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| Scene from Stranger Things |
In an era where it's difficult to become a phenomenon, Netflix released Stranger Things to an unassuming public. Within months of season one's release, it was a pop culture phenomenon as the child stars crashed awards ceremonies and crowd favorite actors would receive Emmy nominations. It's a horror show whose infusion of 80's nostalgia created something tangible for audiences who longed for the days when Steven Spielberg and Stephen King dictated where the scares from. With season two, the pressure was to expand the universe without losing its underdog appeal. So, how does one of Netflix's most advertised shows stack up with a few more episodes? The results aren't exactly pristine. However, it's a good sign that this phenomenon has plenty to offer and isn't afraid to take chances.
With a bigger budget, Stranger Things decided to follow up its acclaimed first season with an ambitious exploration of character. This meant that creators The Duffer Brothers were allowed to take more liberties with the series. Each character had more personality and played to their strengths. The new supporting cast may at times have felt like cyphers for preexisting characters, but they all created a universe that was wholly consistent with the vision down to 80's songs that weren't only likely expensive, but probably too on the nose. This was the world where Ghostbusters was dominating theaters and lawns were filled with Reagan/Bush signs. To say the least, it was the 80's and this was a time when people had big hair and hung out in arcades where girls nicknamed "Mad Max" scored high on points.
The one disadvantage to this second season is the self-awareness. The first season existed in a bubble where there was no expectation, with many even believing that it was a potential horror anthology on par with American Horror Story or Black Mirror. Instead, its success dictated that we would be seeing more of Eleven and the gang. In some ways, it's egregious - with some characters explicitly dropping lines in that feel work-shopped by test audiences, including concern over the "Justice for Barb" meme. As much as it feels looser and more engaging, it also felt like it was trying to be a show that was greater than its initial intent. It wasn't an anthology show, nor was it going to be something contained. It was going to keep getting... stranger.
This is of course a great thing to consider when making a horror series. A show needs to take chances and go into weird directions in order to maintain its appeal. However, there are probably those who were perturbed that the first half of the season ("Act 1" in a sense) was focused around the days after season one; where the trauma of experiencing a supernatural world still haunted its characters. Even as it built to that season's big evil monster, it felt like these characters existed in a realistic version of this world. There would be trauma and moments of insecurity amid goofy jokes and tacky 80's shtick. The city feels lived in as it grows bigger, allowing fringe characters to feel more important along the way. Still, the first half of the show works because it steps back from the horror and suggests that these are kids, and they deserve to have a regular life.
The breakout character Eleven spends most of the season off on her own, travelling towards town in order to meet up with her friends. She has odd moments, including a montage where she redesigns a cabin. Still, the moment likely to annoy fans comes in Episode 7, where Eleven's back story unveils something interesting but a tad excessive. She was, in a sense, a street punk who hung out with cartoon figures with Day-Glo hairspray. On its own, it's a flawed story with good moments. Where it lays - in between intense moments of the main story's third act - shows that this series has some issues with pacing. It clearly wants to expand the universe, but doesn't know how to do it without upsetting what audiences want.
Which makes one wonder what it is that audiences want. For what it's worth, the season ends on a high note with the bigger budget producing a spectacular last two hours. The creators clearly still have a momentum to keep things interesting and make a world that is both indicative of the 80's, but also at times its own beast. The additional characters create this vision in a clearer sense, and it leaves plenty of wonder as to what lies ahead. These kids who save the day will likely continue to do so when season three drops in little under a year. While it may not be quite as big of a success as it was the first time around, the show still manages to have fun with its cast and produce a world worthy of its Netflix binge watching mode. It may not always have the best ideas, but it usually has a lot of fun moments to spare.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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