It’s that time of year again, which means your favorite shows are either starting or ending. In this case, it started and ended on the same day, but for some people, it ended in only 8 hours. 

     On July 4, 2019, “Stranger Things 3” was finally released after a year and a half of waiting. The highly anticipated return was short-lived for some people who decided to binge-watch the season in eight hours. 

     Previously on “Stranger Things” Seasons 1 and 2, the main characters–Eleven, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, Will, and Max–fight against a creature called the Mind Flayer, which lives in a dimension called the Upside-Down. With help from police chief Jim Hopper, Will’s mom and brother, Mike’s sister, and Steve Harrington, they make plans to destroy the monster once and for all. 

     This third season was my favorite so far. It begins with the characters getting back together now that Dustin has returned from summer camp. Slowly, they begin to realize that the Mind Flayer is back and bigger than ever. We get to see how much the characters have changed since we first saw them three years ago. I appreciated this character development and even began to love the characters I wasn’t fond of last season. Their levels of maturity have increased with age, which also makes them relatable. Most of the characters are around the same age as Fenwick students, so we can see parts of ourselves in them, too. 

     Another thing I enjoyed this season was the plot because it wasn’t predictable. Instead, there are three groups of characters that each have their own stories, and we see them align in the finale. The perfectly-timed jumpscares, music, and action scenes add the right amount of thrill to keep you on the edge of your seat. 

     I highly recommend you watch “Stranger Things 3” because it will have you hooked from the first five minutes. Expect to be happy, heartbroken, and anxious all at once because I assure you–you will feel all of these emotions this season.