I would give this season a solid 9/10 rating. I understand the criticisms behind it, some of them being how this season felt a little too tame, too funny compared to say the darker first season. I get that. However, I do think that the humor that they went for in this season fits the characters' age very well, as well as the summer environment. I think they did a great job with this, since this really feels like a character driven season and since that has always been the thing that's interested me the most about the show (way more than the supernatural stuff), I give this season a pass and am still interested in what they do with Season 4, which has just been announced.
I'd say the acting is really good overall, although I do think the kid who plays Will is the weakest of the actors in the series, I think Winona Ryder is a good actress but I've never loved her in this series, since she seems a little too one-dimensional for me and it's like she always has the same worried/surprised expression on her face. I think some of the "romantic" stuff between her and Hopper felt like a little too soap opera or from a worse show. And of course, they leave that opportunity open in the end for Hop to be a prisoner in a Soviet prison or whatever. I don't really know what to think about that, I think it's cool to have Hopper around, since he's one of the best characters in my opinion and always has interesting stuff to do. However keeping him alive kind of takes away the stakes of one of the main characters being able to die. We'll see. Billy is dead, which is kind of a bummer because he's been one of my favorite characters since he first showed up in Season 2 and I also think he's one of the best actors in the show. I really liked what they did with the Russian scientist, Alexei and his death was also kind of sad, really, which I did not expect from a secondary character who doesn't speak English. The Terminator stuff was a little too much for me, and was also one of the weaker parts of this season. I think they were a little too on the nose with that reference.
But overall, solid season and looking forward for more.
I'd say the acting is really good overall, although I do think the kid who plays Will is the weakest of the actors in the series, I think Winona Ryder is a good actress but I've never loved her in this series, since she seems a little too one-dimensional for me and it's like she always has the same worried/surprised expression on her face. I think some of the "romantic" stuff between her and Hopper felt like a little too soap opera or from a worse show. And of course, they leave that opportunity open in the end for Hop to be a prisoner in a Soviet prison or whatever. I don't really know what to think about that, I think it's cool to have Hopper around, since he's one of the best characters in my opinion and always has interesting stuff to do. However keeping him alive kind of takes away the stakes of one of the main characters being able to die. We'll see. Billy is dead, which is kind of a bummer because he's been one of my favorite characters since he first showed up in Season 2 and I also think he's one of the best actors in the show. I really liked what they did with the Russian scientist, Alexei and his death was also kind of sad, really, which I did not expect from a secondary character who doesn't speak English. The Terminator stuff was a little too much for me, and was also one of the weaker parts of this season. I think they were a little too on the nose with that reference.
But overall, solid season and looking forward for more.