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apiratecalledav · 2 years

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Quick note: I’m not back; I’ve got too much to deal with but I figured it’s only fair I post my thoughts about Stranger Things 4 volume II since I shared part one. I also might have a couple of jokes/shit posts to make if I can summon the energy in the next few days.

Anyway—

Whew 😅 What a ride. Overall, an incredibly epic finale for a mostly spectacular season. But. Well… shit happens, doesn’t it? And crappy, forced love triangles are the worst. Spoilers, obviously.

The Good

First of all: Eddie. Eddie. EDDIE.

I originally thought he was going to play a song to save Nancy from Vecna. But when the longer volume ii trailer made it clear that Nancy’s capture was only temporary, I thought for sure he’d play Master of Puppets aka the original title of episode nine. I was soo hyped. Then when the episode dropped and they changed the title, I thought there must have been a last minute issue with the rights or something and I was bummed. When it started playing, I nearly levitated with excitement. “This is for you, Chrissy.” 🥺 I also love that he and Dustin got to have a moment afterwards to just fanboy together.

When he cut the sheets down and stayed in the Upside Down after Dustin was safe, I had Finnick flashbacks from The Hunger Games. Glad he got to have a proper fight scene and final words. I really would have lost it if he just got engulfed by monsters and vanished.

I knew he was gonna die but honestly, I thought they’d try to soften the blow/make it a little lighter by having Eddie sacrifice himself for Steve and crack a few self deprecating jokes along the way. But when he told Dustin to “never change” I said, “Oh, no” out loud. I knew then they weren’t going to show mercy so I did my best to prepare myself. It was beautifully done and I got teary eyed, especially when When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die started playing. But Dustin talking to Eddie’s uncle made me sob. I was not expecting any of that. Ugliest of ugly cries, okay?

Bonus points for a truly heartfelt, non-joking exchange of platonic “I love yous” between two young men.

I definitely understand why some are angry that Eddie’s name wasn’t cleared but tragedy is part of his character… And there’s also a really powerful message— Eddie did things his way and he did them for himself and the people he loved. He found what made him happy and didn’t care what anyone else thought. He never once succumbed to “might as well be bad since everyone already assumes it anyway.” He never stopped reaching out to lost sheep. Not to get all evangelical or anything, but Eddie was a true shepherd of the Lord; despite being branded as a devil, Eddie was more righteous than his “godly” neighbors, many of whom were more concerned about appearances than actual good. Eddie saved Dustin, did what he could to avenge Chrissy, and was metal AF until the end. That’s what was important to him, not what a bunch of strangers thought. I know that he and Chrissy are at their picnic table in the sky, living their best afterlives while they wait for Uncle Wayne and the rest of Hellfire. That’s what matters.

The world would be a better place if we were all a little more like Eddie Munson. And music would be better.

And if Hawkins is really getting introduced to Upside Down monsters and whatnot, there’s still hope for Eddie to get the recognition he deserves… fingers crossed.

——

I was expecting the body count to be higher… thought Argyle might have to go to give Jonathan and Nancy some more shared trauma. Or Dmitri would die with his son thinking he was a traitor or maybe Murray would volunteer to be a decoy or something. But I’m glad they kept it lower. I think— especially in this show— it’s more effective to have only one really heartbreaking death at a time rather than a slew of moderately sad ones.

———

Once again: Max. Lucas. Lumax. 😭 I’ve been trash for these two since day one but this season went above and beyond a billion times over.

Lucas asking Max if he was in her happiest memory. And the season two throwback. “Presumptuous.”

Widdle Max at the skate park was too cute for words!

Max’s selfless bravery while Lucas tried so hard to come up with an alternative.

Passing notes. The movie date drawing. The scene. You know what I’m talking about. All the awards for Sadie and Caleb. All. Of. Them.

The parallel to season 1 with Sarah dying and Hopper reviving Will with Eddie dying and El reviving Max while When It’s Cold played. BRB once I salvage my heart after it went through this cheese grater.

Like with Joyce and Hopper, Lucas and Max have a date they need to get to. Surely a good sign.

—-—-

Music in general was especially great in these last two episodes. Separate Ways! Erica, Lucas, and Max stepping off the RV with each “you” in the song was so good. The versions of Dream a Little Dream of Me at the Snow Ball will haunt me forever. Running Up That Hill was incredible once again. I love that it was originally Max centered but it extended to the rest of the characters.

It’s a perfect foil to Vecna— his army is all one because they’re his puppets, while our heroes are one unit because they love each other and care about others.

——

Steve

Him wanting a big family to go on road trips with. 🥹 He’s really the only one without any siblings besides Dustin (who has a very loving mother plus several pets). I’ve long headcanoned Steve as a lonely-ish latchkey kid and finding out that he grew up wanting a bunch of little ones someday hit me right in the feels.

His friendship with Robin has somehow reached new heights of adorable. The way he was just so happy for her and Vickie... Precious.

Glad he’s rabies/infection free and his face was spared for once.

——

Robin’s character was a little wobbly for me this season but at the end of the day, I was happy. I loved her talk with Steve; I’d been missing their friendship after 4x02. Her hand on his back after Jonathan and Nancy reunited was subtle but so sweet. Robin and Vickie were very cute together. Plus, their ship name is Rockie (edited, eff you autocorrect). How awesome is that??

—-

A proper Will/Jonathan/Joyce hug. I always felt like there’s a rule somewhere that only two Byers are allowed to be emotional together at a time and it’s been a huge pet peeve of mine.

—-

Will!! I thought I heard somewhere that he filmed a scene with a harness so I was worried Vecna would try something. Glad he got a (at least supernatural) break this season.

