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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Sierra Obermark. And I'm Sam Williams. Today's
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episode will be beneficially bellowing about
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Stranger Things Season 1, Episode 5 through 7.
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Without further ado, we will, as Roger Smith
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says, dive on in. Get up to 88 because it's time
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to travel back for our story recap. Episode 5
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of Season 1, Hopper. is a non -stopper. Moving
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past my terrible rhyme, Jim Hopper is an unstoppable
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man infiltrating Hawkins' lab. Joyce's ex -hubby
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Lonnie has come back to Hawkins and he sucks.
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And Mike has... And Mike has figured out where
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Will is. The Upside Down. Cue... Terrible scream
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from a movie like Scream. Hopper gets caught
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at the lab and wakes up to find his place is
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bugged. At Bugged HQ, Dr. Brenner realizes that
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Elle is with the kids trying to find Will. Jonathan
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and Nancy decide to team up to find the Demogorgon.
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The children find out where the gate might be
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and Nancy proves to be a very good shot. Flashbacks
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about Elle in the submersive chamber give us
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more clues about what's going on, but then Elle
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uses her power on Lucas and knocks him out. Cut
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to Jonathan and Nancy. They found a dying deer
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and a monster. But it's okay, because Nancy just
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manages to trap herself in the Upside Down by
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herself with the monster. Nailed it. Episode
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6. It's okay, because in episode six, Nancy immediately
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finds her way out. Cue love music. The gate seals
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itself in the tree, and we're back to roll intro.
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Steve Harrington is being cuckolded by Jonathan
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Jeffries Byers. Wait. No, he's not. Hopper realizes
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that he may be chasing after a lost girl named
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Jane, a .k .a. Eleven, and not Will. In a typical
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horrors shower scene, we get a taste that our
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characters might actually have PTSD as Nancy
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relives her experience and asks Jonathan to sleep,
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and we literally mean just sleep, with her for
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the night. Mr. Clark is in danger. The same woman
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that killed Bunny, the burger man in episode,
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wait, Benny. I definitely heard Bunny on the
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show. I was like, that's that guy's name? That's
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crazy. The same woman that killed Benny, the
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burger man in episode one, is trying to track
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down which kids use the AV radio to contact Will
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with Eleven. Eleven steals some product placement,
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and Hopper and Joyce go to speak with her mother,
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who is completely incoherent. Lucas goes on his
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own to find the gate. Mike and Dustin try to
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track down Eleven. We find out that Eleven's
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mom was part of the MKUltra program and was pregnant
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with Eleven when she was on CIA drugs and also
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has powers? Steve writes mean things about Nancy
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on a marquee. Jonathan beats up Steve. Lucas
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figures out the gate is in Hawkins' lab and Dustin
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is nearly killed? In a wild scene, a middle school
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bully demands Mike jumps off a cliff and kills
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himself, or he'll cut out Dustin's baby teeth.
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Eleven stops that nonsense, and we find out she
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may have opened the gate. What a wild episode.
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Episode 7! Insane episode. Episode 6 is insane.
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Episode 7, everything is coming together. Which
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might be good news for Jonathan, Nancy, Hopper,
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and Joyce, but it's not for Dr. Brenner, Mike,
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Lucas, Dustin, and Eleven. Dr. Brenner knows
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where Eleven is, and the boys have to hide her.
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Meanwhile, Steve is reflecting on his life and
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whether or not he wants to sell Obi -Wan death
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sticks, while Hopper leads the older teens and
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adults. And they all meet together. Well, not
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Steve. Hopper and Eleven meet for the first time
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and they all swap info so everyone's on the same
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page. They get Eleven a sensory deprivation tank
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in the school gymnasium and she confirms Barb's
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murder. And they find Will is still alive. Keep
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the Williams. Which is also great. But now they
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have to go get him. So that's cool. Joyce and
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Hopper hop to it, and they're stopped by police
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of some sort, and Will is left in the Upside
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Down as the monster bears down on him. But before
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we get to the nitty -gritty schmitty, we welcome
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history teacher extraordinaire Elizabeth Wade
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Stickle to provide us with vital information
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that we need to know. Welcome, Liz. Give us that
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integral real -life history parallels. about
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what MKUltra actually was in real life. Hey fandom
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shmandum, this is Liz, your friendly local historian.
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I'm here for Expert Corner. Charles Manson, Britney
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Spears, Stranger Things. What do they all have
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in common? An alleged connection to the mid -20th
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century top secret CIA project, MKUltra. Project
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MKUltra. was preceded by the US government's
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somewhat infamous Operation Paperclip. Post -World
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War II, the US recruited Nazi scientists to get
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our space program off the ground and to learn
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about their unethical research on human subjects
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in the Nazi regime. Some had been prosecuted
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at Nuremberg already. Several clandestine projects
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grew out of Operation Paperclip. Many of them
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focused on studying mind control, torture, and
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brainwashing. The program was treading water
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for a while, but after the Korean War, the US
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redoubled their efforts and prioritized cracking
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the code for brainwashing. The US government
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was spooked by prisoners of war returning from
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Korea, suddenly sympathetic to communist ideologies.
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Surely they were being mind -controlled. The
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CIA poured $10 million into attempting to master
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brainwashing and mind control. In 1964, the project
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became more specific. trying to develop a truth
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serum that could be used on captured Soviet agents.
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MKUltra largely experimented on unsuspecting
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and non -consenting adults, both in and out of
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the intelligence community. They used LSD, buying
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almost all of the supply of this synthetic psychedelic
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in the country, amphetamines, opiates, and other
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psychedelics, among other substances they experimented
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with. They also utilized hypnosis techniques
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and sleight -of -hand magic that ended up in
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one of their manuals. They also outsourced experimentation
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to Canadian hospitals. The program took place
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under CIA Director Dulles and the direct supervision
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of so -called Poisoner -in -Chief Sidney Gottlieb.
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While MKUltra has been proven to exist, Stranger
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Things also drew inspiration from conspiracy
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theories around the Montauk Project. Stranger
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Things' working title when it was pitched to
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Netflix was actually Montauk, but we'll get to
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that another time. Some of the clear connections
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between Project MKUltra, their goals around brainwashing,
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mind control, and Stranger Things are, I think,
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clearest in seasons two and three with the mind
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flayer. While they use a D &D, not trope, a D
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&D creature, as the vessel for this mind control,
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this subconscious idea planting. It very much
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is rooted in this very real instance of the US
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government experimenting on our own civilians.
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Even in the series itself, they allude to the
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idea that Eleven's mom may actually have been
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a victim of MKUltra, thus passing some of their
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successful experiments outcomes to Eleven. We
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also see connections in the secrecy of the government
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base in Hawkins. Project MKUltra was so top secret
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that people inside the CIA didn't know it was
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happening. It was on a strictly need -to -know
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basis, and most of the time, even subjects of
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experimentation were not considered need -to
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-know. We definitely see this in Eleven's relationship
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to other victims of the program, as well as the
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program director in the show. Even though he...
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puts himself in this paternal position that Sidney
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Gottlieb probably wouldn't have been in, we do
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still see that idea of the experiment itself
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being what's precious, being what's guarded,
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and the human subjects being pretty squarely
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collateral damage and data points at the end
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of the day. In real life, Once Canadian victims
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realized they had been part of the program, they
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actually did sue the United States and the U
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.S. did settle outside of court. American victims,
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however, were not so fortunate. Once documents
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became declassified as a result of this Canadian
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lawsuit, Justice Sandra Day O 'Connor reiterated
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for the american public that the nuremberg trials
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had made very clear to the global community that
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getting consent in human experimentation was
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not only critical but essential and required
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um and so in the in the wake uh of mk ultra itself
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um We actually lost a lot of documentation as
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a result of some directed destruction of materials,
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but what we do have pretty clearly paints the
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picture of a large -scale human experiment that
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should not have been allowed to happen. And as
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we reach the end of Stranger Things, we're starting
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to see much the same, especially with the rise
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of Vecna, the tangible consequences of human
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experimentation, even in this supernatural setting.
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Oh, this has been Expert Corner. I'm Liz. See
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you next time. Thank you so much, Liz, for coming
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in and doing Expert Corner for us. What a fascinating
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run through of MKUltra, the CIA project. What
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was it? Pinhead? No. Paperclip. Project Paperclip.
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Before we dive into the whole thing, I feel as
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though we must discuss the elephant in the room.
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And I don't want to make too much light of the
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situation of like real people being unethically
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experimented on and everything. But sleight of
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hand magic. That was wild. As soon as I heard
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that little tidbit, my mouth just dropped and
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I kind of threw my hands in the air and just
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went, what? Listen, we know you've been on a
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ton of LSD because we keep injecting it into
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you without your permission. But would you please
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pick a card? Any card. Any card. what do they
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have steve martin as a kid in there just i'm
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so confusing i i guess i mean i guess just playing
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with your mind and maybe seeing if you can the
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only thing i can i need to know more about this
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liz i just i have to say but I'm just imagining
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them saying, okay, a normal person can't catch
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these details as a sleight of hand magician is
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performing. But maybe if we pump you full of
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all of this cocktail of shenanigans, you'll be
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able to pick out the exact moment that the card
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goes behind their... What are they hoping to
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achieve from that one? I think that's... hilarious
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so stupid um okay so such a wild yeah oh my god
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um okay so moving back to moving back into a
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more serious analysis first of all the the horrors
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of mk ultra are quite bad i do always appreciate
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when people are able to take really horrific
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things and craft an interesting story about the
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dangers of those continuing Because all of this
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horrific experimentation being done to Eleven's
00:14:19.649 --> 00:14:22.090
mother, which we then see, as Liz was saying,
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she is on LSD when pregnant. Right. Eleven's
00:14:27.289 --> 00:14:31.250
mother. And that sort of seems to amp up Eleven's
00:14:31.250 --> 00:14:34.570
telekinesis, or something to that effect, is
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what Stranger Things is going with. And then
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all the dangers that occur from then on are really
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at the behest of Dr. Brenner and his terribles.
00:14:43.610 --> 00:14:45.590
Now, there's some stuff with Vecna, right? It's
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not like we don't know if Vecna's parents were
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experimented on or any of that sort of stuff.
00:14:50.509 --> 00:14:53.509
But really fascinating. And of course, I really
00:14:53.509 --> 00:14:57.389
liked Liz pointing out that the mind flayer is
00:14:57.389 --> 00:15:03.809
essentially an allegory for attempted mind control
00:15:03.809 --> 00:15:06.809
implanting. What did you think? Yes, I really
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thought it was interesting that even though we're...
00:15:10.090 --> 00:15:15.190
as Liz pointed out, using a D &D creature, essentially,
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as the example, it's a very nice parallel to
00:15:23.090 --> 00:15:25.889
the realities and what they're really pulling
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from because it almost personifies the horror
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instead of it being something that's very mental.
00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:38.399
And very individual to the person experiencing
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it. And something that you can't really explain.
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This is a way that we are able to put a face,
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essentially, or a being behind the horrible thing
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that has occurred. And so I think that that's
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a very interesting insight and way that the Duffer
00:16:02.139 --> 00:16:07.100
Brothers have... put together a horrifying creature
00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:12.700
which if you know dnd and or what a mind flayer
00:16:12.700 --> 00:16:16.779
itself looks like as we see in the show with
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the pictures that they that the kids are looking
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at books um we get this mental image of something
00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:29.360
truly terrifying that is messing with your mind
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And then we also have the comparison to real
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people messing with people's minds. And it almost
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gives it a lighter quality because it's not a
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human doing it to another human. But at the same
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time, it almost makes it more horrifying because
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you have another unknown evil. Right. That is
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compounded upon what is happening. So very, very
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interesting dynamic there. Yeah, I mean, it's
00:17:06.789 --> 00:17:10.990
really cool. I was just talking to, at my other
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job, about allegory, as one does as an English
00:17:14.029 --> 00:17:18.130
teacher, and pointing out, you know, Dune, the
00:17:18.130 --> 00:17:19.950
Timothee Chalamet movie, slash the Frank Herbert.
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novel is an allegory about the way that the U
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.S. treats, treated the Middle East in terms
00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:29.759
of gathering oil in the 1960s, which of course
00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:32.359
then repeats in the 2000s and is still going
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on today. George Lucas's Star Wars, he's on record
00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:40.119
as saying is an allegory for overreach by really
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powerful nations. So for his example in the 70s,
00:17:43.500 --> 00:17:46.839
it was him talking about the Vietnam War with
00:17:46.839 --> 00:17:49.299
the United States. He felt like there was overreach.
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uh to the vietnamese people that sort of stuff
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and how that that creates rebellion naturally
00:17:54.039 --> 00:17:56.500
and it's really interesting to see that this
00:17:56.500 --> 00:18:00.400
is this whole show is an allegory for governmental
00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:03.920
overreach and how that begets problems throughout
00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:06.640
that you cannot control and so you may be trying
00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.799
to control something but that control is an illusion
00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:12.099
because it just will will disappear away from
00:18:12.099 --> 00:18:15.259
you instantly really neat stuff it really also
00:18:15.259 --> 00:18:16.960
makes me want to just dive into the history of
00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.200
all of this and go research Everything that the
00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:23.779
Doppelbrothers have been researching. Yeah, exactly.
00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:28.859
You know, it was touched upon in my history classes
00:18:28.859 --> 00:18:32.920
in high school, but I don't, I think I'm trying
00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:36.599
to remember maybe just US history and junior
00:18:36.599 --> 00:18:40.140
year of high school or whenever that was. But
00:18:40.140 --> 00:18:43.640
you don't really dive too deeply into that with
00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:49.099
teenagers. So it is definitely a... a fraught
00:18:49.099 --> 00:18:56.460
time in our, our country's history. And it would
00:18:56.460 --> 00:19:00.059
definitely be interesting though, to learn a
00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:02.440
lot more. Liz, can you please teach me a class,
00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:07.359
a one -on -one class on this topic? I would love
00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:09.240
it. Thank you very much. Yeah. Thanks Liz. We
00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:12.250
really appreciate this. Find your donut holes.
00:19:12.369 --> 00:19:15.289
It's time for our Knives Out category, where
00:19:15.289 --> 00:19:18.049
we sooth out which three storylines are the most
00:19:18.049 --> 00:19:23.309
vital to pay attention to. Number one, The Kids
00:19:23.309 --> 00:19:26.670
and Elle. What can she do and what can't she
00:19:26.670 --> 00:19:30.859
do? Number two, Nancy and Jonathan. Focus on
00:19:30.859 --> 00:19:33.519
the Demogorgon and how to attract and potentially
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:38.000
kill it. Number three, Hop and Joyce. The agreements
00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:40.700
with the lab and government, these don't happen
00:19:40.700 --> 00:19:44.880
yet. Yeah, I added that because they don't actually
00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.480
have any agreements with the government yet.
00:19:46.819 --> 00:19:50.440
Okay. So, it's just Hop and Joyce. Okay. Number
00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:55.059
three, Hop and Joyce. Okay, so this first storyline
00:19:55.059 --> 00:19:58.369
is the kids and Elle. What can she do? What can't
00:19:58.369 --> 00:20:00.150
she do? What are her powers? And this is, this,
00:20:00.269 --> 00:20:03.269
over these three episodes, this storyline contextualizes
00:20:03.269 --> 00:20:06.710
a lot of the fantasy elements. So we get, like,
00:20:06.750 --> 00:20:08.769
what is the Upside Down? They talk about the
00:20:08.769 --> 00:20:13.869
Veil of Shadows. And we get an understanding
00:20:13.869 --> 00:20:16.569
in the name of what the Upside Down is going
00:20:16.569 --> 00:20:18.410
to be called for the rest of Stranger Things
00:20:18.410 --> 00:20:21.529
history. Which is really cool. We discover what
00:20:21.529 --> 00:20:25.170
a gate is. How another dimension is created.
00:20:25.309 --> 00:20:28.970
We get that with Mr. Clark. We get how it disrupts
00:20:28.970 --> 00:20:31.970
fields of gravity and creates electronic magnetic
00:20:31.970 --> 00:20:36.029
differentiating things that mess with magnets
00:20:36.029 --> 00:20:40.650
and compasses and stuff. We get Elle's powers
00:20:40.650 --> 00:20:44.470
being more explored and sort of a better understanding
00:20:44.470 --> 00:20:47.509
of what she can and can't do. So we see her in...
00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:50.420
Like, the purgatory space, we see her moving
00:20:50.420 --> 00:20:52.299
things with her mind. We see her breaking kids'
00:20:52.519 --> 00:20:55.160
arms. We can also see that she can levitate Mike
00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:59.619
from, like, hundreds of feet. Yeah. And whip
00:20:59.619 --> 00:21:02.380
him right back up when he jumps into the quarry.
00:21:02.500 --> 00:21:04.779
Super crazy. Which is, like, it feels like that's
00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:06.619
one of the hardest things she does all season.
