#she knows you can romance a mind flayer so i entirely understand why her first thought was 'is that hag romanceable' AMXMAKXMAMXN

[prismatic-starstuff]

My mother, in reference to seeing Auntie Ethel in her true form for the first time: Can you romance Auntie Ethel?

Me: I can see entirely why you'd ask that, but actually nah, you can't—

My mother: Why not?!

Me: I think she's happy on her own— y'know, like she doesn't need anyone

My mother: True, but it seems a bit ageist!

[fatbottombucky]

Sometimes... I think he’s here *Billy Hargrove x Reader*

Summary: Reader suffers ptsd after the Mind Flayer battle. Most importantly, everywhere he turns he sees Billy. Reminded of his once friend, and past crush.

Pairing: Implied/platonic Billy X [M]Reader

Warnings: Stranger Things spoilers/ character death/ angst mixed with feels, and a lot of gay fluff- use of the words “fag” -light homophobic tendencies

Note: I know Billy is this ignorant asshole but I get a feeling within me that he’d actually like attention from anyone. So when reader, Will’s older brother (but year younger than Jonathan) helps him pick up chicks, whilst having a gay crush on him- he wouldn’t be as dick-ish to him. He’d still be a complete asshole, but he’d have moments. And those moments are what reader keeps remembering

Idk really know what I wrote. I just really feel like Billy was screwed over. They had a chance to really pull another Steve, give a shitty character a good character development, but they kinda did it- only to kill him (and before people come at me, I hated s1 Steve a bit. But he redeemed himself, ya know)

First time you interacted with Billy was at Byers house. The night he beat Steve up and you high tailed outta there with his car- Max driving.

~~The second time... you’re alone at the video store. Picking some stupid movie to watch as you did homework. He walked in, an air of calmness about him. His hands deep in his jacket pockets, the white shirt underneath hardly buttoned. His hair hardly styled at all- you assumed anyway.

He languidly walked to the horror section, meaning his standing opposite you, flipping through the VHS covers with a laziness of movement. He doesn’t even look at you or even realise you’re there. Does he even care? Probably, not. Max said he’s pretty much not talked to her, but they seem to be on mutual playing fields.

“Tammy loves horrors,” you find yourself speaking up but your eyes cast at the trashy romance movies in front of you, you can feel his stare. “She’s the one you’re seducing tonight, right?”

He scoffs, “what’s it to you?” His voice is deep with his demand of an answer.

“She’ll completely ignore your advances if you pick a horror, trust me. I grew up with Tammy, the girl is a horror junkey.” You pluck a movie, making show of turning it to read the summary on the back.

There’s a silence and you think he’s wondered off, steering clear of your weirdo self.

“What would you suggest then, Byers?” You look up in time to see him cock an eyebrow, his head nodding for you to go ahead and make his night.

You turn around abruptly and walk towards the action section, Billy hot on your tail.

“Oh, there he goes,” Arms crossed across his broad chest; amused by this. He watched as you pick up a movie, First Blood.

“She hates action, she’ll get bored and likely make the first move,” you watch as he frowns with your choice. “Don’t Like First Blood?”

“Love it,” that surprises you. “Snuck into the theatre to see it when it came out,” he takes the movie from you and flashes a grin. “Thought you were queer, and hated me.”

Statement not entirely false. You look away because that seems to be the news, you’re gay and that means clearly there’s something adherently wrong with you. You disliked Billy, yes. He’s an asshole, especially to your friends.

“Uh-I guess, I’m feeling super gay enough to help you out,” you shrugged and expected him to leave, but he laughed.

“I appreciate the insider knowledge, especially if it gets me laid, Byers,” he pays your shoulder a little too roughly but you smile slightly. “If you’ve screwed me over though, Imma beat you up worse than I did to Harrington.” ~~

You’re staring blankly at the empty action aisle. Your eyes emotionless, body slack and complacent. You didn’t know how long you’d be off in your own little world, long enough to get Steve and Robin concerned, both watching as you blink out of your trance.

“Y/N, bro, you okay?” Robin calls and you look at her, nodding quickly and walking over to the duo. “Been staring at that crappy Rambo movie for a good ten minutes,” she tilts her head.

