STRANGER THINGS

[Jules 59]

On 31/5/2022 at 4:51 PM, JNHFan2000 said:

 

For someone who hates the cracking of bones. The deaths in Stranger Things were hell. I hated it! So I loved it. HAHHAH

in what world is Stranger Things a kids show lol

[Edmilson 7,392]

A lot of kids and teens all around the world do watch the show.

[TSMefford 1,509]

I just want to say that some of the score choices have been a little...baffling to me - not from the composers, but from the editors.

There seems to be an overabundance of licensed instrumental music this season that would seem to take the place of original score cues by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein.

It's happened before in the shows run, but not quite so much to this extent I feel like.

 

Some of the tracks are even from Production Music libraries that aimed to mimic the style of the show after the trend took off (the album straight up includes tracks titled "Demogorgon" "Eleven" and "The Upside Down".)

How weird is that? Using Production Music, who's goal is to capitalize on the style re-popularized by the show and it's composers, instead of using the original music by the composers? Temp music love?

 

Spoilers for those who haven't seen Volume 1 yet... I cant be the only one who assumed several of these were Dixon & Stein:

Spoiler

• Episode 402 - End Credits are a track called "Into Hell" by Makeup and Vanity Set (an indie artist)
• Episode 403 - The final montage, a very big and dramatic moment in the episode uses "There's A Storm Coming" by Dance with the Dead (another indie artist)
• Episode 404 - Hopper arrives at the church and enjoys Peanut Butter, another track by Makeup and Vanity Set called "Sentinels"
• Episode 405 - While showing 011 "Nina" they use "The Last Dream, M12" by Michel Rubini, from The Hitchhiker
• Episode 405 - Hopper's big monologue about feeling cursed uses the End Titles by Mark Isham from The Hitcher
• Episode 405 - Patrick's death above the lake uses a production music track called "Night of the Stabs" by Gothic Storm
• Episode 406 - The kick-ass montage of the press conference is yet another track by Makeup and Vanity Set, "Father Son"
• Episode 406 - When the Russians discuss "the monster" it's "Marion Face" by Michel Rubini from Nemesis
• Episode 406 - When the parents are trying to track down their kids, another Makeup and Vanity Set track is used, "The Man Appears"
• Episode 406 - Steve arrives in the Upside Down, another Gothic Storm production music track called "Killer Klown"
• Episode 407 - The battle with the Demobats, another production track from Gothic Storm called "Quantum Deviations"
• Episode 407 - When the gang in the Upside Down communicate via the Lite Bright it's yet another Makeup and Vanity Set track, "The Wanderer"

 

Can't help but wonder what Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein may have written for some of these moments. There does still seem to be plenty of great moments from them throughout the season, but I sure hope they get to shine bigger in Volume 2 and there's not so much of what I assume is over attachment to temp.

 

Here's hoping they include some unused tracks on Season 4's album as they have sometimes done in the past.

[badbu 123]

true....there were not many new cues. a lot of variations from older cues like "kids" and "eulogy". 

I am curious about the release.

 

[John F 100]

I also think a cue from Wargames was used in a scene when the kids were discussing how to contact NINA. Think it was in ep 4 but not sure. They were at the back of a car trying to figure  out how to talk to the computer… 

 

[TSMefford 1,509]

1 hour ago, John F said:

I also think a cue from Wargames was used in a scene when the kids were discussing how to contact NINA. Think it was in ep 4 but not sure. They were at the back of a car trying to figure  out how to talk to the computer… 

 

yep. Two in fact. I left those out because they were very Orchestral and I assume that’s the sound they were going for either way. The others are distinctly very similar to Dixon & Steins style

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

Spoilers in this video about the latest season

 

 

I really like that they took the time for this. Should do more of these with mystery characters in shows/films.

[Bespin 8,479]

Yesterday I wanted to resume Stranger Things, I said to myself.. let's do it gently and let's begin with the last Episode from last Season.

 

After 15 minutes, I didn't understand anything. So I stopped it.

 

Ok, where did I stopped last year?

[Anthony 572]

Has anyone/anywhere got a complete music list for every episode/season including score cues, songs, and other needle drops?

[TSMefford 1,509]

2 hours ago, Anthony said:

Has anyone/anywhere got a complete music list for every episode/season including score cues, songs, and other needle drops?

