#single nancy > jancy > that other ship

[stars-and-birds]

I’m wondering smth

[ronanceautistic]

Honest question, do you fear that they’ll pair up nancy and steve together with the only explanation being :) standard hetero high school sweet heart :) because im terrified

Nancy doesn’t want a picket fence and gaggle of children 😭 nancy wants to expose and topple world leaders

I refuse to think about it for more than 5 seconds bc I do not trust them to make the right decision, but I think they’ve invested too much time in Jancy to throw it away in 8 episodes or less. And it helps that Natalia and Charlie are together in real life, which obviously,,, yk, actors and characters are separate entities, but as far as I recall, their chemistry & relationship pushed the writers to make Jancy canon in Season 2, so there’s at least a little influence there.

I think Jancy is cute as young loser teenagers, I don’t know how their future would go, but whatever it is, it feels better than The Other Ship.

Honestly? If it wasn’t the final season I would have faith in the writers. But there have been plenty of shows that have made very questionable final seasons with seemingly no logic behind the decisions made so who knows.

But I do think one of the benefits ST has compared to other shows where final seasons have fallen flat is that it’s very clear that the creators very much care about how the show, rather than just ratings or shock value or, uh, complete and utter creative control to one single person in a certain 80s sitcoms case.

I would not nearly like ST as much as I do if it wasn’t very clearly a small passion project that blew up way more than expected and ended up with a budget lol. Plus we’ve heard good things from the cast on the ending, which is their job of course, but it feels sincere so far.

[hazmatazz]

ok so ignoring all other ships (r.nance, st.nathan, st.ncy, st.ddie, etc) and ignoring the possibilities that nancy and jonathan and steve are all single at the end of the show (which i enjoy the most tbh) i'm asking:

[williamprattz]

whats your unpopular st opinions??

note idc if you do have different opinions because ANON asked for MY unpopular opinions,, so if your opinion is different keep it to yourself

so lets get into this

i don't think jason/chrissys relationship was abusive; they did care for each other but jason is still a massive dick and chrissy deserves better to be stuck with his ass

idgaf about vickie but i am glad that shes getting more screen time in season 5 so maybe then i will care for her

Lucas and El have some of the best growth in the series relationship wise, going from not liking each other / mistrust to trusting each other in their worst moments and i hope they get more screen time in season 5

jancy and milven won't break up in season five but i do predict a jancy fight/angst next season

stonathan is the best steve mlm ship

robin and steve wouldn't be into any sort of drugs after what happened in season 3, yes this includes weed. being forcibly drugged is in fact traumatic [duh] and i especially don't see robin willing to put herself in a situation like that again

i don't think eddie should be brought back from the dead

arygle getting cut but these zoinist actors get to say is disgusting and the duffer brothers deserve to get more shit for this

billy stans that excuse billys actions by saying his dad abused him are so stupid because jonathan was abused by his father yet he's not racist abuser

eddie is a metal head not punk or goth idk why people get it mixed up so often

s1 steve and jonathan were both problematic, and can both be criticized

nancy isn’t this bitchy/priss girl neither was she the princess or queen of hawkin high she was just a quiet girl who had like one friend then she happened to start dating steve. shes obviously more out of her shell in the later seasons but shes still a nerdy bookworm that loves journalism and not this high school mean girl

karen wheeler is a creep for the whole billy situation and not a cunty girlboss

el & nancy ending up single at the end of the series isn't as feminist as you guys want to believe it is [like god women can be in a relationship and still have their individual story development,, they can coexist]

[wewebaggit]

"El never had romantic feelings for Mike"ers 🤝 "Mike had romantic feelings for El"ers

Y'all think y'all are arm wrestling bt it's actually called a handshake in most parts of the world.

Both come from some weird desire for romantic miIeven to have meant nothing/something for both.

Cuz everything has to be just right and fair and neatly tied in a bow. God forbid the gay boy have struggles with his sexuality or the straight girl get her heart broken in the process. Evil evil things. To have your feelings unrequited. Unless it's Will. Cuz he's single and has to stay single and pure and loyal and what not, and it's only temporary. Soon in a few years after the time skip at the end of the series he'll be rewarded for being reduced to a pathetic little sap with no social life beyond Jonathan, Mike and the horrors of having spidey sense for 2 seasons.

And yeah there will be cirque du soleil levels of acrobatics being performed to show why this story and narrative makes sense. And I'm not opposed to it for being that but just that on show that prides itself for show don't tell it neither shows nor tells and then there's outside the show telling by cast cuz inside the show showing was less subtle and more in the realm of not there at all.

MiIeven is NOT a "plot device" for Byler any more than Mike being revealed gay is a plot device for independent El. They're both self contained arcs for the respective characters. MiIeven thoroughly exploited the BSY dynamic with how their interactions were framed and played and okayed and filmed. It's incredibly condescending to fault the GA for buying into the self insert fantasy of nerdy boy gets supergirl when the show didn't shy away from profiting off of it. Regardless of Mike's impending sexuality. Especially because of the super ambiguity of Mike's sexuality it cannot be classified as anything but trope exploitation. Subversion where? Leaving some visuals here.

