[TV/Netflix] Stranger Things (Possible spoilers)

[s_bushido]

I couldn't help but feel that the concept of the shadow monster was out of place compared to the other stuff in the show. They took the effort to explain how the other creatures were fairly analogous to animals in our world, and even though the MKUltra stuff may not have produced actual psychics/telekenetics, that had some loose basis in reality as well. I don't know...something just felt off about it.



Something that's completely irrelevant that bugged me whenever they showed one of those transition scenes: How do things appear in the upside down? Like...does a building need to be completed before it shows up there (to then start looking like it's decaying), or do objects just pop into existence as they're being constructed in our world?

[Hammerfest]

than get out of this thread and stop your shit spilling, cause thats all you do.....

Not even remotely the case. Keep watching, as that truth will be self-evident.

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but you are not

Oh but I am. The show's boundaries are not the show itself.

[Deleted]

This season was not worth waiting for.

It's basically a repeat of season 1, only difference is that Will gets lost in himself instead of in another dimension.

There is far to much time spent pretending that the first season never happened by the characters.

Mad Max was supposed to add dynamic, turns out she is just a love interest for Lucas. Billy could've had a redeeming moment, but he was just a pointless douche all the way through.

The whole Hopper and Eleven situation got old almost instantly, and the sidetrack with eight, aka Kali, was just garbage. They are god awful actors, they do not fit the show theme what so ever and it really felt forced in there.

The charm of Stranger Things, was that it was a throwback to the shows I watched as a child with a group of kids solving this big mystery and finally getting some adults on board and saving the day. Season 2 basically ruins all of this, because the only kid with any real story is Dustin. Mike barely exists, Eleven goes from a raging neanderthal of a girl to someone capable of speak. And the other kids? Pointless, it added nothing at all.

They also didnt touch on the upside down at all, no further insight into what it is, or what its about.

So yeah no, this was a one season show, because the showmakers clearly missed the ball about what was so great about season 1.

Also, killing Bob was the single most pointless thing they could've done. What you needed him out of the way so Joyce and Hopper can get together or what? Its disgusting to be honest, Bob was just the character needed, basically an adult version of the boys and more than willing to accept all these strange things happening. Again a single character from the cast dies, last year it was Barbara, again a pointless death. You can make a good show without killing off characters, let nameless randoms die, but let the cast live and develop please.

[Fencers]

Mad Max was supposed to add dynamic, turns out she is just a love interest for Lucas. Billy could've had a redeeming moment, but he was just a pointless douche all the way through.

This is ignorance.

What dynamic did the character fail to bring? Also, how do you know what dynamic was the intent for Max- if at all?

Being a love interest is dynamic. As written the character is classical in changing a group dynamic. 'A love triangle' is one of the most basic and long standing sources of narrative conflict in human history. From Greek lit to current.

[willtron]

Season fell well short for me, it felt like season 2, part 1.

- Billy and Max got minimal development - I'd have liked to have seen more, but I guess we'll get that in "Part 2"

- Mike being angry at Max got pretty frustrating.

- Billy seems to have replaced Steve as the archetypal one dimesnsional douchebag. Which felt a little unnecessary but I really like Steve's character now. I feel like that's going to happen to Billy, or he'll get infected by the mind flayer next.

- 008 and episode 7 did nothing for me and I feel you could watch the whole series and miss that episode and be fine. Also Kai Greene is a freak, get him out.

- The Demogorgon last season felt like the biggest threat, yet an army of the demo-dogs just seemed less strong?

- The Demogorgon could just appear through walls, but the dogs can't? If the dogs ARE different, and not just adolescent Demogorgons it needs to be more obvious.

- Nancy and Jonathan felt forced.

- Gonna call it now, if they explore the other 00X kids, 007 will be dead. Damn copyright laws.

- Bob's death was stupid. Also, why not just put all the sprinklers on in the lab?

_____________________

Good stuff though:

- The kids can really act, especially Will. Really love their dynamic.

- Steve and Hopper were both great these season.

- I really liked the concept of the season, just not execution. The idea of Eleven exploring her place in the world plus the slightly larger threat the upside down poses was neat.

- The Indiana Jones references were on point.

[Deleted]

I haven't finished the season so not going to read most of this thread until I do, but man... it must SUCK to be Will. First all the stuff in season 1, and now this junk in season 2. Kid cant catch a break

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God, I love Bob. Bob is amazing

Agreed. Feel so bad for Will

[Adp]

Sean Astin killed it as Bob. The Eleven/Hopper scenes were great. The party dynamic felt off this season though. Mike's character felt stuck until the end and I think his initial animosity towards Max was entirely out of place. Sure a new member to the party would be weird for him but Dustin/Lucas's interest in her wasn't all that different from him and Eleven from season 1. Game recognize game?

