#at this point i just want st4 to show us mike letting go of the barrier hes put up that blocks him from pursuing will

[nadia-zahra]

Unexpected Byler Proof

Netflix posted this for the upcoming Stranger Things Day

They chose to put in a lot of key props/costumes/sets from through out the show because everything is supposedly going to get tied together s5. But I’m gonna point out the shit that hints byler endgame and it saving Hawkins s5

First piece of imagery: the rainbow over Hawkins

Now obviously the rainbow is a gay symbol, but it’s also been seen numerous times around Mike/Will. Here's off the top of my head:

s2 Will’s rainbow rocket mentioned in shed scene

s2 Will’s snowball date is wearing a rainbow hair clip

s4 Mike standing in front of the Rainbow connection at Suzie's

s3 Max with rainbow sleeves sitting between Mike and Will

s2 Mike and Will stand in front of rainbow Apple sign in the AV club

s4 Will holding a rainbow rubber band ball when talking to Mike

Also, the lyrics from the never-ending story from s3 go along with this picture's byler saving Hawkins imagery.

"Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds" = Will's secret about being gay, being in love with Mike, and the truth about the painting and his speech will be unveiled to Mike. Mike's secret about not being in love with El and instead with Will will be unveiled to Will and El. Their secrets unfolding will be the first step to defeating Vecna.

"And there upon a rainbow is the answer to the never-ending story" = once Will and Mike confess their secrets, they will become a couple and join together to defeat Vecna and save Hawkins from what feels like to them a never-ending nightmare. Hence, the netflix pic having a big rainbow over the word HAWKINS.

Let’s look at this rainbow over Hawkins a lil zoomed out

The arcade sign, vecna’s clock, a hellfire shirt, and a tiger face within the hawkins highschool sign are in the immediate surroundings of the Hawkins rainbow. All these things correlate with byler saving Hawkins.

The Tiger correlates to Will-- in s4 he had multiple tiger objects in his room. He had a tiger figurine on his dresser, a tiger stuffed animal beside his bed, a tiger picture on his dresser, and another tiger picture behind his easel.

@aemiron-main made this post and @doriandrifting made this post that explains how arcades/games are byler coded. I’m not sure why this piece of byler evidence correlates to byler saving Hawkins, so if anyone wants to figure that out that’s be great!

Vecna’s clock being next to Hawkins just show that vecna is going to be the main threat s5, the person that byler is going to kill.

And let’s look at that Hellfire shirt

It’s got a tentacle/vine going through it with lightening striking it to the right and a demogorgon behind it to the left. I think this Hellfire shirt is Mike’s because 1) he’s the first person shown in the series wearing it 2) unlike Dustin and Eddie who wore shirts and jackets to cover it, Mike wore it as a stand-alone piece. So, the vine going through Mike’s shirt could mean he does indeed get Vecna’s curse s5, and with the demogorgon and lightening surrounding the shirt, it could also mean he gets trapped into the Upside Down similar to Will s1. Maybe when Will and Mike to save Hawkins, they'll be fighting Vecna in the ud because of Will possibly going there to save Mike. From the show, there's proof of Will going to the ud to save Mike; in their last heart-to-heart st4, Will follows Mike to sit together on the upside-down couch.

Second piece of imagery: the dice

Now there’s a couple of things to discuss with these dice but first and foremost I just need to get this out of the way: WE WERE RIGHT AB THE GAME FORESHADOWING S5!!!!!!!!! *throws fist in air victoriously*

Ok let’s get down to business. The 20 is what kills Vecna, not the 11 in the st5 foreshadow game. The fact that they included this dice roll in the pic means that it was important plot-wise. There're already clues from the show that tell us Byler = twenty (here's a link to a previous post I made ab that), but we're focusing on the new evidence this pic brings to the table. The things immediately surrounding the dice should indicate who the 20 is, and the things immediately surrounding the dice is Mike's sunglasses and Will's wizard hat. Something involving Vecna's is again seen next to byler imagery with his rose-door being the only other thing immediately next to the 20 dice. Again, it's hinting that byler is going to kill Vecna.

But let's look at how now Will's imagery is caught up in the vines and Mike's are free-floating. This alludes to Will being caught by Vecna during the battle and Mike having to be the one to save them by confessing his secrets. (EDIT: I should’ve clarified better, but I think this is Will getting trapped by Vecna during their final battle because of the rose door being right next to his trapped hat. When Max was trapped by Vecna in the UD that rose door was always there floating above them in the air.) I've already speculated that this is going to happen considering Mike's seen by Will as "the heart" of the party and has always been the one to save Will in the past (s1 Mike was nice to El which led to her helping them. In s2 he figured out the Mindflayer could spy on them + what he said to Will in the shed scene gave Will strength to tell them how to kill the Mindflayer), but it's nice to see another sign indicating what is to come.

I think that's all the byler saving Hawkins evidence within this pic, but I still think it's batshit crazy that there's any in it to begin with.

[theswifterhood]

Stranger Things 5 Theory/Prediction: The Importance of Max’s Letters.

So, i’ve been thinking a lot about season 5 over the last couple months, and how i think a lot of things left unexplored in s4 will come into play in the final season. Originally, when i made my ST4 bingo card before volume 2 dropped, i thought Max would end up in a coma (bingo!) and that her letters would be read aloud at the end of the season, much like Hopper’s at the end of ST3. Obviously that was wrong, but i still can’t help but feel like the Duffers would not have Max write letters that are clearly holding weight within her relationships and her life, and have it go nowhere. So, i’ve come to the conclusion that Max’s letters will play one of 2 purposes next season. I’ll be using clips from Avengers: Endgame, so if you haven’t seen that and want to avoid spoilers, here’s your warning. If you want to come back after watching, i’ll see you then. Here we go!

Theory 1:

I for one think that Max’s letter will be the post time jump motivation for the other’s returning to Hawkins. I think after they fail in the beginning of ST5, they’ll decide it’s hopeless and will let Vecna do his thing. More likely, they’ll think Vecna might be too weak to do anything and ignore Will’s tingle. Imagine Lucas or El, years later finding Max’s letter and deciding that they can’t just leave her there. Max loves them. She deserves to be fought for. Hawkins might not, but her and the rest of the world do. Think of the scene in Avengers: Endgame. Tony refuses to make the time machine until seeing a picture of Peter and realizing he’s worth saving. He’s worth the risk. (“I accept the risk” - Max, ST2)

Link to Endgame scene:

Alternatively, i think El could just not be strong enough, and she’ll have to go train w/ Owens. This leaves the characters going their separate ways until El is strong enough. I think El brings her letter from Max with her to Nina 2.0, and is motivated to carry on every day because of it. At some point she’ll be strong enough and ready to fight. Imagine some dialogue from El (or maybe even Lucas) when Max is revived to some degree, and El parallels Mike in ST2 (I called you everyday…), telling Max that she never read her letter, because she knew she wasn’t gone. This would be so sweet #elmaxrights. Max’s letters can’t be for nothing. Now i bring you to the less fluffy alternative.

Theory 2:

Since i believe the letters must have value, but i know the Duffers don’t believe in fan service and the executives at Netflix cried over the ending pitch, i feel the need to acknowledge the very real possibility that Max may die in the end. I’ve said before that Max is the only character (in addition to Hopper) that i believe is safe from death. This is mainly because she’s died before and it would be repetitive. But, seeing as she’s the only character who has written a letter (that we know of. Looking at you Mike.) and in that letter she addresses her death, i think it’s possible her letter will be read aloud by Sadie over the final moments of the show. This would be similar to the end of ST3, but more-so like the end of Avengers: Endgame. In the end, Tony dies saving Peter and the other half of the universe, but not without the last word. He has preemptively left a goodbye message in the event of his death. It is played over shots of various characters happy after the war, and people celebrating victory. His letter also addresses “not being alone”, something that Max’s Dear Billy letter also does. I will also say that in a true parallel, El would be the one to die saving Max (Would parallel the end of ST1, and Tony’s sacrifice.) However, I don’t think El would write a letter. I could be wrong though. The only other character i can see this going down with would be Mike. He is a writer after all. He could (in the context of flickergate, and him going in the UD to save Will) write a letter admitting how he feels and addressing that if he dies he had the time of his life fighting dragons with you (😉) (you being Will + the party?). This wouldn’t be revealed til the end of the season, giving the Duffers, Netflix, and the homophobic GA/Milevens an out to a byler kiss or full on acknowledgement of it the rest of the season. This is my least favorite outcome. I hope you guys find this as interesting (and tragic, a word used to describe the end) as i do. Here’s to more theories over the next 2ish years! Happy New Year!

Link to the end of Endgame:

[beth-march]

what i can't take is how mileven is always the target of a million criticisms. literally anything is a reason for people to be upset and shit on them, and no other st ship gets the same treatment. other ships people just take what's given to them and are happy with it but with mileven if they have an argument and mike doesn't say ily he's toxic and gaslighting her and doesn't love her and they no longer have chemistry, if mike does a big speech on how much he loves el it's corny and cringy and ruins their characters somehow; if el leaves mike to go on a solo journey she's okay with him not loving her anymore and doesn't care, if she draws strength from his ily to fight vecna it's anti-feminist and she depends on him too much. if they act like in st3 and are always touching they're too clingy and toxic, if they've learned to give each other more space and don't always have eyes on each other like in st4 they're uninterested. if mike doesn't pay attention to will because of el he's a terrible friend, if he does he's leading will on. if mike notices will is standoffish and sour he's being overcritical, if he doesn't notice will's true feelings behind his speech in the van he's stupid. if will isn't on board with their relationship they're terrible friends not to act any differently because of that, if will supports their relationship they're using will (a queer person)'s feelings to prop up a straight ship. we just can't win. we just got some amazing content, i love each and every one of their v.2 scenes so much, i just wanted to enjoy them for what they are, but nobody will let us. all you see is negativity. "oh my god, so corny" yeah mileven has always been corny so what? this show is the corniest. a seven year old defeated the big bad villain once and kate bush saves you from certain death. they're getting by on the power of love and friendship and there's always been a scooby doo element of "if it weren't for those kids" since s1. if you don't like corny, leave. if traumatized characters finding strength in love and found family makes you cringe what are you even doing here and are you dead inside? i'm so done fr

THIS! ALL OF THIS! EXACTLY!

I don’t even have anything to add, you’ve perfectly put into words all of my frustration and sadness about being part of this fandom, even peripherally. People go out of their way to vilify Mike and El as both characters and a couple and it’s so undeserved, so baffling, because they’re only a pair of flawed, traumatised teenagers who love each other and want to be together more than anything else, and are struggling to do so due to the US GOVERNMENT and ALTERNATE DIMENSION MONSTERS being after them. Twist the narrative all you want but that’s the simple truth of it. They’re good people and they love each other and they make mistakes with each other sometimes.

I really feel your pain. It’s exhausting and upsetting to see your favourite characters being torn apart by people who aren’t even trying to understand them. It’s been going on for years and it’s just so stupid. But what is there to even do? We could write dissertations countering every misogynistic, ableist, incorrect point they make, but there’s no changing the minds of fixated people. I think we’ve just got to rise above, which I resent, but I guess it beats talking to any of those weirdos.

Also, people who don’t like corny should grow up… Why do you hate fun?! What are you doing in the 80s monster show fandom?!

