Can you here the drums
Nov. 30th, 2025 09:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowhiveSo the past few days have been a bit… ugh. Both due to energy and mood (not helped and partially caused by uni assessment) but there’s also been good things (thanksgiving [the film not the holiday], the fortnite event yesterday) but I’m not gonna talk about them here. Maybe there’ll be a post about those things later but…
Nee Stranger Things episodes went live! They went live here at 1am Thursday (so Wednesday night really) but that was too late for me (especially as I was finishing Thanksgiving). I had hoped to watch one ep on Thursday but couldn’t fit it in (and then energy crashed). So it ended up being the first two eps Friday and then the last two last night.
So! Ima gonna post thoughts and feelings under the cut, I will be posting stuff under ep titles (which’ll be bolded) so you can just avoid the latter ones if you’ve not seen them all. BUT obviously this willl be spoilery.
So! Let’s get into it.
So before the episodes started there was a
Recap
It was obviously focussed a lot on season 4 but at the same time it was funny because there was nothing about the Russian side of the plot at all. I mean it does make sense not to, especially if, as it seems, that whole thread is done with, but it’s still funny to me not to include what was a third of the season.
There was a lot of shots of Eddie in the recap and mannnnn that made me miss him so much. I do wonder if they regret killing him off because of how popular he’s been (and I mean look at the lead up to the season they even posted vids of him).
But you know what else I’m sad about? Argyle. He was in a total of one shot for about 2 seconds and I just…. Bring back Jonathan’s weed bf. I knew I’d miss Eddie but I didn’t expect to miss him.
But anyway.
Episode 1: The Crawl
The opening scene is set where it all started, Will in the Upside Down. The whole scene is pretty wild and I wonder what people think of it going in blind. Netflix posted the opening a few weeks back and, while I hadn’t seen it I had seen screenshots and opening with all of that certainly is a choice.
The opening proper then establishes how things are in Hawkins, with Robin doing a radio voiceover. It’s 18 months since the events of season 4 and the town is under quarantine by the military. While the last shot of ep 4 made it seem like the town was doomed to be invaded by the upside down that… didn’t happen. Instead the military came in, locked the place down. covered the cracks with metal and made a base in town.
And the military just so… incompetent. Right outside of this base is a tower. It’s high enough that people can see over the wall of the base easily and yet they neither guard or monitor it. (Hell they could have extended the base around it and used it as a watchtower themselves.) This seems especially incompetent as they know that the Russians have been interested in the upside down, so you’d think they’d at least watch it for that reason. But nope. (This is a recurring theme)
But anyway, I love Robin as the radio dj Rocking Robin it really feels she’s come into her own with it. And ahhh her and Vicki are so cute together! But also her being a dj allows the use of Upside Down as a code somg which is just genius.
Also ugh. The sportsball guys are back and I just… hate them. (I wanna take a flamethrower to all the Primark merch of them cause). It’d be bad enough for them to harass Dustin, but then they deface Eddie’s grave, beat Dustin up and they killed this cute lil snake. I hate them so much.
Dustin just needs a hug I swear.
(I have more thoughts but those are more general so will come later)
Episode 2: The Vanishing Of
(The episode listing leaves off the name so I will too but the titles show it)
So episode one ends with a demogorgon in the Wheeler house attacking Mike’s sister Holly and this picks up right from there. First off I love the song choice here. Mrs Wheeler just wants a chill time in a bubble bath while drinking wine and listening to ABBA’s Fernando and I respect that. But then there’s the dawning realisation form her that Holly hasn’t just had a bad dream, there is a monster and… (and a+ work with distorting Fernando that made it really creepy)
I’ve huge respect for Mr Wheeler seeing this monster and just… trying to hit it with his golf club. It’s utterly useless of course but I admire the attempt. But then damn. Mrs Wheeler smashes her bottle and faces off against the demogorgon and it feels like that’ll be useless too, but damn! She makes it bleed. Trained soldiers can’t even do that and she does it with a bottle. She’s a totally badass for that. Sure it ends up with her in hospital, but damn.
I love whoever decided to put Will and Robin together this season. I love that Robin tricks Joyce by mentioning the flux capacitor, I love that Will’s listened to by her and his plan works. I just!
