#and TO ME the s1-3 writing was consistant with mike (if we going to he comphet route)

[thestobingirlie]

It's kinda annoying when people act like Steve's relationships with the kids are completely made up and he is just close with Dustin. In Season 3 the kids have him sneak them into the movie theater and his response is basically "really, again" and Robin says "your children are here" but when Dustin returns he says "you got the job" establishing that Dustin had nothing to do with him letting the other kids in the movie theater. Hence Steve has to have been close enough to at least one of the other kids to make that happen (fanon decides which kids and how many). Max gives a letter to Steve and none of the other older kids. And the stuff with Erica in one of the comics. I get that they are mad that Steve is the one considered "the older sibling of the party" despite Jonathan and Nancy being older siblings to party members however Jonathan is pretty much only displayed as there for Will and later El, and Nancy is barely displayed as there for either of her siblings let alone the other kids. Steve is rarely not grouped with one of the kids since season 2 showed he worked well with them and hence has a ton of scenes with them. People like the idea of Max having a not shit older brother and the best fit for that is Steve. And they want Lucas to have support from people in the know as well, so people tend to just go with the older teen they seem to be closest to that's in the know. You can wish that Jonathan or Nancy or whoever else was portrayed as closer to party but you can't complain that people put Steve in that role in fanon instead of your fave when he is closest to it in canon.

yeah, it’s funny that so many people complain about fans replacing jonathan and nancy with steve when i really don’t think that happens. like, jonathan and nancy just aren’t really close with all the kids, jon has will and in s4 el, and that’s pretty much it! even when he shares plot lines with mike they don’t really talk. and nancy is so rarely in scenes with her siblings it’s honestly funny to me when people try to say that’s she’s a devoted older sister. like, in s1 and s4 she hugged mike, and i’m pretty sure that’s it lmao.

steve is the oldest teen that’s closest with the most kids! he just is. it’s not the fans inserting steve into the other teens roles, it is how he was written.

like you said, all the kids have been using him to get into the cinema, they’re close enough to blag him and then not take his threat seriously. max gets free ice cream from him and he knows enough about el to know she’s shouldn’t be there. max wrote him a goodbye letter, and only him out of the older teens, and dustin has literally proclaimed that he would die for him.

obviously with the other kids it’s a bit murkier, we have scenes of them as a group clearly relying on steve, trusting and looking up to him, but they don’t really have any individual scenes with him. so that’s obviously a bit more fanon, but even then, there’s a lot of evidence in the show of steve being close to all the kids.

but yeah, if you wanna write about nancy and jonathan being super close to all the kids, you can do that!! but you can’t get annoyed when steve is already in that role. because if the duffers wanted jonathan and nancy to be close to the kids, they would’ve written it that way. but it’s steve that’s consistently taking care of them.

[bugsbenefit]

tfs plot related ask under the cut! you know the deal, read at your own discretion, spoilers ahead o7

i'm still reading updates too and not too exited about some things as well, i feel you anon 🫂

for one thing, i just rambled a bit about Patty in another post and how i'm not really happy with them seemingly setting her up to be in s5. introducing a character that has such a big influence a villain outside of the main story where most people won't see it isn't the best move imo. it'll just make it look cheap if there's suddenly a new girl who shows up out of nowhere and is his childhood best friend and all. it'll feel contrived and last minute is what i'm saying

and with the whole mindflayer thing, to be fair, it's not That shocking to me, but that's maybe because i kind of expected them to go that route post s4. i know the general consensus on tumblr is that Vecna is the main bad guy, not the MF (i think. it used to be at least, don't know if it's changed). and i agree that having the human guy be the primary evil would be the most interesting from a writing pov. but there is some set up for the MF to be the BBEG too to some degree and it does fit the writing style of the show. so i'm not really Shocked shocked you know?

things like having henry draw the mindflayer in s4 before running into it (most likely for the second time with what we know of tfs canon) (and where he presumably shapes it? with the play info we can kind of question if it was always shapeless or if it was spiderlike when Henry was in dimension x originally, i guess) result in the MF being the most consistent theme in all seasons, which does look like Main Thing set up, and works well on a rewatch (only excluding s1 where we only see the demogorgon)

and with the MF also being introduced to the audience so early on and with s4 having multiple discussions about who the bad guy is, Vecna, Brenner, (even Mike asking El why he's the bad guy lmao), it would make sense from a writing angle to have it end up being none of them and it ultimately being the Other option. when everyone thinks they're the bad guy it's potentially none of them type beat

you're right though it's a really big thing that changes what we know about the characters massively. which is why i'm. not the happiest they did it in the spin off play

the thing is, i think you can get something interesting out of both Vecna and the MF acting as the "primary evil" of the show. it's just a different way to get there and a different overall flavour

a Vecna big bad would be a human evil. so the classic idea of a "fallen hero" with all his similarities to the main characters. would be interesting to show how the worst evil can sometimes just be people. would also fit with how Brenner or the homopohic and conservative Hawkins people, or El's bullies in Cali all also just people

with a MF big bad you'd circle back to the MF being a physical manifestation/stand in for the above concepts. especially season 2 and 3 set so much of the fear/conformity theme around the MF up. but instead of having a human final villain who opposes society at large, you'd have the physical manifestation of those fears be the final boss form

so i do think both concepts will eventually boil down to the same conclusion, just with a different journey. like how much agency Vecna had etc. with the MF as the big bad they'd almost definitely lean into Henry being a victim too again in s5 and so on

i think the reason why the whole "MF isn't the big bad" was so big is that it's kind of the writing choice that would give you more interesting characters (specifically characters with more agency and internal development in a case like Vecna). but purely from a writing level, i do think s1-4 lay a basis for foreshadowing Henry And setting the MF up to exist as a sort of looming presence. so in that regard i think they'll be able to wrap things up at least (unlike with the whole Patty thing, i'm still side eying that)

so if you're worried or unsure right now. i do think that Vecna or the MF being the "bigger evil" won't really change the potential themes of s5. those should play out similarly no matter if they write their societal oppression metaphor through One guy (see what i did there haha) or though the cosmic horror entity behind him. i'd change the characters ofc so i get your concern, totally, but i think they'd be going for the same message in both cases. in case that helps you in any way rn <3

also i do think the "main villain"ness they could be going for is pretty vague, so i'm curious how that will look in s5. like what relationship Vecna actually has with the MF as so on. if the powers to "vecna" people are really from the MF which i've seen play spoilers say then Vecna seems to have fully embraced it by s4 and really works in unison with it. so depending on how they want to lay out Vecna's connection/relationship with the MF it could also result in Vecna being a vessel or even big boss the whole time and essentially BE the final big bad by choice in the end. just based on the play i think it's hard to say what they want to do with it. re Patty i'm unhappy, but re MF and Vecna they still have a lot of ways they can take it that would be interesting

but seriously i do get you so much, it's weird when we get glances of what s5 will be and have to shift theories and interpretations around because now we're actually getting new information we couldn't have guessed with only s1-4 to go on (like Patty existing, i keep going on about her but i'm genuinely still not happy about how they'll have to deal with her). we're at a point right now where we're starting to get an actual glimpse into the direction they want to take s5 in so now theories and ideas are starting to get disproven and impossible and move to "what if" and fanon territory. which is always weird in any fandom, especially after over a year of hiatus where we had SO MANY theories and concepts for s5. but also i'm kind of glad that's starting now and not closer to s5, because by then it would be even harder to go in with no expectations and an open mind

this is kind of a long ramble, i'm still having more thoughts too. specifically about the way they set powers up in the play (which btw! unsurprisingly same as with Patty! not a fan of them doing that in the play?? that has to go in s5 100% so them revealing it in a non main property is so silly to me. they kept the origin of powers unaddressed for 4 seasons so you'd think it's important and will be a reveal or big moment in s5, only for them to now explain it in a play over a year before s5 is released. so by then it won't be new and interesting anymore but it will also have to be reexplained because most of the s5 audience won't have seen the play... i would not have done that if i were the writers but who knows maybe they won't touch on the powers origin in s5 at all and they just wanted to mention it Somewhere so in the play it went. just my personal thoughts on this)

[awesome-opossum-after-hours]

so I'm doing a full rewatch of Stranger Things bc my finals for this semester are done SO here's some cool little details I've noticed so far. (part 1, s1 and beginning of s2)

in the first episode, Steve claims himself to be stealthy, "like a ninja" when sneaking into Nancy's room. in season 2, when giving Dustin girl advice, he says "

when Mike is giving El privacy to change in the bathroom, she wants him to leave the door open. they settle on just a crack, perhaps 3 inches?

at first, when the police station thinks that the "kid with the shaved head" on the loose was Will. according to them, they looked similar enough. which, now that they're adoptive siblings, makes me wonder if people in Lenora thought El/Jane and Will were twins?

when El is vanquishing the Demogorgon in the season 1 finale, her pupils get large and her irises turn red.

looking back, I wonder if there's a reason why she had to go to the Upside Down in this case, but not when banishing Henry in the exact same way?

at the end of season 1, right before the Christmas flash forward scene, everyone is waiting for Will to wake up, including the newly non-douchebaggy Steve!

additionally, right after this, we see Hopper reluctantly getting into some fancy government car. I mean I feel like it's obvious what they talk to him about but I still wonder how that conversation went down

in the first episode of s2, when Owens greets Will in the doctor's office, he addresses Hopper as "Pop", to which he doesn't ever correct :)

Mike has what looks to be some of Will's drawings of their DnD characters on the walls of his basement!

joyce also would get nervous when the phone rang, it's possible that the Anniversary Effect was true for her trauma as well, it just got kinda overlooked

one big question I still had, was why didn't the demogorgon eat Will like it (presumably) did with the other people that had gone missing? there has to be some reason, and we also don't get to SEE the demogorgon as it finds him in Castle Byers.

everything that went down in Hawins Middle School in the s1 finale happened on a school night (or possibly a weekend, but not a vacation like s3 or 4). did they clean up the streaks of blood on the floor and the giant portal in their wall somehow? or did eleven fix that?

each of the boys' Ghostbusters costumes are slightly different! if you look at the styles of their shirts, Lucas and Dustin have polos, Will's shirt is a slightly darker color, Mike's is a zipup. a cute little detail that implies they were homemade (same goes for the Proton Packs that all look slightly unique)

when Dustin and Lucas invite Max to go trick or treating, they say that they'd be the best to go with because they know where to find all the full sized candy bars. she replies with, "that's presumptuous of you", to which Dustin wonders is good or bad. this line is repeated later on in the season. but the kicker! in season 4, when going over Max and Lucas's part of the plan and how she'd hide in her happiest memory, Lucas asks if he's involved, to which he gets this same response :)

when asked about his Mindflayer drawing, Will lies and says that it's for one of his stories, which implies that he occasionally writes!

El and Hopper's whole "Word of the Day" thing was adorable and should've been talked about more

according to Billy, them having to move to Hawkins was "Max's fault", but I don't think they ever mention what actually happened. though it could also be wrong, as she blames the move on him

this is super insignificant, but the suit Steve is wearing at the halloween party isn't just black. it's pinstriped. I feel...lied to?

correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Steve live near Loch Nora? makes sense, Max convinces the party to trick or treat there because she's heard it's where all the rich people lived

speaking of streets, their consistency in location names is really cool! like Kerley, for example, is mentioned here and there in season 1 and again in season 4 when talking about the trailer park.

did Will's "episodes" function in the same way as Vecna's curse? like, were they these spooky visions that he couldn't be snapped out of, until the Mindflayer finally got to him?

the scene at the end of s2 episode 2, with Mike and Will on the couch is directly paralleled at the end of season 4. the first time, Will's opening up about being able to feel the Mindflayer (or we now know is really Vecna), but the second time, he's saying how Vecna is still alive

[inutaffy]

canonical (?) depression after s3 buddies !!!

[m1kedefendr]

Why Mileven is just not healthy (not about byler)

If you want to ship Mileven, go ahead. They’re cute, i get it. But you cannot sit here and tell me that canonically they have a healthy and happy relationship. You cannot tell me they are meant to be. Here’s why (without me mentioning byler AT ALL)

1. Eleven was literally trapped in a lab and traumatized for her ENTIRE life. from the moment she was born to when she was about 12, she was stuck in this lab. She had no real concept of family, friends, or relationships. She had no real concept of how the world worked.

2. Ben is the first instance of safety that she’s ever experienced, and he gets shot by the people who had her trapped.

3. Mike is the very second instance of safety, and her FIRST look into love. After Mike let’s her in his basement, he is now her main source of safety. He is becoming her comfort because he is NICE and he is CARING. yet behind the scenes, he’s agreeing to send her to a mental hospital where he thinks she escaped from…

4. Mike consistently is back and forth on El the whole time they’re looking for Will. One minute he trusts her and the next he’s asking “what’s wrong with you?” and “why did you lie?”. He parallels Brenner in s1 (and more throughout the show)

5. El was literally gone for almost all of s2. Mike cared a bit, yeah, but he was mostly focused on Will.

6. S3 is where they go even further downhill, its the first look we get into their actual relationship, and it’s literally all just making out and isolating from their friends. I get it, they’re like 13, but really? Look at Lumax. Lumax can easily navigate their relationship and friendships.

