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mothellie · 22 days

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I think the Duffer Brothers' history with racism in their show goes a lot deeper than a lot of people realize.

Lucas as a character has three distinct B plot stories that get assigned to him: being a minor antagonist to Eleven in season one, being a good friend to the rest of the Party, and being in love with his girlfriend. While Mike's plot is directly centered around two of the most pivotal characters of the show, Dustin is given two different role model characters that shape his arc and is overall the genius that helps the rest of the cast get out of several difficult situations, Will still being connected to the Upside Down after his disappearance in 1983 and that playing into several major plots, Max having a multitude of centric storylines especially in season four and Eleven literally being THE main character- Lucas is only ever given plots that help serve and uplift the other (white) characters. Unless you count him... playing basketball and being friends with Jason. I guess?

Erica is similar to Lucas, but to a much larger degree. I'd like you reading this to think of any single Erica standalone plot in the show that has nothing to do with/does not predominantly or solely benefit the white characters around her. I'll wait.

The Sinclair parents are only touched on in brief sections for the sake of filling the episodes, only ever playing a more major role in Season Four. If you could call it that. I'm sure most of you couldn't even tell me their names off of the top of your heads. (It's Charles and Sue, by the way.)

Argyle was the first somewhat major character of color to be introduced to the show after Erica played her part in season three. I could say similar things about his role in the season overall that I can about Lucas and Erica. Except they set him up to play a bigger role in the next season at the end of season four, going as far as to show him in Hawkins and have Jancy verbally allude to him sticking around, only for the show heads to ghost Eduardo Franco and let him find out he wasn't being brought back through an official social media cast photo.

Kali was a former subject from the same lab El came from, having escaped and subsequently began to lead a vigilante life of enacting revenge on those who played a hand in her suffering. She was the first subject El ever met after leaving the lab, shown to be incredibly powerful and strong-willed. Her and El had an immediate connection, calling themselves sisters right after meeting. But after El was finished with her self-discovery period on the S.S. Kali Gang for one (1) often-forgotten and poorly-written episode, Kali was quite literally abandoned both in spirit and on screen, never to be seen or even mentioned again.

All other characters of color are either killed violently (Patrick), have like ten minutes of screentime total (Jeff and Calvin Powell), or are just straight up background only and may not even have names.

They can dedicate an entire section of season four's plot to Suzie's family, but not to genuine character development for Erica or for Kali to return. They can make room for a whole pointless predatory plot between Billy and Karen, but not to give a more important role to the Sinclair parents. They have room to include a whole plot about El getting bullied in school, but not for Lucas to have a more meaningful story outside of his white friends and girlfriend. They can platform three known white zionists while Palestine currently undergoes a gruesome genocide even as I type this, but they don't have room for Argyle in season five (or even the decency to give Eduardo a fucking phone call).

Not only do the Duffers constantly write themselves into holes because they keep adding unnecessary fodder to the plot, and refuse to kill ANY of their main characters in favor of just creating new characters for the sake of killing them off in mediocre ways despite the fact that they're trying to fit 20+ B plots into 8-9 40-50 minute episodes per season and wondering why half their show doesn't make sense- The time they DO dedicate to character-specific B plots and character arc progression visibly favor the white characters.

If I watch S5, and that's a huge if, I will be sailing the high seas. Between all of this, the fact that they filmed part of season four in an old Nazi prison and tried to turn it into a fucking AirBNB, and the fact that at least four people who play major roles in the show actively support the current genocide of Palestine- I won't be giving them (or Netflix for that matter) another cent of my money.

While you're here, please do your completely free daily click to send aid to Palestine, and here's a list of other resources for how to help more directly.

#cassie talks #stranger things #free palestine #lucas sinclair #erica sinclair #charles sinclair #sue sinclair #argyle stranger things #kali prasad #patrick mckinney #jeff stranger things #calvin powell #anyway excuse me im gonna go put these characters in an ungodly amount of fics #it's what they deserve

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tiny-bird-of-sunshine · 11 months

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if i had a nickel for every time my favorite show had a cop who's last name is powell and another cop was the found family dad figure to one of the main characters because their actual dad, who is named martin, was highly abusive and now the mc thinks they are a monster like him because of what they had to do for survival, i'd have two nickles. which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.