El initiating the kiss in S1E6

And I'd love it if anyone explains them to me that's not the tired af "El's idea of romantic love comes from her watching soap operas" cuz she was shown watching it once. She was stuck in a cabin with a TV so she watched TV most of the time and daytime is soaps. You know what she (also) watched regularly? Westerns. Miami Vice.

Also El did make the first move in s1e7 to kiss Mike. Before Mike ever kissed her in s1e8. And before the soap operas n all other things. Point being. The BSY has always been BSYing.

Poor babies being forced by Lucas, Nancy and daytime TV into making out and enjoying it. Tsk tsk. (S3E1)

A forced to be flustered and blushing El after talking to her boyfriend.

Time to make out some more. It hits different at 4:20. - Mike & El probably. Dunno it's on mute.

Naive but powerful fawn rebelling against father for nerdy boyfriend. Ya. White American thing cuz Mike would be pissing his pants if he were anywhere else or maybe anyone else. (Can you imagine Lumax this way?)

For God's sake your platonic soulmate and so called lesbian awakening's brother is dying there.

Don't even understand the point of this shot. Since Mike never looked Billy's way. Or comforted Max. A glance at El that, idk what it meant, no mike crow expressions to guide me.

Scenes from a Marriage (1973) dir. Ingmar Bergman

Scenes from a Marriage (2021) dir. Hagai Levi

There's an intentional way in which the MiIeven scenes (not just the kisses 🤮) are filmed in a more "adult" way as opposed to the "cute teenaged romance" way that some people purport it is in contrast to Lumax and Duzie. (I guess they didn't go through puberty.🤷‍♀️) Heck even Jancy, Stancy never looked this weird even though sex was shown/ implied. (Because they were played by actors born in the 20th century and even then they weren't 13 🤷‍♀️.)

MiIeven is not a plot device for Byler. It is fan service. The adults shipping them and comparing them to various other adult couples isn't outta nowhere. Please compute. Which is why it was stretched for 4 seasons.

As of NOW Mike's sexuality is still plausible deniability and the breakup too is neither here nor there. It's NOT straightbaiting. Lmao. Not at all. It's fan service. Leaving the OBVIOUS BSY aside, the point neither party were forced into anything nor were they doing it to keep appearances cuz canonically NOBODY cared. Not Dustin, not Lucas, definitely not Will and I'm sure neither did Max.

El was a willing participant and initiator and Mike was also not opposed to it until puberty monster/feelings caught up with him. El has shown her attraction to guys and it is okay. There's no need to take that away from her cuz that is also an experience of girlhood. She barely has any experiences anyway. Let her have that.

It's the same for Mike. He's not some evil monster for being gay. Not anymore than Joyce was for being with Bob out of convenience and the fact that she liked him n didn't hate him. Mike does love El and cares about her deeply as all of S4 shows.

So to sum it up. Yes I smooshed 2 posts cuz I couldn't be arsed talking about these 2 AGAIN. But Mike and El were independent agents when they decided to embark on their disastrous romantic journey and Born Sexy Yesterday is REAL.

P.S. If you find this shit cute and y'all roll your eyes over byler kissing n what not (even in fics goddamnit). Hit your head against a spiked wall till you can't no more. Piss and love. 💙💛

P.P.S. Mike's the clingy one. NOT Will.

[jxncywarrior]

Stranger Things characters and ships as Taylor Swift albums

Part Three: Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

*Disclaimer: I’m tagging all the ships and characters featured. I’m gonna try not to be biased. MOST of these are strictly based on canon. No hate to ANY ships or shippers.*

Mine: Jancy (Nancy’s POV)

“I fell in love with a careless man’s careless daughter”

Sparks Fly: Byler (Mike’s POV)

“Drop everything now. Meet me in the pouring rain”

Back To December: Byler (Mike’s POV)

“When your birthday passed and I didn't call. Then I think about summer, all the beautiful times”

Speak Now: Jopper (Hopper’s POV)

“Horrified looks from everyone in the room but I'm only looking at you”

Dear John: Stancy (Nancy’s POV)

“And my mother accused me of losing my mind but I swore I was fine”

Mean: El

“You have pointed out my flaws again. As if I don't already see them”

The Story Of Us: Lumax (Lucas’ POV)

“I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how. I've never heard silence quite this loud”

Enchanted: Ronance (Robin’s POV)

“The playful conversation starts. Counter all your quick remarks like passing notes in secrecy”

Better Than Revenge: Stancy (Steve’s POV)

“She came along, got him alone, and let's hear the applause. She took him faster than you could say sabotage”

Innocent: Mike

“Who you are is not what you did”

Haunted: Stancy (Steve’s POV)

“He will try to take away my pain and he just might make me smile but the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead”

Last Kiss: Lumax (Lucas’s POV)

“So I'll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep and I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe”

Long Live: The Entire Crew

“The cynics were outraged screaming this is absurd ‘cause for a moment a band of thieves in ripped up jeans got to rule the world…I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you”

