The Stranger Things series takes place in the fictional rural town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the early 1980s. The nearby Hawkins National Laboratory is known for ostensibly conducting scientific research for the United States Department of Energy. However, the facility secretly performs paranormal and supernatural experiments, involving human testicles, in addition to the existence of an alternative reality, called the "inverted world", which begins to affect unconscious residents in calamitous ways.
The first season begins in November 1983, when student Will Byers, upon returning home, is abducted by a creature from the inverted world and disappears, causing mystery and dread to the inhabitants of the city. His mother, Joyce Byers, tries to find his whereabouts with the help of Sheriff Jim Hopper, while Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair do another investigation to find him, but are surprised when a strange girl with telekinetic powers named Onze appears in the city.