This past Friday, Netflix released the second season of its hit original series “Stranger Things,” and it appears that the long wait paid off. The Duffer Brothers, the show’s directors and writers, made the upside-down world of Hawkins, Indiana very clear this season. Many thought this 80s nostalgia-fest would not manage to live up to the high expectations.

The show became available for streaming less than a month ago, but it’s already pulling in remarkable numbers, according to Nielsen data released Thursday. A whopping 361,000 US viewers binged all nine episodes within the first 24 hours of Season 2’s release.

The viewers binge for good reason because Season 2 is phenomenal. The show manages to balance its growing cast with a number of genuinely interesting, intertwining plotlines, and the result is nearly  perfection.

The core cast of the show all returned, the kids are all given interesting individual journeys this season. Many fans were worried coming into the season about the return of Will Buyers, who was rescued in the last episode of Season . However, kids at school have started calling him “zombie boy” as he faces great adversity trying to return to a normal life while still connected with the evil world of the “Upside Down.”

This season also includes strong newcomers such as a love-interest Max, aka “Mad Max,” who joins the gang and attempts to comprehend the Upside Down, another character is Billy, her bully of an older step-brother, and Bob, Joyce Buyers’ boyfriend who also serves as a guide for the boys.

Now we are left to wait for Season 3, which might take a while since the past two seasons took about a year to release. Bring it on, Netflix. “Stranger Things” 3 cannot arrive soon enough.

Grade: A