Stranger Things

Intense monster/slasher-type scares; frequent death, peril, and gore. Children and teens are killed gruesomely (with blood, gouged-out eyes, horribly broken limbs, and more), and people are attacked/taken by monsters, their bodies manipulated, possessed, and absorbed. A boy is kidnapped; his distraught mother searches for him. Children are held captive in some type of military/medical experiment; guns are brandished and fired (sometimes fatally), and mysterious powers are used to injure and kill. Beatings, torture. Sympathetic characters die, sometimes abruptly. The Upside Down is eerie and disturbing; monsters range from screechy and slimy to terrifyingly demon-like. A particularly gruesome scene in Season 3 shows many rats exploding; others include zombie-like humans being killed by scissors. In Season 4, a group of children is violently killed. Lots of fistfighting and arguing/yelling throughout.

Cursing includes "f--k," "s--t," "hell," "a--hole," "dammit." A woman calls another a "bitch." One boy calls another a "p---y" and says they're "screwed." Bullying words include "f-g," "f--got," "freaks," "toothless" (in reference to a character with a genetic disorder), "frog face," and "midnight" (in reference to a Black character). Other language: "pissed off," "douche bag," etc. Characters also say "goddamn," "Jesus," and "Christ." Middle-finger gesture used frequently.

A parent smokes during stressful moments, and the sheriff not only smokes frequently, but may have a prescription pill and alcohol addiction. Underage drinking, sometimes to excess. References to marijuana and cocaine, and a supporting character is often high on weed in Season 4. Drug deal between two teens.

Teen characters kiss frequently; sexual references, discussion of dating, flirting. During a steamy make-out scene, a teen takes her shirt off, showing her bra. An adult character prepares to have an affair with an older teen. Another adult character is naked beneath a blanket and almost seen fully nude as it slips (though he catches it just in time).

Diversity and inclusion increases as the series continues. In addition to Eleven, strong female characters like Max, Nancy, Joyce, and Robin are integral to the story, with both Nancy and Joyce developing more confidence and agency as the story develops. The main friend group is mostly White, but Black character Lucas' storyline does expand and deepen as time goes on, and his younger sister also sees more screen time in later seasons. Taking a risk for the Midwest in the 1980s, one character tells a good friend that she's a lesbian and is met with support. She has a crush on another girl throughout most of Season 4. It's implied that a main character is gay; off-screen, the actor confirms it. A supporting character belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and, while the characters accept her religion and dispel the idea that Mormons wouldn't have "electricity and cars and stuff," one character flippantly describes them as "super-religious White people." Russians are largely portrayed as villains, though a couple are given more complex characterizations and act with kindness, such as Alexei. Actor Gaten Matarazzo has a genetic condition called cleidocranial dysostosis, which affects the development of bones and teeth. He agreed with producers to incorporate it into the show, and his character is bullied by kids at school because of it.