#jim hopper critical

[tearsofperseides]

Another stranger things writing criticism post,

So much stuff in Stranger Things is so lazily executed.

I'll start with Nancy, she's supposed to be a "feminist"/"women can be strong" character of the show and they didn't fail completely with that one, but still failed. I'm glad they kept her in touch with her femininity, usually when there's supposed to be a "baddass female lead" they make her more masculine, so I'll give them that, but she's written in a very "women can be badasses too!" way, which isn't a problem, however the problem comes in when you give her a gun and constantly point out that "she's a girl who has a gun wow look feminism!". I love badass women, I genuinely do and I love Nancy, she's great, but the, let's call it, feminist writing of her character is written very lazily. Female characters shouldn't be written as female characters, but as simply characters. Another argument I have against Nancy's character writing is there was absolutely no need to give her a love triangle (even though it's not a triangle, but I digress) romance plot, what was the point? I get putting romance plots in media and I love a lot of them, but this was executed poorly and was just not needed. I'm genuinely trying to see in what way it was needed other than adding a little bit of teenage drama, which, in this show is absolutely not needed. Adding onto that, the love triangle trope was once again taken very lazily, that trope is great to explore the characters' depth, but again ST that wasn't... done? When have we seen Nancy or Steve or Jonathan struggle with this love triangle? Never, again, it was added for the teen drama aspect of the show.

Second thing is that they literally forget about half the characters they have, the show, as we all know, has an ensemble cast, but since the ensemble consists of 12 main characters (give or take) PLUS some recurring characters, the show got messy and uneven with character development really quickly. Like for example, the California plot line in s4, as much as I like it, it's obviously VERY MUCH neglected by the writers in favour of the Hawkins plot line. They also very much do something for the sake of pure shock factor, like Hopper's death, just to have him brought back in s4... never mind the logistics or lack there of of him surviving the portal closing or how genuinely unnecessary the Russia plot line was in s4. Eddie's death frustrates me and falls under the same "for the shock value" umbrella, but this is getting long and I still have some other stuff I want to focus on.

And now we get onto Billy, yes, back here again. Hi. Going back to his death once again, since I didn't express myself well enough for my liking. His death would've been fine, IF they didn't pace it the way they did. My main problem with his death is once again, is the way it's edited and El's speech intersects with the flashbacks we've already seen when El connected to them in one of the previous episodes. If they would've just cut out those flashbacks and let her describe the scene is "tell don't show" in a well executed manner. We already saw those scenes and hearing El describe the scene while seeing Billy's emotional response from her words is both telling instead of showing (Because El's literally describing the scene to him) and showing instead of telling (because of Billy's emotional response). It feels much more personal for both of the characters because, once again, you get to see their emotional responses, rather than just be bombarded with scenes of Billy's mother and being made to remember he was a happy kid once. Viewers aren't dumb, they will remember Billy's past and still feel sympathy for him. The scene of his death is just the laziest way to do so.

I still have some some things to say about the writing and everything, however this is getting long so I will leave it at what it is now. If you want me to elaborate on anything or hear any of the OTHER stuff I have problems with please send me an ask, anon or not, it's ok either way!

[irememberhope]

Is there a fic out there when after season 4 Steve doesn't trust/react well to Joyce and Hopper? I just think that him being the oldest and real adult left in Hawkins to deal with and protect the kids would mess him up a bit.

Like, I understand Joyce left because she wanted to protect her blood children and El, but none of the other parents are read in on the situation. She left the rest of the kids after another super traumatic experience where multiple people they knew and cared about died and only Steve, Nancy, and Robin could support them. Not to knock Nancy and Robin, but the show doesn't show them supporting the kids the way Steve does, so it all ended up on his shoulders.

Add in the fact Joyce up and abandons her kids when she learns about Hopper being alive, and then even more terrible things happen, and I feel like Steve would not trust the adults anymore and truly resist ans get upset when they try to parent him or take care of *his* kids.

So I'd anyone has fic recs or wants to write one... let me know...

[mfshipbracket]

[mariocki]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

"You have one choice, boy: sex or the saw. Sex is... well, nobody knows. But the saw, the saw is family."

[weird-an]

tw: Billy getting drugged at the Byers by Max.

Jim's blood pressure is going through the roof. Not only did they have to fight fucking monsters again, now he has to get a drugged Billy Hargrove home.

The kid is out of it, mumbling incoherent shit and refusing to get up from the floor. He's just laying there, staring at the ceiling. The room is bathed in a dim orange light, because the sun has already started to rise. Jim just wants to go to bed and sleep for a week.

"I don't have time for this," Hopper says for the tenth time. "Get your ass up and I'm driving you home."

"Fuck you."

Well, that's at least an answer Jim understands. He rubs his temples.

"Get up, son."

Billy doesn't move to get up, shakes his head. "No."

"You have to go home. I'll drive."

Billy just cackles. Jim takes in a deep breath. He walks over and grabs Billy by the shoulder. His head lolls back a little, pupils huge and he's laughing in Jim's face.

"I'm fucking... dead, if a cop brings me home," he says, slurring the words. "Leave me."

"I'll just say I found you wasted on the street, right?" Jim rolls his eyes. Teenagers are way too dramatic. Like Billy doesn't have a reputation anyway.

Maybe Hargrove will get grounded. He deserves it, after threatening the kids and all that. He won't die because of it.

"Whatever. He doesn't... need.., he's already... already... pissed." Billy tries to move Jim's arms away. But he's still weak from whatever shit Max injected him with. Maybe Jim should rather drive him to a hospital.

"A little time out won't be that bad." Jim knows it's stupid to reason and wonders why he still tries to convince Billy instead of manhandling him to his car.

"A little belting won't be that bad," Billy tries to imitate him. He giggles. "You're fucking stupid, man."

"That's Chief to you, asshole."

Jim pauses. His head is pounding. He hopes it's just delirious talking.

"He doesn't really get the belt, does he?

"Nah," Billy shrugs. "He's a responsible citizen."

He throws his head back and laughs, way too high pitched and way too manic for Hopper's taste and then it gets worse, because suddenly his shoulders start shaking. Billy stops laughing, strangles on the sound and he's ... he's crying.

Jim's heart sinks. Tears run down Billy's face and he stares to the ground, breathing raggedly.

He doesn't let go of Billy's shoulder, holds him instead.

No way he's going to just drive that kid home and leave him with that man.

[the-unspeakable-tsar]

Fuck Stranger Things

I can't stand stranger things past season one. Season one felt very weird and worked very well, past that it's fucking garbage. I hate all the goddamned spin off novels and comics, and the fact that they crossed over with the ninja turtles

Fuck hopper, fuck him to death. I wish only bad things to happen to that sack of shit cop. Hopper is a fucking menace to society.

[evolnoomym]

1. This is me trying

Sugar-Daddy!Joel Miller x f!OC

General Masterlist | „Runaway Butterfly 🦋“ Masterlist

Summary: You may have gotten out, but the damage is done. As you look back on the past you take a step forward in the present.

Rating: 18+ explicit content mdni!!!!

Word count: 2k

Warnings: no y/n, f!reader, this is how my first OC Moon got born, childhood abuse, self hatred, alludes to sa & suicide attempt(s), 2 separate instances of underage OC getting taken advantage of, nothing to graphic, Weed consumption, panic attack, OC sexualizes herself, she has tits and ass

If I missed anything please let me know 🙏🏻

Authors note: This is the first chapter of my my first Series, it’s been sitting in my notes basically for about 3 months. (Can we believe I’ve been here for 3 months already 😅) I know it’s rather short but the following chapters will be a lot longer. No Joel except in photos, also the Hawaiian Flannel he wears in one of those is the same as @strang3lov3 owns, hers is inspired by Jim Hopper. Bug was also the one that told me to write, so it’s all thanks to her 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Shoutout to @saradika-graphics & @cafekitsune for the dividers 🫶🏻

Big thank you to for beta reading @fhatbhabiee & @jennaispunk 🦋🦋🦋

Disclaimer: English is not my first language so if you come across mistakes it might be due to that. I’m totally here for constructive criticism or feedback on how to improve. In general I appreciate comments, likes and reblogs greatly 👌🏻

Technically you are missing, you didn’t tell them where you’d go, they didn’t even knew you’d go at all. Though, you are sure that they are happy to be ridden of the problem, connecting all of them.

