Stranger Things’ second season is going to be much darker, scarier

Stranger Things’ first season focused mainly on its paranormal aesthetic, but the second season of Netflix’s award-winning show is going to feel a lot darker and far scarier.

The second season takes place one year after the events of the first. The main cast has been reunited and, although new cast members will be joining the series, a large part of the season will focus on learning more about the kids.

Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin Henderson in the series, told Emmy Magazine that the characters are dealing with the trauma of last season and trying to understand what’s happened.

“The great thing about this season is you get to see insights into each character on their own,” said Matarazzo. “You’re going to see a lot more into the lives of how the characters are coping with what’s been going on ... They’re all very emotionally scarred. They feel alone because their best friend is back and he’s not acting like their best friend anymore. He’s changed.”

Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler, said the season is going to be a lot darker than the first season was. The show is going to dig into themes and narratives that fall more inline with traditional horror cinema.

“I think people are going to like it better than the first season,” Wolfhard said.

Other members of the cast including Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair) also gave their own takes on what to expect from the upcoming sophomore season, but the unanimous reaction seems to be that it’s much scarier this time around. The full interview can be seen in the video above.

Stranger Things’ second season got its first teaser in February. It will be able to stream in full on Netflix as of Oct. 31, so don’t worry about making Halloween plans.