#tammy thompson

[byler-alarmist]

Disclaimer: I am not anti-Vickie by any means. I think Vickie seems very sweet (although there may be something going on with her we don't know) and I will fully support her and Robin if the Duffers can prove to me in S5 why they work together.

That said, I am going to examine the one, glaring issue I have with Rovickie. If you're not put off by that, read on!

So, most of the criticism leveled against Vickie is that we don't know anything about her. That's true; we don't.

However, my main criticism is:

Does Robin know anything about her??

All we hear from Robin in S4 is that Vickie is the girl of her dreams, but we never hear why. In all her gushing/agonizing to Steve, Robin never tells us what about Vickie makes her so special.

Is she smart? Funny? Ambitious? Kind? Is she a pro at playing poker?

Even Tammy Thompson, whose role in S3 was purely offscreen, got a shout out of traits that Robin valued ("she has dreams!").

We can't say the same for Vickie. All we know is:

-she laughed at one of Robin's (Steve's) jokes

-she likes Fast Times

-she talks a lot when nervous

-she possibly likes boobies

And those last two were only figured out by Robin in the final episode of S4.

If Robin's feelings for Vickie are more than mere infatuation based on looks, wouldn't Robin have told us more than the most surface-level things about her?

And if your immediate response to this "well, she just hasn't spent enough one-on-one time with her to know!" .......that's exactly my point.

The writers have shown time and time again that the shallow relationships where tbe couple got into it without really talking or getting to know each other do not last .

I'm reminded of Lucas telling Mike "you're just blind because a girl isn't grossed out by you." 👀

All this in the same season where Robin is spending one-on-one time with Nancy, getting to know her and respect the things that make her "her". Rather than just looks, Robin gets to see Nancy's drive, intellect, leadership and bravery.

She calls her a "genius", says she is "full of surprises", and learns even more about her when Nancy opens up about her relationship inecurities. Robin sees her complexity.

I don't know about you, but to me, this is the core of why Rovickie is not as compelling as a ship. If they are meant to be endgame, why was Robin paired with Nancy all season?

Surely there could've been some plot device to bring Vickie into the fold, just like Max was brought into the Party back in S2.

Vickie could've been trapped with Robin and the older teens after some supernatural things happened at rhe pep rally or other school function and they got separated from the rest, or she could've been related to the Creels and the gang needed to ask her for help. It's a TV show; they can do whatever they want.

Either way, they decided not to involve her in the main plot of the show at all, preventing both Robin and the viewers from getting to know her fully. I believe this was intentional and will have consequences for their relationship in S5.

One final thought- in early S4, Robin tells Steve that she has found the girl of her dreams but can't get the courage to ask her out, whereas Steve goes on a ton of dates but has no idea what he wants.

I think it would be VERY interesting if their roles were actually swapped, i.e. by the end of S4, Robin is the one who doesn't really know what she wants, and Steve is the one who realizes he has found the (person) of his dreams.

[munson-blurbs]

@corrodedcoffinfest Day 14: And the Winner Is...

Word Count: 518/Rating: T/Pairing: Jason Carver x Tammy Thompson (bear with me here)/CW: mention of poverty and bullying/Tags: Jason Carver, Tammy Thompson, Eddie Munson, Corroded Coffin, Grammys, 1990s

Divider credit to @silkholland

February 1990

“Babe-uh,” Tammy whines, jutting out her lower lip in an obnoxious pout, “turn that off; the Grammys are on.”

Jason rolls his eyes. “But the Pacers are playing the Hawks–”

Tammy yanks the remote from the sofa’s arm before Jason can get to it. “You watch basketball every night. Let me watch my stuff tonight.”

The former jock pushes himself off of the well-worn cushion with a grimace. His back hasn’t been the same since he threw it out six months ago, lifting a 24-pack of Natty Light at Bradley’s Big Buy. “Maybe if you got an actual job instead of spending all of my money at the recording studio, we could afford a second TV,” he grumbles, purposefully loud enough for his girlfriend to hear.

“I told you,” she bites back, “I just need to finish my demo and then I’ll have, like, a million labels trying to sign me.” She plops onto the couch and flips through the channels until she lands on the one she’s looking for. “Shut up! It’s starting.”

Jason rubs at his eyes, shuffling towards the shower. The water takes forever just to get moderately lukewarm, a symptom of trailer park living. If he wasn’t so pigheaded, he’d be able to see the irony of his years spent making fun of the kids who lived in Forest Hills. 