 

I do have something like that, yes. I'm still working on Season 4, but maybe I can get something presentable together for all of them. Honestly though, tunefind or what-song and in some cases a combo of the two will get you there.

[TSMefford 1,509]

Per Michael Stein's Instagram, the Score release for Season 4 will be on July 1st - with the release of Volume 2. Not particularly surprising since it was going to be one album, but nice to have it confirmed.

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,497]

Running Up That Hill would have been #1, in the UK singles charts, if it wasn't for that pesky Harry Styles.

 

 

(edit) it's #1, this weekend!!! 

[TSMefford 1,509]

9 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Running Up That Hill would have been #1, in the UK singles charts, if it wasn't for that pesky Harry Styles.

 

 

(edit) it's #1, this weekend!!! 

 

Very much hoping they get clearance to release the version with their overlays. I doubt it, but it would be cool.

[Andy 4,083]

This show is so dang entertaining.  The love put into it and coming out of it is palpable.   Star Wars is my #1 favorite "franchise", and I feel guilty for enjoying Stranger Things more than Obi-Wan.  Like I'm the guy in the meme with the attractive new walking by while he holds hands with his steady.

 

The pacing, urgency, and energy feel more Star Wars than Star Wars.  The humor works too.

 

Probably an unfair comparison, since Stranger Things is still new, but I watched them back to back, along with Strange New Worlds (also delightful).

[Knight of Ren 785]

On 11/06/2022 at 10:48 AM, Anthony said:

Has anyone/anywhere got a complete music list for every episode/season including score cues, songs, and other needle drops?

 

On 11/06/2022 at 1:42 PM, TSMefford said:

 

I do have something like that, yes. I'm still working on Season 4, but maybe I can get something presentable together for all of them. Honestly though, tunefind or what-song and in some cases a combo of the two will get you there.

I have been doing something like this for myself for the whole show, and I got most of the info from those two webs, from spending time listening and identifying the music within the show, and then from this reddit post, which is quite comprehensive.

 

As for Season 4, since the score is not yet released I only did it with the songs and licensed music, plus score cues from previous seasons. If you want it here's what I came up with. Any correction or addition is welcome!

Spoiler

Chapter 1: The Hellfire Club

-Stranger Things [Main Titles]

-California Dreamin' – The Mamas and The Papas [Eleven writes letter to Mike]

-Kids [Nancy and Mike get ready for school and Suzie changes Dustin's Latin grade]

-Object of My Desire – Starpoint [In the car with Steve and Robin]

-Not Kids Anymore [Lucas begs Dustin and Mike to come to his game]

-The Red Army Is the Strongest – The Red Army Choir [Joyce opens up a package and sees a creepy Russian doll]

-Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) – Kate Bush [El storms out her class crying after her presentation goes bad; Max walks through the halls to the counselor's office]

-I Was A Teenage Werewolf – The Cramps [The D&D club meets in the cafeteria]

-Fever – The Cramps [Eddie talks about his plans for the future]

-Chica Mejicanita – Andrea & Ervin Litkei [Murray and Joyce talk on the phone]

-Play With Me – Extreme [Mike and Dustin try to recruit people to join Hellfire]

-Sauna Test [Angela and her friend bully El]

-Crib [Angela gets in trouble with teacher]

-Run [Joyce discovers a heartwarming note]

-Detroit Rock City – Kiss [Montage between basketball game and Hellfire Club]

-Got Your Number – The Lloyd Langton Group [Eddie drives up to the trailer]

-Happy Screams [Max watches Eddie welcome Chrissy into his home]

 

Chapter 2: Vecna’s Curse

-Stranger Things [Main Titles]

-Talking to Asutralia [Mike arrives at the airport]

-Surf Time – The Surf Riders [Mike meets up with they gang and El starts to explain her plans]

-See Any Rain? [Dustin and Max leave his house to go looking for Eddie]

-You Spin Me 'Round (Like a Record) – Dead or Alive [Mike, El, and Will go roller skating]

-Rock Me Amadeus – Falco [Angela and friends arrive at Rinkomania]

-Diamonds and Emeralds – The Interior Castle [Nancy and Fred on the way to the trailer park]

