#What's it gonna be Duffer bros

[craziertogether]

stand UP.

i am so sorry to say this like this, but guys please stand up. there is absolutely no way anything in those leaks are true. i’m not even going to share the original bc it isn’t even worth the space in this post. but let’s be so honest, if byler isn’t confirmed or endgame that is something that i will discuss later, regarding the actual plot points revealed. WHY would any information about ST5 be revealed to the public? the duffers and netflix have been so secretive about everything to the point that we have gotten practically NO new content regarding the new season. There have been interviews yes, we’ve gotten very general ideas of mike and will’s relationship and that we know the show is ahead of editing but absolutely NOTHING has been said besides “you guys will be very happy”. they have continued saying since season 3 that “season X is the best season, it’s bigger than the last” and each time we have been proven correct, as bylers and as fans the show has grown into bigger things with bigger relations and bigger villains. so please tell me why ANYONE is believing that “the same season 4 tactics will be employed” and “EVERYONE SURVIVES” has us shaking rn. stand up.

regarding byler leaks. i am actually a byler truther, maybe i’m delusional and maybe we all are. but my goodness, we know the duffers are incredibly talented at writing and creating plot lines and storytelling, why in the ever living hell would they create a universe where they again stated it’s for outcasts, claim that “will takes center stage” in season 5 and that he “comes into his own” AND “he gets a love interest”, all to let him have a huge confession scene to get rejected by the person he’s been set up to be in love with for nearly 8 years IRL and a decade in the show. like i’m sorry but, what do you mean you expect me to believe that you guys believe that will, who so thinly but successfully veiled his love confession, poured his entire heart and soul into mike but not for his own desires but to make mike happy and to continue doing what he has always done. which is giving mike strength (season 1 finding him, season 2 helping him while he was possessed, season 3 helping him come to terms with his sexuality unknowingly and remind him of his actual love, will and his friends, and season 4 remind him he isn’t useless) and then he’s going to what? DO IT AGAIN? “hey mike i actually uhm yeah so i know i lied to you breaking our biggest rule but i had to let you know that actually the painting was from me and el doesn’t think of you at all the way that i said, it was all me bro” followed by a “oh my fault bro, uhm i don’t see you like that but let’s stay friends and i’m gonna marry your sister and uhm yeah ig well see each other around sorry if i confused you or something but thanks for helping me get over my inability to tell my girlfriend that i love her”. IF this happens i will personally go to the duffers house and kidnap them and make them watch byler edits and read analyses with them AND livestream it bc what a TERRIBLE ending.

like guys.. i acc cannot with you guys who are believing this “leak” i’m sorry 😭🙏. but please don’t tell me you’re going to let an unconfirmed source, AN ANONYMOUS LEAKER, of all things deter you from the incredible analyses and actual CANON information and content from the show??? will and mike are shown to have intimate moments, paralleled to actual couples, and have been SET UP to be in a love triangle, all canonically, and this on leak from a faceless twitter account with no actual connection to any cast/staff working with the show has you guys crumbling at the knees.

STAND UP I SAY. WE HAVE BIGGER ISSUES, LIKE WAITING FOR THE ACTUAL SEASON TO COME OUT.

ps. i’m such a yapper but guys please PLEASE BE SO FR.

[cherryssodapop]

Billy Hargrove astrology chart analysis

Though I could be wrong about the time, the aspects are pretty much the closest I’m gonna get (Unless somehow Dacre or the Duffers have released the information of Billy’s birth time and I just don’t know. I punched in 'March 29, 1967 11:06 AM San Diego USA' my fellow astrology baddies do what you will with this information Either way the main planets SHOULD stay the same but his houses might be different BUT we’re proceeding with what we have!).

Now, mind you I haven't done this in a while, I'm SUPERRR outta practice so to my fellow astrology baddies if I miss anything I'm so sorry 😭.

Alr lets get into it, same as the readings I did for Dallas and Darry I'm gonna go by planet and house and basically explain what it all means.

Sun in Aries (in 10th house) - okay so this is so interesting because even prior to me calculating his chart, I always knew Billy was some sort of fire sign, I mean, LOOK AT HIM??? Like HE'S a fiery little cracker (hahaha cracker... I'm sorry im jk I love u B).

But anyways the sun in 10th house is really interesting, I found a post on here that really explained in depth that aspect and how it affects the natal person (Post here) Basically, people with this placement crave recognition, they stand out with confidence and charisma that often draws attention towards them without fail (we see this the second he arrives at Hawkins, he draws attention towards himself immediately). They naturally gravitate toward leadership roles, even if they didn't ask for it (everyone gravitated towards him and put him on the pedestal of being the "King" and dethroning Steve from the social hierarchy). Their drive for validation stems from fragile self-esteem, leading to feelings of underappreciation despite their efforts. Failures can be deeply personal, like they take failure personally and it affects them greatly, but their ambition and resilience pushes them to rise again, embracing challenges as part of the path to success (started working full time the second he graduated so he could work towards leaving his abusive father).

But back to his sun though, Aries is so interesting because that's so accurate???? Like he's intense, he's passionate. He's very straight forward and will say what he has to say with his chest. People tend to follow him around where he goes, Aries are leaders. They can be spontaneous and impulsive. Stubborn but also a bit reckless. These people are your typical "act before think" people, but like who doesn't love a little chaos 🤪. They're ruled under Mars so this sign is all about action and getting shit done. They'll talk their shit and rock your shit, so messing with them isn't really a good idea. But if an Aries likes you they can be a lot of fun. They're very energetic and active people. You'll be anything but bored with them.

now onto his cutesy little moon

scorpio moons are have my heart because they're so sensitive and emotional, that often it's overwhelming even for them let alone an outside person.

