All of this amounts to the most encouraging thing about the season premiere. For all of the tres-’80s trappings, Reese’s Pieces and paranormal pyrotechnics, the creators Matt and Ross Duffer have kept “Stranger Things” grounded in the story of a bunch of relatively normal people who went through an extraordinary and cataclysmic experience. “Stranger Things” was a kick thanks to its (exhaustively documented) references and Goonie thrills. Market demands aside, it wasn’t clear that the show even needed a second season, and the Duffers’ silly insistence that it be called “Stranger Things 2” — like a real movie sequel! “Stranger Things 2” (sigh) deserves credit for not immediately defaulting to “Eleven and the Nerds Ride Again,” but you can bet it will get there before long.

Source: New York Times October 27, 2017 19:18 UTC