Stranger Things Season 2: Three Musketeers really are the WORST (Spoilers)

[red snow]

Very solid second season. I didn't really "get" episode 7 (the one with eleven meeting her "sister") but I guess I'd rather have an episode dedicated to that than it getting in the way of the main story. Otherwise really hard to pick any flaws.

I liked the Aliens/exorcist homages in the last two episodes and loved almost all of the characters. Bob was excellent as a useful "everyman" and it was nice to see him not fall apart and make things worse but solve problems throughout. I was also surpised how much more I liked Steve - another good play on a trope. I liked how they made him more likeable as Nancy gravitated to awkward Jonathan - it's incredibly rare that they don't make the "ex" (or the other two involved) seem bad in these situatoins.Billy was brilliant as the epitome of 80s high school jerks and the scene where his dad called him a "faggot" was really powerful (they really didn't need to expand the scene further to let us know the dad was a piece of work). Hopefully they give him some kind of arc next season - I got the impression they were setting something up with Steve (although the scene with Mike's mum was hilarious and would be fun to expand upon).

And again, the strength of the acting from those kids. The show's great but I can't help but think it's also going to be looked back upon as this show where major stars all started out together.

Considering I was wary as to whether the show could survive beyond a single season, it's great that I now feel as though they could easily do another season - even if I'm not entirely sure what they'd do (which is also good).

Watched a couple of episodes of "beyond stranger things" which is pretty entertaining as well as providing some nice insights from the showrunners on the thematic ideas and the thought going behind various character pairings. Poor Finn Wolfhard looked exhausted (probably had to do a lot of "IT" promo work at the same time) but was fun to see him come to life when talking about the character - he did a great job of explaining why his character didn't get to lead quite as much this season.

[drawkcabi]

On 10/31/2017 at 7:40 PM, karaddin said:

Someone I follow on Twitter complained that this didn't actually become a thing until the 90s so it's a bit inaccurate/they joked that Mike lit the spark that burned into gamergate (their idea of starting it, my word choice to riff on the last Jedi trailer).

 

On 10/31/2017 at 7:57 PM, Gertrude said:

You know, I didn't think about it but that feels true to me. The arcade was a place to hang out on the weekends when your parents dropped you off at the mall. Me and my friends did this ALL the time.

Warning: sexist comment coming up. There were definitely games that attracted boys v girls and vice verse. Obviously not exclusively, but it was a reality for me and my friends. Any game was better than no game, but I preferred Centipede and Dig Dug over Asteroid or other games. The best was obviously Joust and I will fight anyone who says otherwise.

Also, there were not enough people gathered around watching the boys play Dragon's Lair. That game was always absolutely packed with people watching and quarters lining the screen.

This is pretty true. Especially with the arcade games. They wanted everyone playing. When you hear about the creation of Pac-Man one of the main ideas was to create a game that would appeal to girls as much as boys. Their logic may still be kind of sexist (have it deal with eating).

And just on statistics, Centipede was a game favored by females over males.

Also, thinking about this knocked something loose in my mind. Dustin's obsession with MadMax beating his high score. maybe that was kind of an homage to Night of the Comet? Where Reggie's high score on an arcade game was beat by somebody and she wanted to find out who.

You can pinpoint where the idea began to fester that video games were a boys only club with the coming of Nintendo in 1986. After the video game crash of 1983 toy stores wanted nothing to do with video games. So Nintendo says, "This isn't really a video game system per se, it's a Nintendo Entertainment System. See it's got a toy robot, a zap gun, all that!" So the toy stores say ok it's a toy. Back then toys were marketed exclusively to boys or girls. Again, the NES had a robot and a zap gun, so it was marketed as a boys' toy and the seeds of gamergate are planted.

[SpaceChampion]

Good video on the intertextuality of Strangers Things and how it rises above how Hollywood typically uses it these days:

 

[Astromech]

10 hours ago, drawkcabi said:

 

 

Also, thinking about this knocked something loose in my mind. Dustin's obsession with MadMax beating his high score. maybe that was kind of an homage to Night of the Comet? Where Reggie's high score on an arcade game was beat by somebody and she wanted to find out who.

