Stranger Things Season 2 Netflix Series Review

Stranger Things (2016-)
Season 2 - episodes (2017)

Watch Stranger Things Season 2 on Netflix
Created by: Matt Duffer , Ross Duffer
Starring:  Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhar, Millie Bobby Brown
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer 

Plot
Season one was set in 1983 where a mother tries to find her son after he disappears mysteriously in the small town of Hawkins.
Season 2 is set one year later, planned as more of a sequel than continuation. A new monster emerges from the upside down to wreak havoc in Hawkins. All of the main cast from season 1 return, there are more scenes in the upside down world, more monsters, and additional settings.
The Duffer brothers have confirmed season 3, and are planning a season 4 as the last season.

Verdict
The Duffer brothers are great story tellers. Season one was an 8 hour movie, and season two is a 9 hour movie. Season one was a tall order to follow, and they pulled it off. It's an engrossing experience with so many intense and humorous moments. The way this season is structured, the build up and pay offs are masterful. Each episode ends on a mini-cliff hanger, forcing you to watch the next one. There is a lot of '80s nostalgia, and like the sequels from that period that served as inspiration, this takes the concept from season one and expands on it. Everything is more and bigger. I love this season, but it leans heavily on season one for character foundation. I missed the Mike and Eleven from season one. They are still in this season, but I didn't like their arcs. Despite my problems with some of the broader story items, they all fit into place with purpose, coming full circle. This is great television, one of Netfli'x best.The parts I like are good, just not great.
Watch it.

Review
I'll start with an overall spoiler free review, with a more in depth review and then an episode by episode breakdown after that. If you scroll slowly, you won't get spoiled. I've got a spoiler buffer.

The Duffer brothers drew inspiration from '80s action-adventure sequels, namely Temple of Doom, The Empire Strikes Back, Aliens, and Terminator 2.
Finn Wolfhard who plays Mike suggested watching The Goonies, Aliens, and Ghostbusters in preparation for season 2.

Season one effortlessly juggled multiple story lines while evoking many of my favorite '80s movies. Read my season 1 review. Season 2 follows suit, adding Sean Astin and Paul Reiser to the cast for a direct The Goonies and Aliens link. Set one year later, the characters are still dealing with the events of season 1. We are introduced to new characters. bad boy Billy and his tom boy step-sister Max who has a mixed experience with the 'the party', Mike, Will, Lucas, and Dustin.
Will's mom Joyce has a boyfriend (Sean Astin), there's a new doctor from the lab treating Will, and there's even a conspiracy theorist trying to piece everything in Hawkins together. The broader story robbed season 2 of the focus from season 1. The broader story often had a great payoff, none of it felt superficial, though it did seem slightly bloated.
Nearly every little story arc comes full circle, usually in a pretty cool way. While it brings up a lot of questions, it does provide the answers. What also mitigates the sprawl of the show are the numerous touching, humorous, and big moments. This borrows more than a few beats from season one. Dustin and Lucas are falling for a girl instead of Mike, there's a monster bent on destruction, there's a stand off at the junkyard, and Eleven is the only one that can save the world.

If anyone is going to be the heir to Spielberg, it's the Duffer brothers. This story combined with the performances is mesmerizing. While the kids deserve a lot of praise, these guys are good directors too. From the start they've called this season a sequel, and it really did feel like that. This season relies on season one. Who we know these characters as is rooted in that season. This season is less development and more action. It's just more on all fronts.

The editing is notable. There are plenty of cool images this season, but many of them are cut against another character(s) as we get two reveals simultaneously. The tension and energy is always high throughout this season.

Steve has one of the best arcs this season. I was disappointed with Mike, he didn't feel like season one Mike until later, but I get it. He misses Eleven. New girl Max shows the boys, at least Dustin and Lucas, are getting older, liking girls and video games more than Dungeons & Dragons. Mike is stuck in the past. While 'the party' are outcasts, they also exclude Max when she desperately wants friends, though her attitude masks her vulnerability. It's not active, they are trying to protect Will and his past. It's analogous to Eleven. Who is being protected, but excluded from life.

Rarely do I finish a show and want to start over from the beginning immediately, but this is one of those shows. I rate season 1 higher, just because it is the foundation of the characters. We don't get those character establishing and building moments from season 1. Plus the Eleven reveal and arc was incredible. This isn't a bad season in the slightest. It's a great season, it's just different and that was the intention.

