elevenenthusiast

[elevenenthusiast]

Okay, guys, hear me out.

Everyone’s either on the Steddie or Hellcheer wagon but no one ever talks about Jonathan and Eddie?? Like I don’t know what their ship name would be Jeddie? Bunson? I kind of love Bunson tbh but I’ve been thinking about this for a while because they actually make so much sense.

It’s giving alternative guy meets metalhead.

Eddie’s loud, dramatic, says whatever he wants, and always has a rant ready about conformity and how the world sucks. But that’s not performative, it’s just him. He’s intense but not in a fake way. He believes what he says. He’s just one of those people who survives by making noise because if he doesn’t, the silence catches up.

Jonathan’s the opposite. Keeps everything in. Doesn’t say much unless it matters. Has exactly one friend and it’s his Walkman. Definitely owns a Joy Division shirt and didn’t buy it to be ironic. That kind of guy. Always looks like he hasn’t slept but still notices everything. Doesn’t speak often but when he does it hits a little too close to home.

But they’re both on the fringes. Both used to being overlooked. Both smoking behind the school when they should be in class.

Jonathan would 100% roll his eyes at Eddie’s constant rambling but still secretly listen to all of it. And Eddie would be like, “Bro why are all your favorite bands just dudes whispering over guitar distortion,” and then two weeks later show up with a Joy Division patch sewn onto his vest “as a joke” but he’s dead serious and they both know it.

And I just know Eddie would be the first person to actually ask him about his photos. Not because he’s trying to be deep, but because he genuinely wants to know. And Jonathan wouldn’t know how to respond at first because he’s not used to people actually caring like that. It’d be weird. And kind of nice.

Their energy is just so accidentally intimate. Long silences. Shared lighters. Mixtapes with Metallica and The Cure on the same side. Late night drives where neither of them talk about anything real until the song ends.

[elevenenthusiast]

What are some things you’d change about Stranger Things? Doesn’t matter if it’s small or totally changes the story, here’s mine.

Eddie’s arc should’ve gone to Lucas

As much as I liked Eddie, giving such a big arc to a brand new character only to kill him off in the same season felt unnecessary. That could’ve easily been Lucas’s moment. He’s a main character, he’s been there since day one, and they constantly push him to the sidelines. His arc in Season 4 dealing with fitting in, trying to balance friendships, and confronting Jason already had the groundwork. Imagine if he was the one in that heroic position instead of Eddie. It would’ve hit just as hard, if not more, and he wouldn’t have to die either. Lucas deserves more and he would’ve made it out. My boy survives, obviously.

Hopper should’ve stayed dead

I know this one might be a bit divisive, but hear me out keeping Hopper dead at the end of Season 3 could’ve opened the door for way more interesting character development, especially for Joyce and El. Joyce would’ve stepped into a more central role (which Winona Ryder absolutely deserves), and El could’ve found a real family with the Byers dysfunctional but warm. They already had a bond growing, and it would’ve felt way more grounded than pulling Hopper back from the dead with a Russian subplot that dragged the pacing. Hopper’s return kind of stalled Joyce’s growth, and honestly? Joyce is the parental figure El really needed all along.

The Byers moving to California made no sense

Moving the Byers halfway across the country just to separate them from the main story didn’t do anyone any favors. The change in setting didn’t add much, and it just made everything more complicated logistically and emotionally. They could’ve moved somewhere closer like Chicago or even just a few towns over far enough to feel distant but close enough to keep the cast somewhat connected. The separation didn’t build any tension it just made the show feel like it was juggling too much at once. I really believe the story would’ve flowed better if they hadn’t moved so far.

El’s lab plot in Season 4 was unnecessary

El is at her best when she’s in the real world, interacting with people and trying to figure out how to be a normal kid after everything she’s been through. Her isolation arc in Season 4 just repeated what we already knew, and dragging her back to the lab took away from her growth. At some point, it just starts to feel like they’re stalling her development. We already explored her past in Season 2 that should’ve been enough. She’s more compelling when she’s struggling with day-to-day life, learning how to communicate, connect, and just be a person.

Replace Kali with Henry in Season 2

I don’t hate Kali, but the show clearly didn’t know what to do with her. If you’re going to introduce a new sibling with powers, they should matter. Instead, they dropped her after one episode and never brought her back not even to tie in with the Season 4 plot. If they had used Henry instead, it could’ve set up Vecna earlier and made the eventual reveal in Season 4 land harder. It wouldn’t have felt like he was randomly plugged in as the “mastermind” behind it all. There’s a version of Season 2 where Henry’s presence actually strengthens the whole arc.

Make Season 2 more grounded, save the Mind Flayer for later

As much as I love Season 2, it still felt like it jumped too quickly into cosmic horror territory. One of the best things about Season 1 was its eerie, grounded atmosphere missing kids, strange rot, cover-ups, flickering lights. If Season 2 had kept that vibe, it could’ve told a really creepy, slow-burn mystery. They teased the rotting pumpkins, but never really used it. What if the pumpkins were part of an infection? Like, something leaking from the Upside Down was seeping into the earth and spreading slowly corrupting crops, animals, people. Residents of Hawkins start going missing like Will did, and when they’re finally found, they’re down in the tunnels just like how Joyce and Hopper found Will stuck to the wall in Season 1. It could’ve escalated from there, slowly building to a hive-mind reveal in Season 3 instead of rushing it all in one go.

Slow burn every couple, please

I love Lumax and I love Jancy, but they were both a bit rushed. It would’ve been way more satisfying if their relationships had taken longer to build. Lumax had great moments in Season 4 their love is strong but I think it would’ve hit even harder if we saw them grow into it over time instead of jumping in and out. As for Jancy, the shift from Stancy to Jancy was a little too quick. Let things breathe! Build the tension. Slow burns just feel more earned.

Mike and El should’ve stayed friends

Nothing against their bond, but it was always strongest as a friendship. El didn’t need a boyfriend she needed someone to be her first real friend, and Mike was that. Turning it romantic so fast felt like a forced step, and if they wanted it to be a romance, they should’ve let it develop slowly. Personally, I’d rather see them stay friends and let El focus on family and healing. It also would’ve opened the door for Byler to be explored more clearly without everyone being so focused on Mileven as the default.

Kill Jason instead of Chrissy, and make Chrissy Robin’s love interest

Chrissy had potential. Jason didn’t. Killing Chrissy off so early when she had great chemistry with Eddie and could’ve added more emotional weight to the group was a missed opportunity. Imagine if she stuck around and was Robin’s love interest instead of Vickie who, no shade, just hasn’t had enough screen time to make that relationship feel meaningful. Robin deserves a romance that actually develops, and Chrissy would’ve been a great choice. It also would’ve given us another well-developed queer character instead of a last-minute side pairing.

