Season 1 and 2 Steve Harrington Meta
(nothing new to see here, just working through my own thoughts—better late than never!)
Thinking about the way Steve’s season 1 and 2 journey is about being kicked out of the nest of popularity, so to speak, by the choices he makes. he wants better than just holding on to his center-stage popularity and in looking for and pursuing that something better he loses his place and his status with such matter-of-fact ordinariness. And it’s shockingly good. In my Steve Harrington Blindness Era (the reason I’m writing about season 2 so much later) I only sort of half-watched his season 2 arc with Dustin and the kids and everybody seemed to love it so much (and it annoyed me so much that they did lol) and I sort of let that “Steve is the Mom Friend!” excitement and rhetoric cloud how actually rich and deep and funny and unsentimental and TRUTHFUL that arc is. Steve is suddenly stuck with all these kids but not as a main player anymore. Dustin likes him but Dustin’s also like “I’m the one in charge in this relationship” it’s absolutely not a hero-worship thing. And they end up having a great push and pull dynamic where Steve is not just bossed around but my point is—he goes from being King Steve to … backup. To doing the more thankless parts of being an adult, a babysitter. He has to keep them safe without any particular personally compelling reason to do so. He doesn’t know any of them personally, none of them are his siblings’ friends, they’re just his (currently not speaking to him, doesn’t love him) girlfriend’s brother’s gang and socially speaking none of them really care about who he is, it’s THEIR show (ha) and they run it! And if he’s going to be part of this group he has to take a thorough backseat. That would be a blow to any high school kid’s ego—a fragile thing—because it’s just the absolute shattering of the whole social world order that IS their entire life. And Steve is very funny and iconic in that role with his hands on his hips and his dish towel over his shoulder calling them all little shitheads. But all the excitement generated by that is fan furor that doesn’t extend to the inside of the show. In the actual world of the show nobody really cares. The kids don’t really listen to him or respect him; they don’t pay attention to him. He gets beat up by Billy in defense of those kids and instead of that being acknowledged as the heroic act that that is things keep happening, it’s kind of lost in the shuffle, and then he discovers that his girlfriend has actually left him. The hits just don’t stop coming.
And it’s a playing out of what happens at the end of season 1 but this time without the happy ending for him. This time that choice to fall off the path of popularity for the sake of something else, to let himself be socially de-centered because of the choices that he makes and swept up into a role that isn’t his by temperament or established status, leads to nothing except bruises and being left out in the cold. The choice he makes to go back into the Byers’ house at the end of season 1 is so important and beautiful, a real turning point where he cements his leaving of Tommy and Carol and Status so that he can help be part of the real action of the story. But the real consequences of that choice don’t set in until season 2. In choosing to care about people more than his own popularity, in choosing to de-center himself for love, he becomes vulnerable. He becomes Nancy’s in a way he wasn’t before; because now he no longer has his power and status and Pack of Friends as his context and support and backup, to keep him company when she’s gone. It’s just her. And season 2 plays out that fragility to the bitter ending. Nancy has a lot going on internally and externally; the relationship is not her focus and quickly becomes not her priority. She isn’t happy, she’s struggling, she’s in pain and she also just doesn’t want him anymore. She hasn’t made the same step towards him he’s made towards her. And I’m not debating right now whether she’s right or wrong about that but the point is—she withdraws from him and Steve is left with nothing. In season 2 he is faced with the same choice, walk into danger or away from it, help or run and hide, but this time there isn’t anyone or anything that he personally, specifically, cares about on the other side of that. He has to step up for goodness’s sake alone for a bunch of kids, again, he doesn’t really know against literal monsters. And there’s no context that helps make that choice easier, that draws on already established social bonds or family love etc. He has to choose on his own very quickly what kind of person he’s going to be and he’s going to have to be that person without expecting any kind of reward for it. And he gets no reward! There is no sitting on the couch with Nancy in his Christmas sweater ending for him. Everything crashes down on him with astonishing brutality and once the evil is defeated and the gate closed that doesn’t actually change much for him personally. Steve doesn’t go to the Snow Ball dance even the way the other kids his age do, even just to help; he has no place there anymore. Even the show is not paying attention to his fall from grace that much because he isn’t the center.
And the point of all of this is that it’s so beautiful the way he responds to these new circumstances created in many ways by his choices. Because he makes the best of it! He isn’t bitter. He lets Nancy go, he doesn’t command the kids’ worship (not that he would have succeeded but he could have tried and most kids in his position would have) and is a real friend to Dustin by helping him with his older kid advice and tips and support and also by letting Dustin run the show. By not letting his ego get in the way and trying to overpower Dustin with his older kid powers. He doesn’t even hate Jonathan. He is fallen completely out of the only social sphere he’s ever had, he’s alone in a very real and very new and very scary way, he has no power, little support, no appreciation. And he just takes what he has and makes the best of it. And it’s Character-defining, character-creating. The best and most surprising journey.