#prodigal son #stranger things #malcom bright #gil arroyo #dani powell #el hopper #jim hopper #calvin powell #martin whitly #martin brenner

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ginandweas · 2 years

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Hey. Hey! We will be implementing a curfew. So if you are not in your house after sunset, with the doors locked, you’ll be written up.

#stranger things #stranger things 4 #st #st4 #calvin powell #phil callahan #myedits #why are these 2 never interviews #especially this season when they were in it a lot #stedit #st edit #stranger things edit #strangerthingsedit

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thegayhimbo · 8 months

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Stranger Things "Creature Feature" and "Summer Special" Reviews

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things reviews, and let me know what your thoughts/theories are about the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things "The Game Master" and "Erica's Quest"

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Synopsis for Creature Feature: While moving to California, Will, Jonathan, and El make a stop in Denver, Colorado to enjoy a night out at a Drive-In Theater. However, El's visit takes a turn for the worst when certain elements begin triggering PTSD flashbacks......

Synopsis for Summer Special: Join Officers Powell and Callahan during the events of season 3 as they patrol the streets of Hawkins and begin to encounter the Flayed.....

Observations:

Because these comics are short, I am covering both of them in this review. Unlike "Erica's Quest" and "The Game Master," which at least shared the theme of Erica and Mike being isolated and using their love of D&D to reconnect with people, these two short stories don't have much in common other than taking place in the same universe. Because of that, I will be talking about each of their stories separately. This will conclude my reviews of the comics and graphic novels for the time being. When the full versions of Tales from Hawkins, the Stranger Things x TMNT Crossover, and The Voyage are released (which likely won't be until January 2024 at the earliest), I will review them. Until then, I will move on to the tie-in books, beginning with Stranger Things Suspicious Minds.

Let's begin.

Creature Feature:

Out of the two of these, this short comic is the one I like the best. It's an interquel between seasons 3 and 4 that came out on Free Comic Book Day, three weeks before season 4 premiered. As noted in the synopsis, it focuses on an evening that Will, Jonathan, and El have in Denver, Colorado at a Drive-In Theater featuring horror movies. At this point, they're still in the process of moving to Lenora, and the story takes place sometime in October 1985 before Halloween.

The premise of the characters at a Drive-In Theater is fun, and it's nice getting a story exploring the sibling dynamic between El, Will, and Jonathan as El integrates into the Byers family. While we did get scenes like this in season 4, they often felt brief and far in-between. It doesn't help that circumstances like Angela's constant bullying, El ending up in trouble with the law for smashing the brat's face in (not that I blame her for doing so), the three way conflict between Mike, El, and Will at the beginning, and everything to do with Vecna constantly overshadowed attempts to go into more details about El's developing relationship with the Byers. We did get a brief montage with El narrating in her letters to Mike about how she and the Byers are doing, but it isn't as in-depth as it could have been. So any story that explores El, Will, Joyce, and Jonathan together as a family is one I'd be happy to see more of.

There's an interesting parallel between Will's love for the horror movies and atmosphere at the Drive-In vs El's fear of it. Will's enthusiasm for horror movies and Halloween is pretty similar to Max's, with Max even admitting in Runaway Max that she's watched scary movies since she was a kid and Michael Myers from the Halloween series is the one that frightens her the most. Just like there's a psychological component for how Max processes horror movies (especially growing up with an abusive step-dad and step-brother who made her life a living hell), the same goes for Will. When Jonathan asks Will how he can still enjoy horror movies after everything that's happened to him, Will explains it as such:

That is relatable in so many ways. Some of the stuff I've experienced in my life has desensitized me to certain horror/slasher movies, like Saw or Friday The 13th or the Halloween series, to the point the over-the-top blood and gore doesn't elicit a reaction for me. I'm more likely to have fun watching these movies than be scared by them. It's movies, TV shows, and other media that deal with triggering subjects like anxiety, depression, gaslighting, mental illness, rape, and so on that tends to get under my skin.

And considering what El has been through for most of her life, it's also understandable why she has the reaction she does at the Drive-In. Everything from the purple flashing lights to the monster-themed costumes to the loud noises and unfamiliar setting cause her to have a PTSD attack.

It doesn't help that some bullies see what's happening to El and decide to harass her for it.