Dustin and Suzie… just don’t work for me

I know some people love them, but I never really cared about Suzie, and the whole “NeverEnding Story” bit in Season 3 was cute once but hasn’t added much since. If Dustin wasn’t paired off with her, it might’ve opened the door for something like Henderhop (Dustin x El), which I know is rare but hear me out two characters who don’t quite fit in, both a little socially awkward, both brilliant in their own ways. It’s a sweet dynamic, and honestly, El deserves someone who brings joy and fun into her life.

Keep the teens with the teens and the kids with the kids

The show is always at its best when the dynamics feel balanced and that means letting the teenagers have their own arcs and energy, and the kids have theirs. It gets exhausting when they keep mixing the groups just to repeat the same pairings. I’m especially over the Steve and Dustin duo it was fun the first time, but by now it’s been played out. Let Dustin hang out with Mike, Will, and Lucas again like he used to. Let the teens Nancy, Jonathan, Robin, Steve develop their own group chemistry without constantly dragging a younger character into their dynamic. It just feels more natural that way.

[elevenenthusiast]

Stranger Things Characters and What I Think Their Occupation Would Be in the Future

NANCY – DETECTIVE / INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST

Nancy didn’t just stumble into journalism she demanded to be taken seriously. Even when people mocked her at the Hawkins Post, she kept chasing the truth. She was the first to connect the lab to Barb’s disappearance, the first to dig into the rats and fertilizer in Season 3, the first to realize Vecna’s victims shared a pattern. From there, she’s been putting pieces together when no one else would. That kind of persistence doesn’t stop. She’d follow missing persons, expose government coverups, and take on cases that terrify everyone else. After watching Hawkins turn into a warzone and no one reporting the truth she has to keep going.

JONATHAN – DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER / PHOTOJOURNALIST

From the start, Jonathan used his camera to make sense of the world. He captured emotion, isolation, and humanity not posed or perfect, but real. In Season 1, his photos helped expose the truth about Barb and the lab. In Season 4, he feels aimless, but he’s always been grounded by observing people, not performing for them. After seeing firsthand what fear and loss look like through Will, through Nancy, through the trauma of the Upside Down he’d turn his lens on the kinds of people the world forgets. Shelters. Survivors. Youth without voices. His work wouldn’t just document pain it would see it. And in doing so, help others see too.

WILL – ARTIST

Will has always spoken through images, not words. From the moment he was taken, the world stopped listening to him but he never stopped creating. In Season 4, we see the depth of that his painting for Mike isn’t just art, it’s a confession, a prayer, a self-portrait disguised in dragons and knights. That’s how he processes the world through color, metaphor, feeling. He paints what he can’t say out loud.

As he grows up, art becomes more than therapy it becomes truth. His work is layered with emotion, nostalgia, queerness, loss, and hope. It’s not just fantasy anymore it’s raw, honest, aching. His paintings end up in galleries and museums. Quiet observers see his work and feel understood, like someone finally said the thing they’ve been carrying. One of his most famous pieces? A painting of a boy standing in sunlight, staring at another boy with wonder in his eyes. The world doesn’t know it’s Mike. But he does.

(Imagine this is Mike looking at the painting in a gallery)

MIKE – AUTHOR / STORYTELLER

Mike has always been the one spinning the tale. From the basement table in Season 1 to leading entire D&D campaigns, he’s the Dungeon Master for a reason he builds worlds. But as he gets older, life becomes harder to narrate. Season 4 shows a Mike who struggles to express how he feels especially to the people he loves. He’s emotional, but guarded. He wants to say the right thing and never knows how.

Writing becomes his outlet. It’s where he doesn’t get interrupted. He writes fantasy, because it’s always been about more than dragons and quests it’s about survival, identity, and love. His stories are full of magic, yes, but also about connection. He writes characters who find each other in the dark. And though he doesn’t always realize it, he’s writing about Will. About himself. About the boy in the painting who always believed in him.

He starts off scribbling short stories no one reads. Then books. Then full epics. Somewhere down the line, a fan finds Will’s painting and pairs it with a quote from one of Mike’s books. “He looked at him like he was the sun, and for once, he didn’t look away.” No names. But everyone knows.

EL – SCULPTOR OR INSTALLATION ARTIST

El never had a childhood. She was raised in silence and surveillance, with only small moments of joy one of those moments including arts and crafts. Art gave her a voice when language didn’t. And after everything after Brenner, the lab, the loss of Hopper, and nearly dying in the Upside Down she’d need a way to heal. Sculpture would give her control. Her hands would create what her mind struggled to hold grief, memory, power, transformation. Maybe she works with salvaged materials. Maybe her installations are about memory and light. But in the end, she builds instead of destroys quietly, beautifully. Because she finally can.

LUCAS – PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER

Basketball wasn’t just a hobby for Lucas it was a lifeline. In Season 4, he wasn’t trying to ditch his friends he was trying to find a place where he could be seen. After years of being the sidekick, the nerd, the overlooked one, basketball gave him a way to feel proud, strong, chosen.

But when it mattered, he chose his people. He stood up to Jason, fought for Max, and proved that being an athlete didn’t mean selling out who he was. He trained, he pushed, and he earned it. He goes pro not because it’s easy, but because he worked for it. Because he had something to prove to the world, and to himself. And every time he steps onto that court, it’s not just about the game it’s about survival, loyalty, and becoming more than what Hawkins tried to make him.

MAX – LAWYER OR THERAPIST

Max was always observant, always hiding behind sarcasm and deflection. But she felt everything. She saw her mom suffer. She endured Billy’s abuse. She blamed herself for his death. And then Vecna targeted her because she was hurting, and tried to carry it alone. In Season 4, she confronted her grief head-on. She ran toward it. And she survived barely. That kind of trauma doesn’t fade, but it transforms. Max would grow into someone who fights for the ones no one listens to. As a therapist, she’d sit with kids who are angry and scared and make them feel seen. As a lawyer, she’d take down abusers, systems, and silence. Either way, she becomes the person she needed sharp, empathetic, and unrelenting.

DUSTIN – SCIENTIST OR ENGINEER (ROBOTICS / ASTROPHYSICS)

Dustin’s brain never stops. From building radios to decoding Russian transmissions to explaining alternate dimensions, he’s always been ahead of the curve. But he’s also the heart curious, generous, enthusiastic. He’s the one who brought everyone together and made science fun. He’d grow into a brilliant, slightly chaotic scientist maybe working with robotics, maybe studying wormholes but he’d also make it his mission to teach. He opens a lab that feels like the best parts of a comic shop and a classroom, where kids like him feel seen and celebrated. He builds tech and builds people too.