His speech to Mike and the painting. Maybe a little cheesy but in a good, very ‘80s movie way.

His love for El. That hug was exactly what I needed between the two of them.

I know how badly this situation hurts him and I’m so proud of him for how he’s handling it. Plenty of grown-ass adults could learn a thing or two from Will.

———

Jonathan back in Big Bro mode. That scene was so sweet. I really like that Jonathan didn’t push Will to share or try to pry. Just said exactly what Will needed to hear.

———

Speaking of siblings, Erica and Lucas were so adorable. The spear scene. The way she tried to save him from Jason even though she’s tiny and middle schooly. How she won’t leave his side at the hospital.

———

Mike and El. My emotions. The pizza box goggles/ “try before you deny bit” was so cute. I had high expectations for his first “I love you” and damn, did they deliver.

———-

El and Hopper reuniting. It really got to me. But my grandfather passed away almost a year ago, so when I watched it again with my mom, we both lost it ( but in a really good way)

———

Murray with that flamethrower was badass as fuck and kinda hilarious at the same time. I loved it.

———-

I think they did a great job balancing the darker stuff with comic relief in these last two episodes. Some of it felt forced earlier in the season to me.

——

Joyce and Hopper finally kissed! 🎉

Breadsticks and lasagna!

—-

It wasn’t quite what I wanted, but overall, I’d say I like what they did with Brenner. They humanized him enough to make him interesting but they didn’t try to brush all his shit under the rug. It was a good mix of El caring about him— and in a way that said more about El than him— but not forgiving him or excusing him either.

———-

Dmitri and Yuri’s scene was unexpected and really nice. I saw a few people saying it was too easy but c’mon. This wasn’t “hey, you remember what it’s like to be good. So stop being a dick.” It was “holy shit, literal monsters are going to literally EAT! US! ALL! This so not the time to be a douche.”

———-

Jason was… interesting. I guess I like that that he didn’t totally fall into the usual tropes. He was neither entirely “well meaning but misguided” or purely “he who hunts monsters...” When he went full asshole on Nancy, I thought he was totally over the edge. But then he seemed genuinely concerned for Max. I liked seeing that bit of humanity still there, even though he ultimately couldn’t reach into it enough to see the light. While horrific, I like the way his death symbolized the way he’d been torn apart by Upside Down-ness.

His death made me realize I have an inner momma bear. I had felt very bad for him— his girlfriend and one of his besties died in such horrible, unholy ways. That’d mess anyone up. But once I got over the shock of how he died, I was just kinda like, “Yeah, let that be a lesson to anyone who lays a hand on my babies.”

——-

I really liked having a brief break between episodes. I think Eddie struck more of a chord with me than Barb, Bob, and Alexei because I got to know him for longer than a day or two.

———-

Doctor Owens. First of all: What a BAMF. Standing up to Brenner for El, trying to protect her from Sullivan. I really like that he strives to balance his teleological, “greater good” mindset with sensitivity and consideration. He wants El to be his teammate rather than a mere means to an end— a lab rat or a weapon.

———

The Mind Flayer. Yessss. I got chills and said holy shit out loud when young Henry drew it.

———

Flambé. And Nancy blowing Vecna out the window. Epic.

———-

Sometimes, you gotta wholeheartedly embrace the tropes outright. And Hopper literally slaying the monster with a sword was fantastic.

———-

Karen telling Mike he couldn’t have any more vacations or go to college. Haha.

———-

Jonathan and Nancy’s reunion. Still not happy about all the messiness but “kiss on the forehead” is my favorite. 🥰

——-

Mike and Hopper being on good terms again.

———

Are Hopper and Joyce and the kids just gonna live off the grid at the cabin? I’m super excited if that means they stay in Hawkins again.

———

Shout out to Jamie Campbell Bower to his commitment to Vecna; spending hours getting covered in prosthetics and locating whatever depths of hell he pulled his Vecna voice out of. It adds so much to the character that we can see Henry/One in Vecna’s eyes and body language.

———

I don’t usually like when “all hell breaks loose” and the secret stuff gets out in the open. However, I think this show can pull it off…

——-

I feel a little more confident that this show isn’t actually going to hurl itself down the fan service cliff. 😅

The Bad

This really isn’t anyone’s fault but one reason why I love Steve so much is because he reminds me sooo much of my brother. However, in the last couple of years, Joe Keery at certain angles (especially his eyes) has started to remind me of my husband. Steve’s battle clothes were a lot closer to my husband’s style than Steve’s usual outfits which REALLY amplified it. So yeah, shit got distractingly weird for me a few times and I definitely could have lived the rest of my life without knowing what it’d look like if my husband and brother had a Freaky Friday thing. Haha.

———

I REALLY wanna know what the hell exactly has Mike told his parents about El. Is it some version of the “official” story? That Hopper had an affair when he was married and El is his daughter and she was visiting him in secret when Mike stumbled on her in the woods and fell hopelessly in love with her? Something else? Have his parents met El? Why is this curiosity door to potential comedic gold still closed? Picture El and Ted having a blank faced staring contest.

That reminds me… No cameo from Mr. Clark. 🙁

——-

Is Doctor Owens okay??? Is he still handcuffed to a pole in the desert?

———

Um, I don’t like how blatantly cliffhangery the ending is. There has always been an unsettling element to the endings but there was enough peace/closure that the hiatuses were more bearable. We’re looking at fall of ‘23 at the most outrageously optimistic earliest and I dunno… just feels a bit shitty. It’s not like they needed to fish for renewal…

———

Definitely sad we didn’t see a Hopper/Byers family group hug. I also wanted El to call Hopper “dad.”

