Stranger Things

[Caldwin]

The second season is in part based on Aliens.

Fitting now that Paul Reiser is part of the cast.

 

[Kup]

Two episodes in and I am…not enjoying this. Pacing seems off, characters feel like caricatures of themselves, the plot seems to be all over the board, and …I dunno. Something about whatever the big bad is this season seems less of a monster and more…demonic?

It’s not even the gore factor for me. I felt like the season 3 monster was stomach turning. This just feels…odd? Maybe even it’s the personification of the whatever the big bad is instead of being a large, creepy entity?

 

[The Predaking]

Two episodes in and I am…not enjoying this. Pacing seems off, characters feel like caricatures of themselves, the plot seems to be all over the board, and …I dunno. Something about whatever the big bad is this season seems less of a monster and more…demonic?

It’s not even the gore factor for me. I felt like the season 3 monster was stomach turning. This just feels…odd? Maybe even it’s the personification of the whatever the big bad is instead of being a large, creepy entity?

Keep watching, it gets better, and it explains what Vecna is.

 

[The Predaking]

So, highlights:

spoilers below!


Max is awesome in this season. Flat out, epic moment when she is cursed and we are getting the flashbacks and we can see the portal to the real world there. I honestly thought they were going to kill her off. I am sure that Katie Bush has made a mint off of this season.

I love the D&D panic. It reminds me of living through that. My Brother had a really epic D&D Board set that he got for his Birthday, which cost $100 back then, and my mom freaked out over it and made my dad burn it all in the backyard.

I love Lucas' internal struggle to be cool versus being nerdy. I still hate his sister who goes from crazy smart to blathering idiot depending on the needs of the plot.

I really didn't like Robin that much so far, maybe because I still ship her and Steve. Speaking of which I was surprised by how much they pushed Nancy and Steve this season. I guess with Jonathon on the west coast they had to do something. Loved it when Max starts oogling Steve. lol.

Eddie is an amazing character, and I loved his heart to heart with Steve.

I was digging the whole Nightmare on Elm Street style of murders this season. The fact that they got Robert Englund to play Creel was great!

I loved Vecna's origin story! It really did make a lot of sense once it was wrapped up.


I can't wait for the next part to come out next month!

 

[Lobjob]

Needless to say my experience with prestige tv has soured in recent years, and while i was liking the early episodes, I was concerned they were stretched out and while i still believe this, by the end I felt it was pretty wonderful. Unlike other shows that can feel a little padded, this one at least had a hell of a plan and purpose and makes you kind of want to rewatch the entire series again.

Hopefully it continues next month.

 

[PrimalxConvoy]

It wasn't especially over-dramatized. The "Satanic Panic" was a big deal back in the day especially in what we'd now call "Red State" areas. I remember people earnestly telling me that it was devil worship.

It wasn't just D&D either:

-

 

[Axaday]

I am so late because I didn’t like season 3 at all. I enjoy the characters and the dialog is usually pretty good, but the plot of season 3 was really out there. I was glad to see that this season felt more lined up with seasons 1 and 2. I enjoyed every episode of season 4, but I do have some reservations.

the show keeps adding characters and I like almost all of them, but there is a production discipline problem here and it was hard work to make up for it. In order to use all the characters they had to break them up into teams. They mainly pulled it off. It was easy to follow the different stories, though the out of town ones both ended oddly. That can be creative, but in this case it was difficult for me to make the jump that killing monsters in Russia would be incredibly helpful and while 11 saved Max’ life and that is important, it was strange to relegate her to that role and let the older kids in town actually do the fight. I am doubtful that they knew what they were going to do with the Hopper and 11 cliffhangers, but look back now and they spent about 2/3 of the story this season just undoing the cliffhanger. That is too much load.