He expects the show to be over by the time he turns the spigot to the “off” position, but when he walks out in his towel, Tammy’s still glued to the TV. This body used to have girls falling over themselves, he thinks, but shoves the notion aside. 

“That shit’s still going?”

Tammy whirls around. “It’s not ‘shit,’ asshole. And, yeah, it’ll be on for a few hours.”

“A few hours? Jesus Christ, Tam—”

“Holy shit!” Tammy swats at his arm to shut him up. “Is that The Freak?”

Jason’s brows pinch together. “What?”

“It is!” Tammy’s eyes widen. “It’s Eddie Munson! His band is nominated for Record of the Year.” She cocks her head and gently bites her lower lip. “Damn, he looks good.”

Steam billows from Jason’s ears and clouds him in jealousy, but he can still hear the presenter’s cheerful announcement. 

“And the winner is…Corroded Coffin, ‘We’re the Freaks!’”

The screen shows the four bandmates, clad in untucked dress shirts and torn jeans, ascending the staircase to the stage. Eddie Munson grabs the award and holds it high as each member gives a brief speech. 

The Freak made it big, and I’m stuck here…how the hell did that happen?

“I wonder if his uncle still lives around here.” Tammy’s shrill voice breaks in. “Do you think he’d give me Eddie’s number? For, like, a business connection?”

“Dunno,” Jason grumbles. “I’m going to bed.”

Tammy doesn’t care enough to question his sudden exhaustion; she’s too busy planning a future she’ll never have. It’s the same blind optimism he had back in high school, when he thought he’d coast on his looks and basketball state championship forever. 

“Prick,” he mutters, as though Eddie can hear him, before closing the bedroom door. 

--

[rogueddie]

everyone I ship robin with + the color palettes I assosiate with them

+ bonus stobin

[robin-buck1ey]

I see a lot of people talk about how they wouldn’t be upset if ronance was endgame but they would prefer Nancy to be on her own, and while that’s totally valid, I just wanna quickly shine a light on something.

Nancy does need sometime of her own, so much crazy stuff has happened that she just wants to keep atleast something the same. In this case, that’s Jonathan. She knows it’s probably best they break up, and so does he, but they’re both scared of what that means and afraid to add any more dread to their crazy lives.

So yes, Nancy needs time to reflect and be independent and truly find herself, however people often forget the exact dynamic Robin and Nancy have.

Robin and Nancy don’t rely on eachother, they are both strong, independent, intelligent women. When they paired up throughout season 4, it was always helping eachother, backing, and empowering one another.

There was never dragging the other down once they knew how the other worked and their strengths. They quickly realized working together allows them to join their strengths to become a power duo.

The comparison between jancy and ronance as detective duos is quite clear. Nancy is constantly having to fill Jonathan in or he’s doubting her ideas or plans. Robin is adding to Nancy’s ideas and sometimes a step ahead.

If Robin and Nancy were to be together, it’s not to be the same as her past relationships. Nancy isn’t going to be trapped in an expectation, she’s still going to be independent, learning, and not have to worry about doing what she desires because she thinks it might affect her partner, she’s not going to be doubted in anyway, they will be stronger together. Not hold eachother down.

Nancy needs to be free. But that doesn’t mean she has to be single. It’s seemed that way because she’s felt trapped in her relationships throughout the show, but ronances dynamic is different. That’s what makes them stand out so much.

Robin sets a side of Nancy free, and that was hard for Nancy because she just try’s to make sure that everything is “perfect” but Robin knows it isn’t, and she’s patient to let Nancy open up and share her thoughts and ideas, she wants Nancy to lead her own life, to do things when and how she wants to.

It’s apart of what she liked about Tammy Thompson, “she has dreams!” Is what she had told Steve when he had mocked Tammy’s career choice.

Nancy has dreams too. She’s determined, focused, and dedicated.

While Steve doesn’t appear to be very aware of this given his ideal for their future to be 6 kids and stereotypical life, Jonathan is aware of this, and it’s exactly why he wants to break up.

He said it himself, Nancy would rather give up her dreams to be with Jonathan, than to live them out and he can’t be what she needs to follow those dreams. Nancy is is dedicated to her dreams but also the ones she loves. She puts them above everything else, constantly risking her life to save others.

Nancy’s relationships have trapped her, but a relationship doesn’t have to be a cage, it can be the key to escape one. To break free. From Hawkins, from their fears, from societal expectations.