00:21:07.099 --> 00:21:10.460
I think, yeah, honestly. Like, one could argue
00:21:10.460 --> 00:21:13.359
that, like, some of the other things that she
00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:15.819
does that are pretty crazy still has, like, momentum
00:21:15.819 --> 00:21:21.759
going for her, at least. Yeah. But this is absolutely
00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:26.299
the opposite. Right. She holds momentum. Yeah,
00:21:26.299 --> 00:21:28.940
very, very crazy. And then lifts him back up
00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:33.660
and over into... Carefully. Carefully. into safety
00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:36.180
but like and we'll get we'll talk more about
00:21:36.180 --> 00:21:38.180
like the wildness of that scene but in terms
00:21:38.180 --> 00:21:41.119
of her powers it's it's got to be one of the
00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:42.319
most difficult things and then she just goes
00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:46.500
and like breaks the troy's arm the bully's arm
00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:49.299
with a snap of her neck and then also earlier
00:21:49.299 --> 00:21:52.799
she like isolates her powers to squeeze his bladder
00:21:52.799 --> 00:22:01.319
so that he we know that it takes effort like
00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:04.819
it's not completely soft fantasy here we we get
00:22:04.819 --> 00:22:07.740
words later about her powers from dustin and
00:22:07.740 --> 00:22:12.140
mike and we know that she's like she needs to
00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:14.599
fuel up we know that it takes effort that she
00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:17.279
bleeds when it happens but like it's not like
00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:20.880
she gushes blood during some of this stuff versus
00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:22.700
when she takes out the demogorgon like you see
00:22:22.700 --> 00:22:25.480
all of her blood vessels sort of working and
00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:27.700
stuff like that so i'm interested here as to
00:22:27.700 --> 00:22:29.940
why she's not like just full -on running a huge
00:22:29.940 --> 00:22:33.819
bloody nose when she lifts mike up yeah no idea
00:22:33.819 --> 00:22:36.599
okay good i'm glad you're on the same page no
00:22:36.599 --> 00:22:39.000
yeah it seems like there should be a little bit
00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:44.980
more exertion on her part um And, you know, sometimes
00:22:44.980 --> 00:22:46.920
when she's using her powers, you know, she kind
00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:49.579
of, like, has to rest. She just falls down, something
00:22:49.579 --> 00:22:52.920
like that. But it definitely seems like, in comparison
00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:55.180
specifically to a lot of the other things we've
00:22:55.180 --> 00:22:59.900
seen so far, she should have more of a draining
00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:03.200
effect on herself specifically for this. Well,
00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:06.160
and I felt that way, too, about the smashing
00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:10.250
of all the glass that she does in the Eggo. Yeah.
00:23:10.329 --> 00:23:11.750
When she, you know, cause she has that awesome
00:23:11.750 --> 00:23:13.410
moment of like, she goes and gets Eggos and like
00:23:13.410 --> 00:23:15.289
everybody started eating Eggos all of a sudden
00:23:15.289 --> 00:23:20.109
again, uh, in real world. Um, and then she leaves
00:23:20.109 --> 00:23:23.490
and she smashes the front glass of like everything
00:23:23.490 --> 00:23:25.230
in the shop. And it was like, that seems like
00:23:25.230 --> 00:23:28.250
a little bit more than shoving Lucas. Right.
00:23:29.190 --> 00:23:31.730
So that's fascinating. But the real question
00:23:31.730 --> 00:23:35.009
here I think is around the creation of the rift
00:23:35.009 --> 00:23:39.700
because Is this Els doing? Is this Vectors doing?
00:23:40.099 --> 00:23:44.140
Is it just happens to be what occurs? Because
00:23:44.140 --> 00:23:46.299
she goes, and so she's in this, like, weird purgatory
00:23:46.299 --> 00:23:51.119
space, which is, like, filled with water. Questions.
00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:55.779
Why is it filled with water? I don't understand
00:23:55.779 --> 00:23:58.559
that. I could kind of see it, you know, if she's,
00:23:58.579 --> 00:24:03.480
like, in the tank, and then, you know, she, it's
00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:09.230
kind of like a... The water acts as like a barrier
00:24:09.230 --> 00:24:12.869
between the worlds or something like that. And
00:24:12.869 --> 00:24:15.910
she's in the water and in the sensory deprivation.
00:24:15.910 --> 00:24:18.450
But then later when she's not using the sensory
00:24:18.450 --> 00:24:22.309
deprivation tank and she's just using like white
00:24:22.309 --> 00:24:25.309
noise and things, there's still water. Yeah.
00:24:25.329 --> 00:24:30.569
So maybe because it's a good conductor? Is it?
00:24:31.529 --> 00:24:35.240
I mean, of electricity, isn't it? No, it's a
00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:39.220
great conductor of electricity. So, like, I don't
00:24:39.220 --> 00:24:41.319
know. I'm just thinking, like, that's the only
00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:43.880
thing I can think of is somehow it's tied into
00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:49.980
the, like, electromagnetism idea that we get
00:24:49.980 --> 00:24:53.900
in a couple seasons. I don't know. This is always
00:24:53.900 --> 00:24:57.640
the frustrating part about the visual medium
00:24:57.640 --> 00:24:59.519
when it comes to fantasy and science fiction,
00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:02.400
is that there's these, from a creative standpoint,
00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:06.390
like, This is a neat visual effect with the water
00:25:06.390 --> 00:25:10.410
drips as well auditorily and everything sort
00:25:10.410 --> 00:25:12.369
of happening within water. It's a great visual
00:25:12.369 --> 00:25:17.609
thing. But unlike with writing, with writing,
00:25:17.630 --> 00:25:20.230
you have to figure out, okay, what are all the
00:25:20.230 --> 00:25:23.150
purposes of this? Or am I doing soft, right?
00:25:23.269 --> 00:25:26.130
And so you don't have these sort of visual limitations
00:25:26.130 --> 00:25:28.859
of like, okay, but if I do this. What's the point
00:25:28.859 --> 00:25:31.380
of it? It looks great, which is awesome. I mean,
00:25:31.400 --> 00:25:32.779
in writing, you have a lot of other problems,
00:25:32.839 --> 00:25:34.519
too. I'm not just trying to say that, like, fantasy
00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:36.799
is only good for novels. It's great in everything.
00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:40.960
But this is a specific visual problem where,
00:25:41.059 --> 00:25:43.680
you know, you get these awesome, oh, this looks
00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:47.200
so cool. But why? And, like, I still don't quite
00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:49.400
understand after watching the show many times.
00:25:49.869 --> 00:25:52.349
Why is it filled with water? I thought for a
00:25:52.349 --> 00:25:54.130
while it was just, oh, she's in the sensory deprivation
00:25:54.130 --> 00:25:55.970
tank. That's why. But then as you pointed out,
00:25:56.009 --> 00:25:57.910
when she's using white noise, it's not like it's
00:25:57.910 --> 00:26:02.549
just like TV static all around her. Right. Which
00:26:02.549 --> 00:26:05.190
could be interesting. But yeah, it makes it seem
00:26:05.190 --> 00:26:07.890
like it's something else. Yeah. You know, it's
00:26:07.890 --> 00:26:10.809
not just based on her surroundings in the real
00:26:10.809 --> 00:26:14.049
world. And so are we, is it just like a visual
00:26:14.049 --> 00:26:16.309
representation of what's going on in her mind?
00:26:16.369 --> 00:26:18.589
Because I would accept that just fine. That this
00:26:18.589 --> 00:26:20.950
liminal purgatory space is just like her in her
00:26:20.950 --> 00:26:23.230
mind palace, essentially. But it does feel like
00:26:23.230 --> 00:26:25.730
it's a physical place. And we know this because
00:26:25.730 --> 00:26:28.289
she goes and touches the Demogorgon with her
00:26:28.289 --> 00:26:30.269
two fingers. She puts it in his back and that's
00:26:30.269 --> 00:26:33.529
when he turns around, she screams, and then the
00:26:33.529 --> 00:26:35.150
rift is open. And it's interesting here because
00:26:35.150 --> 00:26:37.470
the rift doesn't open in the deprivation tank.
00:26:37.769 --> 00:26:39.930
It opens outside of it. It doesn't open where
00:26:39.930 --> 00:26:43.750
she is. And it doesn't open where the Demogorgon
00:26:43.750 --> 00:26:46.789
is either. It's not like he's in the wall. In
00:26:46.789 --> 00:26:49.789
the upside down feasting. So, you know, there's
00:26:49.789 --> 00:26:52.450
some definite questions. They're not huge deal
00:26:52.450 --> 00:26:55.829
breaker questions about what's going on. But
00:26:55.829 --> 00:26:58.509
in terms of world building, it is unsatisfying.
00:26:58.750 --> 00:27:03.230
Why does the rift open? And, yeah, why does the
00:27:03.230 --> 00:27:06.289
rift open? When it does, where it does, how it
00:27:06.289 --> 00:27:10.769
does. Confusion. Well, and like, so, do you think
00:27:10.769 --> 00:27:13.690
it is just a physical connection? It's her just
00:27:13.690 --> 00:27:15.619
touching it? I think so. Okay, tell me why. It
00:27:15.619 --> 00:27:18.900
has to be. So I think that it has to be because
00:27:18.900 --> 00:27:24.619
she's able to see people and listen in on the
00:27:24.619 --> 00:27:29.160
conversations and find people and whatnot. But
00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:33.059
she only actually opens the rift when she physically
00:27:33.059 --> 00:27:35.779
touches the Demogorgon. And so it's like when
00:27:35.779 --> 00:27:38.680
Mr. Clark is explaining and punches the hole
00:27:38.680 --> 00:27:42.839
through the paper that she's essentially punching
00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:46.519
the hole through. that space and like through
00:27:46.519 --> 00:27:51.480
the veil essentially and creating a rift i think
00:27:51.480 --> 00:27:55.680
that that has to be the the the actual cause
00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:01.519
of of that it's the physical like breaking of
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:04.180
the barrier okay essentially if that's true which
00:28:04.180 --> 00:28:06.740
i i think you're onto something there if that's
00:28:06.740 --> 00:28:09.200
true i think that's the thing that shows that
00:28:10.140 --> 00:28:13.160
the the scope of her power more than the demogorgon
00:28:13.160 --> 00:28:15.420
or anything else that she's done because she
00:28:15.420 --> 00:28:17.660
mr clark says it would have to be an extremely
00:28:17.660 --> 00:28:21.759
powerful force to open up right a dimension and
00:28:21.759 --> 00:28:24.119
if if she because of her powers is able to go
00:28:24.119 --> 00:28:26.880
into the space and make contact and it just feels
00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:28.819
like walking around and touching something to
00:28:28.819 --> 00:28:31.779
her she's actually yeah way more powerful than
00:28:31.779 --> 00:28:36.240
i than i really realize well and also so like
00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:39.619
skip forward to season three The Russians have
00:28:39.619 --> 00:28:43.299
to build this machine that is absolutely crazy.
00:28:44.059 --> 00:28:46.579
And it takes them a long time. And they have
00:28:46.579 --> 00:28:48.799
to be in a place where the rift has already been
00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:53.259
opened before just to reopen it. So in order
00:28:53.259 --> 00:28:56.559
to reopen the gate, they need all of these, all
00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:59.740
this power and all of the, you know, the green
00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:04.779
acidic, whatever it is, you know, like essentially
00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:09.740
nuclear power or whatever. And this huge machine
00:29:09.740 --> 00:29:13.980
and all of this just to do what she did accidentally.
00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:19.240
So absolutely wild. So cool. When you put it
00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:23.720
in the context. Yeah. Yeah. Fascinating. Really
00:29:23.720 --> 00:29:27.460
important information disseminated here for season
00:29:27.460 --> 00:29:29.599
five as well in terms of prepping y 'all for
00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:33.240
Vecna. And we know that she has the face -off
00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:34.680
effect, and we know that she's already beaten
00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:36.440
him once, but in terms of what the scope of her
00:29:36.440 --> 00:29:38.460
power is, I don't think that we actually see
00:29:38.460 --> 00:29:42.099
just how powerful she is like this again. Because
00:29:42.099 --> 00:29:44.519
her opening the rift is crazy powerful, if it
00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:48.299
is indeed just her. But! Yeah. Second storyline.
00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:52.440
Nancy, and maybe it's going to be my boyfriend,
00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:56.079
maybe not, Jonathan, Jeffries, fire. Which, to
00:29:56.079 --> 00:29:57.960
everybody who listened to the introduction was
00:29:57.960 --> 00:30:00.670
like, is Jonathan's middle name Jeffries? No,
00:30:00.769 --> 00:30:04.150
it's Michael Jordan's middle name. And so that
00:30:04.150 --> 00:30:06.569
was a shout out to Michael Jordan. Michael Jeffrey
00:30:06.569 --> 00:30:11.650
Jordan. Sorry about that, y 'all, if you were
00:30:11.650 --> 00:30:14.390
confused. So they've got this huge focus, Jonathan
00:30:14.390 --> 00:30:16.809
and Nancy on the Demogorgon. We left off with
00:30:16.809 --> 00:30:19.549
our last episode talking about how they Jonathan
00:30:19.549 --> 00:30:22.210
accidentally takes a photo of the Demogorgon.
00:30:22.309 --> 00:30:25.230
That photo gets ripped up by Steve. Nancy picks
00:30:25.230 --> 00:30:28.059
it up. stitches it back together and sees the
00:30:28.059 --> 00:30:31.839
Demogorgon there. And so now she shows Jonathan
00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:35.579
the photo and they decide to team up. And at
00:30:35.579 --> 00:30:39.200
Will's funeral, which again, Jonathan's now starting
00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:41.339
to believe Will's not dead. Joyce already believes
00:30:41.339 --> 00:30:44.339
Will isn't dead. The kids already believe Will
00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:45.819
isn't dead. So there's a bunch of people at this
00:30:45.819 --> 00:30:50.980
funeral that are like, ah, kids fine. We're just
00:30:50.980 --> 00:30:54.160
here for appearances. Yeah, for real. Jonathan.
00:30:54.990 --> 00:30:58.029
goes into, I think, his dad's car, picks a lock,
00:30:58.230 --> 00:31:03.170
and then takes out this revolver, which he gives
00:31:03.170 --> 00:31:07.470
this very sad story about, my dad took me hunting
00:31:07.470 --> 00:31:11.410
when I was 10. Oh, so upsetting. Made me kill
00:31:11.410 --> 00:31:13.809
a bunny, and I cried for a week. She's like,
00:31:13.869 --> 00:31:15.910
oh, God. He's like, what? I'm a big fan of Thumper.
00:31:15.970 --> 00:31:18.630
She's like, no, not you, your dad. But it turns
00:31:18.630 --> 00:31:21.069
out Jonathan's not very good at shooting things.
00:31:21.250 --> 00:31:25.019
No. And Nancy is actually very good at it. Yeah.
00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:28.920
Excellent. Really excellent. And they do a nice
00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:31.359
job, I think, here of showing, okay, she's got
00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:34.819
a natural talent. And unlike with a lot of other
00:31:34.819 --> 00:31:37.400
female characters, Stranger Things, which has
00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:39.759
already sort of been built on, hey, Eleven's
00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:43.240
super strong, Joyce is super amazing and talented,
00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:45.440
and Nancy's super cool. You don't hear a lot
00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:47.440
of Mary Sue complaints, and I'm very glad about
00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:52.819
it. Yeah. Mm -hmm. Yeah, the ladies have a pretty
00:31:52.819 --> 00:31:55.900
good representation in the show. Yeah. And a
00:31:55.900 --> 00:31:58.640
wide range as well, which I think is very nice.
00:31:58.680 --> 00:32:02.539
It's not just one type of strong woman or a strong
00:32:02.539 --> 00:32:05.019
girl or anything like that. Like Elle obviously
00:32:05.019 --> 00:32:09.359
is very, you know, essentially physically strong
00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:12.079
because of everything that she can do with her
00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:14.920
powers. And then Joyce being very like mentally
00:32:14.920 --> 00:32:17.740
and emotionally strong. Nancy intellectually
00:32:17.740 --> 00:32:22.390
strong. And then also has some of these physical
00:32:22.390 --> 00:32:25.509
talents as well, despite, you know, her slight
00:32:25.509 --> 00:32:28.170
build and things like that. Yes, absolutely.
00:32:28.849 --> 00:32:33.710
Very morally strong as well. Yes, well, not previously,
00:32:33.990 --> 00:32:38.369
but sure. No, but I mean, in terms of like, these
00:32:38.369 --> 00:32:40.190
things shouldn't be happening. Yes, what's right
00:32:40.190 --> 00:32:50.779
and wrong, absolutely. Just in general, they
00:32:50.779 --> 00:32:54.839
do a very good job of representing women in a
00:32:54.839 --> 00:32:57.700
very good way. And then when she get Max, you've
00:32:57.700 --> 00:33:01.700
got her. Skater punk girl strong is amazing.
00:33:02.019 --> 00:33:05.140
Awesomeness. Yeah. So good. So good. So, and
00:33:05.140 --> 00:33:08.500
again, a completely new, unique. And Lucas's
00:33:08.500 --> 00:33:10.740
sister as well. Character as well. Yeah. Whose
00:33:10.740 --> 00:33:13.039
name escapes me. Erica. Erica. Yes, thank you.
00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:20.019
She is so annoying for a while. And then she
00:33:20.019 --> 00:33:23.140
kind of grows on you a little bit. But yeah,
00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:26.160
super irritating with the bell at the counter.
00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:33.539
And Robin, another great female character. Yeah,
00:33:33.619 --> 00:33:35.839
just racking him up. Nailing it. Nailing it,
00:33:35.859 --> 00:33:38.299
indeed. And it's interesting. So for those of
00:33:38.299 --> 00:33:40.119
you who are unfamiliar with the term, Mary Sue
00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:44.839
is a derogatory term usually used to explain
00:33:44.839 --> 00:33:47.400
women characters that are... too strong too quick
00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:49.619
for a lot of people normally male viewers but
00:33:49.619 --> 00:33:53.099
not always male viewers um and in this case i
00:33:53.099 --> 00:33:56.559
i think there is there is room for an argument
00:33:56.559 --> 00:33:58.460
to be made oh why is she just suddenly good with
00:33:58.460 --> 00:34:00.700
guns but i think that they've done it in a way
00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:03.700
that shows she has a natural affinity for it
00:34:03.700 --> 00:34:06.140
that is satisfying for the viewer and i think
00:34:06.140 --> 00:34:09.320
that's what um what escapes that sort of argument,
00:34:09.380 --> 00:34:11.800
why that argument sort of falls apart, is it's
00:34:11.800 --> 00:34:14.059
done in a satisfying way for the viewer to hold
00:34:14.059 --> 00:34:18.219
on to. And even if they didn't, women can be
00:34:18.219 --> 00:34:21.380
naturally inclined to shooting guns. I've met
00:34:21.380 --> 00:34:23.940
very good, like, my wife is an excellent shot
00:34:23.940 --> 00:34:28.059
with a bow. Like, it happens sometimes. And we
00:34:28.059 --> 00:34:31.019
can all be a little bit less Mary Sue trigger
00:34:31.019 --> 00:34:34.159
happy. Not to make a gun pun on a Mary Sue comment.
