wait i fcking just realised something. about what na yeong says about jang shin-yu not liking holding hands. HE PROBS DIDNT. BECAUSE OF THE RED HAND.

something really interesting about this season of stranger things is the way they have being using the score….

multiple occasions they have reused old tracks from previous seasons, and this feels very very intentional to me.

one instance…

the ‘This Isn’t You’ track from s1, ep1

original plays in Nancy and Barb’s last conversation they ever have together, Barb is telling Nancy that going upstairs with Steve isn’t the kind of girl she is… this moment is very pivotal to Nancy’s guilt and trauma around what happened to Barb - which has been a big part of this season so far.

this same track also plays in the scene with Nancy and Steve in the Creel House in s4, ep5. Steve has cobwebs in his hair and Nancy is helping him get them out and Steve is talking about wanting to go out with Robin, Nancy and Jonathan and how he isn’t dating Robin (honestly he is just rambling nonsense). but its one of the first Stancy scenes in s4.

Them using this track in BOTH of these moments feels EXTREMELY significant in so many ways, and just really makes me further feel that Stancy is meant to be a red herring/subversion of some kind. Especially considering how Vecna is using Nancy’s trauma around Barb and how that relates to Steve.

another track that is reused is ‘On The Bus’.

originally from s2 (i cant remember the episode) but its used in one of the most important Lumax scenes - Lucas and Max are talking on top of the bus.

they also use this track during the scene in s4 where Mike and Will are talking about being a team, and being bestfriends. A significant Byler scene for this season… (its when Will is packing for them all to leave for Hawkins). Will takes his painting for Mike right at the end after this conversation.

Interpret this however you want….

There are also occasions where they reuse melodies from tracks in previous seasons, but composed in a slightly different way.

Music has such an important role in this show, especially this season. So them reusing certain tracks feels extremely intentional.

hey, hope you're doing well! i was re-watching mc:k ep60 the other day and one comment had asked why was kosem murdered with a purple cloth. people gave random answers in the replies. but i thought that the reason why she was murdered with a purple cloth was to signify the end of it all, the end of the show... i mean, if we go back to ep1, we have hurrem dancing for suleyman and suleyman dropping a purple handkerchief in front of her to summon her to his bed. this was the start of it all. hurrem first just impressed suleyman but then from here, she just went on and on until she reached the highest position possible. it was the purple handkerchief which started this whole show, this whole era and tbh i thought that kosem being strangled with a purple cloth just signifies the end of the show, the end of the era of women. it could be because turhan wanted to humiliate kosem by not strangling her with the traditional white rope used for the dynasty (& important state officials too). but then i thought about this theory and well, if turhan wanted to humiliate kosem even more, she could've strangled her with her own hair. it's even more humiliating imo and even kind of historically accurate. i just thought of it in the start and end symbolization and i thought that this was intentionally and explicitly done but i guess others didn't perceive it this way? well, i wonder what you think of the theory? is it obvious & intentional and definitely what the purple cloth meant or is this just a cool theory? excited to read your opinion, thanks <3

Hey! I'm fine, thank you. :)

I agree that Kösem getting killed with a purple cloth is clearly intentional, because the show loves telling a story through the costuming in general and choosing a certain attire to symbolize something for such an important moment in a character's life that is their death... of course the way they would get killed is something the show crew would consider. (and again, death is big in this franchise.)

I don't think there is only one definite right interpretation on the symbolism of the purple cloth. There are many things you can associate with this purple cloth both in the franchise, the show, the themes and the episode itself and the meaning of the color purple, hence you can view this symbol in many different ways, look at it in many different angles and there would still be a high chance for you to be correct. I think the writers themselves also left this to people's imagination, for them to figure it all out by themselves. Of course they had a certain intended meaning for this cloth, but I don't feel they showed that meaning clearly. That's why so many people have so many different interpretations of it.

I absolutely love your theory and it indeed makes so much sense for the show to end the cycle this way. But I think it is tied more into Hürrem and Kösem as the respective  protagonists of both shows rather than the Sultanate of Women as a whole. After all, the cycle of the SOW isn't over, as Kösem's death happened along with the massacre Turhan started and she is the next and last member of the SOW. Yes, Turhan is the most extreme display of the application of the concept of power in the show SOW and her actions would normally be the logical peak, but it was never implied that the massacre would be the end of it all. The purple handkerchief and the purple cloth could truly represent the start of Hürrem and the end of Kösem, connecting the two characters and their protagonist character arcs in an interesting visual way, despite of them being so different. And it started with something more personal and normal (the concubines dancing and SS choosing Hürrem) and ended with something more massive (the devastating execution of Kösem). The little handkerchief and the little purple cloth could showcase the gradual development of the franchise's ruthlessness through Hürrem and Kösem. I love the theory and I wouldn't mind at all if that were the intention.