“First Blood isn’t crappy,” you defend a little harshly, Steve raises his eyebrows, “uh-sorry. I’m feeling a little tired, I’ll see you later,” you softly touch Steve’s shoulder before exiting.

You get into your car and start it up, a deep sigh leaving your body.

It had been two months since that night. The night you battled the Mind Flayer, the night Eleven (and you) got to Billy, finally, only it was all in vain. At least, he was himself when he died but he shouldn’t have died anyway.

You stop at a red light, almost home.

~~

“Byers,” you look up from the drivers window to see Hargrove stepping to you, smirk settled on his pretty face, “I owe you one.”

You frowned, eyebrow raising at his cocky smile. Only it fades when he leans down, resting an arm on top of you car, his face at level with your own. You short circuit cause, woah, his eyes are that blue. His earring dangles as he tilts his head, a smirk pulling up the right side of his mouth.

“Wow,” you’re snapped outta your daze, “you’re such a fag.” He taps the roof and raises his eyebrows in a mocking expression, “just wanted to tell ya it worked, got into Tammy’s pants last night. But clearly you’re getting some gay boner over me,” he chuckles when you scoff, rolling your eyes.

You sighed a little, “You’re welcome, Billy. Glad I got you laid,” he smiled brightly at that. “Betta get going before everyone at schools think you’re gay too, cause that’s how it works- clearly.”

Billy stopped you, “Ohh, no, you’re not getting off that easy. I’ve scored a date with Stacey... Dw-“ he stops himself to think and you raise your eyebrows, “she’s got really big boobs and, I think, blonde hair.”

“You think?” You chuckled as he shrugged, “sounds like Jessica Randell,” he nodded, clicking his fingers because it sounded familiar to him, “I swear, what girls see in you, I don’t know, you’re impossible.” ~~

A car honking draws you from the memory, you quickly start your car back up, signalling an apology before driving home.

You laid down on your bed, room half packed up and memories all boxed away. Except one. The red lifeguard cap, sitting aimlessly on top a pile of clothes. It sparked interactions you had forgotten, willed yourself to not dwell on, only because it’s what sparked... a weird thing between you Hargrove, an unspoken thing. Working that summer job, with Billy, was singularly the best decision you ever had.

~~He walked with such an air of confidence you forgot to get down from the lifeguard chair. The whistle was carelessly drapped around his neck, swaying with each precise step he took.

Everyone noticed him. Girls watched with seductive eyes - even mums, kind of disturbing but you didn’t dwell on it- guys watched from afar, either willing to be him or loathing him.

Working this job has been kind to Billy. It gave him the ability to rule all, to assert his dominance across the swimming civilians. It allowed him to have attention, something you’ve realised he craves, a lot. He likes people looking at him. He also got a nice tan, plus he was allowed to use the gym within the building for free, so he really toned up.

“You know,” his voice snaps you back, “I was grossed out by your staring for a while but it’s growing on me.”

You quickly step down, cheeks and body warming up at being caught, plus his words. You can’t look at him, even through his aviators you can feel his smug stare.

“Do me a favour?” He leaned against the chair, crossing his arms as does, “go get me a bottled water?” His smile is infectious, too.

You nod silently and walk off towards the vending machine, passing the lounging mothers who are bidding for Billy’s attention. You turn to see who he’s picked today, his up in the chair, glasses on his head but he’s watching you like a hawk.

Almost tripping into the building you run to the machine, grabbing the loose change in your trunk pocket and shakily punching the buttons for his water. Why are you acting this way over him? It’s Billy Hargrove. You have no chance. Doesn’t mean you can’t admire and crush on him. **

In the locker rooms, as the other staff leave. You’re left alone with your thoughts. Only half dressed you can’t find it within yourself to actually get up and Leave.

“Byers,” Billy’s unsurprised voice makes you jump, you look up to see Billy in a towel as he walks passed you to his own.

This past week working alongside had been... weird. The comments, the looks, the weird attention he gave you. It was like he was messing with you, only it felt very serious and... flirty.

“I think,” you begin, “I might quit.” You don’t know why you tell him your plan, you look up to gage his reaction. He stops and looks at you.

“Gonna leave me?” Be fakes being wounded by your confession, but eyes give him away, he’s hurt by this news- maybe it’s because you’re actually friends with him. You go to speak but he stops you, “let me guess, to work at Scoops Ahoy?”

