Speak Now Storyteller

Summary: The residents of Hawkins are once again threatened by the Upside Down after Will Byers becomes connected to a sinister, shadowy entity dubbed the “Mind Flayer”

Onwards to the Season 2 review during my rewatch! A hard season to formally review. I could probably just ramble about it informally but I’m trying to be somewhat professional here lol.

Season 1 review.

Season 4 review.

Spoilers Of course.

Pros:

Cast and Characters.

The Young Teens.

• Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler. Finn continues to lead the young teen cast as Mike Wheeler. He also continues to be my favorite character, and I think his characterization this season is very interesting. We see that he’s angry, frustrated and sad about El’s disappearance even though he holds out hope she’s still alive by calling her through his walkie talkie every day. He’s resistant to the addition of Max to the party because he doesn’t think she belongs and that she’s replacing El. He connects with Will and throws his energy into helping him because it’s just about all he can do. He believes he sees and feels El but she’s never there and tells Will they can go “crazy together” in his effort to connect. He’s gentle, understanding and encouraging in these instances. Even as the season continues and Will struggles even more, Mike finds way to make Will feel better about his predicament. “You have True Sight; you can be a spy for us!” It’s really cute. But it’s also interesting watching him throw himself into everything else because it takes his mind effectively off his own struggles, especially since no one actively asks him about it without punishing/scolding him for lashing out. This continues throughout the season. He spends a lot of the time in the latter half of the season with the Byers. He remains steadfast, observant, quick on his feet and protective of his party. Mike has a harder edge to him this season however it works for his character because it goes to show how some people are always strong for everyone else, but no one actively checks in on them. Finn continues to do well with the character. I think he does well with a harder edge, because he’s all sharp lines. It’s a natural progression for Mike. 
• Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven (“El”). Eleven has returned and has been secretly living with Hopper in his efforts to keep her secret from the lab. Her hair is starting to grow out into cute little curls. She’s learning things from Hopper, reading, watching TV and domesticity. We bounce between the present and the past to see just how she and Hopper ended up together. The bond she creates with him is sweet. Eleven also goes on her own side-quest where she finds her mom and her long lost sister Kali (008) and discovers more about herself. I think her story in this season helps her discover who she is. Finding her mom helps her find out where she came from, more about her background outside of the lab and what happened to her mom. She finds her blood family. But also, Kali, her lab sister. When she reconnects with Kali, she learns more about herself and how she can always trust herself and her power. She tests her limits by lifting a train. She also sees that while she has killed people, she has the choice to not to as she chooses to not kill the man who tortured her mom because she sees he has daughters. She also chooses to go back to Hawkins to help Mike and the others instead of staying with Kali. And she remains a badass. Mille Bobbie Brown continues to do her thing. Her anger with Hopper, her jealousy seeing Mike and Max. The emotion seeing her mom and aunt, meeting Kali. She continues to be great. 
• Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson. Dustin is ultimately the same character he was in Season 1. He’s upset that the mysterious MadMax overtook his high score on Dig Dug but when he finds out it’s a girl, he’s smitten and he’s competing with Lucas for her attention and affection. He also finds Dart in his trash and takes him in as a pet, unsure what it is. He’s intent on including Max in their party because she’s cool. He shows his friends Dart and they’re unsure what he is but once they start to suspect he’s from the Upside Down, Dustin is worried about them wanting to kill Dart because he’s, his friend. He ends up being separated from the rest of the party as Lucas is with Max, and Mike and Will are dealing with the whole True Sight and possession thing. He has to deal with Dart on his own until he runs into Steve which begins their friendship. He gets a lot of advice about girls from Steve, and while their relationship is teasing, you can see the chance for them to become close. And they do by the season end. He sees that Max has chosen Lucas so he’s angry and feeling betrayed even though he also betrayed the party by keeping Dart a secret the second time. I always feel so sad for him at the Snow Ball when he tries to approach some girls and they laugh at him, and he just looks so sad. Gaten is so good at looking sad, I want to cry every time. I always feel like Dustin is the most unchanged, a “flat” character and not saying that he isn’t a good character, he is. Fan favorite for sure but I think he’s always good.
• Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair. Lucas is more open and kinder this season compared to season 1. He still has that bite to him as he calls Mike out for assuming that because Lucas is black, he should have been the black Ghostbuster… when they really should have just made sure, they agreed on who was who before Halloween. But alongside Dustin, he’s smitten with Max because she’s cool and he wants to impress her and bring her into the party as well. He spends a lot of time interacting with Max and I feel like he’s not as smart at times that I know he can be. Max said don’t follow her out of the arcade and she’s nervous, but he follows her out anyway. Or that he goes to her house, thank goodness Billy didn’t open the door. It’s not really Lucas’ fault but the writers in that Lucas at times is aware he’s black but at other times he’s not. But he tells Max everything and tries to impress how serious things are to her. It’s interesting to see how against El he was in the first season but is a lot of more flexible when it comes to Max. But I think he’s fine this season, I don’t think there’s a ton of meat for him this season outside of noticing he’s more open than before. Caleb is always great as Lucas, and I think he’s nice chemistry with Sadie. 
• Noah Schnapp as Will Byers. Will is a series regular in this season and he’s really going through it. He’s feeling the aftermath of his time spent in the Upside Down from S1. The worlds are bleeding together to the point he doesn’t know what’s real or not. He’s being tested on by the new scientists to find out what’s going with him, but no one knows. It’s actually Mike who helps put it into perspective. Using the advice from Bob, Will tries to stand up to the Mind Flayer but ends up getting possessed. It helps at first but then it becomes dangerous to the point where Will is being lost to the shadows. But he does try to fight back. I don’t think there’s a lot to say about Will as a character, but Noah Schnapp is amazing this season. He has to portray so many tough emotions and I think he does them so well. The sequence where Joyce, Jonathan and Mike are telling him their memories to try and reach him, his expressions are small and big at the same time. I remember being so impressed with him and every time I watch I’m still impressed. I honestly think he was at the top of his game this season. 
• Sadie Sink as Maxine “Max” Mayfield / “MadMax”. While I think Sadie Sink is a good actress and she does well with Max, I didn’t like Max. She’s a tomboy who has similar interests to our party which causes the boys to be shocked. She’s MadMax and Lucas and Dustin are smitten. She’s sarcastic and sharp and mean but she clearly wants to belong somewhere and since the boys have shown their interest, she wants to belong with them, even though she’s a bit antagonistic to them. She’s along for the ride when it comes to the stuff with D’art, but she doesn’t believe Lucas when he tells her what’s going on, until she sees it for herself. We see a lot of her relationship with Billy and while she doesn’t particularly back down, she clearly chooses her battles but gets the chance to really plant her feet at the end. But as I said, Sadie Sink is a great actress and I really like her choices in performance.

