#stranger things character analysis

[deanismysavior]

Am I the only one who finds Mike's relationship with his family extremely weird? Like I know Karen seems to be a supportive mom in general, after all she was the one who said Mike can talk to her about anything in S1, then Mike hugged Karen after they found Will's ''dead body'' and he also hugged her again at the end of S3. Yeah Karen and Mike actually seem to have a normal relationship but it's not explicitly shown or focused on. She also doesn't know anything about the UD situation. Nancy doesn't seem to talk to her anyway. Ted is... Ted.

Nancy and Mike also have no relationship literally, despite them struggling with the same supernatural stuff all the time. When was the last time they really talked anyway?

People call Will a sad loner gay kid often times but Will at least has stronger ties with his family. We know his relationship with Joyce, and he has a strong bond with Jonathan even if Jonathan is dealing with his own stuff, we know both are there for each other and talk.

While Mike literally is disconnected from his family, Nancy included.

It comes off as weird because the writers ignore it all the time😅. Like why not include some genuine talks between Nancy and Mike at all, have them talk about their struggles or something? It's just really weird.

Mike literally has no one to talk to. He only opens up to Will but even then he doesn't exactly open up because he has other issues deep down.

Now it was just eye-opening for me when I wrote all those sentences because I realized what my problem with Mike's character is: Mike is an extremely closed-off character and we literally get to see nothing about his struggles. We only get to see it during the van scene where he voices his insecurities but that's it. Like.

Compare his character to other characters: We get to see El's whole struggle with finding herself, and we get to see Lucas's trying to get over bullying, we get to see Dustin's side albeit not that explicit, and Max has a whole arc dealing with d*pression, and Will is struggling with being gay and opening up about that. All of those are shown explicitly from each character's sides while we don't really get to see Mike's POV at all.

His character comes off as extremely disconnected. He is not naturally progressing in the narrative, it's like he is just pushed around by the narrative instead of having his own voice. I am not sure if that makes sense. Like Will had to push him to do something the whole season as well.

Mike's character feels so weird and disconnected and his dynamic and relationships with others just seem to be very underwhelming for me. And one of the main reasons is because he literally has no explicit voice in the narrative.

I actually think Mike and Nancy's relationship dynamic being so strained kind of makes sense. We're clued into the fact really early on that Mike and Nancy don't share a whole lot of common ground. We get introduced to Nancy's character when she slams the door in Dustin's face after he goes to offer her pizza. Dustin then kind of addresses that Nancy has been acting weird to Mike, and Mike's sort of like, "she's always been like that," and Dustin says "Not always" and brings up the time that Nancy dressed up as an elf for their campaign. And Mike says, "Yeah, like four years ago!" To me, this scene reads a lot like Mike felt like he lost that connection with his sister once she tried to grow up. The age gap between them sort of functions as a catalyst for creating this distance.

We also see in season 1 Ted saying, "Come on, Nancy with Mike?" when the people who are working with Brenner come to talk to them about how they believe Mike has been harboring El as a fugitive. Ted Wheeler is kind of known for his snide remarks, but he's generally pretty on the money with his implications, and he's implying here that Nancy and Mike really don't spend any kind of one-on-one time together anymore.

Now we know that Nancy and Mike both get involved with the Upside Down in different ways, Nancy through her relation to Barb and Mike with his relation to Will, and when they join forces here, they're kind of still not really on the same page because they don't know what's going on in one another's lives.

That's why when we get to this scene after the first big fight against the upside down, we get this expressing of a want for more closeness, but neither one of them are actually really ready to put in the work they need to to close that gap in their relationship.

In these scenes, Nancy kind of sets the precedent of lying in their relationship, and it's interesting because if you look at Mike's expression after Nancy tells him her relationship with Jonathan "isn't like that," it seems like Mike kind of goes, "Oh, okay," and takes what she says sort of at face value. So whether or not he's telling the truth about El here? I don't know. It reads as defensive, but in the same way as his "Pretty cool" line about El reads after he realizes he calls her pretty. The biggest empathy miss here though, I think, comes from Nancy.

Throughout the seasons, we can tell that they care about each other, but they don't have the type of relationship where they can really be open and honest, and if I'm honest, I think most of that comes from Nancy. She's older and she still sort of views Mike as her annoying little brother who needs protection. She sort of goes off on her own a lot, with both Steve and Jonathan, and doesn't make herself available to Mike in the same way that Jonathan does for Will. I think Nancy and Mike's dynamic is really meant to stand in stark contrast to Jonathan and Will's because Nancy and Mike grew up in a household where love was never properly expressed, so showing that kind of familial affection doesn't come naturally to them.

But I'm going to give a hot take and say that Nancy is more closed off than Mike is. Because initially, Mike is not all that closed off. He teases Nancy, tries to pour syrup on her eggs, and joke around with her, which for him, is an attempt to express closeness and sibling bonding, but Nancy kind of just shuts Mike's behaviors down.

And even though they do get somewhat closer, Nancy continues to do this even into season 4. Mike once again reaches out to see if she'll join his campaign and she gives him the most annoyed look ever. We know she used to be open to participating in DnD, but she isn't anymore. And I think it's honestly a little heartbreaking because Nancy is the FIRST person Mike thinks of when Eddie tells him he needs a sub for Lucas, because unlike Dustin, Mike doesn't really have close relationships outside of the party, but you can tell he wants to be closer to Nancy.

When Mike gets to high school, we know he's still mercilessly bullied, and this could have been an opportunity for Nancy to take him under her wing or defend him more, but she really doesn't seem to do this. Nancy has elevated her status in high school, she's sought after, but Mike still maintains his loser status, and while Nancy does love and care about Mike, she doesn't really go out of her way to make him feel welcome or accepted. It actually creates a really interesting contrast between how Nancy and Mike interact as siblings where Nancy kind of fails to support Mike, and Will and El as siblings, where Will steps in and is constantly looking out for El's best interest, even at the detriment of his own reputation.

So while Mike is more closed off in his relationships than the other party members, I don't really feel like it's from a lack of his trying to be closer, it's more because Mike has fallen into a pattern of expecting his feelings and expressions to be shut down. We see this in his relationships with Nancy, Ted, and El, and I think though Lucas and Dustin are there for him, they don't always fully understand what Mike wants or needs and are more quick to dismiss his behaviors and write him off as acting like a douche than to check in on him. The only people who have ever really held space for Mike are his mom and Will, and I think, as a teenage boy growing up, it's a lot easier to talk to your friend about what you're going through than your mom, especially in a household where expressions of love aren't normalized.

I think though, that Nancy and Mike have both made huge strides this season in their willingness to open up to others, Mike with Will, and Nancy with Robin, surprisingly, so I think that when Nancy and Mike are together in season 5, we may see them actually become more vulnerable with one another and finally have more of the sibling dynamic I think they've both secretly wanted the whole time.

