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#rebel robin: surviving hawkins

sailor-peeking · 2 years

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A list of things I learned about Robin Buckley while listening to the prequel podcast about her (spoilers...duh) :

Robin has an emotional support English teacher named Mr. Hauser who runs the theater department

Robin auditioned for a play and almost passed out embarrassing herself.

Robin Buckley is an avid reader reading books way above her grade level but performing as a b average student on purpose.

Robin dreams of running away and has sinced elementary school.

Robin is a big fan of Frankenstein and believes that in the book Dr. Frankenstein is the real monster for playing God.

Robin's dream is to go on a vacation to France (she calls it operation croissant.)

and then move out of Hawkins entirely.

For Halloween Robin was Annie Lennox for Halloween, 1983.

Robin notices that Tammy Thompson smells like raspberries and she mentions that it reminds her of the scented stickers she collected as a child

Robin is nearly fluent in French and has picked up Italian by the time she is a sophomore.

Robin dreams of learning Russian (ironic.)

Robin was friends with Barb until the 6th grade when Barb joined a club with Nancy and they fell out of contact

Robin has 2 friends (term used lightly) named Kate and Milton.

Robin says that her parents aren't really parents they're more like "domesticated hippies" they never really ask her about anything

Robin was banned from riding her bike to school after what happened with Barb and Will. And instead has to take the bus (where she is harassed verbally)

Robin says even her teacher looks at Steve "as if his hair cured cancer."

Robin doesn't particularly like Nancy.

Robin worked at the Movie theater before scoops ahoy

Robin refers to her friends as "the odd squad ™"

Robin feels like she's broken, like there's something "wrong" or "rotten." About her

A boy named Roy makes Lewd comments to Robin that make her uncomfortable

Robin compares Steve to Jack from Lord of the Flies.

Robin likes the outsider's book.

Robin's friends boyfriend Dash thinks she's in a relationship/sleeping with her English teacher.

Robin really enjoys being able to leave her math class early for the cafeteria cookies while they're hot.

Robin's English teacher is Gayyyyy✨🌈🌈🌈🌈 (And Barb is an 🌈✨Ally ✨🌈)

Robin pulled the fire alarm to frame her friends boyfriend for trying to get Hauser fired

Robin was working the day Steve cleaned up the graffiti at the movie theater.

Robin refers to Hawkins society as "the monster™"

The first time Robin talks to Tammy Thompson was the day before Christmas break her sophomore year

Robin and Hauser refer to their homosexuality as "the slip of paper with a black dot" in reference to the short story "the lottery"

#sailor says something dumb #Robin Buckley #stranger things #stranger things spoilers #rebel robin #rebel robin: surviving hawkins #Steve Harrington #mr Hauser #nancy wheeler #barb holland #tammy thompson #stranger things x reader #robin buckley x reader

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clowns-are-cool · 2 years

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Here's the rebel robin podcast transcript.

I did my best but I'm sure it's not 100% accurate.

#rebel robin: surviving hawkins #rebel robin #robin buckley #mr hauser #tammy thompson #stranger things #steve harrington #nancy wheeler #podcast transcript #podcast

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blooming-sunrise · 2 years

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was anyone going to tell me that Barb and Robin used to be best friends or was I supposed to find out all on my own??

#stranger things #barbara holland #robin buckley #this gives me so many ideas for ronance omg #ronance #bloom #rebel robin: surviving hawkins

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mollyollypuddingpolly · 2 years

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Robin gets to complete Opperation Croissant some time after season 5. She travels through Europe with Vickie (she has family in Ireland) and Steve.

She's not sure which part sophomore year her would have found more surprising, going to Europe with her girlfriend or with Steve Harrington.

