#eddie is wills gay mentor | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thestrangestthing89 · 1 year

Text

This is going to be ranty and I've touched on this subject before. So if you're a Steve worshipper look away. For the record, I love his character but I cannot stand the constant mischaracterization of him. It turns him into a joke. He's not a mom and the comparison is frankly sexist not to mention shows how much people are willing to overlook with regard to his character. Joyce does triple the amount of work and is an actual mom, so if you want to praise someone for being a mom look to the real one. Instead she gets practically ignored by the fandom. Steve does the bare minimum compared to a lot of people and gets worshipped, and the result of this is that people end up turning him into a 1 dimensional version of himself. He has flaws and it's important to acknowledge them. He's far more interesting and relatable this way. Without doing that he gets turned into a god-like figure who is infallible. But the worst of this is the constant erasure of Jonathan. I keep seeing posts saying that Steve would be such an amazing mentor to Will and how wonderful their relationship will be next season. Be for fucking real. They don't have a relationship and never will and Will doesn't need him. Not to mention the fact that Steve isn't a mentor. He is a peer. And only to Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Erica who are the only kids who are shown to have any kind of relationship with him. And honestly Dustin is the only one that isn't superficial. It's especially notable in the case of Mike that they never developed a relationship. It shows that not only are Mike and Nancy not that close, but her ex-boyfriend never bonded with him. Mike tends to respond to Steve with the same contempt he has for his father in the brief moments we've seen between the two.

It's Jonathan who is an ally to Will. It's Jonathan Will and Mike trust. It's Jonathan Mike has known since he was 5. And it's Jonathan who has constantly protected them. Neither one of them have a relationship with Steve. All of these characters have been on the show since the beginning. If Steve had a major impact on any of their lives they would have shown it by now. And yes, Steve is no longer the bullying asshole he once was. He has gone through a great character arch that has shown him growing and changing in a realistic way. However, he still has a lot to learn and this was demonstrated through his shitty advice to Robin early in the season. Him dismissing her fears of asking Vickie out was not ok and shows he doesn't fully understand her point of view. Just because he ended up being right at the end doesn't excuse the fact that he told her to just ask Vickie out simply because she paused a movie at a certain time. He could have very easily been wrong and it was valid that she was hesitant.

Steve used to bully people for being gay, and again, it's good that he doesn't do this anymore and has grown. But this is the version of Steve that Will, Mike, and Jonathan know. They know the version of him that called Jonathan the f word and said his brother deserved to die. They know the version of him that said their abusive father was right. Mike and Will are not coming out to Steve.

In fact, people should expect them to be afraid of him and expect Jonathan to immediately be on guard and protective. Because this is the only version of him they know. Steve was known around town for being a bully and he still has this reputation - Eddie says this season he is surprised Steve wasn't an asshole even though Dustin insisted.

Mike and Will are two scared kids who live in a town that behaves the way Steve used to. They expect this kind of reaction. It's Jonathan's calm, empathetic support they need. It isn't the guy who used to be homophobic - and honestly has no patience for the kids - to help them out. Quiet, sensitive Will does not need someone loud and impatient who used to act like his abusive father in his life. And it's not on Mike and Will to absolve Steve of his past crimes.

And I absolutely cannot stand all the headcanons that I see of how Steve is going to start a LGBTQ support group around Hawkins for Robin and Will. It's utterly ridiculous. We absolutely do need Robin bonding with Will (and Mike and Vickie) but there is honestly no excuse for the constant insertion of Steve into this narrative. It is not a place he belongs. As an ally, it's important for him to recognize there are spaces that aren't for him. They do not need his permission or approval to talk to each other.

And bonding with Robin does not automatically come with a close bond with Steve. It isn't required. She is her own separate person who has her own separate experiences that Steve does not always need to be apart of just because they are friends. It's far more impactful to see a moment between Will and Robin (including with Mike and Vickie) without Steve randomly being there saying pointless shit. And they aren't wasting a moving coming out moment with Steve and Mike and Will instead of with people they are actually close to. Inserting him into this narrative changes the focus from the LGBTQ character to Steve. It makes it entirely about him and his response instead of them. In fact it's not outside of the realm of possibility that he just never finds out or it's a very quick moment that happens in passing. But erasing his characters actual role on the show completely misses the point of why he's still in this narrative. The cool guy isn't the focus of this story for once. It's not his story. That doesn't mean he isn't important. It means that for once the straight, white dude who's conventionally attractive is taking a backseat and not only that, but he's not resentful about this. He doesn't act bitter that he isn't the focus. And this is such an important role to see.