Also live that the radio van basically turned into the van of gay bickering by Steve and Jonathan. They need to make out sloppy style. But at the same time I have thoughts and feelings about them that I’ll get to. And Steve stop yelling at Dustin.
Episode 3: The Turnbow Trap
I loved that this eps opening was less…. Intense than the prior two. But I also love that Will is like ‘I’m right here!’ Honestly I’ve loved Will in these eps but here, it’s like he finds his voice a bit more and takes charge and I love that for him! (And aww Robin, I love how she has to add that her mum says she sounds perpetually insincere😭)
Well I guess everyone is now adding kidnapping to their resumes now. I think that it’s wild that kidnapping a family was even suggested but to actually go through with it? Crazy. They’re all going to jail I fear.
Again I love Will and Robin’s relationship (and how he’s all ‘you could always just kiss her again’) and just!! Sure they’re having these conversations as they’re stealing drugs to drug a family but less gloss all over that.
And speaking of I love how they just… turned the Turnbow’s house into a home alone trap (again they’re going to jail for real for that) and Erica! She’s so funny, I love how she’s so done with them when they come to her (and I love that she loves science)
I just knew that the trap thing would go wrong, but the attempt was so funny, with the demogorgon grabbing the dummy then being hit by the board.
I just knew that Henry wasn’t gonna be the one that left that note for Holly. (Also another banger song, I Think We’re Alone Now) Like he makes a big deal about not going into the forest why would he then send her there. (Also I sensed her ‘imaginary friend’ would turn out to be him before the reveal, mostly cause the camera didn’t show his face which was a dead giveaway). But even so I wasn’t sure who would be doing it until that last scene of Max!
(And the scene of Dustin just wrecking Steve’s car)
Episode 4: Sorcerer
Again I love Robin. I love that she instantly clocks Will and Mike when they’re talking and that she has that talk with Will in the tunnels. And how that talk is what comes back right at the end.
But damn the flashbacks with Max walking through various scenes including the one brief scene in the last school. But I feel so bad for her she was so so close to coming back and then the song stopped at the last second.😭
I love that Steve decided to just… Chase the demogorgon through its escape route (and using his peanut butter thing as a ref). I love that it works but that was a crazy thing to do. (Was that ep 3 instead? Maybe)
I loved that Will just… did that massive pain it’s g due to being close to the demogorgon. I love when he arts like that!
Eleven and HopperKs plot line was them in the upside down, finding a flesh wall and then hiding from/attacking the military. This has them entering the base to find out who is behind a door. They thought it was Vecna but I wasn’t so sure. Them having Vecna would have explained why he didn’t do anything for 18 months but at the same time I didn’t buy that what was happening now would be possible if they did. But I wasn’t sure who it would be,
Sure enough it wasn’t him but it was Kali, the girl from the lost sister ep. I’m glad that’s finally paid off cause it felt like such a random blip. I had expected she would be introduced to come back to help out but it had felt like she was forgotten till now. (I guess they’ll make it so she was captured soon after as a reason)
(I also love that Dustin worked out the wall surrounded Hawkins in a circle with the lab as it’s midpoint, he’s a genius. I guess that’s gonna be the next ep’s focus)
It’s wild they managed to get Derrick to provide intel on the base (good work on that Joyce) and it’s even wilder to me that his part actually works. Especially with his wild metaphors and such. But at the same time… last ep you drugged his family, kidnapped them and had them tied up in a barn. They don’t even get a mention and no one seems to have been left with them so… what? Are they still there? Like what happened to them. It feels bizarre they don’t even get a mention.
But everything builds up to that last scene. The demogorgons attack the base, proving once again the military is just incompetent and useless. All they did was gather the kids together in one place and die. It even took them a good long while to get a flamethrower out which… you know fire is their weakness, you know bullets are useless and yet… I despair.
Then Vecna shows up and he just… sends the flames back at them, causes their grenades to go off and generally just… wrecks whoever is left. And then he just has this moment with Will and just… what he says is absolutely insane. I was so surprised he said all that and just… left Will. He didn’t even try and take him which really surprised me. (And I just know he’s gonna regret that cause…)
That last scene! Will with powers! And he unlocks them cause Mike was in danger and cause of what Robin told him! That was just badass of him he just absolutely wrecked those demogorgons and saved everyone (well not the kids that were already taken but still). Like damn. And Mike’s look at him, yeah that’s love right there.
