hermit-house

[hermit-house]

I know I’m not the only one freaking out about season 5 being the last, so I made a list for all of us with everything we’re still getting besides ST5.

Cast interviews

The Duffer Brothers interviews

Full season trailer

Volume 1 trailer

Volume 1 release in November

V2 trailer (and maybe V3 at the same time, who knows)

The release of V2 and V3, one week apart

Tons of posters (character posters, group shots, etc.)

Official promo photoshoots of the cast

Behind-the-scenes documentary (confirmed)

Blooper reel (you know we’re getting one)

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85

Official script releases for all seasons

El’s book

Mike’s book

Will’s book

Hundreds of YouTube reactions to season 5 (people will still be making them forever)

Some kind of spin-off

More new movies with Finn and Noah (maybe even together???)

Pretty sure I missed a few things, but anyway… This isn’t the end 💙💛 After what we've been through… this thing…it ties us together. Forever.

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Pookie grew up… 🥺

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I keep thinking… what if episode 2 isn’t actually called “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler” like everyone assumed, but “The Vanishing of Will Byers”? And it dives into what Will actually went through while he was stuck in the Upside Down.

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Byler Endgame Foreshadowing (real not clickbait)

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I haven't seen anyone mention this yet but the lightning looks like a kid standing on a cliff?!

like, you can't tell me that's just a coincidence, it's waaay to specific!

I'm just trying to figure out possible meanings but I think it might refer to Henry Creel as a kid as we might get more backstory or how he might have some human flavour left in him after all? also a certain someone (looking at u mike) spend some time on a cliff so that's there as well... then again the hair looks kinda like a bowlcut lmao

also, soo exited to see will lead the party and here's an honorable mention of mike and will's bikes being a lot closer to each other than the others

and i love how the one crack is running through all of them like a red string of fate

[hermit-house]

Wait… the more I’m looking at the giant Vecna head, the more I’m seeing it like…….. it’s almost kind of draconic???

I’m not saying he’s gonna turn into some kind of vecna-dragon (that’d be so creepy) but what if the new spikes growing from his head are a deliberate visual metaphor for the dragon from Will’s painting?

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Teeth or horns... A dragon in Season 5?

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"but friends don't lie"

"well, boyfriends lie ALL THE TIME"

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Wait… In Season 1, when Will got taken to the Upside Down, he had a shotgun, right? Like, the Demogorgon got him, but he was literally holding a gun. So… are we getting flashbacks in Season 5 where tiny little pookie Will is actually fighting for his life, blasting a Demogorgon with a shotgun?!

[hermit-house]

Okay, that explains a lot. We see you, Mike Queerler 💜

[hermit-house]

Are you kidding me? Mike’s hair looks great, or at least way better than that weird «DIY haircut» from the first leaked photos. Plus, it totally looks like Finn’s hair.

[hermit-house]

instead of just asking “is byler endgame?” ask something like:

“why do you think mike dodged wills hug at the airport? will his strange (haha) behavior towards will be addressed in season 5?”

“how do you think queer fans will feel after watching the final season? do you think the queer characters arcs will be satisfying?”

“who does your character have the most heart to hearts/ meaningful conversations with this season?”

“do you think your character is heavily misunderstood by the general audience?”

“what are some songs you would use to describe your characters journey this season?”

“how would you describe your character’s relationship with conformity?”

“have you lied in interviews/panels in the past to prevent spoilers?”

“will the cliff scene be addressed? do the other characters, who weren’t there, know about it?”

“what do you think your character would be doing in 2025? would they still have the same connections with the other characters?”

“will we get more of mikes pov this season?”

“how do you relate to your character the most?”

“what do you think causes mike to repeat words/ sentences?”

“do you have a favorite parallel with your character in the show?”

be subtle guys. they aren’t gonna be able to answer questions like “who does your character end up with?” or “will they kiss on the mouth?” don’t waste your question !!

[hermit-house]

It's okay, Finn, we know what you were trying to say, message received, don't worry 💙💛

[hermit-house]

A bad and unprofessional analysis of Being Different, aka the love of my life

So obviously this score plays during the van scene. Here’s the entire video from where the score starts for reference (as if you haven’t seen it enough)

There are three main sections I’m breaking this up into. 1) the Mike Monologue, 2) The Heart, and 3) The First I love You

1) At the beginning of Mike’s self deprecative spiral (when he says “I keep telling myself that”) the music cuts from Argyle’s radio to Being Different. This part of the score sounds dramatically different than the rest. Now I don’t know any fancy technical terms, but I DO know that it sounds sad. The notes are long and simple— it’s uncomplicated. Will is putting his full attention into listening to what Mike has to say, and it makes him sad that Mike sees himself that way.

2) This section starts right at the moment Mike opens the painting. There’s an obvious shift in tone (the swell, and then the little happy beeps). And then comes the really interesting part: as soon as Will opens his mouth, another layer is added. I’m going to try to explain this as scientifically as possible— so if you listen very closely, you can hear sort of a wa WA, wa WA, wa WA. You know what that sound reminds me of? A heartbeat. A HEARTBEAT starts playing at the same time that Will explains how Mike is the heart of the party. Not only that, but in the original score (https://www.tumblr.com/gaysforbyler/765278990711898112/wawa-wa-waa-wa-wa), the heart starts beating out of rhythm. THEY’RE NERVOUS. Will was nervous to give his speech, and Mike was nervous to receive it.

Also, this section of the score is HAPPY. Will is happy to be doing this for Mike. Just isolating the soundtrack, it doesn’t feel like some big heartbreaking moment. Maybe it’s meant to be showing Mike’s POV here, but I feel like Will is just glad to be helping. Will’s love makes him happy

3) Many people know that the ending (when Will says “she’s so different from other people”) of Being Different uses the same motif as The First I love You and The First Lie, but it’s simplified down into four notes rather than eight. The First I love You plays for Mike and El, and Robin and Steve, while The First Lie plays during Jancy’s first kiss. This is Will’s first lie to Mike, and also his first confession.

What people DONT talk about is how different Will’s version is (clearly). For one, it sounds almost drowned out, like it’s playing from underwater. It’s being muffled. Will is literally covering up his feelings and trying to push them down so Mike can’t hear them. It sounds like the music crying. His love confession is sad, and raw, and distorted. That’s clearly shown through the score

[hermit-house]

Omg he’s so adorable 😭♥️

[hermit-house]

he ran out of canvases

[hermit-house]

"i can't imagine what it's like for you, all that's going on with will [...] you can talk to me. you don't have to hide anything from me."

[is hiding a girl in a closet]

"you are the most important thing to me in the world."

[is arguing with same girl in a closet]

"i love you too."

[gets uncomfortable by a kiss from same girl, in front of a closet with a light on]

"love, el"

[is reading a love letter from same girl with a closet with a light on perfectly lined up in shot. same closet also has a one way road sign pointed towards it]

"we're friends, we're friends [...] i don't know, maybe you should've reached out more [...] let's just find her."

[is arguing with his best friend who ruined his day by ignoring him while same girl is hiding in a closet, with a song called "in the closet" playing in the background]

"hawkins isn't the same without you [...] i felt like i lost you [...] let's be friends... 👀 best friends."

[is having a heart-to-heart with his best friend, who is front of a closet]