Since its launch in 2016, the Stranger Things series by the Duffer brothers has captivated several generations with the adventures of a group of friends in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. Its success lies in its ability to transport viewers back to the eighties, using a premise similar to that of Stephen King's novel IT.
In Terrassa, the eighties were also years of change and identity. Places like the Pryca shopping center in Can Parellada, the Orxateria Ribera on Galileu street, or the defunct Piscines de Castellnou were meeting points. If Sheriff Jim Hopper was the figure of authority in Hawkins, in Terrassa this role was embodied by the socialist mayor Manuel Royes, who governed the city from 1979 until 2002.
The mystery of Hawkins was reflected in Terrassa through the old Hospital del Tòrax. This building, surrounded by rumors and dark stories due to confidential medical protocols, generated an aura of intrigue similar to that of the National Laboratory in the series. Its enigmatic past later turned it into a major genre film set.
In a way, we have all spent our childhood or adolescence in Hawkins, as everyone has had to fight against their own particular monsters.
The adolescent culture of the time was defined by fashion and music. Young people in Terrassa wore Privata sweaters, Levi’s jeans, and Adidas or John Smith sneakers. Musically, Anglo-Saxon rock predominated (The Cure, Queen, U2) alongside Spanish artists like Mecano or Hombres G. Arcades, such as El Casinet on Sant Pere street, were the meeting point for playing machines like Pac-Man.