7. El is becoming her own person when she’s hanging out with Max, Max is encouraging her to be herself and find things SHE likes. Mike doesn’t like this, and consistently claims that Max is corrupting her.

8. Mike literally couldn’t care less when El dumped his ass. Look at his face. yeah i know he went and was asking how to fix it blah blah blah, but srsly? he just let her run away. (i said i wouldn’t mention byler but he literally biked across town in the rain to apologize to Will so we know he’s capable of apologizing on his own)

9. Mike might say “i love her and i can’t lose her again”, but what does he do when he finds out El heard it? He lies. “i don’t remember what i said”. She tells him she loves him too and kissed him, he stands there with his eyes wide open. He looks shocked. When she walks out he’s still staring, he looks like he just realized he fucked up.

10. S4, Mike can’t even write “I love you” to El. If he loved her, like he said in s3, why wouldn’t he be able to even write it?

11. My absolute favorite, the way the two of them cannot be themselves with each other. El is lying in her letters to Mike. She doesn’t have friends, she’s not doing good in California. She needs to make up new interesting things about herself because she lost her powers, and she thinks Mike only likes her for her powers. (she thinks everyone only likes her for her powers, it’s how she was raised) Mike is dressing up like some dad going to hawaii on vacation, and pretending he’s not some huge nerd because El never showed interest in his nerdy side. (in his true self).

12. Mike has another parallel with Brenner after he sees what El did to Angela with the roller skate. This reinforces El’s idea that Mike is scared of her, and only likes her when she’s using her powers to defeat monsters.

13. Mike and El argue about Mike not being able to say he loves her, and He is so insistent he does but will not say the words. Not even while she’s sobbing to him over it. He says she’s blowing it out of proportion. He tells her she’s a superhero, and she says “not anymore”

14. El writes that she’s gone to become a superhero again, this is the first time she doesn’t write love.

15. El’s entire time at area 11 and in NINA is her learning she has the power to control her own life. She can be who she wants to be, she can find her own identity. She is not a superhero. She is not a monster. She is Jane Hopper.

16. Mike’s monologue was nothing that El wanted to hear. It was so hypocritical. From the fact that Will was the one who had to urge him to say anything while she was dying, to the fact that he called her a superhero ONCE AGAIN. we can infer from earlier she does NOT want to be considered a superhero. she wants to be her own person, separate from her powers. that’s what she’s learned this entire season. Mike also says he loved her the moment they saw her, that his life started that day they found her in the woods. That is simply not true at all. If Mike had fallen in love at first sight, he would’ve never considered sending her to Pennhurst. If Mike’s life had started that day, he wouldn’t have been so easy to let her go when they saw the fake body get pulled out of the quarry. Even Lucas was telling him to lay off her in that moment, LUCAS. The guy who was the only one with real logical thinking the entire first season. He didn’t trust El from the beginning, but even he knew Mike was going overboard.

Let’s draw my conclusion from these little notes of everything i’ve written. El is traumatized. She is still figuring herself out and realizing what is friendship, what is family, and what is love. She didn’t know any better, so she got with Mike because she thought that because they kissed and he cares for her, that it’s romantic love. Mike, on the surface level (because i’m not talking about byler) got with El because she was the FIRST girl that ever showed interest in him, Lucas said it himself in season 1. Mike is canonically insecure about himself and he latched on to the first girl that liked him. Mike needs to feel needed, and he needs to know that someone loves him for who he TRULY is. El doesn’t want to need anyone. she wants to be independent and have family and friends. They just don’t fit together, they can’t support each other’s needs. With El’s character arc this season, mileven being endgame would be an assassination on her character.

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 2x09 Review

Spring Break was a bit of an odd ep but helped move some key plots forward. Let’s dig in!

Well people can no longer claim that Portwell is one sided. We finally got Gina’s pov and she starts off the ep uncertain whether the shift in their relationship means that EJ likes her but by the end of the ep she seems sure of herself and that EJ likes her back. I liked that she didn’t try to pretend that nothing had changed or that she hadn’t noticed potential signs that EJ might like her; it always sucks when tv characters act like idiots. 

Perhaps the most important reveal of this ep was that Gina has a much older estranged brother who left her and her mom many years ago. That certainly makes her backstory more tragic and is definite set up for her brother to eventually return.

The writers continue to give Portwell great tropes, capping this ep off with an airport rom-com trope that also calls back to EJ getting Gina the place ticket so she could come back in S1. Not only did Gina keep EJ’s Duke sweatshirt but she altered it to fit her better which is both sweet and bold in the assumption that it was hers to keep. Gina got her sign when not only did EJ show up to drive Gina home and take her luggage but he brought her the granola bar that she had wanted but forgot to pack. I wonder if her posting on her story that she was ubering home after her flight was cancelled was intended to see if EJ would show up since the camera focused on her posting it. Also sweet that she’s taken to calling EJ, ‘ Eej’. 

EJ’s opening was good, shows a lot of his character growth from the selfish guy he was in S1 and how he’s learned to value other people which of course leads into his feelings for Gina. We got another great use of the camera as character tonight when Gina was laughing after her facetime call with EJ until she realized that the camera was on her. 

Jack was a lot of fun. Though he didn’t really change Gina’s mind over anything like the ep description said he would.  Seemed like Gina was largely over Ricky and wondering about EJ at the beginning and the end solidified her feelings for EJ but Jack didn’t really play a role in that, it’s not like he encouraged Gina to reach out to EJ or anything. There’s a vague sense in which Jack being nomadic linked him to Ricky’s unreliability in Gina’s eyes with her craving stability but that’s a stretch. Jack mentioned that the second most dangerous part of a plane ride is when the plane takes off, a hint to the blossoming Portwell relationship where in order to take off one or both of them has to risk a confession even though they could be turned down.

This ep might seem a bit weird in hindsight. The zoom parts probably won’t age well and five years from now people might be wondering why they had Gina hang out with a manic pixie dream boy of sorts for an ep.

The path is clear for canon Portwell in the finale with EJ being Gina’s second chance at romance and her first kiss since they clearly telegraphed it out of nowhere. I’ve been impressed with the great work the writers have been doing since 2x05 to build up Portwell as a ship but also work on Gina and EJ as individual characters; they’ve been the highlight of the season so far. 

There was discourse this past week over how well or poorly Portwell has been set up. Objectively very few ships on this show get much in the way of set up or consistent writing. Redlyn and Kowie had barely any set up before getting together. Seblos had none (though in fairness that was due to Disney restrictions) and Miss Jenn and Mike Bowen didn’t have much set up either. Rini did get lots of development in S1 but that’s because they had already dated and were the main ship of the show. The show’s not really about slow burns, if Jenzzara canons in the finale they’ll count and if Rina ever got together they’d also count but neither of those ships have gotten consistent development with Mazzara not being in several eps and Gina and Ricky not even interacting for the past 3 eps. 

Is Portwell a slowburn? In a sense since they did feature quite a bit in each other’s S1 plot lines and even had a fake dating plot but it is true that they were platonic and not that close in S1 so it’s a wash. There was clear set up for romantic Portwell in 1x10 with team wonderstudies and Gina staring at EJ (which interestingly enough looked more like set up for Gina to pine over EJ). I think the main problem is that even though we saw Gina and EJ hanging out in the background we didn’t get any scenes of substance between them until 2x05. It was a mistake and there should have been some scene, like EJ and Gina commiserating in 2x03 over being single on Valentine’s Day or something like that. Hell there was even that still from 2x01 of EJ and Gina looking at each other at the piano while they were in the frame between Ricky and Nini singing and having a moment  which would have been good foreshadowing but that shot wasn’t in the ep.

Whether Tim just really wanted Portwell to be a surprise in 2x05 as a mid-season twist to throw the audience off of what looked like a Rini/Rina triangle or he was unsure as to whether he wanted to go with Portwell or if he just planned it out poorly we may never know. Regardless they’ve had great writing for 4 eps in a row now which puts them slightly ahead of the 3 eps in a row of development Rina got in S1. I’m sure if someone added up their screen time they’d find that Portwell has more screen time this season than Kowie and more screen time than Redlyn or Seblos  got in S1. 

Caswell cousins was fun and Ashlyn did in fact paint EJ’s nails. 

Set up for Seblos drama next week, it’s refreshing to see Seb being jealous over Carlos flirting with other boys that’s definitely not something you see on Disney shows.

Ricky got some healing done with his mom. Enough to cover their issues? No but this is probably the best this show is capable of. There was a brief mention of therapy sandwiched between other options which sounds more like checking off a box then setting up Ricky actually going to therapy. I noticed Lynne was smiling at odd times like when she told Ricky she knew about his breakup with Nini; whether that was poor directing or acting I don’t know. Who knows if we’ll see Lynne again. As an aside still so wild that Tim named Lynne who’s been a kinda shitty mom after his own mom who he seems to be fairly close with.

Really liked You ain’t seen nothin as a song but not a fan of the Tiktok style vid. I’ll level with you wildcats, I’m too old to really get Tiktok, it just seems like a crappy version of Vine to me. Let you go was good, seemed better fitted for Joshua Bassett’s voice than some of his previous songs. A big sign that they’re not circling back to Rini for a long time for sure. Though on that note we got a bit of a hint that Ricky was Nini’s muse which may one day come back as a way to help bring them back together. 

Looking Ahead:

If there’s only 3 weeks left till the Menkies, with only 2 weeks left for rehearsal due to spring break, it’s hard to see East High winning unless North High is disqualified or has to withdraw. 

Lily is in a promo photo so she’s likely the unexpected facetime Ricky gets which is what I had theorized. Also makes it much more likely that she’s the party crasher Ricky re-evaluates in the finale though what Tim actually wants to do with those two I do not know.

There’s little point in bringing back the Valentine’s chocolate since there’s no real stakes. Rini are already broken up, Gina hasn’t spoken to Ricky since 2x06, and it’s not like Nini and Gina were ever close so even if they stopped talking to each other it wouldn’t really affect the show in any way. 

Seems pretty likely that Second Chances refers to Gina realizing that her first try with Ricky failed but her second chance with EJ won’t and that leads to her sharing her truth and cue the Portwell confession and kiss, perhaps with an assist on EJ’s end from Mazzara. We’ve gone well past the point where Portwell can be brushed off as just a plot device to help Rina but Tim is playing with fire by getting the audience so on board with Portwell if he’s once again going to have EJ lose a girl he likes to Ricky in S3.

Gina certainly needs to talk with Ricky and I do think that happens in ep 11 or 12 and leaves them on better terms. As I mentioned last week, if Tim was smart he’d slam the door on Rina if he’s going with canon Portwell or vice versa. If he wants Rina to be a slow burn he’s really botched the writing this season, it’s been too one sided and too angsty to sustain any kind of momentum or audience interest. They haven’t even interacted for 3 eps now and not only has it not affected the show but it’s inarguably made Gina’s story line much better.  Again I don’t think he’s smart enough to not try and do Portwell and then later Rina but he’s accidentally set up the Rina story line to quite easily slam the door permanently on them by having their conversation be closure for Gina who’s moved on and an apology from Ricky who never liked her back as much as Gina liked him.

Not looking forward to seeing Nini basically live out Olivia Rodrigo’s life in future seasons

Curious to see Carlos’ apology song to Seb. Ricky helping him with it is a great way to help start redeeming Ricky’s character in the audiences eye’s. According to Matt there is a bit of a Ricky/EJ rivalry this season and if it’s really happening the sleepover would be a good place to do it though I hope it’s not about Gina. 

Until next week wildcats.

[m6p2s5gziax8]

Deconstructing Season 3 Jim Hopper

Note1 - I wrote this before the 2020.02.14 "Stranger Things 4 | From Russia with love" teaser. I'm glad they didn't try to drag out the "is Hopper really dead" question - he's 100% back! Note2 - Ok, now that so many of us are inside and ST4 is delayed, I'm going to finally post this and hope some folks find it interesting. Note3 - 6+ months later, I'm finally posting this for real, enjoy! :)

Please Read * !!! MASSIVE S3 SPOILERS !!! * I am a huge fan of Stranger Things and Jim Hopper. * This is a critical analysis of season 3 Jim Hopper, aka s3-Hop. * I would never want to sour anyone's enjoyment of the show or s3-Hop. * Please skip this essay if you enjoy s3-Hop! * If you viewed season 3 and thought "Hopper sure was different" or "Hopper wasn't enjoyable like in s1 and s2" then please read on!

uber-TL;DR * s3-Hopper was unbelievably and (for me) unenjoyably different from s1/s2 * for s4, my hope is this extreme character shift is acknowledged by Hopper to Mike, Eleven, and Joyce

longer-TL;DR There were many changes in Stranger Things with season 3: the mall, the bright color pallet, the love-quadrangle pitting El/Max vs Mike/Lucas, Dustin splitting off from the boys to join the Scoops Troop, and the campy, Scooby-Doo-esque Russian base plot. I can accept these changes and enjoy many of their elements.