Venom laces his words. For the first time, in a long time, this is the Billy everyone knows making an appearance to you. He dislikes people walking out on him, leaving him first. He prefers to be the one to leave, you don’t know why and you’ve come to terms with the fact you’ll never really know him.

“Work alongside Steve Harrington, right?” He steps to you, you stand up and shake your head, “Don’t lie, Y/N, I know you’ve got some fucked up crush on him. I saw how you acted when he came by yesterday,” so he is watching you.

“...I’ll stay,” you mutter, “if you want me to.”

His breathing his rapid. Making his shoulders move up and down with his intakes and exhales, his nostrils flare and he frowns. He looks away, confusion and worry etching on his face... he’s scared.

“It’s okay,” you mumble, “besides... be a fool to give up this job,” he looks at you, “I mean, get paid to see you shirtless. Kinda a win, right?” You nod once, an affirmation of understanding.

You both dress in silence. Not looking at one another due to what just happened, he may have not outright said it but you got it. He doesn’t want you to quit, or leave him, he may not know why... but you do. And you’re not gonna pressure him because it’s Billy, he still likes girls; you’re just some weird exception.

You glance at Billy, who is pulling on his jacket and not looking at you. Clearly having a mental battle of his own, you feel slightly guilty for putting him in there. Turning to the door, you sling your bag over your shoulder and grab the handle.

Then your slammed against it, pulled to face Billy. The air being slammed out of you, you barley have time to comprehend what’s happening before you feel lips on yours. They’re soft but dominant. The kiss radiates a lot of pent up emotions, it’s full of hatred passion, yet it’s nice.

His hands are pulling you to him, gripping the lapels of your jacket, your own are just softly holding his shoulders. He tilts your head up a bit, deepening the kiss and you taste mint- peppermint bubblegum to be exact. ~~

“Boys!?” Your mother calls loudly, shutting the front door. You don’t answer straight away, you will yourself up and towards the kitchen, “Oh, there he is. I haven’t seen you since yesterday morning-“

Her voice becomes faint to you as you stand staring at something on the table. Eyes unable to not look at it, they tear up because you had been searching for it.

“Where did you find that?” You choked out, Joyce looks at you and then to the table.

Motel 6 key lays casually on top. Door number 106, motel a few miles away from Brimbone Steel Warehouse.

“Oh, it was in that tattered up jacket of yours,” she studies you for a moment. You nod, a faint “Oh” leaving you. “...wanna talk about it?” Voice soft.

~~ “Leaving so soon?” You look up, a smile gracing your face as Billy saunters up to you.

You hadn’t talked about the kiss, well, kisses. Heavy make out sessions would be accurate, they’re always late at night. Secluded areas where no one can see you, often a few days between because Billy will kiss you but leave, won’t talk to you for a while- ends up talking to some girl at the pool- but comes back.

“Uh-Gotta pick up Will, take him to the mall,” you make show of grabbing your keys from your pocket. “See you tomorrow?” You step away but Billy grabs your forearm.

He steers you seat from prying eyes to a closet, you chuckle into the darkness about to make some stupid comment but lips are slotted over yours. Shutting you up.

Another set of keys is placed into your other hand, you pull away and look down in confusion before at Billy.

“I’ll see you tonight. Ten o’clock, don’t be late,” he pushes away from you before leaving the closet- not casting a look back. Your heart is beating rapidly cause you know what this means, and you’re nervous but excited. ~~

Your mother holds you as you cry into her shoulder, holding the key in your hand. The last day Billy was... Billy, he hadn’t shown up at the motel 6, you figured he changed his mind. You didn’t blame because, well, you weren’t anything special to him. Some weird game or phase, you didnt really care or minded. You don’t hear the front door open or feel the few stares at you.

“Sometimes... I think he’s still here,” you whisper. “I keep seeing him everywhere I look, I want to forget because I know- I know I didn’t matter to him, but-“ you break off and pull away.

“It’s okay,” you shake your head at her words, “he was your... friend, you’re gonna miss him.”

You sighed, finally seeing Max and Eleven watching you. A faint understanding of who you’re talking about, heck, apparently you were a significant memory in Billy’s life- so El says. You want to believe her, even if you did help Billy in his last moments, but you know, deep down, it was just a summer fling.