People with Scorpio moons often have traumatic childhoods especially his being in 5th house, so probably exposed to big dramatic fights, or the conflict or circumstances were very grand and outrageous (bro kinda witnessed his mom get beaten by Neil and in turn gets beat himself now that he's older). At the same time these are very strong and enduring individuals. Because they tend to always think about the worst possible scenario, have a very cynical and distrusting view on the world. But at the same time, let's not forget, they are water signs, so that sensitivity will always be there, deep down this sign is scared of being alone. There will always be a part of them that will crave intimacy, like true, deep, raw (lol) intimacy. However because of this deep desire, these people can also often be a little.... delulu per say. Like obviously once you've lost a scorpio moons respect they will immediately cut you out like literally, they will treat you like your dead. But Scorpio being the sister sign of Taurus and being a fixed sign, it would take a lot for a scorpio moon to leave like they will put up with A LOT, which is why they often can get taken advantage of in relationships (:/// ). So yea scorpio moons need to be protected and wrapped up in a blanket with some hot coco and be kissed on the forehead.

Moving onto his Mercury (smiles in mercurian dominant myself)

I find this so interesting because on one hand pisces mercurials can be really wise and intelligent (being the last and oldest of the zodiac), these people can have an "old soul" type of mentality so I can totally see them being into topics like philosophy, spirituality, creative arts, anything to really boost their imagination. his 9th house boosts this even more since 9th falls under sagittarius which is all about philosophy and teaching. Because of this, often people with this placement are really good writers. (so I totally agree with the head cannon of Billy secretly writing poetry, and being good at playing games like dnd).

This placement often gets mislabeled as "dumb" or "ditsy" but they're not stupid they just process information slower than most people.

These people are also really good liars. Like they're some manipulative lil bitches (we saw how he lied to mrs. wheeler that he was worried about Max when he was actually raging mad.) They'll lie about almost anything. Sometimes they do it to keep peace around people and avoid conflict and to get people to leave them alone. But yea this placement certainly has a silver tongue innit, helps them get away with stuff but it also means they're really good at rizzing people with their words; speaking of...

our boy over here has a Taurus Venus. like first of all, this comes with so many pluses because Venus is right where it belongs. Taurus is ruled by Venus so this planet is right in its home sign. So my boy is a romantic lil bachelor 😜. Now his mars kind of makes him a fuckboy (most scorpio and sagittarius mars' are but the difference is is that sags often can't tell the difference between love and lust so they just pursue the person anyway whereas scorpio mars' are just horny fucks with strong game) BUT once he finds someone he wants to be in a relationship with, ouuuu girl he's such a gem.

Taurus Venus's value things like stability, security and comfort. He will very much pamper you. He'd give you the best he humanly possibly could. Taurus's are all about luxury and savouring the physical pleasures of life. He WILL be super affectionate, gifting you things, always touching you right, buying you or cooking you your favourite foods. Taurus's like routine so he will memorize your schedules and routines, coffee orders and all those small things. Although Billy would typically be impatient, he'd take his time pursuing you. Especially with his Scorpio Mars, he'd come in strong and steady .I don't wanna say like a predator stalking his prey cause that's more Scorpio Venus but bro definitely wouldn't back down easy. He won't mind playing the long game if he thinks you're worth it. The main thing here with this placement is their ACTIONS say a lot about their feelings towards their s/o. His Pisces Mercury will soothe you with sweet words, but his Taurus Venus will show you with his generosity and sensualness. He definitely knows how to make his girl happy and will stay loyal for a long time if he's certain about her.

Billy has so many aspects that indicate strong sex appeal and attractiveness, like it's written all over his chart lmfaoo his Venus trines his Pluto, His Venus also sextiles his ascendant.

His eros also trines his mars so he has a very passionate and intense drive, especially in the bedroom. No matter what you are to him, sex with him will always be intense. There's nothing soft about the way he engages in intimacy.

Billy has a cancer rising, for those of you that don't know your rising is in charge of your looks and people's first impressions of you. So cancer risings often have rounder faces, softer features and big eyes (I mean look at him bro, he's so baby girl). They also have curvier bodies (have you seen this man's thighs) shorter limbs too. Cancer rules over the chest so cancer risings can have large chests or big boobs ( he certainly has boobs). Also cancer risings are very pursued after, almost as much as scorpio risings but the difference is that Scorpios are very intimidating so often people don't wanna get past the sexualness of it. But with cancers, people simp over them emotionally too because cancer is considered as the "divine feminine" or "mother" in astrology, so basically people wanna wife them up as well as fuck them (literally his entire fandom). But yeah, anyway, Billy is a pretty boy we all know this, even his chart does 😭.

