It’s hard to remember what you saw in the first season Stranger Things was like. Years later, with its final season still pending (and pending, and still pending), the show has become a cultural juggernaut; The way it has brought D&D terms to the forefront of the culture seems like just a glint in someone’s eye thoroughly marketed monster. But there was a time when Stranger Things was just the hot new Netflix show that people were talking about, something that got people excited because of its mix of various horror, sci-fi and ’80s influences. A triumvirate of stories were woven, all colliding in a massive battle against evil.
It is The Energy that feels most aptly captured Hysteria!Peacock’s new show dropped all at once this week, making for the perfect Halloween marathon this year.
The scene is late 1980s; The setting is the fictional sleepy town of Happy Hollow. After a soccer player goes missing, the city is on alert – or at least most of it is. Dylan (Emjay Anthony) and his bandmates Spud (Kezii Curtis) and Jordy (Chiara Aurelia) are mainly concerned with how they can get their metal band some more attention. A pentagram is painted on the football player’s house; Dylan learns that a hot girl at school thinks Satanism is cool; One thing leads to another and suddenly they’re in a situation Satanic
In a broader sense, Hysteria! is about the madness that people get involved in in order to finally feel seen. Dylan’s desire to be liked (and fallen liked) isn’t too far removed from Bible-believing mother Tracy (Anna Camp), who stirs up fears of an intriguer who performs ritual sacrifices to allay fears and feel important in a small Michigan town, or even his mother Linda (Julie Bowen). She tries to make sure her son is a good person. Hysteria!Luckily, he never lets these big ideas overwhelm the story. Instead, it continues to focus on the kind of comedy of errors Dylan is orchestrating as the madness over Satanism sets in and the band has to decide how much they want to double down on the whole thing.
Image: Peacock
It helps that showrunner Matthew Scott Kane takes advantage of the advantage that an ensemble cast gives the show. While Tracy works hard to inspire passion, Hysteria! can let Police Chief Dandridge (Bruce Campbell) be a voice of reason. Not every adult is a soldier of God, and the mystery of the narrative blossoms with the freedom of that choice.
Which is great because Hysteria! has more mystery to give. Because while the city knows that the quarterback is missing, Faith (Nikki Hahn) has been kidnapped at the same time. And for some reason no one knows she’s gone yet. All that And there are actually some strange paranormal shenanigans going on; People are floating and being dragged around their house and getting strange rashes.
Letting us in on this mystery is exactly the right thing to do Hysteria! In the end, it feels like really great genre programming. The story can range between Dylan and his misguided attempt at sex, or Faith’s harrowing kidnapping by people in scary masks, or Linda’s concern that she has failed her son and her community, or even the police chief’s relationships with the town’s residents – and all that – jumping back and forth creates a stronger sense of time, city and terror. There are many secrets and something
As opposed to Stranger ThingsKane gives himself over to the story as much as he balances it. Hysteria! is a kind of tonal tightrope walk, with thriller and drama fueling the fire of horror influences. Throughout the process, the characters feel like characters, not just half-remembered Amblin archetypes. The decisions they make determine what happens next, both for Happy Hollow and for Hysteria!and the show is better for it – even if Dylan’s musical ambitions face a difficult situation.
Hysteria! is now streaming in full on Peacock.
