Stranger Things 2 – A review

All is not quiet in Hawkins Indiana. There are old wounds that just refuse to close. Will tries to cope with his new existence as ‘the boy who lived’/’zombieboy’. Mike misses his friend Eleven with every breath he takes and then there’s the rip in the continuum down in Hawkins lab.

When, at Halloween, Sheriff Hopper is asked to investigate a peculiar pumpkin problem it starts off a chain of events that reopens the old wounds and creates many new ones.

Stranger Things is back! If there’s one thing the creators of the show (The Duffer brothers) knew from the get go was that their new outing wouldn’t be ‘as fresh’ as last year’s sleeper hit. But to counter this the creators filled season 2 to the brim with nods to famous 80s sequels, a bigger budget, fan-service and a satisfying continuation on the characters we love. This season wears its ‘2’ with pride and rightfully so.

This season is just as delicious to watch as the season previous. It’s nostalgia with great characters and a healthy dose of pure horror sprinkled on top. But, to be honest, there are a few small tears here and there (in the fabric of time and space) that make this season slightly less perfect. I’ll get to that.

MadMax – (New) adult characters

The first thing I noticed as I binge-watched the show (3:00 AM!) was that the titles were different than what we (the audience) were teased last year. The first episode is still called MadMax, but the rest are different. I don’t know what went on in the creative process. But, then again, ‘what’s in a name’.

Anyway I decided to use the ‘original’ teased titles as a coat rack to hang my article on. Beginning with MadMax or: (New) adult characters.

The reason why the first season worked so well was because the characters were all so very well written. Especially Winona Ryder was a hoot as Joyce Byers; the ultimate lioness of a mother willing to do anything to protect her cub. In that season she came up with a clever scheme to communicate with her lost son. This season showcases her intelligence yet again as a woman who has, by now, fully accepted the stranger things going on in her hometown. It’s this acceptance and her blind love for (and trust in) her child that makes her one of the favourite characters in the show.

That and the fact that she can be, at times, mad as a hatter. This is a hilarious overprotective woman who isn’t afraid to break her house down if it would save her son. It’s a logical madness that, at first glance, might look like a weakness but instead makes the Joyce character richer.

Then there’s Bob (Sean Astin). I liked Bob. But was for a while afraid that good Bob might be a bad Bob.

I like saying the name: Bob!

Even though he’s mainly written in the show as for his BASIC-skill set -and his The Goonies fame- he does bring a nice stability to the Byers family. He’s the new goofy normality that this dysfunctional family is striving for. Given the fact that Sean Astin has cemented himself in Hollywood as the go to nice guy it’s nice to see him charm his way through the episodes. His character’s love for Joyce is real and he really is trying to connect to the boys. Like Sherriff Hopper he is a man willing to do anything to protect and serve.

A much better part than what the actor got handed in The Strain.

This brings us to the villain of the piece: Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser) of Aliens-fame. Who, in fact, isn’t a villain at all. In the character’s own words (paraphrasing):”I’m the schmuck people brought in the fix the mess.”

Yes, he works for the ‘dark side’. But his morality is straight as an arrow. He is a great antidote to last year’s Dr. Brenner; because he's the nicest 'villain' ever. This is, I consider, a great move on the creators’ part. We already had one big human villain in the show, why would we need another one?

Nerdy me, by the way, loved the final Lab-showdown for the character because it kept reminding me of this little YouTube sci-fi gem: the tower. Watch this one, it’s great!

One bad beat, though, are Mike’s mom and dad. They take quite a step backwards this season. Last year Mike’s mother was the pillar of stability in the Wheeler household. When Mike thought Will was dead he went to his caring mother to cry. This season she comes across as a ‘desperate housewife’. Like the character has been turned upside down.

The Boy Who Came Back to Life – (New) child characters

Another smart move the creators made this season was changing the spotlight of the characters. In the first season it was Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) show. Will (Noah Schnapp) was missing most of the time and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) were in the background doing their thing. This season the character focus has been turned ‘upside down’ (sorry for the pun).

For a short while it is suspected that this season is going to be all Will. And certainly the actor gets a lot more to do this season. He’s an emotional wreck trying to cope with the darkness that’s hunting him. Plus he, once again, is allowed to showcase his intelligence to his mother. He certainly is Will the wise! But in the end, without spoiling too much, when darkness engulfs him the focus remains steadily on Dustin, Lucas and the new girl in town Max (Sadie Sink).

I did get my wish though: evil Will. Awesome!

It’s always difficult to include a new character in a beloved show. And, I must admit, it took me a while to warm up to Max. The reason for this is actually spotlighted in the show itself as Mike tells her (paraphrasing): "I'm the Paladin, Will is the Cleric, Dustin the Bard, Lucas the Ranger and Eleven the Mage." There’s no real reason to have the girl around (apart from the hilarious hormones-related scenes for Dustin and Lucas). Most of the time she’s in the background reacting to what’s happening.

