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thegayhimbo · 7 months

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Stranger Things Darkness on the Edge of Town Review (Part 1 of 3)

Warning: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS from both the book and from Season 4 of Stranger Things!

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are regarding the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

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

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Synopsis: When El discovers a box containing information about a 1977 case from Hopper's time with the NYPD, Hopper is forced to confront his past as he recalls his hunt for a dangerous serial killer with connections to the Occult......

Observations:

When I was in middle school, I remember writing a story that had a similar structure to this book: It started out as a normal case-of-the-week mystery usually found on Police Procedurals or even in detective novels like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Later on, said mystery would turn out to be just the tip of the iceberg to a far more insidious conspiracy that threatened the protagonists lives and everything they cared about.

Looking back years later, I have enough writing experience now to recognize my story was juvenile and riddled with plot-holes and other elements that didn't make sense. Still, I was a fan of escalating things in a story to make the villains threatening, and I still get a thrill whenever I see that element in movies, or read about it in books. In a way, Stranger Things is like that: What once was a mystery regarding the disappearance of Will Byers has now evolved into a battle between the main characters and a deranged psychopath who's leading his army of monsters to destroy the world.

Darkness on the Edge of Town is similar: It starts out as a case about an unhinged serial killer, only to take a hard left turn about a fourth of the way in and reveal that the threat posed is greater than Hopper could have imagined. The pacing for this book is brisk, the suspense is tight, and I managed to re-read the entire book in two days.

Like my previous reviews, this will be split into several parts regarding characters and social issues covered in the book. There's also a potential gold-mine here for theories about Season 5 (particularly in relation to the main antagonist and his possible connection to the Upside Down), and I plan to discuss those in-depth.

Part 1: El and Hopper

The narrative structure for this book is similar to the movie The Princess Bride in that the main story (Hopper's time with the NYPD in 1977) is within another story (Hopper celebrating Christmas with Eleven in 1984). Like the Grandfather from the movie who reads to his grandson, Hopper tells El about living in New York City, and a case he worked on back then. However, unlike the Grandfather, Hopper is initially reluctant to talk about it because of how violent it was, and it's only from El's prodding that he finally does.

Multiple times, the books cuts between Hopper's memories of the case in 1977 and his conversations with El in the present. El usually inquires about certain events that happened during the case, and tries to learn more about Hopper himself. There's even a scene where (at El's insistence) Hopper spoils a part of his tale to inform her that someone he personally knew from the story survived. It's a lot like when the Grandfather from The Princess Bride reveals to his grandson that Buttercup doesn't get eaten by the shrieking eels before the audience gets to see that scene for themselves. Cheeky! 😂

The passages between El and Hopper work because they help give insight into how Hopper views El, and they also allow El to get to know Hopper a bit better. Take for instance when El questions Hopper about Vietnam and Hopper's reasons for not wanting to talk about it:

Or the reasons why Hopper became a cop, and El piecing together what that entails:

El knew about Hopper's job as a cop (as evidenced by what she tells Kali in season 2), but I don't think she ever truly thought about what that meant for Hopper and the danger he subjected himself to on multiple occasions. In this story, she's getting a better picture of what Hopper's experienced in his lifetime. She's also beginning to realize how much Hopper sacrificed when he took her in despite knowing it could cost him everything.

On top of this, El demonstrates an emotional intelligence about certain situations Hopper talks about. One example is when Hopper discusses his partner, Rosario Delgado, and the sexism/racism she faced initially when she joined Brooklyn's 65th Precinct. El initially doesn't know the words, but she understands immediately that they way some of the men treated Delgado was wrong:

I remember a few years ago receiving a profoundly stupid comment from a Billy stan trying to justify Billy's bigotry by claiming the reason El didn't grow up bigoted is because she didn't know words like racism, sexism, abuse, and so on. Putting aside the brain-dead logic behind that statement, just because El didn't know those words doesn't mean she was incapable of understanding on an emotional level when people were being mean and prejudicial to others. El's greatest trait is that she's empathetic (even towards people like Vecna who don't deserve it) and she can pick up quickly when others are being mistreated and recognize that it's wrong. She did it with Mike in season 1 when Mike tells her about how he's been bullied, and she even had empathy for the kids at the lab who were slaughtered by Vecna despite the cruel way they treated her. That is not something Brenner or anyone else had to teach her. She already knew on an intrinsic level what bigotry was, and implying that El is too stupid to understand that because she doesn't automatically know certain words is insulting beyond belief.

Same principle applies for the fans who make asinine excuses for all the bullying Angela and her friends engaged in by claiming they're children who don't better and need adults to supervise them:

Unlike Hopper's daughter Sara, Angela is NOT a 6 year old who needs mommy and daddy to hold her hand and explain to her the difference between right and wrong. She knew perfectly well that her treatment of El in season 4 was vicious, and she chose to do it anyway because she could get away with it and felt justified in doing so. She is absolutely responsible for what she does, and claiming that she isn't is not only an idiotic take devoid of reason, it's that kind of mentality that leads to people enabling the worst of someone's behavior to the point they becomes narcissistic, self-righteous bullies. Angela lacks empathy. Same with Billy. They know their behavior is hurtful and wrong, and they don't care.

If someone like El, who was raised as a laboratory experiment with the intention of being molded into a weapon against the Soviets, was brutally bullied most of her life, and got manipulated by two different psychopaths who were using her for their own ends, is still capable of being empathetic towards others after all of that, then there aren't any excuses for how Angela and Billy behave. They are terrible people who deserve to be held accountable for their actions, and I have no patience for those who choose to make apologies for them.

