A year after the bizarre events in Hawkins, Indiana, life seems to settle back into normalcy. Yet, in Hawkins, normal is a relative term, not to be used lightly. Hawkins Lab is dealing with the ultimate form of unnatural, a young runaway with telekinetic abilities is wrecking havoc in Chicago, a once cute unidentified creature has a menacing nature and the world of the Upside Down is growing more real and even more dangerous.
El, Hop and Joyce Byers
Eleven/El/Jane: El has miraculously survived her sacrifice to save her friends, but is unable to find Mike or the other boys (all, except Mike, believing her to be dead). Once again, alone and afraid, El sets off into the forest to hide. She is finally found and taken in by Jim "Hop" Hopper who hides her away in an old abandoned cabin. While in hiding, Hop and El get to know each other. Hop teaches El how to live quietly and cautiously, with the promise that she will return back to her friends. El begins to slowly develop an understanding of the human world with Hop's help as well as receive the protection and security she has craved for years. However, there is so long she can hide away.
Through the use of her telekinesis, El begins to see flashes of her former life at Hawkins lab. She sees her mother and another little girl she knew at the lab. Desperate to find answers to her life and join the rest of the world, El comes to odds with Hop. Her intense emotions rise to the surface and she becomes unable to control her abilities. Soon she leaves the safety of Hop's care and ventures off to find her mother, her story and the answers to who and what she is.
Jim "Hop" Hopper: The once reclusive sheriff of Hawkins now has his hands full and is needed everywhere he turns. When he's not investigating the insane natural destruction of farmer's crops, he's trying to protect a headstrong 13 year old who is desperate to return to her friends. On top of that, he continues to support Joyce Byers as she struggles to care for her son who has not recovered his harrowing abduction from the Upside Down. Although still as grouchy as ever, Hop's care for El and the Byers family begins to wake him up from his years of grief and help him realize his importance in the lives of Hawkins' citizens.
Joyce Byers: After the traumatic events of her son's disappearance, supposed death, battling a otherworldy force and finally finding her son again, Joyce has finally found happiness and even love. Now in a relationship with Bob Newby, an old childhood friend, who is eons away from her lousy ex-husband, Joyce feels somewhat content with her life. All seems good, except in the case of her son. While she takes Will to frequent therapy, there are some things that he is incapable of explaining. Things get worse when some unknown entity takes over her son and Joyce must fight to save him once again.
Mike, Will, Dustin and Lucas
The boys are back together and closer than ever before. However, Mike misses El terribly and is resolute in the face that she is still alive, yet that doesn't deter him from his best friend who is need of his help more than ever. Will (unfortunately known as 'zombie boy,') begins to have odd premonitions and dark visions that he only tells Mike about. These dark sightings progress at a rapid pace and soon Will finds his mind caught in the Upside Down, completely taken over by some insane demonic like force.
Meanwhile, Dustin comes across on odd looking creature and when he is unable to identify it, he believes that he has come across a new scientific discovery. It's not long before that creature proves itself to be a deadly force and Dustin and the boys have to get rid of it before it causes any more danger. Finally, both Lucas and Dustin's heads are turned when a feisty and headstrong girl moves to Hawkins. Both are struck, but it seems to be Lucas and his stubborn nature that attracts the girl's attention. Eventually Lucas wants to make her part of the gang, but to do so he must reveal everything to her including El and the Upside Down. And Mike won't have any of that.
Both of these outsiders put the boys in danger, but an unexpected friend and ally from the most unlikely person imaginable, may end up being the difference of life and death for all of them.
Steve, Nancy and Jonathan
Steve Harrington is not use to being the odd man out. However, his girlfriend seems to be going off the rails and breaks up with him, only to suddenly run off with Jonathan Byers. With all of Nancy's crazy activity, Steve is at a loss to know what to do. When a new bully rolls into town, threatening and harassing Steve, while also reminding him of who he once was, Steve feels utterly alone without Nancy's support. Loneliness doesn't last long. After he's recruited by Dustin for help, Steve befriends the younger kids and soon becomes their protector who is willing to do whatever it takes to keep them safe, whether from the Upside Down or his own enemy.
While Nancy seems to have everything she has wanted, Steve Harrington as her boyfriend and also on good terms with Jonathan Byers, her regret over Barb's death continues to gnaw at her. Barb's parents are desperate to know what happened to their daughter and Nancy still believes herself to be responsible for Barb dying in the Upside Down. This regret puts a strain on her relationship with Steve, but also drives her closer to Jonathan. A year before she and Jonathan went on a journey to find Will and Barb and created a bond that neither can explain, but neither do they want it to end. In hopes to bring closure to Barb's parents, Nancy and Jonathan once again set out to discover and uncover the secrets of Hawkins' Lab and bring them down. With the hopes of honoring Barb's memory, Nancy and Jonathan uncover some long kept secrets of their own.
Max Mayfield and Billy Hargrove
A brother and sister (well half brother and sister) move to Hawkins and it doesn't take long for them to turn heads and not always in the right direction. Maxine or Max is a California tomboy and gamer extraordinaire, going under the name Mad Max; and when she isn't beating boys at the arcade, she's zooming around on her skateboard. Obstinate and fiery, but also terribly afraid of her older half brother, Max finds herself in the company of Mike and his friends. Both Dustin and Lucas are taken with her, while she is at first taken with Mike. Soon, she becomes close to Lucas who wants her in their gang, but Max's brother isn't very fond of Lucas or anyone in Hawkins for that matter.
Billy Hargrove, a beautiful and rebellious bad-boy who is also a ticking time bomb of pent up anger and aggression towards his father. Upon his arrival, he has all the girls falling at his feet, but Billy's primary target is to take down Steve Harrington, the present king of Hawkins High. Although he may give the appearance of being a caring older brother, Billy is abusive to Max both physically and mentally. When Billy can no longer take his father's strict demands and the enforcement of his relationship with Max, he becomes dangerous and deadly.
The second seasons for most shows can really determine the future of the show itself. Season 2 of Stranger Things did very well. The introduction of Max and Billy was possibly the best thing the show has done. Providing another female character who can stand head to head with El and a villain whose story could go either way. A great deal of El's past is revealed, including a heartbreaking meeting with her mother and finding her 'sister,' to eventually returning home. El had a great story arc which leads brilliantly into the next season. And less we forget, Hawkins' new favorite mother, Steve Harrington. The bully turned babysitter who probably has had the best character development out of anyone in the whole show! Stranger Things gets better, stranger and infinitely more engrossing as the 80s continue to progress and the kids begin to grow more into themselves.
