#JusticeforBarb and What Stranger Things 2 Did Right

[Spoiler-ish Article] The first season of the Duffer Brothers' Stranger Things hit Netflix in a blaze of nostalgia. The four little boys playing a board game in the basement, tossing quips like a clever game of catch, piqued our interest precisely because we had seen them before -- the endearing figures of The Goonies, Lost Boys, and (as referenced by makeshift costumes worn by the gang in this second season) Ghostbusters, each played in the background of our collective adolescence. Whether you grew up to their theatrical releases, or overplayed your mom's old video tapes, anyone who remembers being a child remembered Stranger Things before it ever flashed on anyone's Netflix feed. Season One balanced these expectations well. With wickedly talented actors and a carefully constructed script, we got a show that was familiar, yet enticingly original. We engaged with old tropes in a new and thrilling way. Stranger Things was the binge watch du jour of October 2016, and talks of a new season were met with well-deserved enthusiasm.

Of course, a hell of a lot has happened since last year's October. The winds have changed in tousled ways, and those who might have felt bright eyed a year ago certainly do not have the same slick in their gaze. We are all old and tired, and flickers of nostalgia have become less of a whimsy than a balm.

While not actually a product of yesteryear, Stranger Things, to many, already feels like an old friend. Much of this, of course, is reinforced by the show's nostalgic setting and referential elements. Stranger Things reminds us that even in such a complex world, we can always find a group of little guys standing up tall and ready to fight back (and crack a couple of jokes along the way.) However, the Duffer Brothers could not have anticipated this past year, or how much their show's 1980's sentimentality would resonate with audiences who aged much older in a twelve month span. Stranger Things 2, inevitably, is much more than a sequel. It is the long anticipated return to a mindset and mood, with characters we grew to love in hour long binge sessions, reminiscent of friends we no longer remember, and adventures we might have had.

This poses quite the challenge. How do you return to a world already adored by thousands and expect to change it? How can you make something already so BIG even larger without becoming bloated? How do you maintain that same nostalgic glimmer without running stale? How will you approach a show whose charm is tied so much in the humor of their child stars when the cast is growing every day? How can you incorporate the character Will into the fold when he spent the entire past season in the Upside Down? And most important, how the HELL do you begin to find justice for Barb?

1) Expand the World (but not INFLATE it)

Season one was fully realized in it's own right. Arcs developed organically and fulfilled to satisfying conclusion. The central issue presented in that first episode (ie: where is Will and what's this whole other realm we are dealing with) was (more or less) resolved. We uncovered some bad guys and found the kid-- all elements of a cinematic tale signed, sealed, and delivered. Knowing this, the writers did what many shows do when ending a season: they created more questions. A couple of conspicuously placed Eggo's hinted that Eleven was alive, somewhere, and a flash of Will in the last moments of the final episode, left us a cliffhanger that suggested the Upside Down was still at large, and still linked somehow to Will.

There are several reasons to add a cliffhanger, and sometimes TV shows get so caught up in the mystery, they forget to make a satisfying conclusion. Basically, a season-ending hint does not mean a fulfilling storyline later on. Shows like Lost and Pretty Little Liars pulled fans along a pretty thin tether before disappointing thousands with faulty plot lines suggesting they'd been winging it from the get go. This (thankfully!) was not the case with Stranger Things. The Duffer Brothers answered questions posed by the finale within the first few episodes of Season 2, and rather than attempt to keep audience's binging by trying to one up themselves, they focused on crafting a compelling storyline rooted in these answers. Each revelation regarding Eleven, Will, or the Upside Down, feels natural, and I am convinced much of the framework for this continuation existed from Season One's very first storyboard. These guys know what they're doing and prove that this second season is anything but a tacked on cash grab.