———-

Eddie’s death did feel a little stand-in-ish for Steve. I don’t know if they were just piggybacking (see what I did there?) on his bond with Dustin or if they were just trolling, or if it’s a hint that maybe they did wanna kill him off and Netflix said no. Well, just in case, I’d like to thank all the millions of people who’ve canceled their Netflix subscriptions in the last couple of years. You might have saved Steve.

———-

I have a lot of feelings about the state Max is left in. I mean, I really, really don’t want this show to get too dark and given the way her journey has been a metaphor for depression, I feel like it’s extremely fucked up— borderline irresponsible— if she doesn’t come back from this. And I am fairly confident that she and Lucas will have their movie night. But I also feel like if they’re going to prolong the ambiguity of her fate in this way, there should be some kind of long term consequences?

——-

It felt kinda lazy not to have more downtime between the earthquake and the shit storm. A convenient way to avoid Nancy and Jonathan having a good talk and Max’s prognosis for sure.

The Ugly The Absolute Shit-Hideous

Same song as part one but different verse:

Why, oh, why are they prolonging this bullshit love triangle? Yes, there was a recurring theme of mirroring season one and it could have been decent-ish. But this was just crap. Incredibly lazy, contrived crap. I’m torn between thinking they really do need to fix it next season and hoping that the (from what I can tell) generally negative reception will make them drop it.

Having Steve confess his feelings started to tip me into despair— he hadn’t really done anything “wrong” this season in that regard until that moment. But then just as quickly, I started seeing light at the end of the tunnel:

Robin interrupted S/N having a moment with “looks like we weren’t going the wrong way after all”

Nancy donating yet more old things from her pre-Upside Down life… including Mr. Rabbit who’ll “be more loved in a new home.” My mom and I affectionately call Steve “harebrain” sometimes (both for “hair” and because Hare-rington) so that rabbity connection jumped out at us.

Then the way she looked at Jonathan when he reappeared. Like Steve didn’t even exist anymore. Which Steve definitely noticed and was pretty damn brutal. Are we really supposed to pretend that anyone thinks that kinda thing is shippable? **Or that Nancy could be happy with a small army of children and most likely no career??? Or how clearly Steve wants someone to laugh at dumb muppet jokes with him (and Robin and Vickie.) I don’t see Nancy completing that adorkable foursome any more than I see her signing up for more than one or two babies.

After Robin and Vickie had their moment, I kept waiting for one of Vickie’s friends to appear next to Steve and throw out there that she’s glad Vickie and Dan broke up because he always reminded her of Big Bird or something but nooo. Then they had to have Jonathan and Nancy once again avoid their problems.

All three of them traumatized as hell, plus we really only see them in life or death situations and that is the only reason I can give them a pass. In normal circumstances, they’d be kinda assholey.

I get that writing established couples sucks but there are so many more original paths to take. I also get that executive meddling is a thing and maybe they’re the ones pushing this crap. But in that case, you take pride in your work and respect your audience and your characters and you at least strive to make it understandable/believable. You do not do… this.

The worst part about this whole storyline is that it doesn’t feel like they even care enough about it to waste even the slightest bit of brain power on it.

Like, why couldn’t Jonathan and Nancy have agreed at Christmas to “hit pause” and then reevaluate when they reunited at spring break? It would have made way more sense that Jonathan going MIA freaked her out so much.

Or at the very least, couldn’t Steve and Nancy have a scene together before the trailer park so this shit didn’t feel so out of left field? She could have run into him while he was picking Robin up from school. Steve could have asked about Jonathan and Nancy could have admitted that things were rocky and Steve coulda told her how if she can help him learn to “crawl forward,” she can surely help Jonathan fly. Or she could have opened up about how afraid she is to leave home next year.

Something.

Instead, they just took advantage of the fact that Jonathan’s life was really painful even before/without monsters and hell dimensions, Nancy has a history of bottling things up until she bursts, and Steve has a fantastic “puppy that’s just been kicked” expression.

It also seemed like they knew it was kinda icky for Nancy to have all these moments with Steve so they tried too hard to make her perfect in every other way, and it frequently came at the expense of other characters (especially Robin becoming a “super klutz” after an entire season of playing it cool).

Ah, fuck it, I’ll just come right out with it: Lucas should have been the one Vecna chose to deliver the message to El. For multiple reasons: revenge for taking Max back from the curse, he’s not only closer to El than Nancy is, it highlights how much their friendship has grown since the initial strained days in season one; it’s so fitting with Running Up that Hill and asking God to trade places with someone else in order to better understand them. 😭😭

TL;DR

I mostly loved it. This is by far the most emotional experience I’ve had with Stranger Things, and in fact, any show in a good two or three years. There were a few surprises and most of them were pleasant ones. They’ve continued with their trend of taking familiar tropes and adding unique twists. But I dislike how much they left unresolved before a very long hiatus. Also, love triangles are still garbage, especially when they crap all over multiple characters and eat up screen time that could have gone to more interesting possibilities.

#stranger things #stranger things spoilers #eddie munson #steve harrington #max mayfield #lucas Sinclair #lumax #el hopper #jim hopper #jopper #will byers #robin buckley #mileven #jonathan byers #jane hopper

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apiratecalledav · 2 years

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what were you wrong about on tiu?

I was so sure the show was littered with subtext-y stuff about how Kevin and Madison where Miguel and Rebecca 2.0 while Randall and Beth were Jack and Rebecca 2.0.

And that Kevin and his ex-wife were too much of a horrible, toxic dumpster fire to ever have a shot at anything remotely happy or healthy.