The only problem I had was what came next ‘volume 2 December 25’ like what the fuck. We have to wait a month to find out what happens?? And who decided to drop these things on three major holidays when people would be with family and such and have to dodge spoilers. Insane behaviour.
Overall thoughts
Ok this is the section for thoughts/feelings that are general to cover all four eps.
First off again, Military incompetence. The dr in charge seems to be the only one with any sense in the military. The rest are just dumb and shoot first ask questions later which leads to them shooting one of their own scientists and is especially stupid since she clearly wants Eleven alive.
But at the same time how did they establish an entire base in the upside down, complete with choppers and everything?
And how did Vecna stand for that happening? It feels like a massive encroachment that feels like something he’d not allow unless there was a reason. (And where were all the demobats???) also was the flesh wall always there or is that something that’s new now? If it’s new was that what he was doing for 18 months?
(And why is he unable to follow Max into that cave?)
But the whole military thing did feel like the military in Welcome To Derry like damnit.
Moving on from that though. Steve and Jonathan. As much as their bickering is fun it also just feels so… like it felt like they stopped being their own people (like someone said where’s Jonathan’s Interest in photography??) and just became about their rivalry for Nancy which… at this point it’s just so tired. Like let Steve move on already (he needs a man). And the whole thing is just…. Nancy is not some prize to be won grow the fuck up both of you.
(And ugh Murray being all ‘oh this is the perfect time to put moves on Nancy with her family in hospital and missing’ like WHT THE FUCK)
And speaking of Nancy she’s so awesome. Taking charge in the first ep, using Mike’s doe eyes, sneaking around with him to see their mum, shooting the tracker. I just wish she didn’t have to spend time with dumb and dumber.
Again I love Will and Robin’s friendship so much. Whoever decided to pair them is so genius because it’s just what Will needed. And Will in general was just so! He’s definitely my fav this season.
Expectations/predictions
So it feels like vol 2 will have two definite things:
1: Holly and Max escaping from Henry
2: Dustin, Jonathan, Steve and Nancy going to Hawkins lab
Other than that who knows. I hope Will gets to learn/use his powers more. I expect there’ll be a flashback to show how Kali got caught. I hope we find out where Derrick’s family are. I expect vol 2 will end with something going wrong and Vecna capturing someone or doing something evil. Plus more military incompetence.
I also hope Lucas gets more to do too. (I need his and Robin’s reactions to Will saving them at least!)
And, of course, more banger songs.
Plus primark’s merch has a new hellfire design and that hasn’t shown up, so I sense it will. (Otherwise why do it?)
And oop that was all so long and I’m sure I’ve missed stuff too.
Non Stranger Things plans for the rest of the day
*New Fortnite season
*do more Marvel snap (and get pissed at it crashing)
*Finally watch Sonic 3
*Shoto spooky stream
*Work on/finish fic
*Sunday night tv
*Perfect or Darkest Miriam on Amazon prime (I’m leaning to Perfect)
Nee Stranger Things episodes went live! They went live here at 1am Thursday (so Wednesday night really) but that was too late for me (especially as I was finishing Thanksgiving). I had hoped to watch one ep on Thursday but couldn’t fit it in (and then energy crashed). So it ended up being the first two eps Friday and then the last two last night.
So! Ima gonna post thoughts and feelings under the cut, I will be posting stuff under ep titles (which’ll be bolded) so you can just avoid the latter ones if you’ve not seen them all. BUT obviously this willl be spoilery.
So! Let’s get into it.
So before the episodes started there was a
Recap
It was obviously focussed a lot on season 4 but at the same time it was funny because there was nothing about the Russian side of the plot at all. I mean it does make sense not to, especially if, as it seems, that whole thread is done with, but it’s still funny to me not to include what was a third of the season.
There was a lot of shots of Eddie in the recap and mannnnn that made me miss him so much. I do wonder if they regret killing him off because of how popular he’s been (and I mean look at the lead up to the season they even posted vids of him).
But you know what else I’m sad about? Argyle. He was in a total of one shot for about 2 seconds and I just…. Bring back Jonathan’s weed bf. I knew I’d miss Eddie but I didn’t expect to miss him.
