#rip jonathan mike was the last straw

[mygreatadventurehasbegun]

Stranger Things has been watched...

And I have so many FEELS.

I will put my spoilers below the cut (and tag them), but all I will say before that is that if you’ve been liking the season so far you will love the last two episodes.

First, I cried at least four times during the past four hours.  

Will made me cry two of those times...holy shit, Noah Schnapp is such a good actor...that scene in the van between him and Mike?  And him turning away to cry?  And then later when he and Jonathan are talking in the kitchen?  SO MANY FEELS.

Then of course...Max.  Again, such a good performance from Sadie Sink...really all the actors are on point...how they got so lucky with child actors, I’ll never know...but, damn.  When we thought she was gone and Lucas is holding her?  Her saying that she could see or feel anything and not wanting to do started pushing me over the edge.

But what opened the floodgates entirely?  

Hopper.

Hopper and El.  

I was sitting on my living room floor, full-on sobbing...there were too many emotions to process at once, but there I was on my floor, trying to process them while also trying see the screen through my tears.

OK.  Let’s move on from the crying for now...

I really liked that massive action set piece in the finale.  Cutting between Hopper fighting the Demodog, Lucas and Jason fighting in the attic, El and One, Eddie and those bat creatures...I was curled up in a ball, seriously worried that we were going to lose so many of these characters.  

Speaking of...RIP Eddie.  He was such a cool character, and I wish he could have been around longer.  But I guess at least one of them had to go, and he drew the short straw.  But I liked how he chose to go back, because of how ashamed he was at running away from Chrissy.  And his death scene was rough...

So...El has healing powers, now?  That’s an interesting curveball, or did I miss something?  It seemed like she did something to at least bring her back...but it seems like Max is lost somewhere in her own mind, if El can’t find her.  Do I think Max will stay gone?  Probably not.  Since she’s not dead, I feel like her comatose state will come into play in season five.  And side note: I thought it was really sweet how Erica stayed with Lucas at the hospital.  It was such a nice show of support for him, and she didn’t even need to say anything.

I do wonder what happened to Dr. Owens.  Since we didn’t see him die, I’m assuming he’ll be back at some point next season.

I love that Vecna was mostly a practical effect...that the actor was covered in makeup, and they just enhanced it with CGI.  He is so creepy, I’m sure it was not difficult at all for actors to be scared of him.

YES to Hopper and Joyce getting a make out session!

So...it seems like the Upside Down is starting to bleed into the real world...that can’t be good.  I hope that Will gets a bit more to do in terms of the fight...he has that connection with the Mind Flayer/Vecna...I hope that they do more with that then him just being the one to sound the alarm.

Ok...I think that’s it...

We only have to wait two years for season five... :(

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

What about a character analysis of Will Byers? :)