I'm delusional so Eddie's there too, dragging them all to metal concerts ❤

#stranger things #robin buckley #robin x vickie #vickie x robin #rockie #rickie #vickie stranger things #steve harrington #amybeth is irish so i threw that in lol #rebel robin #rebel robin: surviving hawkins #eddie munson

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treba-neco-napise · 1 year

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Y'ALL STRANGER THINGS PEOPLE (aka a dump about the prequels i love and aren't getting enough attention)

i never noticed anyone talk about this and it's been online for almost two fucking years.

this. THIS. T H I S. 🙏

Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins is a 6-episode podcast accompanying the prequel book Rebel Robin but reading it isn't necessary (it's in 1st person anyway so I'm sceptical...), actually starring Maya Hawke (and her amazing neurodivergent rambling <3). Every episode is Robin meeting with Mr. Hauser, a literature teacher, for 20 minutes they just talk, discuss personal matters, other characters, mention a few books (I think a reference to Robin reciting something by "Emily" was almost definitely Emily Dickinson and just fucking imagine Robin reciting a poem she wrote for Sue Gilbert and staring at Tammy fucking Thompson, I am losing my mind-), there's so much exploration of the characters and background, you see that Robin, of course, wasn't entirely alone for the entirety of high school and even though she was struggling to make meaningful friendships, you see her trying and her sort of friendship with Hauser is so entertaining, my god, the banter is just fucking great, the writing slaps so hard, all the dialogues are giving my writer brain an intellectual orgasm. You also have a few characters appear, like Nancy or Steve (every second of him appearing in this is a delight even though he's not voiced by Joe Keery, I fucking love Robin getting annoyed at him). There's no supernatural stuff, it's entirely character-focused with a tiny subplot of figuring some things out about each other and I loved it so much, especially the ending.

[spoiler area?] (spoiler? from the beginning, I just knew that hauser wasn't straight. I don't know how, I guess 1. otherwise it would've been pretty awkward... 2. giving Robin a wise older gay friend just like she can/will become for Will? YES???) (spoiler: the dialogue at the end was kinda funny to me, "Why do you look like you're happy but kind of sad?" me: robin, it's okay, you'll figure it out. :))

anyways, wholeheartedly recommended it. and while i'm here, i can also throw darkness on the edge of town at you, the hopper prequel where he's telling el about a case he was working on in new york while he still had his old family. because i have nobody else to throw it at.

it's so well-written, i couldn't put it down, also features rosario delgado and lisa sargeson, two of my absolutely favourite characters probably in the whole franchise except for steve, i so hope they'll get at least mentioned in S5.

(suspicious mind? the first half is pretty boring, not as well-written but there's a shit ton of backstory)

aaaaanyways, that's all, have a nice day, everyone :)

#i got ambitious with the capitals at the beginning #and then just lost all my will #the capitals do what they want #can we please talk more about this????????? i thought they were just trying to milk the prequels #but (except for suspicious mind which is just not written well and I've been trying to get through it for two weeks. i'm on pg. 105...)#the writers put so much skill effort and love into it #so please try it if you don't know what to read or listen to next #:)#that's all folks #stranger things #rebel robin #rebel robin: surviving hawkins #robin buckley #tom hauser (stranger things)#the robin buckley & mr hauser dynamic is so *chef's kiss*#Spotify

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blankinsidecards · 10 months

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So I’ve been reading the Stranger Things: Rebel Robin book, and like, I know it’s “not official canon” or whatever but its crazy how much of her book & s3 personality seems to have been just snatched right from under her and bestowed onto our dear Eddie Munson.

#she’s like. fully anti-establishment anti-capitalist anti-conformity #I’m gonna post highlights soon so nobody else has to read it alsjskdkdk #stranger things #robin buckly #stranger things: Rebel Robin #Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins

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beep-beep-robin · 10 months

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„give the rousing speeches at the right time“ - mr. hauser, rebel robin: surviving hawkins e. 2

this just makes me think of robin‘s speech at pennhurst and how maybe she thought back on her teacher telling that to her. definitely the right time for that speech

#also i think eddie could‘ve used that advice #stranger things #robin buckley #rebel robin: surviving hawkins #mr. hauser

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steviesbicrisis · 1 year

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I was today years old when I found out there’s a podcast with Robin’s POV of the 1983 events?? What??

