Oh Hey There, Stranger Things
Bigger. Badder. Stranger than ever.
On Fri., Oct. 27, Netflix released the second iteration of Stranger Things, its original sci-fi/horror series that stole the hearts of everyone watching. The show’s initial release was sensational, collecting a cult following and leaving millions of viewers hungry to discover what adventures were ahead of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) and his gang of outsiders.
I remember sitting down, popcorn ready and fully settled into a nest of blankets, to finally get another taste of the world I had left behind one year prior, where little girls with telekinetic powers met Dungeons and Dragons-obsessed sweethearts, and I was somehow nostalgic for a decade I didn’t even live through. Stranger Things 2 had a lot to live up to. After all, how do you top a plot received as an instant sci-fi classic, a love triangle that has you pulling for both sides, and a story of sacrifice rooted in the most innocent of loves? And yet, despite having these literally monstrous shoes to fill, Stranger Things 2 more than rises to the occasion. Offering dark but aesthetically appealing cinematography, more elegantly placed storylines, and more maturity on all fronts — ST2 is heavier, darker, sweeter, and more rewarding than its predecessor.
So yeah, I finished the season in two days.
The first episode lays the foundation for a multilayered plot by introducing us to a new group of vagabonds on the run from the police. We don’t initially gather much information on them, only that one of the members, Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), shares a similar history as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). I felt that this storyline was wholly unsuccessful, paced poorly, and the events generally unrelated to the rest of the season — apart from its implications that Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) is still alive — but Eleven’s eventual discovery of someone else who shares her experience is essential in launching her emotional transition into a more complex, more mature Eleven. She uses this season for self-discovery, uncovering the truth about her mother and determining where her loyalties lie. When we first see her, she’s living in isolation with Hawkins police chief, Jim Hopper (David Harbour). A sense of normalcy in their cozy cabin, established through Eggo waffles and vocabulary words, is quickly undermined by Eleven’s desire for what lies outside of their walls. This generates tension between the two, but despite the screaming matches, there is a sweetness to their sense of “home.” Eleven’s exploration of her identity and of her definition of “home” was one of the most gratifying parts of this season, providing a tangible connection to viewers despite the outlandish nature of the plot, and essential in building Eleven the person independent of Eleven the experiment.
Meanwhile, exactly one year after the events of season one transpired, we see comfort and familiarity reinstated in Hawkins. The boys are gathering quarters — Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) stealing from his couch cushions, Mike stealing from Nancy (Natalia Dyer) — and making an after school trip to the arcade. While there, they discover that [*gasp*] someone with the alias MADMAX has defeated Dustin’s high score in the arcade game “Dig Dug.” MADMAX ends up being a spirited redhead named Max (Sadie Sink) who has recently moved to Hawkins . Both Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin fall for her — still, Mike refuses to allow her to replace Eleven in their group. Max’s sass and determination, though, make her an exciting addition and integral part of the party, and I’m thrilled to see what she contributes to season three. But for all the excitement over Max, her step-brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) is somewhat purposeless. Perhaps the Duffer Brothers have something greater in store for Billy, but all he’s done this season is get into a fistfight with Steve (Joe Keery) and look like he smells bad.
Fans will be satisfied with the direct response that ST2 provides to their call for justice for Barb (Shannon Purser), Nancy’s best friend who was killed after following Nancy to one of Steve’s parties. Steve encourages Nancy to let go of her guilt, insisting that the two attend a house party and try to act like regular teenagers. When Steve tries to keep Nancy from drinking too much — the first time he proves to be the best caretaker around — she retaliates, yelling that they killed Barb, that the facade they’re trying to maintain is bullshit, and that their love is also bullshit. While this particularly sad scene stokes sympathy for both Nancy and Steve, it also signals the start of major, much needed character development for the both of them. For Nancy, breaking up with Steve allows her to pursue and attain justice for Barb, as well as embrace her feelings for Jonathan at the advice of a private investigator. Nancy and Jonathan’s storyline is one of my personal favorites: it plays off of traditional 80’s tropes where the outcast gets the princess while also realistically embodying the confusion of most teenage relationships. I can’t wait to see where the next season takes them. As for Steve, he returns to patch things up with Nancy but instead finds Dustin frantically searching for a demogorgon, which marks the beginning of the most unlikely and incredible friendship. No longer fulfilling the role of just “Nancy’s boyfriend”, Steve gets the award for best character development: he becomes the residential babysitter, Mom of the Year, and Dustin’s mentor — unexpected, but incredibly lovable.
The main action of Stranger Things 2 centers, again, around Will Byers. Season one concluded with him coughing up a little chunk of something suspiciously Upside-Down-like, and season two doesn’t let that go unresolved. It begins with Will’s flashes into The Upside Down that teeter on the edge of reality and PTSD. More alarmingly, Will sees a giant shadow monster that eventually infiltrates his body. This season gives Noah Schnapp a chance to shine: while season one was technically about Will Byers, it was really about his disappearance, and therefore Schnapp didn’t get much screen time. Season two is the opposite, and we get to see some impressive acting talent from a thirteen-year-old boy, particularly given that the narrative demands a subtle metamorphosis in Will’s behavior as he becomes more and more monstrous. As the shadow monster begins to infect the entire town, the primary conflict of the season becomes figuring out how to eradicate this hivemind entity from Hawkins and from the body of Will Byers without destroying either.
In order to solve the issue at hand, the gate to The Upside Down (which Eleven opened in season one) must be closed. Torn between joining Kali in her fight to take down the men who tested on them and joining her friends in their stand against the shadow monster, Eleven eventually rejoins the group. She and Mike share an emotional reunion, one of many moments where the sheer talents of Finn Wolfhard and Millie Bobby Brown shine through. As the season approached its climax, one thing that stood out to me was, despite the massive volume of events, every subplot was beautifully integrated into the rest, all ultimately converging in the same situational place, fighting the same evil. The season ends at the middle school dance, with all of the boys dressed up and trying to find a dance partner. Mike resigns himself to a chair for the slow dance, sitting in despondency. Halfway through the song, Eleven walks through the doors. The two awkward middle school dance and then they awkward middle school kiss: it’s an entirely wholesome ending to an incredibly intense season. That is, until we see the shadow monster still looming over the school. Looks like a problem for next season.
Stranger Things 2 provides something both more monstrous and more human than what was offered in season one. Its complex, layered storylines and previously untapped emotional intensity creates an excellent sequel, displaying growth for the show on all fronts. It isn’t perfect, and there are flaws, but those flaws only signal more opportunities for the show to grow in future seasons. There are still many unexplored ideas and many questions to be answered, but above all, I’m asking how is ST3 going to fill these shoes?