Will is my favorite character, no question. I identify with him for a few reason, too. I’m not sure I can do an analysis that is without bias, but I’ll give you what I have. I’ve done works on Will before here and here. You may want to check them out.  Will’s development has been largely influenced by two things: his family and his friends. A broken family can be hard on anyone. Combine that with poverty, sexual identity issues, and being bullied for being “a queer” we have a perfect storm that could lead to anxiety and/or depression. Fortunately, Will has a loving mother and brother, and some very good friends. Jonathan has been a supportive mentor. Joyce has been a loving caregiver. His friends accept and care about him. This all leads to him being a very sweet boy despite what he’s gone through. He hates to see his friends fight. He risks his life to warn his mother of the Demogorgon. He shows concern for Jonathan’s hand despite having just woken up in the hospital himself. He values all of these people, though one person seems to stand out: Mike. Will met Mike on the first day of kindergarten. It was a memory that was clearly dear to Mike, as he recalled it easily, but it was shown to be special to Will as well. Mike’s story is the one that seemed to break through to Will. You can see Will, under the influence of the mindflayer, staring blankly as Mike starts his story, but by the end his eyes look red and glossy, and his mouth is trembling. It doesn’t last, but somehow Mike got through to him. Will trusts Mike completely. He confides in Mike his misgivings about Dart. He’s the only one who Will tells about the Shadow Monster and the return of the Upside Down threat. He calls out for Mike when he finds himself in the Upside Down during Halloween. He remembers Mike when his memory starts to be consumed by the Mindflayer. He’s even compelled to be honest about rolling a 7 on his Fireball, despite Lucas urging him to keep it from Mike. Will’s total faith in Mike is what makes his pain so great in Season 3. While there are signs that Will is still important to Mike, he takes a backseat whenever Mike and El are together. His hurt is clear when Mike is indifferent about his D&D campaign, and he breaks down when Mike finds a way to end it prematurely. During the fight in the garage, Will lets his feelings fly. Mike is ruining everything so he can spend time making out with El. He isn’t shown being so angry with Lucas, despite him also not taking the game seriously. It’s not that Will doesn’t like Lucas. Mike is simply that important to him, and he’s watching him drift away. Will is stopped in his tracks when Mike lets the big gun out: “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!” This is the final straw for Will. He always imagined a life with Mike, and he’s basically being told that he was silly to even think that. He flees to Castle Byers where he attempts to comfort himself, but he’s surrounded by memories of his life with Mike. He recollects Mike narrating a campaign while looking around his sanctum. He tears up a photo of the Party from Halloween, the rip going directly between himself and Mike. When he destroys his hideaway though, his anger is directed at himself. For the life of me, I can’t find it, but I know I some something once where Noah Schnapp said that the most important person in Will’s life is Mike. Unfortunately, trying to search for Schnapp talking about Will brings up a million hits of him ducking the question of his sexuality. Now we can’t trust everything an actor says, as they often misdirect, but they will generally be given character notes to help them portray their role as the writers intend. Based on what we see, this statement certainly seems to be true. Will is absolutely jealous every time he witnesses Mike and El together. The others get annoyed with how Mike ditches them for El, but Will is shown sad, distraught. He thought asking to be his friend was the best thing Mike had ever done, but Mike basically said that it was inevitable that girls would change everything. Despite not being shown any closure between them, Will seems to have made a peace with Mike by the time the Byers move. He donates his D&D set to Erica, expressing to Mike that he’d just use his when he comes back. This tells us that Will not only expects to return, but that he doesn’t intend to play with anyone else. He assures Mike that it’s not possible for him to find a new party. This seems to be a coded conversation where Will is promising Mike that he’s irreplaceable. It’s a brief, but somewhat nervous, conversation. They both seem a little uneasy at what the other may say, afraid that the move could mean the end of them. In the end they are both reassured, and part with matching smiles. Will has managed to reconcile Mike’s place in his life in one way or another. Only time will tell what exactly that looks like, but Mike’s importance in Will’s life remains a powerful force.  Will loves Mike. He may not fully grasp it yet, but he does. This may be a terrifying revelation for him. It’s not an accepting time for gay kids, and his father already looked down on him for perceived homosexuality. My hope for Season 4 is to see him go down this road and come out happy on the other side. 

[unbearablylight]

okay actually i need to compile all my thoughts about stranger things 3 so i can get them all out and then i’ll probably be done

as previously stated, noah schnapp continues to be the best of the young performances. millie was exceedingly good this season, more on par with season 1 (if not better), and i’m glad she was allowed to say more words and at like a normal pace sometimes. winona also continues to deliver

david harbour was great this season with what he was given, and i say with what he was given because hopper just did not feel like hopper to me? like his characterization was kinda off and i didn’t care for it sometimes, but that’s on the writers, not on him

on the other hand, the writers did a good job with making lucas feel like an important part of the group this season. he always felt extraneous to me, an afterthought, but this season he felt more fleshed out. and max was great. i don’t really remember how i felt about her last season, but i really enjoyed her this time around

and thank you for allowing nancy to be a part of the action earlier, as opposed to having her fuck off to nowhere with jonathan like before. also please give her a gun every season

my like biggest complaint with the show is that it follows a formula that’s starting to get a little tiring. like season one was fresh because it was the first, season two felt like season one redux (only with a bonus episode that sucked lmao), and now that we’re on the third season any repeating motifs start to feel stale.

and i don’t really mean like running gags or small nods or anything (again, give nancy a gun every season) but the actual formula of the plot. like every season starts off slow and something weird happens and the cast splits into like three groups, each investigating their own weird thing and it’s not until the end that they all come together to compare notes and have one final battle (which they again split into two or three groups for)

for season one it worked well and made sense, because this was new and bizarre and who else would believe all the shit that’s happening to them. now at season three it felt forced. especially when they’re a lot of the same groups or dynamics every time - nancy and jonathan, the kids, dustin and steve, hopper and joyce (a lot of them center around the romances which, for the most part, were already stale imo. mike and eleven were actually an interesting one to watch this season, but even joyce and hopper were barely doing it for me and i loved their dynamic the past two seasons)

like i’m glad the action kicked in quicker this season, but i could still feel the formula guiding things along. if they do the same thing for season 4 (if they get one) i’m worried it’ll be their undoing

also why was taking out a tiny piece of the flayer the straw that broke el’s back?? like i could understand it being the fight she had where she ripped it in half, and i could get if that piece of flayer had just exhausted her completely for the day, but she lost her powers. how the fuck did she lose her powers to a relatively insignificant moment?

and how did the anger and hurt of losing hopper not rekindle them, a la wonder woman moment?

basically what was the point of hopper dying at all? it was sad, but in the moment it was just kinda like... oh that’s it? he just can’t get back?

