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Stranger Things: the First Shadow shows us that Henry Creel was 12 when he first stumbled upon Dimension X (something that the show will be exploring, I'm sure of it, it's significant that Henry disappeared into this and not the Upside Down).

Will Byers was also 12 when he first went missing and entered the Upside Down.

If the title "the Vanishing of ***** Wheeler" for season five episode two is referring to Holly Wheeler, I'm so excited about what the significance of 12 is for the Upside Down.

Because there has to be something.

What do Henry, Will and Holly all have in common? They're all sensitive youngest children.

Eleven, Twelve...

The battle of Dimension X vs. the Upside Down, maybe?

I cannot wait.

#stranger things #stranger things the first shadow #st tfs #henry creel #will byers #holly wheeler #eleven #stranger things 5 #stranger things season 5 #duffer brothers #season 5

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EJ deserved so much better.

#i will never get over how the fandom treated ej #i absolutely love this boy #and he deserved so much better #the invalidation of his trauma will never sit right with me #ej caswell will forever be the best hsmtmts character #and his character development was beautiful

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"Child of an Addict, and Self-Harmer".

Learning the meaning of his name has made every single one of the scenes where Cash is giving himself stick and poke tattoos mean something a little different.

Because he is seen giving himself those tattoos when he is going through something that's upset him.

Like, for example, in season two when he and Darren have broken up and he's turning his heart tattoo into a broken heart before his nan walks in.

Is this his coping mechanism? Was this intentional?

Excuse me while I go and cry.

#heartbreak high #cash piggott #douglas piggott #season two #trigger warning self harm #self harm mention

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THEY DID IT RIGHT. They did it so, so right. I love Spider as a character. He's so interesting, and Heartbreak High giving him this redemption arc was written and performed so well.

Getting that background insight into Spider's relationship with his mum gives you so much more depth into who he is as a person. And it helps to explain why he was the way he was in season one (though, it doesn't justify it). Amerie made him feel like his mother was right about him, and so he put up this front (just as Missy says in season two - why try if that's all you're ever going to be seen as?)

I'm glad they didn't pair him with Amerie in the end - I do think it could have worked if it was handled the story well but I do think Missy is a better pairing for him.

I mean, look at the way he looks at her.

We see Spider be honest about his difficulty with sex, and we see him communicate that in a really healthy way. And, unlike Amerie, we see Missy reassure him that there is nothing wrong with him and reassure him that his impudence isn't something to be ashamed about.

I know Missy was embarrassed to be seen with him publicly initially, but it had nothing to do with his impudence and everything to do with his put on persona and front. And that's really important to see. Once he recognised that Missy was right about him needing to change for him and not for her, she recognised the potential in their relationship.

I LOVE Missy and Spider together. I love that they make each other better. I love them.

They did Spencer White's redemption arc so beautifully, and they made him even much more interesting than he already was. I adore this show.

One thing I will say about Spider's character in Netflix's 'Heartbreak High' is that his characterisation felt very, very real.

We are shown that Spider has had a crush on Amerie for a while; the way he looks at her at the festival and the denial attempt he makes when Harper calls him out for it is a very high school boy response. These are both evidence of that. From this, we see that he has feelings for the girl that's been in love with his best friend for years. To her, Spider is her crush's friend and nothing more.

This could make any young boy feel quite inferior, and we see Spider compensate for that insecurity through (very problematic, very misogynistic) humour. It is suggested that Spider is a virgin that compensates for that by lying about having loads of sex (Jay from the Inbetweeners, who?), for example.

When Spencer gets the opportunity to sleep with Amerie, we see he gets performance anxiety. This isn't uncommon. He gets nervous and struggles to get an erection, despite wanting to engage in sex.

Again, we go back to the fact that Spider already has insecurities when it comes to his crush on Amerie. From his perspective, he's messed up the opportunity to win over the girl he's been in love with for years. And, to make it worse, she's laughing at him. Amerie then adds further fuel to that insecurity when she says she doesn't want anyone to know about their connection - inferring she's embarrassed by him.

