The Stranger Things series has brought joy to its fans and viewers across the world. No matter the age, adults and children, have not been able to get enough of the series since the first season was released on July 15 last summer. Many have been impatiently waiting for 15 months for the release of Stranger Things 2, and now that it’s here and some have had the time to watch it multiple times, we know that it was worth the wait (with the exception of episode 7.) There are many spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t finished the series yet, stop reading immediately.

Stranger Things 2 gave us answers to many of the questions that were still burning inside of our heads after Season 1. We know that Eleven is still alive and well and is under the care of Chief Hopper, Will was throwing up mini demogorgons into his sink and flipping back and forth from the upside down, and most importantly, we have a better understanding of the upside down and the dangers that linger within it.

Many new characters joined the show this season, including Max and her half brother Billy, Joyce’s new love interest Bob Newby, and others. These characters have given us fresh faces and new stories that intertwine with the rest of the cast. Max and Billy recently moved to Hawkins from California. Max is a big tomboy who creates an interesting love triangle with Luke and Dustin, and her abusive brother Billy serves as a substitute for the old Steve as a human villain in the show. And Bob, arguably the best and most likeable character of the whole show, gives Joyce a comfortable taste of love and overall makes the show more joyful to watch. If only we had some sort of warning before Bob met his doom of being feasted on by a pack a demogorgons.

Stranger Things 2 also provides a lot a character development and pairs up different characters, which is always entertaining for viewers. Will Byers is given a lot more screen time, and we see how the upside down has affected him, and it still affecting him. His screen time allows us to understand how his family functions now, and we see how much Will and Mike value the friendship they’ve had since kindergarten, and how they help each other cope with what they are both going through. Steve and Dustin are paired up as well as they try to figure out what to do with Dustin’s loose demogorgon. A father-son dynamic is set up, and we see Steve cope with Nancy breaking his heart by taking responsibility for Dustin. Another new pairing that is probably the best is Eleven and Chief Hopper. We see how after Eleven is able to escape the upside down, Hopper is there for her and provides her with all the Eggos she wants. Throughout the season Eleven and Hopper begin to seem more and more like a father and daughter. This works perfectly since Hopper lost his own daughter a few years ago, and Eleven has never had any real parent figures in her life.

Unlike the first season, Season 2 doesn’t leave us with many cliff-hangers or unanswered questions. The only things that can be thought of is if we will hear more from Eleven’s sister Eight, and what the shadow monster looming over the school dance at the end of the season meant.

Overall, Stranger Things 2 is much darker and scarier, but it was not in any way a disappointment and was worth every second of waiting.