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The Stranger Things Thread

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Want to discuss anything and everything pertaining to Stranger Things? You can right here, right now.

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Finished season 2 today. (Spoilers probably?)

Overall, a very good sequel that I think might be elevated by later seasons, as I think a lot of this season was “setting the board” for where things go from here.

My main issue with season 2 is a lack of focus. Everyone was doing their own thing in season 1, too, but from the start we knew that all of their stories revolved around Will’s disappearance, whether the characters were aware or not, which made it very satisfying when it all came together and no one’s story felt like filler or wasted.

In season 2, everyone has their own story again, but it’s not clear what any of them have to do with the main thrust of the season until the end, and even then some of it feels contrived. In particular, Eleven’s story (especially episode 7) felt very disconnected from everything else, and the way she comes back into the fray for the finale felt a little too “deus ex machina” for me.

Season 1 = 8/10; Season 2 = 7/10

Also, fuck Nancy and Jonathan. They’re both shitty people and they deserve each other. Steve is the best.

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ChainsawAsh said:

My main issue with season 2 is a lack of focus. Everyone was doing their own thing in season 1, too, but from the start we knew that all of their stories revolved around Will’s disappearance, whether the characters were aware or not, which made it very satisfying when it all came together and no one’s story felt like filler or wasted.

In season 2, everyone has their own story again, but it’s not clear what any of them have to do with the main thrust of the season until the end, and even then some of it feels contrived. In particular, Eleven’s story (especially episode 7) felt very disconnected from everything else, and the way she comes back into the fray for the finale felt a little too “deus ex machina” for me.

Yeah, that’s certainly an issue. Stranger Things 2 feels more like Stranger Things 1.5; it’s more concerned with tying up the first season’s loose ends than continuing its story.

Also, fuck Nancy and Jonathan. They’re both shitty people and they deserve each other. Steve is the best.

Thought Steve was a prick in the first season, but he’s redeemed himself. NanJo are about as charismatic as used flypaper; their characters need to go.

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I like the series in general and as an 80’s kid, the nostalgia is totally tubular, but I felt like the 2nd season was mostly filler until 11 got back in the picture.

I did like the new and improved Steve quite a bit, but felt that Samwise was a bit of a dumbass for stopping short of the goal line.

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I’ve only watched the first episode. It was alright.

Not enough people read the EU.

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Soz man, I just can’t stand little American kids, they really piss me off.

Not enough people read the EU.

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Season 1 was mediocre at best. Season 2 is weaker but seems to get better with the approaching final episodes (maybe it has something to do with Staton directing). But it is visually very well done and it can be fun to watch (except when Ryder delivers the worst performance possible in tv history). Overall this is a very pointless series.

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MalàStrana said:

Season 1 was mediocre at best.

Says the guy who rates Rogue One below the prequels.

Overall this is a very pointless series.

Overall this is a very pointless post.

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DuracellEnergizer said:

MalàStrana said:

Season 1 was mediocre at best.

Says the guy who rates Rogue One below the prequels.

The point… being ?

“says the guy who rates R1 higher than ROTJ and ROTS”

(“how can you say you don’t like Alien Covenant, you rate R1 below the PT !”)

(“how can you breath air, you rate R1 below the PT !”)

(“how would you pretend to get the same civil rights as I do, you rate R1 below the PT !”)

(“how can you have the ability to speak, you rate R1 below the PT !”)

(“blablabla, you rate R1 below the PT !”)

(“blablabla, PT !”)

(“PT !”)

("!")

Well dude, it’s only a tvseries, it’s not your life, I’m not attacking you when I say I thik it’s a “meh…” tvseries, no worries 😉 (perhaps you think I was attacking you because it is what you frequently do to others ? Take a deep breath, everything is alright)

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MalàStrana said:

perhaps you think I was attacking you because it is what you frequently do to others ?

You’re so cute.

I’ll be brutally honest, though; I don’t like you. At best, you’re a tasteless ignoramus. At worst, you’re a troll who likes riling people up with your dumbshit “Squirrelface” and “R1 deserves 0/10” and “LOL THIS!” remarks. I consider your opinion less than worthless. If I could put you on ignore, I would. If I could ban you from every thread of mine, I’d certainly do that, too. I can’t do either, but I can make it known just how much you get under my skin.

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I’ve honestly never understood the complaints about Ryder’s performance. I thought she did a fantastic job in both seasons.

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DuracellEnergizer said:

MalàStrana said:

perhaps you think I was attacking you because it is what you frequently do to others ?

You’re so cute.

I’ll be brutally honest, though; I don’t like you. At best, you’re a tasteless ignoramus. At worst, you’re a troll who likes riling people up with your dumbshit “Squirrelface” and “R1 deserves 0/10” and “LOL THIS!” remarks. I consider your opinion less than worthless. If I could put you on ignore, I would. If I could ban you from every thread of mine, I’d certainly do that, too. I can’t do either, but I can make it known just how much you get under my skin.

Incredible ! I can barely remember anything about you but you seem to keep track of all my posts 😃 You don’t like me, fine (I’m not gonna cry about it though) just… don’t read my posts and don’t reply to me. Keep the aggressivity down dude, it’s just a forum about SW and mostly about movies/tvseries, don’t get upset, take it easy, not good for your skin me-think.

