Stranger Things

[Caldwin]

New season hit and I didn't see a thread. I'm not sure what to say really. I've only seen the first episode so far. I guess here are some of my non-spoiler thoughts.

It's been a while since the last season. I don't really remember much. I wonder if this is going to be worth watching. Aww hell with it. I have a Netflix account. I might as well.

That's 11? *closer look* Yeah, that's her. She looks different. In fact, not a single one of these mother [edit: woah! That got past the auto censor ] look young enough to be high schoolers, let alone freshmen.

So...there's been a couple suspenseful scenes, but no monsters. Are we eventually going to have monsters in this monster show? Oh...okay...last five minutes!

I'm guessing this season's big bad is going to be Vecna.

 

[Daith]

So just finished the first half of this season and we finally are getting answers to some long standing things.

But woof on the 80’s mob mentality against the D&D club. It’s a bit easier to forget how taboo the game was then these days.

 

[Caldwin]

Yeah, that was hard to watch. Like, I know it happened, and people believed it. IMy parents definitely gave me a sideways glance in the nate 90's early 00's when I first played D&D because it was believed even then. But the absolute mob mentality...was it really that bad, because I don't remember any mobs. The guys going after our guys seems right out of Stephen King.

Also, side note, I've been reading a novel form of the Dark Phoenix Saga when I started watching this season. So I found it amusing that they called their D&D group the Hellfire Club.

 

[Daith]

The mob mentality is definitely over dramatized in this case. But for a place like Hawkins with all the weird stuff going on for the last few years who could blame them for thinking the worst.

And I was a tad disappointed that the Hellfire Club in the show had nothing to do with an X-men reference outside of the tongue in cheek naming.

 

[Caldwin]

Spoiler: End of Season

Wow! We got the origin of the entire upside down. This was nuts.

...
and
...

HUGGING CLIFFHANGER!!!!!

 

[Paladin]

Spoiler

Really? NOBODY looked at this & thought "Maybe this is tone-deaf" ?!

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1530987352218296320

 

[Caldwin]

...

I don't get it.

At least the numbers themselves. If it's talking about the tattooing resembling the German culture circa late 30's early 40's, I think that might have been intentional given the ends and the means of the organization. Given that Indiana Jones and X-Men both dealt with that, I didn't realize it had become offensive to talk about again.

 

[Daith]

And it's not like Elevens tattoo has never been seen before now. Your reacting to something 3 seasons late.

 

[Caldwin]

So when I started to watch Stranger Things, It was when seasons 1 and 2 were already on DVD and season 3 wasn't far off. Of course I wanted to get a Demogorgon toy, but at the time I couldn't find any. So I took what I could get.

These were my first two Demogorgons...basically just two little minis included on a D&D starter set. Not great and cause way too much. But it was all I could get my hands on.

This is my second Demogorgon toy. It's better, actually being a toy and not a D&D mini. The articulation is crap. In fact, only the arms move at the shoulders, and it's only up and down. Pretty crap, but again, it's what I could get at the time.

I just got this tonight. After finishing the latest season, it felt like the right time to try again. This one's actually pretty sweet.

And comparisons.

 

[Fero McPigletron]

I'm on episode 5 and I need sleeeeep! But it's been sooooo good!

Am not into the Hopper contingent or the Eleven bullying love triangle as much as the terrifying Vecna vs the babysitter club. They're a great team. Dang, the ladies are smart!

 

[Caldwin]

For me, this was totally Max's season to shine. I liked Hoppers parts, but they just seemed a bit too much like a side tangent. Eleven felt like it was building up to the finale that hasn't been released yet. I'm sure it'll be cool once yhe payoff hits, but for right now, it's she's still just stuck in a lab going on a mind trip. It was Max and her team that seemed the most plot-relevant and in actual danger from the big bad...but particularly Max since she seemed particularly targete.

 

[Dake]

Yeah, that was hard to watch. Like, I know it happened, and people believed it. IMy parents definitely gave me a sideways glance in the nate 90's early 00's when I first played D&D because it was believed even then. But the absolute mob mentality...was it really that bad, because I don't remember any mobs. The guys going after our guys seems right out of Stephen King.

Also, side note, I've been reading a novel form of the Dark Phoenix Saga when I started watching this season. So I found it amusing that they called their D&D group the Hellfire Club.

The mob mentality is definitely over dramatized in this case. But for a place like Hawkins with all the weird stuff going on for the last few years who could blame them for thinking the worst.

And I was a tad disappointed that the Hellfire Club in the show had nothing to do with an X-men reference outside of the tongue in cheek naming.

It wasn't especially over-dramatized. The "Satanic Panic" was a big deal back in the day especially in what we'd now call "Red State" areas. I remember people earnestly telling me that it was devil worship.

 

[Fero McPigletron]

Hey, was there a Karate Kid reference in the arrows, iron, spears part? Karate Kid was 80s, right? Is the timing right? Couldn't they have played the theme song or something?

Btw, I totally forget the main season movie theme.

S1 - It. and Firestarter?
S2 - ? I dunno where the demo dogs come from
S3 - War Games? I never saw it tho so I don't know.
S4 - Carrie at the start. Nightmare of Elm Street for sure.

 

[Glitch]

So this season is all A Nightmare on Elm Street reference with the villain manipulating people from the other world.
I feel that backstory with the family being haunted could have been it's own episode or a tie in movie even though it's a bit generic.

 

[Caldwin]

Karate Kid came out in 1984. I believe this season was set in 1986. So they would definitely know about it. If there was a reference though, I missed it.

 

[Fero McPigletron]

The final attack was kiiiiind of a crane kick? Maybe? It would have been awesome if they really leaned into it. Teacher guy is kinda badass. Excellent mimic and has actual fighting skills (haha).

Finished it. Gosh dang ending!!!!! And I KNEW it was him!

Is this the final season of Stranger Things? It feels like they're wrapping up.

Unless there's a season 5 with a... I dunno, Predator theme?

 

[Caldwin]

You see, I'm kinda irked with myself. I knew there was something off about him that I didn't like. I knew that by the end he would be something major that needed to be dealt with. But I didn't really put that together until late in the game.

I don't know about wrapping it up. It seems like each season has its big bad and then the next season has an even worse. But yeah, this does look like a "where would they go from here." Not to mention the fact that the child actors are no longer children. So something would have to be done story wise to explain that.

 

[Daith]

There's one more season after this one it's been said. But Finish this one first!

 

[Fero McPigletron]

Oh, you know, it would be awesome to see Eleven be absolutely happy in college, with or without Wolfhard. She'd have her father figure and she'd be fitting in etc etc.

I initially was sad for her losing her powers at the end of s3 but it was actually heartwarming to see she was ok without them (then heartbreaking when she was just faking her letters).

Oh hacker girl's family is an absolute hoot. Dustin needs to meet them.

 

[Cradok]

The second season is in part based on Aliens.