00:34:34.380 --> 00:34:38.889
Anyways. So she, Nancy's a good shot. They find
00:34:38.889 --> 00:34:41.949
the Demogorgon. They realize when they find this
00:34:41.949 --> 00:34:44.130
dead deer, right? The deer's already bleeding,
00:34:44.170 --> 00:34:46.570
etc. And then the monster comes and gets it.
00:34:47.489 --> 00:34:52.550
They realize, oh, blood draws this. And whether
00:34:52.550 --> 00:34:55.969
or not, I don't know that Nancy ever realizes,
00:34:56.230 --> 00:34:58.630
oh, Barb was cut that night. I don't know that
00:34:58.630 --> 00:35:01.809
she says those lines, but it's... certainly inferred
00:35:01.809 --> 00:35:03.869
that they understand this she doesn't i don't
00:35:03.869 --> 00:35:05.710
think she says it in that moment but she does
00:35:05.710 --> 00:35:08.530
say it later on because she's listed yeah she's
00:35:08.530 --> 00:35:11.750
listing this oh and it showed up because of the
00:35:11.750 --> 00:35:14.329
blood here it showed up barb had her finger and
00:35:14.329 --> 00:35:18.670
all that yeah um yeah also nancy shows an uncanny
00:35:18.670 --> 00:35:22.550
amount of bravery in this sort of storyline because
00:35:22.550 --> 00:35:27.400
she she finds this organic hole In a tree? And
00:35:27.400 --> 00:35:31.460
is like, sure! And just crawls into it. Which
00:35:31.460 --> 00:35:35.199
also, blasting those, like, women don't want
00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:38.599
to get gross stereotypes there. Because, ew!
00:35:38.920 --> 00:35:42.820
Ew, it's nasty. As a woman who probably would,
00:35:42.900 --> 00:35:47.579
like, hesitate before climbing through a gross,
00:35:47.579 --> 00:35:51.909
gross thing like that. Props. I'd be scared.
00:35:52.329 --> 00:35:55.130
I'm amazed that nobody was like, hey, is there
00:35:55.130 --> 00:35:57.469
a possibility that this tree, that this is just
00:35:57.469 --> 00:36:00.170
a mouth for a weird upside down tree and it's
00:36:00.170 --> 00:36:03.550
going to eat me if I enter it? Like, that would
00:36:03.550 --> 00:36:05.809
be my first thought. There's no way I'd be going
00:36:05.809 --> 00:36:09.570
in. That's a valid concern. But she goes in and
00:36:09.570 --> 00:36:12.110
then, and then she's, you know, her teenage stupidity
00:36:12.110 --> 00:36:13.710
gets the better of her. She goes in without telling
00:36:13.710 --> 00:36:16.110
Jonathan. And I know they've kind of just been
00:36:16.110 --> 00:36:18.250
fighting. Because they're romantically getting
00:36:18.250 --> 00:36:20.150
to know each other, and they find that they're
00:36:20.150 --> 00:36:22.289
not at all similar, but they see each other's
00:36:22.289 --> 00:36:26.349
faults really well. But, like, she goes in without
00:36:26.349 --> 00:36:28.130
telling Jonathan, and then she's down there by
00:36:28.130 --> 00:36:30.210
herself with a Demogorgon and a gun, which is
00:36:30.210 --> 00:36:36.309
like, yeah, okay, babe. And then she just starts,
00:36:36.309 --> 00:36:42.219
like, wandering around. Bar? Yeah. Just... Oh,
00:36:42.260 --> 00:36:44.780
wow. I like, I crawled through a tree and now
00:36:44.780 --> 00:36:47.699
I'm in another forest, but it's really dark.
00:36:47.780 --> 00:36:50.480
And it seems like maybe this is like, there's
00:36:50.480 --> 00:36:53.900
like floating things. And I guess this is like,
00:36:53.920 --> 00:36:56.900
she just acts like it's so normal. Well, and
00:36:56.900 --> 00:36:59.500
then also just like, bye. There's this awesome
00:36:59.500 --> 00:37:03.199
hint to season two and moving forward. When she
00:37:03.199 --> 00:37:05.000
attracts the Demogorgon, it's not because she
00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:07.119
touches it or she's in view. She steps on a vine.
00:37:07.670 --> 00:37:10.610
Which is a huge thing about season two, is don't
00:37:10.610 --> 00:37:13.050
step on the vines. Right? It's all an interconnected
00:37:13.050 --> 00:37:17.349
hive mind. So that was really cool. It was nice
00:37:17.349 --> 00:37:19.610
to see that little, oh, okay, they are planning
00:37:19.610 --> 00:37:21.530
this out. Not that I doubt the Duffer Brothers
00:37:21.530 --> 00:37:24.869
at all. No. It's a cool little tidbit there.
00:37:25.489 --> 00:37:28.110
And then she escapes pretty easily. And you can
00:37:28.110 --> 00:37:29.829
hear each other in the Upside Down, it turns
00:37:29.829 --> 00:37:31.989
out. Right? Yeah, super interesting. Jonathan's
00:37:31.989 --> 00:37:34.380
calling for her. Nancy's calling for her. And
00:37:34.380 --> 00:37:36.800
it's unclear if it's coming through the hole
00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:39.760
of the tree or if it's if it's just like kind
00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:42.800
of in the air. And I feel like it's kind of there
00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:45.619
because Joyce later and Jonathan can kind of
00:37:45.619 --> 00:37:47.219
hear each other in episode eight in the finale.
00:37:47.380 --> 00:37:51.500
But of course, Will and then in Will can hear.
00:37:51.659 --> 00:37:56.780
Yeah. And in season and in season four. Yeah.
00:37:56.860 --> 00:37:58.699
That's like a whole thing where they're like
00:37:58.699 --> 00:38:00.940
walking parallel to each other and like calling
00:38:00.940 --> 00:38:06.050
through essentially. Yeah, I'm realizing as I'm
00:38:06.050 --> 00:38:08.090
talking about walking through and walking parallel
00:38:08.090 --> 00:38:10.429
that I'm doing all these hand gestures that totally
00:38:10.429 --> 00:38:14.889
work for an audio medium. I'm right there with
00:38:14.889 --> 00:38:18.369
you. The auditory experience is really enhanced
00:38:18.369 --> 00:38:23.429
by all of my wild hand motions. Y 'all are welcome.
00:38:23.530 --> 00:38:26.590
So then Nancy does manage to escape. She climbs
00:38:26.590 --> 00:38:28.650
back through the weird gross hole, which I will
00:38:28.650 --> 00:38:32.099
say the one thing about this season. other than
00:38:32.099 --> 00:38:35.380
this wild middle school serial killer moment
00:38:35.380 --> 00:38:39.019
that I don't like is at the end of season five,
00:38:39.199 --> 00:38:43.519
the, the hole starts to close. Yeah. And, and
00:38:43.519 --> 00:38:46.099
then it's like, they kind of play around with
00:38:46.099 --> 00:38:48.539
the bark motion being like, Oh, am I closing?
00:38:48.659 --> 00:38:50.739
Am I not? But it's like, no, at the very end
00:38:50.739 --> 00:38:52.699
of season five, you were clear at season five,
00:38:52.739 --> 00:38:54.360
at the very end of episode five, you were clearly
00:38:54.360 --> 00:38:57.599
closing the hole and now it's open. And I, I
00:38:57.599 --> 00:38:59.820
just, it's a little cheap and I don't love it.
00:39:00.500 --> 00:39:02.699
Yeah. Just a little bit. It's a great cliffhanger.
00:39:02.699 --> 00:39:05.119
It works well for the TV medium format, but it's
00:39:05.119 --> 00:39:12.119
kind of like, Gah! So then, Steve enters this
00:39:12.119 --> 00:39:16.000
sort of love triangle, which, of course, he does.
00:39:16.139 --> 00:39:18.940
But Steve and his friends, it's unclear who actually
00:39:18.940 --> 00:39:21.340
writes the message at first, and then turns out
00:39:21.340 --> 00:39:23.760
it's Steve's awful, terrible friend who spray
00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:27.760
paints Nancy starring Nancy the Slut Wheeler.
00:39:28.219 --> 00:39:31.679
on a marquee for all the right absolutely horrible
00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:35.820
just a disgusting remark horrible um and jonathan
00:39:35.820 --> 00:39:39.599
beats up steve which put heck yeah put steve
00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:44.559
down for he's oh and one uh for those of you
00:39:44.559 --> 00:39:48.179
going to keep track at home oh and one currently
00:39:48.179 --> 00:39:56.359
q robin with her board of you win you lose So,
00:39:56.359 --> 00:39:59.260
and then Jonathan gets arrested. And we have
00:39:59.260 --> 00:40:01.940
this awesome moment where Hopper's already with
00:40:01.940 --> 00:40:04.480
Joyce, which we'll get to in a second. And he
00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:07.500
comes and he's like, what happened? And Jonathan's
00:40:07.500 --> 00:40:10.099
like, you won't believe me. And he sidles up
00:40:10.099 --> 00:40:13.860
to him and he goes, give me a try. Yeah. Why
00:40:13.860 --> 00:40:15.159
don't you give me a chance? Something like that.
00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:17.039
Which is just this great little moment of like,
00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:23.880
oh, we're all coming together. Yay! Yay! And
00:40:23.880 --> 00:40:26.900
that is Nancy and Jonathan's storyline, which
00:40:26.900 --> 00:40:30.199
is, I think, the most riveting of all of them
00:40:30.199 --> 00:40:35.840
from a plot perspective. Then there's Hop and
00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:40.699
Joyce. Okay, so Hopper at the very end of the
00:40:40.699 --> 00:40:43.519
last episode, our last podcast episode, had just
00:40:43.519 --> 00:40:46.920
cut open the already autopsied question mark
00:40:46.920 --> 00:40:49.750
Will Byers, why are there no stitches? Why are
00:40:49.750 --> 00:40:58.210
there no stitches, Will? Why are there no stitches,
00:40:58.429 --> 00:41:02.329
Will? Okay. And finds all the bedding fluff inside
00:41:02.329 --> 00:41:05.670
of him. And is like, okay, so this is all terrible.
00:41:05.869 --> 00:41:10.630
He wakes up in his apartment after getting caught
00:41:10.630 --> 00:41:13.010
in the lab, trying to infiltrate the lab. He
00:41:13.010 --> 00:41:15.349
wakes up in his, like, cabin, which is not the
00:41:15.349 --> 00:41:17.449
cabin in the woods yet. It's his, like, little...
00:41:17.760 --> 00:41:22.579
long ranch styled house by the lake um and he
00:41:22.579 --> 00:41:26.079
uh has been they've scattered pills everywhere
00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:30.239
they put yeah clearly a setup yeah yeah very
00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:32.800
clearly cans of beer and what is it that he does
00:41:32.800 --> 00:41:38.440
immediately he starts looking around to figure
00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:41.099
out what they did yeah absolutely because he
00:41:41.099 --> 00:41:44.199
he thinks he's bugged which is just like oh it's
00:41:44.199 --> 00:41:49.170
so cool how smart he is And I just dig that scene
00:41:49.170 --> 00:41:51.389
so much. Although I will say, you don't have
00:41:51.389 --> 00:41:57.010
to rip up your couch cushions. I, yeah. I feel
00:41:57.010 --> 00:42:00.510
like every time that I see, every time that I
00:42:00.510 --> 00:42:03.869
see, it's a common thing in when people start
00:42:03.869 --> 00:42:05.809
getting paranoid that like something's hidden
00:42:05.809 --> 00:42:08.469
in their house or whatever, and they start, or
00:42:08.469 --> 00:42:12.800
even in a, And I think it's a man from uncle.
00:42:13.000 --> 00:42:16.239
They're in the hotel and they start, but they
00:42:16.239 --> 00:42:19.019
always rip into the cushions. And I'm like, you
00:42:19.019 --> 00:42:23.219
really think that they took the time to unstitch
00:42:23.219 --> 00:42:27.320
a cushion, put it inside the cushion and then
00:42:27.320 --> 00:42:30.820
restitch the cushion. Like there's not like a
00:42:30.820 --> 00:42:33.500
rip in it. There's not a, if there's a zipper,
00:42:33.559 --> 00:42:39.090
maybe use that. I mean, there's a lot of ways
00:42:39.090 --> 00:42:42.550
to, like, get in and see if this is here. A metal
00:42:42.550 --> 00:42:46.590
detector, maybe. Literally anything except for
00:42:46.590 --> 00:42:49.650
destroying your couch. Like, okay, it doesn't
00:42:49.650 --> 00:42:51.389
look like a very expensive couch, and it's a
00:42:51.389 --> 00:42:56.469
horrible upholstery on it anyways. But if that's
00:42:56.469 --> 00:42:58.190
your only couch. And that's your only couch.
00:42:58.210 --> 00:43:00.230
And also, it's not like he does a very thorough
00:43:00.230 --> 00:43:03.030
job looking. He splits open the middle. He digs
00:43:03.030 --> 00:43:04.969
into it and is like, must not be there. And it's
00:43:04.969 --> 00:43:08.159
like, bro. He finished the job. He didn't even,
00:43:08.179 --> 00:43:12.460
like, really look. It's probably all bugs. He
00:43:12.460 --> 00:43:14.579
just really hated that couch. Really, he's like.
00:43:14.920 --> 00:43:17.380
He needed an excuse to get rid of it. Oh, no,
00:43:17.519 --> 00:43:20.360
they bugged my apartment. Rip, rip. Oh, I guess
00:43:20.360 --> 00:43:25.059
I have an excuse to buy a new couch. That's so
00:43:25.059 --> 00:43:28.960
funny. He does eventually find a recording device
00:43:28.960 --> 00:43:32.539
that's in one of his main lamp, I think. He undoes
00:43:32.539 --> 00:43:34.039
it and it's in there with his light bulb and
00:43:34.039 --> 00:43:37.940
stuff, which is terrifying. Yeah. But it means
00:43:37.940 --> 00:43:40.400
that he's on to something. So he finds Joyce.
00:43:40.400 --> 00:43:43.260
Yes. And in one of my favorite moments, Joyce
00:43:43.260 --> 00:43:45.219
thinks it's Lonnie. They've just had this giant
00:43:45.219 --> 00:43:47.519
blow up about Lonnie's really just there to collect
00:43:47.519 --> 00:43:50.079
money from the organization that owns the quarry.
00:43:50.079 --> 00:43:52.900
There's no danger signs. There's no all of this.
00:43:53.000 --> 00:43:54.960
So he should be made accountable, which I'm like,
00:43:55.019 --> 00:43:57.639
yes, actually, all of that's true. They should
00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:00.170
be held accountable. And if Will really did die
00:44:00.170 --> 00:44:03.429
in that. Except for the fact. But he's not actually
00:44:03.429 --> 00:44:06.070
dead. And also Lonnie's just not supportive and
00:44:06.070 --> 00:44:07.710
he's just there for the money. And I love Joyce
00:44:07.710 --> 00:44:10.329
being strong in that whole moment. But Joyce
00:44:10.329 --> 00:44:14.250
thinks Lonnie has come back. And she's, you know,
00:44:14.269 --> 00:44:17.130
having a fit. As one does when you think that
00:44:17.130 --> 00:44:19.969
your undead child is on the other side of some
00:44:19.969 --> 00:44:21.610
weird mystery world that you have no idea what's
00:44:21.610 --> 00:44:24.110
going on. She starts screaming at him and she
00:44:24.110 --> 00:44:27.190
opens the door and it's this awesome moment of
00:44:27.190 --> 00:44:29.949
Hopper. with his finger over his lips, holding
00:44:29.949 --> 00:44:33.010
this sign that says, don't say anything. And
00:44:33.010 --> 00:44:35.889
then it cuts. And it's just, oh, the feels are
00:44:35.889 --> 00:44:40.630
great. They're so good. Yeah. I love that scene.
00:44:41.170 --> 00:44:43.909
It's very good. And then Hopper and Joyce sort
00:44:43.909 --> 00:44:47.969
of go about trying to track down any information
00:44:47.969 --> 00:44:51.070
they can. And eventually, when they reach Jonathan,
00:44:51.269 --> 00:44:53.510
they're able to start putting all the pieces
00:44:53.510 --> 00:44:57.460
together. And that gets us to this. deprivation
00:44:57.460 --> 00:45:01.360
tank where Joyce is the one saying how do we
00:45:01.360 --> 00:45:03.739
make this all better because Dustin and Mike
00:45:03.739 --> 00:45:06.980
are going over oh like she needs to refuel she's
00:45:06.980 --> 00:45:10.340
really low on battery power and Joyce ever the
00:45:10.340 --> 00:45:12.960
cognizant human being how do we make this better
00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:16.500
and then that's when Elle is like I think I know
00:45:16.500 --> 00:45:19.159
how and they call Dr. Clark and we get moving
00:45:19.159 --> 00:45:22.199
and we get that awesome classic scene of making
00:45:22.199 --> 00:45:24.320
the deprivation tank out of a kiddie pool in
00:45:24.320 --> 00:45:27.650
the gym Yeah, so good. Those are your three best
00:45:27.650 --> 00:45:30.309
ones. They're fantastic. They're great. They
00:45:30.309 --> 00:45:35.489
lead us into season, episode eight. Very, very
00:45:35.489 --> 00:45:37.869
well. And you've got a note here about what season
00:45:37.869 --> 00:45:39.909
seven is really, episode seven is really doing.