But s3 brought one massive change that was not a new character, location, nemesis, or team combo: I felt Jim Hopper's character change was simply unbelievable and unenjoyable.

Sadly, I may be in a tiny minority that does not speak up or that critical comments about a beloved show get "black holed" by show boosters on social media. Many ST fans were sad and angry that Hopper appears to have died and the letter reading at the end of s3 was very dramatic and moving. So analysis, and especially criticism, of s3-Hop is frequently down-voted or not liked and thus not socialized.

This is an attempt to collect the thoughts of one very unhappy s1/s2-Hopper fan about s3-Hop. I hope readers will enjoy the long detailed analysis (sorry it is so long!) and I look forward to any comments and feedback.

FWIW, I'm a big Stranger Things fan and David Harbour is a great actor (even in s3) and a Good person IRL. I loved s1/s2 Jim Hopper and how he was written in the official book Darkness on the Edge of Town.

Here are some collected and reformatted writings I've done on Hopper and his s3 change. My fave ST character is Eleven so s3-Hop becoming so different and unenjoyable is particularly jarring for me.

s3-Hop was so different from s1/s2-Hop as to make it seem like he is a new character. Not only that, but I did not enjoy this new character who acts: * anxious * whiny * selfish * sarcastic * self-entitled * super-violent

Recall Hopper's pre-s3 history from s1, s2, and the official book Darkness on the Edge of Town: * volunteered for the military at 18 (not drafted) * 3 years combat in Vietnam, awarded Bronze Star * 2 years as a Hawkins policemen, marries, has a daughter * 6 years in New York City as a homicide detective * after his daughter dies, hits the bottle/pills, gets divorced * back in Hawkins as Chief of Police and dating women * goes into the Upside Down and literally brings Will back to life with Joyce * takes Eleven in, she runs away, they each apologize * Hop protects Eleven while she unloads at maximum to fend off the Mind Flayer and close the Gate * El goes to the Snow Ball dance and Mike comes over for 6 months to be with her (and smooch!)

Now look at s3-Hop - a very brief s3 timeline: * he's anxious, has no gravitas or authority - he gets advice from Joyce on El/Mike * the evening of s3e1, s3-Hop writes about "emotions" and how he's upset about change * Then s3-Hop continues writing wise words about life that are all read in s3e8 * AFTER writing why he's upset and these wise words, s3-Hop proceeds to act like a mega-jerk * he is gleeful when Eleven is upset that Mike is not coming over * s3-Hop bizarrely thinks whining to Joyce will make her like him * WORST OF ALL, s3-Hop does not say "daughter", "kid", "Eleven", or "El" from s3e2-s3e7

Hopper went from a mega-over-protective dad in s2 who was able to legally adopt Eleven right before the Snow Ball to a jarringly different character in s3. I can see s3-Hop making bad judgments and behaving badly but just not in this anxious/silly/immature way. Why not have him be brooding and angry? That would be consistent with s1/s2. I fear the writers wanted a whacky/silly/goofy characterization for s3-Hop so that's what we got instead.

I can not stress this point enough: Hopper went from being El's loving, protective parent to forgetting about her once he broke her and Mike apart.

At the start of s3e2, Hopper watching El being upset and storming into her room because she missed Mike, his smiling while eating cereal, and then gleefully singing while going to work is when I was broke and I thought: This is not my Hopper.

s3 Hopper and Eleven then Hopper forgets Eleven - an episodic timeline:

e1 - Hopper is anxious and unnerved by Mike visiting Eleven daily since it reduces s3-Hop's time with El e1 - Hopper lies to Mike about his Grandma being sick and then frightens him into not coming over

e2 - When Eleven is upset the next day about Mike not appearing, Hopper is joyful e2 - Note, the song played while s3-Hop is gleeful at Eleven's separation from Mike is the same one that was used when s2-Hop took El into his cabin and started cleaning it up. What a terrible ruination of a wonderful, charming moment from s2. When I hear "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" now I just think of how unhappy El was and how uncaring s3-Hop was of her feelings after he chased Mike away.

e3 - Hopper drives home drunk and enters the cabin yelling angrily only to burst in on El and Max with no Mike; s3-Hop is very happy e3 - Note, s3-Hop wrote in his letter the night before that he missed spending time with El so his accepting Max with El at the cabin is inconsistent with what he wrote.

e4 - Hop adventures with Joyce (no mention of Eleven)

e5 - Hop, Joyce, and now Alexei road trip on the way to Illinois e5 - Hop does not mention El but at the gas station Joyce is worried and calls Karen: JOY - Oh, hey, Karen, it's Joyce. Yeah, I... I'm just checking on Will. At the movies?

e6 - Alexei describes how the Russians are re-opening the Gate and Joyce quickly gets up: HOP - Where are you going? JOY - To call our children. e6 - Note, Joyce said "our children" so she is also worried for El while an indifferent Hop drinks vodka with Murray e6 - Hop calls the feds and afterwards sits down and lights a cigarette, then: JOY - So, now what? HOP - Now, we, uh... we wait. JOY - How long do we wait? HOP - As long as it takes. JOY - How can you just sit there being calm? HOP - I am not calm! JOY - Our kids are in danger! HOP - You said they were at the festival! JOY - Which is, like, ten minutes from the gate! HOP - What are you doing? Joyce? HOP - What are you doing? JOY - [she calls the feds again pressing them to hurry] e6 - Note, s3-Hop talks here (and in most of s3) with various combinations of sarcasm, exasperation, indifference, and irritation. Just hearing his tone is so unpleasant and jarringly different from s1/s2-Hop.

e7 - in the car ride home, Hopper sarcastically ridicules Joyce about her being concerned about the kids: HOP - Oh! Wait, that's right! We're on our way to rescue our children from the big, bad Fourth of July celebration! JOY - You know what, if you can't handle this, then just turn around and drop me off first. HOP - What are you gonna do? You gonna walk back to Hawkins? JOY - I will do anything if it gets me away from you!

e8 - FINALLY Hopper arrives at the Mall and holds Eleven while she drinks a soda and rests her wounded leg e8 - Inexplicably, Joyce agrees to go on a date with Hop before the climax when he disappears

Why did the Stranger Things writers change Jim Hopper so much and so negatively in s3?

I think the writers want us to enjoy (or experience in my case) a new, goofy, ha-ha, funny version of Hopper who: * can't parent a teenage girl dating a boy, * is chasing Joyce for a date and then a relationship while she is still grieving the loss of Bob, and * despite acting like a jerk "sacrifices" himself in the end.

Then, to cap the season off, we get gut punched emotionally by Eleven reading s3-Hop's letter.

The writers likely thought the viewers would fall into two groups: * s3-Hop likers who enjoy this new s3-Hop would be upset at his "death" and moved to tears by the letter * s3-Hop dislikers who were annoyed by s3-Hop would flip to likers because of his "sacrifice" and feel guilty so they are also moved to tears by the letter

But remember: the timing of s3-Hop writing the letter about emotions with sagely advice. He wrote it the end of s3e1, after getting advice from Joyce at the store and just before lying to and threatening Mike to break him up with El. I don't think the writers thought viewers would catch this since the letter is so dramatically read (awesome performances by David and Millie) way at the end of the season in s3e8 after s3-Hop disappeared.

Why did s3-Hop act so different from s1/s2 and so badly if he can write so openly and wisely in s3e1 about emotions in the letter?

Why does this dramatic character transition occur? * s1/s2-Hop - bad temper, apathetic, lackadaisical with a good heart and over-protective of Eleven * s3-Hop - anxious, whiny, sarcastic, immature, self-entitled, selfish and mocking of Joyce for worrying about the kids including El

The breaker with s3-Hop for me was his complete turn around regarding Eleven. For s3e1 his only interest was stopping Mike from coming over and taking up El's time which he wanted for himself. Once the breakup was achieved he was very happy despite El's obvious upset.

Note, after breaking up El/Mike we never see s3-Hop make Eggo extravaganzas or watch a western with Eleven like he said he yearned for in the letter. Nor does he mention it to Joyce after breaking El and Mike apart. He read El's note on the fridge and proceeded to adventure with Joyce, all the while whiny to her about wanting a relationship.

Joyce on three occasions showed concerned and called someone about "Will", "our children", and "Our kids" and finally she said to Hop "I will do anything if it gets me away from you" because of his mocking her concern. (That was my favorite line in s3! - Joyce is so awesome)

After breaking up Mike and Eleven, from e4 to e7 Hopper did not show concern or caring about his adopted daughter. It was not until s3e8 in the Mall when Hop is seen holding El while she sips a soda and later he talks to her and is loving and supportive.

Is this Jim Hopper from s2 who was an over-protective, super-loving father to Eleven? Does Mike coming over and using most of El's time turn this decorated Vietnam combat veteran, who was a 6 year NYC homicide detective and current Chief of Police into an anxious, shrill father who can't think straight?

Why not have Hopper react to wanting more time with Eleven and wanting to date Joyce like the normal s1/s2-Hop we know and love?

I blame the writers from wanting s3-Hop to have an arc from nervous/unhinged to "sacrificing himself" and then the letter being read.

I think the s3-Hop character change was done so we'd be gut punched when he "died" and then the letter was read. And there's the additional goal of getting Hopper to fit in with the "summer of love" theme of s3 with him breaking up a love pairing with El/Mike and pursuing his own love with Joyce.

But the timing of when Hop wrote the letter just doesn't make any sense because of how he acted later. Additionally, if s3-Hop can not follow the life advice he wrote down, why does he act badly in such a different way then when he acted badly in s1/s2?

Because of this extreme character change I sadly can not watch s3-Hop anymore without being upset. It's just so unbelievable and unenjoyable.

Did Sarah's death or Mike's dating Eleven or PTSD from Vietnan explain or justify Hopper's s3 change?

These items have been mentioned as possible explanations for s3-Hop being so different from s1/s2. I initially tried to use Mike dating El as an excuse for Hopper's changes but after three s3 viewings I gave up because of everything else I've written in this essay. Here are some reasons while these explanations do not work for me.

1) Sarah's death was wrapped up when Hopper and Joyce saved Will in the upside down. Hopper literally brought Will back to life, something he could not do with Sarah. This was in incredibly moving scene and the end of a powerful arc for Hopper. But the point is it was the end of the arc: Sarah's death still impacts Hopper in s2 dealing with Eleven but Sarah dying isn't a driving force for s3-Hop and how he acts. That arc wrapped up and though it guides s2-Hop, he still acts in a consistent manor. In season 3 there's no mention of Sarah making s3-Hop stressed out so that arc is not in play.

2) Mike dating Eleven and their disrespecting Hopper are certainly stresses for s3-Hop but his reaction to breaking them up is out of character. El and Mike giggle and whisper with each other. Then s3-Hop - an adult, parent, and police chief - cruelly lies to Mike that his grandma is sick and then holds him in the car and threatens him after Mike angrily used profanity. Many commenters call Mike a "little sh|t" and side with tough guy s3-Hop and his approach. It would be consistent and believable for s3-Hop to act like this at night and then the next morning to have shown some remorse or some kind of caring to Eleven. s3-Hop could have said "too bad Mike isn't coming, let's have Eggos tonight and watch a Western." But he did not say anything to El. Instead, he smiled and then happily sang in the car on the way to work.

3) PTSD does not explain s3-Hop's behavior since we never see any evidence in the show that he is having flashbacks or any issues related to Vietnam. Also, writers just can't use PTSD as a do-anything-whenever-you-want-with-a-character excuse. Not only is there no Vietnam PTSD evidence in the episodes, there are many quotes from the official book with Hopper that he does not have PTSD.

3a) In s1, s2, and s3 the words "Vietnam" and "veteran" are never spoken. The only indication of Vietnam is a box under under Hop's cabin floor that Eleven sees when she discovers the trap door. Hopper never speaks of dreams or flashbacks and there is no other indication he has PTSD from Vietnam. His divorce, drinking, and pill abuse are all from Sarah dying based on what we see in the episodes.

3b) From the official book Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town (published May 28 2019):

1984 DECEMBER 26 - 11 days after the Snow Ball Dance with Jim and El in the cabin: The truth was, Hopper realized, that he didn’t want to talk about Vietnam, not because it was a trauma or a personal demon, but because it was ancient history—but more than that, it felt like part of some other person’s life. Although he hadn’t really stopped to consider it properly, he was aware of how he had compartmentalized his past in his own mind. So, yes, Vietnam had been difficult, and he had come back changed—as most people did, of course—but it just wasn’t relevant, not anymore. That wasn’t him, not now. Because he had come to accept that there were really only two parts to his life. Before Sara. After Sara. And nothing else really mattered. Vietnam included. He just wasn’t quite sure how he was going to explain that to El. “Because,” said Hopper with a smile, “Vietnam was a long time ago. I mean, a really long time ago. And I’m not that person now.” He leaned forward on the table, resting on his elbows. “Look, I’m sorry, really. I can understand that you are curious. And I understand you want to know more about me. I’m your—” He paused. El raised an eyebrow, cocked her chin again, waiting for the response. Hopper sighed, happily. “I’m your dad, now. And yes, there is a lot you don’t know about me. Vietnam included. One day I’ll tell you about it, when you’re older.”

