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After such a fantastic first season, many wondered if Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things would be able to keep up the momentum for its sophomore season. If you had your doubts, I’m here to put them to rest. The new season picks up where the story left off at the end of season one and builds the character arcs in a satisfying way that gave me all the feels in the strangest ways possible, but that’s what this series does arguably better than most. Major spoilers ahead if you haven’t yet binge-watched season two.
Fire up those Eggos! The first thing I want to talk about is the fact that Chief Hopper took in Eleven and has been hiding and protecting her from the folks at Hawkins Lab for the past year. He lost his own daughter many years ago and she’s been without a real family since birth, having grown up as a guinea pig in a laboratory. These two need each other, and seeing them go through the ups and downs of the parent-child dynamic made my heart ache. He was there to teach her new things (about compromises and the importance of eating your vegetables before you eat your Eggos), as well as look out for her by putting a safe roof over her head. I understand why he felt the need to “helicopter parent” and not let her out of the hidden cabin he had securely tucked her into, but he should have realized that eventually she was going to escape to look for Mike and the rest of her new friends. Pre-teens and their raging hormones and all that. Not to mention these kids have an unbreakable bond because of everything they’ve experienced together.
By the season’s end, Hopper had learned from his adoptive parenting mistakes and the two seem like they’re in a really good place with each other (I doubt Eleven will have many more temper tantrums). It’s obvious that Hopper cares for her as if she were his own daughter, but he’s realized that she’s about to go through puberty and he has to make certain allowances (her new bitchin’ wardrobe or letting her attend the Snow Ball with Mike as he did in the final episode) if he’s to keep the peace at home. We should all be so lucky to have a dad like Hopper. Their relationship might not seem perfect to outsiders, but I think it’s perfect for them and that’s what matters.
Hopper is someone who will fiercely protect and guide her through adolescence, while allowing her to transform into a young adult with special abilities. Mike’s parents would never be able to accept Eleven for who she is, and while I initially thought Eleven might find a place with Joyce Byers, Joyce has her hands quite full with Jonathan and Will. However, if Joyce and Hopper ever get back together (now that we have confirmation that they are indeed old flames), Eleven might be equipped with a set of parents who would both be able to handle the unique challenge of raising her.
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Next, let’s talk about Eleven herself. She’s changing more and more each episode. She’s fine-tuned her telepathic powers to the point that she doesn’t even need to be in a sensory deprivation tank to connect with others in her mind any more. This is how she found her mother. I was nervous for her to journey out on her own to find her mother, but I understood it was a developmental step she had to take. She had many questions about her identity and where she comes from beyond the lab. Hopper could have told her the truth that her mother was still alive, but he was trying to protect her from having to see her in a catatonic state. What he failed to realize was that she was able to connect with her mother telepathically for glimpses into the past in order to help her better understand why things are the way they are. It was also through these glimpses that Eleven was able to discover her sister Kali (Eight).
Is Kali really her sister or just a “sister of survival” from Hawkins Lab? It’s possible that the infamous Dr. Brenner of Hawkins Lab could have impregnated any number of women in order to study the effects on their children and the development of special telepathic powers. I think Eight is a fascinating character that I hope they delve more into next season. Instead of being able to move objects with her mind the way Eleven does, she’s able to create intricate illusions on an unsuspecting audience. The trick with the butterfly was a spectacular scene.
While many people may be telling you the episode Eleven spends with Kali and her gang of merry punkers isn’t a good one, I found it further compelling evidence that the Duffer Brothers are building to something big happening next season. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Kali … and maybe we’ll even be introduced to other kids from the lab experiments. After all, their numbers are Eight and Eleven … it stands to reason there’s bound to have been at least nine other kids who were part of that group and I bet each of them was given different special abilities. Also, is Dr. Brenner really dead? I suspect he may have survived (that former lab employee seemed to be convinced he’s still alive) and perhaps all the lab kids will be needed to stop him from doing something really unsavory in the future. Hmm. It was also an important episode because Eleven learned how to channel her anger into her special powers so that she has more control over them now. This kid is going to end up doing even bigger things for sure.
