By AJ Mun
Staff Writer
After Netflix released Volume One of “Stranger Things’” fifth season, students buzzed all around campus the moment that they returned from Thanksgiving break.
“I specifically remember watching season three with my friend group in 2020, and given everything that was going on in the world, it was nice to have that moment of seeing the episodes for the first time while surrounded by people that I love. I look back at that time with such nostalgia and I truly think my friend group was benefitted from the experience,” said Dallas Marcoon, a junior communication studies major who recently watched the newest episodes of “Stranger Things.”
Everywhere you turn, nostalgia is filling conversations; people are talking about where they were when the show first aired, and theories they've had since the start. These conversations have allowed for students to bridge the gap between old and new fans by bringing them together to discuss their shared interests.
It comes as no surprise that students are excitedly brought together over this season, as they anticipate the plot twists, follow character progression and await the ultimate finale of a franchise that is almost a decade old.
“It’s kind of crazy to think that 10 years of this show is coming to an end. It’s silly to say, but I really do believe that my friends and I were able to see ourselves in these characters and grow up with them,” Marcoon said. “The show may be ending, but I think its impact is something that will stick with us.”
While Thanksgiving week gave way for the release of “Stranger Things,” it also wrapped season 34 of “Dancing With The Stars.” In dorm room beds and living room couches alike, friend groups gathered together to see which one of their favorite pairings would take home the Len Goodman Mirror Ball Trophy. In college, it becomes easy to neglect plans, but the weekly releases of entertainment give students the motivation to keep consuming new media with their favorite people.
“I liked that a lot of my friends are dancers, so ‘Dancing With The Stars’ gave a common interest between my dancer friends and non dancer friends. It felt nice to have something to bring us together and to talk about every week,” said Kamryn Super, a junior education major.
Each week, students posted their reactions with friends to new eliminations, and encouraged voting so that their personal favorite would live to dance another week. This consistent schedule of Tuesday premieres aided the structure of plan-making from student to student, giving them something to come together for each week.
“If we were free, there was no doubt that we’d be sitting on our couch at 8 p.m. every Tuesday night to see who would go home that week,” Super said.“It became a top priority.”
These releases, however, aren't limited to the living room. Year after year, a new box office film captivates theater audiences, and this year just so happened to be “Wicked: For Good.” The film, which is the second half of the story following “Wicked: Part One.” All throughout social media, friends posed in their pink and green, and gathered together to shed tears while watching the newest part of the story of the most magical friendship in Oz.
In fact, so many friends went to celebrate the best witches in Oz that “Wicked: For Good” brought in $147 million domestically and $223 million globally. The film broke the record for the biggest global and domestic opening for a movie based on a Broadway show.
The concept of movie culture has been relatively revived in recent years. One of the biggest booms included the releases of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” The cultural impact that the two films had on society is undeniable, and the experience was something that no one wanted to have alone. “Barbie” opened with $162 million in the U.S. alongside “Oppenheimer” with $174 million, making both global phenomena that sold out weeks ahead of time, according to Empire.
What makes the release of entertainment impactful to the College’s campus is the difference in perspectives amongst the student body. With an amalgamation of student backgrounds, everyone consumes media in different ways and through different lenses, thus sparking new and insightful conversations from student to student.
“Personally, I feel like Max, Robin, Jonathan, Eleven and Murray are all not making it out of season five alive,” says Marcoon. “But I know my brother has different opinions and he thinks Will is gonna die instead of Eleven. Who knows, though? All I know is that I’ll be in that theater on New Year's Eve watching it all come together.”
Whether you’re fighting demagorgons, melting witches or dancing the quickstep in the ballroom, everyone has that special person, or people, that you want to watch the newest premiere with. No matter where you watch it, just make sure you have a full bowl of popcorn by your side.
