Netflix's New 8-Part Series Just Turned Stranger Things Upside Down

The Stranger Things franchise has become a juggernaut far removed from its smaller-scale beginnings, with a stage show and multiple spinoffs revisiting the fates of some of Stranger Things‘ best characters. Beginning as a cozy and nostalgic tribute to iconic 1980s adventure movies, the genre-bending show evolved into an existential blockbuster. The world of Hawkins and the mysterious parallel world known as The Upside-Down still offer plenty of material to explore, taking inspiration from horror and sci-fi while being an entirely unique creation. That said, Stranger Things still follows one major adventure rule, which the Duffer Brothers have just reversed.

Even the best sci-fi and adventure TV shows tend to focus on a younger cast, leaving older characters following “creepy neighbor” or “oblivious relative” tropes. The Duffer Brothers’ new Netflix show, The Boroughs, has turned this upside down by focusing on a retirement community, with most major actors in The Boroughs being around 70 years old. The characters living in this idyllic place soon discover that there is something unsettling and possibly extraterrestrial about it, which may sound familiar to fans of The Duffer Brothers’ best-known project, as The Boroughs has been described as “Stranger Things for adults.”

The sci-fi series has impressive reviews, with horror legend Stephen King calling The Boroughs “an absolute delight.” While The Duffer Brothers produced the show, it was created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who raised the possibility of a three-season plan. Unfortunately, this update was hit with a shocking development, as Netflix has canceled The Boroughs less than a month after it aired. Major shows have been saved from cancelation before, and it is possible that The Boroughs will be rescued or become a cult hit. For now though, it is still a must-watch for fans of Stranger Things.

Why The Boroughs Feels Like An Extension Of Stranger Things

Both the cast and creators have addressed The Boroughs‘ comparison to Stranger Things, with Geena Davis telling Screen Rant that “The Duffer Brothers themselves said, “Yes, it’s kind of like it, but instead of bicycles, it’s golf carts.” The aesthetic evokes a nostalgic period setting and the looming supernatural threat in suburbia is the core premise for Stranger Things, while the bonds between the characters in both shows takes center stage. That said, The Boroughs is not merely “Stranger Things for old people,” as it turns the earlier show on its head.

Stranger Things embraces nostalgia from the first episode to the last, evoking movies like ET: The Extraterrestrial and The Goonies. On the other hand, it is not possible to be nostalgic for being older, and The Boroughs mystery raises an entirely new feeling. As something is killing the residents in The Boroughs, they are fighting for the time that they have left. As older people are often underestimated and sidelined in the sci-fi and adventure genres, the show is surprisingly optimistic, looking ahead to a future worth fighting for, while Stranger Things encourages viewers to reflect fondly on the past.

The Boroughs Is A Show About The Here And Now

The sci-fi genre often features plots involving existential dread and threats to the world as we know it. However, The Boroughs uses this theme in a way that is rarely seen, with the alien threat feeding on time itself. This is especially significant given the ages of the characters, who are increasingly feeling the lack of time that they have left, which gives them the motivation to fight for the years that are being stolen from them. The characters’ “glitching” highlights issues that could be related to age and memory loss, making the series feel both current and relevant.

Shows like Stranger Things use their young protagonists’ ages as part of the plot, with kids using skills learned in science classes and the teenage characters saving the world in between their part-time jobs. The Boroughs also makes the ages of the characters central to the story, but with drastically different effects. With lifetimes of experience behind them, they are able to solve problems in an entirely different way, including combining their skills into complex feats of engineering. The central theme of living for the moment is a refreshing new take compared to Stranger Things‘ heavy nostalgia.

Comparing The Boroughs to Stranger Things
Title	Year	Seasons	Rotten Tomatoes critics’ rating	Rotten Tomatoes audience rating
Stranger Things	2016	5	90%	83%
The Boroughs	2026	1	97%	79%

It has been confirmed that Stranger Things and The Boroughs do not share a universe, but the shows are similar enough that a future project could change this. With Stranger Things going from strength to strength and The Boroughs being canceled despite its 97% positive Rotten Tomatoes score, there is always the possibility that elements might be referenced later. The cancelation appears to be due to low viewership, but some shows need more seasons to find their audience. All that might take is for another platform to agree with The Boroughs residents, that they need more time.