‘Stranger Things’ Season 3 Recap: All’s Well That Ends Weird

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I enjoyed Season 3 as much as Seasons 1 & 2, especially El and Max’s female friendship and the witty banter between Steve and Robin (whose a dead ringer for her mom Umma Thurman) and Dustin and Erica. I also liked hearing all my favorite characters constantly cursing. It made them even more likable and relatable. Can’t wait for Season 4.

Loved the first 2, this season was a snoozer.

Ultimately, it's a high-budget cheesy grindhouse movie, and you accept it for that or you don't. I didn't find it as good as the first season but it's still entertaining. They probably should wrap it up next season though. And give poor Will something to do! Kid was relegated to almost nothing but grabbing the back of his neck and saying "it's here" every episode. As a child of the 80s I can appreciate the nostalgia from a safe distance, but I'd not go back to that point in time for anything.

I loved it. I love Nancy so petite in stature, yet strong in mind and body. Great cast in general. I love Hoppers gut and Steve’s Bono haircut. Soviet agents under the mall? Brilliant. No America without Erica

Very disappointing season. Not as fresh as Season 1

As someone who grew up in the 80s, as nostalgia, Stranger Things got "it" exactly right. As a story, however, by Season 3, this series just got repetitive. And loud. So loud. Too much Jim (really loud), too many El nosebleeds. Billy was just a one note and boring character. There were a few much needed highlights--Dustin and Susie singing a duet, the storyline between Steve and Robin, more of little sis Erica, who was hilarious. Can't imagine where another season could go from here. Netflix should stop while its ahead.

Each season appears to achieve diminishing returns in the "opening in the Upside Down unleashes monster/bunch of kids save the world" story line. Granted, we are talking about kids, but as an actor, Millie Bobby Brown's abilities are so well-developed, that the shortcomings and limitations of all the other young actors are that much more pronounced. The Will character is the only one who does not come off as a smarmy brat. On the other hand, there was genuine chemistry between the Steve and Robin characters, as well as between "Bald Eagle" and the captured Russian scientist, and the scenes involving these characters were fun to watch. The same cannot be said for Hopper (though I blame the writers and not David Harbour for the character's boorish turn before snapping back to hero mode) and Joyce (Winona Ryde appeared to be channeling her inner Joan Cusack, albeit not particularly well).

loved it! there's so much in there it's worth another look. I like how they divided the characters up into separate stories all converging at the same place. Sort of a "It's a Mad Mad Mad World" story structure. This allowed a focus on a number of ongoing side bits, like the attraction between Hopper & Joyce.. the sidekick relationship between the Russian Scientist and Murry and the romances between the kids. Putting together two of the shows best camera muggers and deliverer of lines, Dustin and Erica, was fun to see. Underneath all these asides, sometimes it was a little hard to follow the story, and I thought some of the original kids, such as Lucas and Will, got kind of left out of having an impact on the narrative. But there were a LOT of characters to make room for, the mayor, the Russian hit man, and several of the characters as young children. So Lucas and Will had a couple moments, and basically just got to tag along. I was genially surprised to have Hopper die at the end. I thought, wow, now Joyce has lost two boyfriends at the end of the past two seasons. Not the best luck in dating. Who is the mystery American in the Russian cell? Hopper, I don't know I think it's someone else. Also, having had to endure the last couple years of Russian attacks on our Democracy, I was more than fine having them be just superficial villains. So yes I thought the whole melting into what looks like piles of moving poop was really icky. But then it was so retro too! s

Binged it all on Saturday and loved it! Steve and Robin were terrific together and the fact that they played the whole season in those sailor suits was genius. All the kids were great and I loved Dustin's and Susie's duet from Never Ending Story, it was fantastic. I needed the break from the real life horror that is Trump and Stranger Things was just the right antidote. Hopefully the 2020 election will bring an end to our own Upside Down.

I wish they would have explained how exactly the Russians expected to actually use the Upside Down once they opened it? Like, have an army of trained Demagorgons? I don't get it.

Is no one going to talk about the musical scene in the middle of the creature chasing the kids and the world about to end?? It ruined the mood for me. Not sure I'll watch next season when Anna and Elsa join the kids to beat the big scary snowman that made it through the portal from Russia all while singing and dancing.

Season 1: Blew my mind. Season 2: Wasn't that good and seemed there was a rush to get a series out. But I was hanging in that Season 3 would make up for the shortcomings. Season 3: It didn't. After I binged (each episode disheartening), I told friends, colleagues, neighbors, acolytes and even adversaries – don't waste your time. Season 3 was a bummer. Stereotypical characters. Lame lines. Lame scenes. Lame relationships.

That's funny, I didn't think Robin's revelation that she was into girls instead of Steve felt "tacked on" or pandering to sexual minority groups...instead it was a refreshing change that presents a more compelling story which for me allowed them to heighten the nostalgia for the 80s instead of simply reflecting and reinforcing tired stereotypic heterosexual romantic-comedy cliches.

