Stranger Things Season 2 Review: 9 Ups And 3 Downs
Harder, better, faster, Stranger.
Stranger Things arrived out of nowhere last year to become one of Netflix's biggest hits; its glorious blend of 80s nostalgia, satisfying summer mystery, and adorable kids leading it to become one of the streaming service's most binged shows and a true global phenomenon.
The show arrived with little fanfare, instead relying on word-of-mouth to spread like wildfire. Season 2 - or simply Stranger Things 2, as creators Ross and Matt Duffer are calling it - doesn't have that luxury.
The series is now one of the most eagerly anticipated pieces of pop-culture of the year, with the hype machine firmly turned up to Eleven. Picking things up around a year after the events of the first season, there's a new monster coming to terrify Hawkins and turn the world of Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas et al totally Upside Down. New characters emerge, new relationships are forged, but without losing sight of what made that first season so darn popular in the first place.
Arriving just in time for Halloween, is Stanger Things 2 a trick or a treat? Having seen all 9 episodes in advance, here's a look at what worked and what fell flat upon our return to this particularly eerie corner of Indiana. (Contains spoilers for Season 2.)