[fruitydemogorgon]

Character Arc Timeee

Okay I'm gonna be honest with u idk if i've posted this already. Also, I don't usually talk about these characters so ig this is me just compiling my thoughts. not entirely related to byler, but the last 3 character bits are

Dustin: The Duffer's explained that more people would be grieving Eddie in season 5 (i'm pretty sure they said this but i can't find a link sorry), and I think this will largely impact Dustin's character. Over the series, I believe his arc has really been focused on independence and self-love/pride. His intelligence and confidence have been established clearly throughout every season, and I think, though it was painful, someone close to him dying was a reasonable way to begin the end of his journey. In season 2, it's highlighted how much he hides his emotions if he's uncomfortable or excluded (lonely). So, giving him someone who could reassure him, and tell him that they loved him, was a beautiful thing. Taking that away gives Dustin the opportunity to build himself up higher, now knowing that someone loved him for who he was (not saying that his friends didn't, just pointing out that most people tease him for his personality, rather than tell him they love him for it). I think, as a way to end his storyline, he needs to share his internal struggles with people he loves, and to reinforce his bonds. In other words, he needs to communicate with someone close about his grief for Eddie (Steve, Mike, Lucas). He deserves to have a major accomplishment. Something that he can take pride in and share with the people he loves. In fact, we've gotten this multiple times before (with Dustin's inventions and the way he succeeds in understanding the supernatural occurences).

Lucas: Over the season's, he's proved time and time again his untarnished loyalty to his friends. Always being there for them when necessary and putting himself in danger to do so. His selflessness is extremely significant to his character. Over the seasons, we've seen him face maturing and growing up head-on, embracing new opportunities and changes. However, this becomes a conflict for him in season 4 when he desires to join the basketball team. He wants to stay loyal to his friends, but he also wants to move on and "not be a nerd". We see this aspiration of his falter as the Upside Down resurfaces in his life. And, by the end of the season, his maturity has rooted from grief and trauma rather than physically growing up. In the final season, I think it would be important to let him move onto something new. Let him have that individual growth that we saw begin in season 4, while maintaining the beautiful bonds he has with his friends and family.

Max (TW-mention of suicidal thoughts): Though we've had her for only three seasons, as viewers we have been given a significant amount of insight into her character. As stated by Sadie and the Duffer's multiple times, in season 4 Max reverts back to her original ways from season 2. Closed-in yet brave and wilful. False guilt enforced into her by Billy (for 'being the reason' her father left. 'Being the reason' her mother met Billy's father. 'Being the reason' they had to move across the country) making her more hesitant to make friends. In season 3, we saw her adapt, become more comfortable with her friends and herself. Though, when Billy dies, she becomes afraid again. And, as Vecna begins to 'curse' her, he brings out her guilt. This is what leads to her becoming more isolated and quiet. It also brings to the surface suicidal feelings and depressive thoughts. The 'Running Up That Hill' scene symbolised her escaping these thoughts, breaking out of that depressive episode with the help of people she loves. After all this, though, she's almost killed at the end of the season. This put her back in a place of suffering, rather than tying up her arc like it could have. In season 5, though, her recovery will almost force her to open up about how she's feeling with both her friends and doctors (assuming doctors would be monitoring her). To finalise her arc, I think we just need to see her in a place where she is happy, as overcoming being unhappy has been a major part of her character.

Eleven: Like Max, her character arc was a huge focus of this season. At the beginning of the show, her powers define her. That's what she's been told her whole life, and it's practically all she knows. Then, she meets Mike, who teaches her about love and family and the real meaning of home. However, rather than letting her experience the world for all it is, he tells her about it. Hopper does, too, in season 2. Both of them confine her to a situation where she is forced to pretend to be 'normal', whilst being treated like she is not. In season 3, Max finally gives her the chance to move on from that lifestyle, and to discover herself in the real world. At the end of season 3, though, she's forced to become the superhero again, and defeat the Mind Flayer. Here, she also loses Hopper. This has a huge toll on her, as the grief and trauma of it all forces her to revert back to Mike for support (and, his character is only grateful for this). Finally, season 4 gives El the opportunity to break away from everything that has been holding her down, only, we discover that there's even more holding her down. Her past, her relations with Vecna, the other test subjects, conflict of feeling like a monster- it all builds up until she attacks Angela. Then, Mike, the first person to make her feel human (though also the person who fails to treat her like one the most), treats her as she is nothing without her powers (at least that's how she interprets it). Then, she goes on a huge journey of turmoil and danger and reconnecting with her past- only to end up back in the same situation she was in at the end of season 3. Powerful and ready to fight. Then, it's portrayed as if Mike's monologue is the only thing that can make her strong enough to fight (I say this, but I think Mike is the only one who really believed that. He thought that saying all these things was the only way he could save her, he wasn't actually speaking from his heart). And, at the end of volume 2 we still don't know how El feels. In the end, it was memories of Max that helped her regain her powers, not her love with Mike (which wasn't resolved in volume 2 either- they haven't spoken about it yet). El's character needs to finalise her independence, and that very likely means ending her relationship with Mike.

Mike: I have analysed the hell out of this boy. So, bear with me on the complexity of this one. Mike's character progression has been the least clear of them all. His motives and pursuits differ throughout the show, and aren't always sensical. To entertain the confusion, his character has a dramatic change between seasons 2 and 3. Before that, though, let's look at season 1. His main goal is to find Will. He's passionate, determined, and stubborn. Qualities that are shown quite clearly through his actions and other clues. It is shown to the audience that Will's disappearance is affecting him greatly, however, when El arrives, his focus turns to her. But, it's fairly deductible that this is only because she "knows about Will". Keep in mind that, before she noticed Will, Mike was indifferent to her. She was an obstacle in his way of achieving his goal. On the same day he loses Will, he finds her. On the night Will is rescued, El disappears. In season 2, El is gone. And, in a way, Will replaces her. I could keep talking about him forever, but I'll try to wrap it up. Mike's relationship with El is very similar to his parent's relationship. This has been painted in a negative light throughout the show. Mike is complicated, because though he is a 'main character', his arc and personality are written into the subtext. In everything, he's scared. Scared of bullies and conflict and himself. Scared of himself because he knows he feels, he feels so much more than what he pretends to feel. And what he's feeling is an overwhelming amount of love. Love for his friends and sister and El and Will. His best friend. And he's so scared of this deep, sturdy web of love that he succumbs to the normal. The normal his parents have shown him, raised him to. Normal for El, Troy, himself. To beat this, he needs to be brave. He needs to reach for that compassion that roots inside of him, and use it. Use it to tell the truth and share the love. Share it with his friends and El and Will. Because, he is Will's heart, and in season 5 he'll start showing it.

bitch be gay, your honour.

yes i did put a lot of effort into this and yes i did put a lot of effort into analysing will i just did it all in my brain and yes you just have to telepathically communicate with me if u wanna hear it 😤. max and el are my favs to write about i think. and dusty bun. and lucas. and, of course, will and mike.

please excuse all the tags lol

[gwenstrikesagain]

vecna slash henry slash one

S4:E8

When Robin starts to rant about how they were wrong about Vecna, she refers to all of the names we know him as:

Vecna.

