Stranger Things discussion (all seasons)

[bassman]

^ Steve does have an interesting arc and development, that even gets better and better. Just about all of the characters are written really well and go through real changes as the story goes on. It should be very interesting in the seasons to come! The writers deserve top accolades, for sure. It’s kinda funny, for a show that clearly owes a lot to Stephen King, King himself has praised the Duffer Brothers for what they’ve created, even calling the show “straight up, balls-to-the-wall, top notch entertainment”. I’m sure they were quite pleased to hear that! I’m lagging a little behind, so I’m trying to finish up season one tonight so that I’m caught up with you. Working on 6-8. Good times!

[MinionZombie]

haha, now it is you who is behind me, muahahahaaaaa. Well, except that you've already seen the episodes, but whatevs. I finished up season one last night and also bashed out 2x01. I can see where Shoot's thought process might come from - because season one wraps up in such a way that the viewer gets a lot of closure, particularly emotionally speaking, even though there are various threads left dangling (yeah, I'll just nip to the bathroom to honk up an alien worm thing and then merrily go back to Christmas dinner ). The first episode of season two - it has a slower feel to it, or rather, being that it's the beginning of a new season it's naturally not going to be at the same pace as the end of the previous season, and it takes some time to show us more of the lives of these people and kids. There also seems to have been a budget increase (e.g. the arcade, new characters and locations). Aye - Steve has grown a bit now, which is good, because he was an arse before ... although Jonathan is better suited to Nancy, I'd say. Indeed, I'm a big fan of the Jonathan character and as I said before, it's nice to see a teen boy character not be a scumbag arsehole ignoring everyone else as that's the on-screen cliche. A part of me always wanted to have a little brother, so I guess that's part of why I like that character so much. I'd forgotten that Sean Astin was in this season, and this gentle guy thing with an aversion to horror movies ... ... I don't trust it, but maybe that's other shows peaking my paranoia about him, haha. Who knows. Seemingly still some mystery about Barb - although she looked pretty dead to me in the last couple of episodes of season one! And I wonder who this shady dude with his Russian agent conspiracies is. And how come Eleven is back? Ooh, let's see...!!! I really do love this Spielberg/King vibe that the show has, and I think we can all feel a warmth from the image of these kids riding around their neighbourhood on their bikes as that's what we all did when we were their age.

[MinionZombie]

Okay, got 2x02 and 2x03 done now - and poor Will's been nabbed by that big ass smoke spider thing in the upside down!!! Generally, so far at least, the overall threat is seeping out slowly and there's more of a character drama focus in this one - so the pace is different, but being that I really enjoy these characters it's okay by me. It's kind of a clash between glimpses of large scale cataclysm and small scale (relatively) everyday goings on. Indeed, the characterisations are really good. You're not entirely sure if someone who appears so goody two shoes really is, but then maybe they are and they're just a nice dude (e.g. Sean Astin's character). Meanwhile Paul Reiser - that was a nice surprise to see him join the cast - and that his character is so affable and friendly with Will in that examination scene, but then he's shadier in other scenes. It's interesting to see Hopper as a kind of surrogate father for Eleven, especially after the loss of his own daughter in his backstory ... and what's with this weird slimey creature thing that shot out of Will's gob and ended up in Dustin's bin? Oh, and naturally I luxuriated in the nostalgia of Ghostbusters in episode 2. Loved it when they turned up at school all dressed up (with two Venkmans ... poor Winston, always getting the shaft!) but nobody else was in costume. And Steve is much more likeable now, although I've never seen him and Nancy as a proper match deep down. However, it's nice to see him drop the douchebaggery and be more real and you can now see he means well. The other new dude in the sweet Trans-Am, though, with the shite hair-do? Oof, what an arse!

[bassman]

I made it through to 204 last night. Agreed on all points. A few little things I noticed....there’s a short little musical sting that sounds awfully similar to the Gremlins theme when they’re chasing the polywog/Dart in the school. Also....when Will finds it in the restroom and radios the others....the dialogue is suspiciously close to the “come in, Ray...” dialogue at the Ghostbusters’ first bust. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say it, but I think by the end of this season, Steve may be one of your favorite characters. I’m waiting for you to make it to 204 so I can reveal a huge hint I noticed back in 201 on this second spin. Btw, MZ, don’t watch it until you’ve finished all of season two, but Netflix also has Beyond Stranger Things, which is essentially the only special features for the show. I think you’d enjoy it, but as I said, definitely don’t watch it until you’re all caught up. Also, I’m digging the new Vorhees avatar!