“I just want to leave this town,” you mutter.

Eleven watches you slink off to your room. The door closing softly.

~~ “Billy, look at me,” he blinks up from Eleven to you, tears running down his face as he holds Eleven under him.

Half himself, half the Mind Flayer still. His face tells you he wants to break free, his body and hands are still under its spell.

“Remember that day, at the video store?” Mike and Max tilt their head in confusion, “and I helped you pick a movie to bore Tammy into having sex with you? I like to think that was the start of our friendship,” you somehow chuckle despite the situation, Eleven glances from you to Billy, his hands softening enough for her to wiggle free. “Then I spent almost three hours with you, planning a date for Jessica- only she bailed, so we went to the arcade and you stole those kids tickets and I beat the high score on Mind Tricks.”

The noises around you becomes nothing as Billy stands, he’s panting and looking confused, yet terrified. Finally, he looks at you, blinking a few times.

“I bailed on Jessica,” he stutters out and you choke a little, “I bailed on her.” Is all he says before he faces the Mind Flayer. ~~

Your door opens and you see the girls, smiling softly at you. You raise an eyebrow at them, you hadn’t talked about that night with anyone. It was an unspoken request that no one brought up Billy around you, especially Max. You didn’t want them to ask about it because you don’t have answers, you just know that, you and Billy, had this unspoken connection- relationship- friendship- whatever it was.

Sometimes you get the feeling that if you never took that summer job... he’d still be alive.

“Wanna watch Back to The Future?” El asks with a soft smile.

(Check out my Steve Harrington fic HERE, let me know what you think also)

[dreadlock-detective]

All of my 5th ed D&D characters together, by order of appearance: Adi the Paladin (Crimson Crow Campaign), Beatrice the Monk/Cleric, Cirilisa the Wizard, Dindelion the Sorceress, Elenor the Ranger/Wizard, and Adi the Cleric (Curse of Strahd Campaign) (yes that’s A B C D E, and then A again)

My characters tend to have rather large issues that would, if they were left on their own without their respective groups/getting caught up in the campaign, ensure they’d never actually succeed in their goals. As such I’ve really enjoyed distilling each of them down to a single word, an essence of what lays behind their entire psyches. And they’re all bad. Yes, even “Justice”, due to the circumstances~ Ramble about each of them after the cut~

Adi the Paladin (of the Crimson Crows) is a bit of a special case, the only one whose impediment to their success isn’t strictly speaking herself. The child of nobles who collected ancient artifacts, it is said one day they lost themselves to madness. Adi was taken in by her aunt and uncle who raised her the best she could, but as she grew they found she too was prone to bouts of madness and hysteria. One day, when the man they had hired to exercise whatever demons lay upon her mind was found upon the floor, the girl bloodying his face with her fists, she was deemed incurable and quietly shipped away to join a peace-keeping force of ex-criminals and other undesirables known as the Crimson Crows.

She always thought of herself as a hero - a warrior of good and bringer of justice. The problem lays in that she was, originally, a warlock/barbarian of a Great Old One (Nyarlathotep), which warped how she saw the world to fit how she saw herself. For example, if she killed someone, it’s because that person deserved to be killed - if not for the reasons she was attacking them, then for something else. A self proclaimed Hero of the People who’s powers came from something far more likely to destroy the world, manipulating her towards its goals.

She had a rather happy ending, though - some of the other PC’s betrayed her trust and managed to sever her connection to Nyarlathotep, afterward she became a Paladin and through the power of friendship (with a colony of Mind Flayers - its a weird story) she managed to become the hero she always thought she was, ending a war with minimal bloodshed and bringing down an ancient evil.

Beatrice the Monk/Cleric of Death The young Bea, in a desperate attempt to save her clan from a powerful and deceptive mage, ended up selling her soul to a litch, turning her into a pseudo-undead herself. As it turns out, her clan who hunted the undead as abominations and mislead by the mage didn’t take kindly to that story, and she joined the Crimson Crows instead of facing their wrath. Faced with the knowledge that she had become the thing she had sworn to destroy to save those that now cast her out, she lost hope that she could ever reclaim her soul and, even among her new family of misfits, feared they would abandon her as well.