-Tarzan Boy – Baltimora [At Rinkomania, El, Will, and Mike are having milkshakes]

-Wipe Out (Rerecorded) – The Surfaris [At Rinkomania, El is humilliated]

-Eleven Is Gone [El runs away from the skate floor after being bullied]

-Monologue de Ibn-Hakia Scene 5 – The National Bolshoï Orchestra [The Russians move Hopper]

-Psycho Killer – Talking Heads [Jason pumps up the gang about finding Eddie]

-Rolling out the Pool [Robin tries to locate Reefer Rick through the computer at work]

-Burning Up – Donnell Pitman [At Rinkomania, Eleven fights back]

-Into Hell – Makeup and Vanity Set [End credits]

 

Chapter 3: The Monster and the Superhero

-Stranger Things [Main Titles]

-In Transit to Bermuda – Dorian Zero [In the Pizzamobile, Argyle and the gang on their way home after Rink-o-mania]

-Rigoletto, Act III: V'ho ingannato... Colpevole fui – Giuseppe Verdi [Kids arrive home as Murray is making Risotto]

-Che gelida manina – Giacomo Puccini [Murray cooks risotto in the kitchen]

-Boys and Girls [Robin talks to Nancy about her lack of a grasp for social cues]

-Guardian Angel – Fergu Mac Roy [Dr. Owens and Eleven at the diner]

-There's a Storm Coming – Dance with the Dead [At the end]

 

Chapter 4: Dear Billy

-Stranger Things [Main Titles]

-Scars [Jonathan takes pizza number off the fridge]

-Legless – Hipbone Slim [Argyle answers the phone at Surfer Pizza]

-Hard Feelings – Al Kerbey [The gang rides in Steve's car]

-Minuet in D Minor – Johann Sebastian Bach [Pennhurst patients in the listening room]

-On The Bus [Mike apologizes to Will and says Hawkins is not the same without him]

-Pass The Dutchie – Musical Youth [In the Pizzamobile, Argyle on his way to deliver the pizza]

-Sentinels – Makeup and Vanity Set [Hopper arrives in church]

-Bond Street Bounce – Len Stevens [At Pennhurst, Victor shares a story with Nancy and Robin; Victor arrives home in 1959]

-Dream A Little Dream Of Me – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong [Victor's story unfolds as his family sits down for dinner]

-Claire de Lune – Claude Debussy [Pennhurst patients in the listening room]

-Eulogy [Max reads her apology letter at Billy’s grave]

-Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) – Kate Bush [Max's encounter with Vecna]

 

Chapter 5: The Nina Project

-The Last Dream, M12 – Michel Rubini [Dr. Brenner/Owen shows Nina]

-Eleven [El is captured and they inject her a tranquilizer serum]

-Stranger Things [Main Titles]

-Travelin' Man – Ricky Nelson [Yuri's plane up in the air]

-Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) – Kate Bush [Max's song (repeats throughout)]

-Looking for a Way Out [Mike finds a phone number in the pen]

-The Hitcher End Credits – Mark Isham [Hopper talks to Dimitri]

-Portal Drill [Hop and Enzo hear the Demogorgon scream]

-Nina, O Sia la Pazza Per Amore: Il Mio Ben Quando Verrà – Cecilia Bartoli, György Fischer [Brenner explains Nina]

-David Searches / Time’s Up – Arthur B. Rubinstein [The boys have a realization]

-This Isn’t You [Steve talks to Nancy about Robin and their relationship]

-Making Contact [In a flashback, El uses her power to turn on a lightbulb]

-Plank’s Constant [Eddie on the boat tries to row away from Jason]

-Night of the Stabs – Gothic Storm [Patrick in the lake]

-Eleven [Papa convinces Eleven to stay with him]

 

Chapter 6: The Dive

-Stranger Things [Main Titles]

-Father Son – Makeup and Vanity Set [Nancy and gang pull up to Lovers Lake; Montage of the sheriff announcing news]

-Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35: III. Finale: Allegro assai vivace – Erich Wolfgang Korngold [The gang arrives at Suzi's house]

-The Snow Maiden, Op 12: Chorus of the People and The Courtiers – Russian State Chorus [The prisoners are led to feast]

-Cavatine Et Rondo D'Antonida – The National Bolshoï Orchestra [The prisoners feast]