ROBIN – INVESTIGATIVE PODCASTER

By Season 5, we know Robin’s working at WSQK radio with Steve which honestly feels like the beginning of exactly where she’s meant to be. She’s always been quick, sharp, and a little chaotic, with a brain that doesn’t slow down. She’s the type who asks the uncomfortable questions and actually wants the real answer.

After Hawkins, she turns that instinct into something more starting an investigative podcast that begins local but quickly gains traction. She covers strange disappearances, small-town corruption, and stories no one else is telling. Her voice is fast, dry, and compelling part journalist, part storyteller.

Robin uses her platform to spotlight marginalized voices, uncover systemic failures, and take apart everything that doesn’t make sense just like she’s always done. She’s not interested in being the face of anything, but somehow ends up one of the most respected names in underground journalism. It’s the natural evolution of who she’s been from the start a girl who won’t shut up when the world tells her to.

STEVE – COP OR FIREFIGHTER

Steve’s growth was never about becoming cool it was about becoming brave. He started as the selfish guy who bailed when things got hard, but after Season 1, he never stopped showing up. He took a bat to a demogorgon. He drove headfirst into danger to protect kids who weren’t even his responsibility. He’s scared and insecure but puts himself between others and harm anyway. By the end, it’s clear he cares about his town. Becoming a firefighter or even a cop under Hopper’s mentorship would give him a way to protect people in a world without monsters but with real danger still everywhere. It’s not about power. It’s about purpose.

(I had a board for Steve too but Tumblr hit me with the image limit unfortunately)

[elevenenthusiast]

Watching Ginny & Georgia had me constantly thinking about how Marcus is everything Jess could have been in Gilmore Girls if he’d had better writers. And honestly, it hurts to admit because Gilmore Girls is obviously the better show, but Ginny & Georgia handles serious and complex topics with way more nuance especially when it comes to its characters. Marcus is so Jess Mariano coded, but with actual emotional depth and development. He’s one of the best written characters on the show. I still love Jess, don’t get me wrong, but the Gilmore Girls writers seriously did him dirty.

[elevenenthusiast]

As much as I love Season 2, I really think introducing the Mind Flayer so early is what caused Seasons 3 and 4 to feel kinda repetitive and less scary. Like, Season 2 had this whole vibe with the pumpkins rotting and decaying all over Hawkins. They promoted that so much, you’d think it was going to be a big part of the story, but then it just got dropped. That was a huge missed opportunity.

I think Season 2 should have been more of a slow-burn horror with the pumpkins as a symbol of something wrong, like people going missing, getting kidnapped, or taken over one by one kind of like what they did with Will in Season 1. The Mind Flayer should have been lurking in the background, trying to infect as many people as possible and build its hive slowly.

Then Season 3 could have been where it finally gets to Will and fully possesses him, with the gate open again allowing this to happen. That way, Will’s possession has more weight because it’s the culmination of a slow spread, not something that just happens out of nowhere.

I also think the whole thing could have taken some inspiration from Alien (1979). In Alien, the horror comes from this unseen parasitic threat that takes over one crew member at a time, slowly turning them into something else without everyone realizing it. It’s about tension, fear, and isolation before the monster even fully appears. The Demodogs in Stranger Things could have been like the xenomorphs relentless, terrifying, but still part of this creeping infection that’s spreading through Hawkins.

By saving the Mind Flayer reveal and Will’s possession for Season 3, the show could have kept the horror feeling fresh and creepy instead of rushing into giant monster fights too soon. Season 2 would have been all about the eerie mystery of the pumpkins rotting and people disappearing, with the Mind Flayer as this unseen force building its army, rather than front and center.

It just feels like rushing the Mind Flayer to the forefront in Season 2 took away a lot of the suspense and made the later seasons struggle to stay scary or original. If they had kept it slow and creepy, with the threat growing in the shadows, Seasons 3 and 4 could have had more time to develop the story and characters without repeating the same big monster battles.

So yeah, that’s why I think the Mind Flayer showed up too early, and the pumpkins storyline should have been the main creepy thing in Season 2. The slow build of people being taken, like Will was in Season 1 but on a larger scale, would have been way scarier and more satisfying to watch.

(Such a missed opportunity, man. The second picture is exactly what I meant when I talked about Will in season 1 like the people getting kidnapped could’ve looked like that maybe trapped down in those tunnels.)

[elevenenthusiast]

As a Byler, I don’t believe Will is truly the protagonist of the series and he never was.

I love him. He’s one of the most emotionally complex and heartbreaking characters on the show. His storyline is rich with trauma, repression, loneliness, and quiet resilience. And as a Byler, I’m incredibly invested in how his story ends. But being a powerful, meaningful character does not automatically make you the protagonist.

This is where a lot of the fandom seems to get confused. Stranger Things is an ensemble show. Its strength has always been in how it balances multiple narratives, shifting the spotlight between characters depending on the season. But just because a certain character becomes the emotional center or the “plot anchor” of a specific arc doesn’t mean they’re the main character of the entire series. The protagonist is the one who drives the story forward the person around whom the overarching narrative is built.

Season 1? Will was the plot. His disappearance kickstarted the story, but he wasn’t the one moving it forward that was Mike, Joyce, Hopper, and especially Eleven. The action revolved around finding him. He wasn’t the one making choices he was the goal.

Season 2 was the only time Will was treated like a main character. He had agency, depth, and a terrifying connection to the Mind Flayer. But even then, he wasn’t the one pushing the plot forward the people around him were. Meanwhile, Eleven was on a parallel journey discovering who she was, and the season ended with her making the final, climactic choice to close the gate again, tying it all back to her.

Season 4 shifted the focus to Max. Her grief, trauma, and link to Vecna made her the emotional heart of the season. She was the one we feared for most. But just like Will in S2, she was the anchor for that season’s conflict not the protagonist of the entire show.

That has always been Eleven.

Eleven is the reason any of this is happening. She opened the gate. She’s the link between the real world and the Upside Down. The government, the lab, the Mind Flayer none of it becomes a threat without her. Even when the show shifts focus temporarily, the larger mythology always circles back to her. She is the heartbeat of the story.

And it shows she’s had the most screen time overall, she’s been at the center of every major poster, and she’s arguably the most iconic and recognizable character from the entire series. When people think Stranger Things, they think of her.

