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AIBU?

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Original poster

to say Stranger Things Series 2 was fucking shit?

115 replies

FiddleWiddiRiddim · 07/11/2017 14:26

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?

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HateSummer · 08/11/2017 08:03

Well I loved it. I loved all the little homages to 80’s movies/nostalgia. The part where Jonathan and Nancy are in the different rooms and too stubborn to be the one who makes the first move was straight out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom!

Dart was like a Gremlin. When Eleven dresses up as a ghost in a white sheet it was like ET. Obviously The Goonies. The acting was brilliant and the story was a good carry on from last season but agree I wish there wasn’t any lovey dovey crap, but 80’s movies always had silly crushes and romantic end scenes.

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FiddleWiddiRiddim · 08/11/2017 09:21

I'm really not getting the love for Steve here, sorry.

I really didn't like Nancy but, then again, I didn't like her in the first series either- she's just such a wet fucking blanket.

What I also hated was the way that Will drew all these vines. Then somehow, his mum was able to put them together completely correctly even though they all looked basically the same and there didn't seem to be any discernible pattern. Then Bob was able to come in and be like "Oh yeah it's a map of the town". All within one episode.

This is so different from series 1 when Will's mom figured out he was speaking to her through the lights which was a really slow-burning realisation over a couple of episodes.

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UnbornMortificado · 08/11/2017 09:29

Merchant taking photos of Nancy undressing at the window in Steve's house.

Dustysparrow · 08/11/2017 10:36

I loved it, though I found it less scary than series 1 with the proper Demogorgan (I literally had to sleep with the lights on after watching it). I think they have absolutely nailed the authentic 80'sness - and think tapped into to big demand for nostalgia with it - for anyone who grew up in the 80s it is like revisiting those childhood years, I love that (I would have been 6 years old at the time the programme is set).

I can't fault series two apart from two things - episode 7 with Eleven's sister and her punk gang which was really slow and didn't feel 80s enough. And worst of all......Bob!!! NOOOOO!! He was so awesome, he really gave me the warm fuzzies and there was so much more his character had to give - they should never have killed him off. I could see him being a staple character within the show if given time to develop, we were only just getting to know him and then...gone. WTF.

I loved the nice doctor/professor guy - I was wondering throughout if he was going to be bad or good, turns out a real good-un, staying behind in that hell hole in order to guide the others out with the cctv, I did a little cheer when he survived. And only realised towards the end that he was in tonnes of 80s movies and I actually remembered him from lots of stuff, his grey hair threw me off the scent.

Next series they could draft in some more 80s heroes - a few cast members from ET and then if shit really gets bad bring in Sigourney Weaver to sort it out Grin

ISaySteadyOn · 08/11/2017 16:36

Ripley and Eleven take on the whole Upside Down? I would watch that Smile

teaandtoast · 08/11/2017 16:54

I thought it was pretty good, overall. Loved Steve. I thought it followed a similar pattern to Season 1, where various groups of people were working on the same problem. It was just different groups of people with the kids more fragmented this time.

Hated the episode with 8, yet it was the only opportunity where Eleven was 'trained' to focus her thoughts and increase her power. Which was necessary for the ending.

FatBottomedGal · 08/11/2017 17:18

I really liked S2, although agree with some of the comments above re. episode 6, killing Bob (although I do see why they did it, he’s not needed in the narrative for S3, plus I think they want Hopper and Joyce to end up together?)

Just wanted to mention the best line of the series as well:
“So, Jonathan, how was the pull out?” Grin

Itsanicehotel · 08/11/2017 18:00

Apart from punk episode I really enjoyed it. My favourite line was “how do u know it wasn’t a lizard?”
“Because it’s face opened up and then it ate my cat”

Middleoftheroad · 08/11/2017 18:09

Yeh I hated the Chicago episode. Ah Steve 😁and Billy 😢 it was interesting reading about Billy being based on Rob Lowe's character Billy from St Elmo's Fire as DH had already pointed out that Stranger Thing's Billy was the spit of Rob Lowe.

