#stranger things season four volume two

[stranger-masters]

Stop It! (S.H; E.M)

OC Name: Jordan Harrington.  Brother: Steve Harrington.  Best Friend: Eddie Munson.  Summary: Jordan's having a bad day. Steve and Eddie know she's ticklish, so they wanna cheer her up. It goes as well as expected.

Tags: Fluff. Just pure brother-sister-brother fluff. 

Post S4. 

"Stop, leave me alone!" Jordan snapped as Steve grabbed her book. "Jesus, sorry." He dropped it on her lap. Glaring one last time, she went back to it, and Steve frowned. "What's wrong?" He asked, and she stiffened. Though she was his sister, she reminded him of Max. Stubborn, not wanting to open up, and moody. "Jordan. What's wrong?" Steve asked again.  "Honey, I'm home!" Eddie Munson called (screamed, really), and Steve called, "Why are you so loud all the damn time?" Eddie smirked as he came in the living room. "Have you met me?" Steve snorted. "Unfortunately." Jordan snapped, "Can you guys flirt somewhere else, please."  They stared at her, and Eddie asked, "Everything okay, Jordan?" "No, buzz off." She growled, trying to focus-

Her book was ripped from her hands sharply. "Hey!" "Don't be rude to him," Steve frowned, holding the book above her reach.  "Give it back!" Jordan shouted, straining.  "Apologize to Eddie!" Steve said. She sighed. "Sorry." She hesitated. "Can I have it back now?" "What's wrong?" Steve asked instead, and she relented, dropping exhaustedly against the couch. "Someone...said something today. About Eddie. And...I'm kind of...suspended?" "For what?!" Steve squawked, and Eddie asked, "What did they say?" She pointed to Eddie. "There was this senior that said that you were probably using me, you know...as a virgin sacrifice...?" She grimaced.  Eddie stared at her, and Steve swore, kicking the chair closest to him. It fell to the floor with a clatter, and Jordan rushed on, "And I got mad, told him to apologize, so he called me a bitch." "He WHAT?!" Eddie shouted, and Jordan shouted back, "And I got even more mad and punched him in the face, and then I couldn't really stop, and Mr. Hayek had to pull me off?" They stared at her. Mr. Hayek was the P.E. teacher, the strongest one there (don't ask how they tested this) and if it took a grown, strong-as-fuck, 54-year-old man to pull a 15-year-old-girl off of a senior, she'd been pissed.  "Um...remind me not to piss you off." Eddie mumbled, and Jordan shook her head. "Nah, I...don't really know how it happened. I just...blacked out, and when I came to, able to recognize things and people and where I was, he was on the ground. I broke his nose and gave him a black eye. Two of them, actually." "Jesus fuck," Steve said, eyes wide.  "Sorry, but you don't insult my family and get away with it." She shrugged, not missing the way Eddie's eyes grew wet. "Thanks, hon." He smiled, sitting by her, and she curled into his side, her feet finding Steve's lap when he sat, too. "But people will always say something about me, and you can't fight everyone." "Why the hell not?" "Language," Steve said, smacking her ankle, and she grinned. "Sorry. Why the fu--" "I think not!" Steve shouted like a scandalized mother, poking near her ribs, and she shrieked, "Stop, no!" "Ohhh." Eddie grinned, and she hated it. "Don't you fucking dare." She hissed dangerously, but Steve grabbed her arms, holding her down, and Eddie mercilessly attacked her sides, making her shriek and thrash. "NO, NO, STO-HO-HO-HO-HO-P!" She screamed, laughing the whole time. "STE-HE-HE-HE-HEVE!" She screamed, trying to kick him and failing. "E-HE-HE-HE-HEDDIE, MERCY!" She was starting to cry from laughing so hard, and finally, the boys relented, leaving her panting like she'd run four miles in four minutes. "Hey." Eddie nudged her, and she squeaked, shielding her sides. Eddie chuckled, "Thank you for, well...fighting someone in my honor, but please don't do it again. People will always say something, like I said, and I'm used to it." "But you shouldn't be." She said, and it made Eddie want to cry. "I know." He rested his chin on her forehead, and her eyes slid closed. "Love you, Eddie. Please don't leave us." He blinked back tears, seeing Steve smile. "I won't. I'm here to stay." He whispered, and just like that, they fell asleep through the night. 

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is: @oh-stars! ohstars has 91 fics in the Stranger Things fandom and 69 of them are in the Steddie tag!

@lady-lostmind recommends the following works by @oh-stars:

Fuck. I Think I Love You.

The Men We've Become (Series)

Yours (all along)

Hidden Depths

Distance

"ohstars has a way of making heartache feel so good. Every time I read one of their fics I know I'm in for something special, and will inevitably go through a wide range of emotions while I'm brought along for a ride with the characters. I love the way they show so much through small details, letting the characters actions speak for themselves a lot of the time and the insight you get as a reader when you catch glimpses of the story even the character hasn't realized yet and getting to watch them grow throughout the story. They have a way of showing the beauty in the little moments, and letting you linger in the sweet in-between of big points, letting the story build on itself slowly." -- @lady-lostmind

Below the cut, @oh-stars answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I think a lot of my ships boil down to Golden Retriever x Stoic Character. Add in that I adore when there’s a character who would sacrifice themselves to an inch of survival (if that) that gets the love and comfort they deserve, Steddie hits the spot. I’ve always been a big Steve fan but none of the ships prior to season four really inspired anything in me. And it took a minute for Steddie to click (which I think is the case for a lot of us, volume two just hit different), but when it did, there was no going back. I really enjoy exploring their relationship within the universe and everything that comes with – from sexuality crises, coming out, saving the world, and Stobin struggling with Steve liking a gremlin of a man. They just love each other so freakin much, y’all.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Misunderstandings, hurt/comfort, and kidfic are all tied as my favorites. It’s hard to pick just one because it really depends on my mood, but a good hurt/comfort is always the vibe.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Slow burn. It’s kind of a cop out answer because it can be used in any fic and with any trope, but I love the build up.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

I read so much that I don’t know if I have one fic that’s my all time favorite. Bandaids for the Heart by LexiRoseWrites and Steve’s First Bruise by cairparavels are ones I think about pretty often.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I’ve been toying with a royal au in my head for months, if not a year now. I just haven’t nailed the plot yet to want to put some real effort behind it. Once I have a better idea of the story, I can’t wait to dive in.

What is your writing process like?

Up in the air at the moment. It changes a lot over time. Something will work really well for a few months, then suddenly it doesn’t. Most of the time, I can’t seem to write unless I’m sprinting. Usually that’s a solo sprint, but I love writing with other people. I do a little light plotting ahead of time, then let the characters take the reins… which is probably why I hit so many walls throughout a fic.

Do you have any writing quirks?

I don’t know if I have any quirks that are unique to myself. I’m very particular about my format when writing. I can’t write without it being double spaced, times new roman, 12 pt, and justified, which is 100% a product of schools enforcing that format for projects. And I have a hard time actually sitting down to write without the help of writing games like sprints and the word game. Otherwise, I don’t do much editing? I do the bare minimum and post… which isn’t ideal. That’s the opposite of what I’d advise.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I would love to be someone who can post on a schedule consistently, but it rarely happens. Usually I can only succeed with that when a fic is a part of an event, otherwise I always get behind on my schedule.

Which fic are you most proud of?

You carved the space for my sadness to be seen for once (hold on to me) has a very special place in my heart. Out of my Steddie fics, it’s probably the one that I hold most dear, but I’m incredibly proud of The Man That I Could Be. It’s taken a lot for me to be proud of that one, but it was a whirlwind of an experience. I still go back to it and can’t really believe I wrote it to begin with, even though I have vivid memories of writing some of those scenes.

How did you get the idea for Yours (all along)?

I had an initial idea of doing a teacher AU but also wanted to explore lavender marriage Stobin, so I just… ran with it. I didn’t know where I was going in that first chapter’s first draft, just let Eddie’s voice take over. The plot and idea formed the more he revealed to me, with a few standout points acting as markers to get me through.

When writing Yours (all along), what was something you didn’t expect?

I didn’t expect my big bang artist m0momercy to be inspired by as many scenes as they were! Whenever I write a big bang or event fic, I’m very aware of which scenes I think would be visually compelling versus ones that would be harder to create for. I may dabble in art, but I don’t consider myself an artist, so it really took me by surprise that they were able to take the most random (but beloved – that scare scene is everything to me) scenes and create magic out of my words. I adore them and their work (please go check them out!!), so it was really great getting the honor to work with them on this project.