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I’ve been posting way too much, but it is what it is because guys… we need to talk about Ekko.
Ekko is literally the PERFECT supporting character. What he’s done for the Undercity, how he helps our main protagonists and actually has a past with most characters and a very strong story of his own. I’m ready for next season where he becomes way more, but for season one, he is more amazing than anyone cares to mention.
He lost everyone, just like Vi and Jinx.
He lost Powder in Jinx and Silco. He lost Benzo. He lost Vi, Claggor, Mylo and Vander. He lost them ALL. At SO YOUNG TOO.
He didn’t only have to accept that Powder wasn’t even dead, just different, he had to accept that he was now, officially, alone. I’m sure his anger was intense, scary even. Justifiably so. But he pushed pass that and said “yk what? It is what it is” and started to fix things in his own way. The marvels that are him and the firelights is completely under appreciated.
He could’ve just fallen into shimmer, lost himself, given up, but Ekko is a leader and very far from being a quitter. He put his all (again at SO YOUNG) to helping people. He didn’t just create a safe haven and community that the undercity so desperately needed and deserved, he created what he needed and deserved too. He obviously knew the struggle that was being alone and lost, he didn’t start the firelights for selfish reason, but for kind reasons. For the people just like him. He really took it upon his self. He decided that he’d rather help the people who are hurting than fight and try and take down the people who did the hurting, potentially putting more in danger.
(On that note, he probably didn’t fight back because he saw what happened to Powder, Vi, Claggor and Mylo when they tried.)
I hope that we learn more about how the firelights came to be and more about his backstory in season two because there is no way it was easy.
Also there’s the fact that he could’ve also been very resentful towards Caitlyn. She’s an enforcer, a topsider, he could’ve ignored Vi saying she’s trustworthy. Especially since she started fighting with him on certain topics, but instead of this, he didn’t make any irrational decisions. He decided to go WITH Caitlyn Topside and take the hexgem WITH her. He’s smart, kind and logical. Plus, he thought Vi was dead! The way he stays so calm and collected is BEYOND ME.
ALSO, the fact that he told Caitlyn and Vi to go without him (bridge fight with Jinx) and didn’t kill (or even disable) Jinx despite how much she has hurt the community he’s trying to build back up. He is so resilient and strong. After all of that on the bridge, he got back up again! After all of that happened, he still spoke to Heimerdinger calmly and accepted his help. After all of that, he still kept going. I can not stress more that he was ALL ALONE AFTER THE FIRST ACT! Him as little baby Ekko being all alone, but still deciding that he had to do SOMETHING! Also him deciding to honour everyone they lost with that mural… perfection.
Ekko is so amazing and has done such amazing things despite being so young and so alone. Shout out to him honestly.
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Love Bite
charlie bushnell x famous singer & actor!reader
warnings: fluff, me making my own lyrics 😭
summary: in which you release a new album and reveal your bf
a/n had to make this after i heard need (unreleased) by mother context season 2 of pjo has come and ur silena in the show and ur 19 and we’re gonna pretend that silena and luke end up together ok? OK let’s go
liked by rachelzegler, iamcharliebushnell and 54,765,311 more
thisisyn my debut album love bite will be out 16th June 2024
this album shows all the loves of my life; myself, my friends, my family and most of all my boyfriend. you’re my inspiration, my love.
MY LEAD SINGLE UR SO HOT WILL BE OUT ON JUNE 1st
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rachelzegler can’t wait ❤️
percyseries love the cover
dior.n.goodjohn OMG IM SO EXCITED
➔ thisisyn CANT WAIT FOR YOU TO HEAR IT
walkerscobell new playlist for filming
leahsavajeffries i just know this is gonna eat
➔ thisisyn stop literally love you
bradynoon @aryansimhadri you gonna cover this?
➔ thisisyn leave the poor guy alone 😭
➔ aryansimhadri anyways…. i’m gonna cover your single at the next watch party
➔ thisisyn this is why you’re my favourite
user56 not aryans digital footprint coming up again
momonotamada gonna blast this in the car when it comes out
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liked by iamcharliebushnell, xochitlgomez and 67,046,711 more
thisisyn so… 15 songs and half of them are abt my boyfriend but not all some of them are about my family and the fun i have with my friends. but i have to say my boyfriend is probably the most song worthy man ever. i mean he’s like the son of a greek god.
