Stranger Things

:

Season 2
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 15, 2016
Season #: 5, 4.5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 892 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 758 out of 892
  2. Mixed: 63 out of 892
  3. Negative: 71 out of 892

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  1. mikeasmith1234
    Oct 28, 2017
    2
    nothing really interesting about this season. felt very forced. eleven suddenly trains like a part x man slash jedi but is barely in the series, her whole story is irrelevant until the end. the rest is all very straightforward. 2/10 will not watch again
  2. downtownee
    May 18, 2018
    0
    First season was awesome. And it should have been the only season. Season 2 Is like Matrix 4, if the now-sisters continued that downward slope into cashing out on their franchise. The whole season 2 could have been done in the first 15 minutes of one episode of a spin-off. And even that shouldn't have been. If you are a tasteful fan of classic sci-fi's, and haven't seen the second season,First season was awesome. And it should have been the only season. Season 2 Is like Matrix 4, if the now-sisters continued that downward slope into cashing out on their franchise. The whole season 2 could have been done in the first 15 minutes of one episode of a spin-off. And even that shouldn't have been. If you are a tasteful fan of classic sci-fi's, and haven't seen the second season, you may want to skip this season all together. I cannot not see this failure now.… Expand
  3. Honestgame
    May 21, 2018
    0
    Season 2 was an absolute disappointment, to say the least. After such an amazing first season, I had nothing but high hopes for the future of this franchise. Unfortunately, season ones shine quickly crumbled while watching season 2. It took me 2 months to finally finish it because it was so bad. Sad.
  4. Archimdus
    Sep 18, 2018
    2
    Takes everything that was awesome in the first season and removes it. Decides to base the entire season on the old game "dig dug" where creatures have created an underground hive that it takes Hopper way too long to figure it out. Joyce makes her entire house into an arts and crafts project again. Mike has basically checked out. Will is possessed by a lame alien who's picky aboutTakes everything that was awesome in the first season and removes it. Decides to base the entire season on the old game "dig dug" where creatures have created an underground hive that it takes Hopper way too long to figure it out. Joyce makes her entire house into an arts and crafts project again. Mike has basically checked out. Will is possessed by a lame alien who's picky about temperature and likes to sleep a lot. Eleven is non-existent until she decides to go on a weird little angst vacation and joins a group of psychotic murders (think villains from classic Ninja Turtles but super lame) for a few days before finally returning to mike (in the last episode of the season) looking like an awkward, tiny hooker. Mike doesn't seem to mind. Eleven screams a lot and waves her hands around and saves the town again. Mike and Eleven go to a school dance. She kisses him in the most obligatory and apathetic way possible. The end.… Expand
  5. LaSh4wn328
    Nov 13, 2017
    0
    Just terrible. After the great season 1 this show did not need another season, it should have been a miniseries! Now they are just redoing everything they already did: Will is attacked by a supernatural monster, his mom is hysterical, the nerds try to find out what's happening, Hopper is cynical and reckless, and Eleven uses her supernatural powers to help. IT'S ALL JUST THE EXACT SAME ASJust terrible. After the great season 1 this show did not need another season, it should have been a miniseries! Now they are just redoing everything they already did: Will is attacked by a supernatural monster, his mom is hysterical, the nerds try to find out what's happening, Hopper is cynical and reckless, and Eleven uses her supernatural powers to help. IT'S ALL JUST THE EXACT SAME AS THE FIRST SEASON!

    I know for many people these days that's what makes them comfortable, just being spoon-fed the exact same thing over and over and over again (look at how many people went to see Star Wars 7 even though it was just a remake of ANH), but for people who like shows to break new creative ground and take risks this was a massive disappointment. Now they are going to keep milking this show until it becomes so bad even the fans can't deny it. A real shame, because the first season was good, but the second season stinks!    … Expand
  6. Lookingforheart
    Mar 14, 2018
    3
    I truly enjoyed the first season of the show. In spite of it being so blatantly derivative, it was very well made, very well acted, and very heartfelt and entertaining. It had genuinely rousing moments, good pacing, and a great sense of tension. The sum was larger than its parts.

    The new season was a disappointment to say the least. There is a fine line between inspiration and an honest    I truly enjoyed the first season of the show. In spite of it being so blatantly derivative, it was very well made, very well acted, and very heartfelt and entertaining. It had genuinely rousing moments, good pacing, and a great sense of tension. The sum was larger than its parts.

