"Stranger Things 2" Thoughts, with Spoilers

While not as masterful as the first season (drop episode seven and it is almost as good), “Stranger Things 2” is a delight. It is a science fiction, horror, comfort food. Yes, there are clichés and tropes galore, but they are so masterfully executed that they feel fresh. And yes, the eighties really were that cool if you were lucky enough to be a pre-teen.

Strangely though, it plays against type in some key instances. Whereas the first season had a strong government threat in addition to the supernatural, this season plays that down. We never really think Paul Reiser is going to go Burke on us. This is strange in the current climate, where distrust of our government is at an all-time high. The human threat is low overall this season. The other case of stunt casting, Sean Astin as Bob, could go one of two ways: evil infiltrator or heroic sacrifice. They make the right choice but that too reduces the threat. In the end, Billy is all we get and his is a confusing role.

All in all, we love it anyway, and can’t wait for season 3. I have started a wish list of songs from 1985 that need to make an appearance. And I am hopeful the government conspiracies and evil, cold-war scientists will come back strong.