Henry.

and One.

Robin asks what they're calling him now, and I think it is interesting who picks which name.

Erica calls him Vecna.

Dustin and Lucas call him One.

Nancy calls him Henry.

So why are they picking each of these names? and why is that interesting to us as viewers?

First of all, up until this point, Erica has been shielded from most Upside Down gore. She saw El's leg in S3, but she never saw the Mind Flayer in the mall, nor did she see a Demogorgon. She was told what was happening by Dustin. The story was laid out for her, a story that she hasn't lived yet. Dustin acted as a DM for her, laying out the story.

Canonically, Erica is still 11 years old. At her age, Erica's brain will protect her from trauma by considering these things a game, or relating them to a game. Which game would she relate the horror she's hearing about and seeing? The one she has become so passionate about since S3 and the one that directly correlates to the victory she just had. She calls him Vecna, because in her mind they've already defeated Vecna. It is the safest option for Erica.

This is why the very end of E9 is a transforming moment. When Erica breaks into the attic and finds Max dying in her brother's arms, there is a dramatic shift we can see in her eyes (serious kudos to Priah, she's incredible). In that moment, the gravity of the Upside Down hits her as she sees it cause the death of someone she loves in front of her eyes. For the first time, it isn't a game anymore.

Next on the docket: Dustin and Lucas. Unlike Erica, they have seen the gore and horrors of the Upside Down first hand. They have seen the Demogorgon attack and El kill in S1 and the Demodogs that almost killed them in S2. In S3, Lucas sees the Mind Flayer several times. He throws fireworks at it, cuts it off of his friend, and watches it possess and kill his girlfriend's brother in front of her. Meanwhile, in S3, Dustin sees the gate opening, and knows that the roaring he hears over Cerebro promises imminent death for his friends. For those two, and the others, this battle is no longer a game or a comic book.

Dustin and Lucas have seen Eleven defend them on countless occasions. They have seen the power she holds first hand. For Lucas, he has even been on the receiving end of what her powers can do. For those two, and the kids who aren't present, One is the most familiar and understandable way to refer to and understand him. To them, El is their superhero, and One is the villain. Much like the comic books they read, and the games they play, he is a big bad that the good guys will overcome. They've saved the day every other time, and they will do it again.

They have a lot of trauma in their past. Compartmentalizing and placing One in the same box as Eleven is the most comfortable option. One is the big bad, and El is their hero. It is the safest option for them.

Also, they themselves are 14/15. Developmentally, Lucas and Dustin will rely on the familiar as a coping mechanism. Comic books and D&D are the reference they will rely on. In those, however, death is not final. No 14/15 year old boy acts in self preservation. Mortality isn't real to them. Just like in the comics and in their games, danger is not real. They won't die, nor will their friends. In their stage of life, death isn't an option.

But, in E9, they both lose. Dustin loses Eddie, and Lucas loses Max. Both of them watch as the big bad wins, and the ones they love most die in their arms. This is no longer a comic book with classic heroes and villains. They have escaped relatively unscathed in the past, but now? Now the danger is in their faith and it is throwing their mortality in their faces. Not only is death final, but it is personal. This is human, and this battle is no longer safe.

Finally, Nancy refers to him as Henry. When she is cursed by Henry, he shows her his childhood. Specifically, he shows her what he looked like as a human child. In S3, when Max and Mike are arguing, Nancy reminds Mike that El is her own person in control of her own decisions. In the moment, we get a glimpse into how Nancy sees El. Unlike Mike, she doesn't look at El and see a superhero or only her powers. Nancy sees that El is a kid, and a young woman making her own decisions. In the same way, Nancy sees Henry as a boy who has made his own decisions.

To Nancy, he is human. He isn't the antagonist in a D&D match, or the supervillian in a superhero's comic book story: he is Henry. Nancy sees Henry as a man who has chosen evil, and has chosen to torture.

She never had the luxury of seeing this as a game, or heroes verses villains, like the others. This has been human and real to Nancy from the moment Barb disappeared. She never had the luxury of ignoring mortality. Her best friend was killed at the very beginning of all of this.

Developmentally, at 17/18, Nancy is coming to terms with adulthood and what that means for her. With it, she is facing the fact that she is mortal, and her decisions will influence her future. The college she goes to, the friends she choses, and who she decides to love are things that do not feel safe: they feel vulnerable.

Of them all, Nancy is the most in tune with what they are facing. As such, she immediately jumps into action. Nancy makes the decision to go into the Upside Down, to allow Max to be bait, to assign Eddie and Dustin to distraction duty, to step forward and pull the trigger on someone she sees as a man, not a monster.

Nancy is the leader this season. Robin says it herself, Nance is in charge. That responsibility, and the choices that came with it, will haunt her. She made the plan, and assigned tasks just as she would at the school newspaper. The deaths and injuries that occurred under her orders will follow her, just as Barb's death had followed her.

Next season, it will be interesting to see if the group unites in what they refer to Henry/Vecna/One as. Will they be a united front, facing an enemy they see in the same light, or will they still be divided?

[burgundybmw]

Stranger Things Zodiac Signs: The Babysitters Club

Eddie Munson // Aquarius

Eddie is definitely an Aquarius, this is a hill I choose to die on. He marches to the beat of his own drum and isn't afraid to express himself. Aqua's tend to be very strong in their likes and dislikes, we see this with his big speech in the cafeteria and how passionate he is about music and DnD. Aqua's tend to be unorthodox, and they like being that way. Eddie is very comfortable with his interests despite what others say, and he's definitely rebellious. He's very open minded about everything regarding the Upside Down and adapts to it fairly quickly. He doesn't change who he is no matter who he's with, whether it's Dustin and the Hellfire Club, or with people like Steve and Chrissy, he's truly an individual. Aqua's are very close with their friends, and form very tight bonds once they are in their inner circle. We saw his relationship with Dustin and then throughout the season how he interacts with the rest of the group. He's creative, artistic, and inventive (as a Dungeon Master and musician you kind of have to be.) Aquariuses are known to change people's lives just by being a part of it, and Eddie certainly does that, with the cast and the audience too.

Steve Harrington // Libra

I have seen so many people say that Steve is a Leo, and that's just wrong, he's totally a Libra and this is why I'm right. Libras are active, easy going, they prize beauty and are very social people. Steve is all of those things. Libras are very charming and easy to like, they tend to draw people to them. Steve possesses the ability to get people to adore him, we see this with Dustin, Robin, Nancy, and even Eddie in the last season. Libra is ruled by the planet Venus, which is all about love and relationships. You know who's big on love and relationships? Steve. We see this with his relationship with Nancy and how it ended. He was so heartbroken when he realized she didn't love him as much as he loved her. In season 4, he talks about how he doesn't want to have relationships just for sex, he WANTS to fall in love. Steve loves love. Libras are team players, and Steve was so quick to join in on all of the Upside Down nonsense. He's a people pleaser to a fault. Libras are also known to be a bit indecisive, we see this with his struggles to figure out what he wants to do with his future career goals. The only thing he isn't indecisive about is things regarding relationships, whether romantic or platonic, he knows what he wants he either doesn't want to admit it or doesn't know how to achieve it. Steve is a gorgeous person inside and out, and that's very Libra.

