#kinda have the feeling this will be the st cast for s5

[erikiara80]

ST will end like The Return of the King

I was thinking about the things the Duffers have said about the ending so far...

S5 will be similar to S1 in terms of dynamics and setting (edit: AND to S2 in terms of some big ideas they couldn’t include at the time)

No open ending 

The ending is like the epilogue of TROTK and they know what happens in the last 20-30 mins (TROTK epilogue is 20 min long)

Eight endings? 

Then there’s David, the only member of the cast who knows the ending. He said that it’s quite beautiful. Also a bit bittersweet. And in this interview with Finn, Wynona and Caleb, when they were talking about Will, he said that Will is not interested in El (like some fans suggested -sigh) but in another member of the party, and that “he wants to play D&D in Mike’s basement for the rest of his life” He said that with this smirk. And Finn laughed and said: “Yeah, Will said that”. Yeah. I’d say Byler is safe, lol. A sad, tragic ending for Will and Mike? Not possible : ) 

Yes. They do, lol So. How will ST end? 

1. S5 will more like S1 and S2, but bigger

This is just a theory, but I love good parallels and the Duffers have never disappointed me in that regard. So, in 1x08 both Will and El almost die, while the others try to help them. El kills the Demogorgon but disappears, and Will is physically connected to the UD and, well, he’s technically dead. He’s not breathing, and Joyce and Hopper have to revive him. I hope that in S5 Will and El will fight together to defeat Vecna and stop the spreading of the spores in our world. And I think they will both almost die, again. Will is a lot like Frodo, so I expect a lot of pain and torment for him in S5. But he’s also Radagast, the wizard who can communicate with the creatures of Mirkwood. So my theory is that in the last episode of S5 he’ll connect himself to the UD to destroy the spores, the vines, whatever. And since he’s always been associated with fire, in both the campaigns in 1x01 and 1x08 (not to mention the Will the Wise drawing in S2), maybe he will use fire to destroy the spores. Maybe he and El will connect their powers to do it together! 

Oh, and if he almost dies again, this time I think it is possible it’ll be Mike who saves him. Plus, if they really include many ideas they wanted to use in S2, well, Will’s connection to the UD and Henry/Mind Flayer was the most important part of the story, so it totally makes sense that he’ll be central in S5.

As for El, she needs to end her journey feeling that she finally belongs. That she’s found her place in the world, her home. She’s happy with Hopper and with the Byers, but I think that finding out that Will, her brother, someone so good and who loves her, is like her, would be the most important thing for El. It just feels so right. But yeah, in S1 she disappears. And she’s been compared to E.T. a lot throughout the show (mostly visually and by the Duffers). So maybe in S5 she will leave again. But she won’t be trapped in the UD. I have a theory about her mom. Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking. Watching El reliving all her memories, finding herself stuck in a loop and having to find the answers she needed to regain her powers, make me hope that maybe she can do the same for Terry, whose mind is also trapped in a loop. She could still feel her daughter and communicate with her. That means that her brain still works, maybe because she has powers too. Who knows? El saw her mom in her memory in S4, and was also able to revive Max. She’s much more powerful now than in S2. So yeah, I kinda hope she can heal her mother and go home. Like E.T. But it would be a happy ending. We’ll see.

2. No open ending

Yep. They will kill Vecna and close the gates once and for all. No more threats from the UD.  

3-4. The last 20-30 minutes will probably be an epilogue, a bit like the ending of TROTK (the Duffers joked about this in a podcast)

I think Will (or maybe him and Mike) is the one who will tell what happens to all the characters. Like Frodo. There’s going to be another time skip, but I hope it’s just a few years, like them in college, starting a new life and not 52 year old Will telling us what happened in these 30 years. But it is very possible. And if they do that, we could see some of the main characters die. Like Hopper and Joyce, who would be in their 80s now. The bittersweet part. Life goes on and at some point you’re going to lose your loved ones. But they’ll never really leave you. The love and the friendships that made you who you are, are real, are part of you, and sometimes they can literally save the world. (Sorry, I’m already crying)

The possible 8 endings

Joyce and Hopper

El

Jonathan and Nancy

Steve and Dustin (yes, I think they’ll leave Hawkins together)

The Sinclairs + Max (so, Lumax and Erica)

Robin and Vickie

Argyle 

and of course, Will and Mike

This is what I hope to see. If I’m wrong, maybe we won’t see Jancy but two separate endings for Jonathan and Nancy, or for Steve and Dustin  (maybe we’ll see Dustin and Suzie?)

