“Stranger Things” is a sci-fi/ horror series on Netflix that first aired in 2016, quickly becoming one of Netflix’s biggest hits. The first episode racked in 12.7 million viewers in the average minute on its premier weekend. With the final season premiering at the end of 2025, let’s take a look back at every season and its analytics and prove to you why season three released on July 4, 2019 has been the best.
The series, written by Matt and Ross Duffer, professionally known as the Duffer brothers, is set in the 1980s within the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. The show follows a group of kids who discover a secret government lab conducting dangerous experiments that open a gateway to a dark, parallel world called the Upside Down. The main character, Eleven, has telekinetic powers and helps to save all of the people in the town of Hawkins from the monsters that loom.
The first season scored a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. At the season’s peak, the show was getting 76.6% times higher streams and viewership than the national TV show average. IMDb gave this season a 9.3 out of 10, starting this franchise off extremely strong, and making the viewers beg for more.
Rotten Tomatoes reviewer Keith Garlington praised the third season, saying “Stranger Things is a fascinating stew that juggles numerous genres and influences. Yet it all comes together to form an enthralling eight-episode television season that plays like one well-paced and impressively conceived movie. It does a great job of introducing and developing characters while featuring several stand-out performances ([David] Harbour, [Millie Bobbie] Brown, and [Winona] Ryder specifically). And perhaps best of all, it builds real excitement for Season 2, even for a ‘strictly movies’ guy like me. I consider that to be the highest praise!”
In my opinion, second seasons or remakes aren’t nearly as good. The second season gained fewer views, but was still in high demand. 15.8 million viewers watched the first episode. in the first three days, and the demand surged 60% in the week following its release, according to IMDb. Although the Rotten Tomatoes score went down to 94%, this season stepped up its pace, creating even more demand for a third season.
Rotten Tomatoes reviewer Jack Lynch said, “‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 is a definite step down from the brilliance of Season 1, but still a fantastic piece of television. Its flaws are clear: the story feels less focused, with a sluggish start before the main plot picks up.”
Season 3 focuses on the theme of the’80s more than any other season. The music creates a nostalgic atmosphere, bringing you back to the ‘80s. Songs include: “Material Girl,” by Madonna and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” by Wham. These songs create a sense of culture and add character to each episode. In episode nine of Season three, one of the main characters, Dustin, sings a cover of the song “NeverEnding Story.” These songs aren’t just played as background music; they set the mood for each scene. The emotional “NeverEnding Story” duet between Dustin and Suzie created a lighthearted moment while the characters were in the midst of chaos.
Season three broke the Netflix record, racking in 64 million household viewers. 40.7 million accounts streamed it in the first four days. Although its ratings weren’t as high as the past seasons on review sites like IMDb (8.5/10) and Rotten Tomatoes 89%, for all the reasons listed above, it was the best.
Zofia Wijaszka of IMDb praised season 3,“‘Stranger Things’ [season] 3 is an extraordinary coming-of-age story. The newest season touches on many subjects: growing up, the evolution of pop culture, and even sexism in the workplace.”
Character development plays a key role in the structure of the season. The six children the show follows are growing up. They are experiencing love, friendship, heartbreak and independence. It’s jam-packed with emotion, chaos and suspense.
The series is witty and full of funny moments while still focused on the monsters that terrorize the locals. The season ends on a major cliffhanger, leaving the fans wanting more. The stakes are higher than ever, but the season never loses its sense of friendship and hope.
Season 4 was the fastest season to reach 1 billion hours viewed and had the biggest premier weekend for an English-language series. This season was rated 8.7/10 on IMDB and 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, rating an even higher demand for season 5.
All in all, what made season three so special compared to the rest was its strong character development and action-packed summer adventure. If the Duffer brothers can create one last season with a suspenseful plot like season 3 with increased stakes, there is no doubt that season 5 could be one of the best yet, perhaps even surpassing the reigning king of season 3.
