Stranger Things (Netflix)

[KRYPTON INC.]

I finished the season a couple days back but was taking time off the Hype so I'll be quick and say that I really enjoyed this season and could go either way saying it was at the same level as the first one. I do get somewhat the criticisms of some but no where near the intensity level. There couldn't but be a sense of "retread" to a certain degree but it also added a lot, brought the characters forward, increased the scope of the "world" of ST and was satisfying in it's finale. The Duffer's are MASTERS of film making and production design, and casting, and mood, and, and, and... You get the picture. I will say I can give this story a rest for a bit. I hope the Duffer's can schedule in some other original work before the next ST season. Hell, I honestly wouldn't mind this as the end of the story, though it's apparent Netflix ain't letting this die anytime soon. While I would be fine letting it end here I can't say I wouldn't mind seeing where they are going to take the characters and setting in the future. Also, looking at the show more than ever this season made me think " I am looking at the Hollywood A list 10-15 years from now."



And put me down as someone that enjoyed the "X-Men" episode and cannot for the life of me understand the hate it's getting outside of understanding that it buffered the finale so yes it sort of disrupted the flow of the story. Didn't bother me though.

 

[titansupes]

Finished it a couple of days ago and loved it, probably more than Season 1 (which was great, but suffered from far too many instances of convenient writing). Such enjoyable characters all round.

 

[flickchick85]

And put me down as someone that enjoyed the "X-Men" episode and cannot for the life of me understand the hate it's getting outside of understanding that it buffered the finale so yes it sort of disrupted the flow of the story. Didn't bother me though.

I enjoyed it too.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I enjoyed it too.

Yeah. It filled out some backstory of the Hawkins facility and 11, and expanded what the show could be about. If anything there's your 3rd season. I mean... where are numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10? Also, kinda like with Justice League stories over the years, you gotta find a way to take your power players off the board to make the odds seem grim for the heroes. So 11 takes a side mission. I do get that there's a sudden shift and with the way binge watching is most just wanted to get to the finale. But taken on it's own merits its a good episode I think.

 

[KevTravels]

It's amazing to me that it cost 8 million an episode this season with the first costing around 6 million.

 

[MadVillainy]

Not surprising. Sequels almost always are bigger. Cast and crew get more money, there were more SFX, more ambitious shots, more "sets,"

 

[Iceman]

Hopefully I get time to do a full-on binge today and get near to finishing season 2.

 

[Legendver2]

I finished the season a couple days back but was taking time off the Hype so I'll be quick and say that I really enjoyed this season and could go either way saying it was at the same level as the first one. I do get somewhat the criticisms of some but no where near the intensity level. There couldn't but be a sense of "retread" to a certain degree but it also added a lot, brought the characters forward, increased the scope of the "world" of ST and was satisfying in it's finale. The Duffer's are MASTERS of film making and production design, and casting, and mood, and, and, and... You get the picture. I will say I can give this story a rest for a bit. I hope the Duffer's can schedule in some other original work before the next ST season. Hell, I honestly wouldn't mind this as the end of the story, though it's apparent Netflix ain't letting this die anytime soon. While I would be fine letting it end here I can't say I wouldn't mind seeing where they are going to take the characters and setting in the future. Also, looking at the show more than ever this season made me think " I am looking at the Hollywood A list 10-15 years from now."

MBB is going to win an Oscar one day. She's just phenomenal. And watching her interviews recently, she's literally like a 25 year old British JLaw trapped in a 13 year old girl. She is confident and wise beyond her years and can hold a banter with adults. Makes me look forward to next next year's Godzilla more now.

Yeah. It filled out some backstory of the Hawkins facility and 11, and expanded what the show could be about. If anything there's your 3rd season. I mean... where are numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10? Also, kinda like with Justice League stories over the years, you gotta find a way to take your power players off the board to make the odds seem grim for the heroes. So 11 takes a side mission. I do get that there's a sudden shift and with the way binge watching is most just wanted to get to the finale. But taken on it's own merits its a good episode I think.

They need to find a way to nerf her in season 3. As a big Mileven shipper, I don't want another season with her away from everyone else.

