Stranger Things S2

Just finished watching Stranger Things S2. A couple of interesting things about this series - 1) all the episodes were available to stream immediately in October. It's set up for binge-watching, 2) there is only nine episodes, which means tight plotting, and no filler episodes.

There's a lot of American television series that fit that framework now, due to the fact that over 50% of people between the ages of 18-45 aren't watching broadcast or cable, but streaming. My brother is streaming through Apple TV, and most of my co-workers have streaming. A few have cable but many don't.

The other interesting thing about the series, which sort of comments on the above, is the Duffer Brothers deliberately set it in the 1980s, circa 1984, when I was a junior in high school. The reason? Not what you may think, it isn't nostalgia. It's far simpler than that -- technology. They wanted to tell a story without cell phones, smartphones, video games, etc encroaching on it. Which, in way, comments on a current culture far better than doing the opposite. The kids are more in each other's personal space, they spend more time outdoors, they are more adventurous, and far more interactive in the series. It's ironic, because without the smartphones it's harder for them to stay connected with each other or their parents or anyone, yet in some ways they are more connected.

I find it interesting that the reviews I've read of this series focus on the innocuous bits like the 80s music (which seriously you can experience now), television shows (ditto), whether KFC or Kentucky Fried Chicken was used, or other random things such as Polariod cameras -- which aren't that different. But ignore the big one, which is like a big glowing neon sign -- technology. The 1980s from a 2017 perspective is the dark ages. We had no internet. People used radios and boom boxes and walkie talkies. They had to mail taped/cassett recordings. Polaroid cameras are still in use today, but VHS video cameras aren't. And static on tv sets, which were small boxes that had antennas.
The computer language is Basic, ASCII and HTML and Java don't exist. Also the computers are huge and hard to work with.

You can't instantly communicate with someone in another city, county, state, or country. It makes the horror more contained, and the story more claustrophobic. The characters are relying on a phone system that can easily be tapped into. One in which they can't tell until they lift up the receiver who is on the other line.

In a way this adds to the story -- because it pulls the audience back to a time in which they didn't have access to information or media in the way they do now. Creating a more intimate atmosphere, and far more contained. As far as Hawkings, Indiana knows...they are the only ones affected by these events. It's self-contained, a problem they have to work out by themselves, no one is riding to their rescue. And the writers pull it off by setting the story back in time, as opposed to doing a post-apocalyptic world.

Other than that, the series is a fairly straight-forward horror yarn, a bunch of people come together to defeat a monster that is terrorizing their town. The focus though is on kids coming together, and is somewhat multi-generational in tone. It does subvert a few tropes here and there, but nothing major.

It's main strength is the kids and their interaction with each other. The introduction of Max and her evil step-brother, helps pull in a relatable human villain. If a somewhat predictable/cliche one. I did like the fact that MadMax is female. The girls in this series are rather kick-ass, and not damsels. If anything they save the male characters.

There's a subplot about Eleven hunting her family, which in some respects I enjoyed more than the evil government lab plot-line. But it also felt rather derivative in places. It is, however, something the series can go back to, assuming there's a third season. And Eleven's bonding with her sister Collee...worked for me. Collee, who unlike Eleven, didn't have people to save and was unable to do so...went another route, towards vengeance. It shows -- Eleven and the audience, what a monster she could become if she chose to. She doesn't.

Overall, I loved it. And now have to figure out what is next. Nine episodes is a good number, short and sweet. Also makes for tight plotting. This season brought in more characters, and had more female characters than the previous season.

(no subject)

1. Having some serious gastro-intestinal issues, so took it easy for Thanksgiving. And taking prilosec...it's my own fault, been eating the wrong things again. Now off all acids. And drinking lots of broth and priobiotics.

2. Binge-watched Stranger Things ( see last post for vague non-spoilery review). I adored it. It hit some of my story kinks hard -- which is a band of people joining together to defeat the bad guy, using their various strengths to do so, and overcoming the odds. The horror bits -- I was able to ignore for the most part. It's scary but not quite as scary as most horror films. More along the lines of Buffy scary.

I love the characters on the series. Trying to think if I have favorites? Possibly Sheriff Hopper, and Lucas. Also, I'm finding I like Steve Harrington a lot. Nancy was getting on my nerves. Max rocks. Eleven ...is interesting, but I could do without the Eleven/Mike romance. Pre-teen romances sort of bug me.

( mild spoilers )

3. Also watched on Amazon Prime an independent Scottish film by Charles Martin Smith, starring Kate Mara, Charlie Cox (I didn't know he was Scottish or British - he's Dare Devil), and Robert Carlyle. It's called Stone of Destiney and is about four Scottish students stealing the Scottish Coronation Stone from Westminister Abbey -- to bring it back to Scotland where it belongs. Rather funny in places. Does not paint the British in the best light.


4. Then onto Longmire -- I'm at the tail end of S5. Then on to S6. I don't like S5 very much, it's depressing and rather triggering. Not sure S6 will be much better. It went from being a sort of comforting mystery series with a lovable sheriff and his friends, to a rather dark series with an anti-hero. So I took a break. Decided to come back to see how it ends.

I have about eleven episodes to go. Each season is rather short -- about ten episodes. It has a very strong male lead, Walt Longmire, who is over fifty and portrayed by an Australian actor. He's very good in it. The series starts after Walt has lost his wife, and is mourning her. He's also running for sheriff again, with his deputy, Branch running against him. Vic -- played by Katee Sackoff is his other deputy. Meanwhile his daughter, Cady, is having an affair of sorts with Branch. And Walt has a secret with his friend, a Cheyeen Native American, Henry Standing Bear, portrayed by Lou Diamond Phillips.

It's not a soap opera. It's an episodic/serial hybrid -- where they have an ongoing mystery in the background, and individual mysteries each week. The story takes place in Wyoming. And deal a lot with tribal politics (tribal as in Indian Tribal). Or the politics between Reservation and American Jurisdictions. The Native American insistence on sticking to their tribe is sort of hurting them in the series -- which is an interesting on-going theme. How being intolerant of people outside your tribe will destroy you or developing biases based on someone's allegiance or the tribe they are in, is destructive. Didn't notice that until now. Interesting.

Anyhow...there's some really strong and interesting female and male characters in the series. My favorite is Henry Standing Bear and Cady, Walt's daughter. I also love Walt and Vic, but not as much as I did in the beginning. At the moment I want to kick both upside the head. A Martinez plays an ambigious Cheyenne Developer who runs a Casino.

It's a well acted and for the most part written series...highly recommend. Although admittedly it gets a bit dark and tough going in the latter seasons.