It’s hard to predict what will trigger a single memory. It’s harder still to say what will conjure how you felt during a summer or a year in your life. Needless to say, it seemed inevitable, as a child raised in the ’80s, that the first season of Stranger Things, set in 1983, would bring long-forgotten things bubbling to the surface. The sense of nostalgia was truly sublime. The even bigger and better pleasant surprise? Stranger Things is a superb story of friendship amidst adversity.

First things first, Stranger Things nailed 1983. At least the 1983 I remember. I was ten that year. I remember it well. As a decade, the ’80s were still clinging to the styles and ideas of the ’70s that preceded it. Cars, clothes, houses and even thought processes hadn’t yet reached the bright and bold excess we think of when we fondly remember the 80’s in its later heyday.

Stranger Things did 1983 right. Every environment was layered with a heavy dose of the ’70s just as it should have been. The suburban life I remember from that time was very much what we see from these kids and the town of Hawkins. America was still waking up from the ’70s. This little show captured that feeling perfectly.

Stranger Things didn’t just get nostalgia right, they set a new standard.

Stranger Things gives us feel-good homages to 80’s classics. E.T., Stand By Me, Stephen King, and a nice splattering of John Carpenter all take center stage at some point. I prepared myself for this nostalgia to feel forced. I was wrong. Instead, they were all done so effortlessly they felt right at home because they served the story, not some agenda. The Duffer Brothers, who created the series, captured the essence of these references without ripping them off. That’s no small feat.

Even better than the nods to classic movies of the time is the music. The soundtrack of this series, with its eclectic synth feel, took me right back to 8-bit video games and even to the soundtrack of V: The Final Battle. Seriously, watch the intro of that series and tell me that you don’t get the same vibe. I watched V as a kid with intense enthusiasm, and I ate up episodes of Stranger Things with the same delight.

If the moody soundtrack wasn’t enough to characterize this show as genius, the music throughout drove home the sentiment. First, it’s obvious that the music choices were deliberate. They avoided more popular songs from the period that have been used time and again. That was a stroke of genius that should be applauded. Stranger Things opted for more obscure choices. The results still echoed the period but didn’t feel retread.

Africa’s “Toto”, The Bangles “Hazy Shade of Winter”, and David Bowie’s “Heroes” at key moments all complimented the more prominent “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash. While the latter became something of an anthem for the series as a whole, the rest were brilliant and thoughtful additions. These songs didn’t overpower or feel out of the ordinary. Better yet, the ensemble added a nostalgic flavor without turning to overused pieces used by so many projects. Instead, Stranger Things wanted to be unique. And they pulled it off in spades.

I think Mike, Lucas, and Dustin would have been my friends.

When I was 10, my bike was my Cadillac. My friends were my posse. We rode in packs, and we trekked everywhere together. Some of our adventures took us miles from home, but on we went. As I watched these kids do the same, I couldn’t help remembering the wind on my face and the laughter. Just like them, we knew our neighborhood like the backs of our hands. A strange camaraderie forms with the kids you ride with, and I felt that again with these kids from Stranger Things.

Friendships formed at that age linger. They are a strong part of me today. The unwritten code between us was strong. Our word was our bond. Friends became battle-hardened compatriots. They defended us in the halls at school and in the streets around homes.

Seeing Mike, Lucas, and Dustin interact put me right back in my childhood. I was a kid again. Seeing them cope with the loss of Will and the struggle to help Eleven felt just like struggles I had at that age. The uncertainty in one moment that blended right into overconfidence the next.

Stranger Things is a supernatural story. It’s loaded with creepy thrills, but the real story is about friendship. Stranger Things shows us what it means to stick by your friends when the going gets the toughest. That’s what Eleven learned friendship really means. On that level, Stranger Things succeeded beyond my wildest imagination. Thank goodness The Duffer Brothers had the drive to create this story, and Netflix had the vision to make sure it came to life.

Also published on Medium.