I'm not entirely sure what Max really brings to the party though. She can steal a car? Also yes, it must suck to be Will lol

[Chudah]

Sean Astin killed it as Bob. The Eleven/Hopper scenes were great. The party dynamic felt off this season though. Mike's character felt stuck until the end and I think his initial animosity towards Max was entirely out of place. Sure a new member to the party would be weird for him but Dustin/Lucas's interest in her wasn't all that different from him and Eleven from season 1. Game recognize game?

I'm not entirely sure what Max really brings to the party though. She can steal a car? Also yes, it must suck to be Will lol

Mike clearly didn't want Max in the party because he felt like she was taking Eleven's place, which he'd clearly been keeping for her in the hopes she'd come back. Kids are kids, and they're not going to reason like adults do. I thought the group dynamic was great. I liked seeing them split off into different sub-groups this season. It would've felt too much like Season 1 if they stuck together for the entirety of 2.

Max brought a fresh set of eyes to the situation. Someone who doesn't believe and has to be convinced. It was a way to move the narrative forward and keep the group and characters from stagnating.

[Deleted]

That episode of Eleven in the city remind me so much of the movie "Chappie", wich I thought it was the weakest episode. So far the season was good, the plot and its pace development felt like an exact copy of first season but the acting, soundtrack, camera cuts and general performance were really on top, maybe a bit overdone trying to get that 80s feel but nothing really out-atmospheric. I hope we see something a bit more different in season 3 concerning the plot dynamics.

[quras]

It was amazing like the first season.

I loved the drama the kids brought. Season 1 - Millie Brown was really the powerhouse of it. Season 2 it was Noah Schnapp.

The character development and side trip for 11 was a nice touch to see that character grow.
The roller coaster of emotions and how well acted was just a step up from Season 1.

People love to give that pre-teen drama a hard time but without it you miss something important. These are kids and kids act like that. They get jealous, they do irrational things they act out. They are immature no matter how we view it from a bit more mature standpoint.

And the whole thing about Mike. He's lost. His one and only love interested at a young age was taken. She didn't just move off. She was taken. Instantly. Thats a pretty bit scar to mend for a pre-teen kid. It was well done and well written. He would be jealous and angry and emotional and having a very hard time with it even if not outwardly always showing it till the damn burst (as we saw with Mike and Hopper). He's been holding that in for way to long.

It's another massive hit out of the park for netflix.

[Jotaux]

The only part I didn't like was the episode with Eleven and her sister. I just found myself wanting it to be over with. Other than that I enjoyed season 2 immensely!

[Adp]

Mike clearly didn't want Max in the party because he felt like she was taking Eleven's place, which he'd clearly been keeping for her in the hopes she'd come back. Kids are kids, and they're not going to reason like adults do. I thought the group dynamic was great. I liked seeing them split off into different sub-groups this season. It would've felt too much like Season 1 if they stuck together for the entirety of 2.

Max brought a fresh set of eyes to the situation. Someone who doesn't believe and has to be convinced. It was a way to move the narrative forward and keep the group and characters from stagnating.

Yea kids are kids. I could see that from his prospective. It's just that the dynamic between Mike and Max lasted until episode 9 unable to put it aside even during the culmination of the major conflict. His character growth is entirely tied to the presence or lack thereof of Eleven. Without her he devolved into thievery, plagiarism, and vandalism. I suppose the regression was a bit disappointing, stagnation I would've been okay with even if almost a year had passed since season 1.

As far as Max goes, I meant that going forward for a potential season 3. Her role isn't exactly defined like it is for the other characters. Mage /Cleric /Paladin /Ranger /Bard. What does she fulfill? I'm not sold on the whole "Zoomer" thing is what I'm trying to say. Narrative wise I'm totally fine with her as a character and I agree with you. The love triangle subplot ended though so if she is meant to be a mainstay in the party she needs to be defined a bit more.

[RobertoCarlos]

Ok I liked the season overall but it defiantly had some problems.

First the good,

Bob and Steve were awesome. Steve defying cliches is a breath of fresh air and I liked his scenes with dustin (Lol @ farrah fawcett hairspray). Same with Bob. I thought he legit was a spy but he was just a nice guy getting stringed along in the end.

Max was a good addition even if she suffered from the same problem as billy which Ill get too in the bad.

Some of the scenes with 11 doing her spirit walk thing.

the effects and setting in general. Money well spent, along with music choice.

Now the bad....