Ronance being endgame wouldn’t mean Nancy doesn’t get what she would being single, it just means she’d have someone right there helping push her further, supporting her every step to success and happiness.

[strangertheories]

New preview for the comic about Robin! I've posted the description and then the first few pages of the comic that has been released under the cut. It comes out on August 23.

Robin Buckley is always trying to mask her true self in the rural town of Hawkins as she coasts through days packed full of boring classes and band practice. That all changes when a love-struck Robin can't help but take on the role of director for a school project in an effort to get her crush Tammy's attention. She's determined to convey her deeper feelings through her script, even if she has no idea how it should end.

Jody Houser returns to pen an anthology of spooky events woven into the larger tapestry of Netflix's hit show Stranger Things.

I'm super excited plus the front cover is the lesbian pride flag! But without further ado, here's the comic.

[ronancecore]

I found the girl who's inlove with a girl

She said she doesn't try 'cause she's not into guys

Ohh ohh..Ohhh ohh she said I was nice but she's not into guys

Stobin - Platonic as in Capital P

[resident-gay-bitch]

(romantic)

please reblog for a bigger sample size <3

[gayofthefae]

Steve 🤝 Erica

'I don't care if you're queer, get better taste'

[mirkwoodsuperspy]

the reason why i relate "is it over now?" by Taylor Swift to Ronance is because of the line "if she's got blue eyes I will surmise that you'd probably date her". Which is what Nancy would be saying to Robin, because hey, all the girls Robin's liked have blue eyes.

[sarcasticassian]

saw this on twitter and tell me this isn't the card Robin would get for her gf the first Valentine's Day they spend together, she has no idea how to express her undying love to them so she just shoves this at them

[byler-alarmist]

I imagine Tammy Thompson is dating someone named Harold, like an alternate universe Tommy and Carol

[thatgirlwithasquid]

Stranger Things F/F Pairings AO3 Ranking

This time last year I did my rankings of the teen F/F pairings for stranger things as of number of ao3 fics. I figured seeing the difference from 1 year (and a day, whoops!) would also be interesting.

These numbers are as of 5th March 2024

1. Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler with 8,461 works

2. Robin Buckley/Vickie with 1,034 works

3. Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham with 609 works

4. Robin Buckley/Heather Holloway with 245 works

5. Barbara “Barb” Holland/Nancy Wheeler with 135 works

6. Chrissy Cunningham/Nancy Wheeler with 78 works

7. Robin Buckley/Barbara “Barb” Holland with 66 works

8. Kali Prasad**/Nancy Wheeler with 51 works

9. Robin Buckley/Kali Prasad with 50 works

10. Chrissy Cunningham/Heather Holloway with 32 works || Robin Buckley/Carol Perkins with 32 works || Robin Buckley/Tammy Thompson** with 32 works

13. Chrissy Cunningham/Vickie with 15 works

14. Carol Perkins/Nancy Wheeler with 13 works || Chrissy Cunningham/Barbara “Barb” Holland with 13 works

16. Robin Buckley/Vicki Carmichael** with 10 works

17. Eden Bingham/Robin Buckley with 9 works

18. Chrissy Cunningham/Carol Perkins with 7 works

19. Eden Bingham/Chrissy Cunningham with 6 works || Eden Bingham/Nancy Wheeler with 6 works || Heather Holloway/Nancy Wheeler with 6 works

22. Vickie/Nancy Wheeler with 4 works || Eden Bingham/Kali Prasad with 4 works

24. Barbara “Barb” Holland/Heather Holloway with 3 works || Chrissy Cunningham/Tammy Thompson with 3 works

26. Barbara “Barb” Holland/Carol Perkins with 2 works || Chrissy Cunningham/Kali Prasad with 2 works || Barbara “Barb” Holland/Kali Prasad with 2 works

29. Nancy Wheeler/Tina** with 1 work* || Heather Holloway/Vickie with 1 work || Heather Holloway/Carol Perkins with 1 work || Carol Perkins/Tina with 1 work || Chrissy Cunningham/Tina with 1 work || Barbara “Barb” Holland/Vickie with 1 work || Heather Holloway/Kali Prasad with 1 work || Carol Perkins/Kali Prasad with 1 work

*for some reason, the Nancy Wheeler/Tina tag has been made synonymous with Nancy Wheeler/Original Female Character(s). I assume this is a mistake with tag wrangling, but it means I cannot link to their tag. However, there is one work tagged Nancy Wheeler/Tina and I have linked to that instead.