And well… That’s not how it ended up. Haha. I haven’t been that taken aback by anything in well over a decade.

Keep in mind, I’m someone who watched Game of Thrones season 8 and while everyone was foaming at the mouth in rage, I was like, “Wow, this is actually kind of awesome. They’re handling, like, 75% of this waaaaay better than I thought they would.” 🤣

#Av answers #this is us #kevin x madison #kevinson #kevin and madison

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apiratecalledav · 2 years

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Same anon, all about Steve, no shame. What do you think was in Max’s letter to him?

Haha, nothing wrong with that.

Congrats. You’ve inspired me! 💜

————

Steve,

Just taking a few of my last minutes in this world to tell you thanks for all those times you snuck us into the movie theater last summer. I got to see a couple of R-rated movies and save some money so that was pretty cool.

Oh. Is it still too soon to joke?

In all seriousness, I do want to thank you. Thank you for standing up for us, which made me brave enough to stand up for myself. Sorry your face had to get pounded first, though.

Thank you for coming to our rescue from creepy vines, demodogs, and giant human meat spiders. And I guess for being a pretty good getaway driver yesterday.

Thank you for letting me hide at Family Video when Mom and Neil fought. For letting me watch movies in peace there without ever bugging me about Sharing My Feelings. And thanks for driving me back from the arcade (when I still bothered going) when my mom forgot me or she couldn’t drive.

Thank you for going to Lucas’ games. I just can’t face it and I know what it means to him to have someone there who actually gives a shit about basketball.

And… I know it was you who started mowing the lawn and other stuff like that for us after I broke up with Lucas. I know it was you who helped my mom with all the heavy furniture when we moved. All of that, even though it meant you had to tell her it was because you were friends with Billy. Which… really must have sucked.

I won’t insult you by asking you to look after the boys. And El, if the Byers ever come back somehow. I know you will. But I was wondering… would you mind checking up on my mom from time to time? If she doesn’t flee this shithole, that is. I know it’s a lot to ask but I’m sure you get why Lucas, Dustin, or Mike aren’t an option. Even if it wasn’t too far on their bikes, I don’t want them to see my mom like that and she wouldn’t want them to see her, either.

I’m not saying you still have to do yard work or have afternoon tea with her every Sunday. You can even just call a couple times a month to make sure she answers the phone or that Vecna isn’t after her next.

Just before my mom married Neil and I actually got to know Billy, I used to imagine what having a big brother would be like. I’m sure you can guess that reality didn’t exactly match my expectations. At least, not until I met you.

You’re a really good guy, Steve. I’m sorry I wasn’t ever able to say any of this to your face. But I really suck at this kind of thing. If I tried, I probably would have just ended up calling you an idiot or something. But I don’t think you’re an idiot. I actually think you’re a lot smarter than we tend to give you credit for.

I know things have been weird for you for awhile, but I know you’re going to find your way.

—Max

PS: I’m counting on you to step up and fill the sarcastic void I will leave behind. Don’t let me down. I. Will. Be watching. 👻

#Av answers #av writes #max mayfield #steve harrington #stranger things #stranger things spoilers

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apiratecalledav · 2 years

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Thank you for giving me hope that my future might not include either Steve dying or st-ncy. Lol. I can’t stand either one.

You’re welcome. And same. After a second watch, I feel either one is even more unlikely.

However, I’ll admit I was recently spectacularly wrong about something in This is Us. Which is so, so rare for me that I’m still reeling. Haha. So my confidence is a bit shaken, which is the only reason I even have any doubt at all. But still.

The Duffers always say how they wanted all this super dark stuff to happen but then they changed their minds or whatever. Which either means they don’t actually have the heart to put their characters/audience through anything too fucked up or Netflix won’t allow it. When it comes down to it, this is a show that’s preteen friendly, albeit following the Don Bluth “just make sure there’s a happy ending” way. Plus, it doubles as a comfort show for their Gen X parents. It seems weird to change the formula now. This show is expensive as hell; I doubt they wanna gamble too much. I could see them having more freedom with the final season but even then, Netflix wouldn’t want too much risk to potential spin-offs/sequels, etc.

Plus, if Steve was gonna die, it’s more likely he’d be doing great in the Right Side Up— practically engaged to someone as adorable as Chrissy, about to get a job he really loved, like teaching kids’ swim classes or something. That’s how you pour salt in a wound and grind it in. They know that. See how happy Bob and Alexei were before they met their demises. 😭

2. This show’s best aspect is how much it makes you care about the characters and their relationships— romantic, platonic, or familial.

It’s why we love their “red shirts” like Barb, Bob, Alexei, and even one offs like Benny and Chrissy. And they’re a good trade to avoid having to kill off mains.

They’ve done too good a job on romance in general on this show for me to buy S/N.

They’ve highlighted multiple times, multiple ways why Jancy>S/N. Not even getting into Nancy’s interaction with either guy… in season 2, Steve’s advice to Dustin backfired by alienating him from Max and then Stacy shot him down. Nancy, now with Jonathan aka finally accepting True Love, is the one who makes Dustin feel better. Plus, they used the first episode of this season to reiterate that even when they’re apart, Jonathan and Nancy are in sync.

The “worst” (still far cry from outright bad) relationship on this show to me was Robin and Steve. As a romance, it felt very “we must tick this box for the fans” with too much tell and not enough show. However, on paper, Robin was perfect for him— someone weird/dorky that he wouldn’t have talked to a few years ago; a sort of offbeat type of pretty; more anchored than him but way more chill than Nancy, which would let him find his way at his own pace. Then, from a writing standpoint, having them turn out to just be friends was so blatantly pulled out of their asses it should’ve been embarrassing… but it played out so sweet and pure, even the Grinch woulda thought it was cute.