This has partly to do with the fact that it takes a while before the audience learns the truth about her and her brother. And when ‘we’ do it turns out that she isn’t part of the whole mystery (yet).

That doesn’t make me dislike her. In fact the actress plays her part beautifully. It’s just that her part, for now, only functions to flesh out the Lucas and Dustin parts.

Lucas and Dustin then are the true main characters of this season. Lucas has a loving family (‘in which mom is always right’) with an annoying sister to boot. And Dustin has a cat lady for a mother (of course he does) and a penchant for creepy animals and swearwords.

SPOILER: As in the first season I like the logic in this show. It isn't Will's thrown up slug that happens to happen upon Dustin's dustbin. No there are more. It's like putting some logic to a ‘leap in logic’ audience members have grown accustomed to.

Both boys shine in their increased roles. Especially McLaughin’s Lucas makes up for lost character development that was lacking last season. And Matarazzo’s Dustin just keeps on being hilarious – but with a real heart as is shown in the last ten minutes of the season.

The Pumpkin Patch – The eleven episode

Eleven or Jane, was left out for most of this season. A snippet here and there of her sulking in her cabin. With one delicious puberty-fuelled outburst of jealousy.

There are several things to keep in mind when writing a character like Eleven. For starters her powers need to be contained. You can never have a superhero who’s too powerful. That’s why Superman has his kryptonite. So that’s one of the reasons why Eleven had to be locked away most of the season.

Second, with such a mystery shrouded character, you’d want to explore her past a bit. But by doing that there’s always a danger of hurting the other characters.

Supposedly Mike was there when Eleven visited her ‘mama’. The writers have to incorporate his character’s reaction to what he learns there. And maybe that doesn’t work in the long run.

So by taking Eleven away from Hawkins the show creates a nice standalone episode that either works for the overall show or can be discarded: a safe bet. It might feel a bit out of place in the grand scheme of things. But then, again, her character needs it.

Kali/eight (Linnea Berthelsen), in this episode, is, to me, a good addition to the Eleven-mythology. This revenge-driven (let’s be honest) psychopath serves in the overall storyline of Eleven as both an expansion as a setting of borders (quite literally really). Eleven learns that she’s not alone. Yet she also accepts her goodness and love for those people who helped her a year back.

This episode is a nice change from the rural American style that is Stranger Things. Plus it allowed the creators to do one thing which every sequel-maker wants to play around with: bring a 80s city to life due to a bigger budget.

The Palace – Sequel galore

As I said in the opening this season of Stranger Things wears it’s ‘2’ with pride.

Just remember the ‘rules of the sequel’ from Scream 2:

• The body count is always bigger.
• The death scenes are always much more elaborate, with more blood and gore.
• Never, ever, under any circumstances assume the killer is dead.

All this happens in Stranger Things 2. But there’s more.

There are, for instance, several references to Indiana Jones and the temple of Doom. Blocks under a child’s feet to drive a car. Hopper picking up his hat from the ground. And, of course, Nancy and Jonathan’s internal discussion at the ‘conspiracy theorists house’.

I like the couple very much. But, like last season, their storyline (Barb) is a bit detached from the rest of the show.

This brings me to the other ‘sequel’ thing I wish to highlight here: fans!

I’ve been reading on fan culture for years now (Henry Jenkins’ Textual Poachers and Matt Hill’s Fan cultures are the cornerstone books on fan research). And if there’s one thing that’s always a bit murky is the question if ‘whether or not a creator should give the fan what he/she wants?’. The will-they-won’t-they-issue.

Should the creator hold off on the payoff of letting the hero and heroine get together or not? Sometimes it works (e.g. Bones). Sometimes it doesn’t (e.g. Glee) or it’s too late (e.g. Frasier). That’s one of the ways of looking at why Eleven was in her cabin most of this season. Because the payoff between her and Mike already happened – they are in (childish) love.

The conspiracy theorist Murray Bauman (a hilarious part by Brett Gelman) takes this issue head on. In a meta-sense he explains the problem of being a fan: ‘you want it to happen, whilst, at the same time you don’t’. It’s like postponing desert – the best part of a meal.

The inclusion of this scene makes Stranger Things 2 as a sequel even richer. It knows what it is (like Mike explaining Max the function of each member of the group). It knows the sequel tropes it’s dancing to. So why not highlight it? Like nostalgia. That’s why the show indulges in those hilarious ‘photo moments’. And that’s certainly why one of the episodes ends with the Ghostbusters song. That’s what the fans want – so give it to them! But don’t let them forget that –as a group of philosophers once said: ‘you can’t always get what you want!’

The Pollywog – Some critiques

Directing-wise this season is as solid as the first. But with the twist that –apart from the increased budget for lavish special effects- there is a sense of some fun with the camera. There’s a great long take shot at the Halloween party (ever since Goodfellas that’s a thing – long takes and social gatherings). And there’s a wonderful rotating shot of Sherriff Hopper in the tunnel.

