#since that’s what’s implied at the end of s5

[maddy-ferguson]

Ngl, I really think that these bylers that are crying 24/7 about "purity culture" or whatever, are playing dumb when they start with their "but Nancy and Steve were 16 and 17 in that scene of s1!!!1" like... We got introduced to these characters at that age and the people playing them were already adults. So yeah, sorry but I think it's easy to see why most viewers would be uncomfortable with a more sexual scene of Mike and Will and it's not automatically homophobia, I think that would be the case with any of the kids since we got introduced to these characters when they were 12 and the actors were babies as well. We literally saw those kids grow. And I'm not saying byler should only get to peck or hold hands, It'd be cool if they have their epic kiss or whatever, but Will hasn't even had his first kiss yet and some of these people are already talking about sex scenes, like... Be for real 😭

funny you should say that...because i've used the nancy was 15-16 in season one argument (last tag) before while also saying that i understand why people find the sex part of their sexualities uncomfortable to discuss. and i wanna reiterate that, again, i totally understand that people feel like they've seen them grow up etc etc and that they still think of the actors themselves as children even thought they're not anymore.

i don't think it's all homophobia because like you said, people would probably feel the same about lucas and max and discussions of sex (i don't know if anyone is discussing that because there's much less discourse to have there and you can't argue that people are homophobic if they disagree with you) but i don't think it would be justified either. the "but we knew the characters when they were little" argument makes me think me of an ancient disney channel/abc show that old people and girl meets world fans who watched it for the first time in the 2010s will know, boy meets world (1993-2000). classic comic of age show, look at these kids. and eric in the back (he's fifteen).

they're eleven at the start of the show and then, what happens in any coming of age story happens, you guessed it...

they grow up. this is them in the later seasons, when the main characters are still in high school i think. they grow up, they talk about sex and about having sex at prom in season five and then they don't have sex right away because they figure it's not the right time yet or something like that, and then they have sex later and get married, the details don't matter. but my point is, who watches a show for five seasons, over years and years and gets upset at the main characters having sex because "this is crazy they used to be children"? isn't that the point of coming of age stories that cover multiple years or that focus on the latter years of adolescence, that they're not children forever and that at one point the characters "come of age" which usually includes their first sexual experiences?

i don't think the having sex part is particularly important in stranger things but also it doesn't have to be for it to be portrayed (see jonathan and nancy), teenagers have sex, it's just the way the world works. i'm not advocating for sex scenes of any kind especially because stranger things isn't a show that features a lot of sex in general, the only "explicit" sex scene being nancy and steve in season one with cuts to barb dying, but i genuinely don't think the duffers would have any qualms about portraying teenage sexuality in general with the party. if they did, they wouldn't have included erica threatening lucas to tell dustin what she found under his bed (it wasn't the communist manifesto) and they wouldn't have had max looking at a shirtless steve for an amount of time that's supposed to make the audience laugh. it's been 7 years. if they do a time jump, the babies will be about 17, played by actors who will all be around 20, the age natalia was when filming season one. the characters are teenagers, babies grow up. it happens to the best of us. i get why people would find it uncomfortable and maybe i would find it uncomfortable too but i wouldn't be scandalized. the duffers had no problem having a child actor portray everything will goes through in seasons one and especially two, i really feel like sex is fine and...not traumatizing or hard to watch compared to every single thing will's gone through lol. and again, i'm not even expecting them to have sex lmao, but i wouldn't cry myself to sleep if they revealed that everyone in the party actually knows what sex is.

last question: do we have any indication that jonathan had talked to more than one other girl (the girl at the halloween party being the one girl i'm counting for him) before he got together with nancy. i'm just asking because of your last sentence, because if we don't he should have slowed down also😭

[fuckmeupjackson]

The echoing effect of misunderstandings in Byler's relationship s4 is cool, also could it be a romeo juliet parallel??

Anyone else feel like the romeo and juliet metaphor could kind of a little. bit actually apply to byler s4? I mean I don't fully remember the book at all but... ( skip to the paragraph directly after the numbered list if it's too much to read or if you want to get to the point faster)......

1. At the start of s4, Will doesn't completely know whether or not Mike is still interested in talking to him, given that they didn't fully resolve their s3 conflict and he might still feel betrayed by Mike, so he waits for Mike to make the first move by calling him first when he moves to Lenora. Will doesn't get the calls, which he doesn't know is actually because of Joyce's telemarketing job, so he mistakenly thinks Mike's uninterested. So Will continues not to call him still.

2. Mike doesn't get called by Will despite all of his unseen attempts. Next thing Mike knows he's getting a letter from El suggesting Will might be interested in a GIRL! What a betrayal after all this time of no communication from Will, all the desperate attempts with no success! Mike is so hurt and probably a little confused about his feelings and where he stands with Will.

3. Mike doesn't want to get more hurt. So when he goes to visit him in California he acts like he couldn't possibly give a fuck about anything he does (or paints). He acts like he doesn't see him lingering behind him and El meanwhile he's the only one he's got his eye on all that ttime.

4. Will is clearly offended by Mike's (faked) aloofness and carelessness, but tries to play it off so he doesn't make a fool of himself and make the pain of rejection even worse. So he stays silent and yet again, doesn't talk to Mike thinking Mike doesn't want to talk to him. He's still confused, and has pent up anger+ frustration. Mike is also confused still. And has pent up hurt.

-----------

I have no idea if this is gonna make any sense, but it's kind of like the romeo and juliet "i thought you died so i killed myself, then you woke up and killed yourself seeing that I was dead" except it's "i thought you didn't want anything to do with me so I didn't talk to you, then you genuinely became offended and didn't want to talk to me either" and Will and Mike both do this to each other repeatedly, actually they do it like double the amount of times R & J do it.

Also the reason Juliet pretended to be dead was so that Romeo could come visit her and she didn't have to marry that other guy. You could say that Will doesn't call Mike thinking Mike will call him, but Mike just ends up getting hurt by it, kind of like how Romeo (Mike) doesn't get his happy ending with Juliet (Will) because he takes her fake death (silence) too seriously (not knowing what her plan was? or maybe he did idk) and kills himself too (feels extremely hurt+ ignores Will at the airport/is silent too). Does that check out? I have no idea xddd.

thanks for reading <3 back to homework I go ahhh

*****OH WAIT AND IT HAPPENS AGAIN WITH THE LOVE CONFESSIONS

Mike is the one leading on the idea that he doesn't love Will (like juliet pretending she isn't alive) so that he doesn't have to confess, but Will takes it as a sign to push El and Mike together (a version of his own death) but then it's echoed even further by Mike confessing his love for El (which is also a form of his own death bc it's him lying to preserve his relationship with El, like Juliet pretending to be dead... actually idk where I'm going with this but whatever i detail it below if you want to keep reading it)

Van SCene:

Will thinks Mike loves El even though all Mike does is vent about how dysfunctional their relationship is. But being the poor selfless boy he is, Will does it... he tells Mike that El will ALWAYS love him and Mike and El DESERVE to be together forever, they belong together! At least that's what he implies. But Will decides to communicate this through his OWN veiled love confession, ouch.... pouring his deepest love into a river that's rapidly flowing in the worst direction, and he'll never see it again.... this hurts so bad, it feels like he's killing himself, poisoning his heart. He looks to the window for an escape. But here's Mike being, per Finn's words, "CLUELESS," and taking this as a sign that Will genuinely thinks he should be with El, that Mike telling her he loves her is the RIGHT thing to do.. and also, why would Will tell him these things if Will was in love with him? Couldn't be possible... (the parallel being romeo thinking juliet is dead /// mike thinking will's love for him isn't real. But actually it goes even further than that for byler bc will only said all of this because he thought mike didn't love him first and it's like an infinite story/parallel when you trace it back of misunderstandings and false assumptions like when you hold up a mirror to another mirror and wow it's confusing sorryy).

They go to save her...

Pizza Shop:

El is struggling in Vecna's mind, and Will commits his second metaphorical suicide (or a continuation of the first one) thinking it will save her, he grabs his friend's shoulder and says "you're the heart, mike!" as he gives his own heart away to Mike and his relationship with El. Mike honestlyy looked genuinely confused as hell at this part which kinda cracked me up, but he turns and... he gives his heart to El... he says "I love you, El!" Will's pained face is seen (El's is too but that's for another time). But we can only imagine... Mike feels like he's dying inside. This is Mike's metaphorical suicide? Maybe? He thought Will didn't love him so he goes and tries to give his love to someone else, even though it's probably Will that he truly loves. But here he goes suppressing it just as always. He must be feeling crazy honestly because he's lying for El to survive thinking it's what she wants to hear, he's lying to appease Will, he's lying to uphold what he thinks society/everyone else expects of him... i feel like at some point he can't help but wonder if there's any reason why he should tell the truth, if there's anyone to reveal his true feelings to that wants to hear them... anyways....

They crossed out their hearts for each other because they couldn't see the reality of their love. Mike couldn't see that Will's heart was still alive and beating for him, and only for him, and Will couldn't see how alive Mike's heart was when he was with him, they couldn't SEE that their hearts only beat for each other! They're emotionally killing themselves, and EL, by not being truthfullllll with each otherrrrrr

Either way though the writers were supperrr smart to have this sort of echo or domino effect where one lies or hides from another, or at the very least there is a misconception about each other and it keeps going back and forth where they assume things about each other, and then they react in a way that causes them to hurt one another even more until they're both fully convinced that they couldn't possibly be in love with each other.

It's cool.

ok idk im done being delusional and rambling, analyzing potential parallels that don't really help me predict anything for season 5 goodbye and thanks heehee

anyone has any thoughts confusions or disagreements feel free to tell me!!!

[anthroposeen]

tmagp 11 relisten notes!

celia:

- fell asleep in a random place/teleported to a random place while sleeping! (potentially related to how she universe hopped? or correlation to how sje used to see a fire ghost?)

- mentions a guy named jack who shes meeting! this could be a new character OR we're tying in tmagp universe jack barnabas, since lynne hammond (celia in tma universe pre-s5) saw what is thought to be agnes' ghost.

alice:

- sense of being followed and watched in london -> dont think this is related to mr bonzo, i think its directly caused from visiting the ruins either as psychological hallucinations or the unknown entity is actually following her

- dreamt about the ruins

- got celia a mocha but intentionally did not get gwen anything.

sam:

- doesnt mention the same symptoms as alice, i wonder if hes too used to the feeling or if his previous time in the institute changed his reaction to it

- still wants further insight into connecting incidents, rip ceaseless watcher you wouldve loved this special little boy

- knows the mocha isnt for gwen but still gives it to her, interesting especially knowing he likes celia

gwen:

- wants celia to excuse her absence, calls them subordinates

- implies she can keep them from leaving if the work load isnt complete (100% confident she cant do that)

- seems to be overcompensating for her lack of real control in this position by exercising authority over her coworkers (oh s1 jon, how i didn't miss you)

lena:

- unfazed by gwen or mr bonzo

- "did you scream? you should... and they usually like it" implying this universe does somewhat operate under the basis of the fears, similar to needles need for fear validation

- says gwen has the ability/context to work out who the hit was on, and to refer to the incidents to confirm the hit went right.

- "why comes later. process the what"

glitches/lies:

- "ill have the cinnamon swirl" sam

- "its nothing" alice

- "what have i told you about thinking?"/ "dont?" [glitch after 'dont'] sam

- "there was an emergency at home" celia

- "my radiator sprung a leak and flooded the lounge" celia

incident:

- gordon "gordy" -> gordon "gordy" goodman appears in mag84, different to "gordon j" in this incident. i dont think its another universe hop/duplicate

- excavation of cemetery and graves, ordered by the uk government

- old fears/elements involved: the end, the buried, the vast

- potential alchemy connections: salt, sea, death, tattoo symbolizing water/ship/being followed

- ink5oul is back! we've established they have a connection to salt through alchemy symbols in their online presence, may tie into the sea and preservation of dead bodies.