1977 JULY 13 - Homicide Detective Hopper in New York City: This was a support group for veterans of the Vietnam War. Hopper knew such groups existed. He knew full well that such groups were needed. That he’d come out of the war unscathed and with his marbles all where they should be was a blessing. Okay, it had changed him, and he wasn’t going to pretend that it hadn’t been difficult at times. But what the war had done to some people... He’d never felt the need to attend a meeting like this himself, but he was glad they were there for those who did feel that need.

How can Jim Hopper's portrayal recover in season 4?

First off, there is no doubt that David Harbour is returning to play Jim Hopper in season 4 (and s5 if there is one). This is David's big, career making role that is getting him award nominations/wins (the most for any adult ST actor), and he just got a huge raise (80k to 350k per episode). And, most importantly, he loves doing the show and the people in it (especially Millie).

Since what's done is done with s3-Hop, what can happen with Hopper in s4 to bring him back into a believable and enjoyable form for huge ST fans who miss s1/s2 Jim Hopper?

I am very much hoping that Hopper will dial back or eliminate his new s3 qualities, like being whiny, selfish, complaining constantly, etc. Please bring back some of his old s1/s2 strength and empathy under a grumpy exterior.

And I hope Hopper does a reset with three people:

1) Mike - Hopper needs to do more to make up to Mike than just saying "Mike, Be careful" like he did in s3e8 at the Mall. Hop should clearly say that he accepts Mike as El's boyfriend and that he knows he'll do everything possible to keep her safe. Which is actually what Mike did for all of s3 while s3-Hop was adventuring with Joyce.

2) Eleven - While the Letter explains why Hop was feeling upset (change, less time with El, etc), it does not justify how s3-Hop acted afterward when he lied and threatened Mike breaking them up. Hop needs to clearly apologize to Eleven for being selfish, immature, and inconsiderate.

3) Joyce - I hope that Hopper admits to Joyce that he acted like a jerk towards her and that he promises to be a better person in general and especially better with her. That's the only way I can make any sense out of Joyce and Hopper being any kind of couple: Hop has to own up to his terrible behavior towards Joyce and promise to be better.

The End! Sort of... :)

Well, you've read or skimmed or skipped all the way to the almost end and I thank you for taking time to look at my thoughts about Jim Hopper's portrayal in season 3. I still love Hop and think David does an incredible acting job with him in each season. I've been 100% sure he's coming back since the Duffers have bluntly said: no body = no death. So while I'm a little scared at how Hopper will be characterized in season 4, I'm also very excited to see it! Word is that season 4 will have more episodes (10, 11, 12?) than normal. Plus, the Duffers just signed a big deal with Netflix so I'm wondering if season 4 will be a semi-finale for the series and give the Duffers and the stars a break to do other stuff and then come back for a movie or a season after more ideas have percolated in the Duffers' creative minds.

So, here's looking forward to season 4 when we can see Jim Hopper evolve along with all the other great Stranger Things characters.

[jerepars]

Throwing Copper Extended Chapter Notes

3 / 5 Why We Ever

Hyperlinks appear in blue (underlined on mobile). The story is posted here. Direct link to this chapter is here.

James contemplated what an early morning of everyday things would consist of if they were different people, in a different life. He wondered if she would make fun of his bedhead and if her laughter would fill up the air in the room when he reached over and pulled her closer, threatening to not let go unless she stopped squirming, until the book they’d been reading toppled to the floor, forgotten. He wondered if they’d let their coffee run cold.

There’s a song called “Everyday Things” by David Usher, which doesn’t mention any of the things James is thinking about here, but I do like the idea of James (or Teresa for that matter) thinking of what everyday things would consist of for them. Also, I hadn’t heard the original version of this song in...years...because the one I always listen to is the acoustic version, featuring Cœur de pirate, whose back vocals are very complimentary. The original version of the song doesn’t even sound right to me and it sounded so off when I listened to it to get the url. Not that any of this matters at all.

A frown settled between Teresa’s eyebrows and she blinked away tears before they could form. She swallowed the lump of emotions blocking her throat. There was an irony to her actions. Doing something for James gave her new lungs, but explaining it to him made it hard to breathe.

The song “New Lungs” by Glacier Veins is what I was thinking of here, because of the line that goes And with new lungs I relearn how to breathe.

“You know why,” she answered simply, unwilling to elaborate what she was sure they both understood.

Making her feel better and being a shoulder to lean on might’ve been things James did out of a sense of obligation. But turning up in New Orleans to warn her about Devon, and then being the overwatch for the meeting Devon had shown up to – those things were about something else. It was the same for Teresa. When the opportunity presented itself, for her to make James’ Devon problem go away, the reason she didn’t hesitate wasn’t because she felt she owed him or had to repay him. She did it because it was James. The things they took on for each other, actions strong enough to shift tectonic plates, they did because they wanted to. The only boundaries of their loyalty and love for one another were speaking about them out loud.

I’ve found the cave metaphor from 1x06 to be something that I continually come back to while writing about James and Teresa. There’s a part of the conversation, which focuses on how far implication goes with them, when James says, “You know what I’m talking about” (1:35). So I wanted there to be a similar thing here, with Teresa saying “you know why” about why they’re willing to do so much for each other. It seems a big part of why they never say how they really feel is because it’s so easy for them to make vague statements with implications that they both understand. 

Teresa was right, and James did understand, because when he looked at her again, the warmth of his eyes was ebbing away at the anger held there. “Not sure I can exist without consequence,“ James told her softly.

When I started planning this chapter, I could hear James’ dialogue here so clearly in my mind. The line and the idea of James having grown so uneasy with a life where there’s no retribution against him is inspired by American Football’s “Uncomfortably Numb”. Mike Kinsella (the band’s vocalist) and Hayley Williams (who is featured on the track) do a little call and return with the line: But how will you exist (how will I exist?) without consequence? I’ll let you know.

This song is so hypnotic and I remember listening to it ad nauseum, except that I never got tired of it, when it first came out. I listened to it over and over and over again (again, lol) while writing this chapter, and I still love it. The mood of the song, in my opinion, really matches the mood of the chapter.

Despite the high stakes of their mission, or maybe because of it, the last three days had been better than, perhaps, the last three hundred. Like looking in his eyes and searching for clarity, working with James again was like muscle memory for Teresa.

This part is a call back to the first chapter, where it’s mentioned that for Teresa, looking at James and searching his eyes for their next move, for reassurance, for clarity is like muscle memory she can’t shake. Not that this is a super important detail, but I do like to put earlier ideas into later chapters for cohesion. This is probably why I can’t write something short to save my life, because I think too much about small details. It bugs me, in fic, when it’s obvious time has been spent on certain details but then the idea is never brought up ever again.

Working on an operation with him made Teresa curse the reasons why they’d ever said I’m gonna miss you and I’ll see you around a year ago, when they’d said goodbye. It brought back the feelings of longing, of wanting to coexist in the same space and move in the same direction, at the same time, together.

It was unintentional that the two songs that inspired this chapter most have Hayley Williams in them. But when I listen to them back to back, I can also see why that ended up happening. This chapter is named after the Hayley Williams song “Why We Ever” because of the line that goes And now I can’t seem to remember why we ever felt we had to say goodbye. 

I watched the goodbye scene in 3x13 to write these two sentences. There are a lot of scenes from QOTS that I’ve watched over and over again but that’s not one of them because, like, it hurts me. Also it’s super frustrating that that’s the note Jeresa ends on until the last ten seconds of 4x13. I'm thinking S5 Jeresa needs to happen by 5x03. And if not, we riot. Lol.

“For freaking out and needing you the other night. For doubting you and questioning you, when you’re always just trying to help me,” Teresa rambled, then paused to take a breath, because what she really wanted to apologize for cut at her the deepest. “I’m sorry for the things I’ve asked you to do. For the people you had to take out and people you had to bury. Even after I knew about what happened with Suzie, I still asked you to…”

The part of “Why We Ever” that really pulls at my heartstrings is the end, which goes: I just wanna talk about it. I know I freaked you out. I just wanna talk about it. Sorry for freaking out.

That’s simple, sure. But it’s raw. I wanted Teresa to get pretty raw in this scene, letting her honesty come tumbling out without eloquence.

Also, something that has irked me since 3x05 is the fact that James is so clearly not the same after what happened to Suzie, and when we learn what happened, we understand why he’s so affected by the stuff he has to do, even out of necessity. What happened to Suzie takes it to the extreme, creates a breaking point for James, but even going back to S1, James has never liked the part of his job that means he has to hurt and kill people. After finding out what happened in 3x05, 3x04 seemed especially cruel to James, when he’s left to bury the reporter - we just didn’t know how cruel it was at the time.

And I get it, he has to do his job. Occupational hazards, right? But he’s changed after 3x05, and he still has to kill for Teresa. He even has to dig the ditch to bury Guero. The experiences of cartel life that Teresa and James have are certainly different, and again this makes sense, because they are in different roles. But S3 is not kind to James, not in the least, and I think that’s why it makes sense to me that he’d want out of the life if there’s nothing or no one to stay for.

I don’t know that Teresa will ever be this apologetic in canon, since she’s the queen so she’s free to give out orders without explanation or sympathy. I wish it would happen though, and I think there’s potential for prime Jeresa content if she does. I wrote it myself since the likelihood of it happening is probably slim to none.

Teresa trailed off without finishing her train of thought. She wasn’t meant to apologize, for she was the queen. She was supposed to stay icy and distant; sensitivity deprived. But she couldn’t help it with James. She couldn’t help the light leaking back in. It was different, because he was different.

The opening lyrics of “Uncomfortably Numb” are sensitivity deprived. That phrase begins the first two verses. As already mentioned, to me the song encapsulates the mood of this chapter so well.

He looked scared, confused about what she’d said. James had grown used to Teresa’s mixed signals; they’d been dancing around each other and their feelings for so long. But Teresa being direct was new. Her dark side scared him, and he didn’t know to which part of her directness belonged to, light or dark.

This is, again, a call back to the first chapter, where it’s mentioned there’s a part of Teresa (the Teresa that she’s become) that scares James a bit. Just trying to tie it back in and keep the chapters cohesive, connected, over the course of the story.

Her heart was already on the floor, but had she been entirely forthcoming? She’d reinforced that he had a choice, and he was free. But had she even given James a reason to want to stay? Had she ever? Did he even know her desire for him to stay had many layers to it?

Heart is on the floor, why don’t you step on it? is the first line in the chorus of “Rocks Tonic Juice Magic” by Saves the Day. I didn’t really realize I was making this reference until I was actually typing it out. And it being the last song reference in the chapter, when I went to get the URL, I ended up with so much sorrow because I have so many fond memories of being at shows surrounded by people with the same feelings for this song and this music as me, and singing these words back with such urgency. I miss shows so much. I think finally being able to go back to shows, in a post-pandemic world, whenever that is, is going to be so emotional and I’m probably going to cry.

Okay, so that was a tangent.

Anyway, I don’t think Teresa has ever let herself be so vulnerable, to just come out and tell James how she feels or what she wants. It doesn’t mean she and James don’t already know. But there is something to be said about, well, saying those things. It takes brevity, but if she can’t be honest where it counts, then they don’t have a chance. That’s why I wanted Teresa to have this moment, with her heart on the floor, thinking...does she need to take it even a step further?

And by the end of it, she does.

[panharmonium]

some disjointed thoughts about stranger things 2 under the cut (concealed to hide spoilers from my sister)

so, season 2!

i’ve gone into every season of this show knowing absolutely nothing about it.  i’ve had no exposure to the fandom or to reviews or anything that would indicate what it was about or how good the seasons are in relation to each other, which i like, because i know my opinions are my own.  season 1 i watched back in the winter, i think, and it was amazing.  blew me away. 

i just finished season 2 and i’m like...not as into it?

and i’m glad i had no preexposure to anything, because if i had, i’d worry that i was just being influenced by other people’s opinions, but i genuinely don’t know what people think of the various seasons.  i’ve been stringently avoiding anything about this show, have it blocked on tumblr, etc, so i could watch it cold.

i’d have to watch it again to really pin down the places where my investment was flagging, and i’ll probably do that eventually, because i know my roommate will want to see it, but my general impression was this: they had me hooked in the beginning, and then they started to lose me.

- i feel like overall it was 9 episodes where very little substance actually happened.  plotlines were stretched out over a reallllllly long period of time and became paper-thin.  like nancy and jonathan?  the only thing they really did over those entire nine episodes was make a tape recording and send it to the paper.  that was their whole story, and it could have fit in one episode.

- and what did happen felt like it suffered from a lack of focus.  can i explain this in more detail without watching the show again?  not really.  but i just mean that in S1, i could tell you what each of the main character’s arcs were, and i could lay out how those arcs had clear beginnings, middles, and endings.  in S2, i can really only do that for El (and even that i feel like got messy by the last third).  

