Stranger Things - Season 2

Longer, more epic, more action, more horror... I mean, a typical second film that still knows the level and does not cast shame on the first film. I would actually say that this series is even better than the first, thanks mainly to the characters of Eleven and Hopper, who are really great and amazingly-acted characters that simply capture your heart. Above all, the ultra-sympathetic David Harbour (he reminded me a little of Jack Nicholson) deserves all the praise and is now one of my main hopes that the new Hellboy will be at least a little worthwhile. (04/06/2019)

Bigger, stronger, faster. It moves along without any major hesitation but is actually a bit too confident at times. I have no doubt that at the age of thirteen, kids could escalate their relationships even in the 1980s, and I'm a little sad about the cautious treading. Regardless, this year, even a little more so than a year ago, you can see how much of a Duffer child it is, which they understand best. The directorial crumbling is quite striking and it only really gets going at the very end. I flirted with the idea last time, but this unacknowledged cinematic portal into Black Messa is appreciated by nine Doctor Freemans out of ten. (11/19/2017)

It's rare that a second season has the exact same ratings as the first, and at 91%, that's saying a hell of a lot. It's good to see all the likeable child characters together again, and this time around, young redhead Max rounds out the bunch and undoubtedly deserves a spot here. The new characters (the new girl who has supernatural powers, Max's brother who was a real asshole, and Bob's new friend Joyce) are definitely nice, but what I wasn't too happy about Eleven, who is sidelined for more than half of the season, and that's a mistake, as she is the driving force of the show, but the last two episodes thankfully make up for it. The series is more action and horror this time around, the Lovecraftian shadow monsters, little "lizards" and a lot of Will's outbursts are mysterious. Once again the series runs like water, there are scenes that give you goosebumps and the retro atmosphere is again impeccable. I enjoyed the adventure with the kids again, but it didn't hit me emotionally like it did a year ago. 85% (11/02/2017)

I took a three-year break from the first season and finally watched the second. It must have been very challenging for the Duffer brothers to come up with a new, original idea for the plot while retaining all the successful aspects of the first season, which quickly won a wide fan base. But I can tell you with a clear conscience that they succeeded. The main group stayed together, and I truly loved their witty dialogue, which often made me laugh. Sheriff Hopper remains the same; he's one of my favorite characters in the entire series—he's such a brave person with a sense of justice who wants to help everyone, and he’s a character that everyone can easily like. Another interesting thing I want to mention... what happened to Steve? The character who was hated in the first season has become Dustin’s buddy, and their interactions are a perfect addition to an already brilliantly functioning concept. The story is once again top-notch, the special effects are impressive for a TV series, and the '80s feel with period music hits is just what you’d wish for. The ending was incredibly well-executed by the Duffers. We’ll see what the third season brings with a slightly more mature tone (after all, we have to accept that the actors won’t stay children forever... puberty is here!). I give it 90%. (07/18/2019)

Four stars after nine episodes is a decent score, but I was disappointed by Ellie's journey to her mother. The whole Episode 7 felt completely out of place. I wonder how the child actors' growing up will affect my rating of future seasons (I still haven’t gotten over Brandon Stark). I was otherwise very happy with this season, even though it failed to keep up the atmosphere I was used to in the first one. Despite my occasional nitpicking and the constantly overplaying Winona Ryder, I did enjoy Season 2 and look forward to the next one. (02/09/2018)