Let’s Talk…Stranger Things + the Last 10 Years
I just wrapped up the season finale of Stranger Things Volume 5 (2025) and I’m feeling a bit reminiscent of the last decade. With the dawning of a new year, Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, are having us let go of one of their hit show. One that a lot of people, including myself, grew up with. In the last 10 years I’d like to think I’ve changed a lot, but I want to touch on how Stranger Things moved with me during these years. So, let’s talk… Stranger Things and the last ten years.
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It’s July 15th, 2016 and I remember exactly where I was. My dad and I couldn’t wait to start this new show that was all the buzz on Netflix. It’s even more so important because this was one of the first times my dad and I consistently watched something together. We had been to the occasional movie when I was younger, but it took a lot to get him to sit down with me and watch a series. The fact that the little girl who used to be in tears doing homework and the dad who would get frustrated trying to explain it to her could be still for a while and get pulled into a new world was pretty amazing to me. So, after turning the television off today post-finale in my apartment, I couldn’t help but think of my dad and how much fun we would’ve had together watching this. I’m sure getting him to sit down for a re-watch won’t take much convincing, so at least I have that to look forward to.
Circa 2021, my dad and I heard that Netflix was having a Stranger Things pop-up close by our home and we knew we had to go. We waited in line and once we were in it actually felt otherworldly, as corny as that sounds. Once something has stuck with you from a young age, you can’t help but feel the same sentiment towards it no matter how old you get. We saw Will’s living room with all of Joyce’s lettering and christmas lights, the Starcourt Mall food court, a to-scale Demogorgon, a portion of the Hawkins Lab, and even a small Scoops Ahoy booth! I remember it feeling like I stepped onto the Duffer Brothers’ set that day. My dad and I grabbed some food, bought some merchandise, and took some photos, creating one of the perfect core memories.
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Johnathan and Will Byers in Stranger Things Volume One (2016)
If you know me you know music is a huge part of my core, and Stranger Things happened to introduce me to some of the best music I can’t wait to pass down to my children. Growing up with immigrant parents, you never really got put on to some 70s and 80s rock, so it was something I found on my own in high school. I had Led Zeppelin, Queen, and AC/DC (to name a few) under my belt already, but Stranger Things sent me down a rabbit hole of discovery leading me to The Beach Boys, Kate Bush, The Talking Heads, and even more. I’d argue it had such an impact on me that alternative rock and old rock are my most listened to genres to this day. Now each time I listen to “California Dreamin’” by The Beach Boys, I’m reminded of what got me into it. It even helped me get back into my love of physical media, which is kind of funny considering this is a show on one of the biggest streaming services that eliminated the need for a lot of physical media. I wanted to be just like Johnathan and Will Byers. With all of their cassette tapes, records, and endless knowledge of music as we knew it in the 80s. Today, I have a record and CD collection that continues to grow as I grow, just like the Byers’ had. That’s pretty cool.
Johnathan Byers in Stranger Things Volume One (2016).
The last thing I want to touch on is how many “weirdos” came out of the woodwork upon the show’s airing. When I say weirdo I don’t mean Radiohead-level “Creep”, I mean today’s definition of a “nerd”. Someone having highly specialized knowledge in things that aren’t mainstream. Stranger Things brought back to life things like Dungeons and Dragons and the concept of being in an AV club. It also brought in new and unconventional characters like Max, the girl who liked to skateboard while only listening to music, and Eddie Munson, the well-known social outcast. Children and teenagers seeing characters doing things that were against the social norm at the time is a great way to help people learn that it’s okay to not be what society/culture wants to mold you into. Love the things that you love out loud. Be that weirdo, you only have this life to nerd out anyway. So, why the hell not?
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All of that to say, thank you Stranger Things. Growing up alongside the biggest television phenomenon, in retrospect, is a really cool feeling. The show helped me find another commonality between my father and I, delve into more music and physical media, and helped me come out of my shell by loving my interests out loud. It’s like when grandparents tell their grandkids that they watched I Love Lucy (1951) during their most formative years. I get to say that I grew up on Stranger Things to mine. And I could not be more grateful for the multitude of things it has unlocked for me. With that, I’d like to leave this love letter here and say a graceful goodbye to something that has, culturally, been a big part of my life and the lives of others. Over and out.