Anyways, I’m sure season 5 will be both epic and very emotional. I will definitely cry. But whatever happens, I will always love this beautiful story about family and love, and all its wonderful characters.

[pholiabanna]

No because they also enjoy Mike rejecting Will's friendship hug? Many of Mlvns are really just homophobic and actually enjoy Will having no friends or being rejected by his friends, the way they talk about S3 proves this as well or how they came up with made up ''core 4'' thing to exlude Will. Honestly many Mlvns would just be homophobic bullies if they existed in ST universe. Or actually it kinda says a lot about their personalities irl already.

They have an intense hatred for Will that can only be explained by them noticing he's a real threat to Milkvan. Because the show is actively making you root for Will's happiness, and they filmed S4 in a way that make sit clear you are supposed to root for him to get the boy, not El. So if you still want Melvin to stay together, the point of the season flew over your head, or it didn't but you're actively choosing to ignore it and live in denial.

And I seriously doubt even them can be that dumb to not realize the moment Mike discovers the painting is from Will, Will is getting the boy. That's why they hate him so much. They know he's the better suited partner for Mike and they are bitter. So they unleash all that frustration by making fun of him, and by extension, by hating on Noah too a lot of the times. That's their way to cope. I'm not even gonna comment on that "core 4" thing because it's ridiculous, and they know Will was part of the original friend group years before any of them met El, so even if they want the Party to hate Will, unfortunately for them the Party loves him. Again, it's just plain bitterness because of byler endgame and their homophobia (a lot of them just are homophobic and hate them for being gay). But season 1 is literally about how every single character in the cast loves Will enough to risk their lives just to save him. If they don't understand this, then they weren't supposed to be watching the show in the first place, and they definitely shouldn't be expecting the writers to cater to them because they just don't understand the story at all.

But thankfully enough, the show will never go in the direction they want, because for starters S5 will revolve around Will and they'll have to deal with seeing him on screen a lot of the times, without being able to skip his scenes because they'll be important for the supernatural plot. And thankfully enough, the show will give Will the boyfriend he wants (Mike) and the only thing they'll be able to do is watch and cry. They may start with the homophobic jokes again, but it won't change the fact that the story didn't go the way they wanted to. They're just clowns and miserable and sad, and I won't feel even slightly sorry for some of them because it's what they deserve

[chirpsythismorning]

I think people are just coping or trying to cope. Realistically it is very unlikely that we could get the season that fast. They have not even started filming yet. Almost all actors have other projects. They could get some actors earlier but it is expected that the scheduling will create problems, even if the actors have ST as their priority on their sheat... it is not really realistic to just get all actors on set. And the filming will last probably about 7-8 months (at best) and then there will be editing CGI stuff... which could take 10 months or so... yeah. So, do the math, and i did not even mention the potential writers strike thing. I do not think they'd want to rush things anyways, this is the last season, they'd want it to make sense and with a solid editing+CGI. That takes kinda... 10 months or so, and the promo has to also happen. Realistically we'll get the season in 2025. Early 2025 if we are lucky.

I agree! And I completely get where they're coming from.

I struggle with deciding if I should be honest about what I think realistically. Is it something that's disappointing and so people are just going to reject it, even despite the evidence bc it's not what they want? And if that's the case, what even is the point bc I obviously don't want to upset people or stress them out.

All I'm trying to do is think logically, so that way we can be prepared instead of disappointed over and over and over again. And tbh, telling ourselves the best possible case scenario is the most likely case scenario, is just setting ourselves up for even harsher disappointment.

I know 1 year and 10ish months seems like a lifetime from now, but it really isn't. We're going to be much more sad once it's over and we won't ever be able to see these characters again. The Duffers don't want to ruin the magic of Stranger Things, meaning there will be no reboots with these actors ever again in official canon. At best, we could get something animated, and that's at best. If anyone joins a literal live-action spin-off/reboot, it's unlikely to be someone from the MAIN main cast, as they'll have plenty of work opportunities after it's over. They also vouch for the ending of s5 being perfect. Which is why I think they wouldn't want to risk its eternal quality being ruined solely for a cash grab with a reboot set in the 2000's of them being re-traumatized all over again, essentially taking away all meaning and depth to s5's ending. It's just not happening (good thing we have fan-fiction).. ,

So again, once it premieres and it's over, there will be no more theorizing or getting excited for canon content beyond harmless fodder. I try to think about it that way when I get sad about waiting and it does honestly make me feel a little bit better. Bc surprises are arguably the best part of this experience. And so once there are no more left to be had, what even is there!!?