[midweastindigo]

or; an Eddie Munson Meta slash ST 5 Prediction™ slash Future Plot of My Fic so Don't Get Any Ideas:

The goals of Eddie's character, in my opinion, are: 1. to be a foil for Steve, who is still trying to be his own person and distance his present self from his past self; this is obvious in the fact that while Eddie explicitly admits he is jealous of Steve, we are explicitly shown that Steve is just as jealous of Eddie. He is afraid of being replaced in the kids' (Dustin's especially) lives by this new adult-ish person that the kids admire and idolize, an admiration that Steve has no control over, and 2. to show the kids (and everyone) that it's okay to be 100% yourself even when people are against you; that there are those out there willing to accept the risk and fight for you. This is evident in his outspoken personality, the starry-eyed looks he gets from both Mike and Dustin in the cafeteria where it's clear that he's gone on similar rants before, and his acceptance of Erica into Hellfire so quickly - he collects the misfits to protect them and give them a safe space. (And a secret third thing which is to give Mike the universal queer experience of crushing on an older friend and feel safe in the space Eddie created to accept that part of him to then accept his feelings for Will, evident, again in the starry-eyed looks Mike gives Eddie. And even though! Steve is right there! Mike "hates" Steve and I don't think he'd even subconsciously have a crush on his sister's ex lol. This secret third thing has an even more elusive secret branch of 'Eddie's character was introduced to be both Mike and Steve's bi awakenings' and Steve Harrington is no longer just a cool ally!!!!!)

I think what his arc did in ST4 is going to come full circle in ST5: that arc being as follows:

Eddie runs away -> Eddie dies after he stops running -> Eddie accepts it's okay to run and lives

Mostly because as is, his arc feels incomplete and depressing. Eddie is a morally grey character who ran away from the things that scared him the most, but as the season progressed it seemed like he started to move into more of a chaotic good alignment because he found people who believed him and believed in his goodness regardless of what the outside said, and regardless of what he portrays himself to be. He didn't run in the end. By deciding to stand and fight - a term I use loosely because how in the ever living fuck did he think he could give the bats the old runaround and come out unscathed?

On the other side, he did it to protect the people he's grown to care about. To give Steve, Robin, and Nancy more time to kill Vecna and save Max, and to keep the bats away from Dustin. So, by giving his life to protect the people who's Most Important to him, Eddie became a hero. But goddamn, at what cost? You finally face your fears and you get killed for it? You finally take a stand and get eaten alive by demon bats? It doesn't seem finished. It leaves such an open wound in both the show and the character. (Literally LOL). By completing his arc with 'it's okay to run', to me, it'll feel finished. Like this character who is flawed but is unapologetically himself finally accepts all of him, not just most of him. Not just the good parts.

So I think when he comes back Different, we're going to see this internal struggle Eddie deals with externally when he's fighting to get control back of his body (if that's the case) - like he struggled with his want to run vs. his desire to stay, and I think it'll be like that at first. He'll give in and let Vecna have full control, because what's the point? He's basically dead. He's wanted for murder. He doesn't matter. But then maybe the kids, more likely Steve, will be like 'Eddie, are you still in there?' I think there's a greater possibility that it will be Steve that recognizes Eddie is still in there, fighting. Steve can recognize an internal struggle, and I think he'll see that Eddie isn't completely gone because of two scenes. The first being where Eddie tells Steve that the ladies, Nancy in particular, didn't hesitate to jump in after him. But neither did Eddie - he may have been last to go in, sure, but he still followed them all into the pits of hell without any real knowledge of what he was swimming toward. The second is going back to ST2 when Nancy calls Steve, and their relationship 'bullshit'. It's ben shown through this that Steve believes he doesn't matter, that he's bullshit. And I think a lot of his character growth is just trying to prove to both the world and himself that he does matter.

I also think Eddie's explanation to Steve as to why he isn't a hero is precisely why A. Steve argues that Eddie is being hard on himself because again, he followed them into Mordor regardless of how it happened, B. is part of the reason why Steve will be the first to believe Eddie is still in his mind somewhere, and C. proves to Steve that Eddie wants to fight, wants to win back his autonomy, and is willing to stand by the party and fight along side them even when he didn't understand the dangers.

Eddie will try to push his way to the surface to scream 'yes! I'm here and I'm stuck!' and Steve will tell him to fight. Steve's actions, in Eddie's eyes, have always been super heroic, and something Eddie is shown to be jealous of. So, Steve urging him to fight against Vecna's control will once again motivate him to stay and fight for control rather than 'let go' or run away, and 'betray' Vecna by going against him in his own mind.

However, I also think that because it was explicit in the fact that Eddie dying did nothing to prevent Vecna's plans; Max died and was resurrected, the clock chimed, the gates were opened, that there is no possible way it is the end of his arc. Whether or not the bats ended up in the right-side up didn't actually matter, because the entire upside down is now filtering into Hawkins. Giving Steve, Nancy, and Robin "extra time" didn't actually benefit any of the party, because everything bad that could have happened, happened. So, I think in the end, it will be a parallel to Max's Kate Bush scene, with Eddie in his own mind, held hostage by Vecna, running back to his friends, that will complete this arc of self-acceptance and finding a place among friends.

Because running isn't always a bad thing, especially when you're running to something. And I think that's what his character essentially boils down to. He's been running away for so long; he just needed something to run toward - and even with him running from Chrissy, he was running towards safety. He didn't know what was happening. He kept running towards safety because an angry group of homophobes were after him, trying to kill him. He runs to safety, maybe because he never felt safe as a kid. This brings it back to him creating a safe environment for the kids that don't necessarily fit in. He wants to create a safe space because he didn't have any when he needed it the most.

I think we'll get a similar scene to when El went into Billy's mind, but I think it'll be Will, not El, to venture into Eddie's. Eddie is very similar to both Jonathan and Will in the fact that the word 'freak' is used to describe them; the differences are that Eddie embraces his title while Jonathan kind of lets it roll off his shoulders, and Will actively tried to fight against it at first. Since it's highly theorized that Will has more power than currently displayed and known, it would make sense for him to finally want to tap into that power and embrace what makes him a 'freak'. Will going into Eddie's mind to save him and protect the party is exactly who Will is as a person, and I think this is where we see why Eddie has the desire to run to safety.

Most likely, with the comment he made while hot wiring the RV, it's from his dad, because if the show wasn't called Stranger Things it'd be called daddy issues (duffle bags r u ok?) and it would give Will another reason to urge Eddie to fight, because they have similar pasts and problems with their fathers.

And I think Will will tell him it's okay to run sometimes. This will directly parallel the scenes where Bob told Will that he stopped running away in his dream, and the scene where Will stopped running and the Mind Flayer possessed him. (Something something, Will actively fighting against being a freak vs. actively fighting against the Mind Flayer, vs. him finally accepting that while what happened to him might make him a 'freak' he is still Will motherfucking Byers who survived the Upside Down and inter-dimensional demon possession. Yeah he's a freak but what makes him a freak also makes him a goddamn superhero which is precisely when his powers will kick in, when he accepts all the bad that happened to him in order to protect the party) "Sometimes it's smarter to run," he'd say. "You have to run because Vecna is coming, and he won't give up."

So Eddie does. He'll run, and run, and run while his favorite song plays in the distance because Dustin told Steve what it was and they could only hope it would help him like it helped Max. And he runs to where he sees himself as something inherently Not Eddie trying to kill Dustin or El, Steve or Will, or any of them really, but it'll most likely be Dustin to parallel Eddie's death scene with the two of them on the ground. He'll run until he doesn't think he can anymore, but Vecna is reaching out behind him and he hears everyone screaming for him and he's so close so he reaches out and suddenly he's staring down at whoever he pinned to the ground, back in his body, alone, in full control. Because he ran. Not because he ran away, but because he ran toward.

[itsanotheridiot]

Honestly after seeing Vol II ST4 wasn’t that good HEAR ME OUT btw ima be talking abt writing choices and the possible queerbaiting OBVIOUSLY SPOILERS AHEAD

First let’s start with the queer baiting B*ler it been revealed to us that Will is gay after his speech to Mike abt how Mike the heart of the party. Literally if you go re-listen to Will’s speech and replace everytime he said “El” or “her” with “I’m” or “I” honestly still has the same emotional value hell probably more since Will would be admitting his feeling WE AS A AUDIENCE can even tell Will talking abt himself but in the end Will is there just to uplift M*eleven in the end.

Next Robin and Vickie they felt like a cheap shot at getting praise for trying for LGBT+ rep I mean Vickie have like what 5mins of screen time and I’m supposed to care for them but at least they left the two on a good note.

I know there are some who are going to say “BuT ItS tHe 80s” honestly go fuck yourself the whole point of this show is being a outcast and finding other outcast to make a found family of so the chance of a few characters in the gang being queer is a likely possibility

Now I wanna talk abt the shitty writing because Vol I by it self looks amazing but now seeing the ending I’m disappointed. Focusing on Max’s storyline this season we can tell it abt depression and suicide basically mental health in general just looking at “Dear Billy” it holds a GREAT message abt not letting depression take control of you and over coming it but accepting the support from those who love you. It was a powerful prefect message then you watch the finale and Max fuckin dies loses her eyes and have 3/4 of her bones snapped only to get resurrected and put in a goddamn coma it took away the message for “Dear Billy”

But I will admit the writing did have some good choices like acknowledging that Johnathan and Will hasn’t been as close as they used too or Steve admitting he has improved as a person after Nancy dumped him.

Idk I just needed to get some of this off my chest honestly add to this is you want or give me your opinion I would love to hear what anyone has to say abt this

-Rainy

[clericbyers]

first time

here’s the second prompt anon since I could not resist

There’s this new fangled thing called a “flashbulb” memory that makes its way from high academia into the public school system. Mike has heard his sister blab about it over dinner for some odd reason he can’t remember. She said it was an extremely vivid and detailed snapshot of a moment when something consequential or emotional arousing occurs. Mike doesn’t quite understand it exactly—he’s smart but Nancy is using bigger words like she wants to give him difficulty with understanding her—but he thinks he gets the jist.

It’s kind of like what Will’s brother does with his photography but instead of physical photos being developed, it’s a memory you can always recall in deep detail.

Mike didn’t really think much of it after the fact. Nancy always tries to sound smarter than usual at the dinner table anyway. He asked Dustin and Lucas about it and they didn’t say much outside of thinking it was kind of a weird topic. Will though thought the idea that memories could be stored like photos was awesome.

“You know, sometimes I draw my memories, too,” he whispered to Mike late one night in the sleepy emptiness filling the basement. “If it’s really impactful, you know? I just have to draw it out even though I know I’ll always remember.”

Mike hummed sleepily and curled up closer to his friend. Will was warm and small and Mike enjoyed hearing his voice. “Mm, what memories have you drawn?”

“When we won our first campaign together.” Will played with a string unraveling from his sleeping bag. “The first sunset the four of us stayed outside to watch when we sat on the roof of your house.”

Mike laughed at that. “Wow, I barely remember that. You have an incredible memory, Will.” He closed his eyes and let loose a deep sigh. “You should show me those pictures.”

“Ah, I—yeah. Yeah, I can show you some.” Will sounded nervous and it made Mike’s eyes slither open to look over at his friend.

“Some? Are there others you don’t wanna share?”

“No! No, no, I want to show you everything. Just,” his green eyes looked down before turning back to Mike with a smile, “I’m nervous. I’ve never shown anyone else.”

It was a mostly subconscious action but Mike reached out to take the hand Will was using to pull at thread into his own. Mike squeezed twice and let his hand go limp in a loose grip. “You know I’ll love whatever you draw. That’s what friends are for. To love their friend’s art.”

Will laughed airly. “I’m pretty sure there’s more to it than that.”

“Yeah, well, I wanna love your art so lemme do that, alright?”

“Okay.”