- david, the man working on the body, died. definitely not a coincidence

tattoo description:

- ship, sailing across open sea to the horizon. the sun is low, a shape in the water behind the ship chasing them

new names, mentioned by ink5oul:

- tattoo is by an artist named oscar jared

- sutherland mcdonald

[chirpsythismorning]

The Vanishing of BLANK Wheeler

I wanted to make a list, from least likely to most likely, for which Wheeler I think is going to go missing.

But I also wanted to give a little disclaimer first, that even if these titles are real, they could still be fake, or could even possibly change given how much time we still have until s5 actually premieres.

For s2-3, the Duffers literally released official promo videos announcing episode titles for their upcoming season, with some of them changing when the season finally premiered.

Like in the case of s3 for example, they dropped a s3 episode promo video only a day after they completed filming. Meaning them titling 3x06 The Birthday, made absolutely no sense. They knew they didn't film anything birthday related for that episode. So they intentionally gave that one a fake name.

In the case of s4, that was the first time they promoted an upcoming season without giving fake titles, with the s4 promo announcing them following through with what we ended up with when s4 finally dropped.

I guess I sort of assumed s5 would follow in s4's footsteps, but from a leak standpoint, it might be smart to remember that fake titles are still a possiblity regardless. Especially in this case, where it's getting to the point in production where leaks are unavoidable. And so that might even explain why they play with this idea of fake episodes, which is because they can rest easy knowing leaks will mostly consist of half fake titles they planted there.

But for the sake of this post, lets humor the title for episode 2.

For starters, it's worth noting that the person who shared this leak originally said 'BLANK wheeler'. So as far as I know, they did not give any number of letters via underscores (_) to hint at who this Wheeler could possibly be. It's when ST news accounts caught wind of the leak and started rolling out posts, replacing BLANK with 5 underscores, that led a lot of fans to assume that the Wheeler had to have 5 letters in their name, which would have obviously ruled out Ted and Mike. But since all the Wheeler's are still on the table based on the original leak, they will all be included in this list.

5. Ted Wheeler

Believe it or not, there is something that I think actually warrants considering Ted as a possiblity.

There were some posts @stranger-chichka made a while back, comparing visual parallels between Stranger Things and Chernobyl, which could be hinting at this concept of Ted being in danger.

TBH though I think Ted being in danger or ending up dead is a possiblity regardless of him actually being the missing Wheeler.

Technically speaking, quite literally no one on the show is ruled out from being in danger at this point, so that's not saying much.

And considering the show is going to need to kill off some people next season and they are insistent on not killing any of their leads, supporting characters amongst the ranks have a high risk at being taken out. The emotional connection for Ted from the audience isn't as strong as other characters, but at least him being in close relation to a few main characters is something? I mean, he's funny I guess?

Quite frankly I don't think it's likely nor do I think it would actually make sense narratively for Ted to be the one to go missing out of all of them. I think it's a lot more likely they'd just kill him off, hence the Chernobyl parallels which imply he's gonna die. And so wasting time by having him go missing, only to kill him, just doesn't track. I think they'd just get that over with without dragging it out for very long, if anything.

Can you just imagine someone on the show shouting emotionally, It's Dad (Ted). He's gone.' Like, okay... And? I have a hard time imagining the characters being in serious turmoil over this, at least not enough for it to warrant like final season stakes amongst a bunch of other crazy shit happening. At best, the characters would be indifferently guilty for getting him roped into all this.

So yeah, I really don't see it happening.

4. Nancy Wheeler

I honestly feel like Nancy is even less likely to go missing than Ted, but the un-seriousness of an episode titled The Vanishing of Ted Wheeler is so astronomical, that I really had no choice but to put him last.

The reason I think Nancy is just very unlikely to go missing is because they technically already had her go missing as a cliffhanger between Vol 1 and 2 last season. It would just fall flat if they repeated something along those lines, with that same character, 3 episodes later. Vecna could have killed her and yet he didn't. His point was to send her a message, which was why he did what he did and then released her. The choice to target Nancy and taunt her about her family's safety in the first place, felt like their attempt at foreshadowing the danger that is to come for all of them, but one specifically. One of them that is not her. Which will make this moment back in s4 feel a lot more impactful upon rewatches.

So yeah, not feeling like Nancy is very likely.

3. Karen Wheeler

Karen is sort of a hard nut to crack all around. In the case that she is somehow connected to the Creels (Alice), anything is possible in terms of not only her being targeted, but again the entire family being at risk in some capacity. Without much to go off of outside of the obvious very haphazard timeline confusion, I feel like putting her somewhere in the middle. She was given a poster for s4. If she is Alice, then yeah it would make sense to target her. The stakes are also a lot stronger in comparison to Ted, because she was the parent in the family that actually came to Mike or Nancy and told them verbally that she wanted them to open up to her and is actually shown trying on several occasions. Whereas Ted is sort of just there when he's on screen. So the characters' distress would be a lot more dire and interesting to see unfold amongst everyone.

I also remember there being a leak in relation to Karen, Holly, Mike and Nancy all being at the hospital filming. And this was also like a day or so after ST dropped a video of Cara saying she was filming that day to hype up fans. So that leak did check out on the Karen front at least. Which puts her at the hospital at some point, potentially along with the rest of the Wheelers. Now that I'm thinking about it though, this could all fit with a Ted Wheeler death...

At this point, I'm sort of like indifferent to the possiblity, but it's still more likely than Ted and Nancy to me.

2. Holly Wheeler

It all goes back to s1, when Karen was visiting the Byers to console Joyce after Will went missing, when Holly sort of ventures off to Will's room, being guided by the lights, and sees the demogorgan in the wall.

I feel like people overlook this moment too, because it's kind of crazy that Holly has seen UD shit for herself. She was young enough that she could rule it out as just imagining things. And that could be partly the case even if she is skeptical.

There is something about Holly that makes her curious and sort of open to this world that most around her have no idea exists. And yet simultaneously some of the people closest to her do know about it and could easily clue her in when the time comes to do so, and because of that, I think she would probably be able to believe it all a lot faster than others.

Maybe this is a story where things need to happen and it just always ends up this way, but she has this tendency to be included in things that feel very important. Like in s4 with her playing with the lite-brite, and how that ended up being used to communicate with the others in the UD. There's this almost clairvoyance vibe about her. Her feeling the need to follow the Christmas lights to Will's room and her noticing and then fixating on the trees in s3.

Like I said, I don't know if it's something deeper, but it very well could be in the case she is connected to the Creels.

And while that is all somewhat compelling, at the same time it also feels very convoluted. Even if the Wheelers are Creels, I don't think that means the Wheelers would have powers, given that Henry got them when he was a child, meaning none of his family could have gotten them unless they too were taken in by the lab at some point, or were born with it.

Though I'm being full serious when I say the theories about Mike having time powers or maybe just manifestations from his emotions connected to the powers of others around him is one of my favorite theories of all time. I want it to happen. It would be cool. But that just opens the door to all of the Wheelers in my opinion, assuming his time powers came from being related to Henry. And if it was done that way, I feel like it would add way too much confusion to the story, where now all the Wheelers are gonna need to have powers, and then as a result would just takes away from the uniqueness that is already associated with Henry, El and potentially Will. One person potentially having powers without us knowing until the end aka Will, is enough honestly. Adding the Wheelers to the mix might be a bit much.

I'm also not totally convinced of the Wheeler's being Creels, and yet I also can't seem to want to rule it out entirely. But the prospects of Holly having powers or some sort of ability and just going through the same thing as Will when he was young and unaware of his powers, who is just now finding out the truth about his experiences... It just feels like serious whiplash honestly, when they haven't spent much of any time on Holly up to this point.

Like what are the stakes here exactly? What makes her disappearance and what that would look like compelling, on her front specifically? Because sure, I can see it being compelling watching the perspective of those around her reacting to this, what they would do to try to save her and all that, but what does that mean for her exactly? Are we going to see what she's doing? Are they going to hide it from us like they did with Will and then have to spend even more time uncovering it later on. And what does she even gain from being alone and taunted by Vecna presumably? What does the audience gain from witnessing that sort of event? There isn't a lot of story to explore there, outside of maybe making direct parallels to Will in s1? And then wouldn't that sort of take away from the importance of Will's role in it all just now being uncovered, if it all just repeats for Holly?

Which brings me to something that I see a lot of people using as strong evidence for why it has to be Holly, which is the fact that they recast her character.

What I think people are failing to consider is the fact that the twins who were cast to play Holly originally, were like 3-4 years old while filming s1. They weren't just kid actors, they were damn near baby actors. And while I know a big part of the reason why they gave Holly such few lines over the years was because the actors were aging way faster than the character they played, I think another factor could have been the fact that their acting experience is near nothing outside of Stranger Things, which is also pretty little on its own as well given that they have very few lines on the show.

It's not at all uncommon for child actors, let alone toddler actors to leave the industry once they start getting older. It could be for personal reasons, like wanting to explore other ventures, or it could be that they just don't perform as well with all the added expectations that come with acting as a character who is a kid with a lot of lines vs. a baby with 2 lines.

The girls got cast because at the time, they were able to perform as well as a 3 year old possibly could and would be expected to be in that role. But does that skill carry forth as they grew older? When now they have to deliver full sentences and carry conversations for scenes that are longer than 5 minutes? They've never really had to do that up to this point. Is it something that they feel comfortable with doing? Is their performance believable and is it something the writers feel confident about?

Honestly, I think they might have recast Holly, not because I think she is going to be targeted and focused on as this missing person they have to find, going through a near identical situation to 11 year old Will, but because they simply want her to be more apart of the story in general. And maybe because either the twins and/or the production didn't feel that they would be able to perform it in the way that they wanted it to be done.

And I mean, even if Holly isn't the one to go missing, one of the Wheelers is going to go missing based on this leak. If it was one of her parents, she would get a lot more scenes than she has in the past. If it was one of her siblings, again it would make sense for her to be more involved with the story. No matter what she is going to have a bigger role.

So no I don't think her being recast is as strong enough of proof as some might believe. If anything I think there is much stronger evidence that, like Karen, if they are related to the Creels, Holly is as fair game as any of them. The stakes could be high because she i such s a child. And her parents and Nancy and Mike worrying about her seems like something they would obviously do because she is so innocent and completely ill-equipped to endure something like that. But like I said, I just can't picture an focus like that on her, for her character, being very compelling given that Holly isn't really someone that needs like alone time with us witnessing it...

But there is one Wheeler left, and boy oh boy would he benefit from being alone.

1. Mike Wheeler

The most simple explanation for why it makes sense for it to be Mike, is that he genuinely benefits more than anyone when it comes to being alone with his thoughts, and with the audience watching. There's a lot of stuff dude has to work through in his own head, and since they haven't really let us have a moment alone with him that isn't under ten seconds since s3, an episode or two dedicated to making that a priority would make him coming back and things building up to the end, feel a lot more earned.

The audience needs to feel confident about how Mike feels about things. It can't be a guessing game for much longer when so many different factors are involved.

And while I think Mike may be the strongest possiblity in terms of the value it would add to the overall story is compelling enough to put him at number 1, the evidence supporting it happening is even stronger.

If we want to be crazy we can go back to the beginning. Plenty of fans have already speculated about how Mike is always late at the start of every season and how that might play into the beginning of season 5 again. I made a post about this recently and speculated it would happen one last time around the 15 minute mark. And maybe I was wrong... but maybe I was also right? Because if the second episode is called The Vanishing of Mike Wheeler, it's likely Mike's fate wouldn't be confirmed by the opening of 5x01, but in fact the closing scene of 5x01.

Throughout the show Mike plays a key role in leading the others, he's even referred to as 'the key' in s3 by Hopper. You know this show and their keys, they don't joke about that sort of thing. It's likely that Mike's story and what it is leading to is going to be central to how all of this ends.

