\”If we’re both going crazy, then we’ll go crazy together, right?\” — Mike

Welcome to a review of the hot and trending new Netflix Original’s Stranger Things Season 3. Season 1 and 2 were released quite a while ago, and after a break of 2 years, Stranger Things Season 3 just came back stronger, wilder and with a bang! Before we start this review, I would like to remind you that this is just a minimal spoiler review, so you do not have to worry if you have not watched it.

Stranger Things Season 1 was mainly about finding Will Byers, the missing things from the group. The kids of Stranger Things were facing the biggest mystery as they were trying to crack the puzzle on where Will ended up. It was much tougher for the kids as the Hawkins National Laboratory was playing a huge role in covering up the truth, in which, they had unexpectedly opened a doorway to an alternate dimension, the Upside Down.

Stranger Things Season 2 was more focused on the creature that is terrorizing the entire world in the Upside Down and how it wanted to terrorize our world too. The kids were brave enough to stand up and face an evil creature, called the Mind Flayer. But all has not end. In Season 3, the Mind Flayer came back with more tricks up its sleeve.

With a slightly lesser runtime of eight episodes, Stranger Things still managed to exceed all expectations and touched every detailed aspect of the show. From the kids’ teen phase all the way to the romantic love between Mike and El. While introducing new ways of leaking monsters from the Upside Down, the show also brought a new sense of humor and excitement on Netflix.

The Duffer Brothers, creators of the Netflix Original’s Stranger Things, brought new and chilly ways to terrorize the kids of Hawkins, Indiana. By upgrading their game in the graphics department, the show also seemed a lot more realistic and interesting.

Aligned with the previous seasons, the world of science and their inventions threatened the small city of Hawkins. Men in white just cannot stop disturbing and manipulating God’s creations. Those of you who have watched the second season must definitely remember the Mind Flayer, a spider-like creature which was gigantic in size and, as Will described it, just merely a shadow. As it returned to threaten the poor Hawkins town, Billy also returned to bully and terrorized the kids (while still looking good).

Our heroes Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, Max and El were entering a new territory. It was the journey on becoming a teenager and they had a lot to figure out. On top of all of that, they also need to crack the twisted mysteries that happened to them and their town. It was also a whole new level of game for Mike, El, Lucas and Max as they started to experience love and attraction.

As season 3 kicked off, El appeared to be on shaky ground. Her world largely revolved around being Mike\’s girlfriend: The boy and the sense of home he provided, which she tried to return to so desperately throughout season 2. Now, their constant kissing caused Hopper deep disdain. Swiftly and for the better, though, her world opened, along with a new shopping mall set that seemed to be an overflowing gateway to \’80s references.

The primary highlight for me was El\’s relationship with Max. They overcame their initial misunderstanding and jealousy as Max provided some much-needed girl guidance for El. El also realized that she should be surrounded by girlfriends more than just guys as she needs to learn and experience adulthood as a young teenage girl.

The ever-expanding cast introduced Maya Hawke, daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke, as Robin, an ice cream scooper working a summer job with Steve Harrington, who recently graduated and down on his luck. Their prodding and poking fun at each other, along with the glowing Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin and last season\’s MVP, Priah Ferguson as Erica, were the backbone of a party of misfits we never knew we needed.

Surprisingly, one of the most touching moments came from when our hot-tempered chief, Hopper, turned to our loving and caring parent, Joyce, for parental advice. As he was losing his head over El and Mike’s lovey-dovey interactions, he went beyond his way to find the proper assistance and guidance, only to end up taking matters into his own hands.

This season\’s sense of fun, along with its relationship drama and multiple odd pair-ups brought humor and touching moments that recall Game of Thrones at its best. While the story flowed into tighter spaces and everyone had a crucial role in grander events, the conspiracy was simply a side project. It was a fun and worthy excuse to spend the summer in the warmer-than-ever world of Stranger Things.

Written by,Arveen Anbarasan

Edited by,Nur Izzah Arrina Muhamd Nasir