Social media was overwhelmed this summer with talk of one of Netflix’s newest original series, “Stranger Things.” Chances are, after July 15, you couldn’t scroll through any of your normal feeds without coming across mention of a little girl named Eleven or ill-timed references to Christmas lights. Christmas in July has never been so scary.

The show is set in November of 1983 and follows the adventures of three young boys looking for their friend, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), after his mysterious disappearance. Along the way they find a strange telekinetic girl who helps them in their search. At the same time, Will’s mother and older brother start their own investigations into his sudden vanishing. However, Will’s mother, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), believes there may be something more paranormal at play. Part of “Stranger Things” brilliance is how it manages to have every side plot remain important and relevant to the overarching story the show so tastefully presents. That’s about all I’m going to say plot-wise in order to keep from spoiling too much. This show, like most mysteries, is better viewed with no prior knowledge of what’s to come.

That being said, this particular mystery stands above the rest, foremostly because they actually explain the method behind their madness. Instead of leaving a multitude of questions behind (cough, cough, thanks Lost) the Duffer Brothers give you a small piece of the mystery every episode. While the show does end with a few missing links, the majority of the problems are resolved by the end of the first season.

“Stranger Things” can best be described as a Stephen King novel, an 80’s horror movie and an 80’s sci-fi movie all rolled into one, emphasis on the 80’s. The only thing about this show which doesn’t stay true to the setting (besides the inevitable blunders) is the distinctly better camera quality. Even the actors look better suited to star in Full House than anything on television today. That being said, the Duffer Brothers still manage to give each character their own identity, not relying too hard on typical stereotypes. Each ‘chapter’ sees the characters growing and getting closer to their end goal.

Fair warning, those of us prone to freaking out once the lights go off might want to pass this one up. But for those brave souls who aren’t afraid of the dark, this show definitely lives up to the hype. “Stranger Things” is a perfect mix of mystery and humor, balancing its scarier moments with light hearted interactions between the characters. With only eight episodes, “Stranger Things” leaves fans begging for more. In fact, due to increasing demand, season two has already been confirmed by Netflix. The next season is set to come out sometime next year giving you plenty of time to catch up on this internet phenomenon. I’d give this show 8.5/10, this is definitely not something you want to miss out on.