You know the jackasses on Reddit, Twitter/X, Tumblr, or other social media platforms who mock people for being triggered, accuse people struggling with trauma of wanting to be victims, and are awful to others because they can get away with it? That's who these bullies remind me of. They are the predecessors to Angela, her friends, and the loathsome crowd from Rink-O-Mania who humiliated El. Despite only being in the comic briefly, I despise them.

Thankfully, Will and Jonathan come to her aid, and Jonathan gets a nice big brother moment in telling the bullies to fuck off:

I wish we'd get more scenes on the show of Jonathan getting aggressive with bullies or any other threats to his family.

Getting back to El, there's another reason she's upset: She's in a vulnerable position of having lost her powers at this point, and doesn't know how to deal with it. She's also worried about the threat of the Upside Down returning, which it unfortunately does in season 4. How many times can you face the same horrors over again without feeling like you're losing pieces of yourself and that it's all out of your control?

Except El isn't alone in her fight, no matter how bleak it seems. As Jonathan points out, she still has the support of her friends and family, and all of them will be there for her. They love her regardless of whether or not she has powers. That's a truly beautiful thing to have.

As I've noted before in other reviews (especially Dungeons and Dragons), the final fight between Vecna's forces won't just have El dealing with it all by herself. It's always been a team effort from everyone since season 1, and I do not see that dynamic changing in season 5 without the Duffer Brothers betraying the core themes of friendship and family on the show. Whether or not El will be the one delivering the killing blow to Vecna remains to be seen though.

Overall, I'd recommend this for a read.

Summer Special:

Remember back in my review of The Bully when I talked about how the graphic novel followed the events of season 2 through the eyes of Troy and James? That's pretty much the same formula the Summer Special uses. This time, it takes place in season 3, and it follows Officers Callahan and Powell in the week leading up to the 4th of July.

Like most of the fandom, I never cared for Callahan and Powell. I don't hate them to the extent I hate characters like Billy or Angela, but I still find them obnoxious, and have never been impressed with the "lazy bumbling cop" stereotypes they seem to embody. Unfortunately, this short comic doesn't do much to change that.

The best summary of the plot is that it basically runs on one joke: Callahan and Powell are present during key moments in season 3 (i.e. Billy getting possessed by the Mind Flayer, Doris Driscoll and the other Flayed at Brimborn Steelworks, Alexei's death at the carnival, the Battle of Starcourt, etc), and just when it looks like the two of them might actually find out about the Upside Down and figure out everything that's been going on............they don't. They either miss stuff, dismiss it on sight, or get distracted by trivial crap in their pursuit of trying to be "good cops." It's a joke repeated through-out the comic, and it's one that gets old real fast.

I didn't find this joke funny the first time they did it, and every other time after that made it more annoying.

The comic contains some glaring continuity errors. For example, when Powell and Callahan find Billy's car at Brimborn Steelworks the night he's possessed by the Mind Flayer, the date is July 1st in the comic. However, on the show, the actual date was the evening of June 29th, the same night Billy was set to hook up with Karen.

On top of that, the comic illustrates Billy leaving the steelwork factory different from how he did on the show. Here, he's depicted as quietly sneaking out when Powell and Callahan come to investigate:

But on the show, he is literally running for his life in a panic the moment he gets free of the Mind Flayer, desperately to escape it and not caring about how much of a ruckus he made leaving. If we're taking this comic as canon (which I am not because of all its inconsistencies), it's hard to believe Powell and Callahan wouldn't have heard Billy going back to his car.

There's also other contradictory dates: Doris Driscoll (the old lady Nancy and Jonathan visit in S3 who's later possessed by the Mind Flayer) is established on the show as being taken to the hospital on July 1st. However, the comic depicts this happening on July 2nd. This also apparently happened the same night a possessed Driscoll abducted Powell and took him to the Steelworks factory where the Mind Flayer was, which makes it even more confusing. It also creates a big plot-hole for why the other Flayed never came after Powell later despite Powell witnessing a bunch of them at the factory in the process of attacking his car.

The only moment I semi-liked in this comic was this scene reaffirming how much of a sleazy womanizing piece-of-shit Billy is, and how other people in-universe see him like this as well:

Other than that, and some decent artwork per usual, this comic felt rushed and not well put together as it should have been.

