Online Series: Stranger Things (A love letter to the supernatural classics of the 80's)

[Bjorn Le]

Minor relationship spoiler, episode six.

Spoiler

The producers said they wouldn't do a Jonathan/Nancy romance unless they could make it realistic, because they were like Jonathan in high school and they knew that nerdy, introverted kid never would get with a girl like Nancy during 1980s high school. But I must say, they did it exceptionally well in episode six. I loved it.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I didn't have a major problem with episode 7. I liked how it was dropped in after the cliff hanger at the end of 6 for a bit of a change of pace. Plus it certainly seems it was setting up future story lines. I don't mind diversions like that in a story and trust the creators will pay it off further down the line.

 

[silverfish]

Episode 7

Spoiler

Was somewhat necessary. El can't channel the strength needed to close the gate unless she goes on that "discover yourself" tour. She can't move the train until she can. She can't close the gate until she learns to move the train.

I also believe the interactions between her and 008 are necessary for future seasons, if 008 is either an ally or an enemy

 

[Osprey]

@silverfish

Spoiler

Yeah, it was necessary for El to learn how to channel her power, but that doesn't mean that the way that they chose to go about that was necessary, and I think that that's what most people have an issue with. Instead of going on a trip to Chicago to find her mother just to find her "sister" just to learn to move a train, she could've maybe simply stayed in Hawkins and practiced on a train car there. Dustin could've gotten a book on mental telepathy from the library and read from it the same advice that she got from Kali.

Granted, that would mean not introducing Kali, but they could've simply introduced her in a later season when they actually need her, rather than introducing her as a plot device and for the sake of introducing her. Now, they kind of have to bring her back, since she's a hanging thread, even if they have to shoehorn her into another season just to close that thread. They also can't change her backstory now or change her power to something else that might fit a future plot better (like something that might actually be useful against the Mind Flayer). I'm just not sure that introducing her the way that they did was really necessary.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

@Osprey

Spoiler

We're probably just going to have to agree to disagree on this, but I think Eleven wanting to escape/get away/learn more about her life both fit with her character and the situation (mad at Hopper, mad at Mike). I didn't see it as an unwarranted side trip at all. I also don't see Kali as a plot device -- I think there's clearly more in store for her and I applaud how that was woven in to this season 2 story.

Keeping Eleven in Hawkins and having some other character happen to come across a book to help her learn about her powers? THAT (or something like it), my friend, would be a hacky plot device and would be much tougher to accept than how they actually handled to story IMO. Again, though, probably agree to disagree.

I get why people don't like episode 7. It's not my favorite either. But it does have its place and function and it isn't nearly as out of character or off-base with the rest of the story as some folks want to make it out to be.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

I enjoyed Season 2, but probably not as much as Season 1.

I thought Bob was a great character, although Max and her brother were kind of useless.

I also didn't mind Episode 7 at all. I enjoyed it.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

*Mind Flayer

 

[silverfish]

@Osprey

Spoiler

We're probably just going to have to agree to disagree on this, but I think Eleven wanting to escape/get away/learn more about her life both fit with her character and the situation (mad at Hopper, mad at Mike). I didn't see it as an unwarranted side trip at all. I also don't see Kali as a plot device -- I think there's clearly more in store for her and I applaud how that was woven in to this season 2 story.

Keeping Eleven in Hawkins and having some other character happen to come across a book to help her learn about her powers? THAT (or something like it), my friend, would be a hacky plot device and would be much tougher to accept than how they actually handled to story IMO. Again, though, probably agree to disagree.

I get why people don't like episode 7. It's not my favorite either. But it does have its place and function and it isn't nearly as out of character or off-base with the rest of the story as some folks want to make it out to be.

Agreed.

 

[Osprey]

Spoiler

Keeping Eleven in Hawkins and having some other character happen to come across a book to help her learn about her powers? THAT (or something like it), my friend, would be a hacky plot device and would be much tougher to accept than how they actually handled to story IMO.

In that case, the whole series is largely a string of hacky plot devices, because that's basically how the kids have gotten most of their information in the series. In Season 1, the kids were informed by books and D&D and just happened to have a science teacher who knew about and could explain the Upside Down to them. In Season 2, Dustin learned about the Pollywog by checking out books from the library and they learned about the Mind Flayer from a D&D manual. That's why I mentioned a library book as a possible alternative source of information: it's precisely in keeping with the established plot device of the series, that the kids seek out knowledge in books and smarter people to aid their quest. It may be too convenient, but, if so, then the whole plot of both seasons is way too convenient.

I get why people don't like episode 7. It's not my favorite either. But it does have its place and function and it isn't nearly as out of character or off-base with the rest of the story as some folks want to make it out to be.

