#fun fact Nancy was my favorite first

[jonathanbyersphd]

No you don't understand, Nancy Wheeler was a baby. She wanted to get a good grade on her chemistry test. And last week she was shopping at the mall with her best friend and now she's buying a bear trap with Jonathan Byers. She let herself be kidnapped by the lab, traveled miles to find a conspiracy theorist just to attend her best friend's funeral. She kissed the boy she had a crush on for a year only to stab his little brother with a hot poker the next night. She got pinned down by a monster and then aimed a gun at it. She hide behind a car from that monster and then almost got hit by a car trying to protect her little brother's friends. She's wearing her Emerson shirt to school and then investigating another teenage girls murder on the first day of break. SHE ASKED ROBIN IF THAT MEANT THEY WERE FRIENDS. She had a vision of everyone she loves dying and then sawed off a shotgun. She's holding her boyfriend's hand as the apocalypse rolls into her town.

[hawkinsbnbg]

Today, Mike had woken up on the wrong side of his bed so he was especially vicious as he ranted about anything he found irritating about Steve.

He hadn't even reached the midpoint when Dustin decided to rip him a new one. Which, yeah, was fair because he didn't usually do Steve that dirty. But his bad mood had taken over and he found himself arguing with Dustin.

"It's not like you don't gripe about him every day," Mike retorted heatedly. "In fact, you are the one making fun of him the most out of everybody here," he gestured widely at the others (Lucas cringed, Will looked guilty, Max and Erica high-fived each other, El nodded calmly, Eddie just gave him a little wave).

"That's because I'm his brother," Dustin said matter-of-factly while adopting Steve's signature mom pose. "But who are you? You're just his ex's brother. Without Nancy, you're just a random kid to him."

(Eddie, Max, and Erica looked at each other with the same smirk. "Oh, that burns."

Lucas just sighed helplessly as Will and El watched on in amusement.)

Mike's nostril flared indignantly. He would never ever admit this, but while he thought Steve was lame and an idiot sometimes, he respected Steve plenty. Not enough to admire, but enough to fight Dustin for him.

"So what? I know him longer than you," Mike fired back. "I have more M&M's and 3 Musketeers from him than you do, I played baseball with him every weekend, and I also watched Star Wars with him."

"You do understand what ex means, right?" Dustin narrowed his eyes at him. "Nancy's his ex-girlfriend, ergo you're his ex-something, ergo you need to stop living in the past. You know why? Because I," Dustin pointed at himself smugly, "am his favorite now. I'm the present and the future. His shotgun, his house, his pool, his snack cupboard will forever be mine, thank you very much."

And just like that, all hell broke loose.

Because not even Will was willing to accept that bullshit. Steve never had a favorite, okay? As their babysitter, he wasn't allowed to.

"What the fuck are you fighting for?" Mike glared at Erica who was (impressively) making Dustin wail like Mew on the floor.

"Steve still owes me a lifetime of free ice cream, duh," she looked at him like he was an idiot. "Stop talking shit and come help me."

A wise man once said: "Enemy's enemies are friends."

So it only took Mike a second to give her a hand.

———

"Why didn't you stop them?" Steve asked in exasperation, thinking about the fistfight that would've taken place in the Wheelers' basement had he not interfered on time.

"'Cause the more they eliminate among themselves," Eddie leaned in closer and whispered conspiratorially, "the less I gotta fight to keep you."

"But I'm their babysitter," Steve pushed him away with a finger on the forehead. "And you're supposed to make it easier for me, not harder."

"Sweetheart," Eddie grabbed his wrist and nuzzled his nose into it, "Just say the word and I'll make something harder for you right now."

"You're incorrigible," Steve rolled his eyes, but his pretty smile had betrayed his mood.

"Yeah, all because of you, baby," Eddie pressed his lips on the back of Steve's hand. "O prithee, my princess, give me the remedy."

"What if I don't have any?" Steve raised his brow.

"You do, darlin'," Eddie pulled him close and cradled his face. "My tonic is right here," a kiss on his forehead. "My joys," on his eyelids. "My happiness," on his his nose and then his mouth, "my love."

Later, when they cuddled in bed, sweet and tender after loving each other til midnight, he would tell Eddie there was no need to ask for him in the first place.

Because he had been Eddie's boy since the day the battle vest was draped on him.

It seemed Steve did have a favorite, after all.

Except, it was none of his kids.

Truly a tragedy.

[personinthepalace]

a collection of highlights and viewing notes from 'Ipswitch It Up' because I don't have the time to liveblog while watching but I do have thoughts

not Nancy Emmy gleefully declaring that Ipswitch It Up would be a musical and knowing full well that the cast were not musical-officianados

the biggest hightlight was watching Shields go down in flames LMAO

jokes, the real highlight was 'Physically' and Sue Harrison's sweet rap skills!!!!!

I mean, those run-on rhymes?? we love to see it!!!!!!!

also, Sue just straight up naming all the lads as women was such a power move lol

(yo listen Sue carried Ipswitch It Up and that's the hill I'll die on lmao)

oh and Niall having the funniest rhyming night lolol

the iconic: "the time is now, you're here by a bridge / here in the town of Ip-puh-suh-witch" - Niall

plus: "look at each other, feel the feels / here we are just two young pe(o)-peels" - Niall

probs why Dave decided he'd roast the hell out of Niall in this one LOL (it's ok tho because Dave's other character becomes the sidekick of Niall's character Simon so he's not lonely!!! :') lowkey v wholesome tbh lol)

"I'm sorry Simon, it's not a banger, it's just another clanger- you've really dropped the ball" - Dave, while giggling

with all due respect Josh Elliot wtf is your voice because it is so fckn good?!

the man knows how to create a damn good overlapping melody!!!!!! wtf!!!!!! I was so impressed!!!!!!!