**Kali Prasad, Vicki Carmichael, Tammy Thompson and Tina have now been added to the rankings, I had forgotten to include them in my last lists. This will skew the comparisons, as I am comparing with my ranking from last year. Feel free to let me know if I missed anyone else who should be added!

Compared to last year... (see 2023 rankings)

the top 5 remain in the same ranking position

the largest increase in number of fics is: ronance, with 3,541 new works

the 2nd largest increase in number of fics is: bandcheer, with 340 new works

the largest increase in ranking is: cunningway, with an increase of 2 places

the 2nd largest increase in ranking is: pompompistol, with an increase of 1 place

Pairings with no ao3 tag:

Vicki Carmichael/Tina, Nancy Wheeler/Vicki Carmichael, Vickie/Eden Bingham, Vickie/Tina, Vickie/Vicki Carmichael, Heather Holloway/Eden Bingham, Heather Holloway/Tina, Heather Holloway/Vicki Carmichael, Eden Bingham/Tina, Eden Bingham/Vicki Carmichael, Carol Perkins/Vickie, Carol Perkins/Eden Bingham, Carol Perkins/Vicki Carmichael, Chrissy Cunningham/Vicki Carmichael, Barbara “Barb” Holland/Eden Bingham, Barbara “Barb” Holland/Tina, Barbara “Barb” Holland/Vicki Carmichael, Robin Buckley/Tina, Kali Prasad/Tina, Kali Prasad/Vickie, Kali Prasad/Vicki Carmichael, Tammy Thompson/Barbara “Barb” Holland, Tammy Thompson/Vickie, Tammy Thompson/Nancy, Tammy Thompson/Vicki Carmichael, Tammy Thompson/Eden Bingham, Tammy Thompson/Heather Holloway, Tammy Thompson/Tina, Tammy Thompson/Carol Perkins, Tammy Thompson/Kali Prasad

Interested in other categories?

F/F pairings for the stranger things teens have a total of 10,938 fics on ao3 (a 4,311 increase from 4th March 2023). This is 566 less than F/M pairings and 30,423 less than M/M pairings.

[thegayhimbo]

Stranger Things Tales from Hawkins Review

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are regarding the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Reviews/Theories

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 1 of 2)

Stranger Things Rebel Robin Book and Podcast (Part 2 of 2)

Stranger Things Hawkins Horrors Review

Stranger Things Flight Of Icarus

Stranger Things Lucas On The Line

Stranger Things Episode Reviews:

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 1 of 2)

The Vanishing of Will Byers (Part 2 of 2)

Synopsis: Set between the events of Seasons 1-2, this comic chronicles tales from various Hawkins residents as they attempt to survive the daily grind while also dealing with lurking threats hidden beneath the town.......

Observations:

One of the reasons I've expressed interest in the Stranger Things comics and tie-ins is because I see them as an opportunity to expand more on characters, storylines, and other mytharc elements. It's a well of untapped potential that makes for good reading material.

To their credit, they have done this with some tie-ins/comics.

With others...........for whatever reason (whether it's lack of imagination, or being kept on a creative short leash by Netflix and the Duffer Brothers), they've turned out some real disappointments. These range from stories that are contradictory to the show's canon, to focusing on characters that no one cares about (and are likely NOT going to have any important roles in S5), to simply rehashing plots/character arcs that have been done to death without offering anything new to the table, or simply failing to take advantage of characters who have been introduced (i.e. Argyle, Colonel Sullivan, Vickie, Gareth, etc).

In that regard, Tales from Hawkins is a mixed bag. It's an anthology comic composed of 4 different stories. Two of them focus on main characters (Murray and Robin) whereas the other two are about minor Hawkins characters from the show who have dangerous encounters with the Upside Down. The ideas explored in these stories support the show's themes, but the way certain stories were executed left a lot to be desired.

As usual, I will be splitting this review into 4 parts, with each one covering a different Issue from the comic:

Part 1: Dale and Henry

For those who don't remember, Dale and Henry (no, not Henry Creel) were the hunters who disappeared in S1 and were later confirmed dead at the hands of the Demogorgon. We saw them briefly at Benny's Diner, but the audience was only informed about their gruesome fates later.

This is the story from their perspective.

LSS: Both of them were out in the woods "hunting," saw a trail of bleeding animal carcasses, decided to continue investigating in spite of all the warnings that this was a BAD IDEA, encountered something they shouldn't have........and you know the rest.

