'Stranger Things' and the power of being seen

It seems odd to praise a show that opens with a massacre of children. The nation was mourning the shooting deaths of 19 school children and their teachers. The show's main character, Eleven, confronted her role in the tragedy in a series of flashbacks throughout the season.

In its second volume, the season's violence got worse. There were a lot of government agents killed in the line of duty. Vecna used his famous bone-cracking, blinding methods to kill Max Mayfield. Eddie was attacked by a swarm of bats in the Upside Down.

The gentle message about vulnerability and the power of being seen came from the second volume of Stranger Things. Major characters reveal their true selves when these moments occur. They are not rejected or judged but embraced.

Major characters get their turn to play on this theme. Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" will free her from Vecna's curse when she is in his clutches for the first time. Max may have withdrawn from those who know her best, but they still see her. Eddie sweetly told his friend to "never change" when Eddie roughed him up before they went into the Upside Down to save the world.

Eddie was the best he knew how to sacrifice himself for. After seeing Eddie's grieving uncle in the gym shelter,Dustin told him that Eddie was an honorable man who never stopped being himself.

One of the most memorable emotional moments of Volume 2 arrives when Will Byers holds back tears while assuring his best friend Mike Wheeler that Eleven will always need Mike by her side, even if she possesses superhero powers. Will talks about how hard it is to be different when you're gay in a world that's unlikely to like you. Jonathan told Will nothing will change his love for him.

There are few things more affirming, especially for young people, than genuine, unconditional acceptance.

This might seem cliché for a series about a misfit crew of teens who save the world. Modern stories about good versus evil often feature teens and young adults who have been hurt by rejection. The heroes have formed a family in order to serve a good cause.

The narratives have their own problems. There is a dark side to heroism. The rise of American right-wing militias is a good example of how delusions of grandeur can lead to violence.

There's a version of this that's offered byStranger Things. As he tries to avenge the murder of his girlfriend, a high school jock invokes satanic panic. She was the first victim of Vecna and last seen with Eddie. The man who leads the hunt for Eddie is a Christian who has easy access to guns. Right-wing groups are increasingly targeting the LGBTQ community with protests and threats of violence. The members of the white supremacist group were arrested in Idaho for planning to attack a local Pride event.

Vecna sees his work as righteous because he was created from the mold of a bad guy. Young men who have been radicalized by far-right extremists tend to believe the same thing.

Without its vulnerability, the show would be bleak. The case for ordinary heroism is made in the show. When the protagonists see someone's authentic self and embrace it, those small but meaningful acts suggest we can help save each other from the darkness of self-doubt. Adults spend their lives looking for acceptance. Many teens who society won't embrace because of their sexuality, gender identity, race, ethnicity, class, disability, and other quirks need it at a critical time in their emotional and psychological development.

The show understands the courage it takes to create and strengthen the bonds of connection, and what's possible when people affirm each other's humanity.