Also in s3, there is one scene in particular that I think could be hinting at Mike being targeted, along with the s4 main poster with all of the characters. In the poster, we see El at the top, with Max and Mike as near equals on each side of her. Of course their roles are central and that's a fair layout on it's own arguably, but the equal-ness provided to Mike and Max feels very intentional. While she is slightly bigger than Mike in the frame, that could be a hint in regards to her being central now in s4, with Mike joining the mix alongside her in s5. Honestly, they could have made it so these two were beside other characters that also played a huge role in s4, and yet they chose those two to give a specific focus to. I think that is interesting (and probably intentional).

But if I'm being honest, there are so many moments in s4 specifically that hint at Mike being in danger, that I will not be able to include it all in detail in this post. So I'm going to link those below and then build off of some of it with some new details I've recovered that are worth re-contextualizing again with all of this in mind.

Hints regarding Mike and Will being targets of the town, but Mike specifically being focused on after the word 'missing' is said...

I'm gonna expand on this one because I think it's important to recognize the massive curtain in the background as this is all happening. And I vaguely reference this concept here as well which is worth checking out. But not is this whole concept of the curtain pretty blatant in this episode, this scene of the town all fleeing to hunt down hellfire club, is followed directly after, by this:

Notice how Mike is nearly always central in these moments? And how what follows feels eerily similar to what is about to go down at the end of s4 aka Suzie = Mike.

Now, this has already been talked about plenty so I won't go into detail, but... based on everything else happening surrounding this, this would apply to Mike in the sense that not only is he not in love with El, he's gay and in love with Will aka a boy. A BOY!

And then this mention of 'the terrible truth'. This word has been used like 3 times in the last few minutes. First intensely during Jason's speech about a terrible truth, with Ted and Karen being focused on with the Mike and Will extra in the background.

But what is even more crazy is that what follows sort of seals the deal for me that, this IS about Mike and it's foreshadowing what is about to come in s5.

5:02... 5x02!!!!

Also peep the watch and the letter from Dustin under it... I don't want to speculate but lettergate is looking extra relevant within all of this as well...

And to close off this point, lets show the shot that follows directly after this one.

Then later in the season, after Nancy is back from being taken by Vecna, here we have this long and emotional pause before she says Mike's name, last after her mom and Holly.

If they wrote and filmed this scene, knowing Mike would be the Wheeler missing early s5, it would make sense for them to list off the characters like this.

Mike peeking in the frame at this moment is not suspicious at all...

If it wasn't enough that Jason hyped up the whole town to see the Hellfire club as their enemy responsible for all of this, here we have a focus on Mike specifically being targeted by Jason.

The Duffer's statement about the show overall in the Piggyback script, and I gotta say it fits Mike a lot more than any of the other Wheelers.

Mike is a Paladin. And when they break an oath, they might spend an all-night vigil as a sign of penitence... aka everything is going to come to a head and Mike is going to be alone dealing with this shit for a bit, until he can come back ready to face it.

And I know it's controversial, but this post explains perfectly why Mike being central to this would make the show go full circle in a really compelling way.

Mike hasn't really unpacked...

Karen lookalike standing in front of the missing persons board. Could be any one of them but still, considering the costume of this extra looks closer to what Karen was wearing when she reunited and hugged Mike... I'm gonna put it more so with him.

Mike's guilt and shame regarding the past and what it has led them to could also play a big role and why him going missing would be worthwhile to explore. Part 1 / Part 2

Mike paralleling Yuri, who eventually reveals the truth (in his pocket) after stalling. If Mike parallels him all throughout the start of that moment, what does that mean for how it ends for Mike?

An antique funeral home fan behind Mike in the s4 character promo photos in the Creel attic, how Mike is seen sitting before Will sits beside him shortly after and it involving upside down imagery, Mike's first line in the show being used to later foreshadow his fate in early s5, and also bringing it back to Suzie's house which I already went into but it might be helpful to look at it again from this lens.

The Duffers would not pass up on the opportunity to parallel Mike with Finn's other character Richie in IT, which is literally based on a book that heavily inspired ST in the first place. And how all of that plays into the queer-coding for Mike going all the way back to s1.

The Duffers revealed after posting the funko-pop shotplanning pictures (2) that they were finished with planning for 5x01-5x02.... meaning this shot of Mike all by himself, is going to occur in one of those episodes...

We could still hypothesize Holly is the one to be taken, given that she doesn't have a funko and so they couldn't include her here regardless. But the fact that Nancy is with the other seems to imply to me that they are all likely working together to get Mike back, who is alone.

This one is a little more hard to pinpoint for sure, but it comes from a BTS Ross posted recently.

We are clearly in the Wheeler's house here. And if you zoom in, it looks like someone is standing (hiding?) behind a doorway/curtain. And the only person that seems to fit it imo is Mike... But why would he be hiding in his own house...?

It just makes me think about what is going on with Mike in early s5. What would be occurring that has him in this sort of situation? And it makes me wonder if him going missing has solely to do with him being taken and gone in one single moment, or if it could involve him avoiding his family and others potentially, with him being taken after that.

Lastly, I'm going to go into more choppy territory, stuff I know only a couple of people will actually consider. But it is pretty fucking fitting of what is about to go down so I can't not mention it.

In the Puzzle Tales' most recent Hellfire Campaign, this is the title...

Like the whole chapter is just a big joke on Mike about him being scared to be alone, which is painfully ironic if this is the direction the show is about to go for the next 2 upcoming episodes.

And then we have a song WSQK posted on Twitter back in January. I know people don't believe that this account is connected with anyone in the production, which is fair because I myself rarely believe leaks from anonymous accounts as it is. But I've been keeping up with it and it genuinely doesn't seem like a fan could come up with these songs.

The song I'm about to mention is the 7th song they posted, called Army Dreamers by Kate Bush. And you might fight it sounds a lot like the situation Mike might find himself in in early s5.

And though I'm sure I didn't cover everything, I feel like all the things I've mentioned and referenced from other posts are plenty to at least consider this as opposed to rejecting it all together.

At the end of the day I think there are some valid arguments for all of them to some extent. And quite frankly all of the Wheelers and most of the characters in the show will find themselves in danger in a way that is going to probably last longer than just one single moment the entire season. So even if it's just one of them, I don't think that rules out the others playing a bigger role in what is going down.

I just think narratively, there is one person that benefits from being on-screen and alone with their thoughts. And the other 4 being confronted with what that person discovers eventually will also make all of this a lot more worthwhile than any of the other options in my opinion.

[carigm]

THE NEW ST VR GAME IS BYLER AND WILL BYERS GOLD!!!

Okay, so if any of you are on Twitter you might have seen mlvns throwing a tantrum over a clip from a new ST VR game. Here’s the clip:

https://x.com/1987byler/status/1761026225823449094?s=46

If anyone doesn’t want to watch it, I’ll describe it here. It’s a hypothetical of Will having a Vecna vision/or hearing Vecna talk to him set during pre S2 time. He’s listening to Mike talk about how different and amazing El was and he starts to hear Vecna’s voice telling him to “tell Mike how you feel” “your stomach is all in knots” “you don’t want her to come back”. Basically Vecna going “I know what you are” lol

Mlvns are grasping at straws and saying Will hates El because of something Vecna said to make him insecure, because that’s how Vecna operates. He puts negative thoughts in his victim’s heads and uses their biggest insecurities against them. I guess mlvns weren’t watching the Vecna parts of the show if they don’t get this. Never mind that this was also before Will ever met El, and well, it’s also not canon because it’s not in the show so…

Regardless of this game not being canon or fully canon, like I said, there’s a lot of emphasis on Will’s feelings for Mike. Like the game makers literally implying Will has been in love with Mike since S1…

As Vecna taunts Will, Will ends up hiding inside a memory of him and Mike at Castle Byers. His happy memory. It’s not like this show hasn’t made a big deal of characters having to use happy memories to find strength, it’s not like they haven’t been doing this since S2.

In another scene, Vecna finds Will in the UD and remarks how he is “the key to everything” you don’t say 💀

As for mlvn, well they’re as unimportant as always. There’s a moment where Mike mentions he hopes El comes back to play a game with them (remember the game is set pre S2) and the moment he talks about how cool El is, in which the literal focus is Vecna taunting Will.

Again, I can see why mlvns are so pressed and clinging to that line said by Vecna (which they think makes Will look bad) in order to avoid looking at the bigger picture.

Because even though this game isn’t fully canon, it’s pretty damn clear that Will having Vecna visions in S5 is a given. He will be taunted for his sexuality, his love for Mike, what happened with his dad. I wouldn’t even be surprised if there’s a vision of Mike rejecting him/choosing El over him. However, here’s what mlvns are afraid of:

Vecna is a liar, and they as much as us, know that if such a vision happens in the show Byler will be endgame.

Reality will be the opposite of Vecna’s visions, and that’s what they’re setting up. Will thinks he’s unloved, Vecna will use that to his advantage, Vecna will be wrong. It’s a simple set up really 🤷‍♀️

[therainscene]

It’s funny that Bylers are so often accused of being delusional, because I was at my most delusional when I was anti-Byler.

I spent most of S4 refusing to acknowledge that Will had romantic feelings for Mike, despite knowing damn well what all that love triangle imagery and sad gay pining was implying. I convinced myself it was just bros before hoes drama; that perhaps Will wanted to come out to his best friend but felt nervous after six months of radio silence following “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls!”

The van scene forced me to accept that he really was in love, and it pissed me off because what was even the point of making him fall for a straight boy?

Mike’s bizarre “no homo” behaviour was clearly a symptom of growing up in a conservative 80s household, and witnessing Will’s sacrificial act of love in the van was the shitty lesson he needed to get over his homophobia.

I saw a typical straight male protagonist in an 80s coming-of-age film getting to coast his way to self-actualization on the back of queer suffering; a cruel and homophobic trope I thought we’d moved past by the year 2022.

But then the NINA reunion scene rolled around--

--and I immediately picked up on the heavy parallels between Mike and Will in how they greeted El. The realization hit me like a tonne of bricks: Mike feels the same way about her as Will does.

I thought, “wait, does this mean I was wrong about...? Oh my god. No way.

No fucking way.

Will was in love with El this whole time?? What the fuck, he’s been gay since S1 and she’s his sister this is BULLSHIT I will personally strangle the Duffers--”

Heteronormativity is a hell of a drug, kids.

Let this be a lesson to those of you who think media illiteracy is to blame for Byler denial -- how well someone understands the mechanics of storytelling is irrelevant if they insist on treating Mike’s supposed heterosexuality as an axiom instead of an evidence-based conclusion. The issue lies with bias, not literacy.

I was stubbornly anti-Byler because I knew I’d immediately fall in love with this ship if I allowed myself to have hope it could be canon, and the general state of queer rep in mainstream media meant I was all but guaranteed to get hurt if I was so stupid as to have hope. But in my desperation to cling to the “safe” heteronormative outcome, I only ended up hurting myself with my own silly assumptions.

We’ve seen both canonically gay characters in the show make exactly this mistake, needlessly hurting themselves with their silly but self-defensive assumptions about their love interests.

Stranger Things absolutely nails its depiction of the subtler ways internalized homophobia can manifest -- Will may feel like a mistake and be prone to beating himself up, but he isn’t some pitiful self-loathing queer who wishes he was straight, either. He’s just so crushed by heteronormativity that he accepts it as an inescapable fact of life and lets it guide his beliefs and actions.

Don’t get me wrong: Will, like Robin, is very sensible for being cautious in such a horrifically bigoted environment -- trying to openly defy that level of homophobia by yourself, especially when you’re young, is a bad idea.

But unlike Robin, he clearly struggles to accept that he has the right to chase his same-sex love interest. He's no longer simply exercising caution, but conforming to homophobic standards -- much in the same way I thought I was sensibly refusing to be queerbaited, when really I was just agreeing with the heteronormative status quo.

