With its blend of nerdy references (e.g., Dungeons & Dragons), government conspiracies (e.g., MKUltra), the filmmaking of Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter, and good old ’80s nostalgia, Stranger Things has been one of Netflix’s most popular and beloved titles ever since its premier on July 15, 2016. As our own Jason Morehead wrote on his blog Opus, “[Stranger Things] exists at an intersection of so many things that have fascinated me ever since I was an awkward, nerdy kid like Mike or Will that at times, it’s almost like [series creators] Matt and Ross Duffer tapped directly into my subconscious when they were creating the show.”
But all good things must come to an end, and this week marks the beginning of the end for Eleven, Mike, Hopper, and the rest of the Hawkins gang as they take one final stand against the evils of Vecna and the Upside Down. Netflix is releasing the final season in three volumes. The first four episodes will begin streaming tomorrow, with the next batch arriving on Christmas Day and the series finale on New Year’s Eve.
Here at CAPC, we’ve written quite a bit about Stranger Things over the last nine years. To mark the series’ conclusion—though at least one spin-off has already been announced—here’s a collection of some of our favorite and most popular Stranger Things-related posts and features. They use the Netflix hit as a springboard for exploring a wide range of topics, from mental health and depression to motherhood and adoption. As you prepare yourself for one last trip into the Upside Down, we hope you enjoy them.
