Stranger Things Season 5 Spoilers!

[Loopytiles]

So excited about this! Can’t bear to watch without spoilers first.

Yeah, there are at least two references to Will being bullied for being gay back in season 1 (admittedly, we didn't know if that was just kids being assholes at the time), he's been figuratively and literally struggling with inner demons since season 2 (previously unable to find the strength to overcome them), and it's been made explicit since at least season 3 that his primary struggle is with his sexuality.

It's been his arc basically the whole way through, and it was obvious for some time (since s3, I'd say) where it was leading.

People can quibble exactly how the scene played out (I have no particular issues with it myself) but the people who think it was shoehorned in at the last minute, and also people making comments like weegielass's one, above, are demonstrating their profound media illiteracy.

I would like to see Byler, as otherwise there will have been queer-baiting.

What do you mean @Loopytiles?

Just caught up with Ep 6, Ep 7 a bit later tonight.

I’m really enjoying it, yes there are ‘plot holes’ but it’s TV, not real bloody life!!

A couple of gripes, why did it take holly so long to figure out the spy glass cap?! And, why did they not stick around to see Henry’s memory of the cave - sorry if that’s covered in ep 7 but it’s bugging me!
Also, the script does seem a mixture of plodding and rushed all at the same time but again, I accept it’s TV - I had all of this with the handmaids tale!

Why would there be Byler when Mike is straight and in a relationship with Eleven? That would be be bad writing

I think because although Holly looks 13, she is meant to be 9 or 10

Strong disagree. There's been no queer-baiting. The attempts to suggest that Mike is attracted to Will feel more like fan fiction and fly in the face of the actual show.

It actually would be such a transparent, unearned and ill-advised attempt at pandering that it'd be borderline offensive and would be a massive stain on the show.

Ah yes, I forget she’s a lot younger.

Dustin and Steve in ep 6 - from bickering to besties again, loved that!

Also, why did the melty stuff stop?

I don’t think we know why @JaneIvesunless it was part of the scientific explanation that I didn’t follow!

i wondered that about the melting stuff. I also thought it could have been useful for max to have watched what happened to Henry but I’m guessing she was just so desperate to leave by that point. I thought it was a bit of gamble that Holly would be able to go back to her body too. Max took her with her the whole way and then was like oh sorry only I can go. Lucky really that her motivational speech worked as it would have been very harsh to leave Holly there

Agree, it would be awful. There is nothing wrong with either sexuality but the story between Will and El is intrinsic to the storyline.

Agree that the story about Will has been clear from the start, Mike says in S1 that he knows Will doesn't like girls.

I think in the first episode Joyce says something about her ex calling Will a fag. There’s been loads of hints that Will is gay right from season 1.

I think it all feels v OTT as today nobody bats an eyelid as a young man being gay, in the 1980s it was a bigger deal with more prejudice.

Will being gay definitely was part of his character from the start, I'm pretty sure they confirmed it last season (or the one before) when Noah Schnapp came out. I totally get the reason Will wanted to come out, because it felt like the a part of himself he was hiding and he didn't want Vecna having a hold over him. I think it's just the execution was poor.

@JaneIves yes, Holly and Max should have given it 1 more minute to see what was in the suitcase. It's obviously important and they still took their sweet time once they made it to the windows to themselves.

I was a kid in the 80s and Aids put a fear of God into people, unfortunately gay men had the brunt of it and for them it made it extremely difficult to be able to tell people.
So I can see why Will would of found it hard especially as his dad was a complete arse!
But I did think it was a bit over the top, but its a tv show so 🤷 lol.

I'm sad to let this show go though, it ls been with me through nights of being up with newborns to watching it with my eldest (who is now 24) and now with my 16 year old.
It pulled all people from a lot of different Generations together which is hard to do.

Let's do this one last time 😢

@Justcantwin89yeah I’ll be sad when it’s finished, it’s been a programme teen dd and I have loved watching together and it’s bought us together even when we were struggling with other things.

I’ve also loved the 80s nostalgia.

@Justcantwin89 I feel like I'm pulling it apart but I will miss it. I think expectations were very high. It's odd as I've just finished Dark which tbh is superior in terms of script, pacing, acting and the overall plot is so well thought out and executed compared to ST, however I know I still would say I feel more connected to ST if that's the right word.

The new trailer hasn't given anything away

I watched Dark a while back, it was very good but was more intense and you really had to watch every second to understand it.
And it was Dubbed so (like my older Children) they wouldn't watch it.

Stranger things is more easy to watch, nostalgic and simple.

I didn’t really like Dark and gave up as it got more and more complicated. ST has a good balance of the light hearted character based stuff plus the sci fi drama stuff.

I also like how they have different stories going on which by the end of the season all come together.

It’s well done and excellent television/story telling.

I don’t understand this, what do you mean?

I wish I was more excited about tonight’s finale. But I’m feeling a bit meh.

Seasons 1-4 were epic. But aside from the bizarre plot holes of season 5, it feels like the writers (and some of the actors) gave up caring about a good story and consistency.

MBB’s sudden wooden acting is very distracting.

The lacklustre reactions to Max waking up were unbelievably out of character. And why wasn’t she surprised to see Hopper alive!

Season 5 seems to have consisted of characters using props to describe what they want to do next. And overly long monologues for scenes that could have been cut down by half (Nancy and Jonathan break up scene, Will coming out).

The one good aspect of this season - Will having powers - is soon forgotten about.

Also are Mike and Eleven still together?! Their scenes together are very awkward!

Id have liked more explanation of things like where Eleven and Hopper have been living for 2 years and how is he earning money?!

Noah Schnapp remains to be a fabulous actor and did a great job in the coming out scene with poor material. I am happy to overlook the fact that a real coming out in the 80’s would look very different. Having his loved ones express disgust and disown him wouldn’t bode well for the story or for LGB viewers. And why were Kali and Murray there?! Kali must be wondering who the fuck they all are. And why is she now American?

Re the inevitable deaths, here’s my list of “please don’t kill them” and “Not bothered if they die”:
Please don’t kill them:
Murray
Steve
Dustin
Will
Lucas

Not bothered:
Nancy
Jonathan
Eleven
Hopper

Not ‘fan fiction’: interpretations of what is portrayed in the show.

Mike’s story and character, from the early seasons, can easily be interpreted as a representation of a gay teen in that era. From what is shown.

People saying it’d be ‘pandering’ or ‘OTT’ for the storyline to go that way’ bothers me. It’s dismissive - at best - of other fans and the limited/poor representation of gay characters in mainstream films and TV.

Or worse, a type of homophobia: for example a PP’s suggestion that this storyline being portrayed would be ’a stain on the show’ .

Have I missed something re the Mike thing - in what world is he gay?!

Theres been allusions to Will being gay since season 1. But never Mike. Who was always besotted with Eleven and pointed out strongly in season 3 how different he is to Will because him and the other had girlfriends.

It would be a stain on the show to get him and Will together because it would lobotomising everything about one of the main characters, in order to please a gay-baiting minority of fans who can’t just be happy that a show set in the 80’s has a very moving a supportive coming out scene.

I agree, I never saw Mike as gay.

It was referred to in the very first episode