Review: Stranger Things Season 2 Turns It Up To...11
- Oct 29, 2017
- 2 min read
In 2016, Netflix released an 80's inspired combination of Stand By Me and The Lost Boys by the name of Stranger Things. It was a hit, to say the least, and, naturally, it got a second season. This is that season.
Picking up months after the events of the first series, life for the residents of Hawkins is finally returning to normal, well, not for everyone, not for Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). He's having visions, glimpses into the mysterious Upside Down, all lorded over by an enormous, unknown entity. And that's just the start. Police Chief Jim Hopper (David Harbor) finds himself looking into a strange rot that's destroying the towns pumpkins, while trying to his a secret of his own, the gang, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) are torn apart by the presence of a new kid at school, one "MADMAX" Maxine (Sadie Sink) and there's something happening at Hawkins Lab.
Season 2 of Stranger Things is very similar to the first, but better in almost every way. It perfectly combines the whimsy of children with the eldritch horror of the Upside Down. Once again we get to see some of the best child acting around, the characters are likeable, the plot is interesting and the references are on another level all together. But, while it's certainly superior, it isn't perfect.
Between the incredibly well done emotional moments and the ramping tension as things start to fall apart again, there is a problem. With additional seasons already confirmed, many threads are left frayed, plots don't tie up and some don't even get going, at least not in any meaningful way. While the original worked well as a standalone piece, the 2nd season relies far too heavily on content unknown, leading to seemingly unfinished threads. While they can be a little distracting, they're not enough to detract from the experience in any meaningful way.
If you're looking for the best thing to come out of the unholy child of E.T. and H.P. Lovecraft, look no further. From often gorgeous visuals to some of the most emotional, and genuine moments in television, Stranger Things Season 2 has it all.
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