#byler #mike wheeler #gay mike wheeler #will byers #jonathan byers #steve harrington #anti mileven #anti stancy

602 notes · View notes

audhd-nightwing · 2 years

Text

more of punk!steve bc i adore him

steve first runs into the Party at the arcade (where he works part time because he wants to make his own money as a ‘fuck you’ to his parents and cuz it’s a chill job) and he becomes their favorite worker and they become his favorite customers. one day steve takes a smoke break in the parking lot and sees some kids bullying the Party and his older brother instincts kick in.

he walks up behind the party like “well well what do we have here?” and the Party is like “steve!! :D” and steve in his leather jacket and ripped jeans and combat boots glares down the bullies and they scamper off. from then on steve tells the kids to go to him if someone is bothering them and it becomes town-wide knowledge not to mess with byers wheeler henderson & sinclair. he basically becomes their personal Scary Dog.

the parents end up wanting to meet this young man who kept bullies away from their kids (and they’ve heard all sorts of rumors about him and he dresses like That so they’re suspicious) and steve’s like “yeah sounds great!” and immediately charms all of them because he’s a sweetheart and does genuinely care about and want to protect their kids. from then on he’s the go-to babysitter / ride to school / campaign host. steve pretends to be annoyed but he loves it and treats them all like they’re his younger siblings (especially lucas and dustin)

joyce and steve bond especially and they have coffee dates every sunday and just talk (joyce tries to get steve to come to her when he needs help or just someone to listen). at first everyone who sees them is super confused because what is paranoid mother Joyce Byers doing with the high school bad boy Steve Harrington?? but after a couple months it just becomes commonplace and people will even stop by to say hi

i also think jonathan and steve would end up being best friends in like freshman year and steve would get jancy together in s1 (steve and nancy don’t date). he’s never a third wheel though they have a great “this is my boyfriend and our best friend steve” type relationship. (plus jonathan never takes the creepy pics and the whole fight never happens so they’re all chill).

steve and robin are fellow outcasts so they’re chill. then steve beats up some guys who harassed her and they become actual friends and steve lets robin come over whenever her parents are being shitty. steve lowkey converts her into a punk and they basically do illegal shit and have a bunch of fun.

btw steve is a fully realized biromantic demisexual (or just queer whatv lol) and he has an extremely accurate gaydar which is partially why stobin become friends. anyways i’m mentioning this becauseee

steve meets will byers and Immediately Knows and pretty much comes out to him and tells him it’s okay and he becomes wills Gay Mentor (imo jonathan can either be straight or queer and just not really informed abt gay shit so steve would be the mentor in his place bc they’re basically brothers anyway (joyce absolutely tries to adopt steve multiple times)).

steve meets max at the arcade before any of the Party befriend her and she immediately becomes another of his favorite customers (the ranking is dustin, will & lucas & max, mike). she thinks he’s super cool and basically projects onto him as an older brother figure and he’s happy to play the part. he notices the way billy treats max and threatens him that if he ever treats her like that again he will kill him and hopper will help him hide the body. things are pretty peaceful for max after that. additionally neil hargrove gets arrested for domestic and child abuse and billy takes his car and leaves without a word. max’s mom still drinks so steve kinda unofficially adopts her, she has her own room in his house and ends up staying there most days. he ends up actually adopting her later but they’re still more of an older brother & younger sister dynamic than father & daughter

steve doesn’t interact with eddie until s4 but they know of each other and are on neutral terms until the byers move to cali and eddie starts DMing for dustin lucas mike erica and max (who steve managed to convince to play). they’re wary of each other at first but eddie realizes steve is actually a huge softie and steve realizes eddie is just a cute dork who reads LOTR and plays D&D.

steve isn’t on any sports teams or anything but he works out on his own, goes for jogs every morning with jonathan and nancy especially after the demogorgon and demodog shit. basically he’s fit and good at fighting (due to more experience with it) and nancy taught him how to shoot so he can do that too. most of his scars are from demo-creatures instead of fistfights, though he has a few of those too (not from jonathan or billy tho).