I don't think that anyone is saying that Episode 7 doesn't have a place or function. We're just saying that we don't really like the execution of it.

*Mind Flayer

Oh, whoops. I thought that it said "Player" when it was briefly on the screen and then I must've heard what I expected to hear whenever the characters mentioned it. Thanks for the correction. That makes the name cooler than I thought that it was, too.

 

[harvestglen]

Episode 7

Spoiler

Was somewhat necessary. El can't channel the strength needed to close the gate unless she goes on that "discover yourself" tour. She can't move the train until she can. She can't close the gate until she learns to move the train.

I also believe the interactions between her and 008 are necessary for future seasons, if 008 is either an ally or an enemy

Spoiler

I actually liked the idea about El seeking out her past, and coming to her own conclusions on where her home really is. My problem was the execution of it, feeling so tonally different from the rest of the show and, to many of us, unenjoyably so. I feel like this episode hints at a more comic-booky future that is rather unwelcome for those of us who love the show for its more grounded feel.

Reworking the idea of the episode, I might have had El's mother somehow be a more direct messenger of this lesson, rather than just leading El to another messenger. As for the whole harnessing her power thing, that was needed for the ending only because that was the solution the writers came up to with their threats (the whole closing the gate climax was underwhelming to me). But if we wanted to maintain that approach I would actually consider it a more beautiful moment if El began to discover for herself how her emotions play into her abilities.

 

[Bjorn Le]

Episode 9 and overall season spoilers:

Spoiler

I'll start off with the end of the episode. Amazing song choice for the dance. At first I thought, the producers aren't dumb enough to confuse a song about a stalker for a love song are they? Than I got the reference, even before the ending scene in the Upside Down. Perfect.

Overall, it was a great season, better than the first which was hard to do. Yes, there were lots of clichés and plot holes (for ex. how did Hopper's SUV get to the DOE, he certainly didn't drive it there), but the show never pretended to be anything else. I liked episode seven and I thought it was a good way of doing it, although it did disrupt the flow of the show a little bit.

Mike was ridiculously annoying this season. Whiney, clingly, and just an asshole to everyone.

Loved Nancy getting with Jonathan. And as I said earlier, they did it really well.

Felt sorry for Billy. Max wasn't too interesting a character after the first few episodes, but she wasn't a bad character.

Gaten Matarazzo and Millie Bobby Brown are by far the best child actors on the show. I suspect in 10 years, they'll be the stars we're still talking about. Gaten has a natural charisma, and Millie is very talented.

 

[The Gongshow]

I need to rewatch S2 again

 

[Osprey]

Spoiler

I actually liked the idea about El seeking out her past, and coming to her own conclusions on where her home really is. My problem was the execution of it, feeling so tonally different from the rest of the show and, to many of us, unenjoyably so. I feel like this episode hints at a more comic-booky future that is rather unwelcome for those of us who love the show for its more grounded feel.

That concerns me, too. Introducing a second character with a power, especially a very different power, suggests that the series may go in a "superhero" direction, like Heroes or X-Men. If Kali is out there, then how many others like them are there? Just going by the number designations, there could be 9 others. Are El and Kali going to find more and team up with them to defeat the government and the Mind Flayer? If so, are Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas going to be slowly marginalized because they have no powers? You would hope not, but consider how much of Season 2 was spent on El's story (in the cabin for half of the season and then in Chicago) that could've been spent on the boys, such as on giving a much needed side plot to Mike, who had hardly anything to do.

 

[harvestglen]

Spoiler

That concerns me, too. Introducing a second character with a power, especially a very different power, suggests that the series may go in a "superhero" direction, like Heroes or X-Men. If Kali is out there, then how many others like them are there? Just going by the number designations, there could be 9 others. Are El and Kali going to find more and team up with them to defeat the government and the Mind Flayer? If so, are Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas going to be slowly marginalized because they have no powers? You would hope not, but consider how much of Season 2 was spent on El's story (in the cabin for half of the season and then in Chicago) that could've been spent on the boys, such as on giving a much needed side plot to Mike, who had hardly anything to do.

Spoiler

Another thing I loved about season 1 was how El's abilities seemed special. She was a mistreated person first and foremost, who just so happened be able to defend herself in extraordinary ways. Making her a part of a wider universe of people like her shifts us away from that poignant look into her humanity. How she learns to confront a path to normalcy is far more interesting to me than seeing her powers continue to develop.

 

[Bakayoko Ono]

Great show, personally enjoyed this season more than the first one.

 

[DucksFanDFW]

Loved season 2. I had no problems with any of the episodes. Hearing Oingo Boingo in episode 1 must have just put me in a good mood.