And if you're interested in Beyond Stranger Things, there are major spoilers in the first episode. It isn't an episode by episode dissection. Whatever cast is on the show, all of their scenes and arcs are discussed. It's interesting insight into how scenes and arcs were formed, but it's not a deep dive, remaining rather light and fun. There are no clues for future seasons.

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The Duffer brothers promised more action and that's exactly what we got in the first scene with a robbery and car chase. I wondered if this story would somehow connect or if it was just showing us there are people like Eleven throughout the world, hinting this story could expand outside of Hawkins. At the end of season 2, the plot for season 3 remains unknown. We don't even get a hint.

The cast grew by quite a bit, but it did make the season seem less focused. Billy is an annoyance to characters just for manufactured drama. He's a an exaggerated Steve from season 1, but season 2 Steve is a great character, but you could see that change coming. I often wondered if Billy was present just to pad the run time. While he figures into the overall story, I wouldn't call him integral.

Sean Astin worked great as Joyce's boyfriend. The Duffer brothers were reluctant to cast him, afraid it was too literal of a The Goonies link. He's great as a goofy dad character, but there were a few times where I wondered if he was a plant or had sinister intentions. He doesn't, and he may have the most tragic arc of the show.

Murray Bauman is an investigative reporter looking for Barb. I have to wonder if the Barb related scenes were fan service. The scenes with Barb's parents feed into Nancy's state of mind, but this conspiracy theorist Murray just felt a step too comical. While he plays a role in revealing a part the Hawkins lab transgressions, you could have cut him out and have the lab rat themselves out as a way to cover the much larger conspiracy that still remains hidden.

Eleven has a strange arc. She's separated from everyone most of the season until her dramatic entrance in episode eight. And it's a good entrance. The Eleven-centric episode seven seemed strange, but it too was important for the character. All of the characters and scenes I didn't like all that much were integral to character development, so I can't fault them completely.

It was great to see Will, but boy does that kid have bad luck. We can not do another season where something bad is happening to him.

A lot of beats from season 1 were borrowed, Joyce using her house as a weird art studio, this time for a map instead of communicating lights, we return to the junkyard for a face off, Eleven saves the day, infatuation for the new girl, more monsters, a big monster, unlikely pairings, etc. This isn't a bad thing, this is what sequels do.

With the structure of the season and the focus on action, Winona Ryder and Millie Bobby Brown both didn't get to shine quite like they did in season 1.

Chapter 1: MADMAX

The first scene starts with action, a robbery. I thought the passenger Kali might be special, and we soon learn she is when she implants a vision in a cops head to help her crew escape, plus her nose bleeds. I doubted she had any relation to the story proper, but it let us know there are more like Eleven in the world and that abilities differ. She can make people see things. Kali does return to play a pivotal role in episode seven.

Then we jump from Pittsburgh back to Hawkins. Will returned almost one year ago, but as we saw from the final episode in season one he still has a connection.
Dustin and Lucas are searching for quarters. If you guessed being the '80s they are going to an arcade, you'd be right. Season 1 opened with them playing Dungeons & Dragons, now they've moved on. Mike's mom asks him to get rid of his old toys, which he protests. He doesn't want to move on, because of Eleven.
Dustin's language has gotten particularly salty. The Duffer brothers actually had to fight for the language on behalf of the kids. Netflix didn't like the increase in curse words.

Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will meet at the arcade though Will is driven by his mom. Who can blame her for being over protective at this point when you kid was abducted by an inter-dimensional monster? While in the arcade Will has a vision of the upside down.
This episode lays a lot of foundation. Will is teased at school and his mom Joyce is seeing Radioshack  manager Bob. We meet Mad Max a girl who plays video games and her older brother Billy.
I want this episode to acknowledge what  happened last season, so far its only been sideways mentions. I am excited to see the four kids on an adventure, last season it was just the three. I'm curious to see how the show writes Will.
He sees a doctor at the lab for his episodes when he sees the upside down. It's crazy they go back to the lab after season one, but they would know how to deal with Will better than anyone else. His doctor is played by Paul Reiser who has to be channeling his Aliens character. Hopper goes to the visit with Will and Joyce. Is this part of Hopper's deal at the end of season 1?
Barb's memory lives on with Nancy and Steve having an awkward finger licking good KFC dinner with Barb's parents.
Mike misses Eleven, Will is upset everyone treats him like a baby, but the big question, what is Will seeing in the upside down? It's some kind of smoke monster, but what does that mean?
The big reveal of episode one is Eleven. Hopper has her hidden in a cabin. That explains why Hopper is dismissive of the conspiracy theorist reporter, but still listens to his theories.

