Spoilers ahead for the first few episodes of Stranger Things' second season.
Today is a great day for Netflix subscribers. Because after over a year of patiently waiting, Stranger Things is finally back for its second season on the streaming service. Just in time for Halloween, we pick up nearly a year after the events of Season 1, with the various characters still very much recovering from the supernatural happenings that occurred. Perhaps the biggest mystery going into Stranger Things 2 (as the Duffer Brothers are calling it) was what the heck happened to Eleven after she seemingly destroyed The Demogorgon and perished in the process. And now we have the answers.
It turns out that the hints dropped in Season 1's finale have come to fruition, as it was revealed that Eleven is being taken care of by none other than Jim Hopper (David Harbour). This wasn't exactly a big surprise, as he was seen bringing Eggos to a hidden box in the woods. But how she got into Hopper's care is fascinating, and showed how the poor girl just can't get a break.
Because after she destroyed The Demogorgon at Hawkins Middle School, Eleven seemingly disappeared. It turns out that this confrontation transported her back into The Upside Down, with Elle trapped in the alternate version of the school. After wandering the halls for a bit she found a small tear back into the real world, and opened it up so she could travel back into our reality. After seeing the feds at Mike's house, it became clear that Ellle couldn't rely on her friends and keep them safe. Eleven was then left to her own devices- trying to survive in an Indiana winter by herself.
These flashbacks to Elle's hard journey alone are intercut into scenes similar to the way her backstory was explored in Season 1. While Eleven was letting her guard down to Mike early on, we were shown glimpses of her time in captivity at Hawkins Lab. This same device is being used now to explore a more recent time in Eleven's past, although it was no less painful for everyone's favorite psychic girl.
Stranger Things seems to be really building on the mythology and world building it established in Season 1. The events of the first season are still rippling through the characters of the series. Barb's death is still haunting both Nancy and Barb's parents, Will is going in for testing for his episodes, and Hopper is teaching Eleven how to really trust and communicate with people. But with the shadow monster looming over the town, it's unclear if they're all going to make it out alive.
Stranger Things 2 is currently streaming in its entirety on Netflix. Be sure to check out our fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
