By Bailey Woodard

After months of anticipation, “Stranger Things 2” finally premiered on Oct. 27, returning to the dynamic children and supernatural mystery of Hawkins, Indiana. Still caught up in the aftermath of Will’s disappearance a year before, the characters now have to put the pieces back together after the introduction of the town to the Upside Down.

The season returns to the original characters — sans Barb — a year later as we watch how the Upside Down really affected Will, as he is soon possessed by the “shadow monster” that lives there. This drives the plot for the season as the cast tries to defeat the shadow monster, close the gate to the real world and find Dustin’s accidental pet demogorgon.

As “Stranger Things 2” continues to follow the damage that the Upside Down has caused, they have also tried to fit in as much fan-pleasing content as possible (even if it played little to no part in plot progression). This is seen most prominently through the storylines of Nancy, Jonathan and the series’ leading lady: Eleven.

This season reopens the wounds of the first season as Nancy and Jonathan spend most of the nine episodes trying to get justice for Barb — when they are not fulfilling “Stranger Things” fan fiction dreams by becoming a couple, that is. Their storyline, although pleasing to fans, has little relation to the ongoing plot going on in Hawkins. Their quest to find answers for Barb’s disappearance serves little purpose besides shutting down the Hawkins National Laboratory in the closing scenes, but rather acts as a storyline perpetuated by fans after the last season’s ending.

Nancy and Jonathan’s romance is not the only tricky subplot in the season, as episode seven focuses on the adventures of Eleven alone. The episode provides some brief exposition on the background of the feisty heroine, but as a whole had a messy fit into the season’s storyline.

Despite these slight drawbacks to the season, “Stranger Things 2” as a whole didn’t disappoint. The creative and original storyline provides the ’80s nostalgia that made the first season such a success. The creators, the Duffer Brothers, continue to provide a compelling cast that viewers want to root for. From trivial problems of normal ‘tween boys to life or death sci-fi scenarios, the audience can find something to identify with.

What has made the “Stranger Things” series so successful has been its ability to figure out what the fans want most, and even if it doesn’t always make sense, they give the audience what they ask for. This crowd-pleasing season has raised the bar for what is to come for the series, and truly personifies the qualities of a binge-worthy show.