Now: let’s talk about Stranger Things and this “meme machine” known as Winona Ryder 😉

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ChainsawAsh said:

I’ve honestly never understood the complaints about Ryder’s performance. I thought she did a fantastic job in both seasons.

Don’t you think that - to put it nicely - she tends to “over-act” every single second of every single of her scenes ? Let’s say she’s got an unusual way to play… It’s pretty rare that someone is as pleased with her as you are in fact (all lovers of the show I know admit she’s the weak link… it’ the first time I read “she’s fantastic in both seasons”).

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MalàStrana said:

ChainsawAsh said:

I’ve honestly never understood the complaints about Ryder’s performance. I thought she did a fantastic job in both seasons.

Don’t you think that - to put it nicely - she tends to “over-act” every single second of every single of her scenes ? Let’s say she’s got an unusual way to play… It’s pretty rare that someone is as pleased with her as you are in fact (all lovers of the show I know admit she’s the weak link… it’ the first time I read “she’s fantastic in both seasons”).

haven’t seen season 2 yet as i don’t have that much free time. but i thought she was just fine in season 1.

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I finished ST2 last night. I had very little interest in the sequel as I felt I got all I wanted outta ST1 and I usually find sequels reductive and derivative. But, after a lame opening with lame characters that would later almost completely destroy the entire season, I was quickly pulled back in! The acting form the main cast is just terrific. The kids seem real and are a joy to watch.
Ep. 7 was totally stupid and unnecessary. The dialog was terrible as were the performances by these new characters. The whole episode could have been a quick scene with only El going to find the guy who “hurt mother” and finding out ON HER OWN that hurting people don’t make anything better.
I love the first one and, despite having little interest and no faith in it, really liked the sequel. I’m not dying to see #3, but I’ll certainly be watching it.

Ray’s Lounge
Biggs in ANH edit idea
ROTJ opening edit idea

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MalàStrana said:

ChainsawAsh said:

I’ve honestly never understood the complaints about Ryder’s performance. I thought she did a fantastic job in both seasons.

Don’t you think that - to put it nicely - she tends to “over-act” every single second of every single of her scenes ? Let’s say she’s got an unusual way to play… It’s pretty rare that someone is as pleased with her as you are in fact (all lovers of the show I know admit she’s the weak link… it’ the first time I read “she’s fantastic in both seasons”).

No, I don’t think she overacted at all. Her son was kidnapped, crazy shit started happening, people started acting like she was crazy, and I thought she reacted appropriately and realistically to all of that. And in season 2, Ryder dialed a lot of that back, which makes sense because her character wasn’t on the edge of insanity for half the season.

Really, honestly, I don’t understand the “overacting” complaints. She was (and still is) one of my favorite things about the show.

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Just got into this series (as usual for CatBus, long after the cool kids).

I cannot emphasize enough how much a disagree with people who dismiss the nostalgic/homage angle of this series as superficial or inconsequential next to the meat of the plot/writing/acting/etc. Atmosphere/tone can be everything, and this series (at least through Season 1, I haven’t hit 2 yet*) absolutely fucking nails it. The pacing isn’t eighties pacing, I’ll grant you (it’s not modern either, it’s more like nineties X-Files era pacing, so it still works), but everything else goes very far to recreate that eighties vibe. It just feels so right, and that must take a ton of effort, and I appreciate every bit of it.

Story, acting, plot. Yeah, okay, IMO in this regard it’s not always spectacular. But it’s certainly engaging enough, and it’s often still quite good. Maybe I travel in the wrong circles, but I didn’t have high expectations for this series, and it easily beat them all. We’ll see about Season 2.

* Because I still watch Game of Thrones via Netflix DVD mail-service and I like being a year behind the rest of the world, dammit!

Project Threepio (Star Wars OOT subtitles)

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Really enjoyed both Seasons and can’t wait for 3. Max’s step-brother was an asshole and Steve was awesome. Maybe third season will be 10 episodes? Episode 7 could’ve just been within the first 20 minutes then move onward. Managed to watch in 4K resolution.

Spoilers:
Completely thought Paul Reiser’s character would pull a Carter Burke but so glad he didn’t. At least Eleven is now officially Jane Hopper which is nice since Chief Hopper had been taking care of her for almost a year in that cabin/house out of the way. Maybe there’s other children with powers similar to El and 8? Knowing more about Jane’s past was quite empathetic to me too. Demodogs seemed alright, sorta feel bad for Dart even though it ate Dustin’s cat. Was expecting a new variant of the Demogorgon but the Mind Flayer was fairly cool in concept and design. Noticed far more 1980s music compared to Season 1. Agreeing wholeheartedly it feels more of a 1.5 compared to 2 since it was heavily connected still to Season 1. The continuation was well executed but I figured on a few more recurring characters from Season 1 would’ve felt more cohesive. The sub-plot about Barb seemed overly forced and coul’ve been resolved earlier. My take for Season 3 and onward is more in the group will stick together and fight whatever comes through the Upside Down. Loved the last episode, especially the end at the dance.

Maybe 10 episodes or 12 perhaps for Season 3? Hopefully it’ll last longer than the intended 4 or 5 seasons. Would be neat to see the kids get to High School age.

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Season 2 finished. It’s the upside-down of Season 1: a very weak beginning (Chapters 1-2-3) and a very cool ending (Chapters 5-6-8-9). Overall it’s slightly the same quality as Season 1, same weaknesses and same strength. Wish they could make a more consistent Season 3.