Board 8 > So how did the Stranger Things S2 topic purge already?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I tagged the topic when I started it, finished in 4 days, and I wanted to read everyones thoughts dammit.
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I watched the first episode and thought it was kinda boring.
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EDIT: As people might still be watching episodes along the way, please note the following has discussion of the entire season.

It wasn't as good as season 1, sadly. I still liked it, but it wasn't nearly as well put together.

For example, there is the scene this season where Will draws out that huge map of the tunnels. I'm like 90% sure the major reason for that was how iconic the Christmas light scene was last season. "Hey let's have this big thing going through the house, that'll be awesome!"

I also felt like it doesn't really get going until...maybe episode 4 or so? Last season it was BAM Will is missing, his mom is freaking out, the sheriff has this lost daughter he's trying to overcome, there's this mysterious girl bam bam bam. Everything felt necessary and everything was so well done. Here I feel like half of it could've been cut with very little lost. The entirety of episode seven (eight?) was pointless, meaningless filler full of horrendous characters portrayed by bad actors. I like the idea of 8, but there were much better ways to work her into the story.

Also, they did a far worse job subverting expectations this season. Remember last season when Steve was a jerk and we were sure he was jerk, but then he's actually a cool guy with character development? Compare that to Billy this season who is a jerk, then is still a jerk, then a racist (without ever coming out and saying he's a racist because ???? but hey maybe he just hates the kid because of his poor fashion sense, right?), then we find out he's abused, but eh he's still a jerk. I don't even know the point of his character. He just sort of was there to cause trouble for Max sometimes, I guess?

And on top of it all, the entire season felt like filler. Eleven closes the gate and uh...that's it. They don't do anything serious with the mind flayer, it is still definitely there at the end and it feels like almost nothing of interest occurred through the entire season other than Eleven reunites with the gang, something that could've occurred in the very first episode with better writing.

So much here just felt pointless, and huge chunks of the season lacked the excitement and intrigue of the first season. I still enjoyed it, but it wasn't the kind of thing I'm going to recommend to everyone like season 1 was. The kids are still great (and they all had some great scenes this season), Hopper was fun trying to figure out how to be a father again, and the last two episodes at least came kind of sort of close to capturing some of the magic of season 1.

So like...B-/C+ kind of season for me I think.

I know plenty of people that like it just as much as Season 1 though, so I could be in the minority!
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Also Johnathan and the dude that play him are both terrible and lacking in any sort of charisma. It sort of worked season 1 when he was "weird dude brooding over his lost brother" but now he's just "weird dude that looks like he smells like cat pee" and he never really capitalized on any of his scenes this season.

Also I'm not entirely sure Nancy isn't just a cartoon caricature of what cute is. I feel like her head got smaller this season somehow.
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Suprak the Stud posted...

Also Johnathan and the dude that play him are both terrible and lacking in any sort of charisma. It sort of worked season 1 when he was "weird dude brooding over his lost brother" but now he's just "weird dude that looks like he smells like cat pee" and he never really capitalized on any of his scenes this season.

Also I'm not entirely sure Nancy isn't just a cartoon caricature of what cute is. I feel like her head got smaller this season somehow.

Well Jonathan's actor was barred entry into the US for the premiere due to drug-sniffing dogs finding traces of cocaine on him at the airport, so Netflix might not even want him back for Season 3.
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