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View Full Version : Stranger Things (Season 2)



Dukefrukem
07-11-2017, 01:10 PM
October 27th

https://media.aintitcool.com/media/uploads/2017/quint/strangerthingss2keyart_large.j pg

Dukefrukem
07-23-2017, 02:42 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgS2L7WPIO4

Wryan
08-27-2017, 03:33 AM
Just watched that Thriller trailer again. Goddamn that's a fantastic piece of work. Hoping the second season is a good'un.

Wryan
10-13-2017, 04:21 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1ZXOOLMJ8s

Not super excited if the Big Sky Baddie is a cloud monster, was hoping for something more tangible, but I trust them to do something interesting with it. Looks good.

Irish
10-13-2017, 04:29 PM
The scariest thing in that trailer is the "Reagan / Bush '84" lawn sign.

Irish
10-13-2017, 04:35 PM
Also, that's a lotta guns for a show mostly about kids.

Peng
10-28-2017, 03:02 AM
For all the constant snarks about the show being only nostalgia-bait (amplied by it becoming so popular), it continues to have little moments of subversion that make it so satisfying/gratifying (like how they resolve the possibly trite love triangle in the first season). I just watched the first episode, and apart from the usual fun narrative and great rapport between the kids, I like how they manage to put real sorrow underlining the meme-ified Barbara disappearance (I thought the car discussion was about Steve not wanting to dinner with Nancy's parents, which makes the scene of them coming up to Barbara's house revealing all those pictures a minor gut punch for me) and not wait around for episodes about Eleven.

Irish
10-28-2017, 03:40 AM
Pedantic Comment 1 of 10,362

Max wouldn't have been able to enter "MADMAX" on Dig Dug's high score screen because early arcade games didn't have the memory space to record more than 3 letters. So, she would have be forced to go with simply "MAX." (Or, more likely, do what most kids did: Enter some variation of "AAA", "BBB", "CCC", "ASS" or "DIK.") It appears the show uses a high score screen from Dig Dug II, but that game wasn't released until March, 1985. (The episode takes place in October, 1984.)

Wryan
10-28-2017, 05:24 PM
Thought it was a very good season. Not as scary as some of the first season's moments of true terror, but good fun. Damn that poor kid. This show has really done a lot of shit to him. Also thought the relationship between Hopper and Eleven got almost a little too dark and intense...but I guess it was sorta needed for that bizarre little Runaways interlude. It's not that that episode was bad, per se--it was fine, I suppose, for what it was trying to accomplish--but it had the misfortune of being sandwiched between two really stellar episodes. Some nice representations of trauma. Thought for sure they were going to do a "don't use hate, use love" kinda thing, but maybe next season. I was sort of giddy to see Paul Reiser as a non-slimeball, tho it occurred to me during one particular episode that they probably secured him for the Aliens frisson. Lots of little lite-metatextual things like that, most of which worked for me. Thought Dacre Montgomery made for the perfect '80s scumbag and a nice foil to Steve. Felt a little odd that Eleven was separated from the group for so much of the season, especially when that's one of the things that made the first season so strong--not sure what she learned was so important that it was worth it. The season got a lot of mileage out of Sean Astin's pure goodness.

The extended scene in the shed is probably the best thing this show has done to date--virus/host body take-over cliches notwithstanding.

Ivan Drago
10-28-2017, 05:57 PM
Four episodes in. Does anybody else feel like the story is moving too fast or that characters are figuring things out too easily? The first season gave us time to ponder over what might be happening, whereas in season two, Joyce is able to find the outline of the cloud monster and figure out Will's drawings are part of a bigger picture just like that. Not only that, but in the second episode, something felt off about Max trick-or-treating with Mike and the gang so quickly after her brother almost killed them. I dunno, maybe I'm just bingeing too quickly or I should've revisited the first season beforehand.

That being said, it's still a good show. The characters are coalescing from tropes of the 80s into their own beings (particularly Nancy and Officer Hopper), the score is still sublime, the new cast members are solid additions, all the plot threads are engaging and entertaining to watch play out, and episodes are briskly paced (which is a both a compliment and a detriment for the reasons stated above). Also, for a show with something for the whole family, it goes to frightening places, particularly with Officer Hopper's outburst with Eleven and the 'Pollywog' feasting on the family cat in episode 4. Can't wait to see how it all wraps up, even with my quibbles.