618 notes · View notes

ninthhousesteel · 2 years

Note

Lucas dustin and mike are Steve’s children. Will and El are ronance’s children. They share custody of Max.

i heavily maintain that the kids are tied more to the individuals than the ships which creates a Weird family tree

nancy's kids: max and mike

- max needed an older sister in her life and found exactly that in ms. nancy elizabeth wheeler. nancy knows what it's like to always be disregarded for being a woman and sympathizes with max and urges her to stand up for herself and never take no for an answer. she becomes a mother figure to the girl when robin comes into play, being the one to keep order (and keeps the house from burning down)

- we were completely robbed of nancy and mike sibling interactions! i want nancy to embrace her nerd side again by joining hellfire's dnd campaigns and having a star wars movie night with her brother (plus their relationship reminds me of myself and my brother and im projecting)

robin's kids: max, el, and will

- max is the younger sister robin never had. the two are inseparable and can often be found hiding in the back room of family video waiting for steve to fall victim to their prank. max tries to teach robin how to skate Once. never again. (nancy gave them both a stern talking-to and neither one is willing to incite the Wheeler Wrath again)

- el grew up being different from her time in the lab. robin knows what it's like and shows her that it's okay to be different and that people will still love you for who you are! robin is often the chaperone for elmax date nights (accompanied by nancy of course, who else would drive?)

- will and robin bond over their shared love for the arts. they exchange cassette tapes and will begins to teach robin how to paint (which she loves because she gets to create something with her hands!) she becomes his gay mentor™ and silently Dares anyone to even think about messing with will

steve's kids: all of them <3

- he's been the best goddamn babysitter this group of teens could ever ask for. they all know that they could call on him at any hour of the day and he would show up on their doorstep, spiked bat in hand. he still shares the special father/son bond with dustin but loves all of his kids equally

eddie's kids: the hellfire club

- post-vecna, everyone is inducted as an honorary member of hellfire. where steve's parenting is measured, eddie's is chaos. he chaperones the kids to their first party, allowing them to drink but always checking in and making sure that they're not having too much fun. he plays concerts for them, learning the chords to any songs they ask him to

(bonus: chrissy and vickie's kid is mike because who better to piss nancy off than Little Brother himself

jonathan makes mike his responsibility whether the little wheeler likes it or not)

#ronance #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #chrickie #chrissy cunningham #vickie stranger things #will byers #mike wheeler #dustin henderson #el hopper #max mayfield #jonathan byers

141 notes · View notes

vamp-stamp-fics · 2 years

Text

Eddie Munson hcs

Tags: Eddie Munson Headcanons, mostly fluff, Eddie lives!Au, some steddie hcs too while I'm at it, some inconsistency

A/n: some of these hcs are based off of my own experiences so enjoy that lol

Edit: here's some old hcs I have that I found lying deep in my drafts collecting dust lol

_________________________________________

One time in 9th grade screamed "hail Satan" during the pledge of allegiance

Has a childhood stuffed animal (probably a teddy bear) that he still has out of nostalgia and that he's too connected to it to let go of it

Had a pet fish when he was younger. when it died he cried and buried it in the backyard. You can still kinda see the watered down cardboard headstone behind the trailer

This man is gay and realized that probably around middle school

Literally cried when he found out bc he knew what would happen if anyone (especially his dad) found out

Uncle Wayne's the only one in Eddies family that's supportive

I personally hc that's why Eddie lives with Wayne bc his parents found out and kicked him out :(

When he's not playing dnd or hanging out with the rest of the group he kinda just tends to stay in his room and practice guitar. That or goes into the woods

Or selling drug's lol

Has an extreme fear of bugs. Literally screams if he sees a cockroach in the trailer as he violently stomps the shit out of it

