Finished up season 2 and was impressed overall though don't think it was as good as the first season. I read an article that they're already working on season 3 though not yet filming and that season 4 has been greenlit. They best start filming them soon before the kids start growing or turn to drugs like the actor that plays the older brother has.

Minor spoiler bit ahead...

Did they ever state why Max's brother kept telling Max not to associate with anyone? I get the abusive stepfather but don't know why he didn't want Max getting friendly with the locals.

Also wonder if the abusive step-dad works for the lab. After all, they moved from CA to Hawkins at same time as they were repopulating the lab.

I just figured the brother didn't want her associating with Lucas because he's a bigot.

The brother is still an oddity to me. He comes off as an asshole, but helps Steve up off the floor and gives him basketball advice. But then every other time he's on screen you just want to throat punch him.

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Originally posted by Skull Leader:
I just figured the brother didn't want her associating with Lucas because he's a bigot.

The brother is still an oddity to me. He comes off as an asshole, but helps Steve up off the floor and gives him basketball advice. But then every other time he's on screen you just want to throat punch him.

He didn't help him off the floor, he ended up pushing him back down. Throat punch away.

Basically, he's abused by his stepfather, and taking it out on everyone around him.

quote:

Did they ever state why Max's brother kept telling Max not to associate with anyone? I get the abusive stepfather but don't know why he didn't want Max getting friendly with the locals.

I must have missed that. I remember him telling Max several times to stay away from Lucas and assumed that was a racial thing as that would fit the narrative of those times.

As an aside, 11, got to be somewhat of a brat since the first season.

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Originally posted by NavyGuy:
As an aside, 11, got to be somewhat of a brat since the first season.

No daughters I take it.

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No daughters I take it.

Raised two during the time period of that show. Neither ever slammed a door on me or talked back like that. They did sneak out a couple of times and pulled other such antics but where always pretty respectful to adults. Now today... Yeah I can see a little rebellion in my grand daughters, and I guess that goes with the permissive times we live in. Glad I don't have to deal with it on a daily basis.

Just finished it up and really enjoyed it. Still think I enjoyed the 1st season better.
I really disliked the Chicagoland portion with Eleven's "sister" Kali. Though I am guessing they were setting up the premis for season 3 now that we know Papa is still alive and I am guessing it may be about finding him.

My biggest gripe is Bob, where the heck did Bob come from? Sure Max and Billy's characters just get dropped in but remove them and the story is still very workable.
Bob on the other hand is quite possibly the most important character for the entire season.
He is the reason the shadow monster/virus entered Will in the first place because he told Will about his dream and to stop running and face him. In turn giving the virus the chance to enter Will's body.
He is the reason Joyce figured out about the shadow monster because Will used his video camera on Halloween and he watched the tape letting Joyce know that Will had been bullied leading to her watching the video and figuring it out.
He was able to figure out the tunnel map.
Then of course he did the whole Jurassic Park thing getting to the breaker and resetting the locks and gates. It was such a blatant Jurrasic Park rip he needed to say "clever girl" somewhere along the journey and Hopper should have handed him a Franchi SPAS12 instead of a 1911.
Sure they tell us a little. His parents own a Radio Shack in Maine and then at the end they figured out maybe we should say a bit more about him. Because Mike mentions Bob was the original founder of the Hawkins A/V Club.

So come on now What about Bob?

I picked up that Bob went to school with Joyce and Hopper. He was "Bob the Brain" and a socially challenged nerd.

I thought Bob was going to turn out to be a Bad Guy and/or a plant from the installation...he just seemed too suspiciously nice, too accomodating, too insightful to be other than that. Turns out he was just the Radio Shack Bob he purported to be. He was also one of the more interesting new additions to the cast, so (** SPOILER!! **) it's too bad he won't be returning for Season 3.

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Originally posted by Black92LX:
Just finished it up and really enjoyed it. Still think I enjoyed the 1st season better.
I really disliked the Chicagoland portion with Eleven's "sister" Kali.