I realize now that this is the real reason Will was written into a homophobic 80s trope: not to teach Mike an outdated lesson in acceptance, but to maneuver Will into position for the lesson he’s going to learn in S5 about resisting conformity.

Will needs to learn that castrating himself to make straight people comfortable is a bad idea too. Not only is that a miserable way to live his life, but what sort of world is he leaving for the next generation of queer kids if he never questions these homophobic standards?

It’s just the cycle of abuse scaled up to the societal level.

This is what gives me confidence in Byler endgame. Queerness isn’t just an incidental element of Will’s personal arc, but suffuses the show to its very core -- it’s in its themes, its allegory, its characters.

So Will getting the boy isn’t just nice fan-service for Byler shippers, but a necessary ending if the show’s most important lesson is to land:

That it’s rewarding to make the difficult choice of standing up to bigotry in the face of forced conformity. Of choosing love.

Could it be the case that I was right the first time, and Stranger Things is going to turn out to be yet another heteronormative mainstream show that doesn’t commit to its own themes? Sure, maybe. But that wouldn’t invalidate the valuable lessons this show has already -- and apparently accidentally lol -- taught me.

Anyone who calls us deluded for hoping a mainstream show is going to have a gay pairing as its main couple just doesn’t realize -- or doesn’t care -- that they’re contributing to the very problem they’re describing.

[marimbles]

ok since i’ve really only whined but not actually explained my reasoning lol, here is my take on the s5 finale. (this is long, sorry)

I think we’re all on the same page about the idea that gabriel being seen as a hero, by all of paris but especially adrien, is icky. and on top of that it does not feel good that marinette is supporting that lie, even if it’s out of love for adrien. most people are assuming this issue will be resolved somehow in 6, probably by lila exposing the truth. cool. that’s my hope as well. but even if that’s the case, i still dislike the framing of his wish and what the surrounding context seems to imply about it.

it is not my assumption that gabriel’s wish included green initiatives and a reformation of the parisian school system lol. I assume that his wish was to exchange his own life for nathalie’s. but as we know, wishes literally rewrite reality. the fact is that paris improved after his wish, so it is still related. he remade the world, and the new world ended up better. It all supports the idea that his wish was a good thing—a noble sacrifice that redeemed him in some sense. my impression is that even if (hopefully) he is exposed as hawkmoth, the actual wish he made will still be framed as admirable. obviously marinette found it noble enough to agree to lie to everyone about gabriel’s identity as hawkmoth.

which brings me to another pain point: the fact that gabriel essentially won the long battle against ladybug and chat noir. i’ve heard arguments that he didn’t win because he died and how is that winning? he got what he deserved in the end. but imo, he just put himself out of his own misery, because he was on the brink of death anyway because of his cataclysm wound, and he basically escaped having to face any emotional consequences from his literal terrorism and child abuse. and even if you don’t consider that a win, you also can’t consider marinette’s end of the deal a win either. her goal was to prevent hawkmoth from unifying the miraculous and making a reality-altering wish. which is exactly what happened. so she failed her mission. ladybug lost. and to me it’s sort of bizarre that the narrative seems to be framing that as a good thing? ladybug lost, but the new reality that resulted from it is so much better than the old one, and she is actively choosing to lie in order to protect the seeming goodness of that reality.

marinette is lying, of course, to protect adrien, which does not feel out of character. we’ve seen her do this before. but it is frustrating to me for precisely that reason. the final battle was meant to highlight how much marinette has grown over the past five seasons, but her choice here highlights the ways she has not grown. starting with syren in season 2, she has witnessed how much it hurts chat noir to be left in the dark and how it weakens their partnership. in that case, she convinced master fu to let him be in the know, and trust was restored. but then she continued a habit of keeping things from him, putting more and more distance between them, till it culminated with kuro neko in s4—a total breakdown of the ladynoir partnership, where chat noir renounced his miraculous. i would have thought that marinette would learn from that experience and realize that keeping people in the dark is harmful and that even if the truth hurts, adrien has a right to know it. but she once again made the decision for him, and when he finally finds out, it will be all the more painful to know that the person he loves and trusts most in the world lied to him. i actually really appreciate that marinette as a protagonist has such a good heart but is still such an imperfect character, so i want to respect this choice as a manifestation of her flawed but good intentions. i just can’t help but be really disappointed that after 5 seasons of making the same mistakes again and again, she has apparently not learned from them, which makes me feel she has not grown the way the writers say she has.

her facing hawkmoth alone for the final battle is supposed to be a sign of that growth—and yes, I can see how she has grown a lot in confidence and capability since her shaky debut as ladybug. but i also feel that her flying solo defies one of the central themes of miraculous: that in the fight against evil, good people need to stand together. just think of the difference between the s4 and the s5 finale. in strike back, ladybug is broken and sobbing because she has lost the miraculous and feels like a failure who is all alone. but then she is buoyed up by her faithful partner and all of paris, who express unbreakable faith in her and vow to stand by her side. that was so powerful! showing that she doesn’t have to be alone, and she’s not supposed to be alone, and that part of being a hero means accepting help and working with others to achieve good goals. this message was a major part of marinette’s character arc in s4 and it’s something that was introduced from the very beginning and has been supported over and over in the show. but then in “re-creation,” she has no team, and she doesn’t need one. which … good for her, I guess? But then why did we have 5 seasons of “you and me against the world” if in the end it was always going to culminate with “I'm sure we can figure out a solution if we work together. You … and me”—referring to Marinette and Gabriel, while Adrien is literally locked in a blank white prison hundreds of miles away?

it just really kills me that in kuro neko, adrien gave up his ring under the assumption that chat noir was not needed—that he was entirely useless to ladybug. and then the narrative proved him right. ladybug did not need chat noir to defeat monarch. she just needed his ring. the writers confirmed in their recent commentary that they had planned a bug noire fusion from the beginning, and they intentionally sidelined adrien so that could happen—they even had to figure out an excuse for why he wouldn’t be there. so they traumatized him with nightmares of destruction and fear of akumatization to ensure that he would once again give up his ring and conveniently remained locked away while bug noire faced down monarch alone.

you could argue that it’s better for adrien to have missed the final battle anyway, since facing his own father would just be even more traumatizing for him. i understand that. (that’s the reason i liked that in the owl house, it ended up being just luz vs belos, and hunter did not have to face him again.) but at the same time it feels so narratively unjust that chat noir—who has been fighting against hawkmoth by ladybug’s side since day 1—has zero part in seeing his mission through to the end. even though it’s all about him. because while marinette is the protagonist, adrien is the connecting piece of the whole story. it’s always been ladybug vs hawkmoth, and adrien is in the middle of them, because he’s both ladybug’s partner and gabriel’s son.

you’d think, logically, that as the connecting piece, Adrien’s decisions would be vital to the plot. That he’d have the power to tip it either way. but instead he is completely stripped of his autonomy—literally, because he’s a senti, and also symbolically in the narrative, because he’s simply removed from the equation. Like, he’s still central to the equation but he has no say in it. It’s all about him but he’s not even present. Everyone is fighting for him but he can’t fight for himself. Everyone is speaking for him but he doesn’t even have a voice.

the finale kind of sets up marinette and gabriel as narrative foils of each other, showing how they have the same motivation—to make adrien happy. and they make the same decision to protect that goal. which is interesting, sure, but also kind of effed up to me? i’m not sure what to take from the idea of the protagonist mirroring the antagonist in this way. that’s been done loads of times, but in this context, for a child audience, i don’t know what to make of it. what kind of message that is supposed to send to the children who are the primary audience of this show? ladybug is a good guy, and in the end, she’s just like the villain because they both love adrien and want to protect him. so that’s why she agrees to tell everyone the bad guy was a hero. ????

that gabriel/marinette parallel leaves adrien to parallel emilie, which makes sense and is fitting but also just sort of … depressing and again, lowkey effed up. that adrien ends up with the same narrative role as a corpse in a coffin. almost, like, macguffin-esque—a thing that motivates the agents of the story but has no agency itself. despite him being so central to both sides of the main conflict, his decisions don’t affect the outcome. because he doesn’t have the option to make any. because he’s not even present. both gabriel and marinette made a life-altering decision for adrien, thinking it was best for him, without considering that what’s best for him is to know his own story and make his own choices. him getting the rings was somewhat relieving, but it also felt like kind of a slap in the face. because it’s like, “look, adrien’s free! he has his amok and no one can control him anymore!” but, like, how free is a person who is living a lie? will he ever experience true autonomy, or will his life continue to be dictated by the decisions others make for him? will the narrative give him decision-making power or will his role continue to be symbolic?

one thing that makes this all extra dissatisfying is that Adrien literally does not have the option of getting closure with his father, because he’s dead. maybe a dramatic reveal in the middle of the final battle would not be the best way to go about it, but now he can’t have any sort of closure. in the owl house, it didn’t feel necessary for hunter to be present in the belos takedown because he already had his confrontation with belos in graveyard possession scene. belos tried to physically control him, and hunter broke free, and spoke his mind, and as traumatizing at is all was, it was good for him to be able to do that. it would’ve been so nice if adrien also had that opportunity. if he did break free from his father’s control, either by overcoming akumatization or the control of his amok somehow. or if not that, if he were just able to have one honest conversation with his father about emilie. like he did with his alt self in the paris special. it was so significant for the writers that bug noire detransformed and spoke to gabriel as marinette. why couldn’t adrien have done that? Marinette is the one to tell Gabriel that Adrien wouldn’t want him to make the wish and hurt someone else, that Adrien has made peace with his grief, that he has learned to cherish his mother’s memory without living in the past. wouldn’t that be even more powerful coming from adrien himself? if adrien was part of that final confrontation just as himself, we could even still have bug noire play a primary role.

i get that adrien being part of the battle is a risk, since we saw in chat blanc one option of how it could play out. but we also saw in the collector another potential way adrien might respond to learning that his father is hawkmoth—charging into battle by ladybug’s side. especially if he was given time to process the idea beforehand. it’s not impossible. you’d just have to compose the scene and its buildup a different way. so honestly it feels sort of lazy to just remove him for the sake of ease? and also sort of a waste of narrative potential? the villain being the father of one of the main characters is such an interesting plot element. imagine if luke skywalker did not ever face darth vader. if he never even learned that vader was his father. or if he learned that fact after vader’s death, which was the result of a confrontation he was not present for.

of course, i know adrien is not the protagonist. marinette is. and of course i want her to be empowered by the story. but i’m getting a little tired of what i see as kind of cheap feminism in ML. like, girl power for the sake of visibility so the writers can pat themselves on the back about it, if that makes sense? this show does have so much good feminist power with a strong female lead who has realistic flaws and a big heart, who overcomes self-doubt and other struggles, and who has proven time and again to be a smart, capable leader who has earned the trust of everyone on her team. but all of that sometimes feels undercut by the narrative treatment of adrien—like he has to be put down somehow to elevate marinette. ML has subverted gender roles in a lot of ways by having ladybug lead with her brain while chat noir follows with his heart. and adrien has a lot of other strong feminine associations—the focus on his physical appearance, the expectation of perfection and obedience, his soft and gentle nature, his romanticism, etc. And one of the biggest ones is all the ways he is trapped, all the ways he is pushed down and made to be submissive. they even depict him as a princess locked in a tower, with marinette as the knight in shining armor to save him from the evil dragon (his father). with adrien in that traditionally feminine role, it would have been empowering to see him to take a leading part in his own liberation. instead, he was locked away both literally and symbolically in favor of a solo bug noire confrontation, so marinette could look like a girlboss in her cool new outfit, taking on the bad guy all by herself, even when it would (imo) fit better with the themes of the show and her own character arc for her to fight alongside her partner. but as Thomas Astruc said, “She's Barbie, he's Ken. You don't like it. I get it. It won't change. Anything else?” (X) it just makes me feel that the writers cared more about the cinematic value and feminist brownie points of that battle than its narrative significance—which i feel could only be increased by adrien’s participation. “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing” … and that is all adrien was allowed to do.

i think a lot of fans at this point are just assuming that whatever feels dissatisfying/off will be fixed in s6. they’re trusting that the writers have a brilliant master plan that we just have to be patient and wait to see come together. idk, maybe i’m just tired. or a little jaded. i think there will be a lot to enjoy in s6, but i’m also prepared for disappointment. i honestly did not love many elements of s4 as well as s5, and i had expectations that weren’t fulfilled there either. i’ve felt let down by the writers many times now, so i expect that many of their future choices will  not resonate with me. but i still love ML, and I am eager to see how everything will unfold. i’ve also read a lot of other analyses of the s5 finale, and there are great points being made on many sides. this is just my personal interpretation and opinion. i did not like the finale when i first watched it, and after sitting on it for months and trying to evaluate my feelings and look at it logically, i still do not like it lol. if you do, great! this isn’t intended as a personal attack on anyone—just me expressing my two cents, which ended up being more like $20. thanks for bearing with me if you read all this ✌️

[conflictofthemind]

Can we Please Re-Open the Petergate?