But if he's with the kids or the queer quartet (especially with Steve) and there's a bug he'll just act all brave and heroic and kill it

"seriously Harrington, with that scream the neighbors gonna think There's a girl in here"

"yeah haha real funny Munson"

But internally he's just as freaked out

Eddie secretly kinda always wanted to have a younger sibling so he could teach them stuff he knew and get them into stuff he was interested in and that's why he absolutely loves his relationship with Dustin bc he's like the younger brother he's always wanted

was absolutely ecstatic when he meet will

Basically took the kid under his wing like he did with Lucas, Dustin, & mike (A/n: side note people need to bring up more about Lucas when talking about Eddie being mentor for Dustin & Mike cus he's also a part of hellfire club so goddamn I'm doing it)

He also encouraged will to wear his "will the wise" costume to at least one of the campaigns

Speaking of hellfire club-

There's this hc I saw on TikTok that I absolutely love that Eddie lost a bet to Lucas and had to wear a princess costume to a campaign

Makes me laugh every time I think about it

I just imagine Eddie with a deadpanned face as the rest of hellfire tried not to laugh Thier asses off

Also Erica decided that she actually liked going to the hellfire campaign and decided to go more often

Tho she won't officially call herself a member cus "hellfire clubs for a bunch of losers" lol

(this for the Eddie lives!au where Eddie just goes with Dustin instead of going and trying to fight the bats off. I'm still mad about that 😒) How Eddie met will was after the "earthquake" when the rest of the group are at Wheelers house and the California crusaders (argyles group lol) are back in Hawkins and there all hugging each other and just happy everyone's okay 👍

"but vamp Eddie is wanted by the police shouldn't he still be in hiding and not in the public eye" I THINK A MURDER SUSPECT IS THE LEAST OF HAWKINS WORRIES AFTER A EARTHQUAKE THAT DESTROYED THE TOWN JUST HAPPENED

Anyways Mike and Dustin introduce will to Eddie (someone pls write a fanfic of this PLEASE-)

Eddie sees alot of his younger self in Will

Like ALOT

Besides the fact They're both queer (will didn't say shit about that btw, Eddie just knew) they're both seen as freaks and have similar interests with dnd so when Eddie and will learned more about each other and realized they had more in common

Steve & Dustin 2.0

obviously Eddie doesn't just sweep Dustin under the rug now that wills there but c'mon he can have 2 younger brothers can't he?

And Steves his bf he's gotta take care of their kid together/hj

Speaking of steddie Steve & Eddie kinda give off divorced parents taking care of Thier kid together and Secretly still are in love with each other but doesn't say anything to the other ab it

Eddie's also the 2nd person for Will to come out to and Eddie immediately accepts him

"I mean byer c'mon it was a little obvious"

"huh?"

"you're kidding right? I see the way you look at Wheelers brother"

Of course Eddie doesn't tell anyone unless wills fine with him telling someone else

which let's be honest he probably doesn't want Eddie telling anyone else at least until he's absolutely sure how they feel about queer people. And even then will probably be a bit hesitant on telling the person WHO he likes (A/n: totally not projecting or anything)

After will comes out him Eddie decides to pull a switch a roo out of his ass and come out to will as well

"besides the fact that I also know how you feel, considering I swing that way too"

Will is absolutely shocked

Bamboozled even

Just :0

As if Eddie doesn't look like a walking Skittles ad

Tbh I might make a little fanfic of this scenario :)

Back to when Eddie gets introduced to everyone

Argyle thinks he absolutely fucking cool

"wow man that's a pretty sick jacket"

"you, like metal?"

