Stranger Things: Season 3, Chapter One- Suzie, Do You Copy?

“Maybe I could kill Mike. I’m the chief of police. I could cover it up!”

So, it’s a brand new season, it’s June 1985- only six months later- and all the younger members of the cast look visibly older; in fact, the boys’ voices have mostly broke. I’m not sure how diegetic that is, but the whole season feels very different- not least because the first scene is in the “good” ol’ USSR where Comrade General is not best pleased at the failure to open a portal to the Upside Down and the scientists of the Revolution must do better.

Back in Hawkins, though, life is moving on. Hopper has a massive new moustache, for one thing, and a big deal is made about a big new Eighties shopping mall just outside of town which is no doubt going to be central to the plot, especially as the film being shown is Day of the Dead. Eleven and Mike have spent about 90% of the last six months kissing, which is adorable, although Hopper doesn’t quite seem to agree. Meanwhile Max and Lucas are an established couple, and the party is not quite what it was. Dustin returns from summer camp (that old American tradition) to a practical joke from his mates involving his toys seeming to attack him- including the Transformer Ultra Magnus which wasn’t released until 1986, but let us not be churlish. And even he has a girlfriend, apparently, in Utah, and a massive radio mast to contact her as her strict Mormon parents won’t let her phone.

Except.. when he shows everyone she doesn’t respond, the excluded and single Will just wants to play D&D like the old days, and they all drift off.. cue something Russian in the ether that is obviously plot-related.

Steve, suddenly no longer a ladies’ man, works at an ice cream place with the delightfully cynical Robin, and by now is both rather likeable and absolutely “the babysitter”. Meanwhile Joyce is  not quite over the death of Bob, unsurprisingly (I love the pic of him as superhero). We also see Nancy in her job as dogsbody at the local paper, constantly talked down to be a load of sexist men who have no idea what awaits their profession over the coming decades.

But most importantly there is a power cut followed by the arrival of... something. And, after amusing scenes of all the local middle aged ladies perving on Billy as he does his job as a lifeguard, we end the episode with said thing getting him. A very promising start indeed....