13/13
All episodes are named after heavy metal/hard rock band songs
Narrative
Follows a struggling high school heavy metal band of outcasts who use the town’s sudden interest in the occult to build a reputation as a satanic metal band until a strange series of events lead to a witch hunt that leads back to them. Def Lepard Hysteria, KISS The sky is on fire, Meatloaf Speaking in tongues, Iron Maiden Can I play with madness, Black Sabbath Die young, Danzig Mother, Queen and Dance is late. Ghost Macabre. It’s 1989.
Dylan, Geordie and Spud are outsiders
who nobody notices and has a heavy metal band nobody cares about. When a star football player dies in an apparent satanic cult ritual, Dylan is inspired by cheerleader Judith to use the situation to gain some fame for the band. It’s impossible not to compare this show to Stranger Things because it has similar characters. , and is the same as the subplot of that show’s fourth season.
As Dylan and Judith, Emjay Anthony and Jessica Tresca exude ’80s charisma
But speaking as someone who ACTUALLY was falsely labeled as a Satanist (yes, Satanic panic was a very big thing), I think Hysteria did a much better job with this story. The show has a supernatural feel, but is more grounded in reality than Stranger Things ever was. And as someone else mentioned, the fashion and music run the gamut of the 80s (even extending into the 70s), but that’s a problem with the other show as well – its 39; it’s hard to repeat the exact time, so I may miss it. Actors can make or break a show and they obviously had a great casting director.
As Jordi Chiara, Aurelia feels like an authentic goth girl
Bruce Campbell is perfectly cast as the town sheriff, who provides most of the funniest moments. Julie Bowen is great as Dylan’s mother, who has the acting chops to sell it when her story turns cliche. And I have to mention Nolan North as Dylan’s father, a character that’s brilliantly written and performed (it’s weirdly refreshing to see a dad who isn’t a useless jerk). Usually they signed the black Spud character, but Kezii Curtis still made him lovable.
The story is well wrapped up with some teases for another round
However, the second black lead, a bully named Cliff, was infused with immense depth by Elijah Richardson. There are a few things that keep Hysteria from being as great as Stranger Things’ first season, but it’s definitely better than some of the later seasons.