And when Mike woke up still holding hands with Will, he didn’t think much of it even though his heart was a little fuzzy in his chest and he wondered why it didn’t feel so weird to hold his best friend’s hand while sleeping.

That night though wasn’t something Mike would have considered a flashbulb memory. It was a gentle memory that warmed his chest and drove him into the woods to search for WIll when he went missing. The idea of never being able to see Will again was too sickening to ignore. Mike could never accept that Will was dead even if a body was discovered. He would stop at nothing to insure Will was back home and safe, and tangible for Mike to hold and talk to and, well, love. But the latter wasn’t anything more than platonic in his mind. Will was his best friend as were Dustin and Lucas. If they had gone missing, Mike would have been just as ballistic about finding them.

In the year after Will’s return though, Mike found himself torn. He called for El, who helped him get back one of the most important people in his life, in hopes that he hadn’t sacrificed one person for another. He coddled Will, desperate for reassurance that Will was still here, that Will wasn’t dead or missing. The nightmares were terrible. He kept imagining jumping off the cliff and El not being there, dying only for Will to come back and discover Mike was no more. If it wasn’t the jump, then seeing El close the portal or hearing Will’s cries over the radio consumed his mind until he woke up gasping for air and reminding himself that all of that was over.

It was a rough year for everyone and it only grew worse once Dustin found Dart and the Mind Flayer began to take over Will. El returned, which was a joyous event for Mike, but it couldn’t overshadow the fact that Will was losing himself to a demon and the Party had to come up with a plan to destroy the tunnels and hopefully not kill Will in the process.

It turned out though that happy memories could help break Will out of the influence of the Mind Flayer. And it was one memory in particular that snapped Will and Mike out of a cloudy mist of denial that had been consuming their every interaction up until then. This moment here in the shed, standing face to face with an incapacitated Will and a single tear streaking down Mike’s cheek as he thought about what if Will dies tonight. Mike still isn’t sure if that first day in kindergarten is a flashbulb memory. It had emotional impact for him and sticks with him always but it was more so something he never wanted to forget so he remembered it vividly rather than something he couldn’t forget because his brain forced him to remember it vividly.

“Do you remember the first day we met?” he recalled with a wavering voice as the thought that this could be the last thing he ever says to Will. He tried not to think about how much this sounded like a confession. “It was...it was the first day of kindergarten. I knew nobody. I had no friends and...I just felt so alone and so scared but,” Mike regathered his thoughts and powered through the emotions bubbling in his chest. He could visualize that day in his head so clearly like it was just earlier in the day instead of 8 years ago. “I saw you on the swings and you were alone, too. You were just swinging by yourself. And I walked up to you and...I asked.”

It was as if in slow motion, watching Will’s face struggle between the Mind Flayer’s influence and his true self trying to react to Mike’s memory. Mike hoped Will remembered, too; he wanted Will to always remember and if he couldn’t himself, then to remember Mike’s memory in its stead.

“I asked you if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes.” Mike felt overwhelmed, throat tight as he still couldn’t believe that Will was willing to be his friend. Will willingly sided with the other loner kid on the playground when he could have found anyone else some other day. He stuck with Mike day-by-day as they blended together to become an inseparable duo. Inseparable until the Upside Down stole Will but Mike got him back and he wouldn’t let the Mind Flayer take Will away. No. It would not happen. Mike’s chest hurt just to think about how much his life changed by Will’s single word and how he could lose that change in a mere few seconds. “You said yes.”

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes; Will said yes and tied himself to Mike and Mike tied himself to Will and that tie could not be broken. Mike looked up into watery, green eyes and realized with a painful breath that Will was...Will was the best thing in his life. No, no. Not just Will, being Will’s best friend, taking that chance to befriend him, taking that chance to learn to love him. “It was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

And as the sobs wracked his body, Mike began to realize that maybe he wouldn’t have reacted as viscerally as he did with Will to Dustin and Lucas’ disappearances if they had been the ones to disappear. It wasn’t because he didn’t care or love them--he definitely would have still tried to find them and he did jump off a cliff to save Dustin--but Will was different. Will was always different.

This moment here with tears streaming down his face and the desperate mantra of don’t leave me don’t leave me don’t leave me racing through his addled mind brought Mike to the flashbulb memory inducing realization that maybe the difference with Will was found in Mike’s own feelings for him. And later, Will would reminded Mike that it’s simply not possible to love anyone as he loves Mike, much as Mike stated on this day that being with Will was the best thing he’d ever done. But that would take another year and another heartbreak.

For now, Mike had to focus on saving his friend in order to draw better memories together than the now memories he’d been battling against.

[redshoes-blues]

Will Byers Vecna Song Theory

You may have seen my Will Byers Mirror Theory, which is where I discuss my thoughts on why Will being put under Vecna’s curse is pretty much inevitable in vol. 2. I wanted to delve deeper into that theory, discussing the music itself, and how a few songs apply to Will as a character. This section assumes that Will gets Vecna’d, so if you want more info on that theory, it’s linked above.

Also this is long as hell. Whoops?

Music plays a crucial role in Stranger Things. Even before Vecna was introduced, the iconic 80s soundtrack is a feature of the show, and several characters within the text are huge music fans. One of these characters is Will, who we know uses music to comfort himself in the Upside Down in ST1. Assuming Will is cursed during vol. 2, what songs might save him? What do these songs represent within Stranger Things and in the real world, and how might they give insight into Will as a character?

As I see it, there are 3 possibilities for Will’s song. The way I selected these songs is by looking at the songs Will himself mentions, songs directly related to important moments in his arc, and more subtle prop hints. 

1. Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Clash

2. Boys Don’t Cry, The Cure

3. Heroes, David Bowie

Let’s go through each song and see how it could work for Will’s song. 

Should I Stay or Should I Go

To me, this is the obvious first pick. When I first realized Will would probably fall under the curse in vol. 2, my first thought was: “oh but he’ll be safe, everyone in the Party knows he loves that Clash song.” 

Will sings the song to himself in the Upside Down when a Demogorgon is near, and the Demogorgon leaves. Although music doesn’t seem to have the same impact on them as it does Vecna, the song still provides Will comfort in times of panic and distress. In flashbacks, we’re shown that Jonathan introduces the song to Will during an argument between Joyce and Lonnie. The song acts as a shield for Will in that moment, just as it does later on in the UD. Within the Vecna scene, it would provide a perfect parallel to Will being in the UD for the first time early in the show. 

However, as I mentioned in another post, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” is now a song intrinsically tied to Will’s trauma from the UD. Now, the mechanics of how songs work and which ones may or may not work haven’t been ironed out yet. I suspect this will be elaborated on in vol. 2, but if the song is now tied to traumatic memories, maybe it won’t work. 

Maybe there’s another song Will connects to on a deep level that is less obvious to both viewers and the Party. In such a case, the disconnection between Will and the Hawkins gang will quickly become apparent. This is especially the case if Vecna gets to Will before the California and Hawkins groups are reunited and able to go over details. But even if Will if put under Vecna’s curse when everyone is back together and the California gang finds out what’s happening, Will has still been disconnected from the Party (aside from El, but even then we know he hasn’t told her about his crush on Mike).

I think it’s quite likely that the Party could try “Should I Stay or Should I Go” (maybe even at Jonathan or Mike’s suggestion), only to have it fail. 

So if it doesn’t end up being “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” what other songs may Will have a personal connection to?

Boys Don’t Cry

I love the idea of “Boys Don’t Cry” saving Will from Vecna’s curse because A. I’m a massive fan of The Cure, and B. I love how the song could connect to him as a character! In case you missed in, the reference to this song is subtle, as Will has a poster of the album cover in his California bedroom.

I’ll be honest and say that of the three songs, I think this one may have the most limited evidence to support it. But perhaps that’s the point? 

Will’s character arc in ST3 was very much about him feeling left behind, and that is definitely continuing in ST4. Mike is realizing how the two of them have split apart because of the distance and his own lack of awareness for Will’s feelings in ST3 and beyond. We’ve never heard Will mention “Boys Don’t Cry,” but we as viewers have grown distant to Will as a character, just as Mike has (note: Mike is often used as a character to show the audience’s perspective, and his lack of awareness reflect this). 

Although the song is alluded to, it hasn’t been played or mentioned directly. If this is Will’s Vecna song, then it will show how distant he has become from his friends as a result of many factors — one of which will likely be his sexuality, something I can see Vecna using in the vision to make Will feel more like an outsider. 

“Boys Don’t Cry” as a song is a bit of an anthem for gay men. Especially during the 80s. The song is about toxic masculinity and the ways Western society has damaged men by making them cover up their emotions. Within a queer reading, the song could also be used to highlight the ways that gay men in particular are stereotyped as feminine or overly sensitive, the second of which has been used as a descriptor for Will within the show. As we know, Will has his own experiences of toxic masculinity, especially where Lonnie is concerned (baseball is a key metaphor here).

So even though “Boys Don’t Cry” is only shown in a prop, the song would be a powerful message for Will: conquering toxic masculinity and finally sharing his feelings and emotions by coming out to his loved ones.

Heroes

Okay, I know I seemed enthusiastic about the other two options, but “Heroes” is where my true alliance lies. Listen, I’m slightly biased here. David Bowie is my all-time favourite artist, and “Heroes” is my all-time favourite song. But I digress. For fellow Byler shippers, this is the song out of the 3 that I think most aligns with a queer reading of Mike and Will’s dynamic.

Note: I’m not the first one to come up with “Heroes” being used as Will’s Vecna song. Go here to @gayeddiemunson‘s post which initially brought the idea to my mind (and inspired this long-ass analysis)!

“Heroes” is played twice over the course of the show during two peak emotional scenes. In both scenes, a gorgeous Peter Gabriel cover of the song plays. In my theory, it’s specifically the original Bowie version which would be used for Will, and I have a specific reason for this that I’ll get to. 

In ST1, the song plays when “Will’s” body is discovered in the quarry — specifically showing his body, Mike running home, and Jonathan and Joyce hugging in a shot which mirrors Mike and Karen. In ST3, it plays at the very end of the season when Hopper is reading his letter after “dying.” In these instances, a character is thought to be dead and the other characters mourn them in some way. Both characters are later revealed to be alive. In other words, "Heroes” is a song which represents resurrection in Stranger Things.

Given the knack the Duffer brothers have for creating parallels over the course of the show, I wouldn’t be shocked if they faked Will’s death again within Vecna’s curse, before using “Heroes” as a signal to save Will. 

It’s important that the version used is Bowie’s original recording because it’s more upbeat than Peter Gabriel’s cover (making it much less melancholic and attached to negative emotions in the show), and because of a scene between Will and Jonathan in ST2, ep. 1:

Jonathan: You know what? You’re right. You are a freak. But what, do you want to be normal? Do you wanna be normal? Do you wanna be just like everyone else? Being a freak is the best, alright? I’m a freak . . . Who would you rather be friends with? Bowie or Kenny Rogers

Will: Ugh

Jonathan: Exactly. It’s no contest. The thing is, nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world. 

Within the text, Bowie and Will are both “freaks.” Both outsiders in their own way who are scorned by some because they don’t fit into the norms of a heteronormative society. Bowie is a figure who was openly queer during the 70s, experimented with the boundaries of gendered fashion, and openly and bravely expressed himself in a much less accepting world. He stood up for queer people when others didn’t, and was an icon beloved by outsiders and people who weren’t seen as “normal.” For that reason, using Bowie’s version of the song would be a perfect moment of Will accepting that he’s a “freak” . . . but learning to love what makes himself different.

