returns to help Eleven gain her powers back and protects her from the government agents hunting her down.[17]

Matthew Modine

as Will Byers (season 2–present; recurring: season 1),[14] the son of Joyce Byers and younger brother of Jonathan Byers. He is captured by a monster from the "Upside Down", an alternate dimension discovered by Hawkins Laboratory scientists in season 1. He later develops a connection to the upside down and the Mind Flayer due to his capture.[18][19]

Noah Schnapp

as Max Mayfield (season 2–present), Billy's younger stepsister, and a tomboy who catches the attention of both Lucas and Dustin, eventually dating Lucas. In season 4, she is one of the teens that is targeted by Vecna.[19]

Sadie Sink

as Steve Harrington (season 2–present; recurring: season 1), a popular high school student and the boyfriend of Nancy Wheeler. He ostracizes Jonathan Byers but later comes to befriend him. He and Nancy later break up in season two but remain friends. He is known as the "babysitter" of the group since he is often left to look after the kids.[20][19]

Joe Keery

as Billy Hargrove (seasons 2–3; guest: season 4), Max's violent, unpredictable, and abusive older stepbrother. He challenges Steve's popularity. In season 3, he is controlled by the Mind Flayer and later sacrifices himself to protect the kids.[19]

Dacre Montgomery

as Bob Newby (season 2; guest: season 3), a former schoolmate of Joyce and Hopper who runs the Hawkins RadioShack[21] and is Joyce's boyfriend, putting him at odds with Hopper. He dies at the end of season 2 after being attacked by Demodogs.[22]

Sean Astin

as Sam Owens (seasons 2 and 4; guest: season 3), a Department of Energy executive who replaces Brenner as director of Hawkins Laboratory. He is stubborn and committed to scientific research, yet empathetic to the residents of Hawkins and helps Hopper adopt Eleven as his legal daughter. He returns with Brenner in season 4 to help Eleven gain back her powers and protects her from the government agents hunting her.[21]

Paul Reiser

as Robin Buckley (season 3–present), a girl who works alongside Steve at the ice cream store in the mall who later comes out as a lesbian. She and Steve Harrington are close friends, having worked together at the Scoops Ahoy ice cream shop and later the video store.[23]

Maya Hawke

as Erica Sinclair (season 3–present; recurring: season 2), Lucas's 10-year-old sister who helps the group. She is revealed to be very smart and have avid interest in D&D.[23]

Priah Ferguson

as Murray Bauman (season 4; recurring: seasons 2–3), a conspiracy theorist, private investigator, and longtime friend of Hopper's who helps Nancy and Jonathan in season 2 and Hopper and Joyce in seasons 3 and 4.

Brett Gelman

as Henry Creel / One / Vecna (seasons 4–present), a murderous psychic being from the Upside Down revealed to have created the Mind Flayer. He was born as a human named Henry Creel with supernatural abilities. After murdering his family and falling into a coma, he was put under the care of Dr. Brenner. Flashbacks in season 4 reveal he was sent to the Upside Down by Eleven when she was nine years old, where he was disfigured by lightning, causing his appearance as Vecna. After exploring the Upside Down, he created the Mind Flayer and took control of the dimension.[24]

Jamie Campbell Bower

Other media

Spinoff series

In July 2022, it was revealed that a spinoff series was in the works.[140]


In December 2022, reports of an anime series spinoff titled Stranger Things: Tokyo came out.[141] However, the existence of this alleged series has not been officially acknowledged by Netflix or the Duffer Brothers.[142]


In April 2023, Netflix announced a straight-to-series order for an animated series that is set in the Stranger Things universe. The animation for the series is being provided by Flying Bark Productions with Eric Robles, the Duffer Brothers, Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen as executive producers on the show.[143] It is unclear if this is the rumored Stranger Things: Tokyo anime series or an entirely different animated series altogether.


A live-action spin-off of Stranger Things, separate from any animated version, is still in development.[143]

Beyond Stranger Things

With the release of the second season of the series, Netflix also released Beyond Stranger Things, an aftershow hosted by Jim Rash. The guests are cast and crew from the series, including the Duffer Brothers and the series' stars, who discuss the development and production of the series and its larger mythology. Unlike previous aftershows created by Embassy Row, such as Talking Dead and Talking Bad, Beyond Stranger Things is intended to be watched after a screening of the entire second season.[144]

on Netflix

Stranger Things

at IMDb

Stranger Things

at IMDb

Beyond Stranger Things

from Screencraft.org

Analysis of the Duffer Brothers' "show bible"