"well Eden listens to metal so if she likes metal I say it's pretty cool 😎"

Eddie, argyle, & Johnathan are smoking buddies

+ Eden sometimes if argyle visits her

(I'm sorry but I love argyle x Eden sm. They're in a long distance relationship damn it)

If Edens with them Eddie talk ab different type of music they're into sense they have somewhat similar taste

I hc Eden prefers goth music (Siouxsie and the banshees, the cure, joy division, sisters of mercy, Bauhaus) but listens to metal as well so if she wants recs she'll ask Eddie

They all just hot box in argyles van

Anyways back to Eddie hcs

When he graduates (finally) he does exactly what he said he would do: flip principal Higgins off and run like hell out of there

Hellfire club + the rest of the queer quartet, and Wayne was there in crowd cheering him on

After the ceremony tho he was absolutely ecstatic

Wayne gave him the biggest hug out of all them

"I'm proud of you kid"

Nearly teared up when Wayne said that

Jonathan took a bunch of pictures

They had party at Wayne's trailer

Nothing too fancy but there was enough people to call it a party

He also has a pet rat named Ozzy

A/n: anyways these are all the hcs that I could pull out of my ass for now but I might update this post if there's more I can think of

111 notes · View notes

blue-n-yellow · 2 years

Text

byler “this or that” ask game becauuuuse. im bored and i can <3 questions about what you want for season 5, what you want for the two in general, which of their scenes do you prefer, and random byler questions!

~*~

1.Want a angsty, dramatic confession, or sweet and soft confession?

2.Sun and moon vibes- is will the sun and mike the moon, or vice versa?

3.Do you want the party to be surprised, or for them to already know about byler?

4.Who fell first, and who fell harder?

5.Will with powers, or without powers?

6.Who’s getting fatally injured, then saved with the power of love?

7.Which platonic duo do you prefer: Willel, or Elmike?

8.Byler going to the arcade together, or sneaking off to the a/v room?

9.Would you rather see byler get murray’d individually, or while they’re hanging out together?

10.Want to see the painting get addressed, or “my life started the day I found you in the woods”?

11.Robin as Wills gay mentor, or Eddie as Mikes gay mentor?

12.Start the timeskip with them together, or them still dancing around their feelings?

13.Series end with them in Mikes basement with the party, or leaving Hawkins as a duo?

14.Swingset flashback, or montage using unused film from past seasons?

15.Would you rather see them in their respective blue/yellow, or see them both wearing green?

16.”Crazy together” scene, or “It was the first day of kindergarten”?

17.Mike realizing his feelings for Will in season 3, or season 4?

18.Byler in the Upside Down together, or getting split up?

19.Mike coming out to Nancy scene, or coming out to Karen scene?

20.”That’s my friend, Mike” or “It’s Hawkins, it’s not the same without you”

rb for your followers to send in numbers!

#byler #will byers #mike wheeler #stranger things

91 notes · View notes

triviareads · 1 month

Text

ARC Review of You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian

Rating: 4/5 Heat Level: 3/5 Publication Date: May 7th

Premise:

A queer midcentury romance set in the 1960s; Mark Bailey is assigned to do a series of interviews with Eddie O'Leary, once a rising star in baseball and now contending with an infamous batting slump.

My review:

Cat Sebastian wrote yet another beautifully tender love story where all these little moments add up in a way that never fails to tug at my heartstrings. And I don't say that lightly.

Mark is a prickly reporter for the Arts and Culture section of the Chronicle who somehow gets assigned to do a profile on Eddie O'Leary, Midwestern transplant, once-wunderkind, now in the middle of a months-long batting slump. Eddie is brash and charming and often acts before thinking, but he's so endearing that you can't help but root for him, just like all of New York City, and eventually Mark too.

So, a lot of the book is about Eddie's batting slump, but it isn't the main plot, per say. Cat Sebastian draws these intricate portraits of a handful of characters that give you the sense that these people are a work in progress even when the book is finished— just like people in real life. You really feel the full extent of Mark's loneliness after his partner passed away the year prior, his conflicting feelings about being treated like a dirty secret even as they loved one another, and his inability to mourn openly— Mark's shock when an old mentor at the Chronicle likens Mark's grief to his own when his wife passed is palpable, and that hit me hard.

What I like about Eddie is that he may be quick to jump into a fight or trash talk a team, and he has an almost ridiculous sense of optimism, but he's never portrayed as naive, despite his age (twenty-two!!) and whatever his teammates and even Mark initially assume. He knows his own mind and actually ends up pushing for his and Mark's relationship when Mark is unsure about his own heart, and worried for Eddie's career prospects.