I do think Vecna would be most likely to make Will feel like an outsider by comparing his experiences as young Henry Creel to Will’s own feelings that he’s a “freak” because he doesn’t fit his society’s norms. In this way, Will fighting off Vecna with Bowie’s “Heroes” would be a beautiful moment of acceptance and resurrection as he comes back to life (the Real World) a stronger person. 

Heroes, Will, and Mike

My final reason behind the “Heroes” song theory has to do with Byler, so if that isn’t your thing, that’s all good — feel free to skip this! 

During ST1 when “Heroes” plays, Mike’s reactions to Will’s “death” are key in the sequence. Mike runs home and Karen comforts him as he cries over the death of his best friend. In the meantime, the following lyrics play:

And the guns, shot above our heads  And we kissed, as though nothing could fall  And the shame, was on the other side

“Heroes” was written when Bowie saw a two people kissing next to the Berlin Wall, and was struck by the image of a structure representing the Cold War next to a forbidden love affair. This section of the song is the most romantic part, when the couple comes together despite their forbidden love, casting aside the shame brought on by the affair, feeling free like “heroes” in the arms of each other just for one day. 

I don’t think “Heroes” has the same meaning in Stranger Things as Bowie’s initial inspiration. As I said above, I see it as a motif representing resurrection and new life in the show. But I do find it fascinating that the line about shame over a romantic love affair occurs during a shot of Mike. Coincidence, perhaps. But interesting all the same. 

Obviously Will’s love for Mike is considered forbidden at the time. Whether or not Mike has feelings in return wouldn’t make a difference towards the forbidden nature of being gay in the 80s (at least according to the dominant culture). For this reason, the song not only connects to Will for the various reasons already described, but also to Mike given that the song plays for him as well as Will. If the Duffer brothers plan to make Byler canon, then I could see “Heroes” becoming an important song in the show again. 

Final Thoughts / TLDR

Out of the 3 songs I've analyzed, I think “Heroes” has the strongest evidence supporting it: both within the narrative (the song has been used 2x in Stranger Things) and subtextually, from a character analysis perspective. Overall, Bowie’s original “Heroes” is a song of forbidden love by a queer artist who Will aligns himself with in the show. As well, the song represents resurrection and rebirth within the show, which thematically relates to the idea of Vecna’s curse.

Anyways, that’s all for this mammoth of a post! I’d love to hear what anyone else thinks. Are there any songs I missed that could be used?

[0aurelion-sol0]

"There's no place like gnome."

Stranger Things 3: The Game.

Gnomes 1-10. 🧙‍♂️

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

It's no secret that the Duffers take a lot of inspirations from Pop Culture. From the most well known movies to the more obscure comics, they are always able to sneak a reference somewhere everytime. And they are also able to make it connected to the story.

I've bragged about how the Stranger Things expanded universe in media is one of the best out there compared to many others. I think that the Duffers, the writers or people in the highest places of the marketing are really paying attention to what comes out of the ST franchise because there is no way to have such content with so many details without someone looking into them.

And ST3: The Game is a very good example of that.

So let's start! The first 10 Gnomes out of 50 that you have to find in the game.

BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW!

"There's elements that could please those who makes metas/analyzes or theories. Especially things related to possible future plot points, easter eggs, references in previous seasons mainly season 3 like unsolved mysteries or unanswered questions and for future seasons such as season 4 like foreshadowing or teasers, trailers or as of lately the sneak peek."

If you have anything you'd like to add, might think I have missed or think it might be referencing something else don't hesitate to share it by commenting or reblogging.

(Say thanks to @hawkinsschoolcounselor for having helped me with some of them. )

_____________________________

Gnome #1: Johnny

"He's here... with an axe."

Overall plot:

"The film's central character is Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who accepts a position as the off-season caretaker of the isolated historic Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. Wintering over with Jack are his wife, Wendy Torrance, and young son, Danny Torrance. Danny is gifted with "the shining", psychic abilities that enable him to see into the hotel's horrific past. The hotel cook, Dick Hallorann, also has this ability and is able to communicate with Danny telepathically. The hotel had a previous winter caretaker who went insane and killed his family and himself. After a winter storm leaves the Torrances snowbound, Jack's sanity deteriorates due to the influence of the supernatural forces that inhabit the hotel, placing his wife and son in danger."

So I assume a lot of you know The Shining by Stanley Kubrick. A movie which was adapted from the novel of the same name by Stephen King in 1977.

There's a lot of things that could have served as an inspiration for ST.

A boy/child who has psychic abilities = Eleven has psychic abilities such as telekinesis. Will has his True Sight which consist in seeing what the MF was seeing and feeling.

Now there's also the theme of family and parenthood that is also a big theme in Stranger Things. Especially abusive parenthood such as Brenner, Lonnie and even Hopper to a smaller degree.

In Shining, Jack tries to kill his family with an axe due to supernatural forces that are in the hotel but there's a difference between King and Kubrick. While King specifically said that Jack was heavily influenced by the Hotel, Kubrick shows that Jack always had that sinister violence in him even before they arrived at the hotel.

It's interesting to draw a parallel to Billy and Will, both characters called William who tried to kill their families and other people while being possessed. But Billy compared to Will was shown to have been abusive even before that. Dacre Montgomery also said that he was inspired by Jack Nicholson's performance in the Shining for his character Billy.

Joyce and Jonathan were shown to get ready to fight the monsters by taking an axe.

It's also interesting to note that Jack dies in the snow while a blizzard is happening outside the hotel. Much like the storm of the Mindflayer who is in the Upside Down, the same Mindflayer who "likes it cold". While in the book, the Overlook explodes and burn.

(Cold vs Fire much like everything Upside Down related not liking Fire.)

Also "Johnny" = "Jonathan", it's kind of similar and Jonathan did wield an axe before. Maybe this is teasing parts of Jonathan storyline next seasons ?

The gnome was also found in Mike's basement, Mike who wants to be a writer when he's older just like Jack.

Let's just hope that Jonathan and Mike don't get the same fate as Jack.

_____________________________

Gnome #2: Christine

"Two bright, beaming lights for eyes."

Overall plot:

"Written by Bill Phillips and based on Stephen King's 1983 novel of the same title, the movie follows the changes in the lives of Arnie Cunningham, an awkward and unpopular teenager, his friends, his family, and his teenage enemies in Rockbridge, California after Arnie buys a classic red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine, licence number CQB 241, a car that seems to have a jealous, possessive personality – and a mind of its own, which has a bad influence on Arnie. After working on a car in a junkyard owned by Will Darnell, Arnie drops his glasses, starts dressing like a 1950's greaser and develops an arrogant and paranoid personality. He than decides to invite and date the most beautiful girl in highschool, Leigh, who will soon become the next victim of Christine."

I was actually quite surprised by how this story parallels Stranger Things a lot.

First off, Christine is very much like The Mindflayer, a dangerous supernatural being set out to destroy anyone who is in her way, the people who tries to take the things that she thinks belongs to her or threatens her. This is very much relevant to The Mindflayer who after being hurt by the Fire created by the Hawkins Lab was upset and attacked everyone he could. Or as Will putted "Not me, everyone else."

This is very much like Christine who tried to kill Leigh because she was taking her place in the life of Arnie. Christine also tried to kill the bullies of Arnie who after a conflit with him, tried to destroy the car which angered Christine heavily.

The Mindflayer has been described someone who views himself as superior to other species and wants to conquer them, even if it's not his real "goal", the description fits anyone who is possessive and paranoid.

Both the MF and Christine are associated with the color red. Red storm = red color of the car.

Arnie ressembles Will and Billy alot. Will is an awkward and unpopular teenager who after being possessed by the Mindflayer became very different and more violent. Billy was shown to be paranoid, jealous, violent and his look even ressembles the one Arnie takes after repairing Christine.

Both of these boys have the same name as Will Darnell, the owner of a junkyard. Just like the boys in Season 1 who takes shelter in a junkyard, or in season 2 where they fight the Demodogs.

Billy dies, killed by the Mindflayer just like Arnie who was completely possessed by Christine who tried to kill Leigh and Dennis, his best friend after they tried to destroy the car when they realised the supernatural nature of it.

Billy's car ressembles a lot Christine with those lights on. Especially with shots like in the Void or at Starcourt during the night.

Chrissy, a new character that will be in season 4, the most popular girl in Hawkins High like Leigh, has a name that is the diminutive of Christine. It is said that under the perfect surface lies a dark secret. Much like the car Christine, while a beauty is actually a dangerous supernatural being. We'll see if the both of them actually connects in the show.

Also it is set in California where Billy and Max come from and has been rumored by many people due to set leaks (The Surfer Boy Pizza Van.) that it is where the Byers went. I won't get into it in this post but this could be a tease or hint of that IF the set leaks ARE true and not fake to mess with people and the fandom.

Arnie also dies in a car crash having been completely possessed by the evil powers of Christine which is something we see in the sneak peek of ST4. It also reminds of Carrie who has a bully named Chris who she kills in a car crash with her boyfriend Billy aka William.

So will someone die from that car crash ? Who is it ? Chrissy, Joyce, Lonnie ? We can only speculate.

The gnome is also found outside the Wheeler's house where Karen lives near the community pool where Billy works and where the car of Billy is located during the first few chapters of the game. Again, a "bad boy" hitting on the beautiful girl in town. (with a lot of creepy subtext all over it.)

_____________________________

Gnome #3: Doc

"Always mumbling something about being late."

Overall plot:

"Set in 1985, in the town of Hill Valley, California, the story follows Marty McFly, a teenager accidentally sent back to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean automobile built by his eccentric scientist friend Doctor Emmett "Doc" Brown. Trapped in the past, Marty inadvertently prevents his future parents' meeting—threatening his very existence—and is forced to reconcile the pair and somehow get back to the future."

So I don't think I need to explain why this is here given how much it has been shown and mentioned in season 3. But few things are interesting here, the fact that California is mentioned is a big deal for me again. I know you are aware of the set leaks just as I am aware, if we can trust them than this could be a hint of that location.

Next, we have the theme of Time. Now ever since ST4 was announced, clocks and times have been a key feature in the promotion. Who know what this might mean but again, we're not going to develop that in the post.

There is also the whole funny scenes of Robin realising that indeed Marty's mother had tried to "bang" her own son. Now given the nature of the shown, certain images in the show during certain events and certain stories, you know to what it connects and to which theories it connects. Won't develop further on it but it can be used as an element that can go into those theories.

The gnome is also found outside of Starcourt Mall where Robin and Steve talk about "Back to the Future". It is also where Billy has his "Back to te Future" moment with his car going extremely fast just like the DeLorean.

_____________________________

Gnome #4: Indiana

"Master of Adventure."

Overall plot:

"After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by desperate villagers to find a mystical stone and rescue their children from a Thuggee cult practicing child slavery, black magic, and ritualistic human sacrifice in honor of the goddess, Kali."

Fun fact, on Twitter for ST3 promo, a parody poster of this same movie has been posted here of the official ST account.

Jim is obviously Indiana Jones, the look speaks for itself and when he is in the Tunnels in season 2, there's a lot of Indiana Jones imagery.

And of course Kali as 008, a Hindu goddess but as we will see here, it parallels more the Mindflayer.

In 1935, Indiana Jones survives a murder attempt by Lao Che, a crime boss in Shanghai who has hired him to retrieve the remains of Emperor Nurhaci. With his young orphaned Chinese sidekick, Short Round, and the nightclub singer, Willie Scott, in tow, Indy flees Shanghai on a cargo aircraft. While the three of them are asleep, the pilots (employed by Lao Che) dump the fuel and escape via parachute, leaving the plane to crash over the Himalayas. The three narrowly manage to survive by jumping out of the plane on an inflatable raft.