I don't know; I'm a sucker for those claustrophobic backlit shots.

It’s only the flow of the story that feels a bit off this time ‘round.

As I said before it took (quite) a while before Mike and Eleven got together again (for various reasons). But then there’s Kali’s appearance in the opening and the way she’s ‘forgotten’ for the next six episodes. Or the long time before the show allowed some character development for Billy (Dacre Montgomery). I think these things should have been shifted.

I liked that scene of Billy with his father. Just simple little 'names' like faggot. You don't say that to your son no matter how out of line he is! So just this particular swearword made me dislike the father with a vengeance. Quite the achievement for the singular scene he was in. Having said that, even though I understand the evil stepbrother better doesn't mean that I like him. Him, picking on little girls. Slamming a plate against poor Steve's head in (what he intended to be) a honest fistfight. Tsk tsk.

Billy, for me stayed an evil no-good bastard because his character development came too late. Kali, I almost forgot about until Eleven visited the big city.

Then there’s the general mystery of the show which starts a bit late as well. In this season there isn’t a missing boy-case in the very first episode. It takes a while to get started. I’m on two minds about this one. I liked the little tickle here and there before the season shifted in top gear at the Mew Mew-moment. But maybe it should have happened sooner.

 By the way: putting a kid under, out again and under again. I'm not an anaesthetist and neither are any of the characters. But, this is one of those tropes that just keep on giving.

A final scriptural issue I have with this season of Stranger Things is the last episode. It contained some rather convenient writing on the Steve part just to keep his character involved. A problem derived from too many (fan favourite) characters to juggle near the end. But, having said that, -as with the rest of the show- the show does deal with this issue with such charm that it’s (almost) easily forgiven.

The Secret Cabin – Spoiler galore.

Alright, this is the paragraph to skip if you do not wish to be spoiled. Final warning!

So now with the portal closed all seems quiet in the little town of Hawkins. In fact, the story has been wrapped up so nicely with a string and a bow (and two kisses this time –again the number ‘2’) that it is safe to assume that next year something cataclysmically has to happen to get everybody involved once again. At least there are some parts left out in the open: Will Dustin finally get a girlfriend? Will Steve get a girlfriend?

I'm still hoping for some residue superpower residing in Will. We've had a somewhat evil Will which was great. But, now I want to see him truly be part of the group instead of the victim. Something like a scene in the upside down in which Will goes: "Don't worry guys...been here before. I got this!” Who knows; maybe he became immune to the upside-down gooey.

Anyway, that would mean that one of the other boys might become a victim next year. My guess is Dustin and the stuff he inhaled in the tunnel.

Other loose strands are off course the evil stepbrother Billy with his terribly unbuttoned shirt (and give him a razor please). And the whereabouts of Dr. Brenner/ ’Papa’.

I said from the get go that he isn't dead yet. ‘Big bad’s don’t die that easily. Having said that I do now fear for dear Dr. Owens’s life. A tried and tested method of re-introducing the big bad: let him kill his replacement.

Then of course there is Kali/eight and her trigger-happy friends and the whole back-story they bring in regards to Eleven’s mother. I would like to see them return.

The Brain – The map

The map. The most popular article I posted on this silly blog of mine.

I intend to continue on it. And thank goodness Stranger Things season 2 helped me out. There are three distinct moments in the season that a map of Hawkins is shown. So that’s going to take some prt scr-ing. Then there’s a map of (at least three floors) of Hawkins laboratory and a whole map of the tunnel system (even though that one is going to be immensely complex to draw out).

Then there are the new locations like the arcade, the three pumpkin farms (each with names or their owners)

Great to see Matty Cardarople. I liked him in Jurassic World and A series of unfortunate events. However, he does only play one kind of character. He's good at it, no worries there. But if he's going to be a recurring character next season he needs some development.

and of course the verbal references to locations. Places like ‘lover’s lane’. Some lakes. The fact that Max lives in a poor street while she goes trick-or-treating in ‘rich town’. The fact that the school is about a mile west (or east) from Eleven’s cabin. The car graveyard now resides on top of a hill south of Hawkins on walking distance to the lab. Et cetera.

One little issue I did find with my map is the space between the lab and Will's house. In season one Will was caught because he lives close to the lab. You could walk it.

Now the sheriff and Eleven drive for a good 10-15 minutes to get there. Maybe there is some artistic freedom going on here?

I’m going to have some fun!

The Lost Brother – Conclusion

This episode has now been renamed The gate – talk about a 80s title.

Stranger Things 2 is a blast for everyone who liked the first season. It’s more of the same with a bigger budget and far more horror. It’s like this season wants to remind its audience that this season is grander than we ever seen before like a sequel should.

Each and every member of the cast is devoted to bringing you the best time in Hawkins you could ever wish for. Some major players of the first season might take a step back from the spotlight to let others shine. But by doing that the series allows for a further exploration of the stranger things going on in that little 80s town of America. To quote Dustin: “Prrrrrrrrrrrrr!”