#robin buckley #rebel robin #rebel robin surviving Hawkins #Robin’s podcast #stranger things podcast #stranger things

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thegayhimbo · 6 months

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Stranger Things Rebel Robin (Book and Podcast) Review (Part 1 of 2)

WARNING: The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS from the book and podcast!

If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out my other Stranger Things Reviews. Like, Reblog, and let me know what your thoughts are regarding the show or the upcoming season! :)

Stranger Things Comics/Graphic Novels:

Stranger Things Six

Stranger Things Halloween Special

Stranger Things The Other Side

Stranger Things Zombie Boys

Stranger Things The Bully

Stranger Things Winter Special

Stranger Things Tomb of Ybwen

Stranger Things Into The Fire

Stranger Things Science Camp

Stranger Things “The Game Master” and “Erica’s Quest”

Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

Stranger Things Kamchatka

Stranger Things Erica The Great

Stranger Things “Creature Feature” and “Summer Special”

Stranger Things Tie-In Books:

Stranger Things Suspicious Minds

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Runaway Max (Part 3 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 1 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 2 of 3)

Stranger Things Darkness On The Edge Of Town (Part 3 of 3)

NOTE: If you would like to listen to "Surviving Hawkins," the companion podcast to Rebel Robin, you can find all 6 episodes here.

Synopsis: As Robin struggles to survive her sophomore year of High School, she becomes desperate to break free from the viciousness of high school conformity and her depressing living situation in Hawkins. To this end, she forms an escape plan to travel to Europe (which she calls "Operation Croissant") and becomes determined to get both the money for her trip and a companion to travel with her. However, as she attempts to accomplish these goals, she begins to discover things about herself, and the people around her, that leaves her woefully unprepared for how to deal with her situation............

Observations:

I've talked before in previous reviews about which comics and tie-in novels I've enjoyed, and which I haven't. However, the one that really connected with me on a personal level was Rebel Robin. Both the book and the podcast. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since this is a coming-of-age story about someone finding their own identity in a world that values forced conformity over individualism, and is also about coming to terms with one's own sexual orientation while growing up in a town that's deeply homophobic.

I should know: I lived Robin's story in my own way.

Those of you who follow my blog know I identify as gay (my username is literally titled TheGayHimbo), but I've never really gone into my own experiences about living in denial for years regarding my attraction to men (which might have actually saved my life in high school), how I dealt with homophobia and bullying (even as an adult) and how I tried playing the same game Robin initially does of trying to "fit in" to survive before growing disillusioned and staging my own rebellion when it became clear there would always be people out there who would never accept me as I am.

This book, and the podcast, hit a lot of personal nerves. That's not a bad thing because both were not only excellent, but also managed to perfectly capture what it's like growing up as an LGBT+ teen and constantly putting up with bullshit on top of that. It also does a great job encapsulating that feeling of desiring to escape the place you've been raised in for most of your life, and wanting to explore the world. I had the same dream Robin had as a teenager of leaving the United States and traveling to Europe. Unfortunately, it's only been in the last 2 years that I've finally made that dream a reality. Maybe it's for the better though since I'm a lot more wiser about the world than I was at the age of 17.

But I'm getting ahead of myself: Let's talk about the book and the podcast.

Part 1: Robin's Journey

Do you remember Mrs. Click's history class? Mrs. Clickity-Clackity? That's what us band dweebs called her. It's was first period, Tuesdays and Thursdays, so you were always late. And you always had the same breakfast: Bacon, egg, and cheese on a sesame bagel. I sat behind you. Two days a week for a year. Mister Funny. Mister Cool. The King of Hawkins High himself. Do you even remember me from that class? Of course you don't. You were a real asshole, you know that?.......... But it didn't even matter. It didn't matter that you were an ass. I was still.....obsessed with you. Even though all of us losers pretend to be above it all, we still want to be popular, accepted.......normal.

