Why Stranger Things Season 4’s Alien 3 Influence Is Bad News

Why Stranger Things Season 4’s Alien 3 Influence Is Bad News

David Harbour’s claims that Stranger Things 4 borrows from Alien 3 could mean the season will be as brutally bleak as that divisive sequel.

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Why Stranger Things Season 4’s Alien 3 Influence Is Bad News

According to series star David Harbour, Stranger Things season 4 will be heavily influenced by Alien 3 – which could be bad news for fans. Despite the critical success and adulation that Netflix hit Stranger Things has enjoyed throughout its three seasons, it is fair to say that the tone of the show has changed numerous times across these series. Season 1 was a slow-burn small-town mystery that gradually revealed its supernatural/sci-fi elements, with early episodes owing as much inspiration to dark family dramas like Prisoners as they did to the fun Amblin adventures of the ‘80s.

The second season amped up the humor and pace of the series considerably, but the brutal deaths of well-liked characters like Bob Newby ensured that no fan could consider Stranger Things totally light-hearted viewing either. However, season 3 of Stranger Things brought about yet another big tonal shift. This outing was a goofier, more action-heavy season that incorporated even more over-the-top humor and cartoonish characterization than ever before.

Many viewers were happy about this tone shift, with season 3 containing the most fast-paced and humorous episodes so far. However, Stranger Things also lost its dark edge in this time, and by the climax of season 3, the deaths depicted no longer boasted the brutal impact they had in season 1. This doesn’t mean that Stranger Things needs to overcorrect and take inspiration from bleak sci-fi sources like Alien 3. As such, Hopper actor David Harbour’s comments that season 4 was influenced by Alien 3 could be bad news for viewers.

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Famously one of the divisive installments in the sci-fi horror franchise (which is hardly a light-hearted watch even at its least intense), Alien 3 was criticized for being relentlessly dark and having almost no redeemable or sympathetic characters. That said, the David Fincher helmed sequel has enjoyed something of a critical reappraisal since its 1992 release. With Stranger Things only including one sympathetic Russian character so far (Alexei) and killing him off pretty brutally, Harbour’s comments could be a disheartening read for those who want more fun moments like Dustin and Suzy’s adorable season 3 Never-Ending Story singalong. The comments are particularly unfortunate for viewers who like the funnier side of the show, when they consider the setting of Hopper’s story arc in season 4, as the Russian gulag his character was last seen in looked as grim and depressing as Alien 3’s prison setting.

As such, it seems unlikely any light-hearted adventures will come from a season influenced by the darkest movie in an already-bleak franchise, especially when one of the primary settings is a forced labor camp. That said, there is hope for fans yet, as season 4’s Alien 3-inspired darkness could well be limited to Hopper’s Siberian exile. After being depicted as a belligerent, violent loose cannon in season 3, Stranger Things should redeem Hopper, as the show did previously with Steve, by giving him a tough time to struggle through. Season 4 may be an Alien 3-esque horror story for the flawed antihero, but a less intense and more enjoyable adventure for the rest of the characters of Stranger Things.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/stranger-things-4-alien-3-harbour-influence-bad-tone/

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