Although on that same note, once it's over, with the revelations all out in the open, they'll all finally be able to talk about things they couldn't during the shows run. So it will still be fun for fans that want to stick around for a while post-s5, but that also won't last forever. People will move on. Every phase of this experience is something we will look back on and wish we appreciated more, including hiatus right now. We will miss these times, when so much was still unknown and there was so much to hope and look forward to. The unknown is one of the best parts.

I do understand wanting to get closure sooner than later too though, bc waiting can sometimes feel like wasted time almost?

I will say that personally this is a good wake up call for me bc I do want to step back a little bit and focus on crafting major posts instead of like daily shit posts. I have so many in my drafts waiting for ?hrs of editing to be posted. Sometimes I find time for them, but then I get distracted and just end up making a random shit post instead. And so maybe it would be good to try to shift my focus to something more casual so that I can enjoy this experience more long-term instead of it feeling like an obligation more or less.

Not saying I'll be gone for months at a time. Quite frankly, if there's news to be reported, I want to be of the first to know, so I couldn't really leave permanently even if I wanted to... the FOMO would eat me alive.

[demadogs]

Everyone’s been talking about byler vs others shows lately and can I just say I can’t scroll for 2 seconds without seeing a post about “Heartstopper” or “The Summer I Turned Pretty” on any of my socials and I’m getting really annoyed? 😭 The cast of both shows seem so sweet but I don't care to hear about it! And I don’t want to be a hater but it feels to me like it's really hard to curate experiences anymore. Ik its the Internet so you’re going to see things you don’t want to see and both shows are pretty popular right now butttt post after post?…broooo those fucking cartoon leaves are going to haunt me atp but I'm glad to know I'm not completely alone.

And I know this might seem so stupid but I’m really tired of seeing heartstopper in particular discussed in the Byler tag. I don’t have a problem with people who enjoy that show trying to find other bylers who watch it or necessarily talking about moments on that show they want to happen with byler I mean ppl can do what they want but yeah. I prob come across miserable but this hiatus is just sucky and people will probably feel this way about Byler/ST when S5 comes out so 😂

lmaoo i recommend filtering your tags for what you dont wanna see. you can do that here and you can mute specific words on twitter. not sure if you can on instagram, and for tiktok if you see something just hold down and hit “not interested” or even block them if their whole page is edits for a show youre not into. i do this and i rarely see heartstopper stuff anymore and i never saw tsitp to begin with bc all my algorithms have figured out im gay and dont show me the super hetero shows lmao.

i understand about the cross tagging thing. if you do filter heartstopper you’ll be able to scroll past those without clicking on them but i think people treat the byler tag as more of a giant groupchat with things most of us would be interested in. like if im talking about lumax i usually tag byler bc so many bylers also love lumax but i dont tag lumax when im talking about byler bc those tag followers may only be interested in lumax you know what i mean? i dont think theres any stopping those kinda posts but again, filtering the tag will help.

[beaulesbian]

I don't go here wrt stranger things, but your posts on byler has me shipping them something fierce. I've been burned before so I'm real hesitant to watch ST knowing seeing it in action will just get my hopes up, so here's hoping I'll have a new show to binge after s5 drops.

Hello anon,

I honestly completely understand that. If you feel it's better to wait until s5 to get the complete story that's always valid.

I kinda saw hints for byler since s2, but season 3 seemed it was going in a different way - at least when i didn't think about it much, only on surface level, so i was really bummed out by s3.

But then s4 brought it all back with much more force into our faces lol. Like the narrative and the story itself turns so much around them, it would be such a waste of a good story if they didn't make them canon in s5.

It's a slowburn and it has its ups and downs, it's very subtle in s2 and s3 but i definitely think there's mutual romantic love they have for each other. Most of the cast supports it too, and the writers had a clear idea about something big since the beginning of the show, like a clear vision what they wanted to do. so now during s4 it was pretty much visible there's something more to will and mike.