Because of this, Spider puts up a barrier. He pushes Amerie away in defence and he treats her horrifically to try to protect himself. He over-compensates for his insecurities by bullying Amerie. This is, again, not an uncommon response that men have to rejection/unrequited feelings.

We know he didn't treat Amerie badly before the bedroom incident, we see that he's collected and calming when he meets with her and she's panicking. We see him feel genuine concern about Harper being missing, and comforts her, telling her she can stay with him. We see him pining for her throughout the whole series, even getting jealous of the relationship she has established with Malakai.

(Malakai is another example of Spider's insecurities; in comes a brand new student that is just as good as him at basketball and is flirting with the girl he likes that rejected him).

Because of the rejection, we see that Spider becomes cold, unfeeling and avoident towards Amerie. It's something we see all too much as women. You never know how men are going to respond when you reject them. Spider was such a good representation of one response men may have.

Spider White is one of the most authentic portrayals of a teenage boy pretending not to be hurt by a girl rejecting them. If he does end up with Amerie (this is Netflix, the app that paired Eric with his literal school bully before giving Adam a redemption arc, so I wouldn't put it passed them), I really hope that he has a lot of redemption. And I mean a lot. Because, while she wasn't the best to him in some regards, she did not deserve the sh*t that he put her through.

Mr. "I'm a feminist" needs a reality check before he deserves our Amerie. And so many people on this app need to realise that his behaviour was not okay. I don't care how hurt you are, you don't get to slut-shame and bully the person that rejected you.

Anyway, there's potential for his character and he would be a really good example of this behaviour being held to account. I don't care about Dusty and his redemption arc, I want a Spider redemption because he would be such a perfect example of what healthy redemption looks like (if done right).

#heartbreak high #spider white #spencer white #netflix #missy beckett #spider x missy #amerie wadia #spencer spider white #season two #spoilers #missy x spider

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I can't stop thinking about the friendship between Quinni and Cash in Heartbreak High. I really hope we get more scenes between them in future seasons.

I can't stop thinking about Cash's face when Quinni is having her meltdown because he knows he can relate on some level. He's listening to her every word, and he is feeling so deeply for her.

His face when she says she doesn't want to be a burden made me sob. He looks so sad.

Quinni's words must have held some resonance with Cash, and I can't stop thinking about it.

Because he doesn't want to be a burden either, and he is trying so hard in his relationship with Darren and it still isn't enough.

Quinni says: "And then I find this thing, this one thing that I can control, that I can share with you all and participate in, one thing that I'm useful for, and I'm told I'm doing that wrong too. It's just not fair."

Cash knows how that feels. He's doing absolutely everything in his relationship with Darren, but he still feels like it's not enough. He's really letting her words sink in.

Quinni needs someone that can understand what she's feeling, and Cash can (in a different way).

I love that we saw Cash pick up on how upset Quinni was at the zoo. She needs someone that notices her, and Cash did.

Anyway, I love the scenes with Quinni and Cash together. And I hope we get more of their friendship in future. Because I think they understand each other on a very personal level. But maybe that's just my autistic, asexual self hoping they can find some solace in each other.

I resonate with Cash just as much as I resonate with Quinni, and I'm not saying that Cash is also possibly autistic but it's possible with his stimming, his mental health history, his deep empathy for living things and his struggles communicating how he feels. I'm running with this headcanon.

#heartbreak high #cash piggott #quinni gallagher jones #asexual #autism #autistic quinni gallagher jones #asexual cash piggott #douglas piggott #chloe hayden #autism representation #asexual representation #canon autistic character #canon asexual character

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CA$H PIGGOTT.

I need to talk about Cash Piggott and how important his character is to the asexual community.

I absolutely adore the fact that Cash calls people out on their acephobia and never, ever apologises for who he is. He doesn't think he's broken.

In season one, we see Darren say "you know what, I think there's something really fucking wrong with you, Cash," and Cash immediately, with no hesitation, screams "well fuck you then".

In season two, we see Dusty say that he's being selfish asking Darren to give up sex and he immediately stands up and says "fuck this" because he knows he doesn't have to listen to people making him feel bad about his sexuality.

