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Things are getting Stranger all the time

13

Posts

  • JimothyJimothy Not in front of the fox he's with the owlRegistered User regular
    I like that Chincy likes everything I didn’t (Billy and episode 7)

    Which sounds sarcastic, but it’s genuinely nice to see that someone really appreciated the elements I didn’t

    Makes me feel less like I’m tearing apart a show I really love

  • Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    Finally finished season 1, which was a heck of a thing. Here's hoping season 2 captures the same magic

  • 2 Marcus 2 Ravens2 Marcus 2 Ravens CanadaRegistered User regular
    On paper, Billy is a pretty shit character, but Dacre Montgomery turned in the greatest cartoon bully performance I've ever seen.

    Stranger Things is a pretty silly show. Bill takes it to another level. He's so gross and yet everyone thinks he's super sexy and I dunno, I got a kick outta it.

    Mileage may vary, I guess.

  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    Yeah I keep seeing people saying that but like

    Dustin and Lucas' entire plot hinges on Max

    And max is also
    the (IMHO Stupid) reason that 11 doesn't return earlier in the show
    I thought that was pretty stupid also, but on the other hand
    As Nancy said, girls (well, kids in general) at that age are stupid. And while El is far from a typical kid, she's not exactly emotionally mature. At least not as far as standard interpersonal relationships.

    She spent a year locked away from her first and only friends, not mention the world at large, and just had a huge blow up fight with her new father figure. She's not in good place to make a mature decision.

    I was definitely a bit annoyed that she continued to be mean to max after Mike made it pretty clear he only had eyes for her.

    Hopefully now that they're no longer under imminent threat, and presumably the gang can hang out at the cabin with her while they wait out the year, she'll come around.

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  • ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    ep 7
    the whole Chicago interlude was interesting but the placement in the series was frustrating, the whole time I was like BUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN HAWKINS

    also I would just like to point out that the woman who plays Kali is tiny

  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    I think people keep forgetting that these are kids just starting puberty. Kids are idiots.

  • manwiththemachinegunmanwiththemachinegun METAL GEAR?! Registered User regular
    edited November 2017
    I super bought Eleven's arc, I don't know. It seemed her motivations were pretty obvious to me.
    You're telling me an emotionally damaged kid wouldn't seek out their mother? Or if they had super powers wouldn't try to get revenge? Especially someone like Ele who can kill with a look. I don't buy at all the idea she was "just shuttled off" to up the drama. It actually was really important to address those issues for her long term stability.

    Like, Ele is super charming. But she's been beaten down like a pit dog. You press her, you end up dead.

    manwiththemachinegun on
  • NightDragonNightDragon 6th Grade Username Registered User regular
    Just finished/binge-watched the entire 2nd season.

    When....when does the 3rd season come out again?? I loved this. This show is so fantastic.

  • NarbusNarbus Registered User regular
    I super bought Eleven's arc, I don't know. It seemed her motivations were pretty obvious to me.
    You're telling me an emotionally damaged kid wouldn't seek out their mother? Or if they had super powers wouldn't try to get revenge? Especially someone like Ele who can kill with a look. I don't buy at all the idea she was "just shuttled off" to up the drama. It actually was really important to address those issues for her long term stability.

    Like, Ele is super charming. But she's been beaten down like a pit dog. You press her, you end up dead.
    If she had interacted with the main cast before she left for two episodes, I think it would have gone better. They waited so long to bring her back into the rest of the team, plus the cliffhanger from the end of episode 6, that I spent most of episode 7 just waiting for her to head back to Hawkins already oh my god go talk to Mike already! Get a hug from Joyce you need one so bad!

  • JavenJaven Registered User regular
    I super bought Eleven's arc, I don't know. It seemed her motivations were pretty obvious to me.
    You're telling me an emotionally damaged kid wouldn't seek out their mother? Or if they had super powers wouldn't try to get revenge? Especially someone like Ele who can kill with a look. I don't buy at all the idea she was "just shuttled off" to up the drama. It actually was really important to address those issues for her long term stability.

    Like, Ele is super charming. But she's been beaten down like a pit dog. You press her, you end up dead.
    The part with her mom made the most sense, because they HAD to close that loop if they wanted her to end up with Hopper at the end. We know her birth mother is still alive, so they needed to provide some type of closure to explain why she wouldn't want to stay there, as opposed to being adopted by someone else. It was less for Eleven's sake, and more as a way to show you that no, her mom is sick, and won't snap out of it just because her daughter is back. What they did to the aunt is pretty shitty though. She seems like a good person, and even though Eleven feels so betrayed because she was talking to someone about her, she was calling Hopper, the same person who ends up being her caregiver. If she was calling the government or the newspaper to cash in on her or something I'd get, but she called the only other adult who actually cared about Eleven's well-being.