They took your pride, confidence, dignity and hope. They clipped your wings early on so you’d never get away, no chance at getting out of this nightmare. Always destined to be the black sheep, the picture-perfect scapegoat for all of them, and whenever something went wrong you got blamed.

No wonder you started to hate yourself, believing their cruel words. You were never good enough and they made you think it would be better if you would just be gone.

They tore you apart, made you hate the girl in the mirror till you just wanted to give up, they put all the blame on you, they used you as a little girl sized punching bag, they made you believe that everybody grows up that way.

Since both of your parents were equally unstable people, it forced you to grow up quickly, so you could take care of them. Never would you know who that real version of yourself could’ve been, without all the trauma, a loss to carry forever.

How should you have known that what happened was wrong, if you never knew anything else. You thought the violence and the loneliness was part of being a little girl.

With time you became something akin to a shapeshifter, trying to be whatever it took to fulfill their desires, if it meant to be loved. Even just the tiniest amount of recognition, was worth giving yourself up.

But those closest betrayed you. Turns out it was all for nothing at all. All the sacrifices you made were so entirely useless, breaking yourself down to become the version they might’ve liked best, trying fit the shape of their choice and satisfy their deranged ego’s.

You scraped together any amount of savings you still had and sold everything you owned that was worth anything. Your Dad and Grandma gave you some money and that was it.

They had pushed you so far, you felt the need to flee to an entirely different continent, almost a 15 hour fly and 525 miles away from what was supposed to be home, that’s what it took to get some semblance of freedom and peace. Austin became your home, it was a fresh start and that’s exactly what was needed.

To much happened, to many unforgivable occurrences. You couldn’t ever heal in the place they broke you in, surrounded by abusers. They might have forgotten, painted an entirely new picture of the truth for themselves, but you’ll always remember what really went down.

You could still vividly remember your brother’s frantic calls once he realized you were gone. He couldn’t believe you’d really go through on that childish silly dream, he always laughed at you for saying, you’d just pack up one day and leave everything behind.

Guess he’s not laughing anymore.

After countless attempts you finally gave in and picked up, only to met by loud thundering voices yelling at you. It was all about how insane you must be, so incredibly selfish, overly dramatic, over-emotional and weak for simply running away.

A coward.

As always it’s just about them, their feelings and what would be best for them. No care for what you’d want and what the best for you could be.

You tolerated more than anyone else would’ve, before ending the call. It was just an accumulation of empty threats, supposed to put you back in line, but it did the opposite. That phone call was the last time you’d speak to them.

8 months have passed since leaving, its now May and here you sit lounging in the living room of your tiny two-room flat. The soft, grey, cloud-like couch was one of your best investments, making it your second favorite place besides your bed.

Its Friday. The clock shows that it’s close to 6 pm, the early-evening breeze flows in through the open balcony and alongside the bustling noises of the streets outside. Cars honking, tires screeching, kids yelling, people laughing and birds chirping, all of it reminds of the overwhelming world waiting outside of your safe bubble.

You just pulled out your rolling tray, trying to quiet your mind, you’ve barely finished licking the paper. When your phone suddenly goes *ping* *ping*, a sound you haven’t heard before.

Normally that might make you anxious but today you are just annoyed by any sort of interruption to your routine.

„Ughhh.”

You begrudgingly get up to retrieve your phone from the kitchen counter. When you reach it and take a look at the screen you immediately understand what caused the strange sound.

A notification for the Sugar-Daddy website you had started using earlier this week. You have tried those odd websites before, at 16 thinking it would be a good idea. Back then you were already after the attention of a mature, wealthy and significantly older Men.

Looking back you always had a weird infatuation with men outside your age range.

Your first kiss happened, when you were 13 and still played with dolls. He was 21 and had just gotten his drivers license, already moved out and had a job. He took you on a walk, then sat down on an old park bench and just kissed you which felt like heaven,at the time. He was your Bestfriend’s older brother who knew exactly how madly in love you were with him.

Two years later, at 15, you thought that 25 year old police apprentice was seriously interested in you, convinced he’d make you his. But, no, he wanted to fuck a minor, he was after the thrill of something tight and young, to be the first to break you in and then throw you away once you served your purpose.

Even though you were foolish and naive, the perfect opportunity for him to use, it seemed your desperate want for genuine love chased him away before he could go in for the kill.

In those instances you were lucky that nothin worse happened, but at 17 the luck had run out or maybe what happened is what you get for making the mistake of trusting.

It was the friendly guy in your semester group, the one who was troubled himself but made you feel like it’s okay, he seemed to understand you. He became a good friend, he made you feel less alone and in the end he became the biggest nightmare.

Your trust was already broken and played with many times before him, but what he did was one too much. He changed the way you viewed the world, the way you lived.

You were deeply afraid of ever running in to him again, and when it happened you could practically feel the world stop spinning.

It was just a worst case scenario that never came true until it did. You remember that day like it was yesterday, it was supposed to be a quiet run to the grocery store, shopping with a friend. Standing in the bread aisle, you were waiting beside the cart for your friend to make her decision. You just stared down at the ground for a split second before looking back up and there he was. Staring at you with this awful smile of his. Ringing in your ears, shivers running down your spine and shaking hands were all you needed to know that getting out of there was more than necessary.

As you stood at the cash register the thought that it might not have been him weaseled itself into your head. The hope that it might’ve been just some mix-up got crushed when a voice behind you spoke up. That voice, the way he talks, you would recognize it anywhere. He was right there, the monster who looked so nice in the beginning was just a couple inches away. You could practically feel him breathe down your neck, just like he did that night. Keeping your composure was the biggest challenge.

Afterwards on the way home, in your friends car you broke down, never ever would you want him that close again. He contributed to you wanting to get away.

Now at 21, even after everything that happened, you thought about giving the Sugar-Daddy thing one last chance. The money would be nice, of course it would, living free without having to worry, having someone who takes care of you and you get to just enjoy living, is the dream.

You wanted to experience that, so the Profil was created, a few pictures were added showing your face, one displayed a peak of cleavage and another with focus on your backside, wearing tight pants that accentuate your plush ass all while you are just sweetly gazing over your shoulder.

Those photos were choosen with good reasoning, you believed that showing skin would attract more attention from the Sugar-Daddy’s.

A classmate once told you „You know...the only fuckable thing about you is that set of tits and that ass. Nothin else, well except maybe ur mouth,“ all while smugly laughing.

And he wasn’t the only one who said shit like that, so you believed it, showin off the assets it was and it worked but none of these man were really what you were looking for.

After 2 days of being flooded with messages, little to nothing came through anymore which you were a bit happy about, since the overwhelming attention was too much too quickly.

You are a recluse, three friends that’s all you got, two of them not even living in Austin. A lot of times you just want to be alone with yourself. Branching out like 6 years ago is not your style anymore and you started to regret putting yourself out there like this. You would’ve probably deleted the profile if it wasn’t for the awfully handsome Man who apparently took a look at your profile which caused the whole strange notification-sound.

You could only see his name “Joel Miller” but that was enough to peak your interest.

You take your phone, walk back to the couch and sit down. You scutch backwards till you can feel the pillow at your back to lean against. You open his profile and your mouth goes dry instantly. He looks to be about 40 ish, his brown-grey streaked locks are neatly styled, a well groomed beard adorned his face and those grey patches certainly made you squirm in place.

They showed his age and that is what turned you on. His amber brown orbs were quickly pulling you in. In some of his photos he wore expensive lookin suits, all highly professional. In others he looked more casual, wearing flannels and even a cute hawaiian shirt in a picture that must’ve been taken on a beach.

He looked big, 6ft3 tall, tan skin, with broad shoulders, biceps that could crush you and his hands, oh they are a sight to behold, you thought of what he could possibly to with them. How would they feel on your body, holding your hand, caressing your face, stroking your head or squeezing your waist.

You feel your cheeks get warm, heart rate picking up and there is a tremble in your breathing, all because of him.

You can already imagine how much power he would have over you with his entire body, you want that.

With all the gawking and fanning you lost track of the time, 45 minutes where spend looking at him, that realization made you feel a bit embarrassed but it turned into shock when the *Ping* *Ping* sound of again, this time with a notification that read ”Congratulations, The verified Sugar-Daddy has sent you a message don’t let him wait to long, swipe here to answer,“ and then his name ”...Joel Miller“.

