Students praise the new season.
By Ashley Johnson
Staff Writer
Warning: This article contains spoilers.
Note: If you haven’t seen the first season, here is a recap.
The long awaited return of Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things is finally here, and it is everything fans wanted and more. The end of season one left us with many questions, such as: What happened to Eleven? What was that gross thing Will puked up? How will Mike handle Eleven possibly being gone?
At last, the wait is over and season two is upon us. Unsurprisingly, Will (Noah Schnapp) did not return to us from the Upside Down unscathed, and has regular flashbacks of a sort, which leave him paralyzed with fear and his friends and family baffled, along with doctors.
Schnapp gives a stunning performance throughout the series, leaving viewers in tears, and often wondering, “What did he do to deserve this? Will we get to see this kid be happy, and actually be a kid?” Meanwhile, a new girl, Max (Sadie Sink) has come to school and joins the party (Will, Lucas, Mike and Dustin refer to themselves as “the party” in season two).
We catch up with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) finally, who has been taken in by Sherriff Hopper (David Harbour). Their dynamic together and storyline is amazing. Hopper does an excellent job playing a father role. He has been harboring her in a cabin in the woods to keep her safe and away from the “Bad Men” from Hawkins Lab.
Dustin and Steve (Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Keery) are the bromance viewers did not know they needed. Steve steps up and plays the role of babysitter for “the party,” a reference to the hit 80’s comedy, Adventures in Babysitting. For example: a scene took place in the Beyers’ kitchen while he takes on full mom status, yelling at them with a dishtowel on his shoulder; it’s iconic.
The new season introduced lots of new character development and dynamics. For example, Joyce Beyers (Winona Ryder), develops from angry and desperate in season one, to having a bit more determination, and a new relationship. Ryder brings life to a character who was somewhat flat last season, yet has become more multifaceted in season two.
Ever since the season premiere on October 27, campus has been abuzz with praise for the show:
“The new season is not as scary as the first one. It was better produced, and so far my favorite character is Hopper. He’s the shot-caller in the fight against the Hawkins Lab, and he takes initiative. I also totally predicted Bob’s death.” Explained ARCC student Kevin Fratzke.
“I really like the way that Steve’s role flipped, he becomes the mom of the group. I got much more attached to Bob than I wanted to. I got very frustrated with Billy, we didn’t really need another human villain for this season. When his racism is at its peak, it really makes us pay attention as to whether Max believes him, or if she believes Lucas when he tells her what happened.” Commented English instructor Kelly Meyer.
“Steve and Dustin are a great combination, and it gives Steve a lot more to do. Him and Dustin have really developed from their stereotypes that they were in the first season. We were supposed to not like Steve, and in this season we all felt sympathy towards him. The antagonist was very interesting, and it didn’t feel like they were really running from anything, like last season,” Explained student Noah Olson.
If you have already binged season two, here’s how long your wait is until season three.