But anyway.
Episode 1: The Crawl
The opening scene is set where it all started, Will in the Upside Down. The whole scene is pretty wild and I wonder what people think of it going in blind. Netflix posted the opening a few weeks back and, while I hadn’t seen it I had seen screenshots and opening with all of that certainly is a choice.
The opening proper then establishes how things are in Hawkins, with Robin doing a radio voiceover. It’s 18 months since the events of season 4 and the town is under quarantine by the military. While the last shot of ep 4 made it seem like the town was doomed to be invaded by the upside down that… didn’t happen. Instead the military came in, locked the place down. covered the cracks with metal and made a base in town.
And the military just so… incompetent. Right outside of this base is a tower. It’s high enough that people can see over the wall of the base easily and yet they neither guard or monitor it. (Hell they could have extended the base around it and used it as a watchtower themselves.) This seems especially incompetent as they know that the Russians have been interested in the upside down, so you’d think they’d at least watch it for that reason. But nope. (This is a recurring theme)
But anyway, I love Robin as the radio dj Rocking Robin it really feels she’s come into her own with it. And ahhh her and Vicki are so cute together! But also her being a dj allows the use of Upside Down as a code somg which is just genius.
Also ugh. The sportsball guys are back and I just… hate them. (I wanna take a flamethrower to all the Primark merch of them cause). It’d be bad enough for them to harass Dustin, but then they deface Eddie’s grave, beat Dustin up and they killed this cute lil snake. I hate them so much.
Dustin just needs a hug I swear.
(I have more thoughts but those are more general so will come later)
Episode 2: The Vanishing Of
(The episode listing leaves off the name so I will too but the titles show it)
So episode one ends with a demogorgon in the Wheeler house attacking Mike’s sister Holly and this picks up right from there. First off I love the song choice here. Mrs Wheeler just wants a chill time in a bubble bath while drinking wine and listening to ABBA’s Fernando and I respect that. But then there’s the dawning realisation form her that Holly hasn’t just had a bad dream, there is a monster and… (and a+ work with distorting Fernando that made it really creepy)
I’ve huge respect for Mr Wheeler seeing this monster and just… trying to hit it with his golf club. It’s utterly useless of course but I admire the attempt. But then damn. Mrs Wheeler smashes her bottle and faces off against the demogorgon and it feels like that’ll be useless too, but damn! She makes it bleed. Trained soldiers can’t even do that and she does it with a bottle. She’s a totally badass for that. Sure it ends up with her in hospital, but damn.
I love whoever decided to put Will and Robin together this season. I love that Robin tricks Joyce by mentioning the flux capacitor, I love that Will’s listened to by her and his plan works. I just!
Also live that the radio van basically turned into the van of gay bickering by Steve and Jonathan. They need to make out sloppy style. But at the same time I have thoughts and feelings about them that I’ll get to. And Steve stop yelling at Dustin.
Episode 3: The Turnbow Trap
I loved that this eps opening was less…. Intense than the prior two. But I also love that Will is like ‘I’m right here!’ Honestly I’ve loved Will in these eps but here, it’s like he finds his voice a bit more and takes charge and I love that for him! (And aww Robin, I love how she has to add that her mum says she sounds perpetually insincere😭)
Well I guess everyone is now adding kidnapping to their resumes now. I think that it’s wild that kidnapping a family was even suggested but to actually go through with it? Crazy. They’re all going to jail I fear.
Again I love Will and Robin’s relationship (and how he’s all ‘you could always just kiss her again’) and just!! Sure they’re having these conversations as they’re stealing drugs to drug a family but less gloss all over that.
And speaking of I love how they just… turned the Turnbow’s house into a home alone trap (again they’re going to jail for real for that) and Erica! She’s so funny, I love how she’s so done with them when they come to her (and I love that she loves science)
I just knew that the trap thing would go wrong, but the attempt was so funny, with the demogorgon grabbing the dummy then being hit by the board.
I just knew that Henry wasn’t gonna be the one that left that note for Holly. (Also another banger song, I Think We’re Alone Now) Like he makes a big deal about not going into the forest why would he then send her there. (Also I sensed her ‘imaginary friend’ would turn out to be him before the reveal, mostly cause the camera didn’t show his face which was a dead giveaway). But even so I wasn’t sure who would be doing it until that last scene of Max!