What inspired Hidden Depths?

This one was based on a prompt for @steddiesummerexchange. I had been wanting to do a nerd Steve fic, so this was the perfect opportunity to explore what that would look like!

What was your favorite part to write from Fuck. I Think I Love You.?

The playlist!! imfinereallyy created the playlist for @strangerthingsreversebigbang and the art to go along with it, so I had the opportunity to create a story around their song choices. I listened to that playlist exclusively (rip my spotify history on that one) while writing it, tried to find new ways to interpret the songs and incorporate them into the fic, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

How do/did you feel writing The Men We've Become?

Honestly, it’s a blur. The first 100k of The Man That I Could Be was written in a month, with the rest over the next few months. It’s a beast of a fic, the longest I’ve ever written. When I think back on that time, I genuinely think something possessed me when writing. I was sitting down and knocking out 5k writing sessions almost daily, tapping into depths I wasn’t really sure I had. It’s kind of insane to me that I finished it.

What was the most difficult part of writing Distance?

I wrote this fic as a part of @steddielovemonth and was doing my own 90-Day writing challenge. Honestly, the hardest part was remembering this was a writing exercise to see a snapshot of Steve and Eddie’s relationship, rather than a longer fic. I wanted it to have the feel of a longer work with the satisfaction of a one-shot. Keeping it short and in the moment, not letting myself get lost in the tangents, and having the fic have a grounded feel was really important to me so I’d hope that I was able to succeed there.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

I know there are lines that I’m proud of but for the life of me, I could not tell you what they are or where to find them. My two favorite scenes that come to mind though are the opener scene in you carved the space for my sadness to be seen for once (hold on to me) and the scene in chapter four of The Man That I Could Be – aka Steve’s breakdown/grief scene.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Oh gosh. I do plan on writing again soon, with a few FandomTrumpsHate fics coming out by the end of the year and new chapters of you carved the space for my sadness to be seen for once (hold on to me) coming soon. Otherwise, I mod a lot of things! @steddiebingo sign ups start November 1st and @steveharringtonbigbang starts January 1st!

Thank you to our author, @oh-stars, and our nominator, @lady-lostmind! See more of ohstars's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[watchmenanon]

APRIL 28, 2017

Super Naturals

The wonder that is Stranger Things is at once a sweet story of simpler times and a spooky spin in the supernatural. For Netflix, the script by the Duffer brothers was a definite yes, as were the young actors whose bonds bedazzle on and off the set.

TATIANA SIEGEL

On a hot March morning in Atlanta, Finn Wolfhard and Noah Schnapp are rehearsing a scene for season two of Stranger Things.

Outside Screen Gems Studios, the sky is relentlessly bright, with the thermometer inching toward 86 degrees. Inside, it’s as dark and cool and secret as a military bunker. Director Andrew Stanton offers some last minute guidance before the camera rolls.

Stanton, the two-time Oscar winner behind WALL-E and Finding Nemo, took an unconventional approach in preparing to direct episodes five and six. He rewatched season one with the volume off. It’s obvious that even the smallest gesture is crucial. He tells Schnapp to touch the back of his neck when he delivers the line about feeling a troubling sensation in the back of his head.

“I geek out over the little things,” he explains a few minutes later. “But the touch made it all the more creepy.”

Wolfhard and Schnapp are sitting on a bed in what viewers have come to recognize as the Byers’s home, the one with the mysterious blinking Christmas lights and the sinister wall that Winona Ryder attacked with an axe in episode four of season one.

A Jaws poster hangs above a bookcase. The pajama-clad Schnapp, playing Upside Down escapee Will Byers, hits his line: “It’s like a dream, and you can’t remember it unless you think about it really hard.” But he flubs the follow-up and slaps his hand angrily.

Wolfhard, playing series star Mike Wheeler, cut him off too late. “I’m waiting for my cue,” offers Wolfhard, wearing a buttoned-up polo shirt, corduroys, old-school Pumas and a hoodie. Stanton tells the 14-year-old: “It’s okay if you don’t cut him off.”

Schnapp later explains his momentary frustration. “I just get angry when I mess up. It’s a professional business. It’s no game,” he says, sounding more like a seasoned thesp than a 12-year-old who will head to French, math and English classes at the on-set school later that day.

Back on set, the boys repeat the scene, this time for the camera. The dialogue is flawless, but now there’s a boom in the shot. So Wolfhard and Schnapp do it again. Three more times without a mistake, each time from a different angle.

“They rehearsed that only two times, and they nailed it,” Stanton marvels. “That’s a really long scene. They are just that good.”

As they prepare to break, Wolfhard and Schnapp face one another and begin slapping and clapping hands in a fixed pattern, chanting, “Concentration… 64.…” Are they prepping for the next scene? Some sort of protective charm against a mysterious foe? Nah. They’re just kids blowing off steam. Something Mike and Will would do, too.

Call it Hollywood’s version of the Upside Down, the inexplicable, parallel universe of Stranger Things. After all, who would have wagered on five unknown kids, a long-neglected Ryder and then–32-year-old twin brothers with few prospects to launch one of the most talked-about series of 2016?

But within days of its July 15 debut, the ’80s-set Stranger Things — created by Ross and Matt Duffer and led by Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Schnapp — quickly became a pop-culture phenomenon, complete with a Barack Obama–hosted White House visit in October and even a shout-out from a congressman on the House floor in February.

The series notched surprise wins for best drama ensemble at the SAG Awards and top drama series at the PGA Awards (beating out heavyweight Game of Thrones for both honors). Netflix aired a season-two spot during this year’s Super Bowl that drew more than 14 million views on YouTube.

And according to Google, Stranger Things was the most-searched-for show of 2016 around the world (it streams in 190 countries).

Still, the path to success wasn’t so linear. In 2014, the Duffer brothers were struggling writer-directors with only the unreleased horror film Hidden to their credit (the pic eventually was released straight-to-DVD). As they remember it, Stranger Things was envisioned as a movie, an homage to “the two Stevens/Stephens with different spellings — Spielberg and King,” Matt Duffer says.

They were making the rounds, taking studio meetings, “and people would ask us our movie ideas,” Ross Duffer adds. “And they weren’t very interested in any movie ideas that we had.”

They owed Warner Bros. a script and asked if they could adapt Stephen King’s It, a Stranger Things–esque book that the studio was developing with Cary Fukunaga attached to direct. “We didn’t even get in the room,” Matt Duffer recalls. “They said no.”

Undeterred, they embarked on writing Stranger Things , pivoting mediums from film to TV. But it was a difficult recalibration, given their lifelong obsession with movies, from E.T. to Jaws to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. “Growing up, I associated television with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Like, I’m done with my homework and it’s something to pass the time,” Ross Duffer explains.

But after seeing the trailer for HBO’s True Detective — directed by Fukunaga — and finding it more enticing than 90 percent of the movies in theaters, Matt Duffer says it dawned on them that “this is actually the cooler place to be right now, given the current state of the industry.”

Coming of age in their native North Carolina in the mid-’90s, the Duffers didn’t have a basement like the Wheelers, nor any friends with telekinetic powers. But the goal was simple: to make a viewer feel the same as when he or she cracked open a big, fat King book.

“The first thing we wrote was the Dungeons & Dragons scene because it was so close to our experiences growing up,” Ross Duffer says. “We had a room over our garage, which was just not as cinematic. I wish our house looked like that. I wish a telepathic girl had dropped into our lives.”

They sent the pilot script around but found no takers until it landed on the right desk at Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment, where senior vice-president Dan Cohen read it and immediately alerted Levy. Without hesitation, Cohen and Levy signed on to executive-produce the series — then titled Montauk — alongside the Duffers.

“Talent is talent. It’s just waiting for someone to bet on it,” Levy says. “We wanted to bet.”

So, too, did Netflix, which ordered the supernatural drama in April 2015. Casting would be key, potentially the separation between cheesy and brilliant.

The idea to target Ryder — a two-time Oscar nominee who rose to It Girl status in the ’80s but whose career had cooled considerably in the new millennium — to play a single mother trying to track down her missing tween was an early stroke of genius from casting director Carmen Cuba.

The Duffers and Levy invited Ryder to tea at L.A.’s Chateau Marmont for a conversation that lasted several hours and ranged from secret government testing to missing children. “I remember Winona: ‘What is this new kind of television on your computer?’” Levy says with a laugh. “We left that tea slightly exhausted but quite certain this was our Joyce Byers.”

