After the series premiere in July 2016, the Netflix original Stranger Things, created by Matt and Ross Duffer, quickly became a phenomenon. It’s no surprise that season two, released on Oct. 27, has already received a lot of buzz. Fans like myself were anxiously awaiting to see what happens to these characters lives and let me tell you, you won’t be disappointed, considering I’ve already watched the full season six times in the past two weeks.

This season takes place one year later, around Halloween. Episode one titled, “MADMAX” begins with a police chase introducing new characters who are later explained. The audience is unaware of the significance of these characters until one of them uses powers similar to Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown); the camera then gets a close shot of this girl wiping away a bloody nose with a tattoo reading “008,” making it apparent that this person and Eleven are somehow linked with one another. Next, we see returning characters, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb Mclaughlin), Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Will (Noah Schnapp). They meet up at a local arcade and their friendship is stronger than ever.

The older kids, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Steve (Joe Keery) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) are now seniors. The audience can infer that Nancy and Jonathan have grown closer throughout the year, while her relationship with Steve seems strong. Joyce (Winona Ryder) has become very protective of her son, Will,

and is trying to move on from last season’s incident. Chief Hopper (David Harbour) is also attempting to move on from the traumatic experience he went through in season one.

Throughout the season we get a better look into Eleven’s past. We learn more about her mother and how she ended up at Hawkins Lab. She spends majority of the season finding herself and facing her own personal struggles. She still has strong feelings for Mike, even though they have been separated for a year.

With the previous season being so amazing, I was skeptical about how this season would turn out, but after finishing it in less than 24 hours, I can definitely say that the writers were successful in continuing the story line and keeping it interesting. There was never a dull moment for me and I couldn’t stop watching.

With all of the prior knowledge from watching the previous episodes, the show was a bit less shocking since we know what the writers are capable of creating but that is expected. The writers have continued to do a brilliant job of keeping audiences on the edge of their seat and wanting more.

One thing that threw me off a bit was the amount of new characters that had little significance throughout the season. A new family moves to town for an unknown reason. Dustin and Lucas notice the younger sibling of this family, Max (Sadie Sink), and try to befriend her. Mike, however, is not really fond of Max and keeps his distance from her. Billy (Dacre Montgomery) is a teen with a troubled past who serves as a character antagonist, specifically for Steve. We also meet Bob (Sean Astin), a love interest for Joyce, Dr. Owens, the new head of Hawkins Lab and a group of misfits with interesting personalities. While some of these characters did play an important impact in the plot, others didn’t really add much to the storyline. I spent a lot of time waiting for them to do something crazy or save the day, and I never really saw that by the end. Nevertheless, I believe that if the series continues, the writer’s will take time to give these characters a detailed background and more of a purpose.

The acting is phenomenal. The characters are able to take viewers away from the real world for a moment and transport them to the craziness of Hawkins, Indiana.

Though a renewal for the series has not been confirmed, there has been much speculation of season three in the works and with all of the success this season has had, it’s safe to say the show will continue.

If you’re looking for a new Netflix show to binge, this is the one for you. It is an original story that all ages can enjoy. If you don’t already have Netflix, I would say this show is worth the monthly fee.