Robbin Buckley // Gemini

Robin is smart, adaptable, and an excellent communicator (even when she goes off with her babbling.) Gemini's tend to be very curious, and Robin is definitely that. She wants to be a part of everything that's going on, even if that gets her into trouble. Another trait of Gemini is the fact that they hate boredom, they always want to be actively engaged with the world around them. Robin is always one of the first people to jump on to a new task. Geminis usually have many different hobbies and interests, and we know Robin is in band, studies languages in her spare time, and has very unique tastes in movies. Gemini's are also known for being the type of friend you can always rely on, and Robin and Steve's friendship is probably one of the best one's I've seen on TV. Because I think Steve is a Libra, these two air signs are a match made in platonic heaven.

Nancy Wheeler // Scorpio

So this one I know will be controversial. Everything I see about Stranger Things and zodiac signs always has Nancy as a Virgo, she's totally not a Virgo, she's a Scorpio. Scorpio's are very imaginative and passionate, we see that with Nancy's drive to become a journalist. I think because she's smart and places high merit on school they think she's a Virgo, but I believe it's because she wants to get into a good school to pursue her dream career, not for the sake of academia. Scorpio's are magnetic and intense, they don't do anything half assed. That is Nancy to a T. Every task she sets her mind on she does, often fueled by her emotions. Scorpio's often present themselves as calm and smily to the world, but deep down they are extremely persistent and strong willed. This was Nancy's entire character in season 3. Nancy likes to be in control, and when Scorpio's are in control they feel safe. Scorpio's are also very complex, and like to dive deeper into the things that aren't skin deep. Nancy is always the first person to try and find out what is actually going on, it's what she is passionate about and that is the source of her inquisitive nature. Scorpio's are also known to have complex relationships, we see this with Steve and Jonathan. Jonathan and Nancy have nearly broken up every season since they've gotten together, and that's usually because Nancy is the one to start it, and if that isn't major Scorpio energy I don't know what is.

Jonathan Byers // Taurus

I don't think this opinion is very controversial. I often see Jonathan as a Taurus when people discuss Stranger Things zodiac signs, so I won't go into heavy detail. Tauruses are quiet, practical, stubborn, and resistant to change. If that doesn't sum up Jonathan Byers I don't know what does. He's an introvert and is pretty set on his opinions of the world and doesn't like to change them. He doesn't want to follow Nancy for college because he'd rather stay and support his family, which is in line with Tauruses love for stability. Jonathan has a hidden temper, and only unleashes it when someone "pokes the bull." We see that with his fight with Steve, when him and Nancy argue in the car, and when his mom is hell bent on saying Will was alive in season 1. Tauruses can be very opinionated, and usually stick to their guns. This is very evident in season 1 when him and Nancy are out searching for Barb. Jonathan isn't frivolous, he's very down to earth and sensible. When it comes to his personal life he likes to stay in his comfort zone, but when trouble comes afoot so does the bull.

[yuzublackswan]

hello, i haven’t posted anything stranger things related on this blog before as i’m not properly too much of an active member of the fanbase so it’s a tad random but i commented something on a stranger things reaction video on youtube and it was just meant to be a small explanation but it kind of accidentally became my own character analysis and interpretation of jonathan byers and i’ve seen other posts on tumblr before touching on the parentification of jonathan, so i thought it would be chill to drop it somewhere on social media too. i made the comment to explain to the reactors why i felt jonathan was prickly towards the idea of a seemingly cookie-cutter nuclear family like the wheelers in season 1. i cut out the beginning as that was more contextual stuff about the nature of will and jonathan’s abuse from lonnie, explaining how it’s heavily implied he was physically as well as verbally abusive to them and perhaps joyce as well, but i trust people on the tags that could find and read this know all that stuff. there may be some spoiler dodging here and there as the reactors had not yet finished season 3 (so i don’t explicitly mention any of the goings on in season 4). so here it is, copy/pasted:

as you see in season 2 with bob struggling to get through to him as a potential father figure, jonathan is just prickly towards the idea of something like a nuclear family, probably for the reason that his experience of being in that kind of household was a toxic one. despite the fact bob’s a good man who makes his mother happy and is evidently willing to be there for jonathan and will even despite the severity of will’s condition, jonathan remains distrusting and on guard, which is where his own ptsd from lonnie subtly shines through. he’s the classic older sibling who takes on all the responsibility upon his shoulders to care for his family. when lonnie left, he took on the responsibilities of working and looking after will to fill the void lonnie left financially and to tend to his family’s trauma. the fact that he has a very nurturing and loving relationship with will as opposed to the often teasing one most siblings their age have, or even hostile one (see nancy and mike in season 1, who are both the same age as jonathan and will respectively), is telling enough about the circumstances they grew up in - jonathan is determined to shield and protect and reassure will, and he probably felt he had to do much of that when lonnie was around. he’s very protective over his mother and little brother, almost unhealthily so at points - overworking himself, blaming himself whenever something goes wrong, and neglecting his own wants and needs in favour of looking after his family, which should never be a teenager’s responsibility - and despite their poverty, probably tries to convince himself that he’s all their family needs for support to avoid the thought of another man coming into the house and potentially putting all this stability that jonathan’s worked hard to achieve since lonnie left in jeopardy. he looks down on the idea that families have to be nuclear to be stable, which was an even more common view back in the 80s - that would devalue all he’s done for his family, devalue the fact that his family was happier and safer after the father left, at least before will was taken. he’s visibly angry and disturbed when he sees lonnie back in the byers house, not just because of the situation at hand, but also because that’s lonnie disturbing the peace that jonathan helped joyce build around his absence. he’s traumatised by his father, and he’s chose to cope with it by licking his mother’s and brother’s wounds instead of his own. the psychology of his character is very underrated

[mind-travel-er]

The ring on Eddie’s right hand is often recognized as a “mood ring”. BUT there's a debate that it might be a specific stone. An obsidian snowflake. In close ups, you can actually see the ring better, with black and speckles of white.

A mood ring would be pretty cool. I'm all for it. But guess what?