But finding the right kids proved to be far more exhaustive, with the Duffers and Levy seeing some 1,000 aspirants. The trick was finding kids who looked “regular” and not like slick child actors.

Gaten Matarazzo, a stage actor from New Jersey whose Broadway credits included Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Les Misérables, was the first cast, as Dustin Henderson, the perpetually picked-on boy with a lisp.

Next was Millie Bobby Brown, who landed the breakout role of Eleven, the buzz-cut waif with psychokinetic abilities. The British actress says she perfected an American accent by watching TV and just observing people. After sending a self-tape to Cuba, she was asked to provide another and another and still another. She wouldn’t allow herself to get her hopes up, though.

“I always get really close on something,” Brown says, then it’s, “‘Oh, we’re picking the other girl because….’” But the series of tapes led to a Skype call and then a trip to L.A., where she won over the Duffer brothers.

McLaughlin, another Broadway actor who played Young Simba in The Lion King, nabbed the role of Lucas Sinclair, the member of the gang most suspicious of Eleven’s arrival.

Then came Schnapp, whose screen time in season one is limited but who plays a significant role in season two. The angel-faced boy with an uncanny resemblance to Ryder (his screen mom) recalls coming to L.A. for a so-called chemistry test and being paired with McLaughlin.

Fortunately, the two suburban New Yorkers already had bonded at the hotel pool. But Schnapp returned home without the job and headed to upstate New York for sleepover camp, where he was allowed only three incoming phone calls.

One day, his mother called with the Duffer brothers on the line. “I’m like, ‘Who’s Will?’ ‘Cause I didn’t know what they were talking about,” he says. “And then I realized it was ‘cause I originally auditioned for Mike when I auditioned for the role. And I started freaking out. It brightened the rest of my summer.”

Wolfhard was last. The Vancouver native, who started acting at eight, was sick in bed when he did his self-tape, which was “super out of focus, my dad’s finger was in the frame, super unprofessional.” But the Duffers loved it and Skyped with Wolfhard, then flew him to L.A. twice over a two-week period. But two months passed with no word.

“Out of nowhere, I got a call from Matt saying that I got the part, and that was really, really cool,” Wolfhard says of landing the lead. Ironically, Wolfhard was available to tackle the series only because Fukunaga had just dropped out of King’s It.

Wolfhard already had landed the role of Richie Tozier in that film, which was now suddenly on hold. It eventually recovered with Andrés Muschietti in the director’s chair, and Wolfhard was able to fit the project in between seasons of Stranger Things. It will hit theaters in September, some seven weeks before the second-season debut of Stranger Things on Halloween night.

To prepare their Fab Five, the Duffers assigned a list of movies to watch, including E.T., The Goonies, Jaws and Poltergeist. But nothing could equip the young stars for the show’s rabid fandom.

“On my Instagram,” McLaughlin says, “[it’s] like, ‘Brazil loves you.’ People from all around the world… France, Mexico, Africa...”

Brown says she never tires of the fervor surrounding Eleven. “I don’t really want to call them my fans. They’re kind of like my friends,” says the 13-year-old. “And I can’t say no to a picture. Obviously, I would do the same thing to Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. This 90-year-old came up and he was like, ‘I love you!’ It was really sweet.”

Perhaps most important was the vote of approval that came from Mr. King himself. The author tweeted several thumbs-ups in July, including: “STRANGER THINGS is pure fun. A+. Don’t miss it. Winona Ryder shines.”

Of course, an email exchange with the Duffer brothers ensued. “It took me four hours to write a five-sentence email,” Matt Duffer jokes. “I had to check the grammar with all my writers. I was very nervous about it.”

The kids also are enjoying the perks of being labeled TV sensations, including hanging with people they’ve long admired. Matarazzo singles out a meeting with Sarah Paulson. “She’s a wonderful person, and to hear compliments from her, it was, like, ‘wow,’” he says, sounding rather grown up for a 14-year-old.

For the 15-year-old McLaughlin, nothing compares to getting feedback from President Obama. “He’s like, ‘I like the bond the boys have on the show. They never gave up looking for their friend.’”

That dynamic the president noticed isn’t just a put-on for the cameras. Wolfhard and Matarazzo frequently hit the multiplex in tandem and caught Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens together. McLaughlin and Matarazzo compete against each other in video games. Retro ’80s games, naturally. “Pac-Man, yeah. I’m even wearing the Pac-Man shirt,” he says, pointing at his street clothes.

Brown, who describes herself as “a real girl’s girl in pink and pearls and rings and necklaces,” has managed to fit in with the boys by taking up whiffle ball. She and Schnapp have formed a close friendship. “Noah comes around almost every weekend for sleepovers,” she says. “We watch really scary movies on Netflix like The Babadook and Hush.”

Ultimately, they all are sharing in a secret that is being guarded more closely than a Project MKUltra experiment being carried out at the fictitious Hawkins Laboratory: what will happen in season two.

As evidence of the major secrecy involved this year, Building 5 — where a camera test is about to take place with a new character — is off-limits to press today. Day players and non-essential crew also are cleared. Only hair and makeup and a few key crewmembers remain. Keeping a lid on potential spoilers is serious business.

“My brother always asks me, ‘Gate, can you send me the script?’” Matarazzo says. “I’m like, ‘It’s a new season, and it’s a lot stricter than last year.’ He read them last year, but this year he’s not able to ‘cause we don’t want any, like, hacking interference.”

Hacking, indeed. The danger serves as a jarring reminder of today’s less-than-innocent times — and explains part of the appeal of Stranger Things: it harks back to an era not long ago but definitely out of reach, when people made eye contact, kids tore through neighborhoods on their bikes unsupervised and no one was enslaved by a beeping device.

Schnapp says his father schooled him on the mindset of the ’80s. “They were always outside. It’s all phones and computers now. You know, I kind of miss the ‘80s. Even though I wasn’t alive,” he says with a laugh, catching his own absurdity.

But viewers of Stranger Things — be they 12 or 90 — understand that universal feeling.

[the-empress-7]

We are playing the semantics game again are we?

Why you'll see Wednesday in the rankings but not Harry & Meghan

Shows and movies need sustained popularity in many countries to crack into the all-time most watched charts. That means you can see titles with "Top 10" badges in Netflix's app for days, but they still may not be generating enough hours of viewing to make the all-time rankings.  

For example, Harry & Meghan, a docuseries about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has generated 81.6 million hours in the first four days since its release Thursday. It still has lots more time in its 28-day window to generate watch-time, but TV shows need nearly half a billion hours watched to make it onto the all-time list, and even the most popular shows and movies need multiple weeks and enduring attention to accumulate enough. 

By comparison, Wednesday, the teen supernatural dark comedy series based on the character Wednesday Addams, has accumulated more than 1 billion hours watched in its first 19 days, making it the service No. 3 most popular series yet, with more than a week left to keep adding up more hours. 

Netflix's most watched TV series, ranked

The following are Netflix's most watched series, based on Netflix's own reporting of total hours viewed in the first 28 days of each titles' release. Again, if a new season releases its episodes in two volumes on different dates, Netflix counts the watch time of the first volume's episodes for their first 28 days, then it counts the watch time of the second volume's episodes for their first 28 days.  

Any changes in the rankings from the previous week are in bold text.  

Squid Game (season 1), a Korean survival thriller -- 1.65 billion hours.

Stranger Things (season 4), a retro sci-fi series -- 1.35 billion hours. 

Wednesday, a coming-of-age supernatural dark comedy -- 1.02 billion hours

Dahmer, a true-crime serial killer series -- 856.2 million hours.

Money Heist (part 5), a Spanish-language thriller -- 792.2 million hours. 

Bridgerton (season 2), a period romance -- 656.3 million hours.  >

Bridgerton (season 1) -- 625.5 million hours.

Money Heist (part 4) -- 619 million hours.

Stranger Things (season 3), a retro sci-fi series -- 582.1 million hours.

Lucifer (season 5), a fantasy police procedural -- 569.5 million hours. 

All of Us Are Dead, a Korean zombie thriller taking place in a high school -- 560.8 million hours.

The Witcher (season 1), a fantasy show -- 541 million hours.

