Stranger Things - Season 2

image source

Just in time for Halloween, Netflix has released a new season of Stranger Things. The second season takes place one year after the events of the first season. Much like the first season, this season plays out less like a television series, and more like a 9-hour movie. The main returning characters all feel like they belong and had a part to play. Eleven's storyline is probably my favorite. They build up a sort of father-daughter relationship between her and Hopper (something the end of season 1 actually teased at a little bit). There were about six new characters added to the mix to talk about. There was a girl named Kali I hope a third season explores a little more. Without spoiling too much, she has ties to Eleven and her backstory. The second major character introduced was a journalist brought in to investigate Barb's disappearance. He kind of had some importance to the plot, and was enjoyable enough to watch.The problem is by the time I was done watching the show, I had forgotten his name, and I really felt this character could have been connected to the plot better than he was. The same could also be said about the character of Billy. Don't get me wrong. I understand why he was there, but he never felt integrated enough into the rest of the main cast. For most of the season, he felt a little too one note. However, one scene near the end of the season put the entire character into perspective for me. Bob as a character was fun enough. He was just a dweeby normal guy that was trying to help Joyce and her boys out. I also really liked Paul Reiser as Dr. Owens. At first, I was afraid he was going to be a retread of Matthew Modine's character from the first season. By the end of the season, he actually was one of the most likable parts of the season. That brings me to my favorite of the new additions to the cast. The party gets a new friend in the form of Max, a tomboy who likes to skateboard, play video games, and dresses up like Michael Myers on Halloween, while the guys are dressed up as the Ghostbusters. Despite his fate at the end of the first season, Matthew Modine appears in a couple of episodes. This is something I like because he still casts a shadow over Eleven. Outside of Eleven and Hopper, I like the stuff they do with the rest of the returning main characters to. I like the idea of Dustin taking in a new pet, that may be more than it seems. I like how Will isn't a fan of his friends and family treating him like he's fragile. I like that Nancy's trying to movie on with her life, but is still too hung up on Barb. I like that there were a lot of moments within the show's plot where I legitimately wasn't sure where it was going. Do I rank season 2 as highly as season 1? No, but it's more Stranger Things, and definitely worth your time to watch. 

A-