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?

Sorry posted too soon trying to get rid of the advert!

I liked the build up to the Chicago episode but not be actual episode. Too much happened and I agree it felt a bit shoehorned in. I also agree about the pictures making a map. The show Will working on a page at a time but somehow they all overlap perfectly into a map? No, didn’t make sense to me.

I loved the Hopper/Eleven storyline. And I loved Will - well, all the boys really. I love coming of age stories in general, and I have all sons so a lot of the time I just wanted to hug them all.

I agree the punk episode felt squeezed it and too much 'magical asian' trope of Kali helping Eleven get in touch with her feelings (but not in the right way for our hero of course) and powers and yeah. I was hoping and still think it would have been better if the punk group had taken Eleven back to Hawkins rather than her running off like that - surely with wanting to get the heat off from the police and wanting revenge, getting out and going to one of the facilities would have worked and felt less segmented from the rest of it.

I watched the 'beyond' series afterwards and found myself liking the kids more and getting more annoyed at the adults particularly that they pushed the actress who played Maxine to do the kiss when it wasn't in the script specifically because she had been against and upset at the idea.

I really liked season 2.

I do agree that the whole Chicago thing was rubbish though, why the hell were those other members of the Poundstretcher Suicide Squad (I love that so much) even involved? Why did they want revenge on the lab guys that they didnt even really know? I thought theyd be using 8s power to rob banks or something and wanted 11 in to help them do a really big job, that would at least have made sense.

And I also had the horryiying realisation that I've reached "that age" because I thought "Steve would make a really great dad".

YABU because Dad Steve. I love him!

Going off thread here, but have not yet started even season 1- is it worth it?

Yeah Dixie s1 is really, really good. Series 2 not so original but still enjoyable.

Oh my god Dustin's face when nobody wants to dance with him - broke my fucking heart! God bless Nancy, h'es my favorite.

I didn't find it as creepy as the first which I'm currently re-watching, but still really bloody enjoyed it. Mike's face when he sees Eleven was just amazing.

And Steve. Yeah. He wins the show

Dustin is possibly the cutest kid in the world ever!

The moment Eleven came back and saw Mike, come on! So sweet!

To expect it to be anything other than formulaic is what's unreasonable. The last season was formulaic. It's entertainment. The whole 80s kids schtick is a thing (like ET) and they were emulating that. That was the point, thus it succeeded. Sure it was annoying, but it is what it is. It's like expecting Shakespeare from a crime drama on channel 4.

It wasn't shit but it was disappointingly sloppy and introducing a character just so you can kill them off is pretty unforgiveable.

Considering how quickly they got it out it could have been much worse. Series three of Sherlock, now that was shit..

BOB
omg POOR Bob

The best but for me was Nancy and Jonathan getting together!

Same. I thought they had chemistry. He is actually English IRL!

I loved it.

YABVVU

I noticed this thread days ago but couldn't open it as I was still watching. However I have just finished the series and LOVED it.

I think ep 8 was the most edge of the seat one. I sought of knew Bob wouldn't make it but so wanted him to.

And how cool was Steve? Another one who didn't like him much to begin with but loved him by the end.

I was really disappointed until the penultimate episode which was awesome. Can't say I have a crap about Bob though - they deliberately made him as annoying as possible, no idea why.

kids loved it ?

Ah, we enjoyed it. Not as good as the first series, but it's a bit much to call it "fucking shit". Fucking shit is something you switch off 10 minutes into episode 1, surely?
I liked all the nods to 80's movies and SK, too. I didn't really see the point of Max and Steve though... I thought they were going to be relevant/ connected somehow to the upside down, but they were just unnecessary extras.

Loved Dustin the best, especially, as a PP said, when he was interacting with his mum!

but it's a bit much to call it "fucking shit". Fucking shit is something you switch off 10 minutes into episode 1, surely?

It was alright to start off with, the first few episodes were okay. Then it just got downright ridiculous and boring. It was like the writers had started off on a Monday morning full of ideas and enthusiasm and coffee then by Wednesday lunchtime were like "Ah fuck it, just shove some big monsters in and let's go to the pub"

I wanted to give up about half way through but DH was insistent on sticking with.

I'm watching "Crazy Ex-girlfriend" and "Kimmy Schmidt" now- miles and miles better than "Stranger Things"

I'm watching "Crazy Ex-girlfriend" and "Kimmy Schmidt" now- miles and miles better than "Stranger Things"

Haha - I watched 3 episodes of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend before deciding all the characters were loathsome and I'd never enjoy it, no matter how clever and well-written it is, and I couldn't even get through one episode of Kimmy Schmidt (don't get the appeal at all, it's unfunny and crass). Different strokes!

I'm watching "Crazy Ex-girlfriend" and "Kimmy Schmidt" now- miles and miles better than "Stranger Things"

They also couldn't be any more different to Stranger Things, so maybe it isn't fucking shit, it just doesn't appeal to you?

Fair enough Fiddle
I really didn't mean for my comment to sound as snippy as it did!

NearLife I didn't read it as snippy at all, promise

peach Ha!! I basically hate all the characters in Ex-Girlfriend as well weirdly apart from Valencia but I really like the music and it's just, well, fun. Kimmy Schmidt took me a couple of episodes to get into. I thought the first episode was pretty shit but DH made us stick with it and it does get better. I really like it now!

Random But I really enjoyed the first series of Stranger Things so it's not that the genre doesn't appeal it's just that the things which made the first series great (as PP have said the tension and other-worldliness) weren't there. I have, shall we say, broad taste when it comes to Netflix.

I have, shall we say, broad taste when it comes to Netflix.

I can definitely empathise there

@FiddleWiddiRiddim Yeah the songs are SO clever, it makes me wish I could like it! But I think for me not being able to empathise with ANY characters makes it too hard. I can see why other people love it though!