Inventing Anna, a true-crime limited series about a fake socialite -- 511.9 million hours

13 Reasons Why (season 2), a controversial teen drama -- 496.1 million hours.

[dodger-chan]

20 Questions for fic writers:

Tagged by @cchapsticck

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

59, if you count the very old stuff I archived there. 39, if you only count the stuff I originally posted there.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

194,755

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Recently, it's been all Stranger Things. If I start writing other fandoms again, tumblr will be the first to know.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Their Wedding Night (cowritten with @sharpbutsoft )

Adventures in Housekeeping

The Opposite of Love

The House Dick

Her Double Life

All but The Opposite of Love are part of A Bliss Like This

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to. I used to not, but I've gotten into some nice conversations with other authors who responded to my comments, so I decided to try it. And I'm a very small author (don't let the word/ count fool you; I've been posting fic online since the late 90s) so there aren't that many comments to reply to.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably that sin, through which I run. Though it's told backwards, so it might depend on what you consider the ending.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Any fic in A Bliss Like This. It's a guaranteed happiness series.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Never on AO3.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I've written, but not published smut. I'm not good enough at it.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I don't, really. Nothing wrong with crossovers, I'm just not usually inspired in that way.

I did work with a couple of friends once on a wild, universe hopping crossover that involved Sonic characters, Gundam Wing, Dragonball Z, The Old Man from Scene 24 (Holy Grail) and others with a friend that I think she posted somewhere. Probably fanfiction.net, but it was like 25 years ago (I am very old) and I'm a little scared of how awful it must have been so I'm not looking.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that anyone's mentioned to me.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not in the sense that we've blended our writing into a single story, but @sharpbutsoft and I built a 1920s AU together. Individual stories in A Bliss Like This are often hers or mine but they build off each other and all the major details are a joint endeavor.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

This is an impossible question.

I have noticed a preference for jock/nerd or similar such pairings. Where one half of the couple is "normal" or socially acceptable and the other half is very, very weird. But only when the relationship develops without either of them giving up that aspect of their personality. No makeovers!

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

A Nancy POV fic tentatively called 'Three Truths and No Lies' that I started between the two volumes of season four. Because there were all these "fruity four" fics and I thought Nancy would likely try to fix or at least find closure in her relationship with Jonathan as soon as he got to Hawkins, leading to her feeling a little left out of the Eddie and Stobin closeness.

Also a third part of Coming Out with a Purpose, where Robin and Steve come out to Joyce to test her reaction and give her the opportunity to learn from the mistakes she makes with them so that she doesn't fuck up when Will finally comes out.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Limited POVs. I think I'm decent at character voices, too, but I'm less confident there.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Actually writing words down (what do you mean just thinking about the fic doesn't make it exist?). The urge to edit while I write. Spelling. Plots.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I'm not good enough at it to really do it, unless the character speaking is not supposed to be fluent.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

That I published online? Fushigi Yuugi, as I recall. Maybe Gundam Wing. But as a kid I used to write Real Ghostbusters fic for my parents (they wanted to encourage my creativity). Mostly fleshed out (no pun intended) back stories for the ghosts.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I'm still writing it. I'm gonna finish it, I swear.

Of what I've published, it's probably Her Double Life, because genderqueer drag queen Eddie of the 1920s is just so much fun. I have so many thoughts and feelings about her. So, so many.

No pressure tags for: @sharpbutsoft , @greenlikethesea, um, who else writes? If you do, and you want to answer these, please consider yourself tagged.

[pareiwheeler]

happy stranger things season four volume two day we really perservered and came back even stronger we are honestly epic

[attentionthisisarobbery]

What do YOU Want from Stranger Things Season 5?

Part 1!

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Warning: SPOILERS FOR ALL STRANGER THINGS EPISODES UNTIL THE END OF SEASON FOUR VOLUME TWO

So, as you guys might know (like all seventeen of you), I'm currently writing a fanon version of Stranger Things Season 5. The idea is to be canon compliant up until the very end of the fourth season, and from there, give all the characters the fifth season that we, the fans, want for them. I've been looking at as many theories and repeated tropes in fan content that I can - but I want to see if I can hear from you guys directly.

So tell me, what do you want to see in regards to:

Will Byers?

Will has been shunted to the side in the previous seasons, and he really needs to be one of the most vital characters moving forward in order to do his character justice. So...

How should Will contribute to the party's victory this season?

What would you like his coming out to look like?

Who should he come out to?

What should their reactions be?

What is Will's connection to the mindflayer, Vecna, and the upside down?

What should the parallels between Will and 001 be leading towards?

Does Will have powers?

What are they, and how did he get them?

How should the powers be revealed?

Eddie Munson?

Clearly fans of Stranger Things want Eddie to return. That said, he did die at the end of season four, and his character arc came full circle. So...

What should Eddie's NEW character arc look like?

Does he even need a new character arc, or should he just be controlled by Vecna?

How can we justify Eddie's resurrection?

What more would you like to learn about his backstory?

How should the rest of the characters respond to his return?

What lasting effects will there be from his death and subsequent resurrection?

If Vecna is going to control Eddie, what is he going to use him for?

Max Mayfield?

Max was in a coma at the end of this last season. El tried to contact her consciousness (like she did with her mother in season two) and was unable to find her. So...

Where is Max's consciousness?

What should happen to her?

What did Max write in her letters?

Which characters would open their letters and which ones would refuse to?

Is her life dependent on Vecna's defeat?

How can Max contribute to story, either actively or passively?

Should she wake up before or after Vecna is defeated?

What lasting effects will she have to deal with once she's awake?

Eleven?

El was left questioning both her abilities and her choices at the end of season four, wondering if she should have stayed with Dr Brenner longer. So...

How should El regain her confidence?

How should her newfound family bonds with Hopper and the Byerses effect her actions?

How should the after-affects of everything that's happened with Hopper be dealt with?

How should she gain greater agency and autonomy (without Mike or Hopper making her choices for her)?

How should the drama between El and Mike be resolved?

I don't want to ask you guys too much all at once, so I'll leave it here. I literally don't care how well formed your ideas are - I want to hear your thoughts on as many of these points as possible!

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

[salvatoraes-moved]

           WELCOME  TO  HAWKINS:  STRANGER  THINGS VERSE. 

name :  stefan  salvatore. birthday:  november 1st 1846. age:  seventeen ,  one  hundred & thirty  six. sexuality: bi-sexual. ( no preference ) species:  vampire. hometown:  mystic  falls, virginia. current location:  hawkins, indiana. parents:  giuseppe & lilian salvatore.  ( deceased ) siblings:  damon  salvatore. occupation:  fake   high -  school  student,  mechanic. (  post  season  three ) 

                                    VOLUME ONE.

only  caroline  &  blake  find  out  stefan  is  a  vampire  during  season  one.

FALL - WINTER 1983 :   vampire stefan  salvatore  moves  from  new  york  city  to  the  small  town  of  hawkins,  indiana.   stefan’s  always  been  a  fan  of  small  towns.  there’s  less  temptation  of  human  blood  &  he  can  fit  in  better.   to  fit  in,  he  finds  himself  pulling  his  classic  move  & enrolls  at  hawkins  high,  soon  meeting  caroline  forbes,  blake  quinn,  steve  harrington,  nancy  wheeler,  robin  buckley,  chrissy  cunningham  &  jonathan  byers.  he’s  quick  to  join  the  hawkins  high  basketball  team,  befriending  steve  &  by  association,  his  girlfriend  nancy  &  her  friend  blake.  eventually,  he  be friends  caroline  too,  she  quickly  becomes  his  best  friend.   chrissy  &  stef  met  once  he  joins  the  basketball  team,  she  instantly  becomes  someone  close  to  him,  maybe  he  develops  a  crush  even  if  it  doesn’t  last  because  of  jason.

when  he  finds  out  will  is  missing,  he’s  quick  to  join  the  search  parties,  able  to  navigate  through  the  woods  at  night  easily.  (  because  he  feeds  there,  of  course )  while  helping  jonathan  &  nancy  search  for  will,  he  gets  dragged  into  the  upside  down  with  nancy.  after  making  it  out,  he  vows  to  himself  he’d  do  everything  he  can  to  keep  his  new  friends  safe  from  this  unknown  dimension  &  it’s  creatures.

                                    VOLUME TWO.

FALL 1984 :   everything  is  calm  &  silent  for  a  while,  just  how  he  hoped  it  would  be  when  moving  here.  he  continues  to  hang  out  with  his  friends  while  preparing  for  ( another ) senior  year.   when  dustin  goes  to  the  wheelers  for  help  with  dart  &  ends  up  finding  steve,  the  two  of  them  end  up  recruiting  stefan  to  help  as  well.  stefan  ends  up  in  the  group  of  steve,  dustin,  max  &  lucas.  he  uses  his  vampire  abilities  to  help  fight  off  the  demodogs.  