 

[KevTravels]

Not surprising. Sequels almost always are bigger. Cast and crew get more money, there were more SFX, more ambitious shots, more "sets,"

I mean in general. It doesn't look like it cost 8 million an episode, but it does.

I read the kids are making like 30 K an episode. I'm sure Wynona was probably on 100 K or so if not double that.

 

[Thome216]

They need to find a way to nerf her in season 3. As a big Mileven shipper, I don't want another season with her away from everyone else.

Same here. It was really the only thing I did not like about S2. Most of the fun is having Eleven and the boys having adventures together.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

I mean in general. It doesn't look like it cost 8 million an episode, but it does.

I read the kids are making like 30 K an episode. I'm sure Wynona was probably on 100 K or so if not double that.

There are a lot more VFX in season two as compared to season one. There were some additional characters added (and... subtracted [BLACKOUT]likr poot Bob.
[/BLACKOUT] and yeah some sets and location shooting that went beyond just the Hawkins main street, the woods, the middle school or the lab complex.

 

[Brother Jack]

Same here. It was really the only thing I did not like about S2. Most of the fun is having Eleven and the boys having adventures together.

I think it was necessary to separate her for this season, if not only to have her disappearance at the end of S1 to have significant weight, but I agree that next season she should be with the others. And there's no reason to think she won't, being that she's [BLACKOUT]legally Hopper's daughter now[/BLACKOUT].

 

[Legendver2]

I think it was necessary to separate her for this season, if not only to have her disappearance at the end of S1 to have significant weight, but I agree that next season she should be with the others. And there's no reason to think she won't, being that she's [BLACKOUT]legally Hopper's daughter now[/BLACKOUT].

Regardless of her being [BLACKOUT]Hopper's daughter[/BLACKOUT], the fan theories and the themes of episode 7 and how she taps into her powers is making me wary of them possibly doing a [BLACKOUT]Dark Phoenix arc with Eleven, which would effectively make her the bad guy of the season, whether it be because her source of power being hate and anger corrupts her temporarily, or the Mind Flayer is now out to get her and possibly possess her, therefore pitching her against everyone else.[/BLACKOUT] I REALLY hope that's not the case.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

If anything I think...

Spoiler

Being Hopper's adopted daughter and her experience with Kali and her crew would mean that while there would be tension with 8,
El still would be grounded with a sense of ethics and morals given the support she is getting from everyone. She will be tempted again I suspect but no,
I don't think she will turn to the dark side of her own volition. As stated we have numbers 1-7 and 9 and 10 to find if they are alive and out there.
Perhaps El isn't the most powerful of the lot? Could be a lower number can match or beat her. Could be there's a 12 and that one is more powerful.
Could be the a lower number was "rejected" but developed greater power and control as they got older. In any case I think that now that she's in a good place physically and emotionally that she's far less susceptable to the dark emotions and resentments that have curdled understandibly in 8. Kali has good reasons to believe as she does, and perhaps even the moral right on some level to seek revenge but as El discovered, revenge is never clean and often just adds more misery to the world and even creates more people to who will only be sated by getting revenge.

 

[Legendver2]

If anything I think...

Spoiler

Being Hopper's adopted daughter and her experience with Kali and her crew would mean that while there would be tension with 8,
El still would be grounded with a sense of ethics and morals given the support she is getting from everyone. She will be tempted again I suspect but no,
I don't think she will turn to the dark side of her own volition. As stated we have numbers 1-7 and 9 and 10 to find if they are alive and out there.
Perhaps El isn't the most powerful of the lot? Could be a lower number can match or beat her. Could be there's a 12 and that one is more powerful.
Could be the a lower number was "rejected" but developed greater power and control as they got older. In any case I think that now that she's in a good place physically and emotionally that she's far less susceptable to the dark emotions and resentments that have curdled understandibly in 8. Kali has good reasons to believe as she does, and perhaps even the moral right on some level to seek revenge but as El discovered, revenge is never clean and often just adds more misery to the world and even creates more people to who will only be sated by getting revenge.