 

I always think of the scene from The Last Starfighter when there is a record breaker:

 

[RumHam]

11 hours ago, drawkcabi said:

Also, thinking about this knocked something loose in my mind. Dustin's obsession with MadMax beating his high score. maybe that was kind of an homage to Night of the Comet? Where Reggie's high score on an arcade game was beat by somebody and she wanted to find out who.

Oh man I used to love that movie. I have to track it down now it's been years. 

[drawkcabi]

3 hours ago, Astromech said:

I always think of the scene from The Last Starfighter when there is a record breaker:

 

I get that. It's just Comet was about someone putting their name in the high scores displacing the reigning champ and Reggie is like "Who the Hell is this DMK person?!!" when she sees the high scores have changed. More Similar to what Max did to Dustin than breaking the machine by beating it.

But no matter what, Starfighter is just so very cool. One of the first movies to go CGI heavy for special effects and it's amazing how they hold up. The story, the characters, the music, it's like a big franchise movie that was never part of any franchise. It's one of the best. And coincidentally, Reggie in Night of the Comet is Alex's girlfriend Mags from The Last Starfighter.

So they both were video game wizards in different movies.

The 80's rocked.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Skimmed the thread and I didn't see anyone post this. Eleven's got bars:

https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Millie-Bobby-Brown-Raps-About-Stranger-Things-Season-1-44205539

[Centrist Simon Steele]

On 10/31/2017 at 3:33 AM, mormont said:

Whenever I read someone saying something to this effect, all I can hear is 'I don't really understand what politics is'. Because nothing in society can be separated from politics, or vice versa.

Everything is political already. Everything. You yourself go on to talk about how Hollywood is a 'cesspool'. Do you not understand that's a political statement? Do you not think that calling for people to talk about race less is a political statement?

So anyway, that's why it's a good thing that ST2 addresses an important part of Lucas' identity and the society he lives in, even in small ways.

I was thinking about that this morning, and it seems to me the idea was to show a dark reflection of Eleven's life. Kali too has a gang, she too fights 'monsters', but it's all very different to what Eleven has back in Hawkins. It's what she could become, without the love she has there. Eleven's whole arc is about finding 'home', after all, so she needs to find an alternative 'home' so that she can reject it and come back to Hopper and the gang. It has to be away from Hawkins, and just finding her mother wouldn't be enough because it wouldn't provide that mirror.

Besides which, this may be a plot that comes back in season 3. (I actually wondered if Kali would become instrumental to defeating the Mind Flayer, but she didn't.)

Billy gave Max some dimensions beyond 'girl who does cool boy stuff'. He also gave Steve a sub-plot once he breaks up with Nancy: dark mirrors, again. It would be easy for Steve to go backwards after losing Nancy, but Billy reminds him what an asshole he used to be, which then leads to him taking care of the kids.

As to Kali, I also think that the distinction between her powers and Eleven's are important. She has a gang, she fights monsters like Eleven, but her powers deal in illusion (manipulation even), while Eleven's powers have a real impact, as do her and her friends' battles. Kali's quest for revenge really does not seem to accomplish much of anything. The guard who tortured is so far removed from those moments, for example, that killing him does nothing. It's an illusion of fighting the good fight.

I liked the episode. I was able to get lost in it, even though I resisted at first.

[drawkcabi]

There's a Stranger Things mobile app game  

Mike and Ryan (Cinemassacre) Stranger Things Let's Play

[Mladen]

Finally, I have finished the second season. And even though it wasn't as engaging as first season, I think it was a great season. Couple of things.

1. Like for many, Episode 7 was a bit weird and I am not sure it served a point they wanted it to serve. I suppose that Kali will have some role to play in future seasons, but so far, it was a bit off.

2. I am not sure what's the deal with Max's family. So, Billy is angry and lashing out on Max because they moved? I thought there is more to that story when he said "whose fault is that?" but apparently, beside abusive father, that would be pretty much that. Unless, I missed something.