                                      VOLUME THREE.

the  gang  finds  out  stefan  is  a  vampire  halfway  through  the  season.

SUMMER 1985 :   stefan  just  graduated  again  for  the  millionth  time  &  is planning  to  leave  hawkins  to  move  back  to  his  hometown,  mystic  falls.  however,  he  plans  on  staying  in  hawkins  for  the  summer  &  spending  as  much  time  as  he  can  with  his  friends.  stef  ends  up  getting  a  summer job  at  starcourt  mall  movie  theater,  another  thing  he’s  doing  to  act  “ normal. ”  &  then, things  quickly  hit  the  fan  once  more  &  stefan  is  quick  to  realize  he  might  not  be  leaving  so  soon.  since  he’s  the  only  supernatural  being (  besides  el ) in  hawkins  &  knows  he  has  an  upper-hand  when  fighting  off  the  mindflayer  he  knows  his  friends  will  need  his  help.

before  the  final  battle,  stefan  gives  caroline  a  small  vial  of  his blood  as  a  safety  net.  he  wanted  her  to  have  it  in  case  he  couldn’t  be  there  when  she  was  hurt  or  injured  &  she  needed  to  heal.  during  the  battle,  caroline  ends  up  getting  hurt  to  the  point  where  she  needs  it,  unfortunately  she  dies  before  it  could  heal  her.  when  stefan  finds  her,  he  believes  she’s  dead  until  she  wakes  up  on  the  mall  floor  &  is  suddenly  in  transition.   now,  he  knows  there’s  no  way  he  can  leave  hawkins,  he  can’t  and  won’t  let  caroline  go  through  his  transition  on  her  own.  

                         VOLUME FOUR : PART ONE  &  TWO.

SPRING 1986 :   after  the  battle  of  starcourt  &  caroline  turning  into  a  vampire,  stefan  decided  he  had  to  stay  in  hawkins.  as  much  as  he  thought  they  both  should  leave,  he  understands  having  to  stay.   plus,  he  doesn’t  want  to  leave  his  other  friends  just  in  case  something  else  happens.  

&  then  comes  vecna.  stefan  doesn’t  end  up  being  one  of  his  victims.  in  volume  i  he  ends  up  with  the  upside  down  gang.  he  stays  with  dustin,  max,  lucas  &  erica  at  the  wheelers  while  the  others  find  the  gate  under  the  lake.  however,  in  volume ii  he  does  join  the  upside  down  squad  ( nancy,  robin,  eddie,  dustin &  steve )  in  the  upside  down.  he  stays  with  eddie  &  dustin  while  the  battle  the  demo  bats  but  goes  back  when  dustin  does  &  then  he  follows  him  back  once  he  realizes  dustin’s  plan.  unfortunately,  stefan  was  too  late  getting  back  to  eddie  &  he  was  already  gone  before  he  could  use  his  blood  to  heal  him.  —  open  for  this  to  change  if  any  eddie’s  want  to  plot  that  stefan is able  to  save  him  with  his  blood.

 important  people  in  this  verse  can  be  found : here.

QUICK  THINGS :

stefan  still  struggles  with  his  bloodlust  in  this  verse,  he  hasn’t  drank  human  blood  since  1930.  

he  hasn’t  seen  damon  since  the  60′s,  definitely  won’t  be  talking  about  him  unless  you’re  close  to  him  &  even  then  it’s  a  fat  maybe.

he  compelled  someone  to  rent  him  out  a  nice  little  house  in  hawkins  but  most  likely  won’t  let  people  visit  often  since  he  lives  alone  for  obvious  reasons.  he’ll  probably  tell  people  he  lives  with  his  uncle  who  happens  to  always  be “ away  on  business  trips. ”

[kotomori]

The Banished and The Broken

Summary:

As someone who was born as an only child into a rich family, Steve could've had everything he wanted.

As long as he behaved himself.

As long as he sat up straight and spoke when spoken to.

As long as he blended in with the right kind of people.

As long as he was what everyone wanted him to be.

Yet ever since the first time fought a monster from another world and lived to tell in 1983, Steve has never been sure of what he wants out of life, if there is even a world that still has a place in it for a man as lost as he is. Three years later as he stares down the Devil who wants to break that world apart, he no longer cares about the stakes of his future but for the lives of those who changed him. He only has one priority left to fulfill as their protector: outnumbered or not he won't let them hurt his family.

*Author's note*

.Man am I late for this one....

Hi! :)

Not gonna lie to ya! Never thought I'd be here writing a Stranger Things fic. Then again I also said that about every other fandom I've written for on here so my word means nothing XD

Stranger things 4 was.....an experience. Did I love it? Volume 1 absolutely. Then volume 2 came upon us and.....what the hell was that?! Dont get me wrong, I love the way it ended with the upside down breaking into Hawkins. I loved Elevens arc in season 4 as a whole, I loved the Russian rescue mission and escape storyline which led to two of the most emotional reunion scenes I've ever seen. I loved that my favourite three characters (sans Eddie since hes only had one season hence he doesnt apply to this argument) had more screen time than they've ever had in the show. And by that I'm talking about Steve, Max and Dustin. I loved that Jonathan finally had a friend that wasn't Will or Nancy the same way I loved when Steve found a friend in Robin in season 3.

However....why were so many parts of volume 1 just completely forgotten about or rushed in volume 2? Mike telling eleven he loves her? Why was that a plot point? Why did he only say it when he was forced to say it? Why did Eddie have to die in order for the group to defeat Vecna? It would've take the bats just as much time getting back to the house as it did the trailer so they would've got him in time either way. Why did the Duffers pull a Two Days Later on us?!?!?

Another point I was confused about is why they conveniently forgot that Steve was literally mauled by bats....the scene where Eddie is explaining the warzone and Steve's just standing there bleeding through his bandages just like 'eh, just another Tuesday' made me laugh so much and then it's just never brought up again because apparently it was a way to introduce these bat things so that wed have insight into how one of the most popular characters would die....nah fuck that, imma change it.

Goes without saying Steve is absolutely my favourite character in the show. His character has by far had the greatest evolution and I cant wait to see how hes handling the aftermath in season 5. But I feel like they really missed some opportunities with him in season 4 and I'm just kind of projecting that onto this story because I like the character so much and hope you all like this story too :)

(Also side note but I'm honestly living for how the Duffers set up two potential LGBT couples with Rickie and Byler and then just threw the fruity fours great upside down adventures at us like XD I love the ship of Steve/Eddie, not sure I feel as into Ronance as alot of you but I think it's just because I like Robin way more as a character than I do Nancy, who honestly I have mixed feelings about her character.)

Also also, while this is a Steve/Eddie fic, that is not the sole or even the main focus of the story, its mainly about Steve's relationship with everyone, as well as some of the other characters with eachother, with a big ol dose of fluff on the side to cover up all the hurt in these poor kids.

Chapters 2/? Link to full fic available above :)

[ao3feed-byler2]

Sweet Creature

by sour_summer_child

Post canon season four volume one and two I might add non canon flashbacks tho to add ✨zest✨

Mike and Will becoming MikeAndWill

I’m gonna try to make this a slow burn but im ngl I’m a severely impatient person so well see how that goes lol

(Context before reading)

The California gang and Hawkins group vanquished vecna excruciatingly and were left with the saddening casualties of ridiculously hot Billie Hargrove, Nancy wheeler , Bob Newby, Chrissy Cunningham , now Max Mayfield is in recovery of serious injuries pretty much head to toe and Eddie is……… (you’ll see 😉) since the Byers’ attempt at a fresh start in Lenora was basically the biggest failure in existence, the California crew move back to Hawkins (minus argyle) miss u brochacho) Eleven is reunited with her father Hopper and he get his job back and her and mike have “made up” and they are seemingly back to the normal standard programming that is their relationship.

Words: 1929, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler, Eddie Munson, Jonathan Byers, Joyce Byers, Jim "Chief" Hopper, Lucas Sinclair, Erica Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Billy Hargrove, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Troy Walsh (Stranger Things), Vecna (Stranger Things), Henry Creel | One | Vecna, Jason Carver, Demogorgon (Stranger Things), Demo-Bats (Stranger Things), Shadow Monster | Mind Flayer, Angela (Stranger Things)

Relationships: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper

Additional Tags: Gay Will Byers, Bisexual Mike Wheeler, Byler is totally canon, steve the hair harrington, Step-Siblings Will Byers & Eleven | Jane Hopper, True Love, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Post-Canon, stranger things, Robin and Steve are platonic with a capital p soulmates, Poor Eleven | Jane Hopper, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, i doubt there will be any smut bc I don’t know how to write that, Kissing, Awkward First Times, Gay, have fun, this is how you know I have to much free time

from AO3 works tagged 'Will Byers/Mike Wheeler' https://ift.tt/0HdNonv

[stranger-masters]

My Hero (Eddie Munson)

OC Name: Alana Miller.