    The new season was a disappointment to say the least. There is a fine line between inspiration and an honest to goodness ripoff, and I struggled to find a single original idea here: the show's creators sticky fingers lift ideas ranging all the way from Akira, to the Exorcist, to Alien, to H.P. Lovecraft, to Star Wars, to every John Hughes movie ever made, to E.T. again, and it isn't a passing nod of admiration, no, we are talking ideas and shots plucked straight out of other titles. It's so thoroughly creatively bankrupt, anyone with any degree of familiarity of genre films or series of the past 40 years would be hard pressed not to scoff or roll their eyes at some point. Not good, not good at all.

    The series relied on nostalgia very heavily in the first installment, and that is doubled down on here. In the original it was obvious, but it was second to some very good story telling, whereas here, it seems to be the central focus. This is made more awkward by the fact that some of the anachronisms are incorrect: Reese's pieces didn't have chocolate in them, Kentucky Fried Chicken wasn't called 'KFC' in the 80s (I suspect that last one was due to product endorsement issues), among many others. Nitpicking, perhaps, but it tarnishes the sense of immersion, all the same.

    Some of this could be perhaps be forgivable in service of a great story, but the overall plot is also wooden, predictable, and in places, straight up boring. There's an episode in the middle that is a complete throw away (and yet another opportunity to be 'inspired' by Akira), and when we finally do get back to the main event, it is done in such a trite fashion as to be laughable. You won't have to guess what's about to happen in the slightest. From there events unfold in a series of episodes that are films and shows you have probably already seen, and done better, elsewhere.

    The new characters that are added serve no purpose other than to fill up space and disrupt the terrific ensemble from the first series. Were they left out of the script entirely it would not have changed a thing or even been noticeable, but for the opportunity they provided for still more nostalgia signaling.

    All in all, season 2 is watchable for the most part, and the performances are still great, that can't be overstated. You will love the kids as much as ever. The ending is supremely sweet, but getting there is an exercise in the worst kind of lazy writing and production, designed specifically to play on nostalgia and its related emotions that you may or may not even possess in lieu of quality or depth or anything resembling fresh, creative ideas. The setup for season 3 is impossibly lame, and if the mediocrity of episode 7 was an indication of where they are headed, count me out.

    This is 21st century film-making in every worst possible sense of the notion with some terrific moments thrown in, seemingly almost by accident or as an after thought. Its a shame, and indicative of Netflix in general as time goes by - I can't decide if their shows are indeed penned by algorithms or just people that have been trained to write like them. One point for the cast, one point for the production values, and one for the truly sweet ending.    … Expand
  7. jeffciv
    Nov 27, 2017
    0
    Just horrid. Season 1 was pretty decent. Season 2 is a huge letdown, acting is weak, writing is awful, production is just awful. RIP, don't make a season 3.
  8. MahbubAli92
    Nov 13, 2017
    0
    It really sucks that so many TV shows with a strong idea for a single season (see also: Mr Robot, Bloodline, Westworld) have to keep getting milked and milked for more episodes even though it's obvious the story has nowhere else to go. Season 1 was a fun supernatural thriller with a great throwback 80's setting, but it was also a complete self-contained story that really, really, REALLYIt really sucks that so many TV shows with a strong idea for a single season (see also: Mr Robot, Bloodline, Westworld) have to keep getting milked and milked for more episodes even though it's obvious the story has nowhere else to go. Season 1 was a fun supernatural thriller with a great throwback 80's setting, but it was also a complete self-contained story that really, really, REALLY did not need a sequel. Yet here we are.

    As usual with these unnecessary followup seasons, the characters either 1) spin their wheels going nowhere, 2) rehash the same character arcs they already had, or 3) get tangled up in pointless melodrama that has nothing to do with the main plot threads. You can set your watch by this pattern these days. Boy I sure can't wait for Season 7 when Joyce once again turns her house upside down to map out the latest supernatural horror attacking her son, and Nancy is still dithering around in her love triangle, and the geeky kids are still having petty arguments over their raging hormones, and Hopper foolishly charges into supernatural danger with no plan and no backup.

    I have to give special mention to the grotesquely awful episode with the vomit-worth Indian chick and her oh-so-cliche crew of Hollywood-diverse henchmen, where they try to turn this show into another Heroes ripoff. That was one of the worst TV episodes I've ever seen, and strongly hints and just how much worse this series is gonna get going forward. I was honestly rooting for the cops to air them all out at the end, but no, naturally they all escape with yet another implausible deus ex machina.