Spoiler

I actually think her being in a good place is a good way to nerf her powers as her anger and hate slowly dissipates and replaced by love from family and friends. Would make the almost for sure transition (due to the focus on using hate before) of using love and compassion as the source of her power. Also, I can't image the rest of the 9 numbers are all bad. There must be a few that ran into similar circumstances like Jane and turned out to be good people, and maybe they can teach her how to channel love instead of anger.

But yes, no [BLACKOUT]dark phoenix arc[/BLACKOUT] and keep my Mileven ship together lol!

 

[chamber-music]

It's amazing to me that it cost 8 million an episode this season with the first costing around 6 million.

A lot more CGI in season 2. The demogorgon was mostly a guy in a suit in season 1.

 

[DawnWarrior]

I wish the certificate said [BLACKOUT]Jane Elle Hopper[/BLACKOUT] to include the nickname she already has.

I was overjoyed at the start of the season to find El was living with Hopper. I'd be equally overjoyed if they opened S3 with a D&D game with [BLACKOUT]all 6 kids[/BLACKOUT]. They have dungeon parties that big, right?

 

[KevTravels]

A lot more CGI in season 2. The demogorgon was mostly a guy in a suit in season 1.

i need to rewatch that. thanks for the mention.

 

[warhorse78]

I think it was necessary to separate her for this season, if not only to have her disappearance at the end of S1 to have significant weight, but I agree that next season she should be with the others. And there's no reason to think she won't, being that she's [BLACKOUT]legally Hopper's daughter now[/BLACKOUT].

Last season, it was Will who was separated from the group, and this season, it was Eleven. I'm wondering if they plan on next season, having one of them separated from the core group.

 

[MadVillainy]

Last season, it was Will who was separated from the group, and this season, it was Eleven. I'm wondering if they plan on next season, having one of them separated from the core group.

I hope not. As much as I love both seasons I wouldn't mind the separation plot, along with the plot of putting Will Byers thorugh the ringer, a rest.
I would love to see more moments of all 6 of the main kids interracting without someone being possessed, missing, etc.

 

[Infinity9999x]

I really enjoyed this season. It definitely had some pacing issues, though I didn't think they were nearly as grievous as some reviewers have made them out to be. I think the biggest problem with keeping Eleven separated as long as they did in the season was that it didn't feel like a natural progression of the story. It felt like, logically, the Duffer brothers realized that Eleven needed to not be around for a majority of the drama to happen. If she were there, she would have too easily handled some of the problems they had.

Also, this season definitely felt more like an entry in a larger story as opposed to a story that was self-contained, but continuing, if that makes sense. They made Season 1 so it could have ended there if they needed to. It would have had a bit of a cliffhanger, but it wouldn't have been out of place for the genre ST takes place in.

This season felt even more open-ended, and less concerned with telling a story that had a more traditional beginning, middle, and end, but rather telling this part of what will likely be a 4 to 5 season tale.

 

[Arachnerd]

Changed my avatar accordingly. t:

 

[squeekness]

Finally got to start watching this. I'm way behind you guys, only on the very first episode of season one, but I'm already liking it. A big perk -- When the girl who escaped the lab sneaks into the diner and starts gobbling French fries, I recognized the song from the jukebox as coming from the album Surrealistic Pillow, by Jefferson Airplane. Brought back such fond memories of my hippie parents, lol.

 

[Iceman]

Finally got to start watching this. I'm way behind you guys, only on the very first episode of season one, but I'm already liking it. A big perk -- When the girl who escaped the lab sneaks into the diner and starts gobbling French fries, I recognized the song from the jukebox as coming from the album Surrealistic Pillow, by Jefferson Airplane. Brought back such fond memories of my hippie parents, lol.

Nice, hope you like it. I'll be done with season 2 in a few hours.

 

[squeekness]

Nice, hope you like it. I'll be done with season 2 in a few hours.

I'm enjoying what I've seen so far. Funny how I wasn't keen on The Gifted from the jump and yet I've taken to this almost immediately. MaybeI can just relate to dorky kids because I was one growing up.