Maybe he would be different to those before him, maybe you got your luck back and so you decided swipe.

Please don’t repost, copy, translate, or feed into any AI, thank you 🙏🏻

People I think might be interested: @aurorawritestoescape @milla-frenchy @joelmillerisapunk @joelslegalwhre @punkshort @burntheedges @almostfoxglove @taeslarityy @joelsdagger @littlemisspascal

Taglist 🦋: @joelalorian @msjarvis @stevie75 @la-vie-est-une-fleur29 @beefrobeefcal @baronessvonglitter @sherala007 @moonlitbirdie @thundermartini @sjc7542

Please let me know if you want to be added to the taglist or taken off 🫶🏻

[insufferableprotagonistpoll]

Please note that a character currently needs at least 3 submissions to make it into the poll

That said:

Has 3 Submissions or more:

Has 2 Submissions:

Achilles - The Iliad

Arthur Pendragon - BBC Merlin

Bloom Peters - Winx Club

Claire - Ship It

Daphne Bridgerton - Bridgerton

Dawson Leery - Dawson’s Creek

Dr. Heinrich Faust - Goethes Faust

Duck Dodgers - Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 century

Elizabeth - Bioshock Burial at Sea

Elric of Melniborne - The Elric Saga

Emiya Shirou - Fate Stay Night

Eren Jaegar - Shingeki no Kyojin

Ezra Bridger - Star Wars Rebels

Feyre Archeron - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Frasier Crane - Frasier

James Bond - James Bond

Jaune Arc - RWBY

Joker - Persona 5

Kohaku - Dr. Stone

Makoto Itou - School Days

Netsa Archeron - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Odysseus - The Odyssey

Piper - Orange is the new Black

Quentin Coldwater - The Magicians (books)

Riley Matthews - Girl Meets World

Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan) - Scum Villain’s Self Saving System

Tom Paris - Star Trek: vVyager

Wade Watts - Ready Player One

William Afton - FNaF Ultimate Custom Night

Yukitero "Yukki" Amano - Future Diary

Zack Morris - Saved by the Bell

Has 1 Submission

Adrien Agreste - Miraculous Ladybug

Ahsoka - Ahsoka Disney+

Akiyama Shun - Ryu Ga Gotoku/Yakuza

Alexander Hamilton - Hamilton

Animal Crossing New Horizons' Player Character - Animal Crossing New Horizons

Aragorn - Lord of the Rings

Arek - So This Is Ever After

Ataru Moroboshi - Urusei Yatsura

August Landry - One Last Stop

Ayin - Lobotomy Corporation

Bakugou Katsuki - My Hero Academia

BEOWULF - BEOWULF

Betty Cooper - Riverdale

Bill Dickey - The Eltingville Club/Welcome to Eltingville

Billy Buddy/Dr. Horrible - Dr. Horrible's Sing Along

Billy Hatcher - Billy Hatcher and the giant egg

Blake - Pokemon Adventures Black 2 and White 2

Blitzo - Helluva Boss

Bubsy - Bubsy 3D

Caleb Widogast - Critical Role

Charley Pollard - Doctor Who

Choromatsu Matsuno - Osomatsu-san

Claire Fraser - Outlander

Clear Sky/Skystar - Warrior Cats

Colin Bridgerton - Bridgerton

Corrin - Fire Emblem Fates

Cory Matthews - Boy Meets World

Dal - Star Trek Prodigy

Damian Wayne - DC

Data - Star Trek The Next Generation

Dorrigo Evans - The Narrow Road to the Deep North book

Dr. Hanna Heath - People of the Book

Ellison Oswalt - Sinister

Emma Nelson - Degrassi: The Next Generation

Equality 7-2521 - Anthem

Galadriel Higgins - The Scholomance Trilogy

Geralt of Rivia - The Last Wish, The Witcher books

Go Siwon - A Guy Like You

Haruyuki Arita - Accel World

Hermione Granger - Harry Potter

Homer Simpson - The Simpson

Howard Roark - The Fountainhead

Humbert Humbert - Lolita

James Bond - The Sean Connery James Bond Movies

James Holden - The Expanse book series

Jaypaw - Warrior Cats

Jean-Luc Picard - Star Trek The Next Generation

Jeff Winger - Community

Jim Hopper - Stranger Things

JJ - Cocomelon

Joaquin Monegro - Abel Sánchez

John Proctor - The Crucible

Jon Snow - ASoIaF

Jotaro Kujo - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Joy - Inside Out

Jughead Jones - Riverdale

Kade - Down to Earth Webtoon

Kai - The Witch King

Kang Jinha - A Guy Like You

Katara - Avatar the Last Airbender

Katnis - Hunger Games

Kaz Kaan - Neo Yokio

Keiichi Maebara - Higurashi when they cry

Khai - Theory of Love - Thai BL Show

King Arthur - King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Korra - Avatar: Legend of Korra

Koyomi Araragi - The Monogatari series

Kun-chan - Mirai

Lelouch Lamperouge - Code Geass

Leroy Jethro Gibbs - NCIS

Lionblaze - Warriors (Power of Three and Omen of the Stars)

Luna - Retro

Luffy - One Piece

Lyn - Fire Emblem

Makoto Naegi - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Mal - Firefly

Manaow - Love Senior

Mark Watney - The Martian

Mary Poppins - Walt Disney's Mary Poppins

Merlin - BBC Merlin

Meursault - The Stranger

Mia - La La Land

Michael Burnham - Star Trek: Discovery

Mike Wheeler - Stranger Things

Miyo Sasaki - A Whisker Away

Mordecai - Regular Show

Navier - Remarried Princess

Nessa - Acotar (Later Book)

Nick Carraway - The Great Gatsby

Nicole - Class of 09

Nightheart - Warrior Cats

North Italy - Hetalia

Okajima ""Rock"" Rokuro - Black Lagoon (Anime)

Otis Milburn - Sex Education

Patrick Bateman - American Psycho

Peppa Pig - Peppa Pig

Piper McLean - Heroes of Olympus

Pippa Fitz-Amobi - A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Ramona Flowers - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Ramsey Snow - Game of Thrones

Rebecca Bunch - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV show)

Robert Langdon - The Da Vinci Code

Rodion Raskolnikov - Crime and Punishment

Rorschach - Watchmen

Ruby - Max & Ruby

Ryo Saeba - City Hunter

Sabrina Spellman - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Sami Reese - Little White Lie

Sasuke - Naruto

Satou Kazuma - Konosuba

Senku Ishigami - Doctor Stone

Shiori - Six Crimson Cranes

Shrek - Shrek

Snow Villiers - Final Fantasy 13

Spike Witwicky - Transformers IDW comics

Star Butterfly - Star vs The Forces of Evil

Stiles Stilinski - Teen Wolf

Sydney Atherton - The Beetle

Tai Kamiya - Digimon Adventure

Takao - Garden of Words

Tara Webster - Dance Academy

Tarl Cabot - The Gor Chronicles

Teriella Rufeon - My Husband Changes Every Night

The Beheaded - Dead Cells

Tom Wachowski - The Sonic Movies

Vanellope von Schweetz - Ralph Breaks the internet

Violetta - Disney's Violetta

Wolverine - X-Men

Wreck it Ralph - Ralph Breaks the Internet

Yu/Ai - Final Fantasy Unlimited

Yuri Zhivago - Doctor Zhivago

Yuusaku Godai - Maison Ikkoku

Available for Resubmission (needs at least 1 resubmission to participate)

Aang - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Alex Eagleston - YIIK

Anakin Skywalker - Star Wars

Aquamarin Hoshino - Oshi No Ko

Ash Ketchum - Pokemon

Atsuko Kagiri/Akko - Little Witch Academia

Batman - DC

Beca Mitchell - Pitch Perfect

Brambleclaw - Warrior Cats

Charlie Morningstar - Hazbin Hotel

Clary Fray/Fairchild - Shadowhunters

Coriolanus Snow - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Dean Winchester - Supernatural

Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way - My Immortal

Elena Gilbert - Vampire Diaries

Eragon - Eragon/Inheritance Cycle

Erika Shinohara - Ookami shoujo to kuro ouji

Frank Reagan - Blue Bloods

Gray Wing - Warrior Cats

Gregory - FNaF Security Breach

Harry Dresden - The Dresden Files

Harry DuBois - Disco Elysium

Holden Caulfield - The Catcher in the Rye

Izuku (Deku) Midoriya - Boku no Hero Academia

Katarina Claes - My Next Life as a Villainess

Kiris - On the Emperor's Lap

Kirito - Sword Art Online

Kvothe - The Kingkiller Chronicles

Kyouya Sata - Ookami shoujo to kuro ouji

Mal - Descendants

Naofumi Iwatani - The Rising of the Shield Hero

Peter Pan - Peter Pan

Pucca - Pucca

Rand al'Thor - Wheel of Time

Rey - Star Wars

Rintaro Okabe - Steins;Gate

Scott McCall - Teen Wolf

Scott Pilgrim - Scott Pilgrim

Skullduggery Pleasant - Skullduggery Pleasant

Sophie Foster - Keeper of the Lost Cities

Stolas - Helluva Boss

Stuart Little - Stuart Little

The Tenth Doctor - Doctor Who

Tim Jackson Drake - DC

Tori Vega - Victorious

Wanda Maximoff - MCU

Wei (Ying) Wuxian - Mo Dao Zu Shi

Xander Harris - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Y/N - Fanfiction

Currently unavailable for a new Round:

Aelin Ashryver Galathynius/Celaena Sardothien - Throne of Glass

Artemis Fowl - Artemis Fowl

Bella Swan - Twilight

Bloom Peters - Fate: The Winx Saga

Bojack Horseman - Bojack Horseman

Caillou - Caillou

Dr Gregory House - House MD

Elsa - Frozen

Evan Hansen - Dear Evan Hansen

Ferris Bueller - Ferris Bueller's Day off

Harry Potter - Harry Potter

Heywood Floyd - Space Odyssey

Kazuya Kinoshita - Rent-a-Girlfriend

Light Yagami - Death Note

Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Miraculous Ladybug

Meliodas - Seven Deadly Sins

Oscar - Shark Tale

Owen Grady - Jurassic World

Peter Griffin - Family Guy

Rachel Berry - Glee

Richard Rahl - Seeker of Truth/Legend of the Seeker

Robin - Teen Titans Go

Ross Geller - Friends

Ted Mosby - How I Met Your Mother

Tony Stark - MCU

Velma - Velma

Victor Frankenstein - Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus

Walter White - Breaking Bad

Zoey Redbird - The House of Night

[ppel0n]

Who's your second favorite ST character?

It's hard to say who the second favorite character is, I put three characters - Jim Hopper, Joyce and Steve...maybe?? I would put Eddie, Robin and Argyle in third place.

I am very critical of the characters and I have questions for many, especially Nancy and sometimes Jonathan... in fact, it's very rare for me to be pleased with anything, my best friend doesn't want to watch movies with me, because I don't like anything HAHAHA...

[grace-aline]

Why I think Bob Newby had to die (part 2)

Make way for Jopper!

Listen. I’m as into shipping ST characters as much as the next Byler. Edits, fanart, fanfiction. Can’t get enough of that shit. Shipping is such a good, positive lens to watch the show through, and my GOD does it bring out some incredible analysis and literary criticism in the fandom.

I feel like I should preface this post by saying that, although I’m very fond of Bob, I’m not anti-Jopper by any stretch of the imagination. Hats off to those who are, but unfortunately I think that fighting Jopper is a bit like fighting the tide going out; like it or not, it’s probably going to happen. Canon Jopper definitely has its issues, don't get me wrong, but it’s exactly that; canon. It’s the most logical, inevitable endgame outcome at this stage, and I don’t think that’s likely to change.

However. I do think that Jim Hopper’s presence in the show was enough to write Bob’s death warrant.

Because from the minute Bob steps onto screen, bridging the gap from extra to character the longer the camera remains trained on his cheerful, innocent face, the same kind of inevitably follows him. Not the inevitability of his death, per say, but certainly a sense that somewhere in writing headquarters, an egg timer has been flipped on Bob and Joyce’s relationship, and that their time together is now counting down. In Beyond Stranger Things, the Duffers talk at length about Bob as being Joyce's "dorky boyfriend" who ultimately “...was always- he was always going to eat it.”

Joyce and Hopper, on the other hand, are one of those duos who are written with a implied degree of romantic certainty from the very beginning of the show. The eye contact, the bickering, the way she calls him ‘Hop’. We as viewers are given the ability to speculate as to their history from their first scene together; when Joyce arrives at the police station to report Will missing. From episode one, season one, they’re looking at each other like this:

It's not necessarily overt, but I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that there is implied history between the pair. When you watch this scene, you also just. Get the general sense that Hopper is going out of his way to help Joyce? I know, I know, Hopper is initially very dismissive of Joyce’s concerns. But the way Joyce is able to talk her way into meeting with the Chief of Police, the way that Hopper himself organises searches and takes time out of his day to meet with and give Joyce personal updates… I guess you could argue that, being Police Chief in a small town, Hopper doesn’t have anything better to be doing with his time. But it’s not like he's only doing the bare minimum for her and Will, and we don’t see him answering early morning callouts or searching through the night for Barbara and Cindy Holland, for example. To me, it definitely reads as Joyce getting special treatment from Hopper.

It's not just us viewers speculating, though. Throughout the show, multiple side characters assume or otherwise divine the fact that Joyce and Hopper have unfinished business together. After defending Joyce to his officers and storming off, Callaghan remarks to Powell that “Her and the Chief have screwed before, right?”, Doctor Owens assumes that Hopper is Will’s “Pop”, and Murray gives the pair a fair earful when he finds out that they’re not dating: “...why don't you two cut the horseshit and get to the part where you admit your sexual feelings for one another?... And now, rather than admit these feelings, you're dancing around one another with this mind-numbing, frankly boorish mating ritual." Even Alexei, who has like half an hour of screen time total and has only known Joyce and Hopper for a couple of days, is shocked by the fact that “They have not had sex?”

I guess what I’m trying to say here is that any viewer or character with even an ounce of media literacy can tell that the Duffers establish Joyce and Hopper’s slow burn romance from very early on in the show. Despite their personal obliviousness (or perhaps more likely, their unwillingness to acknowledge the elephant in the room), there are a few key scenes in which even Joyce and Hopper themselves acknowledge the tension between them.

Bringing us back to season 2, though, what I’m most interested in are their interactions in 02x01: MADMAX. (I think it’s important to look at the series of moments between Joyce and Hopper here as being accumulatively damning to Bob, rather than individual scenes which could mean nothing on their own.) Keep in mind also that this is the first time we’re seeing Hopper and Joyce interact this season; the last we saw them together, they were on a high-stakes mission to bring Will back from the dead. First, Owens mistakes Jim for Will’s father, a mistake he continually makes throughout the series.(I'm thinking about the way that he later addresses/defers to Hopper’s wishes for Will, rather than Bob, and the way that he pulls Hopper, rather than Bob, aside to explain that Will is infected by a parasitic host.) As they depart the lab, Hopper and Joyce have an interaction which is slightly tense and defensive, respectively. After a pause, Hopper asks, “How’s, uh, Bob the Brain?”, not meeting Joyce’s eye, his tone faux-casual. Joyce replies, perhaps a little too quickly, saying, "Don't call him that... He’s good! We’re good.” Her tone has no real bite to it, though. Not long after this chronologically, but in the next episode (2x02: Trick or Treat, Freak) Joyce and Hopper share a cigarette back at her house. After discussing Joyce’s concern about Will’s worsening condition, they move on to (dangerous) reminiscences:

“Brings me back to old times.” "What?" "Well. Sharing my cigarettes between-" "Fifth and sixth period.” "Yeah, under the steps. Mr. Cooper caught us that time, remember? He was like ‘hey, assholes...’” “-we ran, we just ran.”

They laugh together, and then pause, holding one another’s eye contact as the music takes on a slightly melancholy tone. And I know, I know, eye contact isn’t concrete evidence. But just look at the way that they’re looking at each other:

As viewers, I think the Duffers want us to read into the subtext of this interaction; that is to say, what isn’t being said rather than what is. The Duffers want us to, in hindsight, rewatch the scene and see Hopper’s jealous curiousity, Joyce’s playful banter and obvious connection with Hopper despite her ongoing relationship with Bob.

So, Joyce and Hopper’s connection to one another is carefully and clearly established from the beginning. Let’s look at the suitors vying for Joyce's attention, then.