Dave absolutely leading the charge as the Dance Captain of Mischief lolol

Mike and Harry just trying their best to stay out of it LMAO

except for the one song Harry features in, where he just tells another character to shut up XD

oh and that brief dance break that Harry started in 'Physically' which ended up being a showcase for Shields' random party trick of being able to do the worm?????? who even is this willowy man????????

speaking of Shields, we do have to acknowledge the absolute clanger of a night that man had PFFF LOL

so much regret visible on his face lmaooooo (thank you and mad props to the camera team for showing it XD)

I mean, there isn't much more to say except reference the 'smoke a pipe' rhyme - if you know you know (and you probably know XD)

and of course: "Are they upset? Are they upset?! You know what I'm upset about?!? I'VE RUN OUT OF COCAINE!!!!" - Shields

but fr, despite the chaos of this one, it actually has one of the sadder endings of a Mischief Movie Night In, so we absolutely gotta applaud Sue and Josh for carrying the emotion in this one

(and also again, just give mad props to Sue for riding the wave of chaos that comes with trying to wrangle all those lads LOL /affectionate)

[ebongawk]

fun facts about every star in the sky that I didn't have time to include:

now that I've completed my st4 fix-it fic, every star in the sky (is taking aim) and it's been out for a while, I thought I'd go through a variety of small details I came up with through writing their journey that I either didn't have the time or the place to include in the original story.

(technically some spoilers below the line!!!)

from Eddie waking up on the 28th of February to Chrissy rushing her way into the Upside Down, the story takes place in its entirety over ten days. Eddie's hospital trip technically happens after midnight, dawning the eleventh day without the oppressive red thunderstorm hanging over their heads.

Prior to the accident, Fred's Vecna song would've been St. Elmo's Fire by John Parr. After the accident, he hadn't found another song that spoke to him in quite the same way, leaving him without the protection of a favorite song. Whether that would've mattered or made a difference is up for debate.

The uncle that taught Patrick archery was his dad's brother. He killed himself in 1982, which is when Pat's dad started getting significantly more violent.

Chrissy and Eddie's mom, Alice, share a birthday. February 26th.

In chapter 4, when Eddie gives Chrissy his phone number, he writes in on the back of a tampon receipt. I just thought it was funny.

On their first anniversary, which they decided is March 1st, Chrissy gifts Eddie with a stuffed elephant he dubs Sir Ears-A-Lot the Third. Sir Ears-A-Lot the First is in his mom's casket and the Second is the keychain that disappeared. It ends up becoming a staple, holding a place of honor in every home they live in after.

The first thing Eddie does once he has his cast off his book an appointment at a tattoo parlor. He gets the bats on his arm covered, replacing them instead with a large bouquet of black and pink dahlia flowers. Chrissy's favorite.

While Steve, Robin, and Argyle showed an interest in Kali (I mean who wouldn't), she actually only had eyes for one member of the Party.

Kali also takes off immediately after closing the gates with El, knowing she can't stay without risking getting caught, but she circles back a few months later. Part of the crowd when Eddie, Chrissy, Patrick, Nancy and Robin all graduate.

With Joyce going to find Hopper three-and-a-half weeks earlier than in the canon storyline, he wasn't on the verge of being sent off as Demogorgon fodder, so it was easier to break him out.

Patrick and Jason's friendship doesn't survive Battle of the Upside Down. Jason is far more upset about this than Patrick.

Andy entirely loses his ability to speak above a hoarse whisper as a result of his injuries, as well as some mobility. He is forced to retire from sports and, bitter and angry, refuses to go to college.

Coincidentally, Chrissy was accepted into the University of Massachusetts, Boston with a partial cheer scholarship, putting her only 15 minutes from Nancy at Emerson. They both scream when they realize, nearly blowing out Jonathan and Eddie's ear drums.

At some point while cleaning out a closet, Chrissy finds a box of framed photos tucked away. Each one of Alice, Wayne and Eddie all together in some capacity. She and Eddie pick one to put out on the coffee table, and Wayne cries (extremely manly, one-to-three tears) when he sees it. He admits that it was too hard to look at them before, and putting them away was his selfish need to keep her memory at arm's length. Eddie forgives him, of course. The next day, all of the other photos are out, too.

[chirpsythismorning]

Fun fact: the shot of Mike stepping off the cliff in s1 was likely a visual parallel to Sarah jumping off the stairs in this shot from Labyrinth (1986).

For those that haven't read this theory, please do because I didn’t make these observations myself and the original post goes a lot deeper into the details from Labyrinth, which in some ways align a little too conveniently with the narrative we’re seeing unravel on the show with Mike over the seasons.

For some basic context, in s4, we even get a reference to M.C. Escher’s Relativity hanging on the wall in Mike’s room, which is also on the wall of Sarah’s bedroom, along with that work being what inspired the scene in Labyrinth. 

This next part has actually been talked about before quite a bit in the fandom, even outside of tumblr, so it’s not exactly some breakthrough as a concept on its own.

Every season, in the first scene (re)introducing the main characters, Mike is running late in some capacity. In 1x01 it’s around 3 minutes, in 2x01 it’s around 6 minutes, in 3x01 it’s around 8 minutes, and in 4x01 it’s around 13 minutes. 

So technically not the literal season opener, as that’s usually reserved to a flashback at some different location, but obviously still within those first 15 minutes, following directly after the opener…

And since we already have an idea of what the opening of s5 is going to be, what do we think the scene directly after it is going to be? You know, in the scene that Mike has been consistently running late in, for four seasons now?

Speaking of 15 minutes, I think that if they were to keep this trend going for the final season (the full circle-ness of it all is honestly too epic to pass up), it’s likely that this final time it will happen around the 15 minute mark of 5x01, as that would make the build up for it each season pretty consistent.

And not only that, but it would also literally be a callback to what Karen says to Mike that first time he’s late in s1: 

And here’s my other favorite line from one of these scenes, in the context of this theory, because it literally acknowledges this concept directly and with this air of foreshadowing I cannot stress enough:

Interestingly, another detail that ties all these ‘Mike being late’ scenes together, is stairs.

In s1 he’s running up the stairs to convince his mom to let them keep playing.

In s2 he’s rushing down the stairs trying to avoid Nancy’s wrath.

In s3 he’s awkwardly bumping into strangers going down the escalator in Starcourt Mall.

And in s4 he’s hurrying down the stairs on his way to school.

The whole point of Labyrinth is that it’s an allegory for growing up, with Sarah going from dressing up as a princess to reenact one of her favorite fairytales after being chastised by her step-mom for not going on more dates like girls her age, to Sarah rejecting her childhood and it leading to an unfortunate series of events, forcing her to face reality and take responsibility of her own life.

Does this sound like anyone we know?