2) Listen to Fans

Okay, let's be honest with ourselves for a moment. While I am certain there was an idea for where her plot would head, Nancy's whole emotional breakdown this season was the result of mass hysteria from fans who felt (very righteously) that her best friend Barb did not get due diligence. And #justiceforbarb was deliciously served-- almost to the point where it doesn't flow with how FINE Nancy was almost minutes after losing Barb in the first season. The show cleverly addressed this, having Nancy call out her past behavior as nothing but an act (so eloquently described as "bullshit" about fifteen times during her drunken fight with Steve.) By doing this, writers affirmed they take the fans seriously, and want the show to be good just as much as we do. Even better, this addition strengthened Nancy's character, and expanded the plot, so we Barb fans really got three for the price of one in there. Still, I swear I could almost hear the screenwriter shouting "WE GET IT ALREADY, WE REALLY SCREWED HER OVER IN THE LAST ROUND. QUIT THE AGGRESSIVE TWEETING."

3) Discuss the Very Real Ramifications of Trauma

There are few things quite so frustrating as having a character go through a devastating event that leads them emotionally and physically shattered while crying into the credits, all for that whole plot line and arc to be completely ignored or inconsistent in subsequent episodes (aHEM here's looking at you GOT.) Season one of Stranger Things was a smorgasbord of emotional upheaval. From Eleven's isolated existence and harsh abuse to Will's experiences in the Upside Down, we've got kids with real issues, ones that can't just be filed away into background noise or single episode therapy sessions. The writers know this, and sensitively incorporate these elements into their characters as the season plays out. Of course Eleven is irrationally lashing out, and no, Will is not the same as he was before being presumed dead. The monsters are real. They never left. These themes were eloquently incorporated, and fantastically performed by Millie Bobbie Brown and Noah Schnapp.

4) Let the Kids Grow Up, but Stay Consistent

About a year has passed since Will the "Zombie Boy," was found alive, and the gang last heard from their "mage," El. It would be unrealistic to pigeonhole these characters into an unchanged plot, but even worse to forget significant elements from the prior season. Changes have to be made, and are. In the first few episodes, Eleven's anger (understandably) elevates to uncomfortable extremes, and Hopper calls her a brat during a particularly violent blow of power. Will is reserved, but resents his lack of freedom. Dustin has a new set of chompers, and both he and Lucas have recently discovered women, leading us to Max, a new girl in town who the two boys are more than willing to accept into the group's fold. Lucas develops a close friendship with Max, and by having to convince her of looming dangers, he shows the audience how much he has matured from Season One. As the plot carries out, and the characters grow, we feel comfortable with the minute developments made from episode to episode, hardly noticing differences until stepping back to examine the season as a whole.

Of the show's child leads, Mike is least willing to change. He cannot accept losing Eleven, and considering the bond they developed in Season One, we understand his resistance. This sympathetic sway from the audience is persistent with each story arc. A character's decision may not be fully justified, but viewers remain sympathetic. This is because every action is a plausible and acceptable response for the given character based on what we have already learned about them. For example, Eleven's actions toward Hopper in the beginning of the season are unwarranted, but her distrust of others is consistent with her narrative. From that point, her journey from safety to self-discovery tenderly develops her character and redefines her arc, all while expanding the show's universe.

5) Be Self-Aware

The 80s are a popular era to visit. A majority of the films remade in the past year were hits of the era. Even "IT," a story that largely takes place in the 1950's, updated from the original novel to begin in the 80s, and stars Finn Wolfhard as a member of a remarkably similar gang of misfits.

However, unlike remakes and reboots bent on revamping the atmosphere of an older version of themselves, Stranger Things references all of them. The show is an homage not to Ghostbusters or Stand By Me, but every funky padded year of the 80s. Stranger Things calls to that nostalgic stir in all of us, and recognizes its role. The Duffer Brothers embraces its camp, balancing alongside with well-developed characters, a creeping atmosphere, and purposeful references that further the story's progression. All in all, Stranger Things does not try to replace the rewinded films of your childhood. If anything, it wants you to dig through those dusty old boxes, blow off some video tapes, and try to remember how you ever managed to work the VCR.

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