Adding on to this, I know there's a perception that because El got bad grades in school when she was in Lenora, it meant she wasn't as intelligent as her peers. There's even a scene on the show where El's math teacher is dismissive of her after she gets another F in class and condescendingly tells her they'll talk after break while offering no means to help her. I also see fans apply this logic to characters like Eddie (who also got bad grades) and Steve (who wasn't able to get into college).

I could do an entire separate post about how the U.S. Education system is a poor measurement for intelligence in an individual, but I will say that just because the three of them struggled in school doesn't mean they weren't smart. Eddie simply didn't care about grades, and put more energy into learning D&D lore and playing guitar because that's what interested him (look at how quickly he learned "Master of Puppets" by Metallica on his guitar between the time the album came out and the night of his concert in the Upside Down). Steve isn't brushed up on certain topics, but he does make connections that other people miss (like the music he hears in the Russian recording in S3, or him questioning why Vecna stopped killing after 1959 and only started again recently). El by comparison is capable of learning, but because of her upbringing in the lab, it takes a little longer since she's stunted. Hopper acknowledges this in the book, and privately expresses his disgust for what Brenner did to her:

This is why, for all of his flaws, I like how Hopper teaches El: He works with her in the ways she needs to be able to develop. She learns at her own pace, and Hopper never makes her feel dumb for doing so. Regardless of whether this was unintentional, the book (and the show to some extent) make an inadvertent argument in favor of homeschooling as a better means of teaching someone compared to the school system's method of expecting everyone to be on the same level and punishing those who aren't.

Getting back to Hopper and El, at this point in the story, following the events of season 2, they have a better understanding of one another. Hopper trusts that El will be able to handle how graphic his backstory was, and El trusts Hopper to be honest with her and support her.

I also like how they referenced the game of Hungry Hungry Hippos that Hopper got El for Christmas, as well as the walkie-talkie her friends bought her. It's something that's depicted in the Winter Special, and I'm glad they kept track of that continuity nugget.

I also appreciate the acknowledgement in-universe from Hopper that, as much as he misses Sara, he recognizes El is a different person from her. She reminds him of his daughter, but he's trying not to project his idea of Sara onto El while he raises her.

I know in past reviews I've talked about characters who may die in season 5, but I doubt Hopper and El are on that list. They've already done two fake-out deaths for them (once for El in S1 and once for Hopper in S3), which gives the impression that if the writers wanted either of these characters dead, they would have killed them off already. They will likely survive to the end.

El's story in season 5 will likely be about stopping Vecna, but I'm curious if they're going to bring back the Russians again and Hopper will be stuck dealing with them at the same time as Vecna's invasion. There's a lot of unresolved questions surrounding this arc (like how the Russians found out about the Gate in the first place, how they were planning to weaponize the UD monsters, etc), and it's likely the KGB aren't going to let the damage at Kamchatka go unpunished. They'll either come after Hopper and his loved ones for retribution, or they'll try to restart their operation in Hawkins now that Vecna's gate is wide open for the time being.

On top of that, I'm curious what El's future looks like post-Vecna and the UD. Now that Hopper is back in her life, will she go back to being home-schooled by him? I can't imagine she's in a rush to return to Lenora with how viciously she was treated by her peers there, and she arguably might develop better without having to attend public school. There's also the question about her powers: Will she still keep them by the end of the show, or will something happen that will cause her to become ordinary again? I know they've already played that arc out in season 4, and they might avoid going there again for the sake of repetition. Still, if my theory is correct about the UD being connected to the powers El and Vecna have, and that the death of Vecna means the death of everything in the UD because of how he's used the Mind Flayer to intertwine himself into the hive mind, it could end up having an effect on El's powers going forward.

But this is all speculation. Whether they'll go that direction remains unknown as of now.

Part 2: Hopper's Case

When Hopper's case occurs, it's been 5 years since he moved away from Hawkins to New York City. This happens after Hopper came back from serving two tours in Vietnam, and was looking for a new purpose in his life. Quiet suburban Hawkins didn't sit right with him at the time, and he ended up convincing his then-wife Diane to move their family to the Big Apple.

In many ways, this is reflective of Hopper's character on the show: When he doesn't have some kind of purpose driving him forward, it's like he doesn't know what to do with himself. When I first saw Stranger Things, I thought that the less appealing aspects of Hopper's character (sleeping around with multiple women, constantly drinking, gaining weight from eating junk food in S3, etc) were just personality quirks of being a jaded washout. Having rewatched the show again (and read this book), I'm starting to see how those elements are symptomatic of PTSD and depression on his part. It's like he has to have something (or in the case of his family and friends, someone) to anchor to in order to have stability in his life. He even discusses this with Enzo/Dmitri when they're being held at Kamchatka:

From "The Nina Project" (Season 4, Episode 5):

Hopper: After that, I was just...I just hid myself in drugs and alcohol. And then people started coming into my life. This girl, El, and Joyce just happened, and I told myself they needed me. But that wasn't true. That's a lie. They didn't need me.............I needed them.

NYC is where he wanted to be at the time, and this case ended up being his big break.

