You’ve probably heard of this Netflix original.  I kept seeing tweets & Facebook statuses mentioning Stranger Things, but I hadn’t heard too much hype.  Still, the title alone suggested it was something I wanted to see.  One episode in, I was hooked!

Stranger Things is set in 1983 in rural Indiana and has a delightful X-Files feel!  It’s retro for a reason– not only does it lend itself to a killer soundtrack, but it puts us in a world without cell phones and a world ripe with paranoia about Russia.  Science fiction meets detective work in an 8-episode odyssey told mostly through the eyes of children.

It starts with four young boys playing Dungeons and Dragons.  These kids are full-out nerds, and completely lovable for it.  I found myself completely endeared to every AV Club and Star Wars reference they made.  After a rousing campaign in D&D, one of these boys mysteriously vanishes.  The remaining boys– Mike, Lucas, and Dustin– meet up with a mysterious girl, Eleven, and try to locate Will.  Will’s mother (Winona Ryder) and brother Jonathan and a particularly sharp sheriff investigate as well.  Mike’s sister Nancy joins in once her friend goes missing too.  Conspiracy unravels and you’ll be binging episode after episode until the end.

I watched the series in two spurts of four episodes, starting late last Friday night and finishing up on Saturday morning.  I can’t recommend it enough for X-Files fans, and sci-fi fans in general.  The finale wraps up well, but is just open enough for a season 2!

Have you seen Stranger Things?  Tell me all your thoughts!