    The tangent to Chicago was mostly ill-timed, and very poorly placed.

  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    Easily the worst thing about max:
    Catty 11 is so fucking stupid and it makes me so angry when a show has the two girls fight over boys.

    THEY CAN JUST BE CHARACTERS ITS OK

    I think this felt especially bad to me because:
    Jane had just made a conscious decision to not murder a dude that tortured her mom, to illustrate that she's not some kind of monster, which was implied by the way she treated Max in the gym (and the doctor's dialogue literally calling her a monster, obviously).

    Then she meets Max in person and is still shitty to her? It doesn't feel good, especially since the audience knows that Lucas and Max are an item and Mike is still waiting for Jane.

  • 2 Marcus 2 Ravens2 Marcus 2 Ravens CanadaRegistered User regular
    jgeis wrote: »
    Easily the worst thing about max:
    Catty 11 is so fucking stupid and it makes me so angry when a show has the two girls fight over boys.

    THEY CAN JUST BE CHARACTERS ITS OK

    I think this felt especially bad to me because:
    Jane had just made a conscious decision to not murder a dude that tortured her mom, to illustrate that she's not some kind of monster, which was implied by the way she treated Max in the gym (and the doctor's dialogue literally calling her a monster, obviously).

    Then she meets Max in person and is still shitty to her? It doesn't feel good, especially since the audience knows that Lucas and Max are an item and Mike is still waiting for Jane.

    Yeah, they reeeaally dragged this out.

  • DimosarDimosar I am the Brain Genius Registered User regular
    I enjoyed Billy mostly cause I had been waiting for the show to get into more of the darker side of idyllic small town family stories

    since there is a literal Darker Side to hawkins it always felt weird that the scary abusive dynamics in stranger things were kept in the sci-fi weird lab stuff and not in the community

  • MancingtomMancingtom Registered User regular
    jgeis wrote: »
    Easily the worst thing about max:
    Catty 11 is so fucking stupid and it makes me so angry when a show has the two girls fight over boys.

    THEY CAN JUST BE CHARACTERS ITS OK

    I think this felt especially bad to me because:
    Jane had just made a conscious decision to not murder a dude that tortured her mom, to illustrate that she's not some kind of monster, which was implied by the way she treated Max in the gym (and the doctor's dialogue literally calling her a monster, obviously).

    Then she meets Max in person and is still shitty to her? It doesn't feel good, especially since the audience knows that Lucas and Max are an item and Mike is still waiting for Jane.

    Yeah, they reeeaally dragged this out.
    Eh, they're kids. Kids do stupid things, and don't react well to emotional turmoil.

    Mike is a little shit to everyone because he can't deal with losing El, and there's nobody he can talk to about it. The other kids won't really understand, and all the adults are either clueless or dealing with their own trauma.

    El is completely isolated, and has never interacted with a girl her own age. Annoying as it is, their reactions to Max are perfectly in character.

  • Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    You know who really got done dirty this season is Cara Buono

    She was Dr. Faye Miller, goddamnit

    she was on like 10 episodes of The Sopranos and Person of Interest

    They put her in the credits but give her nothing to do

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  • never dienever die Registered User regular
    Just finished with season 2:
    I need more Dustin and Steve interactions. That was perfect.

    I also had to suppress a squee at the end with Mike and Jane/El. Also Lucas and Max. And Nancy and Dustin made me giggle.

  • Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    Episode 9
    Listen I know it would be period appropriate that a dumbass high school would go ahead and play Every Breath You Take anyway

    but you know what this song is, show

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  • GreasyKidsStuffGreasyKidsStuff MOMMM! ROAST BEEF WANTS TO KISS GIRLS ON THE TITTIES!Registered User regular
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Episode 9
    Listen I know it would be period appropriate that a dumbass high school would go ahead and play Every Breath You Take anyway

    but you know what this song is, show
    Just imagine it from the perspective of the Mind Flayer and it all works out

  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Episode 9
    Listen I know it would be period appropriate that a dumbass high school would go ahead and play Every Breath You Take anyway

    but you know what this song is, show
    Just imagine it from the perspective of the Mind Flayer and it all works out

    Pretty sure the Duffer Bros. specifically stated this is the perspective.

  • PinfeldorfPinfeldorf Yeah ZestRegistered User regular
    Blankzilla wrote: »
    There's also
    his implied racism towards Lucas

    He never outright says it but referring to Lucas as "the sort of people" Max shouldn't befriend is preeeeetty gross to me

    He was a caricature of asshole 80s jocks but not enough to balance out all of his dark, violent shit and that made him decidedly not fun for me

    I honestly believe
    that his DAD is the racist, and he's honestly trying to prevent Max from getting the same physical abuse his dad has been giving him his whole life. I admit this is a very optimistic viewpoint, but it's something within the Duffers' wheelhouse.