The Teens

• Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler. Nancy, being the lead of the teens, she has a lot going on. She’s affected by the loss of Barb and the fact that Jonathan didn’t make a move before she got back together with Steve. She’s torn up about not telling Barb’s parents the truth as they’ve hired a P.I. to find out the truth just to blame Steve for encouraging her not to say anything and to just try and move on. Even though Steve was saying it out of concern due to the NDAs they signed but it’s understandable why Nancy was upset with him over that. Not to mention, she was definitely prepared to move on from him but since Jonathan didn’t make a move, she went back to what was easy and safe… Steve. But it didn’t work out. She takes on exposing the truth about Barb into her own hands, as she always tends to do. She also has to come to terms with her feelings for Jonathan and also get to show off to the others that she’s badass with a gun. She later goes with the Byers to help burn the Mind Flayer out of Will. So, it was nice to see Jonathan supporting her in her endeavor then for her to turn around and support him with his family. Natalia Dyer is great as Nancy. It’s always funny how she doesn’t look like she’s badass, but she is.
• Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers. Jonathan’s story continues but I don’t think there’s a lot to say about him as a character going forward. His moments with his family are still good, him commenting on Bob being around so much showcasing his distrust due to trauma with his dad. Connecting to Nancy and talking about their feelings with each other and continuing on the ride with her as they figure things out on their own. It’s the same and it’s fine. Charlie Heaton is fine. 
• Joe Keery as Steve Harrington. Steve gets upgraded to series regular, which is why I didn’t touch on him in season 1. In this season, he continues to be fairly popular but after his falling out with Tommy last season over Nancy and then with Billy’s rude interactions with him, he may not be as popular as he was in season 1. He and Nancy are still together and he’s trying to be supportive but there’s a disconnect until they break up. He ends up connecting with Dustin and becoming a “babysitter” to the other kids during the climax. I think his dynamic with them is fun because none of them take him seriously. Joe Keery is fine in the role.
  • Since I’m not including Billy in this review as he’s a small part of the season… I hate him. Dacre Montgomery does a good job, but I don’t like the character. I think it’s funny how people try to justify his actions because his father is abusive. Abused people abusing people doesn’t make them victims in every sense of the word. If I was Steve and Max, who I said I’d protect along with her friends, shows fear when Billy shows… I’m going to lie to him and say she’s not here and I don’t know where she is. Underage or not. People trying to justify Billy beating up Steve because he lied about “harboring his underage sister” is so weird to me. And I know after season 3 made the Billy defenders even worse. I will never understand, and I will always hate Billy and while I don’t like Steve like that, I appreciate him lying to Billy to protect Max (and Lucas since Billy had it out for him specifically being black). 

