“Crazier and crazier” is how actor Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler on the critically-acclaimed Netflix show Stranger Things , describes the upcoming second season.
“What’s cool about Stranger Things is that the more episodes you watch the more the story escalates. And so with this season, it comes three times faster and it’s ramping up very fast. And after you see an episode you’re like, “Oh this can’t be crazier” and then you watch the next episode and think, “No this can’t be crazier than that” and it just sort of—every episode tops each other. I’m super excited to be in a show like that,” says Finn in a statement released by Netflix. “We definitely have a lot more supernatural elements coming,” he adds.
The first season tells us the story of how Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair go in search of their missing friend Will Byers. Will has been taken to the Upside Down, sort of an alternate reality where everything is the same, yet not. Though the place physically resembles the real world, it is grey and lifeless, and is inhabited by what the boys dub the ‘Demogorgon’ — a monster that feeds on people. Though he is rescued successfully, all is not well. The season ends on a giant cliffhanger.
Season two picks up a year later, with Will’s jaunt in the Upside Down having repercussions. “I’m sort of moody because I’m not too happy about how my life is going for me, ” Finn says, describing his character. “I’m missing Eleven — I don’t you know where she is or if she’s dead or alive,” he adds, talking about actor Millie Bobby Brown’s character. Eleven is a little girl who escaped from the Hawkins National Laboratory. She goes missing at the end of the season.
“Will is having these sort of flashbacks — he has PTSD. Except it’s real—he’s having visions that are like real life. And my character, Joyce, Hopper, Dr. Owens, and, Sean Astin’s character are trying to figure out what’s wrong with him,” Finn says.
“Will shows more bravery and you’ll definitely learn how the Upside Down affected Will and you’ll get more into his storyline,” the Associated Press earlier reported Noah Schnapp, the actor who plays Will, as saying.
Season 2 also has some new cast members. According to AP, Paul Reiser portrays a government official, 15-year-old Sadie Sink plays a character named Max who joins the group of young boys, and Dacre Montgomery takes on a character he described as “a human antagonist.”
“Max is this character who’s from San Diego and she moves to Hawkins with her step brother Billy and she likes to be alone. So she’s like a lone wolf and she doesn’t have any friends. And Lucas and Dustin - they like Max. They want her to be a part of our gang. But Mike doesn’t want any other outsiders because last time we had an outsider look what happened,” says Finn.
Paul’s character, Dr. Owens, on the other hand, is part of the Hawkins Lab, where it all began. “Paul Reiser’s character, Dr. Owens, is trying to get down to the bottom of what exactly is happening and, and why it’s happening,” Finn adds.
Stranger Things also stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour and Sean Astin. Season 2 debuts on October 27 on Netflix.