As much as I don't care for Callahan and Powell as characters, I wouldn't mind a comic centered on them provided there was an actual point for it. If they're going to focus on side characters, then actually develop them in a way that's meaningful instead of constantly playing them for laughs. There's an entire story they could have been explored when Powell became the new Chief of Police in Hawkins after Hopper's supposed death in season 3, and how he was forced to adjust to the position and take on new responsibilities. That would have been far more interesting than what they did here. This just came off like a waste.

As you can probably tell, I'm not recommending this comic. The good news is it's not particularly pricey (I got it for $1.99 on Kindle), so if you do want to check it out for yourselves and make your own judgments, there's no harm in doing so. But there are better comics you could spend time and money on.

#stranger things #el hopper #jonathan byers #will byers #phil callahan #calvin powell #doris driscoll #anti billy hargrove #the mind flayer #stranger things season 3 #stranger things comics #tgh opinions #tgh reviews #vecna #stranger things creature feature #stranger things summer special

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stranger-themes-blog · 11 months

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Stranger Themes Character Of The Month Poll (June)

At the end of every month, we will hold a poll for the Character Of The Month. That character will become our profile picture for the month, we will make extra posts about the character, and all participants will receive a special character-themed digital present.

Every character will have a fair chance to be character of the month until we run out of characters and start over again!

This is just for fun. Voting ends May 31st!

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paceypeternathanslawyer · 2 years

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Woah that's Officer Powell dressed up as chief of police, right?! That is gonna be so cool... I was wondering who would take over for Hopper. And I cannot wait to see all the kids parents together!!!!😁😁😁😁

#stranger things #stranger things season 4 #the hawkins crew #ted wheeler #karen wheeler #claudia henderson #officer powell #erica sinclair #mr sinclair #mrs sinclair #netflix #calvin powell #officer callahan #phil callahan #chief powell

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our-lord-and-savior-c-3po · 2 years

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at the end of season 5

Mayor of Hawkins: None of us really understand what just happened and none of us want to. That's why I'm passing the "Never Mind All That Act." If anyone goes asking around about the "events" of the last few years, what do we say?

(A banner saying "NEVER MIND ALL THAT" drops)

Crowd: Never mind all that!

Chief Powell: (pulls out taser) And if you break the rules, we're gonna zap you.

Deputy Callahan: (Waving tasers) Zap! Zap! We're mad with power!

#incorrect stranger things quotes #stranger things #source: gravity falls #phil callahan #calvin powell

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strangerthingsreversebigbang · 8 months

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The Round 3 polls go live today! Check out our profile to vote for each bracket. Tell us why in the reblogs/replies!

#stranger things #stranger things reverse big bang #strbb sign up brackets #phil callahan #calvin powell #hawkins #hawkins police

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st-rarepairbang · 10 months

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Join us for the 2023 Stranger Things Rare Pair Big Bang!

Focus on ships other than the top five (Steve/Eddie, Steve/Billy, Will/Mike, Eleven/Mike, Robin/Nancy)

Any ST characters welcome

Polyam ships welcome

Gen welcome

10k minimum word count

Many art types accepted

More information in our pinned post!

Schedule under the cut

July 1st, 2023 — July 31st, 2023 — Author Sign Ups July 1st, 2023 — September 15th, 2023 (or when all stories are claimed) — Artist Sign Ups July 15th, 2023 — Writing Officially Starts August 15th — 20th, 2023 — First Author Check-In (Simple summaries Due) September 15th — 20th, 2023 — Second Author Check-In (5000+ words required) September 23rd, 2023 — Artist Claims Begin (for stories at 5000+ words only) October 15th — 20th, 2023 — Third Author Check-In, First Artist Check-In November 1st — 5th, 2023 — Fourth Author Check-In, Second Artist Check-In November 15th — 20th, 2023 — Final Check-In; Stories complete, beta read, and edited; Art complete November 30th, 2023 — Posting Starts

#stranger things #callahan/powell #phil callahan #calvin powell #stranger things rare pair big bang

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strangerthingsastiktoks · 2 years

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Chief Powell: I don't know what the fuck is going on in this town. I get a sheet a couple of days ago that a cheerleader is missing, and she was ritualistically murdered in a busy trailer park, and that a kid was murdered on the road, trespassing… Dustin: There was a demon portal there too, right? Lucas: Yeah, he was attacking us. Max: You remember the demon portal that was there? Dustin: It's a little unprofessional to be this emotional at work. Chief Powell: Oh, I'm sorry, there was a demon portal, that's how laws work, right? That's how you want a civilization? Dustin: Do you want the apocalypse to happen? Chief Powell: You can't murder people!

