#In which I have many ideas for a third BJ movie lol

[herefortheships]

About that ending scene + Lydia and Betelgeuse's connection

I've been thinking about BJBJ's ending dream/nightmare scene, and I thought I'd give my two cents as to what the purpose and meaning of this scene could be.

I have only watched the movie once, but that ending sequence stuck with me as one of the most memorable moments in the movie, if only for how disturbing it was (to me).

That said, what I interpret as the purpose of this scene is really simple:

This scene serves to show the audience that Betelgeuse is not only not gone, but that he is indeed psychically connected to Lydia as he mentions early in the film. They have both woken up from the same fucked-up nightmare, thus showing that their connection remains intact.

This is what I think the scene itself means:

The birth of the Beetlebaby was Lydia's rude awakening. She can't simply banish Betelgeuse by saying his name three times anymore, because they are psychically connected (I'll talk more on this below). Sure, he will go away, but not permanently. Never permanently anymore.

Why does the baby come out of Astrid? Because that is the element of horror that turns the dream into the nightmare that shakes Lydia (or both Lydia and Betelgeuse) awake. It doesn't matter if Lydia decides to go and live her life with Astrid, ignoring the events prior, Betelgeuse is not gone.

Betelgeuse is not only still hanging around Lydia, exactly as he was at the beginning of the film, his connection to Lydia runs so deep that they can even share dreams/nightmares now (or he can at least enter or manipulate her dreams, and if they go with this one, then that means the terrifying Beetlebaby birth might have been placed in her dream as a little revenge for banishing him. Does Betelgeuse even sleep? I digress).

I think this is the very thread Tim Burton could use to start preparing Beetlejuice 3. Lydia and Betelgeuse's psychic connection. I do not think this was a throwaway line, or like Betelgeuse deluding himself, thinking that he and Lydia are connected. As I've said, I've only seen the movie once (bummer I was going again this week but something came up), but I'm sure there is enough solid evidence to support this. Beetlejuice is able to project images of himself around Lydia, without being summoned. Lydia is able to see glimpses of him because of this connection. The final dream sequence calls back to that line earlier in the movie and supports it/proves it to be true: they are indeed connected.

Now, here's the thing (and we're entering head-canon territory here), this isn't something he did alone; this can only happen because of Lydia herself.

We now know Astrid inherited Lydia's ability to see ghosts, what if there is more to it? What if they have psychic abilities that go beyond just being able to see the dead? I know the first movie made it seem like Lydia could see the ghosts because she was "strange and unusual", but I feel that this movie established that this is an ability that runs in her blood, as Astrid inherited it from Lydia. What if it's something that runs in her family? The answers could lie with Lydia's mother, who we now know is still alive.

As I said above, Lydia cannot just say Betelgeuse's name three times to get rid of him now; if she truly wants him gone, she is going to have to do something different. She will have to figure out a way how, and that's the story thread that could lead us to her finding her mother in the next movie.

Now, the keyword here is if Lydia wants to get rid of Betelgeuse.

This might be the reason she can't fully get rid of him just saying his name; it might even be the reason they're connected in the first place: She doesn't truly want him gone. It might even be her psychic abilities that are keeping Betelgeuse's presence from leaving her alone.

Take it with a massive grain of salt, obviously, as this is all speculation. But the movie sort of implied that all of Lydia's relationships have failed. Even her relationship with Richard, which seems to have been great. For what little we were given about it, it looked like he was someone she really connected to and loved. But something didn't work out there, despite this. Could it be that whatever connection Betelgeuse feels with Lydia that has led him to single her out as the love of his life, in his own words, Lydia has felt herself about him, albeit subconsciously (and perhaps much to her horror)? Lydia might have been intrigued by him for years, pushing it down due to her fear of seeing him again. She could be simultaneously fascinated and terrified by him. He is a very powerful demon and she wouldn't want to do something to cross him again, especially since their final interaction saw him betrayed from a contract he didn't stray from. She might have been fearful of Betelgeuse being vengeful.

But he wasn't vengeful. In fact, much to her surprise, he'd been longing to see her again for over thirty years.

Lydia now will have to grapple with her conflicted feelings for Betelgeuse and figure them out in the next film, if we're lucky to get it (and I have no doubt we will).

She could say his name three times, banish him away, but then her heart would summon him right back to her, and thus whatever psychic ability she has which also enables her to see the dead pulls him right back into her life and keeps their connection alive. It would be interesting to see if it turns out that it was her own feelings about Betelgeuse that have always kept him around "just out of reach" all this time, giving him a way in and keeping their souls connected. Like she subconsciously has known all this time they are meant to be together (soulmate storyline, if you will ✨).