3. Also, can we just say how Steve is awesome and Jonathan isn't. I mean, Jonathan and Nancy were rather boring (actually, Jonathan managed to be even worse). Steve, on the other hand, was so cool, especially his interaction with Dustin. I like that he isn't just some dumb jock and that character got its chance to shine. And it was really sweet to see him dropping off Dustin to a Snow Ball.

4. Oh, Bob... Poor Bob. I had a feeling that he was the one that would got killed from the moment he was established as the good, sweet guy. That said, I started mourning him the moment he left Chekhov's gun behind. 

5. Nougat trumps human flesh. I KNEW IT!!! 

6. I was a bit disappointed with the final confrontation. I would have preferred it to be more, IDK, physical. I felt it was a bit lacking (of something, I suppose)

Overall, it was a great ride... Looking forward to Season 3. 

[Liver and Onions]

Just finished it up last night. I really enjoyed it. Great acting from the whole cast. I love the concept that the Mindflayer showed up in the sky in the Upside Down, but was creeping into Hawkins underground. So simple but very effective. 

I agree that Billy's arc was sort of a puzzler. I would assume he gets his racist behavior from his dad, who seems like a prince of a man! /s. As to Billy being gay, he could be bisexual, which doesn't help the stereotype he may represent. And if he's going to do a heel/face turn next season, he's got A LOT to redeem- assaulting a child and all. (I cheered when Lucas nailed him in the nads, tho ) He's going to need more than a spiked bat and a fight with a demogorgon. 

[Centrist Simon Steele]

I loved the whole thing. I'm with you Liver and Onions--Billy is a strange character, but I think more than anything, he is there to serve as a catalyst to give more development to Max and Lucas--especially Lucas who had a smaller role of the main boys in the first season. Max and Lucas had this boogeyman of their own to deal with, and in some ways, I think this really interesting undertone of race existed under the surface of Billy's "I told you not to hang around him." But likely the big issue with Billy is that the Duffer Brothers have an issue with using a character as just a catalyst, and Billy gets more development than he should. We feel sympathy for him at times.

Otherwise, this season was equally great to season 1 for me.

I loved it all: Steve was friggin' awesome! Eleven's return was worth the wait. Hopper helping her, being her father--perfect. Paul Reiser subverting expectations and not being evil? Loved it. And Sean Astin too--I pegged him as a secret government agent spying on Will. But nope. Just a wonderful guy. Totally gut wrenching.

I can't get enough of this show. The dance scene at the end was perfect. If only Hopper and Joyce slow danced in the alley to Time after Time.

[l2 0 5 5]

Finished last night. I thought it was a great season.

As others pointed out, Steve was awesome this season and really grew on me. He started that trend in season 1 when he joined the party at the end to fight, but really came to bloom this season with the introduction of Alpha Juggernaut Billy. All the sudden, Steve is the one getting picked on kinda and you root for him against Billy. Also, the scenes with Dustin were great. They really grew a big bro little bro chemistry which was cool. I thought at the end Billy was gonna join their crew but then I realized he would just be doing the same thing Steve did last season; jock joins the fight against evil with the kids/unpopular people and that wouldn't fit quite yet, even though we got an understanding to why he acts the way he does. I always new Mike's mom had to be lonely with that drone of a husband!! Loved that scene. 

Felt genuinely bad for Dustin at the dance when he saw Lucas and Max together. Then getting denied by the couple other girls afterwards. That was cool of Nancy to help him out. As for Nancy and Jonathan, I have to agree with the others about John: Boring as shit. I was pulling for him last season when Steve was a dickbag but that's now changed for me. Oh, and isn't Steve the dude from the Domino's commercials? I just realized that this season.

In agreement with the others about ep 7. I wasn't particularly interested in Kali and her crew. Cool to see Eleven bond with a sister but overall I wasn't invested in their story. I wonder if we'll see any other people like Kali and Eleven throughout the series? Kali was 008, and 011 for El, so I'd imagine there's more out there. Doubt we will see that, and I'm okay with that, but just a thought.

Eleven and Hopper's story was touching to watch. Had a very Joel/Ellie from the last of us feel to it (Even had the Sarah connection). Felt good for the both of them when we find out that Hopper adopts her as his own daughter. I feel like the series could've wrapped after this last episode as it seems everything was neatly tied together but the last 30 seconds or so refutes that. I'm not upset about it, just curious to see how they make the enemy emerge again next season.