Peng
10-28-2017, 06:28 PM
I'm three episodes in but huh, the common complaint I've been seeing about this season is that it moves too slow compared to the first. Not that I agree one way or another yet without the whole season (although the second episode feels a bit that way, even if it's still engaging).

Sycophant
10-28-2017, 07:20 PM
Only two eps in. I like Stranger Things, but never lost my mind with enthusiasm for it. I admired the first season for its enjoyable performances, genre savvy, and its incredible forward momentum. The show occasionally has some really off moments--a bit of dialogue that sounds unhumanly weird, a scene that doesn't quite seem to play out the way it's supposed to, hackneyed deployment of well-worn tropes instead of lively or smart implementations--but that has generally been compensated for by a healthy, fast pace set by discoveries, cliffhangers, and good character moments. Having gotten through the second episode, it has been much more content to let scenes just play out without these, which has me noticing what I see as some of the show's faults. Still enjoying it, and I'd imagine it'll pick up the pace, but it doesn't always seem to be playing to its strengths. Perhaps not surprisingly, this feels like a sequel. Or perhaps more accurately, while the previous series felt like a mini-series or a long film chopped up into eight segments, this feels like a television series that could run indefinitely.

Wryan
10-28-2017, 08:03 PM
Thought Ryder was also very strong this season.

Ivan Drago
10-28-2017, 08:04 PM
I'm three episodes in but huh, the common complaint I've been seeing about this season is that it moves too slow compared to the first. Not that I agree one way or another yet without the whole season (although the second episode feels a bit that way, even if it's still engaging).

Maybe I need to revisit it on a slower timeline once I finish binging it. I do admit this initial watch is to let the story hit me before someone inevitably posts spoilers on my Facebook feed.

Anyway, just started episode 5 (directed by Andrew Stanton!!). Dustin is just the best.

Sycophant
10-29-2017, 05:04 PM
Okay, so can anybody tell me what the really plain-looking costumes Nancy and Steven spent "way too much time" making were supposed to be?

Ivan Drago
10-30-2017, 02:32 AM
Finished it today and it got better and better after episode four. It feels less like a hodgepodge of 80s references this season and more like it's own thing. Truly great stuff.

Dukefrukem
10-30-2017, 12:07 PM
I'm five episodes in and I'm thinking this is better than season 1.

Peng
11-02-2017, 02:33 AM
Okay, so can anybody tell me what the really plain-looking costumes Nancy and Steven spent "way too much time" making were supposed to be?

Maybe you already learned this somewhere else, but Risky Business.

Finished it. A drop from the first season but still fun.

megladon8
11-05-2017, 01:17 AM
Episode 7 was godawful.

But the last two saved it.

Not as good as season 1, but still pretty darn good.

The freaking dance. *melts*

Dukefrukem
11-05-2017, 12:39 PM
Loved this season. It's improved on every aspect of Season 1.

transmogrifier
11-05-2017, 02:35 PM
I thought this was much worse, and I wasn't that huge a fan of the first season. Some of the plotting here is so half-arsed as to be laughable. It simply has no idea how to handle such a large cast of characters or to get them interacting in meaningful ways (I mean, the writers' answer to getting Steve involved is basically "Uh, he just coincidentally runs into one of the young kids and then just follows along. Why? Because if he didn't we'd actually have to think of an organic, satisfying way to get him involved, and no-ones got time for that shit.")

And why is there a scene of Max's brother flirting creepily with Nancy's mother and why the hell does it go on for so long? This season was full of padding and junk.

EDIT: The moment when I truly knew that we weren’t in safe hands storywise was when Eleven goes to the school and they foist a sub-sitcomesque scene of poor/coincidental timing and misunderstanding to drive the entire rest of her story. I mean, at least TRY.

Skitch
11-08-2017, 11:42 AM
I wasn't the biggest fan of season one, but I felt this season was much better. *shrug*

Skitch
11-08-2017, 11:43 AM
EDIT: The moment when I truly knew that we weren’t in safe hands storywise was when Eleven goes to the school and they foist a sub-sitcomesque scene of poor/coincidental timing and misunderstanding to drive the entire rest of her story. I mean, at least TRY.