Mike, who starts the show in s1 playing DND animatedly with his friends before being interrupted by his mom to end the campaign despite protests, to his mom in s2 punishing his bad behavior by having him get rid of some of his favorite toys, to him in s3 insisting that they’re 'not kids anymore' and that it was inevitable for them to stop playing games and grow up and get girlfriends, to him now in s4 reverting back to this earlier version of himself, sporting the Hellfire shirt proudly, to then reverting back to pretending when showing up at the airport with Argyle calling his outfit a shitty knock off (aka calling Mike a shitty knock-off), and without the story ever acknowledging why those shifts happened in the first place, and with one season left?

Hint? Forced conformity. That’s what’s killing the kids. That’s the real monster.

They literally told us already that out of all the monster we've seen in the show, this is what is worse than all of that. Meaning that what is about to go down, most likely topping everything we've seen up to this point, is likely going to involve forced conformity.

I also think it’s interesting that the scene in Labyrinth happened during the climax of the film, because arguably if you were to watch Stranger Things in its entirety, from s1-5, the beginning of s5 is going to feel very much like the climax to the overall story. 

Things are going to be happening fast. The stakes are insane because they need to top everything that they’ve done up to this point. Something’s gotta give. And Mike is just not looking safe out here guys.

I could go on and on about all the hints that Mike is danger, but I’ll just share my favorites. 

How am I gonna survive a whole week without you guys? Mike says, at the tail end of his opening scene in s4, and with s5 set to start at the end of said week.

Mike sitting in front of an antique funeral home fan in the s4 promotional pictures of the party in the Creel attic.

Nancy saying she saw Mike die in the vision Vecna showed her, with the early stages of said vision coming true as season 4 nears its end.

Mike getting hit in the head with an arrow front and center by Suzie’s brother, in a sequence that was loaded with foreshadowing for the end of s4 (and beginning of s5?).

Watch out dominos. Your dominos are gonna fall. Argyle says, with Mike equally in the frame behind him.

Without heart, we’d all fall apart. Will says, after telling Mike he’s the heart.

A Karen lookalike standing in front of the missing person's board at the end of s4.

Mike’s very first line in the show (also the literal first line in the show) being A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you into the darkness. It is almost here…

So maybe, theoretically speaking, what we could get by that 15 minute mark going into s5, is Mike running late one last time, and it potentially being a callback to that cliff scene ie. Labyrinth.

Another scene that I think might've been foreshadowing what is currently going down, is Max and Mike both getting knocked out by Billy at the end of s3. Max goes down first and Mike follows right after, though Max is the first to come to and help them both up.

We know Max is unlikely to be separated from the rest of the characters the whole season, that’s just not feasible. She'll at least be on-screen despite maybe not being back with the others right away, even if it’s just a cryptic cliffhanger at the end of 5x01, followed by her returning more consistently on screen after that leading up to her rescue. With the way things ended in s4 though, we need to know where she’s at and get to finding her. Which is why I think at most it will be a 1-2 episode arc.

So maybe, this moment from s3 was a hint about Max and Mike’s impending doom at the hands of Vecna, as a result of not only their emotional states, but also their bonds with El, and them then being isolated for a short time (presumed dead), only to find their way back?

It’s also worth noting Mike was the only person to witness any of Max’s symptoms from the curse prior to her finding out about it, with the camera focusing on him beside her and looking at her worriedly as her nose bled. We don’t know who Vecna’s fourth victim was going to be, because Max threw herself in as bait, but could it have originally been Mike?

I know a lot of people don't like the Mike getting Vecna'd theories or Mike is depressed takes and so if you find yourself in that position, feel free to subtweet away or whatever you need to cope with my nonsense.

I'm not a big Mike is suicidal truther or anything even, nor do I think it makes sense for him to get Vecna'd in the traditional sense like how it happened with the others in s4 because the gates are open. But Vecna still hasn’t carried out his entire plan, a plan that includes Mike dying. And the imagery surrounding it all leading up to this is compelling regardless.

If one shot at the end of s3, with Max sitting in Billy's room while Hopper was in the background saying and yeah sometimes it's painful and sometimes it's sad was enough to hint at her whole depression arc in s4, then Mike being focused on for multiple shots while Hopper was in the background saying But, lately, I guess I've been feeling... distant from you. Like you're pulling away from me or something.-- And I guess, if I'm being really honest, that's what scares me. I don't want things to change, with Mike looking longingly at the Byers house, cutting to Will looking out the car window crying, then cutting back to Mike walking into his mom's arms with a dead stare on his face, has gotta be enough to justify dude going through some shit, which coincidentally matches up with everything talked about here.

Turns out getting to Mike, now that was the key…

Maybe the first episode of s5 is about Mike ending up wherever Max is, somewhere caught in between, and them ‘crawling’ back ie. The Crawl.

Definitely might add some context to that funkopop shot-listing video Ross posted, followed by one other photo a few days later with the caption being that they finished shot-listing for 5x01-5x02. Meaning the initial video posted was likely from 5x01...

[wc-confessions]

Hello, it’s xenofic recs anon again! Please check this link for the previous list; there’s a lot of books here: https://www.tumblr.com/wc-confessions/753648281346801664/heres-a-rapid-fire-list-of-non-warriors?source=share.

I made an error with The Secret of NIMH, it’s a trilogy, not a single book! I learned that Silverwing has a TV show, too. I’m also changing my method to save time. If a novel interests you, I suggest searching it up.

In exchange, I’ll clarify my goal in sending these recommendations. I do it because I want xenofiction to grow. I want people to realize there are plenty of series out there. If you end up liking a series more than Warriors, good for you! If you end up disliking a series more than Warriors, good for you! I want to invite constructive discussions surrounding xenofiction as a whole. You aren’t better for not reading Warriors just like how you aren’t better for reading only Warriors. These asks come from a love of xenofiction and wanting to spread the word. I am in no way attempting to show malice towards Warriors or uncritical favoritism towards the series I list. 

The Guardian Herd series by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez.

The Gryphon Insurrection series by K. Vale Nagle.

The Council of Cats by R. J. F.

Swordbird series by Nancy Yi Fan.

Strong Hearts are Mandatory series by Teelia Pelletier. Hey, did you know the song Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles? Throw some cats in there!

Hunter’s Moon: A Story of Foxes by Garry Kilworth.

Darkeye series by Lydia West.

Prehistoria: The Raptor’s Tail by Jack Blackburn. One book but seemingly a future series.

Raven Quest by Sharon Stewart.

The Tales from Veynekan series by Fiona Jade Thornburg.

The Dogs of the Spires series by Ethan Summers.

Skytalons series, The Wolves of Elementia series, and Griffin Quest series by Sophie Torro. Fun fact: the author used to be Warriors Unlimited, and she published her first book, Cornelius’ Curse, at 16!