The case itself begins as a simple hunt for a serial killer: Three victims (Jonathan Schnetzer, Sam Barrett, and Jacob Hoeler) who are stabbed in a way to form a five-pointed star on their chests while the killer leaves a calling-card behind:

Each of the murders are done in a ritualistic way, and the cards are later revealed to be Zener cards, which were created for use in experiments related to clairvoyance:

Things get complicated when the FBI (led by Agent Gallup, whom Hopper has a contentious relationship with) take over the investigation. Upset over this, and believing there's more they can learn from the case, Hopper and Delgado go behind their superior's back to find out more about the circumstances regarding the deaths of these men.

However, everything takes a sharp left turn when a gang-member named Leroy Washington comes to Hopper and promises to give him information about a cult leader in exchange for protection and getting his sister, Martha, safely out. He then gives Hopper a Zener card, similar to the ones found at the crime scenes, causing Hopper to realize that said cult leader (named Saint John) is behind the killings, and is planning something terrible:

I'm not spoiling much here by revealing who the killer is since the book unveils it within the first 110 pages. The remaining 300+ deal with Hopper working to stop Saint John before he enacts a plan that threatens the safety of NYC and its citizens.

When I discussed escalation in a story at the beginning of this review, this is what I was talking about.

Saint John acts as a cross between Charles Manson and Jim Jones. I wouldn't even be shocked if the author, Adam Christopher, drew inspiration for Saint John from these real-life cult leaders. Saint John prophecies an apocalypse, where Satan will come to New York City, sweeping darkness over the land, to claim his throne. To this end, he begins to build an army of followers by assimilating the various gangs of New York City into one organization called the Vipers, and having his acolytes poach various support groups (AA meetings, Veterans groups, etc) to recruit more followers.

At one point, Hopper is forced to go undercover as a cop on the run to infiltrate Saint John's organization to find out what his master plan is so the FBI knows how to stop it. When he actually meets Saint John for the first time, it becomes apparent to Hopper how both of them are uncannily similar:

Both men served in Vietnam, and both came back looking for a purpose in their lives. Hopper found his as a cop. Saint John found his as the leader of a cult.

The creepiest part is that, for all of Saint John's planning, his organization, his recruitment, his stockpiling of weapons and rations, his coordinated attack, his ideology.......................he actually believes what he's preaching. Hopper eventually realizes something happened to Saint John in Vietnam that made him this way. He is correct, but not in the way he thinks.

Part 3: Saint John's connections to the Upside Down

Towards the end of the novel, Saint John drops a bombshell about his time in Vietnam and what he was doing there:

While the book doesn't ever mention Dr. Brenner by name, it's possible the experiments done to Saint John in Vietnam were similar to the ones he did at Hawkins Lab, from the psychedelics he gave Terry Ives and other test subjects, to orchestrating El's birth and the creation of the other special children who were bred as weapons against the Soviets. Brenner may not have even had to be in Vietnam at the time. This could have been another branch of the U.S. government conducting similar experiments on soldiers to make them more efficient in the Cold War.

In any case, the insidious implication is that whatever they did to Saint John, it gave him a glimpse of the Upside Down and may have put him in contact with a malevolent force from the other side:

I've proposed a theory several times in my reviews of Six and Suspicious Minds that, in addition to the Upside Down being linked to the powers that El and Vecna have, the psychedelics given to the test subjects in the experiments may act as a telekinetic gateway between this world and the Upside Down. If Saint John was being experimented on in a similar way to the test subjects at Hawkins Lab, he could have seen the Upside Down in its original form (similar to how Vecna saw it when he was first sent there) and believed the place was Hell. It would explain why his entire cult is centered around the idea of Satan coming and darkness spreading across the world. There's also the bit he tells Hopper about hearing a voice that he attributes to Satan, but may have been some otherworldly force from the UD.

I know this book was written and published in 2019, two months before season 3 premiered, and that this book takes place 2 years before El would banish Vecna to the UD, but it should be noted that this book was overseen by Paul Dichter, who has been a writer for the show since season 1. If he's willingly giving information to the authors who pen these tie-in books about the mythology of the show and its characters, then it's likely these are ideas that have been discussed in length in the writers room. One of those ideas might have been a malicious force that powers and operates in the Upside Down which can influence people.

It makes me wonder if that same force reached out to Henry/One/Vecna as a child at the Creel House, did something that activated his powers, and acted as an influence on him (I say this not as a way to excuse all the terrible things Vecna has done, but to give one possible explanation as to how he became as psychologically messed up as he is).

On top of that, Saint John's killings and ideology is eerily similar to Vecna's: Both of them gruesomely murder selected people as part of a grander ritual. Vecna kills four teens (Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, and Max) to open a huge gate in Hawkins and invade with his army of monsters. All four teens are referred to as "sacrifices" by Vecna, and there's even been theories drawn by other fans (such as @itsanotheridiot and @dis-a-ppointment) that the victims chosen by Vecna each represented one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. By comparison, Saint John goes after 5 different victims to "summon the veil of shadow over the earth" and tells Hopper that Satan (or whomever was speaking to Saint John) showed him how to prepare the rituals:

Unlike with Vecna, it's ambiguous if Saint John's ritual would have worked, or if this was a part of his psychosis. If it's the latter, it still doesn't deter from how he had enough of a grip on reality to organize an army under his command, cause a city-wide blackout, and unleash destruction that cost lives. If it's the former, it makes me question if Vecna has a similar voice in his head, directing him like a puppet in part of a greater conspiracy, with that voice coming from somewhere the Upside Down. And unlike with Saint John, this voice succeeded with Vecna, and now has the means to unleash destruction upon Hawkins and beyond.