00:45:40.630 --> 00:45:44.090
Yeah. I mean, I feel like throughout one through
00:45:44.090 --> 00:45:47.829
six episodes, you have very distinct storylines.
00:45:49.010 --> 00:45:51.630
happening simultaneously but then in episode
00:45:51.630 --> 00:45:53.849
7 it's exciting because we finally get to see
00:45:53.849 --> 00:45:57.050
all of them overlap and then we really need to
00:45:57.050 --> 00:46:02.570
focus on one storyline which is Brenner's singular
00:46:02.570 --> 00:46:06.530
singular focus on finding and retrieving Elle
00:46:06.530 --> 00:46:09.289
so it's almost like we have all these different
00:46:09.289 --> 00:46:11.769
things happening and then it all comes in together
00:46:11.769 --> 00:46:13.750
they share all the information everybody's in
00:46:13.750 --> 00:46:16.530
the know And now we need to focus on this other
00:46:16.530 --> 00:46:20.230
important thing. And it's finding and retrieving
00:46:20.230 --> 00:46:22.489
Elle is more important to him than research,
00:46:22.650 --> 00:46:25.190
more important to him than the Demogorgon, than
00:46:25.190 --> 00:46:27.849
anything else that he has going on, which is
00:46:27.849 --> 00:46:32.570
fascinating, especially with how we see from
00:46:32.570 --> 00:46:34.530
flashbacks and then what we see in the future,
00:46:34.570 --> 00:46:37.469
how he treats her and their relationship and
00:46:37.469 --> 00:46:39.989
everything. The fact that she is that important
00:46:39.989 --> 00:46:43.719
to him is. Very vital. Well, and it's interesting
00:46:43.719 --> 00:46:46.420
to hear. So if you this is going to be a little
00:46:46.420 --> 00:46:49.800
bit of a spoiler for the play. One of the things
00:46:49.800 --> 00:46:52.260
that really inspired the Duffer Brothers is something
00:46:52.260 --> 00:46:54.500
called the Philadelphia Experiment, which is
00:46:54.500 --> 00:46:58.079
an urban legend that claimed a U .S. Navy destroyer,
00:46:58.079 --> 00:47:00.880
a .k .a. the USS Eldred, was made invisible and
00:47:00.880 --> 00:47:04.360
teleported during a military experiment in 1943
00:47:04.360 --> 00:47:07.480
involving like intense electromagnetic fields.
00:47:07.699 --> 00:47:10.739
This is the this actual experiment opens the
00:47:10.739 --> 00:47:15.719
play. And it turns out that Brenner's father
00:47:15.719 --> 00:47:22.579
is on this ship. And so that sort of is why he's
00:47:22.579 --> 00:47:25.300
so interested in all of this stuff. And then
00:47:25.300 --> 00:47:27.360
you know, okay, so he lost his dad to this because
00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:30.519
in the play, this ship ends up in the Upside
00:47:30.519 --> 00:47:34.000
Down and everybody dies. Oh, interesting. Yeah,
00:47:34.059 --> 00:47:37.800
it's fascinating. And that's how I remember it
00:47:37.800 --> 00:47:39.559
best. So I might not be 100 % on the details
00:47:39.559 --> 00:47:42.280
because I saw it. once and i wasn't like taking
00:47:42.280 --> 00:47:47.280
active notes during the play um but uh and so
00:47:47.280 --> 00:47:49.099
you see you know he's lost a family member like
00:47:49.099 --> 00:47:52.440
that already and then he loses his son going
00:47:52.440 --> 00:47:55.280
into the rift and and so everything becomes about
00:47:55.280 --> 00:47:57.739
this one child who can do all of these things
00:47:57.739 --> 00:47:59.340
that he's interested in finding out information
00:47:59.340 --> 00:48:02.400
about so l becomes like his entire world which
00:48:02.400 --> 00:48:06.860
i think is really fascinating um yeah all right
00:48:06.860 --> 00:48:10.380
moving on keep a finger On the pause button,
00:48:10.440 --> 00:48:12.800
everybody, and rewind that tape, it's time for
00:48:12.800 --> 00:48:15.260
the prestige category for what did we notice
00:48:15.260 --> 00:48:19.159
on this watch through. Sierra. Episode five gets
00:48:19.159 --> 00:48:22.840
us our first upside down. Indeed, it really does.
00:48:23.179 --> 00:48:26.159
Yeah, it's the first time we hear of it referred
00:48:26.159 --> 00:48:30.219
to as upside down. It takes five episodes, which
00:48:30.219 --> 00:48:34.460
is kind of wild. And then that, you know, carries
00:48:34.460 --> 00:48:36.699
through for the rest of the show, which is pretty
00:48:36.699 --> 00:48:39.920
great. Indeed. I wrote down a couple things here.
00:48:40.019 --> 00:48:43.019
Lonnie just sucks. He sucks as a husband. He
00:48:43.019 --> 00:48:46.539
does. He sucks as a dad. Remember? Terrible.
00:48:46.539 --> 00:48:50.579
He's in Jonathan's room and he's got like something
00:48:50.579 --> 00:48:52.880
of the nature of Creature of the Black Lagoon.
00:48:53.460 --> 00:48:56.119
movie poster it's not that exact one but it's
00:48:56.119 --> 00:48:58.960
a monster with a hand on the throat of a young
00:48:58.960 --> 00:49:01.480
woman kind of dragging her down into it's like
00:49:01.480 --> 00:49:03.519
night of the living dead or something like that
00:49:03.519 --> 00:49:06.059
of that nature um and he points to it he says
00:49:06.059 --> 00:49:08.260
take that down it's inappropriate like who are
00:49:08.260 --> 00:49:10.000
you after all these years to come marching back
00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:12.559
into my to my room to tell me what or is not
00:49:12.559 --> 00:49:16.119
appropriate like clearly joyce goes into their
00:49:16.119 --> 00:49:18.260
bedrooms and sees things and if she's cool with
00:49:18.260 --> 00:49:20.320
it is fine with it who are you like you have
00:49:20.320 --> 00:49:25.519
no power here bud um yeah exactly and then uh
00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:29.659
i wrote down here wait l doesn't know how to
00:49:29.659 --> 00:49:31.360
get to the upside down is she lying and then
00:49:31.360 --> 00:49:33.960
i realized oh yeah that's right she is she's
00:49:33.960 --> 00:49:35.900
lying through her teeth yeah this entire time
00:49:40.280 --> 00:49:43.800
I wrote down that Lucas certainly has a lot of
00:49:43.800 --> 00:49:46.500
expectations for a kid who's only said about
00:49:46.500 --> 00:49:51.659
10 words. He just thinks that L should know everything
00:49:51.659 --> 00:49:55.119
and be able to do everything, and he just met
00:49:55.119 --> 00:49:58.880
this girl two days ago, and somehow she should
00:49:58.880 --> 00:50:04.599
be omniscient and omnipowerful and everything,
00:50:05.280 --> 00:50:10.260
and just be able to do whatever they ask. because
00:50:10.260 --> 00:50:12.440
they totally have a right to just demand things
00:50:12.440 --> 00:50:14.179
of her question. It's really interesting because
00:50:14.179 --> 00:50:16.480
it's such a juxtaposition from the way that Mike
00:50:16.480 --> 00:50:20.099
treats Max next season. So we know Lucas is jealous
00:50:20.099 --> 00:50:22.260
of the amount of attention that Elle is receiving
00:50:22.260 --> 00:50:25.079
from Mike because Mike and Lucas are best friends.
00:50:25.219 --> 00:50:29.280
And then Mike is super jealous of the attention
00:50:29.280 --> 00:50:33.119
that Lucas is giving Max in season two. But instead,
00:50:33.199 --> 00:50:36.239
Lucas is thinking way too much of Elle versus
00:50:36.239 --> 00:50:40.079
Mike thinks way too little of Max. Yeah. Definitely.
00:50:41.099 --> 00:50:43.380
Yeah, it's pretty interesting. It really is.
00:50:43.659 --> 00:50:45.860
I have written down a couple different notes.
00:50:45.920 --> 00:50:48.599
Jonathan knows where his dad keeps his gun, and
00:50:48.599 --> 00:50:51.199
he can pick locks, and he can take killer photos
00:50:51.199 --> 00:50:54.260
and make breakfast and be caring of his family.
00:50:54.300 --> 00:50:58.440
Why is Nancy dating Steve at all? Jonathan is
00:50:58.440 --> 00:51:02.460
a full package of a man. Yes, but Steve has the
00:51:02.460 --> 00:51:06.639
hair. Jonathan does have very bad hair. That's
00:51:06.639 --> 00:51:09.659
very true. Yes. But also, like, Steve the Hair
00:51:09.659 --> 00:51:11.440
Harrington. Steve the Hair Harrington. Yeah,
00:51:11.519 --> 00:51:16.039
that's true. But also, like, Nancy's smart enough
00:51:16.039 --> 00:51:17.960
to know that there's more to life than hair.
00:51:18.800 --> 00:51:21.940
Yeah, I mean, but every teenage girl can get
00:51:21.940 --> 00:51:24.679
distracted by the hair for a hot minute. Come
00:51:24.679 --> 00:51:28.239
on. Stupid. She figures it out. She does, eventually,
00:51:28.500 --> 00:51:33.099
but she's an idiot. She does. What teenager isn't?
00:51:33.420 --> 00:51:35.880
That's very accurate. Sorry, teenagers, but it's
00:51:35.880 --> 00:51:39.320
true. We're all a little bit of an idiot when
00:51:39.320 --> 00:51:42.820
we're teens. It's fine. Yes. Hopper turns to
00:51:42.820 --> 00:51:44.780
Joyce's side is my favorite part of the season
00:51:44.780 --> 00:51:47.099
because he starts out so like, oh my gosh, is
00:51:47.099 --> 00:51:49.340
he just with Lonnie? Will's probably just with
00:51:49.340 --> 00:51:52.659
his dad. All the way to like, I know everything
00:51:52.659 --> 00:51:55.599
that you've been talking about is real. And I'm
00:51:55.599 --> 00:51:59.539
here to help. Yeah. That's by far my favorite
00:51:59.539 --> 00:52:03.150
part of the season. Alright, major question here.
00:52:03.230 --> 00:52:07.590
How is there a gate in the tree? The only thing
00:52:07.590 --> 00:52:15.269
that I can think of is that the Demogorgon, when
00:52:15.269 --> 00:52:20.190
on the scent of blood, can open a temporary passage
00:52:20.190 --> 00:52:23.949
to get through, same as him attempting to go
00:52:23.949 --> 00:52:26.530
through the wall. But how? In Joyce's place.
00:52:27.150 --> 00:52:32.820
I don't know. Because Demogorgon magic? But how
00:52:32.820 --> 00:52:36.440
do Demogorgons have magic? I don't know. Yeah,
00:52:36.480 --> 00:52:39.199
okay. So this is my real speculation is that
00:52:39.199 --> 00:52:43.119
Vecna is doing this. That Vecna, the other telekinetic
00:52:43.119 --> 00:52:46.619
being in the world that's been in there is open.
00:52:46.699 --> 00:52:48.420
But then a part of me is like, but then why isn't
00:52:48.420 --> 00:52:51.719
he just popping out and doing that? And is it
00:52:51.719 --> 00:52:53.920
just like because the rift is weak and therefore
00:52:53.920 --> 00:52:56.500
things are now starting to pop open everywhere?
00:52:56.820 --> 00:52:59.289
Like, I just don't understand. Why this tree
00:52:59.289 --> 00:53:01.690
has a hole and why a Demogorgon can be like,
00:53:01.750 --> 00:53:04.389
I can now press through to the other side. He's
00:53:04.389 --> 00:53:06.670
not the door. Sorry, that's a terrible joke.
00:53:07.050 --> 00:53:10.750
Break on through to the other side. No, I got
00:53:10.750 --> 00:53:15.469
you. So, okay, but here's the thing. So here
00:53:15.469 --> 00:53:18.750
there's a gate in a tree and the Demogorgon can
00:53:18.750 --> 00:53:21.110
pop through and Nancy can go through. In the
00:53:21.110 --> 00:53:24.090
next season, Hop digs a hole into the Upside
00:53:24.090 --> 00:53:28.530
Down. Right. So, I think it's just, like, once
00:53:28.530 --> 00:53:32.969
the gate is open, the veil is weak. It's, like,
00:53:32.989 --> 00:53:36.190
just tears through the time -space continuum,
00:53:36.309 --> 00:53:40.210
essentially, of, Sam, the real reason is it's
00:53:40.210 --> 00:53:44.710
wibbly -wobbly timey -wimey time. I know that's
00:53:44.710 --> 00:53:47.170
the real reason that it's there, because the
00:53:47.170 --> 00:53:50.090
plot needs points, but, like, I just want to
00:53:50.090 --> 00:53:53.630
understand for the world what's going on. I know.
00:53:53.630 --> 00:53:58.130
It's so frustrating. uh you know what's not what
00:53:58.130 --> 00:54:01.869
is also frustrating but understandable yeah is
00:54:01.869 --> 00:54:07.670
your hatred of mike i do i do not i do not like
00:54:07.670 --> 00:54:10.969
mike and that's one of my main notes here i and
00:54:10.969 --> 00:54:12.989
this this will continue you are not like the
00:54:12.989 --> 00:54:17.869
movie from like mike yes i'm not like the commercials
00:54:17.869 --> 00:54:20.550
like mike if he was michael jeffrey jordan's
00:54:20.550 --> 00:54:25.990
i would absolutely like mike but he's not Michael,
00:54:25.990 --> 00:54:28.449
whatever their last name is, that's not Byers.
00:54:28.909 --> 00:54:32.809
Wheeler. Wheeler, thank you. Okay, this will
00:54:32.809 --> 00:54:35.250
continue every season that I don't like Mike.
00:54:35.389 --> 00:54:37.769
One of my all -time favorite moments is when
00:54:37.769 --> 00:54:42.000
Hopper... decides to to not quiet parent or soft
00:54:42.000 --> 00:54:44.500
parent mike when he's like i'll use my words
00:54:44.500 --> 00:54:47.059
and then he just decides to lay into him and
00:54:47.059 --> 00:54:50.440
like in the car when mike's being an absolute
00:54:50.440 --> 00:54:53.679
like garbage faced human being to him and he
00:54:53.679 --> 00:54:55.400
just feels it and i'm like yeah and i'm like
00:54:55.400 --> 00:54:57.300
i'm not that type of person in real life i think
00:54:57.300 --> 00:54:58.980
everyone should use their words and you should
00:54:58.980 --> 00:55:03.039
be patient and good with but like i can't stand
00:55:03.039 --> 00:55:06.780
this kid i love the actor he's great But Mike
00:55:06.780 --> 00:55:09.139
is just so annoying. And people are like, oh,
00:55:09.159 --> 00:55:11.019
he's the leader. He's like my favorite character.
00:55:11.119 --> 00:55:13.440
What leadership is he doing? Just looking at
00:55:13.440 --> 00:55:15.519
Al and being like, what's wrong with you? And
00:55:15.519 --> 00:55:21.019
boom, leadership done. Out. Tell me. Okay, I
00:55:21.019 --> 00:55:27.139
will. I will, however. I will get to this when
00:55:27.139 --> 00:55:30.340
we start talking about the crazy serial killer.
00:55:30.880 --> 00:55:35.260
kid i will get to the the little bit of redeeming
00:55:35.260 --> 00:55:37.619
mike ness okay we'll get there great we'll get
00:55:37.619 --> 00:55:39.900
there his willingness to just jump off a quarry
00:55:39.900 --> 00:55:42.780
being like i'll be fine i mean basically but
00:55:42.780 --> 00:55:45.840
but here's the thing we'll get there okay sorry
00:55:45.840 --> 00:55:50.480
all right all right before then before then mike
00:55:50.480 --> 00:55:54.820
makes a comment that it's like r2d2 trying to
00:55:54.820 --> 00:55:58.349
fight darth vader um I'm sorry, but I think that
00:55:58.349 --> 00:56:02.329
would actually probably go pretty well. Okay.
00:56:02.349 --> 00:56:05.210
I think R2 -D2 has a great chance of fighting
00:56:05.210 --> 00:56:08.289
Vader, and here's a couple reasons why. First
00:56:08.289 --> 00:56:11.809
of all, the personal relationship between R2
00:56:11.809 --> 00:56:17.849
-D2 and Anakin Skywalker, in and of itself, I
00:56:17.849 --> 00:56:21.610
think, could lend itself very well. R2 -D2 knows
00:56:21.610 --> 00:56:28.139
how to interact with this man. and has the ability
00:56:28.139 --> 00:56:35.420
as the narrator of the story to defeat Darth
00:56:35.420 --> 00:56:38.860
Vader. I was thinking about this a lot. Sneaky.
00:56:39.739 --> 00:56:42.739
Sneaky ways. He's not going to one -on -one combat
00:56:42.739 --> 00:56:48.320
him. That's the main point. At first I was like,
00:56:48.440 --> 00:56:51.599
what the heck? I don't want to get us too sidetracked,
00:56:51.699 --> 00:56:55.510
but at first I was like, Sierra, this is stupid.
00:56:55.610 --> 00:56:59.989
This would not go well. Vader would, like, coke
00:56:59.989 --> 00:57:04.769
crush R2 against his head. Like, he just uses
00:57:04.769 --> 00:57:07.510
the force on this metal and goes... Like, do
00:57:07.510 --> 00:57:10.889
we not remember when he woke up and said no and
00:57:10.889 --> 00:57:13.389
destroyed the hospital that he was in when he
00:57:13.389 --> 00:57:15.610
turned to Vader? And then I was like, oh, wait,
00:57:15.670 --> 00:57:17.710
no, but R2 knows that Anakin's Vader. Oh, wait,
00:57:17.730 --> 00:57:20.309
no, he doesn't. And he doesn't know the extent
00:57:20.309 --> 00:57:24.980
of his injuries. because he wasn't there on Mustafar.