I watched season 1 and half of season 2. Bad scripts and juvenile plot acted poorly by obnoxious children and an unhinged screaming Winona Ryder. This is a compilation of the worst of Stephen King with almost no redeeming qualities at all. And a special hat-tip to Gaten Matarazzo the most insipid and unpleasant person in all of television. This is worse than waiting for a clown to jump out of a storm drain.

I'm enjoying this season a lot. But how can you not mention "The Blob"? Is the person who wrote the review simply too young? And "Twin Peaks," which is what gives the movie its entire atmosphere, not to mention spirit? Well, mention them or not. I'm enjoying this season a lot.

I completely disagree with this: "Their chemistry was so vibrant, in fact, that the revelation that Robin was into girls seemed tacked-on, like a hasty appeal to L.G.B.T.Q. viewers." You missed the boat on this one - what this revelation did was turn this apparent pre-couple into another buddy pair. It was brilliant and charming - and served to highlight Steve's ongoing evolution as an open-minded human being. You can see in his face the re-organization that's happening in his mind.

Maybe the big story here is that during the present danger, where the risks to democracy, individual rights, and economic fairness are existential, that so many buried themselves in fantasies juxtaposing nostalgia with unspeakable violence. Metaphors are sometimes enlightening, but not when they suck up the energy and attention necessary for participatory democracy and the civic life that would support it.

Nostalgia is NOT "the comfort of the familiar." It is more "the pain of returning." It was originally described something more akin to PTSD in returning soldiers and the inability to assimilate. It is really regarded as a sickness. Which is how I feel about this show.

This show was spot on with 80s props! Loved it. However, in 1985 Back to the Future was Released in August. But the kids were in the movie theater watching it during the 4th of July celebration... minor flaw!

Nope. It didn't grab me. I think if I'd grown up in the '80's I might have fun with all the nostalgia hooks, but I didn't. I'm sure it's fun for a lot of people, but ultimately, I'm rooting for the monsters - I just hope they hurry up, do their dastardly duty, and bring this to a conclusion.

Gosh it's nice to have something other than Trump to talk about. As someone who skipped a year of elementary school, I can definitely sympathize with Will's pain at being a little slower at hitting puberty than the others. It was a little over the top how much this year's movie (I refuse to call a "season" something that's released all at once, on a holiday at that) screamed "puberty! puberty!" but of course the problem with building a story around cute little kids is that sooner or later they grow out of it (and the practice of hiring actors who are older than their characters always makes it "sooner"). I would have liked to see more about Susie, Dustin's new girlfriend, in the review. Like Erica, she's an unforgettable character of whom I expect to see more next time. I lived through the '80s, and was even a high school teacher for part of them. Nevertheless, all the cultural references go over my head. And the pseudo-science is really annoying, especially about the "Upside-down." (Those science club kids do know that the Earth is round, right?) It's the different coming of age stories, not just the ones about puberty, but, for example, the earlier one about Dustin lying to his friends and the consequences of that (including the death of Aslan -- no, wait, that's a different story) and especially the one about Eleven's road trip, which I was shocked to discover that some viewers didn't like, that keep me coming. (That and the free month trial of Netflix.)

Season 3 was wonderful! I was a teenager in the early 80’s and the Duffer Brothers have perfectly captured that time period. I think Robin and Mrs. Wheeler stole the show but Steve remains my favorite character. And, of course, love Joyce and Hopper! Counting the minutes until Season 4!

This season was amazing and the more I think about it the more I love it. Steve's arc continues to be amazing and the addition of Robin and Erica was inspired. Scoop Troop all the way!

I agree it was the newer characters or older characters with expanded roles who brought the most entertainment to it this season (Steve, Robin, Murray, Billy) and papered over the fact that it was the same old same old. And how much suffering do Will and Eleven have to endure (it's painful to watch)? I am hoping that there is a radical change in approach for next season - could it be a Griswold European Vacation? - but given the importance of the teenage cast and Hawkins to the story I can't see that happening.

This was a really disappointing season. Not scary, not witty and (did I mention it?) not scary. A lot of nostalgia fan service and not much in the way of cohesive plot, character development or tension. This series deserves better ...

"Hopper gets killed in the process — or does he? —" Well heck, if ever a cliff hanger was ever presented . . . Now I will be wondering all year long how Matt and Ross Duffer will write THAT story line.

Finished Season 3 last night, and though there was lots to like, I got so sick of the endless fights and the body count towards the end. This season seemed to rely far more on violence than the intrigue that made the first two seasons really click for me. Sure, all the 80s nostalgia was fun, but it seemed oddly juxtaposed with the sensibilities of our current year, trying but not quite making any statement about that. Seriously, who would stick around Hawkins at this point!