So yeah, as a Byler, I care deeply about Will. I love his story. I’m glad he’s becoming the central focus again in Season 5. But that doesn’t change the foundation of the show. It started with Eleven, it’s always been about Eleven, and it’s going to end with her.

I’m not trying to cause division I just need to say this because this argument genuinely upsets me. I don’t like that the female character is constantly having her importance erased or downplayed. I am a Byler shipper, but I’m an El stan first and foremost. This is something that’s been backed up by the writers themselves, and it’s obvious if you’ve actually been paying attention.

[elevenenthusiast]

One of the many reasons Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite Harry Potter movie is how it feels like a Tim Burton film in disguise. The movie is soaked in that perfect mix of gothic whimsy and eerie darkness that Burton is famous for. From the misty, shadow-filled forests to the haunting silhouettes of Dementors, the atmosphere carries this dreamlike, otherworldly vibe that’s both magical and unsettling like stepping into a dark fairy tale. The cool, muted color palette, the haunting score, and the balance of light and shadow all feel like Burton’s signature style brought to life. Honestly, it surprises me that Tim Burton was never asked to direct a Harry Potter movie, because his aesthetic fits so naturally with the wizarding world, especially in this installment. Just imagine how much more visually stunning and surreal the series could have been with him at the helm.

[elevenenthusiast]

Honestly, I’ve only just started unpacking how deeply Stranger Things leans into heteronormativity across the board. I used to think that was mostly a Mileven vs. Byler problem, but now I’m realizing it’s way more widespread. Like, outside of Lumax and Jopper every other “straight” couple either feels performative, underwritten, or just kind of hollow.

Lumax and Jopper are the only ones that feel genuinely earned. There’s a weight and emotional truth to their relationships. With Lucas and Max, their love doesn’t feel like it’s being shoved in our faces it just exists in this really organic way. You can feel the history, the tension, the care. They argue, they misunderstand each other, but there’s always this deep pull between them. It’s complicated and real, and it’s never treated like a prize or a fairytale. Same with Jopper they’ve been through hell, and their connection feels lived-in, flawed, but strong. They’re two people who’ve grown into their bond, not been forced into it.

Your point about Robin and Vickie? Absolutely nailed it. That final scene was supposed to feel like this big moment, but it barely registers. There’s no foundation for it. Meanwhile, Steve is still orbiting them, and it just reminds us that Robin’s queerness while acknowledged isn’t being explored. The potential with Ronance is right there, but instead we get this safe, shallow setup with Vickie that feels more like a checkbox than a real arc.

And honestly, that ties into something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately Jancy. I’ve never been a hardcore shipper I always preferred them over Stancy but I kind of glossed over them. And now I’m realizing how strange it is that no one is talking about how off they were this season. Their relationship felt emotionally distant, disconnected like they were just holding on because the plot told them to. And yet the fandom is weirdly silent about it?

It’s wild how Mileven gets constant breakdowns about how it’s falling apart people write essays about them but Jancy’s decline is just… ignored. No big arguments, no thinkpieces, no “is this the end?” speculation. It’s like because they’re a “default” straight couple, people assume they’re fine unless they’re literally breaking up onscreen. Meanwhile, queer ships like Ronance have to scream for crumbs, and even when there’s clear emotional intimacy, it’s dismissed or sidelined.

I also really love the way you’ve been dissecting Stonathan and both Steve and Jonathan’s characters. I know Steve is extremely queer-coded so naturally fans eat that up and while I’ve never personally been into ships like Harringrove or Steddie, I do find Steddie kind of fun sometimes. Harringrove, though, just never sat right with me I can’t get into it at all because I genuinely hate Billy, but that’s beside the point. What you’ve been doing with Stonathan has been so refreshing. It’s one of those ships that gets brushed off as just fanon, much like Ronance or even Elmax which I also think had real potential, even though I love Lumax. But it’s kind of telling that Byler is the only queer ship in this fandom that gets taken seriously largely because it’s the only one the show even slightly treats as plausible. And that just shows how strong the heteronormativity still is, even in a series with queer characters.

And while we’re on Steve I’ve always felt like there was way more to him than just the comedic relief role the show kept slotting him into. It honestly frustrated me for a long time. Like, yes, he’s charming and funny and has great moments with the kids, but it often came at the expense of exploring his actual depth. I loved seeing glimpses of his dynamic with Nancy and Jonathan, and especially with Robin, because those moments gave us a taste of who he really is beneath the surface. There’s complexity there a guy who’s deeply insecure, still figuring himself out, struggling with purpose and loneliness and the show just never gives that enough room.

Instead, we got seasons of him being Dustin’s babysitter, which yeah, was cute at first, but it ended up boxing him in. That whole arc kind of overshadowed other chances to dig into his character emotionally, especially in connection to the older teens where he actually fits narratively and thematically. His story could’ve intersected way more meaningfully with Nancy and Jonathan’s if they let it, and Robin could’ve added even more depth to that group dynamic. Instead, they leaned into the comic relief aspect, and I feel like that’s done him a disservice.

And that’s the core of it this weird double standard where straight relationships are assumed to be endgame unless proven otherwise, no matter how weak the writing gets. But if a queer relationship wants to be taken seriously, it has to be undeniable, explicit, and perfectly built from the ground up. And even then, people will still question it.

That’s why Ronance hits so hard for me. There’s this rawness and unspoken closeness between them that feels so much more real than what Robin has with Vickie or what Nancy still supposedly has with Jonathan. And it’s frustrating that the show refuses to really go there. It keeps skimming the surface instead of leaning into what actually has emotional depth.

So yeah, thank you for saying all this because you put into words what I’ve been slowly realizing. The way the show favors shallow hetero pairings while sidestepping more genuine, complex connections (especially queer ones) is a huge blind spot, and I’m glad more people are finally starting to call it out.

Vickie is straight

... and she has a crush on Steve

I know how controversial it is to state such an opinion given how Vickie seems to be one of the few characters in the show who actually seem queer. Yet if we are being honest she has never expressed any direct or indirect signs of actually being in love with Robin. It's Robin who is incredibly biased as she has a crush on Vickie and Steve who is trying to be supportive of Robin who gave us this assumption.

This whole thing is not as bad as it seems though. I can promise you this. So if you still care let me explain to you why I think Vickie is straight and has a crush on Steve.

Part 1: The Muppet joke

While still in the car with Steve in early S4 Robin gets reminded of her own advise: Just be true to yourself and stop pretending to be someone you're not. We need to keep this in mind as she is soon shown to not follow said advise.

When Steve reminds Robin at the basketball game that Tammy Thompson does sound like a Muppet she agrees with him. Vickie overhears this and in turn agrees with Robin.