    Meanwhile the red-headed girl only exists to cause melodrama (watch the interview where the actress talks about how they forced her to do an interracial kiss on camera even though she really didn't want to, it'll make you want to strangle Shawn Levy. He seems like another Weinstein in the making with his love of humiliating actresses over this stuff), and her brother is the most one-dimensional cardboard villain I've seen this year.

    I really, really wish they would've quit while they were ahead. It looks like this is going set a new speed record for a series going from fresh and fun and new to being just another cynical Hollywood cash-in that overstays its welcome.    … Expand
  9. GuapoGrande
    Nov 13, 2017
    0
    I will admit I had some trepidation when I first heard they were making another season of Stranger Things, and this is exactly why: it doesn't make sense that this same town keeps getting attacked over and over by horrors from beyond, plus now all the mystery of the first season is drained away and it is nearly impossible to create believable drama for the characters that can compare withI will admit I had some trepidation when I first heard they were making another season of Stranger Things, and this is exactly why: it doesn't make sense that this same town keeps getting attacked over and over by horrors from beyond, plus now all the mystery of the first season is drained away and it is nearly impossible to create believable drama for the characters that can compare with the original story. Where will they go next? "Well gang it's a new year, I wonder what new Upside Down Monster will attack us this time? Will I hope your mom paid her Monster Possession insurance because it's a new school year and you know what that means!"

    Also: episode 7 was THE WORST. I can't believe they tried to ripoff all the other superhero shows on TV like that, plus all the gang members (especially the leader) were totally ridiculous and not believable. I was amazed they tried to do that, and naturally failed so badly.    … Expand
  10. GamerJones
    Nov 5, 2017
    1
    This is one of the most overrated Shows in recent tv-history. I can accept it as an mediocre, entertaining homage to the oldschool "Scary Movies" and tv-shows of the 80-90's. Its a kind of hybrid between movies like Carpenters The Thing (the monsters and score ring clear here), Spielbergs E.T., and Stephen Kings IT (the kiddie-cast). Also with undertones of The X-Files, Twin Peaks,This is one of the most overrated Shows in recent tv-history. I can accept it as an mediocre, entertaining homage to the oldschool "Scary Movies" and tv-shows of the 80-90's. Its a kind of hybrid between movies like Carpenters The Thing (the monsters and score ring clear here), Spielbergs E.T., and Stephen Kings IT (the kiddie-cast). Also with undertones of The X-Files, Twin Peaks, Goosebumps etc. This is why i find the show so unoriginal - we've all seen these plots before, but better.

    Thats the next thing, the acting. The kids are so bad! At first this might be attributed to bad writing, but the kids jus seem like genuinly bad actors, all of them. This, combined witht the poor writing, makes the characters extreemely unlikeable. With the exception of the semi-retarded super-nerd, Justin perhaps, none of these characters came across as likeable, if anything they were just plain annoying. The kid that the shows storyline is centered around, Will, is especially loathable, my good god i hate that kid. After the introduction, everytime you see him on screen he acts like a whiny little ingrate. Sure he might have been infected by some interdimensional parasite, but does he have to be such an stupid **** I hate him. Also the "Elleven" character is ridiculous. Millie Brown might be one of the worst kid acters i have ever seen (i had to plain skip episode 7 of the 2. season), only topped by Danish Linnea Berthelsen from episode 7 - just skip it.

    I really hate this show and all the unworthy attention its getting, because this is a indicator of how many ****s exist out there, with no taste or critical sense whatsoever, some are even close friends of mine... Wake up, this show is terrible!    … Expand
  11. BellaSwan1992
    Nov 15, 2017
    0
    Honestly, with everything coming out about Weinstein and Kevin Spacey and Corey Feldman, I was really unnerved by all the scenes in the last few episodes where Will is in just a hospital gown and they keep tying him to gurneys and chairs and beds. There are some real sickos behind this show who stick in all these unneeded shots of a prepubescent boy being bound hand and foot and strugglingHonestly, with everything coming out about Weinstein and Kevin Spacey and Corey Feldman, I was really unnerved by all the scenes in the last few episodes where Will is in just a hospital gown and they keep tying him to gurneys and chairs and beds. There are some real sickos behind this show who stick in all these unneeded shots of a prepubescent boy being bound hand and foot and struggling to escape. Really, really disgusting.

