Stranger Things is one of Netflix’s best original TV shows of all time, but looking back at its first season now that the show is over, some things haven’t aged well. Netflix has stood out for its original content, with many of its TV projects now ranking among the best TV shows of all time, one of them being Stranger Things. Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things quickly caught the attention of viewers thanks to its combination of horror, sci-fi, drama, and 1980s nostalgia.
Season 1 of Stranger Things did a great job of introducing the audience to the town of Hawkins, Indiana, and the horrors it had been keeping secret for decades. It all begins with the disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) and the appearance of a young girl they later call Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who is later revealed to have escaped from Hawkins Lab. As Will’s friends and family look for him, they make some disturbing discoveries involving Eleven, the lab, and terrifying monsters.
Stranger Things season 1 was a huge worldwide hit, allowing the show to continue for four more seasons, officially ending in December 2025. Despite its divisive ending, Stranger Things stands as one of the best horror TV shows of all time, and as good as that first season is, it has to be said that some elements haven’t aged well, especially now that the show is over.
Jonathan Was A Stalker
Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) goes through a very difficult time in season 1 of Stranger Things with the disappearance of his younger brother, his guilt over it, how it affects their mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder), and the unwanted (but thankfully brief) return of his father, Lonnie. However, as much as Jonathan is silently suffering, that doesn’t justify his stalker-ish actions towards Nancy (Natalia Dyer).
Jonathan’s attraction for Nancy is very obvious from the very beginning, and one night, while searching the area where Will’s bike was found, Jonathan takes photos in hopes of capturing evidence. However, Jonathan ends up outside Steve’s (Joe Keery) house, where he takes photos of the party, Barbara (Shannon Purser) outside, and Nancy in underwear while in Steve’s room. Steve later discovers the photos and destroys Jonathan’s camera, which, as mean as it is, is understandable as he invaded Nancy’s privacy.
As Stranger Things progresses, Jonathan is turned into an ally and hero, and his stalker actions from season 1 are never mentioned again and are even forgotten, as he later starts a romantic relationship with Nancy.
Steve’s Jealousy & Reaction To Nancy Talking To Jonathan
While Jonathan is secretly crushing on Nancy, she’s in a relationship with Steve. At the above-mentioned party at Steve’s house, Nancy and Steve have sex, this being Nancy’s first time. Although she and Steve are on good terms after that night, she worries about Barb’s disappearance and feels guilty about it. This leads her to bond with Jonathan, and they begin to investigate the disappearances together.
This results in Nancy distancing herself from Steve, who doesn’t take it well when he sees her with Jonathan. Steve then goes around town with his friends, painting offensive messages about Nancy. Steve later apologizes and ends up having the best redemption arc in the entire show, but his immature and emotionally abusive reaction to Nancy spending time with Jonathan is an obscure moment in his story.
“Justice For Barb”
The trend of Stranger Things having minor characters who are killed in the same season they are introduced begins in season 1 with Barb. In her very brief appearance in season 1, viewers learn that Barb is Nancy’s best friend, and she doesn’t really approve of Nancy’s relationship with Steve, as Nancy has changed to fit in with him and his friends. Barb accompanies Nancy to the party at Steve’s house, where she cuts her hand while trying to open a beer.
Stranger Things: Why Barb’s Season 1 Death Was So Controversial
Barb Holland was a beloved figure from the debut season of Stranger Things, but her quick demise resulted in some controversy among viewers.
Frustrated and sad after confronting Nancy, Barb goes outside, sitting by the pool alone. There she’s targeted and abducted by the Demogorgon, which takes her into the Upside Down, where she’s killed off-screen. This prompted the “Justice for Barb” movement on social media, which, looking back, was quite pointless. Barb isn’t a big or even memorable presence in Stranger Things season 1, and though her death is later used as the reason for Nancy and Jonathan exposing the lab, she was always meant to be a casualty.
The Unsolved Egg Mystery
Stranger Things left many unanswered questions in each season, with many of them eventually addressed in the final season. However, Stranger Things also left some mysteries, one of them the Upside Down egg from season 1. The egg is first seen when the Demogorgon is hunched over it, and later when Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce are in the Upside Down looking for Will, only that the egg is hatched by then.
When Stranger Things was released, the egg was understood to be a Demogorgon egg, but as the show progresses, the life cycle of the Demogorgon is revealed to be different. Stranger Things never solved the mystery of the egg, and looking back, it’s an unnecessary addition.
Stranger Things’ Season 1 CGI No Longer Looks Good
Due to its sci-fi and fantasy elements, especially the presence of different monsters, Stranger Things had to rely on CGI in all its seasons – however, when looking back at season 1, the CGI doesn’t look good. This isn’t only a case of CGI improving in later seasons and thus making that of season 1 look bad, but CGI was never a strength of the first season.
The effects on Stranger Things season 1 are a combination of CGI and practical effects as a result of the show’s limited budget, as well as playing with light and shadows to keep the monster hidden. The visual effects of season 1 didn’t look good back then and look even worse now due to the subsequent seasons getting a much higher budget and thus being able to have much better CGI and special effects.
Eleven Conveniently Saving The Day
One of the main mysteries in Stranger Things season 1 is everything about Eleven. Her origins, aside from coming from Hawkins Lab, are unknown in the first season, and her powers are still unexplored. What’s known about Eleven’s powers at that point is that they are psychokinetic and telepathic, and that they make her nose bleed after using them.
Eleven’s powers save her friends many times throughout the entire show, but in season 1, they reach Deus ex machina territory. Eleven conveniently arrives right on time to save her new friends, which could have been wholesome back then, but looking back now, it feels like a lazy choice by the writers.
Stranger Things Season 1 Now Feels Like A Contained Story
Season 1 is often praised as one of Stranger Things’ best, and it really is, but now that the show is over, it feels like a contained story. When Stranger Things started, it had a much darker tone and was more horror-driven, while the following seasons gradually became more action-driven.
Stranger Things season 1 also leaves many details about its mythology vague, which isn’t bad as it allowed the subsequent seasons to develop it, but, at the same time, it makes it feel a bit disconnected. All of these elements make season 1 feel like its own story and world, while also sparking the question of why Stranger Things changed its tone after the first season.
Dr. Brenner’s Fake Death
Another Stranger Things trend that begins in season 1 is death fake-outs, but the one in season 1 didn’t age well. The first season of Stranger Things introduces Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) as a villain, but in the season finale, Brenner is attacked by a Demogorgon and it’s implied that he dies… except he doesn’t, because season 2 teases his survival and season 4 confirms it.
Stranger Things takes too long to bring Brenner back, and though his return serves a purpose in season 4, the death fake-out is completely unnecessary. If the plan was for Brenner to return, his absence could have been done differently than making the audience (and Eleven) believe that he had died.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