Emotionally, this book feels like a slow-burn because Mark isn't willing to go all-in the way you get the sense Eddie is ready to much sooner. But this is one of those cases where actions speak louder than words and you see it in these little moments of domesticity like when Eddie buys Mark breakfast and they walk the dog together, and how Eddie delights in Mark's fussy perfectionism and Mark is reluctantly charmed by Eddie's sense of hope; basically, they're inevitable even when they don't think so.

I liked that this was a queer romance that wasn't centered around a gay awakening, or the homophobia and bigotry queer people experience. Mark and Eddie are both comfortable with their sexuality, and they never let their worries about being out (or as out as someone could safely be in the sixties) turn inwards into self-loathing. Outside of Mark's queer friends, the vast majority of secondary characters inhibit this middle-ground where some of them know to an extent what's going on between Mark and Eddie, or it's a gamble to come out to them so Mark and Eddie take risks where it matters, but otherwise don't.

There is something of a third-act break-up, but it's kind of half-hearted because Mark does a hilariously shitty job of the breaking-up part, and Eddie is unwilling to let go. And that's heartening in a way because nothing can separate these two.

The sex:

Super romantic, super tender and the payoff after all their tip-toeing around their feelings is worth it. There's also an element of exploration that I thought really worked, because while they've both had sex before, Eddie especially is still trying to figure out what he likes, and there's an openness between them that you get the sense wasn't possible for Eddie before.

I will say, while there are multiple open-door sex scenes, the language gets a little more vague when they're having sex, and the writing focuses more on what they're saying and feeling, as opposed to exactly what they're doing. That doesn't mean it's less hot, it's just a little less explicit. There are also a couple instances where there are breaks in the writing between foreplay and post-coital.

Overall:

This is such a soft love story set in a period I don't see often in historical romances, and I adored both Eddie and Mark. I'd absolutely recommend this book to every romance reader out there, and for any reader in particular looking for a romance that slowly but surely packs an emotional punch.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#arc #arc review #netgalley #historical romance #avon books #avon #romance novel #romance novels #Cat Sebastian #queer romance #lgbtq

2 notes · View notes

aion-rsa · 3 years

Text

There Are No Secrets of Dumbledore Worth Adding to the World of Harry Potter

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The sunk cost fallacy is a powerful thing. Despite the fact that the current pandemic has audiences more desperate than ever for tentpole films, no one has exactly been clamoring for the continuation of the Fantastic Beasts series, slated to have five movies in total. So it was with muted fanfare that Warner Bros. announced the upcoming release of the third Fantastic Beasts film, set to premiere in April 2022 under the title Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Those who watched The Crimes of Grindelwald will remember the prominent role of a young Dumbledore played by Jude Law—clearly the series isn’t quite finished exploring the famously eccentric wizard’s backstory. But given J.K. Rowling’s history of not knowing when to stop opening up the vault, unloading new factoids that simultaneously demystify the wizarding universe and cast its characters in a poor light, you have to wonder: Might everyone be better off if the secrets of Dumbledore were left untold?

The Fantastic Beasts series has never exactly set the world aflame with its brilliance. The initial film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, approached the success of the original Harry Potter film series, earning $814 million on a $200 million budget. (Notably, it was the eighth highest grossing film in 2016, when each of the other Harry Potter films were in the top three highest grossing for their respective years.)

The final bait-and-switch reveal of Johnny Depp as the notorious Hitler-esque villain of the series did little to whet the appetites of moviegoers, and the second film fared considerably worse at the box office. The Crimes of Grindelwald made $150 million less than its predecessor, the worst showing of any Harry Potter film by far.

