Stranger Things Season 2 streaming on Netflix as of 10/27/17
Rating:
“Mouth breather.” – El
In the season two premiere, “Chapter 1: Madmax,” we saw a group of people exiting a building and one particular young girl who caused a tunnel to collapse, or so we thought. That girl, Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), plays a major role in “Chapter 7: The Lost Sister.” If the title doesn’t give it away, let me explain. Kali and Eleven, aka “El,” (Millie Bobby Brown) have a connection.
El sees a vision of her lab sister
Throughout “Chapter 7: The Lost Sister,” El goes on a geographical and mental journey. After seeing a vision of Kali in a faraway city, El decides to leave her Aunt Becky’s (Amy Seimetz) house in the hopes of finding her long lost Hawkins Lab sister. With only a photo, El’s abilities allow her to focus on a person’s face in order to find them wherever they are in the world. It’s a phenomenal ability but it’s unclear if she can find someone outside of the United States or whether her gifts have universal reach. Regardless, the fact that El is able to find anyone with a grainy photo and partial memories is astounding.
These two may not be real sisters, but they share a unique bond
El gets a few life lessons in “Chapter 7: The Lost Sister.” As she travels by bus to a busy city, she encounters more than a few colorful characters. With Bon Jovi’s “Runaway” playing in the background, El tracks down Kali. The initial meeting doesn’t go quite as expected but once the two girls realize their shared experience, as well as the number tattoos on their wrists, they embrace with newfound hope. Interestingly, El introduces herself as “Jane,” the name her mother Terry (Aimee Mullins) gave her. It seems as though El is trying to put the past behind her but when things take an unexpected turn during her adventures with her newfound sister Kali, a moment of reflection helps El decide where “home” truly is. Side note – the soundtrack of Stranger Things 2 takes me back to the glorious ‘80s and I am loving it!
Kali instructs El to tap into the things that make her angry and the pain she feels
Kali, who has her own unique gifts – she can make others see whatever she wants, including collapsing tunnels and spiders on your hands – helps El hone her powers. I am reminded of the film X-Men: First Class when both Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) were young. Charles tries to help Erik harness his abilities by using happier memories rather than the hate and anger he typically focuses on. Kali wants El to tap into her hurt and frustration over the pain she endured at the hands of Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) and others. When El begins moving a train car, it impresses me, but I’m curious about what she can do when she thinks of happier events in her life.
L-R: Mick, Axel, Kali, Funshine, and Dottie – they decide to enlist El’s help to find “the bad men”
Kali is on a mission to “hurt the bad men” from the lab. With her band of “outcasts,” – Funshine (Kai Greene), Axel (James Landry Hébert), Dottie (Anna Jacoby-Heron), and Mick (Gabrielle Maiden) – Kali enlists El’s help to find a few of these so-called “bad men.” But Kali’s anger and need for vengeance clouds her judgment. When they pay a visit to Ray (Pruitt Taylor Vince), a former Hawkins lab technician, they encounter a snafu that compromises their mission. El’s crisis of conscience interferes with Kali’s plan to kill Ray, causing a rift between the two girls. More intriguing is Ray’s confession that Dr. Brenner may not be dead, which puts fear into El’s heart. Side note – I’m kinda digging El’s new dark look. But then again, I still love the shaved-head, pink-dress Eleven too.
After her vision, El knows she needs to get back to Hawkins – to go “home”
After they all return to the hideout, El clutches a flannel shirt and sees a vision of Chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard). It’s a scene from “Chapter 6: The Spy” when Hopper is in the control room listening as the soldiers go into the tunnel and Mike is yelling at the guards. He thinks the whole thing is a ruse set up by Will (Noah Schnapp), who’s now the spy for the “shadow monster.” El decides she’s had enough sister-bonding time and goes back “home.”
Final Thoughts
Kali makes El believe she is seeing Dr. Brenner aka “Papa” again. Thankfully, it’s not real…
“Chaper 7: The Lost Sister doesn’t move the “shadow monster” story line forward too much but it does open up the door to potential plots for a third season. If Dr. Brenner is alive, where is he and how did he escape what appeared to be certain death in season one? Also, the character of Kali, whose obvious disappointment about El’s sudden departure, has so much potential. What if she has additional abilities like El? Aside from finding people utilizing only a photo, El has the ability to move things with her mind. These two could be the new Wonder Twins, sort of. Ok, Kali and El are not actually twins, and Kali is older than El. But, if you know anything about the Wonder Twins, you know where I’m going with this – the whole “Wonder Twin powers – activate!”
Anyway, I am looking forward to El going back to Hawkins, Indiana to help Hopper and her friends. And yes, I’ve already watched the next few episodes…the folks in Hawkins need all the help they can get!
What did you think of “Chapter 7: The Lost Sister?” Leave me a comment below and tweet me @judybopp.
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Photos ©2017 Netflix, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Judy Manning
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