Never Grow Up: Will

“Remember the footsteps, remember the words said and all your little brother's favorite songs. I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone”

Ours: Byler (Will’s POV)

“Don’t you worry your pretty little mind. People throw rocks at things that shine”

Superman: Mileven (Mike’s POV)

“He's not all bad like his reputation and I can't hear one single word they said”

Electric Touch: Jancy (Both POVs)

“I've gotten used to no one callin' my phone. I've grown accustomed to sleepin' alone”

When Emma Falls In Love: Nancy

“Cause she's the kind of book that you can't put down. Like if Cleopatra grew up in a small town and all the bad boys would be good boys if they only had a chance to love her”

I Can See You: Jancy (Nancy’s POV)

“That I could see you throw your jacket on the floor. I could see you make me want you even more”

Castles Crumbling: El

“Smoke billows from my ships in the harbor. People look at me like I'm a monster Now they're screaming at the palace front gates, used to chant my name. Now they're screaming that they hate me”

Foolish One: Will

“You give me just enough attention to keep my hopes too high. Wishful thoughts forget to mention when something's really not right”

Timeless: Lumax (Max’s POV)

“In a crowded room a few short years ago and sometimes there's no proof, you just know. You're always gonna be mine”

Links to the other parts: Debut, Fearless, Red, 1989, reputation, Lover, folklore, evermore

[strangertheories]

STRANGERTHEORIES S5 post index and intro

This index is very long so to avoid clutter on my blog, I've put it under the cut.

❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜

SCROLL DOWN FOR INTRO <3 Here's my S4 index for theories and other random posts which are a bit out of date now. * means the post was written before the release of volume 2.

ST5 theories

Kas theories (Eddie and Max)

Can Vecna see through Max's eyes?

What will happen when Max wakes up?

Quantum Entanglement and ST5

The First Shadow theories

The First Shadow: what is the source of Henry's powers?

The First Shadow: why did Henry kidnap Will?

Two interesting follow up asks: 1, 2 + a small correction

X-Men and Dark Phoenix parallels

Is Henry related to Jane/El

How will S5 play out/end?

Could Mr Clarke return?

Could Kali/008 return?

Could Mike die?

Will Byers

What will Hawkins be like in S5?

Is Holly missing?

What gay Will Byers means to me*

All proof Will is gay (long post for a reason)

What Will Byers having powers might look like

Did Vecna target Will from the start?

Does Vecna want Will dead?

Vecna and Will parallels

Did Will manifest the Upside Down into Hawkins?

Will froze the Upside Down

The psychological bond between Will and Vecna

Does Will have a clone? (Bodygate)

Could Vecna out Will in S5?

Could Lonnie return in S5?

Byler

Gay Mike analysis (volume 2 is not covered)*

Shipping Byler shouldn't be stressful

Mischaracterisation of Will and Mike

Failures in Mike's writing in S3 & S4

Mike outside of romantic relationships

Byler colour coding

The Van Monologue

Why I went off mlvn

Unrequited Byler or no Byler?

Why I started shipping Byler*

Byler headcanons and even more Byler headcanons*

First date headcanons (also includes Steddie, Ronance and Jopper)

Argument for Byler endgame

Is Byler rushed?

Could Byler be Vecna'd in S5?

In defense of bi Mike

Why I like bi Mike

In defense of Byler doubters

Oh god that blew up, so here's my response

A follow up post to the follow up post

Robin Buckley

Highlights of Robin's comic

Platonic Stobin's impact on Robin (long post)

Robin centric headcanons (Ronance)

Robin headcanons pt 2*

Autistic Robin proof*

More autistic Robin content

Robin and camouflaging

No, Robin didn't drastically change personality*

Robin and ableism*

Steve is Robin's comfort person*

Ronance

First date headcanons (also includes Byler, Steddie and Jopper)

Ronance headcanons*

Ronance and overuse of boy drama (follow up post)*

Will Jancy resolve their issues? (goes on about every Nancy ship)

Why Stancy shouldn't be endgame

How would Ronance play out?

Single Nancy vs Ronance

Why I prefer Ronance to Rovickie (a discussion of fandom, canon and headcanon)

Ronance apparently doesn't center Steve enough (debunked)

Bra sharing

Fan art: post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4

General

Unpopular opinions

Eleven's character arc in S4 and hopes for S5

Long Max character analysis*

Which characters might die in ST5?

Panel with actors of Chrissy, Karen and Alexei

Homophobia and queer shipping*

Fandom bullying

Eddie's death is good actually

No, Steve isn't homophobic (to Robin)

Where Steve's character arc went wrong

Characters that I think are autistic and autistic headcanons

On neurodivergent headcanons

Autistic Eleven proof

Nancy and how audiences treat trauma

Eddie's character arc & death

The Duffers planned for more seasons after S1

Ranking of seasons, characters and ships*

Set photos plus short commentary: 1, 2, 3

❤️🧡💛💚🩵💜

Hello fellow Stranger Things fans! This is the index post of my blog, strangertheories, where I make content about Stranger Things! I've been obsessed with Stranger Things for years so I've decided to spare everyone in my life from having to hear me ranting about it and create this blog to share my thoughts. You can also find me on TikTok as forever_ronance and on Letterboxd as crimsonxclover.

