What truly sickens me about that cursed epilogue is that, of all the teens, Jonathan is the one who seems to be the happiest with where heās at in lifeāJonathan, who has objectively had the LEAST character growth over the course of five seasons, and yet somehow he is rewarded for that stagnancy by the narrative/by the Duffers (who, letās face it, treat him as this self-insert character because, wow, heās this loner, misunderstood outcast guy who has great music taste and is such an educated film buff!! Truly revolutionary!!!).
And then you see Nancy and Steveāthe characters who have arguably had the MOST character development throughout the show, the ones whoāve consistently put their lives on the line and taken risks in order to help others because they care about people and are heroic to their core, the ones whoāve been brave enough to reject the molds society placed them in from the startāessentially become cardboard, stereotypical versions of themselves, negating so much of the nuanced character development that has been established for four seasons. Steveāwho has endured SO MUCH PAIN throughout the show in order to change, grow, and crawl forwardāhas his dream spat on by the narrative and painted as this silly, unrealistic pipe dream because how could an independent, career-focused girl like Nancy ever love someone like him, a dumb, one-time jock who peaked at high school and will never truly leave Hawkins??? This guy who was defined by his relentless commitment to ācrawling forwardā is now virtually stuck in place, once again caught in an endless cycle of fruitless romantic pursuits, circling back to right where he started. And Nancyāwho has consistently been isolated from other people due to her past trauma, emotional suppression, and career aspirationsāends up as this cookie-cutter career woman stripped of her voice and connection with others, who has no interest in romance, has taken no true steps towards healing/absolving herself of her past guilt, physically deprived of all the unique qualities that set her apart as she dons this bland, beige ensemble and no-nonsense haircut without a trace of the soft, pink-loving, unabashedly feminine power weāve all come to love her for.
Tell me, how is it that the most dynamic, courageous characters of the show get the most offensively milquetoast endings, get only a sliver of the happiness they spent seasons earning...while the most static character is rewarded for doing the bare minimum right before crossing the finish line?
areudirty
stormborns
germansingergirl
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
titsay
origamiaround
