#and marti being upside down

[molliemoo3]

Thank fuck they all seem OK, because look at the state of his car

[total-dxmure]

ೃ࿔ “INVISIBLE STRING THEORY” MASTERLIST

the marines didn’t ruin ellie. ellie ruined ellie. after being medically discharged she feels lost. being sent to live with joel is more of a last ditch effort to save her and less of a fun reunion for the father-daughter duo. jackson is worlds different than chicago, but the fresh air and sprawling countrysides are a welcome reprieve. ellie finds herself finding comfort in more than just the change in scenery though. after losing your girlfriend due to an accident you feel as though you’ll never find love again- but that was before meeting ellie williams. the two of you figure out that you have more in common than just the fact that she and your girlfriend were both marines though. tethered by some invisible string, the two of you meeting has to be fate. who would have known that you were the golden ticket to ellie’s recovery?

total word count: 13.8k

𖦹 chapter one- grief is a difficult thing for anyone to navigate, but ellie finds it impossible to tread through her bottomless depression. all roads seem to lead to nowhere and everyday is a struggle. after a run in with the law after a ptsd episode, her close friends decide that it's do or die. a quick phone call to joel is all it takes to turn her world upside down. moving back to wyoming is a last ditch effort to save the scarred marine. the woman has no idea what's waiting for her back home. . . or who.

𖦹 chapter two- it's easy to pretend that things are normal when she's with joel. she can put on a brave face. grin and bear it, as they say. your sudden appearance in ellie's life hits her like a battering ram, and she finds it impossible not to be drawn to you. joel lets her know that you are no stranger to loss. the two of you seem to have a lot in common. a lost engagement ring, a smitten ellie and a minor mental breakdown.

𖦹 chapter three- you're tired of waking up in bed cold and alone. abby would have wanted you to find joy again. . . so why can't you? ellie shows up bright and early to help you with your duties on the farm, which is when you realize just how irresistible she is. for the first time in a while you feel comfortable to be yourself around someone, and she feels the exact same way. she shares some hard truths about herself and discovers what was once lost to you.

𖦹 chapter four- to be continued . . .

ೃ࿔ fic "soundtrack"

i fall to pieces - patsy cline

i walk the line - johnny cash

big black car - gregory ivan isakov

blue eyes crying in the rain - willie nelson

streets of laredo - marty robbins

plastic jesus - tia blake

almost gone - my terrible friend

death don’t have no mercy - rev. gary davis

i’m so lonesome i could cry - hank williams

god’s gonna cut you down - johnny cash

[greenfiend]

Let’s Talk Time in ST

Time has been referenced a lot within this show and it is likely to play a MAJOR role in the final season- possibly in a reveal that will change our perspectives on the show as a whole.

There’s this one character who is most associated with affecting/manipulating time more than any other…

Mike.

He’s late every season. He is the one El addresses in the letter discussing time (image at the top of this post).

While Will is our Marty Mcfly, the time traveller. Mike is our Doc Brown… the inventor of the Time Machine.

These scenes spell it out for us. Dustin leaves the theatre “to find us a ride” then we are shown the Delorean (the time machine in Back to the Future). Now… who does Dustin reach out to for “a ride”? None other than Mike Wheeler himself, while we are given ANOTHER call back to the movie.

Somehow, he possess the ability to alter time. Is it powers? Maybe. Perhaps time has been slowing down and speeding up depending on his emotions. Let’s look at some examples of this.

From the very beginning we are shown the boys playing DnD and having a blast! They played for ten hours and that time just literally flew by in a snap.

Shortly after, Will went missing. Time came to an abrupt halt in the upside-down… but also perhaps in the right side up too?

When Will went missing- Mike felt numb… for a long time. He was devastated. Because his emotions affect time- time literally stopped. Time stopped until he found El in the woods. El represented hope for him. He started to feel things again and his life started up again. Time started up again.

The frequent mentions of the week being long are a reference to the week Will went missing. Because of Mike, that week actually lasted far longer than we realize.

Once Will returned, time resumed in the right-side up.

Throughout the show, however, we are given hints of time speeding up/slowing down to lesser degrees.

Here we learn that Mike had not really been enjoying himself while spending every single day with El.

While it’s the exact opposite when he’s with Will. At the movies, Mike definitely enjoyed himself. He loved the intimate time with Will. So much so that time sped up. We are shown this through Nancy and Jonathan waking up late.

When the Byers moved away, time slowed down quite a bit again. However, when Mike and Will were on good terms again and being a little flirty? Well…

Now I will just leave you with this:

[willbyersabyss]

Creation Powers, Memories, & Time Travel

Will has creation powers and he's the main component in time travel, the Montauk book (confirmed inspiration for ST) proves it. This is yet another addition to the memory time travel theory.

Important posts to read before this one:

The Upside Down is stuck on multiple days

Will traveled into the Wheeler house memory when he was kidnapped

In "The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time," a man named Duncan Cameron has a set of powers, one of which is the ability to create things out of thin air. He would create objects, even buildings, using his mind. Later on, they discovered that time travel was possible because of the creation powers. Duncan would think of a time period, his creation powers would activate, and a portal to that time period would appear. As long as he concentrated, the time tunnel would stay open and stable.

Ring any bells? This is just like Max's memory travel. She focused on a memory and was able to make her mind look like that memory. When she was distracted by Vecna, her memory travel couldn't be achieved. This is likely how time travel will occur in the show.

Max thought she made El. She's making things. Not thinking, making. Max made the Snow Ball a real, physical location somewhere...

Shadowfell, the DnD dimension that's the inspiration for the Upside Down, is described as a timeless dimension. Like Shadowfell, time doesn't function in the Upside Down and this is why it seems stuck in 1983. It's just a transitional plane between the real world and Dimension X. This plane can be tapped into using the mind. This is why El and Vecna can open gates to the Upside Down using psychic connection.

The Montauk book describes one of the time periods they traveled to as: "Everything was stationary, not unlike a dream state. There were no signs of life." If you told me that this was a canon description of the Upside Down, I wouldn't doubt it for a second. A lifeless place stuck in time.

When Max traveled into her memory, her mind connected with the Upside Down and replicated her memory there, creating the Snow Ball decorations we see in the UD at the end of s2 (read this post).

El said that they're all time travelers. Yeah, they definitely are. Max was able to time travel through her memories despite her lack of powers. Emotions impact time. Why would that be? Because time travel is linked to their brains, their emotions.

Max's memory time travel was possible because of her emotions. She wanted to be somewhere happy, to hide in the light. But when Vecna interrupted her with upsetting images, it no longer worked. Emotions change time!

So how does Will factor into this? As I've theorized before, he tried to travel into a happy memory (the Wheeler house) when he got kidnapped and this changed the appearance of the Upside Down. He then continued to memory hop to hide. How? Creation powers.

