Stranger Things Season 2 trailer review
Netflix
Of all trailers and first looks to come out of San Diego Comic Con this weekend, Stranger Things has given us the the most exciting of them all with the first official trailer for season 2 of the Netflix original series.
Stranger Things, in case you have avoided all human interaction for the last year, was an overnight sensation about a small town group of kids in the '80s suddenly plagued by an onslaught of mysterious circumstances when their best friend Will (Noah Schnapp) vanishes. His mother Joyce (Winona Ryder), along with police chief Hopper (David Harbour), go on a tireless hunt to reclaim Will from the Upside Down, essentially an alternate universe full of monsters and mysteries, before it is too late.
In the new look at season 2, it seems the town of Hawkins, Indiana is in a state of ever-increasing weirdness. The trailer begins with the four friends; Will, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), as they are seen in an arcade playing Dragon's Lair, in standard nostalgic fashion. Will, back from the Upside Down, is still experiencing visions of the desolate place, as well as glimpses of a new, enormous spider-like creature that appears to be the main threat this season.
Meanwhile, there seems to be trouble in paradise for Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Steve (Joe Keery), as a shot of them in an alleyway hints towards a possible (and hopeful) breakup. Elsewhere in the world of the slightly older group, Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) is reduced to only being featured in group shots, which there are a lot of.
Aside from all the spooky imagery (rotten pumpkins and shadowy figures), there is a lot of focus on Will and Joyce, trying to recover from last season's events as well as seemingly facing a whole new inescapable problem. There is an instance where Will, crying to Joyce, implies that something is coming for him and he cannot get it out of his mind. The show has always been heavy in tragedy, but also innocence, and it seems like there is a little of both here this time around, as well as an increasingly scary atmosphere.
At first, I was incredibly disappointed that we would have to wait an additional four months for season 2 to catch it at its new Halloween release date, but now I would not have it any other way. The shots of decorations and our favorite kids in Ghostbuster gear add to the theme of a more threatening Hawkins, leaning more towards the horror element of the series. Though the wait might be extra grueling, the Duffer Brothers have intentionally timed the release with the events in the show, and I am not one to question any decisions those brothers feel they need to make.
Stranger Things is the perfect blend of '80s culture and amazing characters, and this trailer supports that idea to its fullest. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" plays as we see all of our characters coming together to defend one another. Hopper is the only person independent of the larger group, but this ties into where we last saw his character last season, potentially knowing more about the sinister experiments and goings-on in the town.
Of course, this review could not end without mentioning the ending to the trailer. After sacrificing herself and remaining stranded in the Upside Down, our adorable and fearless Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is back. This was hinted at at the end of the first season, with Hopper leaving a box of Eggo's for her, but there was no telling when we would actually get to see her again. Well, that might happen sooner than expected, as this look features her reaching through the dimensional portal to reality, leaving fans more excited than ever.
This official trailer for Stranger Things is everything that one could ask for and more. We are given pieces to try to fit together in the remaining months before the release, with just enough to keep us satisfied until then. Hawkins, Indiana might be on the verge of a sci-fi horror attack, but it is clear our favorite characters are as lovable and ready to fight as ever.
Stranger Things season 2 premieres on Netflix on October 27, 2017.
