Stranger Things 2

I think all of us that loved Stranger Things were worried that a sequel would seem forced and/or unnecessary. Yes, we were given a teaser at the end of season one, when Will coughs up some of unworldly slug. But it had to be different, and not just a the same story told over again. I'm glad to say that it worked. And there will be a season three.

This season picks up a year after the end of season one. All seems to be well--Will (Noah Schapp) is back in school, his mom (Winona Ryder) is dating a gentle Radio Shack employee (Sean Astin, perfect), and the guys have ditched Dungeons and Dragons and are into video games (in an arcade of course--this is 1984). Mike (Finn Wolfhard) is still mopey about the missing Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and little does he know that she's hiding out in Sheriff Hopper's cabin.

A few things get the ball rolling. Schapp is still having seizures that take him to the "upside down," an alternate dimension where there be monsters. In particular, one that he dubs the "shadow monster," which is as tall as a skyscraper with several legs. Secondly, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) finds what looks like a baby lizard in his trash can. He treats it like a pet, but I think we all figured out where this is going, even before the thing eats his cat.

The plot ends up being a race to close a gate between our dimension and the upside down, as several monsters have broken through (they look like dogs, but their faces open like flowers, albeit with several sharp teeth). What's refreshing about this season is that everyone believes what's going on, as they all went through it before. Also, the doctor at the lab where Eleven was basically kept as a lab rat is a decent guy (as played by Paul Reiser, who I thought was going to reprise his corporate douchebag that he played in Aliens).

A few things don't work. There's a stand-alone episode where Brown goes to Chicago and finds young people with similar powers--it's clearly a pilot or a spin-off and is too much like the X-Men. Also, a girl is added to cast, Sadie Sink, I guess to give the show more diversity but she isn't given much to do except have a very obnoxious brother, who also doesn't amount to much in the plot.

I don't binge watch--I don't have that kind of patience, so it took me several weeks to finish this, but I did have to watch the last two episodes on the same day as they were so suspenseful. And if Brown was the breakout start of season one (and she gets to grow her hair in a few different styles this season) Matarazzo is the star of his season. He gets all the best lines, and the way he looks during the season-ending winter dance (the "Snow Ball") is a hoot.

Of course, the show ends with another ominous teaser. I'll be back.