Stranger Things

Lasch · Oct 29, 2017

I just rewatched S1, and I still love it. However, I did not like this season. If it wasn't attached to Stranger Things s1, I would have stopped pretty early in the season.

The only redeeming part of this season was the Dustin and Steve "friendship" and the one episode that had them buddy cop together. That was also the only episode in the show that I felt really had any sense of threat for the characters. S1 had that sword dangling overhead the entire time. Amorphous god tentacle thing just doesn't cut it.

It seems like the writers/directors read too many message boards and tried to answer any complaints or questions with sidequests and dialogue that didn't contribute to the story. I'm left wondering what the point of most of of the decisions they made for this season.

Khane · Oct 29, 2017

Lasch said:
I just rewatched S1, and I still love it. However, I did not like this season. If it wasn't attached to Stranger Things s1, I would have stopped pretty early in the season.

The only redeeming part of this season was the Dustin and Steve "friendship" and the one episode that had them buddy cop together. That was also the only episode in the show that I felt really had any sense of threat for the characters. S1 had that sword dangling overhead the entire time. Amorphous god tentacle thing just doesn't cut it.

It seems like the writers/directors read too many message boards and tried to answer any complaints or questions with sidequests and dialogue that didn't contribute to the story. I'm left wondering what the point of most of of the decisions they made for this season.

Hrmmm, see I felt the main story was done quite fine. In fact I did believe some of the main characters would die this time around. Even though I didn't think they would go through with it in the end I did find it compelling watching the show to see if Hopper would die when he first entered the tunnels or if Will would succumb to the smoke monster. I thought they did a good job with the main story itself, just wish they wouldn't have bogged it down a bit by uninteresting, unrewarding side story characters. All in all I think one of the best things about this show is also something that holds it back. It's exactly like campy, cheesy, awesome 80s movies. Characters that are over-the-top "cool", ridiculous fawning and pining for no real, good reason. A cliche story with a lot of mysterious elements never really explained because that wasn't the point of story-telling in film media at that time. Etc etc. I can definitely see why people who grew up loving the 80s would love this show, and people who didn't or never experienced it just wouldn't be interested. Gotta remember, the good guys always won in the 80s. In convincing fashion. There were no trade-offs or opportunity cost. They just fucking won.

Derkon · Oct 29, 2017

Christ, Ep. 7 felt completely pointless.

Nysus · Oct 29, 2017

When is the Steve/Dustin spinoff happening?

Lasch · Oct 29, 2017

Khane said:
Gotta remember, the good guys always won in the 80s. In convincing fashion. There were no trade-offs or opportunity cost. They just fucking won.

I was born in 1980, fuck off with the gatekeeping.
I disliked it from episode 1 - the good guys just winning isn't even an inkling of concern at that point.
This season was the remake of Aliens and it also referenced Terminator, but I admit to not actually catching any copying of Terminator. But neither of those movies had the good guys just fucking winning.

Khane · Oct 29, 2017

Hey man, I never said you were stupid or not from the 80s if you don't like this show. All I said was the allure is pretty much 100% reminiscent of the common 80s theme. Flicks like the one my avatar is from. I agree with you the first two episodes are supremely boring. I just happened to like the nostalgic feeling the rest of the MAIN storyline brings back to me personally.

This season was definitely not a remake of Aliens or the Terminator. It's a rehash of speilberg-esque themes from that era dude. Children are the main stars. Come on man... Are we gonna pretend it's the spiritual successer of Bladerunner or The Running Man next? Sorry I wasn't more explicit

Narac01 · Oct 29, 2017

I think it was very much like aliens. When the government guys go down in the tunnel, they mention staying frosty. Which is what the blonde soldier in aliens says. The tunnels + being surrounded + seeing it on a radar was almost exactly like Aliens.

Siddar · Oct 29, 2017

Lasch said:
I was born in 1980, fuck off with the gatekeeping.
I disliked it from episode 1 - the good guys just winning isn't even an inkling of concern at that point.
This season was the remake of Aliens and it also referenced Terminator, but I admit to not actually catching any copying of Terminator. But neither of those movies had the good guys just fucking winning.

He means of the age where you have some memory of the greater culture beyond your home/school. You were born in 1980 but probably don't have very many memories of how the culture was. You're 90s kid weather you like it or not I'm an 80s kid born in 1970.

Khane · Oct 29, 2017

Narac01 said:
I think it was very much like aliens. When the government guys go down in the tunnel, they mention staying frosty. Which is what the blonde soldier in aliens says. The tunnels + being surrounded + seeing it on a radar was almost exactly like Aliens.

Did you ever even watch any of the Alien trilogy? You think kids fighting vs a D&D style monster is like Aliens? What? The writers may have paid a little homage to a line from those movies but if they were trying to frame either of these two seasons as reminiscent of that trilogy they fucking failed... miserably. It's nothing like them at all. Outside of maybe some slimy clear goop.

Khane · Oct 29, 2017

Siddar said:
He means of the age where you have some memory of the greater culture beyond your home/school. You were born in 1980 but probably don't have very many memories of how the culture was. You're 90s kid weather you like it or not I'm an 80s kid born in 1970.