Even beside them, all these other characters struggle with very real problems, and for me it's just interesting to see how the writers are including these traumas within the supernatural storylines as well, and combining it all together.

For me, with byler, it's that childhood friends to lovers slow burn love story that i wanted to see on a show or read about in a book, where it's so central to the plot but also it's not the only thing about the story.

You get all these other incredible characters, and it's about all of them together and how they interact and what each can do or what they know, and their struggles but also their hopes and dreams. And in the centre (if s5 really delivers) is a story about a boy who went missing and his best friend who would do anything to find him. In the seasons in between, the main themes are really again about loss and love, distancing and finding each other again. If s5 delivers, and i believe it will, it could end on such a beautiful note.

[willandmichael]

The way ST treats side characters makes me lose my mind sometimes. Characters are introduced to serve a purpose and help the main characters in some way and then are killed as soon as their relevant plot point is over/for audience shock value/to fuel the main characters' pain and it's total bs. Characters are hardly ever fleshed out as their own individuals but rather as side pieces to the main characters in the show and are never really focused on if they are not useful for the main characters. So now we just have a constantly rotating cast of side characters who are only added to the story so they can die like Eddie whose purpose was the further Dustin's character arc and was added to the story so Steve wouldn't die. He's just there to die in the narrative basically and you can see it coming from miles away.

They are added only to die in a season because they've been there to kinda just die and the show refuses to keep characters relevant for a long time. Shit makes me froth at the mouth.

to be honest, i think eddie's plot was fine and it fit the story but it's overshadowed by them bringing back hopper and max from the dead (hopper never died, but you get it), because it makes it look like they can't kill the mcs. some characters are introduced just to die in almost every story because it serves the main characters - in this case: dustin. eddie's death would've been more impactful and shocking if his character had been introduced before season 4, it wouldn't be clear that he was thrown into the story just to be written off lol

i know people keep talking about steve (not) dying but my main issue is with hopper tbh - and i won't talk about max, contrary to almost everyone i'm okay with that IF they manage to develop it correctly in s5. they should've honestly let hopper die in s3 and be done with the russian plot, losing him would fuel both el and joyce's storyline... but i guess they thought it would be too cruel to kill someone important to joyce again and also leave el without a father figure.

a lot of things in s4 feels very unfinished and there's a lot of weird stuff to still be resolved and it's because we were left in the middle of all the chaos. i do have a lot of questions and criticism but since they've said they planned s4 and s5 together, i'm waiting to see the full picture. i'm curious as to how they're going to handle dustin, because i don't think they're gonna take both eddie and steve away from him back to back

[manic-pixie-aquarius]

ngl since s5 ST is supposed to be like s1 & s2 vibes The Party definitely has to be in a group together for this season, Will and El definitely should be in the same group because they're both so tied to the upsidedown but also I would expect Lucas to be by Max's side all the time but idk maybe he will be with the party as a "i cant lose another friend" kinda thing. but also Dustin and Steve HAVE to be together i mean its what we all expect, so maybe Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, El, and Steve? I know most would group Robin in with Dustin and Steve but I feel like her friendship arc w Nancy starting in s4 wasn't just for nothing...her and Nancy and Jonathan?? i think that could be cool, and if Argyle is in this upcoming season i feel like it would be cool to have the young adult cast together (minus Steve :( ) But THEN on the other hand i NEED those sibling interactions!! like Mike and Nancy barely ever talk, Jonathan and Will just started talking again sooo i need them to be paired...Duffers...this is the issue w yall making so many freaking characters. I havent even touched on the adults

[eddieydewr]

I'm not trying to be a negative nancy but i do genuinely worry that the noah hate train won't calm down by the time s5 comes out. I just worry about noah and his family as well as the s5 experience for us fans (i hope that doesn't sound selfish). I want this to be enjoyable for EVERYONE but with ppl being so hateful it's hard, especially for noah, i mean no wonder he purged his socials. Just by looking at the comments on kalemyname's post, it gives a clear vision of how ppl just want to be hateful and act like sheep. Now don't get me wrong there were some things noah did that kinda make me raise an eyebrow at first and things i still dont quite understand, but this situation is complex and i personally feel it's pretty clear noah isn't who the internet is trying to make him out to be.