The inspiration for Will's look in s1 says all I need to say. His outfit is based on Marty McFly, a time traveler, and Bastian Bux, a kid who created a world using his imagination. Back to the Future and The Neverending Story are huge influences on the show and they're directly referencing them through Will for a reason. Will is time traveling through imagination. And his imagination is becoming real... creation powers.

The longer Bastian stayed in the imagination world, the less he would remember about his real self. Sounds similar to what happened to Will in s2, doesn't it? As Will is caught between the two worlds, he loses himself. He loses his memories.

The first thing that really clues Nancy into the state of the UD is her study cards. Cards that she had to memorize. These cards instantly send her into a memory of her and Steve. Before we even know what's happening, we are being shown memories. Then she looks at the journal, where she emphasizes Will's disappearance before relating it to the gate. Memories -> stuck in time -> Will.

In an interview with Chris Trujillo, the production designer for ST, he says that the UD is stuck in time because El created a snapshot of Hawkins when she opened the first gate. This would be a pretty crazy thing to reveal before it's directly discussed in the show. That's why I think he's lying. People who work on ST have a history of lying to cover up plot points (cough cough "Will isn't gay"), so I wouldn't be surprised if this were the case! Ross Duffer himself said that the reason why the UD is stuck when Will went missing has yet to be answered.

So that pretty much rules out the UD just being stuck because El opened a gate there. They wouldn't just give that away. But we have yet another mention of Will's disappearance being related to the reason for the freeze. Thank you, Ross Duffer.

Anyways, Nancy runs downstairs and she can't get her mind off of Will. They hear Dustin on the other side and Nancy says "Will found a way" to speak through the lights. It's really just Will, Will, Will once they find out that the UD is stuck in time! He is the reason!

Ok back to the Montauk book. The book mentions time tunnels. They would take samples from the environment of these tunnels to experiment on, just like the lab did in s2. It's a reference! The tunnels that extend from the main UD gate have something to do with time travel. They're portals. This is why Hopper loses track of time after investigating the tunnel-related rot at the farm.

The tunnels in the Montauk book were also related to "Seeing Eye" experiments done on Duncan Cameron. The discovery of his creation powers led to experiments where he would try to see through the eyes of other people. In these time tunnels, people would feel an intense energy related to a higher intelligence. They wanted to harness this energy so Duncan could practice mind control.

Who was able to see through the eyes of the Upside Down tunnels because of mind control again? Will.

Will's tunnel connection is a reference to Duncan Cameron. The Mind Flayer was seeing through Will's eyes, but Will was also able to see through the Mind Flayer's eyes.

His power is literally called "now-memories." The UD tunnels not only relate to time travel, but also memories! This is telling us that memories will unlock time travel. Will was using some sort of creation power like Duncan to make his memories become physical locations in the Upside Down in s1. This creation power would be impacted by emotions like the other powers are, linking this back to the "emotions change time" sentiment El mentions.

The time travelers in Montauk would be recorded, much like how the lab was recording and tracking stuff within the UD. Will's Halloween video also recorded UD weirdness. The time on the camera starts at 8:15 even though the original recording said it was 8:03. Will's Mind Flayer vision was him actually traveling into the UD, making this different from Vecna's visions. It was real.

Will's visions in s2 do have something in common with Vecna visions, though. They're related to memories! Vecna would take the memories of his victims and alter them to fit his agenda. Will was both physically traveling into the UD and experiencing a memory because the UD is both. That's why the camera changed times. He was time traveling through a memory.

If it's true that Max's mind connected with Will's during the piggyback (read here), then that may be why Max was able to change the UD with her memory travel. Will has the creation powers to change the UD and when her mind tapped into his, he accidentally made her memory come true in that dimension too.

But how can this time travel be used? The UD is just a snapshot of the memories, not the actual time period.

When El went into Max and Billy's memories, she was just a spectator. She couldn't be seen by anyone there or interact with them because this is basically a recording of the time. This memory travel is different from the one Max experienced and the one that is changing the UD's appearance.

So what if they... combine? This conversation feels like code to me. Robin found the girl of her dreams (El found Max in her memory) while Steve goes on a million dates (Will memory traveled to a bunch of different dates in s1) without achieving what they want. And to really hammer in that this is secretly about Will: the movie they're standing in front of came out on March 22nd... Will's birthday. So Will and El need to combine in order for the time travel to actually take them into a new time.

El can travel into memories that include people. Will can create memories into real locations without people. If they combine their powers, they may be able to create people in these memories too, making the time travel substantial enough to matter. I believe this was foreshadowed when El used happy memories to bring Max back to life.

This also gives the Mind Flayer/Vecna a motive. He said that when he kills people, they aren't really dead, they're still with him in his mind. The more minds he collects, the more memories he has. He just needs Will by his side to make these memories a reality, allowing him to travel to as many time periods and locations as he wants. Memory time travel could very well be the reason why birthdaygate exists. If Will has no powerful memories to travel to, he can't harness time travel. Vecna may be interfering with his memories to keep that power at bay.

I recommend reading @conflictofthemind’s post about Montauk’s time loop as well. Will already has a memory of the USS Eldridge and this could be how he travels there in the future. He uses that memory (or is forced to by Vecna) to both start and end the time loop. Will’s memory of the ship being because of a memory really ties in the time loop implications.

So there you have it. Memories and emotions are heavily linked to time travel throughout the show and this time travel has already been unlocked before. Will Byers is one of many characters inspired by Duncan Cameron, so he is likely the owner of creation powers. The constant mention of memories surrounding Will (birthdaygate) is another hint for memory time travel occurring thanks to Will!

[w1ld-wr1t3r]

The spotify norrix drabbels you wrote are so great🧡🖤🧡🖤 could you also do number 4 for obvious reasons and number 69 also for obvious reasons 😇😂

Thank you and of course! You ended up picking two very different songs, so you get two very different drabbles. :)

4. Who I Am - Restrung Performance Version by Alan Walker, Peder Elias, and Putri Ariani

Lando stood beside the car, helmet tucked under his arm. The garage was humming with activity around him. He was looking down at his car, the sharp number 4 staring back at him.

This was his first day back at the track since he and Martijn had come out.

He'd been scared, at first. He had a lot to lose. Martijn had tried his best to support him, and his best was honestly amazing. But even then, he didn't have as much to lose as Lando did. The music industry was a hell of a lot more queer-friendly than motorsports were, after all. A queer DJ wouldn't get torn to pieces like a queer F1 driver would.

Still, at the same time, he'd decided, enough is enough. He was through hiding. He wasn't like everyone else, he never had been. So why should this be what got people into a tizzy?

This was who he was, and he was through hiding. He didn't fit into the crowd, and he didn't want to.