Hopper is a man of action, a man of impulsive decision and a blustery kind of confidence. Being ex-military and generally just fairly quick off the mark, he has a talent for coming out on top of whatever challenge is thrown his way. On top of this, we as an audience are expected, even encouraged to prefer him as a potential suitor because we spend more time with him, and because his character arc is more satisfying. There’s more meat, more complexity to a character who starts out carefully written to be somewhat unlovable in season one. You have to work to like him, work to see his perspective and appreciate how his past, intentionally fed to us in touching, accumulative flashbacks, informs his current approach to relationships. When season 2 opens, we see soft spots, fleetingly, in the way he takes El in, feeding her and clothing her and keeping her alive. We see a soft spot in the way he is implied to have gone with Joyce to every single one of Will’s appointments and in telling her to “…call me first” if she’s worried about Will. In other words, Hopper’s usefulness in dangerous, high pressure situations, when combined with his slow character growth, gives him this inherently endearing quality to audiences. If you didn’t start an outright Hopper fan, maybe you didn't necessarily want to like him, but you knew that characters needed and relied on him; and slowly, slowly, he grew on you too. Maybe not, I don't know. But that's my interpretation.

By contrast, and intentionally I think, Bob fails where Hopper succeeds. He isn’t as smooth or as quick-witted as Hopper. For example, he is frequently shown making verbal blunders, such as being too forward with Joyce by telling her he wants to move out of Hawkins with her, or giving Will poor advice regarding his episodes. On a more mundane level, a lot of his lines are framed in such a way as to make him come across as a little bit socially tone-deaf, unaware of the potential cause for embarrassment in phrases like “sneaky little buggers”, “the Bob-mobile”, or who could forget, *vampiric accent* “I hope it doesn’t suck!” And sure, Bob’s manner of speech is endearing in its own way, but what I’m trying to convey is that, unlike Hopper, it comes with a catch; we as viewers can’t help but cringe a little at him, even as we smile. The central characters are no different, either. Below are actual, real-time reactions to Bob:

Also unlike Hopper, Bob is less situationally and physically adept. He’s got his brains, but he doesn’t know how to use a gun, he doesn’t stand up to Owens and the other Doctors when they're mistreating Will and he ultimately fails to get out of the Lab, a character flaw which costs him his life.

From an even closer reading, just look at the way Hopper and Bob grate against one another in the Lab, one of their first and also one of their last scenes in the same room. To the absolute credit of scripting and acting choices in the scene, Hopper is fiercely calm and focused on the logistics of their escape, while Bob appears out of his depth from the way he gets uncharacteristically snarky with Jim, the way that his breathing is louder and more erratic than the other characters', and even Bob's comedically awkward stance as he tries to help Hopper to raid one of the dead guards:

I think there’s also something to be said about their obvious height difference. Sean Astin, who plays Bob, stands at around 5”6 inches, meaning that David Harbour, who plays Hopper, towers over Bob at approximately 6”2 inches. Now obviously height differences don’t actually, materially matter, but I think the way that Hopper physically dominates and intimidates Bob in his greater height and stronger build is meant to be another, subtler indicator that Bob is in over his head, quite literally.

And then, once he’s alone, Bob’s panic escalates, visibly sweating profusely as he starts to make regular, fatal mistakes. He leaves the gun behind in the basement, he knocks over a broom, alerting a Demodog to his hiding place. And of course, he stops running too soon in the reception hall, ultimately leading to his demise. Helpfully, the Duffers make sure you don’t miss any of these slip-ups with the use of an ominous zoom and a carefully timed stinger on the abandoned gun, and the way the broom falls in a dramatic, almost comic slow motion.

It would have been much quicker and more efficient for them to just hold up a big sign that says, “Bob is weak compared to Hopper guys! He’s not cut out for Joyce’s lifestyle!”

And listen. I’m not saying that I think Bob deserved to die for being unable to match Hopper’s cool-headedness or his combat skills. But I do think that the Duffers exaggerated Bob’s gentle goofiness at times, so that when standing next to Hopper, fans know that ultimately Hopper will replace him.

Interestingly, David Harbour confirms my theory in the Beyond Stranger Things documentary, which covered the filming of Season One and Two: “Does Hopper think that Bob and Joyce are a good match? I would say absolutely not. I mean look, I get the impulse that she’s following in terms of like… she was clearly in a very destructive relationship with Lonnie, and she’s clearly very protective of Will. And so she’s sort of chosen this guy that’s going to be… very nice to her, very nice to Will, and be a kind of good, dorky father figure.” He then goes into how he thinks that ultimately, Joyce and Hopper are “…two really lonely, lost people that really need each other.” “The short answer,” he goes on to summarise, “is I do feel like the sex will be a lot better with Hopper than it is with Bob.”

Hard to know what to say after that one, so there you have it. Another reason why Bob Newby had to die.

[makethatelevenrings]

Angel By the Wing - TEN

Chapter Warnings: swearing (ofc), throwing up/nausea, a creepy guy for .02 seconds, canonical cancer of a character

Series Masterlist

“I’m a little earlier than normal today,” you said from the doorway. After your fight with Jake, you just needed a moment to escape. Somehow, you found yourself on Sarah and Tom’s doorstep. Sarah ushered you in without questioning the stricken look on your face and she encouraged you to go on upstairs to Tom’s office.

The silver haired man beckoned you in and waved for you to sit in the chair next to his desk. He finished typing something on his computer and then turned to you, a raised eyebrow indicating his silent question.

“I’m fine,” you answered. “I just…stuff.” A vague hand wave punctuated his statement and he huffed out a quiet laugh before opening an application on his computer and typing something down.

Do you want to elaborate more on this stuff? The screen read. You rolled your eyes and shrugged.

“You don’t want to hear about my issues,” you assured him.

It’s better than getting my ass beat in checkers.

A small smile tugged at your lips and you sighed. “It’s nothing. Stupid boy stuff.”

His nose crinkled as he screwed his face up in disinterest. Despite being married for a few decades and having a daughter who was married with kids, Tom wasn’t particularly interested in dating drama, but he looked at you with careful consideration.

Any man should be grateful to know such an intelligent and kind young woman such as yourself. You’ve brought so much joy to our family in the few months we’ve known you. If they’re making you upset, then they’re not worth your time. And if he makes you cry, I do have a gun.

You laughed despite the tightening pain in your chest. You had read about dads in books, saw them shown on TV from Charlie Swan to Jim Hopper, but you never really had a dad. Your dad was physically in your life but he wasn’t actually there. He wasn’t someone you could talk out problems with or ask for advice or learn how to change a tire or whatever dads are supposed to teach you. He just came home from work, fell asleep on the couch, ate whatever your mom put in front of him for dinner, and then slept some more. He wasn’t a bad person, he just wasn’t present.

So having this man could have easily turned you away when you showed up on his doorstep looking like a lost kitten, but he took you in and made you feel safer than you ever have. Sarah and Tom never judged or criticized you. They were good, kind people.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” you teased. “Now, can I start reading? Or do you want to interrogate me on something else?”

He let out a huff of a laugh and leaned back in his chair, gesturing for you to proceed. You pulled out the Agatha Christie novel from your purse with a flourish and cracked it open where the bookmark held your place.

“Now, where were we…”

You were nearly to the part of the novel where Hercule Poirot started to piece together the evidence when a voice interrupted you.

“Admiral.”

You turned at the sound of a man’s voice. It was the guy who had been frequenting the Hard Deck. You had figured he was Navy, but this confirmed it. His gaze flickered to you and he dipped his head in greeting. 

“Ma’am,” he said. You glanced at one of the photos on his desk, noting that it was Tom and the man but much younger. Ah, Navy business. Standing up, you folded the bookmark between the pages and tucked the book into your purse.

“I’ll go help Sarah with dinner,” you said. You paused in front of Tom and reached down, squeezing his hand. He smiled up at you, pride shining in his eyes. He was proud of you.

The moment you stepped into the kitchen, you knew something was wrong. Sarah’s eyes were red-rimmed and tinged with a sadness you had seen before.

“No,” you breathed.

“Sit down, sweetie,” Sarah croaked out. She beckoned your forward and you sank onto the stool across from her. She reached out, her slim fingers interlocking with yours. You clasped her hands tightly.

“How bad is it?” you breathed.

