Stranger Things has been the subject of an internet frenzy since release the weekend before Halloween. Its teasers and trailers, the first of them which had been released during the Super Bowl Halftime, portrayed the most interesting aspects of the season. Although Netflix’s reliability on binge watching helped a very forgiving audience forget all the aspects that made it terrible it did not compare to season one in any way.

The main squad had not changed much since the first season, except for the addition of Maxine, who replaced Eleven for the majority of the season since the group did not know that she was still alive. The original group consisting of Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas remained intact, with season two drawing parallels to season one, because once again Will was the only one in the group that is connected to the Upside Down, making him naturally set apart. The Upside Down is an alternate dimension existing in parallel to the human world.

The beginning of Stranger Things 2 was even more confusing than the cliffhanger the first season had ended on. At the end of season one, it appeared as if Eleven was sacrificing herself by going against the Demogorgon, a specific demon species, but in season two she is alive and well, without any explanation. Also, in the first season, the Bryer’s family owned a canine which was around until the season finale, but does not appear in season two. All in all, Stranger Things 2 did not meet my expectations. Unfortunately, the first season’s cliffhangers had left me begging for answers and I had only heard great reviews about the newest season, but after watching I felt it had been overhyped. According to media trackers at Nielson ratings, an audience measurement system that measures television ratings in their respective media markets, 15.8 million people streamed episode one of season two within three days of it coming out, in the United States alone. This could have been as product of the first season’s excellent execution of its plot and character development, leaving high expectations for the show’s writers, producers and its cast. By mid-season, old ideas were becoming continuously reused with no context clues. Just like the first season, Stranger Things 2 revolved around Will being the most connected to the Upside Down, this time with it being completely controlled by The Shadow Monster. The Shadow Monster, an ominous demon, ruined the impact the Demogorgon had left on the characters, by multiplying it exponentially. Aside from that, it makes sense that Eleven had to fight the major battles in the Upside Down to signify a big win for the team, but by closing the Upside Down, she had repeated the same act as when she had destroyed the Demogorgon in season one’s finale. Everything in the show was extremely confusing, until the end, which pulled the whole season together and helped finish it off strong.

As a stand-alone season, Stranger Things 2 did introduce its new characters well, Mad Max and her abusive brother Billy, and implemented them into the plot with ease. It was difficult to remember a time they were not a part of the story. Season two also dealt with sensitive topics such as physical, emotional and verbal abuse well, through Maxine, her stepbrother Billy and his father. Billy’s father, who in turn, takes out his anger and frustration on his step sister, Maxine. This shows the never ending cycle of domestic abuse that are formed in families and its chaotic dynamic. All of the central characters from Stranger Things season one changed by becoming more independent. The character choice was good: the characters played their roles well. The show’s writers implemented secret gems for its fans in the show, making it more entertaining. One of the more popular one of these was when Mike would call Eleven every night for 362 days, and the writer’s specifically put this number because adding up the three digits equals 11.

Due to all of its plot holes and failure to give clear answers on questions raised from season one, but its amazing execution of its characters, I give Stranger Things 2 a 3 out of 5 rating. Stranger Things will be available for streaming on Netflix indefinitely. A third and fourth season are expected, but their release dates have not yet been determined.