I post about Byler, Ronance and most of all, theories (kind of in the name). I try to only post about ST but if I want to post about something else, I'll tag it #not ST related. I regularly answer anons if you are interested in sending me an ask as well!

If my account appeals to you, I would appreciate if you check out my posts. If you're looking for a specific post, I've got you covered- just look at the list above or see what I've posted under the tags I've tagged this post with. My personal favourite section is the ST5 theories as they're my most thought out and analytical posts but hopefully there's something up here that you enjoy. I don't include all of my posts as this index is only my important posts so if you sent me an ask and it's not on the index, that's why. Enjoy reading and thanks for checking out my account!

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

While we Stancy shippers would find it nice to convert some people, we're also not trying to stop anyone from shipping other ships. What we're trying to get people to do is stop acting like it's the end of the world if Steve and Nancy get back together. What we want is for people to stop twisting Steve’s sweet dream into something vile. What we want is for people to stop saying that Nancy can't have a career or happiness with Steve. What we want is for people to stop making up bullshit about how Steve wants her to give up her dream for his when he didn't even imply that. Shipping Stancy isn't going to stop you from shipping Steddie or shipping Jancy or shipping Ronance. You still do all those other things. It's not going to make you a bad person for wishing Steve and Nancy to be happy together. What we want is for people to stop acting like it's a problematic ship when it's fucking not. What we really fucking want is for other people to stop saying they'd rather that Steve die. . .I mean, what the fuck? What we want is for people to stop trying to make us feel like we're bad people for liking the ship or that we hate women. Not a single goddamn Stancy is trying to force anyone to give up their ship. What we also want is for people to stop taking away Nancy's agency by saying that Steve is trying to force her into something she doesn't want. Respect the dignity of Nancy's choice and the knowledge that right now none of knows what she wants. . .we just think we do.

[jaaklops]

Ronance for the send me a ship ask game

my thoughts: i love them!! i don’t talk about them nearly as much as i used to but they do hold a special place in my heart

what makes me happy about them: idk just their like. vibe!! and all that. and the trope it’s just sooo nice and it’s so flexible too, there’s a lot you can do with them

what makes me sad about them: probably the fact they’ll never be canon💔

things done in fanfic that annoys me: sigh. mischaracterizations.

things I look for in fanfic: nothing in specific really. i don’t read many fics of them anymore but i never did have anything specific in mind most of the time

who i’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: rockie for robin, and either single or jancy for nancy! i love both of those too

my happily ever after for them: end of the world kissing

who is the big spoon/little spoon: depends on the day but nancy is the big spoon more than half the time, robin is little spoon

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: hmm definitely talking in family video while robin is on shift. disguising lovey dovey conversations in code with movie titles

thanks for the ask!

[the-lark-ascending69]

What are your other Stranger Things ships?

Lumax all the time and forever, no question 🥰 ronance may be otp but I think Lumax is the single best written love story in the show, especially in s4. They got a beautiful development and they're just so cute and adorable aah, Lucas is a huge sweetheart and Max acts all edgy but you can tell she loves him with her whole heart. The little "hi :)" note is what kills me 😭 i need to rewatch the whole show just for them. It's been years since I watched it whole so I can't remember all the details, but I remember how beautiful their relationship was and how quickly I realized the quality of the writing was far superior to that of other relationships. Tbh they should be the main romantic couple of the show at this point. Stranger Things is a lumax show in my head now. We even have a canon lumax song (I insist that Running Up That Hill is a lumax song). It's just perfect. Aaagh. I love them.

This isn't to talk shit about ships like jopper or m1leven or jancy or anything, I think all ships are valid, but there's a difference between a ship in a fandom and whether or not that relationship is well-written in canon, and I always felt weird about canon m1leven tbh, which is the relationship I inevitably compare lumax to the most. I'm sure m1leven shippers create beautiful fanwork, that they have beautiful fanfics and fanart and analysis and I love that they love it, but it doesn't work for me. They had their first kiss at like 12 when El barely even knew anything about romance, boys, love or kissing. And she just stuck with him for the rest of the show. She got into the real world and immediately got a boyfriend, barely even knowing what a boyfriend was. I think that if they got together in season 3 or 4 it would have worked much better. Give them time to know themselves individually and each other as friends before becoming a couple. Idk, it just feels heteronormative/amatonormative, that just because there's a boy and a girl in close proximity they must be in love, even if they haven't even gone through puberty yet. They're just too young when it starts and the weirdness felt an odd taste in my mouth ever since, sorry. I don't want to turn this into m1leven hating because I don't hate any ships, i just wanted to justify the use of this meme that I've kept in my folder for years but i never got the chance to use before

Other than that... i remeber i actually enjoyed jancy a lot back when s3 came out. I had a Steve x Nancy x Jonathan phase at some point lol. I like Jopper quite a bit too but idk I think I kinda lost interest around s3. Hopper is a bit too much of an asshole sometimes. They may not be the most romantic ir developed of couples, but Dustin and Suzie make me laugh a lot.