The artwork for this story is haunting. In addition to capturing the beauty of Hawkins at sunset and the dark horrors of the Upside Down, the pictures manage to convey a sense of gruesomeness and dread as Henry and Dale follow the Demogorgon's trail of destruction:

In some ways, it reminds me of the first Predator movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In that story, Arnold played a character name Alan "Dutch" Schaefer who was part of a military team that discovers corpses during their mission in the jungle. When the Predator arrives, it starts picking off the team one-by-one until Dutch is forced to face the monster in a showdown.

The biggest differences between Predator and this Issue are 1.) Neither Henry nor Dale are military trained, and they certainly aren't the expert hunters they portray themselves as (which the comic spells out):

And 2.) Unlike the movie, where there was at least a chance for Dutch to fight off the Predator........that ain't the case for Henry:

All of which brings me to my first problem with this particular story: Because we already know the fates of Dale and Henry before they happen, it becomes hard to get invested. TV tropes even has a name for this called Too Bleak, Stopped Caring where things are so awful for the characters (or the audience knows things are going to end badly) that readers/viewers emotionally tune out and become apathetic to what's happening. This isn't the same thing as the Eight Deadly Words (I don't care what happens to these characters), but it comes close to that.

It doesn't help that the comic doesn't do much to flesh-out Dale or Henry. We get a brief snippet about how Henry's wife Val is undergoing chemo and how Dale has grandkids, but that's it. It's useless trivia which doesn't factor into the situation taking place, and it still doesn't get me to care. I'm not saying I need to hear their life stories, but you gotta give me more than that.

Adding onto this, there are continuity errors that were hard to ignore. The comic states that Henry and Dale's fatal trip into the woods takes place a few hours after Benny's death, which would mean this would've occurred on November 8th. However, in the show, Hopper is informed by Powell and Callahan on November 11th that Henry and Dale disappeared into the woods the day before, which means the fatal hunting trip would've had to happen on November 10th. I watched the show and took notes on the days certain events occurred, so I know what I'm talking about.

Jody Houser was the writer for all 4 anthology tales, and this isn't the first time she's made continuity mistakes like this. She did the same thing in SIX when she wrote Terry breaking into the lab to rescue El as taking place in 1978 in spite of it being confirmed by people working on the show that this actually took place in 1974. She also did this in two other stories she wrote ("The Game Master" and Dungeons & Dragons) when it came to Will being in the hospital after his time in the Upside Down. "The Game Master" claims Will was discharged from the hospital before Thanksgiving, whereas Dungeons & Dragons contradicts this by depicting him as still in the hospital after Thanksgiving.

I was willing to overlook these errors early on (let's not forget the Duffer Brothers blunder in forgetting Will's Birthday was on March 22nd), but this has gotten to the point of being ridiculous. If fans are able to better keep track of dates than paid writers can, that's a problem that needs to be fixed pronto.

Despite my issues though, I will give credit where credit is due in that Jody Houser kept one thing consistent: Will finding a dying Henry in the UD and comforting him in his final moments. This is an event that also took place in her other comic, The Other Side:

It's a small moment, but a heartwarming one which highlights Will's empathy and willingness to look out for others, and I'm glad it was kept in.

Part 2: Murray Bauman

I know fan opinions about Murray are all over the place. Some like him, some hate him, and some are completely indifferent to him. I'm in the third category.

I've never hated Murray, but out of all the main characters, he is the one who could die and I wouldn't bat an eye. I've never connected with him the same way I did with other characters, and he's always felt like an outlier in regards to his relationships with everyone else. Even Erica (who's been a controversial character for certain fans) has had more organic interactions with the others, as well as a subtle but effective character arc on her part that's been interesting to watch. Murray doesn't have that, and has pretty much remained the same person he's been since his introduction in S2.

It doesn't help that there are times Murray comes across more as a convenient plot device to make certain events happen. For instance, I've never liked how he acted as matchmaker for Jonathan/Nancy in S2 and Hopper/Joyce in S3. Whenever the show wrote him that way, it always felt like he became the writers mouthpiece for which romantic relationships they were shilling, which is something that annoyed me. Even Murray coincidentally speaking Russian came off as a quick and easy way to bypass the language barrier and all the other plot-related hiccups the other characters would've struggled with during the Russian arc in Seasons 3-4 had he not been present.

So when they announced that one of the stories would focus on Murray, I was genuinely interested because I was hoping we'd get more insight into his character, mindset, and backstory that wasn't just about him getting the other main characters from point A to point B. In some areas, this Issue delivered on that.