- the horror vibe was different this season.  it was LESS scary, to me.  S1 was a CREEP factor that had my skin crawling - it wasn’t like...creature horror - it was the unsettlingness.  the whole parallel world thing was so - well, the only word for it is unsettling, like.  you felt like you could take a step and accidentally wind up somewhere no one should be - the idea that you can be trapped so close to somebody and yet so far away - you just felt like the world was inside out (or upside down, if you will).  and so much of the fear in the first one came from how incomprehensible and uncertain the entire situation was - you didn’t know how things worked and nobody believed you when you tried to tell them what was happening.  that scene where the christmas lights spell out R-U-N?  scariest fucking thing i’ve ever seen.  but S2 changed it to be like...it felt like more of a monster flick.  like a zombie movie or something - lots of creatures running around that you can just shoot with a gun - that’s just not really the same vibe as the first season, and i didn’t find it quite as interesting.

- i don’t want to be That Person, because i liked maxine as a character in general, on her own terms, but from a writing perspective - what even was the purpose of her introduction?  her and her brother both, honestly, the whole family.  i feel almost bad for saying that, because i can guarantee that there were people out there complaining about her being introduced because “they just wanted to have another girl; it’s so stupid, blah blah,” cue more sexist stuff, etc, and that’s really not where i’m coming from, but for me, from a general storytelling perspective, i don’t understand why she or her family were introduced.  they were superfluous to the story.  they didn’t need to be there.  and since i don’t even feel like the returning characters got enough development this season (see point #2), i don’t understand why we spent so much time on her/her family/her introduction to the Party.  it felt like filler.

- stranger things S2 did that thing teen wolf does where 2/3 of the way through the season it drops a tonally-different expository/flashback episode that does a lot of the legwork tying other shit together while also being completely disconnected from the rest of the plot, which is basically an info dump and is my least favorite way of relaying plot/getting characters to the spot the writer wants them to go.  i think kali was the most interesting new character we met this season; i was rapt every time she was onscreen, but i don’t love the “we’re going to shove all of the character development and background info into this one episode and at the end El has had her turnaround and goes back home.”  it didn’t feel believable to me.  are we ever going to see those people again, or were they just a plot convenience to serve the aforementioned purpose?  (idk, i haven’t watched S3 yet, so...we’ll see.)

- some weird...minor tonal changes/dropped plots?  in S1 one of the running undercurrents was how mike and nancy’s mom wanted them to talk to her and she really did care about what was going on but they couldn’t connect to her and that bothered her, whereas in S2 it’s like - that theme has been dropped; she’s not involved in their lives really at all, and her and ted’s spousal relationship is just being played for laughs, and there was that REALLY weird scene with her like...lusting after billy??????  that was so fucking bizarre.  

and until one line in the very last episode, they dropped the whole thing about hopper’s daughter, too - the way they wove that into the first season was brilliantly done, and just - you don’t see a bit of it in S2, and that felt off, to me.

- killing bob was a bad call.  it was gratuitous, AND it was contrived - who the hell is running for their life and then just stops dead in the lobby to smile at their girlfriend?  ANY SENSIBLE PERSON WOULD KEEP RUNNING FOR THE DOOR.  like - bob died, but the doctor survived????????  the doctor, who was attacked and immobilized and defenseless in a stairwell, somehow wasn’t killed??????  of course not, because he needed to survive, so he could get El her papers later....that entire thing irritated me.  it made no sense.  that was actually the point where i said to myself “uh-oh.  first Bad-with-a-capital-B decision this show’s made.”  

- lack of consistency in terms of how, exactly, Stuff Works.  in S1 it was like - the Upside Down is everywhere.  the demigorgon could come through anywhere, if you were unlucky.  that was part of what made it so creepy - there’s this whole other world and it is RIGHT THERE with you, and sometimes the fabric separating the two universes gets scary thin, and bam, you’re somewhere no human has any business being.  whereas in S2 it’s like - ok, things are coming through this one portal and spreading through tunnels underground, in our own dimension???  like at first i thought hopper had actually entered the Upside Down in the tunnels, but then it seemed like the tunnels were still on our plane, just gross-looking.  so why in S1 could the demigorgon come through the ceiling of will’s house, or through that tree in the woods, or take barbara through the pool?  why did the lab people think burning that little gate would help, when the first monster from last season was obviously popping into our dimension from all sorts of other places?  

- this is a minor quibble, but it was driving me up the WALL in the last couple of episodes - what in god’s name were they injecting will with???  and HOW.  mike just grabs that syringe off the counter like “we need to make will go to sleep” - there is NO reason that anyone in the room would know what was in the syringe or what the correct dosage was or HOW TO GIVE AN INJECTION IN THE FIRST PLACE.  joyce gives it???????  by stabbing straight down????????  into will’s arm????????????  what the hell kind of injection technique is that?!?!?!  that’s not....how that works.  ever.  and maxine does it to billy too, in his NECK - just straight in there.  there is no....look, people in human medicine can weigh in better than me here; maybe things are different, but just from the veterinary perspective, you can’t just stab a creature any old place you want, and giving something via any route that isn’t intravenous isn’t going to drop an animal immediately, AND you do not have control over how long they’re going to be out.  if you give a sedative, you can’t just wake an animal up by wafting ammonia under their nose.  AND the animal is likely not going to be actually asleep until you also give an anaesthetic induction agent, and if you do give an anaesthetic induction agent, you’d better have some monitoring equipment and a breathing apparatus hooked up to your patient!

look, it just - the “go to sleep” injection was used to solve too many critical situations for me to just ignore it.  it bothered me.

anyhow.  overall, i didn’t hate it.  but i thought it was way less cohesive than the first season, and therefore way less effective.  i’m still curious to see what happens in S3, but my expectations are lower now. 

[if you wanna talk to me about this, you have my permission, but ONLY if you’re able to do it without talking about S3 in any capacity, including your own personal evaluation of how good/bad it is in relation to the other seasons.  i like to watch without knowing other people’s opinions of things, otherwise i feel like my viewing experience is colored by what i hear.  thanks! :) ]

[walkofpenance]

for the fandom asks thing, i'll say: "the handmaid's tale", "stranger things", and "lost" since you've finished that now!

The Handmaid’s Tale

the first character i ever fell in love with: From memory, because I always love a female villain, Serena! Not exactly “love” but I was interested in her immediately! Or Emily!

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: Probably Nick, although I’m very interested to see his story!

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: June & Nick for similar reasons above! I never shipped them though, to be fair!

my ultimate favorite character™: Honestly any Serena, June or Emily! I’m consistently interested in them

prettiest character: Serena!

my most hated character: Fred makes me feel sick :)

my OTP: (I actually don’t ship anybody but I wouldn’t mind a Moira and Emily pairing if it happened)

my NOTP: Anybody with Fred

favourite episode: Mayday, if you know then you know :) BUT The Last Ceremony has stuck in my head ever since I first watched it. It was an emotional rollercoaster, I went from “Normal episode then” to numb to happy to sad all in the space of half an hour :) So....

saddest death: I’ve not actually been sad at any deaths so far but I suppose the premise of Eden’s death is sad

favourite season: Season 2, I think!

least favourite season: Season 3, not because it’s bad, I mean my favourite episode is from that season but I think that’s when the writers were like “okay we need to speak this up now”

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: Nick :))))

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: Serena

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: Janine! Honestly this poor woman :)

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: None, I don’t think

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Moira & Emily

Stranger Things

the first character i ever fell in love with: From memory I do remember loving Joyce almost immediately

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: UMMMMMMM probably Jonathan, not because he’s a bad character I just don’t really care for him I guess! Hopper needs better writing, too

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not:  Max & Lucas, Hopper & Joyce

my ultimate favourite character™: Either Steve, Eleven, Will or Max. Max gets a mention because I remember being surprised at the fact I actually liked her in S2

prettiest character: Karen Wheeler or Nancy Wheeler!

my most hated character: Most hated is probably Billy :)))

my OTP: Joyce & Bob and maybe Mike & Eleven, I like them together and I guess their aging shows how relationships can change overtime!

my NOTP: Karen & Billy :) 

favourite episode: I can’t really remember MANY episodes but I LOVED The Sauna Test in S3 despite my criticisms on the seasons :) And I also loved the last bunch of Seasons 1 & 2, I need to rewatch this show SO badly 

saddest death: Bob :( And S1 Eleven was devastating, too

favourite season: Season 1! The show needs to go back to its roots  and just aim at being fun

least favourite season: Season 3 just because I can remember the stupid Dustin & Suzie sing-a-long scene, it was more annoying than funny and I just wanted it to get back to the action scene 

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: I don’t think the cast is big enough for me to hate anybody that people love to be honest!

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: Steve, would he be counted as a piece of trash still???

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: Will :((

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: None!

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: Joyce & Hopper, but again I really don’t ship anybody in this show!

LOST

the first character i ever fell in love with: From memory I think it was Claire????? 

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: OK I love Sayid a lot but him changing personality in S6 did my head in even the second time I watched it :)) I understand it, I just hate it a lot

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: Kate & Sawyer maybe, but I do prefer Kate & Saywer to Jack & Kate for multiple reasons :) 

my ultimate favourite character™: Charlie Pace, Sun-Hwa Kwon, Juliet Burke, Benjamin Linus, probably any four of those! Also ADORE Hurley, Claire & Desmond

prettiest character: Kate Austen! 

my most hated character: Jack Shephard :) Honestly I hate this dick head more than anything, his prominence ALMOST made me turn off :) I just hate him with a passion :) When I’m sat there rooting for BEN over Jack then I must have some serious issues with Jack :) He had some really good moments but overall he was such an obnoxious irritant of a character 

my OTP: Charlie & Claire <33333 and Rose & Bernard!

my NOTP: Shannon & Sayid, fucking YUCK :)

favourite episode: The Greatest Hits, OR Through The Looking Glass Part 3 purely for its cliffhanger! The Constant and Flashes Before Your Eyes aswell :))

saddest death: Jin & Sun and Charlie :) 

favourite season: Season 1 in my rewatches isn’t as good to be honest BUT I do love Season 1 a lot :) I may have to say Season 3 though

least favourite season: Season 5! I don’t hate it but I just was least interested in it than the others

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: UMMMMMM is Jack loved in this fandom??? Cos if so, Jack :)  

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: Sawyer!

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: John Locke always deserved better :) He was annoying at times and I did find him quite selfish throughout a LOT of the show, but I felt sorry for him through the entire show :)

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship:  None!

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship:Juliet & Sawyer maybe??? Again I love both characters though but I think I was DONE with relationships at this point

[lightsandlostbells]

so, overall, what did you think of season 3 of stranger things?

It took me a while to answer this question because I had to sort out how I felt about this season! I guess if I had to narrow it down to an overall opinion: enjoyable, but very messy. Had some of the series’ best moments but also, while I was watching, I had far more grumbles and gripes than the previous two seasons.

I’ve never really been hung up on whether this show is derivative or plays too into nostalgia or w/e. Plenty of media does that. And despite all the time I’ve spent dissecting micro-expressions and weighty silences in European teen dramas that are filmed for the cost of a candy bar … I am way into genre films and TV shows. I love monsters and superheroes and spectacle! I watched Stranger Things the weekend it premiered because I love ‘80s movies about kids on bikes having adventures, I eat that shit up. So I don’t expect this show to be a hardcore deconstruction and re-imagining of those tropes (though that sounds like a pretty great show), I’m fine with it being what it is: a solid, spooky sci-fi/horror throwback series. What matters most is whether the story and characters work. Personally, I would say whatever criticisms you can make of S1 and S2, they had heart, and unfortunately I think some of that heart was missing from S3. Much of that, IMO, comes from sidelining some of the familial relationships that were at the center of the narrative in S1 and S2, like the Byers family and Hopper & Eleven, and to some degree the important friendships like the party, although there were other friendships introduced in this season so that wasn’t as glaring. It’s not a surprise that one of the best-received parts about this season, Steve and Robin’s friendship, is also responsible for one of the most heartfelt scenes Stranger Things has ever done. 

There was also a way larger emphasis on comedy in S3. Comedy is probably my favorite genre, and I did laugh at a lot of humorous moments in this season. But I also felt like there was more comedy for comedy’s sake, like long sequences created intentionally to make the audience laugh. Whereas in S1 and S2, I can’t remember any scenes like that? The comedy was more understated and came from character personalities and relationship moments rather than joke set pieces. That’s perhaps another reason why S3 felt like it had less heart.

My hope for season 4 - and I am assuming there is a season 4, because apparently this show did mega ratings for S3 - is that they don’t add more major new characters (except love interests for the gay characters, go ahead with those, lol) and instead focus on the existing cast,  which is already a very strong ensemble, yet many of the characters have gotten pushed to the sides. I would love if they added to the episode count: a lot of Netflix series drag out their seasons, like they have enough story for 10 episodes but have to stretch it out to 13, but Stranger Things has the opposite problem. I feel like if they had 10 (or 11, ha) episodes they could have more time for breather moments and more space for character arcs. This season was really fast-paced in my opinion, and although that’s a positive in many respects, I missed a lot of the down time.

Also, I think every season has taken place over like a week maximum, not including the epilogues, and like … you can make the story last longer than a week! Not everything has to go to hell in like a day or two.