And when he's talking to his nan about it, Cash says "it's not fair, I would do anything, why does it have to be the one thing I can't change about myself?"

In every single one of these scenes, we never see Heartbreak High blame Cash for his sexuality. We never see him apologise to anyone for not feeling sexual attraction, and we never see him feel guilty about it, or try to change who he is.

CA$H recognises that his sexuality might be difficult for people to accept and understand, but he never lets other people make him feel like he's broken, or flawed. And that's so powerful to see.

Because asexual people are not broken. And we can't be fixed. And we are not being selfish for putting in boundaries.

I absolutely adore Douglas Piggott. He means the world to me, and this representation is so, so important.

#heartbreak high #cash piggott #douglas piggott #asexuality #asexual #asexual cash piggott #season two #spoilers #darren rivers #cash nan #dusty reid #asexual character #asexual representation #lgbtqia #acephobia

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"It's not fair. I would do anything. Why does it have to be the one thing I can't change about myself?"

Heartbreak High have done it again. Ca$h Piggott is the most beautiful asexual representation. I have never related to anything more. He is trying so hard, but he's staying true to who he is.

And that is so important to see.

#heartbreak high #cash piggott #douglas piggott #asexual #asexuality #heartbreak high season two #netflix #canon asexual character #asexual cash piggott #i have never related more to a character #i am in awe of this show

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It is SO important to me that there are separate characters in Heartbreak High that are openly celibate alongside an openly asexual character. Because being asexual does not mean you are celibate. It is a sexual orientation, not a choice.

Cash Piggott was already the best asexual representation I've ever seen, but season two has really solidified that.

Thank you Netflix. It's such a minor detail but it meant the world.

#heartbreak high #cash piggott #douglas piggott #asexuality #canon asexual character #asexual cash piggott #asexual #ace #asexual representation #celibacy #season two #heartbreak high season two #ca$h heartbreak high #ca$h piggott

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Edmund "I'm older and I don't think I want to understand" Pevensie made me realise that maybe I won't grow out of my lack of interest in romance and relationships.

And I was absolutely right. I am older and I still don't really understand. And that's okay.

#edmund pevensie #narnia prince caspian #narnia #skandar keynes #disney #asexual #demiromantic #aromantic

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I know it's supposed to be really profound when Aslan says "because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good" during the last scene of Prince Caspian but I can't help but laugh every time I hear it because it's implying that anyone after these volunteers will die a horrible death or just rot.

It's so funny.

#narnia #aslan #prince caspian #narnia prince caspian #liam neeson

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Henry Creel is autistic coded in Stranger Things: the First Shadow.

And it is so impactful that he is described as having been a "normal" child before he is overtaken by the darkness of the Upside Down.

Throughout the play, we see Henry struggle with feeling abnormal compared to his peers. And it's made abundantly clear that this has nothing to do with his difficulty communicating, his anxiety, his difficulty with social cues or his sensory issues (all of which are portrayed beautifully on stage), but is instead because of this thing taking over his life.

Henry has always been that "sensitive" boy but he was NORMAL. It acts as such a nice reminder that being autistic is perfectly normal, and perfectly human.

It's such creative autism representation. And I will never get over it.

#stranger things the first shadow #henry creel #autistic henry creel #autism #autistic #actually autistic #autism headcanon #stranger things #upside down #st tfs #jack thorne #louis mccartney #london #west end

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I've had some time to process since seeing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and there is one thing that I now know more sure and that is this: the Dr. Ray Stantz that we saw in this film would absolutely NEVER have said Egon Spengler could rot in Hell, and he'd never have not believed his best friend when he was saying Gozer was coming back.

We saw that he was still the excitable Ghostbuster we all know and love from the original films in this movie, and we saw that he never wanted to retire from ghostbusting at all. He even goes head to head with Winston about it being the thing he wanted to do with his "golden years".

So, why would he have pushed Egon away and called him crazy? The answer is he wouldn't have. And I still refuse to accept that there wasn't some sort of plot that they both shared together.