Personally, I have two theories of my own regarding the symbolism of Kösem's purple cloth:

The first one is connected more with Kösem's death itself. When I watch the scene, I always see a contrast between the brutality of her execution and the way she views this execution from start to finish. After the execution of Ibrahim, conscience spoke to her and she finally lost her innocence completely. She was capable of anything on the outside, acting like an entirely different person who strives to stop Turhan any way she knew how, but on the inside, she has lost a part of her being which made her stop caring deep down. She didn't care about the death itself, she faced it regardless, leaving everything behind after her moral downfall. But she would die bravely, wouldn't show weakness. The color purple is a symbol of regality, as well, showing that even though they took her crown and jewels and everything away, she would still die a Valide, still die as the representative of the state, the one who fought the Fatih law. (hence her screaming that she's Valide Kösem when the men entered in her chambers which also corresponds to the official name of the episode: the martyred mother/Valide.) And on a deeper level: they robbed her of everything material, but she still preserved who she is spiritually. The purple cloth is a symbol of Kösem's soul in this scene, the only thing she has left and they left her with after the massacre. She may be killed and strangled, but her own being shines through the color. She died in the most brutal way possible, but the purple in the cloth gives some regality to this death.

The second one is connected with the way her relationship with Ibrahim connects to her own death. After Murat immediately went to declare Ibrahim's execution after Kasim's death in E54, Kösem immediately rushed in to save him. This was a very pivotal scene both for her and her relationship with Ibrahim - Kösem officially lets go of Murat as her own son and begs for Allah's help to get out of the situation and that massively impacts how Ibrahim views her as a mother. And guess what? In both this scene and her death scene she has something purple. When she saved Ibrahim, she wore a purple dress and coat and when she died, she got killed with the purple cloth. The purple cloth may represent the turnaround in Kösem and Ibrahim's relationship - she saved him once, but then she was ready to end his life. In the night she killed him he cursed her to die a horrible death and to never have one good day again and the cloth may be a way of connecting that, her saving him and the death, connecting the cause and effect of her character arc. The purple cloth may symbolize her own life values getting back to her after she did the deed, which made her lose them to begin with. Of course the color purple would tie this all together. And it brings in Turhan, too. She was behind the massacre as well as she played a big part in convincing Kösem to go for killing Ibrahim. I don't think she would think of a harsher punishment for Kösem, she caused enough of a ruckus with what she already did. Kösem's death was already devastating enough in its own right, I don't think she would need to do more, as long as Kösem died. It would also be useless brutality just for brutality's sake. The coath did enough to deliver a message to the audience.

These theories are more strictly "inside the show" than they're franchise-wide, but yeah, these are my thoughts on the purple coath and again, all the interpretations have the chance to be correct.

Top 5 Fiveya Scenes!

Tough question! If you think about it their scenes are few compared to enterity of each season and yet they’re so meaningful. I’ll write the scenes in crescendo order, from bottom to top. I put everything under the “keep reading” line because I really talk too much. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about Fiveya! 

1. The coffe shop moment in Dallas. It’s just a tender scene. The first real interaction Vanya had with someone who was her family, Luther was not that good with his explanation and didn’t stick around after telling his bit. It was almost cute how Five tried to keep the truth about the Apocalypse from her, to not burden her with the knowledge she killed 7 billions people, but a stupid decision that bit him back later. He did it out of care for Vanya (and a bit of convenience for himself), but he needs to stop avoiding the discourse “Vanya is the cause of the Apocalypse”. As I said wrote in a meta before, until they will sort out together the Apocalypse thing, it’s never gonna to be closed as theme (in which they are the two pivotal points). I am also amused by how Five interrupt her phone call. 

2. Their first private time together, in front of Five’s portrait. It set the tone of their future interactions. It made you understand that when they talk with each other, they tend to have private conversations loaded with some tenderness or intimacy or different level of importance. It also happened after Vanya talked about him with Pogo, which linked immediately the two with an invisible thread. The fact the conversation with Pogo was about the time she waited/hoped for his return is considerably more important, because right after that Five did return. Five and Vanya are linked. The show tells you that.

Then you discovered he had read her book in the future (later you will also discover that he kept that book with him after leaving the Apocalypse and it was the place where he wrote down his equation to come back to his family. It was that important for him) and with her he talks softer, he is less an of an asshole and you know that, because you have just seen how he talked with the other siblings (Diego, Luther). He kind comforted Vanya too (“Ah, there are worse things” than exposing our family’s dirty laundry, not like she didn’t tell the truth). It was also interesting how Vanya was the one approaching him, tentatively and how they were establishing again a way to interact with each other.

3. Vanya and Five arguing like a married couple, after Luther told her she caused the Apocalypse. Excuse me but that scene is too funny and lovely. Five was all smug and cocky, as usual, so certain she would follow him after talking with Luther and then he went instantly in panic mode, because she was leaving him. He let Luther go the first time, not making a very big effort with him. However, with Vanya is all “UnCCEptAble VANYA!” the second she said she going back to the farm (subtext: back to her farm friend frau, who is not just a friend and Five knew that. Oh, he knew that. He is clever, remember?). 