The show sometimes fumbles intellectually and romantic Steve/Robin was one of the few times it missed the mark emotionally… but it has never, ever totally failed BOTH my brain and my heart the way S/N does.

I see people saying “it’s to make it sadder when Steve sacrifices himself to save her!” but why the hell would they chose her for that? Dustin is obviously where it would hurt the most. They’ve spent three seasons on the two of them over the course of half a decade…

If I were the betting type, I’d put my money on that they’re setting up

Eddie to learn the Power of Friendship/ True Love Isn’t Always Romantic and sacrifice himself for Steve. All the stuff about how he’d never save Steve’s ass and whatnot. I can already hear him saying, “Look, I’m a falsely accused serial killer, dude. I’m gonna spend my life banished… or imprisoned. You graduated high school the first time. You got a job that wouldn’t horrify Nancy Reagan. Henderson needs you. You’ve got true love (gag). And I canNOT let Robin walk through Mordor only to come back to the Shire to work at Family Video… alone. Can’t do it, man. It’s just too shitty. There’s more for you to live for and I’m tired of running.” I will say though, if anyone is metal enough to survive for a year in the Upside Down Jumanji style, it’d be Eddie.

Eddie has been a nice foil to Billy so far:

Similar taste in music and style but Billy kept it toned down and Eddie dialed it up to eleven (see what I did there?).

Similar hair but Billy’s was golden and Eddie’s is dark.

Billy was charming and manipulative and his pain made him a dick. Eddie is well meaning if off putting but it’s clear that his tough go of things has made him kinder.

Billy “looked out” for Max because his dad made him and possibly with a dash of some weird narcissistic type of loyalty. Eddie reached out to Dustin and Mike because he empathized with them.

Billy basically needed superpowered intervention to find his humanity. So maybe Eddie will embrace selfless on his own.

Plus there’s that thing Robin said about her and Steve needing to “combine” which I hope means he’ll talk to Vicki to see how she reacts to him— a guy—then try to see how she feels about Robin. “What if the three of us go to the movies and I stand you two up? Would that… be weird? 😏”

2. Steve and Nancy need final confirmation that they do not want to settle/play it safe. Getting back with Nancy means Steve gets the responsible but soul crushing job with his dad and Nancy freelances a few fluffy articles about “lady things” (if she’s lucky) for the local paper before becoming a stay at home mom.

Nancy needs to leave Hawkins/her family because her life is too comfortable, while Jonathan needs to leave because his home is strangling him. And yet, staying will ensure neither of them will ever reach their full potential. They’re two sides of the same coin. They’ve got the important things in common and their differences balance out. Leaving home together made it less scary. So I guess now they need to figure out that they must be at least willing to fly solo.

Steve could/will probably lead the comfy, unassuming suburban life, but he’s gotta go about it his way.

Steve and Nancy reuniting is comforting on some level because they at least know what that future looks like and parts of it are even really nice. When combined with a big dose of “wouldn’t it be great to go back to the life where none of this crap existed?”, it’s not.. unreasonable… that these feelings are there.

But the show just reminded us that Nancy has a super fucking traumatic thing associated with dating Steve. Hell, that diary entry from ‘83 proves that even if Barb lived, her dislike of Steve and the way Nancy acted around him was always going to be a shadow over their relationship. Feels very poisoning the well-ish.

Even though their ~attraction~ (ew) is stemming from a similar place, it’s manifesting in each of them for polar opposite reasons. Nancy likes that Steve is physically present and can help her with things. But he’s not her partner in crime the way Jonathan is. And for Steve, he and Nancy have an emotional connection— they get along well plus the idea of kissing him doesn’t squick her out. But he’s not comfortable truly being himself around her the way he is with Robin. Nancy knows what a proper, fulling relationship is and Steve has at least finally had a really good preview. How could they be content when they know what it’s like to have something so much better?

They’ve implied a couple of times that Steve would be quite happy to be dating Robin. So I don’t think they’ve forgotten that she’s closer than Nancy to the type of girl who would be good for him. I’m guessing they just don’t wanna have to figure out how to write “happy Steve” or juggle another another established romance.

3. There might be an attempt at some allusion/subversion to King Kong? Ruth Rose (Nancy’s and Robin’s Pennhurst aliases) rewrote the messy draft of King Kong written by a dude named James Ashmore CREELman into the classic that it became. That’s one hell of a coincidence if it was not intentional. So maybe they’ll do the whole “Action Hero Man saves Beautiful Girl from a monster” thing and then add, “… but wait, that doesn’t automatically mean they’d actually be a good couple!” Or the famous line in that movie is “it was beauty that killed the beast” so maybe it turns out Nancy ultimately somehow saves herself? Then again, it could have just been a little joke about Nancy finding sense in Creel’s nonsense… I don’t know.

TL;DR: This show doesn’t kill off lovable, long time main characters but if they were gonna kill Steve, I think it’d look very different: He’d have finally gotten his life on track and if he’s taking a monster bite for anyone, it would be Dustin. And I cannot believe that the team that has brought us absolute perfection this season with Lumax is gonna offer up S/N in the same breath. Especially in such a spectacularly poorly written shit show. Nope.

#Av answers #stranger things #steve harrington #jancy #anti stancy #stranger things spoilers #eddie munson

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apiratecalledav · 2 years

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As requested, my predictions for Stranger Things season 4 Volume II. Plus my wishlist for fun!

