WEBVTT

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Welcome to Fandom Shmandom, the fandom podcast

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that covers everything you love and more. I'm

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Sam Williams on a new microphone. And I'm Sierra

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Obermark on my same microphone. Today's episode,

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we will be eloquently elucidating about Stranger

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Things Season 4, Episode 9, the finale. Woo,

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the finale! As Roger Smith says, dive on in.

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And because it's the finale of the biggest show

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right before the final season, we're skipping

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our get up to 88 story recap because we'll be

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discussing our entire episode as we dutifully

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drive to Duncan's for some munchkins. Find your

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donut holes. It's. Our Knives Out category, where

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we sleuth out which three storylines are the

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most vital to pay attention to. We have our first

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storyline, the U .S .S .R. The second storyline,

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The Plan. The third storyline, The Mind Fight.

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And then a bonus, but we'll get there when we

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get there. So the first storyline, U .S .S .R.

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While waiting for Yuri to stop messing about

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stalling, Joyce and Hopper finally have the kiss

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we've all been waiting for. Cringed all 12 -year

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-olds everywhere. But, but, but, thankfully for

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all 12 -year -olds everywhere, it is interrupted

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by the call from Owens that they have been waiting

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for. Good. Well, they don't need to get back

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to Hawkins, they decide. They need to get back

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into the prison to destroy the particles or shadow

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monster because it is connected to the hive mind.

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Unfortunately, the Demogorgon is still loose

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in the prison. Scratch that. All the demos are

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loose and so is the shadow, which is in them.

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And Nov or Enzo finally has convinced Yuri to

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stop being a coward and get the helicopter going.

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Hop has a plan, weirdly a similar plan to the

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plan, and he will be bait, draw the demos into

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the fenced area where he already almost died.

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Joyce will then turn the fence back on to trap

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them all and Murray will flambe them from above.

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Joyce is understandably fearful that this is

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going to turn into another Bob scenario, and

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it almost does, as Hop is attacked by the Demogorgon.

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But Joyce saves him by using the zap -dap -dap

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-a -der -dap on the Demo. They lead the dogs

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and Gorgons to the pit, where Burry roasts them

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as planned. One Demogorgon survives the flambe,

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and Hop is out of fire and bullets, but good

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thing he has a dope sword. So, Sam. Yes. Why

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is this all so important? Let me educate you.

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Ah, ja? I educate you now. Okay. Das ist gut.

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Sorry to all the German people out there. I apologize.

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Okay, so the reason why this storyline is so

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important is because it gives us a reason to

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be caring about what's going on in Russia, which

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seems to be a little bit of kind of what season

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four is, is this finale is a lot of like, hey!

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We're in three different locations, and we all

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know that Hawkins is the only thing that actually

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matters. So here's two other reasons why you

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might be interested in Harasha and the desert.

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So essentially, we're focusing in on the fact

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that the shadow monster slash the particles that

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Sierra and I were sort of like losing our minds

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about the last couple episodes. They are alive

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and well, I suppose. They seem healthy as particles

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go. And that means that the hive - If one could

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judge the health of particles. I'm sure some

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scientist in a microscope could be like, ah,

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yes, good. But the hive mind being alive in Russia

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means that they can hurt the shadow monster,

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which they don't know is also kind of Vecna and

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- that hurt will translate to weakening the force

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at large. So we know that because Vecna is sort

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of plugged in everywhere, that... By hurting

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a Demogorgon or Demodog or the hive mind itself

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in any way, shape or form is going to weaken

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the whole process overall, which is pretty important

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information for us to know going into season

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five, knowing that we can have people placed

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all over town and attacking the hive mind and

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it's going to be weakened. So this is vital information

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for that reason. And also it gives us some action

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back in Russia without the whole thing just being

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like. Hopper, Joyce, Murray, and Enzo are in

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a plane with Yuri traveling back to Hawkins.

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And Will, Jonathan, Eleven, Mike, and Argyle

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are in a van traveling back to Hawkins. We'll

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spend six seconds on each, and the rest of it

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will just be trying to flambe Vecna themselves.

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But that information about the hive mind being

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there and them remembering that we can hurt here

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in order to help save the kids back there is

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really important for us to understand. Also,

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the romantic tension that's been building for

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four seasons finally has its climactic, if unsatisfying,

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moment. And although that may not be integral

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to the Vecna storyline, although there is some

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allusion to the fact that maybe love is more

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powerful than hate in even Vecna and Eleven's

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world. This moment between them is important

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for the fandom rather than just the plot itself.

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Yes, exactly. I also think one part of this storyline

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that still confuses me a little bit, but I feel

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is fairly important, is the emphasis that the

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particles are in them. The particles have gone

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into the Demogorgons, the Demodogs, etc. And

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I feel, although I don't fully understand what

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that is creating plot -wise and what that entails

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or why that is vital, I do think that it is important

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that the particles can and do go into these creatures.

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Potentially it's creating a stronger connection

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because Vecna has more direct control over the

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particles or shadow monster being. And therefore,

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if that goes into all of the demos, then all

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of the demos are under more direct control by

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Vecna. That seems to be the main draw there as

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to why it's important. I would like to know officially.

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Yes, yes, totally. That is an interesting point

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about the particles. The fact that, okay, so

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we have these inanimate bodies sort of suspended.

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They're maybe alive in the goo, but maybe also

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not alive in the goo. And that the particles

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going in do some sort of control that connects

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them into the hive mind. And without being that,

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they're kind of just their own beast. They're

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their own other dimensional beings that are on

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doing their own thing versus if it's Vecna controlling

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them because the particles are in, which kind

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of goes back to the season one theory of like

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the Demogorgon and or Vecna is the one who takes

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Will. But it may be it was actually a Demogorgon,

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but Vecna was controlling it. So that I hadn't

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really thought much about that. That's a great

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point, Sierra. Our second storyline is The Plan.

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Phase one. The older teens, which are Nancy,

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Steve, Robin, and Eddie, plus Eddie's little

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sidekick Dusty Buns, go into the Upside Down

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and meet Erica at the playground. She signals

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Max and Lucas. So here is a good note. Erica

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has located Vecna within the house and heads

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to signal everyone to begin. However... While

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she's signaling, Overzealous Citizen Number One,

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which is the guy at one of the episodes that's

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like, you heard Jason the basketball dude, let's

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go hunting for this freak. It's not an exact

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quote, but it's the spirit of what he says. It's

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pretty close. So Overzealous Citizen Number One

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sees her, Erica, doing all this and alerts the

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basketball bros. During this time. Steve, who

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just cannot help himself while they're in mortal

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peril, professes his love to Nancy while Robin

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is out finding their way to the house in the

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Upside Down. They find it, and then have to avoid

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vines as they climb their way up. Phase 2. Max

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baits Vecna. So Max convinces Vecna to take her

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and then runs into her memory of the snowball

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middle school winter dance where Dustin is left

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by his lonesome and it's one of his worst memories

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ever. But for Max, she is with Lucas for the

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first time and they kiss. But of course, then

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her memory starts to turn as Vecna finds her.

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During this time, Jason... While Max is being

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sort of mind -robbed, Jason comes into the house

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and finds Lucas and Max, and he draws a gun on

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Lucas, ordering him to wake Max up. And Erica,

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just so that we can know that Erica can't do

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anything during this time, is tackled by Basketball

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Bro number one. Phase three. Dustin and Eddie

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draw the bats away. After prepping the trailer

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for combat, Eddie... goes onto the roof, and

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absolutely shreds. Master of puppets. To lure

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the demo bats away. Eddie and Dustin escape into

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the trailer once it's clear the bats are distracted,

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and fight them for a time before Dustin escapes

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back to Hawkins. But Eddie decides to buy them

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more time and cuts the rope leading back up into

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Hawkins, taking off on his bike to lure the bats

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farther away. During this time, Nancy, Steve,

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and Robin are attacked and trapped by the vines,

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which, who could have seen that coming? Everyone.

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That's right, everyone could. Max has been found,

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and Vecta forces her to see the terrible situation

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all her friends are in, which, keep that in mind

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for later discussion. Lucas tries to reason with

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Jason, but after that plan fails, he realizes

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he never wanted to be like Jason in the first

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place, and attacks him. The natural... It's his

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natural instinct. I don't want to be like, you

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punch! The distraction of the fight gives Erica

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a chance to fight back, too. Dustin jumps back

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through the gate in Eddie's trailer and subsequently

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breaks his ankle and runs slash hobbles after

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Eddie, who is fighting the Demobats alone. Never

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fear, Max. Elle is here. But Max is already risen

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and partially broken boning when Elle battles

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and throws Vecna away. Max falls to the ground

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where Lucas catches her, as he's already taking

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care of Jason in the meantime. Vecna is being

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thrown around by Elle, and that causes the vines

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to release the older teens. Phase four, flambe.

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Steve, Nancy, and Robin burn and shoot Vecna

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multiple times with Molotov cocktails, thank

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you to the Russians, and a shotgun that Nancy

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has, because she's Nancy. He shot and burned

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so much that he falls out the window. But when

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they look for his body, it's gone. Dustin reaches

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Eddie at last and holds him as he dies. Cue the

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sad Obermark. Dun, dun, dun. And he promises

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to be the new shepherd for his lost Hellfire

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Sheep. Which also, what a cool mascot that would

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be. Hellfire Sheep? Love it. Erica gets into

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the house to see Max is awake, but Max can't

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see or feel anything, and Lucas begs her to hang

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on. But time is up. The clock chimes four times,

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and the gates open, cutting Jason in half during

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this and spreading across the ground to converge

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at the center of Hawkins, creating the gate to

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Vecna and Hell. That's the overmark. That's the

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death sound. Dun, dun, dun. I mean, a lot of

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people died during the game opening, so. Cue

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the overmark then. Dun, dun, dun. All right.

00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:51.460
So, Sierra, what is so important about this four

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phase dessert to flambe plan? Other than everything.

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Let's get to. the basic details that really make

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this vitally important. So we have this plan,

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which is a great plan, and honestly gets them

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exactly where they need to go, which is right

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in front of Vecna at a time when he's vulnerable.

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That in and of itself, very important to be able

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to meet him when he is in a position where he

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is not in full. I suppose. And so when he's distracted

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by one thing, they can go in and find his what

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they think is an essentially helpless body as

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his mind is off doing all of the other things

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of chasing Max and fighting L. However, I think

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another really important thing about this is

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that he is pretty not necessarily indestructible.

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But pretty indestructible. Yeah. You know, he

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is set on fire. He is shot multiple times. And

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he is still alive, as much of an alive situation

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as Vecna is right now. It's kind of one of those

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not really sure how much is still human, how

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much is still living, and how much is pure telepathic

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energies at this point. I also think just the

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general fate of all of our characters is really

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in the balance here. Obviously, we have the very

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emotional and touching Eddie and Dustin sequences

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where Eddie is the only one of the main crew

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to officially perish during this plan, which

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is pretty brutal, but also... potentially something

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we could have seen coming because the kind of

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most loved new character in each season tends

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to be that person. So it's no less upsetting,

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however. And I also think that the show does

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a really good job in this whole section about

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showing the stakes because it does really feel

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like we could lose a lot more of them. Yes. And

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I'm... almost disappointed that we don't, but

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I get it. I get it, but at the same time, I am

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a little bit disappointed that we don't. Now,

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granted, Max is not in good shape, and while

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alive, barely. And technically wasn't, and now

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is. We'll get there. But we have really high

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stakes for all of these characters. Each one

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of them is in a life -threatening situation,

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and I also think the fact that not all of them

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are in these life -threatening situations specifically

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because of Vecna, thinking of mainly Lucas here,

00:17:03.590 --> 00:17:08.769
is also very interesting because it's showing

00:17:08.769 --> 00:17:12.109
that not only do we have this main storyline

00:17:12.109 --> 00:17:15.049
that we're following and this main villain and

00:17:15.049 --> 00:17:18.710
everything, but we also have the rest of the

00:17:18.710 --> 00:17:23.180
population at large. involved in this it's not

00:17:23.180 --> 00:17:27.400
just an insular event that's taking place just

00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:29.779
within this group of people there are other people

00:17:29.779 --> 00:17:33.539
who are in the town or in the world who are affected

00:17:33.539 --> 00:17:37.859
by this and i think seeing jason caught up in

00:17:37.859 --> 00:17:41.039
the middle of what he doesn't understand he thinks

00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:43.720
he understands he doesn't understand and then

00:17:43.720 --> 00:17:48.420
ends up dying because of it very much leads us

00:17:49.019 --> 00:17:53.019
towards the fate of Hawkins. And then also going

00:17:53.019 --> 00:17:57.980
into what season five will be with, I expect

00:17:57.980 --> 00:18:01.740
that we will see much more of the impact that

00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:05.099
this event has had on the general surroundings

00:18:05.099 --> 00:18:09.039
and not just Hawkins itself, but the community

00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:13.700
at large in Indiana, in the United States, something

00:18:13.700 --> 00:18:18.650
of that nature. I think. You bring up Jason,

00:18:18.750 --> 00:18:19.890
and I think that's really interesting because

00:18:19.890 --> 00:18:24.390
this storyline also shows the hubris of overconfidence.

00:18:24.809 --> 00:18:27.569
And I forget what the effect is called, but it's

00:18:27.569 --> 00:18:30.210
really interesting to me that in the 90s at some

00:18:30.210 --> 00:18:34.730
point, there was this bank robber who went into

00:18:34.730 --> 00:18:39.970
banks completely no face coverings. And he looks

00:18:39.970 --> 00:18:42.410
right at the camera, and he does this at a couple,

00:18:42.450 --> 00:18:45.039
I think, at a couple different banks. And when

00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:47.180
he's arrested, he's like, there's no way you

00:18:47.180 --> 00:18:50.900
could see my face. What? Because lemon juice

00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:53.900
alters the camera in some way, shape, or form.

00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:57.599
Like the actual film, you can use lemon juice

00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:02.140
to blur it. And so he was so confident that by

00:19:02.140 --> 00:19:05.059
putting lemon juice all over his face, it would

00:19:05.059 --> 00:19:09.160
block it from a security camera. And there's

00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:11.180
a name for this effect, but essentially it is

00:19:11.180 --> 00:19:15.710
the study of the... If you know way too little

00:19:15.710 --> 00:19:18.730
about something, you have a much more strong

00:19:18.730 --> 00:19:21.990
likelihood to be confident that you know everything

00:19:21.990 --> 00:19:25.529
about it. And that to me is what Jason is demonstrating

00:19:25.529 --> 00:19:29.089
here is the norm, like sort of the layman's normalcy

00:19:29.089 --> 00:19:31.750
and how much hubris you can have with that. In

00:19:31.750 --> 00:19:34.440
other words, like. When you don't know, but you

00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:36.420
think you know, you're going to have way too

00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:38.680
much confidence. And he walks into something

00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:40.519
that he does not know. And I think that's a really

00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:42.980
cool moment. And of course, Lucas has that moment

00:19:42.980 --> 00:19:45.700
with him where he's like, I thought I wanted

00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:48.819
to be just like you. Talking to Jason. And then

00:19:48.819 --> 00:19:53.759
I realized that normalcy is psychotic. This idea

00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:56.200
of trying to fit in to be something that you're

00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:01.720
not is so against human, like your innate humanness.

