Stranger Things was this really interesting and novel idea, but it almost seemed like something that was intended to just be a self-contained limited series. The mysteries in season 1 compelling, but by the time everything is all wrapped up, it kind of begs the question of where exactly the show would go from there. I’m not really sure what the original plans were for the series, but regardless, the show winded up becoming a huge hit, and so it was natural that Netflix would want to keep the show going. After finishing season 1, I was a bit nervous that a second season couldn’t be as interesting, but I’m happy to say that season 2 is pretty much every bit as good as season 1.

The weird thing is, season 2 is good even though it’s not much more of an “aftermath” season, with all of the characters essentially just dealing with the repercussions of what they went through in season 1. All of the characters are forced to stay quiet about season 1’s events by Hawkins Lab, which proves to be difficult for some characters. Will has now been rescued and is part of the group again, but his connection to the Upside Down proves to be a lingering force in his life. All of the characters are essentially trying to just keep moving forward, but a new threat emerges from the Upside Down and throws them all back into the action.

I’ve heard season 2 be referred to as inferior to season 1, but I honestly thought it was just as good. If anything, I think that season 2 is kind of inconsistent. Season 1 was consistently the same level of quality throughout the whole 8 episodes, while season 2 fluctuates in quality a bit. Its lows are definitely lower than season 1, but on the flip side I’d argue that its highs might actually be higher as well. This season definitely does have a slower start, but it’s a slow build towards something great, and once it kicks into high gear, it gets absolutely incredible.

I think the other big noticeable difference is that there’s just a different overall dynamic to season 2. I could be wrong, but it feels like it takes place over a shorter period of time than the first season. As a result, I found that it seemed like some characters were paired together, and so there’s large stretches of the season where a character is kind of shut off from others. As an example, I remember in season 1 it was pretty common for the kids to be all together for at least one point in every episode, but here this isn’t the case. Mike and Dustin aren’t even doing the same thing for a few episodes straight, and so we don’t see them interact nearly as much as they did in season 1. The result of all of this is that whereas in season 1 it felt like everyone was somewhat moving towards the same common goal, in season 2 it feels more like we’re following multiple storylines and plot arcs.

Other than that, I feel like season 2 just delivers more of the same of what made season 1 so great. The characters are still fantastic, and we get to see them go in very interesting places in this season. They start to feel a lot more developed, and I really ended up loving their journeys this time around. There are also some new characters introduced this season, most notable being the brother/sister combo of Billy and Max, both of whom are awesome. I was a bit skeptical of adding characters to an already great cast, but the new characters fit in really well and stack up to the same level of quality.

That about covers everything I want to say about season 2 of Stranger Things. Most of my compliments simply are along the lines of “it’s more of what made season 1 great,” so I don’t want to dwell on those points for too long. Season 2 does feel like a different beast at times in terms of its pacing and character dynamics, but it’s still the same amazing atmosphere and sci-fi/horror storyline that made the first season so good. Given how popular the show is, I don’t think anyone that’s seen season 1 needs my recommendation to continue watching the show in season 2, but I did just want to say that I loved this follow-up way more than I thought I would.

4.5/5