In 2016, Netflix and the Duffer Brothers collaborated to release “Stranger Things.” Although there was not much hype about the hit series before its debut, things changed after its premiere as more and more viewers dived in to watch its offerings.
The science-fiction thriller has now spanned three seasons, consistently dishing to fans an entertaining blend of comical, paranormal, and emotional scenes all backdropped in a small Indiana town.
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With ratings rarely diminishing since it debuted, many have alluded the show’s success to its meticulous commitment to 1980 settings. Candidly, the showrunners have used this context unwaveringly to narrate the series storyline.
For viewers who have painstakingly followed the series across the years, it is easy to see the many reasons why the creators based the show on an eighties period. Read on for more details.
No Meddling Parents
The main characters of “Stranger Things” are a group of tightly- knit kids who spend a lot of their time uncovering different terrifying mysteries
occurring in their town. All these happened without the awareness of their parents, who are most likely away at work with little or no means to communicate with them until they get back home. Comparing this current era and the eighties, one can see how the storyline will only work in the latter.
Adults now have the full backing of technology gadgets to easily monitor the whereabouts and activities of their wards from any place in the world. The freedom granted to the kids will be restricted and would clearly hamper the progression of the show’s plot.
Having all these technological advances that come with the current era, parents are bound to ask more questions once they notice anything out of the ordinary. Bearing this in mind, one can assume the mystery of the Hawkins National Laboratory would have remained hidden, and the several rendezvous the kids had to cook up plans could have fallen through.
Absence Of Cell Phones
One easily noticeable trait of the show is the absence of cell phones. Viewers can recall that most of the conversations between the kids were either done physically or with a walkie-talkie. Having no access to sophisticated communication devices led to the kids creating their own innovative means of rescuing themselves whenever they got into some ordeal which was a necessary part of the plot.
Today, the main characters can quickly resolve most of their troubles by making a quick phone call, a text, or even using the GPS locator. Setting the series in this current timeline might pose a big problem for the writers as they would be hard-pressed to find new ways to say the cell phones died or got left behind to make the plots plausible and thrilling.
Also, the government can now easily spy on people, which would have killed off the intriguing hide and seek game; viewers have come to love between the spooks and the show’s main characters.
Absence Of The Internet
A major highlight of “Stranger Things” is watching the kids act as amateur sleuths to unravel the mystery around the seemingly supernatural events. When their friend got kidnapped, they realized that the local police could only do little due to the limited means of passing and procuring information in that era.
Following the kids, as they investigated the eerie-like activities – drew fans in and brought back nostalgic feelings of playing childhood detective games. In 2021, missing people would have their names, pictures and any other personal details littered across the internet in minutes.
Additionally, the Hawkins National Laboratory would be an open secret and a topic of interest for conspiracy theorists and paranormal hunters. Despite the many advantages of having advanced technology in the series, it will take away the childlike innocence with which the kids resolve their ordeals which is central to the “Stranger Things” storyline.
No Limitation To Possibilities
With technology comes the belief that all mysteries relate only to science. As a result, humans only have little faith in the world of fantasy. Simply put, most of the events that seemed mysterious in “Stranger things” might feel like a usual occurrence at this time.
From the strange abductions to uncovering the location of the hidden laboratory, many may not bat an eye at all these occurrences. Setting “Stranger Things” in the eighties allows viewers to embark on a time travel to an era where the extraordinary still arouses much curiosity and elicits open-mouthed responses.
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In all, it is the perfect period for the Duffer brothers to weave plausible, alluring supernatural stories away from the rigidity and fact-based method of science that is prevalent in the 21st century. Season four of “Stranger Things” premieres in the summer of 2022 on Netflix.
