Season 1 of Stranger Things is about a boy that went missing, a secret government agency, and a monster. It is obvious the writers of the show are fans of 80s era horror. There were enough allusions and homages that even the densest person would pick up on one. That it felt like a Stephen King story, adapted by Dean Koontz, and directed by Steven Spielberg is hardly a bad thing.

At only eight episodes, this does not seem like a show that is padded. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The story with Joyce (Winona Ryder) became redundant once she and Hopper (David Harbour) joined forces. The only consistency this series has is with the children. Their story is the driving force behind the series, and anything else just felt off.

All in all, this is a decent show, and well worth wasting an afternoon or two watching.