Stranger Things Season 3 (2019)

Stranger Things: Season 3 Review 🍿🎆

Since Season 5 is releasing soon in 3 parts, I thought I’d re-tackle the first 4 seasons to ride the hype.

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Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we? 🎬

Also here’s the iconic opening theme.

Since season 5 has officially arrived, I decided to revisit the previous 4 seasons going through each season 5 parts come out, so come with me and take this ride down nostalgia train.

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Non-Spoiler Plot Overview: Season 3 takes place in the summer of 1985, and Hawkins is now centered around the newly opened Starcourt Mall 🛍️. Relationships are changing, friendships are being tested, and a new threat emerges from the Upside Down—this time tied to the Russians 🇷🇺 and a reformed version of the Mind Flayer 👾. Meanwhile, Hopper struggles with parenting Eleven, and Billy… well… goes full psycho.

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Character Rundown:

Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown): Still powerful, growing more independent, but struggling with love and identity 🧠💔.

Mike (Finn Wolfhard): Now dating Eleven and emotionally clueless 😐❤️.

Will (Noah Schnapp): Stuck in the past and mourning lost childhood 🎲😔.

Btw everyone says him becoming gay came out of nowhere in season 4, uh nuh uh. It starts being hinted at in this season when Will complains to Mike about liking and I quote “stupid girl” yeah let that sink in when we know what we know about Will.

Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin): Still supportive, still the realist 🙌.

Max (Sadie Sink): A great influence on Eleven and MVP bestie 👯‍♀️.

Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo): Back from camp, claiming he has a girlfriend. Nobody believes him 🏕️📞.

Steve Harrington (Joe Keery): Now a Scoops Ahoy employee, comic relief and emotional growth king 🍦👑.

Robin (Maya Hawke): Newcomer and instant fan-favorite. Smart, sassy, and vulnerable 🌈💬.

Heck she instantly became my favorite.

Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder): Still grieving, still investigating, now mixed up in Russian conspiracies 🧩💡.

Jim Hopper (David Harbour): Protective dad mode activated. Bit grumpy, but brave 💪👮.

Billy (Dacre Montgomery): Lifeguard by day, evil vessel by night 🏊😈.

Nancy (Natalia Dyer) & Jonathan (Charlie Heaton): Investigative couple tackling newsroom misogyny and melty monsters 🕵️‍♀️📰.

Erica (Priah Ferguson): Lucas’ younger sister. Sassy but divisive 🙄🍬.

Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman): The returning conspiracy nut 🎙️🕶️.

Alexei (Alec Utgoff): The lovable Russian scientist who deserved better 😢🍒.

Max’s Controversial Season

Max in Season 3 is one of the most debated parts of the season, because she ends up being both one of the best things about Eleven’s arc and one of the most frustrating pieces of the group dynamic.

On one hand, Max absolutely shines as Eleven’s guide into independence. She’s the one who finally tells El, “Hey, Mike is a terrible boyfriend right now,” and she’s right. Mike spends half the season moping, lying, and projecting his insecurities onto El, so Max pulling Eleven out of that bubble feels refreshing. She empowers El, boosts her confidence, and shows her that life doesn’t revolve around a boy — which is something El desperately needed.

But then there’s the other side of Max this season — and this is where a lot of fans get mixed.

Max also slips into what people online jokingly call the “Mariah friend” trope:
the friend who says, “You don’t need them, you only need me.”

At times, Max becomes a little too eager to separate Eleven from the boys. She pushes for girl-only hangouts, ignores El’s actual feelings for Mike, and occasionally projects her own frustrations with Lucas and Billy onto her advice. It’s not malicious, but it is clingy. It reads like Max wants to be Eleven’s only emotional outlet — and fans noticed. This led to a split reaction:

Pro-Max fans: “She’s helping El become her own person!”

Critical fans: “She’s empowering El… but also kinda isolating her from everyone else.”

Neutral fans: “Mike sucks, but Max is being a little unfair too.”

The truth is somewhere in the middle.

Max is a young girl dealing with a broken home, a volatile brother, an unstable relationship with Lucas, and the pressure of being the only other girl in the group. When she latches onto Eleven, it’s because she finally has someone she can bond with. That makes her a great friend at times — and a flawed, insecure one at others. It’s messy, it’s human, and it explains why the fandom walked away from Season 3 with very mixed feelings about her arc.

