Stranger Things 2: Episodes 1 – 3 recap and review
By Buckie Wells
Stranger Things 2 production still. Image courtesy Netflix.
Dustin’s new pet
Believe it or not, one of the cutest kids of season 1 actually became one of the most annoying by season 2. While we can mostly chalk this up as a byproduct of puberty, Dustin’s new interests start as really boring and obvious (video games and the new girl in town) before they quickly devolve into stupid and downright dangerous.
He finds an amphibious, small creature in his trash can one night and brings it into his house, although it’s clearly not from this world. It’s very clearly not a regular lizard or frog, and yet, in the name of science, Dustin brings it into his house and treats it like a normal pet.
Of course, this is a very teenage boy thing to do, but it’s still annoying to watch someone who is very aware of the Upside Down and its implication to do something as foolish as adopting a strange animal. And it shows how strange it is almost immediately.
By the time he takes it to school to show his friends, d’Artagnan (thanks to the Three Musketeers and nicknamed Dart) has already begun to mutate. And everyone but Dustin is rightfully concerned. Mike appears ready to kill it and Will seems to recognize it immediately … as the thing that came out of his mouth at the end of last season.
As the town continues to fall ill, it’s clear that the Upside Down has found a way to effect more than just Will. The crops die and the mysterious monster that’s invading Will’s dreams continues to grow stronger and stronger.
So my question then becomes whether Dustin’s pet will prove to be a valuable ally or did Dustin adopt something that could potentially kill them all?
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Stay tuned for our follow-up recaps of the rest of the season, including reviews of episodes 4-6 and 7-9. All episodes of Stranger Things season 2 are available to stream on Netflix now.