Disgusting Parts of 'Stranger Things 2'

As many fans wait tirelessly for the second season of the famous Netflix original series Stranger Things, it was no surprise to find a sundry of positive reviews of the show after its releasing night on October 27th, 2017. Multiple comments of #theupsidedown and #ELEVENISBACK started trending on Twitter and Instagram, along with a string of Snapchat close ups with inaudible screaming because of the series new character, Billy Hargrove, played by Dacre Montgomer.

Although the season has done an excellent job with maintaining an interesting plot and grasping the viewers' attention, I wanted to highlight on some of the disappointments I had with the recent season concerning its grotesque exploitation of pedophilia, over-sexualization, and child abduction.

First, let's review how Eleven's, played by Millie Bobby Brown, institutionalized "sister" is working alongside a murderous juvenile gang. Her name is Kali or "Eight," and she is played by Linnea Berthelsen. Although the show portrays her as the head of this group, it still seems like they are just using her to get what they need and to stay out of trouble. For example, look at the way they treated Eleven when they first met her. Because of her very young demeanor, the gang seemed like they were going to abuse her for even being near them. If it weren't for Eight's abilities, who's to say they wouldn't administer the same consequences on her?

As we move along with the storyline, we see the Detective Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour, take in Eleven in this creepy, broken down hut that she is supposed to live in. Um, Gone Baby Gone vibes much? If that wasn't ominous enough, we witness multiple abusive qualities coming from this man, proving that he isn't the most fit human to take care of Eleven. However, he forces her to stay in this confinement, for what he claims is "her own safety" and because "they aren't dumb." The girl can literally control things with her mind; she can take care of herself. In my opinion, this just seems like an intensified coping mechanism for him and for the fact that he lost his daughter. Eleven isn't safe in this area with a man that is going through post-traumatic stress disorder from losing someone close to him.

Further in the season, we see Billy talking to Mike's mother, Mrs. Karen Wheeler, played by Cara Buono. Now from previously watching the last season and episodes from this season, we know that Mrs. Wheeler is a married woman, specifically to Mike's father, Ted Wheeler (played by Joe Chrest). However, that doesn't seem to stop Billy's character from flirting with her to get information. After doing some research about Billy's character in this series, and just making some assumptions since he is in the high school with Nancy Wheeler (played by Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan Byers (played by Charlie Heaton), Billy is only supposed to be 17 years old. Even though technically, in the state of Indiana, where the show is supposed to be held in, it is legal to have consenting sex at the age of 16, just insinuating the idea that something could happen between them just seems grotesque. It just shows how the show is more concerned on making "steamy" scenes to hook viewers' attention and to gain a bigger audience, despite the fact that it encourages the idea that this kind of behavior between older women and young high school boys is normal.

Finally, I hated the ending. But not because of the eluting fact that the upsidedown still exists and might haunt the cast in the near future. I hated it because of the Snowball winter dance. We see the children all finally come together after a season jammed pack with traumatizing occurances, an epic conquering, and saving the world. Instead of having some sort of a congratulatory event for these kids who risked their lives, the ending scene was more focused on trying to couple them up to each other. Forcing so many kids to kiss on camera for the "awe" effect of at home viewers make me sick. It's like the equivalent of a mom making their children kiss on the lips for a cute photo. I think one of my main problems with it is because they have done interviews with Eleven, and she talks about how disgusted she is about it, and it's the poor girl's first kiss.

But of course, we also see the boys in the background hyping the event up, and even her costar, Will Byers (played by Noah Schnapp), who she kisses, saying he is OK with the kiss and doesn't mind. It also doesn't help that social media is having a field day with it.

I think not only is this an abuse to make these actors do these situations, but also I think it has cause an increase on certain viewers sexualizing these characters and not seeing them for the young children they still are.

Overall, I still think that the show is very original and unique, but I don't approve of all these dramatic changes the directors have made in order to please their viewers and gain a bigger audience.