-Marion Face – Michel Rubini [Russians discuss the monster]

-The Man Appears – Makeup and Vanity Set [Hawkins parents looking for the kids]

-Cutthroat – S U R V I V E [El competes against Two]

-Pass The Dutchie – Musical Youth [Argyle and Eden in the van]

-Breaking and Entering [The police turn around in the car and the crew runs through the woods]

-Killer Klown – Gothic Storm [In the upside down]

 

Chapter 7: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab

-Quantum Deviations – Gothic Storm [Demobats attack]

-The Wanderer – Makeup and Vanity Set [Teens see flicker lights]

-Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) – Kate Bush [Max's song]

-Prophecies – Philip Glass [Vecna's story unfolds]

-Akhnaten, Act 1 Scene 3: The Window of Appearances – Philip Glass [One talks to Eleven]

-Dream A Little Dream Of Me – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong [Vecna's story unfolds]

-Akhnaten: Act II, Scene 2: Akhnaten and Nefertiti – Philip Glass [One talks to Eleven]

-She’ll Kill You [Eleven fights back]

-Portal Drill [Eleven sends One through the portal and he starts to transform into Vecna]

Note that some score cues from previous seasons that play in here sometimes are a bit different, and perhaps they are new versions that may be released in the score album, but until that is released I have them listed as the original.

[Bespin 8,479]

Ok, I'm back in season 3, restarted it from episode 4... now I'm in episode 7... and I don't remember why I watch this show, as I understand nothing about the story!

[Anthony 572]

14 hours ago, Andy said:

Star Wars is my #1 favorite "franchise", and I feel guilty for enjoying Stranger Things more than Obi-Wan.

 

Obi-Wan is terrible. Stranger Things is made by people who actually know what they're doing. So don't feel guilty!

[TSMefford 1,509]

@Knight of Ren Minor additions to Episode 1 off the top of my head:

Spoiler

After "Object of My Desire":

-Band Camp Romance - Music Beyond [Marching Band Source - Pep Rally begins. Mike and Dustin talk about their girlfriends]

 

Before "Detroit Rock City" (After "Run"):

-Football Funk - Ed Hartman [Marching Band Source - Championship game begins.]

-Steve's Rocking Star Spangled Banner - X-Ray Dog [Erica, Mike, and Dustin walk down the hallway, heading to the final session of Eddie's campaign]

 

[Jay 37,287]

Stranger Things 4x01 The Hellfire Club

 

I liked the leaser that rewound the Eleven's origins in the Hawkings Lab with Dr. Brenner.  Did we know before that she murdered all the other kids there, or was that new info? It's been too long, I don't remember!  (And thinking about this now, I guess this scene didn't necessarily say she did murder the other kids, just that she was there and survived when they all died)

 

The kids have all aged so much!  They are playing high school freshmen but look like high school seniors for the most part.  Why do they have Eleven wearing such a bad wig? Will's haircut is awful too, and Mike's is... something.  I like that the kids are separated between Indiana and California to start the season, it will make it more satisfying when they ultimately all come together.

 

Eleven's story of being bullied was the saddest, and probably most relatable to a lot of people.  Joyce getting word Hopper was alive was cool, the dynamics at Hawkins High are cool. I liked the new Eddie character, and that he featured in both the main boys / Hellfire story as well as the villain-of-the-season story.  It was cool to have Lucas be both on the basketball team and trying to hang with more popular kids while still wanting to hang with his nerdy friends, and I liked how his sister saved the day at the end.  I wonder if her rolling the dice number needed the same time Lucas sunk the winning basket is a teaser for something else going on?

 

The cheerleader character that we followed throughout the episode until her death was done pretty well too, we both called right away that she'd be dead before the end of the episode, but we debated on if her puking scene was meant to imply she's pregnant, or that she's bulemic?

Overall, a really good start to kick off a new season, they caught you up so well it doesn't even feel like we had to wait 3 years for it really

[Anthony 572]

I'm all caught up, so it's cool to see some of your guesses or questions are completely wrong or invalid. 

 

Given I've seen all the way through to 4.07, can anyone else who's watched it clarify this for me:

 

Spoiler

Is that terrible season 2 episode where emo Eleven meets the other test subjects now considered non-cannon? Given that Number One actually killed them all in the lab?