I'm sure Vecna will continue to act as the main antagonist in season 5 because of how integral he is to all the terrible things that have happened to the main characters, but there's still more about the Upside Down (and Vecna himself) that needs explanation, and there are probably far worse monsters in there than Demogorgons or Demodogs.

To Be Continued In Part 2............

#stranger things #jim hopper #el hopper #vecna #number 1 #henry creel #stranger things darkness on the edge of town #stranger things reviews #stranger things meta #tgh opinions #tgh reviews #angela stranger things #anti billy hargrove #the upside down #paul dichter #saint john #leroy washington #rosario delgado #adam christopher

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kebbopulos · 1 year

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I FINALLY DID IT

After hours of work I have compiled a chart of Tumblr's top 100 ships according to Tumblr's "Year in Review 2022" ships and organized them by fandom.

So! Here's how much of the top 100 each Fandom takes up!

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livsmessydoodles · 2 months

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remember when will sent a very irritated letter to the hawkins post to criticize their movie review. cause i think about that constantly

#hes so so silly. i love him so much #i can imagine him just aggressively writing it out with the biggest frown on his face #only he would be so genuinely outraged by a negative review of a movie he likes. i love him #will byers #stranger things

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squash1 · 17 days

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here’s to being there.

[the anthropocene reviewed by john green / stranger things / the raven cycle by maggie stiefvater / käthe kollwitz “the people” / ted lasso / in memoriam by alice winn / sex education / frog and toad]

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ayo-edebiri · 1 year

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Stranger Things + Tumblr 2022 Year in Review (insp)

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stevesbipanic · 1 year

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The way Steddie took out the number 2 spot for top Tumblr ships of the year? Insane. Even beating out Destial. Good job Byler (#1) and Ronance (#5) as well. It was really Stranger Things year for ships. Stranger Things was also top topic for the year. Good job everyone here both in support and anyone that created something even just the smallest headcanon.

#tumblr in review #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #byler #ronance

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nicostiel · 1 year

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Stranger Things + Tumblr 2022 Year in Review

#strangerthingsedit #stranger things #year in review #steddie #ships #tumblr2022 #tumblr 2022 #tumblr #eddie munson #steve harrington #joseph quinn #joe keery #stranger things 4 #*myedits

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fandom · 1 year

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Stranger Things

In a busy, fantastical year of sci-fi television, one show rose above the rest, and we’re betting you know exactly the one we’re talking about. Stranger Things has always been super popular on Tumblr, so it's no surprise this season wasn’t any different. After waiting an entire three years, we were treated to not one but two volumes of horrific, heartbreaking goodness.

From the moment we heard the opening notes of Journey's “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” in the first official trailer in mid-April, we knew this season would be on a bigger scale than we’ve ever seen for the series. That same week, Stranger Things made its first Fandometrics appearance of 2022. But the real excitement set in when Netflix released the first volume, a set of seven episodes, on May 27, 2022. The show has appeared on our weekly TV Shows list and remained in the top 20 ever since. Skeptical? Well, stranger things have happened!

The wild mid-season cliffhanger was enough to keep fans going through the month-long break between volumes. You used the interim to discuss theories and fears, share GIFs and edits, and post myriad fan works. Returning to Hawkins in July for the second volume, some of those theories and worries were confirmed. After the two final episodes, you came together once again to mourn your losses and discuss the ramifications of major events for the next (and final) season.

We all know the lifeblood of Stranger Things has always been its characters: We’ve rooted for them, shared their wins and losses, and watched them grow. This is especially true for the show’s ragtag group of teens who frequently find themselves looking for trouble in all the right places. This season, the Stranger Things fandom collectively fell in love with newcomer Eddie Munson: the long-haired, guitar-wielding dungeon master of our dreams. Eddie was the clear favorite by a mile, followed by Steve Harrington and Will Byers (fun fact: they are actually the top three fictional TV characters on Tumblr for the entire year). We’d also like to give honorable mentions to Argyle, Chrissy Cunningham, and Vecna, all of whom have made for major topics of conversation.

And, with everything these characters have endured, season after season, their bonds have become stronger than ever. Steve Harrington is still everyone’s favorite dad (Hopper is a close second), and Tumblr has dubbed Robin and Steve platonic soulmates. This new chapter brought seasoned and budding friendships, romances, and of course, a whole lot of ships. You picked apart every interaction and every lingering gaze and came to the conclusion that Steve and Eddie totally should’ve been together. And then there are the ever-diligent Byler, Ronance, and Jopper shippers. We see you, too.

If all of this wasn’t enough to demonstrate the impact of Stranger Things 4 on Tumblr, then maybe this will: Stranger Things was the #1 thing on all of Tumblr this year. Yes, of all the tags used this year, the sci-fi hit reigned supreme.

It basically turned Tumblr upside down.