Of course, ppl are talking bad about other cast members now for being friends with noah or not speaking up about the topic (as if they will unfriend someone they have PERSONALLY known for 10 years just because randoms on the internet can't get a grip) meanwhile others act like other cast members can't do any wrong like you said in another post (no hate to the other cast members at all). I just worry about everything this will affect (maybe im getting ahead of myself but yeah). It's good to see more positive comments and it's an unfortunate fact that ppl will hate no matter what (like how ppl have recently hated on Millie for her accent, or back then bc she was a talkative kid who said "cringy" things) but i still worry. I hope this ask doesn't stress you out or anything i just needed to get this out i suppose. And I apologize if you've got 50 asks like this before.

if season 5 is released in october or november next year and the hate train continues then i’m sorry but those people need professional help. i doubt the i/p war is going to last that long. people on both sides are running out of money and patience. and there’s an election in the US later this year. pro palis will get bored eventually, they’ll move on after the war ends as they always do every time there’s a conflict between israel and palestine. so the noise around noah will die down, it has to. it’s only logical. people can’t hold on to this performative anger for… what, 3 years?

will noah haters continue to exist? yes, just like before every time he did a “controversy” and they’ll be like ummmm did y’all forget the time he said this and did that whenever there’s a pop crave tweet about him 🙄 but when the cast like millie and finn are consistent with mentioning noah, if noah comes back to social media to promote ST, when we get to see teasers and trailers and we’re all excited about new content and will byers!!! the stupidity will die down, save a few genuine haters with nothing better to do.

also, the kalemyname drama makes no sense because there’s a video with noah on feb 21 and most of the comments were nice but the latest one, peoole were foaming at the mouth?? i just don’t get it. but we can say the hate train isn’t exactly linear.

i do get similar asks like this but it’s ok! let it out <3 look at my prev ask and see what noah’s mum said: he’s ok, just taking a break from social media but is happy to be back on set :) also it’s not selfish wanting to enjoy the experience without pro palis screaming to boycott the show. people in real life don’t behave like this. but if, god forbid, people are still insane then i’d mute words and block accounts? idk. curate your internet experience! 💚

[sennqu]

in the span of less than a week, i've gone from "oh nice they're finally making it overt that will's gay. sad his feelings won't be reciprocated though but oh well" to "if byler isn't endgame then what was the point".

i've been lurking the tags and some of the discussions on reddit and have some Thoughts:

(i'm not laying out the reasons and evidence of why i think byler is endgame because i think other fans have got that down. my contribution to the tag is why i think unrequited byler isn't possible as a satisying pay-off in the story from the POV of a Will Byers fan and a less involved ST fan who hasn't seen a lot of cast interviews/outside material.)

the biggest point that made me consider against will's feelings being reciprocated at first was that maybe his storyline was a continuation of S3 which posited that he was unable to "move on and grow up". a redditor brought up that maybe confessing his feelings and subsequently being rejected will help will finally move on from his "childhood" and grow up. This was a compelling argument to me at the time because 1. so far S4 does seem to retread character relationship beats from before (Lucas and Max, Mike and Eleven, Steve and Nancy) and 2. i didn't have faith in the duffers giving us a good and satisfying character arc for Will.

Howsmtever!! when i thought about it more, that kinda storyline for will didn't really make any sense. we see in S4 Vol. 1 that will has taken up painting. not pencil or crayon drawings like in past seasons but paints! He's broadening his art horizons, i.e he's already growing up and moving onto new things.

we see will (and the rest of the byers) has completely taken in El as part of the family. if will hasn't moved on, wouldn't his relationship with her be shown to have more friction? if he still thinks that she is the girl who stole his friend/childhood away. but we see in cali he comforts her after her diorama is stepped on, is mad alongside her when mike says the "she didn't look fine" line, and will subtly puts his arm in front of her as a shield when the police come to take el away, among other brotherly gestures of love. he's not loud with his affections and he's not the type to visibly stand up against bullies and the like but in his limited scenes with el, we do see that he fully treats and loves el as a member of the family.

so anyways, that's that on that. will's moved on and thriving as best he could post-S3 and before the plot of S4 throws everyone back into the fire.

to state, i am working off on the assumption that the text is telling us 2 things: 1. that will is gay, and 2. that he is in love with mike. So. What else could point towards Will's feelings not being returned as a satisfying part of his character arc if the "moving on and growing up" part isn't the point?

the other argument i've seen is that a rejection will lead to heartbreak will lead to Will either getting vecna'd and/or siding with the villain leading into S5. and while i would love to see Will just fucking shit up, what would be the point of this? will loves his friends and his family. why would he turn his back on them even if the love of his life rejected him? he even says outright in vol. 1 that it was "you guys" that saved him. there isn't conflict here. and sidenote, his fear of rejection is probably what'll put him in danger of vecna's curse and not actually getting rejected. and then what's the pay off going with this route.? that even if he's rejected, he'll realize he still has his friends? but he already learned this in S3 (see: "not possible" line). it's not the same with max because her issues were the direct fall-out of the S3 ending.

