With the Stranger Things Season 4 release coming up next week, Maize High students are feeling a wide range of emotions because of the strong relation many have with the show.

Perhaps it’s the way Stranger Things makes connections to the real world while also giving that spark of fiction from its “out of this world” concepts. Maybe it’s even the nostalgic feeling that rushes through you when you watch the show. Whatever it may be, it causes the watcher to feel many emotions.

Sophomore Mikayla Johnson enjoys the series because its a way to connect real life problems in a fake reality.

“It deals with a lot of problems like LGBTQ+ and Lucas being black, the show deserves the hype it gets because everyone can relate to it in some way,” said Johnson.

Because of the show’s harsh take on reality, some parents may argue that the show isn’t appropriate for teens to watch. Sophomore Kynadee Sullivan thinks the show connects with issues in the real world.

“I think that if someone feels like they’re mature enough to handle watching the show, they should watch it. I don’t know, it’s not like there’s anything SERIOUSLY disturbing in the show, it just shows many problems the world had then and continues to have,” said sophomore Sullivan. “I feel like it’s important for us to know about some of the things talked about in the show.” 

Stranger Things gives a perspective of life back when technology wasn’t a big thing, and kids were always out with their friends. It gives students a chance to experience a different lifestyle through other people’s viewpoints.

“There’s no real technology so everything is reserved, and of course there is news coverage, but it’s not super widespread,” said sophomore Kaleb Moore. “And it’s like reserved to this one community and I think that’s like really cool.”

Students at Maize High have an appreciation for Stranger Things for many reasons such as the characters being in the same age range from start to end, the Sci-fi element to the show, or it being so similar to the world today but also being so different at the same time.

“It’s just a cool show, and all the characters are teenagers which makes it more relatable, in an odd sense of perspective. They grew up these kids, and you kind of grow up with them, which makes it more personal,” said Moore.

Along with the show capturing attention through its eighties vibe, it also grabs people’s attention because it is a way for them to escape reality for a bit and put themselves in a mindset of being someone else and somewhere else.

“The longing in wishing that was us, and how we relate and want to relate to it. Family, relationships, and suffering from loss is all shown in the show,” said sophomore Kadence Shook. “It helps people escape I would say, where they are still facing their realities, but in a different reality kind of.”