00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:05.660
That to do so is psychotic, which is a very strong

00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:07.960
message. And it's again, it's coming from people

00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:11.240
who are writing a fantasy show that's also horror

00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:14.460
and D &D all put into one. You know, they're

00:20:14.460 --> 00:20:16.119
probably coming from a background similar to

00:20:16.119 --> 00:20:17.920
you and I were like, nerds are great. I don't

00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:20.200
understand why people are hating on nerds. And

00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:22.740
I also think that that moment is a much better

00:20:22.740 --> 00:20:26.440
version of the same sort of storyline that they

00:20:26.440 --> 00:20:30.200
were going for in season one with the Troy. I'm

00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:32.079
going to cut out this guy's baby teeth, which

00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:34.799
was so overdone, right? Like these normal jock

00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:38.019
bully things that are absolutely psychotic. And

00:20:38.019 --> 00:20:40.339
you get like the same level of crazy where Jason

00:20:40.339 --> 00:20:42.339
is like, I'm pulling a gun on you to try and

00:20:42.339 --> 00:20:43.900
kill you because I don't understand what's going

00:20:43.900 --> 00:20:46.380
on. But it's so much better planned out and so

00:20:46.380 --> 00:20:48.880
much more well -deserved for the moment. And

00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:51.900
so I really, that Jason moment to me is so important

00:20:51.900 --> 00:20:54.960
for what the show is kind of talking about. And

00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:58.420
also, this sense of normalcy and wanting to be

00:20:58.420 --> 00:21:01.980
normal is what causes Vecna to be so sort of

00:21:01.980 --> 00:21:06.440
out of his mind. So I think that's a really compelling

00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:09.819
sort of subtextual part of this whole story.

00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:14.279
Of course, the actual battle plans around his

00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:18.339
body will be completely available to attack.

00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:22.380
When he's out attacking Max is a huge part of

00:21:22.380 --> 00:21:24.940
the information that we must know and get to

00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:30.119
see. As well as the ability for Eleven to piggyback

00:21:30.119 --> 00:21:33.460
in such a way. Where she's in fighting inside

00:21:33.460 --> 00:21:36.140
Max's head. Of course, that messes up Max quite

00:21:36.140 --> 00:21:40.220
a bit. But it's really, really, really important

00:21:40.220 --> 00:21:43.180
information for us to know. So those couple things.

00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:44.819
There's so much in there. You could go on and

00:21:44.819 --> 00:21:48.259
on and on. But we must, alas. Keep it under six

00:21:48.259 --> 00:21:56.220
hours. I did look it up. It is the Dunning -Kruger

00:21:56.220 --> 00:22:00.359
effect. Thank you. If anybody wants to do a little

00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:02.740
bit more research. It is fascinating. Well, speaking

00:22:02.740 --> 00:22:07.740
of Elle, our third storyline, The Mind Fight.

00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:13.410
So, Argyle has a plan. Finally. What a pull from

00:22:13.410 --> 00:22:17.609
Argyle here. Mr. Tire Treads Equal Military Vehicles

00:22:17.609 --> 00:22:21.390
has a plan to get Elle into a sensory deprivation

00:22:21.390 --> 00:22:25.069
tank, and Elle has the plan to piggyback into

00:22:25.069 --> 00:22:30.589
one's mind using Max's mind, which sounds very

00:22:30.589 --> 00:22:34.690
complicated and good on her. Jonathan and Will...

00:22:35.049 --> 00:22:37.650
Meanwhile, kind of had this much needed heart

00:22:37.650 --> 00:22:40.309
to heart, which I really enjoyed. I thought it

00:22:40.309 --> 00:22:44.529
was a really nice moment. Elle, though, is the

00:22:44.529 --> 00:22:47.490
important part here. She hops in, she finds Max,

00:22:47.710 --> 00:22:51.329
and she gets to this memory of Max skating as

00:22:51.329 --> 00:22:54.029
a child. But there is evidence of the snowball

00:22:54.029 --> 00:22:57.910
within this memory. Yeah, that's really cool.

00:22:58.069 --> 00:23:00.609
Elle stands there. Yes, it's very, very interesting

00:23:00.609 --> 00:23:04.490
how she's able to kind of follow. Max through.

00:23:05.049 --> 00:23:10.069
She then stands at the DJ booth for the snowball

00:23:10.069 --> 00:23:15.470
for entirely too long because where the absolute

00:23:15.470 --> 00:23:18.990
poop nuggets is Elle and what is she doing just

00:23:18.990 --> 00:23:22.970
standing there? She takes her sweet time, but

00:23:22.970 --> 00:23:28.269
just as Vecna is about to fully kill Max, Elle

00:23:28.269 --> 00:23:32.170
grabs him using her powers and throws him and

00:23:32.170 --> 00:23:36.839
the fight begins. Vecna goes from using three

00:23:36.839 --> 00:23:43.920
fingers to five fingers and therefore L is seriously

00:23:43.920 --> 00:23:47.980
outmatched. He throws her into his lair and she

00:23:47.980 --> 00:23:51.579
is pinned by vine tentacles and Vecna forces

00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:56.730
her to watch Max become the final victim. We

00:23:56.730 --> 00:24:00.970
get Vecna's final story, how he found the shadow

00:24:00.970 --> 00:24:04.230
monster once Eleven had forced him through to

00:24:04.230 --> 00:24:07.329
the Upside Down, and he formed the shadow monster

00:24:07.329 --> 00:24:10.369
into the image he wanted, which is why it looks

00:24:10.369 --> 00:24:14.950
so spidery. He used it to attack once Eleven

00:24:14.950 --> 00:24:17.990
had opened the gate after she touched the Demogorgon,

00:24:18.009 --> 00:24:21.990
and then he used it again to build the army in

00:24:21.990 --> 00:24:24.910
order to gain Eleven's power and open gates of

00:24:24.910 --> 00:24:28.700
his own. It looks like all is lost. Eddie is

00:24:28.700 --> 00:24:31.460
pinned down and dying. Erica can't get to Lucas,

00:24:31.539 --> 00:24:34.599
who is being choked out by Jason. Hop is being

00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:37.359
attacked by a Demogorgon. Steve, Nancy, and Robin

00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:40.559
are all being strangled by vines. And in this

00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:43.619
moment, Mike calls out to Elle, giving her a

00:24:43.619 --> 00:24:47.779
rousing speech about how much he loves her. She

00:24:47.779 --> 00:24:52.240
fights back, and she throws Vecna away from Max,

00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:56.349
holding... Vecna in place and giving her friends

00:24:56.349 --> 00:25:03.089
time to finish him. He vanishes from Elle's sight

00:25:03.089 --> 00:25:08.130
as he burns. Elle joins Lucas in crying over

00:25:08.130 --> 00:25:11.809
Max, just trying to hug her friends, and then

00:25:11.809 --> 00:25:22.769
Eleven heals her? Yeah. Wow. So Sam. Yes. What

00:25:22.769 --> 00:25:26.210
would you like to ask? I would like to ask, besides

00:25:26.210 --> 00:25:34.470
my heels, major questions. What about this section

00:25:34.470 --> 00:25:37.529
do we really need to keep in mind? Why is this

00:25:37.529 --> 00:25:40.130
so, so important? All right. I'll tell you the

00:25:40.130 --> 00:25:41.890
one thing that we don't need to keep in mind

00:25:41.890 --> 00:25:46.289
is anything that Mike says. Actually, that's

00:25:46.289 --> 00:25:50.269
so untrue. Okay. Yes. So we can understand that

00:25:50.269 --> 00:25:53.240
L. is piggybacking into Max's mind and they're

00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:56.279
having a fight within somebody else's mind that

00:25:56.279 --> 00:25:59.480
messes somebody up. That could be a new setting

00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:01.940
that we have for mind fights moving into season

00:26:01.940 --> 00:26:04.839
five, especially if Will turns out, comes in

00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:07.640
and has some mind fights, or if Eight comes back

00:26:07.640 --> 00:26:11.400
in. Right. There's a big theory right now that

00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:14.680
Eight is hinted at at the beginning of this season.

00:26:15.099 --> 00:26:19.079
There's a moment where the... D &D group Hellfire

00:26:19.079 --> 00:26:21.660
is playing for their championship moment, and

00:26:21.660 --> 00:26:24.019
the basketball team is playing for their championship

00:26:24.019 --> 00:26:28.660
moment. And Vecna, the actual villain set up

00:26:28.660 --> 00:26:31.579
by Eddie in Hellfire, is being taken out, and

00:26:31.579 --> 00:26:33.619
Dustin's the only one who can do it. He rolls,

00:26:33.819 --> 00:26:38.220
what number? 11. And does it work? It does not.

00:26:38.579 --> 00:26:42.519
But at the exact same moment, Lucas rises up

00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:46.019
and takes a shot and wins the championship. What

00:26:46.019 --> 00:26:49.490
number is he wearing? Eight. So there's some

00:26:49.490 --> 00:26:51.369
theory out there that people are saying, well,

00:26:51.430 --> 00:26:53.549
you have to have eight in order to help take

00:26:53.549 --> 00:26:57.369
down one. Eleven can't do it by herself. So we

00:26:57.369 --> 00:27:00.069
might have eight coming in. We might have new

00:27:00.069 --> 00:27:04.670
number 12, Will, coming in and with his power.

00:27:04.730 --> 00:27:06.750
So we might have multiple stages for mind fights

00:27:06.750 --> 00:27:08.769
or mind transportations or mind piggybacking

00:27:08.769 --> 00:27:11.490
in some way, shape or form. The fact here that

00:27:11.490 --> 00:27:15.769
Vecna has not used two hands, he's gone from

00:27:15.769 --> 00:27:18.670
three fingers to a whole hand in his fight is

00:27:18.670 --> 00:27:21.950
also worth a notice that we've got maybe only

00:27:21.950 --> 00:27:27.690
half of Vecna's powers being used is quite terrifying.

00:27:27.869 --> 00:27:33.450
In terms of Max and L, it does seem that L heals

00:27:33.450 --> 00:27:37.410
Max. How? Well, we have to look back a little

00:27:37.410 --> 00:27:41.549
bit to Mike's rousing speech. So we've got benched

00:27:41.549 --> 00:27:43.589
Will because Will apparently is going to be so

00:27:43.589 --> 00:27:45.769
important for season five that they had to really

00:27:45.769 --> 00:27:49.509
bench him for the entirety of season four. So

00:27:49.509 --> 00:27:53.309
Will's big moment is telling Mike that he's got

00:27:53.309 --> 00:27:55.970
this big moment of telling Elle that she's this

00:27:55.970 --> 00:27:59.589
big moment and that he loves her. That's how

00:27:59.589 --> 00:28:02.509
many degrees removed Will is from this entire

00:28:02.509 --> 00:28:06.079
story. So Will tells Mike, Mike, you got to keep

00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:07.279
going. You got to keep pumping her up. You're

00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:08.700
the heart. You're the heart. You're the heart.

00:28:08.839 --> 00:28:10.740
And he's like, okay, I'm the heart. I love you,

00:28:10.779 --> 00:28:13.059
Elle. I know I haven't said it in over a year,

00:28:13.099 --> 00:28:14.759
but I love you. And I'm just so scared that you're

00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:16.500
going to dump me because I'm a terrible loser.

00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:20.039
Well, no, he doesn't say that. He insinuates

00:28:20.039 --> 00:28:22.759
it. He insinuates. He intimates. He alludes to

00:28:22.759 --> 00:28:27.420
his loserdom. So he has this big speech. And

00:28:27.420 --> 00:28:31.640
Elle, zerped up with feelings of not hate, like

00:28:31.640 --> 00:28:35.890
she was in season two. But Love is able to overcome

00:28:35.890 --> 00:28:38.730
Vecna at that moment, starting this chain reaction

00:28:38.730 --> 00:28:42.190
of people starting to win instead of dying, which

00:28:42.190 --> 00:28:45.910
is good. So thanks be to Mike for a little MVP

00:28:45.910 --> 00:28:50.269
moment there of getting the ball rolling on Elle,

00:28:50.349 --> 00:28:53.609
saving everybody else. He is the springboard

00:28:53.609 --> 00:29:01.359
to her VP status. So then. L, sad, sad, sad,

00:29:01.420 --> 00:29:05.359
mad, mad, mad, while Max is dying. And then has

00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:08.680
this moment of no, like determination that seems

00:29:08.680 --> 00:29:11.420
to come with a moment of calmness and serenity

00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:16.900
that she then uses to heal Max's body. But maybe

00:29:16.900 --> 00:29:19.440
not her mind. That has yet to be determined.

00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:23.920
It may be that Vecna has absorbed Max like everybody

00:29:23.920 --> 00:29:27.839
else, but the body remains healthy. Because remember,

00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:30.940
he... Hold on to everybody with him. That's what

00:29:30.940 --> 00:29:32.640
Brenner tells us. And that's what Vecna tells

00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:36.279
Nancy. So we'll see. Does Max need to be unlocked

00:29:36.279 --> 00:29:38.700
from some sort of mind palace of Vecna? We'll

00:29:38.700 --> 00:29:43.200
not know. Then the real sort of origin stories

00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:49.140
about Vecna that he sort of Bond villain monologues

00:29:49.140 --> 00:29:55.380
to Elle. So Vecna has never been to another dimension.

00:29:55.859 --> 00:30:00.519
Elle. is the one who has that power. L, as a

00:30:00.519 --> 00:30:02.599
small eight -year -old, something around that,

00:30:02.700 --> 00:30:06.799
forces Vecna against this wall and accidentally

00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:11.099
pushes him into another dimension. Dimension

00:30:11.099 --> 00:30:15.240
X is what it's called. This dimension ends up

00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:18.279
being the Upside Down, but it is not the Upside

00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:21.579
Down as we know and see it. If you go back and

00:30:21.579 --> 00:30:24.640
you look at those clips, it's more like Vecna's

00:30:24.640 --> 00:30:29.460
house. That Max draws out. It's sort of this

00:30:29.460 --> 00:30:33.880
red color. It's not this imprinted Hawkins on

00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:39.039
the Dimension X. It seems, my theory is, of course,

00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:41.640
that Will is the one who creates this. Will's

00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:45.240
mind is so powerful that it imprints on Dimension

00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:47.559
X. And that is what creates the upside down sort

00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:50.589
of like dark Hawkins version. But it's not. So

00:30:50.589 --> 00:30:53.410
he goes to Dimension X, and that's where he meets,

00:30:53.490 --> 00:30:55.970
or if you watch the play, which we'll talk about

00:30:55.970 --> 00:31:00.049
next episode, he re -meets the Shadow Monster.

00:31:00.710 --> 00:31:03.690
There, he and the Shadow Monster form some sort

00:31:03.690 --> 00:31:06.210
of partnership that he's kind of in charge of,

00:31:06.289 --> 00:31:10.430
and create this army and this future moving forward.

00:31:10.490 --> 00:31:14.759
But he himself cannot leave. He cannot leave

00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:18.440
dimension X slash the upside down. He needs somebody

00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:22.019
else to open the door. That's L's special power.

00:31:22.299 --> 00:31:25.960
And so when L opens the door, he's able to very

00:31:25.960 --> 00:31:30.980
quickly force his presence back into our world.

00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:34.440
But he keeps getting pushed back and he keeps

00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:37.759
getting pushed back. And so he realizes he needs

00:31:37.759 --> 00:31:41.970
to absorb. El's power. So that weird goo thing

00:31:41.970 --> 00:31:43.890
that's in her leg at the end of season three,

00:31:43.970 --> 00:31:46.890
when she gets attacked and is weakened severely,

00:31:47.150 --> 00:31:51.170
that seems to have done the trick where now Vecna

00:31:51.170 --> 00:31:55.750
can open his own portals. That doesn't answer

00:31:55.750 --> 00:31:57.910
Sierra and my question from season one, which

00:31:57.910 --> 00:32:00.150
is how are the Demogorgons opening their own

00:32:00.150 --> 00:32:04.069
portals? Is it just weak, weak gates that Demogorgons

00:32:04.069 --> 00:32:06.250
can pop through or is it Demogorgons controlled?