Vanya is rightful pissed off by the omitted information, even if she doesn’t have her memory back she felt betrayed by Five (who she trusted, even though he was technically a complete stranger). The whole argument is just funny and I enjoyed it too much. I love every micro-expressions their faces did, bless Ellen and Aidan. Five could have blinked inside the car, but nope, he knocked at the window trying very hard to be a sensitive person. She chould have driven away the second she was inside the car, but she took down the window and listened Five when she didn’t have too. Their faces the second before the car window was taken down were fantastic! It was literally wifey-husbando situation in my head and I couldn’t stop giggling. 

And again, Five’s tone of voice with her is always soft or deep. Whoever let Aidan plays Five like that with Vanya deserve a fruit basket. 

4.The stand-off scene in the middle of the road: ICONIC. The sweet, sweet tension between them could be cut with a knife, delicious, oustanding, visceral. Two tiny people ready (not really, not even close, they really did not want to) to blow each other up and destroy some corn fields from existence? Starring at each other in a crescendo of tension, yet each of them looked uncertain (especially almighty Five)? Vanya knows that she can take Five down and Five knows it too? Vanya not pursuing her threat because, despite not really knowing Five and having her memory back, she doesn’t want to hurt her family, therefore him? Five giving up first, knowing he shouldn’t be so partial to Vanya and yet he let her go anyway? I love it all. 

I mean, do I need to say more? All these are rethorical questions. Thank you for this scene, it was one of the best of season 2 for me. It made me excited and thrilled to the core. THE TENSION. BLESS THEM. 👏👏👏 I explain here why I also think it’s an important scene for the future development of the pair and their relationship, right now I could just make some stupid noise. 

5. Vanya and Five’s moment in her apartment (both parts in EP1 and EP2). The first time, before I started shipping them, I didn’t expect such scene of intimacy and confidence right after a spree murder scene. It’s incredibly telling that the first thing Five did, after escaping the Commission’s attack and basically death, was to seek Vanya. So far in the first episode the show wanted us to know that Five is an abrasive old man inside a 13-years-old body, who doesn’t take sh*t from anyone and bites back people with sarcasm. He also tend to treats people patronizingly and he does whatever he wants, because he has business to do. 

However, the show also marked his ability to be less of an asshole when he is around Vanya. The first time in the living room in front of his portrait and the second time in Vanya’s apartment. The first time I didn’t expect such scene, also because they already showed Five and Vanya’s closeness in the previous scene I mentioned. Why do it again? Twice in a one episode? You start to think there is something very important between Five and Vanya, then. Especially because among her sibling, so far, Vanya had a good interaction only with Allison. The show made a point fo show us that Vanya and Five had a particular connection (Because she waited him and prepared his favourite sandwish every night until she couldn’t hope no more. Because he read her book and when they are alone, he changes his tone to a softer one...still abrasive if provoked, but contained). 

So, after escaping death what did the old man do? He went to Vanya. Not even to treat his wounds (he could have gone to Hargreeves House for that), because he clearly doesn’t care, but to talk with her. Just to talk with her. It is incredibly telling of the importance that Vanya has for him. What he wanted was someone to share the one thing that obssessed him and shaped him into the person he is now, his burden, his secret, his greatest fear: the apocalypse. And Five chose Vanya. It was probably the first very time he exposed himself after decades of solitude and also the few years he couldn’t trust anyone else but himself (in the Commission). He trusted Vanya tho. He trusted her with the most vulnerable side of him. 

And Vanya listened him, even tho she didn’t understand everything and she didn’t quite believe him, but she didn’t want him to feel stupid or excluded. She did her best to understand and she tried to be there for him too. She knew Five was visibly affected by the situation, she cared for him and didn’t want him to leave her apartment in turmoil. She didn’t want to lose him again, not after 17 years (for her) wondering where in the world (when) he was and if he was alright. What she needed was time to wrap her head around the news of the end of the world (that honestly nobody would truly believe), since she was just ordinary Vanya who never had to face looming dangers or villains like her siblings. 

The intimacy of the moment (both parts in ep 1 and pe 2) was palpable. There was tenderness too: Five let her take care of his cut, something he didn’t let her other siblings do in the later episodes (he had to pass out or be drunk af to let his sibling see him vulnerable or let them take care for him). It was literally a bubble where time stopped for them (Five doesn’t have time, remember? He insisted on this point, yet here he was, taking time to talk with Vanya).

The moment they shared that first night set not only the importance of their connection and how they interact with each other, but also made clear there might be something unspoken, something between them that they need to address. It’s the “we were almost something” right, kind of moment? And for me it was stronger than any other “they may or not may” between Allison and Luther tbh. But I might be too fiveya biased xD.