So let's back up and say maybe getting rejected isn't that big of a deal in the big picture. lots of guys irl and in the 80s have been rejected by their crushes before. this is just gonna be a blip in will's life (he'll confess, mike will be sorry, and then onto the next scene) and then we can move on to the "real" plot of the story and maybe learn will's connection to the Upside Down and shit. to which i ask: why bring up his crush if it's not gonna be important in the grand scheme of things?? in his character arc?? just to pander to the gays? just for representation? when there's an arguably larger faction of people who would love will's orientation to truly be up for interpretation or for him to just be a delayed straight guy?? that doesn't make sense. i truly believe that the writers think that him being gay and in love with his best friend is an important enough part of the story that shouldn't be set aside.

from this long-ass, rambly text post, I've laid out my points on why i think rejection is just not possible for will's story assuming the writers are half-way decent at their jobs. and they seem to be, forgetting will's canon birthday aside.

And just to add-on, non byler fans hoping that Will gets a boyfriend (in the form of an as-yet unnamed character so he can be happy) while in the same breath saying how hard it is for gay guys in the 80s to find love is HILARIOUS. both of these things can be solved if byler is endgame. and also the jokes(?) saying will deserves better than mike?? will doesn't want anyone BUT mike.

[matan4il]

I'm not sure if you know this answer but you seem to be the Bubbie Bible so it's a shot lol. Are the same writers and show runners still in place from S2 and on. I have to admit my favorite seasons were 2 and 3.. 5 was my least favorite and it really was just over all critiques. Like yes we got some good Buddie content but there was just also so much left out.

I really wanted to see the St. Louis conversation. The Chim Buck Conversation. The Eddie reaction to the BT break up.

I was told more then I was shown and I'm curious if it's just because we know the characters so much now we are supposed to interpret it? I think I'm just prepping myself for S6 expectations. Thanks for any insight!!

Hi dear Nonnie! Thank you for the lovely title, I kinda love it, though I have no idea whether I actually get to claim it. I will do my best for you, though! *hugs*

So the biggest change is that in s5, Tim Minear stepped away from being the main show runner for 911, he did this to more closely supervise 911 LS, but it's not like he's out of the picture completely. Instead of him, Kristen Reidel has stepped in to be the main show runner (though presumably she still answers to Tim if need be). She has been with the show since s1, she has been co-executive producer since back then and a full executive producer since s3. She has also written more than ten eps herself (the first one again going back to s1. She also wrote 205, which is when the team gives the verbal middle finger to what is clearly a reference to the homophobic Westboro Baptist "church", as well as 301, which gave us Eddie having Buck's key as canon, Buddie hugging, plus generally kick started the beloved tsunami arc. Maybe most importantly, she wrote 414, with the will reveal. Most recently, she wrote 503, which gave us Eddie breaking up with Ana, but first telling Buck about it, clearly showing Buck was the one who got Eddie to do it, as well as 517 and 518, which gave us Buck in the Diaz home, just being a natural part of whatever Eddie's going through). Lastly, she also directed eps 317 and 518.

I kinda went into details, because I do believe all of this means Kristen should have a pretty good grasp on what 911 wants to be, and what about it works. I do think she was thrown into rough circumstances, where she still had to navigate around covid issues (like Michael's actor being let go of because he refused to get vaccinated) in addition to having to build a season where a relatively big number of the actors for the show's loved characters weren't available to film (Maddie, Chim, Albert). I heard this is why Taylor's background in 507 and 509 was thrown in there, basically as filler since they were missing a lot of their cast. Though I still think that's a highly questionable decision (I would have much preferred it if they had used the extra time to delve into one of the more established characters), it did serve to better explain why Buck was willing to put up with a lot in that r/s. It showed him not exactly happy with some of Taylor's investigative ways in 507, but swallowing that down, and it also showed his fear of being abandoned dictating some of his actions in 509, plus let's not forget he's a naturally protective guy. Taylor in that ep def stirred that in him.