Brother/Sister: None.

Boyfriend: Eddie Munson. TW: Bullying; bisexual slurs; liking girls; homophobic people; Jason Carver being an asshole; stabbing; blood; almost-death; horror; mentions of dying.

Third Person POV

You didn't fight.

You hated violence.

Jason Carver knew that.

You were in your room, drawing in your sketchbook, when stones clattered against your window. Frowning, you got off the desk chair and moved to your window. A big piece of cardboard was on the night-darkened lawn: meet me in the woods! ~ Eddie.

You smiled, throwing your shoes on and a thin shawl, skipping down the stairs. Your parents worked nights at the hospital. Your dad was a nurse, and your mother was a doctor, both in the ER, so they were often home super late.

Entering the woods, you called softly, "Eddie?" Nothing. Nearby, an owl hooted, and you shivered as the cold wind raised goosebumps on your arms and legs. "Eddie, this isn't funny, come on!" You called again, and there was an awful, sudden laugh to your left. Gasping, you turned to see where--or who--it was, but you couldn't see anything. "Hello?" It couldn't have been Eddie, you guessed. He would never scare you like this, he wouldn't creep you out like this. "Get away from me!" You yelled, and hoped to God that you could get home. You began to step forwards when arms grabbed you, wrapping tight and one hand muffling the scream coming from your lips.

And then Jason and his goon, who was holding you, stepped into the light. Andy was holding you, and Jason was glaring at you, toying with a switchblade in his hands. "You're the witch, huh?" He asked, and you frowned. He nodded to Andy, who carefully uncovered your mouth. "What witch?" You asked, and Jason scoffed, "Eddie's little whore. The bisexual one, the one that's gonna die in a few hours." He chuckled, flipping the knife open and closed repeatedly. "Don't hurt me," You whimpered, knowing it was probably useless. And no one had any idea you were out here. Oh, God. Terror filled you. "Please," You choked.

"Please, please don't hurt me!" Jason mocked, making tears fill your eyes. You couldn't believe someone was threatening to kill you over a sexuality thing. "Eddie's gonna be pissed!" You shouted as Jason stepped closer. "He's gonna tear you apart, Jason, and I don't want you hurt!" Jason stared at you, smiling a little creepily. "You think I care?!" He shouted, waving the open knife. "He killed Chrissy, he killed my girl, so I'm gonna take his!" He dove forwards, and you felt pain, something sliding between your ribs, and you screamed, hoping a neighbor would hear.

"Let her go." Jason snapped, and Andy dropped you. You hit the earth, hard, and yelped as it jostled the wound. "Let her die." Jason turned, stalking out of the woods, and Andy followed, laughing. "Whore," He spit, and you lay there, gasping.

You need to get up. Get to Eddie's place, a voice that sounded like Nancy said in your head. She knew the most about medical things, so, listening to her voice, you forced yourself to your feet, stumbling to the back door of your house. You left bloody smears on the wall, your blood splashing on the floor, as you grabbed the phone, smearing red on blue. The dial tone took forever, and when he picked up, Eddie sounded half-asleep. "Hello...?" "Eddie, help." You squeaked, feeling severely woozy. "Blood...all over." "What?! What do you mean there's blood all over?" "Jason...met me in the woods, behind...my house. Andy was there. Stabbed me." You felt a throb of pain, the blood pooling over your toes. "I need help--" Your legs suddenly gave out, and you fell to the floor with a crash and a cry of pain, curling your arms around the wound. You groaned, vision spotting horribly. I need to get help...

You don't know how long you had, and you were fading. Your eyes turned to darkening tunnels, and you heard something slam as your eyes began to flutter closed. Your front door flew open, and you heard jean-clad knees and a chain clatter on the dloor. "Alana!" Eddie called, grabbing your face gently. "Alana!" You passed out, and wondered, Will I see my family again?

[the-one-where-casey-watches-tv]

Stranger Things episode 4.09 "Chapter Nine: The Piggyback"

I’ve loved Stranger Things from day one. I think the pilot is one for the books and each passing season has managed to enrich the world and its visual effects while still bringing it all together in a delightfully satisfying finale. I’ve always thought this series was very sure of its footing and felt the story has been chugging decisively along down its painstakingly premeditated path. I compare it a lot to Harry Potter because both stories stand out to me as very classic, down to earth explorations of the Hero’s Journey and prime examples of how and why story structure is so important.

            After finishing the endeavor that was season four, I don’t feel like the show is any less “good”- I watched the whole thing and was never bored (even this two plus hour finale; I’ll get into this season’s formatting in a second). I think the Duffer Brothers are prime storytellers who know exactly what they’re doing and how to keep your interest, so when I finally let out a breath after finishing the episode that took up literally my entire night, I didn’t feel disappointed by the quality; I felt betrayed by what they did with my rapt attention. “Chapter Nine” was effective for me in that I believe that I felt everything I was intended to feel- I just didn’t like those intentions.

This is the first season that broke up the group without quite managing to pull them back together at the last minute in that ultra-satisfying and cohesive payoff of previous years. The story lacked the punchy, decisive confidence it’s always had, and it showed. And I’ll say it. I don’t want to watch a two-and-a-half-hour episode of TV. I rarely even want to watch a two-and-a-half-hour movie. I love the creativity and flexibility that TV has come to have as a medium, but the odd release of season four of Stranger Things did nothing but hamper my viewing experience. I couldn’t wait to dive into the season as soon as it came out, so I quickly finished episodes 1-7 before the strangely staggered release of the final two episodes, which dropped a month after the initial debut. One month is a weird amount of time. Mid-season finales are still a regular occurrence with network shows as they break for a couple months, often overlapping with the holidays, to put the rest of the season together. Such breaks are rarer with streaming, but Netflix has seemed to be into the concept lately, dropping other seasons in two parts as well. All the same, just one month is an unusually short period of time that seemed to serve no purpose other than to garner intrigue and suspense. Promotions were all over Netflix’s social media, billboards went up, and an itch remained unscratched in my brain as I couldn’t yet check this season off my list and mentally move onto other things.

            The whole viewing experience just felt deliberately taxing- to be made to wait, just to then be made to set aside an entire night to watch the final episode that could have easily been broken up into two or even three- something that would have also added some balance to the “Volume 1” and “Volume 2” approach. But honestly, I can only complain so much about all of that because ultimately, I was a full participant in this whole experience. I followed the directions, eagerly watching every hour-plus episode in record time, waiting patiently for the finale, and then making a night out of it, just like I was supposed to. And at no point did I want to turn it off.

            So let’s talk about what happened. I love a Stranger Things finale. A clear plan laid out by a ton of kids with a lot of moving parts and very clear, very high stakes. Every season finale feels like watching the Duffer Brothers drop the last piece into the most complex puzzle I’ve ever seen- and then dump 500 more pieces onto the table and reveal that we’re not done yet. So I had a lot of trust going into this episode. I’ve been watching Mike, Will, Jonathan, and even Eleven do a whole lotta nothing this season, but I dismissed everyone who wanted to tell me as much. It was all about to come to fruition; everything would make sense and it would all be for a reason. But it wasn’t.

            I think Max is what kicked the Stranger Things train off its track. Or rather, what flipped the switch sending it in a new direction, one that I would be happy to follow, but that the show seemed to resist. To use my Harry Potter comparison, Max’s character is like if Cedric Diggory didn’t die and instead went on to become more interesting, useful, and endearing than Harry ever was. How fun, right? But then imagine that happened, our hearts and attention were successfully shifted somewhere else, yet the story continued to treat him as that same tragic auxiliary character that only exists in relation to Harry.