(And the scene of Dustin just wrecking Steve’s car)
Episode 4: Sorcerer
Again I love Robin. I love that she instantly clocks Will and Mike when they’re talking and that she has that talk with Will in the tunnels. And how that talk is what comes back right at the end.
But damn the flashbacks with Max walking through various scenes including the one brief scene in the last school. But I feel so bad for her she was so so close to coming back and then the song stopped at the last second.😭
I love that Steve decided to just… Chase the demogorgon through its escape route (and using his peanut butter thing as a ref). I love that it works but that was a crazy thing to do. (Was that ep 3 instead? Maybe)
I loved that Will just… did that massive pain it’s g due to being close to the demogorgon. I love when he arts like that!
Eleven and HopperKs plot line was them in the upside down, finding a flesh wall and then hiding from/attacking the military. This has them entering the base to find out who is behind a door. They thought it was Vecna but I wasn’t so sure. Them having Vecna would have explained why he didn’t do anything for 18 months but at the same time I didn’t buy that what was happening now would be possible if they did. But I wasn’t sure who it would be,
Sure enough it wasn’t him but it was Kali, the girl from the lost sister ep. I’m glad that’s finally paid off cause it felt like such a random blip. I had expected she would be introduced to come back to help out but it had felt like she was forgotten till now. (I guess they’ll make it so she was captured soon after as a reason)
(I also love that Dustin worked out the wall surrounded Hawkins in a circle with the lab as it’s midpoint, he’s a genius. I guess that’s gonna be the next ep’s focus)
It’s wild they managed to get Derrick to provide intel on the base (good work on that Joyce) and it’s even wilder to me that his part actually works. Especially with his wild metaphors and such. But at the same time… last ep you drugged his family, kidnapped them and had them tied up in a barn. They don’t even get a mention and no one seems to have been left with them so… what? Are they still there? Like what happened to them. It feels bizarre they don’t even get a mention.
But everything builds up to that last scene. The demogorgons attack the base, proving once again the military is just incompetent and useless. All they did was gather the kids together in one place and die. It even took them a good long while to get a flamethrower out which… you know fire is their weakness, you know bullets are useless and yet… I despair.
Then Vecna shows up and he just… sends the flames back at them, causes their grenades to go off and generally just… wrecks whoever is left. And then he just has this moment with Will and just… what he says is absolutely insane. I was so surprised he said all that and just… left Will. He didn’t even try and take him which really surprised me. (And I just know he’s gonna regret that cause…)
That last scene! Will with powers! And he unlocks them cause Mike was in danger and cause of what Robin told him! That was just badass of him he just absolutely wrecked those demogorgons and saved everyone (well not the kids that were already taken but still). Like damn. And Mike’s look at him, yeah that’s love right there.
The only problem I had was what came next ‘volume 2 December 25’ like what the fuck. We have to wait a month to find out what happens?? And who decided to drop these things on three major holidays when people would be with family and such and have to dodge spoilers. Insane behaviour.
Overall thoughts
Ok this is the section for thoughts/feelings that are general to cover all four eps.
First off again, Military incompetence. The dr in charge seems to be the only one with any sense in the military. The rest are just dumb and shoot first ask questions later which leads to them shooting one of their own scientists and is especially stupid since she clearly wants Eleven alive.
But at the same time how did they establish an entire base in the upside down, complete with choppers and everything?
And how did Vecna stand for that happening? It feels like a massive encroachment that feels like something he’d not allow unless there was a reason. (And where were all the demobats???) also was the flesh wall always there or is that something that’s new now? If it’s new was that what he was doing for 18 months?
(And why is he unable to follow Max into that cave?)
But the whole military thing did feel like the military in Welcome To Derry like damnit.
Moving on from that though. Steve and Jonathan. As much as their bickering is fun it also just feels so… like it felt like they stopped being their own people (like someone said where’s Jonathan’s Interest in photography??) and just became about their rivalry for Nancy which… at this point it’s just so tired. Like let Steve move on already (he needs a man). And the whole thing is just…. Nancy is not some prize to be won grow the fuck up both of you.