And I get it, I feel a bit cheated out of certain aspects as well. 911 might revisit them in the future, as it has done with some other issues in the past. I hope so. For example, we could still have a convo in s6 where Taylor is brought up and we get to see Eddie's glorious facial reactions, or hear what he has/had to say about the break up. All I'm saying is, given the obstacles in Kristen's way, then some of the shortcomings of s5 might be down to that. IDK what they'll do for s6, whether Tim will be back or what, but even if it is still Kristen at the helm, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll dislike s6. Not to mention, s5 def did deliver some things that fandom has wanted to see for a really long time, and even put Buck in the room! ;) I'm just saying, have heart. However you felt about s5 is legit, but s6 can still be a season you'll really love...

Hope this helps, Nonnie! Have a great day! xoxox

If you're looking for my ask replies, here is my ask tag! xoxox  

[calliecat93]

ST: TNG S5 Watchthrough Episodes 18-21

Cause and Effect: Who’s ready for the ST equivalent of Groundhog Day? Yep, we have a time loop episode. This is actually my mom’s favorite episode so I’ve been waiting for this one XD.So the episode opens with the Enterprise blown up… and after the titles we have a poker game as though nothing happened. But Crusher begins to have deja vu and as the loops continue, so do the others. So... If you’ve seen time loop stories you more or less know how this goes. Though unlike most of the oens I’ve seen where just one person becomes aware of it, while Crusheris the first the others also begin to take notice. The don’t remember everything, but they start picking up on it and figuring out that something’s up. Again, I appreciate the cast being written as competent and not stupid cause it’s very easy to do with this kind of plot. Not sure I at all understand Data’s explanation on how he figured out how to end the loop... but hey, it ended. So it was good. Nothing mind-blowing but very much enjoyable. Any time that Crusher gets prominent screentime I’m happy, but again I just appreciate the cast being intelligent. Also the Kelsey Grammer cameo at the end, Hell yes~! 3.5/5.

The First Duty: Okay Wesley, second guest star appearance. Let’s see how it goes. Which, haha... it’s not a happy episode for him. There’s been an accident at the Academy and while thankfully Wesley is alright aside from an injured arm, one of his classmates has died. Well… that’s sad. That n and of itself could fuel a story all its own. But as a hearing is held, it becomes clear that something more is going on. As it turns out, Wesley’s teammate died because the entire squadron not only performed an illegal flight procedure… but lied about it. First that it was an accident, then that the accident and his own demise was his own fault. Why? To save their own skins. Now to be fair it’s clear that they’re scared, but it doesn’t change the fact that they’re essentially lying/disgracing a dead person to save themselves. Even the kid’s own father gets convinced of this, which only adds to Wesley’s guilt. I actually felt really bad for Wesley and I kinda feel like Picard, upon confronting him, was… pretty harsh. Wesley’s actions were wrong, but again he was clearly scared and felt guilty for it. Thankfully he does ultimately do the right thing, accepting the consequences. Hopefully, Wesley can push through it and grow from it if he shows up again. My mom doesn’t like this episode I guess because of how it portrayed Wesley, but honestly? I like it for that exact reason. Welsey isn’t portrayed necessarily as bad, he’s reacting like… well… a scared nineteen-year-old. He made a major mistake, and he paid the price for it, though it certainly wasn’t the worst punishment that he could have received. While Picard was rather harsh when confronting him, it was the push that Wesley needed to do the right thing. I think that this was the kind of episode that Wesley needed, where he commits a huge screw-up and unlike when he was a regular, pays the consequences for it… it’s just a shame that they did it after he stopped being a regular. I can see why some may dislike this one because of Wesley’s portrayal, but I think it was good and was long overdue for the character without villainizing him. He’s intelligent and capable of greatness, but he’s got a lot to learn, especially after this. Let’s hope that he does. 3.5/5.