Chapter 2: Trick or Treat, Freak

What happened to Eleven after season one ended? This provides the answer. She went back to Mike's house, but had to flee when the bad men were there. She foraged in the woods and eventually was taken in and hidden by Hopper. We saw him leave Eggo waffles in the woods at the end of season one and that was what reunited them.

The thing I don't get is why her speech isn't more advanced. If he's only had her for a few months, that makes more sense. With watching the amount of television she does, I'd think she could speak fluidly. Later in the season Hopper states he's had her for almost a year. Why can't she speak better?
Adults think Will is having PTSD flashbacks on the one year anniversary. I didn't think that was it, of course it's not.
I was surprised we don't see more Mike, but we are seeing Dustin and Lucas's rivalry over Max. Mike's a downer this season. I get it, but it's ruining the character. He thinks he runs the group and that's causing friction. He doesn't want Max in the group and the others don't mind.
Pumpkin fields are rotting in Hawkins. What's the extend, and the cause? Hopper is on the case.
The episode ender is the reveal of the monster in Dustin's trash can.

Chapter 3: The Pollywog

After a year I'd think there would be more Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve drama. How is it just surfacing now?
So this pollywog Dustin finds in his trash, why do none of the kids think it could be from the upside down? How is that not their first thought? Ok Will finally connects it to the one he coughed up at end of season one, but how does nobody else connect it? They don't live in a normal town.
From a party of three in season one to a party of five with Will and Max, the group nearly doubled in size.Unfortunately, there's no Eleven in the group.
Even Bob has some depth. He was bullied in school. He's one of the few characters that has the perspective to relate to Will.
Joyce reviews home video Will shot Halloween night. The static on the television when she pauses and begins to trace  is in the shape of the monster. That's a cool touch.

When is the Mike and Eleven reunion going to happen? I wonder that and of course El shows up when Mike is talking to Max. El a bit jealous and doesn't talk to him.
The smoke monster Will has been seeing enters him at the end of the episode. That can't be good.

Chapter 4: Will the Wise

Will is straight possessed. He tells Joyce, "He likes it cold." Where does that go?
When will the group band together. I imagined it would be one big adventure, but like season one, all the pieces won't come together until the end.
How does the Will possession thing relate to the lab and even the rotting crops? I love the show, but I also want a sense of what the goal will be. At half way in, I don't quite know what the season will be. Surely it's more than getting Will unpossessed.
Hopper and Eleven aren't getting along. He is keeping her isolated. It's for her protection, but try telling a teen that. It was interesting how she cleaned up. She physically did small work, but used her powers to lift furniture and heavier items. In episode one she used her powers to unlatch the door for Hopper while watching television.
I love the shot of Will scribbling furiously, trying to communicate what's going on. This show is great at imagery.

Would Billy really have run over the kids? What's his point? Will he have a season one Steve like twist where he provides help?
Oh! Will's scribbles are answers. The shadow monster has created tunnels underground, destroying plants. That's a neat full circle.
Another great image is Hopper marching into the pumpkin patch to start digging. This prevents him from getting home to Eleven. It seems their relationship will get worse before it gets better when she discovers he lied about her mother.
Dustin has been hiding his pollywog Dart, lying to his friends about it. I had guessed Dart might be a demi-gorgan. Dustin found that out the hard way, just as Hopper finds what's underground. RIP Mews.

Chapter 5: Dig Dug

Eleven goes to visit her mom. This seemed a bit out of the show's lane. I'm not against the show leaving Hawkins, but we devote a lot of time to this. Couldn't eleven have learned all this in the black plane? When will she join the fold? Bob jumps into the mix rather quickly, but he had to know what he was getting into when he went out with Joyce. No doubt she has a reputation. He figures out the strange scribbles from Will.
Half way in and we have the shape of things, so it seems.

The Dustin and Steve pairing is a lot of fun. This show is full of neat moments that come together well. This episode puts a lot of pieces into play. The conspiracy theory reporter is in the loop via Nancy and Jonathon, Max learns about season one per Lucas, Dustin has a demi-gorgan, while Will, Mike, Joyce, and Bob look for Hopper in a pumpkin patch.
You can't tell me Hopper grabbing his hat in the tunnel isn't an Indiana Jones nod. Will has an E.T. connection to the shadow monster. I like this season already, but episode five is the catalyst.

