Chapter One: MADMAX

Season 1 was a very good, and at its best excellent, start to one of Netflix's better shows, was not expecting 'Stranger Things' to be a hit but it did turn out to be that. Although a couple of episodes weren't as strong as the others (two and six being the weakest), none of the eight episodes that made the season up were less than decent and the best of them were outstanding (especially the last two). So expectations were high for Season 2.

High expectations that generally were met. After re-watching all three seasons up to date after Season 3 aired, Season 2 went slightly down in my estimations but is still very much worth watching. "Chapter 1: Madmax" is not one of the best Season 2 episodes in my mind, but it is a solid start and sets up what is to come and introducing more chess pieces quite well. A lot of many fine things here, as well as a few things that could have been done a lot better.

Am going to start with listing those. The story this time round is rather slow moving and can be quite thin at times, feeling over-stretched. Meaning that there are moments of dull pacing in particularly the middle act where not an awful lot happens. Other episodes delivered more on the suspense and surprises, including the last two episodes of Season 1.

Character progression is definitely here and a good deal richer but the story doesn't as much. "Chapter 1: Madmax" actually doesn't have much that is catastrophically wrong, other episodes just had better and more consistent story and pace execution.

However, there are many things done very well to outstandingly. The production values are typically very stylish and atmospheric, with some beautiful and unsettling images. The music is suitably haunting and nostalgic and the direction does well in creating enough tension when needed when things get going in the final act and also some breathing space also when needed.

Despite occasional melodramatic and forced moments, the usual brains and heart quality is present in the writing with some welcome levity when needed. The story is at least coherent and while a long way from perfect in momentum it is not a tonal muddle, has some intrigue and some tension towards the end. The character writing advances a good deal all round and the characters don't bore or frustrate. The acting is very good, with the younger cast faring better than the older ones (found this in a lot of episodes of 'Stranger Things').

Overall, solid beginning to Season 2. 7/10.

One of the first things we see in Hawkins is the introduction of the local penny arcade, and the advent of Dragon's Lair- one of the first video games which actually used a laserdisk, a dollar per play. It was very difficult to control "Dirk the dunderhead"- after wasting about $50 on that game I just gave up. It was practically impossible to beat.

Every season I was aghast at the realism that they poured into actually getting us to believe that this was the 80s, they nailed it.

We also get to see the introduction of "mad max" and Billy.

While everybody is recovering from the catastrophe of season one, a new catastrophe that is thousands of times worse is developing- right under their feet!

And Joyce is still driving that Pinto, I had a Pinto the exact color as that.

This lays the groundwork very well. I have to admit I had to rack my brain to pull together the events of last season, but it didn't take long. We have our foursome trying to just be kids, but they seem to tempt fate. The episode starts with a car chase where the van being pursued vanishes into thing air, along with its occupants. We have the boy who disappeared and "came back to life" dealing with the nastiness of adolescence. A new character is introduced. She is Max, a redhead, who is a master game player and extremely formidable with others. The boys are immediately take with her, even though she leaves a message for these creeps to stop looking at her. Will has apocalyptic visions and it's obvious that the bad guys are still at work, messing with evil. Nice job.

The beginning of new season was really lame and not very creative but the ending of first episode made it more decent.

Just in time for Halloween :D the "Stranger Things" is back, at the first couple of scenes you'd think the show appeared to be really fast and thrilling yet a bit disconnected especially with that new girl "number 008", but you won't wait longer till they rapidly hit us with a the new strong fast Multi-sub-plots still based on the wired unexplainable things that happen in that small Indiana town thing but feel so fresher and alive.

Still loving the visuals, it all feels so 80's , everything is on point, i mean like that moment with the crow in the "poisoned" field,right in the last part with the garbage bin scare !! it was so real ,, like for a show has a overall Mystery/Sci-Fi i hardly put it in the Horror genre but damn there are a couple of scenes really makes you jump your seat.

Will Byers character is still a big part of the story and this season he's having more time and big chunk of the story.

This season there are a new set of characters like number 008 and that Mad Max girl and Dr. Owens played by Paul Reiser and that weird bearded "Believer" Murray Bauman played unexpectedly by Brett Gelman but they all look to be adjusting and acclimating very well in the environment of "Stranger Things".

Finally Eleven appears in the last scene with her new look just makes you play the next episode right on.

Done with episode one and the events are steadily building up to hopefully a big finish as i'm planning to watch the whole season today, and that's why we love Netflix.