Do you remember what I said about Click's class? About me being jealous, and like, obsessed? It isn't because I had a crush on you. It's because............she wouldn't stop staring at you. Tammy Thompson. I wanted her to look at me.

Both of these conversations Robin has with Steve in season 3 are what make up a good chunk of the plot of Rebel Robin: Her infatuation with Tammy Thompson. Her dislike of Steve (a lot of it rooted in preconceived notions about him). Figuring things out about herself and how she relates to Hawkins and the world around her.

The way the book is written reminds me of the type of John Hughes movies that came out in the 80s: Sixteen Candles (which is one of the films that plays at the theater Robin initially works at), The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc. All of these were stories focused on teenage identity, questioning high school stereotypes, rebelling against conformity and authority, and characters coming to terms with hard truths about themselves. The big difference here is that the book looks at these themes through a queer perspective, as well as the self-esteem issues that come with growing up in a homophobic environment.

For most of the book, Robin doesn't really put together that she likes girls. She's constantly infatuated with Tammy Thompson, but she tries framing it in her head as being interested in Tammy only because she's a nice person who's passionate and has a lovely voice. Robin also can't understand why Tammy would be interested in Steve when he barely has any interest in her.

When it finally does hit her that she's attracted to Tammy, she's completely caught off-guard by the epiphany since she's always pegged herself as a logically-thinking person:

This isn't something rooted in logic though, but emotion. I would even argue Robin's initial ignorance about her sexuality was a defense mechanism. Her whole conflict in the book is about trying to survive Hawkins High and blend in so that no one notices her. In the podcast, when she's talking with Mr. Hauser (who's one of the only people at that point who knows Robin's secret and figured it out before she did), she tells him that she deliberately makes herself average and uninteresting because it's the best camouflage. Those who try to be different don't last long, and get eaten up by the metaphorical monster that is "forced conformity" in Hawkins. Robin has seen that with Sheena Rollins, the girl everyone bullies because she's odd (which is sadly similar to the bullying El is subjected to in season 4 by Angela and the students of Lenora High School). Even though there are moments Robin considers stepping in on Sheena's behalf, she's either held back by her so-called friends, or she becomes worried that her intervening is just going to make things worse for Sheena (which, again, is similar to what happens when a teacher intervenes on El's behalf in season 4, and Angela later punishes El for it by publicly humiliating her at Rink-O-Mania).

Side Note: Whenever I see fans make stupid excuses for bullies like Angela by claiming they're children who aren't responsible for their behavior, and it was the lack of adults that's to blame, I wonder if those morons ever factor in how certain adults (like Miss Garvey here) enable people like Angela and other kids to become vicious brats BECAUSE they refuse to step in. When Robin is forced to take the bus later after her parents freak out over Will and Barb's disappearance, there are several instances (in both the book and podcast) where Robin is catcalled and harassed by other guys, and yet the bus driver refuses to do anything about it because they don't care to. "It was the lack of adults" my ass. 🙄

For me, growing up as a gay man who was also in denial about his sexuality for years (similar to Robin), I never had to deal with bullying when I was in high school. I was raised in a Conservative/Republican suburban neighborhood, and in a church that had an anti-homosexual stance, but I never got subjected to the vicious cruelty that Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, El, and Sheena were put through. For the most part, our high school cracked down hard on bullying, and I was never made to feel unsafe when I went there. I was even an AP student and never received grief for it, which is why I find it depressing when Robin tries justifying to Mr. Hauser in the podcast that she won't do AP classes because she wants to go unnoticed. She's lowering herself for people who don't care about her. I know I grew up in a different time period from Robin, and haven't had the same exact experiences she's had, but I have been in her position before of shrinking myself for others, and it is painful.

The irony is it wasn't until later in my life, when I finally accepted myself as homosexual and was moving through college and adulthood, that the homophobia and bullying I got subjected to started.