  • RT800RT800 Registered User regular
    edited November 2017
    I could empathize somewhat with Billy.

    Not condone, mind you, but I at least understood what motivated him.
    Here he's got this complete shitheel of a father who's basically forcing him to take care of a stepsister he never wanted. It interrupts his life and he feels impotent to do anything about it. His mom has been replaced, his home left behind. He didn't ask for any of this, and now his dad wants him to spend his time watching after his goddamn stepdaughter while he goes off on a date with new-mom - then he gets shit all over because Max snuck out.

    You could practically feel the misdirected rage radiating off the guy. He probably wants to beat the shit out of his father, but he can't, so it all gets taken out on Max.

    I don't know if racist undertones were intended. Perhaps he was simply trying to ruin Max's life like he felt she'd ruined his.

    It doesn't really excuse anything he did, but I felt like it did provide a believable reason for why he was such a shithead. Something about the whole scene just really struck a cord.

    RT800 on
  • jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    I've been rewatching season 1 of Stranger Things and while I thought that I liked S2 more immediately after finishing it, now I'm not so sure. Season 1 has a more deliberate pacing and the mystery aspect is ratcheted way up. I think that actually works a little better for me.

    Season 2 moves along much more briskly and is far more action oriented. It feels exciting but in a much different way, which is definitely working for a lot of people.

    They definitely took the 80s movie approach and made the sequel essentially a different genre film, and it makes direct comparison difficult.

  • DJ EebsDJ Eebs Moderator, Administrator admin
    bob is very good

  • Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    People underestimate Bob at their own peril

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  • King RiptorKing Riptor Registered User regular
    Mr. G wrote: »
    People underestimate Bob at their own peril

    Nonono this is how it starts.

    I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
  • EtchwartsEtchwarts Eyes Up Registered User regular
    Mr. G wrote: »
    People underestimate Bob at their own peril

    Nonono this is how it starts.

    Eh, it's a little better

    Bob like, did things, and was a character

  • BlankZoeBlankZoe Registered User regular
    Steve was the MVP of the season for me

    Followed by Hopper

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  • Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    Mr. G wrote: »
    People underestimate Bob at their own peril

    Nonono this is how it starts.

    This is definitely how I start getting to secretly talk about Justified in Stranger Things discussions, yes

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  • NightDragonNightDragon 6th Grade Username Registered User regular
    Blankzilla wrote: »
    Steve was the MVP of the season for me

    Followed by Hopper

    I was totally cheering on Steve this season. I really hated him in the beginning of the first season, but I felt you were kinda supposed to. The creators have definitely talked about the idea of breaking character stereotypes over the course of a character's personal development, and I've definitely seen that in a really satisfying way with Steve.

    He's also got such excellent hair on the show. Go Steve!

  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    Can I just say that it was really cool that they cast Paul Reiser
    And they set it up so we think "oh he's doing the nice guy act but he's really part of the evil government conspiracy!" but it turns out he totally is the person with the grounded moral center at the facility?

  • TerrendosTerrendos Decorative Monocle Registered User regular
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    Can I just say that it was really cool that they cast Paul Reiser
    And they set it up so we think "oh he's doing the nice guy act but he's really part of the evil government conspiracy!" but it turns out he totally is the person with the grounded moral center at the facility?
    It would have been very easy to stick with "the government agencies can't be trusted" and make everyone at the Lab a Brenner-level sociopath. But this is also the show that gave us Steve, who I went from hating to liking and back again about half a dozen times in the first season. I was also pleasantly surprised by Doctor Owens.

    Which reminds me, at the end of season 2 when he's in the bar with Hopper, and he suggests that Jane stay in hiding for "another year, to be safe" who exactly is she hiding from? He said in the first episode that all of Brenner's people were gone, who else would be looking for her?

  • BlankZoeBlankZoe Registered User regular
    Welp, this is a very subtle thing I totally missed and has now emotionally wrecked me

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  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    Yeah, I teared up

  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    edited November 2017
    Hey! I finished this!
    I think the finale was definitely the best episode of the season
    AND NO NOT JUST BECAUSE WE GOT AN 80s PROM
    though I won't say that wasn't part of it

    Grey Ghost on
  • SnicketysnickSnicketysnick The Greatest Hype Man in WesterosRegistered User regular
    edited November 2017
    Not bad at all. Episode 7 was somewhat out of place as has been mentioned, I think it might have worked a little better spread through a number of other episodes as a B plot, both to make the timeline synch up better and to dilute the hard turn down that plot cul-de-sac.

