to say Stranger Things Series 2 was fucking shit?

[FiddleWiddiRiddim]

Just so you know, I'm not BU because it was absolutely shit.

Spoiler Alert*

It was formulaic

Eleven running away to meet Number 8 was just strange and completely unnecessary.

Number 8's band of 80s outlaws were completely ridiculous (compared with the fairly normal characters in Hawkins)

All the monsters was a really dumb, boring and over-dramatic plot device.

Introducing Bob just for Bob to die was lazy.

The ending of the whole series was just plain creepy. In series 1 (and a lot of series 2), the kids had a really idealised 80s childhood- great friendship, a secret club, charging around the town on cool bikes getting into adventures, communicating via walkie talkie, hanging out at the arcade. Then, suddenly, in the last episode they're having some kind of weir pseudo-adult, sexually charged slow dancing bullshit. Whaaaat?

YANBU, I was really disappointed. They went all coming of age on it (bit like SKs book IT). It wasn’t a patch on the first series. Lost all the tension and otherworldness.

Yanbu

It was horribly formulaic. Especially another spoiler the bit where Bob died. I think I actually rolled my eyes. It's a shame & I loved the first season.

YABU just because of Steve. I'm now slightly in love with him.

The whole teatowel on shoulder and taking Dustin too the dance.

I really liked it apart from the totally unnecessary and strange episode of 11 going to Chicago and joining the gang. That was terrible. I liked the rest

Steve 😍

I loved Bob, I loved him trying so hard with the kids. Killing him was horrid.

I didn’t like we had to wait so long for Eleven to be integrated into the main story. But overall it was good fun.

I enjoyed a lot of the character development (Steve, Dustin, the introduction of Max, Hopper and Eleven, Lucas' family background) but thought the plot left a lot to be desired. I found the "possession" storyline pretty scary because I don't like that sort of thing, but thought the monsters were a bit of a let down in general. It definitely didn't have the same eeriness as S1.

The Number 8 episode was NONSENSE, although I liked that it moved Eleven's character development on a bit.

Also yes, I agree with PPs - the whole thing was worth it for Steve "Babysitter Of The Year" Harrington.

I made DH put a teatowel on his shoulder but it didn't have the same effect.

Agree. Also thought the ending was gross.

You're not wrong. Huge disappointment

Lost all the tension and otherworldness

Yes, that's brilliant. Totally sums it up. I feel like it went for the whole big dramatic music and special effects rather than just the low-level creepiness that made series 1 great. And I still don't get what the upside-down is.

Unborn I actually find Max's brother strangely appealing. I'm ashamed of myself but he's gorgeous

I've gone completely fan girl over Steve.
Didn't warm to him in season 1

I thought the only good bits were when Hopper fell in the tunnel, they all hid in the bus from the demodogs and when everybody was trying to get out of the lab. It all turned a bit like a low-budget horror movie at the end. The third series will kill it stone dead.

Some of it was fantastic, the Elisode I didn't like and the ending was a bit flat. But I think in the long run when viewed over the planned 4 season ark it will work.

Actually, can we just talk about how freaking cool Lucas' little sister is? Can she please have her own spin-out series of her just being rude to Lucas and his friends

I loved it! The stand alone episode about number 8 wasn't the best but I loved eleven coming back after her transformation. Would have liked her to keep her new image for the snowball rather than wearing a pretty dress.

Bob dying was awful but he was clearly just there for her his puzzle solving skills.

How old are the kids supposed to be in this series? I was 13 in 1983 and there was lots of kissing at school parties 😱 ( trying not to think about that as I have a 12 year old!)

Now watching season 1 again to stop my withdrawal symptoms!

Fiddle he was incredibly nice to look at too but my heart lies with Steve.

I think they were meant to be about 13. I agree about lots of kissing etc. at that age but it was the way it was like some faux adult romance that I hated. My experience was much more like slopping wet snogs round the back of the Spar while your mate watched out for passing tramps.

I also hated that it seemed to completely jar with the very idyllic childhood and friendships that they had in series 1 and most of the series 2. It was like "Oh look, we were running around on our bikes getting into mischief ten minutes ago but now we're completely in love and staring adoringly into each others eyes while we slow dance to Time After Time"

No, fuck off.

I agree that the ending was pretty rubbish. They should have waited at least another season before moving on to coming of age rubbish. The whole point of childhood crushes is that nothing happens.

Yanbu. I actually couldn’t be bothered to watch it from about half way through but persevered because dh was really into it. He thought it was amazing I was completely bored - despite loving the first season.

It was all a bit fan fiction. And I agree three kiddie romance stuff was a bit yuck.

I was furious about Bob! I thought “How fucking dare they do that to an 80s childhood hero!” He could have been so much more!

I said the same in another thread but everyone there thought it was great.

Poor Bob. It's weird seeing Sean Astin as an overweight, middle aged man after growing up watching the goonies etc. Makes me realise i'm also actually a (slightly) overweight, middle aged woman.

The whole devil dog/monster lab escape thing was very Resident Evil.

Nancy also gets on my tits. And Steve is well better than Johnathen.