Let’s catch up on Stranger Things (season 2 recap)

This is the second part of the Stranger Things recap. If you weren’t aware of the first part, please click the following link so that you can catch up on season 1.

I wouldn’t want you to jump into season 2 without knowing what’s going on.

I know Stranger Things is kind of a big deal, but perhaps there are some folks who haven’t watched it yet. So with this post, I aim to give you the important plot points of season 2 and get you ready to enjoy season 3 of Stranger Things with the rest of the world.

Great! Here is the Stranger Things season 2 recap simplified.

Season 2

Will is still flashing back and forth from the Upside Down. So his mom, Joyce, takes him to Hawkins Lab to see a new doctor. Good news, he’s not a creeper who kidnaps children. But, he’s still involved him the experimentation surrounding the Upside Down.

Speaking of the Upside Down, Eleven escaped it! Remember, in season 1 she dusted the Demogorgon and they both were sucked into the alternate dimension. Luckily, she found another portal out of there and eventually crossed paths with Chief Hopper and starting living with him.

Will is still going through his problems when his friend Dustin finds the Demogorgon spawn that he barfed up at the end of season 1. Dustin makes it his pet and he names it Dart.

Mike wants to kill Dart, but when he tries it escapes. Dustin eventually finds it again and hides it from the rest of the group because they’ve bonded.

It turns out Dart has siblings and there are other Demogorgon spawns in Hawkins but they aren’t nearly as friendly as Dart. They’re known as Demo-dogs.

Let’s focus on Will. During one of his episodes, he’s approached by a shadowy monster that we later know as The Mind Flayer. He starts deteriorating soon after and drawing visions that he’s having of vines but the picture is segmented in a puzzle. Joyce can’t figure it out, but as luck would have it her boyfriend, Bob is into puzzles.

He figures out that it’s a map of Hawkins. Chief Hopper goes to investigate and finds a bunch of tunnels forming underneath the town. And those Demo-dog are all around. Hopper gets cocooned and almost dies, but is eventually found and saved.

Thank you for cracking the code, Bob.

A group of authorities go to investigate the tunnels further but the Demo-dogs prove to be too much for them and they are mauled to death.

Meanwhile, Eleven is having her own adventure. She finds her mom and discovers the truth about how Dr. Brenner acquired her. She also found out that when her mother came to save her, she was captured and Brenner had her brain electrocuted leaving her in a handicapped state.

Eleven ends up meeting another girl who was in the same situation. Her name is Eight and she is ready to help Eleven exact revenge. She teaches Eleven to use her powers more effectively and they even find the doctor that hurt her mother.

But, Eleven has a good conscience and decides not to go forward with the plan. She does have a psychic connection with her friends in Hawkins and realizes they are in trouble. So she goes back to help them just in the nick of time.

Will is being used by The Mind Flayer and a bunch of people die as a result, including Bob. Plus, the town is being overrun by the Demo-dogs. The group makes a plan to close the portal using Eleven’s upgraded psychic powers. But first, Joyce wants to exercise Will and separate him from The Mind Flayer.

The exorcism works because Joyce turns up a heater and The Mind Flayer does not like that so it runs away after coming up through Wills’ mouth.

Eleven and Hopper go to shut the portal on one end and the rest of the group goes to back her up from inside the woods. Remember, there is a way into the Upside Down from there as well.

They almost get devoured by Demo-dogs, but Dart happens to be around and his connection with Dustin still exists so he sort of causes a distraction for them.

Eleven zips up the portal right in front of The Mind Flayer, locks it away, and all the Demo-dogs die.

All seems well until we find out that The Mind Flayer is definitely plotting his return from the Upside Down.

Now that you are up to speed, I’ll see you for more Stranger Things recaps when season 3 starts on July 4th.

If you didn’t know, the season 1 recap is linked here. Please feel free to click that and refresh yourself.