    Next series has to have
    Power of Love at the end of year dance
    right?

    Snicketysnick on
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    D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
  • PerrsunPerrsun Registered User regular
    Season 2 ending
    I really thought the reason they were introducing Kali was because El and Kali would have to team up to take on the big bad, but that suspicion was shot down within one episode.

    Maybe for a future season?

    Also, function wise I think the reason the doctor suggests El stay in hiding for another year is so that in Season 3 we can get “Jane goes to school” episodes at the start of a new school year. But plot wise? I’m not so sure on that.

  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    Perrsun wrote: »
    Season 2 ending
    I really thought the reason they were introducing Kali was because El and Kali would have to team up to take on the big bad, but that suspicion was shot down within one episode.

    Maybe for a future season?

    Also, function wise I think the reason the doctor suggests El stay in hiding for another year is so that in Season 3 we can get “Jane goes to school” episodes at the start of a new school year. But plot wise? I’m not so sure on that.
    From the other thing I've read about Season 3's likely process, it's probably because the actors are getting older and it's becoming hard to sell them as middle-schoolers so they're going to jump ahead a couple years.

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  • JavenJaven Registered User regular
    I was a bit put off by Eleven and Max, but honestly, that's exactly how a socially stunted pre-teen would probably react to having her first and only friend/crush hanging out with another girl. I really doubt they'll have it continue to be a thing in season 3.

    Stuff like the superpower tantrum at the cabin also seemed 'ehh' as they were happening, but actually make total sense given what she's been through. A kid with superpowers is DEFINITELY going to use them in immature ways, because someone in the 6th grade is immature by definition.

  • valhalla130valhalla130 13 Dark Shield Perceives the GodsRegistered User regular
    Javen wrote: »
    I super bought Eleven's arc, I don't know. It seemed her motivations were pretty obvious to me.
    You're telling me an emotionally damaged kid wouldn't seek out their mother? Or if they had super powers wouldn't try to get revenge? Especially someone like Ele who can kill with a look. I don't buy at all the idea she was "just shuttled off" to up the drama. It actually was really important to address those issues for her long term stability.

    Like, Ele is super charming. But she's been beaten down like a pit dog. You press her, you end up dead.
    The part with her mom made the most sense, because they HAD to close that loop if they wanted her to end up with Hopper at the end. We know her birth mother is still alive, so they needed to provide some type of closure to explain why she wouldn't want to stay there, as opposed to being adopted by someone else. It was less for Eleven's sake, and more as a way to show you that no, her mom is sick, and won't snap out of it just because her daughter is back. What they did to the aunt is pretty shitty though. She seems like a good person, and even though Eleven feels so betrayed because she was talking to someone about her, she was calling Hopper, the same person who ends up being her caregiver. If she was calling the government or the newspaper to cash in on her or something I'd get, but she called the only other adult who actually cared about Eleven's well-being.

    The tangent to Chicago was mostly ill-timed, and very poorly placed.

    Actually, that spoiler about Jane's aunt:
    Whoever she called, she specifically mentioned to them about last year when the sheriff and Will's mom came to see the aunt. She wasn't talking to Hopper.

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  • UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    Javen wrote: »
    I super bought Eleven's arc, I don't know. It seemed her motivations were pretty obvious to me.
    You're telling me an emotionally damaged kid wouldn't seek out their mother? Or if they had super powers wouldn't try to get revenge? Especially someone like Ele who can kill with a look. I don't buy at all the idea she was "just shuttled off" to up the drama. It actually was really important to address those issues for her long term stability.

    Like, Ele is super charming. But she's been beaten down like a pit dog. You press her, you end up dead.
    The part with her mom made the most sense, because they HAD to close that loop if they wanted her to end up with Hopper at the end. We know her birth mother is still alive, so they needed to provide some type of closure to explain why she wouldn't want to stay there, as opposed to being adopted by someone else. It was less for Eleven's sake, and more as a way to show you that no, her mom is sick, and won't snap out of it just because her daughter is back. What they did to the aunt is pretty shitty though. She seems like a good person, and even though Eleven feels so betrayed because she was talking to someone about her, she was calling Hopper, the same person who ends up being her caregiver. If she was calling the government or the newspaper to cash in on her or something I'd get, but she called the only other adult who actually cared about Eleven's well-being.

    The tangent to Chicago was mostly ill-timed, and very poorly placed.

    Actually, that spoiler about Jane's aunt:
    Whoever she called, she specifically mentioned to them about last year when the sheriff and Will's mom came to see the aunt. She wasn't talking to Hopper.
    Yeah, because Hopper was out investigating - she was talking to the receptionist at the sheriff's station

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