Avoid superfluous side characters and unnecessary subplots
While no mystery series will ever be without its red herrings and dead ends, last season it felt like we spent a lot of time on characters (Cary Elwes’ crooked mayor) and subplots (Nancy facing sexism at her newspaper job) that could have been important… but felt more like the show was just filling time between the more crucial stuff. (Let us never speak of the “Billy and Mrs. Wheeler poolside dance of forbidden love” ever again.) Stranger Things knows how to introduce characters and subplots that bring real meaning to the story—Robin, for instance, who added a welcome dimension to the scope of the show and who also became a crucial, kick-ass part of the action. It also appears that we’re going to be digging more into the history of Hawkins itself in season four, learning why this seemingly ordinary place has become such an epicenter of totally weird shit. More of that, please.
