Jerry said:I finished it last night, really good. My only complain, other than transportation for MadMax I didn't see the point of Billy's character. He just kind of took up space.
I'm really hoping there's more to him later. He's a great real life foil.
jamscal said:Pollywog episode has 3rd brake light on a police cruiser...Thought they didn't come out till 87.
3rd brake lights were mandated by the NHTSA for inclusion into passenger cars with the 1986 model year. They were in increasingly widespread use in fleets (taxis, cop cars, etc) for almost a decade before that, though. A Caprice police car in 1984 could very easily have had a CHMSL (although it wouldn't have had the single, rectangular headlight panel that a couple of the cars had on the show as those weren't introduced until 1985).
Just finished the second season up today (and may be going back and watching both seasons again as SWMBO has shown some interest)- very solid sequel that kept much of the feel of the original (though didn't have as much separation between the three groups- kids, teenagers, and adults- as the original did).
mndsm said:Jerry said:I finished it last night, really good. My only complain, other than transportation for MadMax I didn't see the point of Billy's character. He just kind of took up space.
I'm really hoping there's more to him later. He's a great real life foil.
Given the setup with Mike's Mom I'm pretty certain we will see more of him in later seasons.
I wonder if they're going to be keeping up the 1-year time gap between seasons kind of like Harry Potter- would make sense (as it's about a year between releases too so the kids age appropriately).
Finally started watching Season 1 last night.
I burned down 6 episodes. Going to try to finish it off tonight, so the girlfriend and I can start watching Season 2 together.
Jerry said:I finished it last night, really good. My only complain, other than transportation for MadMax I didn't see the point of Billy's character. He just kind of took up space.
Totally with you here. With or without Billy the show would have progressed exactly the same. He was at best superfluous and at worst dragged it down.
Jumper K Balls said:Jerry said:I finished it last night, really good. My only complain, other than transportation for MadMax I didn't see the point of Billy's character. He just kind of took up space.
Totally with you here. With or without Billy the show would have progressed exactly the same. He was at best superfluous and at worst dragged it down.
He was an Easter egg believe it or not.
Binge watched all of season 2 this weekend. Loved the "punk Eleven" look and the development of Hopper's character. Really sad about Bob. Was glad to see that 8 had unique skills, and wish they had eluded to the other kids that had obviously been at the lab before them. Watching the "Beyond Stranger Things" segments now, with the writers and producer and actors. Looking forward to season 3.
Sine_Qua_Non said:Jumper K Balls said:Jerry said:I finished it last night, really good. My only complain, other than transportation for MadMax I didn't see the point of Billy's character. He just kind of took up space.
Totally with you here. With or without Billy the show would have progressed exactly the same. He was at best superfluous and at worst dragged it down.
He was an Easter egg believe it or not.
I was convinced that he was a government agent of some fashion and max was 8 or whoever, and he was thusly her keeper.
EastCoastMojo said:... the development of Hopper's character.
Did we watch the same show? Hopper *devolved* as a character. Just one stupid choice after another, clumsily worked in to move the plot along. I won't go into details because spoilers, but man. Worst part of the season.
That's the great thing about different people, they have a different perspective.
SPOILER ALERT AHEAD
I see Hopper as a character who was hiding from the world, retreating behind his desk and pretending that his daughter was still alive. This was his defense against the pain of losing her that he had not fully dealt with. This season he is out there chasing down the truth, climbing down in tunnels to find it and in a way, finding himself. Sometimes we all need rescuing.
Now that he has truly faced the reality that his daughter is dead, he finds himself opening himself up to the idea of adopting Jane, which is in effect making himself vulnerable to being hurt again but he seems to be a much happier soul with the closure he has gained and can move forward again.
Perhaps these shifts are minor in the grand scheme of the whole story, but it is character development nonetheless.
EastCoastMojo said:That's the great thing about different people, they have a different perspective.