00:57:25.039 --> 00:57:26.599
He got told to stay with the ship, which is the
00:57:26.599 --> 00:57:29.239
whole reason why R2, when Luke was like, stay
00:57:29.239 --> 00:57:32.360
with the ship, R2's like, no, in Empire. No.
00:57:32.760 --> 00:57:37.639
Yeah. But... Ha ha. I learned from my mistake.
00:57:38.659 --> 00:57:43.179
Fool me once, shame on you. And R2 is like, and
00:57:43.179 --> 00:57:46.119
R2 is kind of validated by that decision because...
00:57:46.400 --> 00:57:48.679
Luke only loses a hand. He doesn't lose three
00:57:48.679 --> 00:57:51.780
limbs and get burnt to a crisp. So that's a point
00:57:51.780 --> 00:57:58.300
for R2. But this is not Star Wars. So then I
00:57:58.300 --> 00:58:02.480
was like, okay, actually, though, Vader has a
00:58:02.480 --> 00:58:04.519
lot of metal in him. A lot of machinery in him.
00:58:04.559 --> 00:58:06.780
R2 is a droid. His whole thing is to mess around
00:58:06.780 --> 00:58:09.639
with machinery. And so if R2, probably with all
00:58:09.639 --> 00:58:12.099
of his sensors, pick up that Vader is... mainly
00:58:12.099 --> 00:58:16.280
metal for almost all of his limbs, and that his
00:58:16.280 --> 00:58:18.139
suit regulates his breathing and all that sort
00:58:18.139 --> 00:58:21.699
of stuff. I do wonder, because again, Vader can't
00:58:21.699 --> 00:58:25.960
sense metal in the Force. Right. It brings all
00:58:25.960 --> 00:58:28.039
living beings together, and as much as R2 and
00:58:28.039 --> 00:58:31.500
C -3PO, we love them, they're not technically
00:58:31.500 --> 00:58:33.840
by Force standards living unless they're like
00:58:33.840 --> 00:58:36.599
R5, but that's a whole different discussion.
00:58:37.980 --> 00:58:42.920
Yeah. So... I think it would be possible if R2
00:58:42.920 --> 00:58:47.380
is sneaky that he fires off an EMB and just completely
00:58:47.380 --> 00:58:51.039
obliterates Vader's suit. His life support system
00:58:51.039 --> 00:58:56.960
is just decimated. I'm saying. And then I think
00:58:56.960 --> 00:58:58.719
it could work out. Otherwise, I think he has
00:58:58.719 --> 00:59:00.800
absolutely no choice. Because I really do think
00:59:00.800 --> 00:59:03.360
they would just pan over. And if it was Stranger
00:59:03.360 --> 00:59:05.119
Things, they would pan over and Archie would
00:59:05.119 --> 00:59:07.340
be literally painted to look like a Coke can
00:59:07.340 --> 00:59:09.519
for product placement. And then he would just
00:59:09.519 --> 00:59:13.639
L Stranger Things the Coke can. But it would
00:59:13.639 --> 00:59:20.519
be Vader and DT. Anyways. I love this. Also,
00:59:20.980 --> 00:59:24.960
I forgot how much we hate Steve. Yeah. In this
00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:30.659
first season. Absolutely. And also, I wrote this
00:59:30.659 --> 00:59:33.659
here and then I continued, you know, my rewatch.
00:59:34.059 --> 00:59:38.739
But I said, also, do we just never hear about
00:59:38.739 --> 00:59:42.019
his terrible friends again? Do they die? Please
00:59:42.019 --> 00:59:44.940
tell me they die. Okay. So my headcanon for this.
00:59:44.940 --> 00:59:50.300
Because his friends are horrible. My headcanon
00:59:50.300 --> 00:59:54.480
for this is that this Troy, who we're going to
00:59:54.480 --> 00:59:55.980
speak of, we've been alluding to this moment
00:59:55.980 --> 00:59:58.139
the whole time, and we're still not there, but
00:59:58.139 --> 00:59:59.820
that Troy, who's the guy that threatens Dustin
00:59:59.820 --> 01:00:02.860
with a knife, is actually a little itty -bitty
01:00:02.860 --> 01:00:08.460
committee serial killer. And he goes around offing
01:00:08.460 --> 01:00:10.119
some people, and that's why certain characters
01:00:10.119 --> 01:00:13.500
disappear, including himself. We never really
01:00:13.500 --> 01:00:17.179
see Troy that much again. And so he does that
01:00:17.179 --> 01:00:20.599
to Steve's... terrible friends and that's the
01:00:20.599 --> 01:00:22.500
reason why they're gone is that he's just the
01:00:22.500 --> 01:00:24.739
background serial killer that victim's like hey
01:00:24.739 --> 01:00:28.400
i'm not even having to do all the bad stuff that
01:00:28.400 --> 01:00:35.860
would be a wild side story criminal minds taking
01:00:35.860 --> 01:00:39.360
place during strange would be a great spin -off
01:00:39.360 --> 01:00:44.280
it would be great uh Yes, finally in episode
01:00:44.280 --> 01:00:47.019
seven, though, as I spoke about before, we start
01:00:47.019 --> 01:00:50.159
getting some inner storyline communication. It
01:00:50.159 --> 01:00:55.639
absolutely drives me nuts. I get very anxious
01:00:55.639 --> 01:00:59.059
sometimes during these seasons when certain people
01:00:59.059 --> 01:01:02.119
know certain things and they're just not sharing
01:01:02.119 --> 01:01:05.079
it with the class. I'm like, you guys are brother
01:01:05.079 --> 01:01:12.050
and sister. Talk. talk you you guys are our uh
01:01:12.050 --> 01:01:16.489
son and mother just share something i'm like
01:01:16.489 --> 01:01:21.090
you guys are in the same house like share something
01:01:21.090 --> 01:01:23.750
drives me nuts but then hop is getting all the
01:01:23.750 --> 01:01:27.070
pieces together thank goodness that he can start
01:01:27.070 --> 01:01:31.170
actually melding it into one and he's not like
01:01:31.170 --> 01:01:34.090
one track minded just thinking oh that can't
01:01:34.090 --> 01:01:37.219
have anything to do with this Goodness gracious,
01:01:37.420 --> 01:01:39.519
it's a good thing he doesn't believe in coincidences.
01:01:40.239 --> 01:01:44.880
And he's able to pull it all together, and it's
01:01:44.880 --> 01:01:48.219
awesome. Thank goodness. Speaking of things that
01:01:48.219 --> 01:01:50.619
drive me crazy and Hopper melding together, can
01:01:50.619 --> 01:01:53.940
we get him a new hat? I hate his hat. His hat's
01:01:53.940 --> 01:01:57.159
terrible. It doesn't really work for his head.
01:01:57.739 --> 01:01:59.400
It's like, you know, supposed to be going for
01:01:59.400 --> 01:02:02.139
this kind of old -fashioned noir. Also, Joyce
01:02:02.139 --> 01:02:05.099
is a phenomenal mother. She's concerned about
01:02:05.099 --> 01:02:08.480
Elle. Immediately. She is so desperate to go
01:02:08.480 --> 01:02:10.679
find Will that she won't let Hopper go without
01:02:10.679 --> 01:02:12.820
him at the end of season or episode seven. I
01:02:12.820 --> 01:02:16.360
keep seeing season. My God. It's just she's she's
01:02:16.360 --> 01:02:18.780
so good. And I just love her so much. She's really
01:02:18.780 --> 01:02:24.260
great. A parent that I is not great. That is
01:02:24.260 --> 01:02:27.699
really not not excellent. We haven't seen an
01:02:27.699 --> 01:02:30.380
excellent moment from this man at all, which
01:02:30.380 --> 01:02:34.980
is Mr. Wheeler has this lovely quote. This is
01:02:34.980 --> 01:02:38.809
our government. They're on our side. Insert laugh
01:02:38.809 --> 01:02:42.789
cry emojis until I die. He's so oblivious, it's
01:02:42.789 --> 01:02:46.989
crazy. Oh, God. But I feel like that's such a,
01:02:46.989 --> 01:02:52.949
like, 80s middle class guy thing to think is
01:02:52.949 --> 01:02:57.019
like, hey. we got through a couple of wars. Like
01:02:57.019 --> 01:02:59.880
we're in a good, our government is on our side.
01:02:59.880 --> 01:03:01.920
You know, we haven't had all the scandals come
01:03:01.920 --> 01:03:05.000
out yet. We haven't had. It's interesting to
01:03:05.000 --> 01:03:06.940
hear from a real life perspective. Cause Reagan.
01:03:07.500 --> 01:03:10.000
is president at the time and one of his like
01:03:10.000 --> 01:03:12.679
most famous quotes about government is the eight
01:03:12.679 --> 01:03:14.880
scariest words in the human language are i'm
01:03:14.880 --> 01:03:17.059
from the government and i'm here to help so the
01:03:17.059 --> 01:03:19.559
fact that he he seems like he would be a reaganite
01:03:19.559 --> 01:03:22.980
man right he lives in indiana in the midst of
01:03:22.980 --> 01:03:26.960
uh and is a white suburban man those in general
01:03:26.960 --> 01:03:28.980
those were voters for reagan you would think
01:03:28.980 --> 01:03:30.980
he'd be like oh the government they're here to
01:03:30.980 --> 01:03:33.719
help oh no but no he's like i'm sure they're
01:03:33.719 --> 01:03:37.849
on our side Totally. Everything's fine, honey.
01:03:37.929 --> 01:03:40.389
You let them go through our children's rooms.
01:03:40.449 --> 01:03:44.789
No problem. They can upturn our entire existence.
01:03:44.889 --> 01:03:47.849
Whatever. They didn't even show up for it. It's
01:03:47.849 --> 01:03:53.369
fine. Yeah. It's totally fine. Oh, Lord almighty.
01:03:54.050 --> 01:03:59.090
Okay. We are here at the moment that we've been
01:03:59.090 --> 01:04:06.860
waiting for. I forgot. how extreme it's so extreme
01:04:06.860 --> 01:04:10.599
this scene is so obviously troy's this bully
01:04:10.599 --> 01:04:13.860
he's been bullying the boys throughout because
01:04:13.860 --> 01:04:16.599
they're nerds and he's a jock we think i mean
01:04:16.599 --> 01:04:21.019
his name's troy one could only assume and so
01:04:21.019 --> 01:04:24.219
we can only assume that he's been you know really
01:04:24.219 --> 01:04:28.880
bullying and whatever however i'm sorry a middle
01:04:28.880 --> 01:04:34.550
schooler going to cut a kid's throat Or cut his
01:04:34.550 --> 01:04:38.849
teeth out of his mouth. Is absolutely insane.
01:04:39.710 --> 01:04:43.489
This kid is the kid of all the kids who needs
01:04:43.489 --> 01:04:48.949
all of the therapy. Because that is insane. It's
01:04:48.949 --> 01:04:54.349
insane. The entire scene is just wild. From the
01:04:54.349 --> 01:04:57.969
fact that he grabs Dustin and puts a knife to
01:04:57.969 --> 01:05:02.090
his throat. And then tells Mike to go walk off.
01:05:02.519 --> 01:05:05.760
A cliff? Or he's gonna cut his baby teeth out?
01:05:05.840 --> 01:05:09.900
Like, what the heck? What? This is - That's like,
01:05:09.980 --> 01:05:14.739
it goes from middle school bully to absolutely
01:05:14.739 --> 01:05:20.639
insane asylum worthy speech in five seconds.
01:05:20.659 --> 01:05:23.800
So this is my, from a writing perspective and
01:05:23.800 --> 01:05:26.840
from like a show perspective, my least favorite
01:05:26.840 --> 01:05:32.050
moment of everything. Uh, that includes the desert
01:05:32.050 --> 01:05:35.650
storyline in season four. That includes the Chicago
01:05:35.650 --> 01:05:39.110
storyline in season two, which are massively
01:05:39.110 --> 01:05:41.829
unpopular storylines with a lot of fans. I, I
01:05:41.829 --> 01:05:44.309
just like, I don't understand the reason for
01:05:44.309 --> 01:05:47.530
ratcheting up. Yeah. And the fact that he's like,
01:05:47.570 --> 01:05:52.420
he tells Mike to go kill himself is. Yeah. Literally.
01:05:52.420 --> 01:05:53.800
And you don't have to do that. You could have
01:05:53.800 --> 01:05:56.699
had it where they have a scrap and he gets accidentally
01:05:56.699 --> 01:06:00.239
pushed off. There's no reason to up this bully
01:06:00.239 --> 01:06:04.239
level so dramatically. It feels like sort of
01:06:04.239 --> 01:06:06.199
a rookie writing workshop mistake that you get
01:06:06.199 --> 01:06:09.219
in your initial creative writing class, to me.
01:06:09.320 --> 01:06:13.460
It just feels like somebody just overshot. I
01:06:13.460 --> 01:06:15.039
don't mean to criticize the writers that much.
01:06:15.079 --> 01:06:16.980
I think they do a phenomenal job. The rest of
01:06:16.980 --> 01:06:19.619
the show is absolutely incredible. I just do
01:06:19.619 --> 01:06:23.079
not understand this moment from a writing or
01:06:23.079 --> 01:06:26.360
a show perspective. Troy, squeezing bladder to
01:06:26.360 --> 01:06:27.780
put yourself in front of the school to murder?
01:06:28.260 --> 01:06:30.800
Yeah, exactly. And permanent disfiguration? What?
01:06:31.340 --> 01:06:35.320
Yeah. Being a little bit humiliated all the way
01:06:35.320 --> 01:06:38.260
up to just, I'm going to murder you and your
01:06:38.260 --> 01:06:43.969
friends, essentially, is just... bonkers bonkers
01:06:43.969 --> 01:06:49.530
um we do however get one little moment of redemption
01:06:49.530 --> 01:06:55.030
for all of mike's whining um which is that he
01:06:55.030 --> 01:07:01.070
is literally ride or die for his friends um because
01:07:01.070 --> 01:07:06.530
he is he is going to die i mean it's crazy i
01:07:06.530 --> 01:07:08.170
don't think he realizes that he's going to die
01:07:08.170 --> 01:07:10.199
though because he's he's like no it's fine I
01:07:10.199 --> 01:07:13.579
don't think so either. He's just, yeah, I think
01:07:13.579 --> 01:07:15.059
he just thinks he's going to get really hurt
01:07:15.059 --> 01:07:19.980
or something like that. But there's not a way
01:07:19.980 --> 01:07:22.019
he lives through that. No, I mean, Hopper explains
01:07:22.019 --> 01:07:24.099
it at the beginning. The water becomes like cement,
01:07:24.159 --> 01:07:28.380
as he calls it. Yeah, exactly. And I just, like,
01:07:28.420 --> 01:07:30.320
I don't think, and I think Troy probably also
01:07:30.320 --> 01:07:32.280
doesn't understand that he's going to die, to
01:07:32.280 --> 01:07:34.440
be fair. Probably not. I think everybody just
01:07:34.440 --> 01:07:37.719
has this misconception that water is not a solid
01:07:37.719 --> 01:07:40.059
and that... When you get up to terminal velocity,
01:07:40.300 --> 01:07:44.460
it's going to be okay. Yeah. But, and like, the
01:07:44.460 --> 01:07:46.460
only chance Mike would even have is if he pencil
01:07:46.460 --> 01:07:49.900
dived with a perfect, perfect angle. But he doesn't.
01:07:49.900 --> 01:07:51.980
He goes belly flop, which is, he's going to shatter
01:07:51.980 --> 01:07:56.239
all of his bones. Yeah. But also, I will tell,
01:07:56.360 --> 01:07:58.780
I will say, okay, so sure, Mike is willing to
01:07:58.780 --> 01:08:02.099
make sure that Dustin isn't hurt. That's true.
01:08:02.440 --> 01:08:05.579
He's also stupid, though. And this is my whole
01:08:05.579 --> 01:08:07.920
thing about, oh, he's such a great leader. Is
01:08:07.920 --> 01:08:10.760
he? Like, the smart thing to do is just to be
01:08:10.760 --> 01:08:13.179
like, hey, man, you're going to permanently disfigure
01:08:13.179 --> 01:08:15.280
my friend. We're going to go tell everybody who
01:08:15.280 --> 01:08:17.239
did this and you're going to get arrested. Like,
01:08:17.260 --> 01:08:21.140
there's... Yeah. What? Also, like, they're baby
01:08:21.140 --> 01:08:23.840
teeth. So, like, he doesn't... As Dustin says,
01:08:24.000 --> 01:08:27.159
he doesn't need them. Like, just keep fighting.
01:08:27.359 --> 01:08:30.260
Like, unless he's actually going to kill... He's
01:08:30.260 --> 01:08:34.300
just an idiot. Yeah. But again, it's the whole
01:08:34.300 --> 01:08:36.609
scene. It's just upsetting. But you're right.
01:08:36.649 --> 01:08:38.770
He's literally right or die. He's a very loyal
01:08:38.770 --> 01:08:41.670
friend. He'd make a great, stupid Hufflepuff.
01:08:42.109 --> 01:08:44.630
For now. Before he has a girlfriend. Before he
01:08:44.630 --> 01:08:48.050
has a girlfriend, indeed. Speaking of having
01:08:48.050 --> 01:08:50.829
feelings, you've got your last note here. My
01:08:50.829 --> 01:08:55.329
last note here just cracked me up. From now on,
01:08:55.409 --> 01:08:57.609
we tell each other everything between Mike and
01:08:57.609 --> 01:09:00.050
Nancy, and then they immediately lie to each
01:09:00.050 --> 01:09:03.989
other about their emotions, which is just a classic
01:09:03.989 --> 01:09:07.390
sibling move that really tickled me. Absolutely.