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

Caught up again! Took me a while because I wanted to do a full rewatch first and got delayed. It confirmed what I thought before, I'm still a big fan of S3.

 

Absolutely loving S4 though. It's quite amazing how the show has grown its cast over the years, and all the child actors are adults now, but the whole cast is brilliant.

 

Spoiler

I liked the allusion this season, some of them subverting expectations - like the opening episode, where El is basically a reverse Carrie (luckily, because if she'd still had her powers, things would have gone differently). They also got me to the point where I (grudgingly) accepted that they'd turned Lucas into a reluctant traitor, just before it turned out they didn't. One's confrontation with El was pretty much The Fury.

 

Odd to read the posts above about some of the score not being original score (aside from the obvious source and homage cues), because I thought that it really worked well this season. Although in the end, it's once again Philip Glass who wins the day (even though his bit is very edited).

 

2 hours ago, Anthony said:

 

  Hide contents

Is that terrible season 2 episode where emo Eleven meets the other test subjects now considered non-cannon? Given that Number One actually killed them all in the lab?

 

Spoiler

I'm not sure that was actually the end of lab. Didn't they do a  lot of tests with El where she seemed much more powerful than during all the events leading up to the massacre? I'm not sure if her escape that started the series happened right after this.

 

For what it's worth, I thought emo El and the other girl with powers (it was only one) was fine and served the necessary character development well enough. Even if S2 is the most disjointed and meandering season.

 

[TSMefford 1,509]

4 hours ago, Anthony said:

I'm all caught up, so it's cool to see some of your guesses or questions are completely wrong or invalid. 

 

Given I've seen all the way through to 4.07, can anyone else who's watched it clarify this for me:

 

  Hide contents

Is that terrible season 2 episode where emo Eleven meets the other test subjects now considered non-cannon? Given that Number One actually killed them all in the lab?

 

 

I've got you covered:

Spoiler

1.) Gonna disagree. That episode wasn't terrible

2.) It's still cannon. There was only one test subject present in that Episode. 008. The others in her gang were just outcasts, similar to her, but not of the lab tested super powered variety. In Season 4, Peter/Vecna/001, makes a mention of 008 and that she "left them". It's implied she escaped prior to the flashbacks we are shown.

 

5 hours ago, Jay said:

Stranger Things 3x01 The Hellfire Club

 *4x01

 

Glad you're enjoying it! Very interesting to hear your thoughts on it as you go. lol

[Jay 37,287]

I also was amused at seeing what a work from home job in 1986 was like compared to today

[TSMefford 1,509]

5 minutes ago, Jay said:

I also was amused at seeing what a work from home job in 1986 was like compared to today

 

Haha. I feel like they had to have done that on purpose depending on when they shot those scenes. If it just so happened to be there before the pandemic... wild. Lol.

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

9 hours ago, Jay said:

I also was amused at seeing what a work from home job in 1986 was like compared to today

 

Basically the same, but without Teams/Skype/Google/whatever connection issues… :-p

[Jay 37,287]

Stranger Things 4x02 Vecna's Curse

 

Another good one!  I liked that they showed how Hopper survived and what he's been up to, and how Joyce and Murray piece together where he is.  She really has 40k (the equivalent of like $100k today) in the bank?  I know Hopper set up a trust fund or wahtever for Eleven, but how did a small town cop get that much money to put in it?

 

The continuing story of Eleven's bullying and how Mike slowly realizes it was interesting.  I know they are kids but damn do high school freshmen really not communicate with each other like was shown here?  Maybe long distance calling was just too expensive then lol.  I was kind of surprised by the intensity of the roller skate attack to the face, I wonder if she'll get expelled for a week or something and able to go on adventures with the boys as a result

 

I also liked Dustin, Max, Steve, and Robin forming a new Scooby gang to investigate what Eddie is up to and ultimately realizing The Upside Down is causing trouble again.  This Eddie guy becomes a cooler character each episode!  I'm glad Robin is a core part of things too, she's cool.

