Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of the Netflix series "Stranger Things." Set in the 1980s with a great combination of kid and adult characters and a whole world of sci-fi and mystery, "Stranger Things" took the world by storm in summer 2016. Last week the highly anticipated second season was released on Netflix. Obviously I spent my Halloween weekend binging the whole thing. Here are some of my thoughts on "Stranger Things 2." *MAJOR SPOILER ALERT*
The Shadow Monster
In season one we had the demogorgon as the main monster, and this season the threat of the Upside Down grew even bigger. I loved the idea of the Upside Down still being a part of Will even almost a year after he was rescued. After seeing season two, the demogorgon is just a creature that lives in the Upside Down. The shadow monster is the real enemy. I loved the hive mind aspect and that Will was a host for the shadow monster. It was a great way of continuing the show when it very well could've ended with one season and Will getting rescued. It was also a great way of seeing Will as an actual character since he wasn't actually in much of season one.
Will Byers As An Actual Character
Season one, the whole point was to find Will Byers, but Will only had a few scenes at the beginning and end of the season. Season two was a way to finally see what Noah Schnapp could add to his character. Noah is the youngest of the kids on the show but his talent really shines through this season. The absolute fear in his eyes when he gets transported to the Upside Down is chilling. The scene where Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy are trying to burn the monster out of Will was so scary just from Noah's performance. Without speaking, he captivated that scene so well.
Steve Harrington's Character Development
Everyone's been talking about Steve on Twitter. Introduced in season one as the douchebag jock, you're not supposed to like him. I didn't like him in season one at all. He had a little development at the end of season one when he fought the demogorgon with Nancy and Jonathan but season two we really get to see him as a character. Steve essentially becomes the kids' babysitter by accident and his chemistry with the kids is fantastic, especially Dustin. His advice for Dustin on how to get girls is complete crap, so some of the old Steve is there, but Steve really took on the role of protecting the kids. We got to see a whole other side of him besides being Nancy's boyfriend.
Nancy and Jonathan
IT'S ABOUT TIME. I'm so glad Nancy and Jonathan got together this season. The sexual tension was just so obvious and I was gonna scream if they were any more awkward with each other. It would have been too predictable if they got together in season one, which left everyone frustrated, so the timing for them in season two is great. As much as Steve improved as a character, he's still a crappy boyfriend and you can't deny the connection Nancy and Jonathan have together. I mean what doesn't unite people more than shared trauma? The scene the morning after they hooked up at Murray's house was priceless. It was awkward but at least they got together.
Hopper and Eleven
Hopper definitely has to be my favorite character, and season two made me love him even more. We kind of got a hint that Hopper had something to do with Eleven at the end of season one when he put the Eggos in that box in the woods but I wasn't expecting Hopper to basically become Eleven's dad. The dynamic that Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour had was incredible. You can tell that Hopper really cares about and loves Eleven and wants to keep her safe, even though that causes them to fight. Hopper helps Eleven become more of a typical kid and their "word of the day" thing was so cute. Eleven is also really good for Hopper because you can tell he's thinking of his daughter Sarah when he takes care of her. Hopper wants nothing more than to be a dad again and he gets that second chance with Eleven.
Lucas and Dustin's Lives
In season one, Mike was really the focus of the kids and besides just being in the friend group, Lucas and Dustin didn't individually contribute much to the plot. I really liked that season two went more into Lucas and Dustin's home lives and introduced us to their parents and Lucas's sassy sister Erica. Dustin finding Dart was integral to the plot, and so was Lucas's relationship with Max and explaining what happened the year before to her. Rest in peace Dustin's cat, though. That was the worst part.
Max and Billy
Since Steve was promoted to a main character, and is actually a decent person now, I guess we needed someone else to hate, so that's Billy. I thought Steve was gross last season but Billy is 20 times worse. He's racist, he's abusive towards his sister, Max. Oh man he makes me angry. One of my critiques of the season, though, is I wasn't really sure what the point of Max and Billy was. Obviously Max joins the gang and learns about the Upside Down but does she individually add anything to the plot or would it have been the same if just the boys helped fight the shadow monster and save Will? Max was definitely more important than Billy, though. Besides beating the crap out of Steve and just being terrible in general, what was the point?
#JusticeForBarb?
Did Barb get the justice Twitter was demanding for? I'd say yes and no. Yes because the lab was exposed for what happened to her and her parents finally had answers. No because she died. I mean Will survives in the Upside Down for a week but Barb is just gone cause she's a minor character? Not fair.
Bob Newby
A lot of people are sad that Bob died and are treating it as the new Justice for Barb, but for the plot, it made sense to me. Bob was a lovely character and a great boyfriend for Joyce. He helped solve Will's map of the Upside Down and his tech skills as a Radio Shack employee saved everyone from the demogorgon attack, but unfortunately he didn't make it. Honestly it's partially Joyce's fault for his death. They could have just hugged once he got outside. The scene where Bob dies was one of the most gruesome scenes of the season and I wanted to cry but his death made sense. There had to be some kind of tragedy. And because Bob's gone, I have hopes for Joyce and Hopper eventually getting together.
Mike and Eleven
Sad emo Mike calling Eleven every day on the walkie, and Eleven finding him in the void to listen to him everyday made my heart break. Neither one of them stopped thinking about each other for almost a year and their reunion had me in tears. Ahhh young love.
Eleven's Side Plot/Kali
Everyone's kinda skeptical on episode 7, a stand-alone episode where Eleven goes to find her sister from the lab, Kali/Eight. I get the point of this episode because it's relevant for Eleven figuring out her story and where she came from, and it helps her get back to her friends in Hawkins but it was just a weird episode. It was definitely important that Eleven met her mother, Terry, but going beyond that was just a little weird. I feel like Kali will have more of a role in season 3 but this just seemed out of place with everything else going on. I also really didn't like the literal gang that Kali was in and that they purposely sought out to hurt people. It was important that Eleven learned the whole thing about channeling her anger (how she closes the gate to the Upside Down) but she should really only use her powers against people when she's in immediate danger, and I think she realized that. It's an interesting side to Eleven's story but it was a bit out of place. Eleven's punk outfit though, was "bitchin'," as she would say.
Overall, "Stranger Things 2" was an excellent continuation of the story that got so many people hooked last year. I love this universe and I love these characters. I'm intrigued to see what happens next season because from the last scene, the shadow monster isn't done yet.
