Tell me why I spent about 30 minutes yesterday translating morse code from a radio broadcast? I fear I’m in this Stranger Things fandom too deep. But I’m going to be entirely unapologetic about it because it’s fun.

For those who don’t know, the final season of Stranger Things is currently airing and they are pulling out all the stops for it. The marketing for this last season is going hard, and I’ve willfully walked right into it, hook, line, and sinker.

I won’t lie though; initially I was a bit irked by the fact that they had decided to drop the final eight episodes of the show in three separate installments – or volumes as they’re calling it. The first four dropped in late November, and the last two have yet to come, and I, like many others, was a bit struck by just how blatantly Netflix was milking the show.

But, then again, why wouldn’t they?

And it’s obviously working.

Or, at least, it’s working on me. Probably because I am undoubtedly a fandom girlie. I adore being a part of a community and I love the shared excitement that we all have for our favourite stories, worlds and characters!

I have a few fandoms that I’m in and I will cycle back around to each eventually, whether they be from a film, television show, anime, book, or music band. It’s fun being a part of a group of people who are all passionate about the same thing!

Right now, it’s Stranger Things that is taking over my life.

I remember watching Stranger Things way back when it first came out in 2016, although I’ve never been as involved in the fandom surrounding it as I am now – and I think that the pop-up radio station that Netflix and the Duffer Brothers have invested in is a big part of the reason! I’m in the fandom space: enjoying fanfics; researching and reading theories; watching cast interviews; and excitedly pouring over any little hint that comes my way for the remaining episodes.

But to get back to the point at hand: there is a temporary pop-up radio station that is running for the six weeks that Stranger Things is airing. And it’s fantastic.

The first time I suspiciously tuned in to WSQK “The Squawk” – two weeks late, mind – was on Saturday the 13th. And I’ve been making time to tune in everyday since, as I bustle around working or walking the dogs.

When I tell you I am obsessed!

Because it’s just so incredibly enjoyable.

It feels and sounds so authentic and just like I’d imagine a small-town US radio station would sound. There are no actual adverts that play, instead, they have retro themed ads that promote shops that we’ve actually seen in the show. For example, the characters Steve and Robin (who, in season 5, actually work at the in-show WSQK radio station!) worked at Scoops Ahoy in the Starcourt Mall in season 3 and you can hear radio ads for both those places when you tune in. There are ‘Hawkins Updates’ that provide Easter Eggs for past seasons (like pumpkins going bad!); and fans have even picked up on and shared what they think are potential clues for the last episodes. As we know from the show, the Upside Down is bleeding into reality, and there have been ‘technical difficulties’ with static over the frequency that the hosts will comment on! There has even been morse code at some points, though I think this one is quite rare. I finally heard the morse code yesterday and rewound to catch it clearer, wondering if it was a new hidden message from what others had heard before. I found an online morse code translator and had fun trying to work it all out. I eventually learned that it was the same message that had been heard before, “Save Hawkins”. I spent way too much time figuring that out…

But it’s Christmas, so sue me.

And talking about the radio hosts, though what they’re saying is pre-recorded, it’s not the same thing every time! Which I think is really impressive! Listen long enough, and yeah, things will get repeated eventually, but I do think it changes week on week. The hosts are also called Vance (Vecna) Goodman and Mindy Flare (Mindflayer). Do with that what you will…

Obviously, the point of this radio station is to immerse the fans into the world of Hawkins at the time the story takes place, and I truly am having so much listening to Eighties music every day. It really is just banger after banger, and each new spin of music brings an eager smile to my face every time!

As I’ve been writing this, we’ve had Rebel Yell by Billy Idol; Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac; Killer Queen by Queen; Amadeus by Falco; I Think We’re Alone Now by Tiffany and Vienna by Ultravox, to name just a few.

The times when I’ve actually heard Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush or Heroes by David Bowie – two songs important to the show itself – I will admit to getting a tad overly excited. Even though I’ve loved both songs long before I ever watched Stranger Things. It’s the context, guys, the context!

Ugh, it’s all so immersive and I’m actually going to be so sad when the radio station disappears in the new year. It will also be the official sounding off of an era: the conclusion of all things Stranger Things ):

I will say that you do need to create an account with an email address on Global Player to listen in, but I’ve not received any promotional material through yet, so I do think that it’s worth it.

If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, or merely if you’re a fan of Eighties music, (all the better if you’re both like me!) go and try out the WSQK “The Squawk” radio station on Global Player.

I’m having so much fun!