“The treatments aren’t working and he���s just so tired, hun. When Maverick came by, it just hit me and…I don’t know what I’m going to do without him,” Sarah whispered. “It’s not like I didn’t see this coming. The cancer has been so aggressive, I’ve been preparing for this but it still…”

She trailed off and you could see it in her eyes. The pain. The grief that has been building. Your wounded heart shattered even more seeing her so heartbroken.

“Whatever happens, I’ll be here for whatever you need,” you promised.

“I know. I’m so lucky I met you.”

For a brief moment, you felt wanted for once in your life. Sarah didn’t treat you like a prop to show off like your mom and Tom didn’t ignore you like your dad. They were proud of you. They were grateful to know you.

“Oh, there will be plenty of tears to cry in the future. No use crying now,” Sarah announced. You could see how she pushed her grief back and let a smile settle across her face, no matter how false it was. Sarah pinched your cheek and then stood.

“You can help me make the pico and guac for dinner,” she said. “It’s nacho night.”

You accepted her hand as she pulled you up to join her at the island, various vegetables laid out before you. As you began chopping, you recalled what she said earlier.

“Maverick? Who is he?”

“Pete, he was a friend of Tom’s at Top Gun. They flew together a while back. He lost his partner when they were training. Goose Bradshaw. Horrible accident.”

Bradshaw. Like Bradley Bradshaw.

That was the man who pulled his papers. That was the man who made him weep on the beach. You thought back to that night pressed against Bradley, staring out at the ocean, as you sliced open an avocado. Your eyes cast over the sight of the creamy green insides that you had eaten plenty of times before.

But this time, your stomach turned at the smell and sight of the avocado. Biting back the involuntary gag, you turned away from the sight and raised the back of your hand to your mouth. Sarah looked up from where she was frying some chicken breasts.

“Honey? Are you okay?” Concern painted her tone and you could have nearly fucking wept at the sound of her kindness.

“I…phew, I just got hit with a wave of nausea. I might have caught a bug at the bar,” you said. You tried to shake off the queasy feeling, but it remained. “I’m sorry, but I should probably go home. I don’t want to get you or Tom sick.”

Her brows creased in a frown but she nodded. Sarah wiped her hand on a towel hanging from the oven and she came over, pressing the back of her hand against your forehead and then your cheek.

“No fever, but it could just be a stomach bug. Go home and rest, okay? I’ll call you tomorrow to check up on you.”

“Thank you,” you mumbled. You started to walk over to grab your purse, but you paused and pivoted on your heel to rush back and pull her into a hug. Sarah’s arms quickly wound around your back and she squeezed you gently.

“Thank you,” you whispered again before you pulled away and gathered your purse up.

The drive home was only a twenty-five minute drive away, but you groaned when you turned on your car and saw the little “E” sign on the dash. You had promised yourself that you would get it on the way back, but that was before you felt like you were going to hurl any moment.

Maybe you could stop by a gas station and get gas and some ginger ale. That sounded like a good idea. The closest gas station was about eight minutes away, but rain started to splatter across your windshield the second you pulled out of the neighborhood. By the time you parked in front of the gas station, it was steadily pouring.

You dashed inside and made a beeline for the soft drink section. Ginger ale. Blessed ginger ale. Carrying your treasure to the register, you were dimly aware of the shattering thunder outside.

“Looks like a pretty bad storm,” the attendant said in the classically chipper retail voice. You offered her a tight smile and nodded. You were relieved once the card reader chirped and you could grab your drink and head back to your car.

“Drive safe!” she called. Raising the ginger ale in salute, you pushed through the door and back out into the pouring rain. You slid into your front seat and cracked open the soda. Small sips, you reminded yourself.

You put your key into the ignition and turned it, but your car let out a pitiful whine and then dropped off.

Fuck no.

You tried it again and your engine wheezed and then spluttered into a pathetic silence. This couldn’t be happening.

And that’s when the nausea hit full force. Your hand scrambled to grab the door handle and you stumbled out of the seat. You barely had time to step into the rain before you were bending over and throwing up the contents of your lunch.

Tears sprang to your eyes, an instinctive reaction to whenever you threw up, and stomach acid burned your throat and nose. A sob spilled out of your mouth followed by another round of vomit.

“Fucking hell,” you croaked out.

This had to be a low for anyone. Standing in the gas station parking lot in rain drenched clothes, strings of vomit dripping down your chin and nose, and crying like a toddler who just spilled their juice and a dead car battery.

You dragged yourself back into your car and crawled into the front seat. Grabbing your phone from the cup holder, you hesitated when thinking of who to call. Sarah was closest, but you couldn’t inconvenience her like that. Penny would have just opened the bar so she wouldn’t be able to come until she could make sure someone was covering for her. Usually, you would be the one covering for her.

Phoenix could help, but she had mentioned that she and Sofia had plans to see a movie tonight…

Your thumb hovered over two names in particular. You hesitated before tapping the first name in your texts. The phone rang for a while before it went to voicemail.

“You’ve reached Seresin! I’m sorry I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave a message or send me a text. And if you’re a telemarketer, don’t bother. Always a pleasure.”

You cursed under your breath and flinched when someone tapped on the window of your car. A man stood there, his hand poised to tap again. You offered him a tight smile and cracked open your car door.

“Car troubles?” he asked.

“Yep,” you laughed, a little too high pitched to be natural.

“I can help you with that.” There was something in his eyes that made you wary. It was the look every woman recognized in a man. Something predatory, as though he would be rewarded for his unneeded service.

“No thanks, my boyfriend is on his way,” you lied. You needed your next call to be answered or you were well and truly fucked. Maybe you could call Coyote?

Without waiting for his reply, you slammed your door shut and checked that it was locked to be sure. You pressed on the second name and held your phone up to your ear. It rang once, twice, three times.

“Please pick up,” you whispered. You could see the guy hanging around near your bumper. “Please.”

“Hey!” Rooster’s voice met your ear and you nearly sobbed in relief. “What’s up? You aren’t at the Hard Deck?”

“Bradley?” you whimpered. God, this was pathetic, but you really couldn’t bring yourself to care. Your mouth tasted horrible, bile stung your throat still, your clothes were soaked and cold against your skin, and you really just wanted to go home to your shitty apartment and curl up in bed.

His voice sharpened, the background noise fading away. “Hey, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”

“I stopped for gas and my battery died,” you explained. “And, uh, a few other problems but that’s unimportant.”

You heard shuffling over the line and then Bradley said something to someone in the background before he came back to the phone. “Can you send me your location? We’re leaving right now.”

“Yeah, yeah, I can text it to you,” you sniffled.

His voice softened at the sound of your tears. “Do you want me to stay on the line?”

You hesitated. You were already being a bother, you didn’t want to inconvenience him anymore. But you also felt so overwhelmed that having someone to talk to would be nice.

“If you can,” you said in a quiet voice.

“How ‘bout I put you on speaker, okay? That way Hangman can join in. You know how he gets when the attention isn’t on him.”

“Jake?” His name tinged your tongue with hope.

“Hey darlin’, sorry I missed your call. I didn’t hear the music over the noise at the bar. Rooster said you were having a little car trouble.” That damn Texan drawl filtered through the phone and you laid your forehead on the steering wheel, relief surging through you.

“Yeah,” you choked back a laugh. “Think I might have caught a stomach bug too.”

Both men grunted, a mixture of disgust and concern. You could hear the sounds of a car moving in the background and you knew they were coming. They would be there soon.

Your boys were coming because you called.

You didn’t have the energy to tamp down the rush of emotion that bubbled up in your chest. Instead, you focused on listening to them banter back and forth as they tried to get you to laugh. It couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes when Jake’s truck pulled up beside you. You ended the call and unlocked the door, but Bradley was already at your door and opening it for you before you could pull the handle.

“C’mon, Jake has some extra clothes you can change into. He’s on the phone with AAA to get a tow out here and take your car to a shop.” His warm hand enclosed around yours and he ushered you into the back seat of Jake’s cab. The blond shot you a smile from where he was seated in the front seat and Bradley took your key before he shut the door behind you and then went around to get your purse and other belongings out of your car.

Jake pointed at the gym bag parked on the floorboard of his backseat. You dug through it and found some basketball shorts and one of his t-shirts. Tugging your soaked shirt over your head, you quickly yanked on his shirt and then shimmied out of your jeans once the hem of his shirt fell across your thighs and pulled on the shorts. You knew he was trying hard not to look at the mirror, but it was nothing he hadn’t seen before.