(I wonder if this could be something we see in season 4 with Hopper where he tries to escape on a plane and ends up crashing somewhere or is betrayed by someone who he asked the help of. Now it's a trio and in season 3, Jim, Joyce, Alexei and Murray are the main group that fits this trio. Jim for all the fighting and crazy shit, Joyce and Alexei are kind of like Short Round, they are the sidekicks of Hopper. Murray the role of Willie Scott since she speaks Chinese and him Russian and that Jim just like Indy finds annoying sometimes. Alexei is also kind of like Willie since he kinda goes along with them.

But if we also look at season 2, El is alot like Short Round since she is kind of an orphan too and has a father figure later on. It could also be Will since Hopper is with him a lot of times through season 2. Also Willie did felt out of her element like Alexei because of course he is Russian. Willie in itself doesn't have a lot in common with Joyce but still it's another connection to Will since she has a name close to the one of her sons. Something that does fit a bit more is Jim and Hopper both escaping death, of course Hopper at the end of season 3 but also during season 3 at the farm where he's being shot at by Gregori and than the car doesn't work and explodes and they have to make their way through the forest.

Willie Scott could also be referenced when El disguise herself as this pretty blonde girl in season 1.

Now however, Scoop Troops does fit certain parts of these trio. All the fighting with Steve like Indiana Jones but Robin got his brain because she cracked the code. Dustin and Erica are kinda like short round (especially Dustin who has kind of the same hat as short round.) and are referenced with all the others as children by Robin. Steve doesn't feel in his element like Willie with the three of them who are nerds just like Erica who also doesn't want to accept it. And Robin just like Willie speaks some languages.)

They ride down the mountain slopes and fall into a raging river, eventually arriving at the village of Mayapore in northern India. The villagers plead for their aid in retrieving the sacred stone (shivalinga) stolen from their shrine, along with their missing children, by evil forces in the nearby Pankot Palace. Indy agrees to do so, hypothesizing that the stone is one of the five Sankara stones given by the gods to help humanity fight evil. (It's kinda like Alexei who turns his back on the Russians, for his life of course and agrees to help Hopper close the gate to save Hawkins and their kids before monsters start to appear or may attack one of their kids. Now the stone could be something similar to the promethium or the two keys who opens the gate and is a highly valuable ressource. It also may be the Flayed who are needed to create the monster for the Mindflayer.)

The trio receive a warm welcome at Pankot Palace and are allowed to stay for the night as guests, attending a lavish, but revolting, banquet hosted by the young Maharajah. The officials rebuff Indy's theory that the Thuggee cult is responsible for their troubles. Later that night, Indy is attacked by an assassin. After Indy kills him, he discovers a series of tunnels hidden behind a statue and sets out to explore them, overcoming a number of booby-traps.

(This could be like when Hopper, Joyce and Murray disguised themselves as Russian soldiers but was than discovered by Grigori who attacks them.

The tunnels could be both groups discovering that there is a secret russian base underground and a gate which explains why there are monsters again in Hawkins but it also be the Source, Brimborn Steel Works, where the Mindflayer is lurking underground where he has cult-like followers who makes sacrifices for him to grow bigger and bigger.

It's also like the Tunnels in season 2 who explains why the soil of Hawkins seemed to literally rot. )

The trio reach an underground temple where the Thuggees worship Kali with human sacrifice. They discover that the Thuggees now possess three of the Sankara stones and have enslaved the children to search for the last two, hidden in the palace catacombs. As Indy tries to retrieve the stones, he, Willie, and Shorty are captured. Thuggee high priest Mola Ram forces Indy to drink a potion that puts him into a trance-like state in which he mindlessly serves the cult. (It's very much like Robin and Steve who after discovering the gate are catched by the Russians and than drugged to answer their questions. But also like the Flayed who drinks the chemicals and serves the Mindflayer like a mindless cult.)

Willie is prepared for sacrifice, while Shorty is put to work in the mines with the other children. Shorty escapes and returns to the temple, where he first frees Indy and, later, the Maharajah from the effects of the potion. Indy saves Willie and retrieves the stones. After freeing the children, Indy fights a hulking overseer and leaves him to be killed by a rock crusher. (Basically Dustin saves Steve and Robin. Willie being prepared for sacrifice is kind of like El prepared for sacrifice by Billy in 3x08 but also frees Billy from the effects of the Mindflayer by making him remember his mother, a pretty blonde woman like Willie and sacrifices himself. And Hopper fights Gregori, a "hulking overseer" and kills him.)

The trio escape from the temple, pursued by Thuggees, and barely escape Mola Ram's attempt to flood them out. They are again ambushed by Mola Ram and his henchmen on a rope bridge above a crocodile-infested river. Indy cuts the bridge, causing several of the henchmen to fall to the crocodiles and leaving the survivors to hang on for their lives. As Mola Ram and Indy struggle, Indy invokes the name of Shiva, causing the stones to glow red-hot and burn through Indy's satchel. Two of them fall out; Mola Ram tries to catch the third, but burns his hand and falls from the bridge and into the river, where he, too, is eaten by the crocodiles. (This can be connected to all the kids fighting in Hawkins with the Spider Monster. But the bridge could also fit for the key in the secret base where Hopper and Gregori fights. The gruesome death of Mola Ram is similar to the gruesome death that Gregori has.)

Indy catches the stone safely and climbs up just as a company of British Indian Army riflemen, sent by the Maharajah, arrive and open fire against the Thuggees to drive them away; the surviving Thuggees are soon cornered and arrested by more soldiers. Indy, Willie, and Shorty return safely to Mayapore with the stone and the missing children. (While it may end well in the movie, we know Billy and multiple people die, the Thuggees unlike the Russians have been captured while the Russians where all able to flee before the US Army arrives and Hopper is presumed dead. Only the children in both stories are alive but are probably traumatized for life.)

All in all we can see that this movie might have had a big influence on the plot of season 3 through many characters and more. It may have some hints about possible events for Hopper in season 4 or even beyond but that's about it for. It's a nice package of comparaisons and references though.

The gnome is found in the Hawkins Community Pool where Billy is. The same Billy who obeys mindlessly the Mindflayer and sacrifices people to it. Just like the Thuggees with Kali.

_____________________________

Gnome #5: Chunk

"Posed in some odd dance maneuver."

Overall plot:

"In the film, a band of kids who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, attempt to save their homes from foreclosure and, in doing so, they discover an old treasure map that takes them on an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th-century pirate. During the adventure, they are chased by a family of criminals who want the treasure for themselves."

So first, let's get this out of the way, Sean Astin who play Bob Newby, our beloved who plays a character named Mikey.

The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure comedy film co-produced and directed by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus, based on a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. In the film, kids who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon, attempt to save their homes from foreclosure and, in doing so, they discover an old treasure map that takes them on an adventure to unearth the long-lost fortune of One-Eyed Willy, a legendary 17th-century pirate. During the adventure, they are chased by a family of criminals who want the treasure for themselves.

I wonder if this might hint at some Season 4 plot right here. The Hawkins gang faces the threat of Hawkins becoming a literal ghost down and might need to find something to save it. Also Willy like William, again Will is still there.

The Goonies include optimist lead Goonie Mikey Walsh, his older brother Brandon, the inventive Data, the talkative Mouth, and the overweight klutz Chunk.

Rummaging through the Walshes' attic, they come across a 1632 doubloon and an old treasure map purporting to lead to the treasure of legendary pirate "One-Eyed Willy", believed to be located somewhere nearby. Mikey considers One-Eyed Willy to be the original Goonie. (It kinda reminds me of Mike who got mad at Max in season 2 and told her they didn't need another party member. And he mentionned Will first right after him.)

The kids overpower and bind Brandon and make their way to an abandoned restaurant on the coast that coincides with the map; Brandon soon follows alongside Andy, a cheerleader with a crush on him ( there has been cheerleaders that have been reported in season 4 such as Chrissy.); and Stef, Andy's friend. The group quickly discovers the derelict restaurant is a hideout of the Fratelli crime family: Francis, Jake, and their mother. (Maybe it is both a reference to the Russians in season 3 who have a hideout under the mall who have many restaurants. Or the Lab who OBVIOUSLY does a lot of illegal activities. )

The Goonies find a tunnel in the basement and follow it (like the tunnels made by the Mindflayer in season 2), but when Chunk flags down a motorist to go to the sheriff’s station, he gets abducted by the assailants and imprisoned with their hulking, deformed, younger brother Sloth. (This is obviously like Dustin who befriends Dart in season 2, a literal Demogorgon in the making.)

The Fratellis interrogate Chunk until he reveals where the Goonies have gone, and begin pursuit. Chunk is left behind with Sloth, but befriends him. After Sloth frees both of them, Chunk calls the sheriff, and both follow the trail of the Fratellis. (This is very reminiscent of Hopper in season 1 who gets interrogated by Lab agents or Steve and Robin by the Russians.)

The Goonies evade several deadly booby traps along the tunnels, while staying ahead of the Fratellis. Finally, they reach the grotto where Willy's pirate ship, the Inferno, is anchored. (Will also has a ship, the rainbow ship he drew for Joyce, also Inferno literally means Hell just like what Hawkins has been called.)

The group discovers the ship is filled with treasure, and they start filling their pockets, but Mikey warns them not to take any on a set of scales in front of Willy, considering that to be their tribute to him. As they leave the ship, the assailants appear and strip them of their loot. They start to bind the Goonies and make them walk the plank, until Chunk arrives with Sloth and distracts the assailants long enough for the Goonies to jump overboard and swim to safety. (It's the opposite of the season 2 finale, where Dustin has to distract Dart so that the other could pass through the tunnels.)

The Fratellis proceed to grab all the treasure they can, including those on Willy's scales; this triggers another booby trap that causes the grotto to cave in. With Sloth's help, the Goonies and Fratellis barely escape.

The two groups emerge on Astoria's beach, where they reunite with the Goonies' families and the police. The Fratellis are arrested, but Chunk prevents Sloth from also being taken; he invites Sloth to live with him, which Sloth accepts. ("Unfortunately", Dart compared to Sloth probably died.)

As the kids describe their adventure to their parents, the Walshes' housekeeper, Rosalita, discovers that Mikey's marble bag is filled with gems he took from the ship and had not been seized by the Fratellis. Mikey's father triumphantly rips up the foreclosure papers, declaring they have enough money to negate the foreclosure. As the Goonies celebrate, they see the Inferno, having broken free of the grotto, sailing off on its own in the distance. (Could it be hinting at a possible happy ending for Stranger Things ?)

So Fratellis, is similar to fratello which means "brother, fellow, neighbor" which perhaps could be a reference to the Mindflayer who is kind of our neighbor since he is basically in the same places but in the Upside Down. The Mindflayer also has been paralleled to Billy and other abusive father figures. Billy who is the brother of Max. He has also been paralleled to Kali through his anger and him attacking people who hurted him or might hurt him. Could in itself The Mindflayer should be taken or seen as some sort of family figure ? Maybe him being always associated with Will The Wise especially in 2x04 or someone who has the name Will like Billy is a connection. The same Billy who also parallels Russians who just like the Fratellis have secret hideouts.

Though the Fratellis are more motivated by greed which fits Brenner, Lonnie (who tried to use his son's death to gain money.) or Russians most.

Now Willy, Willy is a captain. Maybe it could be hinting at the fact that Will has more importance to the story than we think. There's also Inferno, "Hell" which is Hawkins but also the name of the ship. And Will has a rainbow ship... Could Hawkins be the ship of Will where his adventures are taking place ?

