If a television series has an 80’s vibe, a nostalgic soundtrack, and a young gifted cast that bring humor and empathy to the table, the whole world will be left in awe and wanting more. At least, that’s how the Netflix Original Series Stranger Things seemed to achieve its success.

The second season of Stranger Things came out on October 27th, 2017. The series was set to be released three days later on Halloween, but the date was pushed forward.

Stranger Things is a sci-fi thriller set in Hawkins, Indiana that follows four children in 1983 after their friend goes missing. Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) vanishes on his way home from his friend’s house one night, and when the police can’t find him, Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), and Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) seek him out on their own. The boys try searching the forest for Will and discover a girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) who has telekinetic powers. The boys and Eleven then have to face supernatural obstacles with the help of other characters to get to their friend.

In the first season of Stranger Things, the kids battle a corrupt government, monsters, and adults getting in their way. In the second season, almost a year has passed since the first, and the children battle a more vast elusive predator and they have to work harder than ever.

In season two, the story travels outside of Hawkins for the first time and expands the scenery present in the show. Season two uses more advanced animation with the help of a team, as opposed to season one where there was only one animator on staff. The monsters in the show are called “demogorgons”, the name coming from the game Dungeons and Dragons that the boys play in Mike’s basement in their free time. The improvements in animation in season two are shown through the demogorgons. In season one, the demogorgon was a person that was animated. However in season two, the demogorgons are all digital and they now walk on four legs instead of two causing them to appear more beastlike.

I enjoyed season two more than the first because of the character development that occurred. In season two, characters became more confident and aware of who they were, and began to mature as their relationships developed and fell apart. In season one, the story focused on the characters being introduced. In the first season, everyone was caught up in finding Will, but the second season allows the audience to get to know the characters more and allows the characters to grow as people.

Several new characters are introduced in the new season, such as Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery), his stepsister Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), and Bob Newby (Sean Astin). These new characters add humor and additional storylines to the show, that help move the plot along.

Stranger Things has continually infuriated fans, as the parents are still doing absolutely nothing to help the children. As usual, the parents in the show are completely unaware of what their kids are up to and are just lounging around. The audience is also constantly frustrated by the several love triangles present in the story, whether they were written into the script or wished upon by the fans.

Stranger Things touches on the difficulties of adolescence, young love, friendship, and loss of innocence. Whether you watch this show as a child, teenager, or adult, you can relate to it and gain a comedic, frightening experience. From the phenomenal actors to the plot twists, Stranger Things season 2 is worth the watch.