00:32:07.289 --> 00:32:11.569
By Vecna that he like knows soft sports. Like

00:32:11.569 --> 00:32:13.670
what's, what's happening there. We still don't

00:32:13.670 --> 00:32:16.450
know, but that's essentially in that last part,

00:32:16.509 --> 00:32:18.869
all that sort of shadow monster stuff of like,

00:32:18.930 --> 00:32:20.890
I was stuck here. I formed up with the shadow

00:32:20.890 --> 00:32:24.269
monster. It's been me the whole time, which I

00:32:24.269 --> 00:32:28.990
have a question for you, Sierra. When you first

00:32:28.990 --> 00:32:32.529
watched this, did you go? Yes. Excellent. I'm

00:32:32.529 --> 00:32:34.869
so glad that this has been Vecna the whole time.

00:32:34.950 --> 00:32:37.519
Or were you like me? Kind of a bit disappointed

00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:40.400
that the shadow monster seems to be an underling

00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:43.279
working for a bigger boss. A little disappointed.

00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:49.740
Yeah. It was a little, well, not to draw a comparison

00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:53.319
to another franchise, but it was a little Palpatine

00:32:53.319 --> 00:32:58.000
-y to me. Turns out, again, it was Palpatine

00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:05.079
all along. It does bother me just a little bit

00:33:05.079 --> 00:33:08.099
when... We just can't have multiple villains.

00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:15.000
I get maybe trying to lean away from a monster

00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:19.299
of the week type of theme of this season has

00:33:19.299 --> 00:33:21.319
this villain and this season has this villain

00:33:21.319 --> 00:33:24.940
and this season has this villain by saying, oh

00:33:24.940 --> 00:33:27.400
no, there was a plot. There was a mastermind

00:33:27.400 --> 00:33:30.359
behind it all. A little Moriarty, I suppose.

00:33:30.480 --> 00:33:34.240
Yeah, very. As well. You know, all of these villains

00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:36.799
are operating, but oh, they all report to the

00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:43.960
same big bad. It's difficult for me. I was a

00:33:43.960 --> 00:33:46.740
little let down. I think that if maybe we had

00:33:46.740 --> 00:33:52.559
had more overt Vecna mentionings throughout the

00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:54.720
first few seasons, it wouldn't have bothered

00:33:54.720 --> 00:33:58.079
me as much, but it did feel slightly deus ex

00:33:58.079 --> 00:34:03.039
machina of, hey! This guy's actually controlled

00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:08.039
the whole thing. Yeah. And I want, I wanted it

00:34:08.039 --> 00:34:10.280
to be more because the shadow monster is, is

00:34:10.280 --> 00:34:13.900
a very compelling, the mind, you know, mind flayer

00:34:13.900 --> 00:34:19.000
in and of itself is a very compelling, not character

00:34:19.000 --> 00:34:22.460
per se, but you know what I mean? So I, that,

00:34:22.599 --> 00:34:26.579
that villain through silence, that complete like

00:34:26.579 --> 00:34:31.090
unknown is such a terrifying concept. And I think

00:34:31.090 --> 00:34:33.210
I'm right there with you where, you know, we

00:34:33.210 --> 00:34:36.889
saw in season three the bell ringing, right?

00:34:37.050 --> 00:34:39.170
And we both went, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

00:34:39.610 --> 00:34:42.210
On a rewatch, that's crazy. And I've got another

00:34:42.210 --> 00:34:44.590
bell ringing sort of further along in our discussion

00:34:44.590 --> 00:34:45.929
that we'll talk about where it's like, okay,

00:34:45.949 --> 00:34:47.809
so they have been planning some sort of Vecna

00:34:47.809 --> 00:34:50.730
-ish thing the whole time. But I think it's like,

00:34:50.769 --> 00:34:54.750
it's so Vecna -like and so Vecna tiny hidden

00:34:54.750 --> 00:34:59.099
for like rewatch sake rather than a build. In

00:34:59.099 --> 00:35:00.719
season three, you start to get a little bit of

00:35:00.719 --> 00:35:02.300
it. And then season four, it's just so heavy.

00:35:02.340 --> 00:35:04.699
Like, here he is. This is the guy. And then to

00:35:04.699 --> 00:35:07.559
just be like, it's been him the whole time. That

00:35:07.559 --> 00:35:10.239
moment is supposed to be this huge revelation.

00:35:10.820 --> 00:35:14.920
And I don't, through the fans that we talk to,

00:35:15.079 --> 00:35:17.119
I haven't found very many people that were like,

00:35:17.239 --> 00:35:21.519
oh my gosh, like, what a mind catastrophe that

00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:23.699
was for me. I just was overwhelmed and I had

00:35:23.699 --> 00:35:27.099
no idea. And it's just, it's more like, oh, oh,

00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:30.940
okay. And I think that's because we all hope

00:35:30.940 --> 00:35:32.739
that the Mind Flayer has some sort of autonomy.

00:35:33.239 --> 00:35:36.260
And so I hope a little bit that they retcon this

00:35:36.260 --> 00:35:38.780
and that the Shadow Monster, the Mind Flayer

00:35:38.780 --> 00:35:41.980
does have some. It certainly seems so with the

00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:45.440
play. To tease a little bit about what we'll

00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:48.960
be talking about next episode, Vecna's been to

00:35:48.960 --> 00:35:52.340
Dimension X one time before and connected with

00:35:52.340 --> 00:35:55.280
the Mind Flayer. And that is what seems to give

00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:58.329
him his powers. So, it seems like there's a little

00:35:58.329 --> 00:36:01.010
bit more of a tit -for -tat between the two of

00:36:01.010 --> 00:36:03.670
those. And the influence that the Mind Flayer

00:36:03.670 --> 00:36:06.250
has on him seems to be where a lot of the darkness

00:36:06.250 --> 00:36:10.929
comes from. So, I don't know that Vecna's being

00:36:10.929 --> 00:36:13.409
entirely truthful when he's like, I'm the one

00:36:13.409 --> 00:36:15.909
who's been controlling this the whole time. Ugh.

00:36:16.349 --> 00:36:20.510
Okay. But how... As much as I was slightly let

00:36:20.510 --> 00:36:23.429
down by... Vecna was behind it the whole time.

00:36:23.510 --> 00:36:25.969
If it does turn out the Mind Flayer is behind

00:36:25.969 --> 00:36:29.329
it the whole time and essentially created and

00:36:29.329 --> 00:36:32.530
molded and used Vecna to be able to do all these

00:36:32.530 --> 00:36:34.929
things, that would be interesting. I would be

00:36:34.929 --> 00:36:38.789
very happy with that. I would be very, very happy

00:36:38.789 --> 00:36:43.130
with that being an outcome here. Yeah, certainly.

00:36:43.530 --> 00:36:47.829
But we'll see. We'll see. We are so aligned about

00:36:47.829 --> 00:36:51.949
our thoughts on Stranger Things. Somebody out

00:36:51.949 --> 00:36:53.349
there right now is being like, no, it should

00:36:53.349 --> 00:36:54.949
be Vecna the whole time. And both of us are like,

00:36:55.010 --> 00:36:57.550
no, if it ends up that the Mind Flayer has actually

00:36:57.550 --> 00:37:00.130
orchestrated this whole thing and Vecna thinks

00:37:00.130 --> 00:37:02.849
he's in charge and actually at the end of season

00:37:02.849 --> 00:37:06.429
five, it's going to be Vecna sort of turn coding

00:37:06.429 --> 00:37:10.010
on the Mind Flayer. And in fact, you know, he's

00:37:10.010 --> 00:37:12.250
only been like the assistant and he thinks he's

00:37:12.250 --> 00:37:15.659
been in control. You and I will love that. But

00:37:15.659 --> 00:37:17.420
there are definitely people out there who are

00:37:17.420 --> 00:37:19.920
like, no, it makes more sense if it's reflecting

00:37:19.920 --> 00:37:22.460
L and Brenner and all this stuff and being like,

00:37:22.519 --> 00:37:25.000
well. Right. Sure. A little column A, a little

00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:28.260
column B. Argue with us. In the comments. I'm

00:37:28.260 --> 00:37:31.739
joined. In the comments. Yes, please. So our

00:37:31.739 --> 00:37:35.599
bonus little mini storyline. Two days later,

00:37:35.679 --> 00:37:38.159
after all of this has taken place, there is a

00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:43.079
mass exodus from Hawkins. Right as the Californian

00:37:43.079 --> 00:37:46.599
and Russian crews arrive and everyone is back

00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:50.059
together again. We are reunited in moments that

00:37:50.059 --> 00:37:55.340
range from nice to absolutely sob -worthy. Everyone

00:37:55.340 --> 00:37:59.119
is helping out with the relief efforts. And the

00:37:59.119 --> 00:38:03.760
standout moment of this is Dustin commiserating

00:38:03.760 --> 00:38:09.039
with Eddie's uncle. Absolutely beautiful moment.

00:38:09.440 --> 00:38:11.559
Maybe his best acting performance on the show.

00:38:11.739 --> 00:38:15.860
Dustin's actor. I may agree with you. I may agree

00:38:15.860 --> 00:38:19.099
with you. I feel like I need to pinpoint a few

00:38:19.099 --> 00:38:21.539
other moments because he does have quite a number.

00:38:22.199 --> 00:38:28.500
But it is very understated and beautiful. However,

00:38:29.179 --> 00:38:33.320
everyone begins to notice an odd gray snowfall

00:38:33.320 --> 00:38:38.210
outside. And those who know... No, that it's

00:38:38.210 --> 00:38:42.530
particles from the Upside Down. Hop, Joyce, Will,

00:38:42.730 --> 00:38:47.469
Mike, Elle, Nancy, and Jonathan see nature dying,

00:38:47.570 --> 00:38:51.809
becoming corrupted, just as it is in the Upside

00:38:51.809 --> 00:38:56.449
Down. And we roll credits. Ugh. I just imagine

00:38:56.449 --> 00:38:58.769
one of those characters has snapped a photo with

00:38:58.769 --> 00:39:01.250
the particles and captured it. If you know, you

00:39:01.250 --> 00:39:11.219
know. If this took place in 2025, yes. Right,

00:39:11.239 --> 00:39:14.139
of course. No cell phones, no hashtags, no X,

00:39:14.239 --> 00:39:17.900
no nothing. Okay, so the really important moment

00:39:17.900 --> 00:39:19.780
here is that we get a lot of closure for the

00:39:19.780 --> 00:39:23.519
show. In this moment, we also get Jonathan being

00:39:23.519 --> 00:39:26.019
like, glad you were here, like better than just

00:39:26.019 --> 00:39:30.480
being Steve. And Nancy, who's still dating Jonathan

00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:32.800
and very much a kind of a flipped moment from

00:39:32.800 --> 00:39:35.159
the end of season one. where she's still dating

00:39:35.159 --> 00:39:36.940
Steve, but interested in Jonathan. Now she's

00:39:36.940 --> 00:39:40.440
still dating Jonathan, and she has not told Steve

00:39:40.440 --> 00:39:44.719
to back off from his love. With his dreams of

00:39:44.719 --> 00:39:49.099
six babies with her. Dreams of six kids and traveling

00:39:49.099 --> 00:39:53.139
in an RV. Because Nancy has not told Steve to

00:39:53.139 --> 00:39:56.539
knock it off, there's this whole other meaning

00:39:56.539 --> 00:39:59.300
when Jonathan's like, oh man, I'm so glad you

00:39:59.300 --> 00:40:00.820
were here, better than it just being Steve. And

00:40:00.820 --> 00:40:05.250
Nancy looks over at Steve. lustfully, looks back

00:40:05.250 --> 00:40:08.630
at Jonathan and goes, he's not so bad now. He's

00:40:08.630 --> 00:40:11.789
grown up a lot. And Jonathan's like, oh, okay.

00:40:12.489 --> 00:40:18.309
And then he's like, hey, are we okay? She's like,

00:40:18.349 --> 00:40:21.050
yeah. And we're like, oh, cool. So a little love

00:40:21.050 --> 00:40:23.389
triangle going into season five where one of

00:40:23.389 --> 00:40:28.929
her boys will be killed. Oh, yeah. Or both. Or

00:40:28.929 --> 00:40:33.289
both. Or her. Oof. Dear Lord. I'm so scared for

00:40:33.289 --> 00:40:36.809
everybody dying. Of course, now we also have

00:40:36.809 --> 00:40:39.349
everybody back together and we get this moment

00:40:39.349 --> 00:40:42.809
of sort of, hey, Will's super important. And

00:40:42.809 --> 00:40:45.250
now we've had a couple of articles of the Duffer

00:40:45.250 --> 00:40:46.750
Brothers since this is all coming up going like,

00:40:46.809 --> 00:40:49.090
this show's about Will. And Sierra and I being

00:40:49.090 --> 00:40:53.869
like, it is? Season four. It's not about Will

00:40:53.869 --> 00:40:58.590
at all. I swear this is a show about Ellen Hopper,

00:40:58.690 --> 00:41:02.960
but okay. I mean, it is about Will. The first

00:41:02.960 --> 00:41:06.099
two seasons are so about Will. Oh, yeah. And

00:41:06.099 --> 00:41:10.039
like we said, it seems like Will's so integral

00:41:10.039 --> 00:41:11.760
to this whole thing that that's why they benched

00:41:11.760 --> 00:41:14.480
him in season four. But we do have Will feeling

00:41:14.480 --> 00:41:16.980
the back of his neck with that chill, reminding

00:41:16.980 --> 00:41:22.480
us that he's somehow super connected to Eleven.

00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:26.099
Also, interesting theory that's popped up about

00:41:26.099 --> 00:41:30.880
Will is that... Vecna may be in control of more

00:41:30.880 --> 00:41:34.579
people than you think. So we know from Joyce

00:41:34.579 --> 00:41:39.480
that Will's birthday is March 22nd. In one of

00:41:39.480 --> 00:41:41.960
the video clips of, I think it's the skating

00:41:41.960 --> 00:41:43.599
rink or something of that nature in season four,

00:41:43.719 --> 00:41:48.039
you see that it's March 22nd and nobody is celebrating

00:41:48.039 --> 00:41:50.179
Will's birthday. Now, the Duffer brothers did

00:41:50.179 --> 00:41:52.079
put out a statement saying that this was an administrative

00:41:52.079 --> 00:41:54.119
error and they didn't realize that they'd set

00:41:54.119 --> 00:41:56.900
out this time. But some people are calling foul

00:41:56.900 --> 00:42:00.619
on that. The theory is that Vecna is starting

00:42:00.619 --> 00:42:05.059
to wipe away memories of Will. How do you escape

00:42:05.059 --> 00:42:08.659
Vecna? Through memories, like Max is doing at

00:42:08.659 --> 00:42:10.500
the snowball. That's how you protect yourself.

00:42:10.920 --> 00:42:13.420
So if people are having less memories of Will,

00:42:13.539 --> 00:42:16.019
he'll start to be more susceptible to Vecna's

00:42:16.019 --> 00:42:20.380
powers. Now, this is all a theory. But if you

00:42:20.380 --> 00:42:23.639
go back and you look at one of the Season 4 posters...

00:42:24.059 --> 00:42:25.940
They have this one where it's like all of these

00:42:25.940 --> 00:42:29.480
characters in little like rectangles. So it's

00:42:29.480 --> 00:42:32.079
or somebody has compiled it into that where everybody

00:42:32.079 --> 00:42:34.159
had their own each individual character thing.