Being queer shouldn't be a big deal. But even if people treated it like it was, he wasn't going to let it stop him from being who he was.

Footsteps approached behind him, and then Martijn was by his side. He rested a hand gently on Lando's waist, and Lando leaned into his touch.

"Hey," Martijn said softly, "one last hug for good luck?"

He didn't need to ask Lando twice.

Whoever he was, whoever he became, he was glad that he had someone like Martijn by his side through it all.

--

69. The Old Therebefore/Singing at Snakes - from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Rachel Zegler and James Newton Howard

Lando's eyes shot open sharply, his body jolting. He winced in pain, his head throbbing and limbs feeling heavy. He tried to take in his surroundings.

The first thing he registered was that the car was kind of upside down.

The second thing was that it was getting kind of uncomfortably warm.

Uh oh . . . he thought, looking down in alarm. Smoke was pouring from the car. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He tugged at his safety harness. His hands shook as he fought with it. One clasp came undone, but the other was stuck. He pulled at it harder. The effort made his ribs ache.

The heat started to spread.

Fuck. No, no, no, he thought in a panic. He had to get out of the car right now. He would die if he didn't.

He kept pulling. The buckle refused to budge.

I'm going to die, he thought in terror. Trapped in a wrecked, burning car. This was how he was going to go out.

No. No no no no no. Please, no -

Martijn. Martijn is watching.

He's going to watch me die.

That realization froze Lando for a split second. In the next, he was yanking at the buckle again, harder than before. Pain in his ribs be damned.

No. I'm not letting Martijn see me die like this. I'm not done yet.

I'm not done yet.

He fought with the buckle, ignoring the heat as it continued to creep closer. Finally, just when he thought he had run out of strength, it popped free.

He threw the belts away, then grabbed the steering wheel. It clattered to the ground, closely followed by him. Then he was twisting his body and crawling away, using every last scrap of strength he had, and then more. Until he couldn't crawl any further.

When he finally fell to a stop, rolling onto his back and wheezing, he saw the car a few meters away. Flames slowly filled the cockpit, right where he had been sitting. The upside-down hunk of metal had threatened to be his end.

But death wasn't going to claim him yet.

Not if he had anything to say about it.

As the marshalls rushed his way, the cameras no doubt focused on him, he sighed in relief and closed his eyes. I'm okay, Marty. I'm going to come home.

I'm okay.

[dinogoose]

and all at once, you are the one

“What? What’s wrong?”

Chimney leans over the table, encroaching on Buck’s bubble, closely examining his hands.

“Oh my god,” He jerks an accusatory finger at Buck, “is that a wedding ring?” Chimney is slack-jawed, disbelief clear in his eyes. Buck has to bite his cheeks to contain his laughter.

“This?” He asks, holding up his left hand in front of his face, gazing at the gold band, “Oh yeah, I guess it is. Although technically, it’s an engagement ring, not a wedding one.”

(or, buck comes to work engaged.)

It’s the beginning of a 24-hour shift when Chimney and Buck are sitting at the table arguing over movies.

“Why is it called ‘Back to the Future’ if most of the movie takes place in the past, that feels like false advertising,” Buck asks, purposefully trying to get a rise out of Chimney. Said man scoffs, lifting a hand in the air to cut Buck off.

“Marty Mcfly is trying to get back to the future. He's stuck in the past and needs to get back to 85’. I mean seriously, how can you ask that? Have you ever seen the movie?”

“Well no, I don't watch old-person movies.” Buck states, a smile growing on his face when Chimney shoots him a glare.

“Ugh- No Buck, Back to the Future is not an ‘old-person movie’, you’re just an uncultured little shit-“ Chimney cuts himself off mid-sentence, “Holy fuck.”

Buck squints at him in confusion, having been ready to continue arguing that yes it was, Chimney was old, and no he didn’t care how great that movie is.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Chimney leans over the table, encroaching on Buck’s bubble, closely examining his hands.

“Oh my god,” He jerks an accusatory finger at Buck, “is that a wedding ring?” Chimney is slack-jawed, disbelief clear in his eyes. Buck has to bite his cheeks to contain his laughter.

“This?” He asks, holding up his left hand in front of his face, gazing at the gold band, “Oh yeah, I guess it is. Although technically, it’s an engagement ring, not a wedding one.”

Then he picks up his mug, taking a long drawn-out sip, hiding his smirk.

Chimney shoots up out of his seat shouting, “Henrietta Wilson! Come here, Buck got engaged!”

Hen, who was over on the couches with Lucy and Ravi, whips her head around shocked, “He what?”

She comes over to Buck, grabs his wrist, and inspects his ring.

“Is this real?” She asks, her eyes never leaving his hand. Buck barely chokes down his laughter.

“Well, I sure hope so.” Is his smart-ass reply. Hen is not impressed as she smacks him upside the head.

“Buck, who are you marrying? You aren't even dating anyone! You're ‘happily’ single!” She’s very suspicious, and still tightly holding onto Buck’s wrist (He’s pretty sure it’s going to bruise).

“I was happily single, and now I’m happily engaged. Wed-to-be. Officially off the market-“

Hen cuts him off, “Shut up or I’ll hit you again.”

Buck wisely stops talking.

“Listen, Buckley, I know you think you’re being cute or whatever, but I’ll tell Athena if you don’t tell us.” Hen promises and Chimney nods enthusiastically agreeing.

Buck weighs his options, on one hand, he promised his Fiance, he’d wait for him before telling anyone, but on the other hand, being murdered by Athena may make it difficult to get married.

Although before he even gets the chance to open his mouth, someone is walking up the stairs.

“Sorry, I'm late traffic was terrible-“ He hesitates, seeing the scene in front of him, “Oh... what’s going on?” Eddie questions, climbing up the last step. Hen launches into an explanation,

“Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley here got engaged! And won’t tell us to who! He’s being all coy, and evasive, I almost got him to confess.” She swivels her head towards him, “Did you know anything about this Eddie? It feels like something he’d...”

She abruptly trails off, and Eddie freezes knowing he's been caught. Hen marches her way over to where Eddie’s standing like a deer in headlights.

She yanks his left hand up, displaying a gold band matching Bucks.

“Edmundo, are you Buck’s mysterious lover?”

“...yes.” Unlike Buck, he has the decency to look sheepish, ducking his head and rubbing his neck with the hand that isn't captured in Hen's grip.

“You- you guys are- what? What?” Buck thinks they may have broken Chimney.

“This is dumb, even for you guys, you guys weren’t even dating, why would you jump to this?”

“Well, Buck, asked me to marry him,” Eddie responds, as if the answer is simple, a no-brainer.

Across the room they make eye contact, having a conversation that needs no words. Despite the jokes and their friend’s confusion, Buck and Eddie know what this is. They know what they have is real.

