Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street

Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street is a solid second episode of the first season. It continues where the pilot episode left off and remains consistent throughout. My only quibble is that the house party where Nancy and Jonathan go to felt a bit too awkward for my tastes, but that's doesn't matter because the rest of the episode retains the same stuff that made the first episode a great start.

The story is still intriguing with a raw and tear-jerking scene with Winona Ryder and Charlie Heaton. There's also a little more back story for the other characters aside from Joyce and Jonathan. The kid protagonists Mike, Dustin and Lucas share their chemistry that feels natural thanks to Wolfhard Matarazzo and Mclaughlin's solid performances. Natalia Dyer, Shannon Purser (who played Barbara in the first episode) and David Harbour continue to deliver excellent performances and Millie Bobby Brown continues to excel as Eleven in a very well-written flashback revolving around her character. The cinematography is still gorgeous with a brilliantly lit atmosphere it retained from the first episode and the music score is still impressive, continuing to compliment the 1980s decade and setting perfectly.

Overall, a solid second episode of the first season and remains as consistent as Chapter One. Thumbs up from me. :)

The characters finding more clues is engaging, the child performances are incredibly natural (to the degree that you forget how rare child performances of this calibre are), there are some great scares (particularly the light sequence with Joyce, which was akin to Freddy appearing from within the wall in the original 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'), and the final act is particularly strong at creating a realistic depiction of teenagers having fun but also being rather selfish and ignorant. They all have their own distinctive faults and positives (except Tommy and Carol, they're just total numbskulls), and that bittersweet mix makes them feel real. The pacing and narrative drive certainly isn't as strong as its predecessor but overall it is a well-directed, solid continuation of the story.

Chapter Two of "Stranger Things" is closer to what the creators of the show probably intended than the first episode ever was.

It starts with the pace. It is better, faster, more things happen, and it offers more mystery and a better atmosphere than the start of the series.

It continues with the depiction of the 80s, way more lively and realistic than in the first episode, in which all looked like someone trying to copy the 80s style of movies and TV series and failing, all a little bit fake.

The acting also helps, even though sometimes it is a little bit on the primary school play. It is more assured than in the first episode, all actors more comfortable in their roles. It helps that the plot gives its characters something to do.

Talking about the plot. It is still a little bit as if a group of friends had decided to get together and throw all the typical and topical ideas from the 80s in a hat and then decided to pick some of them up randomly and make a story out of that thin thread. We continue with the developing of the 'mysterious' Eleven's story-line, and also with Will's search. For like a couple of seconds we can enjoy again Modine's super-white hair. All of it is quite basic and seen a hundred of times before. The actors delivery of the dialogue is what glues the story for now.

Better direction, good quality production also adds to a second episode which seems to show that the series knows a little bit where it is heading. Let's see if they keep that way.

Anybody that was captivated by 'Stranger Things' first episode "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" will undoubtedly expect a good deal from any episode to follow on from it. Speaking as somebody who was near-blown away by that episode and had high expectations for this one, to see how it would build upon what was set up so well in "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" and to see how the rest of the show would fare after such a strong start.

"Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street" was a good second episode that did build well upon what was introduced while having enough to set it apart on its own. At the same time, it was also a bit disappointing and isn't anywhere near as great. There are a lot of the same fantastic things still that was seen in "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers", but somehow "Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street" didn't feel as focused or as inspired.

There are so many good things here in "Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street". The production values are superb. Very stylish and atmospheric, with some truly beautiful images that one can't believe such high quality comes from a Netflix show. Not to mention the highly impressive special effects that put a good deal of big budget films in recent years to shame. The music has a wonderful 80s nostalgic vibe while also being quite haunting, enhancing the atmosphere beautifully.

Writing is thought-probing and has a lot of brains and heart. The humour is gentle but very subtly witty and funny, while there is a poignancy (without being too sentimental) and tension. Enough of the episode has some creepy suspense, intriguing mystery, inventive sci-fi, affectionate nostalgia and a few tear-jerking moments (including a beautifully played crucial scene with Winona Ryder). The characters are still interesting and Finn Woolfhard and Millie Bobby Brown are still excellent. Ryder is a big improvement here and is poignant.

However, tonally "Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street" isn't always focused. The tone shifts weren't as seamless or as skillfully balanced this time and some of it is on the muddled side from feeling a bit too hectic in pace. Especially in the final third, where things get really awkward and excessively weird at the end.

Some of the dialogue isn't as good this time, though it's fine most of the time. Tending to sound awkward later on. The pace could have been more secure in spots, some of the latter parts are on the disorganised side.

In conclusion, good but not great. 7/10

Very interesting how Nancy is transforming despite everything that surrounds her, and she doesn't notice anything because of her being naive. Reminds me being 17.