Stranger Things in Saskatoon

Mr. Clarke, aka Randy Havens, likely won't be the only science teacher at the Saskatoon Comic and Entertainment Expo this weekendbut he will be the most popular one.

Havens' character, Mr. Clarke, often plays the role of explainer in Stranger Things.

"I think, you know, that he's a little bit of a dork," Havens told CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning.

Stranger Things is the sci-fiTV series hit of the summer. The plot focuses on a group of 12-year-old boys trying to solve the mystery of their missing friend.

Mr. Clarke is the patient and highly accessible science teacher.

"I think he sees maybe himself in the kids and really wants to help them succeed," said Havens."He really goes out of his way to do it, to some pretty extreme measures."

Stranger Things is a summer hit

The show is a massive hit for Netflix. Havens said there were some early hints that Stranger Things could break big.

"Right before it aired, Stephen King tweeted about it, which was like, 'Whoa, this is kind of crazy.' And then, even after it aired,it was kind of like, people are clearly liking it.And then, two, three, four, five, six days a week later it just kept going and it just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger."

The show is set in the 1980s and captures the era with a rare kitsch-free authenticity. It's not about making fun of the era. Instead, Stranger Things pays homage to the time and place and to the era's top storytellers: Stephen King, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

"Tears are in my eyes because it's so reminiscent of these movies that I grew up on," said Havens.

Fans of the show are overjoyed to learn that season twohas been given a green light. But Havens, like the rest of us, is in the dark about what viewers can expect.

"Who knows? Something awesome, I hope."