Ever since learning about Petergate in its entirety, it has been breaking my brain. There’s obviously something incredibly important happening here, enough so that it has to be hidden until the final season of the season.

For those not in the know, Sam Owens has / had a son named Peter that was first name dropped in Season 4. For some reason, the military wants his old schoolwork as evidence in the investigation of the Chrissy murder in Hawkins.

We also pretty much know that Peter is dead. The way Owens acts around Will in Season 2 as the only scientist who is actually determined to save his life, and the implications he makes that he understands the plight of Joyce both heavily imply he has lost a child. This also adds a layer to the whole ‘taking away your son’s precious school projects’ if that son is dead and those are some of the only memories you have left.

Okay so: Sam Owens lost a child, which explains his character motivations in the show. But it’s not quite interesting just ending it there, is it? And why leave this to be seemingly be a reveal in the fifth season where we already have so much else to take care of? Would Sam Owens’ son dying really be that impactful towards the narrative? Would that warrant the copious amounts of references (at least seven just in season 4) to Peter that exist within the show and are still coming out even in recent ST5 BTS pictures?

Something about Peter Owens has to be crucial information in the fight against Vecna.

Let us also remember that those military agents took Peter Owens’ schoolwork as some kind of evidence in relation to the Henry Creel murders, and it was important enough to highlight to the audience.

Let’s go over some facts:

1) Sam Owens has a house in Ruth, Nevada where he lives with his wife. Population irl of only a few hundred people.

2) Henry Creel lived in Rachel Nevada which uh didn’t exist in the 50s during his childhood where he encountered:

3) The Nevada Experiment. Henry happens upon related equipment and is briefly transported into Dimension X before coming back with powers and an altered personality.

4) In TFS, Henry is mentioned to have put a classmate from Nevada in a wheelchair following the events of his trip to Dimension X.

5) Henry was in the care of different doctors before he met Dr. Brenner and moved to Hawkins.

We curiously get no more explanation on this matter; whatever happened in Nevada is probably some of the most crucial information and is thus saved for Season 5. We’ve already gotten most answers that are relevant to Henry’s backstory in Hawkins… but not for Nevada.

Some of the major questions for S5 include:

1) What is Dimension X?

2) What is the actual origin of the Mindflayer and is it an independent sentient being?

3) How did Henry develop powers while in Dimension X?

4) What was the Nevada Experiment and the original Project Rainbow?

Since the military took Peter Owens’ schoolwork as evidence… it means Peter is at least connected in some way to this mystery, if not directly to Henry and probably implies the two knew each-other and were even classmates who worked on projects together.

Here’s the basis of what I propose (to be expanded upon later of course):

Henry and Peter were classmates in their youth fairly likely at this point. Henry and Peter were working together on a project that had them investigating the Nevada cave system. Or perhaps something relating to Area 51 / secret US government stuff. The project has to be relevant evidence since the military took it. This is what led to Henry stumbling upon the dimensional equipment in the cave that transported him to Dimension X.

My question is - what if Peter was also involved in Henry’s disappearance? Maybe he disappeared with him, and this was covered up by the government. Or he was simply exposed to the event but didn’t get transported with Henry, just became severely ill because of this Dimension X virus, and died as a result.

Or maybe Peter was meant to disappear as part of Brenner’s Project Nevada experiment. They didn’t plan for Henry to be there as well, and sure didn’t plan for him to be taken. The whole “rogue staff member stealing the equipment and hiding it inside a cave where Henry just happens upon it I guess” has been weird for a while. Maybe Peter was actually older and involved with P. Nevada, and he was the rogue staff member who hid the equipment? But then how did Henry conveniently get there and why was the schoolwork taken.

I don’t want to make this post too long; but something about this gives me major Will and El parallels in a way I can’t really illustrate quite yet. Boy gets taken under suspicious circumstances that could imply HNL meddling, but this time the supernatural kid is able to save him and bring him back. Owens becomes interested by this and comes to study Will in S2.

Owens also mentions that he has risked his family’s lives for the sake of their research, which I feel is relevant here. He’s talking about the current day NINA Project… but it could of course be a reference to the fact that this happened before, and ended in tragedy.

So wow, that got long! I didn’t even get to mention the Fringe parallels that people have brought up. This is just going to be Part 1 into my investigation of Petergate.

There’s so much promise in this potential storyline that I think really needs to get investigated, so I hope this interested people regardless of whether or not they’ve already come across Petergate. The fact that Henry’s time in Nevada is such a major gap in his backstory really fascinates me as to what they’re hiding from us.

[anxresi]

So, it turns out Chloe IS going to return for S6... this hot off the press from her voice actor... (actually from back in Jan, but who's counting?)

...So why, my dears, couldn't I give a damn?

Probably because, as arguably the writers had no idea what to do with her in S4 and S5 other than strip her of all personality, agency & likability, what's the point in her still remaining?

*She's not going to be a hero again, Manbaby Astruc has made this PERFECTLY clear thankyouverymuch. IMHO, she's far more useful as a tool for him to take out his warped misogynist humiliations on, apparently. Why he doesn't just buy himself a blonde mannequin, call it 'Chloe' then beat it with a wooden stick whilst shouting various profanities within the privacy of his own bedroom, IDK. Maybe it's good therapy for him to expose his weird hang-ups in front of a mass audience? Hey, if it works for him... good for you, buddy! I just wish the rest of us didn't have to suffer to aid his treatment.

*As a villain, Chloe's threat level is arguably less than 0%. She is now written to be dumb as a post, no-one trusts or likes her and everything she says and does seems more cartoonishly infantile with every tortuous appearance since S3. The ONLY time she posed any vague threat is during her massively overhyped team-up with Lila where basically she was little more than a pawn to the Mary Sue Of All Lying B*tches... and those two episodes where she took over Paris as Mayor with a bunch of robots were undebately the most stupid ones of S5. Which if you've seen the competition, you KNOW that's some achievement.

*My prediction is: They're gonna rehash the same tiresome schik we saw before she got on that plane at the end of S5... perhaps they'll give us a one episode Hope Spot upon her unexpected arrival back where it looks like she's changed after attending a 'tough school' in New York/London but OH MY WORD WHAT A SURPRISE it turns out to all have been a ruse to become Queen Bee again. YAWN. She'll move straight back into her old room... Andre and Audrey will reconnect... and it'll be like nothing ever happened. In case you hadn't noticed, this show handles plot continuity or character development about as well as Marinette keeps her distance from her crushes.

*'But where does that leave Zoe?' You might ask, to which I can only respond with a succinct 'If you had the Hubble Space Telescope on full power, you still wouldn't be able to locate how little I care about that particular subject.' Maybe she'll carry on as Vesperia. Maybe she'll get a girlfriend. Maybe she'll do something halfway interesting, and give the viewership a heart attack out of sheer shock value alone. It doesn't matter to me one jot... less because I curse the ground this insipid plot device masquerading as a serious character walks on, but simply because I have no faith in the utterly abysmal writing this show has displayed for years and years now. Chloe could take over the lead role in a SHOCKING twist, they could change the name to Miraculous Queen and I STlLL wouldn't give it a second glance. The fish rots from the head-up, guys.

(Okay, so that's a bit of a lie. I would probably sneak a peek at ONE episode out of sheer curiosity, but you and I both know with HIM in charge the standard won't improve one iota. Plus, it isn't gonna happen anyway... so why am I tying myself in knots speculating about an impossible scenario?)

Anyway, I've nattered on for too long. I'll just leave you by answering Selah's somewhat disingenuous last question there about 'your favorite Chloe line of season 5'.

This implies we were watching 'Chloe'. As far as I was concerned, we weren't. Not the Chloe I fangirled for in the very beginning and got me involved in the show in the first place because I could relate so much. Not the Chloe who got so many other fans emotionally invested in her personal and familial struggles, before her character was comprehensively trashed by a ruinous creator with a grudge.

So in answer to your question Ms Victor, none. Because it simply wasn't Chloe.

[cheshire-writer]

bsd s5 ep11 spoilers

About the debate if the manga is going to follow the anime's footsteps (apparently impossible because Fyodor's hand isn't injured), it occurred to me that if it isn't, Dazai may yet not be alive after all, ie the skk angst might be manga-real and not skk fucking around right under Fyodor's nose.

Why?

Because of Sigma.

Because, unless Fyodor survives and or the next antagonist also has a super genius or two like Ranpo and Dazai on their side, it's going to be a tough sale.

To Sigma: Dazai went out of his way to save his life. Sigma even states that in the battle for control over him, Dazai won. Sigma went and stole every secret Fyodor has. This means that if Sigma survives, which is likely (and possibly joins the agency), Dazai's proof of character development will maintain his influence on the narrative. Sigma becomes Dazai's legacy. Sskk become written in stone in his memory (not like they need much more of a push anymore). Cue guilt, responsibility, what would Dazai do, and all that other fun stuff.

Which leads us to two, the next antagonist. Like many, I'm assuming it's going to be the Order of the Clock Tower (H. G. Wells! Adam, maybe? That scientist who made Adam, whatshername!). But with Dazai and all-breaks-removed Ranpo on the ADA's side (unless the deal with the PM strikes here), the OotCT is going to find itself out manoeuvred pretty quickly, no? Like with the Guild, as soon as they get their hands on information (deducing which is what Ranpo excels at, not to mention that Dazai presumably already knows a lot since unlike the Guild, the OotCT seems to have a pretty established profile and it's implied (? someone refresh my memory) that the PM had some dealings with them at the end of SB. Simply put, unless the OotCT has a strategic genius on their side, I have a hard time seeing them as legitimate threats. Meaning, that to make them more dangerous...it would suit just to remove a card from the ADA's hand. Dazai is in prime position to be removed.

Also, the end of SB foreshadowed a coming 'storm' and Chuuya killing Dazai while dehumanized and under mind control would probably trigger something in the long run.

(Don't know how coherent my thoughts are right now, sorry, it's too early.)

[thestrangestthing89]

Kind of funny how few one-on-one scenes Mike and El have with each other. The leak of their S5 moment is likely the last one-on-one scene with them, at least for a while since they follow a pattern.