and on a related note: the final battle, despite being far more tragic, felt far less epic. maybe it was el without her powers, maybe it was the fact that all they had to do was turn two keys, or that the only thing they really had to kill was some big russian dude, but it just fell a little flat as a battle to me. when your past two big battles culminate in little girl beating the shit out of your big bad only to disappear herself followed by same little girl going beast mode to close a giant portal and fight off a huge creature trying to break through, turning two keys and throwing some fireworks as a distraction felt kinda anticlimactic

anyways it did wreck me and was a great season and it looked visually stunning (thank you big budget), but these are just some thoughts i’ve been having

also please let cara buono get in on the fun for crying out loud. you had the perfect in this season with her and billy’s weird thing and yet............

[planetsam]

may i please request a fic where brenner comes back and hurts el

“What?” Mike says.

Eleven takes a deep breath, meeting his eyes steadily. He doesn’t look like he believes her and that is a whole other level of pain. He knows her well enough, she has to make him believe.

“I’m leaving,” she repeats, grasping at straws, “I don’t belong here.”

“Huh? Of course you do,” he says and she wants to scream.

“No, I don’t,” she says.

“El—“

“I never have,” she continues, “I never should have listened—never should have come back. This is wrong,” she emphasizes the last word, “you are just a kid,” she says, “I am more. You don’t get it.”

The confusion is starting to leave and hurt is replacing it. She can’t watch this, she can’t. It hurts too much. But she has to do this, she has to. For him. She licks her lips and picks up her bag, more out of habit than any actual use. She can’t even feel it. She definitely can’t look at her keychains.

“Goodbye,” she says curtly and runs, using her powers to delay him just enough. Not that they’re needed. He’s so surprised he doesn’t move. Just stays there with the picnic he made in the av room because it’s the anniversary of the Snow Ball. She scrubs at her cheeks as she runs, pausing only long enough to dump her bag in the trash can. She stumbles out into the cold and tries not to react when a hand falls on her shoulder, “thank you,”she says numbly.

Papa looks at her critically. Eleven knows he didn’t have to let her do that, he could have taken her. Could have hurt them like he hurt Mama. Eleven knows it was a test, it’s always a test with him, but she’s still grateful. She meets his gaze and he tilts her chin, his touch doesn’t register but her skin crawls all the same.

“Good girl,” Papa says, “let’s go.”

Eleven nods her consent meekly, fighting back the urge to rip them apart when he grips her wrist too tight. Every step hurts but it’s a hollow sort of hurt, one that echoes in the empty space in her chest. He steers her towards the car.

“El!”

Horror crashes through her. She broke up with him, she said everything right. She was good. Papa glares at her and his grip turns painful. She actually whimpers, finds herself tugging against him. Rage colors his face as he sees her pulling. No powers, just her slight figure struggling in the most human of ways.

“Get in the car,” he orders, “do you remember what I said? Get in or he’ll wind up like everyone else.”

The doors crash open as Mike stumbles out. A ragged gasp of relief leaves her, even though this is the most dangerous moment. He knows, though. He knows and she clings to that with everything she has. He stares at them and Eleven tugs harder.

“Stop that,” Papa scolds.

“Hey!” Mike’s voice is loud, angry. Eleven knows from the look in Papa’s eyes that this only has one way to end, “You son of a Bitch,” Mike snarls.

“Let me go!” she cries suddenly, “let me go!”

No powers is the rule, no powers is the only thing keeping them alive but it’s not going to matter. The delicate stuff has become harder as she’s gotten older, she keeps tugging and struggling as she reaches inside the school and finds what she’s looking for. Mentally apologizing to everyone, she slams down on the button as hard as she can.

The fire alarm splits the air.

“You stupid girl!” Papa roars and backhands her.

Her wrist cracks in the fall, she feels that. Her own yell of pain is lost to the chaos. She recognizes Mike’s hand on her and scrambles towards it, they both wind up staggering backwards into the crowd. Her eyes lock with Papa and he gives her a vicious look that’s edged with enough triumph to make her blood go cold. That’s when she realizes Mike is doubled over making sounds like she does when she has a panic attack.

“Mike!” she wails, gripping his arms and lowering him down, “Mike!”

“Mister Wheeler! Mister Wheeler I need you to talk to me, what’s happening?”

Eleven looks desperately at Mr. Clarke. He’s always been nice, he didn’t tell anyone even when he recognized her. She isn’t supposed to trust anyone but Mike is still wheezing.

“I think he got shot,” she whimpers. Mr. Clarke stares at her, “they pushed me and—“ she holds up her wrist, ignoring the lurch it makes her stomach do. Mr. Clarke goes pale.

“Someone call 911,” he roars sounding alarmingly like Papa, “and get the nurse!” He turns back to her, his face softening, “it’s going to be okay.”

