Netflix's Stranger Things Review: 8 Ups And 3 Downs

2. The Romantic Subplot Isn't That Interesting

Nancy is setup as the smart, good-girl at highschool, so naturally she has to start dating the bad boy in the form of Steve Harrington.

It's fairly standard stuff, and one of the parts where the show does fall down, for the most part at least. The lack of originality isn't the real problem here, because that's not something that hinders the rest of the series, but it's more to do with the fact that it just isn't really all that interesting to watch. Steve and his friends are a bunch of d*cks, but Nancy sees something in him, and they sleep together, and meanwhile there's this really interesting mystery going on outside.

It does at least payoff later in the season, when Steve reveals more character than previously expected of him, but the setup to get to that point doesn't feel wholly worth it. It's not a major issue, but it is a frustrating sidestep