Some more specific opinions underneath, obviously lots of spoilers.

First of all, I gotta say, I feel like a weirdo, because so many of the reviews for this season are like A RETURN TO FORM AFTER A DISAPPOINTING SECOND SEASON and UP THERE WITH SEASON 1 NOT THAT CRAPPY SEASON 2 THAT NO ONE LIKED and uhhhh … I liked season 2 just fine? It’s probably my favorite. There are things I don’t like about it, but the stuff I love is stuff I really, really love. Hopper and Eleven’s relationship, for instance. Steve and Dustin teaming up and Steve Harrington becoming a guardian to four children. Those are not just great elements to the series, but directions that I think only a second season could have taken - Hopper and Eleven’s bond wouldn’t have had half the weight if they weren’t established as traumatized, broken people in S1. Steve Harrington becoming a babysitter would not be nearly so delightful if we had not known him as the popular douchebag stereotype from S1 - if he were just a cool dude hanging out with kids from the get-go, the impact wouldn’t be as great. After S1 used Will Byers as a MacGuffin in S1, S2 gave Will a much larger role and that little actor acted his ass off. His performance generated a lot of genuine suspense and chills. There was Sean Astin being lovable! Paul Reiser’s character being a surprisingly good guy! Yeah, there are big flaws in the season, and you can argue it’s too much of a repeat of S1, but to me it was a version of S1 that made the characters more specific and interesting. I’m just … genuinely baffled by how it’s supposed to be demonstrably worse than the others. Because of the Kali episode? I didn’t think that one was terrible, either. I think it broke up the momentum of the chaos at Hawkins Lab, and Kali’s friends were obnoxious, it’s certainly not the greatest writing of the series, but as a whole the episode is like. Fine. It’s fine. It’s mediocre, not atrocious. It’s not the worst thing ever. It doesn’t ruin anything about the story or direction or the series. Most importantly it’s easy to ignore or skip on a rewatch if you don’t like it. The backlash was way overblown.

My biggest disappointment with season 3 was Hopper. Whaaaaaaat. Whaaaat did they dooooo. 

Hopper in previous seasons is a flawed, messed-up human being, but I always knew where he was coming from. When he yelled at Eleven in S2, I still got why he did it. In this season he felt cartoonish. The overprotective paternalistic dad trope is annoying BUT I might have been less bothered had they connected it more to Eleven’s lack of experience with the world, less RAWRRRR KEEP BOYS AWAY FROM MY GIRL. Or if Hopper had not demonstrated like, actual rage toward Mike and we just saw him fuming about it to himself or venting to Joyce, if he was trying to keep that shit under control. (I did laugh at him singing “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” in the car, I gotta admit.)

But his attitude toward Joyce was what really bummed me out. I’m not into this show for shipping reasons, but I low-key enjoyed the possibility of Joyce and Hopper hooking up based on previous seasons. This season felt like they were writing a completely different dynamic for them, one that was much more aggressively obnoxious. I think their intentions were clear - they were going for a Sam-and-Diane relationship, something that was referenced early on in the Bob flashback - but the problem is that their relationship was not like that at all in S1 and S2. When I think of Joyce and Hopper from those seasons, I think about him supporting her after Bob died, or listening to her concerns about her son, or working together to find Will. They didn’t have this combative dynamic! Frankly watching giant-ass Hopper yell at tiny Joyce was viscerally unpleasant. (Side note but in the first trailer there was a shot of Hopper running at the Fun Fair with someone else who I assumed was Eleven, but no, turned out to be Joyce, Winona Ryder is just that tiny next to David Harbour.)

Also, considering this season ended with his death (and we all know he’s not really dead but OK) it’s such a waste that there were few Hopper&Eleven moments! Only the finale brought some quality content on that front. But otherwise their relationship was out of sight, out of mind for almost the whole season, which wasn’t a great choice, both to maximize the emotional impact of the ending, and to expand upon their situation post-S2. I mean, it’s been months since then, how has their relationship changed now? Hopper’s letter talked about the stuff he enjoyed doing with his daughter - why didn’t we see any of that on screen this season? It could’ve helped with the Mike angle, too, like show Hopper and Eleven watching TV together and laughing and having a good time, and then the phone rings and it’s Mike and suddenly Hopper’s watching TV alone as Eleven’s now focused on her boyfriend, we see his disappointment, etc. 

Scoops Troop - Now they were a delight. They had such a ludicrous story but for the most part it worked due to the characters playing off each other and because the writing/acting/directing embraced the silliness. 

Steve Harrington is easily one of the best characters on this show. I fucking love that guy. He’s consistently entertaining, he’s had possibly the best character growth out of anyone in the series, he’s evolved from a stock ‘80s asshole stereotype into someone who’s funny and sympathetic and likable. He’s this amazing blend of the ridiculous with the heroic. Steve and Dustin were great together, as they were last season, and I’m cackling that Steve acquired YET ANOTHER CHILD under his supervision without even trying. But the MVP of the season was the Steve & Robin friendship. Holy shit do I love that relationship. Holy SHIT.

Robin herself is a terrific new character, smart and funny and once you know she’s half-Uma, you can’t unsee it. I was loving her already and then the bathroom scene happened and I YELLED. I was so utterly overjoyed. If they had made Steve and Robin hook up, honestly … I would’ve been fine with it, like this show doesn’t need more heterosexual romance but at least they had a fun dynamic, but man, the friendship angle was so so superior. It’s a type of relationship that media is lacking, and the specific circumstances of this friendship made it genuinely moving to me. I keep wanting to write like a meta post devoted to just this relationship because I just have so many emotions about it! But they play well off each other as a comedic duo and as an odd couple friendship, and they’re really what each other needs, IMO. Steve needed this close friendship more than he needed a girlfriend; in this season he’s clearly adrift and we’ve seen the kind of shitty friends he had in like season one, is Dustin the best pal he had at this point? And I love Steve & Dustin but Steve needed a good friend his own age. Robin is a lesbian in small-town Indiana in the ‘80s, and she was clearly full of fear that Steve would hate her if he knew, and for him to accept her so easily, not even making a big deal about it? That’s kind of life-saving, really. I can’t wait to see more of them, if Netflix wants to make the half-hour Clerks-esque spinoff about them working in a video store and shooting the shit, I would be 100% down for that.

I have some mixed feelings about Erica because I think she could have benefited from getting the same humanization as the other kids (and I’m going to leave the discussion of racial tropes gently by the side at the moment but … yeah). The other child characters are played more like actual people with vulnerabilities, which has been part of the show’s appeal since the first season, and Erica was more like the sitcom kid who always has a snarky quip ready; however, she did make me laugh and I like that they tapped into her being a nerd, I wish they’d explore that in future seasons with the character. “I’m ten, you bald bastard” was one of my favorite lines of the season, I lost my goddamn mind. 

Billy - Lmao, so Billy in S2 was the woooorst. This dude had ZERO redeeming qualities. His abusive dad creates a smidgen of sympathy, I guess, but Billy goes so far beyond normal teenage assholery that it didn’t make a dent in my opinion of him. You can redeem someone like Steve Harrington, first of all because Steve actually feels regret and works to correct his mistakes, but Steve also didn’t go to a point of no return in the first place. Billy did, for me. Physically and verbally abusing his younger sister? Attacking a black middle-schooler for the crime of being in the same room as his white sister? What a piece of shit.

With that in mind - I have no problem focusing on him as a villain this season, I really don’t. It justifies his inclusion in S2 other than as a human antagonist who’s ultimately not really connected to the main plot, as it retrospectively establishes him as an even greater threat in this season. I also think the actor did a good job with the material he was given. However, ultimately this dude’s arc was underwhelming. The thing is … I can tell they were trying to show Billy struggling with the Mind Flayer, but Billy is so lacking in any positive qualities that it’s kind of like, where does that struggle even come from? Yeah, even the worst people aren’t going to be wild about having a monster from another dimension hijack your body and use it to collect people for spare parts, but this is the same dude who was about to run over Mike, Lucas, and Dustin on their bikes last season for absolutely no reason. He beat Steve to point of unconsciousness and could’ve put him in the hospital. He assaulted Lucas. So I really need some evidence of Billy’s moral compass because it is not inherent and there’s in fact plenty of evidence that it doesn’t exist. I’m not very enthusiastic about redeeming a racist, abusive creep, but I also think if you’re going to go for him helping Eleven at the end … you have to show some current potential for goodness, not just “used to be a nice kid.”

A really glaring omission: the lack of any family/home scenes with him, Max, and their parents this season. We left off last season with Max telling him to leave her and her friends alone. How is their relationship since then? Is there still a lot of friction? Is there a tense peace? Has their relationship improved in any way? We really needed to see that follow-up. I get that Max crying over Billy this season makes sense in that he’s still her family and we can still have love for those who hurt us … but I also feel that we needed something between them to justify her pain, like even just the potential of their relationship being a fraction better, or the suggestion that Billy used to be OK to Max before he went full asshole. And I think we really needed to see Billy’s dad being currently abusive in this season - tbh, missed opportunity that the dad didn’t get flayed like, out of revenge (which would have been both satisfying and horrifying), missed opportunities for suspense when we think Billy might serve up Max and her mom to the Mind Flayer, etc.

Another missed opportunity: drawing parallels between Billy and Will. Both are possessed by the Mind Flayer. Both had shitty dads calling them homophobic slurs. Both could be read as gay (I’m not hungry to claim Billy as LGBT representation or invested in this interpretation but his scenes with Steve in S2 admittedly have that sweaty homoerotic dick-measuring vibe, if you want to take it there). Their names are both William, FFS. The difference is that Will is a sweet and gentle kid surrounded by loving family and friends who fought to save him, and Billy is a violent, cruel dude who probably doesn’t have any real friends, just shallow connections. You could show how the Mind Flayer could more easily possess and manipulate someone like Billy, but that wasn’t really explored.

Also, is anyone going to dwell on the fact that like … Max is living with an abusive man as her stepfather? He’s shown hurting Billy’s mom. Does that not concern anyone that he is very likely to attack either Max or her mom? 

Oh, and thank God they didn’t take the Billy/Karen thing all the way. In retrospect, even weirder considering Billy’s mommy issues. 

Joyce - I get that it’s a big leap downward in emotional investment to go from “must save my son” to “fucking magnets, how do they work” but I liked that she had her own investigation that wasn’t full of emotional turmoil. Winona forever. 

Mike - Everyone is ragging on him but I think he was less terrible than people are making him out to be. He was bratty in a teenage way, but he wasn’t the worst kid ever. I didn’t take his now notorious line to Will (“It’s not my fault you don’t like girls”) as something intentionally cruel or homophobic, just something that came out wrong and that he instantly regretted, and he and Lucas did seem genuinely apologetic over the D&D game and went over to Will’s in the rain out of concern. And the reason he lied to Eleven was because SCARY ASS HOPPER threatened him??? Also, his concern over Eleven overexerting herself was not misplaced, lmao! It really took that long for anyone to go, “Hey, should we be worried about the amount of blood coming out of her nose? Should we be concerned about the effects on her brain?” Sure, Eleven has the final say in whether or not she uses her powers, but tbh… she didn’t have a normal upbringing and her view of her powers is probably skewed. Like, would Eleven have enough basic medical knowledge to be worried about brain damage or nosebleeds, or would that just be the norm to her? Is she making these decisions with a full grasp of the potential consequences? Anyway, I don’t have a more negative opinion of Mike after this season. 

Eleven - I loved Eleven a lot in this season. I don’t know if it did a ton for her character arc, but it’s nice to see her slowly develop into more of a normal girl. And the season was rough for her in terms of getting her ass kicked, she goes through so much mental and physical pain! In the end she loses her dad and her powers!

Of course one of the bright spots was her and Max becoming friends! Not gonna lie, there was something a little … simplistic about some of that depiction of friendship for me - just that so much of it was SHOPPING and GIGGLING and BOY TALK, girls being GIRLS, when Max has been portrayed as a tomboy and Eleven is a telekinetic kid raised in a lab, that maybe their interactions shouldn’t have fit the mold quite so much - but it doesn’t truly bother me because they were so sweet and fun. I loved them tracking down Billy together and I appreciate that their friendship carried throughout the season, that Max was the person shown carrying an injured Eleven along with Mike, Eleven comforted Max after Billy died, etc. That was a definite sore spot of S2, the girl-on-girl jealousy and Eleven flat-out rejecting Max’s friendly introduction, and I do think they took that feedback into account for the better here. I also like that Eleven was clearly taking cues from Max, the more “worldly” of the two about boys and clothes and teenage attitudes in general - it gave their friendship a more specific shape.

I cannot WAIT to see her living with the Byers family next season. Like if they don’t spend significant time on that dynamic, it will be the biggest disappointment. There could be 8 episodes of just boring mundane Byers domestic scenes and I would love it, please inject it into my eyeballs, Duffer bros. I want to see her bonding with all of them, trying to fit in at school, attempting the most normal life she’s ever had. Also lmao, she and Will can finally have a goddamn conversation??? I hope they’ve been withholding that relationship because they were planning to go all out with those new sibling vibes in S4. They are the two characters who have been most traumatized by the Upside Down, we deserve to see them connect.

