A Trial By Fire
Full spoilers for Stranger Things episode “The Gate” continue below. Make sure to read all of our Season 2 reviews here.
There was nothing easy or convenient about the Season 2 finale of Stranger Things, entitled “The Gate.” Everyone involved had to go through their own trial by fire to save Hawkins from catastrophe. Like any good finale, the Duffer Brothers provided us with lots of thrills, tears, and laughter, while doing a good job at setting up season 3.
There’s a lot to unpack here, but I have a feeling that the ending is going to be divisive, so let’s start there. No, not the 1984 Snow Ball. That was the cutest things ever. We’re talking about the reveal that the shadow demon (Mind Flayer) is once again the primary villain moving forward. The Upside Down isn’t going anywhere.
In this reviewer’s humble opinion, the decision to keep the Mind Flayer around was a brilliant move by the writers. Think of it as the Darth Vader, or Sauron, or the Voldemort of the Stranger Things universe. He’s the ultimate bad guy, the big boss battle you get to at the end of the game. If closing the portal was the only way of defeating him, then he would be a pretty lame ultra villain. The Hawkins community is going to have to fight him again, but maybe not for a few more years.
The Upside Down is a fascinating place that we haven’t spent much time in. There is still so much to explore. Think about it from the perspective of a comic book. All those stories of multiple Earths imply that there are an infinite amount of realities out there, with an endless amount of you and me doing all sorts of things. If the Upside Down follows that same principle, then Earth-2 Hawkins (Sorry Flash) is a representation of what will happen if the Mind Flayer wins. It’s the worst ending possible.
Credit goes to the Duffer Brothers and their talented team of writers for laying the groundwork for a fascinating, ever-expanding universe. Looking back, Dr. Owens theorized that whatever happened in Earth-2 Hawkins is linked to this virus. Dustin, using his trusty game manual, further speculated that the Mind Flayer is such an old entity that it doesn’t even remember where it came from. That sounds like the ultimate evil to me; a being that is as old as the universe itself. We’re going to need more seasons to figure this out.
Moving around a bit, let’s talk about Will. Noah Schnapp has given one of the best performances of the entire ensemble, which is no small feat. The writers have tormented this poor kid for two seasons now. Winona Ryder (Joyce) delivers the goods as well with an exorcism scene that was tough to watch. You can see Schnapp and Ryder giving it their all here, and they needed to. They're showing us a mother who nearly kills her son to save him. While everyone else looked on with panicked faces, Joyce never stopped believing Will could be saved. Like most of the season, the Duffer Brothers haven’t been afraid to put these kids through hell, and the series has been better for it.
Jane (Eleven) has been on her own journey for most of the season. While it was nice to see her come back and save the day, it was also the least climatic part of the finale. Look, Jane is incredible, mostly due to Millie Bobby Brown’s passionate portrayal of her. Those moments between her and her now adopted father (Jim) were handled flawlessly. It was challenging to keep the tears at bay when they said their apologies before the final battle. A much-deserved round of applause for everyone.
However, it would have been more impactful if the other members of clan Hawkins had found a way to close the rift on their own. Leaving Jane in Chicago a bit longer would have made the finale all the more interesting. Again, not picking on Jane, but she’s the ultimate power in the town. Leaving her out of the equation raises the stakes to astronomical levels. This is a small gripe, but a gripe nonetheless.
While it was nice to see the finale give some love to Barb, we can’t leave Season 2 behind without talking about my boy Billy. It’s a shame we had to wait for nine episodes before we could get a sense of what Dacre Montgomery can do as an actor. First of all, the ability to mask his Australian accent is superb, plus he has the charm and charisma to make Mrs. Wheeler blush. There is room for him to grow down the road. Did you notice that look he gave Maxine before she went to the dance? It wasn’t a look of fear or anger, but one of respect. He’s going to be a big part of next season. How he earns his place among the titans of Hawkins will be interesting to see. Let’s get #RedemptionForBilly trending.
“The Gate” was another example of the high level of talent behind the Stranger Things creative team. While this wasn’t a perfect episode, it provided us with everything we’ve come to love about the series. There are moments of grief, joy, sorrow, and laughter all rolled up into an intense hour of Netflix goodness. Looking ahead, the Stranger Things universe will only get bigger. Eight and Dr. Brenner are still out there. Mix that in with the Mind Flayer lurking in the shadows and you’ve got yourself a strong Season 3.
The Verdict
The Season 2 finale was a heartfelt spectacle with all the thrills, tears, and joy we've come to expect from the series. Not only did "The Gate" wrap up the story nicely, it also sets up lots of compelling possibilities for Season 3. As a whole, this new iteration of Stanger Things did not disappoint.
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