Playing Both Sides
Full spoilers for Stranger Things episode “The Spy” continue below. Make sure to read all of our Season 2 reviews here.
Stranger Things gets back on track with a highly entertaining episode, by further explaining some of the questions we’ve been having concerning Will and his relationship to the Upside Down. Most of the character interactions are strong, and even though this is the first episode this season without Jane (Eleven), her presence isn’t missed due to the strong writing and directing.
Dustin and Steve’s interactions in “The Spy” were magnificent. Joe Keery (Steve) and Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) deliver their best performances yet. Their adventures in Demogorgon hunting were skillfully written, as we gained new insights into both characters. It was enjoyable watching the boys discuss hair product and girls while dumping large chunks of meat along the railroad tracks.
Sticking with Steve, he’s been a compelling character to watch over the past few years. He’s gone from high school douchebag to hero in just one season, but it doesn’t feel rushed. Sure, he’s a man who knows his hair products better than anyone, but his big brother mentality with Dustin shows he has a heart of gold. Perhaps he’s too pretty to be an underdog, like Jonathan Byers, but it shouldn’t diminish the fact that he kicked butt this week with his spiked bat. Steve is once again proving his self-sacrificial nature. The writers have given him room to grow as a character, and it’s one of the standouts from Season 2, so far.
The Jonathan and Nancy road trip story hasn’t been as compelling. With everyone back in Hawkins fighting against the Upside Down, the two lovebirds drinking vodka and talking to the crazy private investigator feel out of place with the rest of the plot. Barb deserves justice, sure, but this is a setup the writers could have solved in the first few episodes. We’re past the midway point in a season filled with high stakes scenarios. So, while Will is poked and prodded and Steve and Dustin are fighting a Demogorgon army, it’s a bit silly wondering if Jonathan and Nancy are going to get “busy” or not. Just like the Barb situation, this is a story that should have occurred sooner. We’re in the middle of a war people.
Getting back to the war, all of the stories concerning Will at the Hawkins Lab were engrossing. The Duffer Brothers and their team aren’t letting us down in the knowledge department. Director Andrew Stanton delivered his best with some scenes reminiscent of James Cameron’s 1986 sci-fi hit Aliens. Stranger Things is a series filled with nostalgia, and Stanton embraced those aspects beautifully. The sequence in the underground passages with the Demogorgons surrounding the armed guards was spectacular.
Paul Reiser gave another captivating performance as Dr. Sam Owens. He’s a man we distrust, due to his affiliation with the lab, but like all of the well-written characters on this show, he has been allowed to evolve. Reiser may be the one to sacrifice himself to save Will. Unlike his colleagues, he’s not comfortable with killing children. Now, before we start feeling sorry for poor Dr. Owens, we have to think back to what we know about his character up until this point. When he was talking to Jonathan and Nancy about Barb’s death and referring to it as a “mistake,” he did not appear to be bothered or remorseful. Owens is one of those great complex characters, due to his ambiguous nature. This is another example of quality writing.
In a series like Stranger Things, it may sound repetitive to keep praising some of the actors for their work, but there are two particular instances worth mentioning. The first, and smallest of these memorable moments were delivered by David Harbour (Jim Hopper). His apologetic message to Jane was a beautiful illustration of how dynamic Harbour can be. He’s equal parts ferocious beast and a cuddly teddy bear all wrapped into one. A bit off topic, but I can’t wait to see him in the new Hellboy movie.
Finally, Sadie Sink (Max) maintains her commanding presence when she tells Dustin her story and apologizes for being a jerk sometimes. The scene brings us closer to her character and even though it’s a story we’ve heard before, Sink delivers her lines in a new and fascinating way for one so young. Her self-awareness is what makes her interesting to watch; however, it doesn’t excuse the fact that her brother (Billy) is such a bad guy. The writers better have put together one heck of a monologue for him if he has any hope of redemption.
“The Spy” is another great example of what an episode of Stranger Things can accomplish. There were some incredible performances, mixed in with a great action sequence towards to end made it a fun watch. Let’s hope the final three episodes can keep up the pace.
The Verdict
The Jonathan and Nancy story is not the strongest in Season 2, but everything else going on around them is. It was so much fun watching Steve and Dustin bond while on their Demogorgon hunt. Max and Lucas' relationship continues to be one of the series better plotlines and there's never anything wrong with a little monster ambush in a dark cave.
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