“Stranger Things” has reached peak popularity. And much of that popularity stems from the series’ unyielding devotion to all things nostalgia. Arguably every frame of the series, especially in the third season, is chock full of references and Easter Eggs that will make your ‘80s-obsessed friends squee. But for many people, those references and nostalgia-filled moments are the sources of groans, not glee. And in “Stranger Things 3,” this difference can be summed up in one scene — “The NeverEnding Story” serenade.
If you’ve seen “Stranger Things 3,” just the sheer mention of the song that is sung by characters Dustin and his long-distance love Suzie will either make you recoil in disgust or perk up with joy. Our own Rodrigo Perez tweeted that the moment is “the most excruciating 1 minute and 19 seconds in the history of moving pictures.”
But according to the Duffer Brothers (via EW), the moment was always going to be there, but there was a discussion about what song should be used.
“We went through all the various songs they could sing,” Matt Duffer said. “At one point they were going to sing the Ent song from ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Then we were like, ‘Oh, well, Amazon is making Lord of the Rings, that’s probably not going to go over well with Netflix.’ Then we came up, I think it was Curtis, our writer, who came up with I think a better idea, which was ‘The NeverEnding Story’ theme song.”
Ross Duffer added, “Certainly filming that sequence, that was some of the most fun we had on this season. It was just so great.”
Now, if you haven’t seen the season or the moment in question, you may be confused as to why it even exists. Hell, even if you’ve seen the season, you’re probably wondering just why the Duffers included it. But alas, the scene “pays off” (depending on if you needed the payoff or not) a thread that was started way back in the beginning of the season with Dustin having a long-distance girlfriend that he met at camp that is “hotter than Phoebe Cates.”
READ MORE: Netflix Touts Record-Breaking Numbers For The Launch Of ‘Stranger Things 3’
Like we said, combining the already overused trope of an ‘80s long-distance girlfriend from camp with the mention of perhaps the biggest sex symbol in ‘80s films is exactly the type of nostalgia on top of nostalgia that has led to “Stranger Things” being adored by so many, and despised by others.
If you love the scene and want to relive it, then you can below. Enjoy! (Or don’t.)
Here it is: the most excruciating 1 minute and 19 seconds in the history of moving pictures.pic.twitter.com/xOkgkDrm7f
— Rodrigo Perez ???????????? (@YrOnlyHope) July 10, 2019