Worst scene in the entire show. I HATED that so very very much.

Dukefrukem
11-08-2017, 12:10 PM
Agreed. I hated that scene too. Actually forgot about it until now.

I also forgot that they never really wrapped up the brother character.

transmogrifier
11-08-2017, 01:05 PM
Agreed. I hated that scene too. Actually forgot about it until now.

I also forgot that they never really wrapped up the brother character.

Max's brother was genuinely useless as a character. You could see they were trying to add a bit of depth to Steve's character by giving him a rival of sorts, but it amounts to a couple of sweaty basketball scenes and a random fight scene at the end when they realized "Hey, we better do something with this character. I know, let's have him flirt with one of the mothers and then go fight Steve!"

Peng
11-08-2017, 01:20 PM
Most of this season's flaws, and also the root that makes it inferior to the first for me, come from the fact that the Duffer Brothers now know they can plan in advance for sure, so many things are left annoyingly dangling or move too slow to leave place for development in future seasons, instead of making the season stand more on their own.

Wryan
11-08-2017, 04:17 PM
I'll just be over here absolutely loving the scene between Billy and Mrs. Wheeler, thanks much.

Wryan
11-08-2017, 10:28 PM
This is quite comprehensive, even tho not all are pure '80s.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soYiWTm089k

Side note: does anyone know how to disable those ridiculous godawful popups at the end of the video that block half the damn screen while there's still stuff going on? I have like adblock and ghostery and such on already.

transmogrifier
11-08-2017, 10:41 PM
I'll just be over here absolutely loving the scene between Billy and Mrs. Wheeler, thanks much.

Why? Just.... why? It is a cliched, horribly acted scene that serves zero purpose for anything. It's terrible.

Skitch
11-08-2017, 10:57 PM
I thought that scene was funny too. It didn't go anywhere, but I snickered.

Dukefrukem
11-08-2017, 11:08 PM
I also snickered.

transmogrifier
11-08-2017, 11:31 PM
I don't know you people anymore.

Skitch
11-08-2017, 11:42 PM
For half the season I was expecting Max and her brother to have superpowers or a connection to the Upside Down somehow or something. I thought it was a dull choice to have them move into town and spend half the season strong alluding to "dark" past moments, only to have it just be a broken home with an Alpha dad. I was like, "that's it?"

Dukefrukem
11-09-2017, 12:25 AM
For half the season I was expecting Max and her brother to have superpowers or a connection to the Upside Down somehow or something. I thought it was a dull choice to have them move into town and spend half the season strong alluding to "dark" past moments, only to have it just be a broken home with an Alpha dad. I was like, "that's it?"

I thought they were both hired by the Government to spy on the kids.

megladon8
11-09-2017, 02:17 AM
I thought Bob was going to end up being a government spy.

Skitch
11-09-2017, 02:30 AM
I thought Bob was going to end up being a government spy.

Dude, I totally thought the same when they were in the hospital-ish scene!

Ditto duke, that thought crossed my mind too.

Gizmo
11-11-2017, 05:19 AM
Finished this yesterday. Didn't enjoy it as much as the first season, and can't quite put my finger on why. Seems like everything about the season was just "off", plus a little slower to get to plot points. I think the worst part was that episode 6 finally brought some tension/action and left on a cliffhanger, then episode 7 happened. It felt very Walking Dead-esque, and I quit watching that show because of the number of filler episodes to fill out the season. Sad to see a Netflix show do this, because there was no need to stretch to 9 episodes.

MadMan
11-23-2017, 05:04 AM
I prefer Season 2. Bob, Max and others were welcome additions. Steve is the show's MVP. I still do not care for Mike or Will.

Skitch
11-23-2017, 02:49 PM
I still do not care for Mike or Will.

Wow, now that you mention it, neither do I.