I don't though. I was born in '82. I remember all those themes and it's probably because I kept going back to that era for music/movies even into my college days. I loved that style of film, for whatever reason. You didn't need to really be any age to appreciate it, and I wasn't trying to say you had to be born in a certain time frame, it's just more likely you'll appreciate the nostalgia if you were.

This show reminds me very much of my childhood so I think they've succeeded in that regard.

Lasch · Oct 29, 2017

Khane said:
Did you ever even watch any of the Alien trilogy? You think kids fighting vs a D&D style monster is like Aliens? What? The writers may have paid a little homage to a line from those movies but if they were trying to frame either of these two seasons as reminiscent of that trilogy they fucking failed... miserably. It's nothing like them at all. Outside of maybe some slimy clear goop.

The doctor being the same actor from Aliens might have had me comparing it to aliens more than I should have been. But off the top of y head the tank/school bus scene, the marines going out against the queen alien and surrounded by xenomorphs and wiped out. And the demigorgons climbing the walls at the end even looked like xenomorphs.
But even season 1 I thought copied pretty heavily from Alien, even from the opening scene.

But more than anything, I agree with Nysus that I now want my Steven+Dustin spinoff.

Khane · Oct 29, 2017

Yea, Steve and Dustin are the best parts of the series for sure. No doubt there.

Gravel · Oct 29, 2017

Derkon said:
Finished only the first episode so far, I dunno did the first season beat you over the head with the obvious music this much? Like within the first ten minutes three different 80s pop songs played. Just a minor note that was in my head. Other then that it seems like an OK start, not enthralled like I was with S1E1.

Holy shit, I'm literally about 10 minutes into the first episode and I just said that to my wife and came here to post it.

They're really going overboard on the "nostalgia." And it's super distracting.

Khane · Oct 30, 2017

The first two episodes are not good. In my opinion. But I think it's worth powering through because the middle episodes are pretty true to the first season. The Chicago episode? Meh. The second half of the last episode? Heh... stupid. But other than that I think the second season was a decent follow up. However, like some other people in this thread, I was on the verge of not even watching the rest after I finished episode 2.

Derkon · Oct 30, 2017

Finished it up, overall I'd give it like a 6.5/10. Echo what was said above about pointless characters, I think that was the biggest issue. Ep. 7 was entirely useless and could have just been cut and incorporated somehow without devoting an entire episode to. Asshole brother again, useless and no point to the plot.

Alex · Oct 30, 2017

I was born after the events of the show take place and I still think it's pretty good, but all the complaints here are very valid. Also hated the sister episode. Had no point. It's like they threw in Luke's Dagobah training in one episode. Also hoped that the history behind Max and Cool Bro would be more interesting than boring divorced parents.

Sebudai · Oct 30, 2017

Siddar said:
He means of the age where you have some memory of the greater culture beyond your home/school. You were born in 1980 but probably don't have very many memories of how the culture was. You're 90s kid weather you like it or not I'm an 80s kid born in 1970.

I got a lot of that 80s kid nostalgia from both seasons and I was born in 83. Might just be because I have 6 older sisters though, so I basically watched all the shit they watched and listened to all the music they listened to. Ghostbusters and Aliens are two of my favorite movies ever (for example) so both seasons of this shit just scratch every itch for me.

So did the douchebag new guy not want Max to hangout with Lucas just because of racism or some shit?

Siddar · Oct 30, 2017

Sebudai said:
I got a lot of that 80s kid nostalgia from both seasons and I was born in 83. Might just be because I have 6 older sisters though, so I basically watched all the shit they watched and listened to all the music they listened to. Ghostbusters and Aliens are two of my favorite movies ever (for example) so both seasons of this shit just scratch every itch for me.

So did the douchebag new guy not want Max to hangout with Lucas just because of racism or some shit?

Fine You, Khane, and Lasch can get the hell off my lawn.

Azrayne · Oct 30, 2017

Sebudai said:
So did the douchebag new guy not want Max to hangout with Lucas just because of racism or some shit?

yeah I'm still confused on that point.

Anyway basically agree with what everyone else has said. It was good, not as good as the original, dragged down by too many extraneous new characters and side plots and "oh yeah we gotta put in that thing people on reddit keep asking about." I also think they split the main crew up way too much, which sucked because their dynamic is a huge part of what made S1 so good. Only plus side of this was Steve & Dustin. Definitely worth watching, but I didn't feel the need to binge the entire thing back to back like I did S1.

Probably a 7/10 to the 9/10 for S1. Not looking forward to seeing how they butcher the inevitable S3 though :/

Valderen · Oct 30, 2017

I enjoyed it a lot, while it was not as focused as the first season I still think it was very good.

The core was good, the side stuff was not so good and didn't go anywhere for the most part. I agree that splitting the group was the worse thing they did.

The 80's nostalgia is very cool for me, I was 15 in 1984 and they nailed it pretty well in my opinion.

Stranger Things

Trakanon Raider

Got something right about marriage

Blackwing Lair Raider

Lord Nagafen Raider

Trakanon Raider

Got something right about marriage

Trakanon Raider

Bronze Baronet of the Realm

Got something right about marriage

Got something right about marriage

Trakanon Raider

Got something right about marriage

Mr. Poopybutthole

Got something right about marriage

Blackwing Lair Raider

Still a Music Elitist

Ssraeszha Raider

Bronze Baronet of the Realm

Irenicus did nothing wrong

Space Pirate