It’s been almost a year since Netflix’s Stranger Things crawled into our collective hearts with its mix of ’80s nostalgia and horror. But we still have a few months to wait before we can revisit the kids of Hawkins, Indiana. Last season, the Demogorgon was a monster that threatened lives in this world and in the dark alternate world. But Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Eleven might wish for the Demogorgon’s return when they see what’s coming. Today’s Nerdist News is going upside down to give you the details.
There are potential spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 2! We are not even kidding, so if you don’t want to know the difference between a regular monster and a Poliwag then it may be time to turn back!
Join host, and “Justice for Barb” chairwoman, Jessica Chobot, as she walks us through the occasionally conflicting words of the Duffer brothers to extract details about season 2’s multiple monsters. That’s right, we believe that there’s more than one threat crossing over from the Upside Down. And once again, Dungeons and Dragons is going to play a role in allowing the kids to understand and name the threat. You may recall that the Thessalhydra was mentioned in the D&D game at the end of the first season. That’s probably not a coincidence.
You may have noticed the huge monster glimpsed in the Stranger Things Super Bowl Big Game ad last February. The natural inclination would be to assume that it is the Thessalhydra…except it doesn’t resemble that creature at all. Look, these kids know their monsters. They wouldn’t just assign the Thessalhydra name to a creature unless it resembled the one in the game. This may mean that the Thessalhydra and the other monster are two separate threats. And the cast already has a nickname for the other one: the Shadow Monster.
Even two monsters may not be enough for this season. We’ve known for some time now that Dustin is getting a cute sidekick from the Upside Down, which he calls a Poliwag. However, given the Duffer bros’ love of all things ’80s, including Gremlins, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Poliwag go from cute to threat. So, it may be a bad idea to feed him after midnight or get him wet!
Which creatures are you most looking forward to seeing in the new season of Stranger Things? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!