On that note, I have a lot of thoughts about Will in this season! Mainly - underused as FUCK. After all that trauma of being possessed by the Mind Flayer last season, they barely utilize this connection in the second half of S3. Even his Spidey sense hardly came in handy??? Now that was really weird, IMO, because the least they could do was have that feeling alert the others or be useful, but lmao it was practically pointless. 

It’s weird because I’m not sure if they just don’t know what to do with Will if he’s not being a victim (which is stupid because there’s plenty you could do with him), but at the same time, he has one of the most poignant subplots of the season. From the reactions I’ve seen, Will feeling rejected and left out as his friends move on really resonated with a lot of viewers. But then this thread is abandoned after episode 3, for the most part. Will cries and destroys the place that represents his childhood, a place that was created specifically in response to trauma (mentioned in S2 that he and Jonathan built it after their dad left), this is very rich emotional territory … and then the show’s just like ehhhhhh moving on. He’s just hanging out in the background and touching his neck for the rest of the season. 

And now I gotta talk about that other thing with Will.

I am so confused by what the Duffer brothers are trying to accomplish with Will’s sexuality, because on the one hand it seems like they have a really clear idea about it and on the other hand they’re just like¯\_(ツ)_/¯  The thing is … it seems very obvious they have always thought of Will as gay. This is blatant from the original pitch from the show as well as one of the S2 scripts (the only one that’s available publicly, so who knows what else they’ve written). I accept that people have different interpretations, but The Line this season is far from the only textual support for Will being gay, and I think it makes for a much, much stronger narrative if you read Will as gay in addition to not wanting to grow up as fast as his friends and being stunted from trauma - that is an entire meta post in itself, though. 

What gets me about the ~ambiguity is that the Duffer brothers planted the gay hints in the first place! They are absolutely not there by accident! Like I’m not speaking for the teenage actors but lmao, the adults involved in the writing and directing of this series absolutely fucking knew how that “not my fault you don’t like girls” scene would be interpreted, especially considering fans were debating Will’s sexuality from the beginning, based off the many homophobic comments leveled at him in S1. There have been TV shows where fans latched onto gay “subtext” that was likely unintentional, but this isn’t one of them. 

IDK, man, it’d just be nice to have some confidence in where this is going. I loved Robin and the bathroom scene made me think that yeah, they might do a decent job with Will’s sexuality, something I might have doubted before. Under no circumstances do I expect a Skam S3-style coming out arc for Will, but I’m also uncertain if I should expect anything from the show on this front at all or if they’ll play it coy to the bitter end. Though I guess I’d still take the ambiguity over giving him a female love interest after everything. Lol, that would be a giant oh-fuck-no.

Real talk, though, let’s discuss what an utter waste it would be to not write a scene where Joyce tenderly accepts her son when he comes out to her. You really aren’t going to bring that instantly iconic moment to life, assholes? You’re not going to provide that for Winona Ryder’s and Noah Schnapp’s Emmy reels? MAKE IT HAPPEN, BASTARDS.

Nancy and Jonathan have a reputation for the most boring plots but they’re fine, w/e. I’m not deeply invested in their romance but I don’t want to fast forward their scenes or anything. Nancy is an underrated character; she’s extremely proactive and always has been, and I enjoy watching her shoot things. I think the best thing they could do for both characters, though, is to separate them next season, not just physically but storyline-wise. Jonathan would be best in a subplot involving his family, because he’s at his most likable as a son and brother, and Nancy should either go off with Mike (a sibling relationship that is VASTLY undeveloped), or she should team up with Robin. I mean it, Nancy and Robin would be a power pairing, let me show you my manifesto. Both are smart young women who are good at solving mysteries. Would Robin think Nancy is a priss after Nancy unloads several rounds into the latest demogorgon chasing them? Would Nancy find Robin a refreshing alternative to the crushing suburban conformity that she claims to want to avoid? Oh, the possibilities. Meanwhile, Steve tags along in the background, all like OH SHIT, my lesbian BFF and my ex-girlfriend are in cahoots! 

Lucas and Max were playing relationship counselors to Mike and Eleven through much of the season. Max still had a fair amount to do, but Lucas needs a meatier subplot next time. I feel like they’re not sure what to do with him? I would like to see him and Erica interact more since their dynamic so far is one-note. 

There is one hell of a conversation to be had about the Evil Russians of this season, but I’m really not the person to do it. 

Also about the depiction of capitalism this season. That’s more thinkpiece-y than I am equipped to do right now. 

The product placement is something that should bother me more but I’m just like … shrug. Except that New Coke bit because that was an actual mood-breaker. 

Could have done without Russian Terminator guy. That was a blatant ‘80s homage so I get why he was there, he just wasn’t all that interesting. And was that guy supposed to be superpowered or something? Was he getting jacked on Upside Down steroids???  What was his deal???

Alexei/Murray was the true OTP of the season, let’s be real.

The trend of lovable, doomed minor characters continued with Alexei. Props to that actor for making you root for the guy. He even made me kind of love Murray? I was very WTF over that guy encouraging two teenagers to fuck in S2, and I’m still not into his habit of telling people to bang even when they’re adults, but I guess he just needed a sympathetic Russian buddy to win me over. 

There were a ton of moments where I felt like the characters made stupid choices as opposed to earlier seasons. Will getting dragged into the Upside Down in the first 10 minutes of the series is an impressive example of a horror movie character doing everything right and making good decisions - a 12-year-old, no less. And he was still overpowered by the demogorgon so it’s not like making good decisions will always save you! Whereas this season I was like LORD some of these characters are drinking dumbass juice. 

There was also so much silly stuff happening, like things that are even more far-fetched than previous seasons, but I just kind of went with it. Yeah, of course there’s a secret Russian base under a shopping mall. Sure.

This season is objectively disgusting in terms of gore and yet I was fine with it? And I’m someone who was repulsed by Barb’s corpse in S1. The Mind Flayer being made of people was some nasty shit but effective horror. I felt bad for the poor little rats :( Oh, and the flayed humans, too. Some of them. Was sad to see Mrs. Driscoll bite it but FUCK those cartoon misogynists from the newspaper. 

Visually beautiful! Starcourt Mall is an amazing set and I’m rather sad that the mall was destroyed, although that was basically a foregone conclusion. Some great cinematography, too. On a purely aesthetic level I had a great time just blasting this season into my retinas.

I have had the motherfucking NeverEnding Story theme song in my head for almost two weeks and I’m suffering.

[bugheadfamily]

This week the spotlight is on Holly ( @my-broken-bones-are-mending90 )! Click the read more link below to get to know our member!

Spotlight by Mila, @jughead-jones | Graphic by Katie, @betty-cooper 

Holly | @my-broken-bones-are-mending90

Name: Holly 

Age: 28

Location: Greer, South Carolina 

Any other languages aside from English people can contact you in?: I wish. I majorly flunked Spanish.

Favourite Riverdale characters and ships?: Bughead, is my favorite ship obviously. I had a thing for Midge/Moose for a while but I kind of knew they wouldn’t happen, I also ship Mary and Fred. I have an appreciation for Varchie and I hope to see them get even more development as a couple in season 3. My absolute favorite characters are Jughead and Betty. 

Favourite moments from S1 & S2?: I love the scene in season 1 where they’re in the diner and Jughead kisses Betty’s hands after his birthday party. It was one of the sweetest scenes I had ever seen. One of my favorite moments in season 2 was when Veronica refused to leave Archie after they had sex in the shower. AND the scene where Betty decides to save the diner and she’s thinking about why it’s important.

What are your hopes for S3?: Seeing Jughead and Betty as a strong/crime solving couple. Meeting Jellybean and Gladys. I would love to see Archie and Cheryl self-destruct together just so they can utilize KJ and Mads chemistry some more. BUT then they can go back to their significant others.

Other fandoms you’re into?: I am heavily into the Stranger Things fandom. 

What are some of your favourite movies/TV?: Elementary, Sherlock, This Is Us, the Mentalist, Stranger Things, Boy Meets World. My favorite movies are Breakfast at Tiffany’s and You’ve Got Mail are my two favorites EVER.

Favourite books?: the Little Prince, Nancy Drew, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Sherlock Holmes, the Charlotte Holmes Mysteries, the Magician’s Nephew.

Favourite bands/musicians?: Taylor Swift, Michael Buble, Sleeping At Last, Frank Sinatra, Kelly Clarkson, Barbra Streisand. 

If you could live in any fictional world which one would you choose and why?: Probably Narnia. It was the first fantasy world I really ever was invested in. Who wouldn’t want to be “once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia”.

Favourite food?: Pizza and French fries.

Favourite season?: Winter.

Favourite plant?: Sunflowers!

Favourite scent?: To wear? At the Beach from Bath & Body quite consistently and recently I’ve fallen in love with cinnamon and vanilla by Hempz. THEN I love the smell of coffee.

Favourite colour?: Pink or glitter. Is glitter a color?

Favourite animal?: Dogs. BUT dolphins are a close second.

Are you a night owl, an early bird, or a vampire?: I am both an early bird and a night owl. BUT I usually get the most done in the afternoon or late at night.

Place you want to visit?: France, China, Australia, Italy, Greece, anywhere I can see the bottom of the ocean.

Do you have pets? If you do, tell us a little about them: I have one dog, a doxie/black lab mix we adopted from the shelter almost 3 years ago. Her name is Ember and she thinks she’s a guard dog even though she weighs less than 50 pounds wet. She likes to eat iceberg lettuce and white rice.  

Tell us a little about yourself?: I am the oldest of 5 kids, 3 sisters (Heather, Hannah, and Katherine) tand 1 brother (Andrew). I  am a freshly minted auntie to an 8-month old named Roger, I have 25 cousins and I am the oldest grandchild on my dad’s side.

Fun or weird fact about you?: George Clooney was filming Leatherheads where I live, he turned around and I waved. He waved back. A weird fact is, I can wrap my whole arm around my neck and touch my ear.

Asks for fanfic authors: 

How long have you been writing?: I’ve been telling stories my whole life, I’ve been writing fan fiction for 14 years.

Which is your favourite of the fics you’ve written?:  My favorite Bughead story I’ve ever written is a one-shot called Dreams. It didn’t get a lot of attention though, so it kind of disappointed me.

Favourite fic/chapter/plot-point/character you’ve ever written?: One of my favorite chapters to write was in my story “the Boyfriend Plot” when Jughead and Betty had a makeout session to Just My Imagination Running Away With Me by the Temptations. It was a turning point in the story for Betty and the song choice reflected how Jughead was feeling pretending to be Betty’s boyfriend.

Which was the hardest to write, and why?: Hello Darkness My Old Friend. It dealt with addiction, so I was constantly aware that I could be triggering somebody and also, it was filling a wish prompt so I was always uncertain if I was matching the vision of the person who requested it.

How do you come up with the ideas for you fic(s)? (examples: Do you draw inspiration from real life? Listen to music? Get inspired by TV/movies?) Do you have an process to your writing?: I draw a lot of inspiration from movies, literature, movies, and TV shows. Usually when I get an idea for a new story, I’ll jot down ideas in a moleskin my dad got for me. Then I’ll start gathering stuff for my book covers and playing around with it until I get what I like. THEN, I’ll build a playlist. Which is one of my favorite parts of the process.

Idea that you always wanted to write?: Fanfiction wise,  I would like to write a story where the female character sends the male character a Christmas present while he’s at war. Then he comes to see her because her letter or present got him through it. Fiction wise, I’d love to write a series about the Biltmore or a YA novel about Hades and Persephone. 

Favourite character to write?: Betty or Mike from Stranger Things, hands down. I can relate to both of them on so many levels. Otherwise it’s Patrick Jane from the Mentalist or Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock or Elementary. I’ve been told I have a knack for getting their voices.

Best comment/review you’ve ever received?: There was one from @lilibug--xx on High Society recently, I was flattered because I think she had just won best overall smut writer in the Bughead Fanfiction Awards. SO, to be noticed by her was just spectacular for me. 

Best and worst parts of being a writer?: The best parts of being a writer is stringing together words and sentences that will really move somebody. The worst part of being a writer is the crippling self-doubt I subject myself to. 

Do you have any advice to offer?: Write for YOURSELF. Not for other people, if you want to write it and you can’t get it out of your mind. Just do it! Don’t try and write something that you think people will want to read. It’s a recipe for an unsatisfied life.

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This is the eighth instalment of Bughead Family’s Member Spotlight series. Each week, a member’s url is selected through a randomizer and they will be featured in a spotlight post. In order to participate, please join the Bughead Discord (more information found here). Thank you.

[julystorms]

SnK Season Two Commentary

Episode 26: “Beast Titan”

I will cover everything in order; if I miss anything you’d like my opinion on, please feel free to shoot me a message and I’ll be happy to write more. These are my generalized thoughts on Ep26 (including my theory about why dinosaurs are in the new opener); they are under a cut due to length and to help prevent people from seeing spoilers.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this season. I didn’t even watch the previously released bit with Hange and Pastor Nick (though I’m pretty sure I reblogged a video of it a long time ago), so I felt like I was going in blind.