00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:39.019
Everybody is looking forward at the camera in

00:42:39.019 --> 00:42:41.940
their poster except for four characters. The

00:42:41.940 --> 00:42:44.760
first one is Max. What do we know about Max in

00:42:44.760 --> 00:42:48.739
season four? She's under Vecna's control. Who

00:42:48.739 --> 00:42:51.780
else is looking off to the side instead of straight

00:42:51.780 --> 00:42:55.909
at the camera? Jonathan. Joyce and Mike. So it

00:42:55.909 --> 00:42:58.809
may be interesting that Vecna is slowly trying

00:42:58.809 --> 00:43:03.269
to erase information about Will so that Will

00:43:03.269 --> 00:43:06.650
cannot escape his control again. So that's theory

00:43:06.650 --> 00:43:10.650
number one. Theory number two about Will is really

00:43:10.650 --> 00:43:14.090
interesting to me because it has to do with D

00:43:14.090 --> 00:43:16.869
&D lore around the character Vecna, which maybe

00:43:16.869 --> 00:43:20.190
we're working too much into the D &D lore, but

00:43:20.190 --> 00:43:24.400
given the Duffer Brothers, A whole love of that

00:43:24.400 --> 00:43:26.280
game and the way that Stranger Things has been

00:43:26.280 --> 00:43:29.099
written, I don't think this is. So I'll quote

00:43:29.099 --> 00:43:33.679
from some TikTok user named The Film Stuff, which

00:43:33.679 --> 00:43:36.300
is where we got this. In Dungeons and Dragons,

00:43:36.579 --> 00:43:40.079
the eye of Vecna is a legendary artifact. To

00:43:40.079 --> 00:43:42.920
use it, someone must sacrifice one of their own

00:43:42.920 --> 00:43:46.039
eyes and replace it with Vecna's. The reward

00:43:46.039 --> 00:43:50.119
is extraordinary. The host gains. What does Will

00:43:50.119 --> 00:43:54.650
have in season two? True Sight, which means seeing

00:43:54.650 --> 00:43:58.489
through illusions, darkness, and even invincibility,

00:43:58.610 --> 00:44:01.869
along with the power to cast devastating spells

00:44:01.869 --> 00:44:05.610
such as Disintegrate, which can reduce a creature

00:44:05.610 --> 00:44:10.230
or object to nothing but dust, and Dominate Monster,

00:44:10.630 --> 00:44:13.150
which allows the wielder to seize telepathic

00:44:13.150 --> 00:44:16.389
control over any creature. But there's a catch.

00:44:17.000 --> 00:44:19.199
When someone other than Vecna wields the eye,

00:44:19.400 --> 00:44:22.579
it begins to corrupt them. The artifact twists

00:44:22.579 --> 00:44:25.760
the host toward evil, threatens their soul, and

00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:28.480
can even allow Vecna to take control of their

00:44:28.480 --> 00:44:32.500
body. Now, of course, in Stranger Things, the

00:44:32.500 --> 00:44:35.559
film stuff goes on. Who has always been marked

00:44:35.559 --> 00:44:37.900
by Vecna in the Upside Down? Who was taken over

00:44:37.900 --> 00:44:40.280
by the Shadow Monster and forced to act as a

00:44:40.280 --> 00:44:45.619
host? Will. So, this also includes a risk of

00:44:45.619 --> 00:44:48.690
exhaustion. And again, quoting, the eye of Vecna

00:44:48.690 --> 00:44:51.369
includes the risk of exhaustion if it is activated

00:44:51.369 --> 00:44:55.309
repeatedly. Now, they have an image from season

00:44:55.309 --> 00:44:59.949
five where Mike is protecting Susie Kins, by

00:44:59.949 --> 00:45:04.869
the way. She's in this still shot. It looks like

00:45:04.869 --> 00:45:08.110
Joyce is holding on to Will, and he looks absolutely

00:45:08.110 --> 00:45:12.369
exhausted in this shot. We'll put this on the

00:45:12.369 --> 00:45:15.190
TikTok, y 'all, so that you can see it. We'll

00:45:15.190 --> 00:45:19.039
re... Post -it. And then if you look back at

00:45:19.039 --> 00:45:22.840
the poster one last time, Will's bicycle matches

00:45:22.840 --> 00:45:28.880
exactly up with Vecna's clouded over eye that

00:45:28.880 --> 00:45:32.440
you can hardly see the pupil in, if at all. One

00:45:32.440 --> 00:45:35.039
last thing, there's a lightning strike above

00:45:35.039 --> 00:45:38.519
Vecna's head that looks like a human, right?

00:45:39.059 --> 00:45:42.599
And there's Vecna's hand. The hand is another

00:45:42.599 --> 00:45:44.880
legendary artifact. To use it, the host must

00:45:44.880 --> 00:45:47.800
cut off their own and attach Vecna's in its place.

00:45:48.159 --> 00:45:51.360
It grants enormous magical power, the ability

00:45:51.360 --> 00:45:54.760
to cast deadly spells, and even regeneration.

00:45:55.500 --> 00:45:57.760
Who was just kind of regenerated and healed?

00:45:58.119 --> 00:46:02.579
Max. By who? Eleven. The lore in D &D says that

00:46:02.579 --> 00:46:04.599
the eye and the hand of Vecna must be attached

00:46:04.599 --> 00:46:08.539
to the same person in order to be finally destroyed.

00:46:09.289 --> 00:46:13.090
And the only way is for that host to then be

00:46:13.090 --> 00:46:16.849
slain by the Sword of Kass. This could mean that

00:46:16.849 --> 00:46:19.750
Eleven and Will are bound together in Season

00:46:19.750 --> 00:46:22.010
5 Endgame. And then I'll put my own tidbit here.

00:46:22.130 --> 00:46:24.130
And then also both of them have to be killed

00:46:24.130 --> 00:46:28.510
in order to defeat Vecna. That's where I'll stop

00:46:28.510 --> 00:46:30.849
that theory on. But it's a fascinating little

00:46:30.849 --> 00:46:34.889
theory there. Very, very interesting. I think

00:46:34.889 --> 00:46:39.610
for the first theory of... the posters, and the

00:46:39.610 --> 00:46:46.289
date. So, as for the date, I can see a small

00:46:46.289 --> 00:46:50.750
mistake. I can also see, you know, this is a

00:46:50.750 --> 00:46:54.900
show that had clock chimes. Four seasons before

00:46:54.900 --> 00:46:57.699
they were relevant. Yeah. So it is possible that

00:46:57.699 --> 00:47:00.820
it is intentional. I feel that the Duffer brothers

00:47:00.820 --> 00:47:03.659
wouldn't have come out and just straight up said,

00:47:03.780 --> 00:47:06.539
no, this is why this happened. You know, oops.

00:47:06.840 --> 00:47:10.320
If I don't think they would straight up lie to

00:47:10.320 --> 00:47:16.619
us. I think potentially that could very well

00:47:16.619 --> 00:47:18.920
really be an oversight. And I think that the

00:47:18.920 --> 00:47:24.650
posters. From someone who has a mild graphic

00:47:24.650 --> 00:47:27.010
design background, having them all look in the

00:47:27.010 --> 00:47:29.489
exact same direction would be fairly boring.

00:47:29.570 --> 00:47:32.409
And you do want some variety in your single character

00:47:32.409 --> 00:47:37.130
posters when you are creating a promo material.

00:47:37.329 --> 00:47:41.030
So I do feel like those can fairly easily be

00:47:41.030 --> 00:47:45.070
explained away. And I do like the idea, though,

00:47:45.170 --> 00:47:49.750
that Vecna is in more control than we think.

00:47:50.969 --> 00:47:55.389
I also don't know that I see in the existing

00:47:55.389 --> 00:48:00.550
show how he could have done this and be erasing

00:48:00.550 --> 00:48:04.150
Will without having direct contact with any of

00:48:04.150 --> 00:48:07.690
the people, obviously besides Max, who we know

00:48:07.690 --> 00:48:11.130
he's had direct contact with. I don't know that

00:48:11.130 --> 00:48:15.190
we can figure out exactly how Vecna would have

00:48:15.190 --> 00:48:17.750
control over the minds of Jonathan, Joyce, and

00:48:17.750 --> 00:48:22.119
Mike. So I kind of want to debunk that one. I

00:48:22.119 --> 00:48:25.440
like the idea, but I think it can be easily explained

00:48:25.440 --> 00:48:29.579
away. I'm right there with you. I'm 100 % with

00:48:29.579 --> 00:48:31.900
you. I think that theory is really interesting

00:48:31.900 --> 00:48:33.820
and has gained some traction. And it's like a

00:48:33.820 --> 00:48:36.420
fun little thoughts piece. But I think, I mean,

00:48:36.420 --> 00:48:38.639
it would be very easy to go back in and change

00:48:38.639 --> 00:48:42.449
March 22nd to be March. 24th or whatever right

00:48:42.449 --> 00:48:45.210
uh and and but i'm not that conspiracy s and

00:48:45.210 --> 00:48:47.789
also like i think a lot of us got burned by theories

00:48:47.789 --> 00:48:50.610
like this in game of thrones yeah and so i'm

00:48:50.610 --> 00:48:52.929
feeling a little wary of this one which is fun

00:48:52.929 --> 00:48:55.190
but i think hardly backed up but go ahead with

00:48:55.190 --> 00:48:59.030
the next theory the second theory i think has

00:48:59.030 --> 00:49:03.309
some more credibility just based on the fact

00:49:03.309 --> 00:49:07.199
that vecna is a dnd character that they did go

00:49:07.199 --> 00:49:11.460
ahead and continue to call him Vecna within the

00:49:11.460 --> 00:49:14.760
show, not just taking ideas. I know that there's

00:49:14.760 --> 00:49:19.300
a lot of theories about the eye of Vecna being

00:49:19.300 --> 00:49:21.860
an important element potentially in the next

00:49:21.860 --> 00:49:24.619
season and who has it and are we going to see

00:49:24.619 --> 00:49:27.780
because especially we have the visuals of him

00:49:27.780 --> 00:49:31.929
potentially not having his eye or it being. You

00:49:31.929 --> 00:49:34.670
know, clouded over and whatnot. And if that means

00:49:34.670 --> 00:49:36.869
that someone else is currently in possession

00:49:36.869 --> 00:49:40.230
of it or will be in possession of it is a very

00:49:40.230 --> 00:49:43.829
interesting idea that I think has a lot more

00:49:43.829 --> 00:49:48.670
credibility. And even if it's not the physical

00:49:48.670 --> 00:49:51.550
eye, it could still be the representation of

00:49:51.550 --> 00:49:54.510
it as they have done within the show already.

00:49:54.949 --> 00:49:59.849
And I do think that many of our characters are

00:49:59.849 --> 00:50:04.639
in. Very great danger. And it seems weird to

00:50:04.639 --> 00:50:08.719
say I hope, but I hope a lot of them do perish.

00:50:08.860 --> 00:50:11.380
Yeah, I think it's more satisfying for the narrative.

00:50:11.699 --> 00:50:14.480
Exactly. It will be much more satisfying for

00:50:14.480 --> 00:50:18.300
what we've been building to and especially the

00:50:18.300 --> 00:50:21.739
stakes that all of those will occur within, I

00:50:21.739 --> 00:50:25.179
think, have the potential to be incredible. So

00:50:25.179 --> 00:50:29.099
the idea that we would continue this D &D thread.

00:50:29.849 --> 00:50:33.610
that we have been pulling on since the opening

00:50:33.610 --> 00:50:37.329
sequence, you know, opening sequences in season

00:50:37.329 --> 00:50:42.070
one, I think would be really great. And I, I

00:50:42.070 --> 00:50:47.610
do really want more of that fantasy world to

00:50:47.610 --> 00:50:53.070
come through into this more sci -fi, more sci

00:50:53.070 --> 00:50:56.659
-fi element. Yeah. I, I want to be clear with

00:50:56.659 --> 00:50:58.960
the audience, just so that we don't sound like

00:50:58.960 --> 00:51:02.320
we're heartless. On a scale of, like, rolling

00:51:02.320 --> 00:51:05.300
Battle of Hogwarts to Game of Thrones, I want

00:51:05.300 --> 00:51:07.460
somewhere in between on character tests. Because,

00:51:07.480 --> 00:51:09.760
like, Game of Thrones was, like, at the very

00:51:09.760 --> 00:51:12.000
end there, you were like, wow, this White Walker

00:51:12.000 --> 00:51:14.119
battle is going to decimate a lot of people.

00:51:14.340 --> 00:51:16.280
And there was, like, this whole second room with

00:51:16.280 --> 00:51:18.019
Jaime Lannister in it, and everyone was like,

00:51:18.099 --> 00:51:20.420
that whole room is going to die. And then we

00:51:20.420 --> 00:51:23.340
got to the end of the battle against the White

00:51:23.340 --> 00:51:26.000
Walkers. Sorry for spoilers, y 'all. I should

00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:28.239
have put that in a little bit earlier. But we

00:51:28.239 --> 00:51:31.500
get to the Battle of these White Walkers and

00:51:31.500 --> 00:51:35.219
it's like, eh, a couple, like two main characters

00:51:35.219 --> 00:51:38.000
were killed and everybody else gets to keep going

00:51:38.000 --> 00:51:42.159
on. And then like you kind of get more mass violence

00:51:42.159 --> 00:51:44.800
later, but it all feels rather unsatisfying.

00:51:45.059 --> 00:51:48.019
Versus Battle of Hogwarts, it's like, wait, oh

00:51:48.019 --> 00:51:50.940
my gosh, I need to go back and reread that chapter.

00:51:51.059 --> 00:51:54.989
Who died? We walked into the hall and there's

00:51:54.989 --> 00:51:57.090
a whole line of bodies. And there's a whole line

00:51:57.090 --> 00:51:59.409
of important bodies that like you get no closure

00:51:59.409 --> 00:52:00.989
with. It's like, all right, so Lavender Brown

00:52:00.989 --> 00:52:04.650
maybe is dead. Remus and Tonks and Fred and like

00:52:04.650 --> 00:52:06.730
you just keep going on. You're like, and Colin

00:52:06.730 --> 00:52:09.230
Cravey? Did I just read that right? Is it Colin

00:52:09.230 --> 00:52:12.489
Cravey? Like the photographer? And I don't need

00:52:12.489 --> 00:52:16.230
that. But I do think it is in order to give a

00:52:16.230 --> 00:52:19.489
sense and a semblance of danger. Right. Of real

00:52:19.489 --> 00:52:23.440
stakes. We can't have it just keep being. Barb,

00:52:23.440 --> 00:52:29.500
Bob, Billy, and Eddie. Who I really want it to

00:52:29.500 --> 00:52:31.340
come out that his first name was Bartholomew

00:52:31.340 --> 00:52:36.559
and then he went by his middle name. Just so

00:52:36.559 --> 00:52:40.539
we get that B, that fourth B there. But I think

00:52:40.539 --> 00:52:45.000
that's important for us to feel stakes. I feel

00:52:45.000 --> 00:52:47.860
as though someone like Murray or Yuri is going

00:52:47.860 --> 00:52:50.380
to perish fairly early on to establish that.

00:52:51.000 --> 00:52:53.059
Sort of the way that Star Trek used to do red

00:52:53.059 --> 00:52:54.679
shirts, where at the beginning of the episode,

00:52:54.760 --> 00:52:56.559
they would kill off somebody wearing a red shirt,

00:52:56.639 --> 00:53:00.340
and that way you'd know it's real. There's danger

00:53:00.340 --> 00:53:07.380
here. There's danger here! Keep your finger on

00:53:07.380 --> 00:53:11.239
the pause button and rewind that tape. It's the

00:53:11.239 --> 00:53:15.019
prestige category. What did we notice on this

00:53:15.019 --> 00:53:18.579
watch through? Sierra, is this a terrible plan?

00:53:19.099 --> 00:53:21.599
Like, how did - They not think the hive mind

00:53:21.599 --> 00:53:25.079
wouldn't get them. I don't know that it's a terrible

00:53:25.079 --> 00:53:29.639
plan. It's the only one they have. It is the

00:53:29.639 --> 00:53:32.380
only one they have. And to be fair, they have

00:53:32.380 --> 00:53:37.760
a number of distractions so that at least the

00:53:37.760 --> 00:53:41.219
majority of this hive mind isn't paying attention

00:53:41.219 --> 00:53:46.980
to the important chess pieces moving into position.