Spoiler

Everyone is all Bob , I'm like Dart

 

[montreal]

just finished season 2, both seasons were great imo. Season 2 started a little slow but picked up and was great imo. Can't wait for season 3.

 

[chokei]

Don't know how the show was shot, but I feel like they changed the screentime portions for the different kids quite a lot. Mike was the leader of the whole operation in S1 and Lucas and Dustin felt like sidekicks. Now in S2, as someone above already mentioned, Mike had hardly anything to do aside from a few scenes and Dustin was clearly the main focus along with Lucas. Dustin is a cool character but I don't like it when shows change simply because they felt that a certain character connects well with the audience.

Spoiler: Re the "relationship spoiler"

When they say that they only want to do a Jonathan-Nancy romance when they can make it realistic... haven't they already made it more romantic than would be realistic? While it's plausible that Nance grows fond of Jonathan while she spends more time with him, the way their whole thing started ("oh, the poor loser, let's be nice to him") was already quite far from being realistic. Also, I feel like right now Nancy doesn't have a lot of reasons to go back to Steve. To me it felt like she made her decision to like Jonathan a lot independent of Steve.

 

[NyQuil]

I'm thinking they are just trying to share the acting wealth and the storylines.

I think it's clever, personally.

 

[Mickey Marner]

I preferred season one, but enjoyed both.

 

[Bjorn Le]

Spoiler: Re the "relationship spoiler"

When they say that they only want to do a Jonathan-Nancy romance when they can make it realistic... haven't they already made it more romantic than would be realistic? While it's plausible that Nance grows fond of Jonathan while she spends more time with him, the way their whole thing started ("oh, the poor loser, let's be nice to him") was already quite far from being realistic. Also, I feel like right now Nancy doesn't have a lot of reasons to go back to Steve. To me it felt like she made her decision to like Jonathan a lot independent of Steve.

It was in an interview after the release of first season. At the end of the first season, someone asked a question to the creators about why they didn’t have them get together then and they said they didn’t have a realistic way of doing it.

Spoiler

I don’t really agree regarding the way it started. They were sort of forced together by the circumstances of Barb and Will going missing, and it didn’t start with her taking pity on him. They started being aware of each other due to circumstances out of their control then found out they were more similar than either of them thought. By season 2, Nancy and Jonathan are definitely good friends even if Jonathan is a little distant. All it took was them being forced to be around each other for an important reason, and Nancy realizing that Steve isn’t really compatible with her for her to change her mind, which is realistic.

 

[XX]

I love how this follows 80s stereotypes but it manages to redeem a lot of characters and do interesting things with them, Steve especially. I loved the entire season, even 7. A lot more depth I felt this time around.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

WOW, just finished season 2! AMAZING!!!! I definitely thought season 2 was better than one and that is saying a lot since I loved season 1 too. I thought season 1 has a few more "slow" spots while season 2 rarely had any. Plus the twists were great.

 

[CactusEverywhere]

I thought this season started out a bit slow, but once it got going, wow! There's sooo much I want to talk about but I'll start generally.

Spoiler: Hop & El

This pairing is awesome! Was so sad seeing her alone in the woods then following him out like skittish animal. It was neat when she reached out for his hand in the car & lab. That contrast of being able to/having killed with a thought, but she's still just a scared, nervous little kid at times. Like during the fight in the cabin, she gave Hopper a look, and he sort of back up for a second (not that she would've done anything of course, just like he realized "Oh yeah, that.") Loved the whole conversation on the ride to the lab, escpecially Hop's face when she told him riding with the nice man in the big truck.

Spoiler: Billy & Max

Meh on Max, I can take her or leave her. Will be interesting to see future Max/El/Mike interactions. Felt Billy was pointless this season, but I guess we'll see his purpose next seasson.

Spoiler: El's city adventure

I loved this episode! Loved seeing her interact with someone like her, and of course this ep was very important to her development. Kali definitely cared about Jane, but that environment would have been a bad influence on her ultimately I think.

Spoiler: Next season

I can see it being the goverment trying to El/other escapees back, maybe using their "successful" human experiments to track her down. To try to retrain her as their instrument or simply to contain if they just see her as a ruined experiment. The Shadow Monster wants her too. Just imagine what it could do controlling her! And hitch me to the "Brenner is alive" wagon. An even crazier emotional rollercoaster for El is upcoming I bet. A Hopper/Brenner confrontation would be...quite something!

Oh, and Steve is awesome (who saw *that* coming?!) and poor

Spoiler

Bob Newby, Superhero (should've kept running!) and Mews. Justice for Mews!

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Okay, I haven't read the thread yet (I'll get to it when I'm home from work), but I just finished season 2 and...I can't be the only one that thinks this show is massively overrated, can I?