The Wildings series by Nilanjana Roy.

War Bunny Chronicles series by Christopher St. John. 

Hunters Universe series, more commonly known as Hunters Unlucky, by Abigail Hilton.

This is all I have for now. To cap this off, I want to give a shout-out to @/drive-pdfs-and-stuff. They have resources for those who are unable to pay for novels. I’ll appear again when I have more to show!

‎

[sogoodtoheritsvicious]

it’s tiiiiimeee

i haven’t watched this show in full in five years 😵‍💫but it’s october and i was gonna watch thee byeler episode aka 2x02 on halloween anyway so i thought i might as well rewatch the entire show and make it everyone’s problem

forgot about the jumpscare being right at the beginning

baby will <3

they were all BABIES and now they’re all grown and the damn final season still hasn’t premiered lmao

dustin was so adorable

“it was a seven.” “huh?” “the roll, it was a seven. the demogorgon, it got me.” the way will was incapable of lying to mike, GOD, i feel sick

fun fact: will’s adorable little “see you tomorrow!” is immediately what made him my favorite

“kiss your mom ‘night for me!” lmfao

forgot how damn good the jumpscares are

gonna need mike to see will with a gun at least once before this show is over

“damn,you look like hell, chief!” “oh, yeah? well, i looked better than your wife when i left her this morning.” HELP

“lonnie used to call him queer.” “is he?” FUCKING HELL, HOPPER 😭 i completely forgot about that scene lmfao

EL, MY BABY

benny was such a good man :( he didn’t deserve to die

that poor dog was so hated irl 😭

“you think we got a problem here?” my brother in christ, a boy is missing

“i’m the only one that cares about will!” mike loves will so much, i’m gonna cry

i completely forgot about hop’s daughter

mike sneaking out while steve’s sneaking in 😭 this show is also a comedy

winona ryder the actress that you are

chapter 2

maybe i’m going to find out in this ep i can’t remember if they ever investigate benny’s death or link it to everything else that was going on

“stop it, you’re freaking her out!” “she’s freaking ME out!” lucas was the only real one in the beginning

poor baby. el didn’t even know what privacy was before this moment.

“oh, you can speak!” she gets that a lot 😭

mike and el had so much potential as friends, FUCK the duffers for ruining them by making it romantic. now they don’t even seem like they like each other

i hope s5 focuses on more on will and lucas’ friendship

jonathan was such a good brother

brenner. always at the scene of the fucking crime.

mike naming his dino ‘rory’ because he roars 🥹

FUCK BRENNER ALL MY HOMIES HATE BRENNER

karen was such a good mom in the beginning

i hate lonnie with a passion, he’s an abusive piece of shit who should’ve been killed off

i don’t blame lucas at all for the way he was acting with el at first

“one kid goes missing, the other one runs wild? some real fine parenting right there.”

they kept pointing out so many similarities between will and el, i can’t believe they didn’t go anywhere with it

“can’t ask a corpse a question.” die. just die.

nancy: *losing her virginity*

barb: *losing her life*

chapter 3

“no one breaks in here.” yeah, they just break out

love jonathan but steve wasn’t exactly wrong about the pictures

joyce byers the mother that you are

mike wanted nothing to do with el once they found will’s “body” but we’re supposed to believe that he loved her the second he saw her in the woods.

chapter 4

i can’t believe they showed that mike has all of the drawings will has created and expected us to be normal about it

“screw his funeral!” “what?!” TEARS

jonathan loves joyce and will so much 🥺

steve was such an unbearable asshole

can we PLEASE talk about charlie being able to hold his own with winona in that scene about will’s body? we already know winona’s gonna blow it out of the water but he did just as well

completely forgot about mike doing el’s makeup this episode dkfkgjd

“where are you from, exactly?” “bad place.” 😭

that troy scene still sends

“the kid is dead. end of story.”

they put too much pressure on el. i hope when all this shit is over she’s able to just be a normal kid.

this show used to be so fucking good

i love how hop tries lying to the state trooper and when that doesn’t work he just knocks him the fuck out 😭

I FUCKING HATE LONNIE

i’m so glad they had jonathan realize that joyce was telling the truth about everything that was going on instead of just dragging it all out.

chapter 5

hate lonnie for taking advantage of joyce when she’s clearly in a vulnerable position

“wait until we tell will that jennifer hayes was crying at his funeral” lmao

all this season is showing me is how severely they’ve robbed us of joyce and will scenes in future episodes

“man, these aren’t real nilla wafers.” mr. clark must think they’re horrible friends, i’m crying. dustin is right, though, fake nilla wafers suck.

“it might even swallow us whole.” and that’s exactly what’s happening by the end of s4

“he’s wanted to go to nyu since he was six. years. old!” she should’ve killed lonnie right then & there

can’t prove it but jonathan fell in love with nancy the second she shot that can on her first try

jonathan clocked nancy’s ass BAD in the woods

forgot just how much lucas hated el this season

byeler and jancy have paralleled each other too many times for it to just mean nothing in the end.

chapter 6

the jumpscares in this show are top tier

what i love about this show is how it still has me holding my breath even though i already know what’s going to happen

“i don’t wanna be alone. do you?” “no.” i was gonna say he wouldn’t be alone cause joyce is there but i remembered he doesn’t wanna tell her til it’s all over

early jancy were so awkward, i love them <3

“i could have been killed!” “which is exactly why we need her. she’s a weapon!” but mike loves her at this point, right?

lucas loves will so much, it’s a shame we haven’t seen much more of their friendship

“you’re my best friend, too.” “okay :D” dustin looked so happy 😭

“what’s the weirdest part? me or the bear trap?” “you, definitely you.” pls

jonathan beating the shit out of steve was so satisfying

“only love makes you that crazy, sweetheart.” i’m not even gonna say anything. you all know.

we don’t give mike enough appreciation for being such a selfless person. he did everything he could to find will, he almost killed himself to protect dustin, he let el live in his basement without even knowing her, etc.