00:53:49.719 --> 00:53:54.139
It goes pretty well for quite some time. For

00:53:54.139 --> 00:53:57.800
quite some time. And then it goes terribly. And

00:53:57.800 --> 00:54:02.059
then it goes terribly wrong. However, this is

00:54:02.059 --> 00:54:07.880
also a group of human teenagers with no special

00:54:07.880 --> 00:54:12.380
abilities who just know interesting things fighting

00:54:12.380 --> 00:54:17.980
against a... supernatural hive mind creature

00:54:17.980 --> 00:54:25.719
telepathic being conglomerate of evil. That's

00:54:25.719 --> 00:54:33.059
true. You're not wrong. I think they do plan

00:54:33.059 --> 00:54:35.760
for the hive mind. They have the Eddie Dustin

00:54:35.760 --> 00:54:39.519
distraction specifically for what they think

00:54:39.519 --> 00:54:44.190
will try to defend Vecna. They know not to step

00:54:44.190 --> 00:54:47.369
on the vines. Potentially, they think it's a...

00:54:47.369 --> 00:54:51.849
Potentially, they think it's a physical interaction

00:54:51.849 --> 00:54:55.969
-only scenario and that the vines, while part

00:54:55.969 --> 00:55:01.250
of the hive mind, really will only move in reaction,

00:55:01.469 --> 00:55:05.269
kind of Venus flytrap -esque. Which, honestly,

00:55:05.409 --> 00:55:07.849
I probably would think, too, from their experiences

00:55:07.849 --> 00:55:12.849
with the vines. Yeah. And so... They do a pretty

00:55:12.849 --> 00:55:15.769
good job of attempting. I don't think it's terrible.

00:55:16.230 --> 00:55:19.769
Okay. It's not great. They really - I just -

00:55:19.769 --> 00:55:24.449
They almost succeed. They do. They almost succeed.

00:55:24.510 --> 00:55:31.550
And yet, this is no game. No. You know, it's

00:55:31.550 --> 00:55:36.469
not like they have a second life. So, they entail

00:55:36.469 --> 00:55:39.329
some outside forces from Russia and the desert.

00:55:40.039 --> 00:55:44.320
Intervene. They are dead. Right. Besides a potentially

00:55:44.320 --> 00:55:47.860
terrible plan, something that I find bothersome.

00:55:48.539 --> 00:55:52.400
Elle's outfit? I know this seems nitpicky, but

00:55:52.400 --> 00:55:55.860
it really took me out of the episode. I know

00:55:55.860 --> 00:55:58.860
that that shirt and that type of shirt was popular.

00:55:59.179 --> 00:56:03.739
I even in the 90s and early 2000s wore many like

00:56:03.739 --> 00:56:10.670
it, but I was also a child and... Now, or, you

00:56:10.670 --> 00:56:13.829
know, I guess, no, no, I was definitely a child

00:56:13.829 --> 00:56:15.690
at the time that I was wearing that. Now the

00:56:15.690 --> 00:56:18.090
look very much comes across like she's wearing

00:56:18.090 --> 00:56:22.690
pajamas to me. At least the shirt. And then she's

00:56:22.690 --> 00:56:25.110
got the high -waisted pants, which again, makes

00:56:25.110 --> 00:56:28.789
sense for the time period that she is in, but

00:56:28.789 --> 00:56:33.150
she's also supposed to be a child, very early

00:56:33.150 --> 00:56:38.159
teen. 14. 14. And we're focusing. way too much

00:56:38.159 --> 00:56:41.780
on her body for it to be comfortable for me yeah

00:56:41.780 --> 00:56:44.159
i'm there with you it makes me slightly uncomfortable

00:56:44.159 --> 00:56:49.760
how much they have framing her in the shot and

00:56:49.760 --> 00:56:52.440
then we have these high -waisted pants and we

00:56:52.440 --> 00:56:54.980
have this shirt and it just it really takes me

00:56:54.980 --> 00:56:59.380
out and it feels very awkward and i know that

00:56:59.380 --> 00:57:02.599
it's not about what she's wearing And this is

00:57:02.599 --> 00:57:04.500
absolutely nothing on Millie Bobby Brown. She

00:57:04.500 --> 00:57:08.000
didn't choose the costume. So it just really

00:57:08.000 --> 00:57:12.639
took me out. And then this is more important,

00:57:12.860 --> 00:57:15.440
but also something that really couldn't have

00:57:15.440 --> 00:57:22.460
been changed at this point. Millie Bobby Brown

00:57:22.460 --> 00:57:29.420
being too old for a 14 -year -old. makes Vecna's

00:57:29.420 --> 00:57:34.179
interactions with her creepier to me almost like

00:57:34.179 --> 00:57:37.440
he's preying on her rather than looking at her

00:57:37.440 --> 00:57:40.019
more like a potential daughter who could have

00:57:40.019 --> 00:57:43.539
followed in his footsteps something of that nature

00:57:43.539 --> 00:57:47.019
more of a mentorship I think it comes across

00:57:47.019 --> 00:57:52.840
much more creepy which I guess good but also

00:57:52.840 --> 00:57:57.079
maybe not what we're going for here um however

00:57:57.690 --> 00:58:03.110
I do think that if all of the kids, teens, looked

00:58:03.110 --> 00:58:06.090
younger, like their characters are supposed to

00:58:06.090 --> 00:58:09.730
be, Mike's whole I love you speech would have

00:58:09.730 --> 00:58:14.309
less of an impact. Maybe? That's my thought.

00:58:14.429 --> 00:58:19.269
Kids don't know what love is. At least romantic

00:58:19.269 --> 00:58:22.869
love between each other. You know, I think that...

00:58:23.159 --> 00:58:25.260
That the age that they're supposed to be this

00:58:25.260 --> 00:58:27.559
kind of 14 is maybe when people are starting

00:58:27.559 --> 00:58:30.840
to kind of try to figure it out and might have

00:58:30.840 --> 00:58:34.300
some sort of semblance idea, but it definitely

00:58:34.300 --> 00:58:38.539
wouldn't feel as impactful. Like, I love you

00:58:38.539 --> 00:58:41.659
coming from a 14 year old. That's like, okay.

00:58:42.260 --> 00:58:45.860
Yeah, totally. And now if you were a 14 year

00:58:45.860 --> 00:58:47.840
old and you are still with the person that you

00:58:47.840 --> 00:58:52.889
were with at 14, I mean, good on you, but. Yeah.

00:58:53.369 --> 00:58:56.210
I don't have that experience. I don't have that

00:58:56.210 --> 00:58:58.309
experience. I don't think that it's very common.

00:58:58.610 --> 00:59:04.969
I think what's interesting here is Vecna's supposed

00:59:04.969 --> 00:59:07.849
to be kind of parroting Brenner accidentally,

00:59:07.989 --> 00:59:11.650
where he's doing the same thing, where he's now

00:59:11.650 --> 00:59:14.510
wanting to father a child that is not his, and

00:59:14.510 --> 00:59:17.849
for specific purposes that go with him in a way

00:59:17.849 --> 00:59:21.550
that makes him feel a sense of control. Yeah,

00:59:21.670 --> 00:59:24.659
definitely. But but it's hard to feel that way

00:59:24.659 --> 00:59:29.320
when instead of being 14 and 38, they're 21 and

00:59:29.320 --> 00:59:35.800
33. Right. So a little different. Mm hmm. OK,

00:59:35.880 --> 00:59:39.340
so I know I pick on Mike a lot. Is Mike being

00:59:39.340 --> 00:59:42.519
the heart too cliche and boring for you, Sierra?

00:59:43.039 --> 00:59:44.860
Honestly, I just don't think it makes sense.

00:59:45.260 --> 00:59:48.559
Yes. Thank you. I don't think it makes sense

00:59:48.559 --> 00:59:54.239
at all. When? Has he been the heart of the group?

00:59:55.199 --> 00:59:58.559
He's been the heart for Elle. Yeah, maybe. But

00:59:58.559 --> 01:00:01.719
for the group? She's not the group. I would argue

01:00:01.719 --> 01:00:06.780
Will's the heart out of all of them. And, you

01:00:06.780 --> 01:00:10.340
know, I just, Will saying, Mike, you're the heart.

01:00:10.420 --> 01:00:14.639
You're the heart. It feels very odd because.

01:00:15.650 --> 01:00:19.809
Will is the one who has most suffered at Mike's

01:00:19.809 --> 01:00:24.469
not being the heart. Ditching him for Elle, ditching

01:00:24.469 --> 01:00:28.230
him for other people. Not wanting to play D &D

01:00:28.230 --> 01:00:30.989
with him. Yeah, not wanting to be with him, not

01:00:30.989 --> 01:00:35.789
wanting to hang out with him. Being on the receiving

01:00:35.789 --> 01:00:40.550
end of Mike's jab at Will not liking girls. And

01:00:40.550 --> 01:00:45.619
it's just... It just really does not track for

01:00:45.619 --> 01:00:48.000
me. And it's not just Will that he's done all

01:00:48.000 --> 01:00:51.139
these things to. He hasn't treated Lucas and

01:00:51.139 --> 01:00:55.699
Dustin with all that much love and care. So in

01:00:55.699 --> 01:00:59.159
the first season, I think Mike very much is the

01:00:59.159 --> 01:01:00.780
heart because he's the one that's like, Will's

01:01:00.780 --> 01:01:02.820
alive. Will's doing this. And here's Elle. And

01:01:02.820 --> 01:01:04.840
I'm taking care of her just off the street. And

01:01:04.840 --> 01:01:07.019
I could bring us all together. And I think that,

01:01:07.039 --> 01:01:10.030
OK, you have a real. Through line for that. And

01:01:10.030 --> 01:01:12.349
Mike is there for Will in a way that Dustin and

01:01:12.349 --> 01:01:17.030
Lucas is not in season one. Yes. Mike also stands

01:01:17.030 --> 01:01:20.829
up for Dustin in a way that is very much a heart

01:01:20.829 --> 01:01:23.510
when faced with Troy as well. Yes. Yes, very

01:01:23.510 --> 01:01:26.570
much so. In season two, the same thing is true

01:01:26.570 --> 01:01:29.110
to a lesser extent that Mike is like there to

01:01:29.110 --> 01:01:31.269
help Will, right? His whole storyline is like

01:01:31.269 --> 01:01:33.449
helping Will out and telling him that he is.

01:01:33.760 --> 01:01:35.820
the, you know, the site inside and he can be

01:01:35.820 --> 01:01:38.260
the enemy. And there's like some good hearted

01:01:38.260 --> 01:01:40.599
moral, like here's where we can go forward with

01:01:40.599 --> 01:01:42.360
this sort of stuff. But I don't really think

01:01:42.360 --> 01:01:44.980
he's been the heart since then. I don't know.

01:01:45.519 --> 01:01:48.699
I think Max is really helping. Max and Lucas

01:01:48.699 --> 01:01:50.639
are really helping out. And Dustin are like my

01:01:50.639 --> 01:01:53.500
main sort of through line in season three with

01:01:53.500 --> 01:01:55.960
Steve and Robin and then Lucas and everybody.

01:01:56.079 --> 01:01:59.599
But, and then season four, he's, he's benched.

01:02:00.179 --> 01:02:03.960
Yeah. I like won't tell L that. He loves her,

01:02:04.019 --> 01:02:07.179
and I'm just kind of like, okay. I just feel

01:02:07.179 --> 01:02:09.699
like Mike is being pushed into this category

01:02:09.699 --> 01:02:13.039
that I certainly don't feel he's earned. No,

01:02:13.099 --> 01:02:16.380
I would agree. Okay, cool. Again, we agree too

01:02:16.380 --> 01:02:18.380
much, and there's somebody out there going, no!

01:02:19.000 --> 01:02:24.400
He's the best of them! What do you mean? Okay.

01:02:24.980 --> 01:02:27.960
Why does Mike professing his love do anything?

01:02:28.760 --> 01:02:32.099
Isn't 11 powers motivated by hate? Or is this

01:02:32.099 --> 01:02:35.139
more a love is actually more powerful moment,

01:02:35.280 --> 01:02:41.300
Sierra? I almost feel like it's more along the

01:02:41.300 --> 01:02:44.699
lines of there's still hope out here. Remember

01:02:44.699 --> 01:02:48.760
what you're fighting for? Which I get. And I

01:02:48.760 --> 01:02:52.840
think that that's a valid thing. I also don't

01:02:52.840 --> 01:02:56.960
quite understand why Mike loving her. helps because

01:02:56.960 --> 01:03:03.360
it does seem like later on we have her love of

01:03:03.360 --> 01:03:08.280
max is is what allows her powers to be so strong

01:03:08.280 --> 01:03:12.980
and i think that also literally watching max

01:03:12.980 --> 01:03:17.320
dying before her you would think that again her

01:03:17.320 --> 01:03:21.519
her friendship and her love with max is what

01:03:21.519 --> 01:03:25.139
would be the most important thing and so i think

01:03:25.769 --> 01:03:31.070
It is a little odd, but I do feel like it is

01:03:31.070 --> 01:03:33.050
really moving into the love is actually more

01:03:33.050 --> 01:03:36.530
powerful thing. Which, again, I've been harping

01:03:36.530 --> 01:03:38.909
on since season two that I feel like that should

01:03:38.909 --> 01:03:43.130
have happened already. But I guess we're getting

01:03:43.130 --> 01:03:47.110
it now through Mike, question mark. Through my

01:03:47.110 --> 01:03:48.590
question mark, I also think it's interesting

01:03:48.590 --> 01:03:50.730
that they are trying to introduce it so late

01:03:50.730 --> 01:03:53.110
into the show as a way to power up over Vecna.

01:03:53.309 --> 01:03:55.510
I know that this has been sort of billed as a

01:03:55.510 --> 01:03:58.610
children's story, but it lives in this weird

01:03:58.610 --> 01:04:01.650
liminal space that includes late Harry Potter

01:04:01.650 --> 01:04:05.289
movies and Pirates of the Caribbean and some

01:04:05.289 --> 01:04:07.329
Star Wars movies where people are like, these

01:04:07.329 --> 01:04:09.269
are for kids. And it's like, well, this is kind

01:04:09.269 --> 01:04:12.809
of for everybody. But this is a very simplistic.

01:04:13.789 --> 01:04:17.769
that love is more powerful than hate. It's not

01:04:17.769 --> 01:04:20.530
particularly for adults, but we're entering it

01:04:20.530 --> 01:04:23.869
so late in such a simplistic stage that I'm kind

01:04:23.869 --> 01:04:26.170
of almost guarding against the way that they're

01:04:26.170 --> 01:04:30.610
doing it, which is unfair, but I've just seen

01:04:30.610 --> 01:04:33.949
it done so poorly so many times before that I'm

01:04:33.949 --> 01:04:38.170
a little wary of what's going on, that it's just

01:04:38.170 --> 01:04:42.849
that simple. Right. Anything done right is done

01:04:42.849 --> 01:04:46.869
well. Mm -hmm. But I'm worried about it not being

01:04:46.869 --> 01:04:50.989
done well or right. Right, because then it becomes

01:04:50.989 --> 01:04:54.170
cliche. Yeah. Interesting note here that when

01:04:54.170 --> 01:04:58.050
Vecna comes to kill Max, he shows her the POV

01:04:58.050 --> 01:05:01.090
of all of these different fights. So she sees

01:05:01.090 --> 01:05:04.429
Lucas and Jason fighting. How? We don't know.

