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About to hop back into this!
Anyone else excited?

I saw the first two episodes last night, pretty decent so far. They are really shamelessly beating me over the head with the 80s nostalgia though.

 Thargrim wrote:
I saw the first two episodes last night, pretty decent so far. They are really shamelessly beating me over the head with the 80s nostalgia though.

Works for me. I am two episodes in as well. So far so good.

Just finished the series, and basically, yep, it's a good'un. Starts strong, gets even better by the end and manages to deliver on all the same levels as the first. Once again, the thing at the heart of the show is it's amazing cast of such well-drawn characters, and this season has built wonderfully on the foundation of the first one in that regard. One or two characters still get the short end of the stick in terms of screen time and general involvement, but equally some get a lot more opportunity to really grow and develop in ways the first series didn't really give them room to.

The bigger budget definitely shows just in the scale and scope of the story, but there's nothing there just for the sake of it. The extra episode was nice, I tend to feel 8 is a good length but 9 here gave them the chance to do something a bit different with a couple of episodes and more importantly, flesh out the ending in a way the first maybe didn't.

And episode 7 is one of the finest single episodes of TV I've ever seen. This series should be winning awards just on the strength of those 45 minutes...

Wonderful stuff. Enjoyed it all.

Wish Mike had had more to do.

Binged it all right away and finished it Saturday morning. Really good overall. I’m assuming we’ll see more of the sister in season three because that whole side plot otherwise felt unnessesary and rather unresolved to me if it wasn’t setting stuff up for the future.

Yeah, there's a few things left intentionally hanging, I think.






@H.B.M.C.: True, Mike was a little sidelined at times. On the other hand, his story was really the dominant one in the first series and the other kids just played into that. This time round, ok he didn't get to do as much, but Dustin for example really shone, especially his dynamic with Steve (who I also think was a much more interesting character this series as well.

We rewatched Season 1 last week and I was amazed at how much stuff I forgot about. We did the first episode of the new season last night and will finish it up this week. Off to a good start so far.

Scrounging up every single quarter in the house so you could play Dragons Lair = me at that age. I had a how to beat dragon's lair book, I let some kid at school borrow it and never saw it again :(

Just finished Season 2 - loved it.

Overall, a strong effort, and I enjoyed it more than Season 1.

Looking forward to Season 3 (and apparently 4 - and maybe 5, where it will - allegedly - end!)

Did I miss it or did they not explain Max's story about why they had to move or what's going on with her "family"?

 Breotan wrote:
Did I miss it or did they not explain Max's story about why they had to move or what's going on with her "family"?

It's covered very briefly, I think when she's talking to Lucas at the junkyard.

 Paradigm wrote:

 Breotan wrote:
Did I miss it or did they not explain Max's story about why they had to move or what's going on with her "family"?

It's covered very briefly, I think when she's talking to Lucas at the junkyard.

Spoiler:

If I remember right, it's simply a divorce; she ended up with her mother, step-father and step-brother when she'd rather have stayed with her father where she was previously. She implied that she didn't think this was the right solution to the problem, but whether that's naivety of a child who doesn't want her family split up or whether she's actually blaming her mother is unclear.

Yup, that's it!

I kind of like that for a while you think there might be more to it but nope, just a simple divorce and move is all!

 Paradigm wrote:

And episode 7 is one of the finest single episodes of TV I've ever seen. This series should be winning awards just on the strength of those 45 minutes...

I dont not share the same assessment as you. I felt Episode 7 was mediocre at best. Important to Eleven's story obviously, and sets things up for maybe next season. But nothing about it was very stand out. All I could think was that it was very X-Men the whole time, with Eight filling the Magneto role.

Yes - Paradigm did mention that...

 Paradigm wrote:
Yeah, there's a few things left intentionally hanging, I think.

Spoiler:

8/the Sister and her gang still out there. While I think that episode was definitely there to really cement Eleven's character, that plot is far from done and I'm certain we'll see more next series. Perhaps ever some other powered people. Some of the scenes with Eight and Eleven riffed very heavily on some X-men-esque themes so I'd not be surprised if they start taking Eight down an almost Magneto route, bringing together as many outcasts and rejects as she can and going on a warpath even more than she's been doing already.

