#also the scarecrow and the tin man are her gay uncles

[alicesbread]

I really need to write a fic where Glinda sees Dorothy and goes "yup. You're my child now." And then after a torturing slowburn her and the wicked witch get together so Dorothy has aunt Em and Uncle Henry at home, and whenever she goes to Oz she has her witch lesbian moms waiting for her.

[lillie98]

STRANGER THINGS X WIZARD OF OZ

I grew up obsessed with “The Wizard of Oz,” so much so that I read some of the original L. Frank Baum books (which I highly recommend). The more I watch and analyze Stranger Things, the more similarities I see between the two stories. For one, gay people in the 80s referred to themselves as being “Friends with Dorothy,” so as not to be outed. That in and of itself is a huge similarity. I also believe each OG Party Member represents a different Oz character—which has huge implications for the overall story.

WILL: He’s our Dorothy (for the reason stated above). He’s on a journey to discover his power and strength, dreaming of a life far away from Kansas (Hawkins). He believes he needs his Ruby Slippers (El’s Powers) to save himself, but he’s always had THE POWER inside him. He can save himself. He meets a cast of characters along the way that teach him about the world and ultimately himself, giving him the strength he needs to defeat his grief and move on from his trauma.

ELEVEN: Eleven is Glinda. She meets Dorothy (WILL) on the journey and guides the Party through their tasks. She is wise and kind, helping Dorothy overcome her trauma and discover the power within him. El’s Powers are the Ruby Slippers (as stated above), which Dorothy thinks she needs to defeat The Wicked Witch of the West (Vecna). By the end of the story, Glinda tells Dorothy she never needed the slippers and had the power within her all along. She disappears and Dorothy returns to Kansas, stronger, surer, and finally processing her trauma.

MIKE: Mike is The Cowardly Lion. Stay with me here. I am absolutely not saying Mike is a wuss, because he’s not. He just thinks of himself this way because of everything people tell him. Lucas says he’s Hopeless, Dustin says he’s Oblivious, his parents say he’s a punk. Why wouldn’t he feel cowardly and afraid? It’s only when Dorothy (WILL) comes into his life and calls him “His Heart” that Mike finally understands his worth and takes up his mantle to fight. He also believes Dorothy needs her Ruby Slippers to win, but will soon discover Dorothy’s incredible powers.

LUCAS: He’s our Tin Man. Lucas loves loudly, but it doesn’t always come across that way. He’s brash and brutally honest, often refusing to sugar coat his words in favor of candor. He fears he is difficult to love because of this and closes himself off to potential love interests, thus becoming “rusty.” It’s only when the Oil Can (MAX) softens him up and accepts him for who he is, that he opens up and discovers the true meaning of love.

(I also think Max could share the Lion with Mike sine they’re basically same person different font)

DUSTIN: Dustin is the scarecrow. We all know Dustin is genius-level intelligent, but he sometimes gets carried away with his discoveries, going to great lengths to indulge his mind (including stealing books from the library). It’s not until someone falls in love with his incredible mind (STEVE) that the Scarecrow learns to harness his intelligence and use it to fight his enemies. His mind will be key in destroying Vecna. Remember the Forever Clock (perfect for the Apocalypse!!)

JOYCE AND HOPPER: Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. They’re Dorothy’s caretakers since his original parents (Lonnie) couldn’t care for him. They know Dorothy dreams of a life far beyond Kansas, but do their best to support him while he’s here. They’ll do anything to keep Dorothy safe.

SUZIE: Suzie is our Wizard. I love this one. The boys go on a journey to find her, she’s wearing green (like, come on), and her house is full of munchkins (literally). Lots of people have created analyses of SUZIE’s house, so I won’t go into detail here, but she is crucial to cracking this code. She’s a master hacker, able to change grades and possibly storylines. She’s not all that threatening, what with being a thirteen-year-old girl, but she holds insane amounts of power.

VECNA: The Wicked Witch of the West. The ultimate Big Bad, hell-bent on destroying Dorothy. Willing to do whatever it takes to bring her down, lest she destroy his plan. She seems unbeatable, always one step ahead, but Dorothy discovers her power and defeats her easily with just a bucket of water. Also the Demo creatures are Flying Monkeys. I will not elaborate.

I’m not sure about the rest of the cast, but let me know in the comments what you think! As far as the story itself is concerned, Dorothy needs to find out about their powers, and we’re so close!! The moment someone removed Soteria, Dorothy’s powers will be released, and Vecna will be toast. This does mean, however, some of our beloved characters will disappear, too—particularly Eleven. She’s Glinda the Good, spirit guide for Dorothy and her Party. Once Dorothy discovers his power, Glinda isn’t needed anymore. Does that mean she will die? Not necessarily, but I do think she will “ascend” to the newly-freed Upside Down (now Heaven instead of Hell) and rule it. She will always be there protecting and guiding them, but unable to cross back over. This is probably where characters like Dustin, Steve, Robin, Lucas? etc. will end up because we all know they’re going to die. It sucks but at least they have somewhere beautiful to go. Anyone not on the hill in the final shot is Free Game for me, unfortunately.

Throughout this journey, Dorothy (WILL) has learned countless lessons from his friends and family that will ultimately fuel him to defeat his grief and trauma once and for all. The only character that will remain is Mike. Mike is more than the Lion, he is Dorothy’s lifeline. Mike makes Will brave. Without him, Will cannot survive. He may have all the power in the world, but it all means nothing if he can’t have Mike. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty beautiful.

Also, since The Wizard of Oz is a story within a story, this entire story of Stranger Things is either a DnD campaign Mike wrote for Will, or a Comic Book series the two boys wrote together. Mike does say he’s been working on a campaign for Will, so this might be what he’s referencing. Either way, it’s going to be incredibly emotional and beautiful, and I can’t wait!!!