The joke however doesn't originate from Robin. She just repeated what Steve told her before. Therefore the joke that made Vickie laugh comes from Steve. Or in other words: It was Steve who made Vickie laugh and not Robin.

We even get conformation of this a bit later in episode 2 when Steve admits and agrees out loud that it was his joke that made Vickie laugh.

Robin wasn't entirely herself.

While everyone is looking straight ahead it's Vickie who makes a point not to look in Robins direction after Robin is embarrassed of herself. There is distance between them.

Part 2: Vickie and Robin (and Steve) meet at the Weapon Store

It's Robin who notices Vickie first in the weapon store which is followed by Steve looking at her as he knows she has a crush on Vickie which is then followed by both of them looking sad as Vickies boyfriend enters the scene.

Robin is obviously sad because her crush has a boyfriend while Steve is just sad for his friend.

This shot is often brought up to proof that Robin is standing between Vickie and Dan as it's believed that her crush on Vickie is reciprocated but I don't think this is what it means exactly. It's Robins POV and she believes her feelings to Vickie are reciprocated so she sees herself as standing in between them.

But is it true? Let's look at what Vickie sees next.

Vickie notices the both of them and while Robin is just staring at her Steve is licking his lips. Then Robin turns around and leaves while Steve is still looking at Vickie and Dan and then smiles awkwardly at them.

So Steve is licking his lips and then smiles at Vickie and Dan. What message would Vickie receive here? My guess would be 1) Steve and Robin are close and 2) Steve might like Vickie as well.

This however is the last look we get of Steve in this scene. It's his back while he is still looking after Robin. So whatever made him lick his lips and smile is no longer of interest to him the moment Robin leaves. I think this means that he is Robins friend first and foremost. He is not romantically interested in Vickie and doesn't reciprocate her feelings at all.

Robin is gone and Steve has turned his back on Vickie but her gaze still lingers. Maybe her feelings towards her own boyfriend aren't as sincere as it seems and everything considered I think it's fair to ask who this is truly about? Robin or Steve? Is she saying the truth when she makes it about Robin who she did meet in band or is she using Robin as a shield as she doesn't want to admit to her boyfriend that she has a crush on another man aka Steve?

In the end she looks back towards her boyfriend and then again to the place where Robin and Steve just were. Is he perhaps still standing there?

Then we get a scene transition to Nancy holding a very long gun. It's not subtle at all.

Part 3: Providing Food for the Suffering

There is light behind Robin which can indicate that she is the one who is most sincere in this scene. This makes sense as it is true that Robin has a crush on Vickie.

It's Vickie who gives her the information that Dan is no longer her boyfriend but from the scene in the weapon store she also knows that Robin and Steve are close. So everything she says to Robin is likely to reach Steve as well which means that Robin could be the one to tell Steve that Vickie is single again and therefore available to him.

First notice how Vickie wears spiral earrings. This is very interesting to me as it's triangle imagery that is used to indicate queerness in the show. So here we have the supposed love interest of one of the only confirmed queer characters in the show not wearing triangle imagery when it really matters. Why? Because she is straight.

Vickie also mentions how she rambles about her boyfriend when there are people out there suffering at which point in time she looks up and slightly to her right. Later when the scene transitions from Robin and Vickie to Steve we also get him at a alight angle which to me indicates that Vickie was looking at him as she was lifting her head.

It's Steve who Vickie perceives as the one suffering and who she wants to provide with food. Or to put it a bit differently: It's Steve she has a crush on and who she wants to be with and support.

Steve on the other hand is also smiling and looking at Robin and Vickie. He is happy for the both of them as everything seems to be working out for Robin and Vickie which could not be further from the truth. He's also shaking his head just slightly. Most likely because he thinks a certain assumption he's made just an episode earlier turned out to be wrong.

That assumption about Vickie pausing Fast Times at 53:05 however might be true after all. Steve is just misreading the signs Robin and Vickie are giving off at the gym.

Tbc in a reblog because I almost hit image limit. Look here.

[elevenenthusiast]

Okay but THIS??? I’m actually losing my mind because not only does this make so much sense with how Robin was reading Vickie, but it opens up this whole new angle that could’ve made Ronance not just plausible but earned. And the kicker? It would’ve worked even better if Jancy never happened. Hear me out.

So yes, if Vickie turns out to be straight and had a crush on Steve the whole time, that would absolutely destroy Robin. Not just because of rejection, but because of the way she misread things. How she projected what she wanted to see, a mutual queer connection, because she was so desperate to find someone like her. Someone safe. Someone real.

But here’s where it gets wild. That exact misreading? It mirrors what’s happening between her and Steve. Because Steve thinks Nancy still has feelings for him. And Robin encourages him to pursue her. Just like Steve encourages Robin to talk to Vickie. They’re both projecting. Both trying to help the other get with someone who maybe was never actually an option to begin with.

But here’s the difference. Robin never acts like that around Nancy.

With Vickie, Robin is anxious. Fumbling. Rambling. Clearly trying to impress her. She’s visibly not herself. But with Nancy? She’s sharp. Sarcastic. Opinionated. Honest. She pushes back. Challenges her. She talks to Nancy like she’s not afraid to be seen. And that’s what makes it so interesting. Robin doesn’t ever talk to Nancy about Vickie. Canonically, they never even mention her. And yet Robin opens up around Nancy in a way we don’t really see with anyone else, except maybe Steve. There’s a comfort there. A trust. An ease.

And Nancy responds to that.

In Season 4, we see Nancy start off cold and skeptical around Robin, brushing her off like she’s just Steve’s weird chaotic friend. But over time, she starts letting her in. They go from awkward coworkers to a genuine team. Nancy starts listening to Robin. Defending her. Valuing her input. You can actually watch the shift happen. It’s subtle but it’s there. And by the end of the season, they’re walking through the Upside Down together, dressed like they’re in a horror movie power couple, syncing up without even needing to speak. They trust each other.

And here’s where it circles back to Barb.

Because look, Nancy and Barb in Season 1? That was always a little queer coded. Barb wasn’t just Nancy’s nerdy best friend. She grounded her. She reminded Nancy of who she was before the parties and the boys and the trying so hard to fit in thing. And then Barb dies, right after Nancy chooses Steve over her. And that guilt never really leaves. We see it in Season 2. We see it again in Season 4, when Nancy sees Barb’s body in the Upside Down and freezes. It haunts her.