[redd1e]

thank you @lovebillyhargrove for tagging me you’re so sweet!!! as someone who wants to write but never finds the motivation to carry on her ideas i LOVE sharing my HCs <3 so let’s get started!

oh and idk who to tag but if you see this feel free to join!

1. Do they get together BEFORE MF possessing Billy or AFTER shit goes down? (Or maybe DURING��)

before 100%!!! because then steve starts noticing that billy is acting weird and is able to help him in time. but now that i think about it it’s really interesting to imagine billy being reckless while being possessed, saying fuck it and ask steve out :’)

2. Who kisses who first?

steve kisses billy first! billy is brave and a flirt but super bad at soft intimacy such as first kisses

3. Where do they have their first sex? (Location) (HJs and BJs count)

uhhhhh so many options with this one! the camaro? a random bedroom at the halloween party? steve’s pool? in the locker room at school after everybody’s gone home? i don’t know where but i’ll go with some random place, not in an intimate place like steve’s bedroom, that’ll come later but for their first (and second and third) time i picture a casual place after they bicker or fight and get horny (starting as fuckbuddies like gallavich yknow?)

4. Who says 💖 I LOVE YOU 💖 first?

ohhhhh definitely steve, his big heart blurts it out after billy has done something meaningful for him or just after a random but nice date because he had such a good time and he stares at billy and just can’t stop himself for saying it

5. Bottom!Steve or Bottom!Billy?

i think i’m the 1% who doesn’t really have an opinion on it lol. both are good!

6. Do they give gifts to each other?

omg steve automatically buys everything billy wants like he’ll casually mentions he likes a pair of boots while they walk past a shop and boom the next day they’re his. to steve it’s not even spoiling, he just wants to make his boyfriend happy since he can. but billy is so mad because he sees it as a competition and he can’t afford things like steve can so he’s like 😤🤬🤬😤

7. Where do they end up living? California, Chicago, Hawkins... Idk .. Alaska??)))) Any other location?

cali is billy’s happy place so i see them moving there ahhhhh <33 billy being in his element again and steve staring at him having fun surfing with a big smile on his face, a bucket hat and A LOT of sunscreen on himself

8. What are their future jobs?

i see billy being a mechanic or something music related while steve hmm something that keeps him in contact with people since he’s a big extrovert? or omg make him work in a dog shelter!!

9. Who’s a better cook?

i’ve always pictured steve being really good at cooking since he’s at home alone 99% of the time so he learnt, also to distract himself for the loneliness. but also billy being a good cook sounds amazing so either steve or both!

10. Steve Hargrove or Billy Harrington?

✨ billy harrington ✨

11. What's Max's reaction when she hears they're together?

she suspected it and now mike owes her 20$

12. Describe in ONE SENTENCE Hopper's reaction when he hears the names Hargrove and Harrington mentioned together?

big BIG B I G sigh + eye roll because he can already predict the mess that duo will cause

13. Does Robin like Billy OR does Robin hate Billy?

BILLY AND ROBIN BESTIES PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!! they talk about music, movies and how dumb steve is (affectionate)

14. What about Dustin?

dustin is very protective of steve so he does the “hurt him and i’ll kill you” thing with billy to which he LAUGHS because what is that kid gonna do ??? but oh don’t ever underestimate dustin

15. Fav Harringrove AU?

pirate and merman is just SO chef’s kiss

16. Billy+Camaro=...???

his first love, but now it’s also tied to steve so whenever billy is alone and gets in he smiles because he remembers all the moments with steve in that car... the kisses, the sex, the confessions at 2 am, steve buying him red roses and accidentally spilling them all over the car, the car smelling like steve,... plus when he has to replace it he forever keeps a picture of it on his nightstand !! why did this get so sappy! oh well!

[herefortheships]

Ok so I was asked how Betelgeuse could be in danger in the third movie, since he seems to have evolved over the years and he's more respected and accepted now vs how he was in the first movie. And I replied to that that Beetlejuice could have lots of enemies from his past; ghosts and other spirits that might be waiting for an opportunity to harm him. Just with that bit, there are endless possibilities for the script writers to pick and choose what to do.

Here's my favorite idea if they go with this scenario of BJ being in some form of danger in the third movie and Lydia choosing to help him: They don't even have to introduce a new villain. They already have Delores and Rory! Instead of spending any screen time developing a new villain in the final movie, they already have these two established characters who have a solid motive to want to go after Betelgeuse and even Lydia. If the writers want to introduce another villain, this villain can even take the opportunity to team up with those two as well. But the point is, we have two villains already established, both with solid motivations. To add, they have the added flavor of being the leading characters' toxic and bitter exes.

