Stranger Things

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A system of cells interlinked
Just about done with the new season. While my thoughts on the season are mostly positive...

WARNING: "Stranger Things 2" spoilers below
The story thread featuring 11 was definitely the weakest aspect of the season for me. The choice to keep her out of the group of kids for pretty much the entire season took a lot away from the dynamic of the group. I like Mad Max a whole lot, but they material they had 11 involved with seemed mostly tacked on, sometimes drifting so far out of range of the spirit of the show that i felt like I was watching a marvel show about a new group of emerging mutants. The "Give in to your anger" stuff that was slung around in episode 7 was derivative, and had me pining for more of the Hawkins story almost immediately. The show is at its best when it's focused on the adventurous group dynamics of the main group of kids, or when a googly-eyed Winona is hamming it up in full-on crazy mode.


The season has plenty to like, but I don't think it was as fresh or as well put together as the first.
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“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” ― Thomas Sowell



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
I wonder what that guy just wrote....

I watched the first 3 episodes last night and I still love all these characters. The execution is falling short though and I don't need these new characters. I guess that is some kind of rule that a new season means you have to add people.

WARNING: "Episodes 1-3" spoilers below
I will venture a part of the first season is having the mystery unfold in front of you. Without that aspect, it seems like we are left treading water for an eventual showdown.

-How many love triangles do I need? I'm hoping there is an explanation for why everyone's favorite no-filter Camel smoking, Hellboy daddy surrogate is not with Joyce.

- I know this show is nostalgia soaked fruitcake, but Billy is too much. Crazy mull, double-decking denim, TA blaring Scorpions. I guess I pick and choose with no rationale.

- Steve's a complete wimp now?

- How is the pollywog not a baby demogorgon and dead already?

- F you Bob and your sh#!++y advice. Too bad the internet already ruined your story.


It's only three episodes, so we'll see. Hard to catch lightning in the bottle twice.



This might just do nobody any good.
Steve was the best part of S2.

My reaction, overall, was the same as with S1: “fine but also meh”.

Really sweet ending, tho.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
Yeah, well, well, you'd probably eat a bowl full of nougat.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
S2:E4

WARNING: "that rad jam, really surveillance?, good for you cat" spoilers below

-Shout out to Push it to the Limit on the playlist. I always forget that it's from Scarface.
-Hopper goes running around doing all sorta stuff , hiding a psionic fugitive from the government, yet the kids get tailed and nabbed...
-Good for you cat, that's what you get for being a cat . I hate that they made my favorite character, Dustin, an idiot.


I am enjoying the new episodes, but some of the issues are hard to turn my brain off to.



We've gone on holiday by mistake
I read a spot on critique on another forum, how do you start of a season with an exiting new character only for that character to be a bit of a sideshow/letdown and only feature in 1 ep.

S2 definitely didn't hit the highs of Season 1. Don't understand how they went from evil men in black type/gov doctors to nice guy doctors co-operating with locals, its more fun when there's an evil gov black ops type. Eleven is now Proffesor X, so powerful they have to get rid of her for nearly the whole season before she rides in to save the day. Still love the 80's "ET" boys on bikes vibe, with cool electro music. I watched the first 6 or so eps quite slowly which is a sign I wasn't sucked in like before, ending was OK I guess.
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“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
It feels like that band with a bonkers debut album. You know, the material they have tuned up for the past 5 years.

Then the label forces them to have the follow-up out in 6 months.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
I read a spot on critique on another forum, how do you start of a season with an exiting new character only for that character to be a bit of a sideshow/letdown and only feature in 1 ep.
Cuz the end of season 4 is gonna be the Avengers/ Justice League.



This might just do nobody any good.
That whole episode shoulda been like 15 minutes.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
I think I put my finger on it. There's not enough weird.

No grey hair Modine, no isolation tank scenes, no swimming pool, no 11 at the rock quarry, no christmas light decoder...

Pretty close to calling it Carnivale da-da-dummm season 2. Not bad, but nothing beats the first time.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
So maybe I'm not the best at "using my words", but I really like Stranger Things. This season just seemed like they stretched the material too thin.

