There goes Gramps, getting into trouble again. 

That seems to be the premise of a spate of recent shows focusing on elders and the fantastical scenarios in which they find themselves. Man on the Inside, Matlock, Grace and Frankie and Hacks are just a few examples of shows of late catering to an aging population hungry for relatable content.

The Boroughs, Netflix’s new offering, is a crisp take on the geriatric genre. Described as Stranger Things meets Golden Girls, The Boroughs takes us into the creepy world of a retirement community deep in the Arizona desert and six colorful residents who sign up for golf and relaxation, but end up chasing monsters instead.

Sam (played with perfect growling grouchiness by Alfed Molina), moves into The Boroughs at the insistence of this daughter, against his will. Just having lost his wife (her ghost played by Malcom In The Middle’s Jane Kaczmarek), he’s prickly and vulnerable, but soon warms to the charms of his gregarious neighbor, Jack (Bill Pullman) a real “player” with the elderly ladies.

When Jack meets his gruesome demise, the other residents of the cul-de-sac, Renee (Geena Davis as a hot cougar), Art and Judy (a married couple who live very separate lives) and retired doctor Wally (Denis O’Hare) join forces to fight the evil they come face to face with via sinister Boroughs administrators and monsters that crawl out of ovens in the middle of the night. 

If this sounds weirdly reminiscent to Stranger Things that’s because The Boroughs was developed and produced by the Duffer Brothers, identical twins who created Stranger Things. Fun fact: the characters in The Boroughs could easily pass for the parents of the 80’s children in Stranger Things. They’re not, but I mean, just sayin’. The timeline fits.

The Boroughs is creepy and gets a mid-rank on the scary factor, but ranks high on plot twists and engaging characters. I don’t know which part of The Boroughs was more satisfying: the ending that celebrates good over evil, or watching Geena Davis plunge a look-alike Thelma and Louise Thunderbird off a cliff. It’s a meme-worthy moment that will be completely lost to younger viewers, but the marketed demographic will surely get the pun. 

The Boroughs is binge-worthy fun, and here’s hoping that the Duffer Brothers bring us another season of these feisty characters who aren’t quite ready to be put out to pasture.