So yeah ronance and lumax mostly. I've been wanting to get more involved in the lumax fandom, but ronance brainrot is just too strong xD those two are my favorites

[freckledjoes]

what do you think about stancy btw? is it just me or stancy feels forced? i mean jancy is stressed and stancy is toxic…and what you would do if your ex was slut shaming you and then after years telling you he wants a big family with you? i mean come on…and steve was a shitty bf back (even tho he had the best glow up and ch. development ever. i love him now. he wasn’t a bad guy for me…i feel like he didn’t ever even bully anyone. yeah he broke jonathan’s camera but that was after he found out he was photographing his girlfriend almost naked..i mean…how would u reacted?) what would change if he and nancy got back together? and duffers are saying s5 it’s gonna be like if s1 and 3 had a baby…why would they want to repeat some things that happened in s1 (i really hate stancy pls) give steve a chance to have a gf who actually loves him and respects him and doesn’t take him for granted…or just let him be a single mom of his 6 kids…i feel like nancy needs to be independent… rely more just on her own and her career and not mess around with MY steve lmao 🤣💗

Oh you really put me on the spot here huh, comfortably hiding behind anon while I have to say it out loud (I'm teasing, it's all good)! Let me start by saying: IT'S AN OPINION!!! If you do ship her with either guy, enjoy your ship! I just don't ship it myself.

Alright, so... if I was Nancy, I'd be single. Not saying either boy is bad but I don't see either boy being good for her. Both made mistakes, that's for sure. Not saying they can't come back from it (Steve has had a brilliant arc and I'm sure Jonathan has learned not to take pics of people w/o their consent) but I'd personally much rather see Nancy thrive on her own rather than be reduced to a girl who needs a boyfriend at the end of the show.

I don't think she aligns with either of them. She's ambitious, she doesn't sound like she wants to have kids any time soon, if ever, so that basically cancels out Steve imo. At least, I don't think it's good for either of them to be with each other if they look so differently at the future. As for Jonathan, I just don't feel much for their relationship from what we've seen currently. Just don't really see it.

Steve needs someone who makes him feel and treats him like an equal. He deserves to be loved as much as he loves, and that man has a lot of love to give. I wish my favorite bi (headcanon) guy the best partner <3

[jackiietaylor]

unpopular stranger things opinions/hot takes 👀

omg thanks for sending this and giving me a reason to share my opinions 👀 this got really long because i have a lot to say apparently

first of all, i genuinely love and enjoy this show and that seems to be an unpopular opinion recently? like i was shocked when i logged on after watching volume 2 and everyone on my dash hated it because i loved it. and i love all the other seasons, too. yeah obviously there’s some parts i don’t like and things i would change but overall i still think it’s really good. but yeah mandatory “i do actually really like the show” before i start complaining about some things

s1 > s4 > s3 > s2

i don’t understand the obsession with character death. not as in i don’t understand why people don’t want characters to die but i don’t understand the constant need to talk about how characters are “definitely” going to die. no main character has been killed off throughout the whole show and yet pre-s4 no one would shut up about characters dying. also after the reaction to eddies death i think the duffers are gonna be too scared to kill anyone off lol

on the other hand, killing el off/not giving her a happy ending would be the single greatest mistake the show could make

el’s side plot in s2 is one of the highlights of the show for me. the lost sister will probably forever be my favorite episode of the show. ive never understood the hate it gets. im really hoping that kali comes back in s5 and helps fight vecna

el is the only Main character. there are obviously many other characters that are leads but she is ultimately the main character. the entire show revolves around her and her plot(s).

nancy has some of the best development in the entire show. ive seen so many people say she has no development outside of the love triangle and i find that so surprising because she’s changed soo much. her entire journey to wanting to be a reporter directly stems from her not being listened to and her desire to do something about barbs death. everything about her current character stems from that specific moment and we’ve seen throughout the seasons how that’s progressed and shaped her into and i think because of that development, she’s pretty much the only character with a defined ending (career as a journalist)

mike has done like one thing wrong in the entire show and im so unbelievably tired of people acting like he’s the villain. he’s a 14 year old who doesn’t know how to perfectly express himself sometimes. people need to leave him alone

steve & robin and el & max have the two best friendships on the entire show and anyone who says otherwise is wrong

hopper should’ve stayed dead. his death was perfectly written in s3 and reviving him brought nothing to the plot. it wasn’t even explained how he survived, he was just there. it wasn’t well thought out or well written, and overall it just wasnt necessary. they ruined what was ultimately a beautiful send off (the speech to end s3) for a cheap plot twist that had no payoff.