            Leading up to “Chapter Nine”, this season felt like the end of the Mike and Eleven show and the embracing of a true ensemble, and I loved that. Mike did, and I don’t feel like this is an exaggeration, nothing. If he just wasn’t in this season at all, the final outcome wouldn’t change. And I didn’t have a problem with that! He’s cute and goofy and fun to be around, and he and El’s relationship problems were the lighter B or dare I say C story to Max and Lucas’ loaded, important, and well-rounded journeys. And that said, El was still a centerpiece in other ways. I love the story of One, I didn’t need to see Brenner again, but I was happy to explore her past and have that aha moment of what really connects her to the Upside Down. Eleven needed her face-off moment with Vecna, but if the lead-in to this battle (and “Running Up That Hill” being the anthem of the season) proved anything, it’s that Max is an equal to El, in both significance and strength, and we’ve spent too much time with her now to be satisfied with her suffering being nothing but an emotional catalyst for Eleven.

            Even at a glance, this final showdown puts Max and Lucas front and center. They are the ones physically present, with a job that doesn’t involve being a diversion or killing extraneous bats or being states or continents away. The two of them alone are the ones facing the real test with the truly dangerous job of confronting Vecna, Max in her mind’s eye and Lucas protecting her in the flesh. Eleven has a grand plan to piggyback off of Max, but no one suiting up and diving into the Upside Down knows about that. They’re ready to do this on their own, and we see all the risks, fears, and bravery involved in that. While we have that knowledge of what’s going on elsewhere, I was never fully interested in seeing those extraneous moving parts come together. I don’t want Eleven to save them. I want this plan to work. The one with the people and stories that I’ve been made to feel invested in throughout this season.

            But I understand that the plan was never going to work. This was the penultimate battle, the one that we lose. The gate had to be opened and we’re supposed to feel loss and sadness at that. This is “The Half Blood Prince”- but Max is no Dumbledore. A casualty was inevitable, but the way it came about wasn’t. My trust in the Duffer Brothers and in this story persists; I believe that season five will shed new light on these things and maybe my feelings will change, but each season is also a story in itself, and the message we’re sitting with now as we wait for the final season isn’t one that I respect or feel good about.

            Leading up to this episode, Max’s journey was a moving story about processing grief and carrying on in the world after experiencing loss. It was the perfect blend of a generalized, relatable thematic idea applied to a specific, well-drawn character in a way that is both powerful and moves the plot forward. Eleven has the history with Vecna that she’s off unpacking, but this has become personal for Max too. Vecna, as is his M.O., has forced Max over and over again to confront her emotions regarding Billy’s death, the complex combination of guilt and grief that I can only imagine comes from losing a presence like that. And every time, Max comes out stronger. She becomes a bigger challenge to Vecna every time he tries and fails to break her, each instance actually cementing her will to live. It was a beautiful and powerful personification of grief, depression, that voice in your head that wants the worst for you, and the idea that it’s possible to fight it all. I feel a huge urge to hug and apologize to everyone I know who related to Max and had to watch what happened to her next.

            Of course Vecna caught onto their plan, to Max using herself as bait. That had to happen, right? What seems like a genuine plot hole to me though is the fact that Vecna, with his pension for finding those emotions that people want to hide, didn’t see through Max the second he looked inside. He didn’t see that firm resolve? The now-solidified desire to be alive?

To pretend for a second that I’m qualified to write Stranger Things, I’ll tell you what I think should’ve happened. When Vecna takes the bait and finds Max and Lucas, Max herself would give the whole plan away with just her strong sense of self. She’s too strong for Vecna and he wouldn’t want to admit that, but the stakes are high for him right now too. He needs one more body to open the gate, a bunch of kids are closing in on his body on the other side, and he’s all the way over here with the first girl he might not be able to break. Lucas is the only other one here, and he’s got plenty of complex emotions of his own to process.

            Lucas has been bullied for being black since the pilot, and I had a lot of respect for this season not toning itself down at all in a lot of ways, racism included. Watching Erica be chased down in the dark by a white boy three times her size was hard to watch; watching Lucas have a gun pointed at him by the deranged captain of the basketball team was hard to watch. But some important things are hard to watch. None of it felt inappropriate or out of place until the episode ended and there didn’t seem to be any kind of takeaway from it. Hawkins became a character itself this season, and it turned out to be an underdeveloped one. The town never learned the truth, never had to see themselves or anyone else in a new light, nor was bigotry a direct cause for anything that happened. My issue wasn’t that it was hard to watch, it was that it was just hard to watch. It was gratuitous pain and heartbreak for nothing but the sadness value of it. The world already does that to us all enough.

            So while Vecna is rooting around in Max’s head, finding himself to be no match for her, Lucas sees what’s happening to Erica outside. He has to contend with the fact that these were the people he wanted to be friends with so badly, that these are the people he chose over his real friends who are ready time and again to do the right thing. So Vecna switches gears. Lucas’ heart is heavy and he hasn’t been on the same self-fortifying quest that has prepared Max to face this very moment. Vecna possesses Lucas instead, and Kate Bush doesn’t work for him. In walks the basketball captain who learns the truth too late.

            Maybe Eleven is able to do a kind of double piggyback and go from Max to Lucas- I would at least feel like she accomplished something if she was able to pull that off. But honestly, I don’t really feel the need to get into the logistics of her agonizingly slow stroll through Max’s head. If there’s anything we’ve learned from Max, it’s that self-sufficiency and processing your past for yourself is possible. Max and Lucas planning their date is heartbreakingly precious because neither need the other. They’re arguably the two most independent and capable characters in the whole show. Max is comforted by Lucas’ company, but she would have been capable of all the same things without it. For Eleven to not be able to do anything until she hears Mike say he loves her is frankly insulting to everything Max has just been through. So however Eleven would find her way into battle with Vecna in Lucas’ mind instead of Max’s in this scenario doesn’t really matter to me. She’s not gonna do anything in there anyway. We lose Lucas and the gate opens.

            This would obviously all still be very sad. It had to be sad. But it would be sad with thought-provoking thematic takeaways. It would be about the direct consequences of realizing prejudice too late, about grappling with survivor’s guilt, self-sufficiency, and the idea that doing everything right isn’t always enough to save the world (or even just the people you love ((but does that make it any less right?)). When the credits rolled on this episode, I was uncharacteristically silent. It was a downer of a season finale and it had made my mood heavy, but I had nothing to say about it. I let the event of the Volume 2 release consume my night and have my full attention, and it truly just left me up past my bedtime, drained and in a funk. I felt manhandled into feeling sad at what was clearly the writer’s hand, not the story’s. Vecna breaking Max wasn’t that last puzzle piece dropped perfectly into place; it was mashed in there where it didn’t fit, and her subsequent coma isn’t those 500 new pieces I can’t believe I didn’t realize we still needed (I’m over the “are they really dead?” game this show keeps playing). When I step back and look at this puzzle, I don’t see the illuminating, cohesive image that past finales have gifted me. It feels like I did all that work just to step back and look at the final product and see something that was upsetting to put together but doesn’t mean anything.            

All that and I haven’t even touched on poor Eddie, gay Will, or anything at all that went on in Russia. Guess that’s what happens when one episode of TV is one of the longest things I’ve ever watched in my life.

I'll be back next week with another show, in the meantime drop me any thoughts or requests and head over to my blog for more :) https://clduby.wixsite.com/casey-watches-tv

[erin-bo-berin]

I’ll put on stranger things when I’m bored 🤣🤣 tbh only the 3 and 4 seasons, the second one is my least fave. I didn’t like the whole outcast plot line

It’s so interesting hearing people’s ranking of the seasons! Honestly as I’m watching them, I think I can only rate the four seasons in first place and second place. Like the two I think are my favorite/best in my opinion and then number 2 being the “still amazing but not my die hard faves” you know? Cause as I’m watching from the beginning, it really blows my mind just how good all the seasons are in general.

Also I feel you, until volume 2 of ST4 came out, I marathoned the first episodes of ST4 for weeks lol this is my first time actually rewatching it from the beginning and since I became a huge Steve & Joe fan. When I first binged the series, that didn’t happen until afterwards. It’s like it took time to sink in 😂

[watchmenanon]

The Antagonism of Blackness in Netflix's Stranger Things

Kaiya Shunyata June 19, 2022

When “Stranger Things” first aired in 2016, it was my first year of University. My new friends and I gathered around a single MacBook to watch the show. Lucas, the show’s singular Black character, quickly became my favorite. His wit and sensitivity immediately made him the most realistic character of the season. Plagued by the fear of his missing friend Will, Lucas was the only core character who found the show’s main female character Eleven, untrustworthy. 

