A poster of the show Stranger Things
On May 27, 2022, Season 4 of Stranger Things was released on the US-streaming platform Netflix. The TV show features popular actors such as Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, and Finn Wolfhard. Although most of its viewers are teens, people of all ages enjoy watching the show.
The series takes place in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, where main characters Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, and Lucas Sinclair find a girl with supernatural powers. Their friend Will Byers had just gone missing, but they don’t know why. The girl is nicknamed Eleven, and she is able to move objects with her mind—also known as telekinesis.
With Eleven’s help, they discover an alternate reality of Hawkins called the Upside Down, where Will is being held captive by a monster called a demogorgon. Along with the help of Will’s older brother Jonathan, Mike’s older sister Nancy, and her boyfriend Steve Harrington, they are able to defeat a demogorgon and save Will from the Upside Down.
Eleven’s powers come from her isolated childhood with Dr. Brenner, who she calls “Papa”. Dr. Brenner conducted experiments on multiple pregnant mothers, including Eleven’s mom, creating a small group of powerful children. Eleven spent her early years in a lab, where Dr. Brenner tested her powers every day. She never knew her mother, as she was taken away right when she was born, and Mike, Dustin, and Lucas are her first friends.
Later on in the show, Eleven also befriends Max Mayfield, another girl who is the same age. Max’s step-brother, Billy, is controlled by a creature from the Upside Down called the Mind Flayer. The Mind Flayer is a giant, spider-like monster with slimy legs. The group discovered that all the demogorgons work for the Mind Flayer, but they defeat it after a long battle in the city mall. However, Billy dies in the process and Eleven temporarily loses her powers.
In the latest season, the friends battle a new enemy called Vecna, who is able to take the life out of human beings and use them to strengthen his own powers. Vecna almost killed Max, but she was able to escape from the Upside Down in time. The group is separated this season. Dustin, Max, Lucas, Nancy, Steve, and Robin Buckley, the newest addition to the cast, try to find Vecna, while Mike and Will try to find Eleven. Eleven returned to Dr. Brenner, who is trying to restore her powers.
Stranger Things is renewed for a fifth and final season, although nobody knows what the plot will look like. Because of its action-packed fight scenes, exciting storyline, and interesting characters, the show has received heavy recognition and won the hearts of many fans.
Discussion Questions
What do you think about the show’s plot and characters?
Would you watch a show like Stranger Things?
What type of TV shows do you usually watch?
Vocabulary
Fictional: not real
Supernatural: out of the ordinary
Telekinesis: powers to make something move with your mind
Alternate reality: a different world based off of the original
Held captive: taken against someone’s will
Isolated: removed from others
Slimy: slippery and sticky
Temporarily: for a brief period of time
Strengthen: to make stronger
Separated: removed from each other
Renewed: extended
Action-packed: filled with lots of action
Storyline: the progression of a story
Recognition: acknowledgement or praise
