If Stranger Things' Season 1 was about delving into the unknown, Season 2 is going to be about the citizens of Hawkins trying to find normalcy again. In a recent interview with Collider, director Shawn Levy discussed how the events from Season 1 will impact the Byers family and all of Will's friends as they move forward in the aftermath of their journey into the Upside Down. Having Stranger Things deal with trauma and a desire to have life return to normal is going to make Season 2 relatable and adventurous.
During his discussion of Season 2, Levy focused in on Will and his family. After spending so long in the Upside Down and returning home with some disturbing side effects, Will's primary goal is to go back to his old life. He is going to be doing everything possible to make his mother, brother, and friends believe he is OK, because it is what Will needs to believe too.
Of course, Will is far from the only character who will be struggling resuming life as usual. Although Levy was careful not to disclose anything about Eleven's story, she still had a major impact on Mike, Dustin, and Lucas. She is also the reason Will was found alive. How can any of them truly move forward knowing the major sacrifice Eleven made to keep her friends safe? Poor Mike even kept Eleven's fort up at the end of Season 1, as if he was waiting for her to return.
From the way Levy described the themes in Season 2, it sounds like fans can expect a true coming-of-age story. "We are definitely sticking primarily with our core group, and what is different, how are they changed from the experience of last season… maybe 'normal' is never possible again," Levy told Collider.
It sounds like all of the characters, not just Will, will be struggling with how to go back to their old routines when they know how strange and scary the world can be. Levy declined to confirm the rumored one-year time jump, and instead simply noted some time has passed for the characters, but not enough for any of them to forget the things they saw. The experiences Mike, Will, Nancy, and the rest of characters went through are the kind that push people forward — whether they are ready for change or not.
Season 2 may very well be a story about growing up, facing the harsh realities of life, and losing the innocence of childhood for good. There will definitely be more supernatural flourishes — Stranger Things wouldn't be Stranger Things without them — but now that the origin stories are out of the way, there will be more time to fully understand who these kids are and what their lives will look like after the extraordinary adventure they had. It will probably be a while before more specifics are released, but for now, you can hold onto the fact that for all of your favorite characters their real journeys are just beginning, as they figure out what happens next.
Images: Netflix; Giphy
