That moment alone is a spine-tingling, cheer-inducing treasure, but before the blackness sets in, the chaos itself is a lot of fun. The demodogs pounce, everyone in the lab panics, and the camera cuts away to a pitch-black laboratory. Mike realizes what’s going on and runs to warn the scientists. All those stories, characters, and threads were leading up to this moment: Will apologizes to his family. While the story started to flow long before the power went out at the laboratory, it was then that “Stranger Things” paid off on everything that came before. Then the lights go out, and Season 2 catches fire. It’s clear that the season is building toward something, but it’s all tease and no payoff. Dustin’s (Gaten Matarazzo) cute little trash monster is just a cute little trash monster. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) wants to see Mike (Finn Wolfhard), but she hasn’t done anything about it. Will (Noah Schnapp) is experiencing brief glimpses into the Upside Down, but nothing has actually happened to him yet. For a good two-and-a-half hours, it was all setup.
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Sometime during Episode 3, viewers probably started to feel the drag, if not consciously recognize an absence of conflict.
Stranger things season 2 episode 1 recap tv#
'Landscapers' Review: Olivia Colman and David Thewlis Put on a Show in HBO's Twisted True Crime RomanceĮvery IndieWire TV Review from 2021 So Far, Ranked by Best to Worst GradeĤ5 Directors Pick Favorite Horror Movies: Bong Joon Ho, Tarantino, del Toro and More 'Anne Boleyn' Review: Jodie Turner-Smith Dominates in Bland AMC Historical Drama For as problematic as a few plots lines were (looking at you, Nan-athan or Joncy or whatever the wretched couple wants to be called) and one episode in particular (cough, Chapter 7, cough), there are boundless delights in “Stranger Things,” and picking apart the best and worst of a very good season is half the fun of finishing.
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Anticipation is all well and good, but there’s something to be said for appreciating what’s in front of you - literally, in this case - and there’s plenty to appreciate about “Stranger Things” Season 2. Really concentrate on that first moment you saw those matted curls, slicked back on the sides and primped up on top. Think about Dustin’s new ‘do at the Snow Ball. You did it! You saw “ Stranger Things 2”! Whether it’s been more than a year of waiting or a matter of minutes (for those who finished Season 1 right before starting in on Season 2), you deserve to take a few moments to bask in the actual experience.Īll right: deep breath.