“she’s our friend and she’s crazy!” i love dustin with my whole heart

BABIES 🫶🏼

chapter 7

“if anyone asks where i am, i’ve left the country.” this season is really reminding me why mike was my favorite in the beginning

i wanna hug el so bad

“our son with a girl?” ted, to mike:

“a psychotic child broke his arm!” “a little girl, chief. a little one.” “that tone! do you hear that tone?” “honestly, i’m just trying to state a fact. it was a little girl.” this entire exchange is sending me so bad

“you couldn’t take jonathan byers.” get his ass!

it was such a great choice to have joyce be the first one to ever give el comfort because she’s such a soft, comforting person and i can’t think of anyone better

chapter 8

made it to the finale! gonna be honest, i didn’t think i’d get here in only two days but this show sucked me in the exact way it did the first time

“go to hell.” joyce is everything

waiting til this episode to give flashbacks on hop’s daughter was an excellent choice

steve just wanted to apologize to jonathan and now he’s an exasperated mother of seven. life comes at ya quick!!

choosing not to acknowledge that scene beyond this for the sake of my mental health

el is a badass but she shouldn’t have to be

brenner should’ve never made it to season 4

these kids acted their ASSES off in this show

GOD THIS JOYCE, HOPPER AND WILL SCENE

you’d think everything that went down would make nancy and karen care more about mike and pay attention to him but it doesn’t. mike deserves so much better.

will is in a hospital bed worrying about jonathan’s hand. I LOVE THIS KID.

byeler hug <3

they all really wanted to tell will about jennifer hayes crying 😭

“her name’s eleven.” “like the number?” he sounded baffled lmaooo

getting will back must’ve been so bittersweet for nancy

hop keeps throwing away lit cigarettes and all i keep thinking is that he’s gonna start a wildfire eventually

mike’s soft ‘see you, will’ 🥹

the camera!!

“your wife doesn’t have time to cook for me.” pls

the byers family 🫶🏼

my love for this show has officially been revived. rewatching this reminded me why i loved this show so much in the first place. the acting is amazing, especially from the kids, the writing was great, and the fucking jumpscares were incredible. i’m so excited to start season 2!!

[a-m-w-worlds]

The Hidden Meaning of Names in Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek

Okay, so I like names. I like researching them, discovering their meanings and histories, and finding the perfect one for my characters, locations, etc. This means it makes my nerdy little heart happy anytime I discover that someone else put as much thought into their character names as I usually do, and let me tell you, Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek, is a goldmine!

The first name on this list I've known about for a long time, Guadalupe Comillo. Through other sources (mostly Heroes of Olympus if I'm being honest) I knew Lupa was the name of the She-Wolf in Roman mythology who cared for Romulus and Remus, so I already assumed Guadalupe's nickname, Lupe, was a reference to this. But I later learned the actual meaning of the name Guadalupe is "valley of wolves". This was a really fun discovery, but I kind of assumed she was the only character to have a name like this, until…

Lou Talbot.

I happened to fall down a rabbit hole one night regarding the classic Universal Monsters (falling down weird rabbit holes is a favorite pass time of mine!) and I discovered that the titular Wolf Man from the 1941 film happens to be named Larry Talbot. Since Lou was the only other Talbot I knew I made the connection instantly and had a good laugh over it, until it occurred to me that if Lou and Guadalupe both have wolf-themed names, other characters might as well!

The Hunt was on!

After making the Talbot connection I started checking other films and turned up two more connections. Bill Kessler shares his surname with David Kessler, the werewolf in the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London and Julius McQuade shares his name with the protagonist of the 1983 film Lone Wolf McQuade.

A basic search for the name Randall, Ollie and Freddie's surname, reveals that (at least according to this Wikipedia article) it's an anglicized form of a Scandinavian name meaning "shield wolf". (Ironic considering how badly Ollie wanted the wolf dead!)

And a search for Yanni Volkstaia's surname turned up this Reddit post by lemonapplecherry that fit into my hunt beautifully. In this post they explain that Volk is the Russian word for wolf, (easily verified by Google Translate) and Staya is a Russian word denoting a group of animals or a pack if you will!

And according to this article (and several others I forgot to save the links for, oopsy) Sheriff Mahihkan's surname is the Cree word for Wolf!

So, the simple version:

Guadalupe Comillo's first name means "valley of wolves" and (bonus fun fact) her surname means "acolyte". Pretty fitting since she one of the only characters who cares about the wolf's safety!

Lou Talbot shares his surname with Larry Talbot, the werewolf from Universal's The Wolf Man.

Bill Kessler shares his surname with David Kessler, the werewolf from An American Werewolf in London.

Julius McQuade shares his surname with the protagonist of the film Lone Wolf McQuade.

Ollie and Freddie Randall's surname means "shield wolf".

Yanni Volkstaia's surname is a fusion of the Russian words for wolf and pack.

Sherriff Mahihkan's surname is the Cree word for wolf.

These are all of the characters from The White Wolf of Icicle Creek I've been able to draw concrete connections between their names and wolves for, but I'm not convinced they're the only ones! There are still three characters I really expected to find connections for: Chantal Moique, Elsa Sibbelhoth, and Daniel "Trapper Dan" Weisnitz. Based purely on how atypical their surnames are, I was CONVINCED they must also have wolf connections, but I've been completely unable to find any. I've run every wolf-related word I could think of through every language on Google Translate and found nothing. I've searched for literary names connected to wolves with no luck. I've run their names through search engines to no avail. (Google reeeeaaaaalllllllyyyyy thinks I mean Monique when I search for Moique!) And I've done some (admittedly shallow) glancing into different types of wolves and people who have researched wolves, and still haven't found anything.

So, any and all members of the Clue Crew hanging out on Tumblr, I want to know, do you know any wolf connections that I missed? If you let me know of any I'd love to add your findings and credits to this list!/gen

Thanks for reading and happy sleuthing!

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

911 Lone Star Countdown Tag Game--Found Family Week

(1) What is your favorite 911 Lone Star Found Family moment?

It's incredibly difficult to choose just one...so I'll choose a few!

4x09 has a couple great ones, like the look on Marjan's face when she realizes that her 126 family has come to find her and the moment when the doctor asks who is there for Marjan and everyone in the waiting room raises their hands🥺

I also adore the moment at the end of 1x10 when TK tells the other firefighters about his addiction and the fact that he's realized that this what he wants to do and these are the people he wants to do it with. It's so beautiful the way he's met with nothing but love, support, and a group hug 🥺

Another favorite is in 2x08 with TNT. The way Tommy does everything she can to protect TK and Nancy and the way they work together to keep themselves safe and get out of that hostage situation always makes me emotional. I liked Tommy from her first appearance, but this is what made me really love her.

(2) Which platonic pairing/friendship dynamic are you most looking forward to seeing again in season 5?

