Watch Stranger Things Season 1 Episode 1 and 2 Overview

Stranger Things Season 1 is a Netflix Original series that first aired in July 2016. It was created by the Duffer brothers - Matt and Ross - and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. The story is set in the mid-1980s in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. It follows the lives of a group of friends who are drawn into a mysterious and terrifying supernatural world, filled with monsters, government conspiracies, and alternate dimensions.

The first two episodes of the series, titled "The Vanishing of Will Byers" and "The Weirdo on Maple Street," set the stage for the rest of the season. The episodes introduce us to the main characters, the town of Hawkins, and the strange events that begin to unfold.

The series opens with a group of four friends - Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Will (Noah Schnapp) - playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons in Mike's basement. On their way home, Will disappears, and his frantic mother (Winona Ryder) begins a desperate search for him.

Meanwhile, a mysterious girl with a buzz haircut (Millie Bobby Brown) shows up in town, exhibiting strange powers and hiding from a group of men in black suits. She quickly befriends the boys and becomes integral to their quest to find Will.

As the search for Will intensifies, strange things begin to happen in Hawkins. The power goes out across the town, and strange creatures lurk in the woods. Will's brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) begins his own investigation and crosses paths with Nancy (Natalia Dyer), a high school student who also happens to be Mike's sister.

The government becomes involved as well, with a group of scientists investigating the strange activity. Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine) seems to be at the center of the mysterious experiments and has a particular interest in the girl with the buzz cut.

The first two episodes of Stranger Things Season 1 create a sense of intrigue and unease as the town of Hawkins begins to unravel. The characters are well-drawn and likable, and the attention to detail in recreating the 1980s is impressive. The music, the clothing, and even the fonts used in the title sequences all contribute to the series' overall aesthetic.

While there are certainly elements of horror and science-fiction in the series, it is also deeply rooted in both nostalgia and a sense of camaraderie. Watching the four boys navigate the difficulties of growing up and the challenges of confronting the unknown is both relatable and heartwarming.

Overall, Stranger Things Season 1's first two episodes set the stage for a compelling and unique story that balances nostalgia, horror, and science-fiction. The characters are likable, the mystery is intriguing, and the setting is immersive. It's no wonder the series became a cultural phenomenon and cemented its place as one of the best original series on Netflix.