There are plenty of examples I could give, but one particularly disgusting instance I remember came from a Reddit user who intentionally went out of her way to target me on multiple occasions because I was gay (and because she saw me as an SJW) and did everything in her power at the time to diminish me, make me feel bad about my sexuality, and repeatedly tried to gaslight me into thinking there was something wrong with me. Unfortunately, she is still active online to this day, and continues the same cycle of bullying, belittling others, mocking people for caring about social issues, and then hypocritically positioning herself against bullying. Despite being reported multiple times for her behavior (which continues to be as bigoted and nasty as ever), the Sitewide Administration for Reddit has refused to do a damn thing about it (which I guess shouldn't be surprising since they've also kept up the accounts of users who've literally told others to kill themselves). This happened years ago when I was still new to the internet (having been sheltered from online discourse prior to attending college) and didn't have the skills set and knowledge at the time to deal with condescending assholes like her. I have avoided this user since, and I want nothing to do with her (or Reddit for that matter), but it's experiences like this which have hardened me and made me cynical about people and life in general.

On an unrelated note, it's why I have no sympathy for Angela when El finally has enough of her bullying and smashes her face in with a roller-skate. I don't usually condone violence, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't get some dark satisfaction in seeing this moment:

Cry me a river of blood and tears, sweetheart. You deserve it.

Getting back to the review, having read this book and listened to the podcast, I related stronglym with Robin during this. I also grew to appreciate Mr. Hauser. He's the one who encouraged Robin to be herself and not let the small-mindedness of other people keep her down. He's the one who supported her plan to travel to Europe (Operation Croissant) and encouraged Robin to find a companion to go with her because he understood that happiness and memories are better shared with others. There's a very powerful scene in the podcast when Robin is at a low point, having come to believe there's something wrong with her, and Mr. Hauser firmly reassures her that she isn't broken and that she doesn't need to change herself for others.

Hearing that, especially as someone who deals with anxiety and depression on a daily basis, nearly moved me to tears.

I wish there were others out there who had a Mr. Hauser in their lives. I met mine on Tumblr years ago, and I'm grateful to know her. If she's reading this, she knows who she is. :)

I should mention at this point that the companion podcast for the book only covers a specific part of the novel (i.e. Chapters 15-29) and they mostly focus on the conversations between Robin and Mr. Hauser that aren't in the book. They're deep conversations about what it's like living in Hawkins, how the books they're reading relate to their current situations, discussions about other characters like Steve, Barb, and Will, having to work in a rigid system that focuses on molding people into becoming productive members of society, and so on. All of it is wrapped in a mystery surrounding Mr. Hauser that Robin begins to piece together.

I read the book first before I listened to the podcast, so I already had the twist regarding Mr. Hauser spoiled, which made the build-up to the mystery feel redundant. I'm sure the podcast is meant to be listened to at the same time you're reading the book, but I don't think it truly matters which order you go in. Even if you haven't read the book or listened to the podcast, it is EXTREMELY EASY to figure out what Mr. Hauser's secret is. If you've been paying attention to what I've been talking about in this review, you've likely figured it out for yourselves.

In any case, it makes what happens to Mr. Hauser later all the more heartbreaking.

It's also the reason why Robin finally has enough when her plans get derailed, and she finally goes full Rebel Robin: She's sick of trying to survive. She's sick of confining herself to a box for people who either don't care for her, want to use her for their own self-serving purposes (i.e. her former friend Dash), or will criticize her no matter what she does. She also realizes that, for all of her scheming on Operation Croissant, it wasn't going to fix her problems:

I can relate. Recently, I got back from a trip to Italy and Greece. While I had a fun time (and brought back some nice souvenirs and pictures), the issues I've had for years didn't magically go away either. Running away doesn't fix your problems, and sometimes you have to face hard truths if you want to move on. I'm still getting there, and I'm glad Robin was able to get there as well.

The climax of this book comes off as a combination of 10 Things I Hate About You, National Lampoon's Animal House, and Mean Girls: It takes place at a school dance, there's a lot of wacky shenanigans that involve damaged property, a sleazebag who's been the antagonist for most of the story rightfully gets humiliated, and there's some kind of reconciliation. Robin doesn't exactly get what she wants (and her behavior is what causes her to end up working alongside Steve Harrington at Scoop's Ahoy), but she does get catharsis and a special moment where she can be herself with someone who also understands her. After spending most of the book wishing for that, it's at least something for her to hold onto.