So many to choose from again! Probably the one I'm most looking forward to is Owen and Carlos, especially after the events of the end of season 4 and the fact that they're officially family now. I really hope we'll get at least one good father/son-in law moment in the limited screen time of a 12 episode season.

One of my favorite dynamics on the show is TNT, so that's another one I'm really looking forward to. From BTS it looks like we're getting a lot of TNT and I can't wait to see how that plays out! Ronen has said it's the "most iconic TNT season," so I'm very excited to see what the hell that means! There should also be some interesting dynamic shifts as well with Captain Nancy for at least part of the time.

I'm also particularly excited to see Paul and Marjan and how things play out with them as they compete for Judd's position. They're both passionate and competitive but they love each other a lot, so I can't wait to see how the whole thing gets resolved.

(3) If you could pick one Lone Star character to be friends with, who would you choose?

I would have to choose TK. He's so sweet and would clearly be a kind and compassionate friend. He's the sort of person who would just be fun to be around. Also, he has a really hot husband who he would talk about nonstop, which would be adorable.

(4) Which would you rather attend: Catan night at the loft or game night at the Ryder house?

If I'm choosing based on which group I'd rather actively join in with, it would probably be the Ryder house. I think game night at the Ryder house is a little more casual. I've never played Catan in my life and I'm not really a game player to begin with. I think it would be a bit intimidating to try to jump in and play with those competitive Catan devotees. They take it way too seriously for me 😂 However, if I'm choosing which one I'd rather be a silent observer of, it would be Catan night without a doubt! I think that would be far more entertaining to watch.

(5) A character of your choice ends up in jail. Who would they call to bail them out (assuming their romantic partner, parent, and/or child didn't pick up)?

If Carlos got arrested, I think he'd call Paul. Paul is very reliable and can be trusted to be fairly discreet. Also, Carlos hasn't arrested him before, which I think would go into his consideration of who to call 🤭

Open tag and also tagging

@lemonlyman-dotcom @ladytessa74 @she-walked-away @reasonandfaithinharmony @paperstorm

@carlos-in-glasses @strandnreyes @guardian-angle22 @carlos-tk @welcometololaland

@reeeallygood @bubblesandroses8 @tarlosislife @pimento-playing-hopscotch @eclectic-sassycoweyes

@heartstringsduet @toomanycupsoftea @littlemissmarianna @fifthrideroftheapocalypse @tellmegoodbye

[snowangeldotmp3]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers! Spread the self-love ❤️

DOT!!! sending u 1 million kisses MWAH MWAH !!!! this is so neat and i love revisiting all these fics so much!!! 💖

i wanted her to look at me - this was technically supposed to be a prequel to the rebel robin fic that i had planned, where robin's had a crush on nancy since sophomore year and she's struggling with coming to terms with the fact that she might actually have a crush on nancy wheeler.

face it, tiger - i am not immune to spidey robin. this was for last year's ronancetober and it was so, so much fun to write! i didn't pick a specific spidey dynamic like peter/mj or peter/gwen for this one, because truth be told nancy reminds me more of lois lane, but it has the iconic upside down spidey kiss. and that makes it worth it TO ME

i know that you would want it, if i could sink my teeth into you - VAMPIRE NANCY. that is all... no but seriously this one was also a blast to write. i love the idea of nancy trying So hard to maintain control and failing and robin being All for that.

thick skull never did (nothing for me) - spider nance ! spider nance ! does whatever a spider can ! anyways. it's a spidey nance fic bc i am also not immune to her either. this one is a bit more tragic than spidey robin, and originally i had planned more for her (not in this universe, just more spidey nance in general), but this one is still so dear to me <3

now i see you in technicolor - okay technically this one is still ongoing, but it's barbiegloria fame au. i wanted to try my hand at fame au, and i really enjoy the idea of gloria initially hating barbie at first, and then trying So hard not to fall for her charm. got big plans for this one and even though it's not finished, i really like the 3 chapters i have posted !!

[jonathanbyersphd]

Defending her with my life

[rainmustfallts4]

Rain Must Fall (Reaper’s Rewards Special) ◇ #007

⊶⊰Information & Index⊱⊷⊶⊰Ep. 1⊱⊷⊶⊰Chronological Tag⊱⊷

Reaper’s Rewards Special: ⊶⊰Latest⊱⊷ ⊶⊰From the Beginning⊱⊷ ⊶⊰All Reaper’s Rewards Posts⊱⊷

─────────────⊶⊰◇⊱⊷─────────────

Week 3 has arrived c:

Our missions for this week:

First, we have to research grafting (because the plants I need haven’t grown yet so I can’t graft them.)

Also… can we HELP you, Wolfgang?? Boy is just standing there watching us like a creep.

Our gardening is going up, which is good. We’re almost at 10! Man, if people don’t read this special, they’re gonna be so confused about where these skill ups came from lol

Here are the boots! I was only like 20 xp away from them last week lol

They’re quite neat, I like them c:

“Nice shoes.”

“Thanks, Grim.”

“Hey, hey Tiger.”

“What?”

“Why didn’t the skeleton go to the party?”

“Oh Grim, no…”

“Because he had no body to go with!” Grim slapped his knee, deep laugh filling the house.

Tiger held back a groan, resisting the urge to smack herself in the forehead.

“Get it? Because your shoes only have a skull on them.”

“Yeah… yeah, I get it, Grim…”

It was on that day that she learned Grim is a goofball.

While waiting for the newsletter, she got to work on reading the tome. I KNEW there was something special about this book c:

She got a skill up for both cooking skills. That didn’t happen the last time she read it.

It didn’t count, so she read it again and then upped her fishing.

Here’s a fun fact that literally no one knew (everyone knew.) My dumbass was just reading the book and not selecting the option to read the intro lmao I didn’t see it the first few times, probably because she KEPT PUTTING IT BACK IN THE DAMN BOOKCASE.

Finally, it worked!

That’s kind of OP, though, building 3 skills at once while reading a single book.

What the…

All she did was ask what she meant by “prepared” and Nancy got mad! I hate her. Give us our power back, bitch! We always pay on time! Seriously, who the fuck has this big of an issue with SQUIRRELS.

Yes, they are pains in the ass, but you have enough money to stay on top of it! Do a better job, damn.

I think next week we’ll have to build some cooking skill before we can complete the next one.

Also, this is what happens when you try to get fancy. They are just cupcakes, girl, calm down.