S1 - They spend 1 day in Mike's house together where Mike gives her a tour and then his mother comes home. He finds out she has superpowers and is tied to Will. This is not only one of the few times they are alone but it's one of the few conversations they have that isn't about Will. And considering it's about a La-Z-Boy I wouldn't consider that a win. Every other scene with them involves someone else around, usually Dustin and Lucas. They talk by the train tracks but Dustin and Lucas are a short way in front of them. The end of the season they have another moment one-on-one (with Dustin and Lucas close by) about the Snow Ball and Nancy and they kiss. S2 - El spies on Mike and Mike is sort of aware of it but it's really only her that knows so it's not really a one-on-one moment since they aren't both conscious of it and they aren't talking. They don't interact again until the end of the season. Their reunion is in front of everyone. El tries to kiss him but Hopper stops her. They later go to the Snow Ball together. Again, there are people around. S3 - They make out in the beginning of the season and Hopper is there and mad about it. It's implied they were alone for a month in the cabin and everyone is bothered by this. It's not a good thing. They have one conversation over the phone and El knows Mike is lying and Hopper and Karen are involved in this interaction so not exactly a private moment for them. They spend most of the season apart or they are together with the group. They talk at the supermarket when she gets injured where Mike confuses her like he did in S1 before he kissed her. It's a chaotic moment that gets interrupted by Dustin and El has no idea what he's talking about. Their next moment with just the two of them is when El and the Byers are moving out and El decides they are getting back together. Mike doesn't participate much in this conversation because El is now confusing him. S4 - El is somewhere else for 6 months where it's implied they wrote letters but El isn't happy with those letters and it seems like there is maybe 1 letter a month from Mike. And they are pretty basic letters judging by El's unhappiness and the v.o. letter we hear. Mike and El have one scene together just them and it's a fight. They are separated the rest of the season. They reunite and attempt to have a conversation at the pizza place but get interrupted because there is a lot going on and this isn't private. So following this pattern... Mike and El will interact briefly in the beginning of the season, be separated for the middle of it, and then reunite with the rest of the group at the end. The first season they separate because of a fight, the second because El runs away, the third because they broke up, and the fourth because they fought, broke up, and El ran away. I am positive that Mike and El are already broken up at the end of S4 even if we haven't gotten confirmation of this. I suspect that that leaked scene is more about them re-establishing some kind of friendship. I think it's plausible that they drift apart a bit during a time jump considering how bad their communicating is and how sick of each other they are at the end of S4. So I think this scene is them starting to talk and trust each other again, and then them spending the middle portion of the season apart like always. And reuniting to actually work together at the end of the season. This show has never spent much time developing a deep relationship with these two so I don't think they would suddenly start now. I think this would just be the start of a new friendship for them. And from what we know of filming so far, El isn't with Mike and Will's group. The characters tend to separate into smaller groups for most of the season and then unite at the end. It seems like El is with Lucas, Dustin, Max, Erica. At least from what we have seen so far. I would be surprised if Mike and El were suddenly spending all this time together. There isn't suddenly a need for it in the final season when there is so much else to cover.

Most of their moments together aren't private. There is always someone else around and their moments lack intimacy. Most of the couples on the show do have more private moments when other people are around - Mike and Will's conversation in the van about the painting, Nancy and Jonathan getting together at Murray's, Hopper and Joyce flirting when they are at the mayors house. It's a horror movie so there aren't going to be cutesy moments that seem like they are out of a rom com. There is going to be tension at least around them. But Mike and El's moment are always full of fighting, miscommunication (they did not reach an understanding in the train track scene in S1. El proved she didn't get it in S4), or El running away shortly afterwards. The tension comes from them not outside of them. I think this scene in S5 could be different than this because they already fought at the end of the season - they aren't talking and are rolling their eyes at each other. They are broken up or at the very least neither of them cares about this relationship enough to fix it. Which is why I think it's likely it could be them establishing a genuine friendship for the first time. Like the train tracks in S1 but with them both actually reaching an understanding this time and listening to each other. They got some space over a jump and now can talk. But it's also just not realistic for them to suddenly be BFFs just after this so it does make sense that they still spend some time apart but I think we could get a moment at the end where the two of them are actually working together (perhaps to help Will? since that seems to be the thing that unites them.) I do think it's also likely at some point in the beginning of the season that the younger kids are all together. So I think we may get Mike and Will joining the El/Lucas/Max/Dustin/Erica group at some point before the whole group reunites.

[littlespoonevan]

What is the couch theory? 😅

oh anon, where do i start!!!!! this is possibly my favourite subject of all time so apologies in advance if this gets rambly askdjfh

okay so the couch theory goes all the way back to s5 of 911. at the start of 5B buck asks taylor to move in with him, right? and because she brings all her stuff with her it means they have double of everything, including two couches. so buck gets rid of his and they keep taylor's

however in 5x18 buck and taylor break up so she moves out and, of course, takes her couch with her

when we meet buck again in s6 a few months later he still hasn't found a replacement couch. over family dinner with eddie and christopher, chris makes a joke about it (like father, like son) and buck tells him and eddie that, "he doesn't want to choose the wrong couch again" heavily implying he means he doesn't want to choose the wrong romantic partner again (he also says his last two couches came with girlfriends since ali presumably helped him pick out the first one when he moved into the loft in s2).

the episode ends with buck moving his armchair to the place his couch used to sit and sitting down with a smile on his face, suggesting he's content on his own for now and thus, the couch theory was born:

buck's next couch/romantic partner will be the Right one

so we go through the whole of 6A with no couch developments and no real allusions to it be tHEN in 6B after the lightning strike buck's parents comment on his lack of couch and his mother decides she's going to buy him a couch (which is the adult equivalent of getting him a new bike when he hurts himself but that's a different post)

so margaret buys buck a couch but obviously, it's all wrong. because buck didn't choose it himself. it's not comfortable, he can't relax on it, can't fall asleep on it. and in an episode where buck is feeling smothered by everyone's attempts to check in on him it doesn't offer the comfort he needs so what does he do???

go to eddie's house of course!

and you'll never guess what happens, anon:

buck falls asleep on eddie's couch in about five seconds flat!!!!

to say 911 had me by the throat at that point would be an understatement lmao

bc that means eddie's the couch, right?????? what other implications could there possibly be when buck has been using his couch as a metaphor for a partner and he falls asleep on eddie's couch so quickly, suggesting he feels safe and comfortable there??? i said it that time but it would literally have been less suggestive to have him sleep in eddie's bed than it would've been to have him sleep on the couch at the point skdjhf

(and none of this is even getting into the fact that when buck wakes up eddie is the first person buck is honest with in the episode about how he's feeling after the accident, further cementing the idea of him being buck's safe space)

anyway by the end of s6 kameron gives birth on buck's couch and effectively ruins it meaning it's time for him to get a new couch again. now this is where everything falls to shit and i WILL be bitter about this for the rest of my life lmao but basically because of the fear of cancellation s6 sort of pivots in the last few eps and the finale makes an attempt to give each of the characters a mini happy ending in case it really is the overall series finale. and buck's 'happy ending' was to ask natalia (who he'd recently started dating) to help him pick out a new couch

now my personal opinion?? i Hated that. not even from a buddie perspective, just as someone who is very dedicated to buck's seasons long romantic arc and the couch theory, i thought it was really weak and far less satisfying than if he'd just ended the season single. especially bc the point was buck was supposed to pick the couch himself. but!!! some people are suggesting he still doesn't have a couch in s7 (though it's hard to tell since all the shots we've gotten have been in the kitchen) so i am privately holding onto the hope that the couch theory lives on aksjdfh

TL;DR the couch is eddie. eddie is the couch 🛋️❤️

[galaxyprince]

I already need to relisten to today’s episode there was so much that happened!! Celia’s asking a lot of questions that Sam has asked already too, like about searching, and I find it interesting that Alice didn’t tell her off for being curious. Maybe because she doesn’t have any attachment to Celia and therefore doesn’t really care what she does or doesn’t do? That doesn’t seem entirely in character with how Alice has been written so far so idk if that’s it. Maybe it’s just that Celia already seems much more competent at the job because she isn’t put off by the statements?

Also Celia’s specific questions about being buried and flesh by name makes me think she already knows stuff about the fears. Not only that but she does recognize Jon’s voice. But that begs the question of is she the same Celia we met in s5 of tma or is she the Celia of this world but can some how remember bits of that life because she was one of the few people outside of a domain when whatever happened at the end of tma happened? If she’s the same Celia how did she end up here? Does this mean that the Georgie and Melanie from tma are also here or is it just Celia? Do any of the others remember?

EDIT: someone in the comments raised a good point that she DEFINITELY knows more than she’s letting on and probably does remember Jon but doesn’t wanna say. But that still begs the question of how she got here

And then Sam getting an email from a Jon from an internal email implies that Jon is still somehow conscious within the computer if he can send emails. Having some confirmation that the voice of Norris is likely the same Jon since the voice is being recognized makes the theory that the 3rd voice being Jonah more and more plausible. But that does make me wonder why Martin is being compelled to read statements now. Maybe being essentially fused/trapped with two other eye avatars did that to him? That’s the most likely scenario (other than Alex just wanting to play one of the creepy voices in the computer lmao).

But oh my goddd I am so fucking pumped for this season!! I literally cannot wait for the next episode!!!

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Fixing Problems 💋 | Rhett Abbott Imagine | Outer Range x Yellowstone crossover

Takes place sometime after the events of S1 of Outer Range and S4 of Yellowstone around 2023 hypothetically

Link to my Masterlists (might make a Rhett Abbott one in the future)

Characters & Pairings: Rhett Abbott x Lana Dutton!OC (romance), The Abbott family & the Dutton family, Maria Olivares (past romance w/ Rhett ), Lloyd Pierce (platonic), Rip Wheeler (platonic).

Content warnings: profanity, light angst, fluff, mentions of violence and death. Implied smut at the end | female OC (she/her) | wc: 4k

Premise: Rhett Abbott was a man of an unwanted reputation in his hometown of Wabang, Wyoming. None were surprised by the fact he found himself back in the town he longed to escape following his breakup with Maria. But then a few months later Rhett was no where to be seen after his family took a trip out of town and returned without him. Now he’s back for a short time to settle some things and low an behold, Maria is back too. When she tries to mend things with the cowboys she’s in for quite the shock that Rhett Abbott is no longer a man on the market—and what makes it more shocking is his woman hails from the family of the country’s largest land owners.

Note: So fair warning, I have not seen the entirety of Outer Range but for some reason have been reading a lot of Rhett fanfiction and have a gist of it. But I am a big fan of Yellowstone and S5 drops tomorrow. I had this idea but was like ‘maybe I should wait,’ but I don’t want the thought to slip now that it’s fresh in my mind. So for this Lana was born on New Year’s Day of 1997 since Evelyn Dutton died in March of 1997 so she never knew her mother unlike her four siblings. Also although S5 isn’t fully out, we know from the trailer that John wins governor of Montana.

———————————————

“Hi, Rhett.” God that was not the voice he wanted to hear on this sunny Saturday morning in Wabang. Rhett Abbott had awoken with a smile on his face and giddiness in his chest at what the day had in store for him….but seeing Maria again for the first time in two years was not what he expected.

Or wanted at all for that matter.

Closing his eyes as if to pray it wasn’t Maria behind him, Rhett checked his phone for the time and a message he was expecting before preparing himself to face the woman who left his heart in pieces. When he finally does face her, Rhett remains stoic, “Hello, Maria.” There is nothing warm in his greeting, which is evident in the frown that takes over her expression. But what the fuck would she expect? He left his home for her and returned no less than a few months later on his parents porch with a bag and tear stained eyes.

If Maria thought he’d be happy to see her after all this then she was off her rocker.

Rhett had moved on and was in a place he never thought he would be. Happy. Content. Looking forward to the future.

He was not gonna let her take that away from him.

Or even let her think she could have a chance.

“How are you?” She offered a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood. But Rhett wasn’t having it.

“Fine.” She waited for him to return the question, but when he didn’t Maria shuffled on her feet, adjusting the purse on her shoulder, “I heard you were back in town. Was asking ‘round and they said you’ve been gone.”

“Yeah,” he nods, checking his phone again. “I’ve been in Montana the past year and half.” That surprises the woman, eyes widening slightly. She didn’t know what—or better yet who—was in Montana, but there was an obvious difference in how Rhett carried himself. It was completely different from how he was when they reconnected and surely when he returned back.

