Stranger Things
Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers
Season 1, Episode 1 · Aired 2016-07-15
Synopsis
On his way home from a friend's house, young Will sees something terrifying. Nearby, a sinister secret lurks in the depths of a government lab.
Pilot desk note
From the desk: Stranger Things opens its catalog run with “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers” (2016-07-15). Netflix original as pop culture weather system. Kid stars growing up public, season gaps, and merch-as-event.
In the series
This episode is part of Stranger Things (2016–present) on Netflix.
80s nostalgia as franchise fuel — kids on bikes vs. the Upside Down.
Key cast
- Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
- Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
- Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
- David Harbour as Jim Hopper
- Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
- Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair