We've Seen the First Ep of "Stranger Things" S2: A Review In Reaction GIFs

There's something rotten in Hawkins, Indiana. Again.

Today, Netflix and the Sydney Opera House partnered up to offer Strangers Things fans (who I'm going to don 'Strangies') the international premiere of Season Two, ahead of the whole season's debut online tonight.

For a few hours, a little bit of 1980s Indiana had found its way to 2017's Sydney Opera House.

It was all pretty on-brand. But, most importantly, we got to see Episode One of the new season.

Let's just preface this with a warning of sorts: If you haven't seen the first episode of Season Two yet and you don't want it to be spoiled, stop reading, direct your mouse to the top of your browser and exit the tab.

Great, now that you all know what you're in for, sit back, scroll through and scoff down some eggos while we unpack the first episode of the new season in reaction GIFs; the only respectable way.

There are others like Eleven.

The first episode, titled "Madmax", starts out in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and follows a ragtag gang of robbers speeding away from cops. As the speeding van enters a tunnel with the cops in tow, one of the robbers calmly says "Boom." and the entrance to the tunnel collapses onto the stream of cop cars behind them.

As the van speeds away, the camera pans over her hand, revealing the number "8". THERE ARE OTHERS LIKE ELEVEN AND THEY'RE NOT ALL GOOD PEOPLE.

There's no #JusticeForBarb, because she's definitely dead.

Nancy and Steve, despite being an otherwise kinda adorable couple, go over to Barb's parents for dinner out of guilt after discovering that Barb died in the Upside Down. Barb's parents tell Nancy and Steve that they're selling the house to pay for a freelance journalist to investigate her disappearance. Oh no, indeed.

Nancy freaks out by going to the bathroom, realising that she has to make a decision whether to tell them what really happened to Barb or leave them in crippling debt. Nancy, think: What would Barb do? (Probably not get her friend killed in the first place, maybe?)

The gang's interested in a new girl named Max, but Mike's still sad about Eleven.

There's a new kid on the block. Well, actually, two. A speedy mobile (about the extent of my car knowledge) rocks up to Hawkins High School and out jumps a junior redhead, Max (Sadie Sink), who skates and looks pretty badass, along with Australian actor Dacre Montgomery, playing a senior and presumably her brother, sporting the world's most serious mullet.

The gang heads to the video-game arcade where an unknown player, known as "Madmax", has beaten their top score. They later find out "Madmax" and Max are one and the same, and Dustin and Lucas start stalking and crushing on her hard.

Mike, though, has made it pretty clear he's still sad about Eleven's departure from this dimension, and even jumps on the walkie to try and communicate with her a few times, which Dustin always manages to interrupt.

Will is most definitely a very damaged kid after Season One's events.

Last year we got a sneak-peak of Will's literal demons coming to haunt him after being saved from the Demogorgon and the Upside Down, but this episode confirms that it's The. Real. Deal.

While the gang is at the arcade, Will is momentarily thrusted back into the Upside Down, where he sees an ominous cloud in the distance, which reveals the silhouette of something else quite haunting. It leads us to realise....

While the Demogorgon may be dead, there's an even scarier monster out to get everyone.

While we only got a glimpse of the new, big bad for Season Two, it's huge and has lots of legs, and that can only mean one thing: very bad things are stirring in Hawkins. Is Eleven any match for this uber-beast? Will she need to employ the help of the other "numbers" like Eight? How many "numbers" even exist? SO. MANY. QUESTIONS.

Gulp at this GIF.

Yes, Eleven is still alive and hiding out in a cabin in the woods with Sheriff Hopper.

The episode finishes with Sheriff Hopper at a cabin in the woods, which looks to be his new home. There's a meal on the table waiting for him and a curly-haired person joins him to dine.

That curly-haired mop belongs to none-other-than Eleven. She's alive! And she's been hanging out with Sheriff Hopper all this time? So many mysteries.

You can catch Season Two of Stranger Things on Netflix from 6pm EST on Friday 27 October (yes, that is today).

Photo: Netflix