01:09:07.869 --> 01:09:10.510
It's like, we tell each other everything from
01:09:10.510 --> 01:09:12.770
now on. Immediate lies. Are you dating Jonathan?
01:09:12.949 --> 01:09:17.470
What? No. Do you like Eleven? No. Okay. Great.
01:09:17.630 --> 01:09:20.390
Great. We're all on the same page. Excellent.
01:09:20.609 --> 01:09:24.770
Excellent. Lovely, lovely. So funny. You know,
01:09:24.909 --> 01:09:29.210
Sam, what is the most important character moment
01:09:29.210 --> 01:09:32.170
of this set of episodes? The only thing that
01:09:32.170 --> 01:09:34.970
I think is actually the most important moment,
01:09:35.010 --> 01:09:36.649
because there's a lot of moments that are leading
01:09:36.649 --> 01:09:39.649
up to episode eight. So none of them have really
01:09:39.649 --> 01:09:43.350
reached their sort of climax. But I think. Right.
01:09:43.680 --> 01:09:46.279
In this case, it's Nancy gaining her confidence
01:09:46.279 --> 01:09:48.819
and sense of self, where she wields the gun,
01:09:49.020 --> 01:09:52.039
she goes into the forest with Jonathan, she goes
01:09:52.039 --> 01:09:55.119
into the unknown. The unknown. She goes into
01:09:55.119 --> 01:09:57.119
the... Well, it is the unknown, but the upside
01:09:57.119 --> 01:10:00.119
down. Into the unknown! Sorry, no, we're not
01:10:00.119 --> 01:10:01.539
going to get copyrighted on that one. Don't get
01:10:01.539 --> 01:10:06.899
sued, Sierra! Dang it! You had one job! One job!
01:10:09.710 --> 01:10:13.689
Our GoFundMe will be at SierraDon'tGetSuedGoFundMe
01:10:13.689 --> 01:10:18.029
.com. No, I think that it's her moment of diving
01:10:18.029 --> 01:10:21.069
into, like, actually going through the tree hole
01:10:21.069 --> 01:10:23.750
to the upside down. I think that character moment
01:10:23.750 --> 01:10:26.869
is so important for what defines Nancy for the
01:10:26.869 --> 01:10:30.869
rest of the series. Yeah. No, I definitely would
01:10:30.869 --> 01:10:33.829
agree, for sure. Fantastic. And I know that you
01:10:33.829 --> 01:10:35.630
just lost a hand, Sierra, but I'd like you to
01:10:35.630 --> 01:10:38.739
listen, because it's time. For I am your father
01:10:38.739 --> 01:10:43.760
category of most iconic character moment. It
01:10:43.760 --> 01:10:48.039
has to be Eleven flipping the van. That's so
01:10:48.039 --> 01:10:50.439
iconic. I mean, you think of Stranger Things
01:10:50.439 --> 01:10:59.310
and it's just the... The slow -mo. Yeah. Awesome.
01:10:59.369 --> 01:11:01.930
Awesome. Awesome. I mean, it already has all
01:11:01.930 --> 01:11:06.430
of the 80s E .T. vibes. It already has... The
01:11:06.430 --> 01:11:08.550
bad men are coming. Yeah, exactly. They're all
01:11:08.550 --> 01:11:12.970
in vans. And instead of them going up and over
01:11:12.970 --> 01:11:15.449
the canyon, it's her flipping the bus up and
01:11:15.449 --> 01:11:17.850
over. It's beautiful. Exactly. It's phenomenal.
01:11:18.210 --> 01:11:21.710
So good. It's amazing. You and I are the opposite
01:11:21.710 --> 01:11:23.569
of whatever those Muppets are called. Waldorf
01:11:23.569 --> 01:11:26.529
and whatever his name is. We're not heckling.
01:11:26.590 --> 01:11:31.250
We're absolutely... Adorizing it. Yes. I have
01:11:31.250 --> 01:11:33.850
two honorable mentions for this because it is
01:11:33.850 --> 01:11:37.989
100 % the 11 flipping the van. I will say Hopper
01:11:37.989 --> 01:11:40.029
entering Joyce's house with the sign saying don't
01:11:40.029 --> 01:11:41.569
say anything and his finger on his lips is a
01:11:41.569 --> 01:11:45.989
great, is an amazing moment. It's pretty great.
01:11:45.989 --> 01:11:47.949
I don't know that it's iconic, but every time
01:11:47.949 --> 01:11:50.949
I see it, I'd forgotten it every time, which
01:11:50.949 --> 01:11:52.949
is why I don't think it's iconic. But every time
01:11:52.949 --> 01:11:58.159
I'm like, oh yeah, give it to me. Let's go. And
01:11:58.159 --> 01:12:00.300
then Eleven stealing the Eggos and breaking the
01:12:00.300 --> 01:12:02.300
store I think is actually iconic. Her, like,
01:12:02.380 --> 01:12:06.380
piling those Eggos into her arm. But product
01:12:06.380 --> 01:12:09.579
placement will always sort of jot it down a bit.
01:12:09.619 --> 01:12:15.859
Detract. Yeah, for real. Yeah. Everybody, sit
01:12:15.859 --> 01:12:21.680
down. It's time for our I Am Iron Man. Most iconic
01:12:21.680 --> 01:12:25.760
and most important scene. category so i've got
01:12:25.760 --> 01:12:28.939
a couple of different versions mainly just two
01:12:28.939 --> 01:12:31.340
in fact they're just it's literally a couple
01:12:31.340 --> 01:12:35.520
um there's the bus face -off scene which we return
01:12:35.520 --> 01:12:38.100
we return up to this sort of like car graveyard
01:12:38.100 --> 01:12:41.279
up on a hill uh setting a lot it reminds me a
01:12:41.279 --> 01:12:43.420
little bit of dragon age 2 where you're like
01:12:43.420 --> 01:12:46.619
oh the warehouse where my mom got torn apart
01:12:46.619 --> 01:12:48.920
is also the warehouse where this chest is and
01:12:48.920 --> 01:12:50.960
it's also this place where i'm meeting the slave
01:12:50.960 --> 01:12:55.279
traders um and this is one of those places uh
01:12:55.279 --> 01:12:58.640
so they're up in this old school bus they're
01:12:58.640 --> 01:13:01.720
hiding from the bad men with l and lucas and
01:13:01.720 --> 01:13:05.239
mike and crew and they're trying to see if hopper
01:13:05.239 --> 01:13:10.579
is lando where he's betrayed them or if he's
01:13:10.579 --> 01:13:15.579
yeah actually cool uh Three men arrive in suits
01:13:15.579 --> 01:13:18.819
and off screen we hear somebody take them out.
01:13:19.140 --> 01:13:21.359
And then Hopper comes on the bus and says, let's
01:13:21.359 --> 01:13:24.079
go! And, you know, it sort of picks up from there.
01:13:24.140 --> 01:13:26.840
So good. The other one that I have is perhaps
01:13:26.840 --> 01:13:29.300
also the kiddie pool sensory deprivation tank
01:13:29.300 --> 01:13:31.520
in the school gymnasium scene. The school gym
01:13:31.520 --> 01:13:33.920
becomes such another one of those places that
01:13:33.920 --> 01:13:38.649
we keep going back to. the sort of salt in the
01:13:38.649 --> 01:13:40.750
pool deprivation tank becomes almost somewhat
01:13:40.750 --> 01:13:43.630
of a cliche scene now for stranger things. So
01:13:43.630 --> 01:13:46.430
those are my two iconic scenes, but we got to
01:13:46.430 --> 01:13:49.029
pick one. So where, where are you leaning? I
01:13:49.029 --> 01:13:51.949
think I'd lean towards the bus face off more
01:13:51.949 --> 01:13:58.029
just because I think I don't, when I think of
01:13:58.029 --> 01:14:02.890
more like iconic situations and scenes in. Stranger
01:14:02.890 --> 01:14:06.789
Things over the seasons, I do remember the bus
01:14:06.789 --> 01:14:10.109
and the car graveyard a lot more than I ever
01:14:10.109 --> 01:14:13.449
think about them being in the gym. So I think
01:14:13.449 --> 01:14:17.130
that just becomes a little bit more impactful
01:14:17.130 --> 01:14:23.949
when you have them luring the demodogs from that
01:14:23.949 --> 01:14:27.510
same bus, and then they come back to the bus
01:14:27.510 --> 01:14:32.510
again. When they're tracking both up and below
01:14:32.510 --> 01:14:35.310
and things like that. So I feel like just for
01:14:35.310 --> 01:14:39.409
kind of leading through all the different seasons,
01:14:39.470 --> 01:14:45.130
I would argue that that is more important based
01:14:45.130 --> 01:14:53.510
on location. Location, location, location. Plus,
01:14:53.550 --> 01:14:56.770
I think that it's the first time that the kids
01:14:56.770 --> 01:14:59.649
really see Hopper as someone that they can trust
01:14:59.649 --> 01:15:04.430
and connect with and not just like another adult.
01:15:04.710 --> 01:15:06.590
Yeah, that's true. That's absolutely true. Okay,
01:15:06.649 --> 01:15:08.909
we'll go with that one. So now it's time to crack
01:15:08.909 --> 01:15:11.810
open an encyclopedia because it is, as Elijah
01:15:11.810 --> 01:15:15.569
Wood once said, no, how could we have known category
01:15:15.569 --> 01:15:17.989
where we discuss the most important information
01:15:17.989 --> 01:15:21.569
disseminated to the fandom over these last three
01:15:21.569 --> 01:15:26.500
episodes. Which you've got. Yes, Eleven opened
01:15:26.500 --> 01:15:29.500
the gate when trying to make contact with the
01:15:29.500 --> 01:15:32.039
Demogorgon. We've talked about this so much,
01:15:32.079 --> 01:15:37.239
but yes, absolutely. I mean, that's like the
01:15:37.239 --> 01:15:40.939
most vital piece of information that is passed
01:15:40.939 --> 01:15:44.399
along during these episodes is that that is how
01:15:44.399 --> 01:15:48.090
this gate was opened. Yeah. There's still so
01:15:48.090 --> 01:15:49.390
much we don't... We've talked about this. We
01:15:49.390 --> 01:15:51.130
don't understand about it. I know. It's crazy.
01:15:51.890 --> 01:15:55.329
So keep that in mind for season five. Eleven
01:15:55.329 --> 01:16:01.729
opens the gate. She's that powerful. Yes. Time
01:16:01.729 --> 01:16:05.630
to keep your horses safe. It is the I'm gonna
01:16:05.630 --> 01:16:09.029
make him an offer he can't refuse category of
01:16:09.029 --> 01:16:14.720
best lines. I absolutely love, she's our friend
01:16:14.720 --> 01:16:20.640
and she's crazy. I, if this other line didn't
01:16:20.640 --> 01:16:24.359
happen, Sierra, I would be 100 % with you. That
01:16:24.359 --> 01:16:27.640
that is the best line. But it's unacceptable
01:16:27.640 --> 01:16:31.340
when compared to the police station secretary
01:16:31.340 --> 01:16:35.770
who's talking. to nancy about jonathan after
01:16:35.770 --> 01:16:39.510
he beats up steve and she cooks on this line
01:16:39.510 --> 01:16:43.590
when she says you know she's like tell your boyfriend
01:16:43.590 --> 01:16:45.890
and nancy's like what he's he's not my boyfriend
01:16:45.890 --> 01:16:49.050
what would make you say that and she goes yeah
01:16:49.050 --> 01:16:52.350
she's she's putting ice into like some sort of
01:16:52.350 --> 01:16:55.069
handkerchief or towel or something uh because
01:16:55.069 --> 01:16:56.590
it's the 80s and they haven't made ice packs
01:16:56.590 --> 01:17:01.340
apparently uh and she she goes Only loves make
01:17:01.340 --> 01:17:03.939
you that crazy sweetheart and then hands her
01:17:03.939 --> 01:17:11.699
the ice pack and that damn stupid. It's amazing.
01:17:12.960 --> 01:17:15.460
And that's absolutely the best line in which
01:17:15.460 --> 01:17:18.659
you cannot. Fair enough. Thank you. Also, I will
01:17:18.659 --> 01:17:20.600
point out that right after that, Nancy immediately
01:17:20.600 --> 01:17:23.319
takes all the credit for the ice because she
01:17:23.319 --> 01:17:25.880
hands the ice to Jonathan and she goes, found
01:17:25.880 --> 01:17:30.720
some ice. No, you didn't. You were handed it
01:17:30.720 --> 01:17:32.979
while being given a life lesson by a random woman.
01:17:37.680 --> 01:17:42.939
Oh, gosh. Dust off that old card deck. Get ready
01:17:42.939 --> 01:17:45.899
to shuffle. It's our Joker category. For who
01:17:45.899 --> 01:17:48.600
is the MVP of this episode, I have three choices
01:17:48.600 --> 01:17:51.659
for you, Sierra. Okay. All right, I'm ready.
01:17:51.720 --> 01:17:54.859
Nancy Jonathan, who do the whole figuring out
01:17:54.859 --> 01:17:57.970
to go into a tree hole. Yeah. Get the Demogorgon,
01:17:57.970 --> 01:17:59.970
understand that it's attracted to blood, all
01:17:59.970 --> 01:18:03.409
that sort of stuff. You've got Dustin, who's
01:18:03.409 --> 01:18:05.609
the one who does all the math figures for the
01:18:05.609 --> 01:18:09.170
sensory deprivation tank, which confirms Barb's
01:18:09.170 --> 01:18:15.670
death and Will's being alive. Or, and I think
01:18:15.670 --> 01:18:18.430
I would go with this guy. Just pound for pound
01:18:18.430 --> 01:18:22.409
impact, which is just my favorite way to think
01:18:22.409 --> 01:18:29.340
about MVPs, is Mr. Clark. Because he, in this,
01:18:29.380 --> 01:18:33.939
explains the entire premise of punching through
01:18:33.939 --> 01:18:36.800
to different dimensions and giving them the clues
01:18:36.800 --> 01:18:39.659
of gravitational pull and electromagnetic pulses
01:18:39.659 --> 01:18:42.020
and all that stuff. He's not on the screen for
01:18:42.020 --> 01:18:45.579
very long, but he's absolutely vital to them
01:18:45.579 --> 01:18:48.659
actually being able to go and do anything. So
01:18:48.659 --> 01:18:51.020
he's not necessarily the basket maker, but he's
01:18:51.020 --> 01:18:58.460
the playmaker. Yeah. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Wow. Those
01:18:58.460 --> 01:19:03.720
are three very good options. You know, we may
01:19:03.720 --> 01:19:07.300
have to go with Mr. Clark for this one. Because
01:19:07.300 --> 01:19:12.680
without him, it's not understood how any of this
01:19:12.680 --> 01:19:16.159
works or how you would get there or how anything
01:19:16.159 --> 01:19:19.859
would get through or how you would connect to
01:19:19.859 --> 01:19:22.460
it. He's also the one that tells them how to
01:19:22.460 --> 01:19:24.300
make... It's with the flea on the tightrope.
01:19:24.319 --> 01:19:27.060
And he tells them how to make the stupid deprivation
01:19:27.060 --> 01:19:31.000
tank thing. True. Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
01:19:31.180 --> 01:19:33.260
Yeah. Gotta be Mr. Clark. It's gotta be Mr. Clark.
01:19:33.279 --> 01:19:37.699
Okay, Mr. Clark, MVP, which is crazy. Wild. It's
01:19:37.699 --> 01:19:41.340
wild that he gets an MVP vote and award. But
01:19:41.340 --> 01:19:45.760
he does. Yes, indeed. Well, Sam, it's time to
01:19:45.760 --> 01:19:48.340
clean up your evil lair and get ready for our...
01:19:49.159 --> 01:19:53.760
was the turkey all along? Category four. What
01:19:53.760 --> 01:19:56.939
is the biggest takeaway viewers should leave
01:19:56.939 --> 01:20:01.680
with in preparation for season five? You guessed
01:20:01.680 --> 01:20:04.979
it. There is still more going on than we can
01:20:04.979 --> 01:20:08.060
fully understand. Eleven opened the gate to the
01:20:08.060 --> 01:20:11.399
Upside Down. The lab already knew the Upside
01:20:11.399 --> 01:20:14.060
Down was there because they're trying to make
01:20:14.060 --> 01:20:18.539
contact. So... How do they know about the Upside
01:20:18.539 --> 01:20:22.640
Down? Eleven, is she grown specifically for the
01:20:22.640 --> 01:20:25.060
purpose of reaching through to the Upside Down,
01:20:25.180 --> 01:20:28.500
or were there other purposes for her? There's
01:20:28.500 --> 01:20:32.000
so much going on in kind of her still, like,
01:20:32.000 --> 01:20:34.319
we get a lot more information about her backstory,
01:20:34.399 --> 01:20:37.460
but we still don't fully understand kind of what
01:20:37.460 --> 01:20:43.239
happened to jumpstart this specific them. Making
01:20:43.239 --> 01:20:45.720
contact with the upside down and how that involves.
01:20:45.779 --> 01:20:51.260
Yeah, I it's really, you know, it's great fodder
01:20:51.260 --> 01:20:53.539
for podcasting. It is a little frustrating, though.
