Even though it’s hard to believe, it has been almost 10 years since the first season of Stranger Things hit our screens. I was just a kid when it first aired, younger than Will and Eleven, unaware of the global phenomenon the show would become. Looking back now, I remember how obsessed my parents were with all the 80s nostalgia, much to my sister’s and my annoyance. They pointed out every old song, quirky outfit, and movie reference; we just didn’t get it.
Years later, my generation has developed its own kind of nostalgia tied to the show. We didn’t live through the 80s, but we experienced Hawkins and the Upside Down, growing up alongside these characters. Without realizing it, Stranger Things has framed my adolescence. I was 10 when it first premiered, and I’ll soon be 20, saying goodbye to the characters I’ve grown to love. It feels like a closing chapter not just for the show, but for all of us who came of age alongside it.
Even if you’ve never watched Stranger Things, chances are you’ve still felt its impact. From TikToks to Halloween costumes to 7-Eleven collaborations, its influence has seeped into our lives. It has become more than just a show; it has become a cultural time capsule for an entire generation.
When the first season of Stranger Things premiered, Barack Obama was president, “One Dance” by Drake was at the top of the charts, and Pokémon Go was taking over the world. It feels like a lifetime ago. I was a total scaredy cat back then, but my fear of missing out ultimately won. Everyone was talking about the show, and I wanted to be a part of the experience. While I had nightmares of Demogorgons for months, I still remember the excitement I felt watching it with my friends and seeing myself in the characters. They seemed so old to me then, but looking back, we were all just kids.
By the time Season 2 came out, I was in middle school, and Stranger Things was all anyone could talk about. The kids on the show were growing up, and so were we. In every school hallway, you would hear chatter about the series or even a faint hum of “Let’s go back to Indiana, circa 1983.” The show became a beacon of hope for any kid who felt like an outsider. You didn’t have to save the world or have superpowers to matter, as long as you had your people, you were enough.
The Season 3 release is the one I remember most vividly. I stayed up all night on July 4, binge-watching until morning. By this point, the obsession had taken over, not just for me but for the whole world. Scoops Troop merch was everywhere, and my feed was flooded with global pop-ups and endless fan edits. That summer felt like a scene straight out of the show: drinking Slurpees, biking around with friends, and blasting 80s music wherever we went. As I got older, I connected with the characters in a new way, their heartbreaks and struggles resonating with me on a deeper level. The show surpassed just entertainment. Everyone had a favorite character or a favorite theory, and Stranger Things became a shared connection among us all.
The three-year break between Seasons 3 and 4 found both me and the world completely different. It was the first season since the pandemic, and somehow, I had grown older than the characters I once looked up to. The release of Season 4 seemed even bigger than the rest, sending waves through pop culture. Hellfire Club t-shirts were everywhere, Eddie edits were inescapable on TikTok, and once again, the world was flooded with a Stranger Things takeover.
The world had changed significantly after COVID; how we socialized, what we valued, and who we were as individuals. Even though we had all changed, had all been through something unprecedented, the world of Stranger Things remained constant. It was a reminder of who I was before, and a way to reflect on how I had grown. Watching had brought not only a sense of comfort, but also rebuilt an element of community that had been lost during the pandemic.
Now, almost 10 years after it all began, the fifth and final season is here. It’s unbelievable to think how much life has changed since those first few seasons. I am still close with the friends I watched it with as a kid; we now joke about how obsessed we were and how we couldn’t wait for the new season to arrive. Now I’m rewatching it with my college roommates, already promising to text them the second I finish the latest episodes over break. It is remarkable how this one show has accompanied us through every stage of life, connecting us across states and even countries, still finding new ways to bring us together.
Sometimes it feels like life is moving too fast: college, jobs, and adulthood are looming. It’s strange to think about how much has changed since 10-year-old me watched the first episode, trembling, with my eyes shut for most of it. Now, I am on my own, thriving in college, living a life I once dreamed about. Now, Stranger Things is a reminder of how far I’ve come.
This final season is not just the end of a show; it’s a sort of goodbye to our childhood, a childhood of Eggos, walkie-talkies, and memories that will always be a part of us.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, watch us on TikTok, and read our latest Tweets!