“I don’t like him,” a friend bemoaned, “He’s mean.” Since then, I’ve watched the show with plenty more friends and time and time again, Lucas’ attitude towards Eleven is scolded in the same way, but because he is cautious and obviously grieving, does that make him a bad person? He quickly becomes the most valuable of the group next to the superpowered Eleven, figuring out things that piece Season One’s puzzle together, and even attacking the Demogorgan with his trusty slingshot. But despite his integral nature to the show’s storyline, Lucas still doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves, not from millions of “Stranger Things” fans, and certainly not from the show’s writers. 

“I don’t like him,” a friend bemoaned, “He’s mean.” Since then, I’ve watched the show with plenty more friends and time and time again, Lucas’ attitude towards Eleven is scolded in the same way, but because he is cautious and obviously grieving, does that make him a bad person? He quickly becomes the most valuable of the group next to the superpowered Eleven, figuring out things that piece Season One’s puzzle together, and even attacking the Demogorgan with his trusty slingshot. But despite his integral nature to the show’s storyline, Lucas still doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves, not from millions of “Stranger Things” fans, and certainly not from the show’s writers. 

“Stranger Things” has become a phenomenon during its six-year run, beating out shows like “Squid Game” as Netflix’s top series, and it’s rightfully earned that spot. Season One came out at the perfect time, amidst an ‘80s nostalgia revival also propelled by films such as the “It” reboot and the now canceled “Glow,” offering adults and Gen Z alike a glimpse back into the past. Despite the show’s creativity, it has failed its Black characters and its Black viewers time and time again.

As the show has moved forward, and with the Volume One premiere of Season Four, it’s clear after six years that the Duffer Brothers still don’t know what to do with Lucas. In Season Three, this was apparent, but in the most recent series it’s abhorrent. Immediately, Lucas becomes a foil for his friend’s Mike and Dustin, prioritizing his new basketball career rather than playing Dungeons & Dragons with his friends. It’s not that he’s lost interest in his companions, it’s that he wants to be popular. “I’m tired of being a loser,” he states, and Mike and Dustin look on at him with mild loathing. Because, of course, it would be unacceptable that a Black person was tired of being bullied, called “Midnight,” and physically assaulted by racists like his girlfriend Max’s older brother, Billy.

They don’t show up to his basketball game, and instead bring along Lucas’ sister, Erica, to replace him for their campaign. In swapping out their friend for his sister, we are given a glimpse into the world of Erica, but still, it’s not enough. Erica joined “Stranger Things” in Season Two, to my surprise, as it wasn’t previously known that Lucas had a sister. Her first scene back in 2017 shows her listening in on Lucas’ private walkie-talkie conversation as the two of them share snarky words and nothing more. This is how Erica’s character remains, years later. Other than a brief stint helping Steve, Dustin, and Robin evade Russian forces in Season Three, Erica always appears briefly, and not without some witty comeback. 

She is fun to watch at times, and that’s all to do with Priah Ferguson’s charisma, but the jokes become old as time goes on. Who is Erica, really, and what is her purpose in this story? Is she a stand-in for her brother’s friends? Is she only valuable as a helping hand when the older crew needs her help (but still manages to keep her out of the loop)? There’s a strange sense of nationalism with Erica’s character as well, with a proud declaration of “You can’t spell America without Erica!” being one of her defining lines in Season Three. In Season Four, she struts down the school hallway proudly, donning an American flag around her shoulders, trailing behind her like a cape, or a beacon of hope. “Stranger Things” and its nationalism in the wake of Hawkins being invaded by Russian forces isn’t necessarily new, but having your sole Black female character's entire personality built around the love of America is tone deaf at the best of times, but especially today.

Coinciding with this nationalist heroism they’ve accosted Erica with, the Duffer Brothers have also upped the ante with a slew of Black cops. One of the only other Black characters with speaking lines throughout “Stranger Things” is Officer Calvin Powell, who has since been promoted to chief since Jim Hopper’s death. Alongside him is an unnamed police officer who interrogates Nancy’s friend Fred (although it’s revealed to be a charade caused by Vecna), and Agent Wallace, an officer working with Dr. Owens, who is stationed to watch the California crew while Eleven learns how to use her powers again. 

After Wallace gets shot in episode four, his white partner Agent Harmon gets to play the hero in a fast-paced sequence showcasing his skills. The camera stays on him in a glorious one-shot take, as he takes out government reinforcements, protecting Eleven's friends. Afterwards, it’s revealed that Agent Wallace is alive, but he is quickly picked up by Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan (who also happens to be Black, because nationalism!) and tortured for the rest of his screen time. Season Four, Volume One has been praised for its horror themes and its willingness to go “dark,” but these aspects of darkness are weaponized against the Black people in this series. Agent Wallace’s torture isn’t offscreen, but showcased vividly in front of our eyes: every cry is heard, every punch is felt, and every scream reverberates through your speakers. 

The call for inclusion in “Stranger Things” has surrounded social media for years, which seems to be the norm now for popular shows and franchises. It’s not just Netflix, but everything from the Star Wars fandom to lovers of the MCU, pleading with creators and writers to let people who look like them exist in these universes. Creators don’t always listen, or it takes them years to do so. And sometimes when they do allow diversity, another end of the fandom tears these new actors down with hate. But the Duffer Brothers have finally allowed Black people like Agent Wallace and Colonel Jack Sullivan to exist in the “Stranger Things” universe. And who could forget about Patrick, one of Lucas’ new friends and basketball teammates.

In what feels like a scramble to add diversity after years of pleading from fans, the Duffer Brothers and their team have shown just how out of touch they are in regards to race. The first new prominent Black character in Season Four is Patrick, one of Lucas’ teammates. We know nothing about him, up until the show’s new villain Vecna picks him as his latest victim. To become susceptible to Vecna’s curse, characters must be overcome by feelings of guilt, or burdened by trauma. We learn, albeit briefly, that Patrick makes the perfect victim, because he’s being abused at home. 

This is the only thing we learn about Patrick until his untimely demise, and maybe it’s because he’s not a central character, but, the previous two victims of Vecna’s curse, Chrissy and Fred, are given a life before they die. Chrissy is a new fan favorite (akin to Shannon Purser’s Barb of Season One), charming audiences with her bright smile and bubbly joy, whereas Fred is given more lines than Chrissy and Patrick combined in just the first two episodes. We know things about these two, we know they are kind before we know they’re traumatized, and probably going to die. But why isn’t Patrick handled with as much grace?

When his time finally comes, Patrick is propelled into the air, possessed by Vecna’s supernatural powers. We see, under the guise of the moonlit night, his bones crushed and jaw wrenched open, until he is dead. It’s fitting that you can barely see him when this happens, his body covered in a darkness that gleams off the water of the lake he’s in, shadowed because the camera crew still, after four seasons, does not know how to properly light dark skin Black people. Patrick’s death is the catalyst for the “satanic panic” storyline that weaves into the already confuzzled plot of Volume One, but despite this, his death feels unearned and in the end only happens to propel the story of his white best friend, Jason.

Lucas is one of the core main characters, and in the past two seasons, he has become a part of the background, figuratively and literally. From how the show’s lighting fails him, as he disappears into many of the scene's night-time sequences, to his screen time only propelling the narrative for his white girlfriend Max, Lucas feels like an afterthought. He’s seen as expendable, a character who only matters when the “villain of the week” needs to be defeated, which doesn’t make any logical sense given he’s been a character since the series premiere. A Black main character, one who offered wit and strength to the show’s cast, shouldn’t succumb to the writers’ incompetence in 2022. If the Duffer Brothers don’t know what to do with Lucas, they might as well write him out of the show or kill him off. But who’s to say this won’t be the case? Volume Two doesn’t air until July 1st, and his true fate won’t be known until then.

I haven’t had faith in the Duffer Brothers and their treatment of Lucas since 2017 when Season Two aired. But, if Lucas (and his sister Erica) survives this series, one in a genre that already finds Black people expendable, does it truly mean anything if he is nothing but an afterthought, and his sister nothing but a caricature of the “sassy Black woman” trope? “Stranger Things” has tried, and ultimately failed to add diversity to its show in a meaningful way, and it seems like the Duffer Brothers are blind to this fact. Adding diversity to your show after criticism is great, but if the new Black characters are nothing but cops, bullies, and torture victims, and you leave your sole Black main characters to pick up the pieces of their white counterparts, have you really tried at all?

[neonhawaiianshirt]

idk if anyones done this yet but-

[m0mmat0rtle]

A prayer for st volume 2 eve

✨As I lay me down to sleep I pray Steve Harrington’s soul to keep and if he die before I wake the Duffer’s Souls shall Vecna take ✨