#year in review #stranger things #tumblr2022

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ectonurites · 1 year

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a lil 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

#quick edit to the tags to mention: i didnt put the community label on this?? tumblr did for some reason???#i requested a re-review because uh. that is not necessary here???? but who knows what’ll happen #ANOTHER quick edit: it has been resolved and the label removed wahoo #byler #byler art #mike wheeler #will byers #stranger things #st #stranger things 4 #sam draws shit #i have too much fun scrolling through vintage clothes on etsy to pick outfits for them sdfdf... its the Child Of A Costumer in me

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willel · 2 years

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"We'd never have to work", so quoteth the other crime twin

#stranger things #will byers #el hopper #willel #my content #I was just reviewing stuff again and I noticed how Will was just watching the shenanigans #of course he knows El would enjoy scamming vegas

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ofalltheginjoints · 1 year

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Joe Keery in Slice (2018)

#joe keery #joekeeryedit #stcastedit #stranger things cast #slice 2018 #horroredit #the amount of effort i put into finding a decent quality ANYTHING of the movie....#i ended up having to sceen record so thats why the quality is so [fart noise]#anyway!#i enjoyed the movie despite all the bad reviews. i think ppl are just excepting too much these days.. they want everything to be a Film #sometimes i just wanna enjoy a movie yknow #anyway he had like 3 scenes and i didn't even know he was in the movie until after i started it #so that was a nice surprise #he's uh. He's Cute #jkeery #brainrot #and one more thing? they have to stop putting him in these jeans like. do they want me to die??

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thegayhimbo · 7 months

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Stranger Things Darkness on the Edge of Town Review (Part 3 of 3)

Warning: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS from both the book and from Season 4 of Stranger Things!

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are regarding the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

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

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Part 6: Inspirations for the Book

In the past, I've noticed certain Stranger Things comics and tie-ins have similar elements to other books/movies. Tomb of Ybwen paid homage to The Goonies while containing multiple references to Lord of the Rings. Hawkins Horror had several stories taking inspiration from either Stephen King or common urban legends. Rebel Robin, a book centered around Robin discovering her identity as a lesbian, contains plot aspects from 80s movies like Sixteen Candles. Even the upcoming comic The Voyage (set to be released on November 1st) looks like it'll borrow heavily from Alien (1979) except instead of in space with the Xenomorph, it'll be on a cargo ship with the Demogorgon.

While I can't say whether or not this is a coincidence, I noticed that Darkness on the Edge of Town had many similarities to two different properties: A movie called Escape from New York, and a Batman comic called Batman: The Cult.

Escape from New York is a 1981 movie directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell. It takes place in an alternate timeline where the Cold War is still ongoing, and Long Island has been converted into a massive prison for all the criminals (similar to what Hugo Strange does to Gotham's criminal population in Batman Arkham City). During a flight over the island, Air Force One gets hijacked, and the President ends up crashing inside the prison. He gets taken hostage by a gang led by its leader, The Duke, who threatens to kill the President unless he and the other prisoners are granted amnesty and allowed to walk free. In exchange for getting pardoned from a life sentence, the government makes a deal with a man named Snake Plisskin (Kurt Russell's character) to infiltrate New York City and rescue the President within 24 hours.

Like Snake, Hopper is a former war veteran who received honors for his services. Unlike Hopper, who became a cop and moved to NYC, Snake became a criminal after becoming disillusioned with what the United States had become. Both men are forced to undertake a dangerous mission: Snake takes up the task because he was being slated for execution before the situation with the President occured, and Hopper is forced to go undercover in Saint John's cult after Agent Gallup threatens to destroy Hopper's life if he doesn't comply with his demands:

Both men get put in dangerous situations in New York City at night where they're forced to fight for their lives alongside different companions. There's even a scene from the movie where Snake and his group are attacked by crazies in their car, which is eerily similar to what happens to Martha and Hopper in their car when the blackout happens and the rioters on the street go after them:

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Both the movie and the book feature a charismatic leader of a gang as the main antagonist: Saint John and The Duke. The difference is their motives: Saint John is looking to fulfill his prophesied apocalypse whereas The Duke is hoping to use the President as leverage to help him (and presumably his gang) escape the hellhole New York City has become. In many ways, the Duke is more sympathetic than Saint John because, while he is framed by the movie as a bad guy, his reasons for wanting to get out are easy to understand. It doesn't help that both the President and the government are shown to be self-serving and callous towards the loss of human life, which is something that disgusts Snake. Unlike this book, Escape from New York ends on a bitter note with Snake non-verbally acknowledging that, despite the events that took place, things in the country were not going to change. Snake is also treated as an anti-hero by the narration compared to Hopper who (along with Delgado) are framed in a heroic light.

Likewise, Batman The Cult contains similar elements to Darkness on the Edge of Town in regards to their villains and certain plot points. Like Saint John, Deacon Blackfire is a cult leader who lures in the homeless and the desperate to create an army which he can use to take over Gotham City. He masquerades as a benevolent priest running a homeless shelter much in the same way Saint John and his followers attended support groups as a means of recruiting potential followers.

Both Saint John and Deacon Blackfire have an understanding of the deeper problems plaguing society. While they claim they want to fix those issues, it's really about them exploiting the current state of things to drive their agendas forward:

Both of them want the hero (i.e. Batman and Hopper) to join them on their crusade and even use drugs and brainwashing as a means of putting the hero under their control.

The difference is Deacon Blackfire succeeds in breaking Batman via holding him prisoner for a week, torturing him, starving him, drugging him, and chipping away at his will. By contrast, Saint John was acting with limited time in trying to brainwash Hopper in the climax, and Hopper manages to fight this long enough to overpower Saint John.

