Stranger Things' Real Name Is Less Cold (No Surprise Nobody Uses It)

Summary

• The Upside Down in
  Stranger Things
  it was originally called “Nether,” but the show cleverly switched to its iconic name, adding to its appeal.
• It would be a bad decision to stick with The Nether, as The Upside Down perfectly captures its eerie and unique essence.
• Embracing happy accidents can add to the show's impact and
  Stranger Things
  he proved it by running away with the now iconic title “The Upside Down”.

Of all the strange things in it Stranger ThingsThe Upside Down is the weirdest. The terrifying alternate dimension serves as the Netflix show's narrative drive, unleashing all sorts of monsters for Eleven and the gang to battle. Even like Stranger Things season 5 looms, the mystery of how the Upside Down was created and why it exists still remains unsolved. From its distinct ash palette to its hordes of Lovecraftian beasts, the Upside Down has become iconic as a fictional setting that's instantly recognizable and never entirely terrifying.

The concept and presentation of Upside Down can be felt as an integral part of it Stranger Things now soup, but the kingdom has a completely different official name. As revealed by the behind-the-scenes companion show Beyond the weird stuffThe scripts and production materials for season 1 consistently referred to the alternate dimension as the “Nether”. Eleven was still written to summon him”down and down,” that was just his description. Like Stranger Things continued, “Nether” was ultimately dropped entirely in favor of “The Upside Down,” and it's hard to overstate the importance of that decision.

Stranger Things Down Under “The Nether” Just Isn't Cool

Be happy that it happened

Names play a big role in making specific elements of a movie or TV show culturally iconic. Doctor Who's ship would be nowhere near as beloved if it were called the Gallifreyan Type 40 TT Capsule. Likewise, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry wouldn't sound anywhere near as magical if it had a more mundane name like “Dufftown Magic Academy.” for Stranger Things, The title “Upside Down” certainly played a role in getting the audience interested About the mysterious world beneath Hawkins. This moniker is unique, spine-chillingly childish, and perfectly captures the juxtaposition between the real world and its monster-filled mirror.

rafts and rafts
Stranger Things
the merchandise wouldn't be as attractive with “Holland” plastered across the front.

“The Nether” is bland by comparison. While “The Upside Down” subtly conveys the idea of ​​an eerie parallel dimension lurking underground, “Nether” sounds like somewhere halfway across Amsterdam, just waiting to lure unsuspecting characters into it. It's a vague term that doesn't do justice to its scary nature Stranger Things place. As a name, “The Nether” is so generic that any movie or TV show featuring parallel universes could adopt it easily enough for their own otherworldly hellscapes. “The Upside Down,” by contrast, is purposefully constructed Stranger Things.

If Stranger Things It's hard to imagine that the name would have held such a firm hold on the world's cultural consciousness if it had insisted on the Nether happening. Definitely rafts and rafts Stranger Things the merchandise wouldn't be as attractive with “Holland” plastered across the front.

Stranger Things deserves credit for dropping the original name of the sub

Happy Accidents Are an Important Part of the Creative Process

No matter how talented they are, no writer or director can predict with complete certainty which aspects of a TV show will sink or swim when filming begins. It is more difficult to predict how the audience will ultimately react to these elements. Finding success when it comes is a vital skill in movies and television and Stranger ThingsIts creators, the Duffer brothers, deserve credit for not trying to force “Nether” into the show's lexicon. Seeing how much “Heads Down” resonates as part of the show's lore, The Duffers apparently decided to abandon their original intentions and run with what worked.

Not all franchises are so daring, and the creator's vision often prevails. The explosion that followed Baby Yoda's debut The Mandalorian for example, in 2019, it quickly followed that Disney's overly optimistic insistence that the cute green doll should be called “The Kid.” More broadly, some of history's greatest filmmakers are known for embracing happy accidents. From Don Corleone's stray cat to the symbolism of oranges, here are some of the world's most iconic moments. Godfather It came as a result of Francis Ford Coppola exploiting moments of unexpected luck on set.

Stranger Things Season 2 could have stuck to its guns and tried to change the audience terminology to “Nether,” but it would have been pointless to waste precious screen time on technicalities while risking confusing the audience by introducing multiple names for the same place. . And the Upside Down probably wouldn't have fallen off anyway. Even if it wasn't the original plan, it was a smart move by the Duffers to adopt the word “Upside Down” as proper canon—it certainly helped. Stranger Things en route to iconic status.

Source: Beyond Stranger Things