I am a little hazy on fine details. I have never rewatched any. But I am pretty confident that the Vecna shoehorn doesn’t all fit. What was any of the Soviet stuff for? Just because it is an 80s movie? The lab was just about studying kids with telekinesis and one accidentally opened a portal to another dimension, so they just switched over to that? When did Soviets get involved? I guess the upside down just got fashioned right when Will came over. Did Vecna get him on purpose and then leave him to wander around or was that all just an accident?

I read the discussion above about DND. To me, it didn’t look like there was a mass hysteria in the show. The main jock who already didn’t like geeks last his girlfriend and somehow it was tied to the leader of a DND group. The jock was obviously coming unhinged. He didn’t need a giant nudge to start thinking satanic cult.

Max made good on her spotlight here, but Will was good too. He didn’t have the stuff to do that Max did, but he was often the most interesting character in his scenes, just because the actor was putting in the work. I have generally found the character bland, but he was very real this season..

Murray is fun to watch, but I could have totally done without the Russia story. Joyce was out of context. The prison stuff was repetitive.

 

[The Predaking]

I am so late because I didn’t like season 3 at all. I enjoy the characters and the dialog is usually pretty good, but the plot of season 3 was really out there. I was glad to see that this season felt more lined up with seasons 1 and 2. I enjoyed every episode of season 4, but I do have some reservations.

the show keeps adding characters and I like almost all of them, but there is a production discipline problem here and it was hard work to make up for it. In order to use all the characters they had to break them up into teams. They mainly pulled it off. It was easy to follow the different stories, though the out of town ones both ended oddly. That can be creative, but in this case it was difficult for me to make the jump that killing monsters in Russia would be incredibly helpful and while 11 saved Max’ life and that is important, it was strange to relegate her to that role and let the older kids in town actually do the fight. I am doubtful that they knew what they were going to do with the Hopper and 11 cliffhangers, but look back now and they spent about 2/3 of the story this season just undoing the cliffhanger. That is too much load.

I agree that it takes way to long to get 11's powers back and to get Hopper back in the US. I feel that 11's powers were most annoying to get back though, as they were using that to wrap up some of the backstory for her and Vecna.

I am a little hazy on fine details. I have never rewatched any. But I am pretty confident that the Vecna shoehorn doesn’t all fit.

The idea works. He was literally ripped into another dimension where he was able to pinpoint 11 and try to send monsters back so that he could return as well.

What was any of the Soviet stuff for? Just because it is an 80s movie?

The lab was just about studying kids with telekinesis and one accidentally opened a portal to another dimension, so they just switched over to that? When did Soviets get involved?

Well, the US was making people with super human abilities, not just telekinesis, as well as summoning monsters. Of course the USSR wanted in on that.

I guess the upside down just got fashioned right when Will came over. Did Vecna get him on purpose and then leave him to wander around or was that all just an accident?

No idea on that. They said when the Upside down was formed, when they made it to the one girl's bedroom and couldn't find the weapons.

I read the discussion above about DND. To me, it didn’t look like there was a mass hysteria in the show. The main jock who already didn’t like geeks last his girlfriend and somehow it was tied to the leader of a DND group. The jock was obviously coming unhinged. He didn’t need a giant nudge to start thinking satanic cult.

I think that him seeing his buddy suddenly levitate in the air before dying worked for the whole satanic panic part of the season.

Max made good on her spotlight here, but Will was good too. He didn’t have the stuff to do that Max did, but he was often the most interesting character in his scenes, just because the actor was putting in the work. I have generally found the character bland, but he was very real this season..

Will wasn't my favorite in this season. Granted its been a while since I watched it, but IIRC, all he does is encourage his friend to tell 11 how he feels, and him and his brother come to terms that he is gay. Mx was great though, I will admit. Running up that Hill (A deal with God) was being played on the pop stations again for months after this season dropped. I still catch it every now and then on the radio too.

Murray is fun to watch, but I could have totally done without the Russia story. Joyce was out of context. The prison stuff was repetitive.

Murray was great and I love the fight scene between Hooper and the monster. He had the freaking Conan sword for pete's sake!