    I did a little research and found that the young red-headed actress gave an interview where she said she didn't want to kiss the black boy in the final episode (it wasn't in the script either), but the director Shawn Levy forced her to do it and then made her shoot multiple takes just because he saw it was uncomfortable for her (he even laughs about this like he thinks it's funny making young girls humiliate themselves, just like Weinstein). If you watch the scene you can see she looks really awkward and stiff when she does it, and the camera cuts away right away.

    I'm calling it now: there is something "off" about the people behind this show, and there is going to be a scandal sooner or later.    … Expand
  12. Deanomite
    Oct 29, 2017
    3
    It's ok if you need something on in the background while surfing internet or something. But there is no plot point until 1/2 through the season, no character progression no conflict or point or anything. That said, the music is excellent, the acting is very good for as thin as the characters are, the script is the weakness not direction or photography or editing. i am seeing this a lot lately.
  13. Eve84
    Oct 27, 2017
    3
    Stranger Things was a puzzle out of great ideas that came together and fitted perfectly. Season two is that same puzzle spread all over the table.

    While the original show's story revolved around a great mystery, the second season has absolutely no mystery at all. It comes out right from the start with whats going on "x is happening - how will the heroes prevent it?". The story and    Stranger Things was a puzzle out of great ideas that came together and fitted perfectly. Season two is that same puzzle spread all over the table.

    While the original show's story revolved around a great mystery, the second season has absolutely no mystery at all. It comes out right from the start with whats going on "x is happening - how will the heroes prevent it?". The story and characters, while fascinating and thrilling in the first season, just seem lukewarm, flat and often misplaced in the sequel. There's no motivation besides "someone's gotta stand there and say this line". You could remove/exchange most of the characters from scenes and it would chance nothing. Even the music, one of the first season's greatest assets, seems often forced and misplaced in how it uses its 80's tracks.
    While the original subverted common tropes(Steve for example), the second season doesn't even bother. See a douchebag? Its a douchebag; no second guesses.

    But the worst offender is the Eleven sideplot, which takes 7 episodes to complete and adds absolutely nothing and goes literally nowhere; ending with what can only be seen as a metaphor for "I'm going to be in the show now!" The star of the first season doesn't even need to be in the show up until that point. She's literally doing nothing, but irrelevant side adventures.

    The season is fascinating in how bland the ideas of expansion are. "How do we follow up on the success?" "Well, with a bigger and/or more monsters of course! That'll do!" is what the creators must have thought here.

    Its an uninspired sequel in the same vein other uninspired sequels: completely overloaded with what people loved about the original, because the creators couldn't think of anything but "add more".
    Nothing here really fits together.
    Where the first season is tightly knit, this one is just stuff thrown at a wall, to see what sticks. Not too much...

    With season two Stranger Things has become "Random Things." One can only guess how thick the 80's nostalgia must run through the people's veins these days, to hype an uninspired mess driven by nothing but references and 80's rock. Because that's the only two things season 2 is good at: references and music(even though the latter is misplaced a lot.)    … Expand
  14. JonSnowy
    Nov 28, 2017
    0
    Season 1 was surprisingly good, season 2 was a huge mess. Will is in danger AGAIN, his mom whines about him just like in season 1. More teenage love drama, and eleven is an annoying cry baby.
  15. LarryFisher
    Nov 29, 2017
    0
    Season 1 was great, season 2 was **** Gone are all the things that made this show interesting, it's now just a **** show. Worst tv show of the year by far and a complete joke.
  16. PeterDicklage
    Dec 18, 2017
    0
    Oh dear, oh dear, where to begin. As the summary suggests we loved the first season, yes, it had its flaws, mainly in the terrible script but we (the people I watched it with) forgave that in light of a gripping, well paced narrative.

    My biggest gripe about ST2 is the poor mechanics. By this I mean the story doesn't work. The continuation of how principle characters from ST1 behave in    Oh dear, oh dear, where to begin. As the summary suggests we loved the first season, yes, it had its flaws, mainly in the terrible script but we (the people I watched it with) forgave that in light of a gripping, well paced narrative.

