Gareth and Jeff teasing Eddie about his “I don’t date” rule then him being a complete mess around Steve and showering him with kisses because he’s so in love with him. Eddie can’t go a day without hearing about how much he swore that no one on this planet could ever make him do anything that revolves around lovey dovey stuff and now he’s bought more gifts for Steve than he’s gotten in his entire life. Things don’t get easier when Steve joins in the teasing and makes it known to everyone that Eddie is more of a lover than he lets on making everyone laugh, Eddie is dismissive about the whole thing but he knows that he would do anything for Steve even if it’s being disgustingly in love with him.

hey duff bros come here I just wanna talk!

i am the duffer brothers and i am here to confirm a "what painting" scene and byler endgame

Something that does genuinely concern me is the possibility of the Duffer’s being a major conflict of interest when it comes to supporting the strike out in the open. They’re not just writers but also producers and the show runners. Arguably they have the tightest relationship of any production to Netflix, and so just knowing that they’ve always been very much intertwined, are they going to be willing to voice their support for the strike, beyond just being WGA members who likely voted in support of the strike? Like even the cast, complete silence. I know that it can be hard for a lot of reasons, but the complete silence, besides that one writer who posted about it, has me side eying the situation as it’s unfolding.

For the last few Friday’s, they’ve been active posting about stuff, and so are they going to keep that going by posting today, hopefully something to agknowledge the strike, or are they going to just act like nothing is going on and carry on with Easter egg like content? Or worse, are they not going to post at all and so we won’t even know what to think?

It’s just so weird bc they’ve known about this strike for months now. They’ve known about it when they’ve been stringing fans along with little things over the last month. And now, silence, at a time when silence is not the best choice, especially when they are the hugest show in television rn. The duffers coming out and saying something about putting pressure on Netflix would actually have the capacity to get something to happen, and yet they don’t… and it makes me think they’re a conflict of interest bc unlike their writers, they get paid A LOT!

And when it comes to filming starting, I’m concerned that just because they have the first few scripts written and finalized, the Duffers are just gonna say fuck the strike go through with it and start the production for those earlier episodes, either without any writers present bc they’re on strike and so no rewrites, meaning we’re risking the quality not being as good as it would be with them. Or worse, the Duffers are gonna go cross picket lines and scab, and rewrite the scenes themselves essentially going against the strike and their own writers to side with the studios that want it done…

Like I want Stranger Things filmed as soon as possible, I really do. But I also am a little bit unsettled by s5 being soured just knowing they chose a route that sided with corporations and not the writers getting paid mf crap while they are in Netflix’s pockets.

Even though I’m skeptical, I’m still hopeful that they’ll say something, maybe the st writers Twitter will make a statement for all the writers, including the duffers to show their support. But just considering how quiet it’s been, I do wonder how they view the situation.

Do they think it will be over at any moment, without their interference and so they’re just waiting for that? Are they genuinely being advised to say nothing, including the cast and so that’s going to be the case until this is over (if it’s even over any time soon).

Like wtfff is going on in their brains I need to know what they’re thinking about all of this.

Bc them being silent all throughout or even worse doing the exact opposite of supporting the strike by literally starting filming anyways against all of their writers best interests, would be the worst possible course of action. The final season won’t be remembered for all the love and dedication put into it, it’ll be remembered for the greed. And that pisses me off bc the writers don’t deserve that! This is their baby and they’re literally out here risking it all to have a live-able wage, only to be undermined at the risk of everything. It fucking sucks.

waiting patiently for the duffers to realise how PERFECT these hcs would be if they made them real

what i want to see in s5?

i want to see this

let Robin be the overprotective sister to Mike that he always deserved to have.

Will has Jonathan, Dustin has Steve (and Eddie) but Mike and Nancy aren't really close even tho he obviously longs for family love but just can't get it

so here comes our favorite lesbian who adopts this gay kid with more internalised homophobia than braincells and helps him accept himself and teach him that he actually deserves to be happy and loved just like everyone else

I still can’t believe there are people who think that Will “I’m not gonna fall in love, just kidding I am in love already but I think I’ve been rejected so let’s rip off the bandaid” Byers isn’t going to get what he wants…in a show whose whole premise started with his abduction and is, by it’s creators own repeated admission, both going to focus on him the final season + about championing the underdog and the outcast.