Part 2: Robin's Relationship With Other Characters

We get to meet Robin's parents in this novel, who are both hippies from the counterculture movement of the 60s. Robin notes that both of them have traveled around most of their lives (which is one of the reasons she's inspired to create Operation Croissant and travel to Europe), they both have other hippie friends who've been on their own exciting adventures, they are relaxed in their parenting of Robin (to the point Robin admits to feeling like the adult in the family), and they taught Robin to question authority and not trust the government (which comes into play for her during her later adventure with Steve, Erica, and Dustin). However, when Will and Barb disappear, they end up becoming a lot more strict with Robin, confiscating her bike and forcing her to take the bus for her own safety.

While Robin is unhappy, it's understandable why they act like this, and it was absolutely the right call considering what was going on at the time. There's even a scene where Robin has a near encounter with the Demogorgon on the night Will disappears, and only barely avoids the monster:

On top of that, when her parents accidentally discover Robin's plans to run away to Europe, they're rightfully upset about it. They make a bunch of incorrect assumptions, but at the same time, this situation was avoidable if Robin had sat down with her parents beforehand and trusted them with what she was planning. I know Robin tries to justify to herself why she didn't, but even though I wanted Robin to explore Europe, I also understand why her parents reacted the way they did. Robin did not think all aspects of her plan through. If I had pulled what she almost did where I ran away during high school and only called my parents once I reached Paris, I know EXACTLY how that would have gone: Not well.

This book also reveals that Robin used to be friends with Barbara Holland back in grade school, only for them to drift apart later. There were certain factors, from Barb hanging out with Nancy more, to Barb becoming more of an overachiever in academics whereas Robin did not, but it wasn't anything bad that ended their friendship. When Barb disappears, Robin constantly projects this idea that Barb managed to get away from Hawkins and isn't truly missing (which is something Mr. Hauser calls Robin out on in the podcast). It gets pretty uncomfortable to read about, especially when the audience already knows what actually happened to her:

Barb acts as the ghost that's still in the room for many characters. Robin speculates on where she went, Nancy is later found sobbing her eyes out in the theater bathroom by Robin, and there's even a scene at the end of the book where Robin sees Nancy and Steve looking alone and scared. Even though Barb isn't mentioned by name, her presence is there:

I know that when it comes to the show, Barb's death had the biggest impact on Nancy, and it's usually Nancy's grief/guilt that gets the most focus, but I wish we'd gotten to see Robin's reaction to learning about Barb's death. It could have even been a bonding moment between Robin and Nancy when they were working together in season 4. Maybe it'll be talked about in season 5, but I'm not holding my breath.

Robin's former friends (Dash, Kate, and Milton) were a mixed bag. Milton was probably the one I like the best, but I wasn't impressed at him distancing himself from Robin later on because he was looking to date Wendy and didn't want people to spread gossip about him dating Robin. Kate was frustrating, and the way she kept trying to push Robin to date other boys (despite Robin insisting she wasn't interested) didn't impress me. Nor was I impressed with her dating Dash. To her credit, she does wise up and apologize to Robin later on, but I do find it telling that her relationship with Robin deteriorated and that Robin refers to both her and Milton as ex-friends by the end.

Dash is straight-up awful. I will talk more about him in the second post for this review, but his character struck a nerve. For all of his posturing about being an intellectual nerd, he's a sleazy womanizer (similar to Billy Hargrove) and a serial cheater. I loathe him the same way I hate Billy, Angela, and Dr Brenner.

