Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Stranger Things Season II

This season was incredible! The expectations for this season were so high because the first season just knocked it out of the park so the hype and expectations were overwhelming. Now is it good is the million dollar question I can say with great joy oh yes it's good damn good isn't even close to how amazing it is I'd say perfect it truly was a perfect season. I know what your thinking it can't be that good the first season was great and it was but they truly have outdone themselves in the most incredible way. This season is darker and has a lot more going on story wise so it really gets you to sink your teeth into a lot of side plots for each character keeping you engaged and on the edge the entire time. They also did w great job at expanding the world instead of just repeating the same formula shown in the first season. 

I admire them for not repeating themselves but actually craft a original story and a great follow up to the first season which they do in great fashion. They were able to go to places with characters we love and care about and show sides to them we haven't yet seen or questions we haven't had answered which was fantastic. So the character arcs in the season were handled brilliantly. As well as introducing some new characters along the way and bringing them into the world as well as the performances from the cast is excellent all around. From Millie Bobby Brown to David Harbour to Noah Schnapp the cast all deliver great work this season. Stranger Things season 2 is dark it also has great moments of emotion and romance this season is the godfather part 2 of its series. 

The story picks up where the first season left off only it's a year later and the boys are still curious to where eleven is. But as their curiosity gets to them new faces show into town some good and some bad but will is also coping with the upside down but not in ways we would expect. 

Rated PG : violence, language throughout 

Millie Bobby Brown : Millie truly shines once again in this incredible show! Millie gives an emotional and dark performance in this season and it stole the show hands down. I loved Millie in the first season and didn't know how she would be able to achieve a better performance than what she gave us in the first season. But she surprised me and raised the bar once again showcasing such strong emotional strength in her performance that really is incredible to witness onscreen. She finds new places to explore with the character and goes to some very dark places emotionally that you don’t expect and she delivers it marvellously. She wraps herself up in every inch of every frame with such charisma she steps up to the plate and is able to be incredibly vulnerable emotionally and capture the hardships her character faces through this season with amazing strength. Millie is always upping her game pushing herself farther to give a different performance of eleven every time and she always finds new places to explore with the character that we haven’t seen before and here she shows the darkness and pain of her character in such amazing ways onscreen. Millie gives a truly phenomenal performance she raises the bar and is amazing In every moment of this season. 

David Harbour : Harbour gives another amazing performance as everyone’s favourite sheriff. David’s character is my favourite of the show as he’s so complex from a character standpoint and the energy David provides for the role is sensational. Here he gives another incredible performance as Hopper becoming in many ways a father figure and in the first season he was very much quiet we knew his backstory from what people would say but he never directly talked about himself he remained interesting without revealing much to the audience and here he revels more layers of himself and we find out more personal things of his character which is fantastic and he also has such a layered range of emotions in this season. He provides brilliant comedic timing it isn’t jokey or being overplayed for an obvious laugh he does it in such a subtle way that’s perfectly placed it’s very dry humour and he provides it hilariously very subtle but still incredibly hilarious he’s perfect at delivering the comedic elements of his performance amazingly well. He also digs deeper emotionally within the character as in not a dark way but a warm way meaning that we see more vulnerable parental sides of him he in a lot of ways takes on a father figure and he shows the highs and lows of that role that has been thrust upon him and how he deals with that some things he does you see him with a grin on his face and the next he can be yelling with anger in his voice and David is able to just bring such a complexity to his performance of this character that is perfect. He goes through a lot in this season and it really wears on him and yet he still tries to find the positive side of it by the end which is amazing for his arc as he was totally different in season one and here he’s evolved so much and David’s transformation in season two is marvellous as he brings incredible authentic emotional strong acting that blows me away and also be able to show sides that were touched upon in the first season and elaborate more here. We get a lot more character building with Davids character which I loved so much. And Overall David gives a masterful performance as Chief Jim Hopper in season two. 

