By Lea Whitley
Last year, “Stranger Things,” a Netflix series, arrived almost unannounced, blowing the minds of suspense lovers.
Paying homage to the golden age of horror and sci-fi films, the relatively unknown sibling duo known as The Duffer Brothers created a masterpiece by turning the world of thrillers upside down with a nostalgia-filled magnum opus.
Set in the mid-80s in a small town in Indiana, a young boy goes missing and his friends, family and local law enforcement stop at nothing to get him back.
They took grave risks, facing dangers they never could have imagined as they are introduced to another world, all too similar to their own.
In the much-anticipated sequel, hearts break and rivalries are created as old grudges escalate. Tensions rise as the clues fall into place. The experiences of the prior events have made an obvious impact on the main characters, which allow them to have more bravery and delve deeper into something that they never stopped wondering about.
The Duffer Brothers are consistent in their character development, which is driven by quality writing.
Although questions from last season were answered dutifully, others arose that were unattached to the plot, creating a rift in the flow of the storytelling.
New characters seem to have been introduced, not for season 2, but for the future season 3, leaving some fans frustrated and wanting more out of the parallel story that takes place apart from the main adventure.
Overall, “Stranger Things 2” was a wild ride, and a welcomed revisiting of the mystery-fogged town of Hawkins, Indiana.
A lot of afterthoughts seem to have been shoehorned in, but did well to not leave plot holes. Young actors new to the series were given room to flourish and prove to the world that they had star power, and are here to stay.
Achieving great reviews from critics, and showing hardcore fans more of what is going on behind the curtain, season 2 was enjoyable, but could leave a viewer wanting more.
Pictured Above: From left, Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair in Season 2 of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” Courtesy of Netflix