01:05:04.530 --> 01:05:08.480
She sees Eddie and Dustin, which... I assume

01:05:08.480 --> 01:05:13.099
is through Demobat's eyes. She sees a demo opening

01:05:13.099 --> 01:05:15.679
its flower mouth, not realizing that this is

01:05:15.679 --> 01:05:19.679
the USSR fight, right? Is this how it is to be

01:05:19.679 --> 01:05:22.260
Vecna? Because of the hive mind, can he see everything

01:05:22.260 --> 01:05:25.400
like that? And is it through the mind flayer

01:05:25.400 --> 01:05:27.460
that he's like, he's connected to the mind flayer

01:05:27.460 --> 01:05:29.460
and the mind flayer is like the internet router

01:05:29.460 --> 01:05:32.119
that can go and see everything? Or is it the

01:05:32.119 --> 01:05:34.079
vines that he's just being able to see through?

01:05:34.360 --> 01:05:37.260
Or does he have the sight, like Trelawney, but

01:05:37.260 --> 01:05:39.440
it's like everything? Or is this just a montage?

01:05:39.840 --> 01:05:43.780
It really does seem like he is showing her something

01:05:43.780 --> 01:05:49.019
because he does specifically call out that all

01:05:49.019 --> 01:05:54.179
of her friends are failing and he's there to

01:05:54.179 --> 01:05:56.280
kill her, but they're all going to die as well.

01:05:57.079 --> 01:06:03.849
And I don't understand how he... can actually

01:06:03.849 --> 01:06:07.889
show her these things. Potentially it is a montage

01:06:07.889 --> 01:06:12.949
and he has told her what is going on verbally.

01:06:13.170 --> 01:06:16.489
And obviously that's less interesting than just

01:06:16.489 --> 01:06:21.309
showing what's going on. Yeah. But it does seem

01:06:21.309 --> 01:06:26.570
odd, especially being able to show Lucas and

01:06:26.570 --> 01:06:29.869
Jason. The only thing I can think of is that

01:06:29.869 --> 01:06:33.380
it's because it's taking place. Physically in

01:06:33.380 --> 01:06:37.940
the same space that Vecna is physically just

01:06:37.940 --> 01:06:42.320
in the upside down. But it does seem very odd

01:06:42.320 --> 01:06:44.880
because at least with – Maybe watching through

01:06:44.880 --> 01:06:48.280
Max's eyes as he's taking over her body. Oh.

01:06:48.579 --> 01:06:51.480
Maybe. That could be. Yeah. That could be that

01:06:51.480 --> 01:06:55.079
while she's looking through him, he's looking

01:06:55.079 --> 01:06:58.719
through her and can then see. I guess, you know,

01:06:58.719 --> 01:07:01.300
now that you mentioned that, I did have – a brief

01:07:01.300 --> 01:07:04.460
thought when I was watching it that that's how

01:07:04.460 --> 01:07:07.639
because oh look and I thought it was going to

01:07:07.639 --> 01:07:10.219
stop there I kind of forgot that he shows all

01:07:10.219 --> 01:07:12.820
the rest of what's going on I thought it was

01:07:12.820 --> 01:07:15.019
going to stop with just we'll look at what's

01:07:15.019 --> 01:07:18.800
happening while I have you look at your surroundings

01:07:18.800 --> 01:07:21.159
if you were actually there you could maybe put

01:07:21.159 --> 01:07:26.530
a stop to this and so I think that That makes

01:07:26.530 --> 01:07:29.730
sense that he's doing it through her. I don't

01:07:29.730 --> 01:07:32.989
understand how vines have eyes. So I don't know

01:07:32.989 --> 01:07:35.829
that that visual makes sense. And I could see

01:07:35.829 --> 01:07:38.730
it being through the bats and through the Demogorgon

01:07:38.730 --> 01:07:41.809
and whatnot. But we're looking into the Demogorgon's

01:07:41.809 --> 01:07:44.230
mouth. Right. So was it about to eat its own

01:07:44.230 --> 01:07:48.869
kind? Right. Not from the Demogorgon. So it is

01:07:48.869 --> 01:07:52.510
a little off, which is why I do think that is

01:07:52.510 --> 01:07:57.559
a visual montage from. the filming standpoint

01:07:57.559 --> 01:08:02.039
but i do think that he is showing max at least

01:08:02.039 --> 01:08:05.239
part of that or at least describing to her the

01:08:05.239 --> 01:08:08.460
situation that everybody is in okay good good

01:08:08.460 --> 01:08:14.440
good i i accept this answer however in two circumstances

01:08:14.440 --> 01:08:21.449
i find myself yelling at the screen dude Shoot

01:08:21.449 --> 01:08:27.109
him. The fire is not doing enough death. So it's

01:08:27.109 --> 01:08:30.170
Vecna and the Demogorgon? Yes. Nice. Yes, of

01:08:30.170 --> 01:08:35.010
course. Yes. So Hop with the Demogorgon and then

01:08:35.010 --> 01:08:41.649
Steve, Nancy, and Robin with Vecna. And I feel

01:08:41.649 --> 01:08:46.170
that I definitely was upset at the adults for

01:08:46.170 --> 01:08:49.970
not handling the Demogorgon. Especially when

01:08:49.970 --> 01:08:52.470
Nancy and Jonathan did it so well in season one.

01:08:52.810 --> 01:08:56.909
Right. They can see what's going on. They can

01:08:56.909 --> 01:08:59.510
see that the Demogorgon is still up and running.

01:08:59.869 --> 01:09:05.409
They also, I guess one side note is that Hop

01:09:05.409 --> 01:09:11.909
is out of bullets. True. However, I have absolutely

01:09:11.909 --> 01:09:17.750
no excuse for the Flambe plan because... Nancy

01:09:17.750 --> 01:09:22.850
brought her shotgun for this reason and is standing

01:09:22.850 --> 01:09:27.430
there watching him burn and not die and walk

01:09:27.430 --> 01:09:31.489
menacingly towards them and is just standing

01:09:31.489 --> 01:09:34.930
there holding said shotgun. She does shoot him

01:09:34.930 --> 01:09:38.529
eventually. She does, but it takes a dang long

01:09:38.529 --> 01:09:43.210
time. Steve and Robin are both side -eyeing Nancy

01:09:43.210 --> 01:09:49.020
like, okay. Anytime now. Maybe I don't want babies

01:09:49.020 --> 01:09:51.579
with you. I feel like you won't give it a bottle

01:09:51.579 --> 01:09:59.439
quick enough. It's been crying. Yeah, I hear

01:09:59.439 --> 01:10:02.300
you there. That's really funny. Switching notes.

01:10:02.720 --> 01:10:06.819
Is Max's and Eddie's death scenes the most emotional

01:10:06.819 --> 01:10:10.640
Stranger Things has gotten? I think so. The only

01:10:10.640 --> 01:10:12.260
other thing I can think of that gets close to

01:10:12.260 --> 01:10:14.600
it is Bob's death is really sad, but we don't

01:10:14.600 --> 01:10:16.239
really get that much time to stay with it. And

01:10:16.239 --> 01:10:19.460
they're not. No. Like Eddie, I feel like it maybe

01:10:19.460 --> 01:10:21.399
is as emotionally important as Bob, but I feel

01:10:21.399 --> 01:10:23.260
like we get to know Eddie a little bit more and

01:10:23.260 --> 01:10:24.819
his death scene is a little bit more emotional

01:10:24.819 --> 01:10:27.539
because Dustin like is holding him when he dies.

01:10:28.619 --> 01:10:31.060
Max's I feel like we don't touch with maybe the

01:10:31.060 --> 01:10:34.569
exception of Sarah. and Will's montage in season

01:10:34.569 --> 01:10:37.729
one, where we watch Hop relive his daughter's

01:10:37.729 --> 01:10:40.649
death while reviving Will, which is different

01:10:40.649 --> 01:10:44.689
emotion, but maybe just as emotional. Yeah, the

01:10:44.689 --> 01:10:48.810
only challenge that I will give is that I do

01:10:48.810 --> 01:10:53.649
cry during Bob's death. It's terrible. And so

01:10:53.649 --> 01:10:59.989
I definitely do actually shed tears then. And...

01:11:01.000 --> 01:11:04.579
I don't know. Maybe that's just because it's

01:11:04.579 --> 01:11:09.539
Sean Astin. Sean Astin. Because I love him. But

01:11:09.539 --> 01:11:14.239
my potatoes! Well, and it's also one of those,

01:11:14.340 --> 01:11:19.479
he almost made it. Yeah. And just, you think

01:11:19.479 --> 01:11:21.960
everything's okay, and then it's not. And it's

01:11:21.960 --> 01:11:25.970
just that little... Whereas with Max and with

01:11:25.970 --> 01:11:28.770
Eddie, you know they're in danger. They're constantly

01:11:28.770 --> 01:11:31.369
in danger. There's not a moment that that lets

01:11:31.369 --> 01:11:33.649
up to make you think that maybe they're going

01:11:33.649 --> 01:11:36.229
to get away before it happens. Except for Eddie

01:11:36.229 --> 01:11:38.630
has a moment where he can get away, but then

01:11:38.630 --> 01:11:40.909
he chooses to hang with him in danger for much

01:11:40.909 --> 01:11:45.789
longer. Right. So I feel like potentially it's

01:11:45.789 --> 01:11:50.630
just the rhythm and the pacing of those. Leading

01:11:50.630 --> 01:11:54.550
up to death and then death sequences. But I do

01:11:54.550 --> 01:11:58.489
feel like, especially from the acting that we

01:11:58.489 --> 01:12:04.310
get from Dustin and Lucas, absolutely so emotional

01:12:04.310 --> 01:12:10.289
and very, very upsetting. And really, really

01:12:10.289 --> 01:12:13.949
heart -wrenching. Speaking of the acting, Dustin

01:12:13.949 --> 01:12:17.170
does an incredible job in this entire episode.

01:12:18.460 --> 01:12:21.939
I'm more emotional with him talking to Eddie's

01:12:21.939 --> 01:12:25.100
uncle than I am with a actual emotion scene because

01:12:25.100 --> 01:12:29.779
of just how incredibly well on the teetering

01:12:29.779 --> 01:12:33.319
edge of losing it. He is that entire scene with

01:12:33.319 --> 01:12:36.619
the way the tears are in his eyes and his trembling

01:12:36.619 --> 01:12:40.680
chin and how real that all feels where it's like,

01:12:40.680 --> 01:12:44.859
that's true acting technique coming in, in a

01:12:44.859 --> 01:12:48.699
way that is like, Seems exceptionally difficult.

01:12:49.239 --> 01:12:52.659
I would put Eddie's death in terms of severity

01:12:52.659 --> 01:12:55.539
and emotion with Bob's, certainly. You could

01:12:55.539 --> 01:12:59.359
tie it. I wouldn't argue that. I think that season

01:12:59.359 --> 01:13:02.319
four's entire success is predicated on this Max

01:13:02.319 --> 01:13:09.100
Lucas dynamic. And the payoff with Lucas's acting

01:13:09.100 --> 01:13:13.729
in that scene. Is what makes season four so good

01:13:13.729 --> 01:13:16.770
to me, even with a bunch of the complaints that

01:13:16.770 --> 01:13:21.229
we've discussed. He is, it feels like there's

01:13:21.229 --> 01:13:23.949
this sort of behind the scenes about Fred and

01:13:23.949 --> 01:13:26.529
George's death in Deathly Hallows, where the

01:13:26.529 --> 01:13:31.430
actor who plays George says, yeah, after like

01:13:31.430 --> 01:13:33.850
a take or two, and I'm looking down at, you know,

01:13:33.850 --> 01:13:37.810
my actual twin playing his corpse, I. felt it

01:13:37.810 --> 01:13:40.449
and went immediately into the and you only see

01:13:40.449 --> 01:13:42.149
it for a split second and the actor talks about

01:13:42.149 --> 01:13:43.750
how he wishes that scene could have been out

01:13:43.750 --> 01:13:45.869
a little bit more because he feels like that

01:13:45.869 --> 01:13:48.109
was you know one of his finest acting moments

01:13:48.109 --> 01:13:50.470
essentially and you can see like there's a meme

01:13:50.470 --> 01:13:52.170
of it where that you look at percy's actor who's

01:13:52.170 --> 01:13:54.729
doing a phenomenal job at at acting a very different

01:13:54.729 --> 01:13:58.449
uh sort of morning and then versus george and

01:13:58.449 --> 01:14:00.590
you can also tell that like the difference when

01:14:00.590 --> 01:14:02.840
he says like I actually fell into this dark place

01:14:02.840 --> 01:14:04.260
of thinking that that was really my brother.

01:14:04.319 --> 01:14:06.539
And those were my real emotions of thinking that

01:14:06.539 --> 01:14:08.859
he's dead versus like acting, which both are

01:14:08.859 --> 01:14:11.079
very appropriate for that moment. And I don't

01:14:11.079 --> 01:14:12.699
like the fact that people make fun of Percy,

01:14:12.800 --> 01:14:15.140
but it is, you can see the stark difference.

01:14:15.600 --> 01:14:17.600
And to me, that's, that's the level that Lucas

01:14:17.600 --> 01:14:23.520
is in. Yes. Like just hold on and I'm with you

01:14:23.520 --> 01:14:25.119
and no, no, no, no, no. And just the way that

01:14:25.119 --> 01:14:27.880
he plays that, that doesn't feel cliche. It feels.

01:14:28.409 --> 01:14:30.069
I don't know if fresh is the right word, but

01:14:30.069 --> 01:14:34.229
it feels so vivacious. Right. That even if it's

01:14:34.229 --> 01:14:36.989
not the most fresh take on begging someone to

01:14:36.989 --> 01:14:39.350
stay alive, it feels that way because it's so

01:14:39.350 --> 01:14:43.350
well acted. And we get to that line, Erica, help,

01:14:43.569 --> 01:14:45.489
where he's looking over his shoulder. And that's

01:14:45.489 --> 01:14:51.409
when I'm like, oh my gosh. That line hits me

01:14:51.409 --> 01:14:55.590
inside of me, like everywhere. It is painful

01:14:55.590 --> 01:14:59.100
and it is gorgeous at the same time. Yeah, it's

01:14:59.100 --> 01:15:04.939
truly phenomenal. Caleb McLaughlin really nails

01:15:04.939 --> 01:15:09.180
this. Yeah. I think it's unfortunate perhaps

01:15:09.180 --> 01:15:13.140
that he hasn't been given more emotional range

01:15:13.140 --> 01:15:16.140
within the character over the last few seasons.

01:15:17.180 --> 01:15:20.720
He's, you know, very upset at Elle season one

01:15:20.720 --> 01:15:24.380
and kind of has those anger moments. And he does

01:15:24.380 --> 01:15:26.899
seem to kind of fall by the wayside slightly.

01:15:27.930 --> 01:15:31.430
And is relegated almost to kind of Max's sidekick.

01:15:31.670 --> 01:15:35.409
At times, certainly. A little bit. And I feel

01:15:35.409 --> 01:15:39.649
like this is where he really gets to shine. And

01:15:39.649 --> 01:15:43.250
shine he does. Yeah, certainly. Because that

01:15:43.250 --> 01:15:48.590
sequence really only has the emotional tenor

01:15:48.590 --> 01:15:51.529
that it does because of him. Yeah, certainly.

01:15:52.649 --> 01:15:57.100
Oy, he's excellent in it. Last little note here

01:15:57.100 --> 01:16:00.680
before we move on into our sort of mischief categories,

01:16:00.819 --> 01:16:06.079
as I call them in my head. Anyone who has played

01:16:06.079 --> 01:16:08.859
the Spider -Man Sony video game will understand

01:16:08.859 --> 01:16:12.039
when I say I feel like Aunt May is missing in

01:16:12.039 --> 01:16:17.520
the shelter scene. Yes. In that video game, she's

01:16:17.520 --> 01:16:20.460
like a major component at a shelter. And it's

01:16:20.460 --> 01:16:23.529
like... It feels like they just robbed that setting

01:16:23.529 --> 01:16:25.189
from the video game. We're like, good, this is

01:16:25.189 --> 01:16:26.890
what a shelter should look like. And so I'm like,

01:16:26.970 --> 01:16:31.409
Mae? Mae, where are you? Where's your ward, Peter?