Joe Keery : Joe has the biggest character arc of the season hands down! This guy was the douche of season one and towards the end had a bit of a redemption with his character but here he’s in a lot of ways the central character of season two. He plays a massive role in this season and we see him really evolve in ways he didn’t in the previous season. As he goes through a lot of events that shape what makes him who he is by end of the season. In a lot of ways he is the nanny of season two and it’s a arc I didn’t expect but also didn’t know I would love it so much. Joe Keery brings this incredible passion to his performance that is both hilarious and heartbreaking in season two. As he is dealing with some very tough things in this season and Joe brings great emotional moments that really are acted incredibly well showcasing his more dramatic sides of himself we didn’t see that much in season one but is explored so much more in this season. Joe also has great chemistry with his younger co stars in the show as some of the best moments of the series are his interactions with the kids and it didn’t at all seem forced or out of place it was so well written and it made for hilarious but also heartwarming moments that also helped evolve the character arcs for the characters as well. Joe’s comedic timing is brilliant as he has a lot of it and to much comedy can can irritating really fast if not done well. Joe does it effortlessly as like David Harbour he does have dry humour but their are moments where he can be so hilarious by playing it so serious which makes for great moments onscreen. He was a highlight of the second season which in all honesty I didn’t expect but was so happy they chose to grow his character so much as it made for such a fun arc to witness unfold throughout the whole season. Joe’s range as an actor really is a testament to why the character works Because what he brings to the character and the qualities makes him pop so well onscreen as he’s able to be funny an serious all at once and that combination is so perfectly handled and showcased onscreen. Overall Joe Keery gives one of the best performances of the season. 

Noah Schnapp : Noah gives one of the darkest and incredible performances of the season. Noah’s character goes through Hell in the first season and here as well only difference is Noah brings elements that he didn’t the first time around that truly stunned and shocked me. He’s possessed throughout the season and instead of making it very jokey which he could of done he makes it very eerie and creepy by his ability to be very quiet and so emotive with his eyes. As he can be so full of warmth and love and then his eyes go totally black and the range that Noah showcases in this season is brilliant. As theirs a handful of scenes that made me give an round of applause as he steps up in ways I didn’t expect as he shows a whole complex layer of emotions as theirs moments of him crying and your heart goes out to him as when he cries you can see how scared he is and the confusion and when the tears stream down his face to the shakiness in his voice he truly shows incredible authentic emotion that seemed so genuine. He also is wrapped up in every moment of the season as he’s in many ways the lead of the season this time around and his journey is the centre of the story and Noah shows terrifying elements in his performance he shows comedic Elements and also fun moments he brings all the emotions to the full front of his performance in this season and damn is he sensational. 

The Duffer Brothers : The Duffers did genius work here. The Duffer’s step up from last season and instead of just repeating the same story again which they could of done they instead wrote a damn compelling narrative with new characters and really expanded the universe and show what else is in Hawkins. They do make it a lot darker In tone which I loved as their also able to inject more comedy into the show without it being to much and being jokey but restraining it and making sure the serious and comedic elements never outweigh the other. As well as they introduce a ton of new characters in the second season and they fully fleshed these characters out and really got you invested or interested in the new characters while also connecting the new characters to the original characters without it seeming forced. They also brilliantly evolved many of the characters arcs in this season and gave  the characters that didn’t get as much screen time the first time around more time this season with more character background which was perfect. They also were able to bring a sense of unpredictability to the season as when you think you know what’s going to happen it goes the total opposite I loved that as it kept you guessing the whole way through. The Duffers have crafted a solid season and having new elements new tones and new characters while staying true to the series and their characters while taking the show into new territory the Duffers also were able to have great character moments in this season that helped the characters grow but also give us a break from darker Elements and inject it with light hearted moments having that second hand to show light hearted moments and then go back to the serious plot-lines was smartly done as it gives us a breather before going back into it. Again The Duffers have given us a solid season full of humour, scares, thrills and great character building they have crafted another brilliant season.