Everyone’s favorite “party” of monster-fighting nerds are back for more ’80s, sci-fi fun in Stranger Things season 2. With both more humor and darker elements this time around, the stakes are raised for our heroes and it makes for some exciting television. Minor spoilers may follow!
Set in Autumn of 1984, one year after the events of season 1, we find our heroes attempting to live a normal life with mixed results. Some are kinda succeeding while others can barely keep it together without breaking down. The sense of dread and unresolved conflict that lingers in the air puts off a tense vibe. The team has to save the world again and learn some lessons along the way.
This season explores how we deal with loss and how it can make or break our relationships. Mike represents how not knowing what happened to someone we love influences us to lash out. He does, however, inspire us to never give up on finding the truth. Nancy embodies the guilt one feels when you know what happened but cannot properly honor the person you lost due to the ramifications of that knowledge getting out. Do you listen to others and let it go or do what you know is right? Will illustrates the involuntary loss of stolen childhood. You just want to be treated like a normal person again but the world is not very forgiving. The drama has increased as our characters grow and mature. Some old relationships strengthen while new ones blossom.
There are those who are coping fairly well. Joyce has found a healthy relationship with a genuinely nice guy named Bob, perfectly portrayed by Sean Astin. Lucas and Dustin awkwardly and amusingly attempt to impress Max, the new girl in town. Max and her complicated brother Billy are great additions to the cast. Steve continues his path of redemption and has some fantastic comedic chemistry with Dustin.
I won’t tell you how everything goes down but obviously Eleven is back and she has both humorous and touching moments with Hopper. These two actors completely earn their Emmy acting nominations for this season. On that note, every actor and actress nails their role and that is the reason why this show resonates so well with people. The characters are all fully realized people with beating hearts. There’s something for everyone to relate to: romance, humor, resourcefulness, intelligence, loss, pain, etc. The Duffer Brothers have done it again with their storytelling, writing and directing. There are long-awaited reunions and heroic deaths that hit hard and made me genuinely emotional. This show is popular for a reason.
The show is still technically impressive as well with the crew at the top of their respective game. The world-building keeps on improving with new creatures and other-worldly designs that are both cool and terrifying. The top-notch production design and costuming teams truly go to great lengths to transport you to the era that is both recognizable and idealized. One doesn’t need to have a fascination with pop culture to be able to step into the kids’ shoes. The editing is slick and the cinematography really pops. In short, this is a visually stunning show that’ll keep your attention.
The sound team also deserves a round of applause. The sound editing and mixing teams did a great job of giving weight to the scenes, like the stunning sequences inside Eleven’s mind. The music is just fantastic and doesn’t sound like anything else on television at the moment. All of the 80’s songs are perfectly placed and the award-worthy original score truly elevates key emotional beats.
All in all, I only had one issue with this season. You can probably guess what it is if you’ve already seen it considering most viewers I’ve talked to have agreed. There’s an episode that is necessary to Eleven’s story arc but just doesn’t mesh well with the tone of the season. I think the showrunners took a gamble that almost derailed the narrative. The rest of the story is so well-done, however, that I can move past it.
Stranger Things continues to be moving, gripping, funny and entertaining sci-fi adventure. At the end of the day though, the show’s commitment to complex fleshed out characters and relationships keeps me wanting more.
I give Stranger Things 2 an A.
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