There is still a 'Demodog' in the Bayer's fridge... Ok, it's dead, but I'd not be surprised to see repercussions from that. Similarly, the Shadow that is burnt out of Will just goes... somewhere and isn't seen again. There's clearly still some Upside Down presence out there even with the Gate closed.

Then obviously there's the tease in the final shot. The Shadow Monster is not a happy chap...

@H.B.M.C.: True, Mike was a little sidelined at times. On the other hand, his story was really the dominant one in the first series and the other kids just played into that. This time round, ok he didn't get to do as much, but Dustin for example really shone, especially his dynamic with Steve (who I also think was a much more interesting character this series as well.

Spoiler:

The whole 'growing up' theme that's central to the show obviously applies mostly to the younger kids, but I think it also did a lot of work through Steve this time. In the first series, he goes from kind of a jock to kind of a badass but it's a pretty sudden change without much explanation or setup; this series, he's really stepped up to the various responsibilities set out for him and especially in his commitment to keeping the younger ones safe, he's definitely moved beyond the fairly stereotyped character he was last time. The scenes with Steve and Dustin were among my favourites this series, both actors just nailed that dynamic.

Really liked Steve's character arc and growth in Season 1 and in Season 2, and I wonder if Billy will get something similar starting in Season 3, or if he'll remain a Villain?

I think Billy was kinda pointless to the plot and season.

I mean, he was 90% just a way for Max to bring drama I felt.

To be honest, I hope Billy doesn't get a redemptive arc. So far he's been so utterly repulsive that frankly he doesn't deserve one. While Steve is a git at times during the first series, there are also moments where he has every opportunity to be unpleasant but isn't. He lets Barbara come to the party when the rest of his gang want to turn her away, he steps up for the final showdown with the creature even though that means fighting with Jonathan and even early on, he seems to have Nancy's best interests at heart rather than just being out for himself.

Billy on the other hand never once demonstrates any kind of sympathy or selflessness; everything he does is greedy, destructive or self-obsessed. I don't want to see the redemption of a character who will beat up a kid just because he's friends with his step-sister without his 'permission' (if it were out of concern for Max it might be less repulsive, but it's clearly not; the only reason he cares is because it might reflect on him).

@Kanlunwen: I think his 'purpose' narrative-wise is to hold up a mirror to Steve. Billy is the worst possible version of the archetype that at first glance back in series 1, you might think Steve fell into. Simply be being an utter bastard, he makes Steve's arc of becoming a pretty much wholly good person that bit more effective. That said, that job has been done now, I'd be perfectly happy never to see him in the show again.

 Alpharius wrote:
Yes - Paradigm did mention that...

Yes, he mentioned it as things left unfinished. I wasn't refuting it being similar to Magneto, I was using that to show I I felt Episode 7 was nothing special and just a rehash of things we've seen before and not a particularly compelling or intriguing one at that. At least that's my opinion on the Episode and 8's merry band. The Episode could not end fast enough for me.

The only thing that came out of it for me was the possibility that the Doctor might be alive, but even then, that was something the showrunners had been hinting at themselves anyway.

Fair enough. It was definitely a very different episode, the only time the show's done one focused entirely on one character, but I think it worked well just on the strength of Millie Bobby Brown's performance; it's incredible that someone so young manages to pull off such an aura of strength and confidence. The whole episode takes from from the scared child of the first series to the total badass that it's always been hinted she might be. That final line,



It might not be the most original narrative, but I don't think it had to be, this show wears its influences very well. In fact, I found it rather hilarious when after Lucas tells her the true story, Max points out that it's a little derivative and could have been more original, that was a very nice (if unsubtle) bit of self-commentary.

I wont lie, there were a couple of moments, and Millie did a good job in the part. But over all it just didn't sit well with me.