She’s strong, she’s supportive, she’s relatable…
but she’s also pushy, insecure, and occasionally oversteps.

Max in Season 3 isn’t a “good” friend or a “bad” friend —
she’s a realistic one.

Why Mike Wheeler Fell Off

Mike Wheeler is one of those characters who starts out with so much potential and then nosedives the moment the writers give him a girlfriend. Seasons 1 and 2 Mike? Pretty solid. Loyal. Kind. Supportive. Actually used his brain sometimes. He had emotional depth, he cared about his friends, and he helped Eleven grow into her own identity.

Then Season 3 hits…
and suddenly Mike Wheeler becomes one of the worst boyfriends in Netflix history.

Season 3 Mike is:

clingy

moody

controlling

emotionally manipulative

insecure

and somehow ALWAYS wrong

He lies to Eleven constantly, treats his friends like garbage, acts entitled to El’s attention, and has the emotional intelligence of a broken toaster. He also goes through the entire season acting like he’s being forced to date her at gunpoint — which makes it even worse.

And the kicker?
He’s rude to Hopper… then cries when Hopper intimidates him.
He’s rude to El… then cries when she dumps him.
He has a meltdown over the group splitting… but does NOTHING to fix it.

By the time we get to Seasons 4 and 5?

Most fans look at Mike and go:

> “Wow. I used to ship Mileven.
I did not realize how stupid this kid actually is.”

The fandom turned on him because he stopped being a thoughtful, caring protagonist and became a walking, talking pile of adolescent cringe.

Even Finn Wolfhard said in interviews that Mike is “awkward and makes everything worse,” which is actor-code for:
“Yeah guys, I know he sucks.”

Season 1 Mike = bright, brave, heroic.
Season 2 Mike = loyal, grieving, emotional.
Season 3 and on Mike = the human equivalent of a soggy cardboard box.

So when Eleven grows, matures, and becomes more independent…
and Mike just becomes more insecure and clingy…it just becomes uncomfortable to watch.

The ship stops being sweet
and starts being uncomfortable.

Fans didn’t turn on Mike because he’s flawed.
They turned on him because he never grows —
and everyone else around him does.

The Hopper Problem

Season 3 Hopper is one of the most controversial character shifts in the entire series, and it’s easy to see why. The man who was once the grounded, emotionally nuanced protector of Season 1 transforms into a loud, jealous, controlling caricature of himself. What should have been a heartfelt “dad learning to raise a teenage daughter” arc becomes something much more uncomfortable — and at times, borderline unrecognizable.

Hopper’s biggest problem this season is control. He doesn’t just set boundaries for Eleven; he enforces them with an intensity that feels more aggressive than fatherly. His obsession with “the door stays open three inches” crosses from concerned parent into something uncomfortably close to surveillance. Instead of fostering trust and communication, Hopper relies on intimidation, yelling, and emotional pressure. It’s not charming. It’s not funny. It’s not protective. It’s suffocating.

And the Mike situation only magnifies this. Hopper’s hostility isn’t rooted in Mike being a bad influence or a disrespectful kid — both things that would actually make sense. Instead, Hopper’s motives read as insecurity and jealousy. He isn’t worried about Mike hurting Eleven; he’s worried about Mike replacing him in Eleven’s heart. This reduces Hopper from a layered, grieving father figure into a sitcom stereotype: the overbearing dad who threatens the boyfriend.

It doesn’t stop there. Hopper’s behavior with Joyce swings wildly between immature flirtation and emotional manipulation. His temper is constantly dialed to eleven, making him feel more like a parody than the man who once comforted Joyce through Will’s trauma. Instead of showing a deeper, more vulnerable side of Hopper learning to open up, Season 3 turns him into a clumsy, loud, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing tornado of ego.

The intention behind this arc is obvious — the show wants conflict, comedy, and tension. But the execution makes Hopper feel out of character, as if the writers prioritized jokes over emotional consistency. The result is a version of Hopper that alienates audiences instead of endearing them. He’s still lovable in moments, but Season 3 pushes his flaws so hard that his warmth and depth get buried under shouting and control issues.