Sadly, she never got an end to her story - she got switched out for Adi when the campaign Adi was originally in was abruptly abandoned. Later on her and her wizard friend (another PC who had left the game) who both were hunting that evil mage found themselves mind-controlled into helping him resurrect an ancient draco-litch. She was saved by Adi & co, but now was worse off than ever, having played a pivotal role in bringing back a terrible undead horror, no matter how unwillingly. If we ever play another campaign in that world, I’d love to give her a proper story.

Cirilisa the Wizard Oh precious Ciri, the littlest Drow~ When a rival house murdered her entire family she became a young murder hobo in the underdark, growing up sickly and frail. Eventually she attempted to get her revenge but only managed to steal and sell some artifact from the family, along with getting a massive scar across her midsection from a blast from the family’s matriarch. Somehow escaping to the surface, her unconscious body was found by scouts of the Crimson Crows, who brought her back to relative health and gave her a new home, where she eventually set herself on becoming a moderately accomplished wizard. Her loss in childhood had deadened her already drow heart, but living among the surface world she saw so many people with so many emotions. She didn’t understand them, but she secretly coveted what they had.

I had planned that she would start to fall in love with the first PC that went out of their way to protect or help her from a serious problem - a plan that was designed to end poorly. The three candidates were a loner dwarf who didn’t want anything to do with anyone else, a were-bear orc who was 100% gay, and a minotaur who was already in a committed relationship. But even though the feelings wouldn’t be returned, she would FEEL things and grow as a character... well...

I didn’t expect that character (the orc) to protect her from drow assassins who nearly managed to kill her... and then THE NEXT NIGHT sacrifice his soul to a revenant of a man he had killed to protect the party. Before Ciri even had a chance to start acknowledging or understanding what she was feeling the object of her affections was dead and buried along the roadside. Instead of love, she grew bitter and angry, desperate to find a way to save the orc’s soul, all without really knowing why. She died before she could - her heart ripped from her chest by a wraith of vampiric spirits in a climatic boss battle. But that group’s leader, a PC vampire named Walter, destroyed the wraith, took it’s title and powers as Blood Lord, and raised her as a vampire. She’s still a ball of piss and vinegar, but she’s in a way found herself in a new family, charging herself with constantly keeping the Blood Lord in check and making sure he never gets too full of himself.

Dindelion the Sorceress If you don’t know about Dindel you haven’t been following me long. A homeless vagabond who hides her natural born ability to heal others for fear it would be exploited, she’s internalized many negative things about herself and rarely trusts herself to make decisions that won’t end in disaster. Add in a mother that disappeared when she was young, a drunkard gambler of a father, and a city decades in decline full of poverty and abuse by those in power and she’s got more than a few trust issues for other folks as well. She also has absolutely no idea how a healthy relationship is supposed to work, and a head full of stories and romance that have absolutely not lined up with her experiences since the campaign started.

Her father, the only constant in her life and the other half of a fairly unhealthy co-dependent relationship, got taken away by essentially the mob for not paying debts and it’s up to her to find some way to pay it off. To her great luck, she ran in to the wandering soldier Vale who, apparently wanting to make up for past sins, agrees to take her along to join a new venture he heard about, leading to the campaign proper. She was actually specifically designed to have too many trust issues to actually get in a relationship with anyone, but between how Vale cares for her and how absolutely shitty she’s found the outside world to be, those issues have actually mutated into something new as their romance has grown. Its... not any healthier a mental state though. I’m excited to see where it goes!

Elenor the Ranger/Wizard Elena was once a promising apprentice wizard, learning the weave with 4 other students. Always feeling a step above the others and not content with how slowly their teacher was progressing them, she devised a plan to work with the others to impress their teacher - to show her they were ready for bigger things. They were going to summon a creature from the planes of hell! Specifically, a Lemure, a relatively harmless blob of a twisted soul. An impressive feat and without much risk from the creature being summoned. Definitely within the capability of someone as great as her.

As sharp chains lashed out from the summoning circle her left arm was torn away. A great beast emerged, tossing her across the room. As she looked up she saw her rival, a young man named Osvaldo, brandishing an axe, standing over her, and looking quite pleased with himself. And the axe came down.