Speculations:

I get why people think Steve might be headed for the chopping block but my gut says no? Okay, maybe it’s just wishful thinking. But I do think it’s a misdirection. After all, pointing out the demobat bites and freaking out about rabies is supposed to make you worried about him. And ultimately, this is a nostalgia-fueled-feel-good family(ish) show and I don’t think killing Steve off—especially since he’s been an almost literal punching bag for so long— would fit.

It just seems uncharacteristically and excruciatingly cruel. Plus, after a nearly three year hiatus, killing off such a fan fav would be spectacularly dumb. I’m sure the Duffers know that but even if they don’t, the people signing the checks at Netflix sure as hell do. Even if Joe wanted out, I imagine Netflix would want the door open (three inches) for him just in case.

Ditto with Max. Having her stepdad leave and her mom start drinking after they lose their house… way too fucked up if Max dies, too. This ain’t Game of Thrones and if it tries to be, it will most likely ruin it. The body count is already pretty high and has a few more to go. Surely killing off any long time, majorly loved character would be overkill.

I will say, if there is such a death, I’d probably put my money on Nancy. The way she has been on the money all season with Upside Down stuff until Vecna snatched her… could maybe, possibly hint at trouble. Even then, I’d imagine it’d only be because Natalia needed to leave the show for some reason.

I can see Eddie dying. Which hurts. But he is pretty much Bob and the good bit of Billy combined. I mean, I’m surprised his name isn’t Bilby. Also, dude is screwed. His best option is living in a cave for the rest of his life, eating Pringles gifted by friends. His intro established that he was optimistic about his future and now he’s lamenting the way he always runs away… 😓He’s going out like hero, at least. Hopefully. I know Chrissy will be waiting for him!

Jason probably dies and is remembered as a hero. He’s the opposite of Billy, who was a piece of shit until he died doing something heroic without recognition. Jason was a good kid who’ll end badly but will be remembered as the Patron Saint of Hawkins. Or possibly Jason will be the new Victor— the lone, traumatized survivor/scapegoat?

I’m hoping that this is Steve’s final darkest hour. Possibly like Hopper, he’ll fully intend to sacrifice himself but he’ll survive at the last second and come through (on the other side 😏) healthier and happier.

Hopper probably has to get a new identity. There’s not really a good way to explain how he’s not dead and why he was gone so long… The Hopper-Byers (aka the Hyers) family probably won’t ever call Hawkins home again and that low key makes me sad.

I think Eddie might play a song on his guitar to save Nancy from Vecna. Trying to think what it might be and I can only come up with three.

My preference, which I believe to be the most likely: Brahms’ Lullaby, from the music box in her room. A heavy metal version would be badass as fuck. Plus, public domain so they’d save some money on royalties.

Africa by Toto, the song Nancy and Steve listen to when he helps her study for chem with those notecards. That was when we learn Steve isn’t just some asshole “only after one thing.” Meh.

Last and certainly least favorite is Waiting for a Girl Like You by Foreigner. Aka her song with Steve aka the song I was already pissed was wasted on them. But at the end of the day, I’m having hard time believing S/N will be a real thing again.

Right now, I see it as Steve and Nancy really, really wanting to go back to a simpler time when fashion choices seemed like life and death to them. Even ignoring the Upside Down, Steve is still lost at sea and Nancy is about to leave her home and family. It’s a scary, uncertain time. And while I think there are more creative, interesting ways to go about that, it does makes sense they’d subconsciously find some sort of comfort in the idea of being together. To hope they could “turn back the clock. To make things go back to how they were.” But as Hopper says, “that’s just not how life works. […] It’s always moving, whether you like it or not.”

Her bedroom from ‘83 is literally in a hell dimension that’s completely devoid of anything beautiful, safe, or good. The room is also littered with shit she no longer wants and is missing what she needs.💁🏻‍♀️ The knowledge she picked up from hanging out with Jonathan at that time is what saves them. Now Vecna is pretty much using Barb and Nancy’s relationship with Steve to torture Nancy… so… that’s… pretty icky.

The writers have a good track record with ships, so I do think if they wanted us to truly root for them, they’d have done a better job. We also gotta remember they wrote this season intending the audience to watch it all within a week or two at most.

I think when Hopper comes back, it should be easier for Jonathan to let go. He can transfer spring semester to one of the approximately eleventy-three colleges in the Boston area, even if he doesn’t do Emerson. Or just find a job and save money while Nancy gets her degree then they can move to New York and Nancy can work while Jonathan goes to NYU. Both of them need to leave their families’ mess to complete their arcs. Even if it doesn’t end with them explicitly together, I imagine it’ll at least be implied that one day they will be.

I think Lucas, through true love for Max, plays a vital role in taking out Vecna somehow or at least temporarily binding him. See the DnD /basketball game scene. However, I will not entirely dismiss the possibility of Erica Sinclair verbally roasting Vecna to death. 🤣

Wishlist:

Chrissy’s mom has a lotta nerve with that eulogy. Hope she gets to be demobat food.

Fingers crossed that Will saves El for a change.

Mike better have a helluva good way to tell El “I love you” for the first time.

One of these metaphorical pitchfork wielding townsfolk needs to call Eddie “Eddie Munster.” Like, I can’t believe they haven’t made that joke already.

Hyers family reunion, mom, dad, all three kids. And Uncle Murray, apparently.

Don’t kill any of my babies…

Edit: Holy crap, can’t believe I forgot Robin and Vicki. If I gotta sit through my NoTP, I need something to make it worth it.

#av answers #sorta #stranger things #stranger things spoilers #Steve Harrington #Nancy wheeler #jancy #jonathan byers #max mayfield #lumax #anti stancy

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apiratecalledav · 2 years

Text

As requested, my Stranger Things season 4 thoughts. Spoilers, obviously.

