Okay, so I finished up season 2 and I have some mixed feelings, but overall, I really did enjoy the second season, even thought I felt it was kind of...meandering...at times. So to be more specific!!!
- I felt, at times, that the drama this season was a bit more arbitrary and forced. For example, the blow up between Hopper and Eleven seemed to escalate so quickly and then Hopper, rather than diffuse the situation, broke her favorite thing (the television) and her only connection to the outside world and expected....what to happen exactly? I mean, I get it, he's trying to protect her, but she is an emotionally stunted child who was mentally tortured for the first decade of her life. He knows that, and yet, he's a huge dick to her. To me, that was a stretch.
Also, they ship Billy in from left field and he's the mouthiest, nastiest teenager you've ever laid eyes on...but for what real reason? To give Steve some kind of nemesis? To give Mad Max a reason to not want to be home? Because there isn't enough going on with everything else in the story? He just seemed tacked on and wedged in for lame drama. The only redeeming scene with him is the MILF moment with Nancy's mom. In fact, I loved that scene. If he had been more manipulative and wore different personas throughout the entire season, I think Billy would have made more sense. Plus, I think everyone saw the scene with his father coming from a mile away and I'm not sure it was even needed, besides again, cheap drama.
- I can see why some folks would say they don't love what they did to Eleven in this season. As my husband pointed on, she was a huge BAMF in the first season, and throughout the second season, she's reduced to crying and throwing a fit much of the time. The episode with 8 was good, but it seemed so clunky and didn't fit, at least not at that time in the story. If that episode had been first, I think it would have given the season a better flow. And yes, i get that she's discovering herself and that she's been isolated (again) and that she's acting out, but after awhile I was just thinking to myself, hey, can Eleven do something COOL again?
- They did the same thing to Mike this season which was good and bad. I liked that they gave more screen time to Lukas (who I really think came into his own this year) and Dustin and Will (who did nothing more than hide in the Upside Down in the first season) but every time you see Mike he's pining for Eleven or crying at Will's bedside, and you never get to see him be the Mike of the first season.
- I loved Steve this season. I know, a lot of folks thinks he belongs with Nancy but honestly, I think he's much better without her. He's grown into a protector and older brother figure and he and the kids have a lot of onscreen charisma. He's plenty awesome on his own and doesn't need Nancy to attach him to the whole, weird situation which I think is a cool turn of events.
- I loved the journalist. (CHRISTINETH!!!!) The scenes with him were great. I didn't even mind the whole serving teenage kids alcohol and match making scene. Someone had to step in and make them see they were being stoopid.
- Paul Reiser was awesome and I think it was great that at first all anyone wanted to do was distrust him (I still haven't forgiven him for what he did to Ripley and the Colonial Marines) and the entire lab. Everyone expected the worst and yet it turned out that he was genuinely trying to help.
- Bob. Everything about Bob was magic and sunshine and goodness. Sean Astin is perhaps the most lovable nerdy goofball on the planet. Can't say I didn't see his death coming, but I loved his role in this season.
- I loved the final episode and Snowball was a great way to end the season. It tied everything up in a nice little bow.