Alright now more about his mars-

Its in the 4th house, which is also another indication of his abusive childhood :/

His is in Scorpio and yes he's a kinky little shit and a great lover in the bedroom, however that's not all that Mars represents in a natal chart. It also represents how a person takes action to something. How they pursue and how they behave and manage their more aggressive and angry side. On one hand, Billy has the potential to be very good at achieving what he wants in life. He's capable of having a really strong mental fortress as scorpio is a very driven and determined sign. Tactical and calculated but also very loyal people. However at the same time, it makes them lowkey control freaks. They're the type of people to always want the last word in an argument and to have control over everything and everyone in almost every situation (though it does make them strategic leaders at the same time, it's kind of annoying). But yeah these people stand on business they will fuck your shit up if necessary because this planet is also in it's home sign, but Scorpio is also ruled by Pluto so it's the darker one of the mars ruled signs. So their anger can be very explosive and dangerous (we saw how he beat Steve to a bloody pulp), so don't piss them off, it takes a lot for them to loose their cool but once they've lost it, it's gone and not coming back.

Last thing I'll talk about is potential career placements he has because we never got to see him thrive and flourish in life because the duffers hate to give us nice things so I'll just tell you what it could've been with his chart

10 house/ MC in Pisces

So this is so cute because this means that he could actually be successful with a writing career, as this placement flourishes in creative careers. So these people are often musicians, actors, writers. They can also be philosophers, and teachers/mentors of some kind (he taught the kids at the Hawkins community pool how to swim). He'd be such an influencer 😝 I can totally see him being a model for Calvin Klein because he's literally built like a model (this is so possible with his 11th house in Taurus) As well as Leo in his second house, he'd live a very lavish lifestyle if financially stable and would really thrive in a position where he shines in his own spotlight.

Anywayssss that's everything for now, if there's anything else in his chart you guys want me to talk about don't be afraid to inbox me.

I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing this <3

[carmenilla]

the only way you could argue that milkvan is endgame is if you claim the stranger things writers were bad at writing their relationship. because if they are endgame, it is bad writing. i’m not going to sit here and list out all the ways that they would be bad writing, i’m sure most of you already know. my point is that i really don’t think that’s what the writers are doing

why? because they’re literally good at writing every other romantic pair. they write real, genuine scenes between the other romantic pairs. they write real conflicts that aren’t just stupid fights or their whole relationship falling apart because one of them won’t say i love you. however, there is one exception to this, and that is steve and nancy. and we all know how that turned out

so you’re saying we’ve seen the writers be consistently good at writing relationships like the entire show except for when it comes to milkvan, which is the supposed “main ship”. yeah, no, i don’t buy it

it’s intentional. their relationship is shitty and not genuine for a reason. it’s going to crash and burn. they don’t work together. the best they’ve worked together is when they were friends, not dating

also, it’s actually fucking easy to not write milkvan the way the duffer brothers have written them. they could be poorly written but still clearly endgame - they could just not have these random conflicts that get so drawn out and have half-assed conclusions. they could literally just be boring and sappy and annoying. but they weren’t. the duffers keep making their relationship seem not genuine and making them act shitty as hell around each other and be bad partners for one another. they keep giving them “romantic” scenes but then making them weird as hell, such as el kissing mike in the s3 finale and mike being stiff as a damn board. bro didn’t even close his eyes like they wrote that into the fucking show.

nah, that shit’s intentional. milkvan is not gonna last

[bylercertainty]

st5 finale mortality predictions

nancy wheeler

nancy is a SURVIVOR!! she is not being taken out by vecna

mike wheeler

killing off mike would just be so disappointing. although i could see the duffers sacrificing himself for his friends and family, he is truly the heart of the party. in a way, if mike dies, the party dies. therefore i am mostly confident that mike will survive season 5 with a few injuries

steve harrington

bro is cooked this next season. i think he could die to save his children, although this would be so so sad for dustin. i could see steve almost dying and dustin saving him then surviving with injuries. however i think this death would be just heartbreaking and a real driver for the group to push on. i don’t wanna see him go, but the duffers could just go for a devastating finale

jonathon

honestly i know he’s is GONE next season. in season 4, we’ve seen the “older brother acceptance scene” which could be there to set up jonathon death. if both jonathon and steve die, nancy won’t have to choose lol

joyce

no i think she would definitely risk her life to safe either of her sons, but i can’t see her leaving

hopper

if they killed him off i’m gonna be mad bc why fake out his death in season 3, they need to commit to his life

dustin

i’m really unsure about him and i think it could go either way, but i think they will leave the core four alive this season (too many pic sorry dustin)

lucas

i would sue if lucas died, but i don’t think his death is likely

max

no i bet she will go back alive for the movie date with lucas. max will be left with a sever blindness and then lucas will be whispering in her ear what is happening on the screen of the movie. that would just be so cute. also she basically had a fake out death which almost gives her immunity

will byers

honestly i think having will die would be soooo boring. everyone and their mom expects will to die in the fifth season. i understand “it starts with will and ends with will” but wills character is strung along by misery and hatred. i’m rooting for will and i hope that he can have his happy ending with the boy he loves. additionally, he will be the main protagonist in season 5 which makes me think his character will be safe. i could see him having a reallyyy near death experience with vecna but mike saving him

eleven “el”

first of all, i LOVE el. i want to see el live by herself and experience the world on hush money from the government. however, i think she will die in the next season. she opened the gate and she is going to have to close it. el has made family and friends, she needs to protect them by closing it. the death of el would move every single character and just make the finale devastating. when a main character dies, they need to be loved by the audience so making will die would just be soooo boring and useless. mbb has stated that the ending for els character made her go “oh” and walk away slowly. i don’t think fully agreed with her ending which leads me to believe either she is dying or byler gets together or possibly both. also i hope they make byler canon wayyyy before el dies bc i cannottt imagine the hate for the ship after the finale. anyway i love her so this would just crush me

overall!!!

