Stranger Things Season 2

[GreenDragonKnight]

So did you have friends with walkie-talkies? I did, but back in the 70's the only good ones were very expensive. Ours had very limited range... not nearly as good as those kids had in Stranger Things.

Yep. Walky-talkies, had those once upon a time. And I remember going to the arcade. Long before I had my PlayStation, 2 3 and 4 (I've had them all) or SNES for those of us who remember SNES, long before any of that I remember going to the arcade, putting one or 5 or whatever dollar bills in to get quarters and/or tokens, I remember Pac-Man, Miss Pac-Man, Galaga, Space Invaders, Dig-Dug, Joust, I remember trying to play Dragon's Lair and flipping my lid just like Dustin did, couldn't believe I spent 50 cents on one game... and, of course, the arcade in the show looks exactly like arcades such as I remember them...

And, if we can go back to Season 1 for a moment, OMG, old school Dungeons & Dragons, oh, that was my life! I still have all the original books: Dungeon Master's Guide, Players Handbook, Monster Manual, Monster Manual II, Fiend Folio, Unearthed Arcana, Dungeoneer's Survival, Wilderness Survival, you name it.

 

[GreenDragonKnight]

The only minor complaint I have about the show so far, something that just doesn't make sense to me, is that the creatures in the show look little if anything like the D&D creatures they are supposed to be representing: the Demogorgon-creature in the first season and the so-called Mind Flayer in the second one bear only the vaguest resemblance to the creatures in the books.

 

[Reverend]

The only minor complaint I have about the show so far, something that just doesn't make sense to me, is that the creatures in the show look little if anything like the D&D creatures they are supposed to be representing: the Demogorgon-creature in the first season and the so-called Mind Flayer in the second one bear only the vaguest resemblance to the creatures in the books.

They're not supposed to literally be those creatures, the kids just use D&D has a familiar allegory to contextualise what they're seeing. They use the Demogorgon because that's the big scary enemy that defeats Will literally 10 mins before a real monster grabs him. The "Mind Flayer" is more because of what it's doing to Will than anything.
There's even a scene where they comically demonstrate how the analogy falls apart on closer inspection.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yep. Walky-talkies, had those once upon a time. And I remember going to the arcade. Long before I had my PlayStation, 2 3 and 4 (I've had them all) or SNES for those of us who remember SNES, long before any of that I remember going to the arcade, putting one or 5 or whatever dollar bills in to get quarters and/or tokens, I remember Pac-Man, Miss Pac-Man, Galaga, Space Invaders, Dig-Dug, Joust, I remember trying to play Dragon's Lair and flipping my lid just like Dustin did, couldn't believe I spent 50 cents on one game... and, of course, the arcade in the show looks exactly like arcades such as I remember them...

I also remember having a lot of fun at arcades, even if I was never very good and often I had to watch over the shoulders over people because I didn't have the money to play. A part of me wishes arcades would become a thing again. Freaking Tamagotchis are making a comeback and they arrived on the scene after arcades, so arcades should make a big comeback, too, godsdamnit!

 

[Gary7]

Yep. Walky-talkies, had those once upon a time. And I remember going to the arcade. Long before I had my PlayStation, 2 3 and 4 (I've had them all) or SNES for those of us who remember SNES, long before any of that I remember going to the arcade, putting one or 5 or whatever dollar bills in to get quarters and/or tokens, I remember Pac-Man, Miss Pac-Man, Galaga, Space Invaders, Dig-Dug, Joust, I remember trying to play Dragon's Lair and flipping my lid just like Dustin did, couldn't believe I spent 50 cents on one game... and, of course, the arcade in the show looks exactly like arcades such as I remember them...

And, if we can go back to Season 1 for a moment, OMG, old school Dungeons & Dragons, oh, that was my life! I still have all the original books: Dungeon Master's Guide, Players Handbook, Monster Manual, Monster Manual II, Fiend Folio, Unearthed Arcana, Dungeoneer's Survival, Wilderness Survival, you name it.

Yep, I was an arcade junkie... I remember Dragon's Lair and when it first came out. $0.50 per game was insane. Some arcades charged $0.75! I found it such a scam, because there was no leeway--split second decision and toast--life gone if you screwed up. I watched one obsessed guy go through the whole thing and to the end. I memorized his path and was able to repeat it... after a few tries, and perhaps $5 worth of quarters. Dig Dug was a fun game. Joust was seriously tough, where level of difficulty shot up very fast, and those dragons could be sent to trash you with not enough warning to avoid. Defender was one of my favorites and I once turned it... got to that point where everything you hit awarded a free ship. But my absolute best was Battlezone. I could play that thing for well over an hour on just $0.25.

Anyway, Stranger Things made a pretty good homage to the old arcade scenes of the 80's.

 

[GreenDragonKnight]

They're not supposed to literally be those creatures, the kids just use D&D has a familiar allegory to contextualise what they're seeing. They use the Demogorgon because that's the big scary enemy that defeats Will literally 10 mins before a real monster grabs him. The "Mind Flayer" is more because of what it's doing to Will than anything.
There's even a scene where they comically demonstrate how the analogy falls apart on closer inspection.

OK. Iffen y'all say so.

Maybe next season they'll take it to a whole new extreme and actually open a portal to one of the Outer Planes...