Stranger Things Meanings Essay

What meanings are created in the sequence you have studied and what do they tell us about narrative, character, development and genre?

There are many conventions in which allow you to identify a long form TV drama. Some of these include; cliff hangers, mystery and strong soundtracks. Within the sequence which we studied, these conventions are obvious along with others. You can identify these within the six-minute clip which was studied, and they allow the audience to entice themselves into the drama more, as the scene ends on a cliff hanger. The final scene in which the group of boys find Eleven, allows the audience to see the themes, see a development in the storyline and also proves the genre is sci-fi.

In the final scene of the sequence the boys are introduced to the character of Eleven. This creates a lot of meanings which develop the story line further and show the genre of the series. These conventions are shown in a range of ways; however, they are used here as it is the end of the episode which therefore creates a cliff hanger, and also so that the audience are shown that the storyline comes together when the two groups of main characters come together. The scene shows the boys running into Eleven and then a shot of close up level shots of the boys looking at her, with their torches shining on her. This is accompanied by loud sci-fi music, which created a sense of mystery and tension as the audience are yet to know who Eleven actually is and her background. Within this scene there are many hints of the genre within the scene. Firstly, the music is a typical sci-fi themed music. The music not only highlights the sci-fi theme, but also creates a lot of tension for the audience. The volume of the non-diegetic music increases when the boy’s torches shine at Eleven, which shows that this moment is of importance as it makes it stand out more. The level camera shot however, shows that the teenagers are equal. This tells us that the characters are equally important within the sci-fi themed long form TV drama, and the cliff hanger shows that the narrative is going to continue to develop in episode two.

Within the scene of Nancy and Steve there are many meanings. Firstly, you can see the development of not only their relationship, but also the development of Steve as a character, in which he becomes more likeable to the audience as he is helping Nancy learn her notes for her exam. Earlier in the episode, you see Steve as a stereotypical jockey who is obnoxious and arrogant – however in this scene he is presented as a more loveable person and you can see that Nancy see’s this too making the audience feel part of the scene. When Nancy and Steve are in her bedroom it is a typical 80s bedroom which shows the theme and genre of an 80s drama. There is an 80s diegetic song playing in the background of the scene at a low volume, however when Nancy pushes Steve off her, the music gets louder to show that it is a dramatic moment, as well as a jump cut being used to show the proximity between them after he moved closer. When he does this, it shows the development of their relationship as the audience are made aware of the intimacy within their relationship as it blossoms. One of the meanings that can be connotated through this scene is the idea of teenagers developing, which is important throughout the whole of episode one, as not only do you see the development of Nancy and Steve, but you can also see the development of the group of boys becoming responsible and mature when they decide they need to look for Will.

Finally, in the scene at Benny diner, which is a typical 80s diner, there is diegetic music playing. When the social worker arrives and is speaking to Benny, a high angle shot is looking down on her making her seem inferior, and a contrasting low angle shot is used to look up at Benny which connotes that he is more superior. When the social worker has arrived at the diner, the pace of the cuts increases, alongside the non-diegetic music. This is used to make the audience feel on edge and excited, and it gives an overall sense of panic as the officials look for Eleven. When Eleven uses her supernatural powers, this shows the theme of sci-fi to the audience. It shows meanings to the audience that you cannot judge someone on their appearance, as Eleven originally is a young child who looks scared, which connotes to the audience that she is innocent and then she turns into a child who has the ability to use superpowers to an extent that can kill or seriously injure people. This develops the narrative as it makes the audience question the TV drama, making them want to know what is going to happen in the second episode. It introduces Eleven as a character who is full of mystery, as well as making the audience feel empathy towards her. Again, this scene shows the genre of the TV drama as the use of supernatural creates the themes of sci-fi, as well as the murder of Benny showing a theme of crime. 

In conclusion, within the sequence there are many meanings which show the genre, development, characters and narratives. I think that the main scene is the end scene in which there is loud non-diegetic sci-fi music when the boys find Eleven. This adds tension and mystery, to then conclude the episode with a cliff hanger. Alongside other meanings which highlight the themes of sci-fi, mystery and crime throughout the whole episode which make the audience want to continue watching with hints of future themes and the mystery in which the audience want to find out what is going to happen.