‘Stranger Things 2’: Your Guide To All The New Faces

A no-nonsense redhead with a penchant for skateboarding and slaying arcade games, “Madmax” first gets introduced to the boys after they discover she’s shattered Dustin’s Dig Dug record. The boys (Dustin and Lucas in particular) are not subtle in their “stalking” of Max, and while she’s initially hesitant about befriending them, they soon fall in step together and face the horrors of Hawkins side-by-side. Max doesn’t have it all that easy, either; her aggressive stepbrother Billy does not make things enjoyable for her and she frequently finds herself hiding from him.

Another newcomer to Hawkins, Max’s stepbrother Billy makes waves as Hawkins High’s resident new hottie – but there’s a lot more fire to this guy than former King Steve Harrington. For Billy, it’s all about the hair, picking fights, and doing killer kegstands to impress the ladies, and he has no patience for his rambunctious stepsister. There’s a terrifying quality to his aggression, and while he’s initially incredibly unsettling to watch, the reasons for his character’s actions slowly reveal themselves over the course of the season.

Bob, who boasts a lovable dorkiness and affability, is Joyce’s new boyfriend and perhaps the father figure Will and Jonathan never had. Good with technology and even more adept at bad dad jokes, this Radio Shack employee will steal your heart before you have a second to notice (even if you’re more of a Joyce/Hopper shipper).

Now running the Hawkins Lab that Dr. Brenner drove into the ground, Dr. Owens seems to be a little more trustworthy than the last crew of cronies, and genuinely invested in Will’s wellbeing. While his white coat may make him a tad suspicious, this frank, occasionally funny guy has the potential to help bring honor back to the intimidating authority figure.

As if there weren’t enough layers of chaos to sort through in Hawkins, Season 2 introduces us to Murray Bauman, a former journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times who now spends his days formulating conspiracy theories and taking money from people (like poor Barb’s parents) to investigate the truth behind what really happened. He may irritate Hopper to no end and constantly find himself running into dead ends, but with a little help, Murray (and his determination to crack the case) is not going anywhere.

Perhaps the most mysterious of the new faces, Kali kicks off Season 2 by leading a band of misfits through a chaotic car chase and escaping scot-free. It becomes pretty clear that she has some connection to Hawkins after she seemingly blows up a tunnel with her mind and wipes away a nosebleed with an arm branded “008”, but exactly who she is and what her powers are in the grand scheme of things is much more fun to watch play out on your own.