dead: steve, jonathon, el, karen wheeler, murray

alive: max, lucas, will, mike, nancy, hopper, joyce

i think that the death of steve, jonathon, and el will really affect the part allowing for victory, yet being able to look back and see all of the people that were lost

the suffer brothers have a light hand on deaths so i doubt there will be too many main character causalities this season

i hope that will byers will have his happy ending and be able to love freely and not be tied down to what confined him

joyce and hopper need to go to enzo’s before either of them pass because otherwise i will sue. i could see a post apocalyptic scene with them eating canned spaghetti there together and then one of them dying, but i think a hopper death would be boring and a joyce death too cruel

as i stated earlier i need max and lucas to go on a movie date where lucas explains what’s happening on screen

[mr111202]

The Strange Parallel Between Mike Wheeler and Disney’s Mulan (The Mike/Disney Parallels 1/2)

Okay, I know what you’re gonna say: “Wait, Mulan’s a Chinese girl from the Hun Dynasty, and Mike’s an American boy from the 1980s. The hell do you mean??” Admittedly, it does sound strange, but stay with me here. I’m not saying that Mike and Mulan are the same person, definitely not. But, they both do have one big similarity in common:

Their self-confidence issues, and the need to protect those who they love.

In the beginning of her movie, Mulan is shown to have some major self-confidence issues. Most prominent with her thinking that she’s brought shame to her family for not being “the perfect daughter” cause she failed to impress the matchmaker.

Like wise, through season four, we can see that Mike is also struggling with his own self-confidence. The most famous example that people like to use is the Van scene before Will whips out his painting. Mike talks about how he feels inadequate and useless when it comes to his relationship with El (“she’s Superman, and I’m Lois Lane. But even that doesn’t work.” To paraphrase). And, if we do take in the aspect of Mike being gay as well, it can also be said that he feels this cause he thinks he’s not “the perfect son” cause he likes boys.

Both characters feel inadequate and feel like as if they constantly let people down.

Then, later on in the Disney movie, Mulan decides to disguise herself as a man to join the army. Not cause she wants to or to prove a point, but cause she doesn’t want her father to get killed in battle. She seems to be the kind to risk her life for those she cares for. She does this again when she saves Shang during the avalanche, despite her bleeding from a stomach wound via Shan-Yu’s sword.

Similarly, Mike has been shown to be the kind of person who will risk his life to keep the people he loves safe. There’s the time in season 1 where he was ready to throw himself off the quarry to save Dustin from Troy. Then there’s the time in season 3 when he took a pipe to Billy’s back during the sauna test to save El. Then, also in that same season at the finale, bro threw his skinny ass body at Billy (who’s jacked and possessed) as a way to keep El safe and buy her time to escape the mall.

With all that said, this is something I personally want in season five. I sincerely doubt that the Duffer Brothers would do this, but a girl can dream.

I want Mike to have his Mulan moment.

Much like how Mulan developed confidence in herself thanks to her experience in the army, I want Mike to be able to grow confidence with himself and be able to accept himself for who he is (that he’s great the way his is, and that being gay and loving Will is okay).

And much like how Mulan was able to use her smarts and wits to defeat Shan-Yu, I would like to see a scene where Mike uses his own smarts and wits to come up with a plan to defeat Vecna, affirming Will’s statement in the van scene that Mike is the “Heart of the Party”. Much like how Mulan is kind of the “Heart of the Army”.

Though admittedly, a little montage or a creative time shot of Mike getting buff wouldn’t be too bad.

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

Regarding queerbaiting: Sherlock is one of the more famous examples, and the tumblr drama surrounding it is an... interesting story that I think is worth knowing if you want to understand the queerbait allegations.

The show, made and set in the 2010s, liked to poke fun at John Watson for being a straight man shacking up with another single dude. The show's creators -- one of whom is a gay man himself -- were born in 60s, so I see these jokes as two guys who were adults during the height of AIDS and Thatcherism taking delight in the fact they're now living in a world where queerness is largely accepted and somewhat normalized. A straight guy being forced to constantly defend himself from nonchalant assumptions that the man he's living with is his gay lover is funny when he's not in any danger of being hate-crimed over it, right?

(I'm not a fan of the joke personally, but I get it.)

They really liked this stupid joke though, so they used it again and again and again, to the point that young fans started to become convinced it was hinting at something. I can't blame them: there was even a lesbian character who fell for Sherlock and explicitly compared herself to John as someone who wasn't into men and yet was just so spellbound by this one special detective boi.

It was pretty lesbophobic imo, which should have been a massive red flag as to how the showrunners really felt about queer characters...

...But where the show went from annoying to actively hostile was the mystery of how Sherlock survived his apparent death at the end of season 2. The showrunners swore up and down it was solvable... and then when the next season aired, the "solution" was "lol who cares how he did it, this is a ~*character driven story*~ and only stupid obsessed idiots would want to solve the mystery. 🤣🤣🤣"

Make no mistake, they singled out the mlm shippers specifically for mockery -- there's a group of Sherlock Holmes conspiracy theorists in the show who argue over a theory that Holmes and Moriarty staged the death together and then kissed about it. (The viewer is clearly meant to laugh at this.)

Some of the Johnlockers on tumblr refused to believe this was happening to them and doubled down and convinced themselves there was going to be an amazing Johnlock plot twist at the end of season 4. My understanding (which might be wrong, I wasn't in the fandom) is that this contingent was largely composed of naive queer teenagers who blindly trusted a handful of influential adults who insisted that the show was deep and clever and didn't hate its fans.