It was a season of transformations, with Mike turning into a moody, broody pre-teen in the absence of Eleven, and Lucas becoming more likable with a girlfriend (the newly introduced Mad Max). Dustin was given a new pet (D’Artagnan) and a new set of pearly whites (God, that kid is adorable when he smiles), and Nancy is no longer the selfish idiot who got her best friend Barb killed – she showed real remorse around Barb’s parents and she took a second look at Jonathan and everything he had to offer even though he’s not the top jock. Let’s also not forget the scene that made me mist up in which she danced with Dustin at the school dance when none of the other girls his age would give him a chance. But perhaps the show’s biggest transformation is that of Steve Harrington. He’s become a stand-up human being and Hawkins’ best babysitter. He could have been really nasty when he found out Nancy was pursuing Jonathan after their break-up, but he handled that with far more maturity that I would have been able to muster.
“If you really love something, set it free … if it comes back, it was meant to be.” I think that’s what he’s doing, and maybe that will pan out for him. I’ve heard the Duffer Brothers originally didn’t see Steve being very important to the series until they saw the way that actor Joe Keery portrayed him. They made a wise choice in keeping him around and allowing his natural charm to ooze forth. Steve is the cool older brother we all wish we’d had in middle and high school and I look forward to falling even more in love with Steve and his glorious head of hair as the seasons progress. How cute was the montage with him giving dating and hair gelling advice to Dustin? Those two could have their own spin-off series, and I’d gladly watch it.
This season introduced several new characters: the aforementioned Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), Mad Max (Sadie Sink) and her older brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery), Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser), Demodogs and a new love interest for Joyce Byers: Bob Newby (Sean Astin). I’m not sure that Max and Billy really added much to the story – I could take ‘em or leave ‘em. However, I thought Sean Astin was a wonderful addition to the series and I was beyond devastated when the Demodogs killed him (although I saw it coming). Who could forget the mounting tension in that episode as it played out to Jurassic Park proportions as Paul Reiser’s character guided Bob through the laboratory without the advancing Demodogs discovering his presence until that final pivotal scene?
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The second season also offered just enough nostalgia to keep my fondness for the ‘80s intact. I was beyond excited to see the four main kids dressed as Ghostbusters for Halloween! Other costumes spotted during the Halloween party scene: Madonna, Alex from Flashdance, Johnny from The Karate Kid, Rocky, Bluto from Animal House and even a Siouxsie Sioux from Siouxsie and the Banshees (but why wouldn’t Jonathan have known that!?) Maybe he doesn’t deserve Nancy after all. The addition of several notable ‘80s tracks on the soundtrack was also welcomed, although I loved the more stylized synth music of the first season. I think the first season will always be my favorite because it was so strange and unusual and so completely unexpected.
Finally, let’s discuss the Shadow Monster (a.k.a. The Mind Flayer) and its connection with Will Byers. Poor Will Byers has had the most miserable experience of any character on the show (other than maybe Eleven during her lab days). He spent the entire last season in The Upside Down hiding from the Demogorgon who wanted to eat him. This season he’s been possessed by the Shadow Monster from The Upside Down who uses him as a spy on this world because it wants to control/destroy it. Puberty is hard enough, poor kid.
And while Eleven was able to successfully close The Gate to The Upside Down that she had inadvertently opened during the first season by this season’s finale, that final haunting shot of the Shadow Monster looming ominously over the middle school in The Upside Down indicates bigger problems on the horizon for Hawkins. If the Shadow Monster didn’t know about Eleven before, she definitely has its attention now. Will it be able to find another way into our world? And just what the hell is that thing, anyway? I’m terrified of the Shadow Monster because of its huge spider-like appearance, which may answer my question of “Are there spiders in The Upside Down?” [Shudders at the possibilities]
So many questions! Hurry up and get here, season three of Stranger Things! To quote Willy Wonka, “The suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.”
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