(also i don’t like hopper because he gave brenner el’s location in s1, fully intending that he would kidnap her again. it’s unforgivable regardless of what his reasoning was and i hate that it was never brought up ever again)

going off of that, the entire russia plot is the worst written part of the whole show. it could be scrapped entirely from s4 and the season would lose nothing

stranger things is blatantly obvious about what ships are gonna end up together at the end of the show

jancy is just a truly terrible ship all around. jonathan hiding in a bush to take pictures of nancy through a window while she was taking her clothes off is soo unbelievably creepy and unforgivable, and it’s terrible that it was just dropped with no consequences whatsoever for him. he doesn’t even actually apologize! he says he shouldnt have taken the picture, but when she asks him why he took it in the next episode he says it was just a nice picture and then starts lecturing her about how she’s gonna end up miserable like her mom?? they should’ve never got together after all that. and then there’s all the bullshit in s3 when he undermined the misogyny she was facing at work and didn’t believe her at all which just further proves that they shouldn’t be together! and then she forgot he existed for most of s4 anyway

i want nancy to end the show single so bad

robin/vickie sucks lol. stranger things is probably the only show that has me rooting against the lesbian character ending up in a relationship. vickie is sooo boring and has absolutely no personality! even suzie’s random family members got personalities in s4! im tired of being told to accept the bare minimum just because a show is adding a random throwaway gay character. vickie serves no purpose in the plot and id rather not waste the extremely limited time left in the show developing robins relationship with a complete nobody when her friendships with pre-existing characters should be the focus. also every single one of their scenes featured steve in some capacity which was very annoying

steve and nancy actually have such an interesting dynamic as characters but specifically as exes. personally, i do not think they should get back together, but i think what makes them interesting is why they shouldn’t be together. obviously their first breakup is because of their different reactions to barbs death. their relationship was never going to make it past that. barb died because nancy brought her to steves house, she died AT steves house, and died while nancy was alone with steve. there was never any coming from back that, not while nancy hadn’t processed her grief and especially not when steve was trying to convince her to forget about it and go to a party. but they’ve both grown as people since then, and they’re still not going to work. steve wants a big family, nancy is career-oriented to the point that she will do anything to succeed as a journalist. nancy doesn’t want the suburban, nuclear family life. they are fundamentally mismatched when it comes to what they want in life and i think exploring THAT aspect of their dynamic is so much more interesting than just shoving them back together

overall the show is so much more enjoyable when you don’t care about ships <3 please disregard everything i just said about the ships <3 but seriously the main focus of the show is not even remotely centered on the romantic relationships and watching the show without really caring about that aspect of things is way better

this isn’t a hot take about the show but more the fandom: a lot of the dynamics do not exist at all in the show the way some people think they do. most obvious example is el and will, who both are wayyyy closer to at least 3 other characters than they are to each other. this isn’t just limited to stranger things, it happens in most shows, especially ones with a found family element (ex. agents of shield) but people tend to forget what the dynamics actually are and then project their opinions onto the characters

semi-related and not really a hot take but if i had to choose underrated/non-existent dynamics to explore in s5, i would choose: lucas and el (connection to max), nancy and el (both on the show since s1 but have barely spoken, both the only people to know vecna’s full backstory firsthand), and nancy and mike (siblings who both probably think they’re only children at this point because they never interact with each other)

also related to fandom but it’s so clear that so many people either have not watched the show or just don’t anything remember what happens in the show when they post shit. and that’s way there’s sooo much mischaracterization everywhere

this show has way too many characters and it’s resulted in a lot of them having nothing to do for entire seasons. look at the california group from this season. they spent the entirety of episodes 5-8 driving around in a van with nothing to do. even joyce, who was one of the main main characters in earlier seasons, felt like she was just kinda there this season. part of it is the way they divide the plots, especially geographically this season, but the other part is just not having anywhere near enough time or plot spaces for all the characters. it’s unfortunately probably only gonna get worse in s5 because they have to somehow wrap up every characters individual plot in addition to the greater shows plot

and my hottest take is that will is severely overhyped sorry. he’s just not that interesting of a character and i really don’t understand that obsession with him? i mean he’s a fine character and he hasn’t really done anything wrong but there are so many other characters that are actually involved in the plot that i find way more interesting, relevant, and better written. like he was barely in s1, s2 was more about things happening to him than him actually doing anything, and s3 and s4 he didn’t do anything. hopefully s5 will give him something interesting to do but for now i just don’t see it

[frenchgremlim1808]

Before i start this Michigan realization post finished in a jopper, jancy, lumax analysis, like i wrote very long paragraphs.

Why is make america great again so popular ? Simple, it’s an obvious het ships who the GA ,who just watch the show casually, doesn't take time to realize the flaws of the relationship. But like, Hardcore minecraft shipper, how do you not see the problem in the relationship of mike and eleven. As a byler i watch multiple times scenes when they are together, do you not do the same? And if you do it are you, not to be insulting, sleeping. A lot of My Little pony call us media illiterate for analyzing the show. But do you even do it; The only proof you peeps need is “Well mike is dating El,so Mileven endgame”. It doesn’t work that way. When a ship is as great as you claim it is you can explain why they are made for one another and why their relationship works. Sometimes, even with ships i dislike/or neutral about the reasoning that two characters are made for one another make me understand the ship better, even if i don’t really like it. I can explain many ships in stranger things and why they can work.