Jake was a gentleman, however, and you appreciated that at this moment. Because you felt like shit.

Your stomach was beginning to settle, but now you were acutely aware of the empty feeling that remained thanks to losing all the sustenance that was in you. Vomiting always took a lot of energy out of you and now you were exhausted.

The door next to you opened and a rain-drenched Bradley greeted you with a bright grin and roving eyes. He wasn’t looking at you with the burning gaze he had at the wedding, but something more intimately caring and concerned.

“Do you want your ginger ale or do you want me to hold it?” he asked as he placed your purse down next to Jake’s gym bag.

“Can you hold it?” you asked. “I don’t think I need it right now but…”

He nodded and started to back away to go sit in the passenger seat, but you let out a soft sigh that made him pause. Jake must have noticed his hesitation because he jerked his chin towards the backseat and pulled his phone away from his ear.

“There’s more clothes in there, Bradshaw. You take care of her, I’ll worry about the car.”

Bradley climbed in next to you and you placed your forearm over your eyes as he began to strip. Jake chuckled, low and throaty in his chest, and you pulled your arm away so you could shoot him an annoyed look.

“It’s nothing we all haven’t seen before, angel,” he teased.

“Angel?” you questioned, a yawn taking over at the end of your question. He looked back at you, blue eyes soft and warm.

“Yeah, darlin’. How you feeling?”

“Better. Threw up twice in the parking lot. Some guy wanted to help me with the car but I didn’t like his vibes.” They both stiffened at your words, but you waved them off. “He’s gone now.”

Bradley settled back in the seat, clad in a pair of Jake’s sweats and another shirt that pulled across his chest in a delicious way. But you couldn’t focus on the way he looked right now. You just needed to lay down.

Without asking or prompting, you stretched out on your side and laid your head in his lap. Bradley’s hand settled against the back of your neck and he rubbed his thumb into your shoulders. You hummed at his touch and nuzzled your cheek against the soft fabric of the sweatpants.

“Thank you both for coming,” you murmured. “I’m sorry for ruining your night.”

“Nah, sweetheart,” Bradley assured you. “There’s no place we’d rather be.”

Your eyes were shut as you focused on keeping the lingering nausea at bay, so you missed the way the two men shared a look through the rearview mirror. Bradley nodded once and Jake looked away.

“Take a nap, sweetheart. I’ll wake you up when we get to your place.”

You curled up against him at the thought of returning to your empty, shithole of an apartment. The cold bed in the middle of the water-stained walls and sagging ceilings.

“Nah, she can stay at mine,” Jake said. It’s like he read your thoughts. You cracked your eyes open and looked at him in the mirror, finding that he was already watching you. “That okay?”

“That’s perfect.” You hesitated, figuring that your next request wouldn’t go over well. Jake saw the indecision flash across your face and he turned back to look at you.

“What?”

“I just…” You paused and then sighed. “Would it be alright if Bradley stayed too?”

Jake glanced at the brunet and then back at you. “Yeah, angel, that’s fine as long as he’s cool with it.”

Bradley’s thumb now traced circles against the back of your neck, warmth seeping into your skin and making you sleepy. “Yeah, angel, that works for me.”

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[emblazons]

!!!! This is a phenomenal post—and I would also like to add (just as a thought):

I am currently doing a full analysis on Stranger Things and how it parallels/draws influence from “Prisoners,” (Villeneuve, 2013), because it’s movie that inspired the original ST pitch. That film has a character that almost directly parallels Hopper—isolated and distant-emotionally but smart cop who bonds with someone looking for their missing child—and while the Duffers may have just been emulating a story they respected by making Hopper the way he is…it’s still most likely that subconscious cultural bias working on The Duffers as much as it is us (if we’re not aware of why we are so willing to accept positive portrayals of police knowing the reality that faces us every day).

Ironically enough, I believe that it was a subconscious thing for them on some level (at least to start) because of how they portray other members of the police force and the military (who also have an unholy amount of propaganda in America—to the point where the US Department of Defense has an actual PR department where filmmakers can use actual equipment and soldiers in exchange for positive portrayals. I shit you not). Those portrayals are not particularly kind or considerate in the same way they are for Hopper—which is why I am inclined to believe him being portrayed as an empathetic character wasn’t “meant” as copaganda…even though it is. The Duffers not intending to create yet another unrealistically positive portrayal of police does not absolve them of having done so.

All that to say—your favorite creators are not immune to the same cultural biases you are, and it is wise to be aware of them and how they play out both in your mind and the media you consume. It’s not bad to enjoy media as a whole while still acknowledging the subconscious sociocultural biases at play. Those biases are true for all of us (though, as a black/Hispanic woman myself, I am much more aware of the dissonance between media portrayals and reality with police, because they do not and have not ever worked in my community’s favor). It’s especially true in America—and for people who consume American media, because we’re swimming in the same narratives—and it’s critical to be aware of even if you enjoy / appreciate the wider work of Stranger Things.

does st have copaganda? yes im sorry i wanted to ask this question because it seems a lot of people don't think so (harmful in so many ways)

alright. let’s have this conversation.

Copaganda is media that promotes celebratory portrayals of the American* police force. These portrayals are often antithetical to the realities marginalized groups (POC, queer people, working class, the intersections of these groups, etc). Copaganda rewards fictional officers who ignore procedures (that often protect civil liberties) in favor of chasing a “hunch” or “doing what’s right,” even without evidence. When you have a police system with deeply ingrained racism, those “hunches” will be painted by said racism. Basically a show tells you to trust the instincts of police, regardless of proof. By portraying cops as heroes and inherently good, copaganda discourages rightful critique of the police force. They’re the cops. They’re the good guys. What could they possibly be doing wrong?

Jim Hopper, as sheriff, represents the police in this show.** He regularly breaks protocol and the law in order to save the day, and the plot rewards this behavior. Between his relationships with Sarah, Joyce, and El, Hopper is deeply empathetic. we love Hopper and we want to see him win. Most importantly, we trust Hopper. So, if Hopper, who consistently breaks protocol for the greater good = police (which he does, bc being sheriff is a massive part of his character which we never forget), and Hopper = good and trustworthy, then cops who break protocol = good and trustworthy.

Spelled out like that, it seems so obvious. How do you fall for something like that? But they’re all subconscious connections. Often the writers don’t even realize they’re doing it. we’re so used to the “hero cop” archetype that we don’t even stop to think about its repercussions. think about shows like Brooklyn 99 or Psych. It’s pretty clear the showrunners didn’t sit down and say “Okay, how can we further manipulate the American public into trusting a system that primarily exists to oppress marginalized peoples and reinforce harmful social structures?” But that’s the effect. You bombard the American public with media that tells you to empathize with the police and to take their side…. the American public will take their side. So yes. Stranger Things absolutely has copaganda, and it doesn’t matter that it’s unintentional. It is still harmful.

This isn’t to say you have to stop watching Stranger Things.*** Just… be mindful of this. Be aware that this is fictional. The guy in the cop car parked on the corner is not Jim Hopper, or Jake Peralta, or Juliet O’Hara. Cops are not your friends. They do not want to help you. (If one bad apple is protected by ten good apples, you have ten bad apples. all cops are bastards****.)

Garfield said it best: you are not immune to propaganda. Stay critical of the media you consume. Don’t let yourself get played.

*copaganda is not exclusive to the US, but it’s especially widespread here and that’s what is relevant to this conversation given ST takes place in indiana.

**in seasons 1-3. callahan’s joviality and powell’s struggle to fill hopper’s shoes in s4 make them empathetic. again, getting us on their side and trusting them.

***full disclosure: it is in no universe my call on whether you should or shouldn’t keep watching a show bc it’s copaganda. i’m very white and it is not my place to decide whether a show can be “forgiven” or not. again. stay critical.

****just a reminder that ACAB does not mean all cops suck, it means all cops are part of a bastardized system that, again, exists to serve and reinforce oppressive structures.

[gooddadtournament]

Welcome to the Good Dad Tournament!

As a reminder, here are the qualifications I put forth when I opened submissions:

Must love and care for kids

Does not need to have any legal children (biological or adopted) but should spend a decent amount of time being responsible for the well-being of at least one kid

Does not have to be a man, but should exude Dad Energy. Don't submit a Good Mom- we love them too, but this is about Good Dads.

we are not looking for Daddy Energy, we are looking for Dad Energy.