Scene One: The Wall Titan

The series picks up right where it left off: with the Survey Corps staring up at the titan in the wall (referred to from hereon out as the Wall Titan). Overall, this intro scene was really well-done; I enjoyed seeing Nick’s panic, but Hange was by far the star. The general tonal atmosphere of the scene was amazing, IMO. The soldiers were scared and Hange was no exception. I don’t really have much to say about this scene except that...I was a little perturbed to notice that the only soldiers present were with the Survey Corps. While this bothers me (how...convenient...considering we know the entire district is crawling with both the MP and the Garrison), it wasn’t enough to draw me out of the story entirely.

Opening Song

It wasn’t amazing but it was pretty good. The artwork and animation is, of course, as lovely as it was in S1, perhaps moreso. Some of the angles they used for the opening were pretty nifty.

As far as the animals and dinosaurs go, my theory is that we’re meant to see them as secrets of the world that the Beast Titan has access to that the Walled People do not. Remember in S1 how excited Armin was talking about the ocean? About how Eren countered his excitement with a line about how “if the ocean is full of salt, there wouldn’t be an ocean because the merchants would have snapped it all up already!”...? The concept of the vastness of the ocean is difficult for the walled people to wrap their heads around--just the concept. They don’t know much of anything; they barely understand their own humanity. My opinion on this aspect of the worldbuilding aside, I think the point they are making with that opening bit (which you can see in tiny badly done gifs here) is about humanity’s history--that the Beast Titan (and others, as we now know) have access to information like this; they know about elephants, that dinosaurs once roamed the earth, about whales in the ocean and hippos: creatures you can’t even really begin to describe to people who have never seen one. The vastness of their size, their shape, their mannerisms and behaviors...seem overwhelming and impossible. But they’re not. They exist. And I think in showing this stuff we are meant to think about the fact that there is more to the world than what the walled people know of it...and that the Beast Titan is a part of that world--one not their own.

Scene Two: Erwin’s Discussion with His Underlings

I thought this was a pretty interesting scene; rather bland but it’s clear the Annie debacle is “Taken Care Of” by this point, and that what we are meant to notice is that the Survey Corps is...questioning things. Erwin’s underlings ask how they should feel about this new information, and the implication seems to be a little iffy here but I think these people are just shocked that titans could be in the walls and none of them had any inkling of it even being a possibility.

Erwin’s reply, of course, is odd: “There were only people who knew, and people who didn’t.” 

But it isn’t as ominous as it sounds. He means that nobody had any reason to suspect it, so either you knew it was a thing or you didn’t know; there is no middle ground. 

Scene Three: Cleanup of Stohess

I...did not expect to get a scene with Hitch and Marlowe in it, at least...not this early in the season. I suspected they might give us something because they added an extra bit into S1, knowing Marlowe will be important later, but I think showing us what the cleanup effort looks like now will save them some effort in the future: 

Marlowe: Why are they keeping us in the dark? Hitch: Business as usual. But what’s scummiest of all...is that there’s no ‘official’ reason why all these people died.

We know that in 59 this cleanup scene is the primary reason for Hitch’s upset with the Survey Corps but here we get to see more of it, enough to really believe in Hitch’s side of things later. Her anger feels more justified when we get to see what she’s had to see. And now we know, too, that it’s been hours since the incident happened and still people are uninformed. Nobody’s releasing anything. That means there is something to hide. Yikes. This was a nice addition that I’m sure will be worth the screentime it took up.

Scene Four: Hange and Nick on the Wall Ft. Moblit

I didn’t watch this in advance so I was excited to see it, and...it didn’t entirely let me down, but... I don’t know. I really loved Hange: she didn’t sound crazy at all. Her anger was rooted in fear and in loss. So many people have given their lives for humanity and all the time there were people like Nick...keeping secrets like this. Big secrets. She’s already made assumptions, too: “Are there titans in all the walls?” I mean, goodness. Nick, too, is awesome in this. He’s scared out of his mind but his determination is 11/10 “Deliver me, O Lord!” I loved that. But Hange is equally as determined in her own way, saying she’ll just kill him and find other people to ask until someone fesses up. But of course Nick’s gumption gets to her and she respects it enough to let him go. And then laughs. Says she was kidding. I thought they did a good job of showing her as a fairly reasonable person...angry and frustrated as hell, but not WHOA KUH-RAZY MONEY like they did in S1, carefree and silly. Fuck that portrayal: this is the real Hange my dudes, and it was good to see it.

That said, Moblit just sort of stood there and yelled “SQUAD LEADER!” and “HANGE-SAN!” and didn’t do jack shit. I wish he’d have gotten into the fray a bit, grabbed her sleeve, pleaded in the background even if she ignored the hell out of him. The way all those people just stand around like dopes is annoying. Like yeah she’s in charge but...I wanted a little more protest to her dangling a guy who knows the secrets of the world over the edge of the wall. :|

Scene Five: TITANS ARE INSIDE WALL ROSE!!!! Ft. Tomas

Or Thomas, I guess. How many guys named Tom exist in this world? Apparently three...of them are soldiers. Anyway...

He got hot.

He made weird slobbery faces in the manga but he’s one good-looking dude in S2. But more seriously I dig the rewind bit for the “12 hours earlier” part. But that just goes to say this determined bro rode hard for 12 hours to deliver this news. Like...these kids were a 12 hour hard gallop from Wall Sina? O...okay...? (I’ll get back to this, I promise.)

Scene Six: 12 Hours Earlier...

This scene isn’t spectacular and it seems...smaller, somehow, than the manga, though I can’t quite put my finger on why. I think I felt like the manga had more 104th kids there, but as we can see, there are a handful of 104th recruits from the north/east/west(?)south who are being held here also...I always liked that about the manga and I’m glad they kept it in.

The biggest criticism I’ve seen so far of the series is anger toward Reiner and Bertholt for “being so fake” in this scene, but I think their reactions here are perfectly genuine.

I don’t really have anything to say about Connie and Sasha’s conversation but when Reiner offers to help Connie sneak out to his village I think he has a legit reason for saying it; I’m pretty sure his commentary on their situation (no gear, no information, et cetera) right after fighting Annie (the Female Titan) isn’t accidental or meant to be misleading. Pretty sure he’s afraid the Survey Corps is onto them and he’s thinking of getting the hell outta Dodge why he still can. More on this in a bit, though.

It seems they tried to downplay the accuracy of Mike’s nose, so it’s possible that we could be considering Mike’s sense of smell a retconned or dropped plot thread. In the manga he couldn’t even see the titans and knew how many there were, but in the anime they’re making it kind of obvious that he can’t just smell them but can see them, too.

(By the way, Thomas/Tomas takes 3 couriers with him, which probably means he rode straight for Stohess while the other three went to other locations to spread the word. He could push one horse that hard. The distance between Rose and Sina is ~81 miles. A racehorse could cover 113 miles in a day (and in a famous race from the late 1800s this did happen) if they were trained for it, but it would probably destroy their longterm health...and carry immense risk of leaving the rider stranded if the horse, you know, dropped dead from exhaustion or tripped or stumbled. Anyway, my issue with this is that we don’t know how far south of Wall Sina these kids are and it feels odd that it took this guy 12 whole hours to get to Stohess from this location at a gallop when somehow all the 104th were packed up and brought there without galloping but like, fast enough that it was less than a day... Anyway...consistency lmao.)

My favorite bit is where Reiner turns to Bertholt and says: “Has the wall been breached?!” because this implies a hell of a lot, knowing what we now know about them. This makes me think their fear is 100% real. Think about it: if they didn’t break the wall down, there is...really only one other immediate option. It’s possible there are more, too: I mean, we know of Jaws and Cartman as two other shifters, so in Reiner and Bert’s minds, it’s possible the cavalry has arrived and they have no idea what’s going on but it’s putting them in one very awkward and terrible situation, especially without any gear.

Scene Seven: Humanity Will Only Lose When We Stop Fighting

I take some issue with this scene, but my biggest issue with it is that to save time they shortened it and didn’t really let it be...meaningful. I always felt that scene was one of only a few scenes we ever get of veteran characters feeling doubtful or scared, and it’s also the only one we get where one vet inspires and bolsters another’s spirit.

It was a hugely important scene in the manga, IMO, but was not treated that way in the anime. Probably to save time considering how the episode ends, but...meh. I’m happy to talk about this more in another post if anyone actually wants my thoughts on this scene.

Scene Eight: Splitting Up

I noticed that when Reiner asks Bert to come with him and Connie, Bert agrees much more quickly than he does in the manga. I feel like this might be a smart change but I also liked Bert’s hesitation from the manga... It made him come across as more afraid...of the titans, of course, but we now know it was probably the situation in general that was freaking him out. (We’re not doing our jobs well/fast enough now someone else is interfering. This is our fault because we didn’t do our job properly.)

Also... my son:

And I wonder if this is supposed to be Henning and Lynne...? (Squad Hook Nose + Nanaba lmao.)

Looking at the manga it was kind of hard to tell who said the lines this woman said, but she had a ponytail like Lynne does. This character seems to have pigtails...? (Though the eye shape does match Lynne’s in the manga; Henning is confusing because he hardly shows up in the manga but I can’t imagine they’d draw these characters just to have randos...since we know all the teams converge together again at Utgard later.)

Scene Nine: Eren’s Dream

I didn’t expect to see Carla so soon but waH it got me a little bit in the feelings. That said, Mikasa kind of dozing off and dropping her scarf was sweet. I liked how this scene was soft and quiet and then Armin busted in to ruin their day.

Scene Ten: Erwin’s Office

The guy who says putting Mike in charge was a good idea is...well, I liked Erwin’s hesitation with that, and the kind of stalemate with Levi in this scene. There was a distinct “we’re doomed” vibe to this scene, but I like how we know that none of these characters are sitting around on their hands just waiting for happy funtimes.

Scene Eleven: The Beast Titan

Now we know why the trailer had so much of Mike’s death in it! Because it happens in the first episode of the second season! 

I didn’t like this scene and it wasn’t because Mike died. I admit to being unhappy that he died so quickly; I think I was hoping for a little more emotional push and pull, a little more humanity. And we didn’t really get it.

The Beast Titan was appropriately terrifying. How did he get Mike’s gear free so easily? A question for the ages. 

One thing I was impressed with in this scene was Mike’s fear. He had it together until the BT threw his horse at him. Watching his courage crumble was something else. It makes sense. He was probably hurt badly just from the fall, tearing off all those shingles, not to mention that his legs were broken after that titan got hold of him. Palpable fear was in that scene. And the part that got me was Mike ducking to cover his head like he thought it could protect him--or like he was afraid to watch his death coming for him.

There were a lot of things that could have been inserted into this scene to really drive home Mike’s humanity. What I wouldn’t have given to see a flashback of him younger giving his heart for humanity, or him with his squad.

But all we got was the flashback to him telling Nanaba that they can’t stop fighting. And I admit...I was looking forward to this. I wanted some sad music, some slower motion, maybe a close-up, I wanted this to feel impactful and important, to feel like a declaration. But it felt soulless and weak.

Half of this can be blamed on the rooftop scene, IMO. The other half, though...

I blame on Mike’s actual death. It was unnecessarily brutal. I understand the name of the game in this series is that people die horribly but they went out of their way to kill him as horribly as possible just to make a point, I think. “LOOK WE HAVEN’T KILLED ANYONE LATELY WE HAVEN’T LOST OUR TOUCH HAHA SEE??? LOOK!!! WE STILL GOT IT!!”

My problem with this is that I think it really took away from Mike’s character. He dies with more dignity in the manga, and if they wanted to kill him brutally in the anime...at least let him fight back for a couple of seconds? Let him hit a titan with his sword? I don’t know. It just seemed over-the-top to me. Brutality for no real reason except that they had to prove they could still do it. He doesn’t even get half a second to fight. 

To be fair, I think this is my Mike bias speaking. I always liked Mike and I was hoping his death would be a little altered from the manga--just enough that he could fight back, or that he’d die fighting for his life.

And they did alter his death scene, but mostly so that he’d cry the entire time and scream aloud like 37 times to smash the audience over the head with how afraid he was. No thanks. Bye.

Ending Song

Meh, I didn’t care for it. The art is creepy. But I did check the cast list to see if Gelgar or Nanaba had last names, and they do not. :P (Neither do Hitch and Marlowe, though, so...perhaps later?)

Overall Thoughts!

Some stuff about this episode I really liked and...there was some I really didn’t like. I feel slightly blindsided by how fast everything is happening already, but I guess it drives home the fact that after Levi’s Special Ops squad dies this whole debacle is taking place like 36 hours later I MEAN REALLY. A lot happens very quickly.

That said, my hope that we’ll get some more of Mike’s Squad is...lower now than it was. I’m still hoping they don’t take away from Gelgar and Lynne in Connie’s village, but that should be the third episode. I’m looking forward to seeing Sasha kick some ass in the next one, though, that’s for sure!