jonathan and will returning for winter break as full fledged level 5 woke anti-establishment leftists and fighting with hopper at the dinner table

the alternate universe where byclair was real… where lucas’s feeling of being replaced when el joined the group and his resentment at mike seemingly deprioritizing will is mirrored in mike’s reaction when lucas and will grow closer… where lucas joining the basketball team to escape bullying and achieve a sense of normalcy is foiled with will self imploding because he feels like he can’t escape being a freak and now he feels even lucas has abandoned him… will still having the unrequited feelings for mike but his growing bond w lucas serves as a contrast…

It is emblematic of S5’s issues that Mike has a nice moment with Holly pre-vanishing (but barely reacts to her being kidnapped) while Nancy gets to freak out over Holly’s kidnapping (but has no interaction with her beforehand). Because I do think they were trying to give each character something, but assigning one character all the preexisting affection for Holly and the other all the reaction, with no overlap, just undermines the emotional stakes for both characters.

Maybe Mike and Nancy just have a The Substance-like arrangement for caring about Holly and Mike’s week ended at the beginning of the season.

I’m imagining Jonathan trying to signal his acceptance to Will (more explicitly than in S4) without freaking him out, and ultimately landing on “you know, I’d still love Mom if she were gay.” And this is so out of left field that Will (annoyed at Hopper) is just like “ugh, I wish Mom were a lesbian.”

Whatever you do don't think about baby Will Byers first realizing Jonathan has no friends and being absolutely crushed by the revelation for days because what do you mean Jonathan has no friends? His big brother Jonathan? The one who plays him cool new songs and takes cool pictures and lets him talk about all of his favorite things and stayed up all night building Castle Byers with him in the rain? That Jonathan? Basically the coolest person ever? Has no friends?