The Adults

• Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers. Once again Joyce is stressed but with a dose of happy. She’s dating Bob who is a good guy, definitely a good speed for her as he’s so wholesome, especially compared to Lonnie. But of course, she’s concerned about Will and the aftermath of everything that’s happened to the point where she’s overprotective. But the fact she manages to catch the image of the Mind Flyer on the recording is insane but so good. And that she encouraged Will to draw what he was seeing since he was having a hard time trying to explain. As always, she’s doing everything she can to protect her kid and save him. She was willing to go far to burn the Mind Flayer out of him, turning up the heat in the cabin to make it worse of the shadow. All for her son. I love that about Joyce. That she’s a little kooky but she’s smart and perceptive and trusts her instincts. All the emotional scenes, especially the ones with Will are great. Winona is always great. 
• David Harbour as Jim Hopper. Having Hopper spending a lot of time with El, allows us to see a bit more to his character. He’s still mean, hard, and strict but he isn’t as much a loser as he was at the start of last season. Even though he was a dad to a young girl, he doesn’t know how to properly deal with someone like El who is also a preteen. He won’t let her see Mike, he won’t let her leave, but he does try to teach her things and give her knowledge of how to survive in a different way than she’s had too already. He’s still smart and perceptive as he goes digging in the pumpkin patch and almost dies exploring the tunnels. We know that his trauma with his daughter informs a lot of his decisions with El and he knows this because he talks about it to El in the car. Their interactions in the last act of the season were sweet because while they argued a lot they clearly still created a special bond. I also appreciated how a big part of his arc was him apologizing for the bad decisions he’s made when it came to the dealing with the kids. David Harbour continues to be great as Hopper.
• Sean Astin as Bob Newby. Bob is a former schoolmate of Joyce and Hopper and dating Joyce as a very wholesome boyfriend. He’s supportive of the family and is super kind and encouraging while trying to connect to both Will and Jonathan. Having an easier time with Will. I love his moment with Will in the car, giving him advice of how to stand up this nightmare. I love when he tells Joyce that he loves her and her family and he just wants to be there for them. What a man! Sean Astin is a national treasure, and he was great as Bob. I feel like he is Bob Newby, Superhero. 

Emotional Character Moments. I find season 2 to be ultimately slow and sometimes boring but as always, it’s the characters that continue to make this show work for me. There are a lot of emotional moments in this season as it’s an extension of season 1. There are a few emotional moments that happen but the ones that always stick out to me with the season in particular are: Mike and Will’s “crazy together” conversation. It gives a lot of insight into both of their struggles this season but unfortunately, we tend to forget about Mike’s to focus on Will’s completely. I’m always a little salty that Mike’s problems get brushed aside. Anyways, I also love the sequence in the shed when Joyce, Jonathan and Mike are talking to Will, as he is losing himself and they really try to bring him out. The acting is great from everyone, and I always tear up. I also really love Mike and Eleven’s reunion and Mike’s conversation with Hopper, about feeling betrayed and blaming him for keeping El from him. I think it’s so good because yes, be upset that all this time Hopper has been lying. I liked Nancy’s scene in the bathroom when she’s drunk even though I do feel a little bad for Steve. Season 2 showcases how most of the characters are like an open wound they have to figure out how to heal.