01:20:54.020 --> 01:20:56.539
And we get a little bit of this answer in season
01:20:56.539 --> 01:21:00.100
four. We know that they there are being trained
01:21:00.100 --> 01:21:05.680
to do psycho stuff because of. because Brenner's
01:21:05.680 --> 01:21:07.520
interested in that. We know from the play, what
01:21:07.520 --> 01:21:08.920
I said earlier, I don't want to spoil it again
01:21:08.920 --> 01:21:11.420
in case people skipped over that, that Brenner
01:21:11.420 --> 01:21:13.579
has some real reasons why he's invested in the
01:21:13.579 --> 01:21:15.600
Upside Down, that he kind of knows where it is
01:21:15.600 --> 01:21:18.920
-ish. And, you know, we've got all the Vecna
01:21:18.920 --> 01:21:21.880
information, so Eleven is grown to sort of do
01:21:21.880 --> 01:21:25.939
what Vecna was doing before Vecna was uncontrollable,
01:21:26.060 --> 01:21:29.239
before they put in Vecna's little, hey, stop,
01:21:29.359 --> 01:21:33.170
stop doing this technology. But there's just
01:21:33.170 --> 01:21:35.770
a lot more that I feel like needs to be disseminated.
01:21:36.529 --> 01:21:39.630
Exactly how did the gate get opened? Is it the
01:21:39.630 --> 01:21:43.409
fear? Is it the scream? Is it Eleven losing control?
01:21:43.710 --> 01:21:45.829
Is it just her punching through when she touched
01:21:45.829 --> 01:21:47.869
the Demogorgon? That sort of stuff. I think that's
01:21:47.869 --> 01:21:49.770
absolutely true. There's also some information
01:21:49.770 --> 01:21:55.130
given about her powers, specifically. So Mike
01:21:55.130 --> 01:21:57.649
and Dustin have this explanation as to what's
01:21:57.649 --> 01:21:59.829
going on with Eleven to Joyce and the adults
01:21:59.829 --> 01:22:03.039
and stuff. Mike says, Whenever she uses her powers,
01:22:03.079 --> 01:22:05.659
she gets weak. Dustin adds, the more energy she
01:22:05.659 --> 01:22:08.279
uses, the more tired she gets. Mike, but she's
01:22:08.279 --> 01:22:11.060
drained. Dustin, like a battery. Joyce, how do
01:22:11.060 --> 01:22:13.220
we make her better? So that's when we're introduced
01:22:13.220 --> 01:22:15.000
to the sensory deprivation tanks and how Eleven
01:22:15.000 --> 01:22:20.560
needs to be on one in order to tap into her sixth
01:22:20.560 --> 01:22:23.760
senses, kind of, you know, to be better at doing
01:22:23.760 --> 01:22:25.720
it. As you said, she does it with white noise
01:22:25.720 --> 01:22:28.699
later, but the sensory deprivation certainly
01:22:28.699 --> 01:22:31.949
helps the most. Doing that. But it is frustrating
01:22:31.949 --> 01:22:33.909
because we don't really know for what reason
01:22:33.909 --> 01:22:38.029
her senses need calming down. We don't know why.
01:22:38.569 --> 01:22:41.729
Like, oh, I can now smell better because all
01:22:41.729 --> 01:22:43.689
my other senses are turned off. Although people
01:22:43.689 --> 01:22:46.289
say that's true. Is that just it? Is it that
01:22:46.289 --> 01:22:47.930
simple or is it something else? You know, that
01:22:47.930 --> 01:22:50.670
sort of stuff. I mean, if you've ever been driving
01:22:50.670 --> 01:22:52.649
down a road and you need to pay attention to
01:22:52.649 --> 01:22:54.310
what you're seeing, you turn the radio down.
01:22:54.369 --> 01:23:00.609
That's true. Fair point. I concede defeat. But
01:23:00.609 --> 01:23:03.350
it is the strange space that Stranger Things
01:23:03.350 --> 01:23:07.069
sometimes lives in. It's a mixture of soft fantasy
01:23:07.069 --> 01:23:10.409
and hard fantasy. And with all the science fiction.
01:23:10.840 --> 01:23:13.220
the hard science fiction that they put in. This
01:23:13.220 --> 01:23:15.340
is how this happens. It is frustrating sometimes
01:23:15.340 --> 01:23:17.760
to get the soft fantasy when you're like, but
01:23:17.760 --> 01:23:19.520
you're so good at the science fiction aspects.
01:23:19.739 --> 01:23:25.920
Why is this so soft for the fantasy? Yeah. Also
01:23:25.920 --> 01:23:30.380
another thing that we really learn and get some
01:23:30.380 --> 01:23:32.579
information about is just that the upside down
01:23:32.579 --> 01:23:37.000
has the same layout as real life and that people
01:23:37.000 --> 01:23:40.100
can be. kind of tracked through it and somewhat
01:23:40.100 --> 01:23:43.699
heard through, like, the veil, essentially, between
01:23:43.699 --> 01:23:48.720
real life and the upside down. That definitely
01:23:48.720 --> 01:23:52.260
comes into play in later seasons. You know, go
01:23:52.260 --> 01:23:57.340
to the XYZ location, up or down, and, you know,
01:23:57.359 --> 01:24:00.399
be able to interact through that and everything.
01:24:00.579 --> 01:24:03.279
So I think that that is a very important thing
01:24:03.279 --> 01:24:06.500
that we find out in these episodes, is just that
01:24:06.500 --> 01:24:11.180
it's a mirrored... situation um and also being
01:24:11.180 --> 01:24:16.000
able to hear through it uh more than through
01:24:16.000 --> 01:24:19.979
lights or radio static or whatever the case may
01:24:19.979 --> 01:24:21.819
be and actually be able to communicate through
01:24:21.819 --> 01:24:25.739
super key yeah and and what like we've been saying
01:24:25.739 --> 01:24:28.239
mr cork explains that we have this huge amount
01:24:28.239 --> 01:24:30.819
of energy to create a hole through the barrier
01:24:30.819 --> 01:24:34.069
to get to the upside down um That it would mess
01:24:34.069 --> 01:24:37.029
with gravity, magnetic fields, etc. I do find
01:24:37.029 --> 01:24:39.869
it fascinating that the Upside Down is exactly
01:24:39.869 --> 01:24:44.170
the same layout, but as if it's... It bears all
01:24:44.170 --> 01:24:46.550
these questions on like, okay, so is what happens
01:24:46.550 --> 01:24:49.329
in Hawkins, does that set what's going on? As
01:24:49.329 --> 01:24:51.069
soon as a house gets built in the Upside Down,
01:24:51.130 --> 01:24:53.489
what's going on with that? Or is it just like,
01:24:53.550 --> 01:24:56.890
did Vecna just recreate his old town? Because
01:24:56.890 --> 01:24:59.229
when he gets there, what's happening with that?
01:24:59.310 --> 01:25:01.729
So there's a lot of questions to be had. for
01:25:01.729 --> 01:25:03.590
that as well, that I think that they'll answer
01:25:03.590 --> 01:25:05.890
in Season 5, because we started to get some sort
01:25:05.890 --> 01:25:09.409
of flash answers at the end of Season 4. Right.
01:25:10.289 --> 01:25:12.569
Hopefully. Interestingly enough, the Veil of
01:25:12.569 --> 01:25:15.329
Shadows in a D &D context is made up for the
01:25:15.329 --> 01:25:18.850
show. Really? Yeah, so I did some sleuthing on
01:25:18.850 --> 01:25:21.550
the internet. Veil of Shadows is not a Dungeons
01:25:21.550 --> 01:25:23.789
& Dragons concept. However, it is clearly a reference
01:25:23.789 --> 01:25:25.810
to both Shadow Veil and the Plane of Shadows.
01:25:26.029 --> 01:25:30.319
But it is... Okay, okay. I think I was thinking
01:25:30.319 --> 01:25:32.100
of the plane of shadows. It is alluding to D
01:25:32.100 --> 01:25:35.560
&D. Like, actual, like, not D &D being used as
01:25:35.560 --> 01:25:37.460
a mechanic to play, but like the actual Dungeons
01:25:37.460 --> 01:25:40.359
& Dragons world. Right. Yeah, exactly. So that
01:25:40.359 --> 01:25:42.840
I thought was fascinating. That is really interesting.
01:25:43.340 --> 01:25:47.340
I guess it's just kind of like such a common,
01:25:47.520 --> 01:25:51.760
I don't know about common, but it's a concept
01:25:51.760 --> 01:25:55.460
that you see in a number of different fantasy
01:25:55.460 --> 01:25:59.779
settings. And so I guess it just extrapolates
01:25:59.779 --> 01:26:02.460
out that it would make a lot of sense for that
01:26:02.460 --> 01:26:04.840
to exist. But yeah, that does kind of surprise
01:26:04.840 --> 01:26:08.420
me that it specifically is not in there. Especially
01:26:08.420 --> 01:26:10.319
when you know that Vecna is like an actual D
01:26:10.319 --> 01:26:14.560
&D character. I hadn't realized that it was made
01:26:14.560 --> 01:26:16.060
up for the show specifically. That was cool.
01:26:16.180 --> 01:26:18.560
I thought that was neat. Yeah, no. That is cool.
01:26:19.779 --> 01:26:22.800
Today's public service announcement. Are you
01:26:22.800 --> 01:26:25.579
a switchblade wielding serial killer middle school
01:26:25.579 --> 01:26:29.319
bully? Same! That's why I went to Dr. Brenner's
01:26:29.319 --> 01:26:32.079
home for the criminally insane. He zaps the bully
01:26:32.079 --> 01:26:38.979
right out of you. Well, thank you, listener schmissiners,
01:26:38.979 --> 01:26:41.779
for listening to this episode of Fandom Schmandom.
01:26:42.039 --> 01:26:44.979
If you'd like to discuss this episode or any
01:26:44.979 --> 01:26:47.359
other episode we've done, please hit us up on
01:26:47.359 --> 01:26:49.760
our social media channels. You can find us on
01:26:49.760 --> 01:26:52.579
TikTok and Instagram at fandomshmandumpod and
01:26:52.579 --> 01:26:56.960
on X at fandom underscore shmandum. Please don't
01:26:56.960 --> 01:26:58.539
forget to rate and review us if you like the
01:26:58.539 --> 01:27:00.539
episode. It really helps with the algorithm placing
01:27:00.539 --> 01:27:04.880
us in the algorithms of other like -minded shmissioners
01:27:04.880 --> 01:27:07.439
out there. And with that, we're out, y 'all.
01:27:07.619 --> 01:27:10.439
Don't forget to tip your demogorgons. And fare
01:27:10.439 --> 01:27:15.579
thee well! Fandom Schmandom was created by Sam
01:27:15.579 --> 01:27:18.060
Williams and Ciara Obermark. The show is produced
01:27:18.060 --> 01:27:20.880
by Aurelia Lieb. The editor is Brittany Fisher.
01:27:21.119 --> 01:27:43.020
The music is by Jeremiah Alves. So I just got
01:27:43.020 --> 01:27:45.739
like stuck in my throat for a second. Great start.
01:27:45.840 --> 01:27:51.600
Great start. Welcome to Sierra dying. Yes. Okay.
01:28:00.220 --> 01:28:02.560
I'm sure Brittany at this point is like, what
01:28:02.560 --> 01:28:08.439
the hell is this going on? You guys have been
01:28:08.439 --> 01:28:10.399
recording for 10 minutes and you haven't said
01:28:10.399 --> 01:28:14.699
a single damn thing. Also, like, why do I have
01:28:14.699 --> 01:28:18.420
to cut out all of this? Everything is coming
01:28:18.420 --> 01:28:20.899
together, which might be good news for Jonathan,
01:28:21.060 --> 01:28:23.319
Nancy, Hopper, and Joyce, but it's not for Dr.
01:28:23.380 --> 01:28:27.579
Brenner, Mike, Luke, Luke, Luke, Luke DeSoleil.
01:28:29.739 --> 01:28:34.279
We get Elle's powers more fully explored, explored
01:28:34.279 --> 01:28:37.779
it. Oh my God. Sorry, cut that section. Britney,
01:28:37.920 --> 01:28:43.460
I have 17 ,000 million apologies for you. I'm
01:28:43.460 --> 01:28:45.319
very sorry. This is such a difficult episode
01:28:45.319 --> 01:28:49.060
for you. If you don't skip through all the time
01:28:49.060 --> 01:28:51.079
that we've told you to skip through and you end
01:28:51.079 --> 01:28:53.119
up listening to all of our million apologies
01:28:53.119 --> 01:28:56.680
in silence, then here's million and one apologies
01:28:56.680 --> 01:29:02.260
for the chaos that is this episode. Hey, we did
01:29:02.260 --> 01:29:04.920
it. Brittany, we did it. Brittany, we did it.
01:29:07.399 --> 01:29:08.640
Brittany, I'm sorry.
00:00:15.660 --> 00:00:18.460
Welcome to Fandom Shmandom, the fandom podcast
00:00:18.460 --> 00:00:21.780
that covers everything you love and more. I'm
00:00:21.780 --> 00:00:25.679
Sierra Obermark. And I'm Sam Williams. Today's
00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:27.620
episode will be beneficially bellowing about
00:00:27.620 --> 00:00:31.460
Stranger Things Season 1, Episode 5 through 7.
00:00:31.820 --> 00:00:34.359
Without further ado, we will, as Roger Smith
00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:37.899
says, dive on in. Get up to 88 because it's time
00:00:37.899 --> 00:00:42.479
to travel back for our story recap. Episode 5
00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:47.670
of Season 1, Hopper. is a non -stopper. Moving
00:00:47.670 --> 00:00:51.969
past my terrible rhyme, Jim Hopper is an unstoppable
00:00:51.969 --> 00:00:56.409
man infiltrating Hawkins' lab. Joyce's ex -hubby
00:00:56.409 --> 00:00:58.950
Lonnie has come back to Hawkins and he sucks.
00:00:59.810 --> 00:01:05.469
And Mike has... And Mike has figured out where
00:01:05.469 --> 00:01:11.329
Will is. The Upside Down. Cue... Terrible scream
00:01:11.329 --> 00:01:15.810
from a movie like Scream. Hopper gets caught
00:01:15.810 --> 00:01:18.329
at the lab and wakes up to find his place is
00:01:18.329 --> 00:01:23.650
bugged. At Bugged HQ, Dr. Brenner realizes that
00:01:23.650 --> 00:01:27.049
Elle is with the kids trying to find Will. Jonathan
00:01:27.049 --> 00:01:29.890
and Nancy decide to team up to find the Demogorgon.
00:01:30.030 --> 00:01:32.230
The children find out where the gate might be
00:01:32.230 --> 00:01:36.760
and Nancy proves to be a very good shot. Flashbacks
00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:39.260
about Elle in the submersive chamber give us
00:01:39.260 --> 00:01:41.879
more clues about what's going on, but then Elle
00:01:41.879 --> 00:01:44.920
uses her power on Lucas and knocks him out. Cut
00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:48.019
to Jonathan and Nancy. They found a dying deer
00:01:48.019 --> 00:01:52.540
and a monster. But it's okay, because Nancy just
00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:54.760
manages to trap herself in the Upside Down by
00:01:54.760 --> 00:01:59.299
herself with the monster. Nailed it. Episode
00:01:59.299 --> 00:02:03.920
6. It's okay, because in episode six, Nancy immediately
00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:09.439
finds her way out. Cue love music. The gate seals
00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:12.819
itself in the tree, and we're back to roll intro.
00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:17.120
Steve Harrington is being cuckolded by Jonathan
00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:21.780
Jeffries Byers. Wait. No, he's not. Hopper realizes
00:02:21.780 --> 00:02:24.400
that he may be chasing after a lost girl named
00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:28.770
Jane, a .k .a. Eleven, and not Will. In a typical
00:02:28.770 --> 00:02:31.610
horrors shower scene, we get a taste that our
00:02:31.610 --> 00:02:35.009
characters might actually have PTSD as Nancy
00:02:35.009 --> 00:02:38.389
relives her experience and asks Jonathan to sleep,
00:02:38.449 --> 00:02:41.169
and we literally mean just sleep, with her for
00:02:41.169 --> 00:02:45.090
the night. Mr. Clark is in danger. The same woman
00:02:45.090 --> 00:02:47.449
that killed Bunny, the burger man in episode,
00:02:47.610 --> 00:02:55.090
wait, Benny. I definitely heard Bunny on the
00:02:55.090 --> 00:02:56.830
show. I was like, that's that guy's name? That's
00:02:56.830 --> 00:03:02.969
crazy. The same woman that killed Benny, the
00:03:02.969 --> 00:03:05.490
burger man in episode one, is trying to track
00:03:05.490 --> 00:03:08.909
down which kids use the AV radio to contact Will
00:03:08.909 --> 00:03:11.729
with Eleven. Eleven steals some product placement,
00:03:11.789 --> 00:03:14.729
and Hopper and Joyce go to speak with her mother,
00:03:14.789 --> 00:03:18.340
who is completely incoherent. Lucas goes on his
00:03:18.340 --> 00:03:20.719
own to find the gate. Mike and Dustin try to
00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:23.639
track down Eleven. We find out that Eleven's
00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:26.879
mom was part of the MKUltra program and was pregnant
00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:29.680
with Eleven when she was on CIA drugs and also
00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:33.699
has powers? Steve writes mean things about Nancy
00:03:33.699 --> 00:03:36.659
on a marquee. Jonathan beats up Steve. Lucas
00:03:36.659 --> 00:03:39.400
figures out the gate is in Hawkins' lab and Dustin
00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:42.789
is nearly killed? In a wild scene, a middle school
00:03:42.789 --> 00:03:45.449
bully demands Mike jumps off a cliff and kills
00:03:45.449 --> 00:03:48.650
himself, or he'll cut out Dustin's baby teeth.
00:03:49.050 --> 00:03:51.990
Eleven stops that nonsense, and we find out she
00:03:51.990 --> 00:03:55.370
may have opened the gate. What a wild episode.
00:03:55.569 --> 00:03:59.669
Episode 7! Insane episode. Episode 6 is insane.