[RhaenysBee]

Finished season 2 on Friday. 

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy it, it was entertaining and fun, but I do think season 1 was stronger. 

Highlights: 

- I absolutely love Steve. He was so nice and cool and brave this season. I loved how much he cared about the younger ones and he was pretty great with nancy too. Loved loved loved his bromance with Dustin.

- I also really loved the fact that Dustin and Lucas got more screentime and story this season, they really needed it. 

- Hopper was a sweetheart and I loved that he ended up adopting Eleven. 

- I still appreciate and love how close-knit the Byers are, and how that’s in contrast with the Wheelers, who seem like they don’t actually care about one other (but still do, in fact) 

- I liked that they introduced new characters and I liked that professor whatshisname, who helped to get will out of the lab wasn’t a bad guy. 

- I loved the dynamic of episode 3-4-5-6 and episodes 8-9 were amazing too. 

- Nancy dancing with Dustin was the sweetest thing. 

Downsides:

- the plot was pretty damn predictable at certain points, but whatever

- there were a couple things I would have liked to get an answer to. So how did Dustin’s mom find out that Mews was dead and accept she had to get a new kitten? Did Aunt Becky have anything to say about Hopper’s adopting Eleven? Did she even find out where she’s gone? 

- Eleven’s storyline was a complete mess. She went from lost puppy to complete brat to lost puppy to badass to brat to badass and Back to lost puppy again. She was completely all over the place and I disliked her most of the time. 

- the Kali stuff was so out of place. I get what they were trying to say but the message was rushed, it should have been distributed throughout the whole season and not squeezed into a single episode. 

- The Billy-Max story was a really raw and underdeveloped attempt at a nod to #bullyingisbad Television these days is all about promoting popular hashtags. 

- and then Bob... my god. I have such ambivalent feelings about this. I mean it was a nice try. But I can’t get past this flashing image in front of my eyes: Janet, What’s a plot device? / Hello! A plot device is Sam in Stranger Things! 

- how OLD are these bloody kids? Why do we have to end the season showing they all have romantic relationships/interests and kiss at the age of what, 12?  

 

[Pilusmagnus]

22 minutes ago, RhaenysB said:

- how OLD are these bloody kids? Why do we have to end the season showing they all have romantic relationships/interests and kiss at the age of what, 12?  

 

They were 14-15 at the time of shooting. Only Will was 12 and he's the one not getting a love story. 

[RhaenysBee]

5 minutes ago, Pilusmagnus said:

They were 14-15 at the time of shooting. Only Will was 12 and he's the one not getting a love story. 

Aren’t they classmates? How can Will be younger? And weren’t they like 11 last season?

[Pilusmagnus]

4 minutes ago, RhaenysB said:

Aren’t they classmates? How can Will be younger? And weren’t they like 11 last season?

It's based on the actors' ages. I always assumed that Will, being apparently quite gifted, probably skipped classes.

[RhaenysBee]

6 minutes ago, Pilusmagnus said:

It's based on the actors' ages. I always assumed that Will, being apparently quite gifted, probably skipped classes.

How the hell is that even possible? It was specifically stated that one year passed since season one. So am I supposed to believe they were 14 last season? And Will was 11 and he happened to skip three years of school because he is smart? That really can’t be the case. 

 

Okay, so according to google, they were 12 last season and they are 13 now. Still not sure why all 13-year-old characters need romantic relationships and kissing. 

[Pilusmagnus]

3 minutes ago, RhaenysB said:

How the hell is that even possible? It was specifically stated that one year passed since season one. So am I supposed to believe they were 14 last season? And Will was 11 and he happened to skip three years of school because he is smart? That really can’t be the case. 

More like they were 12-13 last season and Will was 11 and now they're 13-14 and he's 12. 

[RhaenysBee]

1 hour ago, Pilusmagnus said:

More like they were 12-13 last season and Will was 11 and now they're 13-14 and he's 12. 

Like I said, according to google, they were all 12 last season and they are all 13 this season. No class jumping.