SPOILER ALERT AHEAD
I see Hopper as a character who was hiding from the world, retreating behind his desk and pretending that his daughter was still alive. This was his defense against the pain of losing her that he had not fully dealt with. This season he is out there chasing down the truth, climbing down in tunnels to find it and in a way, finding himself. Sometimes we all need rescuing.
Now that he has truly faced the reality that his daughter is dead, he finds himself opening himself up to the idea of adopting Jane, which is in effect making himself vulnerable to being hurt again but he seems to be a much happier soul with the closure he has gained and can move forward again.
Perhaps these shifts are minor in the grand scheme of the whole story, but it is character development nonetheless.
That's great and all, but this season the majority of his actions were just sloppy writing to drive the plot forward. Trusting the doctors Will just has PTSD (come on, the kid DIED and there's a secret portal to another world out there... you should do some investigating there, Chief), going into the tunnels alone, handing poor Bob a gun then saying "LOL good luck!" then not putting up any fight while he died, trapping 11 in the shed FOR A YEAR. Inexcusable even for a reluctant hero. And that's not character development.
He did have some development, but it sure couldn't make up for Sheriff Hopper, Plot Device this season.
Different doesn't mean also right.
In reply to Osterkraut :
You never cared about my opinion before, why start now? 
I am not claiming to be right, just conveying what I thought about the show. Seems to have gotten under your skin somehow.
EastCoastMojo said:In reply to Osterkraut :
You never cared about my opinion before, why start now?
Hopper this season annoyed me.
I hadn't noticed
Finally figured out who Hopper reminds me of... His voice sounds exactly like Louis CK, at least in certain scenes.
I think Hopper develops quite well during season 2. He remains my favorite character.
Yes. He makes a lot of mistakes. Character development isn't getting things right. Character development is learning. We learn more from our mistakes than our successes. Hopper learns a lot from his mistakes this season and is different by the end than the beginning.
Hopper stupidly goes off to investigate things alone in this season. That's one of the mistakes he makes that he learns from. In Season 1, he goes off on his own all the time and works things out. This time, he goes off alone and discovers he's in over his head. One of the major things he learns during the course of the season is that he can't do things alone and that he has to rely on and trust other people. He learns to trust other people to be able to take care of themselves and rely on other because sometimes he can't take care of himself. Character development.
He definitely does *not* trust the lab guys. That's why he's going. Obviously part of the deal to keep quiet and for Will and Joyce to not get "Disappeared" by the government is to have to cooperate with the scientists to let them monitor and debrief will. He's forced to cooperate, but he goes to the meetings with Joyce precisely because he *doesn't* trust the scientists and thinks Joyce and Will need him there to look after them.
I mean... and give the guy credit for suddenly being dumped into the stress of fatherhood... with a girl who he hasn't had 10 years to raise and build basic trust with... who is going through puberty... and has psychic powers that could kill him... and the government is looking for to kidnap...
SPOILERS
Osterkraut said:EastCoastMojo said:That's the great thing about different people, they have a different perspective.
SPOILER ALERT AHEAD
I see Hopper as a character who was hiding from the world, retreating behind his desk and pretending that his daughter was still alive. This was his defense against the pain of losing her that he had not fully dealt with. This season he is out there chasing down the truth, climbing down in tunnels to find it and in a way, finding himself. Sometimes we all need rescuing.
Now that he has truly faced the reality that his daughter is dead, he finds himself opening himself up to the idea of adopting Jane, which is in effect making himself vulnerable to being hurt again but he seems to be a much happier soul with the closure he has gained and can move forward again.
Perhaps these shifts are minor in the grand scheme of the whole story, but it is character development nonetheless.
That's great and all, but this season the majority of his actions were just sloppy writing to drive the plot forward. Trusting the doctors Will just has PTSD (come on, the kid DIED and there's a secret portal to another world out there... you should do some investigating there, Chief), going into the tunnels alone, handing poor Bob a gun then saying "LOL good luck!" then not putting up any fight while he died, trapping 11 in the shed FOR A YEAR. Inexcusable even for a reluctant hero. And that's not character development.