“They were going to take me,” she says, “Mike stopped them,” she looks down in alarm at his lips and the wheezing sound, “he can’t breathe!” she cries.

“Help’s on the way,” he says, relief flooding him when the nurse runs over, “Dustin, Dustin! Take Miss Hopper—“

“No!” she cries.

“I wouldn’t move her,” Dustin begins, “lemme get–oh holy shit,” he says when he sees, “did he get shot?! Mike!” the others all shove their way forward at his yell. Eleven looks at them helplessly, hoping one of them will know what to do. “what are you—“ Dustin grabs her and hides her and a moment later Mike gasps loudly.

“Mike!” she cries, pulling back, “oh no–“ there’s a tube sticking out of his chest, "oh–”

“I’m okay,” he gasps, fumbling for her, “I’m okay, El, it’s okay.”

“No, no! You weren’t supposed to get hurt!”

They’ve done nothing wrong but rage blinds her anyway.  They hurt him, she hurt him. Mike’s eyes widen and he groped blindly for something but the pain is still on his face. She’s killed before, it will be so easy and when Papa comes back, she’ll kill him too. She’ll kill them all. Above the sound of the fire alarm the building makes a terrible wheezing sound, the support beams groaning as she twists them. Metal is always easier. It taste’s like the metal in her mouth. Like it’s a part of her. She squeezes tighter and tighter. Like it’s her being squeezed and twisted. Like it can’t move.

Like she can’t move.

“Let me go!” She roars twisting, “let me go–”

Her words are muffled as she finds herself twisted around, face pressed against a broad chest. She snarls and kicks, tries to get any kind of footing but there’s none. It’s like fighting against something sticky, whenever she tries to push it just gets harder, when she tries to lash out, something hits her with a bright shock of pain that she can’t get by. Its like fighting a wall and she hates hates hates it. Until she’s clinging to it, even though a part of it expects to be hurt by it anyway.

“Jonathan!”

The wall moves.

Nancy is watching them load Mike into the ambulance and motions for her. She runs forward. Before anyone can say anything Nancy hauls her into the back of it. The EMT’s slam the doors and it lurches to life. It’s cold in the back, but that doesn’t matter as she grabs Mike’s hand. He’s breathing but all of the machines seem to be wailing. Eleven doesn’t like the noise. She looks at Mike desperately.

“You weren’t supposed to get hurt!” She cries, “you were supposed to stay inside.”

“You said you didn’t belong,” he says, “I knew you were lying.”

“But—“ her lip trembles and she remembers him wheezing, “Mike,” she says desperately. He shakes his head.

“I’m not just a kid,” he tells her, “I didn’t want to be either, not since we found you.”

She hiccups around a sob then, because when she found Mike was the first time she wanted to be one. She wanted to be pretty and go to the Snow Ball and have a normal bed.  Now everything feels ruined, Mike’s been hurt and her wrist is throbbing. And all she wanted to do was keep him safe. She doesn’t know why when she tries to do that, he’s always safe and always hurt. All at the same time.

“She broke her wrist,” Mike tells one of the EMTs. They look at her and she snatches the limb away, “let them look,” Mike says.

“But—“ she frowns, not liking the idea.

“It’ll be okay,” he promises, “please let them.”

The EMT takes her wrist into her hand. They brace it but it still throbs. Which doesn’t matter as much as Mike having an oxygen mask put around his face. She lurches forward, wanting to help but not sure how she can. Mike catches her hand and holds it close, like that will do anything. When they get to the hospital she can’t even manage that and it unleashes a whole new torrent of tears.

When they let her see him again she wastes no time climbing into the bed with him and burying her face in his chest. Mike hugs her close. She can hear herself whimpering, because she doesn’t know what to say. How to say it. Papa made her but she still did what she did. And now they’re both hurt. But under her cheek she feels Mike humming quietly, his hand going through her hair as he does. She knows he’s making sure she knows he’s forgiving her and she wishes he wouldn’t even as she cries for it.

“You’re hurt,” she protests feebly, after far too long in his chest, even though he won’t let her pull away still, “Mike.”

“I’m gonna be fine,” he tells her. Her face contorts because he can’t promise that, “as long as you’re here,” he says, “I’ll be ok.”

“But—“

“No,” he cuts in, something sparking in his eyes even around the drugs they must have him on, “I want you, ok? I don’t care about the rest. I need you.”

Desperation laces his words and it cuts her. She knows that he’s being sincere, that he means it and she wishes that he didn’t. It’s terrifying in the exact opposite way of what Papa used to say. But that doesn’t make it less terrifying. It maybe makes it more. Because she stopped needing Papa a long time ago. She’s only grown to need Mike more.

“I need you too,” she whispers.