Delores and Rory can team up to get revenge from BJ and Lydia for what happened at the end of BJBJ. According to them both, what is the root of their unhappy ending? Lydia! They could actually be targeting Lydia and using BJ as bait (in this scenario they would have to know Lydia at least cares about BJ, though. EDIT: This can work if, like I say below, they start the movie with a little time skip in which BJ and Lydia have already spent more time together with BJ popping in here and there through their psychic connection [haunting her] and have developed some form of relationship), or (tangent ahead) they can even use Astrid as bait (ok, that'd be more complicated though, unless they start haunting Astrid and scaring her, as Astrid can also see ghosts... as I said in the other post, there are many possibilities for the story to go on. Astrid tangent over).

But the point is, Delores could see Lydia as the one getting in between her and Betelgeuse, while Rory literally died because, well, his own actions, but he's a narcissistic pos so obviously he'll blame Lydia for his demise and ending in the other side in whatever form he has now (well, assuming he IS dead, which I think he is). They have revenge as motive, and we already know their backstories, so they can easily be the final villains and the writers don't have to do much effort, tbh.

Now that I'm rambling in this post I think that it'd make more sense if they target Lydia 🤔. So a third movie plot in which LYDIA is in trouble and BJ saves her would make more sense if we go with the Rory x Delores duo as villains lol. But then, what justifies the title being Beetlejuice's name three times? Would Lydia still have to call BJ to come to her aid or will he use their connection to get to her this time? She will have to call his name anyway at some point in the movie, it's just part of the whole BJ experience. To be honest, nothing has to justify it; it just feels complete if the title to the finale is Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. 😁💚💜✨

Might add to this post again later if I feel like I have more theories about how it could go. I probably will make a separate post exploring how a scenario in which Lydia is in danger and Betelgeuse feels responsible (because Delores is involved in it) would go. Anyway, Delores or no Delores, if Lydia is in danger for whatever reason BJ will do anything to help her. I just want to see a moment in that final movie in which it's clear Lydia has fallen for him as well; in which she is making a choice and accepting BJ and realizing she cares and wants to open her heart to him. Her choosing to save BJ instead of banishing away from her life would show how she cares for him, but really he doesn't need to be the one in danger for them to show how her feelings about him have changed in the final movie. You know what? The third movie should have a little time skip in which they've been communicating and interacting on and off over time, that'd be neat (especially if Lydia did stop filming her show and is alone in the house now that Delia is gone and Astrid is in a boarding school as we saw, BJ could be her company in the empty house). Starting the movie with a little time skip can show us she's been coexisting with Beej for some time and he's been sort of keeping her company now and then whenever he can tap into that psychic connection they share.

I want them to be endgame but I want it to be from both of them; I want Lydia to know he cares about her truly and for her to come to care for him truly as well. Lydia choosing BJ this time can also justify the final movie title being BJ's name three times too. 💚 For now these are my ramblings.

I hope we get a third Beetlejuice move and Lydia is the one trying to contact Betelgeuse this time around. That can even justify the movie being called "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice", because you have to say the name three times to summon him!

Why does she need or want to contact him? It can be for whatever reason, really, but my favorite is this: Betelgeuse has pretty much disappeared from Lydia's life and she isn't seeing him "haunting" her anymore, and she realizes or can sense that he is in danger, and Lydia knows she is the only one who will care or even want to save him.

Then she can start wondering why she is even doing this, why does she care? And she realizes he's sort of been watching her and protecting her from afar all this time and maybe she even has started missing his shenanigans. She realizes that even when she thought he was scary, he was actually looking out for her all along because he really loved her. And they share that psychic connection too, which she will probably use to find him if she can't summon him in the third movie for whatever reason.

Look, the ending left the door open for many possibilities for a final installment and I just hope they decide to do it and give Betelgeuse and Lydia their happy ending! Third time's the charm and they can marry for real. My only concern is that they may not be able to top the beautifully romantic wedding scene from the second movie. Who knows? That was so a Tim Burton aesthetic. We'll see. But that wedding needs to happen!

I honestly think Lydia's failed romantic relationships have to do with the fact that her true soulmate is in the "Neitherworld". Soulmates born too far apart from each other. Betelgeuse will wait for Lydia forever, and after the second movie I'm sure she will start to see him a different way. Maybe not romantic yet, but something must have changed, having seen a different side of him. Yes, he will always be creepy and gross, that's just who he is (come on, he is a ghostly entity or a demon of sorts, a "thing of nightmares"), but he does love her and will do anything for her. And by the end of the movie, she will know they belong together! As weird at that might be. haha