It really is that simple, because once you know what the Duffers value...even if you haven’t dug that far into the show, it’s obvious where the “it started with Will, it will end with Will” is taking us based on tropes alone, if you listen to anything The Duffers say about their themes and narrative goals.

You don't even need color coding or parallels to other media to sort through it, because outside of any "but it was the 80s" commentary or "they would never break up the flagship couple" talk...Byler is literally just the logical thematic conclusion for Will's arc as the full embodiment of the outcasted, childlike AND the underdog, even if you don't like what they did to get our characters there.

Like? Will is literally the boy who represents the duffers love of being a “child at heart” and taking things you adored from your youth into being a grown up (see: their entire mf show being based on DnD and the media they loved as kids) on top of being a queer, poor, and regularly disrepected character.

He is the textbook representation of the outcast and underdog energy The Duffers love, to the point where you could hardly fit more "marginalized and imperfect" checkboxes into him without making him poc...and yet people actually believe he is going to be rejected not because there is no setup, or because there is no precedence for the storyline but solely because his love interest (who also has a non-conformity storyline and who is already making heart eyes at him) is currently dating a girl...and it would be "realistic" for him to get rejected? ☠️

Not to mention...I haven't even touched on how byler resolves Mike's own thematic issues and it already makes the most sense? Like?

How do you miss the most obvious plot twist setup in history not because its not blatantly set up, but because you’re homophobic? It really does have to be the blindness of heteronormativity thats driving most of this, because if you were a media literate homophobe, you would be screaming at the Duffers for doing it, not denying it’s happening at all. But ☕️

I want will to make the move in byler's first kiss. I want will to be so overwhelmed by his feelings of love, nervousness, fear(of rejection), and anxiousness (and desperation even) that he says fuck it!!!! And kisses Mike. And then will would have this face of oh no!!! did I just make the worse mistake of my life or did I just took the best decision ever????? and mike is a little bit confused at first but then quickly returns the kiss this time slower and more passionately. and then!!!! Will will start crying (preferably both) and then they pull each other in a BIG BIGG HUG!!!!!!! AND THEY HOLD EACH OTHER LIKE AS IF THEY WILL EVAPORATE THE SECOND ONE OF THEM LETS GO. LIKE AS IF ITS THE LAST TIME THEY WILL EVER SEE EACH OTHER

So I looked at the cast list in the script for 'The Piggyback' and it has the characters in the same order (minus Erica for some reason) and Argyle is in the second block of characters with Eddie & others so we probably still have Argyle!

Amazing if true! If not I will be continuing my dramatics to avenge my sweet boy.

Tbh Byler has to be canon because Will being gay was set up from the beginning (Mike too imo but Will was more overt) and to have your only planned gay character (I say planned because Robin was originally intended to be Steves love interest but they changed it part way into filming) just helplessly pine for their best friend is not a fulfilling story for a queer character. And it's clear how Will feels for Mike isn't just a crush, I don't see Will just moving on next season if Mike stays with El. Also, if they wanted Wills story to be about him moving on from Mike and just being happy with who he is and excepting himself, then this season doesn't make any sense because it takes no steps towards that.

Like it's queer-baiting but worse if they do this, because not only do we feel like they have a chance but they're going to make Will feel like he has a chance only to just take it away.

And that's not even to mention how Mike's character makes no sense if they don't go with byler.

Will, Mike and El will all have better and more compelling storylines if byler is canon. Will's is a story of love, Mike's is of exceptance and El's is about independence.

The duffer brothers work hard but

Steddie fanfic authors work even harder.

