Rating: 8/10

Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, Eleven, Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, Joyce and Chief Hopper. All of the 80’s icons of the twenty-first century made their debut on Netflix in 2016 and turned the entire world upside down. Now, they’re back and better than ever in the ever-so anticipated season two of “Stranger Things.”

After the events of the first season, the town of Hawkins is enjoying a peaceful break; except for Will Byers. He has been experiencing flashbacks that seem too real to be fake. He is traumatized by the mysterious shadow monster. Mike, Lucas and Dustin all try to figure out what is happening to their best friend with the help from a few familiar friends.

The creators of this show, The Duffer Brothers, have done it. They have not only managed to recreate the same atmosphere from the first season, but they did it while still adding something new.

One of the biggest reasons the show was such a hit last year was because of the story and the characters; the same goes this season. The story picks up roughly around a year after the first one ended, and it doesn’t disappoint. Each episode added something new while still being consistent with the story as a whole. Nothing is thrown off track, and nothing is out of place; plus the show is still 80’s nostalgic which creates continuity in the series as a whole.

Will is my new favorite character out of the series. He gets so much more screen time compared to last season, the writers and the actor utilizes that screen really well. The actor, Noah Schnapp, is amazing. He gives a super creepy, authentic, intense, emotional performance that overshadows the rest of the cast.

As for the rest of the cast, all of them basically gave the same performance they gave last year. Great chemistry and fantastic delivery.

However, there is one character I had a problem with: Mike Wheeler. He was such a huge part of the first season and was a character that basically made the show. He didn’t have much to do in this season. Mike Wheeler was basically a benched player at a soccer game. The writer’s didn’t really know what to do with the character besides giving the character Eleven a love interest.

Some of the new additions include Max, Billy, Dr. Owens and Bob Newby. They all did well, but the stand out was Bob. He was such a likable, fun character that Joyce obviously deserved to be in a relationship with. Not only was he kind and caring to her kids, but he was a really romantic guy towards Joyce.

I am also very glad that the budget for this series has increased. Netflix has been making a lot more money lately, and it’s nice to see them use the money wisely. The telekinesis used by Eleven is getting more realistic, and the upside down is getting a lot more edgier than it already was.

The scene that blew my mind with it’s visuals was the scene where Eleven pushes away the shadow monster with her powers. Just the moment when she is floating in the air, screaming with black veins around her eyes, her hands reaching out and with her mind, pushing the shadow monster into a mesmerizing vortex of black vapor was really incredible.

This season was overall a successful addition to the series. Season two has really evolved this show into something more unique and more epic. Season three is under a lot of pressure, but I am sure it will be just as successful as the second season.