Stranger Things 2 Episode 1 Review – “Chapter One: MADMAX”

Stranger Things 2 Episode 1 “Chapter One: MADMAX”
Written by The Duffer Brothers
Directed by The Duffer Brothers
Premiered October 27, 2017 on Netflix

After a wildly popular, successful first season, it only makes sense the first chapter of Stranger Things 2 would feel like an introduction to a much bigger series – which makes sense, not only because of the show’s cultural prominence, but in the spirit of adaptation, being the show’s big-budget sequel in the vein of Empire Strikes Back, Aliens – or the industry-shifting Terminator 2: Judgment Day, if we’re willing to extend our lens into the 1990s. And in the first ten minutes, Stranger Things‘ expanded lens (and budget) is explicitly clear, with a mysterious prologue, new characters and mysteries, and no less than four licensed needle drops. But does the bigger, louder spectacle of “Chapter One: MADMAX” come at the cost of the show’s heart?

The answer, thankfully, is no: but there is definitely some push and pull already apparent in the sequel’s first hour, as Stranger Things 2 picks up the pieces from season one and sets stage for the extended nine-episode second season to follow. After opening with a sequence introducing one of Eleven’s Hawkins Lab brethren (tattooed “008” on her arm, with the ability to give other people visions) in the middle of robbing a bank, Stranger Things 2 immediately begins with opening a new set of questions, before immediately yanking the audience back to Hawkins with the now-reformed party as they go to hang at the new local arcade.

From there, “MADMAX” bounces around a Hawkins trying to pretend everything is normal, 11 months after six people died and a child-slash-potential Russian weapon mysteriously vanished (as described by local private investigator Murray Bauman, one of many new faces in Stranger Things 2). On the surface, the town and its people are back to normal; Hopper’s back at work, Will seems to be doing ok, and Nancy and Steve are back together and doing well, even discussing the potential of Steve going to college – but things are quickly fraying on the fringes, in ways that set up the season in a number of intriguing ways.

The first domino to fall is Will; while hanging out at the arcade – where they learn of the presence of a video game playing savant whose high scores all read “MADMAX” – Will suddenly finds himself back in The Upside Down, looking outside at an oncoming red storm, and something massive and lanky lurking in the distant fog beyond Hawkins – if there was a literal representation of the season’s larger ambitions, that image is a fairly strong summation… and an effective catalyst for the episode’s central observation, as it slowly reveals that things may not be quite as they seem anywhere in Indiana’s unluckiest fictional town.

One of these reveals, of course, is that Joyce is actually happy in her life; she’s dating her goofy, endearing former classmate Bob, taking Will to the Hawkins Lab to meet with Dr. Mad About You every few weeks, and working her normal shifts at Melvald’s General Store. Though she’s unaware of some of the new bullying Will is facing at school (students leaving “Zombie Boy” drawings in his locker), and has gotten understandably protective of her boys, Joyce is at peace in ways that completely change the tambor of her character in Stranger Things 2, and instead gives the series some room to further develop Jonathan and Will’s relationship (in perhaps the episode’s best scene, when he encourages Will by reminding him that they’re both “freaks” and should be proud of it).

The others, unfortunately, are not nearly as optimistic as Joyce. Beyond Will’s haunting visions, “MADMAX” also notes a field of dead pumpkins Hopper investigates – perhaps the most visual representation of Dr. Owens when he tells Joyce and Hopper that “things are going to get worse before they get better” with Will. Especially for those still maintaining the lie Hopper and Brenner agreed to at the end of season one; like Nancy, who continues to let survivor’s guilt eat away at her when she learns Barb’s family is still searching for her, selling their house to fund an investigation Nancy already knows is going nowhere.

These hints of darkness slowly making their way to the surface manifests in a number of ways, some of which are subtler than watching Hawkins goons take a flamethrower to the gate Eleven opened below the lab. Max’s wordless introduction is perhaps the best of these, observing the new girl at school from the party’s perspective: she’s got gaming skills, fights with her older brother, and is cool enough to skateboard to school – though it remains unclear why Stranger Things 2 is bringing her into the fold, it’s a strong example of the episode’s themes playing out in the background, a clear sign of a confident series fully in control of its narrative and characters as it gears up for its sophomore effort.

Most impressively is how it does all of this while keeping Eleven tucked away offscreen, only revealing in the last two minutes that she’s survived the incident in the Hawkins classroom, has started growing her hair, and is living with Hopper in his cabin in the woods (which is rigged with booby traps, obviously). For an episode setting up a whole bunch of mysteries for the episodes to follow to slowly unravel, it is nice to see the episode end on at least one resolution, quietly tying the premiere back to Hopper’s devastating flashbacks in the season finale, in a moment that’s not only a fun reveal (complete with Eleven trying to sneak Eggos in before dinner), but sets up a fascinating new dynamic for the show to explore – even if it does leave Eleven isolated from the rest of the series for the time being, yet another sign of the show’s larger scope and breadth of narrative in season two.

It would be easy for “MADMAX” to feel burdened by the elevated expectations of Stranger Things 2, to have to follow up the emotional crescendo and feel-good coming of age vibes of the first season with either something completely now, or adhering so close to what worked in season one that it felt a bit stale upon its return. “MADMAX” carefully needles a thread between those two states, leaning on the familiar while slowly widening the lens of its narrative – and although it occasionally feels a bit too busy and coy for its own good, marks a solid return for a series returning to a much more prominent position in the cultural zeitgeist than when it first arrived.

Grade: B+

Other thoughts/observations:

• Welcome to Stranger Things 2! If you missed Stranger Things, you can catch up on reviews here.
  
• Hopper runs into some crows in the cornfield next to the strange field of dead pumpkins: “Yeah, screw you too!” he tell them.
  
• Dr. Owens: “I need you to realize I’m on your side.” Always something a trustworthy person says!
  
• We are also offered a brief glimpse of Max’s older sister, a mullet-rocking guy who fills out a pair of jeans. And that’s about it (for now).
  
• Hey, what’s making noise in Dustin’s trash can?
  
• We see Mike has been reaching out to Eleven via radio for the 352 days since he last saw her. We also learn he’s been having a bit of rebellious streak, which has cost him his Atari priviledges.
  
• Jonathan: “I’m a freak, too.” Will: “Is that why you don’t have any friends?”
  
• No sign of Brenner… but also, no confirmation of his death after getting jumped by the Demogorgon in “The Upside Down”. Wink, wink.