(And ugh Murray being all ‘oh this is the perfect time to put moves on Nancy with her family in hospital and missing’ like WHT THE FUCK)
And speaking of Nancy she’s so awesome. Taking charge in the first ep, using Mike’s doe eyes, sneaking around with him to see their mum, shooting the tracker. I just wish she didn’t have to spend time with dumb and dumber.
Again I love Will and Robin’s friendship so much. Whoever decided to pair them is so genius because it’s just what Will needed. And Will in general was just so! He’s definitely my fav this season.
Expectations/predictions
So it feels like vol 2 will have two definite things:
1: Holly and Max escaping from Henry
2: Dustin, Jonathan, Steve and Nancy going to Hawkins lab
Other than that who knows. I hope Will gets to learn/use his powers more. I expect there’ll be a flashback to show how Kali got caught. I hope we find out where Derrick’s family are. I expect vol 2 will end with something going wrong and Vecna capturing someone or doing something evil. Plus more military incompetence.
I also hope Lucas gets more to do too. (I need his and Robin’s reactions to Will saving them at least!)
And, of course, more banger songs.
Plus primark’s merch has a new hellfire design and that hasn’t shown up, so I sense it will. (Otherwise why do it?)
And oop that was all so long and I’m sure I’ve missed stuff too.
Non Stranger Things plans for the rest of the day
*New Fortnite season
*do more Marvel snap (and get pissed at it crashing)
*Finally watch Sonic 3
*Shoto spooky stream
*Work on/finish fic
*Sunday night tv
*Perfect or Darkest Miriam on Amazon prime (I’m leaning to Perfect)
no subject
Date: 2025-11-30 04:28 pm (UTC)Will and Robin were awesome! And yeah mikes interactions with Nancy and Holly were nice. But true! They felt very much like… flat parent characters you know? But that scene did SO much for them like damn
It was such a great group and I did love that whole tunnel rescue! (The pipe bursting like that😭). True! It’s sweet he was with Max like that but I hope we see more of him and I loved how he called out the bullies at the start) and those are all such good points. I get the vibe that he’s more… introverted in that he needs support but doesn’t know how to ask or just wants to deal with it himself? Which is a nice contrast to Dustin. But yeah I hope they reconcile some and yes! I need his reaction!
Yeah she’s been such a badass and yeah their relationships have been nice! The puppy dog eyes things was so funny
Honestly!ni knew she’d show up cause she’s in the opening credits so I was waiting and damnn! You’re right she steals the show whenever she’s around
You’re so right there the military incompetence is just… I agree it took a bit from them too, I think the military finding them happened way too soon. And yeah their bonding and the parallels (which I didn’t fully register until you said🥺) I’m glad that wasn’t his last words to her. But yeah it really did make sense if it had been him?? I couldn’t figure out who it would be but it being her made so much sense!
YES! You word it perfectly like wtf is Jonathan’s whole deal?? It felt like they assassinated his character development between seasons like WTF? I miss weeed smoker Jonathan and yeah they should have had a better relationship I just… and when he opened that cassette for the ring I was like… what the hell
YES, same as Jonathan above. Like what the fuck did they do to Steve? Why did you make these men so… like that?? Why are they so obsessed with not letting him get over Nancy? Like let him move on already please, he has his bestie Robin and Dustin. (I wish we’d got to see more of him and Robin at the radio station and I hope he makes up with Dustin)
Yeah she needs better! Leave them to their… whatever
Stranger things season 6, the gang is all in jail for kidnapping,property damage and child endangerment😭
Me too! I’ve had them as a duo for a few scenes and I hope we get more. I’ve not read it but I know there’s a film (is it good?) but yeah I’m so intruiged! 👀 what could possibly be so bad it scares him??
Jamie with long hair is so hot you’re so right! But yeah he really is a mystery huh? Like why does he want to break children? And why 12? Why these children specifically? I’m sure we’ll find out (and hee his barbie dream house😭 I guess that makes sense why the big Lego set is the house)
I think so! And yeah he actually got to be a literal wet cat that last ep! So true! It really is! And everyone’s climbing aboard!
Me too it’s always fun to do together! (I always love when we watch stuff like that I hope we can do more!) yeah I’m so excite for it!