Something I appreciated with this book is how it goes out of its way to invert the social dynamic with certain characters. I've seen criticisms before about how the popular kids on Stranger Things are always portrayed as monstrous, and the nerds/outcasts as the heroes, which isn't completely true. Chrissy Cunningham for instance was one of the most popular girls at Hawkins High, and yet was shown to be a sweet (if troubled) person. Steve, despite some initial hiccups, also demonstrated himself to be a good guy, willing to own up to his behavior and put his life on the line for others. By contrast, Henry/One/Vecna portrayed himself to El as being a social outcast growing up, and yet is not only a straight-up sociopath with no empathy for remorse for his actions, but ultimately the Big Bad of the series.

In Rebel Robin, Tammy Thompson is popular in school and has a circle of popular friends, but she's also a kind individual. She's repeatedly nice to Robin, and goes out of her way to talk to Sheena at one point to help her after she gets bullied again. By contrast, Dash labels himself as a band geek/nerd, and yet reveals himself as one of the most condescending, unkind individuals in the series. It's a major reason Robin washes her hands of him, and wants nothing to do with Dash when he shows his true colors. All of this adds a little complexity to the series beyond Popular = Bad and Nerd/Outcast = Good.

And then there's Steve himself: Even though Robin thinks about him in a negative light for most of the novel, I can only recall one or two instances where they briefly interact before the Epilogue (which is when Robin starts working for Scoops Ahoy).

I've seen fans repeatedly debate whether Steve was a bully to others pre-season 1, and the answer this book gives is a firm NO. Steve's shown to be self-absorbed and insensitive at times, but not vicious to others the same way bullies like Troy, Billy, and Angela were. He wasn't malicious, and he didn't go out of his way to torment others for his amusement. At one point, in the podcast, Mr. Hauser point-blank asks Robin if Steve's bullied her, and she denies it. Part of Robin's feelings against Steve are her projecting her issues on to him, part of it is making assumptions about him without the whole context (like when she thinks Steve made Nancy cry at the movie theater when Nancy was actually crying over Barb's death), and part of her dislike occasionally has some merit (like when Steve runs into Robin in the hallway during the podcast and acts like a douche).

All of this makes Steve and Robin bonding with one another in season 3 feels more meaningful. She gets to see a different side to Steve after constantly assuming that people don't change, and he comes to value her as a friend. She shared her secret with him (albeit under the influence of the Russian truth serum), and not only did he accept her for who she was and kept her secret, but also encouraged her to start dating Vickie in season 4. He's the friend she deserves to have.

Assuming that both Robin and Steve survive season 5, I'd love to see Robin fulfill her dream of traveling to Europe, and that she takes Steve with her. He's the true companion to have while they visit museums, cafes, the countryside, and eat plenty of croissants. 🥐

Overall, I strongly recommend both the book and podcast. Both are entertaining and quick to get through, both enhance the show and Robin's character while adding new details, and both are great examples of LGBT+ representation.

To be continued in Part 2..........

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thelaurenshippen · 6 months

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Finally listed to Rebel Robin (the Audio show, not the book) and honestly it was not what I was expecting, I guess more in-line with the actual Stranger Things tv show. But of course that wouldn’t make sense.

Anyways, when listening to it I honestly find it really poetic, I don’t know if the subjects it tackles relates to the current climate but I find it now more important than ever.

One question I have is how do you direct Actors (those who act on screen or a visual medium) to perform for audio?

OH HI I CAN FINALLY ANSWER THIS QUESTION I'M SO EXCITED

(the SAG strike is over!! while podcasts were never struck work, bc Surviving Hawkins is a Netflix/Stranger Things show, I was considering anything related to it to be struck, so haven't wanted to post or promote it in any way! but we're finally done!)

I'm really glad you listened to the show and that it surprised you and felt relevant - it was a careful balance of making the show feel like it fits into the ST universe while also understanding that it takes place well before Robin knows anything about the Upside Down, so the story is going to be very different from any other ST story.

in terms of directing screen actors in audio...so many of the principles are the same! most of the actors I work with are TV/film actors not voiceover artists (though of course screen actors do VO and VO actors do screen, there are differences when it comes to those career paths).