Cost of Living: It’s another Lwaxana episode folks… yay. Okay despite my complaints about her episodes, the last one’s issues I had was more due to the subject matter than the character. If anything, she was the best part of it. So maybe this time things will be better. So this time, Worf is having parenting problems with Troi trying to help him and Alexander make it work. Lwaxana is on the Enterprise as she’s getting married, to Troi’s exasperation and Picard’s utter relief, and ends up butting in. Oh and the ship malfunctions because it’s Star Trek. So… it was okay I guess? The Holodeck scene was just utterly bizzare and I’m still trying to wrap my brain around WTF just happened. To be honest, Troi is the best part of this episode. She’s trying to reasonable help Worf with his parenting issues, Alexander with his lack of discepline/responsibility, her mother marrying a guy she never met and bending agains the Betazoid traditions that she usually follows, and she’s clearly just fed up with everyone especially her mother. It makes her such a joy to watch, haha! Lwaxana was… alrigh. On the one hand, it ws not at all her place to butt into the whole Alexander situation especially since Troi was handling it. On the other hand, the episode does go more into how lonely Lwaxana is and make her manhunting/desire tog et married more sympathetic. Te previous episodes always played it mainly as a joke/a condition of her species at her age, but it never allowed her to actually delve into why she’s so desperate. How she’s fears rowing older and being all alone without someone to love her… and gosh I’ve absoluteley seen this before and it’s just sad. Consideirng that this came out the same year that Gene Roddenberry, majel Barret’s husband and of course as we know the franchise creator, has passed… I can only imagine how rough this had to be for the poor woman. But if she wad channeling that into her performance, she did a fantastic job. Also Lwaxana’s fiance? He was played by freakin’ Tony Jay. The man is a freakin’ legend the voice acting world (probably best known as Frollo in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by far his darkest performance yet probably his best) and it’s the first time I’ve seen him in a live aciton role. He plays a snobish asshole and obviousy the marriage falls through in the end, but he made the episode worth it! So yeah, I’m still not a big Lwaxana fan but they are trying to add more to her and overall it was fine. It’s not great, for example the Enterprise’s plot felt tacked on to fill in the runtime, the pacing was rouh, and the storylines were not at all balanced out well. But it was overall fine, though i think Half a Life did her better. Troi, some legit Lwaxana development, and getting an appearance by Tony Jay made it worth it XD 2/5.

The Perfect Mate: While preparing for a peace treaty, the Enterprise picks up two Ferengi, one of which messes with the cargo, and releases a young woman named Kamala, a mutant amongst her kind whose abilities let her become the perfect mate for any man, from suspended animation. She was meant to stay that way until the ceremony... and was meant to be a ‘gift’ to one of the sides. Yeah... that’s not at all messed up. Due to the Prime Directive, the crew can’t interfere... and we find out that there was a more complicated reason as to why Kamala was as she was. This is pretty much the TNG version of Elaan of Troyius from TOS. Kamala is completely different from Elaan, more composed and well-mannered while Elaan was more aggressive and upfront. Looking back I do feel I was too harsh in calling Elaan a brat considering the conditions she was under, but the episode certainly didn’t give he much sympathy from anyone (aside from Kirk) while they do better calling out the arrangement here. Then again it’s been months since I watched the episode so I may be remembering wrong. But it does ultimately end with Kamala entering an unhappy marriage, but she bonds with Picard and ends up acting as his perfect mate, so... hope that goes well. The whole empath/metamorph thing felt necessary as well, you didn’t need a reason to make men attracted to her for this episode to work. Which yes it only works on men, remember this is the 90’s folks. I’m kind of baffled as to why Troi wasn’t in this one considering we have another empath, that could have added a more interesting layer and justified that part. But I shall repeat what I said in Elaan when they put Kirk under that tear-induced love spell: you don’t need those elements to keep a plot spicy. The Ferengi we're also utterly pointless. While I feel that the subject is better done than in TOS and it felt more evenly paced... I’m still not a fan of it. It has more of the nuanced debate on the arranged marriage plot that I was annoyed that Elaan didn’t have... but I’m still pretty meh about it overall. it’s alright, but just that: alright. 2.5/5.

Okay folks, we’re five episodes away from finishing S5. So far... it’s only been alright. There’s been a couple of strong episodes, but overall it’s remained firmly in the average range. Maybe S4 hyped me up too much, IDK. I’m still having fun, but maybe I’m just starting to get fatigued from TNG. But we don’t have much more to go, and there’s still plenty of time for S6 to change my mind, so we’ll see how things go from here.