Milky Joe
11-24-2017, 07:09 PM
I'm about to blow your mind, whoever may be reading this:

BARB = BOB

both innocent, slightly overweight characters who meet unnecessarily brutal ends.

what is the meaning of this? why does literally every character look exactly the same? even Steve noticed this when he was woozy and mistook Will for Nancy

something weird about this if you ask me

Pop Trash
11-25-2017, 12:59 PM
I'll just be over here absolutely loving the scene between Billy and Mrs. Wheeler, thanks much.

That was fuckin' funny, especially since the dude on the cover of the romance novel she was reading in the bath looked like Billy. I also liked the tre 80s homoeroticism between Billy and Steve. People forget how gay that decade was even though no one would acknowledge it in small town Indiana.

MadMan
11-26-2017, 06:35 AM
Yes that scene was hilarious, as was Mr. Wheeler saying that their kids no longer live here when asked by one of the gang where Mike was.

Wryan
11-27-2017, 04:25 PM
I find it hard to believe people can't sympathize or empathize with Will or Mike at all. Even with otherworldly goings-on, these kids are put through the physical and emotional wringer by events they didn't ask for or invite. And they are often isolated from loved ones right when they need the support of family and friends the most. Early in Season 2, when Dr. Reiser is describing how Will may be experiencing some renewed trauma due to it being an anniversary of the events--noting the ways Will may act out--he is unknowingly actually describing Mike, who is acting out in just those ways due to grief and anger he can't process and barely understands. Thought it was a good, fair way of portraying how children sometimes respond to the shit that life throws at them.

EDIT: Also, I thought the young actors killed both roles, especially Schnapp in the second season, who had to do shit I've seen grown, experienced actors fuck up.

D_Davis
12-05-2017, 05:38 PM
For half the season I was expecting Max and her brother to have superpowers or a connection to the Upside Down somehow or something. I thought it was a dull choice to have them move into town and spend half the season strong alluding to "dark" past moments, only to have it just be a broken home with an Alpha dad. I was like, "that's it?"

Completely wasted build up, like a lot of the season.

It was a slight remix of season 1. Didn't progress the mythos much at all. I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as the first.

Grouchy
01-22-2018, 06:08 AM
And why is there a scene of Max's brother flirting creepily with Nancy's mother and why the hell does it go on for so long?
Funniest scene of the season, that was awesome.

Maybe I expected less and got more from this season but this was a ton of fun for me. It's no masterpiece of a show but it keeps things interesting and man, what a large, vibrant cast they have now. Steve has grown a lot on me and, I agree, Will and Mike are boring. Not sure about the Runaways episode - that felt like something from another show.

Lots of metatextuality. I like how it's called Stranger Things 2 and it has some of the concepts of a movie sequel more than a TV season of an expanding storyline. Liked the roleplaying anology and how Paul Reiser's role seems like a twist on his character in Aliens.

Grouchy
01-22-2018, 05:13 PM
Thought for sure they were going to do a "don't use hate, use love" kinda thing, but maybe next season.
Ugh, so glad this didn't happen.

MadMan
01-22-2018, 07:29 PM
Lots of metatextuality. I like how it's called Stranger Things 2 and it has some of the concepts of a movie sequel more than a TV season of an expanding storyline. Liked the roleplaying anology and how Paul Reiser's role seems like a twist on his character in Aliens.

What they did with Reiser was cool. It did only work if you saw Aliens, I agree. I hope he pops back up in Season 3.

I enjoyed and liked the stand alone episode, but if Season 3 does nothing with it then that episode is rendered pointless.

Grouchy
01-22-2018, 09:14 PM
Yeah, I don't know... the episode was fun, but it went deeply into cliché zone which made me realize that, even while everything in the show is derivative of some other pulp fiction, they usually put enough of a spin in it.

MadMan
01-23-2018, 04:41 AM
Well that and the fact that it came way too late in the season. It should have been earlier in Season 2.

Milky Joe
01-25-2018, 08:49 PM
I didn't like seeing innocent Bob die, just like I didn't like seeing innocent Barb die.

Bob <> Barb

Hmm.

MadMan
01-26-2018, 12:35 AM
I didn't like seeing innocent Bob die, just like I didn't like seeing innocent Barb die.

Bob <> Barb

Hmm.

Bob was a little less surprising, since he wanted them to move, yet I was still shocked, anyways. Barb...that came out of left field.