The Aftermath. I like the fact that this season just feels like a giant consequence to everything that happened in season 1. This ties into the last point with the emotional moments but not all the consequences are emotional, like Dustin and Dart. But everything that happened has a direct consequence. El disappearing affects Mike the most and he’s depressed and angry. Will escaped the Upside Down and spit up a slug and he’s being haunted by the Mind Flayer and Dustin befriend the slug as it evolves into a pet like creature. Lucas is more open-minded and decides to tell Max everything. Nancy feels guilty for letting Barb’s parents think she’s missing and she’s mad at Steve for not feeling as bad as she does, while also no longer feeling the same for him. Plus the feelings between her and Jonathan. By the end, all of these things have been tied up. Nancy and Jonathan are together. Steve finds some purpose in becoming a brother figure to Dustin, who gains more confidence to talk to girls, even if it doesn’t work in his favor right away. Will is saved and still has his sixth sense. Lucas and Max get closer. Hopper and El become true family. Mike and El are together and El finds out a lot about her past.

Cons:

Character Consistency. Sometimes, writers have characters make choices for tension and drama but it’s annoying because it’s out of character. I don’t like that Dustin kept Dart a secret from the party after finding him in the bathroom. Sure, you can say “Dart’s his friend and he was feeling a little lonely with how Lucas and Max connected and Mike was sticking close to Will and Dustin was worried they were going to kill Dart,” but that was still a crazy decision. Even with character growth I don’t think he would have done that. Dustin is too smart. I’m glad it worked out in the end and he was able to help his friends get past Dart in the tunnels but I think that could have still happened if he didn’t keep him secret the second time.

New Character Additions. I remember when I first watched I didn’t care for the additions of Max and Billy, and I didn’t see their importance in this season. Upon rewatches I still feel that way to an extent even though I see the importance of introducing them here even if Billy doesn’t get a ton to do until next season. I hate Billy and I don’t care for Max in this season. I just didn’t connect with her, so it felt/feels dissatisfying to have them in a show where I’ve largely enjoyed the main characters. I understand her as a character and I understand to an extent why Lucas and Dustin would crush on her; however, I never thought Dustin had a chance. Her best scene this season was with Mike in the gym though. As for Billy, he’s not prominent this season, and he’s very easy to hate, even with praising Dacre Montgomery’s performance. He’s antagonistic to Steve and starts a little rivalry with him that I suppose came to a head at the end when they fight in the house, but I didn’t care about any of that. Bob I was okay with though. 

Crazy Pacing. I think the seasons starts off really slow. I don’t mind a “slow burn” when it comes to set up, but I think with how season 1 ended and how it felt watching that, season 2 needed to keep the trajectory and I don’t think it picks up really until a couple of episodes in. On my rewatch this was felt even more. I’ve rewatched this show a few times and I always think the first three episodes of S2 drag even though I do like a lot of the character moments in them. Then we start taking off with the plot and drama, particularly with Will. Then we slow down again, just to breakneck it to the ending. It’s whiplash and it doesn’t feel good.

The Lost Sister Episode. I don’t actually think this episode is bad the way other people do. It does feel out of place and it slows the pace down which I do have a problem with, however, the story itself is fine. The problem I found is that I think all of the characters involved are not interesting and their acting is mediocre. Kali as a character is necessary because of her connection to Eleven and I do like what she did for Eleven (except for showing Brenner) but I didn’t think the actress was very good.

Bob. I think they should have told Bob the truth like when they asked him inside for the map Will drew. Everything else would have been the same but I think telling him earlier on, whether he believed it not would have been helpful. His advice to Will was from a good place but misguided because he didn’t know. Every time I rewatch I always feel like Bob should have known as it would have informed a lot about the Byers, especially since he wanted them to move out of Hawkins.

Overall, this season is hard for me to review because I feel like I don’t have a lot to say about it. It is the weakest season or at least my least favorite season. I think the characters really make this season shine because season 2 is ultimately like S1 part 2. The emotional moments are great because it’s just a big open wound for everyone. I think it has a lot of great moments that stand out more than the season. Also, it feels very similar to S1 which I can understand why people wouldn’t like that and I’ve seen that criticism before. I didn’t enjoy Max and Billy as new additions to the show and the pacing is crazy. But the season is worth it, outside of it being integral to the show, but for the characters and their moments it’s worth it. 

Rating: 3.3 out of 5 stars.

This review felt a little weird to do but I wanted to get it done! I definitely have more to say about Season 3.

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