Both Deacon Blackfire and Saint John create an army for the purpose of attacking a city. Both attacks are coordinated, planned out, and cause untold damage and chaos:

Both of them preach an ideology and build lore around themselves. Deacon Blackfire claims he's doing God's work while Saint John claims he's acting on behalf of Satan:

Both of them are also scarily effective in whipping their followers into a frenzy:

Where the villains differentiate is how they're defeated. While Saint John is overpowered by Hopper and fatally stabbed (dying with the belief he did the right thing) Deacon Blackfire gets humiliated by Batman in front of his followers. This has the effect of causing said followers to immediately turn on Blackfire for daring to show weakness, as well as realizing they've been duped by Blackfire the entire time:

Unfortunately, Saint John's followers don't ever see him humiliated the same way Blackfire was, so it's questionable if (after the FBI and NYPD got back control of the city) Saint John still has disciples out there following his defeat who will continue to carry out his work. Not all of them were arrested by Agent Gallup's task force unfortunately. However, it's a moot point since it's likely there won't be a follow up sequel to this book.

Again, I can't confirm if Adam Christopher took inspiration from either Batman The Cult or Escape from New York, but there are so many aspects of those stories similar to the ones found in this book that I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Regardless, I like the parallels between these three stories and how they complement each other in regards to themes and plot.

Final Thoughts:

This is a must-read book! It serves as a nice prequel to the show, and gives more backstory on Hopper while also expanding on his character and his relationship with El. It also fits well with the continuity of the show, and (as far as I can tell) doesn't contain any errors related to canon. It's a thrilling, fast-paced novel with plenty of suspense and insight. If (or when) you get the chance, check it out! :)

#stranger things #jim hopper #el hoppper #rosario delgado #martha washington #leroy washington #escape from new york #batman the cult #tgh opinions #tgh reviews #stranger things darkness on the edge of town #stranger things meta #stranger things reviews #Youtube #adam christopher

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willelbyers · 1 year

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byler ranked above destiel in tumblr ships list… something has shifted in the universe

#year in review #stranger things #spn #byler #destiel #byeler

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kafiguas · 2 years

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Istg this better not happen

Edit: GODDAMMIT

#I’ve read 2 reviews that hint to it #i don’t like it #stranger things #stranger things season 4 #st #Netflix #steve harrington #nancy wheeler #joe keery #natalia dyer

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callunavulgari · 4 months

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Top 25 Fics of 2023

1. whatever you want by Wildehack (tyleet) | Wolf 359 | Kepler/Jacobi | 5k

Kepler doesn't fuck him that first day, when Daniel swallows his pride like it's a hot coal he can feel boiling down to the pit of his stomach and dials the number left on the card. Heather Says: Back in 2017, Wolf 359 changed my life. I relisten to it every year. I reread fic. I sometimes write it. And THIS year, I was blessed with one of my favorites writing my favorites from Wolf 359. It's honestly exactly what I wanted out of a Wolf 359 fix it/coda.

2. god was a dog-man by @andthepeople | Teen Wolf | Derek/Stiles | 13k

“Do you have a secret teenage son?” Stiles demands, as soon as Derek opens the door. Heather Says: I did NOT watch the Teen Wolf movie this year. I did, however, relentlessly stalk reaction posts and (very select) gifsets. I also read this fantastic fic, which is now the movie in my brain because since I didn't see it, I'll never know.

3. then out of nowhere, somebody comes and hits you with an ooh la la la, ooh la la la, ooh la la la, ooh by @calciseptine | Deadpool | Peter/Wade | 49k

A man with spider-themed superpowers accidentally breaks into Wade's apartment. Heather Says: Deadpool is one of those fandoms that I'm technically a part of because I like it and I think Spiderman and Deadpool is both hilarious and hot, but it's always just on the edge of my peripherals. But sometimes Steve's fic just kind of creeps on me and demands my attention. This was my feel good fic this spring.

4. By the Laws of Magic by Lenore | The Sandman | Dream/Hob | 32k

It’s 1959, and Hob Gadling is working at a London auction house, amazing his colleagues with his uncanny knowledge of art and artifacts from the 14th century on. When he gets the assignment to catalogue a family library at a place called Fawney Rig, he looks forward to a working vacation in the country. What he finds is a house with a preternatural chill where odd disturbances happen daily, an ornate carved door with a secret clearly hidden behind it, and visions of his mysterious stranger every time he turns around. Heather Says: I honestly love this ship. The fairy tale elements combined with the very compelling idea that in another universe much like this one, Hob Gadling ends up saving Dream from his glass prison made for some truly great fiction.

5. Dawnshot Through the Heart by @sirnotappearinginthisblog | Wax&Wayne series | Wax/Wayne | WIP | 80k

Ten years ago, Wayne fled instead of letting himself get arrested for murder. He’s been an outlaw ever since, keeping one step ahead of the lawkeepers who want him dead or alive—especially Dawnshot. But his luck was bound to run out eventually, and he knows how it always ends for the Bad Guys in stories. Heather Says: I think that this is the only WIP on here but I cannot rightfully leave it off because I LOVED this fic this year. I love the Mistborn series, but I've never really sought out fic for it before. This one though, this one found me. The writing is SUPERB and I wish it was a bigger fandom because it deserves so much love, you guys. It's so so so good. I love Wax and Wayne's dynamic in the series. They're great. But also- what if they had an enemies to lovers thing going on that turned poly? WHAT IF?!

6. One Size Fits All by @entanglednow | Stranger Things | Eddie/Steve | 65k

Steve just wanted to do something nice for a friend, he doesn't mean to get Eddie's ring stuck on his finger, and it's definitely not his fault that everyone he knows is jumping to conclusions. Heather Says: This is not the last time that you will see this author or this ship on this list. I really would have thought that Steddie would have crept out of my brain right now, but NOPE. And part of that is because every couple weeks entanglednow drops an absolute BANGER of a fic that obliterates my brain for anything else.