Jancy: Nancy and Jonathan met trough the disappearance of a loved one. The y worked together to find them back. Then they realizing that they have more in common than they thought. They have similar traumas:,parents who aren't in love difficult family life; societal pressure. They start to bond about it together. In a way Jonathan gave Nancy what Nancy didn’t have with Steve, an actual bond outside of society standards. Stancy was mostly a teenage romance who was mostly physical, true Steve loved Nancy but their relationship wasn’t based on an strong bond with one another. Nancy and Steve at the time at least was completely incompatible, Nancy was in a way creating another empty marriage like her parents did. While stancy is an average teenage romance from the 80′s made from conventionally attractive people with little in common with one another, Jancy was everything that stancy wasn’t. Jonathan is poor,  a nerd, and from a pretty polarizing family in town while Steve is a jock , popular with girls; from a wealthy family. But it’s also inverse in term of actual love, Jonathan love Nancy and Nancy love Jonathan, they may not be the perfect couple, they have issues but that’s realistic.Also little point, Jancy has complimentary dream jobs( journalist/photograph), really care for each other passions and hobbies, and love each other pleasemattandroosdufferpleasedontbreakthemupibegofyou. Jancy is all about the society choice for your life and your choice for controlling your own. The logical choice for Nancy is to go with Steve, just like her mother did. To not choose her heart but her head. Steve is the better choice for Nancy to have a “normal”, conventional life just like her mom chose. But Nancy isn’t her mom, Nancy is herself. She won’t do the same mistakes as her parents not after she endured because of their loveless marriage. She gonna choose the choice that make her truly free and happy. And that is the unconditional love and freedom that loving Jonathan can give her. Or like she dumps Jonathan but like be a girlboss but don’t leave this malewife alone, well he still has argyle soo.

Jopper: Ah jopper, one of the longest slow burn in the show only second to byler. What make jopper works? Simple! Just like jancy they have a lot in common, but i will say that they have way more than jancy. Joyce and hopper are both divorced parents(rip Sarah), who have a multitude of unresolved trauma from their past life. Joyce is single mother of two boys, she love them dearly more than anythings in this worlds. But life isn’t easy for her, she’s forced to work late for gaining money for her children to have a good life. The Byers are poor i must remind you.She is still in a complicated relationship with her ex husband who abused her and her children. But i think one of Joyce biggest issues is solitude. Every time Joyce ask for help, fight for a cause nobody trust, everyone thinks she crazy. “oh it’s just Joyce being insane like always, she really a disgrace to this town, no wonder her children are just like her”. She never helped by anyone, and every time someone she care about someone, somethings bad happen to them.Joyce is alone, alone fighting for her children well being. Hopper is a cop, a alcoholic drug addicted cop, since the death of his daughter and the divorce with his wife it’s like is whole life lost it’s purpose.Even thought he the sheriff off hawking you can see he’s kind of not that liked( not that he tries to be). Hopper is clearly depressed. But in end there no chance of him healing in this condition. Hopper is alone, incapable of healing and depressed. They are both broken people from a world which isn’t kind to them. They knew each other from high school i suppose. We can see that they was always attraction between each other. Guys their literally old friend to lovers. Together jopper gets what the other needed. Love. They can finally live and love after all this years of stress and pain and grow together while seeing their kids grow too. They both lost people they care about. That’s why jopper  is beautiful, it’s all about second chance and continuing loving after the loss of people we love, its about  the continuing growth that someone can have in they life. It’s all about moving on mainly living on after the death of someone we cherished, because they might be gone but they would want you to carry on and live, live for them.

Lumax: Now we are coming into best ship territories. As you may know Lumax is in my eyes the current best cannon ship in stranger things. I lovee byler but god damm lumax really is the most developed, realistic, healthy and fantastic ship in the series. But why is that? Just like any ships that works, lumax as a lot in common. their the sassy, don’t talk no shit to me, leader type of a group. Max is more of a loner, tomboyish , sassy, brutally honest type of person. She has a rough exterior who covers her true feelings, it can be hard to see the true max. Lucas is a geek , sassy, always saying his opinion, dork. Like a mega dork. He’s like a sunshine. But i would say, while most ships have a trope that make them works, lumax trope is true love. They don’t need long love confessions or long make out sequence. The way we know they love each other isn't words, it’s actions. It’s the look in the other eyes,the shine in the eyes, the care, the immediate bright shining smile, it’s just the electricity. When they are together they still act like themselves, it is still Lucas and Max they act just like they normally are. They have their own interest and can totally live without each other, their not codependent. For teenagers i would say that they are way more mature than other kids their age. Just like Caleb said lumax love is mature, they slowly grew together learned to care for each other, love each other. Their love wasn’t instant. Against all odd, and difficulties, lumax sails up right now.             Lumax is a tale of true love, i would say a tragic one, understanding, fights and sadly pain in the end. The reason Lumax works so well compared to other ships is the realism of it all. Their relationship feels authentic. I would say that the scene of lucas with max in his arms is the scene that made me wanna kill Vecna the most, seeing his scream and tears give me the urge to punch my wall so bad. Compared to other ship it’s much more difficult to explain by words but you just know when you look at them. You feel it. They both bring best in one another and are at their brightest in each other company. So that’s why MAX BETTER LIVE OR I WILL SUE THE SUFFER BROTHER.