I thought I could decorate them, but maybe only the cupcake factory ones can be decorated?

We got a new bunny!

The galaxy one is still my favorite, but I think the sugar skull is my least favorite. There’s just too much going on, too many opposing colors. Makes my brain hurt lol

[jaymari-lyn]

I wanted to share some artists that I think really match up to my favorite Stranger Things ships

I did this a while ago, but looking back I definitely don't agree with a lot of the artists I chose, so I wanted to share my new pairings.

Byler- I think Conan Gray really encompasses the struggles of loving from afar and the pain that comes with queer, "unrequited" love. The entirety of his album, Found Heaven (which literally has an 80s synth pop vibe) screams byler, as well as other songs like Heather, Family Line, Summer Child, The Exit, The Cut That Always Bleeds, Fight Or Flight, Can We Be Friends?, Little League, Idle Town, and Crush Culture. I just think his music really represents Mike and Will's story-both the good and the bad.

Steddie- For them I have to say the Arctic Monkeys. I think they're music genre is a good mash up between Eddie's death metal and Steve's overall style (we're never really told what kind of music he likes, but I like to assume some sort of pop). I Wanna Be Yours, You Get Me So High, Do I Wanna Know, R U Mine, 505, and No. 1 Party Anthem all give me steddie vibes.

Ronance- girl in red is definitely so ronance. I wanna be your girlfriend, girls, You Stupid Bitch, hornylovesickmess, we fell in love in october, i'll die anyway., Too Much, and bad idea are great examples of songs that fit Nancy and Robin.

Lumax- I was having a hard time thinking of one for lumax, but Benson Boone honestly really fits them. He sings really passionate music, and I think one of the key parts of their dynamic is the fact that they'reboth very passionate, just in different ways. Max is fierce and fiery and Lucas is drawn to that flame, while also kindling it with his own loving personality and encouraging her, no matter what. I think Beautiful Things, Work Of Art, In the Stars, Cry, Ghost Town, and Slow it Down represent them well.

Elmax- Katy Perry gives me major elmax vibes, specifically One Of The Boys and Teenage Dream. They're both really fun, feminine, pop teen romance albums that feel like embodiments of El and Max during season 3. I Kissed A Girl, Teenage Dream, Part Of Me, Dark Horse, E.T, Firework, and The One That Got Away are the songs the remind me of them the most.

Rovickie- Chappell Roan is the first artist to come to mind when I think of Robin and Vickie. Good Luck, Babe! Literally feels like it was written from Robin POV, plus Casual, Picture You, Kaleidoscope, Red Wine Supernova, and Pink Pony Club are some other songs that I think fit the ship.

[discocandles]

I know I'm not the first person to say this but if Steve harrington is any popular superhero, he's Batman, right?

Like yes there's the fun shit like haha nail bat, Batman. Both are rich boys who take in a crazy amount of children like it's their favorite hobby, both have a bitchy, playboy personas which they use to keep people from looking too deep, because they have to be that hollow, vapid, and bullshit. Big house, no parents?

I know that it isn't exact given Steve's parents are alive(presumably), but I know for a fact i'm not crazy here. Both guys live in luxury, but for some reason or another, their parents are gone. And the only thing they've left behind is their obscene amounts of riches. Like that makes up for having your parents in your life. It kinda left both of them with this anger that they have utilized, sometimes against other people, and always when they fight legitimate threats. And overall they try to be a good person even if they often tend to be haunted by their mistakes.

If you want to get a little meta with it, both work with a character who was originally planned as a love interest for them but is now canonically a lesbian because it makes their characters more compelling. Though Steve and Robin are on far better terms than Bruce and Kate are(doesn't take much for that. iykyk)

Also they have a partner in crime(read:fighting) named Robin if that counts for anything. Sometimes more than one for Bruce but eh. The guy's been around for 85, almost 86 years now, compared to Steve who's been around for like 7. Im taking liberties here.

Speaking of the role of Robin, trying to fit the party into the batfamily is a task and a half. Like I guess Dustin would have to be dick and max could work as Steph, but would that make Lucas Tim? Suzie could be Babs, that would make sense. Wait, am I making mike jason? It's a mess and my brain is on fire. The only ones i feel a little bit confident about is that Erica would be Damian, el would be cassie and Will would be Duke. Before you ask, no I don't know how Nancy, Jonathan, Alfred, or the other adults would fit in here but I have a side tangent to entertain y'all with instead.

Yes, I do think that this would make eddie Superman. Yes I think it fits quite well.

Listen, from what I do know of Eddie's backstory(I have not read flight of Icarus), it could be matched with Clark's. Boy is sent away from parents to live somewhere else and is taking in by someone who becomes their parent(s) wholeheartedly, no matter the fact he is different from the other kids. And then when they try to live their life as best they can with those differences. Something happens that gets a while city's population looking at them, and a notable member of the community wanting them killed or arrested because of how "dangerous he is".

Listen even if I'm being a little conspiracy board-esque about eddie as clark kent, the parallels of Jason Carver and Lex Luthor are plain as day. Jason is more of a religious bigot compared to Lex's capitalist xenophobia, but these two green and white bitch-asses mirror each other. Also the religious imagery for both Eddie and Superman is off the fucking charts(like Eddie is seen as a demon by the mobs and Superman is seen as a god. And both are feared for it)

I can talk more about this, but I'm already scared that I have said too much.

[were-wolverine]

percy jackson ep2 live reaction

annabeth being a little creep i love her

fun fact i learned at the pjo NYCC panel: the most grueling part of the show production was making the camp half-blood shirts. they all had to be a specific shade of orange and there had to be a LOT cuz all the campers wear them consistently

very much angsty tween energy

ITS SOOO PRETTYYYYYYYYYY

i love the big house’s design

grover’s little *clop clop clop* hehe

“your highness” book!percy wouldn’t be caught dead saying that shit but it’s still funny cuz i KNOW as soon as he learns more abt the gods all that respect is out the window. book!percy is just a little asshole from the start

Mr D is fucking perfect casting

godDAMN chiron is tall asf

also i fr did not know brunner was pronounced like that

mr d actually being kinda nice to grover??