7. you are spring by @wildehacked | Supernatural | Castiel/Dean | 20k

God makes a wish. His parents work some things out. Heather Says: I got very close to leaving this one off the list, not because it wasn't good or that it wasn't one of my top 25 but purely because I've been out of the Supernatural fandom for so many years. I mean, c'mon. I didn't watch the last FIVE seasons. However, getting to follow along wildehacked's rewatch journey on twitter was a blast from the past and then THIS lovely shining fic that they churned out lured me back in for one last nibble at this ship that took over my life for the better part of a decade. It is so incredibly amazing and since I never finished the series, I will happily go on pretending that this is how it ended.

8. Interim by starkraving | BotW/TOtK | Ganondorf/Link/Zelda | 95k

She has no throne. Girls without thrones should not have knights, but hers won’t go. Princess Zelda – the girl who killed Calamity – would love to fade into legend, but Link’s bought a house, he’s fighting off monsters, and he’s selling giant horses to strangely familiar Gerudo men. She'll never have any peace now. Heather Says: This fic. THIS FIC. Is so richly built. Is so intoxicating. It leans into found family. You spend chapter after chapter watching Zelda and Link traverse Hyrule with the hot Gerudo that they met along the way after the events of the first game. And it is so fucking compelling. Honestly, while I'm happy that they smooched, I would have been completely fine reading another 100k of just these three wandering Hyrule together, being absolute goblins. 10 out 10, will read again.

9. one hundred years past by tciddaemina | BotW/TotK | Ganondorf/Link | 38k

Link wakes up a century early. It changes everything. Heather Says: Can you tell that playing Tears of the Kingdom left me desperately thirsty for any and all Ganondorf content this summer? I'm a sucker for all sides of the poly triforce but I'll admit that Ganondorf and Link scratches that enemies to lovers itch PERFECTLY if it's done well. And this one is done well.

10. Step Right Up by entanglednow | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 3k

Steve had mostly given up on trying to meet anyone new after everything, but it's been six months and his friends had started giving him pointed nudges to get out there again. Heather Says: Told you it wouldn't be the last you saw of entanglednow. I actually think that this might be my favorite fic that they've written? Which is saying a lot because I will scream it to the rafters that any Steddie fan should read their fic. But this is FUN HOUSE MIRROR MAZE and MISTAKEN IDENTITY KISSING. Guys, I have no chill about this fic. I have no chill about Steve's hands in Eddie's hair, or the sounds that he makes, or the smell of strawberry. It is just so so good.

11. the most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it’s you by @greatunironic | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 35k

Sixteen years after the world didn't end for the last time, Max Mayfield showed up on Steve’s doorstep and said, “You gonna walk me down the aisle in May or what?” Or, it’s 2002 and Steve Harrington attends a wedding, a funeral, and a birth. Heather Says: I genuinely do not think that I have words for this one. It is one of those all encompassing fics that sucks you in and just won't spit you out again. It hurts, an ache just under the breastbone. But god, it's so beautiful.

12. Fight Night by @rlnerdgirl | Teen Wolf | Derek/Stiles | 12k

Stiles starts fighting in college. He doesn't tell anyone. Heather Says: There are three...? Yeah, three Teen Wolf fics on this list. Three. Like it's 2015 again. Like my brain broke and time went ticking all the way back to when I was ridiculously invested in these characters. But honestly? All three Teen Wolf fics on this list are incredibly therapeutic. They get to be the ending for me instead of whatever clusterfuck good ole Jeff tried to pull. This one in particular is fantastic because it's canon-divergence after SEASON one. Yes, we have Erica and Boyd. Yes, Stiles is BAMF. It's a good read.

13. strange fear i ain’t felt for years by Sister | Batman | Tim/Jason | 31k

“Can’t believe a pretty thing like you has to come begging to the Red Hood,” he says against Tim’s neck. “Thought they’d be lining up down the block for you. Thought Daddy would need to get the shotgun.” Heather Says: Oh look, another ship and fandom that I was only peripherally aware of that had me in a chokehold for a good month and a half. I don't even like DC that much.

14. Silver-Tongue by starkraving | Baldur's Gate 3 | Astarion/Karlach | 9k

Astarion fast-talks an abnormal number of enemies into killing themselves in the shadow-cursed lands and the team makes idle (then less idle) conversation about it. Heather Says: Okay, so I STILL have not finished this game. I have however very carefully consumed as much content as I can get my hands on without being completely and totally spoiled. This was the first fic that I really loved in this fandom. It's no surprise that I ship Astarion happily with everyone, but damn is he good with Karlach in this one. Their characterization is perfect.

15. A Sign of The Morning by ToEdenandBackAgain | Stranger Things | Eddie/Steve | 86k

Vecna is dead. The Upside Down is cut off from Hawkins yet again. Steve is trying to go back to normal, whatever that is. He's also trying to figure out exactly how Eddie Munson has managed to fit so easily into his life. Heather Says: Honestly? What can I say about this one? It has 19,000 kudos despite being published last June. It's on a ridiculous number of collection/rec lists. The tension is exquisite. The found family? Even better.

16. Phantom of Truth by Haiju | Danny Phantom | Maddie Fenton & Danny Fenton | 58k

Locked away in a secret government lab with Phantom as her sole object of study, nothing stands between Maddie and the truth... except, perhaps, herself. Heather Says: Oh look, another fandom that I have never ever been a part of. I saw this REALLY NEAT and angsty tiktok (tw for ghosty gore) and basically immediately was sucked into a show that I've never even watched before. The comments lead me to this fic which is perfectly gen, angsty, and honestly absolutely perfect. I cannot get over how much I loved this.

