#so much babygirl steve not enough babygirl billy imo | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

storiesbyrhi · 1 year

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I just re-watched season 3 of Stranger Things (a.k.a. nobody checks on the children for four days straight) and here's the takeaway for me - whoever I was when I watched it in 2019 is not the girl you see before you. I have a wayyyy different interpretation of the characters and the show.

(Season 1 thoughts here. Season 2 thoughts here.)

Sorry to go all My Favorite Murder on you, but here's Correction Corner:

I should have mentioned Sam Owens in my S2 thoughts; I was suss of him in 2017. Still suss in the rewatch.

It was cool meeting Sinclair and Henderson families. Obviously, Erica was iconic from the get-go.

Needed more Scott Clarke.

Alright, it's Scoops Ahoy season, baby!

I'll never be as funny as Erica. I'm so glad someone realised that Priah Ferguson has impeccable comedic timing and tone. She makes the show better.

This is totally my personal feeling and definitely relates to the trauma I have experienced IRL, but I am so uncomfortable and scared of Hopper this season. I understand why he is so protective of El, but for me it crosses the line. The drinking. The way he reacts to Joyce not showing up at Enzo's. How he talks to her after. Gives me the ick. He's chilled out by the end but season 3 Hopper is not my fav.

Oh, hey, just another season of Joyce being absolutely fucking right from the get-go. When will people just believe her? As always, she's so great. Also, Joyce looking out for Alexei is so in character.

Alright, we're back on the Billy discourse. I saw someone write a post about how he wasn't the best choice for the Mind Flayer host because he was already an asshole so there wasn't enough contrast (I'm summarising, also if I can find the post I'll tag and link here). They're totally right. We don't get much character development for Billy because he's flayed by the end of episode 1, so I guess my opinion of him from season 2 stands? We get the backstory, but it still doesn't justify shit imo. This is probably a controversial opinion, but his death was less like 'I'm going to try to save these kids' or whatever, and more 'I'm awake and pissed I was mind controlled, so fuck you monster!' PSA: Adults shouldn't perv on teenagers. The Billy fan club by the pool makes me so uncomfy. Even if this is a thing lmao. Can't one single adult treat this kid right?!

I love Steve this season. He's totally himself for the first time. He's romantic, unhinged, smarter than people give him credit for, and a really shitty babysitter! He was always a great character, but Robin really makes him shine. Steve is so babygirl this season.

Karen Wheeler is a star. Not a perfect woman, but a brilliant character.

I forgot how smart Robin is? Why did they dumb her down in season 4? She is multi-lingual, a musical genius, generates a lot of the plot-driving ideas in the season, and is a charming mix of "hyper" (as Steve puts it) and warm empathy. She is also brave as hell; the way she spits at the Russian? I never really understood people's issues with season 4 Robin, but I get it now. She should have been more than just comedic relief - this season proves that.

Needs more Scott Clarke.

Will is so sidelined this season and I fucking hate it. He is the heart of this show. I know Mike is their star and by this point everyone was frothing Finn Wolfhard but man, they didn't need to bench Will. I understand that we're watching the boys grow up while Will feels different* and left behind, but surely there could have been more for Will to do? (*I'm not even gonna go into the queer subtext because it's way too much for this post.) Also, it's a goddamn shame that Will never gets to be in Hellfire and have Eddie as a DM. He'd have loved Eddie so fucking much.

I know how Nancy is treated at the newspaper is period accurate or whatever, but it sucks. She's such a hard worker, always out there researching and writing, and caring so, so deeply. I love her. She is constantly MVP. Glad they keep giving her guns.

Jonathan has lost some of his likeability, but I think there are a lot of interesting interplays between him, socioeconomic/class status, and Nancy. I totally get where he's coming from, and I think it says a lot about his character that he can admit when he's wrong.

Hive Mind Army isn't as creepy as anything we've seen before in the show because it's just like like... super cliche idk? I forgot they all turn to sludge to form the Flayer. The scene at the end of episode 6 where they just... melt... is kind of fucking horrifying though. Love that.

Mike gets more lackluster each season?

Lucas is funny and smart. I love him and Erica. I love him and Max. He's great.

Part of me wishes Dustin wasn't separated from the others, but Scoops Troop was so unexpected and works so well that I can't be mad.

It's kind of a joy to watch El come into herself more. I still would have liked more El/Will bonding but ya can't win them all. At least she gets Max, who also gets her own multifaceted personality this season too.

Murray last season was a non-event to me. Could take him or leave him. I vibe him this time around.

I remember loving Alexei. I was right to. God, his death sucked. It's almost like... hmm... no... almost... surely not... they... keep... they wouldn't... writing good goddamn characters and then kill them off instead of giving any real-life stakes to their plot-armored main cast?!?

I don't vibe Jopper as a ship this season.

Suzie demanding The NeverEnding Story in the middle of an emergency is the same energy as Eddie deciding the only way to distract the demobats was to play Master of Puppets on the trailer roof.

Every season ends with a time skip forward. I had forgotten that. Makes the season 4 one less weird.

Speaking of season 4... That's next, baby! I have re-watched it so many times but I'm doing it again, now armed with my brand new updated opinions and feelings! Yewwwwww. Here we go!

This has been a Stranger Things Rhi-Watch.

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