Review: Stranger Things 2
Stranger Things 2 is now streaming on Netflix. Season 2 picks up a year after the first season and brings back practically the entire cast—including Winona Ryder and David Harbour. The Stranger Things creators, The Duffer Brothers, also return.Synopsis:
The town of Hawkins prepares for Halloween and tries to return to normalcy after the chaos it faced a year prior. Will Byers is back from the Upside Down but he is struggling with visions and flashbacks. Eleven has also escaped the Upside Down but is being hidden from Mike and from the rest of the town by Jim Hopper. When strange things start to happen again the entire group has to reunite to try to save their home and each other.
Positives:
- The cast was the best part of the first season of Stranger Things and it continues to be the strength of its latest season. The characters are so likeable, and so easy to root for, that it enhances the story and makes it easy to overlook any flaws. New cast members, like Sean Astin, Paul Reiser and Sadie Sink also quickly become very likeable. The new characters don’t take away from the old ones and help add to their depth.
- The action, special effects and scale of Season 2 is all improved. Stranger Things 2 feels and looks bigger. The budget was obviously improved and it feels like all of the added resources were put on the screen.
- This season feels less about nostalgia and more about Stranger Things building its own mythology. There are still the references to Steven Spielberg and other 1980’s films and filmmakers, but it doesn’t feel as blatant as Season 1.Negatives:
- The significant use of CGI takes you out of the 1980’s setting. Some of the big special effects moments make it look like a modern day movie.
- There are so many characters and plots that at times they take away from each other. The good thing is that none of the characters, or plots, are unwelcomed. It might have been beneficial if the season was a few episodes longer.
Stranger Things 2 lives up to the massive hype by not abandoning the things that made the first season a hit. The characters we all loved are back and we care even more about their journey a year later. Stranger Things 2 offers a lot of thrills but what makes the show magic is the cast and they all bring their very best to the series once again. With Season 2, Stranger Things has established itself as one of the best television series ever.
Rating: A