So I can definitely sympathize with the folks who fear Byler is just queerbait. This too is a mlm fandom made up of naive teenagers trusting the adults who swear that the secret gay plot twist is totally gonna happen this time, trust me bro it's not called Surface Things.

And, look. I think it's very sensible to be skeptical of random strangers on the internet who insist they have the answers, no matter how authoritative they might sound. Keep on doing that, folks. 👍

But I think that principle applies just as much to the "this is just like Sherlock" doomers as it does to the "anyone who thinks Byler won't happen has no media literacy" lot. Yes, it's always possible that the Duffers were queerbaiting us all along... but the way Sherlock and Stranger Things approach queerness truly is like night and day.

Huh, well, if what you say is accurate, then it sounds like the Holmes writers were just jerks overall. I can see the joke, as you explain it. I may not think it appropriate to make it a running gag, but it's good for a chuckle or two. If it was truly presented as a joke, then it would be on the fans for misinterpreting it, but I don't know enough about how it was presented to know how easy it would be for fans to make that conclusion.

To me, it only makes it more apparent that things on Stranger Things are "night and day," as you put it. Will's feelings, and Robin's, for that matter, are not treated as jokes. They're treated as dramatic, emotional parts of their individual arcs. In Will's case, his happiness is linked to his relationship with Mike, which is complicated by the fact that he doesn't think he'll get to have a romantic relationship with him, or at all really.

I prefer to think the Duffers are better than whoever was responsible for what you described. While it all remains to be seen, they deserve the benefit of the doubt, for now.

[shieldofiron]

hi this probably was mentioned like 19999 times before (i'm really new to the fandom, like i finished s4 last week, so i don't know) but honestly fuck the duffer brothers for whatever the hell jasons arc was. huge oversharing warning but i 100% understood what jason was going through because damn. you lose a loved one because of something you didn't know about, so you feel guilty because you weren't careful enough to keep them alive. then ANOTHER loved one dies because of the SAME EXACT REASON, in short timeframe? i've been there and i cant even begin to explain how desperate you become. like you have to prevent the next thing at any cost, because you failed once, and you should've seen it coming the second time, so you can't be fooled thrice because hell people's lives are at stake and somehow you're the one with the whole responsibility to watch and protect because you can't. let that happen again. i get the satanic panic was out of left field because *plot* but the miserable state jason is in is so. accurate. its been fucking with whatever is left of my mental health for months and it will keep on fucking with it for years, and im sad it wasn't explored at all and it was just reduced to "oh you're a psychopath" when bro was grieving. i get the mob stuff was psychopathic but his insane state was. really not. it was just grief. and it was never called grief and it makes me mad

sorry for the big text but i had to get that off my chest and i'm 100% terrified of the st fandom. i love your memes and your ongoing fic!! excited for the next chapter (couldnt comment because i don't have an ao3 account)

Ughhh me every minute with him. Like I'm sorry I just think if an 18 year old guy is your prime suspect in two murders mere hours apart and he appears to be undergoing some sort of religious psychosis... maybe an adult could step in? Just a thought? Where are his parents? No one's gonna call them and be like um.... Jason's going to go to jail?

And not that this is on Lucas but maybe if you're gonna let someone go down for something you know is supernatural... give a go at telling people? Lucas could have warned them, and maybe Patrick would have known what was happening to him, and Jason wouldn't have pulled his best friend's body from a lake, scarring him and Eddie for life.

Like he actually is one of their scariest human antagonists because what he does? Is just exactly what Nancy does. But she's framed positively for avenging her friend and he's framed negatively. It's what teens on the show are always doing, but through a distorted lens.

It's a tragedy. Is he a good or perfect person? No 1000% no. But he's an 18 year old kid. Like Jesus. He's an 18 year old kid.

Character of all time.

[stranger-things-yapper]

It is impressive how much the Duffer Bros made me care about so many different characters and yet could not make me give a singular flying shit about the plot of the show

Like, season 1 and 2 were really cool, but by season 3 I was already resenting what was done to the characters and what the villains of the story had turned to and how problems were being introduced and resolved. They pulled me out of the immersion of the show to ask "what the fuck are they doing" and they never brought it back

Season 4 had so many retcons that I completely gave up caring. In trying to make sense of their own world, they made me stop giving a fuck. All that is keeping me tethered to this show is how the characters are gonna end up. I've been so happy with fanfics (reading and writing) lately because they give me the characters without the bullshit. And it sucks, because I wanted to know what was going on. I wanted the lore to build and expand upon itself, but it kept taking these left turns because of corporate and public pressure and now the plotlines are just a bunch of knots.

I will remain active on the fandom once S5 ends, simply because I just want these characters to interact in different spaces, timelines, situations. I will remove this bitter taste in my mouth of "oh, I want this to happen but the Duffers can ruin it at any point". It will be done, and then I will do whatever I want.

[ronnieratsdoodles]

so.. are we not gonna talk about the rockie (robin x vickie) and byler parallels?..

like, oh my god, robin and vickie are likely to end up together, since robin is reported to supposedly have a girlfriend in season 5, of course that’s the only thing that would make sense you know?

and mileven parallels stancy, steve x nancy, which did not end well, and if they got back together it would be a bad decision by the writers, since it’s not pleasing to all of the audience. (i personally think nancy is gonna cheat AGAIN and get with steve, but i don’t think it should happen. i really don’t like nancy’s way of relationships because what the hell?)

but anyways, the PARALLELS BRO?!

stancy, hospital scene, mileven hospital scene with the two second shoulder lean, WHAT???

why at the meetup would mike not kiss El at the reunion, it was the perfect timing?

because the duffers did it on purpose.