As for the dance... well as you've seen upper in the post: it's the "Truffle Shuffle Dance". It's something that Chunk has to do before entering Mikey's house. It's similar to what Dustin do at the beginning of season 1 to the bullies when he makes his bones crack due to his medical condition, cleidocranial dysplasia.

As for where this gnome is located, it's in Weathertop where Cerebro is located which is fitting since Dustin has a lot of Goonies as inspiration for his character.

_____________________________

Gnome #6: Elvis

"He's not dead!"

"Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known simply as Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy." - Wikipedia.

It is a lot known that people in the 80's thought that Elvis Presley was still alive due to his status and the aura he had as a celebrity. However, no matter how appealing this myth may be, he died of an excessive usage of prescription drugs which reminds me of Nancy who said she thought Tom was on drugs when he fired her and Jonathan while he an the Flayed were drinking chemicals. He also died in 1977, the same year "Heroes" by David Bowie came out which is a song that was used two times when we thought a character died when he was actually alive which are Will and Hopper. Will and Hopper both have a lot of rock in their Spotify playlist.

Also, I personally think that Steve has kind of an Elvis Presley aura to him especially in season 1. After all, Steve has a nickname "King Steve" and Elvis Presley is often nicknamed "The King" and both were popular with girls.

Fun fact: Dacre Montgomery who plays Billy who literally becomes the new "King" of Hawkins will play in the biographical music drama "Elvis" about Elvis Presley where he will play a character called "Steve Binder".

Also actor David Harbour also got married with singer Lily Allen by Elvis in Las Vegas.

It's also found hidden behind bushes near the Public Library. Maybe indicating that Elvis is still out there in the world and hiding.

Which also may be a reference to Brenner who has a similar haircut but also about the novel "Suspicious Minds", a prequel of ST taking place in the Lab when Brenner was doing his sinister experiments which is the same title as one of the songs of Elvis. Like Elvis, Brenner is still out there, hiding in Hawkins.

_____________________________

Gnome #7: Jack

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull gnome."

Again another reference to Shining. So what you are seeing here is a proverb, it means:  "It means that without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring."

In Shining, it represents Jack's slow descent into madness. But it could be a reference to Joyce, Jonathan and Nancy who all work their asses off and don't take a lot of time for themselves and so don't have the time to explore anything else than work which also cause for them not to be there when Will got kidnapped. It may also represent Jonathan's words to Nancy in season 1 where he "called out" the boring life she will have and that she will live like her parents so in this case the proverb becomes about societal norms.

Mike just like Jack is an aspiring writer, Mike just like other members of his family falls into these societal norms that are expected like work and overworking in this instance which makes them boring in the eyes of people like Jonathan. "No play" may also reference D&D which Mike started to ignore in season 3 and worried more pointless and superficial things.

Again, hope it doesn't foreshadow anything for these two characters.

This gnome is found in the Library which is fitting considering Jack wants to be a writer.

_____________________________

Gnome #8: Flynn (Flynn Rider from "Tangled" (2010))

"Looks like he rides well."

Overall plot of Tangled (2010):

"The film tells the story of Rapunzel, a lost, young princess with magical long blonde hair who yearns to leave her secluded tower. Against her abusive foster mother's wishes who kidnappee her when she was young, she accepts the aid of an intruder to take her out into the world which she has never seen."

This story is literally what the boys was arguing about at the end of season 1.

1)The lost knight...

Flynn Rider is actually the son of a king and queen that were from a kingdom that got destroyed by a powerful opal. He was evacuated and placed in an orphanage. He made his reputation as thief.

So Mike and El both parallels this guy, well Mike is a palladin in D&D and he is the son of a wealthy family so he is basically a night. El however also lost her parents like him and has more attributes of a knight in season 1 than Mike.

Flynn is arrogant, which Mike can be a bit sometimes but the both of them can be extremely courageous and care a lot about the people they care about though they are not very strong, nor athletic. Maybe Flynn a bit more.

Also fun coincidence Flynn = Finn, the name of the actor who plays Mike. (almost the same name).

Both him and El run into each other in the woods. Just like Flynn who discover Rapunzel while trying to enter Rapunzel's tower but is knocked out by her who is none other than the...

2)The proud princess...

Well first Rapunzel = Eleven. Both of these girls have magical powers and are used by an abusive and evil parental figure who needs them for their own interest, Mother Gothel used the powers of Rapunzel to stay young forever (like an addiction, a drug) and Martin Brenner aka "Papa". They are both locked away somewhere. El in the lab and Rapunzel in the tower which they both seeked to escape out of. Both believed that these parental figures loved them while it was not true. El also has long blond hair in season 1 like Rapunzel. And both quickly form a relationship with a boy they just met. Both don't know who their real parents are and wants to find them. While Rapunzel has long blonde hair, El had a shaved head.

Also in season 2, El is locked in a cabin in the woods because of Hopper because he believe it is not safe out there which is exactly what Mother Gothel tells Rapunzel. Just like her El disobeys and seeks to discover who her true parents are.

Rapunzel seeks to know what are those floating lights that always appear on her birthday, it is actually her parents who are the king and queen of a kingdom not so far away that do that every year hoping one day she will come back to her. She is a "lost princess". It is very similar to Terry Ives who was communicating through the lights to El.

Rapunzel's power comes out of something that is also connected to something famous in ST.

3) Weird flowers in the cave...

Rapunzel's power come from a flower called "Sundrop flower". = Sunflower which is said by Terry Ives.

This flower can pretty much heal anything including mortal wounds. The Queen got pregnant with Rapunzel but was also terribly sick so she took this flower to heal herself and while doing so, Rapunzel got this ability.

This is very reminiscent of Terry Ives who was pregnant with El and took part in the MKUltra experiences that gave her these powers including certain drugs. She is also "ill" in a way as she is now stuck in a loop. At least from what we saw.

But Rapunzel also parallels another character.

Will Byers. Will could communicate through lights to his mother, just like the parents of Rapunzel and Terry Ives.

The weird flowers could be referencing the sort of vines that entered inside of him in the Upside Down which gave him his "now-memories".

Both had abusive parental figure that would lock them somewhere for whatever reason. (Lonnie with Will in his trunk.)

(Also Hopper may have tried to separate Mike and El but he wasn't like what a Lonnie or Brenner would have been. This is why yes, the situation in season 2 parallels but Hopper truly wished good for El while Brenner and Mother Gothel didn't care for any of these two.)

Same is for Lonnie, he doesn't care about Will.

Since Will is a cleric, both him and Rapunzel have the same time of power. Powers that El doesn't have:

To heal the sick and injured

To revive the dead

To work as a shield

Given this story, it may hint at the fact that Brenner and Lonnie may try to take El and Will for their own greed and purposes.

Since Rapunzel parallels both Will and El, you know what that means for Flynn who parallels Mike.

Flynn in the movie is stabbed by Mother Gothel and dies before cutting the hair of Rapunzel killing Mother Gothel in the process. Rapunzel mourns him and one of his tears heal him.

If Flynn parallels Mike, than something bad could happen to him. If Will does have powers and has feelings for Mike, a supposed death may reveal his powers.

And if he has the same powers as his cleric role, than he could heal those who get hurt or even bring the dead back to life.

If Lonnie sees Mike around Will, given he is homophobic. He may try to hurt him so that he doesn't go near Will again which could lead to him being in grave danger.

Of course all of that is just speculation.

This gnome was found on the parking lot of Starcourt where El decided to break up with Mike and we saw Will smiling in the background.

Also I don't know but... "Looks like he rides well", I mean there's certain undertones to that which are... I don't know how to process that but from what you've just read, Mike apparently rides well. I mean I have nothing against gay sex jokes but still...

Even if it's unintentional, it's how it'll sound on the internet.

_____________________________

Gnome #9: David

"At 399, he's the oldest gnome around."

So this gnome was already in the first ST official mobile game. And this reminds me a lot of The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit but also and of course; Dungeons & Dragons.

The World of David the Gnome, originally titled David, el Gnomo (also known as David, the Gnome), is a Spanish animated television series based on the children's book The Secret Book of Gnomes, by the Dutch author Wil Huygen and illustrator Rien Poortvliet. The series was originally created in Spain by BRB Internacional (who were also responsible for the Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds franchise (Like Dart in season 2 and Mike, Lucas and Dustin where very much like the Three Musketeers in season 1.) and other cartoons such as Bobobobs and Around the World with Willy Fog)

The series presents the gnomes as a kind species, of 15 centimetres (6 inches) of height, and between 250 and 300 grams (8 and 10 ounces) of weight depending on gnome body mass. According to their habitat, different types of gnomes are distinguished: the ones of the forest, the ones of the garden, the ones of the farm, the ones of the house, the ones of the dunes, those of Siberia (David = David Harbour = Hopper = Hopper is in Russia), and nomadic "gypsy" gnomes (commonly looked down upon by other gnomes). A gnome's lifespan is usually 400 years, though there is one example of a couple in the Balkans living 550 years.

Gnomes such as the main characters live in pairs in comfortable caves or holes under trees [kinda like Hobbits] (in their case in the company of a pair of mice and a cricket). Their diet is mostly vegetarian. They are helped by the animals of the forest (kinda like Radagast who is the password to Castle Byers who is located in the woods) when travelling long distances or when they need to arrive quickly at a specific location. Gnomes work in various ways to repair the damage inevitably caused by humans. They also have the power of telepathy and mind control. (kinda like El or the Mindflayer, or even Galadriel in The Lord Of The Rings.)

Their main enemies are the trolls, malevolent and clumsy creatures who always make trouble for the other inhabitants of the forest, as well as gnome poachers. They have supernatural powers that are really strong but they have a weakness, if the sunlight gets on them, they turn to stone.(could be referencing all the Upside Down creatures who don't like sunlight and everything hot.) [Also very much like the Hobbit.] Also one of the trolls was voiced by someone who had the name Henderson, like Dustin Henderson. I also think it references a comic where some bullies attack Will and Mike calls them trolls.

Here are the most important characters:

David is a gnome of the forest. David is 399 years old, making him the oldest gnome around (since gnomes live no more than 400 years exactly, except Franklin, the gnome from the west, who lived 550 years), although he possesses exceptional constitution. David is a doctor, and he uses his knowledge of many fields, such as hypnosis and acupuncture, to heal his patients, usually animals, such as his faithful friend Swift the fox, or other gnomes. David also befriends a bird that, when he whistles, immediately arrives to quickly transport him to wherever necessary. For longer trips, he sometimes travels in a basket attached to the neck of the bird. (It may be a reference to clerics who are known to heal their allies and travelling with birds reminds me of Gandald who sometimes has the help of Eagles in some stories.)

Paul is David's twin brother. Not only does Paul have a normal moustache in contrast to David's handlebar moustache but his jumper is a darker shade of blue, he has a bigger nose, his gnome hat is dark blue whereas David's is red, and his trousers and boots are an inverse of David's: David's trousers are brown and his boots are beige, while Paul wears beige trousers and dark boots. (Of course this is a reference to Will and El who have been compared a lot of times throughout the show and who a lot of people in the fandom consider them siblings and twins, Will has a lot of Red in his wardrobe while El has a lot of blue.)

This gnome was found in a secret Russian base underground in Weathertop where Dustin discovers the Russian transmission coming from their main base located under the mall like a cave (like where gnome lives.). There are also gnomes in Siberia and having the name David, the name of Hopper's actor creates a connection since right now Hopper is in Russia. It may also be a nod to the group of kids who are all little gnomes running around the forest with their magical powers.