Upon further research, an obsidian snowflake just so happens to be of importance in DnD. Here’s the description: “When exposed to dragon's breath, the stone absorbed an unpredictable portion of the damage and disintegrated. It is formed when the scorching-hot lava inside a volcano spurts out and cools down. Its birth signifies that in every chaos, peace is inevitable.” Coincidence? Or is it exactly describing Eddie's character arc? In the most chaotic of all places, the Upside Down, Eddie finally found peace when he "didn't run away this time, right?". Joseph Quin described Eddie as guilt ridden over what happened to Chrissy. Eddie could have found some serenity after all, by avenging her in his own way, and buying time for his friends to fight Vecna. It also builds Eddie's character in such an awesome way. He probably stumbled upon that ring in a shop and recognized the obsidian. Just the kind that would protect him from a dragon's breath. A strong metaphor for people waisting their breath on him, calling him a freak and other colorfull nicknames. Eddie is the kind of guy that pays 👏🏻 attention 👏🏻 to the smallest things, wearing daily a DnD reference that most people won't notice. That melts my heart, because it shows our boy is detail oriented.

AND, in lithotherapy, the obsidian snowflake is the stone of rebirth and emotional growth; also why called “the flowering obsidian”.

[steddielations]

Eddie Munson + Details

"We kind of stitched [Eddie's vest] so it would look like he did it himself ... We added a belt buckle that has a handcuff on it ... We gave him a chain on the leather of his jacket, like maybe the zipper broke, and he tried to close it. So we really focused on little details."

[byers-bowlcut]

I've seen people say El likes the IDEA of having a boyfriend more than she actually likes her own boyfriend, and jfc it's so true 😭 Like it's all over the show:

Season 1

She's initially attached to Mike because he's the first person to give her shelter, food, genuine human care and just,, not calling CPS immediately. Her feelings for him was born from trauma and dependency in season 1. And throughout the rest of the 3 seasons, we don't see it grow past that.

Also I think it's noticeable in S1 that:

She was uninterested when Mike tried to share his hobbies with her

She also did not seem to mind AT ALL when she questioned if Mike could be her brother. He voice is neutral and curious here, not the least bit repulsed by the thought of being siblings with Mike, like girl does not care 😭

Season 2

This season has zero onscreen moments of Mike and El actually getting to know each other further. They were separated nearly the whole season.

What we DO see:

El's attachment and dependency on Mike that was developed from S1

We also find out how El spent a year of her life watching melodramatic romance films. Many other middle schoolers might identify that relationships in real life don't work like those films. But El is fresh out of lab life, she's literally learning the world through this TV, and has now become obsessed with the IDEA of having a boyfriend/relationship just like that.

Season 3

Again, no onscreen moments of El showing interest in who Mike is as a person.

The very first scene we see of them, she's trying to get him to stop singing along to the song they're listening to. She seems to like kissing Mike. But isn't shown enjoying anything actually characteristic about him, like sharing interests with him such as music.

Hopper indicates that they don't do anything meaningful together either. We see here that before hanging out with Max, El had little sense of her own style, her hobbies, her interests- meaning spending time with Mike for months probably didn't involve many talking points did it?

Also in season 3, El dumps Mike with ZERO hesitation. Then she has the time of her life with Max. The most acknowledgment we get that she's oh so heartbroken is a small frown to Max that her and Mike aren't on best terms. And even that doesn't seem so paramount cause 1 episode later she totally dismisses Mike after he explains how Hopper threatened him. She just tells him maybe Hopper was right 😭😭

It's literally ONLY once she starts becoming in danger that she starts clinging onto him again. I feel like we've seen this film before hm.

Like where are any signs that she likes Mike as an individual, and is falling for who he really is, rather than simply being attached due to trauma, and liking the concept of doing romantic things (ie: kissing, dancing at the ball, etc.)

Season 4

This is the season it becomes the MOST OBVIOUS: El loves the concept of a happy relationship and being loved, but not really loving Mike for who he is. And bringing in Will's feelings just emphasizes this point.

To start, El continues doing all these relationship-y things that she did in the start of S3. She has Mike's name and pictures plastered all over her room. She makes a "Mike box" with his pictures decorated all over it. But the thing is: this is all sort of a façade at this point. We know she's BEEN unhappy with him for months ("From Mike! From Mike! From Mike!"). But with all these items, she's basically trying to convince herself that she's in this happy, fantasy, movie-like relationship, like she probably watched in hopper's cabin in season 2.

And then, there's the sheer difference between her and WILL in their feelings for Mike. We see it right off the bat when Mike comes to the airport: Will and El both have plans to give Mike something.

Will plans to give him a painting he worked extremely hard on. The painting is a connection of what they BOTH love: DnD, and it includes their friends who also play the game. It's very personal and immediately touches Mike. What's more is, the painting illustrates the exact qualities about Mike that Will loves: his leadership, his bravery, his guidance. This painting literally spells out to us that Will truly loves Mike for WHO HE IS.

Meanwhile, El plans on giving Mike a fun reunion date. She has the whole day planned out. And immediately: we see that what she wants to do doesn't actually takes Mike's interests and personality into consideration. You can see and hear the strain in his voice when he talks about "burritos for breakfast" 😬

You can see how he's not that relaxed at rinkomania, and nervous about skating, saying he's clumsy. He probably would've much preferred movies and playing a board game, over skating. But El has her own ideas. When she brings Mike to rinkomania, she tries to act really cool about it. She wants to impress him, wants to seem like she fits in and belongs.

Her present was never actually ABOUT Mike, and about loving Mike that she would plan this huge date for him. Her present was about her desperately wanting to have this cool date like every other normal teen girl might, with a normal boyfriend, and make it seem like they have a happy perfect relationship.

And then finally we reach their S4 fight. I find it extremely interesting how Hopper's cabin is framed in the background during their whole fight. It's almost like an indication that her desperate need to be loved by Mike stems from her trying to cope with losing Hopper and the hole left by him, that clearly did not exist when she happily dumped Mike in S3.

In their fight, when the topic of bullying comes up, Mike says he understands her, but El is quick to say he doesn't. She thinks Mike doesn't understand her, but this is just as much her not understanding HIM as well.

She doesn't get the extent of Mike's insecurities (definitely partially a result of bullying), something that Mike later divulges to WILL and not her. If the writers wanted to show us how much El understands Mike and loves him for who he is, her and Mike would work through his insecurities in their rs together, NOT through a middle man.

Overall it's pretty striking that we've never once heard El actually compliment Mike, or articulate, or even show what exactly she loves about him through four whole seasons. I mean...

Attachment to him due to trauma or grief =/= loving him for who he is.

Wanting to BE loved =/= loving him for who he is.

So really in terms of a relationship, what El ACTUALLY wants is the concept/idea of a regular boyfriend, and a happy easy relationship, all in an attempt to feel normal. And that's why we see them fall apart the way they do in season 4, and why Will is currently so involved. Because Will DOES see and love Mike for exactly who he is.