[MinionZombie]

I made it through to 204 last night. Agreed on all points. A few little things I noticed....there’s a short little musical sting that sounds awfully similar to the Gremlins theme when they’re chasing the polywog/Dart in the school. Also....when Will finds it in the restroom and radios the others....the dialogue is suspiciously close to the “come in, Ray...” dialogue at the Ghostbusters’ first bust. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say it, but I think by the end of this season, Steve may be one of your favorite characters. I’m waiting for you to make it to 204 so I can reveal a huge hint I noticed back in 201 on this second spin. Btw, MZ, don’t watch it until you’ve finished all of season two, but Netflix also has Beyond Stranger Things, which is essentially the only special features for the show. I think you’d enjoy it, but as I said, definitely don’t watch it until you’re all caught up. Also, I’m digging the new Vorhees avatar! 1) Hey, yeah! I noticed that Gremlins-esque musical sting, too. I almost thought I was hearing things, but this Polywog thing does have a hint of Gremlins to it. 2) Ooh, a bold claim ... we shall see, eh! 3) Aye, I stumbled upon the thumbnail for "Beyond Stranger Things", so I've added it to the watch list and will do it afterwards, as you say. Better to binge watch the show then binge watch the after-show, hehe. 4) I figured Negan had had a good long run in my avatar, so it was time for a little freshen up. The appearance of a trick or treater dressed as Jason in 2x02 inspired the choice. I'll see about getting 2x04 bashed out soon, probably slide it in tonight after some other viewing (The Grand Tour, and my continuing second run through the first season of Fargo).

[MinionZombie]

Okay, 2x04 and 2x05 done now. An upside-down tunnel system beneath Hawkins, now the gub'mint have showed up to burn shit (but Will's going nuts). Eleven has found her birth mother, Nancy and Jonathan are hanging out with the conspiracy nut etc etc. I liked the comment from Max about the (true) story she was told. No doubt some of those lines were pinched from lukewarm reviews for Season One? Overall the pace is slower in Season 2, and while the scale of the trouble is growing, the closer focus on the characters simultaneously makes it feel a bit smaller, so it's a mixed bag in terms of pacing, but I am very much still enjoying it even if Season 1 generally had more oomph. The Byers' house - season one: covered in Xmas lights, season two: covered in crayon drawings ... what will season three entail? Will see about bashing out another one or two episodes tonight.

[bassman]

One of the little hints I noticed this time around: at the start of the first episode of the season, they use a song from Oingo Boingo called “Just Another Day”. The lyrics relate to the season to come, but more importantly, Danny Elfman’s first line in the song is “There’s life under ground”. This is heard within the first few minutes of the episode. Gave me a good chuckle...

[MinionZombie]

Just one episode left to go now. I bashed through 2x06, 2x07, and 2x08 last night ... and Nooooooooooo!!!! Bob!!!! - I was suspicious that he was too nice, but it turned out he was just a thoroughly good dude. Was a bit iffy on 2x07 as it felt a bit disjointed being in a completely different location with completely new characters, and I didn't care for "Eight" because she's a manipulator with her mind set on destruction and vengeance, willing to use anyone to achieve her objectives (although the characterisation was good). I loved the double entendre in, IIRC, 2x06 the morning after at the conspiracy loon's house: "Did you enjoy the pull out?" (referring to the pull out couch), but we all know what Nancy and Jonathan were up to. 2x06 and 2x08 had a distinctly "Aliens" vibe with the monitors and motion detector and watching monitors etc (plus with Paul Reiser watching it all tensely from a control room, haha). I'm enjoying Reiser's character, too. You can see he's been able to bring a little touch of his comedic timing and deadpan delivery to further spice up the characterisation, and it's nice to see the Hawkins Lab lot get a bit more humanised too (so it's not just a simple "gub'mint people = bad") as they're all trying to figure this shit out as well. Nice to see Mike and Eleven reunited, too. And I'm really liking Steve now, hehe, just as you said. He's really grown. I still can't be doing with the weight-lifting, chain-smoking douchebag though (sure, he's got a shitty Dad, but he's still a prick himself).

