"After Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) disappeared at the end of the first season, only to reappear at the start of the second (which wasn't exactly a surprise), it felt like the Duffer brothers were indicating their homage to '80s science-fiction would be more "Goonies" than "Aliens." Their characters would face danger, sure, and some lives would be lost, but the core group wouldn't be picked off one by one, season after season."
"the glow-up between Seasons 1 and 2 suggests Hawkins traveled to another dimension where Reaganomics actually worked - but the Duffers remained devoted to Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Will (Noah Schnapp), as well as their adopted friends and parental figures. Hopper (David Harbour) improbably, ridiculously, yet obviously surviving the Season 3 explosion only furthered the impression that certain people were bulletproof, which also helped separate "Stranger Things" from its ruthless prestige TV peers."
The show largely avoids killing main cast members, preserving an '80s-style adventurous tone rather than adopting ruthless prestige-TV brutality. Early plot turns, like Eleven's disappearance and return, reinforced the idea that core kids would survive despite danger. The Duffer brothers maintained focus on Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will along with their allies and parental figures. Hopper's improbable survival after Season 3's explosion amplified the sense that some characters are effectively bulletproof. Fans, culture writers, and cast members continue to speculate about potential deaths. In Season 5, Volume 2, Jonathan and Nancy face a sealed-room threat while confronting relationship flaws.
Read at IndieWire
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