When “Stranger Things” debuted on Netflix last year, it became one of those charmingly delightful, out-of-the-box surprises that television delivers far too seldom.
With affectionate homages to Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter and Stephen King, it wove a mesmerizing tale of a small Indiana town — circa 1983 — being tormented by a mysterious creature. The spunky kid actors charmed the heck out of us, and the potent blend of nostalgia, humor and family-friendly horror proved irresistible.
Now comes the hard part: What do you do for an encore? How do you top yourself?
The all-too-easy answer is to go bigger, badder and bolder. And coming into the season there was a lot of talk from producers and cast members about doing just that. “Stranger Things 2,” they promised, would be like its predecessor, only on a six-pack of Red Bull.
Sounds good, but there’s some danger in that approach: Go too big and too bold and you risk messing with the quirky vibe that helped make the saga so distinctive in the first place.
The encouraging news is that the nine-episode second season of “Stranger Things” that drops on Friday sucks you right back in from the start, while setting the stage for some kind of menace that lurks beyond the borders of sleepy Hawkins, Ind. And judging from the early episodes made available for review, it remains a fun, nostalgic and pulse-pounding romp.
When we last left the citizens of Hawkins, the telekinetic girl known as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) appeared to have sacrificed herself to defeat the evil Demogorgon. Also, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) was rescued from the alternate realm known as the Upside Down. But he coughed up a slug — an eerie indicator that there might be more to the mystery.
Now it’s just before Halloween 1984 and folks are trying their best to get back to normal. But normal is a very elusive thing, even if President Reagan has insisted in campaign speeches that “It’s morning again in America.”
For starters, Eleven has gone into hiding and isn’t communicating with the guys. And Will — now called “Zombie Boy” by school bullies — is suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder. His mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) and his nerdy eighth-grade pals Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) are naturally concerned.
And they have reason to be because some weird stuff is going down. For example, something is ravaging local pumpkin patches. Meanwhile, more mysterious experiments are being conducted in that top-secret lab outside town, where a seemingly genial scientist (Paul Reiser) has taken quite an interest in Will.
Reiser is among the cast newcomers who bring some fresh energy to the show. Others include Sean Astin, who is all scruffy warmth as Joyce’s latest boyfriend, and Sadie Sink as a feisty tomboy who just moved to town and instantly piqued the interest of the guys.
We’re not going to get all spoilery here. Just know that “Stranger Things 2,” like its predecessor, is richly atmospheric, making for great Halloween binging. It also retains its retro appeal. Early episodes contain shout-outs to Devo, “Ghostbusters,” Bo Derek and the arcade game “Dragon’s Lair,” just to name a few.
But the real draw continues to be the little band of Dungeon & Dragon brothers at the center of the show. They remain funny, endearing and touchingly awkward.
You just can’t help but root for them as they battle demons — both personal and of another dimension.
