Series Review: Stranger Things 2

When “Stranger Things” hit the scene last year, it took the world by storm. It was Netflix’s first big hit since “House of Cards”, and the world could not get enough of the kids from Hawkins, Indiana and their strange misadventures.

Not long after the initial praise for the first season, Netflix greenlit a second season, and the world waited with bated breath for what was to come next in the wonderfully weird and retro series. On Oct. 27, viewers were given the second season, “Stranger Things 2”. With only a few missteps, it does not fail to live up to the loft expectations of its predecessor.

We return to the scene of the crime, and life is seemingly back to normal for the residents of Hawkins. However, it is not long before Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, is again in turmoil as a result of the events of last season.

The boys are again aided by Police Chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour), Will’s mother, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), and the rest of the gang to try and figure out this new mystery.

Each and every character gives a masterful performance that further cements this ensemble as something truly magical. Millie Bobby Brown is menacing once more in her role as Eleven, and each of the boys make it feel like they have been acting for years. Not one single character feels out of place, and everyone involved took the series to new heights.

Each episode of the series helped to unfold the mystery of the underground in Hawkins, and something new was added with each hour that went by. By the end of the season, more questions seemed to have been asked than answered, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Some episodes did pace slower than others, such as Eleven’s visit to Chicago. Others felt somewhat out of place, such as the romance between Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton). However, by the season finale, everything was tied together in a fantastic conclusion that left many opportunities for the third season to explore.

“Stranger Things 2” may not have reached quite the same highs as the epic first season, but the second season is certainly no slouch.

The Duffer brothers have sculpted a universe that simply begs to be explored, and it is hard to imagine what the show would be without its perfect actors and its witty writing.

The story unfolds like a storybook penned by a masterful fantasy author, and the added 1980’s retro flair makes the series that much better.

Nearly everything about this second season just plain works, and any viewer will end the season overjoyed and in awe by the events that unfold. The eventual third season has a lot to live up to if it is going to match the first two seasons of “Stranger Things”.