Five teenagers are seen from the side, riding bikes on the grass, a city full of destruction in the background. Four boys pedal the bikes with intense expressions. A girl rides on the pegs of one of their bikes, looking at something behind them. The image is in shades of intense red and spooky blue-green.

A Stranger Things Exhibit

Curated by Melanie Hardman

About the show

Stranger Things is a Netflix original TV series about the supernatural events, government secrets, and dangerous mysteries that begin affecting a small town called Hawkins, Indiana in the 1980s. The first season aired in 2016 and the fifth and final season is airing in December of 2025. It was created by The Duffer Brothers (Matt and Ross Duffer) as well as a skilled crew, and features a large and talented cast. The story focuses on several different main characters, many of them younger, and has strong hints of nostalgia and coming-of-age character arcs and storylines. The show captures elements of many genres, including mystery, fantasy, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and drama.

A woman stands in front of a wall that has the alphabet messily painted on it. A strand of Christmas lights is strung across it so that an illuminated light is over each of the letters.
The words Stranger Things is shown in outlined neon red color over a black background.
A young girl with a shaved head sits at a table focusing on a can of Coca-Cola in front of her. She is wearing a hospital gown and has a bunch of wires covering her head.

How to Watch

The word Netflix in capitalized red letters over a white background.

Stranger Things is a Netflix original series and is available to watch with a Netflix subscription. Seasons 1-4 You can also purchase physical copies of the first season on DVD and Blu-Ray from a few stores online, including Walmart and Amazon.

The series is broken up into 5 seasons with 8-9 episodes of in each, with a grand total of 42. Episodes range in length from about 45 minutes to about an hour and a half depending on the episode, with the upcoming finale being just over 2 hours!

Seasons 1-4 are complete and available. The first 4 episodes of season 5 are available now, with 3 more episodes coming on Christmas Day (December 25th at 5:00pm PST), and the finale dropping on New Year's Eve (December 31st at 5:00pm PST). It's going to be epic!

A few of the reasons why I love it

Three kids kneel on the ground, hugging each other in care and relief.

Heartfelt character interactions
Nostalgia and fun 80s vibes
Suspenseful thrills
Characters that suprise you
Masterful storytelling
Easy to binge and so fun
A large main cast

A girl rises up into the air in a cemetery with her arms outstretched while three boys look up at her in shock and worry.

Meet the Curator

Melanie Hardman wearing a winter cap and smiling while she holds a warm drink in front of a bookstore in Alaska

Melanie Hardman is a senior at Utah Valley University studying Creative Writing and Editing. She is a freelance editor, passionate reader, and emerging writer of young adult and middle grade fantasy. When she isn't immersed in fictional worlds, she enjoys spending time with family, wishing on stars, and walking in the snow.

Her favorite genres of books, movies, and shows include mystery, fantasy, science fiction, and coming-of-age drama. She favors stories with lovable and relatable characters that grow to be heroic and loyal to those they care about, and she believes every story needs at least one good romance, even if it's subtle.

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