[lesbyers]

dog metaphors are all about devotion, devotion to a person, a concept, a place etc, to be a dog is to be devoted.

there are three types of dogs

dog 1: pet dogs; loyal and devout, they follow after the object of their devotion desperately even when it is not reciprocated or out of their reach. they are usually (but not always), somewhat innocent (think puppy love). they are below or believe themselves to be below the devoted in terms of power/worth/status etc, at the end of the day they are just someone's dog. they feel they are owned by who or what they are devoted to, whether enforced by them or by their "owner" differs. some are naturally selfless and obsessive, others bullied into submission, some are mix of both.

dog 2: guard dogs; aggressive and loyal, protector and/or provider in some way, (think knight and king dynamic) use anger and violence as an expression of love and devotion, either prone to harming who/what they are devoted to or are dedicated to the protection of it in all forms. this varies depending on the morality of the characters. low morality guard dogs are possessive and challenge their devotion using violence and threat to gain control. others are valiant and heroic, usually with a strong moral code that will not be broken. they are often bad at communication and addressing their own emotions, choosing to speak through their actions rather than using words.

dog 3: wild or wolf-like dogs, at their core they are a large animals that are unaware of their strength and size, their displays of love and affection, although genuine and passionate, can end up harming or negatively impacting the objects of their devotion, (think dogs showing affection through biting not realising the sharpness of their teeth), usually impulsive, controlled by emotions and erratic, they are volatile and often illogical. to love and be loved by them is dangerous. violence is a natural or taught characteristic of theirs that is inherent and inescapable. these characters often don’t intend to cause harm and when they do it’s usually from an un-calculated place of impulsive destruction or an emotional outburst.

[loserharrington]

eddie is interesting to me because for someone who rejects social norms and is anti-conformist, he is SUPER driven by stereotypes.

we see it mostly in him disliking basketball players despite their other interests (including lucas who is both nerd AND jock), testing erica on her dnd knowledge because she’s young, and thinking nancy was some straight laced goody two shoes (enough that it’s shocking to him that she owns guns). also with steve in the way he had yet to see how much he changed as a person since high school even though he’s long fallen from popularity and dustin evidently talks about how much he looks up to him all the time. (you’d think he’d take dustin’s word for it considering the type of person dustin is.)

it’s almost like he has a black and white way of thinking. despite all of the evidence there that these people can’t be checked into one box, he continues to believe that they can only be one way.

i just think it’s interesting that he makes assumptions about people in the same way they make assumptions about him, but turns around and rants about much he dislikes the fact that people misjudge him and the people like him for their interests.

if he had lived, i could see him going through a self discovery arc (similar to steve’s) and learning that stereotypes aren’t always true and people aren’t what they seem at face value. and i think he believes that he already knows this, but his behaviors tell otherwise.

he already started to see this a little bit when he spoke to chrissy. how he thought that she would be “mean and scary” only to find out she’s sweet and kind. he then finds out steve is actually a “good dude” and not who he expected him to be.

as he meets the rest of the characters and sees how all these different types of people interact with each other in harmony, he might be shocked to learn that he’s not who he thought himself to be either

[deanismysavior]

Ik everyone talks about this in different fonts, but your ask about mike and nancy and how he feels comfortable opening up to will really struck me because wow, broski literally NEVER opens up to his girlfriend. Like we knew this already, but it really does go beyond him not having dramatic heart to hearts with El on top of vans. He really doesn’t talk to El about ANYTHING other than things related to the fight against the UD. And I think that directly connects to him putting her on a pedestal. Beyond his sexuality, beyond the debate of whether he loves will or el, why are my chemical romances completely chill with a bf/gf who don’t open up about anything. That should concern them, but it never does . Like literally, when you contrast with Lumax, who are vulnerable with each other ATT, it’s startling. How do melvin shippers not see that? Because that goes beyond the Byler debate into the core emptiness of their relationship which is a fact.

Yeah, let's talk about Mike and El for a second, because I think there's more to unpack here.

We really see so many empathy misses between the two of them, and I kind of think a lot more of those in later seasons come/start from El shutting down Mike's feelings than the other way around. I mean, Mike sets the precedent here with blaming El a lot in season 1, and we definitely still see his issues with deflection and blame shifting, but we do see Mike TRY to understand what's going on with El, and I'm not so sure we see El doing the same for Mike, though to give El the benefit of the doubt here, I also don't think it's ever been demonstrated to her that she should be making space for Mike in this way.

Let's take a look:

First we have this scene here where Mike is trying to relate to El and show her around. He's excitedly showing off all of his toys to her, and El just really could not be bothered. She gets up to scope out the rest of the room and kind of leaves Mike alone with his toys. Now obviously, this is a small thing, but I think it's an interesting way to set up their dynamic: Mike is trying to be attentive with El and make sure she's experiencing everything (making her breakfast, showing her the Lazy Boy, showing her his toy collection), and El is sort of dismissive with him. Clearly, she's also not been brought up traditionally, so I can give her a pass on these behaviors, but as for establishing a relationship between Mike and El, it's kind of already pointing toward the fact that they're not on the same page and don't really share the same interests.

We see basically the same thing happen here in the s3 opening makeout scene where Mike breaks their kiss to rock out to Never Surrender and El covers Mike's mouth and tells him to stop singing. He says, "What, you don't like it?" And it's played off as this kind of comedic moment, but we get the sense here again that El kind of stifles a bit of Mike's goofiness and playfulness, so much of what makes him him, to just go back to making out. It doesn't read to me here like she's all that interested in spending QUALITY time with Mike, she's moreso interested in engaging in teenage behavior with him, gossiping and making out.

But let's take a step back for a second and look at their initial kiss scene here because I think this also highlights how much they are not on the same page at any point in their relationship. In this first scene we get between them that really establishes them as a romantic relationship, Mike is telling El that she can come live with him and his family, that his parents will be like her parents, and his sister will be like her sister, and El asks if that means that Mike will be like her brother, and he says, No, that's different. Here, Mike is being pushed into creating this romantic bond between he and El because Lucas and Dustin frame his attentiveness to her in this way, and likewise, El is pushed into framing this as a romantic bond and not a familial bond by Mike. While Mike is confusing platonic feelings for romantic feelings, El is confusing familial feelings for romantic feelings.

And we see this displayed so apparently in El's entire arc during season 2. She leaves Hawkins to try to establish for herself what her relation to the world is, and she goes out in search of family, first to her Mom, and then to Kali, her sister. Both her aunt and Kali offer her places to stay and offer her a place in their family, but El returns to Hawkins, and says she's going "Home" because that's where her family is, not just Hopper, but Mike and the rest of the party too. El views these relationships as being like family and like home to her.

And this sets up so well why Mike and El's relationship in season 3 feels so off to the both of them. They believe that their bond has to be romantic because of how much expectation and waiting was built between them, but we again see them not being on the same page.

Now we already talked about the beginning makeout, so I won't go over that again, but I do want to key into a few of the points in their dynamic. While we've talked about how El and Will are constantly confused and interchanged in the story with Mike, Mike and Hopper are consistently also confused and interchanged in the story for El. Mike kind of plays, in a weird way, a 3rd father figure role to El in places.

