The first season of the Netflix hit series Stranger Things was released on July 15, 2016. As one of the streaming giant’s flagship series, the nostalgic sci-fi horror show has attracted record viewership for the platform over the past six years and continues to break records today. The fourth season of the popular series is one of the few shows ever to surpass 1 billion hours of viewing in its initial 28-day release. Season 4’s finale episodes, released on July 1, 2022, were viewed for a whopping 1.15 billion hours within 28 days, making Stranger Things the only English-language series to surpass the 1 billion threshold (according to IndieWire), second only to the Korean-language drama Squid Games sitting at 1.65 billion. The series has been renewed for its fifth and final season, slated for release in 2024.
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So, why do fans connect with the series so much? Aside from the phenomenal writing, character development, and acting, a big reason the show is such a sweeping success is that it is steeped in 80s nostalgia. Whether featuring prominent 80s actors like Winona Ryder, Sean Astin, and Paul Reiser, or paying homage to the movies, music, gadgets, and books of the time, Stranger Things is 80s nostalgia done right. It does, however, beg the question: why is Netflix series set in this decade?
Cold War Paranoia
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Set in 1983, Stranger Things falls right in the middle of the late phase of the Cold War, which was between 1979 and 1985. This explains why so many of the series’ plot lines revolve around Cold War paranoia. That said, it would be hard to imagine the series without the backbone of tension between Russia and the US that permeates many of the show’s storylines. Even Millie Bobby Brown’s character Eleven is first introduced to audiences as a victim of clandestine MK Ultra experiments and is ultimately used as a Russian spy, as is set up in her flashback sequences in Season 1 of the series.
Season 3 of Stranger Things also leans heavily on Cold War 80s paranoia, featuring a group of Russian terrorists beneath Starcourt mall attempting to re-open the gate into The Upside Down, presumably to exploit its power and mysteries as a weapon. Joyce, Hopper, and Murray also kidnap Russian scientist Alexei to gain intel from them as to the Soviet’s ultimate plan. Meanwhile, Robin, Steve, and Dustin are trying to break secret Russian codes while working upstairs at Scoops Ahoy. This storyline carries on into Season 4 after Hopper is presumed dead, with him being imprisoned in a Soviet Gulag housed in Kamchatka, Russia.
Parental Supervision (or Lack Thereof)
The most glaring reason the series had to be set in the 80s is that there was far less access to widespread information during that decade than there is today. The series was set before the invention of cell phones, before the internet, and during a time which was generally regarded as safer. This granted 80s kids a lot more freedom from their parents than kids today. In the first season of Stranger Things, we don’t even meet any of the children’s parents aside from the Wheelers. At least they always have a reliable babysitter in series favorite Steve Harrington.
If Stranger Things was set in modern times, it would be far less believable to have a cast led by primarily independent children as nowadays helicopter parenting is far more prominent with smartphone apps available to track a child’s exact location on-demand. Furthermore, the series would be far less interesting if there were always an easy way to spread information via cell phones as the plot wouldn’t be driven forward as much if everybody could be easily warned of danger, or make a quick call to escape trouble. Finally, the fantastical elements of the show are much more believable in a far less technologically advanced world.
The Weight of Nostalgia
The 80s nostalgia is an important ingredient in Stranger Things’ tremendous success as it helps the show appeal to a much wider audience. The older generations enjoy reliving their youth, while the younger generation is being introduced to some things for the first time. Take Kate Bush, for instance, when her song “Running Up That Hill” was featured in Season 4, Episode 4 “Dear Billy,” it experienced a massive resurgence in popularity, wherein it is estimated Bush made approximately $2 million from its newfound popularity (according to UCR). Matt Duffer recently discussed the Kate Bush phenomenon in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, stating, “I’d be lying if I said I knew it was going to resonate in the way it did.”
Whether you watch and reminisce about dressing up as a Ghostbuster for Halloween, delight in seeing a classic Lite Brite, or just dig the classic music, part of the reason you watch Stranger Things is that feeling of nostalgia. The 80s are currently experiencing a resurgence of their own due in large part to shows like Paper Girls and Stranger Things that are set in that period. Capitalizing on retro marketing, designers are releasing 80s-inspired clothing lines and even the hairstyles of the period are coming back, even the questionable ones such as mullets and perms. Moreover, The Grove in Los Angeles is welcoming a Stranger Things pop-up shop. All of this proves one thing: nostalgia sells.