The story takes place after the events of season 1 when Murray comes to Hawkins after being hired by Barbara's parents to investigate her disappearance.

From there, it follows Murray integrating himself into the Hawkins community, picking up tips and clues, and spinning his own theories that would eventually lead him to discovering the truth about Eleven, Barb's death, Will's disappearance, Hawkins Lab, and (of course) the Upside Down.

For whatever problems I have with Murray, I do appreciate how the comic depicts what he's doing as authentic "investigative journalism" as opposed to depicting him as a conspiracy theorist who just happened to stumble on the truth and have his claims validated. I knew they likely wouldn't go that route since he's established on the show as working for the Chicago-Sun Times (which gives his character credibility) but considering we're currently living in a climate where peddling unfounded conspiracy theories is a thing (whether it's from right-winged pundits like Tucker Carlson or Alex Jones, groups like QAnon, or even Leftist antisemites spewing blood libel, Holocaust inversion/revisionism, Hilter apologism, and a bunch of other antisemitic garbage designed to hurt the Jewish community), it's refreshing to see Murray putting in the hard work of researching instead of spouting unfounded claims and trying to act like the smartest person in the room. There are certain Tumblr users who could take a leaf out of Murray's book instead of falling into this pattern:

(Credit to @sethshead for posting this quote because this really sums up the problem with Conspiracy Theorists in a nutshell.)

But I digress. My point is this story gives me new respect for Murray over the weeks and months he spent investigating and chasing down leads despite how tough it was:

Additionally, the comic goes out of its way to paint Murray as a crusader for the truth, but it's also heavily implied that the reason he makes work his life is because, deep down, he is lonely. While he claims he's only interested in integrating himself into the Hawkins community (including signing up for an "all ages" Karate class) for the purposes of the investigation, there are hints that he actually wants human connection, and that he's miserable when left by himself:

This is an interesting angle to Murray, and one that recontextualizes his relationship with Joyce, Hopper, and the other main characters. He makes himself off-putting (whether as a defense mechanism, or as part of his job) and may not know how to go about socializing in a way that doesn't make him seem unpleasant, but he clearly does value these friendships and getting to spend time with the others. I still remember Murray having the strongest reaction to Alexei's death in S3 after hanging out with him at the carnival and buying him a corn dog........only to watch Alexei get shot:

I'll admit I never cared much for Alexei, but the fact that any potential friendship between him and Murray got snuffed out in this moment hits hard.

The story doesn't leave a lot of clues about what direction Murray's character will take in season 5, but I'm inclined to believe that Murray will be one of the casualties in the fight against Vecna, especially if the writers plan on upping the stakes by killing off important characters. As far as Murray's arc is concerned, he's fulfilled his role of getting Hawkins Lab shut down, ending the Russian infiltration of Hawkins in S3, and helping Joyce rescue Hopper from Kamchatka in S4. As to where they could go with Murray in the last season, I see two possible scenarios:

1.) The Russians/KGB come back to Hawkins in S5 to take revenge against Hopper, Joyce, and Murray for destroying their operation in Kamchatka, and to possibly get more UD monsters from the now-opened gate in Hawkins. This could lead to Murray having a role in stopping the Russians once and for all. If the writers decide to bring back Enzo/Dmitiri (please make that happen) or even Yuri, they could have Murray form a comradery with either character, which I wouldn't mind seeing.

2.) Murray will play some kind of role in keeping the government (primarily Colonel Sullivan) off El's back as she deals with Vecna's impending invasion.

Either way, I'm predicting things are going to end badly for him.

Part 3: Robin

I'm just gonna say it: This was my least favorite Issue out of all 4 of them.

The story focuses on Robin working on a class project where she's a writer/director for a horror film starring Tammy Thompson. During all of this, Robin is pining after Tammy, expressing her frustration with Tammy's shallow crush on Steve (as well as Steve's douchebag behavior), and struggling internally with being a lesbian in good old 1980s homophobic Hawkins.

Sounds familiar? That's because both Zombie Boys and the Rebel Robin book/podcast already covered these ideas and plot points. Zombie Boys was about Will and his friends making a horror movie that was a metaphor for Will's unresolved trauma/PTSD (similar to how Robin's horror movie is a metaphor for feeling trapped in Hawkins and never breaking free), and Rebel Robin already explored Robin's crush on Tammy, her initial dislike of Steve, her desire to graduate high school and leave Hawkins for good, and her coming to terms with the fact she likes girls and how revealing this would turn her into a social pariah.

