“Stranger Things” Brings Tubular Things to Season 2

Suspenseful music cues in as four boys decked out in tan jumpsuits with proton packs stand outside their middle school and stare agape in horror at the scene before them. It is Halloween morning and their day has already gone dramatically awry as more and more kids dressed in casual school clothes pass by. A gut-wrenching realization dawns upon the group as Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) dismayingly utters what they are all thinking: “Why is no one else wearing costumes?”

This scene is just one of many comical moments from the second season of “Stranger Things.” Iconic for its Eggos, nose-bleeds, and Christmas lights hung above the alphabet painted in black on a wall, the Netflix original series induced a global storm in pop culture ever since its debut over a year ago. Having a distinct nostalgic ‘80s vibe, “Stranger Things” has garnered a massive fan base by attracting old and new generations alike. The second season aired in late October with a whopping 16 million people watching the night of its much-anticipated premiere.

The story centers around the comradery between four boys, each with their own unique personality. Dustin, who is goofy yet protective, Will (Noah Schnapp), who is soft-spoken and kind, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), who is pragmatic and serious, and Mike (Finn Wolfhard), who is optimistic and thoughtful, all band together in the pursuit to undertake evil.

Set in Hawkins, a fictional small town in Indiana where, presumably, nothing ever happens, everything changes one day when Will mysteriously disappears and the other three encounter Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), a girl with bizarre telekinetic powers who escaped the notorious Hawkins lab. Through her, they discover the presence of another dimension, the Upside Down, which is just like their world, but barren, dark, and teeming with Demogorgon monsters. Season one ends on a cliffhanger, with Eleven disappearing after killing the evil Demogorgon and a newly-retrieved, frazzled Will covertly coughing up a infantile Demogorgon, setting up the stage for what is to happen in season two.

The audience is introduced to a lively new set of characters in the second season. Max (Sadie Sink), a tough, skateboarding, and easily irritable redhead from California joins the boys on their adventures in navigating the mysteries of the Upside Down. Along with her character comes a wild and irredeemable step-brother, Billy (Dacre Montgomery), who poses as the town’s new human antagonist. We then are introduced to a less tangible, but ultimately more dangerous villain, the Shadow Monster—a gargantuan, faceless shadow that roams the Upside Down and threatens the human world with havoc and chaos.

Besides the introduction of these new characters, the second season differs from the first in that the story unfolds through individual storylines. Though there is less of a sense of comradery than there was in season one, the script delves deeper into each character.

The season is marked with an abundance of growth from the characters, as opposed to the first season, which mainly introduces the characters and plot. For one, Will, who appears in season one on only a few occasions, has a drastically greater involvement in season two. He becomes the physical link between the two dimensions, causing the other characters to worry endlessly and creating moving scenes as he battles the Shadow Monster’s attempts to possess him.

Steve Harrington, whose character in season one was merely portrayed as Nancy’s jock of a boyfriend, plays a much larger, more multidimensional role in season two. He is no longer “King Steve,” as known by those in his high school, and he discovers a new role as a guardian of the group—especially Dustin, who he helps not only in defeating multiple Demogorgons, but in navigating teenagehood as well.

Perhaps the most stunning growth comes from Eleven. In season one, she was portrayed as almost alien-like, always donning a hospital gown or an awkward a blonde wig and a pink dress of a costume. This season, we see her as a teenage girl trying to navigate a world that doesn’t quite accept her. To reconcile with her past, she ventures off to find her mother and her long-lost sister, Kali, whom she was separated from at the lab as a toddler.

The cinematography proves to be bigger and more ambitious than the previous season. The scenes embody ‘80s nostalgia, shot with a soft lense comparable to the equipment commonly used in ‘80s cinema. The set and costumes not only perfectly embody the nostalgia of ‘80s, but are very specifically mapped out to give us insight into the personality of each character.

For instance, the political allegiance of each of the boy’s parents during the ‘84 presidential election were shown in the signs on the front lawns of their houses. Mike’s parents, who are wealthier and much removed from his adventurous pursuits, showed allegiance to Reagan, while Dustin’s single, quirky, cat-loving mother showed allegiance to the campaign’s underdog, Mondale.

More references to that era include homages to classic films. The Shadow Monster was heated out of Will’s body in the fashion of “The Exorcist” (1973), Steve and Dustin walking on railroad tracks resembled a scene from “Stand By Me” (1986), and the group’s halloween costumes were of the squad from “Ghostbusters” (1984), whose theme song played on several occasions. Kali’s gang in the standalone episode was inspired by the gang from “The Warriors” (1979), and Joyce Byers’s (Winona Ryder) dorky boyfriend Bob Newby (Sean Astin) references the ‘X’ on a map as pirate treasure, as Mike Walsh (Sean Astin) does in “The Goonies” (1985).

The show’s soundtrack also features many songs from the time period such as “Whip It” by Devo and “Time after Time” by Cyndi Lauper. It is unusual yet refreshing to see the world of the ‘80s conveyed with modern special effects and by actors born in the 2000s.

In only nine hour-long episodes, the second season of “Stranger Things” managed to tie up all of the loose ends left from season one while also telling a story of unlikely allies, complex romances, dealing with grief, and the integrity and purity of a friendship between four boys.

Though they are growing up to not play as much Dungeons & Dragons, and their battle with the Upside Down grows to a much larger scale than in season one, the story always manages to stay rooted in these lovable characters.