It does use its influences well, something I wont argue, but there it just fell flat. Maybe it was just Eight and her gang, nothing about them was interesting (and I didnt much care for 8's performance). I just sat there thinking "Mutant Brotherhood, yes yes get on with it."

Funny, cause I loved the 'Aliens' moments of Episode 6. So maybe its just the whole Mutant Brotherhood narrative that kills it for me.

About halfway through the second season. I like how they've managed to keep the vibe from the first season, altough I feel like they are tossing too many new characters in the first couple episodes.

I really liked season 2, and I think it's very good, but the first season was still better on the whole.

The first season was full of surprises and each episode kept uncovering the story, while building up the suspense throughout the series. The second season feels a bit more unfocused to me, with parallel storylines which didn't really come together in the end, and with no real cliffhanger to end the last episode.

I liked the second season a lot, and thought it was great, but it was a bit less focused.

The only part that really bugged me was that


Overall though, it was great. Love how well they handled the 80's camp and throwbacks without making them feel forced.

This was definitely an Alien to Aliens thing, but I thought it worked quite well.

Of course, having grown up in the 80's, I've a major bias towards Stranger Things!

The "Mind Flayer" 'boss' was done well, I thought, and certainly sets up the next season, as does the Brother Hood of Maybe Not So Evil...Sisters?

And just seeing an actual real functioning arcade again brought a tear to my eye!

Episode 7 was so god awful it nearly destroyed the entire season. You could tell it was a shadow-pilot. No Netflix, I'm not interested in your awful X-men spin-off series. "girls with 'tude taking on the man xD xD" No thanks.

 Kanluwen wrote:
I think Billy was kinda pointless to the plot and season.

He was the wildcard.

He was the force that came in for trivial reasons and beats the ever-loving gak out of Steve right when everyone else is worrying about earth-shattering events.

Plus if we hadn't've got that scene we would not have got the joy of Max driving the car whilst Steve is freaking out about it.

 Zingraff wrote:
I really liked season 2, and I think it's very good, but the first season was still better on the whole.

The first season was full of surprises and each episode kept uncovering the story, while building up the suspense throughout the series. The second season feels a bit more unfocused to me, with parallel storylines which didn't really come together in the end, and with no real cliffhanger to end the last episode.

If I were to level one criticism at the second series, it would be that. While the first had essentially 3 different arcs running through it (the kids/Eleven, Jonathan/Nancy/Steve and Joyce/Hopper), all of those threads were pointing in the same direction from the start and came together very nicely for the finale. This time round, I think 'scattered' is probably the word, there were some great individual arcs but they only seemed to come together through sheer coincidence for the final couple of episodes with everyone showing up at the lab. Then they're together for half an episode before all splitting up again for the last one.

It didn't detract massively, and on balance I probably do prefer the second series slightly, but yeah, it's definitely a flaw that stands out.

Anyone else get a theme of "Growing Up" in this season?
While One had a theme of "Childhood is awesome and important" Season two feels like "Growing up is just as important"
I think it is kinda mirrored by how 1 ends with a D&D game, but 2 ends with a Dance. Nancy even says to dustin how when he grows up, it gets better.

Definitely. Just finished watching it this evening.

Would I be right in thinking that they’re off to High School next? Not actually sure on how US education works in terms of age and that.

Really enjoyed the Goonies bit too.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Definitely. Just finished watching it this evening.

Would I be right in thinking that they’re off to High School next? Not actually sure on how US education works in terms of age and that.

Really enjoyed the Goonies bit too.

If its another year time skip they would be in 9th Grade, which in some places is the first year of High School, and in others is the last year of Middle School.

Really enjoying it so far. As soon as I saw Paul Reiser playing a shady company man who says "trust me" a lot, I knew where the story was going

Episode 6 confirmed it, I don't think I've seen such a blatent Aliens rip off for a long time. So much dialogue was like lines from the movie. Even the gunfire, screams and motion tracker sounded almost identical.

I also found many similarities to Freaks and Geeks in the less action-y bits throughout the season. I approve