Overall, I think it’s pretty awesome and the strongest season since the first, but there’s some worrying things plus a bit that I’m really peeved about.

The Good:

I’m digging the longer episodes. I normally hate over an hour (Thank you, ADHD) but I’ve been desperate for content for so long, that it’s just been glorious. The finale is supposed to be over two hours, though. That might be a bit rough.

I was worried they were going to try to redeem Brenner or retcon that he’s always been disgusting but I think I like the direction it’s going. I do hope they reveal how he survived though.

Every time El called Hopper “my dad” added a year to my life. Millie continues to knock it out of the park.

El, Jonathan, and Will being sibs. My heart is full. I hereby dub the Hopper/Byers clan as The Hyers family.

Dr. Owens is back! I adore Paul Reiser. I like that he’s a dash more morally gray than most of our protagonists but is ultimately still very decent. The way he tracked down El was straight up epic.

Argyle is funny as fuck but also a pure soul. I was a little apprehensive about “Jonathan becomes a stoner” but I think they’re pulling it off well. I definitely get why he’s stressed and depressed. Not being able to count on Hopper to step it up while Jonathan went off to school is not something I considered. Also, super different for Charlie acting wise and he’s nailing it.

I adored Chrissy! I love that she wasn’t some bitchy Barbie but super sweet and just a little bit goofy. The poor angel never had a chance.

Gah, those absolute badass agents trying to protect El and the Byer Boys. 😭

Suzie’s family being complete Cheaper by the Dozen chaos was unexpected yet so fitting. Plus comedy gold. “I will repent later.”

So happy to see Powell and Callahan again.

Steve’s face is still intact. Please keep it that way. That shit is so, so old and tired.

Everyone screaming “DRIVE” in unison gets me every time. Probably fav running gag.

The satanic panic stuff is good. I like that Jason has a sympathetic streak and believes his intentions are good. It makes him more interesting and makes it easier to get why others join him.

In general, I liked seeing that the jocks weren’t all just brainless meatheads and/or bullies. Bonus points for them always wearing their monogrammed jackets so I can remember their names! 🤣

I’ve been waiting a long time for all the parents to get together and realize their kids have been lying their asses off for years. I always imagined Joyce being there and awkwardly trying to explain while not actually explaining. But Erica was a good alternative.

And oh, Erica. Still hilarious, to no one’s surprise. I just love that she’s not the typical “precocious girl” archetype. She likes math, politics/current events, instead of being a bookworm or a techie and confident and outspoken and not a wallflower.

Her shutting down Jason and threatening Lucas with whatever is under his bed slayed me. “The whole couch is on fire” is my new way of saying “that’s bullshit.”

Joyce and Murray. I’m enjoying their dynamic and their adventure. A good, blend of mystery, suspense, action, and some charming zaniness. Murray as Yuri. My sides.

Yes, some of “Hopper the zek” stuff was a bit slow but they payoffs with his first escape and fighting the demogorgon were incredible. Not even getting into to his reunion with Joyce. Just. So. Precious and perfect.

Also, love Tom Wlaschiha since his Jaqen days. How many languages does that dude speak?? I’ll be so sad if he doesn’t get back to his little boy! They already got Alexei! They can’t have Dmitri, too!

Eddie was kinda cringe at first in the cafeteria scene and seemed like the new Billy but dang, did that turn around. I loved him in the woods with Chrissy and he’s only gotten better. I’m so here for the way he’s just an unapologetic weirdo instead of The Cool Guy or the Bastard.

Robin in Nancy’s clothes. I feel so seen. My sister would put me through that crap all the time when I was little.

Also thought it was nice that the hospital director admired Robin’s passion.

I’m liking Robin and Nancy being friends. It felt a lil forced at first but their field trip was everything I never knew I needed. Also, it’s nice we’re getting to see different characters interacting more.

The new cast/cameos/homages are delightful. ‘Specially Freddie Krueger as Victor Creel. Loved the initial Hannibal Lector vibe of the scene.

I am cautiously putting Mike and El here because they are long overdue to have some issues. But I hope things resolve between them because their relationship is a central part of the series to me.

Max writing a goodbye note for Steve. I don’t know why but I think that’s so adorable. I guess ‘cause it means he does hang out with the kids (besides Dustin) when the world isn’t in danger and he’s absolutely the big bro she deserves.

I straight up lost it when Dustin told Steve he was missing his collarbones but not his eyes. 🤣.

Hopper’s cabin getting a cameo.

I’ve started watching a second time (tagging along for my parents first viewing) and the foreshadowing is damn good.

It is so poignant that Will’s project was on Alan Turing. A gem of an Easter egg, for sure.

I thought we’d get a quick visit from Billy/Dacre and it was well done. I’m glad it wasn’t a flashback because there wouldn’t have been a good way to do it, imo. A happy memory would feel like romanticized bullshit and we didn’t need any more unhappy ones.

I saw some people complaining that Max mourned him at all but he was her brother. And despite being a colossal asshole, he did choose to die as a human being instead of “living” as a monster. There’s nothing wrong or unrealistic about how Max feels right now.

I cackled like a freaking loon when Lucas said, “when did Steve get so hairy?” Because I said the exact same thing the other day when rewatching season 3. For the first time, I noticed quite a bit of hair trying escape that Scoops Ahoy uniform and was a little shocked. 😂

On a more serious note, I always feel better seeing actors allowed to have body hair. Waxing is, like, borderline inhumane and since I’m not from the Capitol in The Hunger Games, people suffering for others’ entertainment makes me super uncomfortable.