#source: fantasy high #incorrect quotes #dustin henderson #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #calvin powell #chief powell #stranger things #kiddos

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izzymeadows · 2 years

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Rating: T

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: M/M

Fandom: Stranger Things

Relationships: Phil Callahan/Calvin Powell

Characters: Calvin Powell, Phil Callahan, Florence “Flo”

It's a cold october night and Callahan forgot his jacket. Fortunately, Powell can help.

Commission work for @puddingthieves <3

Commission info

#fanfic #stranger things #powell/callahan #calvin powell #phil callahan #izzy writes #commission #fic commissions

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bradshawssugarbaby · 6 months

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it’s my birthday tomorrow and i plan on spending my day reading absolute filth so please send me some 🌶️🫶🏼

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demisexualnathanvuornos · 6 months

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Lucas Bryant as (Step)Dad (2004-2023) [for Finnish Father's Day 2023]

1. Nathan Wuornos (Haven 3x13 Thanks for the Memories/ 5x26 Forever, 2013/2015)

2. Young Chuck Taggart (Odyssey 5 1x14 Begotten, 2004)

3. Calvin Puddie (Playing House, 2006)

4. Harry (Faux Baby webseries 1x5 Super Dad, 2008)

5. Peter Claus (Merry In-Laws, 2012)

6. Jesse Powell (Cracked 1x12 Old Soldiers, 2012)

7. Daniel Kenman (Secret Summer, 2016)

8. Colin Fitzgerald (Summer Love, 2016)

9. Phillip Anderson (Frankie Drake Mysteries 1x8 Pilot, 2018)

10. Jack Sutherland (Time for You to Come Home for Christmas, 2019)

11. Matthew Anderson (The Angel Tree, 2020)

12. Matthew Jamison (Five More Minutes: Moments Like These, 2022)

13. Eric Parsons (A World Record Christmas, 2023)

1. Biological father of James Cogan (Steve Lund), 20 years before he was born. Gets to raise him after the finale from a baby.

2. Young version of Chuck Taggart, father to Neil and Keith.

3. Expectant father, briefly co-parent, ends up with the mother (Joanne Kelly).

4. His wife (Missy Yager) gets a practice doll when they are thinking of getting kids.

5. Son of Santa, a teacher, wants to marry an astrologist (Kassia Warshawski) with a son who is in his class. Jacob Thurmeier as Max Spencer.

6. Homeless army vet suffering from PTSD makes some attempts to be a better father to his son raised by his brother.

7. Father and husband with two kids works a lot, so he has his brother take care of the kids during a summer. Max Page as Noah and Chiara Aurelia as Hailey. Emily Rose as wife.

8. Maya (Rachel Leigh Cook) works an internship at his tech company over the summer, they fall in love. Maya's daughter approves as they go sail around. Hannah Cheramy as Addison Sulliway

9. 1920s Canadian pilot and eugenics enthusiast. Has a deaf son he tries to get kidnapped and killed. He dies instead.

10. Meets a widow (Alison Sweeney) and her son on the way to figure out who saved his life years prior. Turns out it was the widow's late husband. He falls in love and gets along well with the son. In Time for Them to Come Home for Christmas (2021), Alison Sweeney's character reveals they got married. Kiefer O'Reilly as Will Moss.

11. Reunites with childhood best friend (Jill Wagner) who has a daughter and a dead husband. Also raising his nephew while his sister Zoe (Clare Filipow) is stationed over seas. Cassidy Nugent as Cassie McBride and Oscar Farrell as Owen Anderson.

12. Played football with the widow's (Ashley Williams) husband in high school, now works as a real estate person wanting to buy the house they lived in. Helps renovate the house and they fall in love while he also develops a relationship with the son. A funcle to 8 nephews. Brady Droulis as Adam Morrison.

13. Stepfather to an autistic kid. Bio dad left. Becomes Dad to Charlie and has another baby with his wife (Nikki DeLoach) in the end. Aias Dalman as Charlie Parsons.

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