Stranger Things continues to keep us all on edge.
Stranger Things came out of gate running with a variety of unexpected twists and turns. Episode two continued in the same fashion, asking more questions and leaving many still unanswered. Details regarding the “monster” are still vastly unknown as it took its third and probably fourth victim this episode.
As per usual…spoilers lie ahead!
Mike has decided on keeping our new friend Eleven (nicknamed El) in his home without informing anyone in his family. Not sure how one can harbor a small child, while also providing her with full meals and a tent fort in the basement without anyone in the family knowing, but then again parents in the 80’s don’t seem to be all that worried about their children’s endeavors. El started to learn a couple of words allowing her to communicate and we even catch a glimpse of her history and her abilities. El was held captive at one point by the men searching for her and she was forced to live in some sort of solitary confinement. Given she has supernatural ability that has (Star Wars) force-like capabilities, I’m gonna make the assumption that she was a science experiment gone wrong.
It’s also came to my attention that we’re seeing a whole lot of the “nice guy gets the girl” in this television show. Dustin and Lucas continually try to get rid of El, while Mike, the more socially awkward of the three, continues to try to befriend El. Personally I think Mike has the hots for El and the two might end up smooching only to be torn apart by the villains, but I’m a sucker for the underdog love story. Also, Johnathan (Will’s brother) and Nancy (Mike’s sister) have the most uncomfortable interaction as Johnathan puts up missing posters for his lost brother. You can sense the sexual tension through the television screen…we’ll come back to them.
Our friend Joyce is currently not working meaning no income for the family as she sits home next to the phone puffing through cigarettes like a chainsmoker. She has now received what we believe are two calls from her lost child and his captive that are ended by a weird surge of electricity that breaks the telephone. Winona Ryder is playing the spooked out mom role a little too well, causing me to feel a little empathy for this poor mother whose child has been scooped up by some supernatural beast. She ended the episode entering her house with flickering lights and sporadic power surges where I would go as far to say is where she’s probably going to be taken by the mysterious electric-powered alien-monster guy.
Combined with her nervous breakdowns, we catch a glimpse of the abandoning schmuck, Lonnie. Quite honestly, the Byers family seems much better off without Lonnie who moved out to the city to live with some floozy named Cynthia. Lonnie and one of the policemen mention Hopper’s supposed history with Joyce suggesting the two might have had past relations. Definitely something that will play a role in the plot I’m sure.
The episode ends with the Sheriff’s station following a tunnel back to the original Energy Laboratory while Nancy, Barbara, Steven, and friends shotgun beers at Steve’s parent-free house. Barbara, being Nancy’s only true friend and moral compass, points out that Steve is just a horny-teen and that the two should avoid this house-party (probably would have been the best idea). Of course Nancy’s teenage hormones get the best of her leaving Barbara fifth wheeling the whole the group of five. The whole scene was particularly awkward as Nancy goes for the horndog Steve and my boy nice-guy Johnathan sits by…and takes pictures. Alright so he loses some points there for stalker-like tendencies, but as we sit by and question his motives he gets distracted by his camera as Barbara is whisked away by the mysterious monster in the backyard.
My take on this week’s episode…
Alright so we got some information regarding some of our unanswered questions from last week including: El’s dark past, information about our not-so-nice friend Lonnie, we know Will is alive, and of course some much-needed awkward teen romance. However, this episode left me a bit frustrated/anxious because nothing was really solved and the episode created more confusion than clarification for the audience. I guess that’s good TV and we definitely saw a lot of interesting character development across the board. I’d like to point out though that these weird guys in hazmat suits still have no name or purpose except search and destroy everything, Hopper had another girl in his bed that we don’t know, and another person has gone missing to a place and captor that we have literally zero information about.
I may need to squeeze in another episode to learn more…
My Predictions (with Additions)
For the most part, all of my predictions from last week still stand. Despite Lonnie just being seemingly worthless in the episode, I think this won’t be the last we see of him. El played around with the D&D set actually claiming the demogorgon from the last episode is what kidnapped Will. I’m skeptical to say it was a demogorgon that took him, but symbolically, the prediction makes sense, and I still stand by my prediction that El and Hopper are daughter and father.
However I’d like to add another prediction:
Teen Romance Plz.
Johnathan and Nancy. El and Mike. Nuff said.
Tune in soon for my next review and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments.