BYLER CANON💯

and i am 90% sure the duffers hate half of the mileven shippers because of all the byler complaints😭 i feel so bad bro

(i am going insane)

[dukeofdelirium]

less than a year until byler is bones ❤️

awwww is someone scared of byler endgame? 😂

let’s look at the facts, shall we?

1) Will was deliberately written to be gay and in love with Mike

2) in the same season this was revealed, Mike was deliberately written to be incapable of telling his canonical girlfriend he loves her

3) Mike also cannot touch Will for some reason even though they are canonically best friends. Cant even hug him without having a whole crisis

4) Mike is confirmed to not know that Will is gay or in love with him, stated by the Duffers AND Finn meaning there is no reason Mike shouldn’t be able to hug him unless…. 🤔 he is perhaps in love with Will?

5) Will gives Mike a coded love confession using a piece of art he created that was never resolved, meaning it is absolutely going to come into play in the final season

6) Mike was pushed into telling El he loved her BY Will, and then afterward she barely spoke to him

7) Mike and Will ended the season at each others side, literally paralleled with 2 canon couples in the same exact frame, which is very intentional foreshadowing

8) again I repeat the lie Will told Mike, the lie that is the ONLY reason Mike even confessed to El in the first place and tried to say he loved her, has not been resolved.

What do you really think is gonna happen in s5? That Mike is gonna find out Will lied, that everything Will said was from El was actually just how he felt and that Mike’s response to said lies was a direct response to Will’s own love confession and that Mike is gonna be like “well that’s so weird and gross of you, Will!” 😂

They literally wrote Will as a second love interest to Mike. They wrote Mike as having serious issues with his girlfriend. They wrote Mike and Will together the entire season and Mike and El broken up the entire season. They ended the season with Mike and Will together and a whole lot of unresolved romantic tension between them that we again are not making up or imagining with shipping goggles. It’s literally a canon love triangle.

And you think the love triangle isn’t going to end with byler? Lol. Why even write byler as an option if it won’t be acted upon? There’s literally 0 reason to have written Mike or Will this way in s4 unless the plan is for them to end up together. It’s not some difficult narrative to comprehend. If Mike can’t tell his gf he loves her, there logically must be a reason for it. 🗿🍷 but it’s ok, I know you’re slow seeing as you’re a mileven. Take your time, maybe eventually you’ll get it <3

y’all rlly think Mike isn’t in love w Will when he’s out here looking at him like this for literally no reason LMAO bro is gay. bro can’t tell his gf he loves her cuz he’s gay and closeted. bro is gay coded more than Will ever has been and Will is the confirmed gay one 😂

[stevie-petey]

hey dear i hope all is well. inspired by val i kind of wanted to ask about what you have planned for s4, or i guess, how you are planning to tackle season 4 given that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger since character arcs and plot points will ostensibly wrap up in season 5? i am also mildly hesistant to ask this because i don't want to make you spoil something you don't want to, but i was wondering if you were interested in ultimately giving stev and bug a happy ending, perhaps despite what the duffer bros might do, for eg, kill steve off? i know you've said you don't think they will, but i'm a little unsure about that since killing off a character per season has sort of become their signature, or at the very least, unsatisfying character writing for steve as can happen at times with this writing room. also, idk why, but i am quite sure that w*ll or el will die, idk why, it just doesn't make sense to me to have them survive

hi my dear <3

season 3 sets up my character plans for 4, and no worries about spoilers but yes ultimately im gonna try my damn hardest to have a steve and bug endhame. i am absolutely terrified for what the duffer bros have planned ,,,

if somehow it ends with stancy, i will evaluate where the story is at and see if maybe i can work a bug n jon ending ??? if i have to though. steve and bug are my endgame, its been the plan from the start !! if steve dies ,,,, jon it is i guess ?

[a-babe-without-a-name]

I'm going through every shot of the ST5 bts teaser thing and I know exactly what one of the scenes, probably in the 1st episode, is gonna be.

So we've all seen the photo of Dustin at Eddie's vandalized grave, right? Well, in another shot where he's with the whole group in a different location, his shirt is ripped and he has a bloody nose/face.

And there is a clip of one of the Duffer Bros in a graveyard setting with two guys in Hawkins Lettermans.

Dustin is going to ride his bike to Roane Hill Cemetery to visit Eddie's grave, he's going to see it vandalized being vandalized by the jocks or see them leaving it right after doing it, and he's going to confront them resulting in him getting beat up.

It's July 22nd 2024 and I am telling y'all right now this will happen.

[andvys]

"I think the Duffers have always had a very strong connection to the audience and what the audience wants to see, in terms of pairings or what they want. There are a lot of relationships that they know they need to tie up, and I think they're doing a very good job at that,” - David

Bro i am scared. I mean stancy has more demand than jancy so...

can someone remind me again why stancy has more demand!?

i’m gonna get hate for this again, but tell me why do people think that nancy deserves steve?

why would anyone want him to get back with someone who cheated on him???

