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Stranger Things Season 2 picks up in October 1984, almost a year after the events of Stranger Things Season 1. Joyce loosens her grip on Will as he tries to reacclimate to being a regular kid. However, while everyone else seems convinced the dangers in Hawkins have passed, Joyce and Will have their doubts. Let’s get started with our Stranger Things Season 2 recap.

This 'Stranger Things' Season 2 recap features Noah Schnapp, as Will Byers, seen here with wires taped to his head in a production still from the series.
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 | Netflix

Nightmarish visions haunt Will

Since his rescue from the Upside Down, Will has attended regular doctor appointments with a specialist assigned by the government. He seems fine to most, but in reality, he continues to suffer through moments when he’s somehow transported back to the Upside Down. He knows something lurks on the horizon. 

A new girl named Max Mayfield moves to Hawkins, and Lucas and Dustin immediately begin to vie for her attention. However, they have to keep her at arm’s length to avoid letting her in on Will’s secret. Will’s vision scares him to tears on Halloween night, and Mike takes him home early. When Will talks to Joyce’s boyfriend, Bob Newby, he tries to relate to Will’s trouble and tells him a similar story about nightmares that plagued him as a child. He encourages Will to simply say to the monster to go away. Hopefully, that solves the problem.

Will takes Bob’s advice. However, instead of the monster leaving, the creature we now know as the Mind Flayer possesses Will.

Audiences learn more about Eleven’s backstory in ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2

Continuing with the Stranger Things Season 2 recap, we learn Eleven returned shortly after she banished the Demogorgon in season 1. Chief Jim Hopper helped hide her from the government at his cabin, and no one knows she’s there. When she gets tired of Hopper’s refusal to let her go out in public, she runs away to find her mom.

Eleven hitches a ride to her mom and Aunt Becky’s house, only to realize her mom lives in a comatose state. However, after using her powers, Eleven sees her mom’s past and how Brenner used her as part of his program. During one of her trips into the Void, Eleven sees another girl like her named Kalie. She searches Kali and her friends out, and Kali helps her learn more about their past. She also helps Eleven hone her powers. Ultimately, Eleven chooses to return home to her friends and leaves Kali in Chicago.

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Eleven closes the Gate in the ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 finale

The group figures out that the Mind Flayer controls all the creatures from the Upside Down. If Eleven closes the Gate, all the Demodogs and vines creeping into Hawkins die, including Will, who’s currently housing the Mind Flayer. However, the Gate is no longer just a crack in the wall at the laboratory. A much larger gate exists, and the Upside Down has tunneled throughout the underground of Hawkins.

Joyce, Jonathan, Nancy, and Mike work to get the Mind Flayer out of Will before telling Eleven to close the Gate. They succeed, and Eleven uses her powers to take away the Upside Down’s entry into Hawkins. 

By the end of the season, The Party is back together, including Eleven. Stranger Things Season 2 ends with Mike, Eleven, Lucas, Max, and Dustin attending the Snow Ball at Hawkins Middle School. As the camera pans out, the audiences watch as the scene flips upside down and the Mind Flayer hovers menacingly over the kids’ middle school.

That covers our Stranger Things Season 2 recap. Tune in tomorrow to read up on season 3!

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