Eddie smiles.

“And you said yes?!” Chimney exclaims, breaking them from their moment.

“Hey!” Buck shouts indignantly.

From where she’s still sitting on the couch, Lucy cackles.

Eddie shuffles over to Buck, sitting next to him at the table, brushing their thighs together.

Buck grabs Eddie’s hand, rubbing his knuckles in a soothing gesture.

Last night over family dinner, Eddie had suggested buying cheap rings to announce their engagement while also using them to mess with everyone. Chris thought the idea was hilarious and immediately googled jewelers near them.

Buck does want to get Eddie something nicer though, possibly something tungsten with an intricate design, an attempt to get Eddie a single piece of jewelry that fully conveys the true love and devotion Buck feels for him.

Before Hen and Chim can continue to badger them with a million questions, the alarm sounds.

Everyone jumps up, rushing to put on their turnouts and get in the truck. Once inside, Bobby briefs them on the call.

Immediately after he finishes Chimney yells out, “Buck and Eddie got engaged!”

“Really? Couldn’t even last five minutes Jesus Chim this has got to be a new record.” Buck snarks, and Bobby turns around to face them.

“…Alright. Congratulations boys.” Bobby tells them, and although he looks a little confused, Buck can tell he’s being genuine.

It warms something in Buck’s heart to have the man he looks up to as a father figure approve of his choices, no matter how preposterous they are.

He smiles, “Thanks, Cap.”

From where he’s sitting next to him, Eddie grabs his hand, pressing a gentle kiss to his palm. Unfortunately, the peanut gallery was watching and decided to comment,

“Gross!” Chimney calls out fake gagging, along with Bobby’s “No PDA on the job, please.”

(thank you for reading! sorry about the poor quality this was rushed. hope you still enjoyed.)

[willel]

A thought on my mind I wanted to type before I go to bed.

Although there are a lot of allusions to time and time travel, I'm thinking there won't be literal time travel. If you don't know what I mean, my two main focus points being:

Will's original S1 outfit being a reference to Marty McFly from Back to the Future and various other Back to the Future references

Henry/Vecna's obsession with time and clocks

Even though I don't think time travel will literally happen, what if the team has to figuratively "step back in time" to find the answer to something? Retrace their footsteps?

They revisit vital locations from the past, finding clues to defeat Vecna along the way.

I'm not a Harry Potter fan but I saw all the movies once and I'm aware of the "horcrux" lore. Did they do something similar in the final movies to find all Voldemort's hidden soul pieces to kill him?

I have a different similar example from my favorite manga/anime called Natsume Yuujinchou (Natume's Book of Friends). To keep it simple, Natsume is an orphan who has been passed around from family member to family member and suffered a lot of abuse along the way. Why? Because he has the rare ability to see, interact with, and talk to yokai. Despite his best efforts, he can't lie about his abilities to himself or the people around him. Luckily, at the start of the series, he is taken in by distant relatives of his father and his life finally starts to get a bit better. I highly recommend you check it out.

In Natsume Yuujinchou, there is a chapter about a powerful mirror that is split apart by a thunderstorm. While venturing in the woods, a piece of the mirror falls into Natsume's eye. The owner of the mirror (a yokai) demands Natsume help them piece the mirror back together or else (threats, as yokai tend to do). How? Well, because a piece of the mirror fell into his eye, Natsume feels pain whenever he starts getting close to another shard. The pain is only relieved when he finds it.

The locations are a little random, but they're all around the small rural town Natsume now lives in. Some places are recurring important places in the story like a shrine, he's friend's house, or Natsume's school. Others not so much.

So think of it this way. The team with Will and El in the lead going from spot to spot looking for.... "something" that will help them learn information or maybe grow stronger? Maybe a way to defeat Vecna who knows.

So that leaves us with what are the "vital places" where they would find such clues to Henry's defeat. Let me put my brain to work

The Byers home. Reason? From the audience's point of view, this is where everything kicked off. The place where Will was taken. I find it unlikely though simply because the real life Byers house got sold off a while ago and might be inaccessible

Mirkwood, the street where Will first encountered the Demogorgon. It's also near where Castle Byers was and where The Party found El. Many significant things happened there Upside Down related or not. I find this one very likely since they posted a picture of what is probably a flashback in Castle Byers

Hawkins Middle School. Like Mirkwood, a lot of significant things happened here. It was where the Mind Flayer finally caught Will. It was also the place of El and Henry's reunion even though it was taking place in Max's mind.

Ruins of the Starcourt Mall. This might be unlikely but depending on how much has been cleaned up/repaired, maybe there is something to be found there as well.

Hawkins Lab. Of course, the lab is the true place where all this begins. Surely if there's a vital place that will help them figure things out, it must be the lab right?

Hopper's cabin. Maybe a stretch since they were only briefly there in S3 to hide away. But it was attacked by the Mind Flesher and deeply wounded by El there. It was also El's special safe place for such a long time relative to how long it's been since she was free.

Mike's house??? Nothing supernaturally interesting has happened here but it's a vital place of safety for most of the cast for pretty much every season so I dunno. Eh, this one is probably a stretch.

Well, that's all I had on my mind but maybe someone else has other ideas for these "vital places" and what they might find there?

[chirpsythismorning]

Rick Conroy's Recent Rentals:

Romancing the Stone (1/2/3)

As a refresher, this is a shot from 4x02: Vecna's Curse. Robin, Max, Dustin and Steve are using the Family Video's database to look through the most recent rentals of all the Ricks in town as hints for which one Reefer Rick is, so that they can find his address to track down Eddie.

Unfortunately for them, the selection here for this specific Rick didn't give off 'reefer' vibes and so they moved onto the next one. Luckily for us, the Duffers are nerds and this could be important.

While there are several Rick's they skim through, this one in particular had me intrigued. And so I will be analyzing these films, as well as whether or not they could have been inspiration for s4 or whether they may even be predicting events still yet to happen in s5.

3. Romancing the Stone (1984)

The plot of Romancing the Stone revolves around an American Romance/Adventure novelist, Joan Wilder, who has to travel to Colombia to save her sister. While there, she gets stranded in the jungle, though 'luckily' she runs into an American exotic bird smuggler, Jack T. Colton, who has a lot of experience in said jungle and whose basically her only hope in finding and saving her sister.

What makes this movie probably the most interesting out of the three, is that it's directed by Rob Zemeckis. If you don't know, Zemeckis also directed Back to the Future (1985).

In fact, if you look close, you'll see an interesting parallel that makes my explanation for this analysis a whole lot easier to transition into.

Basically, Zemeckis revealed later in life that the success from his film Romancing the Stone was what allowed him to make Back to the Future in the first place.