The symmetry/parallels or whatever with Hopper and Brenner with El.

The Creel house. The first proper journey to the Upside Down (get them hazmat suits stat!) and their escape. Creepy, trippy, weird, and fascinating.

Max. Lucas. Need I say more? Prolly not, but I’m gonna: I think they’ve been the MVPs so far this season. Their separate storylines have been amazing but together? My heart!!! They might be promoted to OTP. What I initially liked about these two is they were so normal and lighthearted compared to Mike/El and Jonathan/Nancy. But this storyline has been so incredibly, believably, gorgeously told with stellar performances by Sadie and Caleb. The end of Dear Billy in particular is so, so beautiful. I hoped Running Up that Hill would feature this season and to actually have it be a plot point… 🥹 I listened to my favorite cover by First Aid Kit this morning and had a good cry.

I want to be pissed about how retcony the other numbers feel— Kali/Eight in season 2 definitely implied Brenner collected the kids from all over the world/they all had very different powers. But it’s done so well, I’m giving it a pass. I kinda dig that El is a middle child. Makes it feel different from “aha, the chosen one at last!” trope.

Vecna is a refreshing change of pace. I actually wish he was the Mind Flayer’s boss/the ultimate big bad. I think having him once be human makes him scarier and eviler. But I dunno, maybe they ARE all one thing he created? They’re building up to Dustin being wrong about something, I think. Which brings me to—

Holy shit, One. I don’t think I need to say more. I connected certain dots separately but not all of them together, if you get what I mean. Loved it. Plus, Jamie Campbell Bower is always good value.

The Bad

I’m disappointed with El thinking she’s a monster again. I think the bullying resurfacing some repressed memories was pretty good but... the storyline feels… kinda late? Especially since it’s a season long arc. I’d have liked it better if they told her straight off she wasn’t the one behind the attack. It’d be more interesting to me if her journey was about her learning to see past her mistakes and discovering why she’s heroic.

My boy Doc Owens not warning El that she was about to be reunited with assface. Dude, come on. Wtf. Redeemed himself some by chewing him out.

Will’s technically catching a break so far this season, which actually highlights how hellish his life has been. Obviously he wasn’t as close to Hopper as El was, but Hopper was also his (step)dad— Owens even acted like Hopper and Joyce were both Will’s parents in ST2– then he got dragged away from his home/friends; helplessly watched his sister suffer; his brother is becoming unrecognizable; he has a thing for his BFF, which is already complicated and painful enough without the fact that said BFF is also his sister’s boyfriend.😭 But hey, seven episodes in a row without a monster trying to eat him!

I totally get Robin changing a tad this season from being more comfortable/less guarded because of Steve. But here and there she seemed jarringly different (like how she’s suddenly no longer capable of “playing it cool”) and a few of her comic relief lines fell flat (the compass, earthquakes, attic.). It’s obvious she’s only here because we like her. Which brings me to…

I am starting to get nervous about how far things are starting to tilt towards fan service. Elements of it have been present since season two but alarm bells are ringing for me. I’d hate for this show to go the Glee route— pandering to (usually toxic) shippers, not wanting to change “the winning formula” which lets characters/situations get stale, etc. Sigh. At least we’re close to the end.

I don’t mind Jonathan and Nancy having problems, in fact, I’d probably find it ridiculous if they didn’t. But why THIS way? I loved in season 3 that they had real discussions, even about the ugly stuff. They hashed things out, opened up each other’s minds. I went from “yeah, they’re pretty cute” to “Hell, yeah, I ship it!”

It sucked to see that all go out the window. Obviously, they’re still kids, so I wasn’t expecting anything super mature. But both of them avoiding/ignoring their problems felt lazy. At the very least, why couldn’t they have been taking a break? Which brings me to—

The Ugly

Steve and Nance having romantic tension again. Barf.

I was somewhat prepared— that weirdly intimate scene in the trailer combined with the complete lack of a potential love interest for Steve among all the new characters. But still. Just… why.

I see some bearable avenues they can take with this but I don’t think it’s necessary and it makes Nancy look awful: Like a serial cheater or that she only wants what she doesn’t have and like still doesn’t grasp how shitty Jonathan’s situation is. She grew up so much, especially last season, and they’re just… pissing all over it??

It’s a little easier to swallow on Steve’s end but I felt like he also really regressed in the early episodes— still so desperate for female attention and just doing the dating equivalent of “throwing it all at the wall and see what sticks.” If they had to have him make heart eyes at Nancy again, then he should’ve still had girls treating him like a townie loser who peaked in high school.

I thought Dustin cheerleading R/S when he barely knew Robin was juvenile writing but at least Dustin was young. Robin practically encouraging Nancy to cheat? Ew. Eddie, who’s probably 20 as a third time senior, declaring what is “true love” between two perfect strangers?

Holy fuck, if it’s not intentionally paralleling Dustin being “ wrong” about Steve and Robin then it is so painfully amateurish that I do not have words. Only Murray can get a pass on that kinda thing because he’s been established as borderline clairvoyant from early on.

Also, a couple of the effects aren’t on par with most of them. One’s transformation and the demobat battle were silly looking. Normally I’m very forgiving of tv show budgets but with how great everything else looked, it was a bit jarring.

TL;DR most of it is awesome, with Max, Lucas, and Lumax being the best. But I fear they’re relying too heavily on fan service and I’m scared it could be the show’s downfall. Also, my tolerance for bullshit love triangles was obliterated about a decade ago.

#av answers #sorta #stranger things #max mayfield #steve harrington #lumax #lucas Sinclair #Jim hopper #will byers #el hopper #Erica Sinclair #anti stancy #Sam owens

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