Week One Matchups:

- Bob Belcher (Bob’s Burgers) vs Joe West (The Flash)

- Mufasa (The Lion King) vs Ben Parker (Spider-man)

- Jim Hopper (Stranger Things) vs Agustín Madrigal (Encanto)

- Félix Madrigal (Encanto) vs Uncle Iroh (ATLA)

- Yagi Toshinori/All Might (BNHA) vs Marlin (Finding Nemo)

- Ron Swanson (Parks & Rec) vs Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)

- Shadow-san (Carmen Sandiego) vs Bobby Nash (9-1-1)

- Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso) vs Nicholas Benedict (The Mysterious Benedict Society)

- Milligan Wetherall (The Mysterious Benedict Society) vs Jonathan Kent (Superman/DC)

- Phil Coulson (Agents of SHIELD) vs Percy de Rolo (Critical Role)

- Gomez Addams (The Addams Family) vs Raymond Holt (Brooklyn 99)

- Jefferson Davis (Into the Spider-Verse) vs Aizawa Shouta/Eraserhead (BNHA)

- Tenzin (The Legend of Korra) vs Scott Lang (Marvel)

- Gru (Despicable Me) vs Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

- Bruce Wayne (Wayne Family Adventures) vs Bob Parr (The Incredibles)

- Johnny Rose (Schitt’s Creek) vs Joel Miller (The Last of Us)

[castlebyersafterdark]

people who dislike hopper i never get. he was perfection in s1 as a character. he's stable and steadfast in s2 and we root for jopper all the way. s3 everyone went a bit off base, and you gotta wonder... was it deliberate ? surely the writers know what theyre doing. and it was entertaining as hell. and then we see backstory in s4. i don't love the military stuff with the russians but hopper's snowy storyline was actually so compelling because it felt like moody dark s1 hopper again and i missed him. his el storyline is so moving. so so moving. like, if they wanted me to cry during mike's i love you monologue - well they clearly didnt cos they can make me cry in 0.5 seconds flat with the el/hopper reunion, even when im at my most bitter and anti-el lol.

but mostly i just don't understand the hate hopper gets for yelling at mike and treating mileven that way in s3? he was soooo justified cos mike was being an actual little shit and so disrespectful. he needed to learn a lesson and if that lesson was a bit wacko by todays standards then guess what! it was the 80s! and like i said before, entertaining as hell lol. i mean the whole dont mess with jim thing is iconic and we were clearly meant to be on hop's side and laugh. if you were siding with mike atp then you must have been fighting for your life lol cos who wouldnt smile at that music as hopper pulls up to melvalds

wow i have opinions on this lol

COSIGNED!!! Vibing with all of this, I don't need to repeat you because you popped off and gave a stunning sermon. Now, I can understand a lot of people didn't like the Russian plot overall, and I can lean towards that, too - but the problem wasn't Hopper for it. Maybe the Russian plot being included in the series the way it is overall is a misstep, we'll see what relevance it has to close out the show, but Hopper was compelling within that storyline, despite of it.

My final line is just a criticism of the blandest of criticism: "Fuck Hopper because fuck cops!" Well, yeah!!! Agree with the last part!! Are we saying that Jim Hopper is a stunning example of copaganda? Do you really think he's a model police officer meant to prop up the profession? Are you actually serious? 🤣🤣🤣 Messy.

[serenefreakgeekao3]

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hello, my name is Rook, im a hufflepuff, and i have been officially writing fanfiction for seven years. i write ships and xReaders (default to gender neutral reader)

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[world-cinema-research]

A Review of Blue Velvet (1986) with shared similarities to Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai (1999)  

By Cris Nyne

Blue Velvet is a film noir murder mystery that is both polarizing and captivating. The film is a product of surreal storyteller David Lynch and it begins in almost a dream sequence from the heart of the American dream that churns into the dirt within the first two minutes of it’s opening. Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) is home from college after his father has a stroke. While walking through a field, he finds a severed human ear that he brings to the home of detective John Williams. Jeffrey then strikes up a relationship with detective Williams’ daughter Sandy (Laura Dern). After some inside information from Sandy, Jeffrey begins to stalk jazz singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) who is seemingly connected to the ear. Soon thereafter, he finds himself caught in the tumultuous world of a drug-fueled psychopathic sadomasochist gangster, Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper), who potentially has Dorothy’s husband and son.

The film is edgy, with lots of tense interactions and scenes filmed at night. The sexual violence perpetrated towards Dorothy from Frank made a lot of viewers uncomfortable and made for a very divisive film. Roger Ebert initially gave the film a one-star review, then followed that review with another take titled, “My Problem with Blue Velvet.”

“I am not one of the film's admirers. Or perhaps I should say, I admire its craftsmanship but am not one of its defenders. I believe Lynch is a talented director, and that in "Blue Velvet" he has used his talent in an unworthy way. The movie is powerful, challenging and made with great skill, and yet it made me feel pity for the actors who worked in it and anger at the director for taking liberties with them.” -Roger Ebert, “My Problem with Blue Velvet” October 1986

Isabella Rossellini defended her role and David Lynch in an interview with IndieWire. “I try not to read reviews. They’re always depressing. There’s always something that, even if [the review is] good, there is always one sentence that is negative and stays inside you forever. But I remember I was told that Roger Ebert said that [Lynch] exploited me, and I was surprised, because I was an adult. I was 31 or 32. I chose to play the character.” -Rossellini March 2024

During the release of Blue Velvet, many important historical events took place during 1986, including the largest man-made disaster in history with the Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown. Ronald Reagan also confessed to illegal arms sale to Iran in what is now known as "The Iran-Contra Scandal."

Although the original reviews were mixed, today Blue Velvet has obtained cult status and is regarded as one of Lynch’s most important films. American Film institute lists the film at number eight in it’s all-time top ten mystery films. Lynch was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director. Blue Velvet was named Best Film at by Boston Society of Film Critics, Sitges (Catalonian Film Festival), Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle Awards, and the National Society of Film Critics Awards. Dennis Hopper also pulled in numerous Best Supporting Actor awards, including the Montreal World Film Festival. Rotten Tomatoes gives Blue Velvet a 95% rating with critics and an 88% score with over 50,000 audience members. Blue Velvet had a budget of six million dollars and generated more than ten million at the box office. Although Lynch was becoming a well-known director with films like Eraserhead and Dune, the smaller budget, independent release and challenging storyline made the film more unconventional than mainstream.

Speaking of unconventional films, my choice for week seven was Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai (1999), featuring Forest Whitaker. Whitaker as Ghost Dog is a modern-day samurai who quotes Hagakure (a spiritual guide for warriors, first published in 1716), has a best friend that only speaks French- which he doesn’t understand a word of, and lives on a rooftop with his pigeons in a fictional city. Both movies take place in fictional locations. Blue Velvet is set in “Lumberton”, a cozy suburban logging town, but it was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, which is about 80 miles southeast of Lumberton, NC. They are not related. Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai was primarily filmed in Jersey City, New Jersey, but the location is never mentioned in the film. Ghost Dog seems to be an amalgamation of cities from the northeast United States.

The main characters in both films are male, and their adversaries are gangsters. In Blue Velvet, Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) finds himself in the grasp of psychonaut/psychopath Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper), the leader of a pack of misfits and miscreants. Their main objective is unclear, but drugs and violence are involved. Frank has the air of an extremely malevolent drug-fueled mob boss. In his role as Ghost Dog, Forest Whitaker is a hired hitman for Louie, an arm of a mob family. After a hired hit from Ghost Dog doesn’t go as planned due to an unexpected witness, the mob wants Louie to have Ghost Dog killed. Both main characters find themselves in the crosshairs of people whose business is violence.

Blue Velvet and Ghost Dog both were released by independent production companies (DeLaurentis and JVC, Le Studio Canal+, and BAC Films, respectively). I found it amusing that Lynch was born January 20th and Jarmusch January 22nd, seven years apart, but both auteurs were born under the artistic/philosopher sign of Aquarius. Both directors share the same contemporaneous timeline and have very distinctive styles. Although the film’s differences were noticeable, the similarities also reverberated throughout the film. Finding the similarities between two different genres of film has been an interesting lesson in critical thought. I would suggest both films for anyone not versed in the worlds of Lynch and Jarmusch.