She would come to in a crypt standing near a coffin bearing the family crest of Osvaldo. Her body stiff and her mind cloudy, she slowly realized she had not survived that night at all - she was now a reanimated corpse, but had somehow regained her sense of self. She also found the nearby townspeople did not care enough to distinguish between mindless undead and herself. Eventually she found the place she had once studied - destroyed, some time ago it seems, by that night’s events. Lost and adrift, the life she once knew was over, even her memories were fragmented, but she would forever remember the names of the four who had done this. Osvaldo had convinced them to change the ritual - to summon that creature, and to use it to kill her. She was certain of it. And that hatred kept her going as years of nothingness passed her by. One day she was hired by a tunnel elf, a professed seeker of knowledge, as a guide through the wilderness and though she could not stand him they soon encountered others, mostly strange folk - a tabaxi, a triton, and a snake-like dragonborn in particular - and she stuck around to entertain herself.

Little did she know they were about to be pulled into saving the world from consumption by a forgotten and terrible deity. She thinks their chances aren’t even worth mentioning, but still she cannot allow existence to end before she has wrought what vengeance she can on those that wronged her, and so she will fight with everything she has to keep the world going.

Adi the Cleric of Nyarlathotep As Adi of the Crimson Crows discovered as she worked with the mind flayers, she was not the only Adi. Not even close. Hers was a soul connected to a power outside of time and space and finds itself drawn into worlds over and over, each incarnation as much the same as they are different. Perhaps the Crawling Chaos did not want to repeat what had happened before, maybe it was just twisted curiosity, but this iteration of the girl was born through his direct influence, raised in a town he had visited and driven mad. She was his disciple, and she would spread his teachings across the land.

Through a series of misunderstandings she has found herself in the land of Ravenloft, under the watchful eyes of the vampire Strahd, and in this land she came upon a terrible, bewitched house. A house with paintings of the owners and of a woman bearing a striking resemblance to her. A house where the ghostly children said their littlest sister was named Adi. The child had died in infancy, sacrificed in some dark ritual by its father.

And down in the depths of that place Adi found it was the truth. And there, along the alter, sat a book bound in human skin that called to her. A book of rituals devoted to her god, the Faceless Father. And there, upon the alter, she left the corpse of one of those who had traveled with her, who had brought her there.

She isn’t certain why the Faceless Father has guided her to this land, but she will carry out his will or die trying, though all things considered, perhaps the world would be better off with her in the ground, the cult’s voice silenced

[constantviewings]

Stranger Things 3 - Full Season Review

Stranger Things is an American science fiction horror web television series created, written and directed by the Duffer Brothers and released exclusively on Netflix. The third season, titled Stranger Things 3, premiered on July 4 2019.

Spoiler warning for seasons 1, 2 and 3 of Stranger Things.  Also, this review is extremely long. Don’t say I didn’t warn you...

It’s 1985 in Hawkins, Indiana, and summer’s heating up. School’s out, there’s a brand new mall in town, and the Hawkins crew are on the cusp of adulthood. Romance blossoms and complicates the group’s dynamic, and they’ll have to figure out how to grow up without growing apart. Meanwhile, danger looms. When the town’s threatened by enemies old and new, Eleven and her friends are reminded that evil never ends; it evolves. Now they’ll have to band together to survive, and remember that friendship is always stronger than fear.

What I Did Like:

Production Design The visual aesthetic of this season is unlike either of the previous seasons. The garish colours and abundance of neon lighting firmly cements the shows’ events in retro culture. This season also incorporates one of my favourite film-making tropes, juxtaposing the good and bad with extreme contrast (e.g. playing an upbeat song over harsh imagery).

Character beats are given the appropriate amount of significance What I mean by this is, that at several points throughout Stranger Things 3 expositional beats for several characters aren’t made into bigger events than necessary. Three examples of this include both Will and Robin being ‘revealed’ as gay and Will and Jane (Eleven) professing their love for each other.

Formatting and Storyline Progression This season follows four separate storylines that converge to three midway through the season. All of these storylines are weaved together in a way that you can tell which events are happening simultaneously and which aren’t. Though this format does present a slight issue, as the episodes progressed and more was happening I found it increasingly harder to know how much time had passed between scenes; this was most prevalent with Steve, Robin, Dustin and Erica in the underground bunker.