Look, I like Robin and I find value in her story, especially as someone like me who identifies as gay and lives in a small conservative town where you keep your mouth shut about certain things. However, this tale isn't breaking new ground here. It's just retreading the same story beats without offering anything we haven't seen before. Rebel Robin already did this, and did it so much better.

If they really wanted to make Robin the centerpiece for this particular Issue, why not cover something different? We could have gotten a story about Robin and Steve working at the Video Rental Store, or Robin telling Steve about "Operation Croissant" and inviting him to come with her to Europe once she saves up enough money and graduates. There were even opportunities to explore her relationship with other characters outside of Steve, the Scoops Troop, and Tammy. They did this with Robin and Nancy in S4 (which was one of my favorite character pairings from that season) and Lucas on the Line even had Robin and Lucas forming a close friendship as Lucas was struggling to figure his life out, so I don't see why they couldn't have done this for other characters that Robin hasn't gotten much screentime with. Hell, since they're already planning to push Robin and Vickie as endgame for S5, why not have a story about Robin first meeting Vickie?

Better yet, since this is an anthology comic that's supposed to focus on various characters, why not go more in depth with others? Jason. Patrick. Chrissy. Fred. Vickie. Scott Clarke. Dr. Owens. There's a plethora of other characters from the show who could be (and deserve to be) expanded on as opposed to a character like Robin who's already had an entire book and podcast dedicated to her. We could even be covering main characters like Jonathan (do a comic showing how he met Argyle and became friends with him), or Steve for that matter. I would rather see a story about Steve, his internal perspective on the events from the show, his relationship with his parents, or something that ISN'T just rehashing this again:

WE. GET. IT. Steve was an asshole at the beginning. This is not news. Please stop exploring Steve's character from this angle, and actually do something original with him.

This isn't the first time I've expressed my frustration about this. My review of The Bully was equally scathing about how they dedicated an entire graphic novel to two loathsome characters while pushing other characters with potentially interesting arcs/perspectives to the side. It frustrates me to see writers/creators retread old ground that the audience has long grown tired of. I like the comics and tie-in materials, and I am more than happy to defend them from fans who consider them a waste of time, but that doesn't mean I'm above calling out the material if it's not contributing anything meaningful.

Part 4: The Pumpkin Patch Rivalry

This one pleasantly surprised me. I wasn't expecting to care about the story, and I wasn't as big of a fan of the artwork (especially in comparison to the first 3 stories which, in spite of their flaws, were colorful and well-drawn). Regardless of that nitpick though, I ended up embracing it. I would even go as far to say that this is my favorite Issue out of the 4 of them.

The story takes place in season 2, and centers on Merrill Wright and Eugene McCorkle, the two Pumpkin Patch owners who briefly appeared at Hopper's precinct to accuse the other of sabotaging their fields, which would later lead Hopper to investigate and discover the Upside Down spreading underneath Hawkins.

The comic expands on Eugene and Merrill's history, revealing there's always been a family rivalry between the Wrights and the McCorkle, starting from harmless pranks that eventually turned hurtful:

Furthermore, the story puts a heavy emphasis on how the rivalry is rooted in the patriarchs of the families as opposed to every individual member from one family hating the the members of the other family.

All of this cultivates with the destruction of their pumpkin patches, the two men confronting each other on a decaying field, a vicious fight breaking out.......and both men getting more than they bargained for:

While the story is simple on the surface, it struck a chord with me given recent world events. I know this particular Issue was written a month before the October 7th Massacre and the Israel-Hamas War, and the fictional rivalry between Eugene and Merrill pales in comparison to the real life horrific onslaught that is occurring in this conflict, but for me, it was hard not to see some parallels between Merrill and Eugene's years of bitterness and anger over their rivalry vs the decades worth of grudges, wars, bloody conflicts, massacres, old wounds, and hatred that has festered between Israelis and Palestinians and exploded in the worst possible way. Eugene and Merrill thankfully stop short of trying to murder one another (or targeting rival family members), but it very easily could have gone in that direction. Hatred is a powerful emotion that leads to tragedy.

And just like with those in Israel and Palestine who desperately want peace and are sick of the decades of fighting and their respective governments falling down the pipeline of extremism while continuing to destroy more lives, the members of both the Wright and McCorkle families want their respective conflict to end.