And so this just makes this iconic Marty McFly outfit kind of hilarious when you realize it's actually paying homage to another character.

Which means that this....

Could also mean this...

Not only do the costumes check out in terms of us being able to potentially associate Will with this character Jack, but the actual context of the story also makes it hard not to.

Jack is framed as someone who has way more knowledge and experience within this jungle in comparison to the protagonist, Joan, whose only ever explored adventures in her writing, not in reality.

Remind you of anyone?

Basically, I think that the reference to this film could be hinting at Mike and Will in the upside down together.

We know there have been a lot of hints leading up to that potentially in s5, though right now we don't know what it will for sure look like (whose going first? Mike or Will?), it's very likely to happen in some shape or form.

I do think that this film could act as a simple reference just like Sixteen Candles, with the meaning linked to ST being easy to spot and point out, Ie. Jack/Joan represent Will/Mike.

The main thing in this film that I think is an undeniable parallel, is this mention of a treasure map that Joan is planning to use as ransom to get back her sister. This map is labeled in big block letters with 'El Corazon' AKA the heart.

I obviously don't think we're going to be dealing with any lost treasure in ST like we see in this film, just like I don't think all the Lord of the Rings homage means we're going to see Will destroy a ring.

We're talking about both basic and complex parallels here, happening with hundreds of films/series at once, at different levels, and how the Duffers manage to make all of that fit organically to create a unique story on its own.

We all know how the heart plays a big role in s4 and what is likely to follow in s5 (the painting!!!). I do think this homage could be quite simple, but it could also be deeper because, again I am not satisfied with simple, as some of you probably know by now.

I also want to try to come to a close with this little 3 part series, which is easy to do because in regards to Will's character, it does feel like a sort of arc that could definitely play out going into the final season:

Sixteen Candles --> birthdagate

Teen Wolf --> memorygate/twelvegate

Romancing the Stone --> apocalypse-byler

My working theory rn is that Will is going to be in danger right at the start of s5, which we already saw foreshadowed at the very end of s4. There is this unspoken understanding that Will's connection to Vecna could mean bad things to come for Will, maybe even that destroying Vecna once in for all could also affect (kill) Will.

It's likely there is going to be discussion about the option of using Will's connection to find Vecna, and everyone sort of predictably being against it, bc of that unspoken understanding this could end very badly for him. But it's also possible that Will would be willing to do what he has to, even if it means putting himself in danger, especially if it means saving everyone. And simultaneously it would make sense for him to leave out all the details about his connection to Vecna as it starts to get worse, all while conflict between him and El and Mike is coming to a head, where Vecna is showing him things that are bringing him to a really low point, ie. everyone forgot your birthday, your friends/family don't love you, yada yada.

Then I think something is going to happen that is going to cause Will to be separated from everyone again... However, I don't think this going to last for more than one-two episodes. And it's likely we would see what he's up to in that time. This would make it parallel to s1 to an extent, but not to the extreme that we never see Will during that time or that he's separated for the course of the entire season. Just enough that it feels like deja vu basically.

And yes I do think it's possible Will has time powers. Though I don't want to make any crazy claims... I'm going to.

Basically, I think that Vecna would greatly benefit from making Will feel like it was better that he was never found in the first place (I feel like my life started that day we found you in the woods). And so what he's doing by bringing Will to this low point of hopelessness, is whats going to lead Will to essentially reverse him being found after going missing... That could benefit Vecna greatly presumably. Could it possibly even have the capacity to act as a reset for him of sorts? Maybe. And also, couldn't Vecna play this up to Will as him being able to save everyone and let them be happy, without him, bc he's at a point where he's made himself believe that he deserves it (FUCKING CRYING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT)

And so time passes (A TIME JUMP). Maybe it takes us to the 5 year anniversary since Will's disappearance (1+ years of our Will stuck in the upside down)... But something isn't right, something is missing. Something's wrong. And I think that we would see the characters figuring it out fairly quickly after the time jump is presented to us (anniversary affect). I think Mike in particular could figure it out first even (along with Joyce and Jonathan, hence the s5 foreshadowing intended with this promo), making him a quick target of Vecna, also contributing to him joining Will in the upside down fairly early on, post time-jump (also post Mike's boyliker realization, but Will won't know that...).

This is just a theory! But it does have a lot of interesting things surrounding it that make it at least plausible to me.

First of all, it reminds me so much of s2 and the whole Zombie boy arc with Will. He was in the upside down for a week and got dubbed that nickname. And yet now it makes me wonder if that could have been hinting at something more prominent still to come related to Will and his arc (we know he has this tendency to predict things with his art...).

This also ties into the whole controversy surrounding Will using a gun in s5. There's been this talk forever, how it doesn't make sense for Will to ever use a gun bc that's not like his character at all, as he's been shown to be quite scared and so it doesn't make sense for him to suddenly be comfortable with using a gun in a high stress situation.

However, what makes this sort of ironic to me is the literal narrative principle, Chekgov's gun, which states that every element in a story must be necessary, and irrelevant elements should be removed. Alternatively-explained, suppose a writer features a gun in a story; if the writer features it, there must be a reason for it, such as it being fired sometime later in the plot.

Remind you of anyone?

This means that starting the story from the very beginning with Will knowing how to use a gun and trying to protect himself with it, but failing to do so, followed by four seasons of him being scared frozen in situations of confrontation... Means that the gun is bound to go off!

Will using a gun in s5 in this scenario would also be supported by Will going through quite a transformation after being in upside down circumstances for 1+ years...

Quite frankly, I don't think it make sense for Will to be this character that is known for freezing and being powerless the entire series, all the way up until the very end. It makes a lot more sense that this final time around, after seeing that for 4 straight seasons, we are going to see a big change in him, which tends to happen to people that go through traumatic experiences and yet still manage to adapt and survive.

Will after 1+ years in the upside down probably knows how to shoot a gun and probably is more sure of himself and less skitish than s1-4 Will.

Also, this provides a lot of character development that Noah gets to have the affordance of exploring as an actor. Like, let's give Noah some wiggle room here to show off what he's capable of for Will's character, which is so much! We know Noah jokes about wanting Will to suffer immensely because it's fun for him to play and act out, but more than anything it's also challenging in a good way. And this would really test the limits of Noah's abilities, which is why I do think it would be a wise choice narratively to make his characters evolution well rounded for the overall story.

Will going from what we expect him to always be like, to being something thats much the same in the important ways (he's still Will obviously), while also being different (see what i did there) as a result of him facing all of his fears in order to survive.

And it also makes the official battle in the end, of him finally facing Vecna off, alongside El and the party, that much more satisfying and believable as an outcome. Because by that point he will be ready, just like they'll all be ready after having finally come together despite everything.