It’s not that Hopper had to be perfect — far from it. But Season 3 amplifies his worst instincts and mutes his best qualities, leaving a character who feels disconnected from the man we came to care about in earlier seasons.

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Pacing / Episode Flow: Season 3 has excellent pacing. Every episode feels urgent but still finds time for character bonding. Most plotlines converge at just the right moment (except for Hopper and Joyce sometimes feeling like they’re in a separate spy thriller). The finale builds real emotional tension and somehow makes fireworks terrifying 🎇.

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Pros:

Robin is my new favorite character. She’s sharp, hilarious, and incredibly human 💖🎯.

Steve Harrington’s redemption arc is complete. He’s gone from jerk to Scoops Ahoy hero and we love to see it 🍦🛡️.

I adore the summer vibes I’m this season.

☀️ Summer Vibes Done Right:
Season 3 fully commits to its summer setting in a way that’s both nostalgic and immersive. From the neon-soaked chaos of the Starcourt Mall to the Fourth of July fireworks finale, everything screams summer break with a side of monsters. The kids aren’t stuck in school — they’re biking through sunny suburbs, sneaking into movie theaters, sweating in public pools, and navigating crushes and friendship drama in the heat. Even the soundtrack leans into those carefree, sun-drenched tones. The Fun Fair sequence, the pool scenes with Billy, the mall escapades — it all gives the season an identity that feels uniquely seasonal, like a horror story dipped in orange soda and arcade tokens. It’s the most vibrant and thematically cohesive season in terms of setting.

The group dynamics are strong, with great chemistry and emotional weight 💬👬.

The fireworks battle is a visual treat 🎆🔥.

That scene with Dustin and Suzie singing “NeverEnding Story” is an instant classic 🎶📻.

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Cons:

Billy. I hate him. The show does try to redeem him near the end, but after everything, I still can’t get behind it 😒👎.

The Mind Flayer is a downgrade. He’s less mysterious and more of a gross flesh blob 💀🩸.

The KGB plotline is the weakest part. It’s fun in a campy way, but it can feel like a different show. That said, Alexei and Discount Terminator Guy were fun additions 🤖🎢.

The show is starting to bloat. So many new characters, so many threads. It works for now, but it’s getting harder to juggle everything 🧶📚.

⭐ The Wheelers: A Masterclass in Parental Failure

Let’s talk about the Wheelers, because Stranger Things Season 3 somehow made me realize, no wait these parents are idiotic, and problematic.

🟥 Ted Wheeler: The Human Paperweight

Every time Ted shows up on screen, it’s like the Duffers asked,
“What if we invented a character who actively contributes nothing?”

Ted is so checked out he might as well be playing dead.
This man wouldn’t notice a Demogorgon in his living room unless it blocked the TV.

His greatest hits include:

“Don’t worry honey, the government is on our side.”
My guy… THE GOVERNMENT IS LITERALLY THE PROBLEM.
Kids are being kidnapped, people are dying, there are Russians under a mall, and Ted’s just vibing like a malfunctioning lawn ornament.

“You want us to stay quiet? You got it. We serve our country.”
Ted, buddy, they are covering up murders.
But sure, salute the nice men in suits while they brainwash your kids.

Ted Wheeler is the kind of parent who thinks parenting is just being in the same ZIP code as your children.

🟧 Karen Wheeler: Season 3’s Problematic Detour

Karen is more sympathetic… until Season 3 gives her the weirdest storyline in the show.

Let’s just say it:
The Karen/Billy plotline is… uncomfortable.

Billy is in his early twenties.
Karen is a married mother of three pushing forty.
And suddenly Season 3 turns into “Desperate Housewives: Hawkins Edition.”

The pool scene?
The flirting?
The “meet me at the motel” moment?

I sat there like:
“Ma’am… that is THE bully. The guy who chased your son with a car. The guy who terrorizes children. Maybe don’t.”

Also most importantly, ew gross.

Thankfully, she backs out, but still — the whole setup didn’t feel like “Oh, Karen’s unhappy.”
It felt like someone in the writers’ room lost a bet.

🟩 How Are Mike and Nancy Even Functioning?