 

Nancy and the red shirt investigating the trailer part was probably the least compelling part of the episode, but certainly now with student deaths piling up there's bound to be a school closure or something making it even easier for the kids to go adventuring.  The new bad guy (I like how the kids name all the Upside Down entities after D&D characters because of course, how would they know their actual names) seems pretty intriguing, and I'm looking forward to learning more about him

 

The relationships are also being handled very well in the show I think.  You got Mike and Eleven still together but not communicating well, Nancy and Jonathan seemingly not really being much of a thing anymore, Dustin with his long distance girlfriend, Robin with her new crush, Steve with no love interest yet (and probably still pines for Robin), and Will clearly having his own crush on Mike.  I think all this is integrated well into all the other plots and not ham-fisting.  Everything is good so far this year!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

The fourth season brought it. Its not perfect but its a damn bit better than S2 or S3. 

S4 E4 Dear Billy was tons of fun.

[Andy 4,083]

I'm surprised to hear so much dislike for S3.  I loved that season.  Blissfully fun, colorful, well-paced.  I was delighted with it.

[Anthony 572]

Season 3 was my favourite, and then I heard lots of people didn't like it. When I finished season 4 pt1, I decided to rewatch 3. Still my favourite...

[Jay 37,287]

Stranger Things 4x03 The Monster and the Superhero

 

OK, I enjoyed the opening bit with Owens (Paul Reiser) being brought back into the fold, and that he had a hidden laptop the govt goons didn't find, etc.  But I found myself realized I didn't have a clue who he was!  I remembered he was in season 3 but so much time has passed I completely forget what role he played in that season and what his connection is to anything going on.  D'oh!

 

Arresting a 15 year old for attacking another 15 year old with a rollerskate, is this what would really happen?  I guess it is.  I liked that Eleven is facing consequences and it wasn't just glossed over, but then I also liked that Owen showed up to get her out of it anyway When he took her to dinner and gave a long exposition dump about how Hawkins is the center of everything and the world is in danger was probably the only clunky part of the entire run of the first 3 episodes here, but I'll let it slide because everything else has been so good.  I liked the whole "monster or superhero" angle, since she thinks she's a monster for what she did in the lab, she'll have to be a monster to defeat evil probably, she's also been a superhero in the past, especially to her Hawkins friends, but she's a monster to the girl she beat up, etc.  Good writing!

 

Hopper having to escape from prison himself to even be potentially rescued was pretty brutal; That sledgehammer to the ankle to bend it enough he'd be able to slide his gross, bloody foot through later, but not too much that it doesn't fail the grab test, but all rough stuff.  Joyce being surprised it was snowing in Alaska in March was as silly as her not realizing her son was high on pot at dinner  

 

I kinda liked Nancy and Robin teaming up to investigate together; I sort of feel like Robin will end up coming out to her by the end of the season, and Nancy will be cool with it like Steve was.

 

What they find in the library was cool!  The reveal that Victor Creel was a normal dude who then had his family killed by Vecna way back in 1959 is interesting because it sets up that The Upside Down has been invading Hawkins since long before Eleven was born.  I had thought there was going to eventually be some kind of reveal that their origins were tied, but I guess it's still possible that it could be revealed her powers are connected to it, but that the Upside Down's origins could still be unrelated to her (or Hawkins).

 

I am bummed Lucas is still trying to fit in with the basketball boys, though I guess it's not surprising.  I knew he wouldn't lead them to where Eddie was actually hiding, but was I supposed to recognize the place he actually brought them?  I thought the slow-mo shot of him running away from them was just the first beat of some kick-ass thing he was up to, but then we never saw him again.

 

The reveal at the end that Vecna feeds off PTSD / trauma / etc, and causes the nosebleed and nausceous symptoms (so Chrissy wasn't pregnant or bulimic after all I guess?) was really well done and interesting.  Of course I realized immediately that meant Max would be next, and luckily the show did to, although is the other basketball player still gonna bite it before Max?  The interesting thing to thnk about is that Will is actually the character on the show with the most PTSD/trauama, but I guess being in California Vecna can't reach him?  It'll be interesting to see what happens when the two gangs eventually recombine!

 

[Anthony 572]

After watching season 4 and rewatching season 3, one thing that really bugs me about this show is the exposition dumps and setup.

 

At that start of an episode, the kids are like "this thing must lead to that thing, and then we'll do X and Y will happen. And then we'll have won!", and they seem to figure it all out perfectly from the get go with very little evidence to back anything up. It keeps the pace up, but this show is all about moving things along quickly and lots of bright, colourful stuff rather than really having anything of real substance. It's fine...but it could be handled a little more intelligently.