(this got so long, putting it under the cut)

the thing that is hardest about screen acting in my opinion is the fact that you have to hold a million details/tasks in your head at once while also acting. stage acting is similar - you have to remember your blocking, make sure to project and be turned out to the audience, etc., but usually when you're acting on stage, you're doing the same show over and over again. for film - and especially TV - actors every day brings new scenes, new blocking, new physical actions. you have to hit your mark exactly, make sure you're in your light, find your eyeline, work with props, and memorize lines that you've sometimes been given that day. and then you have to make sure to give an emotional performance on top of that.

plus, in a show like ST, you're often interacting with things that are not there (every time I watch the demobat fight in the most recent season I'm so curious how they did it/what was providing the tension for them to pull on the bats, hit them, etc.). a lot of the actors I work with come from genre stuff, where a lot of their work is imagining that the green box they're in is actually a spaceship and the green stick they're holding is actually a magical staff or whatever. which adds another layer to the work.

which is all to say--audio is the opposite of that. you don't memorize your lines, you just have to make sure you're speaking into the mic, and that's it. but you also are only using your imagination to conjure up the setting and the actions your character is taking. so a lot of my work as a director is making sure the actors feel free to experiment, make mistakes, and be physical, even if we can't see it. oftentimes, a screen actor will come into a recording feeling like they have to do a particular thing, treat voiceover differently. my job is often just to remind them to treat it like anything else.

pretty much every actor I've ever worked with has commented on just how fun it is to focus on only the acting and nothing else. there's of course so much fun to be had running around and fighting monsters, but I find that voice acting provides a nice bit of variety. with Maya - and with the nature of the SH scripts - it was just about creating an atmosphere that felt conducive to natural conversation. because of ST filming scheduling, we actually didn't get to record her and Sean together at all, which was a bummer, but we still had someone reading the other characters' lines so it would feel like two people having a conversation.

in terms of specific direction, I'm usually focused on finding different shades of emotion from take to take - let's do this one angrier, let's do this one where you're scared and trying not to show it, etc. the only time I ever really have to voice direct is if something is getting mumbled or mispronounced or if I need something physical - the character running, smiling, etc. in those instances, I'll just tell the actor exactly what I need and we'll just pick up that individual line.

I hope this answers your question! especially since I wrote such a massive answer, lol. but the long and short of it is that directing is the same across mediums in many ways: you're focused on story, emotion, and chemistry and the lovely thing about podcasts is that you get to focus on those things and those things alone.

#surviving hawkins #stranger things #maya hawke #rebel robin #directing #acting #answered

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snowangeldotmp3 · 2 years

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That one "i lived bitch" meme but its robin to the odd squad

the odd squad: robin??? how— is this??? are you real??

robin, who’s just (barely) escaped a hell dimension, covered in cool scars and trauma: i lived bitches 😎

#got mail! 📩#anon asks #kate and milton rush her to hug her #(plus wendy. milton and wendy are a good team.)#dash hangs back bc he’s a little jealous. SHE got the cool story. SHES the talk of hawkins high.#stranger things #robin buckley #rebel robin #odd squad #rebel robin: surviving the upside down

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blooming-sunrise · 2 years

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holy shit holy shit holy shit, Barb knew??

now I'm sad about the possibilities of Nancy talking to Barb about Robin, also excited about the fic possibilities though c:

#stranger things #ronance #barbara holland #nancy wheeler #robin buckley #rebel robin: surviving hawkins

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kloirdevan · 1 year

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I just finished rebel robin and my god thank god for mr hauser for being in robin’s life 🥹

#without a doubt he helped her figure herself out #stranger things #rebel robin #robin buckley #mr hauser #surviving hawkins #also #idk how she would’ve handled barb’s death without him

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imgonnagetkilledbynutstink · 1 year

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God the money I'd spend for Mr. Hauser to be infiltrated into the actual show somehow cause he just is Robins dad now I guess and I'd love to see him react to the rest of the cast. They'd probably fucking kill him though so maybe that's not a good idea actually never mind

#rebel robin #surviving hawkins #mr. hauser #robin buckley

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