![]() Stranger Things Season 2 really has been a great nine episodes of television, despite some flaws in its pacing, a couple of poorly drawn new characters, and a cheesy detour in Episode 7. The music is so good, and has been all season. ![]() If I've failed to mention Stranger Things' phenomenal score in any of these reviews, it's only because it's been so consistently great all season that it's an inextricable part of the show's fabric, beyond criticism or praise. In finally standing up to her brother, Max got her own arc too, and finally showed another dimension as a character. Consider the fact that he probably got a concussion for his trouble as his final atonement for the years he spent as a douche. For Steve to even be where he is-for him to stick his neck out like that-is itself enough fulfillment for him as a character. On top of that, it was far more fitting for Max to ultimately defeat her awful brother than for Steve to somehow best him in a fight, which would have been implausible at best. This finale's showdown between Steve and Billy-a former villain and a current one-rivaled any duel in Netflix's Marvel shows for sheer brutality. Of course it wasn't all rainbows and wrap-ups. ![]() "The Gate" even took the time to tie a bow on pretty much every smaller relationship and character-based subplot, including the end of Nancy and Steve's relationship, Barb's funeral and closure for her parents (justice for Barb!), Hopper and Eleven's touching and funny reconciliation, Mike and Eleven's budding romance-not to mention Lucas and Max's, and maybe Joyce and Hopper's-and even Dustin's heartfelt search for love. At the very least, it was a pleasant surprise I won't say no to some positivity, and the kids' well-deserved happy ending was one long shot of sweet, sweet nostalgia. The same can be said of Stranger Things 2 overall, but this episode specifically ended on a sustained note so brimming with joy that it was almost jarring. The original season's ending was famously bittersweet, Will's rescue and Brenner's defeat contrasting with Barb's death and Eleven's disappearance. If there's one main thing to love about Stranger Things' Season 2 finale, "The Gate," it's how unabashedly happy it is. ![]() Spoilers for Stranger Things 2, up through Episode 9, "The Gate," below ![]()
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