[Jay 37,287]

I'm fine with all that!

I watch plenty of other shows with that level of intelligent writing - this show doesn't need to have it too!

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

There's a curious cyclic relationship between this show and the period elements it references, most of all (A)D&D. On the one hand, I like how the characters, very consciously, build much of their understanding of the Upside Down on their familiarity with the fantasy mythology of their time, to the point where they name everything and everyone related to it after fictitious characters, even though they know that it's just their way of organising their thoughts. At the same time, the show itself bases both its fantasy elements and also its "real" world on those very same elements, so naturally the kids' analogies are a much closer match than they would be in reality (if such a setting would exist). I think that whole idea has its own kind of charme, because it also allows (or even necessitates) them to accept that their entirely fictitious "reference" materials for the fantasy world they encounter just happen to be a quite close and natural match.

 

It is, after all, a fictitious series based (both consciously and unconsciously) by the writes on the same culture and pop culture rule sets that D&D etc. also stem from. In that sense, a good chunk of the show's fantasy world is strongly related to those pop culture sources because the shows "real" world itself is a part of it.

[Jay 37,287]

Maybe it will be revealed in the final season that The Upside Down was created by some evil supernatural force that had no shape until it infected the minds of the dudes who created D&D

Or maybe it'll be like that Stephen King story and the kids will run into the Duffer Brothers themselves in the final episode  

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

27 minutes ago, Jay said:

Maybe it will be revealed in the final season that The Upside Down was created by some evil supernatural force that had no shape until it infected the minds of hte dues who created D&D :p

 

You mean the final bosses are going to be David Arneson and Gary Gygax?

[Jay 37,287]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[badbu 123]

[A24 4,326]

Somebody bought an old cassette tape of Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love for C $655.84. So which one of you fanatics was it? 

[Jay 37,287]

Stranger Things 4x04 Dear Billy

 

Holy hell, that was a good episode of television!  Every single story thread moved forward in exciting and satisfying ways, except for Eleven who sat the episode out, which was probably for the better considering the runtime.

 

The least good of the threads was probably Hopper's escape; As cool as it was to see him get away and find blankets and peanut butter, when he gets recaptured anyway it starts to make you wonder why they are spending so much time showing what he got up to before Joyce and Murray eventually get to him.  I assumed the only reason to show his time in Russia for multiple episodes would be if he gets some sort of information of some kind will help win the day at the end of the season, but there's really been no hint of that yet.  Hmmm

 

Speaking of Joyce and Murray, I'm really liking all their stuff this season; Winona Ryder is much better used as a straightman to Murray's wackiness than she was just worrying about her kids all the time.  But I feel like they've slightly dumbed her down this season or something, with her so brazenly taking $40k out of the bank, leaving her 3 kids at home, flying to Alaska with it, trusting Yuri to help her out - all just to rescue one guy with only Murray as backup.  She should have seen the drugged beverage coming...

 

One of the best and most surprising sequences of the episode was also one of the most intense they've ever done: the attack on the Byer's house in Cali.  I loved the bait-and-switch of expecting Argyle to be arriving but it's a frickin SWAT team of some kind (who the the hell are these guys!?) that clearly would have easily apprehended all the kids if not for Agent Harmon who was a total badass.  The attack was brutal and shocking, and the escape had not the right comic relief from Argyle.  Damn!

 

I'm kinda liking Nancy and Robin as a detective duo: Their infiltration into the aslyum where Victor Creel is staying was over the top and goofy; I'm glad later in the episode the director came to his senses after Robin's off the cuff speech initially swayed him.  Robert Englund was pretty damn good as Victor - I remember thinking when I saw he was cast he'd make a cool bad guy - I love the reveal that he's not the bad guy, but a victim of the bad guy!  His narration of the story as we see it potrayed via the guy from Ozark as the young version of himself was really well done.  I love that Victor himself had trauma / PTSD from WWII so fits into the same pattern we've seen from Vecna's other victims.  The reveal that he attempted to commit suicide while in jail by slicing his eyelids was kinda strange (has anyone ever attempted suicide in that manner?) but I guess was just done to have a reveal of his current face to the girls?  I dunno, maybe I'm missing something about the eyes.

