Appearing in One Battle After Another and The Chair Company plus getting his own documentary on Peacock, I gotta say Jim Downey is the 2025 Entertainer of the Year
As far as sci fi shows go, Fringe had higher highs, but it also had longer seasons. And a much smaller main cast rather than an ensemble that keeps growing every season
If the first season of Stranger Things was the entirety of the show then I'd say give it a watch, but I don't think worth investing in the whole series if you haven't already watched it
I can get through a bad movie because I know it will be over quickly but I tap out of bad shows in the first season. It is hard to keep signing up for torture over and over.
First season was good, I barely remember what happened in the seasons since but it’s fun in the “eating a bunch of candy” sort of way
Stranger Things is good if you're in a popcorn flick kinda mood, but don't go in expecting mind blowing writing
I am currently watching Red Letter Media's 2025 roundup and they are being pretty brutal to Stranger Things.
The last season has been filled with a ton of exposition. Most people seem to frown upon that but I truly don't give a shit/don't need everything I watch to leave things unexplained. Otherwise, it's been decent, but some of the kid actors have not turned into great actors as young adults. The first season is pure 80s nostalgic magic, lots of Spielberg/Carpenter/Cameron/etc influences, and a really good story and mostly good acting from the cast, even the kids. After that, the story isn't AS good but it's still decent TV, and continues to drip with 80s love, though it feels way more....idk what the right word is...intentional? Like the Duffers felt like they needed to really shout in your face "Hey this is the 80s!", whereas it felt more natural in the first season. My prediction based solely on some things I've seen you post is if you made it to season 2, you'd end up liking a certain episode of that season the most that is very popular to hate lol. IDK why I think that, though.
I liked the first season or two but definitely felt like the 80s nostalgia was shoe horned in and I never made it past S2.
It’s poorly written and falls apart at the single poke of the plot. It depends how much milage you get out of Stand By Me kids on an adventure meets various 80s sci-fi/horror tropes (done worse than the originals).