    My biggest gripe about ST2 is the poor mechanics. By this I mean the story doesn't work. The continuation of how principle characters from ST1 behave in ST2 doesn't add up. When you acknowledge that that target audience for this is the 30-40 age bracket, meta-geeks and nostalgia-nuts who remember the films, music, games, culture of the 1980's, you must pay tribute to the intelligence that this group of people bring. OK, I'll say it, we're geeks and geeks like things to make sense.

    Dusting would not treat a baby demagorgon as a pet, nor would he hide it. Hopper behaves practically like a jealous lover, a Jozef Fritzl to Eleven. Eleven barely spoke in ST1. So many incongruities. The top secret HAL lab, that anyone can just roll up to and gain access. What annoys me the most is that the Duffer Brothers have created a story of total rubbish, they have trampled over the credibility of the characters they successfully developed in ST1. They have done with ST2 what Disney have done to Star Wars: repackaged the original with louder bangs and hoped that the audience doesn't call them out on a flagrant cashing in on a premise with no substance.

    Ultimately, I know I shouldn't care, but I do because I love ST1 and I hate ST2 for it's lazy storyline, it's awful script and really shoddy CGI.    … Expand
  17. noirfx
    Oct 29, 2017
    2
    Waste of my time, just like the season 1. Almost every action characters make are stupid, the plot is garbage, acting is lame and the whole thing feels cheap and slow. The only good thing about this show is the mood and style of the 80s and the soundtrack. Everything else fails miserably.
  18. DiogoOliveira
    Nov 24, 2017
    3
    Não esperava muita coisa, mas tive que assistir para poder opina, e digo que a serie esta cansada da própria existência, episódio 1 fraco, previsível, desfragmentado, ruim, mal editado, quando chegamos no episódio 7 o desastre esta pronto e feito, piores episódio, a serie esta querendo fugi do cliché, mas ela própria redefiniu o conceito de cliché bom, mas nessa estraga tudo, joga tudo noNão esperava muita coisa, mas tive que assistir para poder opina, e digo que a serie esta cansada da própria existência, episódio 1 fraco, previsível, desfragmentado, ruim, mal editado, quando chegamos no episódio 7 o desastre esta pronto e feito, piores episódio, a serie esta querendo fugi do cliché, mas ela própria redefiniu o conceito de cliché bom, mas nessa estraga tudo, joga tudo no ralo, com cenas desconcertantes que foge da primeira temporada que estava clean para corre por Exorcista, fracassando também na inclusão de dois personagens que não acrescenta em nada, o masculino uma copia de um personagem já existente na primeira temporada e o segundo, que e um personagem feminino não se sabe o que faz ali, seria para um par romântico forçado? descubra você mesmo. final fraco puxando gancho para mais uma temporada, fracassando literalmente com o trabalho mediano mas aceitável da primeira temporada.… Expand
  19. Gatocosmico
    Nov 21, 2017
    3
    the script is bad with unclear characters that do not change anything in the plot that if they disappeared would not change anything, the end was something exciting but expected much more, has no comparison with the first season
  20. meta_king
    Aug 16, 2020
    1
    Its soooo coooooooooooooool! I must write 75 letter, why why? Holy molyyyyy :)
  21. Satanski666
    Mar 19, 2020
    0
    Really like first two seasons, but this time they change the series into some kid love story BS. Couldn't endure more then three episodes, even fast forwarding a lot.
  22. funnymystical
    Sep 15, 2022
    3
    omg emos so cool
    plot: 5/10
    characters: -10/10
    writing: 2/10
    cgi: 7/10
    humor: -1/10

Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best TV Season of 2017
5
#5 Most Discussed TV Season of 2017
23
#23 Most Shared TV Season of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    Dec 15, 2017
    80
    As with last year’s introductory season, a Spielbergian sense of wonder and a John Hughes-like knack for underage anthropology invigorate the show’s approach to scary science-fiction.
    Read full review
  2. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Nathan Frontiero
    Nov 6, 2017
    75
    Stranger Things 2 ultimately feels less like a cash in on the success of the first season and more like its narrative complement, allowing the creators to fully explore the ramifications of the world they created.
    Read full review
  3. We Got This Covered
    Reviewed by: Lauren Humphries-Brooks
    Oct 30, 2017
    80
    All in all, Stranger Things season 2 is ultimately more of the same, but still a very worthy sequel, which is good news for those of us (like me) who only hoped for the Duffer Brothers to manage to carry through the success of the original run with an affecting, and believable, continuation of the story.
    Read full review
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