As expected, true to his '80s nostalgia nature, the second season of "Stranger Things" takes the sequel path - and it does so in the best possible way: it's definitely in the alley of "Empire Strikes Back" or "Aliens" rather than the trite "more of the same" approach.

The story builds on the previous installment as we find the characters where we left them at the end of the last season. The attention to details, the '80s feeling, the references - that were the trademark of season 1 - are all still there while the character driven narrative moves forward.

The idea of splitting the main characters is a risk that pays off, giving each character room to breath and to grow on their own. The newbies also work, although a couple of them aren't as focused as they could've been.

The story is cohesive and well told, a little darker in places and a little more action-y at times (but not to the point of becoming pointless or annoying) - and it manages to be perfectly self-contained, while still planting enough seeds for future seasons to grow around.

The usual amount of references and homages (with several new ones throw in the mix) prevent it from be really innovative or deeply creative, but that's not a bad thing, here, and the material is very well executed.

Great cast all around, strong performances - although, someone must've told young Finn Wolfhard that he was one of the best actor from the previous season as he tries to overdo himself, here, sometimes going a bit overboard (and, at times, it feels like he's using his character to audition for a young Kylo Ren in the Star Wars franchise). Nothing major, though, and it doesn't subtract from the enjoyment.

All in all, the numerous 10 stars it's getting are definitely over- rating, but it's a solid, well rounded 8/10 experience.