Welcome back to Hawkins! Yes, the time has arrived. Stranger Things, and all the characters we love and cherish, has finally returned to us with a new season. Hawkins, Indiana called millions of viewers back to their screens this past Friday, and everyone is obsessed. No one can get enough of the Stranger Things crew and all the craziness the Duffer Brothers packed into this bombshell of a season. Stranger Things 2 will make you giggle, cry, and grasp your chest to keep your heart from falling apart. So, catch up if you haven’t yet! If, like me, you watched it in a day, let’s take an abridged look at a few of the most memorable parts of the season.
1. Steve. Freaking. Harrington.
I think most can agree Steve was a major scum-bucket for most of season one, but this time around, he quickly captured everyone’s hearts (I know he still has mine). In this season, he was an angel of a person, but the fact he used to not be like that is part of the reason everyone is so enamored with him; he shows that people can change! I mean, how adorable was Steve’s bromance with Dustin? When he drove him to the Snow Ball? When he gave him a hair tutorial on the train tracks? When he took charge of all the kids? —Don’t even get me started.
2. Hopper and Eleven
This pairing tugged at all my heart strings. Hopper needs someone like El, and El needs someone like Hopper, as they both are a little lost. They went through a rough time this season, filled with slammed doors, broken windows, and a lot of screaming. But, what can you expect when two strong-willed people are put together? Neither one of them back down. Their ending conversation in the car was absolutely precious.
3. Nancy and Jonathan
Ladies and gentlemen, you can stop holding your breath, because these two finally caved. It was inevitable! They clearly had an attachment to each other from the beginning, but all they could accomplish in season one was numerous hidden glances. Nancy eventually stopped lying to herself about her feelings for Steve and realized Jonathan is the one she really cares about. The build-up was incredible, I must admit.
4. Noah Schnapp
Noah, who plays Will, continually had me hanging open-mouthed in front of my screen. What an actor this guy is! We saw so little of Will in the first season, him being in the Upside Down and all, but he played an integral role this season. He amazed me episode after episode—I would definitely say award-worthy. P.S. Can’t poor Will just be happy from now on? The kid deserves it.
5. Eleven’s Return
I wasn’t particularly thrilled with Eleven’s trip to Chicago or her “sister,” Kali, and this made Eleven realizing home actually was that much sweeter. We knew El was bound to return to Hawkins, but that didn’t make her entrance any less kick-butt. When she walked through the door after killing the Demogog, and the camera did a slow pan up, my whole body got chills—the #feels took over. Also, the Mileven reunion? There are no words.
6. Bob Newby, Superhero
At first, Bob made me roll my eyes; he rubbed me in all the wrong ways. But as the season continued, it was clear how cool of a dude—and how deadly smart—he actually is! His essence of humor and quirkiness added a beautiful touch to this season and he will forever live on in our hearts. RIP.
7. Snow Ball
Honestly, there isn’t much to say about the Snow Ball other than how perfect it was. I was on a happiness high while watching it, and I think it might have left a permanent smile on my face. This beautiful ending made me happy-cry, and I loved seeing all the characters finally have a chance to participate in normal middle school activities. Also, don’t worry Dustin, all those girls were idiots.\
I absolutely adored this season overall, but I missed the relationship and teamwork between the main group of characters. That was one of my favorite parts of season one, and this season split apart the group and put everyone down different paths. I loved seeing more development in characters like Dustin and Lucas, and it was definitely necessary, but the dynamic that I loved so much between the central characters was not as strong. Nevertheless, getting to be back in Hawkins and the Upside Down was a magical experience, and I cannot wait to return!