Credit: Netflix

Can we just get one thing straight: everyone throwing Stranger Things into the conversation the second The Boroughs came up isn’t wrong… but doesn’t it feel very superficial?

Sure, you have probably seen people comparing The Boroughs, but if you go in expecting the same sort of experience, you are going to notice pretty quickly that it’s doing something very different, and honestly, that’s why you should pay attention to it.

And hey, we are not blaming you! It indeed is coming from the same people who made Stranger Things, so drawing patterns is natural. In fact, one of the first things that you notice is the setting, because in both cases, a group of people are trying to solve a mystery.

The Boroughs follows a group of retirees living in what’s meant to be a silent, predictable community in the New Mexico desert, where days are supposed to pass without much happening. All that until things go a bit off. They notice small oddities first, like people acting slightly differently or moments that feel out of place, and then it builds into something harder to ignore.

And you will notice it in how they react as well, because no one is rushing in or treating it as something exciting or dangerous. Expecting the fast pace of the Hawkins gang? Here you’ll meet more of Ted Wheelers. This time, the characters are more cautious and a bit sceptical.

It may remind you of Stranger Things at first

Yes, you will still pick up on the similarities, though, because the structure is familiar enough. A close-knit group of people with a feeling of suspicion and that gradual build where everyone’s trying to understand what’s actually going on. That’s a solid reason to see why people make the comparison straight away, and we’re not blaming anyone here.

But then you start noticing the difference in how everything plays out, because instead of pushing things quickly, The Boroughs takes its time, with characters questioning what they are seeing and holding back before making decisions. That is going to make things more tense than you think.

In Stranger Things, it was mostly the kids dealing with massive monsters, the same kids who are barely teenagers. But here, we have old people who thought they’d already seen everything life had to offer, forced to deal with something they can’t explain or control.

And the reason why it will work so well is the cast, which is very compelling. You’ve got Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, and Bill Pullman, and they all bring that sense of experience to their roles, so nothing feels forced. The storyline demands control, and they effortlessly bring it to the screen.

That’s where it takes a darker turn

Now, speaking of the main difference, it would be when you start to see where the show really separates itself, because it’s not interested in giving you easy answers or turning everything into a big dramatic moment. What the Duffers decided to experiment with this time is the impact. The Boroughs pay close attention to what’s happening and how it affects the people involved, especially when it comes to things like time and memory.

Another striking difference could be the changed timeline. A massive part in Stranger Things was played by its timeline, which was the 1980s. That’s not the case here. Yes, of course, it being set in New Mexico will play a huge part, but the settings are totally different.

And remember how the second season of Stranger Things has a crucial entrance of Max and how that changed things? It seems like The Boroughs is starting there with a new guy entering a space that is already occupied by the core group. If you think hard enough, it sounds a lot like The Thursday Murder Club, but that’s the discussion for another day.

All in all, coming from the same makers does not make the show anything close to Stranger Things, which it doesn’t really because you can see that The Boroughs is doing its own thing. All it took was a familiar idea, and it’s just being extra cautious with senior citizens involved this time.

It’s releasing on May 21st, so there isn’t much time left to wait. Soon enough, we’ll find out if the Duffers are repeating themselves or are surprising us with something new.