[castlebyersafterdark]

yoohoo! just wanted to pop in and say that re: the play, it was actually a theater director who is respected and known (by the duffers too) who approached them about making it, and it wasn't written or directed by the bros. one of the playwrights is also in the ST TV writers room, but it's considered more of an expanded universe work than a prequel to the show itself. sort of like adaptations of sherlock holmes are derivatives of the original works by conan doyle, but not part of the original series written by him. so ofc there is respect paid to the original universe, but rather than be intended as a prequel or even supplement, it's like a story that COULD fit entirely into the original show's narrative, but is actually another person's take on what could have happened during henry's childhood. does that make sense?

you can hear the duffs talking more about this during their full scadfest panel here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_iLfR7KtnM

as for the gay stuff, the most memorable part is a joke where a police officer accidentally bends someone over a desk and its lingered on. its all in good fun and feels like a queer-positive joke, definitely not a derogatory thing. just like any old sex joke, like how hosegate isn't at the expense of mike or will but merely talking about gay sex in a normal natural way. everyone laughed in the theater!

its funny because ST hasnt even finished before a fan (who happens to be a famous theatre director lol) wanted to make a work that fits in that universe haha! i think it's definitely an unusual choice, because there are plenty of fans who lack information who will then panic and think its necessary to see the last shadow play in order to understand the original show, which of course can't be true because the show itself isn't even a finished work yet, so the idea of the duffers expanding on that already is absurd. they're not going to cheat on their own story by writing something else - even something within the same universe - when stranger things isn't even finished!

which is also why i feel like those henry stan blogs are... i don't want to say reaching, because that term is used to denigrate bylers who are definitely not reaching, but... basically theyre people who are obsessed with henry, and so literally anything that has a speck of him in it is going to be added to their obsession, even if it's another creator's adaptation of the duffers' original character. for example, there's no rainbow room imagery in the lab scenes in the play. its just white tile.

basically, those henry blogs have the exact amount of info the rest of us do, except their egos won't allow them to admit it. it's a shame, but it comes with the territory with fandom. there's always gonna be a couple like that, you know? i'm not sure they've all even seen the play which is kinda laughable, but i leave them be.

so i've also seen the play, and i really enjoyed it. its really innovative and stunning stagecraft; at multiple parts i genuinely couldn't tell how they did it! it was like magic. i could sort of tell from the aesthetics that it was a sidecar story rather than a prequel. you dont get enough chewy info to actually change your view of the ST narrative, you leave w more questions than answers, and the whole vibe is just verrryyyyy different from ST. even just the fact that it's a play should tell you that this is not required viewing as part of the original IP. it all just felt like a theme park - like an add on, a fun extra, another artist's contribution to the Stranger Things overall canon rather than a part of the original story. I guess sort of like the novelisations of the show, which also shouldn't be seen as 'canon'!

the duffs also mentioned in their panel that they don't have anything to do with the merch and leave that to the people who know better. i saw this topic mentioned here too! i think you're right about the party being the most popular imagery of the show, but also.... who are the most likely demographics to buy merch at all? probably teenagers, young people. people who relate most to hopper or ted or joyce probably arent walking around wearing tv show merch lmao. some will, but the target audience would majority be younger people i think.

sorry for the ramble lol!

That was a really good interview - recommend watching it. I think the one thing we can call the Duffers for better or worse is sincere. I always have thought that and it's something I've viewed as the most important part of storytelling. Why I'm fatigued by sequels and prequels and remakes and big IP franchises. The sincerity is not an important aspect. They said:

"You don't have to wink every time you say something sincere. You can just be sincere... And to not be ashamed about it."

That's really reassuring and important, for me personally, in how I view creativity and how I enjoy media these days. That's exactly what I love about the best parts of the show. We need more of that.

Otherwise - thank you for the insight!! It's all kind of what my understanding and viewpoint of the play existing at all represents and means for the story and kind of what I thought. Interesting that the never really had intention of making a stage show but were into it and let it happen. Obviously they probably had to approve ideas, but ultimately I would view the play as standing on it's own instead of required characterization and background to support the TV show. A big part of that for me has always been my knowledge of all the "adult characters" in what I've read as the synopsis of the show and how it all didn't really make sense for the "canon" of Stranger Things, proper. Which - sure! An adaptation. And exploration. A possibility.

There's so much focus on canon vs. non-canon and what it all means and I get that's the part of a fandom and a franchise - but yeah, look at the tie-in books. Inspired, adapted, it's explorations and story-telling. The Lucas book and the Robin book, Dustin, Max, Eddie, etc. Hopper has one, too, right? What's canon and what's not canon? Each fan picks and chooses. Extras. Add-ons. Worthwhile story-telling, but the show itself is the source.

And super interesting to hear about their view on merch. And how my take on it is pretty accurate and realistic having the reminder that the director's and writer's focus is on the show and not on every single little detail of merchandising. Approvals, but not full creative control. Interesting...

[ebongawk]

for heart begins to beat, 3, 4, 14

omg 🥺🥺 thank you for asking about my undead babies 🖤 heart begins to beat:

3. what's your favorite line of narration? omg ok maybe it's out of pocket but writing from Vecna's perspective near the end of the story was SO weird and gross and cool:

All it took was one child – one nearly as feared as he – to become the catalyst.  To upend the carefully structured monotony derived from people playing with chemical compounds they did not comprehend. The correct composition may have given them the army they so desired. Alas…  They constructed a most gorgeous explosion instead. And he may have been the bomb, but she was the fire he needed to spark his wick to life.

