“Stranger Things” returns for a second thrilling instalment, bringing all your favourite characters back to the screen. The cast this time around includes Sadie Sink playing Max, a new friend for the core four (Dustin, Lucas, Mike, and Will) and eventual love interest, Dacre Montgomery as Billy, a volatile and arrogant character who also happens to be Max’s brother. Additionally Sean Astin plays Bob, a lovable character who is also Joyce’s boyfriend.
Taking place a year after the show’s turbulent first season, the second instalment takes audiences on yet another supernatural adventure. This time around we follow the characters as they must face a new, evolved evil. Taking inspiration from Season 1, “Stranger Thing” Season 2 gives its characters a unique villain to defeat: demo-dogs. These are similar to the demogorgons from Season 1; but instead of taking on a human-like form, the creature takes on the form of a four-legged animal. As the show progresses, the danger increases. If ungodly creatures weren’t enough, we see the characters now having to deal with the fact that Will (Noah Schnapp) is still possessed by the Mind Flayer from the upside down, putting them all at risk. Alongside these new threats, the beloved ensemble of characters, both old and new, must sort through their own of personal issues.
Another Strong Performance from the ‘Stranger Things’ Cast
This season features more strong performances from the cast. Once again Millie Bobby Brown delivers another magnificent turn as Eleven, and David Harbour adds to his convincing portrayal of Hawkins’ Police Chief Jim Hopper from Season 1. Audiences also get to see considerably more of Noah Schnapp this time around. But increased screen time can’t distract audiences from the fact that we don’t really know Will; especially not like the other characters who viewers have gotten to know well in the eight previous episodes. Newcomers Sadie Sink and Dacre Montgomery both give impressive performances; Dacre brings Billy’s suave and swagger to with his intimidating turn.
‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 continues to flaunt the show’s many impressive technical aspects…”
Despite its notable performances, this second instalment of “Stranger Things” definitely has its faults. One of the season’s biggest issues stems from the “The Lost Sister,” the season’s seventh episode. The 49-minute episode takes audiences out of Hawkins, Indiana entirely and throws them over to Chicago as Eleven embarks on a journey to find her ‘sister’ Kali (Linnea Berthelsen). Audiences follow Eleven as she joins Kali and her gang, taking revenge on the people from their past who had wronged them. Not only does the episode introduce five new characters — with most of them never being seen again except Kali — it makes the season longer than it needed to be and stalls the story instead of adding to it.
Some Faults this Time Around, Adding Unnecessary Length
However, this season manages to bring one of the show’s worst episodes, and some of the show’s best episodes to audiences in one go. Episodes 6, 8, and 9, titled “The Spy,” “The Mind Flayer,” and “The Gate” are some of “Stranger Things’” strongest episodes so far. Not only is “The Spy” a strong episode story-wise, but it also sees the start of an iconic friendship between Dustin (Gaten Matazzaro) and Steve (Joe Keery), as well as the blossoming of Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Nancy’s (Natalia Dyer) relationship — albeit with the help of Murray (Brett Gelman) deciding to play love doctor.
The penultimate instalment, “The Mind Flayer,” is not only a welcome sight after episode seven, but it’s also one of the scariest, if not the scariest episode. It sees Mike, Joyce, Will, Bob, Hopper, and Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser) through a deadly escape from Hawkins Lab, and features marvellous editing and cinematography. The episode is also an example of one of the things “Stranger Things” does best; despite whatever happens in the episodes prior, the characters always manage to reunite for the last episode. “The Gate” is a satisfying end to the season; it ties up loose ends and sets the show up for a fresh start in Season 3. The episode opens with a dramatic scene between Mike and Hopper and ends high with a heart-warming snowball sequence.
Still Offering the Same Impressive Technicality
Much like its predecessor, “Stranger Things” Season 2 continues to flaunt the show’s many impressive technical aspects; these range from the intense and eerie sound, to the mesmerising cinematography, and the fitting soundtrack by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein. This season also gives audiences more information about Eleven and her backstory, and what happened to her after the events of Season 1. Kevin D. Ross and Nat Fuller once again work their editing magic, completely elevating the show to another level. Overall, the second season of “Stranger Things” is another exciting and action-packed instalment of one of Netflix’s most iconic shows. It brings complex characters to life with remarkable performances from the entire ensemble, while keeping viewers engaged in a mostly entertaining story.
“Stranger Things” is available to stream on Netflix.
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