So imagine, Robin shows up. And suddenly Nancy has someone who reminds her of that feeling. Not in a literal “Robin is the new Barb” way, but in the way Robin sees her. Calls her out. Tells her the truth. And Nancy doesn’t want to lose another person who makes her feel like that. Who brings her back to herself. Maybe part of why she keeps Steve at arm’s length isn’t just because she doesn’t love him anymore. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t want to make the same mistake again.

And meanwhile Robin is watching Steve fall back into old patterns with Nancy, thinking of course she’d want him. Of course she wouldn’t look at me like that. So she backs off. Supports him. Doesn’t let herself think too hard about what she actually feels when Nancy looks at her like that.

So yeah. Imagine it plays out like this. Vickie is straight. Steve gets blindsided. Robin gets her heart broken. And Nancy, stuck in the middle of this emotional triangle that no one is actually seeing clearly, finally realizes why she’s never been able to choose between Jonathan and Steve. Because the person she’s been afraid to look at too closely has always been Robin.

Ronance wouldn’t just be a cute ship. It would tie everything together. Barb’s death. Nancy’s guilt. Robin’s arc. The Steve and Robin dynamic. The way queer people constantly misread signals because they’re forced to guess in a heteronormative world. The quiet intimacy between girls who start as strangers and turn into something way more complicated than friends.

Vickie is straight

... and she has a crush on Steve

I know how controversial it is to state such an opinion given how Vickie seems to be one of the few characters in the show who actually seem queer. Yet if we are being honest she has never expressed any direct or indirect signs of actually being in love with Robin. It's Robin who is incredibly biased as she has a crush on Vickie and Steve who is trying to be supportive of Robin who gave us this assumption.

This whole thing is not as bad as it seems though. I can promise you this. So if you still care let me explain to you why I think Vickie is straight and has a crush on Steve.

Part 1: The Muppet joke

While still in the car with Steve in early S4 Robin gets reminded of her own advise: Just be true to yourself and stop pretending to be someone you're not. We need to keep this in mind as she is soon shown to not follow said advise.

When Steve reminds Robin at the basketball game that Tammy Thompson does sound like a Muppet she agrees with him. Vickie overhears this and in turn agrees with Robin.

The joke however doesn't originate from Robin. She just repeated what Steve told her before. Therefore the joke that made Vickie laugh comes from Steve. Or in other words: It was Steve who made Vickie laugh and not Robin.

We even get conformation of this a bit later in episode 2 when Steve admits and agrees out loud that it was his joke that made Vickie laugh.

Robin wasn't entirely herself.

While everyone is looking straight ahead it's Vickie who makes a point not to look in Robins direction after Robin is embarrassed of herself. There is distance between them.

Part 2: Vickie and Robin (and Steve) meet at the Weapon Store

It's Robin who notices Vickie first in the weapon store which is followed by Steve looking at her as he knows she has a crush on Vickie which is then followed by both of them looking sad as Vickies boyfriend enters the scene.

Robin is obviously sad because her crush has a boyfriend while Steve is just sad for his friend.

This shot is often brought up to proof that Robin is standing between Vickie and Dan as it's believed that her crush on Vickie is reciprocated but I don't think this is what it means exactly. It's Robins POV and she believes her feelings to Vickie are reciprocated so she sees herself as standing in between them.

But is it true? Let's look at what Vickie sees next.

Vickie notices the both of them and while Robin is just staring at her Steve is licking his lips. Then Robin turns around and leaves while Steve is still looking at Vickie and Dan and then smiles awkwardly at them.

So Steve is licking his lips and then smiles at Vickie and Dan. What message would Vickie receive here? My guess would be 1) Steve and Robin are close and 2) Steve might like Vickie as well.

This however is the last look we get of Steve in this scene. It's his back while he is still looking after Robin. So whatever made him lick his lips and smile is no longer of interest to him the moment Robin leaves. I think this means that he is Robins friend first and foremost. He is not romantically interested in Vickie and doesn't reciprocate her feelings at all.

Robin is gone and Steve has turned his back on Vickie but her gaze still lingers. Maybe her feelings towards her own boyfriend aren't as sincere as it seems and everything considered I think it's fair to ask who this is truly about? Robin or Steve? Is she saying the truth when she makes it about Robin who she did meet in band or is she using Robin as a shield as she doesn't want to admit to her boyfriend that she has a crush on another man aka Steve?

In the end she looks back towards her boyfriend and then again to the place where Robin and Steve just were. Is he perhaps still standing there?

Then we get a scene transition to Nancy holding a very long gun. It's not subtle at all.

Part 3: Providing Food for the Suffering

There is light behind Robin which can indicate that she is the one who is most sincere in this scene. This makes sense as it is true that Robin has a crush on Vickie.

It's Vickie who gives her the information that Dan is no longer her boyfriend but from the scene in the weapon store she also knows that Robin and Steve are close. So everything she says to Robin is likely to reach Steve as well which means that Robin could be the one to tell Steve that Vickie is single again and therefore available to him.

First notice how Vickie wears spiral earrings. This is very interesting to me as it's triangle imagery that is used to indicate queerness in the show. So here we have the supposed love interest of one of the only confirmed queer characters in the show not wearing triangle imagery when it really matters. Why? Because she is straight.

Vickie also mentions how she rambles about her boyfriend when there are people out there suffering at which point in time she looks up and slightly to her right. Later when the scene transitions from Robin and Vickie to Steve we also get him at a alight angle which to me indicates that Vickie was looking at him as she was lifting her head.

It's Steve who Vickie perceives as the one suffering and who she wants to provide with food. Or to put it a bit differently: It's Steve she has a crush on and who she wants to be with and support.

Steve on the other hand is also smiling and looking at Robin and Vickie. He is happy for the both of them as everything seems to be working out for Robin and Vickie which could not be further from the truth. He's also shaking his head just slightly. Most likely because he thinks a certain assumption he's made just an episode earlier turned out to be wrong.

That assumption about Vickie pausing Fast Times at 53:05 however might be true after all. Steve is just misreading the signs Robin and Vickie are giving off at the gym.

Tbc in a reblog because I almost hit image limit. Look here.

[elevenenthusiast]

Hot take maybe, but hear me out Madwheeler had so much potential, and honestly? I see the vision.

I know a lot of people dismiss the idea of Mike and Max, but conceptually? Enemies to lovers between two emotionally repressed, sharp-tongued kids? That writes itself. They’re literally the same person both fiercely loyal, emotionally guarded, and always pretending not to care when they’re feeling everything all at once. They use sarcasm as a shield. They push people away before those people can leave first. Sound familiar?