17. Manacled by senlinyu | Harry Potter | Draco/Hermione | 370k

Harry Potter is dead. In the aftermath of the war, in order to strengthen the might of the magical world, Voldemort enacts a repopulation effort. Heather Says: I did the thing. I read the incredibly dark fic that I've been avoiding since 2018. I typically steer-clear of anything that is overly bleak and I do not tiptoe into non-con waters often. But one of our groomsmen who isn't even involved with fandom read this so that his girlfriend would watch Star Wars with him and then spent a good portion of a Halloween party talking it up. So I gave it a shot. Over all, it is too bleak for me. That said, I finished it in a weekend. I loved it. I hated it. I wish I'd broken it up over a longer period of time because the emotional bleed off of it was intense.

18. Ready for Love by @idiopathicsmile | Singin in the Rain | Cosmo/Kathy/Don | 12k

Don and Kathy would move in together. They would have a dog or two and then inevitably, a small parade of adorable little brats who would call him Uncle Cosmo, and they would spend less and less time with him, not on purpose but busy with the rest of their lives, and ultimately Cosmo would learn to make his peace with it because he’d have no other choice and he would have to try to move on and not live too much in his memories. He could picture it so clearly, he figured if the songwriting gig with Monumental didn’t pan out, he could always return to the backwater circuit with a new act: The Amazing Cosmo of the Cosmos—ladies and gentlemen, he sees the future, he reads the stars, he silently pines for his best married pal and all the while tap dancing! Don and Kathy inviting him along on their honeymoon, though—that part was a surprise. Heather Says: I LOVE this movie. It is one of my biggest comfort movies. I watch it to feel happy. I watch it when I'm sad. And I have always shipped these three but NEVER read fic for it. And honestly? I'm glad I waited for a good fic to find me because this one was perfect.

19. A Series of Forgettable Events by @trensu | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 27k

Steve wanted to be a dad more than anything. Unfortunately, he was a single dude in his thirties which meant no adoption agency in the world was willing to give him a chance. Or at least no human adoption agency. Heather Says: Honestly just a delightful little jaunt in a world where Steve wants to be a dad, Eddie is a very overprotective siren, and the kids are, well. Little horrors. I love it. There's a sequel now which I am very patiently waiting to read it until I am less busy in RL.

20. the dry sand of daylight by @andthepeople | Inception | Arthur/Eames | 15k

Arthur is married to Eames for the better part of a decade. Then he wakes up. Heather Says: This fic left me ACHING for the Inception fandom circa 2010-2012. When livejournal was still a thing and the fandom community was alive and thriving. It is so achingly tender and perfect. I had forgotten how much I loved them.

21. brutalist masterpieces by @greatunironic | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 12k

Ten years on, in a town in Nova Scotia, on the edge of the Atlantic, Eddie finds Steve again, and also maybe himself. Heather Says: Maybe that's my thing this year. Achingly sweet tender pieces that leave you reeling in the aftermath. This fic is SO incredibly beautiful.

22. What Made Milwaukee Famous by synthetica | Danny Phantom | Vlad/Danny | 30k

Ten years after establishing a tenuous truce, Danny crash-lands at Vlad's Milwaukee lakehouse with a particularly nasty wound, three days recovery time, and absolutely nothing to do but talk to his long-lost archnemesis. Heather Says: I'm told that this is something of a rarepair. However, from the limited information that I have from the series I can say with full certainty that two ghostly beings locked for years as enemies growing up and meeting in the middle? Fully my thing.

23. then now and always by @raisesomehale | Teen Wolf | Derek/Stiles | 13k

Stiles is stuck. Stiles is stuck in the fucking snow in the middle of bum-fuck-nowhere at night with a broken down car three days before Christmas, and the nearest tow truck company—over fifty miles away—doesn’t open until morning. Heather Says: And here we have the promised third Teen Wolf fic, the most cathartic of the bunch. I am so so sweet on future fic particularly in this fandom with missed chances. And this one is just so syrupy sweet. It's winter! There's horses! Derek's an alpha! They smooch. Anyway, this is how I cope with a series finale that didn't happen and a movie that doesn't exist.

24. Terminus by @rcmclachlan | Loki | Loki/Mobius | 4k

"Keep me here," he begs against Mobius's lips. "You must keep me here." Heather Says: What do you mean you didn't spend all three replays of the Loki series finale weeping into a pillow? What do you mean you didn't spend the next few days trying to find the perfect coda? What do you mean that you didn't find this fic and positively expire from the sheer fucking tenderness in Mobius' voice? What do you mean? What. do you. mean? Anyway, I know I'm not supposed to have number one favorites. This list exists because I cannot condense it further than 25. But guys, this was my favorite fic this year.

25. Eye Of The Beholder by @entanglednow | Stranger Things | Steve/Eddie | 22k

Eddie works himself up to ask Steve if he can borrow his instant camera, because the type of pictures he wants to take are…not the kind he can get developed in town. Heather Says: And to round it out, another Steddie. This one with sexy photos. The tension is killer.

#heather says what #top 25 #year in review #fic recs #recommendations #2023 #new year's memes #teen wolf #stranger things #loki #inception #supernatural #danny phantom #dc #harry potter

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