Eight Years in Hawkins: How Stranger Things Grew Up With Us (And kind of Didn't)

Some shows you watch. Some shows you live through.

I was just a kid when Stranger Things dropped in 2016. I remember the exact feeling of watching that first episode late at night (sadly after two years), lights off, completely unprepared for what was about to consume the next eight years of my life. Will Byers disappeared into the Upside Down, and somehow, I disappeared into Hawkins right along with him.

Eight years. Think about that. I've grown up with these kids. I've watched Eleven learn what friendship means while I was learning the same thing. I've seen them face literal monsters while I faced my own version of high school, college applications, and now, the terrifying adult world of job hunting and existential dread. This wasn't just a show I binged. This was a show that aged with me, stumbled with me, and now, finally closes its chapter as I'm trying to open mine.

So yeah, this one hits different. Let's talk about it honestly, the magic, the missteps, and why even with all its flaws, Stranger Things will always mean something.

Season 1: The Masterpiece - When Everything Was Perfect

Let me be clear: Season 1 isn't just the best season of Stranger Things. It's a masterclass in storytelling, period.

Everything clicks. The pacing doesn't waste a single minute. The mystery pulls you forward like a fish on a hook, you need to know what happens next. Every character, from the kids in the AV club to the teenagers dealing with their own drama to the adults spiraling in different directions, they all matter. Everyone has purpose. Everyone has weight.

It's there, woven beautifully into the fabric, but it never becomes a crutch. The 80s aesthetic serves the story, it doesn't become the story. The Duffer Brothers understood the game. The real draw is Eleven's confusion and rage, Mike's desperate loyalty, Joyce's unraveling sanity, Hopper's bruised heart trying to beat again.

This season is lightning in a bottle. It's the reason we all stayed. It's the standard the show spent years trying to recapture.

Season 2: Cozy Sweaters and Emotional, but Uneven and Awkward Growing Pains

It is where the show slows down. A lot. But also don't forget that Duffer brother had no idea they were gonna continue, so they ended every season right there and you can not unsee the non planned story, and it goes another season forward.

It is like coming home to a warm blanket after the adrenaline rush of Season 1. It's slower, more introspective, more focused on what these characters mean to each other rather than what they're running from.

And honestly? I appreciate that ambition. Noah Schnapp and Winona Ryder absolutely devoured their roles this season. Will's possession wasn't just a plot device, it was visceral, terrifying, heartbreaking. Winona Ryder reminded everyone why she's an icon. They deserved all the awards.

But man, the pacing drags. The first half feels like it's taking forever to get anywhere, and just when things heat up, just when we're on the edge of our seats, Episode 7 happens.

Look, I don't hate the episode itself. Eleven's journey, meeting Kali, exploring her rage and her identity? That's important. But dropping it right there, at that moment, when Hawkins is literally under siege? That's narrative whiplash. It shatters the tension like dropping a glass mid-toast. Integrate it earlier, weave it throughout, do something, but don't stop the story dead in its tracks.

Still, Season 2 has heart. It's warm, emotional, and it deepens the relationships we care about. Just... not as sharp as what came before.

Season 3: Pretty Colors, Shallow Depths

Season 3 looks great. Bright colors, big set pieces, fun energy. But underneath all that shine, the writing gets lazy.

This season relies heavily on coincidences. Things just… happen. Characters stumble into answers. Tension evaporates because you can clearly see the character armor at work. It becomes obvious that certain people are never in real danger.

The Joyce and Hopper arc, especially, becomes frustrating. The constant bickering feels forced, and Joyce, in particular, becomes irritating rather than compelling.

There are enjoyable moments and solid character dynamics, but overall, this season feels repetitive. Like the show knew it had to do something, so it did, without really pushing itself.

It’s not bad. It’s just average-to-good. And for a show that started this strong, that’s disappointing.

Season 4: The Comeback (Almost Too Big) - when show remembers what It Is

Season 4 woke me up.

After the comfortable mediocrity of Season 3, I wasn't expecting much. But then Vecna showed up, and suddenly the horror was back. The stakes were back. The dread, the atmosphere, the feeling that things could actually go wrong, it all came flooding back.

The episodes are bloated, sure. Some storylines feel stretched thin. Russia, California, Hawkins, it's a lot of plates spinning, and not all of them need to be in the air. But somehow, it works. The emotional weight is real. Max's arc is devastating. The performances are stronger. The villain is genuinely threatening.

This season reminded me why I fell in love with this show in the first place. It's not perfect, there are still too many coincidences, too many fake-outs, too much plot armor, but it's engaging again. It's trying again.

Season 4 is the show fighting to reclaim its legacy. And mostly, it succeeds.

Season 5: Strong Start, Safe Finish - A Gentle Goodbye

Season 5 starts strong. Hawkins is broken. The stakes feel permanent. The characters are proactive, driven, desperate. Will finally feels like he matters to the plot again. Eleven is focused and fierce. Hopper and El's dynamic works beautifully.

Volume 1 feels confident. It feels like the show knows exactly where it's going and how to get there.

Volume 2, though... it softens. The urgency fades. The risks the show seemed ready to take? It pulls back. The finale is warm, nostalgic, satisfying in a surface-level way, but it's not bold. It's not the explosive, gut-wrenching, unforgettable conclusion this journey deserved.

It goes for the hug instead of the mic drop.

And look, I get it. This was never supposed to be a gritty, soul-crushing prestige drama. It's a show about friendship, about growing up, about holding onto hope even when the world is dark and terrifying. The ending reflects that. It's comfort food. It's closure.

But part of me, maybe the part that grew up watching these kids fight impossible odds, wanted more. Wanted the show to take the leap. Wanted it to hurt a little more so the joy could feel a little bigger.

Still, it's a goodbye. And after eight years, after growing up alongside these characters, that goodbye landed softly but sincerely.

Final Thoughts: Imperfect, Unforgettable, Ours

Stranger Things peaked early, stumbled through the middle, found its footing again, and bowed out gently.

Season 1 is untouchable. A perfect snapshot of what the show could be.

Season 2 is cozy but uneven, strong performances, weak structure.

Season 3 is pretty but hollow, style over substance.

Season 4 is the comeback, messy, bloated, but alive.

Season 5 is closure, not greatness, but genuine heart.

This show was never going to end perfectly. Too many characters, too many expectations, too much pressure to stick the landing while honoring everything that came before. There are plot holes. There are missed opportunities. There are moments that don't quite work.

But it was never supposed to be a flawless masterpiece. It was supposed to be ours. A shared experience. A reminder that even in the dark, even when things feel impossible, friendship and courage and love can light the way.

I grew up with this show. I watched it during late-night study breaks, during summer vacations, during the weird liminal space of the pandemic when everything felt uncertain. I watched these kids grow into teenagers, and then into young adults trying to figure out who they are, just like me.

And now it's over. The main story, at least.

Spin-offs are coming. The Upside Down isn't done with us yet. But this chapter? This journey? It's closed.

Not perfect. Not always great.

But always ours. Always special.

Thanks for the ride, Hawkins. It's been a hell of a journey.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go rewatch Season 1 and pretend it's 2016 again.

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