conclusion:

Why is Melvin so bad you would say, many reasons. The lack of communication the misunderstanding of each other personality, the lies, the very weird family parallel and more. But i think one of the main reason Machinegun doesn’t works is simple. It literally doesn't fit the core theme of stranger things Stranger things is all about the oddities and weirdness that make us unique and beautiful. The show is always following outcast of society. Every and i mean every relationship in stranger things is in a way weird or uncommon. Jopper? Two divorced middle aged parents. Jancy? Independent journalist from a good family and local weirdo boy from a badly renowned family. Lumax? Interracial couple. Rockie? no explanation needed i think. Duzie? Unusual genius girl with bright boy with facial differences( still a handsome boy but you know society sucks). Even the non cannon ships follow the theme. But Magnet is just..... stereotypical self insert bullshit for teenager shows. “Oh boy meet girl, girl weird and as super PoWers, people dislike girl because girl WEird, but boy only one who think girl cooL. Time passes and Girl develops crush on boy and become JEalous of another girl because boy hang out with her. But in the end girl is sooooo cool and fantastic and amazing and the part left of boy initial characterization is is love for girl. He is crazy obsessed with girl and it’s starting to get so toxic. Girl is just a local girlboss blank slates to be the deus ex machina of the show and is nothing other than that. When girl do something real bad she never get punished because girl is so perfect. And IN THE END boy and girl and boy love save the world or something and they still stay together even so their probably the worst option of the show.” I saw so many ships like this and it screams not only self insert to young girls who are in love with the male actor but also a very easy routes for a show named stranger things. Stranger broke the norms of how to do a “horror” show and it gave us amazing rep (even if the didn’t handle all of it that well). It’s extremely rare in current media to see a show centered around a gay man who is not stereotyped in any way. And it’s amazing! Will is my favorite character and not just because of his sexuality, he has so many layers and complexities that make me love him even more. Of course my second place go to Lucas and Eleven cause their my children but so you know. 

Back to the main topic. Making mike and el finish together is probably the easiest and stupidest choice, not only would it go against the entire logic of the to make the most plain relationship in the show and probably one the more toxic relationship we currently have as cannon but what message would this give. “Look at them they have nothing in common but you gotta ship it cause it contains the protagonist of the show, to be happy eleven gotta be with a man that so feminist of us. Oh and mike? Who give a shit about him, not like he destroyed most of his relationships to be with a girl he doesn’t even comprehend. Oh your angry because the traumatized abused gay kid never got a happy ending and that’s a “very bad message”. No one give a shit about your opinion, we hate will so much that we created an entire plot line of him falling in love with his best friend for him to be miserable. Buy our byler merch!”

Well i mean this is still my opinion so it doesn’t mean much, i’m just a random person passionate about a show, but really Melvin cannon would destroy my liking in the show. I prefer byler not endgame but melvin is separated than a melvin ending.

But anyway it wouldn't be worse than stancy endgame.

[will80sbyers]

I had people tell me they don't ship Jancy bc "they don't have common interests" and "aren't compatible" YET these people are hardcore Stancy shippers. What do Steve and Nancy have together? How are THEY compatible? Nancy literally considers Steve's dream a nightmare! Like idc if you don't like Jancy, you're allowed to have your opinions. But the fact these people ship STANCY yet say Jancy shouldn't be together bc they aren't compatible??? Ironic much.

Also, these shippers in question don't really care about Nancy. They care about Steve and his dream, not about what Nancy wants in her life. Idk if this is a reach, but it smells like misogyny to me. These people said they headcanon Nancy having Steve's six children as if that isn't what Nancy explicitly DOESN'T want.

Neither of them should have to compromise their dreams in order to fit together.

lmaooo Nancy even has Jonathan's music poster in her room, they both love books and both don't want to end up like their parents and want more for their life, they talk about the other with love in their words in this season, when they have problems and fight they are still capable of resolving the issues and honestly I have doubts about jancy being endgame because I think Jonathan will die but I'll take Jancy over stancy any day!!!!

I completely agree with you, none of them should have to follow the dreams of the other person and that is what Jonathan wants to avoid in his relationship he is scared of the possibility that Nancy could follow him instead of following her OWN dream!!!

THAT IS TRUE LOVE.

I love both Steve and Nancy as single characters so much, Steve is one of my absolute favorite characters and I understand why they did what they did but their dynamic was still toxic!

[starbylers]

What are some of ur other favorite ST ships canon or not? 💕

Elmax is definitely one of my faves. They’re a big reason why I enjoy s3, their dynamic is so fun and I love how Max supports El in finding her identity and independence! I also adore Lumax 🥺 my fav canon ship for sure. I need them on that movie date s5 or I will riot 😭. I think Byclair is really cute too! As for the older teens, Jancy are the sweetest thing ever (although part of me is hoping for single Nancy in s5) and I enjoy Ronance’s dynamic as well :)

Thanks for the ask! 💞