Chapter 6: The Spy

Nancy and Jonathon finally ship. With Steve's arc this season, I hope it swings the other way. Steve was absolutely great this season. His moment with Dustin on girls and hair is nice. Steve's become a big brother. That and the actor that plays Jonathon was recently banned from entering the U.S. I'm not sure how they'll film him now.
Will doesn't recognize Bob. I wondered if that was some kind of implication about Bob. Bob's story about standing up to a bully is part of why Will got possessed. As it turns out, the shadow monster is taking Will over. Will is losing his memories.

A soldier tells his group to, "Stay frosty." as they enter the tunnels. Aliens reference.
This season hasn't had near enough Eleven. We've seen her so far basically as just fan service. Eleven has a vision of another psychic at the lab, Eight. Eleven and Eight meet.
The way this season is structured, the build up and pay offs are masterful.
The Eleven-Eight reunion turns to Kali using El for her own purposes. We do some jedi speed training, which is effective, and El is ready to go. I thought Kali was some kind of thief, but it seems she really is tracking the people that imprisoned her. Why does the crew stick with her? What do they get out of this?
At first I thought it was a nice reunion, Kali and El finding a kindred spirit, then it seems liked Kali was going to manpiulate El for her own reasons, but Kali really is exacting revenge.

Chapter 7: The Lost Sister

If is just about revenge on the doctors and staff that imprisoned her, why are the others in Kali's crew in on this. Do they do this and also rob banks to supplement?

Eleven gets a punk make over. I wondered about El and how far she would go, but at least she realized the scope of her actions. This episode really feels like an 80s coming of age teen movie for El. As i figured, she realizes she has to save her friends. This is a bit of an outlier for the episode as it's all Eleven.

Chapter 8: The Mind Flayer

Episode eight is the jump off. We are delving head long into the big conclusion and this episode starts straight crazy. Demi-dogs emerge from the gate and swarm the lab. This season hasn't had a cute arc like Eleven, but it has definitely ramped up to this point. Action is the name of the game and everyone is convening at the lab.

You knew Bob would help, but this is intense. He's sneaking through the lab as demi-dogs roam free. Will he make it? This goes brutal in a way season one never did. It's graphic too. Bob is mauled by a demi-dog.
Dustin surmises the true villain is the mind flayer, the head of a hive mind. If they beat that, where does this go next season?
This episode is non-stop tension at the highest level the show has ever seen. The plan is to get Will's help. The shadow monster - Will connection works both ways. That's a big risk. How do they get information from Will without relaying their location?
A dead demi-dog through the window and you just know who is about to make an entrance.

Chapter 9: The Gate

It's game time. Is this why Billy is in the show? Just to be a human villain? If you watch Beyond Stranger Things, that is exactly why Billy is in the show. Max stands up to her brother, a little character building, but Steve got straight rocked. He shouldn't be ok after the fight with Billy. The  kids are traveling back to the pumpkin patch, set on helping Eleven close the gate by luring the demi-dogs away..

The whole burn the shadow monster out of Will makes sense. It and the demi-dogs never liked heat. Wouldn't it help to put Will in some winter clothes though? Will getting unpossessed is crazy. The scene is edited with Steve and the kids setting the tunnel hub on fire, Will choking Joyce, and Hopper & Eleven at the gate. It's just a crazy moment. El opened the gate, and now she's going to close it.

Where does the show go in season three? The Duffer brothers have already begun work on it and said this story will conclude after four seasons. They purposely didn't add open ended scenes like season one so they wouldn't box themselves in. This ending feels perfect. The kids attend a school dance. It's a cute way to end the season, but I was wondering if El would show up to the dance for Mike. Hopper had just mentioned one night out then... she shows up!

Season one ended ominously, this is much more light. Except for that flip that shows the shadow monster watching the gym. The show feels like it could be done, though season one felt like that too. You can't get much more closure than what we got this season and the kids are reaching a point where they will age out rather quickly. Are we going to do a five years later? This show was originally conceived as an anthology, and while the Duffer brothers said they will continue the story, I would love to see them pull a fast one and introduce a new story. It could be set in the same universe. Will they find a way to overcome the curse of the trilogy?

The shadow monster is still around. For whatever reason it wants to enter this world, I just hope it does't torment Will again. Eleven may be the monster's focus. She did open and close the gate.