[bassman]

That’s funny that you mention Aliens, as I’d made the same comparison! Season Two is the Aliens to Season One’s Alien in terms of the size and feel. Bob’s last name, Newby, gave me a chuckle as one of the new characters on the show. They were pretty on the nose with that one. At one point he gets excited about the “X marks the spot” possibility of treasure on the map, as well(Goonies).

[MinionZombie]

Bob’s last name, Newby, gave me a chuckle as one of the new characters on the show. They were pretty on the nose with that one. At one point he gets excited about the “X marks the spot” possibility of treasure on the map, as well(Goonies). haha, yeah, I like those little nods and winks to the audience. So I wrapped up season two at lunch time - man, Steve took a right old beating there! The bit with Eleven and Hopper mid-way down that shaft with him holding back Demadogs while she closes the gate was pretty darn sweet ... but one of the things I like most about this show is that they take the time to let the viewer enjoy the moments outside of the main plot. We get to see the characters in other contexts - so it was lovely to get a solid ten minutes at the end of 2x09 whereby it's all character stuff, the dance, coming-of-age goings on and whatnot. Dustin trying to get a dance at the Snow Ball was sweet, then funny, then sad, then happy when Nancy pulled him onto the dance floor. Speaking of, the little team of Steve and Dustin is pretty good fun (the hair stuff, haha!), so it's interesting to see these odd little combinations of characters here and there. I feel sorry for the loss of Bob, but then again it does allow room for Hopper to maybe, eventually, get in there with Joyce as they seem like a potential good couple as well. Geez, I'm like an old lady - "I'm watchin' mah stories!" Oh - Mike's mother reading that romance novel in the bath was hilarious, and then she comes down and Billy's being all 'Fabio' like and cool and she's all hot & bothered, haha! Billy's still an utter bellend, mind.

[bassman]

The characters on the book cover look suspiciously similar to Billy and Mrs Wheeler, as well! A small detail that’s not outright stated: throughout the two seasons we see Hopper wearing a blue hair band on his wrist, which we learn was from his deceased daughter, and then in 209, Eleven is wearing it on her wrist at the dance. That was sweet and I love little details that are snuck in like that!

[MinionZombie]

A small detail that’s not outright stated: throughout the two seasons we see Hopper wearing a blue hair band on his wrist, which we learn was from his deceased daughter, and then in 209, Eleven is wearing it on her wrist at the dance. That was sweet and I love little details that are snuck in like that! Oh! I didn't catch that one, although I think I recall a moment when Hopper fiddles with the band on his writst and I figured it must be something to remember his daughter by. I started watching Beyond Stranger Things last night (five down, two to go ) and I'm really enjoying that, too. I dig that it's quite relaxed and doesn't really have much structure, it's just a roundtable chat and they just go with it, unlike the very rigid format of Talking Dead (for example). I love that it's quite loose, as well - the kids in particular are quite funny as they fidgit with dice or blow their nose during the others' answers. I also noticed a familiar name in the credits - Supervising Producer: Patrick J. Doody - one of HPOTD's members from way back when. I've been trying to recall his username on here, but I recall emailing with him many moons ago as he hooked me up with an interview with Igo Kantor (producer of the Wings Hauser movie "Mutant", which I made a website for waaaay back in the day).

[bassman]

MZ, I reckon we should probably add spoiler warnings to the thread title? If you could, please sir. We’ll just have to start a new one for Season Three.

[MinionZombie]

Polished off the last two "Beyond Stranger Things" episodes ... ... I guess I'll go watch those little EPK videos in the "trailers and more" segment ... ... Stranger Things withdrawal is already setting in. MZ, I reckon we should probably add spoiler warnings to the thread title? If you could, please sir. We’ll just have to start a new one for Season Three. Done.

[bassman]

Polished off the last two "Beyond Stranger Things" episodes ... ... I guess I'll go watch those little EPK videos in the "trailers and more" segment ... ... Stranger Things withdrawal is already setting in. About five months until Season Three! Having just watched the series again, like you, it sort of reignited my fandom and now the wait is going to feel like an eternity! We should have a trailer for the new season any day now, actually....