And you cannot tell me that gym scene in Season 2 wasn’t something. The way Max skates circles around him, teasing him, testing him and Mike, instead of getting mad, smiles? He was enjoying himself. It’s one of the only times that season where he genuinely looks like he’s having fun again. And it’s not just because of Max, but because of the way she challenges him. She doesn’t back down, and he respects that, even if he doesn’t know it yet.

Mike’s hostility toward Max was never really about her it was about losing El. Max showed up in the middle of that grief, and he saw her as a threat to what he was still trying to hold on to. But if El had died (and I’m not saying I want that look at my username, just hypothetically) there absolutely could’ve been something between them. I really think they would’ve bonded over their losses, over the people they couldn’t save. That kind of connection between two emotionally closed-off kids? That’s where the slow-burn starts.

Madwheeler isn’t “opposites attract.” It’s mirrors. Two people who are way more alike than they want to admit and maybe that’s why they fight so much. Because deep down, they get each other. And with enough time, that could’ve meant something.

[elevenenthusiast]

R.I.P. to Eleven’s pixie cut and Will’s shaggy cut meant to bless us in Season 5 but sadly never saw the light of day.

[elevenenthusiast]

Pushing my Mason Thames/young Edward Furlong as Will Byers agenda if you want a new face claim, here you go.

They also have a much stronger resemblance to Charlie Heaton they could easily pass as his younger brother.

[elevenenthusiast]

Season 3 is my least favorite season of Stranger Things, and honestly, I think it’s the most overrated. I’ll never understand why people defend it so hard. I’m not saying it’s completely devoid of good moments Robin’s coming out scene was genuinely heartfelt, the cast is always giving their best, and the soundtrack is fun but on a story level, it feels hollow. Season 3 is where the show started to unravel into a glossy, corporatized version of itself.

It stopped being eerie, emotional, and grounded. It started becoming a theme park ride.

The tonal shift is jarring. The entire season is soaked in American consumerism, and instead of critiquing it in a meaningful way, the show indulges in it. The mall aesthetic, the excessive product placements, the New Coke ad disguised as a character moment it all felt like a love letter to capitalism rather than a clever takedown of it. When Lucas starts praising Coca-Cola like it’s a Super Bowl commercial, it doesn’t feel satirical. It feels like actual marketing. And that’s the issue.

On top of that, the portrayal of the Russians as the new cartoonish enemy felt lazy and outdated. The evil foreign villains trope has been done to death, especially in American media. It would’ve made way more sense if the American government was the one operating under Starcourt Mall. That would’ve been a stronger metaphor. Imagine discovering that the same shady lab from season one didn’t go away it just went underground, disguised beneath the very symbol of American capitalism. That would’ve been brilliant. That would’ve been a statement.

But instead, we got… Russians. In Indiana. Building an underground base. Under a mall. And no one noticed.

The contrast between the first two seasons and season 3 is stark. Season 1 had nuance it tackled grief, loneliness, trauma. It used the supernatural as a metaphor for real emotional experiences. Season 2 dug deeper Will was possessed by the Mind Flayer, but he was also emotionally isolated, and people around him started treating him differently. Billy’s racism, especially toward Lucas, wasn’t subtle it was brutal and uncomfortable, and it was meant to be. Season 2 still understood what it meant to be a “horror” show rooted in a real-world emotional experience.

Season 3 just… forgot all of that.

It feels like a caricature of what Stranger Things used to be. The horror got dialed down for more action and jokes. The characters became tropes of themselves. And for a show that once prided itself on heart, season 3 became weirdly empty. Even Hopper, who had one of the most compelling arcs in the first two seasons, was suddenly turned into this loud, aggressive caricature of American masculinity. And it’s all set during the Fourth of July, a decision that only amplifies how patriotic and propagandistic the whole thing starts to feel. It’s hard to ignore that it plays like a commercial for America and this is all happening during a time period (the ’80s) when the country was deeply embroiled in racism, homophobia, the AIDS crisis, and Cold War paranoia.

And then they had a little Black girl talking about how she loves America like it’s the best country in the world. That moment just didn’t sit right. It was weirdly sanitized and tone-deaf, especially for a show that once allowed itself to confront hard truths.

But the most frustrating thing is that season 3 had potential. The core idea, the mall, the facade of comfort hiding something sinister could’ve been amazing. If they had leaned into the consumerism, if the mall itself was the enemy, if the threat had come from within from American power structures the story could’ve been a meaningful exploration of identity, trust, and institutional corruption.

Instead, they turned it into fireworks, evil Russians, and Coca-Cola ads. The horror was gone. The intimacy was gone. The message was gone.

Season 3 is where Stranger Things stopped being thoughtful and started being marketable. And once you see that, it’s hard to unsee it.

[elevenenthusiast]

Since the ST5 teaser just came out and Joyce finally seems to be back in her element again, I need to drop a take that’s been living rent-free in my brain for a good while now, and I know it might be controversial but hear me out:

Hopper should have died at the end of Season 3.

And not because I didn’t love him because I did. But because narratively, emotionally, and thematically, his death mattered. It was a perfect, painful, bittersweet ending to his arc. He went from being this emotionally shut-off, broken man to someone who finally opened his heart and loved again. He learned to be a father. He protected Eleven. He tried to do the right thing. Him sacrificing himself to save El and the others would’ve meant something. It would’ve carried weight.

But instead? We got the Russia plot in Season 4. And listen it had its moments, but it also felt like a distraction. Hopper’s survival undercut the emotional finality of Season 3, and splitting Joyce and Hopper off from the rest of the cast meant that some of the most important relationships especially between Joyce and El got sidelined.

And that’s where this gets deeper for me Joyce and El should’ve had a central arc together in S4. They’re both grieving, both traumatized, both trying to figure out how to keep moving forward. Joyce has always operated in a world full of men raising two sons, surrounded by male energy and I don’t think she knew how to raise a daughter, especially one like El who’s never really had a traditional family. That’s why it would’ve made so much sense to let them clash. To struggle. To misunderstand each other. But also to heal together.

We should’ve seen Joyce stepping into that mother-daughter dynamic not flawlessly, not instantly, but realistically. Her trying and failing and trying again. El pushing back. El grieving Hopper. Joyce grieving him too. That tension would’ve been everything.

The moment in S4 when El hits Angela I keep thinking what if Joyce had found out? What if that scene became a spark that cracked their pain wide open? Joyce trying to discipline El without really knowing how, El lashing out because she’s lost and angry and grieving. That scene could’ve turned into something so layered. It would’ve said everything about grief, about trauma, about how hard it is to parent someone who’s hurting when you’re hurting too.

