As football fans had their attention focused on Houston, TX, one commercial quickly snapped their perspective back to the supernatural town of Hawkins, Indiana.
During the first quarter of the Super Bowl, viewers were treated to the much anticipated trailer for Season 2 of Netflix smash hit Stranger Things. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer gave fans a quick, 37 second glimpse into the new intricacies posed in the coming season. The big takeaways? Eleven is back, a serious storm is coming to either reality or The Upside Down, and Hopper is putting in some serious labor with a shovel. Also, as can be expected, the Ghostbusters craze has officially hit Hawkins. Apparently not even fictional characters can resist the charm of Bill Murray.
The trailer opens inconspicuously with a throwback advertisement for Eggo Waffles which quickly takes a twist in tone. Only Stranger Things could so masterfully make syrup being poured on delicious breakfast food look menacing. The scene quickly cuts to beloved character Eleven waking in terror, followed by quick flashes of the kids and what looks like serious trouble on the horizon for Mike, Will, and the others. Despite its brevity, the teaser conveys a significant amount of suspense.
Of course, the ad is likely to only be phase one of Stranger Things marketing strategy. The crew has already let on, per Yahoo TV, that two new characters played by Sean Astin (Rudy) and stand-up legend Paul Reiser (Beverly Hills Cop) will play a role in the coming drama. Reiser plays the role of a Department of Energy employee while Astin is an old acquaintance of Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Sheriff Hopper (David Harbour). It’s not entirely clear exactly how the characters will affect the coming events, but judging by occupation viewers are justified in being wary of Reiser’s character.
Those who love the 80s nostalgia the show inspires should be tickled by the casting of these particular actors. Both played an important role in the era’s entertainment through television and film. Though Reiser is probably best known for his role in the early 90s sitcom Mad About You, he also featured in Aliens and late 80s sitcom My Two Dads. Astin, in addition to portraying the ultimate underdog, served as main character Mikey Walsh in The Goonies. Both of those iconic films certainly draw parallels to the preexisting plot of Stranger Things.
The teaser is a very brief look into what to expect, but fans of both sports and 80s suspense/horror are still fired up about the official announcement. Season 2 will be streaming on Netflix come, fittingly enough, Halloween of 2017. Until then, viewers can sate themselves by rewatching Season 1, keeping tabs on future marketing endeavors, and staying tuned for further developments with mxdwn Television.