Stranger Things Review: Where Do We Go From Here?!
Paul Dailly
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It's a brave new world.
Stranger Things Season 2 Episode 7, Stranger Things Season 2 Episode 8 and Stranger Things Season 2 Episode 9, the horror kicked up a few gears as the characters tried to battle with the forces emerging on Hawkins from the Upside Down.
Eleven seeking out Kali resulted in an uneven plot that never felt like it got much time to form. While Kali and her friends wanted to take revenge on the men who wronged them in the past, they acted as though they were only carrying out crimes because of what happened to them.
I dare say Kali had the roughest time growing up when you consider all of the tests we watched Eleven taken through by the villainous Brenner. For Kali, it seemed like she was enamored at having a younger person she could call a sister around her.
However, it was clear she wanted that sister to have the same mindset as her, and Eleven is not the type of person to follow a crowd. The scene with Kali trying to push Eleven to murder Ray was a great way to show that Eleven knew right from wrong.
Despite wanting to murder Ray, knowing that there were children in the house changed all of that. She likely thought about the time she and Kali were just children and thought "Papa" was a good man.
How would they have felt if they witnessed Papa being murdered all those years ago back when they looked up to him? Kali tried to be pushy, and that's why I loved when Eleven threw the gun with her mind.
Kali looked at this as a betrayal, but it was pushback. It was almost like Kali was trying to assert her power over one of the only people who understood what she went through in her younger years.
The character of Kali was a bit of a one-trick pony, and it does not seem like it will be a good idea to have her show back up down the line. The whole plot of Eleven trying to find the truth about herself sent her away from those that really mattered.
A part of me was shocked when Eleven sent the baby Demogorgon threw the window when everyone returned from Hawkins Laboratory. A part of me hoped it was Dart and that he was the sole Demogorgon who wanted to be different.
The return scene was powerful because most of the other characters were under the impression that Eleven gone for good.
Mike has struggled on Stranger Things Season 2. He's tried several times to get back in contact with her, and it was natural for him to lash out at Hopper for keeping it all quiet. There was a time when I thought he was making every excuse to keep the kid locked up.
Eleven, Doc Owens. Doc Owens, Eleven. She’s been staying with me for about a year, and she is about to save our asses. Maybe when this is all said and done, maybe you could help her out too, you know? Maybe you could help her lead a normal life, one where she’s not poked and prodded and treated like some kind of lab rat. I don’t know. It’s just a thought.
Hopper
However, he helped prove he was not only trying to keep her safe but that he genuinely cared for her. Going with her to close the cate backed all of that up, and it's exciting that they both lived to tell the tale.
Having Will survive the whole ordeal felt like a copout. The kid has been through the mill over the last two seasons, and it would have been the perfect time to bring his storyline to a close.
It's difficult to imagine where his storyline could possibly go now that he's free of the wrath of the Demogorgon, but it all seemed a little too easy. Those brain scans earlier in the season proved there were going to be lasting effects on Will.
Will that be addressed on Stranger Things Season 3, or will it all be about Eleven taking center stage?
I may be a pretty s—ty boyfriend, but turns out I’m actually a pretty damn good babysitter.
Steve
The most shocking moment of the final episodes involved Bob's death. The odds were certainly against him, and leaving the gun behind was a silly move. I can't be the only one who let out a sigh of relief when he made his way back to Joyce.
All seemed right in the world. Then the Demogorgons had to appear and tear him apart. I'm not going to lie. That scene was a real tearjerker. Bob and Joyce were the couple to root for, so losing him so soon after his entrance was not good.
The show has been left in a very exciting place. Normalcy has returned to Hawkins, but that huge Demogorgon is just waiting to make its presence known in Hawkins, and it should be fun to see how all of that plays out.
Will the town continue to be oblivious to what has been going on? I have no idea, but there's going to come a time in which everyone is going to have to come clean about what's been happening. Yes, they know about the fabricated story about the toxins being leaked, but that's about it.
As a whole, Stranger Things Season 2 was solid. There were some questionable decisions along the way, but it all wrapped up very nicely. Now, we need to wait for an age for new episodes.
Stray thoughts:
- There was finally justice for Barb. I seriously thought they had forgotten all about it. I can sleep well now!
- Eleven finally has a birth certificate, so she can now lead a normal life, but something tells me her troubles are far from over.
- Um, Dustin best be buying Joyce a brand new fridge.
- Mike is one of the smartest kids around. Sedating Will was a great move.
What did you think of all the action?
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Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