This theory also reminds me a lot of Verse 3 in Time After Time, which is the only verse left out of the scene in 2x09 at the snowball....

There has been speculation these lyrics could be foreshadowing what's to come, and so it is interesing to think about this, with all these other theories related to Will's upcoming arc:

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It's giving Sixteen Candles meets Teen Wolf meets Romancing the Stone (also Mike running out of time crumbs! go off I guess!!)

Also, I just like to think that this reference specifically to Romancing the Stone confirms not only apocalypse-byler, AND Will Byers with a gun but also ponytail-Mike in s5???..

Oh and maybe even the highly anticipated Murray & byler confrontation, bc why not...

AGAIN this is just a theory. Don't come at me! Make your own crack theories it's fun and we can all go crazy together!

Honestly I hope I'm wrong bc I would love to be surprised (I can't wait to be surprised regardless).

And yet that wont stop me from trying to figure it out with what they're willing to give us in the mean time!

Until next time (ST5 inspo board, here we come)!

[enteringdullsville]

Martin Bilbert, the Purple Drewman

Be Inspired

Rank: A- (Major Character)

Visual Inspirations

Other Character Bases

Deadpan Doom Magnet

(There I am, Gary, there I am!)

Ranking fifth place in the ICT sanity department is resident chew toy Martin. He’s the ideas guy and a creative genius, and the others generally treat him alright, but the show seems to go out of his way to beat him down. A lot. He doesn’t get much respect from people outside of ICT, either.

When the universe isn’t kicking Marty in the balls he’s not drawn with, he’s busy being a colossal nerd. A pop culture geek is a dangerous ally to have in a world where everyone’s a cartoon, especially when said geek is petty, vindictive, and has every reason to turn the universe’s rules upside down.

Fun Facts

Martin is visually a rough caricature the series creator. He is entirely distinct from Yours Truly, the actual in-series version of him/me, and gets no preferable treatment as a result of this aside from appearing on the channel/account picture. Quite the opposite, really.

Martin (purple) and Geneva (magenta) are the only major characters from Season One aside from Bridgette (beige) and Crimson to change colors in development. Specifically, they swapped colors. Subsequently, Martin is one of several characters to change names in development, originally being known as “Gene”.

Martin’s name is a play on “purple martin”, a type of songbird.

Martin’s surname is a play on “bilberry”.

Martin does have hair, it’s just hard to tell due to the art style.

Martin/Gene’s first personality that was ultimately scrapped for both RS and ICT had a far more rascally and snide attitude reminiscent of Trixie.

Martin generally takes his treatment in stride, but if a person goes out of their way to inconvenience him, he will actively hope for and partake in their demise.

Martin’s my self-insert, and I’ll make him suffer as much as I want to!

[red-tree]

PART 7 PART 6 PART 5 PART 4 PART 3 of my insanity PART 2 PART 1 I wonder if their reasoning to choose which way to go to get to the grand central the fastest is true to the real new york Considering all new york themed jokes and references I guess it is

Melman's tissue boxes on his hooves He prepared and do this boxes say "Nosebloids"???

I don't know why but this shot looks so funny to me

I like how Melman's tongue is spiraling once pulled also Alex wiping up his paws afterwards

go get this urinal cake Melman (please don't eat urinal cakes)

Melman's tail is clipping!!!

I wonder if there are still police officers in new york on horses and also "Can I shoot it?"

"my aunt's constipation"

He looks so happy!!!

squad goals

"we are running out of time" HA get it? time

THIS is a back up??? isn't it too much people for escaped zoo animals

SHUSH I also love how after getting angry he immediately changes to smiling towards people

not dreamworks gaslighting children that getting high off tranquilizer is cool

I love how this all backfired on them. They didn't want to escape at all, as well as Marty, he said that he was going to come back

Alex's panic attack and this whole scene is golden

also squad goals they all so happy to hear each other!!

I like how the Alex's box is covered in danger line I also like how Melman's box clearly says which way to put it, but it ended up upside down anyways

"Melman, you always feel nauseous"

once again we can blame the penguins for all shenanigans the main cast goes through

I love how the keys correspond with the symbols on the screen they could get lazy and do random bits, but they do actually in sync, that's cool

he shakes in fear :^( he is so scared being alone!

thanks for lifting up this moment a bit with "Alex is scared of water" joke

I love this little "thud"

He has some bright moments

I had no idea this was a billiard joke when I was little where did he get this tree?

I like how Melman was actually faking seeing Gloria and then it turns out true poor Melman, he is so lucky

how many times Ales got hit in the crotch? sound effects are everything here

WHAT DO YOU MEAN FUN'S OVER

I love love love love this little hug o my god, you can't imagine sometimes I think the present cartoon movies media lacks this emotinally subtle tactility I can't even describe it oh and once again, squad goals

[littleobelia]

editing of nurserry2

He walks in the direction of his bus stop. There is a bus approaching, but he can’t make out the numbers. Too late he realises that it’s his bus. There’s no-one at the stop, so it blasts ahead and passes Harry, blowing black exhaust into his face. There won’t be another one for an hour. The Sunday timetable is the bane of his existence.

Someone he knows could drive past and see him near to crying. As soon as he thinks it he sees Martin Lee gunning past and hooking into the parking lot. Tardy Marty. He waves feebly in the direction of his colleague’s pale gold Astra, but he doesn't see him. Harry is invisible in his plain clothes. Out of scrubs he could be anyone. He walks on. He wants to see something extra-ordinary, an antidote to the misery, something to reinvigorate his faltering conviction that life is worth the pain. A man died in the night; had a fall at his council flat, brought it by ambulance, quickly acquired a UTI that wrought havoc to his kidneys, then whoopsy-daisy he was dead. Bed four, Mr Solomon Yeameni. His name was like a cryptic crossword clue. Solo – many. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. 

Maybe religion is the answer? Our Lady of Sorrows. Her doors are open to the street. He steps into the dim vestibule and already the traffic is muffled by an invisible membrane of solace. In the vestibule there is an automatic hand sanitiser dispenser on a purpose-built plinth. Out of habit he cups his palm underneath it. The machine senses his hand; he is not invisible. The machine knows he is there, he machine knows he is doing the right thing. The machine seeks to reward him, whirrs, purrs, deposits a dollop of alcohol mixed with glycerin on his hand. 

Harry rubs it in and feels sanctified. When their ward was audited two years ago he received a special commendation for his outstanding adherence to the hand hygiene protocol. He remembers with crystal clarity the euphoria of being singled out for doing something right, for a change. Praise is thin on the ground.

On the other side of a trestle table covered in pamphlets, there is an identical automatic dispenser on an identical plinth. Tacked on its face is a hand written label, which says “HOLY WATER”. 

