WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD
We have been truly blessed, for
Stranger Things has returned. It has felt like years since I binged through Season 1, and now it is back in my life. Joy doesn't even describe my emotional reaction to seeing the Netflix countdown to Season 2 slowly tick down to the almighty 0. Thank God for half-term- my thirst for binging could be quenched.
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| Good to see you guys again |
So a year has passed in the world of Hawkins, and that year has brought with it the unstoppable tide that is puberty and teenage drama. Essentially, the sudden appearance of this natural progression is the subject of today's blog. I'm a bit late to the show though; Buzzfeed have already written about how gosh darn adorable that last scene was in the finale. Here's a
link, in case you want something else to read AFTER this post.
Come on, you must have a heart of steel to not feel the feels as the 'Party Members' celebrate victory over the Mind Flayer by giving in to their teenage urges. But more on that later! For now, let's start off with how these brave young heroes are now going along the path of adulting. Before you know it, they will have jobs and be living in a dirty flat in a city centre.
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| They already have some decent credentials |
Our four young boys (Mike/Finn Wolfhard, Lucas/Caleb McLaughlin, Dustin/Gaten Matarazzo and Will/Noah Schnapp) have had one year to recover from the happenings of the first season. Mike is now a stroppy teenager as he deals with the loss of his beloved Eleven, and has now reverted to constantly sending her messages on his walkie-talkie. This is the 1980s equivalent of sending numerous messages on Facebook Messenger to your crush and they just don't reply. I know that feeling all too well...
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| Hang in there buddy |
Dustin and Lucas are also dealing with the struggles of puberty, with the arrival of Max (Sadie Sink) making them have weird feelings about girls. They keep trying to out do each other, and both have no idea why. It's so freaking adorable! It's an almighty struggle, as the cool-head of Lucas battles it out with Dustin and his new teeth. But come on, how can anyone resist those pearls?!
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| Lady killer |
Let's not forget about Will, who now struggles with PTSD, flashbacks to the Upside Down and a lovely possession by the Mind Flayer. This kid just can't catch a break. Even taking Bob's (Sean Astin) advice and telling the Mind Flayer to piss off backfired horrendously. I know not all teenagers go through these struggles, but when you have spent time in a parallel universe being mentally and physically tortured you aren't going to get over it easily.
And what about those other teenagers, I hear you cry. Well Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Steve (Joe Keery) are still just about enjoying each other's company, with Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) still waiting in the wings and ready for Steve to fuck up. Alcohol is consumed, words are said and before you know it Nancy and Johnathan are... uummm... 'going on an adventure'. It all helps move the plot along nicely, but there's always time to squeeze in a bit more drama.
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| You chose... wisely |
Of course, I haven't even mentioned the real star of the show. Eleven/Jane (Millie Bobby Brown) now has to grow up and face the real world. After a whole life in captivity, coupled with creepy government experiments, she now has limited freedom. Jim Hopper (David Harbour) takes care of Eleven, yet falls into the trap of being an over protective parent to a girl who wants to live a normal life.
She then experiences that all too common feeling of jealousy whilst watching Max and Mike muck about on a skateboard. Eleven uses her mind powers to throw Max off her board and make a fool of herself- the perfect revenge. Sorry Max, but Mike and Eleven are destined to be together. IMHO, it's better to stay away from all of that.
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| Don't cross her |
Jane then goes off on a wonderful adventure to find her mother, which leads her to Pittsburgh and an encounter with her 'sister' Eight/Kali (who also has telekinetic abilities) . She has a badass makeover, and returns to Hawkins to continue her badass streak by closing the gate. Holy crap, that was awesome!
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| Freakin awesome |
Eleven's adventure to find herself, not to mention her radical change of appearance, perfectly shows the teenage period of finding yourself and testing out different styles to find the right 'you'. She certainly finds her true self, realising she's not a killer and her heart lies in Hawkins. Her reunion with the main cast is emotional, saving them just in the knick of time. Eleven ex machina.
Now we can reach THAT final scene, and how my eyes filled with tears as these kids embrace puberty with open arms. The Snow Ball brings with it a tidal wave of teenage drama. Lucas and Max share a dance, a kiss and forget about how Lucas (and the other boys) stalked Max in order to determine if she was the one who got the highscore on
Dig-Dug. Ah, young love.
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| Oh you kids |
Will gets a big win as well, as 'Zombie Boy' is shocked at the prospect of dancing with a girl that's not his mother. That's not a bad thing though- I would love to dance with Winona Ryder. But in all seriousness, Will realises that there are people outside the bubble that is his friends and family who don't think he's a freak. That, right there, is one hell of a confidence boost.
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| Don't worry Will, I'm scared of girls too |
Dustin, who loses out to Lucas for the favour of Max, has to strike out on his own, yet is knocked back by all the girls. His new teeth and hair style (inspired by my hero of the series Steve, who took on the role of father/ older brother figure to Dustin) see no results, and ends up on the bleachers crying. BUT OMG NANCY SAVES THE DAY AND THEY DANCE AND ALL THE GIRLS ARE JEALOUS AND MY HEART BROKE AND I WAS SO HAPPY. That little casanova.
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| I'm using all the Dustin GIFs today |
Finally, Mike And Eleven... it was always gonna happen. She walks in (now the adopted daughter of Hopper), catches Mikes eye and they finally share their dance at the Snow Ball. If you remember, Season 1 ended with Mike asking Eleven to the winter dance, with his plans vanquished by Eleven sacrificing herself to defeat the Demogorgon. Mike gets his dance, and his kiss, and I just can't. I'm getting emotional remembering all of this.
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| Too many feels |
I guess you could class this as a review for
Stranger Things Season 2, but is certainly not as informative as the one I did on
The Handmaid's Tale (check it out
here). None the less, this season was excellent, puberty turned up and I must now patiently wait for the third installment. With the future of
House of Cards in jeopardy, Netflix better make it a good one.
Ben G xo 😁
P.S. I saw
Jigsaw on Tuesday. It was a film. That is all
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| I have no strong feelings for or against this film |
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