After over a year of waiting, Stranger Things fans can settle into their couches to watch the second season on Netflix.

* SPOILER ALERT *

The immensely popular first season left viewers with a cliffhanger, wondering the whereabouts of one main character, Eleven, and about the safety of another character, Will, from the Upside Down.

The new season introduces a couple of new characters that contribute to the plot of the show.

New student Maxine (Max) is a redhead rebel that befriends Mike, Lukas, Dustin and Will. While the character Max could be criticized for splitting the core group of friends, she brought an undeniable unique twist to the show.

Maxine’s older step-brother, Billy, is an antagonist in the show, womanizing every girl he meets and acting abusive toward his little sister. Later, I gained some sympathy for Billy when learning about his upsetting homelife. Billy proved as a positive addition to show because of the new perspectives he brings towards viewers from his difficult living situation. This adds another layer of drama to the show.

A third new character is Bob, Joyce’s new boyfriend. At the beginning of the show, I was not a fan of Bob. We had no concept of who he was and the character just seemed too perfect. Even Joyce’s son, Jonathan, didn’t trust him. I think Bob wasn’t a useful character to the show, even though some viewers see he as a hero figure.

A problem I had with this season occurred when Eleven ran off to find her “sister,” Kali. Eleven gets caught up in the criminal activity Kali and her crew gets into. Even though Kali helps Eleven control her powers more, she puts Eleven’s life in danger and persuades her to use her powers to kill. I found this change in character jarring.

The new season includes several scenes with detailed, realistic special effects. The terrifying creatures from the Upside Down, the Demogorgons, has such a realistic creative body in the show it felt like the animal was right in front of me.

Overall, while I think it remains impossible to make a second season better than the first, “Stranger Things” season two ultimately exceeded my expectations.