#also Stalker being a cute nickname like Max called Lucas

[shprka]

S2 au where Steve and Nancy break up but Steve gets sp fascinated with Billy the new kid so quickly and obsessively. It doesnt help Billy is being so flirty in basketball practice. He thinks Billy's frustrating but also likes to watch him when he knows Billy doesn't try to be the new Mr Popular and he actually finds that he likes that Billy who is pretty and has a pretty laugh and is smart and funny and likes to help people but pretend he doesnt. And Steve learns Billy likes sweets but doesn't indulge often bc he worries it'll make him fat or umanly. So Steve makes sure to sneak in sweets into Billy's bag and locker whenever he has a chance. Small things like strawberry chocolate or nougat that Max mentioned off handedly Billy enjoys, or Mrs Byers said its the sweets Billy always nicks from the store with the groceries. And Steve starts watching Billy enjoys the little treats and actually smile when he sees them and uh oh, Steve likes his smile it turns out. And Billy starts leaving notes in his lockers, starting with a charming "Fuck off, stalker" and then Steve leaves the treats with cute messages like "Have a fantastic day!! :)) - Yours, Stalker" and Billy jist knows him as Stalker for a few months, until Valentines Day where Steve confesses with a box of Billy's fave chocolates

[glassrain]

So I just spent the past three days binging Stranger Things and these are my immediate thoughts (spoiler warning):

* Steve Harrington was the best part of season two. Hands down.

* As irritating as it could be, it was nice to see kids acting like actual kids. Mike getting pouty and moody, El throwing hissyfits and sulking when she isn’t happy, Lucas being stubborn for the sake of it where El is concerned. Like, this is actual kid behavior. Thank you so much for that - it made the show much more believable and interesting.

* Can we please just leave Will alone in season 3? Give this poor kid a break.

* Also, I totally called Bob’s death. The man was simply too nice and genuine to be evil, but too pointless to last.

* (I actually kinda liked Bob, though. He was boring, sure, but he was just a really nice guy. Poor Bob.)

* Dustin is my favorite of the younger group. I love Dustin.

* Was anyone else getting an E.T. Extra Terrestrial meets X-Files vibe from this show?

* Steve going from Bully/Love Interest to Residential Mom was the best arch in this show, and the best arch his character could have been given.

* On that same vein, the Steve/Nancy/Jonathan triangle was just ... idk. Frankly I can’t stand Jonathan - I think he’s a whiny idiot who takes no responsibility for anything and loves blaming the world for his problems - and I think that Nancy completely deserves better because Nancy’s kind of great. On the other hand, Nancy and Steve just don’t work, at all, while she and Jonathan do have this weird sort of chemistry. So, yeah. I don’t know where I stand on this. I do know that having that oddball conspiracy theorist essentially tell Nancy and Jonathan (and the viewers) “Nope, I’ve known you about three seconds but I know your relationship better that you do.You’re so in love.” was a stupid, stupid ploy and I hated it.

* Seriously, I hate this ploy of "smart” characters telling the potential lovers their own feelings so much. Just - ugh! It’s so preachy and lazy. I hate it.

* Steve really needs to win a fist fight in season 3. He’s 0-2, man.

* Mike and Eleven are kind of cute. I guess I can see where the love of this ship comes from.

* Predictions for season 3: Eleven’s sister is going to play a role. Also, those bursting plant things that sprayed both Hopper and Dustin in the tunnels are going to come into play. We never got an explanation for what they were and what they did, so I think Dustin and Hopper are going to be effected in some way this next season.

* I love Eleven’s father/daughter relationship with Hopper. It’s so precious.

* Max irritated me at first, but I sort of like her now. She really needs to find a new nickname for Lucas though. “Stalker” just isn’t cutting it for me.

* On that note, someone needs to hit Billy with a car. ASAP.

* I really do like Will, okay? Can we please be gentle with this boy in season 3?

[jennaanneg]

Random Stranger Things 2 Thoughts

So, I only watched season 1 less than a month ago, and I finished season 2/Beyond Stranger Things over the weekend. In that short amount of time I have become a major ST fan. Since I overthink everything, I have many thoughts about it I need to express. As Jim Rash would say: SPOILERS AHEAD! You’ve been warned.

*cue Beyond Stranger Things theme*

- About episode 7. The sudden jump away from the lab was jarring but I didn’t hate the story line. My only complaint there is that I wish the El plot mixed in with at least one or two lab scenes to break up the story. Not to mention, the timeline was jarring until we got to the part with Hopper’s radio call and Mike running to the door. You didn’t know WHAT happened at first and frankly most viewers probably didn’t care about El’s adventure as much because they wanted to know about the lab. I know I was.

- On the other hand I genuinely liked Kali. They wrote her well. At first I worried she’d be this evil character who would manipulate El without really caring about her. (Some of her dialogue towards El seemed a little saccharine and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m glad it didn’t.) Instead you can tell she’s messed up and sincerely wants to help El grow in her own twisted way. I can see her becoming a valuable asset next season, especially if the Mind Flayer inhabits El. I also think Kali’s life served as a cautionary tale that drove El back to Hawkins. While she wanted to help defeat the monster and save her friends, she also learned her life could be a lot worse if she didn’t stick with Hopper.

- As for other new characters...poor Bob. I liked him even before he became “Bob Newby Superhero.” But it kind of annoys me how they dragged out his death to tug at the heart strings. Like “OMG he almost made it! If only he didn’t drop that board or smile at Joyce!” It was such a blatant move that I wish he’d been caught in a different way.

- Even more random, but Dr. Owens telling Hopper he would stay in the lab reminded me of a captain going down with his ship. Like the captain from Titanic, Dr. Owens does not expect to live.

- Now, about Max. She’s a great addition to the cast and her shining moments at the end truly earn her the nickname “MadMax.” Her relationship with Lucas is so stinkin’ cute and I’m glad they wrapped up the love triangle with Dustin. (IMO one love triangle with Nancy, Jonathan and Steve is more than enough.) In Beyond Stranger Things they say how Princess Daphne from Dragon’s Lair was supposed to represent Max and the feud between Lucas and Dustin. They also talk about music choice and “Every Breath You Take” being “the stalker song”…but no one mentions how it’s so appropriate for Lucas and Max to dance to it at the Snow Ball? Like, she calls him stalker. It could refer to the Mind Flayer too but this seems like a missed opportunity IMO.

 - Also, there needs to be a scene (or story line) next season where El and Mike accept Max. She didn’t do ANYTHING to deserve their treatment of her. All she wanted was to make some friends!

Anyway, this post is getting too long, so I’m stopping here for now. I’m sure I’ll have even more random thoughts about Stranger Things 2!