Egon and Ray were ALWAYS on the same page in the original films; they understood one another on such a deep level and it's one of my favourite things about the films. I was so, so heartbroken by the direction they decided to take their relationship in Afterlife.

And after seeing how smiley Ray is about Phoebe following in Egon's footsteps, it's just impossible to me that he would EVER turn his back on Egon under any circumstances.

And I know, logically, that it was for the plot. I know it was for the angst and the drama that Hollywood always desires.

As a fan of Egon and Ray's relationship and close bond thought, I refuse to accept it.

And I will continue to work with the headcanon that Ray was involved in Egon's plot all along. I'm still convinced that Ray was the one that told Egon to head to the farm and write the Bible quote outside the dirtfarm while he worked from New York.

I love Egon and Ray; they're the best representation of an autism/autism relationship. And they understood each other so deeply.

#ghostbusters #ghostbusters frozen empire #ray stantz #egon spengler #ghostbusters afterlife #dan aykroyd #harold ramis #ghostbusters frozen empire spoilers #autism #autistic #actually autistic #stantzler

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Thank you to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire for making it canon that the Ghostbusters actually did do a song and music video with Ray Parker Jr. as advertisement for their services.

I whole-heartedly believe that it was Janine's idea and she lost her mind watching Egon and Peter grumble about it while Ray and Winston have the time of their lives.

#ghostbusters #ghostbusters frozen empire #who you gonna call? #egon spengler #ray stantz #winston zeddemore #peter venkman #frozen empire #minor spoilers #ray parker jr.

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No thoughts, just Ray Stantz watching Phoebe Spengler stand up to Walter Peck with the biggest smile on his face because she reminded him so much of Egon.

He was so proud. And there was so much emotion in his expression. He missed his partner, but he was so proud that his legacy was living on through his granddaughter.

#ray stantz #egon spengler #phoebe spengler #ghostbusters #ghostbusters frozen empire #walter peck #spoilers #frozen empire #i love these three autistics more than i love myself #i just know egon was smiling right there with ray #they should have let phoebe run at him screaming “your mother-” before the scene cut though #that's my one issue with the scene

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Fun fact: I have something in common with my favorite Ghostbusters characters

That thing being autism

#thank you dan aykroyd #because ghostbusters really is the best autism representation #i owe egon spengler and ray stantz my life #and phoebe spengler too

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horatio hornblower autism moments part 2 (part 1 here)

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Mike's speech to Eleven in Stranger Things S4E9 holds so much more weight after watching the First Shadow in London.

He tells El: "I love you with your powers, without your powers. I love you for exactly who you are. You're my superhero. And ... I can't lose you."

And it mirrors Eleven and Henry together so nicely.

Because we know Patty Newby thought of Henry Creel as her superhero - that was their thing and they constantly talked about him having super powers in the same way Max, Mike, Will and the Squad do with El. And Henry liked being Patty's superhero, and he felt loved for the first time in his life. He felt understood by someone for the first time in his life; by someone that also felt like an out-cast, and also felt like they didn't fit in and weren't "normal".

And we also know that Henry did lose Patty. Because Dr. Brenner isolated him away from her. He isolated him away from everyone and everything.

And he lost who he was because of that. And he became the weapon that Dr. Brenner wanted him to because of that.

If any part of the Henry Creel we meet in Stranger Things: the First Shadow is still there in Henry/Vecna/One, the realisation that Mike is Eleven's Patty must hurt him deeply.

They have so much to work with.

If Eleven finds out Mike loves Will, for example, then El will have to come to terms with losing the person that believed in her.

I'm interested to know what the Duffer Brothers might do with this in ST5.

Because we know Eleven experienced the same bullying that Henry did during her time in California. And we know that Will Byers has also been feeling isolated and alone his whole life, so maybe we'll see those similarities between Will and Henry start to creep into the story a lot more.

I'm excited. And I'm nervous.

#stranger things #henry creel #mike wheeler #mileven #eleven #stranger things the first shadow #st tfs #patty newby #millie bobby brown #finn wolfhard #byler #the first shadow is so good #and the parallels between Eleven and Henry are there #and so are the parallels between Henry and Will #the duffer brothers have so much to work with