There are few and far between seasons of television that I think are flawless productions, with incredible writing, superb acting, and perfectly paced episodes. Even more difficult to find is a show that maintains its quality start to finish. Stranger Things started off with a deeply gripping premise, and while fans can argue about the quality of later seasons, one thing many fans can agree on is the quality of its first season.
Everything about Stranger Things Season 1 is so expertly crafted and well-done, it’s perfect.
Stranger Things Season 1 effortlessly juggles and weaves multiple storylines together across several episodes. Each subplot is compelling and adds momentum to the overarching story. Not a single scene is wasted, and there’s no unnecessary filler or padding. The characters are all flawed, interesting, and always have something to do. They have important and meaningful roles in the narrative.
The season’s pacing is brisk, but far from rushed. The story knows when to emphasize quieter moments to add to the tension and mystery. Everything about Season 1 is perfectly built up, making the payoff all the more satisfying when the plotlines finally converge at the end.
The later seasons all suffer from numerous pacing problems, ranging from the poorly placed bottle episode in Season 2 that focuses on Eleven during the attack at Hawkins Lab; subplots where the characters don’t have much to do until the end; and Season 4’s incredibly long episode run-times that lead to excessive padding and filler. While each season does have good and memorable moments, as a whole, none of them capture the perfect blend of mystery and tension the way Season 1 did.
Season 1 is lightning in a bottle, impossible to perfectly recapture and recreate. It’s the only season I can revisit of Stranger Things repeatedly where I’m still riveted by each episode and don’t have the urge to skip any.
How do you rank the seasons of Stranger Things? Do you think Season 1 is perfect, or does it have some flaws? Let us know in the comments, or join us on Boss Rush Discord!
Featured Image: Netflix
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The Boss Rush Podcast – The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, Stephanie, LeRon, and their friends from around the internet come together with other creators, developers, and industry veterans to talk about games they’ve been playing, discuss video game and entertainment based topics, and answer questions solicited on social media and the community Discord.
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