We’re so close to the final season of Stranger Things that we can practically taste the Eggo waffles! Over three years of speculation about the fifth season’s plot will finally turn into tangible results in just a couple of months, but Stranger Things’ creators, the Duffer Brothers, have added a little more food for thought before the climax. Fans can now purchase complete script books of the first four seasons of the show, accompanied by commentary from Matt and Ross Duffer themselves. In that commentary, the brothers claim that the second season is the most important chapter of the series so far. Even though it has the most derided episode of them all, “Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister”, everything else in the sequel season of Stranger Things is just about perfect. cnx.cmd.push(function() {cnx({playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530",}).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796");});And you know what? The Duffers are correct. Here’s everything that made Stranger Things season 2 so invaluable and why the fifth season will live up to expectations if it samples plenty from that encore act. Stranger Things Season 2 is the Densest Piece of the StoryStranger Things has gotten progressively bigger in scope and characterization as its four seasons have unfolded. What started out as an intimate, mysterious little tale in the first season has exploded into an epic science-fiction spectacle replete with supervillains like Vecna, who are trying to destroy the world as we know it. It’s quite sensible to make a show bigger, both literally and figuratively, as the seasons go on, especially in genre-heavy work like Stranger Things, but the show has lost some of what made it feel so human from the first two seasons. Stranger Things season 2 is the only set of episodes in which the show found the exact correct balance of foreboding evil in the background and childlike wonder in the foreground. The kids were still young enough that the season felt like a Stephen King novel. The Halloween theme made it thematically rich while also wondrous. The Mind Flayer was a frightening antagonist, but not as scary as Vecna. He was just the right amount of haunting. He may also be central to learning about some key insights regarding the series’ lore. The cast was still small enough during season 2 that everybody got a fulfilling amount of screentime. The characterization was richer than in seasons 3 and 4, which made the story easier to get engrossed in. Overall, the rich mix of small and large set pieces and a plot that was a combination of setup for the future and intrigue in the present made Stranger Things season 2 the densest, most satisfying season of the show. Stranger Things season 5 would do well to heed the words of the Duffers and scale back some of the elements of season 4 that made it too large. Guest Stars Became a Signature Part of the SeriesThe series always has a gazillion heroes to root for, but Stranger Things season 2 had one of the most overlooked, but beloved, guest stars in Bob Newby (Sean Astin). Bob the Brain set the standard for the show in this department, starting a tradition of an amazing actor entering the story for one season and completely changing the dynamic of the cast. Bob was the only reason Joyce (Winona Ryder) and the rest of the gang were able to escape the Hawkins Lab in the penultimate episode of the season. His sacrifice ended up being symbolic of the type of bravery Stranger Things revels in so often. Further fan favorites like Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) may not have been created without Bob’s existence. Season 5 is set to have Linda Hamilton in a guest role, continuing the tradition of one-season characters that will alter the story in dramatic ways. Nobody knows the specifics of her character, but it will be hard for her to surpass Bob in the fandom’s guest star Hall of Fame. Will, Max, and Steve Became Series-Long CatalystsWe’ve talked about the vitality of the characters in the series quite a bit, and season 2’s ability to expand on the cast from the first season, while also not leaving anyone behind, was a masterclass in both acting and writing from the entire cast and crew. Watching the evolution of Will (Noah Schnapp) and Steve (Joe Keery) into main cast members after being on the fringes of the story in season 1 was a pleasure. The introduction of Max (Sadie Sink) added a much-needed jolt to a friend group that was lacking girls. All three of these characters are at the pinnacle of Stranger Things’ mountaintop of casting choices. The Duffers said in the aforementioned script book that season 2 gave them the courage “to lean on our brilliant actors.” Schnapp, Sink, and Keery are all highlights of an ultra-talented ensemble, but they’ve been in and out of the rotation depending on the episode as the series has gone on, especially Schnapp. Will must have a larger role in the fifth season as his connection to the Upside Down will be the key to absolving the evil at the heart of Hawkins. Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 premieres on Wednesday, November 26 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Volume 2 arrives Thursday, December 25 at at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The final episode will be available to stream Wednesday, December 31 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The post The Duffers Reveal Stranger Things’ Most Important Season appeared first on Den of Geek.