Agreed...that was an odd diversion to the storyline. I get that it was a homage of sorts to the '80's mohawk-wearing street gang movies of the '80s and introduced some background to Eleven's story, but it just seemed...off. Otherwise, though, it was a great season...I preferred Season 1 to some degree, but this was a very solid followup.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
I picked up that Bob went to school with Joyce and Hopper. He was "Bob the Brain" and a socially challenged nerd.

I did too but Bob was such an important character as I pointed out earlier. It is really hard to just drop him in there with zero explanation. Especially with all the stuff going on with Will and in Hawkins does not seem like much of a time for Joyce to really be out looking and finding herself a fella.

They could have easily back filled the story in that waste of time in Chicago. We already knew there were others like Eleven and we already knew the extent of her powers. The only thing we learned was that Papa is still alive.

quote:

Originally posted by at-home-daddy:
I thought Bob was going to turn out to be a Bad Guy and/or a plant from the installation...he just seemed too suspiciously nice, too accomodating, too insightful to be other than that. Turns out he was just the Radio Shack Bob he purported to be. He was also one of the more interesting new additions to the cast, so (** SPOILER!! **) it's too bad he won't be returning for Season 3.

I thought this as well until he told Will to face his dream. That was the total opposite of what the doctors at the lab wanted. They just wanted Will to continue his dreams so he would tell them and they could learn about what they were battling.

Turns out Bob was just a flat out good guy!

But I also thought Billy and Max were sent to be Moles. Billy to get in with Nancy and the older kids to keep an eye on them and Max to keep an eye on the younger kids.

quote:

I really disliked the Chicagoland portion with Eleven's "sister" Kali.

I did as well. It was uncomfortable. They were all creepy including sister dearest. And I think they took the "super powers" a bit too far.

I loved the first season and the second might be better. Dustin and Steve have to be the best duo ever!

I love this show. I binge watched the first season last night and just started the second (wife and daughter are out of town). Every bit of this show, especially the music, just brings me back to the eighties.

I laughed out loud when Sean Astin (fat hobbit) came out of nowhere in episode one of season 2.

ETA: Haha, Paul Reiser is in the 2nd season! Perfect!

Double ETA: Love the "Reagan/Bush '84" signs.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Balzé Halzé,

Just finished watching the second season last night. Some thoughts based on what y'all have been commenting on...Spoiler warnings for anyone who hasn't seen season two yet...

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Max and the evil stepbrother...He said something about Max being the reason for them moving to Hawkins. So maybe she did something in CA that forced them to move? Or it could just be him being a douchebag. As for why drop them in? I sense further development in future seasons, at which time he may end up becoming pivotal.

Bob from out of nowhere...I don't see this as necessarily being unusual. I mean, it's been a year since the events of season one. Is it really that unusual that she meet Bob and start dating him during that time frame? Although, at first I did think Bob was a government agent sent to keep an eye on the Byers clan. I am curious how they met, though.

Kali...That episode was probably my least favorite. But 1) it introduced another superpowered kid from the lab. How many more might there be? Future plot point? 2) How might Eleven have turned out if she hadn't found Mike and the others after escaping the lab? Kali is one example. 3) Kali did push Eleven to develop her power, a key that proved instrumental to the finale.

Eleven being a brat...I didn't see anything unusual about it. She'd been kept prisoner and used as a lab rat for her entire life, up until she escaped. She then spends the next year hiding out in the woods, not allowed to go outside or be with her friends, essentially the same as being a prisoner again, with Hopper becoming a new "Papa." I'd have been surprised if she didn't lash out.

Language...all I can say is that I didn't see anything unusual. When I was that age, and I was about that age during the time frame of the movie, practically every other word out of my mouth was a swear word. I was like a kid with a new toy.

I watched both seasons. I thought season two was really good, but I didn't like it quite as much as season one. Definitely looking forward to season three.

Just finished Monday night, I like season 1 better for the most part

Not reading the thread cause I've just started. Just wanted to say I remember not checking in with the parental unit/s the entire weekend many times during jr. high. D&D was my brother and his strange friends. 80s props are huge apparently.