And I know people always point to Mike as El’s emotional anchor but I keep coming back to this: Joyce should’ve been the one to fight like hell to find El. After losing Bob, almost losing Will, and then losing Hopper, Joyce would’ve gone feral trying to get her back. The way she fought for Will in Seasons 1 and 2? That same level of desperation, that same raw instinct except this time, it’s not just about a kid she gave birth to. It’s about a daughter she chose. A daughter she didn’t expect to have but who became hers all the same.

And then instead of Mike giving that monologue, it should’ve been Joyce who told El she wasn’t alone. That she was loved. That she was her daughter. Not in a forced, cheesy way but something messy and human. Not a perfect speech just honesty. That El is the daughter Joyce didn’t know she needed, and Joyce is the mother El never had. That’s what this show is supposed to be about found family, grief, survival, love.

And this is the part that really stings Max’s grief over Billy was the emotional anchor that made the Hawkins storyline the strongest in Season 4. That writing? That intensity? That unflinching confrontation with loss? That’s what the California storyline could’ve been if they leaned into El’s grief over Hopper and Joyce’s attempts to hold everything together while falling apart herself.

We were robbed of a powerful parallel Max haunted by Billy, while El is grieving Hopper. Joyce trying to hold her family together while being eaten alive by the fear of losing another child. That would’ve made Season 4 cohesive. That would’ve made California as compelling as Hawkins.

So yeah Hopper’s death wasn’t just a missed opportunity for shock or drama. It was a missed opportunity for depth. For character. For connection. For real, raw storytelling. And if Stranger Things is about anything, it should be about that.

[elevenenthusiast]

Someone on Twitter slowed down the voice message that the Stranger Things Instagram account posted, and I couldn’t help but notice that a part of it sounds a lot like the intro to “The Final Countdown.” I slowed down the song myself later in the video, and honestly it really does sound like it. Maybe I’m just imagining things, but it stood out to me.

It’d be kind of hilarious if that actually is the song they’re using for the teaser/trailer. It could mean something… or maybe it’s just a coincidence.

Also, I remember seeing an orchestral remix of “The Final Countdown” that someone did on YouTube for Stranger Things and it was actually really cool.

[elevenenthusiast]

One thing that gets me about Agatha All Along is that it honestly feels like it was never supposed to be part of the MCU. And I don’t mean that as a dig at Marvel or the show itself. What I mean is this could have thrived as its own separate, original series.

Like imagine Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Ali Ahn, and Sasheer Zamata all playing morally ambiguous, ancient, and extremely powerful lesbian witches not tied down by Marvel lore, just existing in their own twisted little magical world full of secrets, betrayal, gothic camp, and chaotic spells. And then Joe Locke is there as the young gay witch trying to figure it all out new to their world, slowly uncovering the dark, messy, and beautiful magic they’ve kept hidden for centuries. No legacy character, no Marvel connections, just vibes, mystery, and queer power dynamics.

The energy of this cast is so rich, so queer, so deliciously weird, that it honestly feels wasted being crammed into the corner of the Marvel universe. This could have been its own original cult-classic series think “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” meets “American Horror Story Coven” meets “The Craft” but smarter, darker, and with the emotional nuance of The Haunting of Bly Manor.

And honestly, just throw Elizabeth Olsen in there too. Not as some all-powerful force or multiverse threat just let her be someone who’s still figuring out her powers, maybe a little lost, trying to understand where she fits in. She ends up getting close to Kathryn Hahn’s character and there’s this slow-burn thing between them soft, complicated, kind of electric. But then Aubrey Plaza’s character shows up and everything goes sideways. Old feelings, jealousy, power struggles, messy emotions, all of it. Just give me the lesbian witch drama.

Honestly, Agatha All Along isn’t a bad series. It’s just that it’s so painfully clear that this cast this vibe deserves something bigger, more original, and entirely unchained from the Marvel machine. I want sapphic coven drama. I want spellbooks bound in skin, I want betrayals that span centuries, I want queer love stories that end in blood and fire. I want morally complex witches who are just trying to survive in a world that fears their power.

[elevenenthusiast]

This has been lingering in my mind for the past month, and I know a good majority of HP fans didn’t like Harry’s ending as an Auror working for the Ministry after everything that happened. So here’s an interesting AU I’ve been thinking about:

Imagine Harry Potter in his late 20s to early 30s, but instead of settling into a nice, tidy Ministry job, he’s taken a much darker, grittier path. He’s basically a wizard Batman. After the Battle of Hogwarts and the fall of Voldemort, the world should be safe, right? But remnants of Death Eaters and dark wizards still lurk in the shadows, threatening innocent people. The Ministry tries to claim everything is fine, but Harry knows better.

So, he puts on a mask and becomes a masked vigilante who hunts down the last pockets of dark magic users. But like Batman, he has a strict no-kill rule. Harry’s not a murderer. He’s about justice, but he’s willing to go far beyond the Ministry’s rules to make sure the darkness is stamped out for good.

The Ministry is furious. They hate the idea of some unknown masked figure roaming the streets of wizarding Britain at night, disrupting their “official” peacekeeping. They want him caught, or at least stopped. But Harry doesn’t care about their politics or bureaucratic nonsense. He’s been through too much to trust them anymore. He’s done being a cog in their system. Instead, he takes matters into his own hands.

The general wizarding public doesn’t know what to make of this shadowy figure. Some whisper about him as a myth, a ghost, a specter who punishes the wicked and defends the weak. Dark wizards don’t believe the stories until they see the mask, and suddenly the myth becomes terrifyingly real.

When Harry isn’t stalking the night, he’s living a double life. He needs a credible cover, something that keeps him in the spotlight, but also gives him access to information and influence. I imagine Harry as a charismatic, charming entrepreneur, someone like the wizarding world’s equivalent of Bruce Wayne.

Maybe he’s the CEO of a cutting-edge magical technology company. But high-end and secretive developing innovative magical protections, charms, and anti-dark magic devices. His company sponsors charity events and educational programs to keep up appearances. To the public, Harry is a handsome, enigmatic playboy, always seen in the right place at the right time, with an impeccable reputation.

His public persona is the perfect smokescreen for his secret identity. He’s smooth, witty, and knows how to deflect questions about his private life, never hinting at the darkness lurking beneath.

This AU explores a Harry who carries the weight of everything he’s been through but channels it into relentless, uncompromising justice. He’s scarred, haunted, but never broken always determined to protect the wizarding world from threats no one else sees or dares to fight. The Ministry’s politics and corruption frustrate him, but he uses that frustration as fuel to keep going.

The night belongs to him, the silent guardian, the masked protector who will stop at nothing to ensure no innocent wizard or witch suffers like he once did.