With its long-awaited final season on the way, “Stranger Things” closes out a decade of phenomenal storytelling that has reshaped television.
Since its debut in 2016, it has been an enormous success, breaking numerous records and captivating audiences worldwide. According to IMDb, the fourth season of the show broke the 28-day viewership record in just 17 days. Within this timeframe, fans viewed over 781 million hours of the show.
“I think that the show was masterfully done. The directors were able to capture the hearts of many with their vibe and the characters and emotions they portrayed throughout it. Over the years, it’s developed a really loyal fan base,” said Elliott Cranmer, a sophomore at Carlmont.
The show gained popularity due to its diverse combination of genres. With its elements of science fiction, memorable characters, romance, and a 1980s setting, it created a world unlike any other, appealing to audiences of all ages.
“I was about nine years old when I started watching the show, and I really enjoyed how the plot always left me on edge. That’s what pulled me in at first,” said Emerson Aiken, a sophomore at Woodside High School.
In season one, the cast members were between the ages of 12 and 14. Now, with the fifth and final season coming out on Nov. 26, the same actors are in their twenties. Over the years, fans have been able to watch the characters grow up on screen. The show has turned into more than just a story, but rather a shared experience. Every milestone and every heartbreak has been experienced alongside the fans, as if they were a part of the journey themselves.
“I’m going to miss it so much. I feel like I’ve watched all four seasons at least three times. I don’t want it to end. But I’m really excited about what they’ve done with this last season because I was bawling at the last episode of season four,” Aiken said.
In the final episode of season four, the dark parallel dimension known as the Upside Down merged with the characters’ hometown. One of these characters, Max Mayfield, is blind, in a coma, and nobody knows if she will make it out alive.
After all these cliffhangers, fans know that the final season is going to be full of plot twists, intense moments, and chaos, all in the best way possible. However, nobody really knows what will happen.
“I feel like the final season could go two very different ways. They could stop the Upside Down from entering their world, or the complete opposite, where they could completely merge. I would really like to see the struggle and them fail at first and then make it work,” said Vivi Casamento, a junior at Saint Francis High School.
Despite the mystery surrounding the final season, one thing is sure: the show will leave a lasting legacy.
“I think it’s really been a staple of media and culture throughout the last decade, and I don’t think it’s going to fade from our minds. The messages of the show have resonated with many people. It will be something that a lot of people revisit when they’re older,” Casamento said.