ITS SO COOL I WANNA GO TO CAMP THERE

riptide my bbg

i need a close up of the inside and outside of all the cabins immediately

Hermes cabin 💪💪💪

there’s a fire pit IN the cabin?? that seems like a hazard. but also magic and it’s fucking cool so

the complete non-reaction to percy’s introduction now vs how people will eventually react to hearing his name is kinda wild

they really did not give this poor boy any time to grieve his mom huh

LUKE

poor percy, his first reaction to being approached is to be defensive :(

CHB necklace!!!!

o shit that scared me. hello wood nymph. is this his mom??? idk how satyrs are born

the tiger shirt 💀

LIKE AN OLD BANANA HGHDGDGDGD

grover :( ur a good friend bb

dream time woooooo. OH THE VOICE IS KRONOS i forgor

“glory” ok nerd

luke really has a whole posse following him around lmao

IS THAT THE LESBIAN FLAG ON CLARISSE’S NECKLACE???

nvm they all have them in that order….

i love that percy has just had that leather necklace from the very start of the show. in preparation for the camp beads :,)

aaaaaaaa a character in a wheelchair that’s so cool!!!!!

no one’s even gonna show him how to use the bow???

this boy is gonna destroy the camp i love him

BRO DID NOT GET THE JOKE AND I FEEL SO SEEN. YES THERES A GREEK GOD OF DISAPPOINTMENT

oh my god i’m gonna cry. percy praying to sally is my favorite change they made in the whole show

“like, real friends” crying luke how dare you betray this sweet darling boy

YOU TELL HIM PERCY!! get his ass

“hey guys! 😃 🤚 can’t sleep huh?” ilysm percy

“do you think you’re special?” oh boy clarisse do you have a big surprise coming. also percy didn’t even tell anyone abt the minotaur that was grover

okay i liked this cgi way better than nancy bobofit’s takedown

annabeth stalker behavior i love you. SHE ADMITS IT TOO I LOVE HERRRE

“annabeth sees the world differently” yeah she’s autistic with a genius iq

sobbing. “she’s my little sister”. pain. the betrayal is gonna hurt so much more

th-alia ??? hm

“until zeus broke the pact” hades, hiding his kids from the 1940s in the lotus hotel: yeah zeus was the one to break it first, obviously

i can’t wait to see who they cast as thalia

“let it rip” i see what you did there 👀 my mind went right to beyblade tho lol

their shields lowkey look like the nightwing symbol :3

SUNSHINE ADDSHFJFHDG

god this set is so fucking cool

cringefail loserboy rizz

THE HAT!!!!!!!!!!!

“he’ll be ready, i know it” *cuts to percy flossing* i love this dumbass so much

lizard :D

exceptional depiction of adhd ty rick

bro really just gave away the location of the flag with no hesitation lol

OH SHIT THAT WAS COOL! the roll into picking up the shield? smooth asf!!!

how tf did the spear even break isn’t it made of like magic metal

she really used him as bait lmao. *pushes him into the water* she’s just testing a hypothesis!!

holy shit the cabin is so cool. kinda spooky tho. i hate to say it but i like the movie version better

“what 😃”

damn they really just blame everything on hades huh. poor guy. i’d hate my siblings too if they gave me a shitty job and made me the scapegoat for a bunch of stuff

why tf is chiron wearing a suit. why.

“i’m sally jackson’s son” YES YOU ARE KING

grover you’re the best ily. chiron you’re giving way too much dumbledore energy i hate it

[copiouscouples]

Random Thoughts on the First 3 Episodes of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

This is a FUN show.

So far I’ve liked all the music. I didn’t think I was going to like the song about the country club but darn it if I wasn’t like this is a catchy song about how terrible you all are. 🤣

I’m loving the increase in diversity that’s going on in general in tv world (although I’d love to see more characters with disabilities in media, but we’re getting more than we used to with shows like Speechless and As We See It).

That said...I think there’s two ways to handle diversity successfully in historical fiction. 1) Go the Bridgerton route - mention it, but don’t make it a major theme. 2) Make it a major theme and handle it satisfactorily - either in a realistic way or in a way that gets resolved suitably.

In these first episodes, a major theme has been Jane and her family acclimating to Rydell and community. Her mom specifically has worries about it being found out that she’s Puerto Rican. I feel like this is very period typical and an accurate representation as frustrating as it is to watch someone who doesn’t feel free to accept and rejoice in their cultural heritage. I love that Jane wants to fight back against all that, but in the last episode - I was kind of disappointed how the whole thing got resolved. She sings a song in the diner and bada bing, bada boom her mom's suddenly OK with it all. Felt a bit quick and sloppy of a fix. But this show is about Jane and not her mom’s trauma. Overall, it’s not a big deal for me. I just was slightly irked by the sloppiness of the resolution.

Olivia - The most intriguing of the Pink Ladies so far for me. We’ve got a sliver of her backstory with the teacher, but outside of that we don’t know much about her yet. Plus I want to know was she in a full on relationship with this guy or did they kiss that once and got caught?

Nancy - Another character we need more info on. I like her general don’t give an F attitude, but I’d love to see more of her deeper thoughts and emotions. We’ve got a hint at that with how much she deeply cares about college and getting into fashion, but I’d like more.

Jane - This actress is my favorite singer on the show. Her “I Want More” song is my favorite song thus far. I know she’s the main character and that’s why we know more about her. But honestly she’s not all that interesting and I wish some of her screen time was given to the other girls.

Cynthia - She had a good storyline this episode. I felt it was a bit rushed, but I think drama is a great fit for this character and Principal McGee knew exactly what she was doing.

Hazel - She was introduced this episode and we got to know a little bit about her. I do feel for her and how homesick she is. I have and always will be here for the wallflower/shy girl trope.

Richie - Things are still kind of surface level with him, but right now he’s kind of a meh character for me. I like him well enough but the show’s writing hasn’t really developed him enough for me to care about him yet.

Buddy - Likely unpopular opinion here...I don’t hate him? At least not yet. I think he’s treated Jane terribly, but I see redemptive qualities in him. The fact he feels guilt, has some sense of self-reflection, and is uncomfortable with his choices shows me we could be in for a good character arc with him.

So that end scene, right? Totally seems to be foreshadowing a Hazel/Buddy romance. How would I feel if they went down that route? It depends on the chemistry of the couple. In fictional TV land, I can excuse a lot of misbehavior (even murder) if the couple is 🔥. Rio and Beth, anyone? That was a toxic dump of a relationship but watch me with my 👀 glued every week.

This show is very much love it or hate it. I think the people that are hating on it were hoping it would be an extension of the original Grease and while it gives nods to the original content - it’s its own entity.