Dacre Montgomery’s Performance When Billy was introduced in Season 2, he was a mostly two-dimensional character with the slightest backstory with his abusive father and step-sister Max. In Stranger Things 3, Billy is the main protagonist and the primary host of The Mind Flayer and thus is involved in some particularly impressive scenes showing how he became the person he is and his love for Max. Dacre Montgomery did an amazing job this season, but I truly worry that the majority of fans will neglect that to either keep over-praising Millie Bobby Brown or obsessing over minor characters.

Progression of Existing Characters Stranger Things 3 spends a decent amount of the first few episodes further developing characters that otherwise weren’t in previous seasons, notably Max and Lucas. For the most part I appreciate this, but there is a negative aspect to it that I will explain further on.

The Hospital Fight In episode 7, Jonathan, Nancy and all the kids (minus Dustin) go to the hospital to continue investigating. What follows is a pretty good fight scene where the abilities of the ‘flayed’ are displayed and a smaller version of the The Mind Flayer is revealed. Though Stranger Things is no stranger to strobe lighting, the harshness of it in this scene was somewhat bothering.

What I Didn’t Like:

This isn’t the final season The endings of season’s 1 and 2 acted both as solid conclusions, but also left enough open so that they could continue the show and gave the audience a glimpse into the next season. The ending of Stranger Things 3 is simultaneously the best and worst ending of the entire show. It is the best because it perfectly wraps up every characters established storyline and with everyone moving into a new phase of their lives. But, with that being said, the mid-credits stinger that teases the next season left me with an unsettling feeling in my gut that the fourth, and potentially final, season will drag out a story that doesn’t need to continue.

Will’s Character Will Byers was my favourite character from the beginning of season 1 and Noah Schnapps’ performance in season 2 truly lived up to the expectations placed upon him due to his small presence in the first season. So why didn’t they do anything with him in Stranger Things 3? Will spends the first two episodes wanting to play D&D and spends the next six episodes doing nothing but touching the back of his neck and saying “he’s here”. The Duffer Brothers truly did Noah Schnapp, and the audience, dirty by neglecting one of the most talented actors in the cast.

The Overabundant Product Placement If you think the constant appearances of Eggo waffles were annoying in the first two seasons, you will hate the inappropriate amount of product placement in Stranger Things 3. My main issue is that it’s not subtle at all, and I understand that that’s the point, but in the first two seasons all the product placements are seamlessly incorporated so that they’re not as noticeable. The same can’t be said about Stranger Things 3 where they have a minute long debate about New Coke.

Millie Bobby Brown’s Acting Millie Bobby Brown was highly praised for her ‘outstanding’ performances in the first two seasons of Stranger Things. So much so that she received twenty-one nominations and nine awards for Stranger Things alone. This fact doesn’t sound as impressive when you add that all she did in the first two seasons was look like she was concentrating and utters a maximum of five hundred words across both seasons; which is a very small number given most humans say at least seven thousand in a day. Her characters developed speech skills means that in Stranger Things 3 she is given a larger role, the only issue being that her skills as an actress don’t live up to her reputation. I don’t mean to say that she is a bad actress, she just isn’t the ‘young superstar’ that her reputation implies.

General Thoughts:

Jane or Eleven? At the end of Stranger Things 2, Eleven’s name was legally changed to Jane Hopper. So why now, at least six months after the end of season 2, are her friends still calling her Eleven? I am aware this is a minor nit-pick, but why bother showing the audience that her name is now Jane Hopper if the characters aren’t going to use it?

The Flayed I was worried that the Flayed were going to be too similar to zombies, but I am extremely happy that they didn’t go down that path.

It is more censored than any previous season

Never-Ending Story I truly can’t decide whether I love or hate that they take minute out of the seasons climax to sing The Never-Ending Story…

Cary Ewels You can never go wrong with Cary Ewels portraying a corrupt leader.

Will’s Artistic Abilities  I truly appreciate that Joyce’s mention of Will’s drawing talents is something that has been incorporated and featured in every season.

I’ll conclude this review by stating that, while I enjoyed seasons 1 and 2, the two year gap between releases did result in a slight loss of interest in the series on my part. I will also state that Stranger Things 2 is my favourite season out of the three, excluding episode 8, and I am still unsure whether season 3 ranks above or below season 1 in quality; though I do lean towards it ranking higher. With all this being said, Stranger Things 3 is a great season of television that I definately enjoyed watching.