The difference is that Merrill and Eugene get that opportunity to mend fences, but it takes them being put in a life-threatening situation and almost dying at the hands of demodogs before that happens:

Stories like this give me hope that things can change for the better. That people can put aside grudges and old wounds and be there for one another when it really counts. We need stories like this more than ever, especially with how scary the worlds gotten and how people who put on a mask of being "tolerant" and "progressive" and "looking out for the well-being of others" have revealed themselves to be just as hateful, cruel, hypocritical, patronizing, and vicious as those they claim to oppose.

Eugene and Merrill may have started their rivalry over pettiness, but when the chips were down, they were willing to put that aside and work to fix relationships and create a better future for their families:

Regardless of how they acted, or how they started out, I have more respect for them as opposed to certain people in REAL LIFE who are pushing their own agendas, spreading lies, misinformation, and conspiracy theories, and intentionally creating strife and conflict while pretending to give a shit about peace. Those who follow this blog know exactly who I'm referring to.

While I doubt Eugene and Merrill will appear in season 5, their arc about redemption and overcoming old prejudices might factor into the arc regarding the Hawkins residents in the last season. The show has spent multiple seasons showing the inherent problems in Hawkins, from the rampant bullying, to the bigotry, to the government corruption, to how quickly neighbors will turn on one another out of fear and paranoia. Season 4 emphasized this heavily with the Witch Hunt against the Hellfire Club and the desire to create scapegoats (like Eddie and El) for the town's problems without the townsfolk doing the hard work of self-reflection and changing for the better. If the behind-the-scenes pictures for Season 5 are any indicator, it's about to get worse:

I don't think there's any question about whether Vecna will be defeated (he will). The questions are how much damage he'll cause, how many lives he'll ruin in the process, and how the citizens of Hawkins could enable him to get as far as he does. Vecna may be the cause of the main characters' problems, but even if he wasn't there and had never existed, the reality is Hawkins has a personal nastiness rooted in the community that has made life miserable for a lot of people, especially those who don't fit the town's definition of "normal."

Vecna's greatest weapon isn't just his powers, but his ability to see the ugliness in people, and weaponize fear and all the inherent wrongs of society to isolate people so he can pick them off one-by-one. He reminds me of the Joker from The Dark Knight, who thrived on chaos and was determined to show everything wrong with humanity, and even Sauron from The Silmarillion, who exploited the problems and prejudices the kingdom of Numenor had so he could drive them to destruction. Vecna hates Hawkins and despises humanity. What makes him terrifying isn't his army of monsters, but his ability to bring out the worst in people to the point they become the monsters.

Getting back to the story of Eugene and Merrill, their arc about redemption, forgiveness, and working to unify rather than divide is the antidote needed to combat Vecna. If I predict anything, it's this: The battle against Vecna isn't just going to depend on the actions of the main characters, but the action of the Hawkins residents. Some of them have chosen to flee for their own safety, but others will be caught in this conflict, and they will have to make hard choices to either let go of old biases/prejudices that are causing harm, or continue holding on to them out of stubborn pride and allow Vecna to divide them in doing so.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, while this comic had some good elements, it was disappointing in many areas. Like I said, I'm open to exploring the stories of the townsfolk of Hawkins (and other characters), but the way it was done with some of these stories wasn't impressive.

If you still want to check out the comic for yourself, I recommend Issue 2 (Murray's story) and Issue 4 (The Pumpkin Patch Rivalry). Other than that, you're not missing anything by skipping it.

[ruthandrosereimagined]

Of course we’re still creating designs for our favorite platonic soulmates. And maybe you should get matching designs with your platonic soulmate 👀

Check out all of our designs here!

[strangertheories]

Ok here's the full description for this comic: "Robin Buckley is always trying to mask her true self in the rural town of Hawkins as she coasts through days packed full of boring classes and band practice. That all changes when a love-struck Robin can't help but take on the role of director for a school project in an effort to get her crush Tammy's attention. She's determined to convey her deeper feelings through her script, even if she has no idea how it should end."

It comes out on August 9th and I'm super excited, the other Tales of Hawkins comics are available online too (I used readallcomics.com). Also anyone getting autism vibes from the masking comment although I'm aware it's about her lesbianism (same).

[hersterical]

There’s this one specific thing that I find hilarious about the ‘Robin use to have a crush on Barb before she abandoned her for Nancy’ head canon because that would create a very interesting coincidence/pattern.

Robin was crushing on Tammy Thompson who ignored her in favor of Steve. Robin and Steve later go through a life or death scenario and become close.

Robin was crushing on Barb who ignored her in favor of Nancy. Robin and Nancy later go through a life or death scenario and become close.