 

Max writing letters to everyone throughout the episode was interesting, she's starting to become one of my favorite characters (it helps that Sadie Sink is one of the better child actors in the show).  The conversation with her mom was really well done, though the final reveal that her mom was never really there was a bit odd.  I loved the letter she wrote to Billy and that she read it all out at the cemetary, and we got a nice cameo from him in the Upside Down (or wherever Vecna's dreamworld is).  It was no surprise that she was in a trance after that, and would be the next victim if not saved by our heroes.  I loved that Nancy and Robin got a clue from talking to Victor that saved her, and the execution of all that was excellent, with "Running Up That Hill" sounding great and the visualizing of it giving her just a tiny window to escape through, etc.  Chef's kiss ending to an excellent episode!

[Anthony 572]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

One of the best and most surprising sequences of the episode was also one of the most intense they've ever done: the attack on the Byer's house in Cali.

 

This is my favourite thing this season! It was all one long (seemingly) continous take as well.

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Max writing letters to everyone throughout the episode was interesting, she's starting to become one of my favorite characters (it helps that Sadie Sink is one of the better child actors in the show).

 

All the child actors are good, most are great. But Max/Sadie Sink has been one of my favourites since she first showed up.

[Jay 37,287]

1 hour ago, Anthony said:

 

This is my favourite thing this season! It was all one long (seemingly) continous take as well.

 

It was the best TV oner since True Detective season 1! 

[JoeinAR 1,949]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

 

It was the best TV oner since True Detective season 1! 

Did I tell you? I told you. Thanks for your long post. Its cool to read the enthusiasm you had and how well you expressed it. Well done.

[Jay 37,287]

12 minutes ago, JoeinAR said:

Did I tell you? I told you.

 

You told me about TV oners?

 

12 minutes ago, JoeinAR said:

Thanks for your long post. Its cool to read the enthusiasm you had and how well you expressed it. Well done.

 

Thanks!

[JNHFan2000 2,944]

10 hours ago, Jay said:

The reveal that he attempted to commit suicide while in jail by slicing his eyelids was kinda strange (has anyone ever attempted suicide in that manner?) but I guess was just done to have a reveal of his current face to the girls?  I dunno, maybe I'm missing something about the eyes.

 

He wasn't trying to commit suicide. He was cutting his eyes so that Vecna doesn't have a way in. In this way he can't see the visions op past traume that Vecna makes everyone see.

Everytime a Vecna kill happens you see the eyes first rolling inside and then completely being ripped away.

By cutting his eyes like this Vecna has no way of showing him his traume and therefore no way to kill him like the rest of his family.

 

And great thoughts on each episode. Really love that you're doing that.

[TSMefford 1,509]

@JayGlad you enjoyed 404! It's an absolutely phenomenal episode. Agree with pretty much everything you said. It's also so interesting to read your thoughts having finished Volume 1 already. lol.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Looking forward to next Friday. We plan to watch it either Friday or Saturday. I know its broken down into ep. 8 and 9 but its essentially one nearly four hour long finale.

[crocodile 7,984]

I enjoyed the latest episodes too but why they need to be this long is beyond me. It's needs tightening up.

 

Karol

[Jay 37,287]

7 hours ago, JNHFan2000 said:

He wasn't trying to commit suicide. He was cutting his eyes so that Vecna doesn't have a way in. In this way he can't see the visions op past traume that Vecna makes everyone see.

Everytime a Vecna kill happens you see the eyes first rolling inside and then completely being ripped away.

By cutting his eyes like this Vecna has no way of showing him his traume and therefore no way to kill him like the rest of his family.

 

Ah OK, that makes total sense!  Thank you!

 

 

7 hours ago, JNHFan2000 said:

And great thoughts on each episode. Really love that you're doing that.

 

Thanks!

[Marian Schedenig 8,173]

19 hours ago, Jay said:

It was the best TV oner since True Detective season 1! 

 

I still haven't seen that.  But you might be forgetting Mr Robot.

4 hours ago, crocodile said:

I enjoyed the latest episodes too but why they need to be this long is beyond me. It's needs tightening up.

 

I like that they're taking their time. It's going to be over soon, no need to rush it.