Now we know that Hopper has always been overprotective of El and has firm rules set in place for her, but we also see this behavior show up with Mike in season 3. He's concerned about having lost El, and he kind of steps in by trying to have control over how she uses her powers. He thinks the others are trying to exploit her, so while his intentions are well-meaning here, El doesn't need this kind of overprotection from Mike because she already has it from Hopper, and her whole arc in season 3 is about her discovering herself outside of being defined by her relationships with others.

So when we get to season 4, and we see that Mike has created more distance in their relationship while El is sort of clinging onto it and fully investing into Mike, I think similarly to how Mike threw himself into El in s3 after being afraid he lost her in s2, El does the same thing with Mike because she thinks she lost Hopper, and so Mike becomes really her main support system. While of course she loves the Byers and Will, Jonathan, and Joyce step in to become family for her, they are not as familiar to her as Mike is, and Mike is the only person besides Hopper who has really been there for El since the beginning. She leans so heavily onto Mike and displaces a lot of her insecurities about losing her powers, losing her home, and losing her Dad into Mike's inability to say "I love you" because what El really wants and needs in season 4 is a sense of stability that she doesn't have.

So when Mike finally tries to address the problem after he finds out El has been lying to him and that she's been being bullied, he's trying to understand why she hasn't been talking to him, and instead of really talking through it, they both put the blame back on each other. El blames Mike for viewing her as a monster and for not saying I love you, and Mike deflects by saying "you know how I feel about you," making the insecurity her problem instead of something that they work through together as a couple. El can't understand why Mike can't tell her he loves her, but Mike also can't understand why El needs so badly to hear it. And so the only reassurances he gives her are about her powers because that's all she's really defined herself by for so long. He views El's hyperindependence and her need to do everything on her own as a strength in her and not as the result of insecurity and instability that it is.

El and Mike care about each other a lot, but they don't relate to one another. They don't understand one another, and they're constantly never on the same page about their relationship or what one needs from the other. That's what makes it so clear that the monologue didn't solve anything. Because neither one of them was actually hearing the other throughout the entirety of their relationship.

[fruitydemogorgon]

A Character Analysis of Bob and Mike

And (mainly) what it means for Mike and Will

The parallels between Bob and Mike are made quite obvious for casual viewers in the show. They're both head of the AV Club, interested in science and puzzles, etc. But, I wanted to look a little further into their similarities because I believe we can understand Mike and his relationship with Will a little more.

The Crazy Parallel

There's a popular motif in Stranger Things revolving around the word crazy. Specifically, it's definition. For multiple reasons, the word crazy symbolises in love.

In s2.ep2, as the kids are trick-or-treating and Bob and Joyce are dancing together, Bob proposes that he and Joyce move away to Maine together. Joyce is initially wary of this, and Bob dismisses it as a crazy, drunken idea. Joyce states that "It's so hard to explain", and "This is not a normal family".

Later, in the same episode, Mike and Will have their 'crazy together' conversation. The scene starts with Will trying to explain the 'feeling' to him. Mike doesn't understand initially, but quickly catches on as Will describes it as being like a 'View Master caught between two slides'. Throughout the conversation, Mike tries to finish Will's sentences, showing him how desperate he is to understand Will's explanation.

Mike asks him if it's "Like the doctors say, all in your head?" Will replies saying he doesn't know. Proceeding to instruct Mike not to tell the others, because they wouldn't understand.

Mike then says "Eleven would".

This all builds up to the famous:

"I don't know, sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy,"

"Me, too"

"If we both go crazy, we'll go crazy together, right?"

"Yeah, crazy together."

This conversation parallels three romantic couples from the show; Bob and Joyce, Hopper and Joyce, and Jonathan and Nancy.

Firstly, as I stated earlier, Bob and Joyce also discuss being 'crazy'. Joyce says that Bob won't understand, that it's not a normal family. However, in s2.ep5, after Will is admitted to hospital, Bob finally understands. This is similar to how, in Mike and Will's conversation, Mike doesn't understand what Will is trying to say at first, but figures it out eventually. Bob says he's crazy, but Joyce can't reciprocate it.

Next, it has multiple parallels to Hopper and Joyce.

In season 1, Hopper, amongst practically everyone else, believes everything Joyce is saying about Will is just all in her head. Later in the season, they talk about living a normal life, and feeling safe. Hopper and Joyce, in season 3, talk about going crazy. However, there are multiple times throughout the show where miscommunication (not understanding one another) leads to them fighting.

Finally, Nancy and Jonathan, the couple they parallel the most. Nancy was initially with Steve, who she could fit into the 'societal norms' with, before she got with who she truly loved; Jonathan.

Flo told Nancy that "Only love makes you that crazy, and that damn stupid."

And, in season 3, when they're fighting, they say:

"I guess we just don't understand each other anymore".

Here, we see the Three Rules for Love in Stranger Things:

You must defy the norms if you want to find who you truly love

Communication and understanding are key aspects to a healthy relationship

You are crazy together

The only pairing in the show that demonstrates all of these requirements is Mike and Will.

Let's check how they fit into these rules:

In the 80s, a gay relationship was not considered normal. Mike is convinced by pretty much everyone that he romantically likes El (Lucas, Dustin, Nancy).

Mike and Will clearly understand each other throughout the show. They have trust and faith in each other (Obvious in season 1: Will telling Mike he rolled a seven, Mike believing that Will can hide from the Demogorgon).

"Yeah, crazy together."

Let's check how M!leven fits into these rules:

Mike's clothing reflects his parents in s3, representing him following the normal. His Mom, Karen, falls for someone named William, straying from her socially acceptable relationship.

There is a major lack of communication between El and Mike. In season 1, it takes them a long time before Mike actually wants her to stay with them. In season 2, Hopper is the main cause of their miscommunication, however El still spies on him and doesn't communicate with him properly when she can. In season 3 it is most obvious. Their conversations are filled with missing pieces and unresolved complications, El spies on him, etc. El doesn't even understand when Mike is trying to tell her he 'loves' her, even after she overheard him saying it in Hopper's cabin. At the end of season 3, Mike doesn't understand what she's talking about when she says he loves her. The lack of understanding and communication is an extreme focal point of their relationship.

They are not crazy for each other. When Mike tries to tell El he's crazy (in love), she doesn't understand. When Mike tries to tell Will he's crazy (in love) he understands completely. He also is wrong when he says "Eleven would (understand)", because she doesn't understand when he tells her he's crazy (another point of not understanding).

They don't. As simple as that. Lots of relationships reflect Mike and Will's, but none compare to it.

The IT Parallel

When Will is having dreams of the Mind Flayer, Bob believes he can help him. He reminisces of when he was a child, and had nightmares about a clown.

This is a noticeable parallel to IT, where Finn Wolfhard (Mike) plays Richie, who is tormented by Pennywise (a clown). At one point in the film, Pennywise is chasing Richie, telling him he "knows his dirty little secret" (his attraction to his best friend, Eddie Kaspbrack).

Bob advises Will to, rather than run from his nightmares, tell them to go away. He tries doing this, but fails and is caught by the Mind Flayer.