It’s the first thing to make Harry genuinely smile in at least the past week. It’s a sardonic smile, but a smile none-the-less. He offers his hand to the sensor. The machine senses him, but it seems to hesitate, sizing him up. After a judgemental pause, it grinds and sputters disdainfully. Nothing comes out. 

Harry shrugs. He has satisfied his desire to see something novel. It’s extraordinary that such a thing even exists, such a wretched example of modern faith. It was probably full of pathogens; consecrated amoebae floating around in their stagnant bath. 

Through the creaking door into the cavernous interior of the church. The first thing he does is look up at the ceiling. When ceilings are tall you must look up and appreciate how tall they are. He learnt that from Grand Designs. 

The great oaken beams arch over him, protecting. There are six of them, like a giant rib cage. The emaciated body of Christ looms over the altar, his eyes downcast. Regarding him, Harry feels a faint impression of suffering, and then he feels merely faint. He has not eaten since yesterday evening. Portions of the host are stacked on the paten like so many poker chips and a silver platter holds dozens of little sips of wine in plastic thimble-sized cups, like raspberry jelly shots. His stomach growls miserably. He didn’t eat during his shift. The upside of this is that his bowels are minimally occupied, available to be filled from the other end. He’s a pragmatic self-harmer. 

He treads silently down the outer edge of the room between the pews and the rendered walls, past the Stations of the Cross in their gaudy frames, then he sits in one of the centre pews and closes his eyes, swaying slightly in his seat. Harry is early, the first one here. A man in white glides in unhurriedly and genuflects, then across the floor and out the opposite door, his feet nearly silent and invisible beneath his robe; it gives the impression that he is a prop on track, or perhaps something like a dalek. 

Hushed footsteps echo as the pews fill. The sound accumulates, proliferates, like incense smoke filling a shrine. His ears are suffused with whispers. He begins to fall asleep and his heavy head rolls to one side, pinching some nerve or other. He starts and winces, rubbing the affected part. 

He is not alone on his pew any more. He stands when his pewmates stand, and he sits when they sit, but he is too heavy and weary to bother with communion. The priest at the lectern has a prominent black beard, reflecting tiny filaments of light from the candles on the altar. It covers half his face, framing his moist little mouth in neatly combed and parted whiskers. He looks more like a lumberjack than a priest. Harry is so absorbed in the observation of this glossy, oily facial hair, that it takes him a while to realise the mass is not in English. 

He understands nothing. He thinks it might be Polish. Sibilant, slithering words, they trickle into his ears and fizz like vichy water, cleansing and soothing. When it's over an hour later he is catatonic. 

The sunlight greets him in the street, meek and docile. “You ought to be in bed, lad,” the sun murmurs, slipping behind a cloud. He wanders down the road to a bus stop, then pulls out his phone and books an uber to his address, 14-18 Hartwell Street. The screen goes black, and he is faced with his own decrepit reflection. He jostles the screen back to life. These days the phones wake up when they are jostled. The phone analyses his features, his puffy eyes, his swollen nose and his chapped lips. “You look worse for wear,” thinks the phone, unlocking.

Lent 2022 Harry types into the safari search bar. Google informs him that lent started a few weeks ago. That’s a shame; he was tempted to give something up. Meph. Or booze. Or porn. He opens a bookmarked site and looks at gifs of small, hairless men being fucked by larger, hairier ones. He pretends he’s small and hairless and unwrinkled. A spring chicken. Lately the follicles on his temples have packed up and migrated to his lower back. He’s sprouting little short and curlies right there at the top of his arse-crack. If his lumbar spine weren’t so stiff he’d be able to twist his torso to shave them off. 

He can’t do what this spring chicken in the gif is doing, arching his back like a cobra. He dims the screen to minimum brightness, though there is no one else around. The trembling, grainy moving images occupy his over-tired brain. He understands human mating, finds it comforting, though he doesn’t do it as often as one would like. He scarcely has the energy to masturbate. He’ll go home and have a long nap, and then maybe he’ll try. And if he can’t, he’ll get on the apps and find someone who can get it up and enjoy the vicarious sexual gratification. 

[romcombc]

Book Review for Hazel and Elijah Find Out

Having read “Just Fake Married” by Marty Vee, I have a true appreciation for her female protagonists. The personalities they project and the inner turmoil make them such well-rounded and relatable characters. Hazel was no exception in “Hazel and Elijah Find Out.” I feel that this was more established in the prequel, “Hazel and Elijah Don’t Get Caught,” and I will reference the importance of reading it first several times, as it may have an impact on how this story appeals to you.

Being invisible in the small town of Grand Ridge is a life to which Hazel had become accustomed. That was until a gorgeous pair of green eyes turned her world upside down. For one blissful night, the man she had coveted since high school was hers. Fifteen months later, despite seeing Dennis and attempting to move on, Elijah was still the only man she wanted. If it weren’t for his father, Dr. March, they could have had something. Instead, to protect her acquisition of the vet clinic, he skipped town. Holding onto his number, which she had gotten from his friends, she still hadn’t found the courage to contact him. Little did she know, Elijah couldn’t let her go either, and despite the animosity of his so-called hometown, he was willing to face the consequences to see her again. The problem is, was invisibility so bad when all eyes are on you, the legendary bad boy, and the only option left to save your business is a bachelor auction? Thrust into the spotlight, Hazel has to decide if the feelings she had for Elijah are worth the scrutiny she now has to endure or if it was better being the good girl everyone knew and loved.

If it were possible to place “Hazel and Elijah Don’t Get Caught” inside of “Hazel and Elijah Find Out” as a prologue or Part One, I think this would greatly improve the readers’ experience. Otherwise, the book on its own, while enjoyable, may leave some feeling a little disjointed but still entertained. I can’t wait to see what else Marty creates within this series. She has piqued my interest with the possibility of Nora and Brooks, so hopefully, we have more fascinating tales from Grand Ridge coming soon.

Thank you Marty Vee for allowing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Check out the spoiler-free review in the Facebook Group - The Romantic Comedy Book Club or the full review on the main website: https://romcombc.com/book/hazel-and-elijah-find-out/

[hunterclaringtonswitch]

Hunter let his fingers curl loosely around Sky's when he touched his scarred palm. "I was on patrol on a quiet night, sitting in the passenger seat of the humvee when we rolled over and old, buried IED. The shrapnal cut through the underside of the vehicle and we were thrown. I'm told we rolled a few times, but the initial impact knocked me out briefly. When I came to, I was upside down, the seatbelt had held and kept me from being thrown, though some of the shrapnel had torn into my shoulder and side. The three others with me, Jackson, Martinez and Kelly were still out cold from the blast," he said, keeping his voice soft and calm, watching for signs of distress in Sky. "I radioed our FOB for rescue, but the engine was burning, so I got myself out of the belt. Jacks and Marti were not too hard to pull out of the back, though every time I moved, It felt like someone was twisting a knife in my shoulder. When I pried the door open to get to Kelly, he was driving, some burning metal sliced deep into my left hand. We all survived and got picked up, but with the injuries, I couldn't stay in the service. When I was well enough, I came here."

