Stranger Things 3

July, 1985. Hawkins, Indiana. The summer is full of sunshine, young love, an exciting 4th of July celebration and the growing success of the Starcourt Mall. However, there is still room for the strange and unexplained that threatens the lives of the citizens of Hawkins and this time the rest of humanity. Yes, just a typical summer in Hawkins, Indiana and the small groups of teens and their parents who must fight between their world and the ever evolving world of the Upside Down.

The story follows three different groups as they try to track down certain abnormalities that cannot be explained nor can they be ignored. While these odd happenings such as beeping that sound like coded messages, unusual animal behavior that leads into the frightening behavior of the people of Hawkins, magnets that won't stick to a fridge and the constant presence of fear and danger that continues to haunt both Will Byers and El Hopper. Although they may seem unconnected at first, as the three groups continue to hunt and investigate what could be causing the growing distress in their town something is waiting, watching and ready to attack at any moment.

Griswold Family: When Nancy notices the unusual actions of rats in an old lady's basement and Max notices the even darker side of her half-brother, Billy, they soon realize that the two are connected. As Nancy and Jonathan do their own investigative journalism that leads them to a conspiracy planted right in the middle of Hawkin's social class, El, Max, Mike, Will and Lucas set off to figure out what has happened to Billy and try and save him. However, whatever has controlled Billy is nothing new to some of them and Billy is only the beginning.

Scoops Troop:  The Starcourt Mall. The new glittering jewel of progress and growing wealth in Hawkins. While the youth of the town are drawn to its city lights and luster, the small businesses are beginning to suffer. Steve Harrington, the former king of Hawkins High School, suffers as well in his boring job at Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream with only his quirky coworker Robin for company. When Dustin claims that he can hear what could possible coded Russian messages inside Starcourt, Steve, Robin, Dustin and Erica Sinclair, Lucas' snappy little sister, find themselves right at the center point of the Starcourt's Mall true purpose.

Bald Eagle: Being a kid isn't easy. Neither is being a single parent. While Joyce Byers is finally happy that her oldest son has found love and friendship, she is relieved that her younger son is freed from the terrors of the Upside Down. The same can hardly be said about Hop as he tries to navigate being a dad to a stubborn 13 year who long for the life of a normal teenager. After a seemingly insignificant issue involving Joyce's non sticking magnets, both of them are thrown onto a hunt for a conspiracy theorist and a young Russian scientist that uncovers political scandal, enemy infiltration and unspoken love. 

I've put off reviewing this for a while, but I wanted to get it done before I saw season 4 (which premiered today!) There were mixed feelings from both fans and critics on ST3, but I myself enjoyed it. The story was bigger and bolder and the acting and character development was excellent. Dacre Montgomery was an exceptional standout as he played the tortured villain who seeks love and redemption from his broken childhood. 

While the storyline itself only got more bizarre and supernatural, the more emotional personal stories of the characters were beautifully written. And as always, there is frequent homage to the life and times of the 1980s, from bad hair and good music to Back to the Future and The Neverending Story.