Stranger Things Uses Too Many Flashbacks
Practically since its inception, Netflix has been reshaping the way that audiences view film and television, from establishing the subscription model to defining (and eventually destroying) the concept of content curation. Viewers might assume, then, that Netflix’s properties have evolved with the company, incorporating the insights of its streaming model into aspects of production. That does not, however, seem to be the case with Stranger Things, which released its fourth season last week.
Stranger Things is a highly binge-able show that has existed entirely within the Age of Binge-Watching—yet it has relied, since its stratospheric first season, on a filmmaking gimmick that is somewhat at odds with binge TV: the flashback. Audiences may not have noticed at first that Stranger Things’ many flashbacks were unnecessary, but viewers are sure to notice now, as they continue to see the same images repeated over and over again, pointlessly using up running time and narrative space.
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The flashback, like so many tools of visual narrative, has multiple uses. In days past, viewers had to wait a week between episodes — a week in which they could not rewatch the previous episode or read a blow-by-blow recap. Before binge television, viewers spent the better part of a year watching the events of a single season unfold. The flashback was a useful tool for reminding viewers of prior, relevant information; to reestablish context from September for a twist that was revealed in May. In the late 90s, as more complex plotting became the status quo, flashbacks took on a narrative function: they became a way to fill in backstory for characters, to
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