However, the season feels uneven. Episode 7, The Lost Sister , is the shortest of the back half but still because it completely sidelines Hawkins for a tangential Eleven road trip. That pacing stumble hurts the season’s momentum right before the climax.
The expanded runtimes signal ambition, and the finale proves the show can handle an hour-plus. But a leaner cut of episodes 5–7 would have made Season 2 tighter. Still, if you loved the first season, the extra minutes are mostly a treat – just keep your remote handy for The Lost Sister .
The longer middle episodes (Eps 2–5, averaging ~53 min) work well for character development – especially for Bob Newby and Steve Harrington. But the Dustin/Dart subplot drags slightly in Ep 3, suggesting that not every extra minute adds value.
8/10 – Bigger world, a few pacing lumps.