Sky listened attentively as Hunter described how his nightmares might be and what he should do when they happened. Better than anyone else, he understood how complicated the brain was and how when it got hurt it couldn't really be fixed all the way again. He looked down at Hunter's hand with it's raised pink scar cutting across the palm and rested his own on top of it. He looked from their now joined hands up into his Dominant's eyes. "Yes please Sir, but you don't gotta if it hurts."

[greenfiend]

I've always been kind of skeptical of Will-with-powers theories that give him these grandiose reality-warping powers -- like, that ability does sort of vibe with the Stranger Things universe, since we already have a little girl who can rip open portals to another dimension -- but creating entire universes or people out of nothing still feels a little over-the-top compared to what the show has established as possible.

But I do think the manifestation theory is a good fit for the show, thematically -- Will summoning a girl into existence who perfectly fits the role he thinks he isn't good enough for, both as a hero and as a love interest for Mike.

So I'm thinking... if this is El's true origin, then the power Will used to create her isn't likely to be reality-warping so much as time travel.

Time paradoxes are perfectly capable of creating whole new realities out of nothing -- my pet theory is that this is where the Mind Flayer comes from -- so what if whatever happened to Will in the Upside Down was the origin of the time bullshit that created El?

In regard to the skepticism, I feel you. It does seem very over the top, especially at first. I mean, this is God-level abilities! (Though the Jesus symbolism does exist for Will…) I imagine if I told a GA this theory, they would look at me like I have two heads! If this is what they’re going for, it will need to be executed well and a lot of things will need explanations.

But yes, narratively and big picture-wise… it does have some merit. Will is, and always has been, a major player in the story. Even when they hide him in the background, he’s still important and significant. Plus, there is something more to the connection between El and Will that has yet to be discovered. They are compared and contrasted FAR too often for it to be merely a coincidence. I think the major problem we face when theorizing is often we lack the ability to combine small details with the big picture stuff. Some theorists are exceptional at finding small hidden clues within the show, but miss out on the big picture stuff. And vice versa. But the fact that this show is difficult to predict makes theorizing so much fun. We can run wild with different ideas here!

Ahhh yes time! Time is so important in the story. I like this idea. Time paradoxes fascinate me. I think you’re onto something here. Altering time can definitely create new realities (and people). This can definitely explain the creation of an entire human being. Like in Back to the Future, Marty’s existence was threatened due to the alterations in time. A lot to think about here!

Love your theory post! The mind flayer being a reminder of Will’s future is brilliant and SO fitting! It’s so tragic how much damage homophobia does. The fact that Will is probably worrying he’ll become a monster is just… heartbreaking. 💔 We all know he won’t though. He’ll be able to embrace his true self AND be the hero!

Thanks for the ask. 💕

[suispiria]

wendy and ben and jonah make me feel like this

[moons-and-magpies]

Comedy:

The Sons of Katie Elder

Grown children return home to handle their recently dead mother's estate. They find corruption in the town and a plot to steal their homestead from their mother. Funny dialogue but serious plot.

Two Mules for Sister Sarah

A nun and an ex soldier team up with Mexico against France, but the soldier is progressively less convinced she's a nun. Fully commits to being a comedy, not terribly serious.

El Dorado

A gunfighter helps his bumbling, incapable friends fight bandits trying to run a family off their farmland. Grounded, but witty dialogue and lighter tone.

Blazing Saddles

A satire where a black man is made sheriff and his deputy is a barely functioning alcoholic. The town doesn't like their authority, but they are the only ones competent enough to keep away greedy railroad builders. has Gene Wilder. Light with a few sincere moments, slightly absurdist.

Support Your Local Sheriff

Another satire where a gunslinger becomes sheriff in a town of bumbling idiots. Very light and funny.

McLintock

A rich homesteader is confronted with his ex wife coming back into his life and everyone else trying to take control of his homestead. Some dated (misogynist mostly) humor but very funny.

Quigley Down Under

A sharpshooter comes to Australia from Wyoming to do work for a white homesteader. He discovers he's tasked to kill local aboriginal people and retaliates against his employer. He manages to do this while caring for an insane woman who believes he's her husband. Has Alan Rickman Dry and dark humor.

Tragedy/ deep stuff:

True Grit (John Wayne)

A young girl hires a famous gunslinger to help her avenge her father,. While trekking through the dangerous wilderness, and the two bond deeply. Happy ish ending, very dark moments, very touching.

The Cowboys

When no others are available, a rancher takes a group of young teenagers as his cowboys for his cattle drive and they must adjust to the harsh conditions. Pretty sad. Bittersweet ending.

Tombstone

The story of Wyatt Earp's crew when they arrive in Tombstone and are confronted by a gang that wants them dead. Very sad moments, happy ending.

Lonesome Dove

A group of men with much drama between them decide to drive cattle to Montana and have a horrible time. Tragedy with one upside.

Big Jake

Patriarch of a rich ranch returns home to find his grandson kidnapped. He doesn't trust the incompetent sheriff and rains hell on the kidnappers. Mostly happy ending.

The Shootist

An old gunslinger rents a room with a pacifist woman and her cowboy/gunslinger obsessed son while he succumbs to cancer. He is surrounded by people looking to take advantage of him and hates the idea of dying quietly, so he plans a way to die dramatically. Bittersweet.

Dances With Wolves

A lone soldier in the U.S. cavalry is stationed in a remote cabin. He slowly befriends a wolf that wanders near, then the natives. When he receives orders to help clear out the natives, he abandons his duty to fight for his new family. Happy ending.

Open Range

A few free range cowboys are attacked and have their cows stolen. The town dislikes cowboys and will not bring justice, so the cowboys must fight to survive and seek justice while they stay in the town and wait for their youngest member to recover from his injury. Happy ending.

Young Guns

Billy the Kid peels off a group of law enforcers with his gang when he uses his position to take revenge on the murderer of his friend. They are then pursued by bounty hunters and must reflect on their decisions on the run. Stars Marty McFly. Bittersweet/ happy, but I hear the second is really sad.

Pale Rider

A man who appears to be a preacher wanders into a small mining town badly injured. The locals are being terrorized by a corporate miner who wants their property, and has been sending thugs to run people out. The preacher and a local girl who helps care for him bond deeply, and he helps protect them. Implied supernatural, fairly dark, happy ending.

okay did not have getting into cowboy tv shows on my 2023 bingo list anyway does anyone have a favorite cowboy themed piece of media that they recommend?