_____________________________

Gnome #10: Baskin

"Robin's favorite gnome."

Now this is a funny one.

This is a reference to the famous Baskin-Robbins which is a chain of ice cream restaurants that did special ice creams for Season 3 because of Scoops Ahoy. It is Robin's favorite gnome because they literally share the same name.

Baskin could also be a reference to the film of the same name where Five police officers, Remzi, Arda, Yavuz, Apo, and Seyfi, are dining at a restaurant, during which they have a discussion. Their meal is interrupted when they receive a distress call from Inceagac, a town known for being the focus of strange rumors. During the trip Seyfi has a terrifying vision of a bloody figure and accidentally drives their van into the water. Stranded, the officers eventually make their way to Inceagac, where they find themselves in an abandoned building (back in the Ottoman days, this used to be a police station), captured by cult members and are subjected to a number of increasingly bizarre and surreal scenarios. In the end, they realize they have all inadvertently wandered into Hell.

It has alot of similiraties with stories like Silent Hills or Hellraiser, two stories that inspired Stranger Things especially Hellraiser for Stranger Things 4. And it fully embraces the satanic imagery and themes which is something we are going to see with the satanic panic and also has the theme of time, dreams and visions.

We'll see how much season 4 decides to use those sort of elements in the show.

Well this gnome is easy to find. It's in the Scoops Ahoy parlor next to Robin. USS Butterscotch seems to be very popular there

_____________________________

Gnomes 11 - 20 coming soon.

[erectionsandtea]

Wow, this post is probably going to end up being a bad idea, because I am currently in the state of exhaustion that is telling me that this post is a good idea, lol

I'm p sure this will be pointless and unnecessary, though

The following post is an analysis, not of any ship or fandom specifically, but about me in relation to a certain ship in a certain fandom (Byler, ST). It's just a something to let my followers know a little bit more about me, and why I think the way I do, why I talk the way I do, in relation to the ship, and why I might try to avoid certain posts (theories, analyses, "proof" type things).

If you start to read this, please finish before interacting with me. I don't want anyone to take anything I write out of context.

Now, I don't know if this should be considered an anti-Byler post, because I'm not saying that I don't ship it...I guess it could be perceived that way, but it's not how I intend it to be. Bylers proceed with caution, as some of this may not be what you want to hear.

Also, I have been called out (for lack of better phrasing) for a possible trigger of calling a gay couple "just best friends" (Byler). The person who told me, said it was because they themselves had personally been in a situation exactly like that before. While I do not personally, fully know what that must be like (not having been in that situation myself, as I recall...), I CAN try to understand, and try to be more sensitive about that subject. So, I guess a trigger warning for...apparently internalized homophobia of calling a gay couple "just best friends" ???

I want to start by saying that I do not view Byler as canon (yet). That doesn't mean I don't think it can become canon, it doesn't mean that I don't ship it at all, because I do (to both of those).

Back when I initially didn't ship Byler at all, it was mostly because Mileven got in the way, lol, but the SECONDARY reason was that I saw a lot of myself and my friendships in them.

Yes, I was one of those people who thought that two same-sex people can be just friends (and I still am, but not specifically with Byler anymore).

I act the same way with my best friends, and I feel I would react the same way Mike did, if what happened to Will happened to one of my bffs. Basically, nothing about Byler specifically stood out to me as "gay". It just looked like a regular very-close friendship to me.

I was in drama and choir in high school. We changed in front of people, I had one friend who would grab my boobs on a daily basis, just because she could (it spawned from a running joke about how big my boobs are, in comparison to my tiny body). I've even seen some of my friends completely nude (and they have seen me). We've held hands. And while most, if not all of us, were somewhere on the rainbow spectrum (as I like to call it), all the things we did, we just did as friends and being friendly. Being queer wasn't exactly a big part of it.

Now, I'm not saying that all drama and choir kids will be the exact same as me. That's just how I ended up, and I think that's why I just see things differently (not saying I'm special by any means, everyone is different).

Anyway, Byler just didn't strike me as gay for each other. I AM of the opinion that Will is absolutely gay, lol, and I think Mike is definitely not straight (although I really don't see hard evidence for either, but I want it to be true). And I think there is absolutely potential for Byler, AND a likelihood for them to become canon.

I have read some Byler theories, and a lot of them make sense, and some pretty good points. Like how Mike keeps staring at Will's lips. On the one hand, I've done that to my friends, when I'm just staring off into space and happen to be looking at their lips, or their boobs, or whatever.

On the other hand, Mike was clearly not staring off into space, lol, he was focused.

But while the analyses and theories do make a lot of sense, that is just how I'm seeing them for now - theories, and analyses (which can neither be wrong nor right, usually). Until we get some hard, concrete proof, which, by my definition, is going to come either straight from the writer's/creator's mouths, or will show up in ST4, I do not consider anything I see from those theories as real proof or evidence.

I also know that it has been pointed out that the Duffers have put in certain details or, for ex., been very selective with certain music choices, or cinematography choices, etc. I totally see that. But you know, sometimes things in a book, movie, or show weren't meant to happen in the first place, and are just coincidences that we, the fans, take and just roll with (like the lip staring thing, for instance). I'm not necessarily saying that I believe everything the theories say are just coincidences (because I don't believe that at all, for some things), I'm just saying there are possibilities.

Another part of why I try to avoid analyses is honestly because I think they make so much sense, and the Mileven shipper in me wants Mileven to stay canon, but the analyses make so much sense that that shipper is afraid they might be right, lol. But that really doesn't have anything to do with this analysis.

I guess the point of this post is just to say that, I should be allowed to think that two same-sex people can be just friends, without being slandered and labeled as homophobic

(Because if you honestly think I am homophobic, I will link you to my Reddie fanfiction and all the other gay ships I ship which probably outnumber the straight ones, lol, I will refer you to my bisexual best friends and my bisexual father, I will even show you photos of myself marching in Pride parades. Plus, I will remind you that I am not at all straight myself.)

because not all same-sex relationships are gay, just like not all opposite-sex relationships are romantic.

THIS IS COMING FROM A BYLER SHIPPER. Just because I do not view them as canon right now doesn't mean that I don't think they will ever become canon. If they do become canon, the Byler shipper in me will be very happy! If they don't, that shipper in me will wish they had. Viewpoints can change. I guess it just takes more to persuade me. I like Byler, I just like Mileven a little bit more. That literally doesn't mean anything. It's nothing more than a preference.

So like, I guess I'm sorry that my life/my upbringing/my relationships and friendships have made me see things differently ?? I'm sorry that I didn't pick up on the same subtext as all of you ???

I'm probably coming off as a rude-ass bitch, but you were bound to find that out about me eventually.

P.S. I know that some of the homophobia comments are directed at shippers who are, very possibly, homophobic. But those comments do not apply to all of us, and we shouldn't be grouped up together just because we have ONE similar opinion (which isn't even based on the same reasoning).

I guess, if you can't accept and respect my opinion that, canonically, Byler is CURRENTLY just best friends (even though I do want them to be more), until we get proof from the source, we might not get along. I am willing to discuss the possibility, and even look at some theories occasionally, on why they might end up canon/together. But until then, it's only speculation to me, and I would appreciate it if I were not attacked for this (although I'm sure they will be).

I do not go around looking for people/posts just so I can tell them they are wrong, I respect everyone's opinion. I hope that the same can be done for me.

Thank you. <3

P.P.S. if this makes any of my Byler followers want to unfollow me, I understand (I will miss you, though)

[hawkinslibrary]

this is for the anon who sent me a message about the ‘mrs. kelley’ audition. i wanted to put your question under a ‘read more’ bc it’s a little spoiler-y. obviously there will be potential spoilers ahead, so please stop reading + blacklist/filter out the ‘s4′, ‘st4′, and ‘spoilers’ tags if you don’t want to see anything.

Anonymous said:

Hi! In the casting leak about Max with Mrs Kelley, how do you think they are going to take the issue about her home life? I couldn't catch well the situation (I'm not an English speaker), who is the parent that drinks, who is the one that works 2 jobs, is Neil gone? Is Sam (Max's biological father coming back? They mentioned Billy's death?

hi !! ok, so, in the audition, i believe that ‘mrs. kelley’ is talking to max, that susan is the one supposedly working two jobs and drinking, and that neil has left. billy’s death wasn’t mentioned explicitly in the video, but i kind of remember seeing the complete version earlier on where i think there was a mention of the death of a sibling. i could be remembering things wrong, though.

we still don’t know 100% if these characters will be part of the next season or if the audition videos have any truth to them at all. i’ve kind of just been using them for speculation since we don’t really have any confirmed info outside of what we can infer from the s3 finale and the hopper teaser.

now, some people believe this could be a scene between ‘mrs. kelley’ and another potential new character -- ‘chrissy’. ‘chrissy’ is the typical popular cheerleader type who is “holding onto a deep-rooted darkness as she suffers under her mother’s emotional abuse”. i suppose this ‘chrissy’ character meeting up with the guidance counselor makes sense, but i don’t think they’d introduce a counselor character without having them talk to someone from the main cast. after s3 and with where i think max’s character is going in s4, she’s the most likely to be having meetings with ‘mrs. kelley’.

the full audition video was deleted and this tweet includes only a snippet of it. i vaguely remember watching the whole video back around march and i’m thinking (possibly misremembering) that there was a mention of a sibling passing away. max’s final scenes in s3 show her having to watch billy die, saying goodbye to two of her friends, and then ending the season alone in billy’s room. we have no idea what could be happening with her family after this. but, neil leaving, susan and max moving to a new house, and susan having to work two jobs + turning to alcohol sounds like a realistic view of where they could be at the beginning of s4.

i know in the scene, ‘mrs. kelley’ says that the student’s dad is the one drinking and the stepmother is the one who left, but it’s totally possible that they’ve just switched the pronouns around. max is the only character we know that has a stepparent, especially a stepparent who happens to be “an asshole”. she definitely would think life was better without neil around, regardless of how much she and her mother might be struggling at the moment.

i think that in the beginning of s4, max will be distancing herself from the party. she’s gone through a lot -- seeing billy die like that, having to say goodbye to el after the two of them just became best friends, dealing with whatever went down with neil and susan. it’s no surprise that her grades might be slipping or that she’ll be on the counselors radar or that she might be retreating into herself.

i have no idea where they will take this plotline. there are so many people max could open up to about this but it seems like she might be keeping to herself instead. although, the student in the video didn’t seem to be having much of a problem opening up. that’s either a testament to how many times this student has met with the counselor, how comfortable they are, or how the scene probably isn’t exactly what we’ll see in the show. i hope we’ll get another ‘on the bus’ kind of scene, or just some great lucas and max scenes in general. i also want her and mike to become better friends. i think s4 max is similar to s2 mike and i could see him recognizing what she might be feeling and what she’s doing and trying not to let her push them away like he did. she could bond with will and jonathan, with what she’s gone through and what they must have gone through with lonnie. that would have to be something later in the season, though. i’m not saying any of this will happen but there’s just so many possibilities.

i don’t know if they’ll bring max’s dad back. if this is a scene between ‘mrs. kelley’ and max, then they just switched the pronouns for the adults and it’s just supposed to be neil and susan. it is interesting, though, bc he’s in california and there were rumors that jonathan would be working at a pizza place and then there was a pizza delivery vehicle with a ‘surfer boy pizza’ logo and california area code spotted with the other cars from the show. probably doesn’t mean anything, though.

anyway, i think mostly what we can take from this audition is that max is having a hard time. her home life isn’t the greatest at the moment, whether they have neil stick around or not. she’s got a lot of stuff to work through from the previous season. her grades are slipping, she’s probably pulling away from her friends. and if ‘mrs. kelley’ is a real character, then she’s very likely to end up talking with her at some point. i’m hoping that everything will work out for her by the end of the season -- her home situation will be better/more secure, her friendships will be stronger, and she won’t have so much weighing on her shoulders. 

