As the lights quickly flicker and flash back into the “upside-down” you immediately are left with an uneasy and confused feeling as the first season of “Stranger Things” ends.

“Stranger Things” is a popular Netflix Original that has left many of its viewers, including myself, excited for the next season. The fantastic show is about a young boy who is abducted into a parallel universe called the “upside-down” that is only known about by the government.

Season one only has eight episodes, making it very easy to binge watch and finish in less than a week. Each episode averages about 50 minutes in length.

The main characters are a group of young boys who meet a girl with super powers named Eleven. While most of the actors are adolescents, their immaturity does not affect their performance. The acting is phenomenal and displays so much emotion.

Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, speaks very little throughout the whole season, but does an extraordinary job through her facial expressions and body language as she perfectly acts out the character’s shy personality. Eleven is my favorite character and I love her quiet and innocent facial expressions as she moves and controls things with her mind.

The plot line is very intriguing and was phenomenally written. The “upside-down” makes you begin to question if such things exist in the real world. After finishing the series, it made me realize that there is a possibility for something so secretive and dangerous to exist.

The plot is very unpredictable throughout the first few episodes because there are so many unanswered questions. The climax of the show isn’t until the seventh episode and leaves little time at the end for a happy resolution. Just when everything makes sense and you think the series is coming to an end, the viewer is left with two major plot holes requiring a second season for further explanation.

In addition to an amazing plot, the visuals in “Stranger Things” are incredible. With special effects in every episode, the scenes are excellently executed and clearly designed to leave the viewer a little spooked. Most of the scenes are shot in dim-lighting, creating an eerie and mysterious mood which, admittedly, does become irritating after about the fourth episode.

The score of the show is excellent and sets the tone in a way that is exciting for viewers. Dramatic music is played in only appropriate scenes and truly builds up the moment. In addition to having suspense-building music in certain areas, there is also a consistent beat that is played as background music during different scenes throughout the season.

There is confirmation from the producers that there will be a second season released in 2017, but no specific date has been announced yet. I’d give the first season an Eleven out of ten, so if you haven’t already, I would highly recommend watching the exciting and thrilling Netflix Original, “Stranger Things.”
Anna Sullivan is an Entertainment Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com