Stranger Things Season 1 - Episode 1 _best_ Review

More importantly, the episode set a template for “prestige genre” television on streaming platforms. It proved that a sci-fi/horror story could be both critically acclaimed and wildly popular. It launched the careers of its young cast. And it turned “running up that hill” and “should I stay or should I go” into emotional anthems for a new generation.

The episode begins on November 6, 1983, in the sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana. The tension is established immediately at the , where a terrified scientist is pursued and killed by an unseen entity in an elevator. Stranger Things Season 1 - Episode 1

The episode’s final act delivers the show’s ace in the hole: the introduction of Eleven. Seeing her shivering in the woods, shaved head and hospital gown, immediately shifts the genre. We realize this isn't just a ghost story; it’s a government conspiracy thriller. The final shot of her in the basement, looking at the boys, is a perfect cliffhanger. More importantly, the episode set a template for