Stranger Things Season 2 Review: 9 Ups And 3 Downs

2. The Kids Are Still Magic

The biggest draw of this show, and the main reason it became such a big hit, is its cast, and that's the case again in Season 2. The show doesn't so much lean back on its characterisation as a crutch, as it does completely soar on the back of it.

David Harbour's weary Jim Hopper is exceptional once again, finding new depths to the character, as is Ryder's Joyce. The older kids excel too, making more of Nancy (Natalia Dyer) being a badass, and turning Steve (Joe Keery) into a far more likeable figure (his storyline with Dustin is one of the show's most surprising, and wonderful, character pairings in the second half of the season).

For all their talent, though, it's the younger kids who shine brightest. I've already discussed Noah Schnapp, but the show also gives us a lot more of Caleb McLaughlin's Lucas and Gaten Matarazzo's Dustin. They were the two scene stealers last year, and the writers are well-aware of that fact, evidenced by their increased prominence across the 9-episode run.

It would've been easy to fall into the trap of turning them into self-parodies, but thankfully (and crucially) they manage to avoid that pitfall. Dustin and Lucas feel like they did in the first, but get new layers to add and new dynamics to test them. They're both supremely funny, with Matarazzo's comic timing ridiculously good, but also convey more touching depths as well. Also, Dustin gets a pet (of sorts), and it is an absolute joy.

As for Mille Bobby Brown, the star of Season 1, she proves that was no fluke. Eleven's pushed in new directions, and not all of them work, but Brown is consistently exceptional in the role. She's the Phoenix we never got, and retains that otherworldly sensibility, while having an emotional power that far exceeds her psychokinetic ones. Finn Wolfhard is the one most underserved by the plot, after being at the centre of Season 1, as Mike spends a lot of the season flitting between sadness and petulance, but he too gets moments to remind us how good he is.