4. what's your favorite line of dialogue? I'm gonna post like a whole lil section from the second chapter and I don't want to be called out about it:

���I’m glad you did, Eddie,” she said, unable to keep the hitch from her voice.  “I’m glad you lived.” When he finally, finally met her gaze, the well of sadness painted behind his chocolate brown irises was ancient.  As deep and unending as the eyes she was forced to face every day.  The stare she couldn’t stand for more than a second. The stranger in her mirror drawn in midday pastels across another person’s face.  Across Eddie’s face. Squeezing her hand in turn, he rasped, “That makes one of us, Cunningham.”

14. is there anything you wanted readers to learn from reading this fic? yeah I wanted you all to know that I'm a better writer than the Duffer bros - not that that's saying much - and that canon is shit (no but honestly, the entire point of this story was to explore the emotional roller coaster that is grief. the way it presents itself as hideous monsters hidden within dark, demented dreams. the guilt of being a survivor when maybe you shouldn't have, and the emotional transformation these difficulties put people through.)

fanfic ask meme!

[theha1rarch]

🔥 - i'm evil ... so ... steve

( send the fire emoji for an unpopular opinion )

oooh boy oh-ho-ho, okay buckle in everyone - this is gonna be a long ride -

1 - gonna go ahead & get this one out of the way ... steve would in no universe, under any circumstance, in any way - shape - or form ... date fucking b.illy h.argrove. i really feel like i don't need to explain this one but yeah thanks, he would never. he wouldn't even CRUSH on him (eddie is his one & only (canon) bi awakening thank you!!!)

2 - steve is not an asshole. he can be bitchy, he was a douche in school & definitely not the greatest person - but he is not an actual mean person. like - maybe if he was in a bad mood or in a fight with someone, he could say something really mean - but it's not something he'd do normally. like he's not just some giant asshole who treats people like shit

3 - steve wouldn't accept anyone being an ass to nancy. he wouldn't accept robin shunning her bc of their past. he forgave nancy a long time ago & expects other people to as well. just because she hurt him, if he forgave her - they need to as well. after all it's HIM she hurt & it's not like it was done intentionally

4 - steve isn't stupid. he struggles with learning & school, yes. he's not the most booksmart, yes. but he's not fucking stupid. he's not some braindead idiot who can't tell right from left. he might not always spell things right, he might not know big words but acting like he's a five year old child who's never been on the planet earth before is a bit much. not to mention he canonically showed off his smarts SEVERAL times. everyone forgets if it wasn't for him, they never would've figured out the russians were working at/under the mall

5 - steve being in love with nancy still, or again, in s4 was lazy & stupid writing & never should've happened & makes no sense. he was canonically over here & trying to move on a season before. literally admitted while on TRUTH SERUM that he wasn't in love with her anymore. it literally shows no growth for him to just reduce him back to a shipping box & have him revolve around nancy again. especially when nancy herself has moved on & is in a happy relationship

6 - everyone claims steve is the d.uffer bros favorite, but he is NOT. he might be a fan favorite but the duffers don't give af about him. they wouldn't have done above if they did. they wouldn't continuously put him through hell & back if they did. he's literally a marketing ploy to them/st in general/netflix. they know everyone eats him up & uses those stupid 'steve harrington has to live' or whatever type marketing things to bring in the money

7 - calling steve a 'fan favorite' is even a bit of a stretch because genuinely most people only like him because he's hot. or bc joe is. & they crush on him & think he's attractive & the whole babysitter thing does it for them. or they also just think of him as 'haha goofy stupid funny hot guy who gets beat up all the time'. that's how most people outside of the actual steve stans see him, people don't give him depth - including the writers themselves

8 - FOR ST/CANON/80S VERSE SPECIFIC - i genuinely don't think steve would know what being bi was or that 'liking both' is an option or whatever without meeting robin. or another 'already have figured out they're queer' person. like i just simply don't think he'd just have that already known without some help. like - maybe he could know he liked guys for certain ships getting together pre-robin & all but i don't think he'd know the details of stuff already without a queer person in his life

9 - slight usfw but probably one of my most controversial, in the steve/steddie/st fandom at least, STEVE IS A SUB, & HE'S ALSO A BOTTOM. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

10 - this is going to be the most controversial thing i've ever said on this blog bc it's going to surprise & shock the fuck out of so many of you & no one's going to believe i'm actually saying it but .....................

steve should've died in s4 instead of eddie. NOW HEAR ME OUT - obviously there's no universe where i want steve to die & this is ONLY IF someone 'had' to die. but i think it should've been steve. steve is a character that's been around since s1, who was - in fact - supposed to die in s1. we know him, we love him, but we've got to watch a life for him play out on screen before us. maybe not the best life. but still. he was canonically in a good place by the end of s4, for the most part. like generally seemed happy & all. he gave that whole speech to nancy that literally screamed a 'i'm about to die' speech. it would've been sad as fuck, but i think it would've been a better narrative. to watch a character we've gotten to know & have at least four or more so years with die. & it still would've given dustin the whole 'losing older brother type figure' situation. we'd get to watch the characters grieve someone we actually knew, not someone we only knew for nine (eight? idk i'm tired i forget how many s4 eps rn) episodes & most of the characters barely knew -. it would've been a lot more impactful & shown that the duffers weren't afraid to take risks & actually kill off their mains & show us no one was safe. & then eddie could've stepped into steve's role & wouldn't have lived such a short time & would've shown that the duffers could break out of their 'we're gonna kill off this character you just me this season' trope ...