He did have some development, but it sure couldn't make up for Sheriff Hopper, Plot Device this season.Different doesn't mean also right.
I initially agree with your assessment, but I think that I hold Hopper as less of a dumbass because of the complete lack of trust. Can't trust the lab people, you have incompetent deputies so you have to do these things alone, can't release information to the general public, Wheelers are bugged to the bejesus... He doesn't really have a lot of options, even with Eleven. And I don't think he trusted the doctors that Will "just had" ptsd.
Obviously it would have been better to take Eleven and hightail it out of there, cause that place is berkeleyed, or bring Mike to visit her or something... but hey, he's a very imperfect person and that wouldn't exactly make for good tv.
Jerry said:I finished it last night, really good. My only complain, other than transportation for MadMax I didn't see the point of Billy's character. He just kind of took up space.
I think his character is there only to develop Max's character. At least for now--that and they needed a "normal" human villain, by which I mean that you can almost throw Brenner and the other lab folks into a different category. Billy is a normal shiny happy person who is making things difficult for the rest of the characters.
Beer Baron said:I think Hopper develops quite well during season 2. He remains my favorite character.
Yes. He makes a lot of mistakes. Character development isn't getting things right. Character development is learning. We learn more from our mistakes than our successes. Hopper learns a lot from his mistakes this season and is different by the end than the beginning.Hopper stupidly goes off to investigate things alone in this season. That's one of the mistakes he makes that he learns from. In Season 1, he goes off on his own all the time and works things out. This time, he goes off alone and discovers he's in over his head. One of the major things he learns during the course of the season is that he can't do things alone and that he has to rely on and trust other people. He learns to trust other people to be able to take care of themselves and rely on other because sometimes he can't take care of himself. Character development.
He definitely does *not* trust the lab guys. That's why he's going. Obviously part of the deal to keep quiet and for Will and Joyce to not get "Disappeared" by the government is to have to cooperate with the scientists to let them monitor and debrief will. He's forced to cooperate, but he goes to the meetings with Joyce precisely because he *doesn't* trust the scientists and thinks Joyce and Will need him there to look after them.
Only Sheriff Plot Device could be dumb enough to go into a system of tunnels created by a hell-demon from another dimension, who uses near-invincible monsters as lackeys, with a flashlight and a revolver. Alone. Didn't even leave a note. Or a hint.
Oh what about "whoops the writers of the show made a guy too lovable and now need to kill him off in the most thoughtless way possible to get two main characters together" Hopper? E36 M3. Muldoon knew Ellie wasn't going to survive making it to the power shed alone in *Jurassic Park*, what the hell was Hopper thinking?
Or Chief "Locking up a child for a year could also be the plot of a horror movie" Hopper?
Hopper this season was a scary movie trope. Lame. Below standards for the show. No amount of "but but but grieving, lone wolf character" apologetics can make up for it.
Disagree re: Hopper.
He's hiding Eleven. No choice on that, and it's not like she's locked in a basement - just stuck with him.
He has NO ONE to go to. Not his staff, not the kids. So when the chance to go it solo comes up, I don't think he even gives telling someone else or writing a note a second thought - he's been on his own almost en entire year at this point - what's one more thing?
Eleven's trip & new friends are... interesting. Looking forward to more there in future seasons.
Bob - cool casting choice, and his arc became surprisingly heroic.
And Max's brother? Seeing the change from every episode until the last just made me grieve for him. Curious to see what they do with him in the seasons to come.
I think it all came together pretty well. It's not like they could just text each other and stay in touch or anything (oh wait, that would be monitored too, had the ability existed then).
The kids with their ham/CB radios are staying amazingly under the radar.
In reply to Osterkraut :
damn. Opinion much? We get it, you hated hopper. We don't agree. IT's OK. It's just a damn TV show.
So, for season three... Spoiler coming in the next post...
Spoiler for season 3 in this post.
Ok, so do we think Hop is dead? I'm thinkin no, but I also am not convinced that he's "The American".
In reply to mtn :
Ive been thinkin the same thing as you.
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