I know I’m posting a lot but I just thought about Eddie truly taking his time with Steve and explain things to him when he genuinely doesn’t understand and its ok! He shows Steve that he is a human being that is going to ask questions which is a normal thing. Eddie knows how it feels to not grasp certain concepts quickly because as a kid he was never able to keep up with the other kids. One day he started using methods to help improve his learning and he’s never been let down ever since. Steve doesn’t want to do it because he’s embarrassed that as an adult his mind isn’t as sharp as it should be, Eddie dismisses this completely. He tells Steve that you’re never to old to learn new things and if you don’t understand something it’s okay to ask for help. So every night they do crossword puzzles, trivia’s, chess, checkers, ect just keep their minds going. They learn together every single day and there’s no judgment there, now Steve is more confident about asking questions and even answering them. Eddie thinks he did the bare minimum but Steve thanks him all the time for being by his side when it came to something so personal like that. Ugh they’re so cute 😖😭

I’m fighting for my life in these streets y’all

Has anyone analyzed the song that plays during the end credits after s4 ep9?? Like it’s the first time they’ve played an actual lyrical song at the end of a season, most of the time its just the st theme song as they pull away from the title card, but also like… its called Spellbound. Like, Will the Wise, in dnd Will is a wizard/cleric who can cast spells, hinting Will getting powers next season?? 

The song itself has been interpreted multiple different ways, “a paranormal horror, a depiction of child abuse, a comment on conformity, or on the hypocrisy of religious figures,” all things the show explores, and, "Spellbound" was named after Alfred Hitchcock(whose films the Duffers have taken inspiration from)'s 1945 psychological thriller about an amnesia patient Gregory Peck who was accused of murder. Similar to how in season 2, (which, as we all know at this point, season 5 is drawing inspiration from) Will slowly loses his memory and leads the soldiers to their death in the upside down.

Now, the song has a lot of Vecna’s curse-type references, like the “rag doll dance” similar to how Vecna turns his victims into lifeless, loose-limbed rag dolls, “laughter cracking through the walls” like the cracks in the walls when the original Mothergate was opened up to banish 001, even “it's an illusion you cannot shirk” like how Vecna makes his victims see things and terrorizes them with visions. 

But in particular the repetition of “we are entranced,” is what sticks out to me. I mean it’s not a stretch to guess Vecna’s going to come for Will next season, but could his motives be more than just claiming another victim and making another gate? Like we know Vecna wants control, he controls the Mind Flayer, he controls everything in the Upside Down, so could season 5 potentially have him like taking the town of Hawkins hostage? Putting everyone under a trance season 3 style kinda? 

So in summary, if this does hint to season 5, I wouldn’t be surprised if Vecna takes advantage of Will’s trauma and secrets and does the same thing he did to Eleven, and tries to recruit him. Manipulate Will into being his right hand man or his general per say, especially because of the s5 parallels between Henry Creel and Will being described as “sensitive boys” who have been outcasted from society, Vecna could even see a part of himself in Will. And Will, being at the incredibly low point in his life that he is, is susceptible to Vecna’s mind games… and could actually join him. Heck, Vecna could even be how Will gets his powers, like the same way Will got super-strength almost when he ripped his restraints and was choking Joyce in the s2 finale. Will is the glue that hold the party together, so instead of looking for him like season 1, they would have to deal with actively being forced to fight AGAINST him, in his brainwashed entranced state obviously, but it would kinda take the baseline ideas of season 2 and essentially put them on steroids. 

Anyway the song is definitely hinting to Will having a Will the Wise arc, and we get to see Willie cast some spells next season, so a win is a win 💪💪💪

me getting all mighty saying shit like “ if Byler is not canon and Mike goes to his safety net (Because that’s exactly what she is to him) I will leave the show” knowing very well my ass is still going to be watching the show albeit forwarding Mileven scenes while eating icecream with a broken heart 💔

ooc: i am all for analyzing stranger things... but i hate the "dual timelines" theory and flickergate with a passion... also the multiple names for one character *cough*henryandedward*cough* like we have 8 episodes to explain this to the gen audience its not gonna happen. also flickergate generally misses the purpose of how the upside down works