01:16:34.069 --> 01:16:37.069
You know, Sam, you don't always have to face

01:16:37.069 --> 01:16:40.689
down a horde of angry soldiers by yourself. Buckle

01:16:40.689 --> 01:16:43.649
up, Schmissners, because it's our Sansa is smarter

01:16:43.649 --> 01:16:47.310
than John category for what is the most important

01:16:47.310 --> 01:16:52.010
character moment. I have two, actually. Okay.

01:16:52.390 --> 01:16:55.130
First one, is it Nancy saying that Steve has

01:16:55.130 --> 01:16:58.189
really grown up setting up this kind of whole

01:16:58.189 --> 01:17:03.050
love triangle moment? Or is it Eddie deciding

01:17:03.050 --> 01:17:06.770
not to run and going out to the bats to face

01:17:06.770 --> 01:17:09.289
them to provide a longer distraction so that

01:17:09.289 --> 01:17:12.369
the hive mind can't focus solely on just the

01:17:12.369 --> 01:17:17.890
three teens? Between the two, I would give it

01:17:17.890 --> 01:17:21.010
to Eddie. Yeah. I have a contender for this as

01:17:21.010 --> 01:17:25.529
well, which is Will saying, now that I'm here

01:17:25.529 --> 01:17:29.689
in Hawkins, I can feel him. He's hurt, but he's

01:17:29.689 --> 01:17:34.569
still alive. I can still remember what he thinks

01:17:34.569 --> 01:17:39.890
and how he thinks. We have to kill him. So I

01:17:39.890 --> 01:17:42.390
don't disagree with you. I think that may be

01:17:42.390 --> 01:17:47.430
the actual biggest character moment. Inside my

01:17:47.430 --> 01:17:50.590
soul, I have a... Very difficult time with the

01:17:50.590 --> 01:17:56.550
idea of the most important character moment of

01:17:56.550 --> 01:18:00.329
the finale is for a character that's been benched.

01:18:02.029 --> 01:18:03.829
Versus one of the reasons why I put it for Nancy

01:18:03.829 --> 01:18:06.029
is that Nancy has this entire growth arc with

01:18:06.029 --> 01:18:09.569
Steve showing us and sort of culminating in this

01:18:09.569 --> 01:18:14.090
big turnaround from season one. And it also sets

01:18:14.090 --> 01:18:16.029
up like tension and stuff for season five versus.

01:18:16.350 --> 01:18:19.189
Will sets up the major tension for season five.

01:18:19.350 --> 01:18:21.670
So you're right there. It's just hard to be like,

01:18:21.750 --> 01:18:28.789
and Will gets it. He stole it. Yeah, I can see

01:18:28.789 --> 01:18:32.489
that. I think for me, it also is a little bit

01:18:32.489 --> 01:18:36.670
difficult to give most important character moment

01:18:36.670 --> 01:18:40.250
for someone who it was imposed upon instead of

01:18:40.250 --> 01:18:43.609
someone who grew to that moment. Yeah, totally.

01:18:44.170 --> 01:18:46.470
So for that reason, I do feel like giving it

01:18:46.470 --> 01:18:52.569
to Eddie here. Yeah. However, the moment of I

01:18:52.569 --> 01:18:56.170
can still remember what he thinks and how he

01:18:56.170 --> 01:19:00.449
thinks, speaking specifically about Vecna, when

01:19:00.449 --> 01:19:05.069
we know that the Mind Flayer was the one in his

01:19:05.069 --> 01:19:09.829
head. Yeah. That's insane. Insane. True. True.

01:19:09.970 --> 01:19:13.069
But again, imposed upon him. Yeah. We'll do a

01:19:13.069 --> 01:19:14.529
first place, second place, third place on that

01:19:14.529 --> 01:19:18.250
one. He's on the podium. There you go. I know

01:19:18.250 --> 01:19:20.449
you just lost a hand arguing with me, Sierra,

01:19:20.590 --> 01:19:24.810
but listen up. It's the I am your father category

01:19:24.810 --> 01:19:29.149
for most iconic character moment. There is only

01:19:29.149 --> 01:19:33.210
one iconic character moment. I feel like this

01:19:33.210 --> 01:19:36.510
is on the same level as any of the iconic character

01:19:36.510 --> 01:19:41.630
moments throughout the show. Van flipping. Waffle

01:19:41.630 --> 01:19:44.670
stealing. Yeah, yeah. Thank you very much. Demogorgon

01:19:44.670 --> 01:19:50.170
bat swinging. You name it. Sauna diving. All

01:19:50.170 --> 01:19:57.930
of it. Romance novel cover seducing. It's Eddie

01:19:57.930 --> 01:20:03.229
shredding his guitar. Yes. There's nothing else.

01:20:03.590 --> 01:20:05.010
There's nothing else that can beat it. It's iconic.

01:20:05.310 --> 01:20:06.930
All right. That's it. It's Eddie shredding his

01:20:06.930 --> 01:20:10.350
guitar. Everybody sit down. It's time for our...

01:20:10.760 --> 01:20:15.539
I am Iron Man. Most iconic and most important

01:20:15.539 --> 01:20:18.460
scene category. Go ahead and give me yours first.

01:20:19.380 --> 01:20:23.779
Mine is the gang standing on the hill at the

01:20:23.779 --> 01:20:28.340
border where all of the plants are living on

01:20:28.340 --> 01:20:32.340
one side and dead on the other as the particles

01:20:32.340 --> 01:20:36.899
fall from the sky. It's so important. And it's

01:20:36.899 --> 01:20:40.659
so iconic. It's the last shot. Yep. However,

01:20:40.859 --> 01:20:44.979
I'm kind of having the same, like, Will versus

01:20:44.979 --> 01:20:47.699
Eddie. And I think we're just, it's just kind

01:20:47.699 --> 01:20:49.699
of like where we're placing the emphasis on the

01:20:49.699 --> 01:20:52.699
episode. Because to me, I'm like, it's not about

01:20:52.699 --> 01:20:54.779
the resolution to me. It's about the climax.

01:20:55.539 --> 01:20:58.119
Okay. And you're going very much with the resolution,

01:20:58.119 --> 01:21:02.180
with the revolution. Lafayette! You say you want

01:21:02.180 --> 01:21:09.689
a revolution! Oh, different song entirely. You're

01:21:09.689 --> 01:21:12.390
very much going with the resolution of everything.

01:21:12.569 --> 01:21:16.869
So to me, it's the flambé sequence. Vecna's actual

01:21:16.869 --> 01:21:19.930
body in the Upside Down is Molotov cocktailed

01:21:19.930 --> 01:21:22.510
and shotgunned. The Demogorgon is then sliced

01:21:22.510 --> 01:21:25.789
up like sushi. Eleven kicks one's butt in Max's

01:21:25.789 --> 01:21:28.649
mind. Lucas punches the daylights out of Jason.

01:21:28.770 --> 01:21:31.310
And Eddie sacrificing himself to save everyone

01:21:31.310 --> 01:21:34.329
while Dustin limps over to him. I think that

01:21:34.329 --> 01:21:38.050
is the most important and iconic scene category.

01:21:40.179 --> 01:21:43.880
I have a hard time with that, though. And I'm

01:21:43.880 --> 01:21:47.720
going to parse here. It's not one scene. But

01:21:47.720 --> 01:21:50.659
we gave it to the sequence in season one for

01:21:50.659 --> 01:21:53.239
their finale. We gave it to the Hopper -Sarah

01:21:53.239 --> 01:21:56.800
-Will sequence. Yes, but I would argue that that's

01:21:56.800 --> 01:22:00.079
more one scene because it is one thing that is

01:22:00.079 --> 01:22:03.829
happening. That's... You might have me on that

01:22:03.829 --> 01:22:06.329
one. Not five things that are all happening at

01:22:06.329 --> 01:22:07.270
once. I was about to say, in the Supreme Court

01:22:07.270 --> 01:22:10.909
of two, that is us. There is precedent for this

01:22:10.909 --> 01:22:13.510
ruling. But I think you're right. I think...

01:22:13.510 --> 01:22:19.289
Ah, man. If you were to say most iconic and most

01:22:19.289 --> 01:22:22.270
important, and you said Vecna's body, Molotov

01:22:22.270 --> 01:22:26.250
cocktail, shotgunned, but still alive, I may...

01:22:26.250 --> 01:22:30.439
I'll give you this instead. It's... Max dies,

01:22:30.760 --> 01:22:35.779
gates open, Jason split in two. Gate opens. Gate

01:22:35.779 --> 01:22:40.779
opens. I can give you gate opens. Okay, excellent.

01:22:41.119 --> 01:22:43.800
I will give you gate opens, yes. Fantastic. Well,

01:22:43.840 --> 01:22:49.819
crack open encyclopedia, you loser! I need to

01:22:49.819 --> 01:22:53.239
read up on the word loser. Here's the definition

01:22:53.239 --> 01:22:56.340
of losers. Look, the encyclopedia, it now includes

01:22:56.340 --> 01:23:03.119
your name. It's Karl Malone and then Sierra Obermark.

01:23:05.039 --> 01:23:12.819
We skipped N entirely. That's such an unnecessary

01:23:12.819 --> 01:23:15.640
shot at basketball legend Karl Malone. He happened

01:23:15.640 --> 01:23:18.760
to lose to Michael Jordan a bunch. Like, he still

01:23:18.760 --> 01:23:21.579
won a lot. It just wasn't the championship. Anyways,

01:23:21.720 --> 01:23:24.340
that's the NBA. Back to Stranger Things. Crack

01:23:24.340 --> 01:23:27.859
open an encyclopedia, you nerds. As Elijah Wood

01:23:27.859 --> 01:23:31.199
once said, no, how could we have known? Where

01:23:31.199 --> 01:23:33.699
we discuss the most important information disseminated

01:23:33.699 --> 01:23:36.000
to the fandom over this final episode. Tell me

01:23:36.000 --> 01:23:40.460
about it. All right. The first thing that is

01:23:40.460 --> 01:23:44.399
very important. Elle isn't strong enough. Yes.

01:23:44.859 --> 01:23:48.060
She's not. Not by herself. Not how she is right

01:23:48.060 --> 01:23:49.840
now. She might be stronger than she was, but

01:23:49.840 --> 01:23:54.500
she's not strong enough. The next thing. Will

01:23:54.500 --> 01:23:58.180
was taken and infected by Vecna specifically

01:23:58.180 --> 01:24:02.100
because he can feel him and knows how he remembers

01:24:02.100 --> 01:24:08.239
how Vecna thinks. Yep. That's important. Just

01:24:08.239 --> 01:24:12.500
so we know. Speaking of Will, I am even more

01:24:12.500 --> 01:24:15.720
convinced that... Vecna took will than I ever

01:24:15.720 --> 01:24:18.140
have been because I rewatched the first episode

01:24:18.140 --> 01:24:22.779
recently, like of season one, not of season four,

01:24:22.819 --> 01:24:25.659
of season one. I also re -listened to our episode

01:24:25.659 --> 01:24:28.399
where we were like, is this Vecna or is this

01:24:28.399 --> 01:24:30.859
not in the season one, in our very first Fandom

01:24:30.859 --> 01:24:33.420
Shmandam episode. And I was like, I think it

01:24:33.420 --> 01:24:34.600
is. And you were like, I think it's not. And

01:24:34.600 --> 01:24:37.840
so here I am to prove you wrong. I proved myself

01:24:37.840 --> 01:24:40.239
wrong, but continue. You did. You did eventually

01:24:40.239 --> 01:24:42.539
get on. But here I am to prove your past self

01:24:42.539 --> 01:24:46.579
even more wrong. I love it. Continue. Past Sierra.

01:24:48.100 --> 01:24:51.500
Column A. The lightbulb flickers in Season 1

01:24:51.500 --> 01:24:55.000
in the shed. So I'm going backwards, okay? Going

01:24:55.000 --> 01:24:57.760
backwards from when Will is taken. Lightbulb

01:24:57.760 --> 01:24:59.699
flickers right before he's taken. That's echoed

01:24:59.699 --> 01:25:02.979
throughout all of Season 4 with when Vecna moves

01:25:02.979 --> 01:25:05.560
around, the lightbulb flickers. Right. Okay,

01:25:05.579 --> 01:25:08.220
so that's not the best evidence. The Demogorgon

01:25:08.220 --> 01:25:10.159
also makes lightbulb flickers later, and Will

01:25:10.159 --> 01:25:12.140
can make things in all sorts of things. Okay,

01:25:12.180 --> 01:25:17.010
fine. The buyer's chain lock in the house is

01:25:17.010 --> 01:25:21.569
opened by telekinetic powers. Yep. Okay, that's

01:25:21.569 --> 01:25:26.329
weird. That's suspicious. Are you still not convinced?

01:25:26.529 --> 01:25:30.770
Fine. Will throughout season one sings, should

01:25:30.770 --> 01:25:34.449
I stay or should I go? And is only found after

01:25:34.449 --> 01:25:36.529
he's fading and can't really sing it anymore.

01:25:36.829 --> 01:25:40.909
Okay? Which, how does Max escape? Perfectus,

01:25:40.970 --> 01:25:46.600
bye. Running up that hill. Music, indeed. But

01:25:46.600 --> 01:25:49.619
here's the final nail in the coffin. You and

01:25:49.619 --> 01:25:53.159
I freaked out in season three when Vecna's clock,

01:25:53.439 --> 01:25:57.020
the full sound of Vecna's clock, sounds when

01:25:57.020 --> 01:26:01.500
Billy is talking to the abductive lifeguard.

01:26:01.640 --> 01:26:05.199
Heather? Heather, yes. Heather. We freaked out

01:26:05.199 --> 01:26:08.659
about it. We missed it on this first rewatch.

01:26:09.000 --> 01:26:14.960
Oh. At the six minute mark of season one, episode

01:26:14.960 --> 01:26:21.000
one, Vecna's clock rings when Will falls off

01:26:21.000 --> 01:26:24.800
the bike. It's fainter. It's harder to hear.

01:26:24.920 --> 01:26:28.760
But it is Vecna's clock. And you cannot deny

01:26:28.760 --> 01:26:34.399
anymore, Pastor Sierra, that Vecna is the guy.

01:26:37.000 --> 01:26:42.869
I love it. Good. Take that pass, Sierra. Ha!

01:26:44.369 --> 01:26:47.789
Dum -dum. Alright, here's another thing about

01:26:47.789 --> 01:26:51.529
Vecna. Vecna was sent to the Upside Down by Eleven,

01:26:51.710 --> 01:26:54.430
and he couldn't reopen the door, and he needed

01:26:54.430 --> 01:26:56.430
L to reopen the door so that he could come back

01:26:56.430 --> 01:26:58.550
to Hawkins, and then also everything has been

01:26:58.550 --> 01:27:01.350
done by him, so that's a good thing. Just so

01:27:01.350 --> 01:27:03.609
we know. Just to keep that in mind, everybody.

01:27:04.510 --> 01:27:06.989
Indeed, indeed. Well, keep your horses safe.

01:27:07.810 --> 01:27:10.579
It's the... I'm going to make him an offer he

01:27:10.579 --> 01:27:16.760
can't refuse. Category. Best lines. All right.

01:27:16.880 --> 01:27:20.819
I've got a few here. I've got a bad feeling about

01:27:20.819 --> 01:27:23.420
this. Crazy Star Wars reference. Fine. I accept.

01:27:25.060 --> 01:27:27.880
First ever mind fight held in a pizza dough freezer.

