Finished a couple of days ago...I enjoyed it more than season 2 definitely, and Robin was a great addition.
That said, ooof @ what they did to Hopper's characterization. Just way past parental concern or overprotectiveness and right into asshole status
I liked most of the pairings, especially team Scoops
For a show that knows it's going to be binged and consumed in rapid succession, you'd think they'd ease up on so many repetitive gestures, like Will reaching back to the goosebumps on his neck whenever the Mind Flayer is close...or El's multitude of nosebleeds...shouldn't that be reserved for just really taxing feats at this point?
And then there's Erica...first seen in Season 2, as the sassy back talking little sister type. Was ok, in small doses. But this season, it's dialed way up, and it's omnidirectional. Like, it was ok when it was mainly against Lucas (and by extension, his friends), but now she's rude and off putting to everyone. Constantly asking for free ice cream flavor samples (invokes certain racist stereotypes)....In a bubble it seems harmless, but black representation, black girls/women especially, is very limited in this show...so when paired with the black employee at the hospital, shown to be stereotypically sassy, with a "can't be bothered" attitude, and ties up the desk phone line at a critical moment with a sassy personal phone call...it all adds up and looks especially bad.