When the Netflix Original show, Stranger Things, hit the streaming service in the summer of 2016; it received universal commercial and critical acclaim for its near-perfect emulation of conventions in classic 80s films. The show’s creators, The Duffer Brothers, were able to mix a John Carpenter sense of horror, with a Richard Donner sense of adventure; creating a show that felt like an amalgamation of The Goonies and The Thing. With the first season capturing everything that made 80s films so engaging into an eight-episode story, fans were left wondering what direction Stranger Things would go with its second season.
After almost a year and a half of anticipation, fans finally got what they wanted, as season two was released on October 27th; just in time for Halloween
Season two begins by establishing where the characters are about a year after the events of the first season. Will and Joyce Byers (Noah Schnapp & Winona Ryder) are readjusting to life in Hawkins; while Joyce is attempting to let Will live a more independent life as he is becoming a teenager, Will is still haunted by his time in the upside down; constantly having visions of a giant “shadow monster” living in it. As for Will’s group of misfit friends, they are more or less in the same position as season one ended them; attempting to return to their normal lives, while still grieving the presumed loss of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). Fortunately, Eleven is shown to be alive and well by the end of the first episode, living in isolation with Police Chief Hopper (David Harbour). Season two also focuses a lot more on the teenage characters: Nancy, Jonathan and Steve (Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Joe Kerry).
After setting up some exposition, the season quickly begins setting up four major plots; focusing on Will’s growing connection to the upside down, the rest of the gang as they try to deal with Dustin’s pet from the upside down and the introduction of a new female member of the group, the Steve-Nancy-Jonathan love triangle, and Eleven’s journey to find her family. For the most part, these stories all play out quite wonderfully, creating a thoroughly entertaining experience. This season, even more so than the first, follows an otherworldly tale of monsters and psychics, while still being able to ground it in reality. A prime example of this is the plot that follows the group of kids. Dustin, Lucas, and newcomer Max all work together to deal with a creature from the upside down; while Dustin and Lucas compete for Max’s affection. This is the season’s best attempt at explicating themes of teenage drama, reminiscent of the The Brat Pack of films like Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire; while juxtaposing it against themes of sci-fi and fantasy. These aspects of the story alone would make the season worth watching; but the Duffer Brothers chose to go the extra mile by enhancing it with astounding visuals, and a soundtrack that give the show a feeling of “neo-nostalgia”. In Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers are able to borrow from the best parts of 1980s cinema, and breathing a new life into it.
While season two of Stranger Things is able to tap into the same neo-nostalgic frequency as the preceding season; it does so with a the intention of cashing in on it, rather than channeling it into an airtight plot. Season two of Stranger Things suffers from the same problem that second seasons of shows like Twin Peaks have in the past, which is a bloated narrative that tries to do too much with too little. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the love story between Jonathan and Nancy. After leaving Steve because of his insistence to keep their friend Barb’s death a secret in order to stay safe, Nancy leaves town with Jonathan to blow the whistle on the going ons in the Hawkins Laboratory. While on the road, Nancy and Jonathan insist on staying friends; but ultimately end up falling for each other. This plot could have conceivably been executed well but instead focuses more on the events in the Town and with Eleven; making Nancy and Jonathan’s story seem like another example poorly conceived puppy love.
Another plot that was poorly executed was the aberration from the rest of the story that came as a result of Eleven’s search for her family. The beginning of this plot was actually quite endearing, seeing Eleven find and communicate with her seemingly brain dead mother who was introduced in the first season. Unfortunately, Eleven’s mother pointed her towards another child from the laboratory, living in a nearby city. This resulted in an entire episode devoted to Eleven getting to know her “sister”, which ended up being the worst received episode of the season; presenting a conceptual low point for the series and completely sidestepping the established narrative.
Given these departures from Stranger Things’ normal quality in production and conception, season two’s low points were just about cancelled out by its highs. While still being able to capture a good amount of the charm and nostalgia of the past season, Stranger Things season two feels like an overwritten mess; bloated with rushed storylines that only serve to entertain hardcore fans of the series.
Image Courtesy of Stranger Things Wiki