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slayernina · 2 years

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Winter Special analysis

Winter Special is the one shot located just after the end of season 2. More precisely, on 25th December. Eleven passes her first Christmas with the Party at the Byler’s. With the exception of some laughs because of several panels (more on that later) and some small winks to the fandom, it’s pure filler. I’m getting more and more disappointed with the comics, to be fair. Also, there are a lot of references to the 80s, but this time, so obscure that my Millenial European ass didn’t get them, so feel free to answer in the comments about what they were about, because I don’t have any clue.

Full spoilers under the cut.

My other metas here

La maldición de las cuatro brujas here

Una novela romántica de esas con un macizorro sin camiseta en la portada here

Buy me a ko-fi!

Steve (with Dustin) picks up Mike and Lucas. Yeah, our fanfics in which Steve is the official driver of the group are true. Dustin salutates with a reference to a commercial. No idea.

Eleven’s status as Mike’s friend/girlfriend with the Wheelers is unclear: they still think she is a “Russian spy or something” but they have met her? In Dungeons & Dragons and season 3 they did (at least Karen answers the phone and doesn’t seem surprised), so… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .

Lucas (and Dustin’s) present for Max are new wheels for the skateboard. Eleven’s present is from the full Party but is at the Byers’ home.

Max is excluded from the comic again. Why. Why? Why?? What the writers have against her inclusion in the comics??? She is the 6th ranger! A member of the Party! Her only appearance was in the Dungeons & Dragons comic and solely to kill the NPC character with Billy’s face! They are never going to fill her gap between season 2 and 3??? She drugged and almost castrated Billy, and Billy was the main antagonist for 2 fucking seasons!!! Le sigh. I demand season 4 full of Max content, ffs.

Suddenly Dustin sees something into the woods. Wow, Dustin is Hawkeye.

The group continues until the Byers’. Eleven is wearing her season 2 snowball scene. Hopper looks like the Jopper date on season 3, minus the Hawaiian shirt. Steve doesn’t stay. I get he is uncomfortable around Jonathan or Nancy, but this is another wasted opportunity to make the Monster Hunting Trio interact. When it’s going to happen?

Also, where is Nancy? She should be in that dinner...

At least we discover the demodog of the Byers’ fridge dissolved during the night. Lame excuse, but at least it’s one.

Eleven opens her present. She has already the Hungry Hungry Hippos (a nice nod to the book Darkness In The Edge of Town) and she gets a walkie. Awww.

The Party wants Eleven the “full” Christmas experience, so Will and Jonathan recorded all TV specials they could. There is a small hint again about Will’s poverty through Dustin’s privileged POV, in which he is surprised Eleven (at the cabin they only catch 3 channels) and Will don’t have cable.

All Specials have their own distinct art style. Nice.

The 1st Special is the “Origin Santa Story”. I think it was a real special of muppets/stop motion, but again, not sure. Anyway, the protagonist (Mike) is a kid named Claus. He lives with a bunch of elves (Joyce and the rest of the Party) and makes toys. He grows up (Mike becomes Hopper. Ohhh Freud would have fun with this) and becomes “Super Santa”, giving toys to children in the night.

The 2nd Special is a Grich rippoff story, in which “the Grinch” is a Demogorgon, was found by Holly, and in the end ate dinner with Karen, Ted, Holly and Nancy. Holly still exists, lol.

Hopper proposes a story about “the guy who meets the angel who makes it so he was never born”. According to Joy, a story about suicide. WTF. No idea about what this was. Also a hint about what we know of season 4?

The 3rd story is A Christmas Carol, in which Dr Brenner is Scrooge. The first ghost is Sarah, the second is Benny, and the third is a skeleton. I laughed my ass off, “Brenner’s” expressions (including going outside in pyjamas) are priceless.

Dustin is still bothered by whatever is out in the forest. He starts his story, which I think is something related to Snoopy, but not sure. Anyway, the dog of his story is Dart. And this is when they tell about Dart to Eleven.

The Party go outside to find the “thing”, and it’s a rabbit in a trap. Eleven remembers the rabbit she ate when she was in the forest. Okay, it’s good to see some trauma there. Despite how Eleven survived several months in winter by her own, which I found more impossible than Russians building a secret lab under a mall. They bring the rabbit home and Joyce patches her up.

The issue ends with the known “Christmas is people” message, watching all the Specials on TV.

#stranger things #stranger things comic #stranger things winter special #winter special #slayernina writes stuff #comic #eleven #dart #dr brenner #the party #joyce byers #jim hopper #mike wheeler #holly wheeler #jonathan byers #will byers #lucas sinclair #dustin henderson

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