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iloveyn WAIT SON OF A GREEK GOD??? AND SHES ACTING IN PJO IS THIS A HINT
xochitlgomez claiming ur so hot
➔ thisisyn babes i literally wrote it abt you
walkerscobell calm down is mine 👹
➔ thisisyn u need it
leahsavajeffries this is such a pretty album
➔ thisisyn i mean i based it off of you
dior.n.goodjohn relating to i miss you fr cos i miss you fr 😔
➔ thisisyn i’m coming next week bby
demigod whores
diorrrrrr
the greek god comment so smart
y/n
ikr 😼
walkie talkie
which songs are abt charlie so i can
skip them
rolling in the deep
dude the album is abt charlie
walkie talkie
so ur so hot is not abt charlie
y/n
most of them are things
charlie would say to me
cutie (leah)
speaking of where is charlie
y/n
he’s currently sleeping
on top of me
walkie talkie
ew
diorrrrrr
cuties
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thisisyn damn that height, those lips, that face, this is awkward. shit he’s so hot.
ur so hot now out on all streaming platforms the ur so hot mv will be dropping in 2 hours !! and yes my boyfriend is so hot, hotter than the sun.
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hearts4yn SHIT HES SO HOT
➔ user1 MAKES ME WANNA BREAK MY RULES
➔ ynloml A SMILE SO CRUEL
dior.n.goodjohn THIS IS SO GOOD AHH
➔ thisisyn OMG TYSM LUV U
connornoon help brady is blasting this in the other room
➔ thisisyn LMAOO
oliviarodrigo stop this is amazing 🤩
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leahsavajeffries can’t believe this was written abt some average dude
➔ thisisyn i’m telling him u called him average
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fallontonight y/n l/n opens up about her album and her boyfriend.
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hearts4yn what if it’s charlie?
➔ user43 who?
➔ ynloml charlie bushnell
➔ ynfanpage omg it makes sense the greek god comment?
➔ ynismywife and the popular show? she’s confirmed to be silena in pjo season 2
➔ user09 lukes love interest
➔ hearts4yn did we just figure this out
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iamcharliebushnell why is walker wearing the costume everywhere
tagged: walkerscobell
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thisisyn fr like i bet it stinks
➔ walkerscobell i don’t stink
➔ thisisyn ur a teen boy
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leahsavajeffries it does, i can confirm
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dior.n.goodjohn i feel sorry for leah and aryan
➔ aryansimhadri i feel sorry for us too
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thisisyn omw to filming but i just saw walker down six oreos
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ynismywife its giving disappointed older sister
walkerscobell that’s impressive
➔ thisisyn whatever you say kelp face
leahsavajeffries this is what i have to deal with 😔
➔ thisisyn i’ll get u ice cream to make up for it
➔ walkerscobell THATS NOT FAIR I WANT ICE CREAM
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thisisyn love bite is out now!
but the surprises aren’t over yet; calm down ft dior goodjohn mv is out and it’s directed by the one and only TAYLOR SWIFT and BLAKE LIVELY with guest appearances: renee rapp, ryan reynolds and angelina jolie
AND IM GOING ON TOUR!!!! just wanted to give u a heads up but that’s all i know for now rest of the information will be there in august for the tour that starts in february 2025! see you there
and happy birthday my love 🫶🏻
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ynismywife AND I SAID CALM DOWN
➔ user43 COS UR NOT THE ONLY ONE IN THIS ROOM NOW
hearts4yn who’s birthday is it today
taylorswift i loved working with you darling
➔ thisisyn the music video would’ve been in shambles without u and blake
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leahsavajeffries brb making this album my whole personality
➔ thisisyn my no.1 fan ladies and gentlemen
➔ iamcharliebushnell i thought i was no.1??
➔ thisisyn close second
liked by iamcharliebushnell, xochitlgomez and 67,981,211 more
thisisyn no dior and i aren’t gay cos we wrote a song abt pride love and yes charlie’s my bf
happy birthday to my muse, love bite wouldn’t have been possible without you 🫶🏻
tagged: iamcharliebushnell
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walkerscobell could’ve lived without seeing those pictures
iamcharliebushnell i love you darling
➔ thisisyn i love you too my love
sabrinacarpenter don’t u dare break her heart
➔ iamcharliebushnell i wouldn’t dream of it
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dior.n.goodjohn still don’t know how he managed to pull you
➔ thisisyn 🤷♀️
hearts4yn not charlie calling y/n darling 😍
➔ ynloml i get you y/n
➔ thisisyn RIGHT??
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iamcharliebushnell thank you for being the silena to my luke
tagged: thisisyn
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dior.n.goodjohn how am i meant to be mad at you for stealing my bby when you’re being so sentimental
➔ iamcharliebushnell don’t get mad
➔ dior.n.goodjohn no
thisisyn I LITERALLY LOVE YOU 🫶🏻
➔ iamcharliebushnell i love you too, sweetheart
oliviarodrigo cutest couple ever
walkerscobell y/n’s turning u into a softie
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a/n the photos took far too long to edit but i sorta love it ignore my made up lyrics they’re actually so cringe but i didn’t wanna use normal songs (i couldn’t use them cos i couldn’t find a good album cover) my roman empire is how everyone in the pjo cast has curly hair. good day to be a curly haired girl. hope u liked it
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