It was roundly criticized for its less than inspired plot and borderline offensive imagery surrounding some of the non-white characters. More than anything, audiences were turned off by the perceived pointlessness of the series: this was not an expansion of the Harry Potter universe that anyone was really asking for. And yet, the franchise soldiers on, kept alive more out of sheer bloody-mindedness than anything else. At this point, surely the kindest thing to do would be to put the poor dear out of its misery, releasing Eddie Redmayne from the shackles of a multi-million dollar contract and letting him go back to making inspirational period dramas. But as long as Rowling has life left in her body, she’s committed to tearing down her own legacy. So here we are: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

It’s no, well, secret that name-dropping Dumbledore in the title is a Hail Mary borne out of the desperate hope that evoking one of the most popular characters in the series will drive audiences back to the theaters. But realistically, it seems like Dumbledore’s backstory (and any hidden revelations contained within) has already been fairly well-mined. We’ve seen him as an old man, the wizened mentor of Harry Potter as headmaster of Hogwarts. We’ve seen him in flashbacks at various points in what we have to assume is an unusually extended middle age, thanks to Harry’s exploration of the Pensieve in an effort to learn more about Voldemort’s shadowy past. We’ve gotten first hand accounts of his early life from his brother Aberforth, and we’ve even read excerpts from an (admittedly potentially libelous) biography published posthumously by Bathilda Bagshot.

And now with The Crimes of Grindelwald, we’ve seen him as a roguishly handsome young Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts in the 1920s, thanks to Law in an impeccably tailored three-piece suit. Does Dumbledore even have any secrets left?

Setting aside all of the substantial on-screen exploration of Dumbledore’s past, we haven’t even begun to take into account one of the most powerful vessels of canonical Harry Potter intel: the famous Rowling info dump. Ever since Harry Potter put J.K. Rowling on the map, it’s been clear that she has veritable notebooks full of background information that didn’t make it into the books and films, and nothing delights her more than sharing some of these details. Some of them are puzzling but harmless, like the time she posted on Pottermore (apropos of nothing) that Hogwarts didn’t used to have indoor plumbing, and that witches and wizards simply relieved themselves wherever they stood and magically vanished the evidence.

Others add nuance to beloved characters: the revelation she shared shortly after the release of the final Harry Potter book, for example, which told us Dumbledore was gay. Learning all of this shapes our understanding of the series, but it also feels a little bit like a cheat. If it was important to Rowling that we know Dumbledore’s sexuality, why did she wait until after the ink was dry to tell us, and not simply include it in the text? In many ways, it’s a half measure; an opportunity to pay lip service to progressive values but without any inherent risk. (And the more that we learn about Rowling’s views on gender politics, the more it comes across as disingenuous.)

To be frank, audiences have reason to distrust Rowling’s attempts to elaborate on characters from the original series. Historically, this has not always improved said characters. Nagini, for instance, began as an intriguingly intelligent snake, one able to maintain a powerful bond to Voldemort when he was unable to connect with any of his own species in the same way. Everyone just sort of accepted that character as read, and no one asked for more of an explanation. The universe did not need a Nagini prequel.

But in The Crimes of Grindelwald, Rowling couldn’t resist the opportunity to tinker, and then we end up with a Nagini that is an incredibly problematic depiction of an Asian woman. She is enslaved by a circus owner and burdened with a blood curse that initially gave her the power to transform into a snake but, by the events of the original Harry Potter series, she is permanently fixed in snake form. Who in the world thought adding that to Nagini would make her a more compelling character? Proof that there is creative danger in becoming so rich and powerful as an artist that no one is willing to tell you, “No. That’s a bad idea.”

So while there are diehard fans out there, presumably thrilled by the news that the Fantastic Beasts franchise lives another day, there is a notable sense of dwindling enthusiasm amongst audiences at large. The Secrets of Dumbledore does little to inspire hope that this installment will prove itself worthy of existence, feeling more akin to a cynical attempt to capitalize on his popularity. Instead of making fans excited to learn more about the enigmatic Albus Dumbledore, it can’t help but evoke a feeling of dread. People still like Dumbledore, even with his questionable beliefs and actions in his early life, but what will happen when Rowling takes another swing at him?

No matter how much she intends to add to the character, there’s the very real risk she’ll take something away. Indeed, it seems obvious to everyone but the production team that she’s long since reached the point where the best thing for her own legacy would be for Rowling to put down the pen and walk away. Stop it before she does irreparable damage to the characters that a generation of children grew up with.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post There Are No Secrets of Dumbledore Worth Adding to the World of Harry Potter appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3EMU9qg

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

2 notes · View notes