Episode 7. First the placement of it was terrible. They break the rhythem of demidogs coming out into the lab to tell us what 11 is doing in chicago for an entire ep.
I hated the Xmen vibe and the douche cyberpunk gang in general. Didnt feel like strangers things and felt like more set up for season 3 than being true to season 2.

Nancy and Mike taking back seats in the story, they were pretty much nothing characters this season.

Billy and Max stories felt half done and I'm sure we'll see more in season 3 but it felt a bit awkward. Billy is defiantly gay

11 and hopper stories didnt have the same pull. 11 was never with the kids which was a great dynamic from season 1 she was locked away all season. And hopper didnt have the same emotional effect with looking for Will and learning he had lost his own kid. He was more about being over protective and it came off more annoying at how stupid the characters were being. Hehe get it, stupid.

The mind flayer and "vines map" didnt have the same effect as seasons 1 letters and will trying to speak to his mother. It was the same kind of gimmick but I much prefered the delivery of it in season 1 and in season 2 it wasnt really a big deal other than bob doing his puzzle stuff at the end.

The demidogs never felt like a real threat. And I thought the real world would have been more brought in with that many dogs about, surely people would have been killed in dawkins but its all limited to the lab.

[Izalla]

Ok I liked the season overall but it defiantly had some problems.

First the good,

Bob and Steve were awesome. Steve defying cliches is a breath of fresh air and I liked his scenes with dustin (Lol @ farrah fawcett hairspray). Same with Bob. I thought he legit was a spy but he was just a nice guy getting stringed along in the end.

Max was a good addition even if she suffered from the same problem as billy which Ill get too in the bad.

Some of the scenes with 11 doing her spirit walk thing.

the effects and setting in general. Money well spent, along with music choice.

Now the bad....

Episode 7. First the placement of it was terrible. They break the rhythem of demidogs coming out into the lab to tell us what 11 is doing in chicago for an entire ep.
I hated the Xmen vibe and the douche cyberpunk gang in general. Didnt feel like strangers things and felt like more set up for season 3 than being true to season 2.

Nancy and Mike taking back seats in the story, they were pretty much nothing characters this season.

Billy and Max stories felt half done and I'm sure we'll see more in season 3 but it felt a bit awkward. Billy is defiantly gay

11 and hopper stories didnt have the same pull. 11 was never with the kids which was a great dynamic from season 1 she was locked away all season. And hopper didnt have the same emotional effect with looking for Will and learning he had lost his own kid. He was more about being over protective and it came off more annoying at how stupid the characters were being. Hehe get it, stupid.

The mind flayer and "vines map" didnt have the same effect as seasons 1 letters and will trying to speak to his mother. It was the same kind of gimmick but I much prefered the delivery of it in season 1 and in season 2 it wasnt really a big deal other than bob doing his puzzle stuff at the end.

The demidogs never felt like a real threat. And I thought the real world would have been more brought in with that many dogs about, surely people would have been killed in dawkins but its all limited to the lab.

I'm not sure where you got that impression from, Joyce wasn't stringing him along. She had chemistry with Hopper but I saw no reason to think she didn't have genuine feelings for Bob.

[RobertoCarlos]

I'm not sure where you got that impression from, Joyce wasn't stringing him along. She had chemistry with Hopper but I saw no reason to think she didn't have genuine feelings for Bob.

She was using him like Nancy was using Steve

[Izalla]

She was using him like Nancy was using Steve

I dunno man, I never got that feeling.

[RobertoCarlos]

I dunno man, I never got that feeling.

Bob should have ran moment she didnt even blink at his idea on moving.

[Izalla]

Bob should have ran moment she didnt even blink at his idea on moving.

Did it say how long they've been together? I doubt she wanted to uproot her family and take her son away from the only place they have any reason to think could be able to help him (since no one else even knows about The Upside Down).

[RobertoCarlos]

Did it say how long they've been together? I doubt she wanted to uproot her family and take her son away from the only place they have any reason to think could be able to help him (since no one else even knows about The Upside Down).

I dont disagree with you that she had feelings for bob. But he was a security blanket. Why else would they add the moving scene? She wouldnt even let him into the house untill she thought he might be able to help as long as he didnt ask questions. Her priority was always Will and i guess her other creepy kid

[Izalla]

I dont disagree with you that she had feelings for bob. But he was a security blanket. Why else would they add the moving scene? She wouldnt even let him into the house untill she thought he might be able to help as long as he didnt ask questions. Her priority was always Will and i guess her other creepy kid

To be fair they did have to sign all those contracts and shit and were intimidated into silence, look what happened when Nancy and Jonathan were overheard on that phone call =P But yeah for sure her kids are her priorities