WARNING: spoilers below

-What real purpose do Max and the Red Ranger really serve? Neither saved the day, provided insight or anything of note. Billy and his ratchet wig where just a billboard for all the 80's cliche...and let's make him hate the world because. Obviously their Cali exile gets fleshed out, but why should we care.

-Eleven was given all these subplots because she couldn't be with the gang, she's a superhero and eliminates all fear. The mom I get, that had to happen. The mustache girl, all that just to reassure us that Papa is still out there. Ugh.

-Will. Good luck next time bub, maybe you can be more than a plot device.

-Closing "the gate"??? How many different little gates did we see in S1? This is your finale and the impending doom monster is just swirling around behind it.

-No upside-down? Everything about this series is branded u/d, yet we didn't see any of it expanded on.


It seems like 3-4 episodes of material that they made punch out of. Carnivale is the best analogy I can think of, but I'm pretty sure they knew it was the end.

Plus the weird meter was on E all season.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
What about Bob?

WARNING: spoilers below
Producer, "Hey, yeah. Um, Sean Astin, is a ... you know the kid from Goonies, he's a big fan of S1. Would love to be a bumbling , expendable character we could use to facilitate a fetch quest. "

We are suppose to believe that Joyce is gonna turn away from the Alpha that saved her boy, whom she had prior chemistry with, to date Radio Shack because? All of the material they had with him being a nerd, founder of the world famous Hawkins A.V. club, that could have been used with the kids and you make him responsible for Will getting smoke inhalation.


It kills me that I can't think of 2 sentences to string together about the Florida Project, but this season is like a game of whack-a-mole.

Oh yeah. Taserface was the cook in Season 1.



Liked season two, but will agree with others on here that Season one was better, but only just.

Do you know what this really reminds me of? Jaws 2 of all films. A good sequel, but perhaps lacking the magic of one. Just more of the characters you love really.

Still better than a lot of the other stuff on right now.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
WARNING: "str8 from the duffer's mouth" spoilers below
“We have a small version of that. I think, in Predator, the guy that Arnold is searching for is named Jim Hopper. And he’s like all skinned and killed by the Predator. So that’s our version. Stranger Things is just one elaborate Predator prequel.” […] “At the end of the show – I mean, he’s hunting monsters now – so the government’s like hey, you need to go to the jungle, and he gets killed and then that’s it. So that’s where we’re headed.” [laughs]





Just started season 1 so I am obviously way behind. If the pilot is any indication I am going to really enjoy this series.
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Letterboxd



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
WARNING: "more conjecture about stuff that may or may not..." spoilers below
In season1, Hopper is seen in a stairwell crying over his daughter at "the hospital". Well, Dr. Owens is seen in almost the exact position after being wounded in a similar looking stairwell. Was Hopper's daughter at Hawkins instead of a hospital? Does Hopper's daughter hairband on 11's wrist at the Snow ball mean something more?

Moving on. Let's not forget about Dustin and Hopper's upside-down particulate exposure. How does that play out? Maybe the gang moves against Dustin because of his handling of the Dart situation. Is Hopper gonna be a threat? How about 11 going all Dark Phoenix? How do you handle your superhero who nerfs all situations? Kali means dark goddess in Indian, what about her?



Just finished season 2. I liked it a lot. I actually don't think season 1 is "better" (although I still need to digest the second season a bit), just more consistent. This one felt 'looser' tone-wise. Admittedly I wasn't crazy about episode 7. But there was plenty to love about it anyway. My favorite thing might have been that

WARNING: "Season 2 spoilers" spoilers below
Max went for Lucas. Those two have great chemistry, and

I always felt Lucas was a bit underrated. Maybe because he's often stubborn, but I think that stubbornness comes from the fact that he cares for his friends. I think he's an excellent character.

I wasn't sure how I was going to like this after the first episode - which I felt was a slightly bumpy start. But it quickly fell into place, and I liked it a lot, aside from that damn episode 7.



You can't win an argument just by being right!
i think mr d binged season 2 last night. he was really enjoying it.