“Oh,” was all she could say. “That’s amazing uh—I guess.”

“It was,” his voice takes another edge, almost in a longing way. Maria glanced him over, feeling a tightness to her chest—almost like she realized there was something—someone—hidden between his words.

“Well, I was hoping to get a chance to run into you.”

“Well you did,” Rhett’s tone indicated he wasn’t happy with the fact. He leaned against the brick of the building he was standing in front of. It had been a busy day for Rhett to do some last minute things before he was set to head out the next morning. He found himself outside of the pharmacy having just got off the phone with Cecilia when Maria stopped him as he was exiting the store. “So what’d you want?”

Maria bit her lip, remembering how his eyes would flicker to her mouth whenever she did, but Rhett never faltered his gaze. It threw her off for a moment but she quickly recovered, “I wanted to talk to you…about us.”

Rhett made a face, looking away briefly, “Us? What’s there to talk ‘bout, Maria. That ship sailed long ago.” His tone was cold, but again Rhett did not care. There was nothing that Maria could do or say to change his mind. She could pout all she wanted, give him puppy eyes or pour her heart out to him, but it would be to no avail.

Rhett Abbott had found his solace. And it was not with her.

Moving to walk in the opposite direction toward his truck, Maria stopped him before he could even take a full step, “Wait, Rhett! Please,” she put a hand on his arm, but frowned again when he shook her off. “Look, I’m sorry for what happened between us. I-I know I said some things, and I regret it—I would take it all back if I can.” The expression on her face was one of pleading, hoping to get through to him. “Maybe we can work something out. Fix things—.”

“No,” the word flew from his lips, ignoring the way Maria faltered back, surprise coating her expression. “That’s not gonna happen, Maria.”

“But, Rhett—.” The sound of his phone ringing cut her off. Rhett removed the device, turning away as the smile overtook when he read the name, “Hey.”

“You sound relieved. More so than when you get out of pushing cattle. What did I save you from this time, Rhett Abbott.”

“Oh, just you know,” he glances over his shoulder, noticing how Maria has her arms crossed over her chest and disappointed their conversation was cut short. “Runnin’ into some old friends.” He turned away before he could see her reaction to the offense of calling her an ‘old friend.’ His voice goes lower to prevent Maria from hearing, “and this one was the last person I wanted to see on what was supposed to be a good fucking day.”

“I see,” he could just picture her smirk on the other end of the line that paired with the chuckle she let out. “Well, lucky for you, cowboy, I just passed the town's limits. Send me your location. I’ll be there very soon. And just for the hell of it, keep her there—I’d like to say hello.” Rhett didn’t know how she managed to put it together Maria was who he was referring to, but then again surprising him was her second nature.

“You sure about that?”

“Oh, darlin’, you should know by now that I never second guess a decision once it’s been made.”

They said their goodbyes with Rhett sending off his location before locking the device and putting it back in his pocket. When he faced Maria again, she was displeased and tried to not show it but failed. “Who was that?”

Rhett kept his face neutral, “someone.” If there was anything about the woman on the other end of the phone, it was that she loved her entrances. And there was no way Rhett was going to deprive her of one—especially when it was her first one to Wabang. Part of him looked forward to the look on Maria’s face for when that moment came. Not to mention those around them. Ever since he returned to Wabang there have been whispers about him. The usual gossip, but mostly wanting to know what the hell he had been up to in Montana after his family took a visit and he never returned.

“Someone?” She repeated, eyebrows narrowing in suspicion. The possibility of Rhett having someone was not what Maria planned for when she sought him out that day. It was to her knowledge when she asked around he was single or possibly hooking up with the usual buckle bunny. Not many could give her a straight answer since he’d been gone. They really had no fucking clue of what had become of Rhett Abbott.

Rhett gave a curt nod, “That’s right.”

Maria wasn’t having it, “is this someone special to you?”

“Look, Maria. I’m just gonna lay it flat with you,” he glances away at the sight of a familiar black Ram truck turning the corner. Behind it was a dark tinted SUV. As it proceeded down the street, Rhett spotted the giant yellow ‘Y’ on the truck’s side. “I’m engaged.”

“Engaged?” She exclaimed, as though she could not believe it. When the fuck did that happen and why did no one in town know? It had to be a lie to get her to back off him. The thought made a slight anger rise in her that Rhett would say something so serious as his way to reject her. Narrowing her eyes and spitting a tone that was almost mocking, Maria failed to notice the truck pulling up to a stop behind her, “To who?”

His eyes were looking past her, smirk taking form, “to her.”

When Maria spun around on her she froze at the sight of the black Ram with bright yellow lettering spelling ‘Yellowstone Dutton Ranch’ around a large ‘Y’ in the center of the side door. The back windows were tinted preventing anyone from seeing inside, but Maria didn’t have to wait long because the door was opening and a foot clad in a shiny nude heel was stepping out.

It was almost like when you watch a show and only get a small portion of the person the camera is panning its way to before they fully emerge. In this case, the second heel—which Maria was able to notice the eye-catching red bottom beneath it—followed the first before the body and face they belonged to was visible to her eyes.

She wore a light tan dress that ended right above her knees and accentuated her curves paired with a matching coat hanging over her shoulders and brown gloves on her hands. The dress had a neckline that cut beneath her collarbones, allowing the layered gold necklaces to bounce off the light around her. Brown hair with warm tone highlights was pulled back into a slick bun save for a few strands to frame her face, which stood out with the bright red lipstick coating her lips and the pair of cat-eye like sunglasses covering her eyes. Tucked behind one of her ears was a cigarrete.

She was beautiful. Like a model who just stepped off a runway and Maria instantly felt a wave of envy course through her. Several people passing by even stopped to get a glance at the woman, making no hidden attempt to hide their jealousy or attraction. Some of the older men traveling on the sidewalk had done a double take when they saw the name of the ranch on the truck.

And Rhett? He was biting his lip so hard to hide his grin that he was afraid it would start bleeding. And when he let his eyes travel over her figure, a low whistle sounded under his breath, the man praying his cock would not react because the last thing he wanted was a hard on in the middle of broad daylight.

Maria heard his reaction, turning back to see the awestruck expression which gave away everything he was feeling in that moment. It made her upset—remembering when he would look at her that way. Now it was directed toward this mystery woman. His fiancé. It fueled her jealousy more.

“Hey there, cowboy,” her voice was smooth like honey. Flirty and playful. Maria knew that tone—she’s used it on plenty of men. She’s used it on Rhett.

“Hey yourself,” he greeted, watching her step onto the sidewalk before shutting the door behind her. Maria had stepped back a bit as the woman strutted toward them, the bottom of the coat brushing against her knees. The sound of her Louboutin’s clicking against the pavement echoed before she came to a stop in front of Rhett. As much as he wanted to bring her into his arms with a kiss, Rhett settled for a soft peck on the corner of her mouth to not mess up her lipstick.

Both were obvious to the strained look of the woman to the side, who’s jealousy was so visible one could probably sniff it from a mile away.

“How was the drive?”

She took her gloves off first—aware of Maria’s eyes on her left hand which held a diamond ring—, placing them in the pocket of her coat before removing the sunglasses, “As bearable as it can be with those two idiots.” The gesture of her head had Rhett glancing to the truck she arrived in. In the front he spotted Lloyd in the passenger seat with Rip behind the wheel. The window was up, but he could make out their wave to him and returned it with a small smile. With a chuckle he turns back to his fiancé, “I’m sure it wasn’t too bad, baby.”

Her brow raised in a playful glare, “Maybe I’ll drive your truck back by myself tomorrow and you can take up camp with them. See how long you last.”

Rhett laughs—the sound sending a dagger to Maria’s heart—pulling her to his side, “I’m sorry you had to endure that.” She makes a ‘hmmph,’ which only makes him grin. “What’s with the SUV?”

She scoffed lightly, “I told them not to come, but when your father is the governor of Montana, the protection detail is a given. Whether I like it or not.” Maria visibly reacted to the revelation that not only was Rhett engaged….but his fiancé was the daughter of Montana’s governor.

Now she remembered where she recognized the name on the truck. John Dutton had recently been elected the previous year during turmoil with his family's ranch and Market Equities.

Maria watched as the woman, whose name she had yet to know, removed the cigarette behind her ear before placing it between her lips. Instead of lighting it herself, Rhett pulled out a lighter and did it for her. The two kept eye contact the entire time which felt like Maria was intruding on an intimate moment.

The—not so settle—sound of Maria clearing her throat broke up the happy reunion. While Rhett was annoyed, she found it amusing, turning her attention to Maria. With the glasses removed Maria was able to get a good look at her face. From afar she was beautiful, but up close she was captivating.

Blue green eyes stared back at Maria, framed by neatly groomed full brows that matched the color of her hair and a thin line of eyeliner winged out. Other than the eyeliner and lipstick, it appeared she wasn’t wearing any other makeup—something many would be envious of. And though there was a good sized scar on her left cheekbone—as was two on her chest forming an odd shape—it did not take away from her beauty. In fact it made her look more intimidating.

Rhett broke the silence, “Maria, this is Lana. Lana Dutton.” Lana, who was now looking Maria up and down, gave a smile. But it wasn’t friendly which had Maria raise her defenses. “Darlin’, this is—.”

“I know who she is,” Lana gently cut Rhett off, blowing smoke out as she did. “So nice to put a face to a name.” In that moment Marie felt a sense of pride, nearly smirking at the fact that she was still a topic of his life. But it soon deflated when Lana said, “oh don’t look too happy, Maria. I can smell heartbreak on a man from a mile away and when Rhett landed in Yellowstone he reeked of it. Not to mention he was drunk off his ass and well, you know what they say, ‘Loose lips sink ships.’” Maria’s smirk turned into a frown, Lana taking another inhale of smoke.

“But that was a long time ago,” Lana spoke again, “you sure did a number on him, but thankfully Rhett realized his worth.” The couple met each other’s gaze, Rhett conveying a mix of emotions at the woman who captured his heart.

Neither paid attention to the shame Maria was showing. The dark haired woman was having trouble finding the right words to say. What Lana said cut into her, which only made her angry. Quickly she tried to think of a way to divert the attention away from her, “I doubt drowning himself in booze and fucking any piece of ass had him realize that.”

She expected a flash of anger from Lana, which Rhett certainly gave at the insult, but to Maria’s surprise, Lana simply laughed in what could best be described as, ‘you done fucked up now.’ Maria tightened her jaw, taking a step back when the brunette pulled away from Rhett to move toward her. This time when Lana took a drag of the cigarette, she let the smoke waf in Maria’s face—the smell nearly making her gag.

Lana’s expression was cold, unwavering as she spoke, “Is that your way of trying to get me to see Rhett in a different light? To judge him based on the decisions he used to make—which were a direct result of how he felt the world viewed him? Don’t think I don’t know what girls like you do. You sought him out from the moment you heard he was back in town—hoping to slither your way back into his life as though you weren’t the reason for y’all’s breakup two years ago.”

“You don’t know anything,” Maria hissed, glaring at Lana as the anger swelled. With the heels Lana was wearing it made her about an inch or so taller than Maria and with them being so close the scar on her face was more pronounced.

“Please,” came a scoff, “I know everything. I see how you hold yourself. How you let your eyes drift to him only to be disappointed that his eyes are on me. I see how you’re comin’ up with ways to challenge me—as though you have a chance to remove me from the picture, but Imma let you in on a little secret,” Lana falls into a whisper as she leans closer causing Maria to stiffen. People around them pitted glances as they walked past, trying not to eavesdrop but Lana was smarter. What she was about to say was for Maria’s ears only.

Lana’s lips curled up, “You see this scar on my face?” It was a rhetorical question, but nonetheless Maria nodded. Behind her, Rhett muttered a low, “darlin’,” in warning. Though it turned him on immensely by what he was witnessing from his fiancé, he didn’t want her jeopardizing herself. They weren’t in Darby, Montana anymore. Anything she said here could have consequences.

