Even though we are in the 20th century, most of the Gen Z population can’t help but watch retro-nostalgia series. Two of the most popular hits in the genre of horror, including retro-nostalgia, are “Stranger Things” and “It: Welcome to Derry.” Both “Stranger Things” and “Welcome to Derry” include a chilling/mysterious small-town vibe, centered around a group of outcast kids who are forced to confront the supernatural evils of different dimensions.
But now the real question is, which one does this generation prefer? Although both shows are very similar, many people will choose one or the other.
What is “Stranger Things”? Our story focuses on a group of friends in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, as they fight supernatural threats from the alternate dimension called the Upside Down. Most people say “Stranger Things” is one of the best shows of the 20th century for many reasons, but there are people who disagree with this claim. Why do people like Stranger Things? The plot, the suspense, and the fact that it takes us on an emotional roller coaster featuring themes like friendship, confusion, and horror.
Fans adored seasons 1-3. What happens in these seasons that makes the show so adored? In season one, “The Vanishing of Will Byers,” a young 12-year-old boy disappears after leaving his friend’s house, while his other friends Mike, Lucas, and Dustin try to find him. They come across Eleven, a girl with telekinetic powers. In season two, “The Mind Flayer,” he suffers visions from the other-dimensional monster “the Mind Flayer” after rescuing Will from the Upside Down. Eventually, he is possessed, and his group of friends fights to save him. In season 3: “The Battle of Starcourt,” rumors have started about Russians trying to find their way into the Upside Down. The Mind Flayer returns, and he now possesses Billy, Max’s brother, a new character introduced in season 2. The group ends up fighting the Russians & Mind Flayer to save their small town.
Although many people loved these seasons, many disliked Season 5. According to BCCHS student Leilani Bracket (10), “Stranger Things” season 5 was anti-climactic and lacked the original mysterious, eerie plot. Many people agree with this quote since many have also stated that the ending was rushed and gave the character Eleven a bad ending.
“Welcome to Derry” has had a huge impact on the fans of the series “It.” What is “It: Welcome to Derry?” It’s a supernatural horror prequel series to the 2017 & 2019 IT films, and it explores the origins of the evil that haunts the small town of Derry, Maine. The show also has themes like social justice, inequality, family issues, and young romance. Our time period takes place in 1962, exactly 27 years before the first “It” movie. An ancient evil awakens to feed and follows a new group of children and adults who have visions, and there are disappearances because of Pennywise the clown. Although everyone enjoyed every episode of the series, many fans can agree that episode 8, “ Winter Fire,” is the best throughout the entire season.
BCCHS student Dayana Merlos (10) said, “Episode 8 was my favorite because of the suspense and surprises.’’ During this episode, Pennywise has awoken and has gone into Derry to terrorize the school’s children by showing them his deadlights. He later took the children to a lake to put them under his control. Our main group of kids then happened to come across Pennywise, and they got into a battle with him and ultimately defeated him. Episode 3, “Now You See It”, is widely considered the weakest one by fans. According to fans, the episode lacked good CGI, as the story seemed to stall, and failed to move the plot forward in an interesting way. It also lacked the appearance of Pennywise, which upset many fans. To end things, in my opinion, both shows had their ups and downs with the plot and character stories. And at the end of the day, these are just shows meant to entertain us.