[visionssofgideon]

Thoughts on Stranger Things 3/Hopes for ST4

I MEAN WOW, I feel like this season was the best yet and my favorite for sure! It honestly felt like it happened so fast- probably because it did in the day and half I bingewatched it. It was a perfect mix of humor, suspense, sci-fi/horror, character development, emotions, EMOTIONS, AND EMOTIONS. SO 

I REFUSE TO BELIEVE HOPPER IS DEAD. If El had her powers, she would be able to find out where he is, but they believe he is dead and she does not have them FOR A REASON. Also, his body was not found next to the key, but earlier they showed the burnt bodies for a reason. I BELIEVE he either went into the upside down as a portal and the Russians found him. I MEAN, the post-credits scene in the Russian prison where they say “Not the American”?!!? THAT’S HIM. They hinted at an opening to the upside down in Russia in the FIRST EPISODE of the season, when they showed the snow and ice outside. This is just a continuation of that and s4 will definitely delve into that. I have a theory that they will use Hop for their own use and maybe mind control/brainwash him. OR it is Dr. Brenner in the prison, and Hopper is in the upside down but the Russians find him.

Hopper “dying” was expected, but surprising to say the least. All along this season, with so much intense scenes and plotlines, I felt like Hopper would be the one to die. Turning him from a chaotic police chief/dad to a sacrificial hero was drastic, but I’m glad they made his role big this season.

EVERYBODY BEEN KNOWN that hopper and joyce like each other since s1, we just needed Murray to make them face each other like he did with Jonathan and Nancy in S2. TRULY an iconic and power couple (of  badasses!) So the fact that they didn’t go on their DATE to Enzo’s makes me feel all sorts of emotions. I mean, they were bickering like a couple the whole time they might as well have wed each other.

AND WHEN I WANTED EL AND WILL TO BE SIBLINGS HOPPER DYING AND JOYCE TAKING HER IN WAS NOT THE WAY I IMAGINED IT.

So let’s talk about Will FREAKING Byers. I believe he is gay, and many fans speculated it starting from mentions in S1. But the fact that Mike specifically said “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!”, I mean “girls” not “you don’t have a girlfriend” or anything, with Will looking DEVASTATED after, not to mention him WRECKING castle byers (NOAH SCHNAPP IS AMAZING) shows it affected him deeply. BUT Will’s story is FAR from over- just because they’re moving away does not mean they can’t talk about him more. I mean, they ROBBED Noah Schnapp of acting besides touching his neck and saying “He’s here” 5 times this season. Will has been through SO MUCH in S1 and S2, and the fact that giving him this much of a “break” is tragic, considering how in S4e3, these two scenes resonated with me and so many other fans so much!

 While we have one unrecognized gay, we have another celebrated gay- ROBIN. Wow, as a new character, she was introduced perfectly, and the friendship she formed with Steve was so amazing. And the fact that her coming out in the 80s was subtle but STEVE WAS LIKE “OH. YOU LIKE THE WRONG GIRL” WAS GREAT, I really like how they progressed that. But if there is no Robin talking to Will as an older gay in s4, I will RIOT.

Steve “Hair”ington was amazing, as usual. His character development was one of the highlights of S2, and continued this season. His friendship with Dustin and growing friendship with Robin and acceptance of her shows that he truly is a deserving character, even though his stupidity was obvious many times this season. SCOOPS AHOY!

Scoops Troop was DELIGHTFUL with little Erica Sinclair and her sassy self. Her attaching Murray from “team Bald Eagle” made me CHOKE and I love that she will be able to embrace her inner nerd. 

Here’s the thing about Mike and El- Mike’s character seemed, ~off~ this season. I truly think her obsessing over El and ignoring his friends was a little selfish, but I’m SO glad they admitted that they love each other. Mileven fans SCREAMED worldwide. 

But the fact that El uttered the words “I dump your ass” showed HOW ICONIC of a duo Max and Eleven are. El was able to go out and have fun for once, and figure herself out. And Max was so open to teaching El, because she is afterall like a toddler with primitive knowledge of the world. THAT WONDER WOMAN COMIC SCENE shows how important having a girl inspiration is!

Oh and Hopper’s letter? FUCK THAT I SOBBED. That is NOT okay. Hopper basically called El his daughter. Also side note she’s wearing his first daughter’s bracelet. That’s NOT okay. That is all I have on that.

El REALLY used her powers this season, so I don’t believe they’re gone. I thought the bite from the flayer would be a bigger deal since the 2nd to last ep was literally called “The Bite”, but I guess her powers was the main point. But her really going into Billy’s past which she had only done once before with her birth mother and allowing him to see the error of his ways from his memories was a mind trip. Honestly the scenes at the beach were STUNNING and it was really interesting. Billy went from being one of the most hated characters in s2 to being a martyr and saving El from the flayer in s3, and that’s crazy.

But I’m v conflicted about this Zac Efron lookalike- he was racist and abusive after all, and it is devastating to see that he ended up saving El’s life. I’m glad they showed Max’s fight against the flayer in him, because it shows that she really loved him.

Speaking of changed characters, I’m SO glad that they didn’t trash Karen Wheeler’s character, because instead of making her a cheating wife, they showed her caring for her family and having an inspirational talk w Nancy. Her character for once was proven to have a point.

Nancy’s struggles in the workplace were minimal, but I’m glad they brought them up. Although she is privileged like Jonathan said, it’s good to highlight her ambition against the odds, especially after her talk w her mother. 

ANYWAYS FUCK THE ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER LOOKALIKE AND RIP MY BUDDY ALEXEI SMIRNOFF. All my buddy wanted was a cherry slurpee and EVEN THEN accepted a strawberry and helped team bald eagle. He just wanted to be a true American and did so by winnin a carnival game. So sweet and kind :(((

So um, DUSTIN SINGING. Been waiting for Gaten to sing since he does irl, and it was a delightful little bit in a episode of chaos. ALTHOUGH if dusty buns hadn’t sang and got planck’s constant that i’ve ripped my hairs out of my head for in college chemistry for suzie poo, Hop and Billy might’ve still be alive. Just sayin...

LASTLY. Joyce needs to go into the police force. For the fact that Detective Byers sounds badass and would do Hop good.

Stranger Things 3 fucked me up emotionally, and I know that the wait for ST4 and the emo fuck up that follows that season will be worth it. 

[arielmary]

WARNING: ST3 SPOILERS AHEAD (also very long post)

Okay kids, I just finished Stranger Things 3 about an hour and a half ago. I think I’ve summed up my thoughts, so I’d like to give it a good honest review here. I’ll divide things into the good parts of this season, and the not so good parts. Then, I’ll give it a rating out of five for five different categories: Plot, Sets, Shots, Characters, and Costumes. Then I’ll give it an over all rating. I know I sound completely pretentious, but as someone who is going to major in film, these are things I like to take into consideration when reviewing any movie or show! With that being said, let’s get started!

The Good:

1. Costumes. So good. Amazing. I love the new aesthetic they’re bringing to the clothing. They’re managing to transition into that bright, neon part of the 80s with the teased hair and florescent lipsticks. And let me tell you: I’M HERE FOR IT. I especially love El being able to get new clothes that “feel like her.”

2. Billy’s death. I might get shit for this one. Okay, well I wouldn't say I’m necessarily happy about it. I just think it was a good idea on the writers’ part. I would hate to see them keep him alive and give him a redemption arc. Not that redemption arcs are bad, they can be amazing. However, I think it was important not to make him too much like Steve. I just wouldn’t want to see more repetition than there already is in this season.

3. I definitely think making Robin’s character a lesbian was a way for the show to get some attention. HOWEVER, I’m much more happy with it than mad. It’s representation, and I’m all for that. It’s especially cool that they don’t make her some underestimated side character who has little to do with the plot; Robin is incredibly smart and holds a lot of the brainpower for her little group. Additionally, I was glad they didn’t give us the Steve/Robin romance we all thought was coming. The whole time with them I was thinking “Okay, they’re not bad together, but they seem really forced.”

4. Shots are pretty good. Obviously not every shot was blowing me away, but there were some really cool ones. An example would be El and Billy with the mind flayer getting attacked with fireworks in the background. 

5. I actually liked the somewhat relationship established between Max and Billy. It was shown multiple times that Max did care for Billy quite a bit. I liked that they decided to delve deeper than a step siblings who hate each other attitude. They established more of a “I don't like you but you’re my sibling so I still care” relationship. I like that it’s more complex because that’s how emotions really are. I do wish they had done more with it, but I liked the sentiment, so I’ll give it a thumbs up.

The Bad:

1. Sets. Not the worst thing I’ve ever seen, but not what I would’ve expected at all. Don’t get me wrong, some things were very cool (like the mall). However, any scene in the underground Russian labs made me feel like I was watching a crappy spy movie. Specifically, as my friend pointed out, Spy Kids. This isn’t a bad thing as a stylistic choice, but it made me unable to take certain things seriously, like Steve and Robin thinking they’re going to die by the hands of evil Russians.

2. Product Placement. Oh my god, it was everywhere. More so than any other show I’ve seen. There were so many Coke cans, holy ----! I’m okay with product placement every once in a while. Many many many shows do it, and I don't mind it if it’s subtle. However, this was insane. The kids literally had a whole conversation about Coke at the WORST TIME. There were Burger King bags everywhere. And of course the Gap was the only way for Mike, El, and Max to get out of the mall. They totally didn’t say that just so one of them could utter the words “the Gap.”

3. They really let me down with some of the characters, specifically Will. Look, I love El, I really do, but she does everything. I’d love to see her out of the way for a bit so the other characters have a chance to prove their worth when it actually comes to fighting something (not just making plans to trap Billy in a sauna). Will’s character got the worst of it this season. It seems like his only purpose is to tell the others “he’s here.” Will needs more of a heroic journey. I would’ve loved to see something with him being able to connect with the mind flayer. That made a lot of sense to me, since he was once “possessed” by it. I even thought Will was going to do something heroic at one point, like talk to it. But alas, they didn't give him the recognition he deserves. 

4. I’m sorry, lovers of our troubled young man, but I do not feel bad for Billy. Yes, his backstory helps me understand his character more, but it doesn’t make me feel sorry for him. It seemed that the writers were trying to make the audience feel bad for Billy before his death. Understanding for a boy who was abused and repeated his father’s actions? Yes. Pity for an abuser and racist? Nope. 

5. The conflict seemed a bit repeated. I like the Russia part, but the mind flayer part is getting exhausting. It just feels like the same thing over and over, a big monster from the Upside Down. I think it would be cool if they did something with almost no physical form because it would make it so much more difficult to defeat. Well, fingers crossed for ST4.

Time for rankings:

Plot:4/5 - Kind of old because of the conflict, but I liked it over all.

Sets: 2.5/5 - Most of the Russian lab setting felt out of place to me.

Shots: 4.5/5 - Didn’t completely blow me away, but no shots stood out to me as being unimportant to the plot.

Characters: 2/5 - Please stop using El as the way out of every situation. I need more from other characters. 

Costumes: 5/5 - All the costumes left me astonished. They looked really great and captured that classic look that we all think of when we hear “80s.”

Over all: The average ranking is . . . 3.6/5! That basically sums up the season: not too terrible, but not exactly what I would’ve expected it to be.