nellie-noodle

OK so I just finished episode four and I need to get my thoughts out. First of all, I hate to say it, but this is the worst writing of any season. The dialogue is so cliche. The jokes are so corny. The exposition is so contrived. The whole thing sounds like a shitty Marvel movie. There has always been room for comedy in Stranger Things, it’s one of the show’s greatest strengths, but in previous seasons - especially S1 and S2 - the funny moments always felt grounded. They felt like real moments between actual people. The jokes this season are the complete opposite - every single one is like a wink wink nudge at the camera, they don’t sound like things people would say in real life. It completely takes viewers out of the immersion and it just makes every piece of dialogue sound cheap. I’m going to have to rewatch to find all the examples I noticed but the ones I remember off the top of my head were Will making a joke about his bowl cut and Robin with the whole “I like dick” jokes. Like ok I may have giggled a little bit but seriously, why are we having the characters make these lazy, breaking the fourth wall, look how self aware we are jokes. It’s a complete tone shift.

Second of all, the Holly Wheeler/Henry Creel plotline. Oh my god I hate it. I’ve always hated Henry as the main villain. How do you go from the Mindflayer - this ancient, unknowable, Lovecraftian monster - to this stupid blond twink who wants to take over the world because idk his parents ignored him and he loved spiders or some shit. I absolutely hate this character. I was more open to him when I thought he was just a secondary villain (the Mindflayer’s “five star general” as Dustin puts it), and maybe he still is and that’ll be explored in the second volume but right now it looks like he really is the final boss and I’m just so tired of it. And what is this stupid Mr Whatsit plot. I physically cringe every time they bring it up. “Ohh I’m the evil villain and I lure children and bring them to my maaagical mansion where they can eat pancakes and ice cream but really I’m using them to take over the world muhahaha”. Like just put the fries in the bag bro. And why are all the Holly scenes shot like that. Why is it all so bright and colourful and clean. Like I understand why, Henry has kidnapped her and he’s trying to trick her Other Mother style by making everything seem nice and whimsical. But I just don’t think this concept fits the vibes of the show. Again, it’s a complete tone shift. I feel like I’m watching a Disney film not Stranger Things.

And finally let’s talk about Byler. To be honest, I’m so worried. When I saw the scene of them walking in the field and having that flirty chat I was so fucking excited. I was like, oh my god, it’s actually happening. We’re actually right. And then we jumped to the conversation between Will and Robin and my hopes just came absolutely crashing down. What do you mean you’re telling him about Tammy Thompson, the character you had a crush on but ultimately had to move on from because you realised you had all this self-love and didn’t need validation from anyone else. Hey Duffers, I don’t want Will’s arc to be nothing but a reheated, queer self-love story. I want that to be part of it, absolutely! But if you’re telling me that I have to sit through some stupid scene where Will confesses his feelings to Mike, Mike lets him down gently and tells him he’ll always be his friend, and then see epilogue Will with some utter random for a love interest because ohh he’s learned to accept himself and he doesn’t need Mike anymore … I’m literally gonna lose my mind.