Loved the nods to John Hughes Jurassic Park ET Alien IT Gremlins The Mist Risky Business

But not as good as S1. Though better than most if only for nostalgia (Punky Brewster ln TV) and the haircuts.

Oh and the Ghostbusters scene and Winston being the GB nobody cares about was cooler than Mr Frosty at a Snow Ball.

Tippz · 08/11/2017 18:10

YABVU!

It was amazing. I was hooked to be honest. Maybe you just didn't 'get' it. Confused

Although ep 7 was odd as it had nothing to do with the rest of the series.

I preferred it to season 1 - though that was awesome too.

oldlaundbooth · 08/11/2017 18:14

It's so cheesy, so trashy.

I love it!

oldlaundbooth · 08/11/2017 18:14

Dustin is ah - mayzing

Especially the scenes with his mother 💘

DeadGood · 08/11/2017 18:19

“The whole point of childhood crushes is that nothing happens”

So well put Grin

Frazzled2207 · 08/11/2017 18:30

I loved it but especially Dustin and Steve and their “bromance”.
Eleven was slightly wasted and that standalone episode was pointless, probably setting something up for series 3Confused
If there is a S3 I hope poor Will and his mother get left alone for a change and that Joyce and Hopper actually get together.

CatsAndCairngorms · 08/11/2017 18:34

teaandtoast That's exactly what the Duffer brothers said - they needed that episode in order for El to be able to close the gate at the end. I wouldve preferred it if it just been 8 and 11 in Chicago without the incredibly cliched hangers on though.

PorklessPie · 08/11/2017 18:35

I cried so much when eleven saw Mike again, then at the dance at the end. I sobbed for about 20 minutes Blush

Belleoftheball8 · 08/11/2017 18:44

Don’t forget the nod to stand by me when they were walking on the rail away tracks. I enjoyed s2 the story had to evolve and I’m interesting in all the other test subjects.

Monr0e · 08/11/2017 18:59

Of course, the railway tracks were Stand By Me d'oh

The first thing I thought of was The Walking Dead Grin

pigletpie29 · 08/11/2017 19:06

Well I thought I wouldn’t like it but I actually thought it was better than the first one. Yes to the Steve love. The only dud episode was the one where eleven went awol.

Itsanicehotel · 08/11/2017 19:32

While the Chicago epi seems to be universally disliked I do think it was important in that 8 helps Eleven to channel her anger at her childhood into strengthening her powers. She was def more powerful after
That meeting and didn’t seem to be as exhausted after
Using them

LucilleBluth · 08/11/2017 23:04

I thought that it was better than the first series. It's so immersive, as a child of the 80s I love it. Very feel good in a scary way 😁

AnnaT45 · 09/11/2017 11:57

I loved it!!!

Steve’s hair tips were Grin

Annoying about Bob would have liked more of him.

I think all the acting is brilliant, especially Will and Billy this season.

I found episode 8 truly frightening!

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FiddleWiddiRiddim · 10/11/2017 09:14

I really thought 11 was going to die once she'd done that weird "closing the gate" bullshit.That would've been brilliant. Not that I want her to die but it'd have been a great unexpected plot twist.

I think her nose bleeds when she does her magic shit are indicative that its killing her. I think they'll figure this out next series and tell her that she has to stop doing it. Then there'll be some kind of emergency where she has to use her powers to save someone. Then one she's done her magic shit she'll fall down and panic will ensue and the series will end on a cliff hanger of whether 11 will survive. So predictable...

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AnnaT45 · 10/11/2017 10:16

Fiddle I read that the duffer brothers originally planned it as a one off with eleven dying at the end. But when they took it to Netflix they asked them to make it into a series. I guess as she was the stand out character in season one it made sense to bring her back.

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira · 10/11/2017 10:23

I loved it. I’m at episode 5 for the second time.

Personally, I like the development of the characters. They’re 11/12 in season 1 and 13/14 in season 2. It stands to reason they’ve changed and the their interests and friends are evolving