When Stranger Things debuted last year on Netflix, it did so quietly and without much hype. But its tightly-wrought narrative, binge-friendly style, and perfect freaks-and-geeks vintage aesthetic (helpfully augmented by some great casting) tapped into something. It became a phenomenon, and so this year, any word of the series' return gets us all whipped up into a frenzy.

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Image via Netflix

We don't know a lot about the new installment of the series, which is probably a good thing. But it has been confirmed that it will take place in 1984, one year after the events of Season 1. And while the demogorgon has been destroyed, there are still new, dark adventures for the denizens of Hawkins, Indiana to get involved with.

It's hard to pin down exactly what we just saw but, well, that was really awesome! There's an immediate sense of menace and that final shot of the humongous monster-alien in the distance definitely made it clear that the stakes have been raised for the second season of the breakout Netflix hit. We also now know when we will be able to call out of work and spend 24 hours binging season 2 and it might put a crimp in your plans. Stranger Things Season 2 will be debuting on Halloween, which means that nationwide Halloween watching parties are clearly imminent. Other people, people with restraint, will wait for another day to watch the season or, if they are really controlled, take their time and watch the season incrementally. I don't think I'm that kind of person, at least not in this particular case. In that alone, this first look is a massive success.

Stranger Things stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Joe Keery. The new season will also star Sean Astin, whose role was recently revealed.

The press release from Netflix also includes a synopsis and a factoid about the commercial:

About Stranger Things 2: A year after Will’s return, everything seems back to normal… but a darkness lurks just beneath the surface, threatening all of Hawkins.

 

Additional information: The Stranger Things 2 Super Bowl ad features footage from a classic Eggo commercial that debuted in 1979 and aired in the 80s

For more on Stranger Things, be sure to take a look at our recent write-ups below:

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Image via Netflix