01:27:28.159 --> 01:27:31.300
Pretty rad, right? I hate Argyle so much in that

01:27:31.300 --> 01:27:38.130
moment. And I never should have knocked. I thought

01:27:38.130 --> 01:27:41.689
I wanted to be like you. Popular. Normal. But

01:27:41.689 --> 01:27:44.989
it turns out, normal's just a raging psychopath.

01:27:45.470 --> 01:27:49.609
It's a great Lucas line, but I raise you my personal

01:27:49.609 --> 01:27:53.569
favorite of Lucas's lines. Erica, help! Ugh.

01:27:53.930 --> 01:27:58.149
All of my lines that I chose are bummers. We're

01:27:58.149 --> 01:28:03.050
so sad. Speaking of so sad, I think it's my year,

01:28:03.189 --> 01:28:07.060
Henderson. I think it's finally my year. I love

01:28:07.060 --> 01:28:10.020
you, man. Okay. You just break my heart. It's

01:28:10.020 --> 01:28:14.899
fine. That's what I'm here for. Then we've got,

01:28:14.979 --> 01:28:17.739
I piggybacked from a pizza dough freezer. That's

01:28:17.739 --> 01:28:21.699
a great line. It's just, okay. Sure. We know

01:28:21.699 --> 01:28:24.039
what all of those words mean together with no

01:28:24.039 --> 01:28:28.359
context. Yep. This one just cracked me up a little

01:28:28.359 --> 01:28:31.710
bit. It's the news, now indistinguishable from

01:28:31.710 --> 01:28:35.989
the tabloids. My, my, Mr. Wheeler, you have come

01:28:35.989 --> 01:28:39.890
a long way. This is our government. They're on

01:28:39.890 --> 01:28:46.449
our side. I've got Elle and Hopper meeting. Finally.

01:28:47.210 --> 01:28:50.050
For the first time since Elle thought Hop died.

01:28:51.550 --> 01:28:56.010
And she says, I kept the door three inches. Or

01:28:56.010 --> 01:28:59.500
kept the door open three inches. Uh, that's so

01:28:59.500 --> 01:29:02.060
sad. And also, good job for you. And also, like,

01:29:02.100 --> 01:29:03.939
Mike wasn't around, so it really didn't matter.

01:29:06.760 --> 01:29:11.760
My personal pick, though, of all of these is...

01:29:11.760 --> 01:29:16.520
I didn't run away this time, right? From Eddie

01:29:16.520 --> 01:29:20.199
as he's dying because of his... I guess we're

01:29:20.199 --> 01:29:22.279
gonna debate whether or not it was a life -saving

01:29:22.279 --> 01:29:26.000
tactic or not in... Dust off that card deck and

01:29:26.000 --> 01:29:28.319
get ready to shuffle. It's our Joker category.

01:29:28.340 --> 01:29:32.779
For who is the MVP of this episode? It is hard,

01:29:32.979 --> 01:29:37.619
Sierra, for me to not give it to Eddie. Okay.

01:29:37.659 --> 01:29:41.399
I am aware that I have a certain proclivity for

01:29:41.399 --> 01:29:43.479
his character because I find him the most interesting

01:29:43.479 --> 01:29:47.020
part of the season other than Max. Mm -hmm. But,

01:29:47.039 --> 01:29:49.819
however, I will also say that there are rooms

01:29:49.819 --> 01:29:54.079
to be made for Max for story reasons, to Dustin

01:29:54.079 --> 01:29:57.979
for acting reasons. And Lucas for acting and

01:29:57.979 --> 01:30:01.779
story reasons. Dustin delivering Eddie's eulogy

01:30:01.779 --> 01:30:04.699
to his uncle is incredibly moving. And there

01:30:04.699 --> 01:30:07.380
is no moment more emotional for me than when

01:30:07.380 --> 01:30:09.539
Lucas pleads for Erica to help, as I've stated.

01:30:09.659 --> 01:30:14.260
However, Eddie does a lot in this moment where

01:30:14.260 --> 01:30:19.220
he goes out and keeps the mind flayer slash the

01:30:19.220 --> 01:30:22.720
hive mind divided in what he is doing. Your turn.

01:30:23.199 --> 01:30:28.680
Okay, so. I love Eddie. I do. I really do. Hold

01:30:28.680 --> 01:30:32.460
on, I need my shotgun. Wait, I'll be back. I

01:30:32.460 --> 01:30:35.380
just want to talk to her. I just want to talk.

01:30:35.439 --> 01:30:56.330
Hold on. Hold on. I just want to talk. Doesn't

01:30:56.330 --> 01:31:03.590
seem to accomplish a ton. Because the bats are

01:31:03.590 --> 01:31:08.130
already. Shut your mouth. Okay. But the bats

01:31:08.130 --> 01:31:11.189
are already distracted. By what? By the trailer.

01:31:11.609 --> 01:31:13.170
Well, they made all this noise. They're trying

01:31:13.170 --> 01:31:14.909
to get in the trailer. They don't know that they're

01:31:14.909 --> 01:31:17.550
not in the trailer. It was so stupid. I read

01:31:17.550 --> 01:31:19.369
this comment of yours and I went back to the

01:31:19.369 --> 01:31:21.869
episode and I was like, that can't be. It is.

01:31:22.010 --> 01:31:27.880
It's true. Yeah. So he could very well just go

01:31:27.880 --> 01:31:31.579
back into the real world. They could block off

01:31:31.579 --> 01:31:35.500
the gate somehow or create some sort of, you

01:31:35.500 --> 01:31:40.100
know, weapons barrier so that the bats can't

01:31:40.100 --> 01:31:42.579
get into the trailer and then get into the real

01:31:42.579 --> 01:31:48.560
world. He instead goes back through, gets rid

01:31:48.560 --> 01:31:51.680
of their way to get back into the real world,

01:31:51.739 --> 01:31:56.039
which also... How did Nancy and Steve and Robin

01:31:56.039 --> 01:32:00.600
get back because he took away how they - There's

01:32:00.600 --> 01:32:04.880
an enormous gate open in Hawkins now. Well, now,

01:32:05.100 --> 01:32:07.199
but they didn't know that that was going to be

01:32:07.199 --> 01:32:09.260
a thing. I know, he does doom them to, like,

01:32:09.260 --> 01:32:14.039
the lake. Yeah. And he kind of screws them over

01:32:14.039 --> 01:32:17.420
a little bit. Certainly. And then just takes

01:32:17.420 --> 01:32:21.119
off leading the exact same already distracted

01:32:21.119 --> 01:32:28.710
group. Not more. Away. Farther? Closer to where

01:32:28.710 --> 01:32:30.470
the other people are? We don't know. He just

01:32:30.470 --> 01:32:34.529
goes not very far before he gets knocked off

01:32:34.529 --> 01:32:36.890
the bike. Yeah, enough distance for Dustin to

01:32:36.890 --> 01:32:41.390
limp over to him. Exactly. So, I'm sorry, but

01:32:41.390 --> 01:32:45.350
I don't think that I can go with Eddie. I...

01:32:45.350 --> 01:32:50.069
Hear me out. I have to go with Lucas. Yeah. It's

01:32:50.069 --> 01:32:53.510
not just for the acting, although, wow, as we

01:32:53.510 --> 01:32:57.930
have already stated. He stops Jason from disrupting

01:32:57.930 --> 01:33:01.189
the whole situation with Max, potentially killing

01:33:01.189 --> 01:33:06.010
everyone by pulling her out too early and having

01:33:06.010 --> 01:33:09.170
Vecna chase them all down and knowing exactly

01:33:09.170 --> 01:33:12.430
what they're up to and coming to as Steve and

01:33:12.430 --> 01:33:18.029
Nancy and Robin are right there. He also... His

01:33:18.029 --> 01:33:21.409
fight with Jason also distracts the person who

01:33:21.409 --> 01:33:24.909
has Erica pinned down, saving her as well, and

01:33:24.909 --> 01:33:27.229
allowing her to save herself in that moment.

01:33:27.489 --> 01:33:33.010
And on top of that, he is the heart here, giving

01:33:33.010 --> 01:33:36.930
Max something to come back to and to have hope

01:33:36.930 --> 01:33:42.180
in. So I really think it's Lucas. I think you're

01:33:42.180 --> 01:33:44.279
right, but hear me out on three pound for pound

01:33:44.279 --> 01:33:47.399
arguments. I would love to hear your pound for

01:33:47.399 --> 01:33:51.859
pound arguments. Okay. It's Murray. No. Pound

01:33:51.859 --> 01:33:56.560
for pound, it's Yuri. He does not know. That's

01:33:56.560 --> 01:34:00.439
a total joke. There's no way it should be Yuri.

01:34:00.619 --> 01:34:04.840
He gets Hopper back. Cool. And Joyce, I suppose.

01:34:05.399 --> 01:34:08.460
No. There's a pound for pound case to be made

01:34:08.460 --> 01:34:12.739
for Argyle, who... It's the only reason why L

01:34:12.739 --> 01:34:19.180
ends up in the mind fight at all. And he, I guess

01:34:19.180 --> 01:34:21.960
all pizza makers are druggies in some way, shape,

01:34:22.000 --> 01:34:24.020
or form. So he speaks the language of druggness

01:34:24.020 --> 01:34:27.539
and gets them to keep it open and gets the salt

01:34:27.539 --> 01:34:29.380
and everything. So there's a pound for pound

01:34:29.380 --> 01:34:30.880
argument to be made for that. But I will still

01:34:30.880 --> 01:34:33.319
scratch him off the list because I can't give

01:34:33.319 --> 01:34:37.270
a winner to the desert people. There's a pound

01:34:37.270 --> 01:34:38.989
for pound argument to be made for Will, who's

01:34:38.989 --> 01:34:41.510
in this episode very little, who tells everybody

01:34:41.510 --> 01:34:45.350
he's hurt at the end. And also, he's the one

01:34:45.350 --> 01:34:50.850
that tells Mike that gets 11 to help Max. There's

01:34:50.850 --> 01:34:52.670
a little space ballsy there. It's like, yes,

01:34:52.710 --> 01:34:54.829
he's my brother's sister's college roommate's

01:34:54.829 --> 01:34:58.750
boyfriend. So again, total joke, not really meant.

01:34:58.930 --> 01:35:01.630
There's another option for Mr. Clark here. And

01:35:01.630 --> 01:35:04.130
I really want you to hear me out on that. I'm

01:35:04.130 --> 01:35:08.239
getting old. What? He taught everybody everything

01:35:08.239 --> 01:35:11.460
they know. The only reason why they know how

01:35:11.460 --> 01:35:13.680
to make Molotov cocktails is because Mr. Clark

01:35:13.680 --> 01:35:17.699
is a fantastic science teacher. Vectors only

01:35:17.699 --> 01:35:20.720
flambé because of Clark. And I'm sure, just like

01:35:20.720 --> 01:35:22.640
they took out Ollivander at the beginning of

01:35:22.640 --> 01:35:25.000
Deathly Hallows, they're going to take out Mr.

01:35:25.239 --> 01:35:29.600
Clark at the beginning of Season 5. No, I agree.

01:35:29.680 --> 01:35:32.479
I think it's Lucas. And I love Eddie, and I really

01:35:32.479 --> 01:35:34.840
want him to have a win. But also, I think this

01:35:34.840 --> 01:35:37.890
is Lucas's. Trophy for sure. All right. Well,

01:35:38.050 --> 01:35:42.890
amidst your disappointment, clean your evil lair

01:35:42.890 --> 01:35:47.789
and get ready for our I was the turkey all along

01:35:47.789 --> 01:35:51.449
category. What is the biggest takeaway viewers

01:35:51.449 --> 01:35:54.649
should leave with in preparation for season five?

01:35:55.029 --> 01:35:58.430
Honorable mentions. Will can feel one. Honorable

01:35:58.430 --> 01:36:00.409
mention number two. One took Eleven's powers

01:36:00.409 --> 01:36:03.010
in season three so he could open the gate. And

01:36:03.010 --> 01:36:05.770
also. How did he open the gates in season one?

01:36:05.829 --> 01:36:10.770
That's fine. The real one, though, is it was

01:36:10.770 --> 01:36:17.829
one all along. Disappointed or not, that is a

01:36:17.829 --> 01:36:20.869
takeaway that we have to know for season five.

01:36:21.210 --> 01:36:23.630
It's the public service announcement we all need.

01:36:23.789 --> 01:36:26.850
And here's the one that we don't need, but it's

01:36:26.850 --> 01:36:30.710
what we deserve. Do not, under any circumstance,

01:36:31.109 --> 01:36:35.819
go to Indiana. It is the literal gate to hell,

01:36:35.899 --> 01:36:44.000
and I am not even from Ohio. That's good. Thank

01:36:44.000 --> 01:36:46.260
you, dear listener schmissners, for listening

01:36:46.260 --> 01:36:49.180
to this episode of Fandom Schmandom. If you'd

01:36:49.180 --> 01:36:51.899
like to discuss this episode or any other episode

01:36:51.899 --> 01:36:54.220
we've done, please hit us up on our social media

01:36:54.220 --> 01:36:56.859
channels. You can find us on TikTok and Instagram

01:36:56.859 --> 01:37:01.159
at Fandom Schmandom Pod, and on X at Fandom underscore

01:37:01.159 --> 01:37:04.020
Schmandom. It really helps the algorithm place

01:37:04.020 --> 01:37:05.899
us in front of the other like -minded schmisteners

01:37:05.899 --> 01:37:07.800
out there. And with that, we're out, y 'all.

01:37:08.020 --> 01:37:10.239
Don't forget to tip your pizza delivery boys.

01:37:10.979 --> 01:37:15.520
Fare thee well! Fandom Schmandum was created

01:37:15.520 --> 01:37:18.220
by Sam Williams and Sierra Obermark. The show

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is produced by Avelia Lieb. The editor is Brittany

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Fisher. The music is by Jeremiah Alves. Welcome

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to Sam's new microphone. Restarting. Max falls

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to the ground where Luchas. Luchador. Luchador.

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The man, Lucas the Luchador, waves his red flag

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and Jason bullhorns into the side of the wall.

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I don't know what accent that is, and I don't

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know where that came from, so I apologize to

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all people of the world. Wait, it is one? Yes,

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cool. I read it correctly. Good for me! It is

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one with the force, and then Obi -Wan comes in,

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and this is how we have Stranger Things meets

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up with Star Wars. No, in order to do that, we

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gotta do a Bob? Is Samwise. And Samwise is with

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Legolas. And Legolas is... Is with Will Turner.

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Is Will Turner. And then you just... You just

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keep spiraling until you get back into Hawkins.

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Yeah. It's a very Patty Oswald speech from Parks

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and Rec. He's like... This is true. Have you

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ever seen Little Shop of Horrors? Yes. Steve

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is Audrey. Where he's like... In our garden by

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the sea. She mows the lawn while I watch on our

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big, enormous 12 -inch screen. I'm his, her December

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groom. She's Nancy. She knows best. She's got

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guns to combat me while our children play chess.

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Like, that's Steve. Is it not? Yes, it so is.

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Let me pull up the posters real quick because

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I won't remember. So vamp for a second, Sierra.

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Do something funny for the blooper. Do it now.

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You can't see, but I'm juggling fire. That just

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takes me into Madagascar, what, three, whatever

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one where they are in Paris. Circus. It's like

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circus, afro, circus, afro. It's so funny, yeah.

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Now is Sierra's ASMR part of the podcast. Bubbles.

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Bubbles. Bobby Newport. Highlighter on a post

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-it. A candle labeled Marshmallow Fireside. Green

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lights blinking steadily. Cat scratching at the

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door. Because they can't possibly imagine a world

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where they're not let into a certain area. How

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dare I close the door? Two hours later. Here's,

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here's, you know, we, and I, I re, for Dustin.

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For acting reasons. For acting reasons. Dustin

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delivering...