Stranger Things Season 2 Review
Press Release
Welcome back to the 1980's, it is time to unlock the curiosity door and revisit the town of Hawkins, Indiana. The kids of the A.V. (Audio-Visual) club once again join forces and team up with new cast members to fight a new supernatural villain, making Stranger Things 2 worth the wait.
Airing just in time for Halloween, the Netflix original series Stranger Things lives up to the hype returning to the streaming screen one year later from it's season one debut, created by the Duffer brothers, and they held nothing back for a second season. The Duffer brothers do though hand over some of the directing for season two, twice to producer Shawn Levy, who also directed two episodes last season, twice to Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, and once to Rebecca Thomas. They do not disappoint.
If you are like most friends I know, then you spent the weekend binge-watching all nine episodes. Yes that means almost nine hours of streaming time. This season they even created an after show called Beyond Stranger Things, where we get an inside feel into the filming of the new season.
If you do not have Netflix, or have not had the time to watch this instant cult classic, then here is the backstory; Stranger Things season one which premiered last year in July of 2016, takes place in 1983, Hawkins Indiana, where a young boy, Will Byers, played by Noah Schnapp, vanishes. His close knit band of misfit friends from middle school, family, and local police are all searching for answers in his disappearance. Supernatural forces are at hand, government experiments are happening in Hawkins, and one strange girl named Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, who has special powers are all part of the story’s twists and turns. Will is eventually found, but you are left with many questions that leave you wanting more. The production is spot on in it's portrayal of a small town in the 80's, and the first season release of Stranger Things came as a total surprise with little to no marketing hype from Netflix when it first released.
Season two pays homage to Radio Shack, Terminator, Ghostbusters, VHS Tapes, the Cold War, and overly-hair-sprayed hairdos. If you watched Season one and thought they played every 80’s song that existed you are in for a surprise. The playlist for season two consists of Queen, The Clash, Bon Jovi, The Police, and yes even Barbra Streisand. Stranger Things 2 is a right out of the bag follow-up that connects its viewers with emotions that we can all relate to growing up, minus the supernatural antics. Season two works with many of the same basic materials as the first season, as the main plot revolves around fighting an insidious supernatural force of evil.
If you are a child of the 80’s, then the Season two’s opener might bring back fond memories of Sunday afternoons wasting quarters, hanging out in an arcade trying to beat high scores, or scoping out someone you thought was hot.
Fortunately for the Stranger Things super fans, they can expect a Stranger Things 3 continuation to the Netflix franchise. The date has yet to be released.