If Bob is symbolising Mike, he is telling Will to suppress his feelings (tell them to go away), like he (Mike) did, but Will fails. Mike manages to direct his feelings for Will onto El, but Will can't run from them.

The only thing that needs to be resolved between Mike and Will is their disagreement in season 3. However, I will mention a few things about the fight:

Their fight is not cut off (like M!leven 'love' confession scenes).

There is nothing major left unsaid (aside from an apology).

It is not a lack of communication and understanding, but a lack of resolution (which is common amongst healthy ST couples).

This needs to be resolved, though, in order for them to return to a healthy relationship. It is likely this will be the conflict early on in season 4, and once it is resolved their romantic relationship will be more unavoidable (in a positive light, though. Not unavoidable with 'no option of divorce').

Mike and Will check-off the Three Rules for Love:

Not normal

Understanding

Crazy Together

[gwenstrikesagain]

Rewatching S3:E8, Battle of Starcourt, and noticed something interesting about Eleven:

El knew about the exit inside the Gap when the others didn’t. (Mike pointed to the stairs, and Max didn’t think of another option)

As someone who worked in a mall, the exit that El, Mike, and Max use is not a public exit. That hallway they end up in is an employee-only area. We see it when Steve lets the rest of the party in the back to sneak into the movies, but El never sees that. Mike might have told her about sneaking around with Steve’s help, but she couldn’t have known exactly where that was.

Here’s the thing: those doors are almost always unmarked. They aren’t true exits deserving of exit signs because they dump into a maze of corridors. In an emergency, it’d be the worst evacuation route, which is why they often remain unmarked. We don’t see exit signs above the door in the Gap or the door in Scoops. El had to have seen an employee use that door and recognize its use when she was in the mall with Max early in S3.

All of this means one thing: El is always looking for exits.

Whether it was subconscious or not, El was keenly aware of a way out of the Gap. She was with Max, a safe person, and away from the lab, but she still noticed an unmarked exit well enough to recall where it was days later.

She was locked away her entire childhood. It is reasonable to assume that El would look for exit routes in any space she was in.

In S1 we know she escaped the lab through the pipes. In S2 we see her escape from the police raid on Kali using an alleyway she had to know would lead away from the cops. But, in S4, we are instead shown El’s desperation for escape: in the police transport, when she first sees Brenner, when she’s trapped by Vecna’s vines, etc.

In S4, her means of finding escape routes was taken from her and her friend.

We know that El looks out for and protects her friends. She couldn’t help Max escape, and we see her still looking for an escape route for Max when she tries to find her in her coma. But, she doesn’t find one.

So, in S4, El loses not only the battle with Vecna, but also a comfort in finding escape routes for herself and her friends.

I’m curious to see how El handles that guilt and potentially forces friends to escape in S5.

[burgundybmw]

Stranger Things Zodiac Signs: The Villains

Billy Hargrove // Scorpio

Is anyone really surprised? If you were to look up toxic Scorpio man in a dictionary Billy's face would be the example. He has trust issues, daddy issues, mommy issues, he's aggressive, insensitive, possessive, manipulative, holy shit the list goes on and on. These are the negative traits of a Scorpio. I'm sure anyone who's ever met a male Scorpio who was a total asshole knows how Billy is like this. I feel like I don't need to elaborate on that, it seems pretty obvious.

Peter Ballard/Henry Creel/Vecna/001 // Aquarius

I already know this will be a controversial opinion, but hear me out. So, the fact that this dude has four names is big Aquarius energy to start. Also the fact that he becomes an inter-dimensional being is very Aquarius, since there's always a stereotype of Aqua's being like aliens. However, diving more deeply into it, Henry Creel (I'm calling him that because it's the name on his birth certificate) is representative of what happens when an Aquarius goes to the dark side. Aquariuses are visionaries and forward thinkers, constantly thinking about changing the future. Since Henry was a child, he had goals about changing the lives of the people around him, unfortunately because he was a little sociopath it wasn't for the better. Aquariuses are also very human orientated. Now I can already see y'all say "But wait, he hates people! That's his whole thing!" I'm getting to it. Henry Creel was fascinated about the behaviors of humans, how they interact normally versus their deep dark inner secrets. Aquas tend to be people watchers, in order to try and understand them, and that's all Vecna does. He stalks people. Aquariuses place a lot of ego in their ideas, and this guy has an INSANE God complex. He felt personally attacked when Eleven didn't agree with his plans and freaked the fuck out, and then she actually did attack him. Aquariuses are known to be concerned for the welfare of the world, if you aren't a psycho then that would probably lead you to be interested in humanitarian efforts. Henry has great concern for the world, and he thinks people are the cause of it. Didn't we all hear that speech he made to Eleven? Henry also hates being trapped in Hawkins Lab, he feels like it was a prison built for him. There is nothing Aquas hate more than lack of freedom. Aquariuses can be progressive forward thinkers for the better of humanity, but if their world view is warped, they can end up like this.

Dr. Martin Brenner // Capricorn

Dr. Brenner is a scientist, ambitious with his MK Ultra project in creating psychic super child spies. He's so ambitious that he doesn't care how his decisions effect people, even if he thinks he does. It's his goals over everything, and that's the end of it. Very Capricorn, the girlbosses of the zodiac. Dr. Brenner is what happens when Caps go unchecked, when their ambition gets the best of them.

[stevesbipanic]

Steve had been telling people that it was okay his whole life.

When he fell off his bike the first time after his training wheels came off he looked up at Tommy with a toothy grin and told him it's okay and got right back on the bike.

When a young curly haired boy fell off the monkey bars at school and scrapped his knee, Steve gave him a comforting smile, bandaging him while softly reassuring that it's okay.

When his parents left him alone the first time, promising they'd be back in a week he told his mother it's okay and that he'd keep the place tidy.

When they came back a month later and said sorry it took so long, he said it's ok even if he had to skip meals when he ran low on food.

When he came to school with a bruise, he'd gotten a C on his English essay, he brushed off his teachers concerns with a half baked excuse, a smile and an it's okay.

When he came home, battered and bruised from monsters he now knew existed, he repeated to himself it's okay until exhaustion sent him to sleep.

When Nancy looked at him with those sad eyes, closer to Jonathon's side than his, he put his heart aside and told her it's okay, she deserved to be happy.

When he could barely see through his busted eyes, tied to a girl he wished wasn't there he kept repeating to her it's okay, he promised himself he'd get her out.

When his kid sobbed in his arms over a boy that should've been here too all he could say it's okay because he hoped it would be.

When his vision started to blur and an undead beauty held the knife in his chest with a look of agony on his face, Steve made sure his last words meant something.

"It's okay."

[owlsinleatherjackets]

… has anyone considered. that the longer El’s hair gets/the more traditionally “feminine” she looks, the weirder Mike gets with her. short-haired El in s1 and s2 is the version of her he’s the most comfortable with. when she gets her head shaved and looks more “boyish” again, he’s suddenly able to confess his love for her. have we considered.