Between:

Ted’s biblical-level laziness

Karen’s flirtation subplot

The parents being oblivious 25 hours a day

And the kids essentially raising themselves

…it becomes even more impressive that Mike and Nancy aren’t out here starting fires for fun.

🟦 Final Thoughts on the Wheelers

The Wheelers are the most realistic depiction of bad suburban parents ever put on TV — and somehow the most frustrating.
On a rewatch, they go from “funny background characters” to
“Oh wow… these two are genuinely terrible at their jobs.”

Season 3 wanted to give Karen depth, but instead gave her Billy.
Season 3 wanted to keep Ted comedic, and accidentally made him the poster child for government brainwashing.

Either way, the kids deserved better.

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Favorite Song Moment:

Suzie and Dustin singing NeverEnding Story — pure gold ✨🎤. Watch the Scene

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Final Thoughts: This is Stranger Things at its most fun, even if some of the plot starts to creak under its own weight. The visual effects are better than ever, the emotional beats land, and somehow the show made malls and fireworks genuinely scary 🛍️😱. A few side characters didn’t work for me (cough, Erica), and the Russian subplot was a mixed bag. But overall? A summer blast 🌞💥.

Rating: 10/10 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Spoiler Warning! 🚨😱

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Spoilers: So, where to begin? This season starts off wild and just keeps escalating. Mike and Eleven are dating, but Hopper doesn’t like it and tries to break them up 🙅‍♂️💔. Eleven dumps Mike after Max encourages her to ignore him 📵. Meanwhile, Dustin returns from camp and insists he has a girlfriend named Suzie. No one believes him 🏕️.

Steve is working at Scoops Ahoy with Robin. They eventually team up with Dustin (and ugh, Lucas’ little sister Erica) to uncover a secret Russian base under the mall 🕵️‍♂️🏬.

Billy, now a lifeguard, gets possessed by the Mind Flayer and begins collecting people to turn them into flesh soup for the Flayer’s new body 😬🧟. This includes melting people’s faces and fusing them into a giant monster.

Nancy and Jonathan go off on their own investigation after encountering a possessed woman. They eventually get attacked by two gooey coworkers who literally melt into the monster. Yep, we’re in full Cronenberg mode 😵‍💫.

Hopper and Joyce are busy being hunted by a dude who might as well be the T-800’s cousin 🤖. They capture a kind-hearted Russian scientist named Alexei, but of course, he gets shot at a carnival—RIP Slurpee King 🎡😭.

Eventually, everyone converges at the mall. Eleven gets attacked by the Mind Flayer and has to pull a tiny piece of it out of her knee with her powers after Jonathan tries with a hot knife 🔪🔥. Hopper and Joyce sneak into the Russian base to shut down the machine trying to open the portal. In the process, Hopper ends up “dying” in the explosion—though the end credits scene in Russia hints he survived 🕳️.

Billy, somehow still in there, sacrifices himself to save Eleven after she reminds him of his mom 🥺💥. Side not u clearly don’t want to have ur name start with a B in this franchise because

First Barbra died

Secondly Bob died

Now thirdly Billy died

On a side note, I really don’t feel anything for Billy, oh no Billy dead, oh well moving on. Like why am I supposed to care? He was a racist and a peick! And the show expects me to care and feel bad that he’s dead and to call that stakes? Get the fudge out of here

The best scene in the whole season? Easy: Dustin and Suzie sing “NeverEnding Story” over the radio while everyone else reacts with horror, confusion, and deadpan disbelief. Iconic 🎶😂.

The season ends on a bittersweet note: Hopper is gone (for now), the mall is destroyed, and Joyce, Eleven, and Will leave town 🚛🏠. But then the end credit scene shows a Demogorgon in a Russian prison. Oh boy 😬🧊.

Oh yeah and a once possessed Billy dies after sacrificing himself, oh no not Billy how dare they? Also on a side note just realized wow in the world of Stranger Things, u do not want ur name to start with the letter B otherwise ur dead meat, first therr was,

Barbra

Bob

And now Billy

Who’s next? Bow?

Also—shoutout to Hopper’s arc. The guy went from angry cop to full-blown supernatural warrior. By Season 3, he’s just rolling with everything. Monsters? Russian spies? Underground labs? Sure. Tuesday 😑📅.

Also this show ends on one my second favorite Stranger Things cliffhanger.