But Lana was relentless. If someone was threatening her, she threatened back ten fold. And she was gonna make sure they knew to never mess with Lana Dutton again. Unfortunately for Maria, it was her time to learn the lesson.

Eyes locked on Maria, voice so low Maria had to strain her ears to hear, the dark brunette was sent to chills by what the Dutton had in store for her. It made her throat constrict for air seemed impossible to breathe.

“The man who gave me it is currently rotting at the bottom of a cliff after I blew a hole through his head with a shotgun. Because where I come from, we take matters into our own hands when people become problems. So take my advice when I warn you, Maria, don’t become my problem.”

The fear on Maria’s face almost had Rhett feel sympathetic, “Lana…”

“And if you question the truth of my words,” Lana’s head gestures to Rhett, “You can ask him. He was there to witness it.” With that, both out of fear and curiosity, Maria glances at Rhett. Part of her was praying Lana was bluffing in an attempt to scare her, but the look Rhett gave her was enough proof she was in fact telling the truth.

Alarms bells were ringing in her head—telling her to get the fuck out of there and pretend like she didn’t just hear a confession to murder. From the governor of Montana’s daughter for that matter. And Rhett was engaged to her? If she had the balls to kill someone in cold blood, what did that say about her family?

Have they killed before?

The anxiety filled Maria’s veins as she let out a shaky breath, unsure of what to do. Lana’s gaze was becoming too much for her and from what Maria gathered it was to get a point across. ‘Tell anyone what I told you, and I’ll come for you.’

Lana brings her cigarette up, taking the final drag before throwing it to the pavement and stepping on the bud. Not once did her eyes leave Maria’s. “I would warn you to keep this between us. If rumors start to spread about Rhett Abbott’s fiancé…I’ll know who the source is.” Stepping away, Lana bids a nod, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Maria. Hope we never have to cross paths again. For your sake.”

Taking his hand, Lana pulls Rhett away to where his truck was parked beside the curb a few cars down. Maria was left frozen, her face pale by the final threat Lana had given— which unbeknownst to her had the two men in the truck chuckling. “What I would give to hear what Lana just said. Poor girl looks like she’s seen a ghost,” Lloyd mused, watching the couple walk up the sidewalk. Rip put the car in drive, prepping to follow them, “Whatever it was, she won’t be a problem. Bitch wouldn’t be stupid enough to if she were smart.”

When Rhett and Lana made it to his truck, her back was immediately pushed against it as Rhett’s lips crashed onto hers. His rough hands cradled her face, Lana smiling against his lips which were sure going to be stained from her lipstick. There was an immediate pressure against her abdomen from his groin. Obviously her little stunt was well received.

When they pulled away, Lana was amused by some of the looks they were receiving from around them. “You,” he breathed out, mouth closed to hers, “are somethin’ else. You know that?”

Lana bit her lip with a cheeky look in response, as if to say, “I know.” She brought her left hand up to his cheek, stoking the soft skin with her thumb. “Had to make a statement. Can’t let some has been try to throw me off my rocker, cowboy.”

He lets out a laugh, arms going to loosely wrap around her waist. “That why you dressed like this? I ain’t used to ya dolling up like this but—,” he trails off to check her out, loving what he was seeing. “I could definitely get used to it.” Normally Lana wore a tank top that made her tits look like heaven and tore up jeans with her boots and leather jacket. As the youngest Dutton, she worked on the ranch as a hand and—like the others who wore the brand—did dirty work when it was called for.

The man she told Maria was just one of the many Lana had sent to the train station.

Only after John was elected governor did she get involved in politics and the business side of her family’s ranch. The media was always lurking, trying to get a glimpse of John Dutton’s youngest daughter who was more like his personal bodyguard. It became a constant annoyance for her. Avoiding reports soon became a second nature for Lana and the times she and Rhett went out they had to keep things professional for the sake of image. It was her father who encouraged her to try getting involved in other things now that he was more of a public figure than just the man who owned the country's largest ranch.

Answering Rhett’s question, Lana gave a shrug, “Just thought I should make it clear to the people of Wabang that Rhett Abbott is off the market and—not to toot my own horn—but she has style and is surely what they would call ‘a catch.’”

“Damn right she is,” he murmured, tipping his hat back a bit to pull her into another kiss. “We sure gonna be the talk of the town tonight.”

“Good. That was the plan.” Lana places one last kiss before playfully pushing him away and hopping into his tuck. “Now let’s get the fuck out of here, cowboy. Lloyd and Rip know to get started on packing your shit while you and I make up for the lost time these past couple weeks.”

Rhett didn’t hide his grin, feeling the tightness in his jeans increase. Boy was he in for the ride of his life when he fell in love with Lana Dutton. “Yes ma’am.”

[theflyindutchwoman]

Hello. In the post 'SEASON 06 | What we know so far - Chenford Edition' you mention LAPD Psychiatrist. Do you think, maybe this is a doctor for Tim? Can he seek help to get rid of his injuries and fears related to working undercover? Perhaps this is how the screenwriters see the solution to this problem. The problem itself will not go away, otherwise they will have to come up with a reason that will make Lucy give up what she has a talent for. Do you have any other ideas how this problem will be solved? which solution would you prefer?

From what I understand, this psychiatrist is going to be introduced in relation to the events of the s5 finale/s6 premiere. So if I had to venture a guess, I'd say she's there either to assist the team in finding out who's behind those attacks, or to assess the team in the aftermath of said attacks. But since she will apparently have a recurring role, she could be used for other storylines. And let's be honest, all the characters could use some major therapy after everything they went through along the years.

So, yes, it could absolutely be there to further Tim's arc regarding his trauma with undercover work (or childhood, army…). I honestly doubt it, but it could be. Especially since the writers intend to dig into Tim's past this season - this could give some meaty materials for Eric and be an interesting way to deal with this arc. I'm just not sure that's the plan. (EDIT - from @roguetwelve : 'Eric mentioned in a cameo chat that he filmed his first scene with the psychiatrist in 6x07' - so right after his big storyline...).

I don't really know how the writers are going to 'solve' that… It's so complicated and there's no easy solution. The one thing I want to see is Lucy and Tim be honest with each other. Talk about their fears. There was a glimpse of that at the end of 5.21, so I hope they'll continue on this path. Right now, it's clear that Tim is terrified and doesn't want to admit it (and I believe he didn't even admit it to himself either, not until Isabel's return and Lucy's subsequent UC op) and that Lucy is hiding her feelings because she's worried about him and his reaction. And that's not sustainable. The thing is I'm not sure Tim will ever be fully okay with Lucy going undercover. He's always going to worry, that's part of who he is. But maybe he can find a way to live with it without triggering him. I could be wrong of course, but in my mind, Tim thought he was ready for it when he took that leap of faith with Lucy. He knew that was the career she wanted, he encouraged her for it… And that was incredibly brave of him to take this risk again, to open himself to being hurt that way again. All of this implies some healing. But a part of me believes that he was also in denial on how much it would affect him. He saw her go undercover several times before they started dating and I could see him rationalise that this would be no different once they were together. Only, Lucy's first UC mission since they became a couple happened on the heels of Isabel's return, bringing back a lot of buried memories and feelings he probably didn't expect to resurface. So this is something they need to work on. Together. As a unit. It won't be easy but it is worth the effort.

I don't know if I have a preference when it comes to a resolution. I'd just say that if Lucy were to give up UC, I want her to make that choice for herself. Either because the UC lifestyle is not something she can live with or because it doesn't fit with the life that she wants (at least for long-term undercover ops). I simply don't want someone else take that choice away from her.

[notexactlyrocketscience]

TMA ending reflections (and theories about the sequel!)

When I initially listened to the ending, it felt like a good plan (and the prospects of a perfect happy ending) unnecessarily jeopardised. Jon and Martin’s panicked conversation sounded so hopeless and their final decision felt impulsive. Everything was in shambles, and a good outcome was unlikely at this point. The promise of Somewhere Else seemed like an empty euphemism to make certain death more bearable. I was frustrated, and heartbroken.

Now that I've taken a few days to process and distanced myself from the characters' momentary pain, I actually truly believe that what happened at the end was a happy accident instead.

I don’t think I can put it better than the Reddit post already has—The original plan proposed by Annabelle could have had equally (if not worse) disastrous outcomes. Even if it had been canonically executed, knowing the way Jonny and Alex love to write, things would still have been shown to end ambiguously—just less tragically poetic. For the purposes of the narrative, I think they did a great job of ending the series on a climactic, fulfilling (and hopeful!) note that remains faithful to the overall tone of The Magnus Archives. Jon and Martin weren’t exactly planning on doing what they did, but it’s given them a chance at the best and happiest ending that was up for grabs.

And I love that I genuinely don’t feel like I have to be in denial of the canon at all to fully believe in this interpretation, since it was left strictly ambiguous on purpose.

But there’s more!

The Magnus Protocol teaser has a seemingly unharmed (and physically corporeal) Martin surprised to see the familiar tape recorder show up again, long after he’s assumed they’ve stopped listening. This, plus the fact that Jonny and Alex have confirmed they will appear in TMA 2, tells me:

It’s unlikely that Jonny and Alex will appear simply to voice other side-characters, even those with distorted voices. It’s clear from Q&As that they take casting very seriously. I can’t see them double-casting (former) main characters.

So we’ll see Martin again, post-escape from Eyepocalypse. Not just an old S1-to-S5-era never-seen-before Magnus Archives tape found by Alice and Sam. Including formerly unrevealed tapes from TMA would be a really nice touch (and I hope we’ll get that too!), but I’m sure Jonny wouldn’t release that particular teaser if he wasn’t solidly planning on following through in some way. Jonny has always been very serious about giving the audience breadcrumb trails with properly viable clues.

Well … what about post-Eyepocalypse Jon? Well, I think Jon is only going to appear in such a way that either fully retains the ambiguity of the TMA ending, or hints/confirms in some way that he is also alive and unharmed (in whatever avatar or semi-avatar form).

In any case, if post-Eyepocalypse Martin (and maybe Jon) do indeed appear (which seems very likely at this point), it will also be implied or shown that they are, indeed, together—in a non-tragic, romantic, bordering on wholesome way.

I say this because confirming their death or separation after the TMA finale would completely ruin the sanctity of the ending. It’s really neatly tied up and beautiful as it is right now. Answering questions to ambiguous events negatively in sequels (eg having formerly surviving main characters simply as side-characters who die in sequels) is really hard to land properly. It borders on being disrespectful of the investment the audience put into the original. Jonny has always been very receptive and sensitive to these things.

However, showing that characters from a previously ambiguous ending are living their best lives as mysterious side-characters that pop in and out—bamboozling the main characters (but delighting the audience)—is a lot easier to execute favourably. It also keeps from taking attention away from the protagonists and the main plot of the sequel.

So my expectation (read: hope) is that we’re going to see Jon and Martin in our world, where the end of TMA implied that the tapes are, and where I assume The Magnus Protocol is set! They will be happy and together (this may be explicit or implied vaguely, I am not sure how they’d keep that completely ambiguous if the post-Eyepocalypse versions of the characters themselves explicitly appear), and nothing worse than TMA finale will happen to them.

I only have this belief because I have incredible faith in Jonny and Alex as writers! I think they subverted insensitive tropes creatively and did just about everything right in TMA, and I can’t say that about most authors I love. Yes, I do generally want my blorbos to be safe and happy, but the above is not just a culmination of my wishful thinking. Jonny and Alex have already said that they certainly aren’t going to try to overshadow TMA, but I’m also hoping The Magnus Protocol will complement TMA while not really trying to step on TMA’s toes. They didn't have to drop so many JonMartin return hints (or even write JonMartin into TMA 2 at all) but they did. Super excited and optimistic for what's to come!