Stranger Things 2 will still feel like Stranger Things, despite being ‘darker’

Any time that a show gets an additional season or any real opportunity to follow up the original product, with that comes all of this chatter and expectation about how everything needs to be bigger, bolder, or more exciting than it was originally. This is where the problem lies with a show like Stranger Things — sometimes less is more, and you don’t want to do anything too crazy that eventually pushes the narrative past what it was.

If you look back at season 1, what made it so great and memorable to many people was there was a sense of simplicity within the imagination; the show was weird and nostalgic, but it was also fairly easy to understand. You don’t want to push the boundaries so much that it doesn’t feel like Stranger Things anymore. This is something that, in the wrong hands, could plague the show. Luckily, it doesn’t feel at present like that is an issue here.

In speaking further on this subject (per Variety) while at an Emmy For Your Consideration event, show executive producer / occasional director Shawn Levy made it clear that there is cognizance around the idea of going too hard or doing something to fundamentally re-shape the show past its original vision:

“There is a lot of talk — and I’ve contributed to it — about the move to darker threats and a larger cinematic scale, but here is the thing: ‘Stranger Things’ works because we root for these kids and we root for these damaged characters who live on the margins,” Levy said. “Everyone is struggling with that feeling of being a bit on the outside looking in. But we know that what really brought us here are the characters that people connect to and that feel authentic … so Season 2 is every bit as loyal to characters first, and spooky second.”

There is still effectively one thing about the original Stranger Things that fundamentally cannot change, and that is the hype around it. When it first came on the air, there was a certain luxury that it had because nobody really knew anything about it. Therefore, there was a freedom that went along with that to explore or take risks. There wasn’t a whole lot to lose.

In the end, time will tell what transpires further when Stranger Things 2 officially premieres on Netflix a little bit later this year. Halloween is the projected premiere date for it at the moment. (Photo: Netflix.)