00:03:59.849 --> 00:04:03.439
Episode 7, everything is coming together. Which
00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:06.020
might be good news for Jonathan, Nancy, Hopper,
00:04:06.020 --> 00:04:08.539
and Joyce, but it's not for Dr. Brenner, Mike,
00:04:08.659 --> 00:04:11.439
Lucas, Dustin, and Eleven. Dr. Brenner knows
00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:14.280
where Eleven is, and the boys have to hide her.
00:04:14.599 --> 00:04:18.060
Meanwhile, Steve is reflecting on his life and
00:04:18.060 --> 00:04:19.839
whether or not he wants to sell Obi -Wan death
00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:24.560
sticks, while Hopper leads the older teens and
00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:28.360
adults. And they all meet together. Well, not
00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:31.240
Steve. Hopper and Eleven meet for the first time
00:04:31.240 --> 00:04:33.620
and they all swap info so everyone's on the same
00:04:33.620 --> 00:04:36.800
page. They get Eleven a sensory deprivation tank
00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:39.939
in the school gymnasium and she confirms Barb's
00:04:39.939 --> 00:04:43.519
murder. And they find Will is still alive. Keep
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:52.399
the Williams. Which is also great. But now they
00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:56.959
have to go get him. So that's cool. Joyce and
00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:59.759
Hopper hop to it, and they're stopped by police
00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:02.319
of some sort, and Will is left in the Upside
00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:07.300
Down as the monster bears down on him. But before
00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:09.639
we get to the nitty -gritty schmitty, we welcome
00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:13.060
history teacher extraordinaire Elizabeth Wade
00:05:13.060 --> 00:05:16.079
Stickle to provide us with vital information
00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:20.860
that we need to know. Welcome, Liz. Give us that
00:05:20.860 --> 00:05:23.899
integral real -life history parallels. about
00:05:23.899 --> 00:05:32.699
what MKUltra actually was in real life. Hey fandom
00:05:32.699 --> 00:05:35.399
shmandum, this is Liz, your friendly local historian.
00:05:35.620 --> 00:05:39.920
I'm here for Expert Corner. Charles Manson, Britney
00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:43.319
Spears, Stranger Things. What do they all have
00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:46.980
in common? An alleged connection to the mid -20th
00:05:46.980 --> 00:05:51.540
century top secret CIA project, MKUltra. Project
00:05:51.540 --> 00:05:54.439
MKUltra. was preceded by the US government's
00:05:54.439 --> 00:05:57.800
somewhat infamous Operation Paperclip. Post -World
00:05:57.800 --> 00:06:01.259
War II, the US recruited Nazi scientists to get
00:06:01.259 --> 00:06:04.259
our space program off the ground and to learn
00:06:04.259 --> 00:06:07.480
about their unethical research on human subjects
00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:10.899
in the Nazi regime. Some had been prosecuted
00:06:10.899 --> 00:06:14.040
at Nuremberg already. Several clandestine projects
00:06:14.040 --> 00:06:17.480
grew out of Operation Paperclip. Many of them
00:06:17.480 --> 00:06:20.699
focused on studying mind control, torture, and
00:06:20.699 --> 00:06:23.189
brainwashing. The program was treading water
00:06:23.189 --> 00:06:26.029
for a while, but after the Korean War, the US
00:06:26.029 --> 00:06:29.689
redoubled their efforts and prioritized cracking
00:06:29.689 --> 00:06:32.649
the code for brainwashing. The US government
00:06:32.649 --> 00:06:35.149
was spooked by prisoners of war returning from
00:06:35.149 --> 00:06:38.470
Korea, suddenly sympathetic to communist ideologies.
00:06:38.750 --> 00:06:41.250
Surely they were being mind -controlled. The
00:06:41.250 --> 00:06:45.170
CIA poured $10 million into attempting to master
00:06:45.170 --> 00:06:49.490
brainwashing and mind control. In 1964, the project
00:06:49.490 --> 00:06:52.550
became more specific. trying to develop a truth
00:06:52.550 --> 00:06:56.089
serum that could be used on captured Soviet agents.
00:06:56.769 --> 00:06:59.930
MKUltra largely experimented on unsuspecting
00:06:59.930 --> 00:07:03.589
and non -consenting adults, both in and out of
00:07:03.589 --> 00:07:07.670
the intelligence community. They used LSD, buying
00:07:07.670 --> 00:07:11.529
almost all of the supply of this synthetic psychedelic
00:07:11.529 --> 00:07:16.810
in the country, amphetamines, opiates, and other
00:07:16.810 --> 00:07:19.970
psychedelics, among other substances they experimented
00:07:19.970 --> 00:07:22.810
with. They also utilized hypnosis techniques
00:07:22.810 --> 00:07:26.389
and sleight -of -hand magic that ended up in
00:07:26.389 --> 00:07:31.129
one of their manuals. They also outsourced experimentation
00:07:31.129 --> 00:07:35.170
to Canadian hospitals. The program took place
00:07:35.170 --> 00:07:38.089
under CIA Director Dulles and the direct supervision
00:07:38.089 --> 00:07:41.569
of so -called Poisoner -in -Chief Sidney Gottlieb.
00:07:41.730 --> 00:07:45.350
While MKUltra has been proven to exist, Stranger
00:07:45.350 --> 00:07:47.329
Things also drew inspiration from conspiracy
00:07:47.329 --> 00:07:50.569
theories around the Montauk Project. Stranger
00:07:50.569 --> 00:07:52.769
Things' working title when it was pitched to
00:07:52.769 --> 00:07:55.629
Netflix was actually Montauk, but we'll get to
00:07:55.629 --> 00:07:57.949
that another time. Some of the clear connections
00:07:57.949 --> 00:08:03.509
between Project MKUltra, their goals around brainwashing,
00:08:03.509 --> 00:08:07.990
mind control, and Stranger Things are, I think,
00:08:07.990 --> 00:08:11.250
clearest in seasons two and three with the mind
00:08:11.250 --> 00:08:18.189
flayer. While they use a D &D, not trope, a D
00:08:18.189 --> 00:08:23.379
&D creature, as the vessel for this mind control,
00:08:23.579 --> 00:08:30.720
this subconscious idea planting. It very much
00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:36.639
is rooted in this very real instance of the US
00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:40.039
government experimenting on our own civilians.
00:08:40.580 --> 00:08:45.500
Even in the series itself, they allude to the
00:08:45.500 --> 00:08:49.480
idea that Eleven's mom may actually have been
00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:55.679
a victim of MKUltra, thus passing some of their
00:08:55.679 --> 00:09:03.139
successful experiments outcomes to Eleven. We
00:09:03.139 --> 00:09:09.340
also see connections in the secrecy of the government
00:09:09.340 --> 00:09:15.539
base in Hawkins. Project MKUltra was so top secret
00:09:15.539 --> 00:09:20.389
that people inside the CIA didn't know it was
00:09:20.389 --> 00:09:23.009
happening. It was on a strictly need -to -know
00:09:23.009 --> 00:09:27.789
basis, and most of the time, even subjects of
00:09:27.789 --> 00:09:30.570
experimentation were not considered need -to
00:09:30.570 --> 00:09:35.529
-know. We definitely see this in Eleven's relationship
00:09:35.529 --> 00:09:41.669
to other victims of the program, as well as the
00:09:41.669 --> 00:09:45.730
program director in the show. Even though he...
00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:51.440
puts himself in this paternal position that Sidney
00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:55.340
Gottlieb probably wouldn't have been in, we do
00:09:55.340 --> 00:09:59.659
still see that idea of the experiment itself
00:09:59.659 --> 00:10:02.779
being what's precious, being what's guarded,
00:10:03.019 --> 00:10:09.000
and the human subjects being pretty squarely
00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:12.279
collateral damage and data points at the end
00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:16.919
of the day. In real life, Once Canadian victims
00:10:16.919 --> 00:10:21.299
realized they had been part of the program, they
00:10:21.299 --> 00:10:24.940
actually did sue the United States and the U
00:10:24.940 --> 00:10:29.279
.S. did settle outside of court. American victims,
00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:34.340
however, were not so fortunate. Once documents
00:10:34.340 --> 00:10:38.860
became declassified as a result of this Canadian
00:10:38.860 --> 00:10:45.360
lawsuit, Justice Sandra Day O 'Connor reiterated
00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:48.899
for the american public that the nuremberg trials
00:10:48.899 --> 00:10:53.000
had made very clear to the global community that
00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:58.240
getting consent in human experimentation was
00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:03.220
not only critical but essential and required
00:11:03.220 --> 00:11:08.600
um and so in the in the wake uh of mk ultra itself
00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:12.590
um We actually lost a lot of documentation as
00:11:12.590 --> 00:11:17.789
a result of some directed destruction of materials,
00:11:18.230 --> 00:11:22.529
but what we do have pretty clearly paints the
00:11:22.529 --> 00:11:28.110
picture of a large -scale human experiment that
00:11:28.110 --> 00:11:31.070
should not have been allowed to happen. And as
00:11:31.070 --> 00:11:36.139
we reach the end of Stranger Things, we're starting
00:11:36.139 --> 00:11:38.799
to see much the same, especially with the rise
00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:45.320
of Vecna, the tangible consequences of human
00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:50.820
experimentation, even in this supernatural setting.
00:11:51.100 --> 00:11:55.039
Oh, this has been Expert Corner. I'm Liz. See
00:11:55.039 --> 00:12:03.149
you next time. Thank you so much, Liz, for coming
00:12:03.149 --> 00:12:06.409
in and doing Expert Corner for us. What a fascinating
00:12:06.409 --> 00:12:10.629
run through of MKUltra, the CIA project. What
00:12:10.629 --> 00:12:15.269
was it? Pinhead? No. Paperclip. Project Paperclip.
00:12:16.230 --> 00:12:20.429
Before we dive into the whole thing, I feel as
00:12:20.429 --> 00:12:22.690
though we must discuss the elephant in the room.
00:12:23.009 --> 00:12:26.389
And I don't want to make too much light of the
00:12:26.389 --> 00:12:28.690
situation of like real people being unethically
00:12:28.690 --> 00:12:31.220
experimented on and everything. But sleight of
00:12:31.220 --> 00:12:37.860
hand magic. That was wild. As soon as I heard
00:12:37.860 --> 00:12:43.600
that little tidbit, my mouth just dropped and
00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:45.840
I kind of threw my hands in the air and just
00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.580
went, what? Listen, we know you've been on a
00:12:48.580 --> 00:12:51.019
ton of LSD because we keep injecting it into
00:12:51.019 --> 00:12:53.379
you without your permission. But would you please
00:12:53.379 --> 00:12:59.529
pick a card? Any card. Any card. what do they
00:12:59.529 --> 00:13:02.909
have steve martin as a kid in there just i'm
00:13:02.909 --> 00:13:08.549
so confusing i i guess i mean i guess just playing
00:13:08.549 --> 00:13:11.870
with your mind and maybe seeing if you can the
00:13:11.870 --> 00:13:14.090
only thing i can i need to know more about this
00:13:14.090 --> 00:13:17.830
liz i just i have to say but I'm just imagining
00:13:17.830 --> 00:13:21.950
them saying, okay, a normal person can't catch
00:13:21.950 --> 00:13:25.649
these details as a sleight of hand magician is
00:13:25.649 --> 00:13:29.009
performing. But maybe if we pump you full of
00:13:29.009 --> 00:13:33.210
all of this cocktail of shenanigans, you'll be
00:13:33.210 --> 00:13:37.629
able to pick out the exact moment that the card
00:13:37.629 --> 00:13:41.190
goes behind their... What are they hoping to
00:13:41.190 --> 00:13:45.289
achieve from that one? I think that's... hilarious
00:13:45.289 --> 00:13:53.690
so stupid um okay so such a wild yeah oh my god
00:13:53.690 --> 00:13:58.090
um okay so moving back to moving back into a
00:13:58.090 --> 00:14:01.889
more serious analysis first of all the the horrors
00:14:01.889 --> 00:14:06.730
of mk ultra are quite bad i do always appreciate
00:14:06.730 --> 00:14:09.250
when people are able to take really horrific
00:14:09.250 --> 00:14:12.070
things and craft an interesting story about the
00:14:12.070 --> 00:14:16.190
dangers of those continuing Because all of this
00:14:16.190 --> 00:14:19.649
horrific experimentation being done to Eleven's
00:14:19.649 --> 00:14:22.090
mother, which we then see, as Liz was saying,
00:14:22.169 --> 00:14:27.289
she is on LSD when pregnant. Right. Eleven's
00:14:27.289 --> 00:14:31.250
mother. And that sort of seems to amp up Eleven's
00:14:31.250 --> 00:14:34.570
telekinesis, or something to that effect, is
00:14:34.570 --> 00:14:35.850
what Stranger Things is going with. And then
00:14:35.850 --> 00:14:38.990
all the dangers that occur from then on are really
00:14:38.990 --> 00:14:42.690
at the behest of Dr. Brenner and his terribles.
00:14:43.610 --> 00:14:45.590
Now, there's some stuff with Vecna, right? It's
00:14:45.590 --> 00:14:48.429
not like we don't know if Vecna's parents were
00:14:48.429 --> 00:14:50.409
experimented on or any of that sort of stuff.
00:14:50.509 --> 00:14:53.509
But really fascinating. And of course, I really
00:14:53.509 --> 00:14:57.389
liked Liz pointing out that the mind flayer is
00:14:57.389 --> 00:15:03.809
essentially an allegory for attempted mind control
00:15:03.809 --> 00:15:06.809
implanting. What did you think? Yes, I really
00:15:06.809 --> 00:15:09.830
thought it was interesting that even though we're...
00:15:10.090 --> 00:15:15.190
as Liz pointed out, using a D &D creature, essentially,
00:15:15.230 --> 00:15:23.090
as the example, it's a very nice parallel to
00:15:23.090 --> 00:15:25.889
the realities and what they're really pulling
00:15:25.889 --> 00:15:30.409
from because it almost personifies the horror
00:15:30.409 --> 00:15:34.250
instead of it being something that's very mental.
00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:38.399
And very individual to the person experiencing
00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:42.500
it. And something that you can't really explain.
00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:47.919
This is a way that we are able to put a face,
00:15:47.940 --> 00:15:53.700
essentially, or a being behind the horrible thing
00:15:53.700 --> 00:15:57.840
that has occurred. And so I think that that's
00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:02.139
a very interesting insight and way that the Duffer
00:16:02.139 --> 00:16:07.100
Brothers have... put together a horrifying creature
00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:12.700
which if you know dnd and or what a mind flayer
00:16:12.700 --> 00:16:16.779
itself looks like as we see in the show with
00:16:16.779 --> 00:16:18.960
the pictures that they that the kids are looking
00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:25.039
at books um we get this mental image of something
00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:29.360
truly terrifying that is messing with your mind
00:16:30.250 --> 00:16:34.090
And then we also have the comparison to real
00:16:34.090 --> 00:16:39.269
people messing with people's minds. And it almost
00:16:39.269 --> 00:16:43.370
gives it a lighter quality because it's not a
00:16:43.370 --> 00:16:47.169
human doing it to another human. But at the same
00:16:47.169 --> 00:16:51.029
time, it almost makes it more horrifying because
00:16:51.029 --> 00:16:57.210
you have another unknown evil. Right. That is
00:16:57.210 --> 00:17:01.909
compounded upon what is happening. So very, very
00:17:01.909 --> 00:17:06.789
interesting dynamic there. Yeah, I mean, it's
00:17:06.789 --> 00:17:10.990
really cool. I was just talking to, at my other
00:17:10.990 --> 00:17:14.029
job, about allegory, as one does as an English
00:17:14.029 --> 00:17:18.130
teacher, and pointing out, you know, Dune, the
00:17:18.130 --> 00:17:19.950
Timothee Chalamet movie, slash the Frank Herbert.
00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:23.279
novel is an allegory about the way that the U
00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:26.279
.S. treats, treated the Middle East in terms
00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:29.759
of gathering oil in the 1960s, which of course
00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:32.359
then repeats in the 2000s and is still going
00:17:32.359 --> 00:17:36.400
on today. George Lucas's Star Wars, he's on record
00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:40.119
as saying is an allegory for overreach by really
00:17:40.119 --> 00:17:43.500
powerful nations. So for his example in the 70s,
00:17:43.500 --> 00:17:46.839
it was him talking about the Vietnam War with
00:17:46.839 --> 00:17:49.299
the United States. He felt like there was overreach.
00:17:49.660 --> 00:17:51.819
uh to the vietnamese people that sort of stuff
00:17:51.819 --> 00:17:54.039
and how that that creates rebellion naturally
00:17:54.039 --> 00:17:56.500
and it's really interesting to see that this
00:17:56.500 --> 00:18:00.400
is this whole show is an allegory for governmental
00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:03.920
overreach and how that begets problems throughout
00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:06.640
that you cannot control and so you may be trying
00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.799
to control something but that control is an illusion
00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:12.099
because it just will will disappear away from
00:18:12.099 --> 00:18:15.259
you instantly really neat stuff it really also
00:18:15.259 --> 00:18:16.960
makes me want to just dive into the history of
00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.200
all of this and go research Everything that the
00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:23.779
Doppelbrothers have been researching. Yeah, exactly.
00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:28.859
You know, it was touched upon in my history classes
00:18:28.859 --> 00:18:32.920
in high school, but I don't, I think I'm trying
00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:36.599
to remember maybe just US history and junior
00:18:36.599 --> 00:18:40.140
year of high school or whenever that was. But
00:18:40.140 --> 00:18:43.640
you don't really dive too deeply into that with
00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:49.099
teenagers. So it is definitely a... a fraught
00:18:49.099 --> 00:18:56.460
time in our, our country's history. And it would
00:18:56.460 --> 00:19:00.059
definitely be interesting though, to learn a
00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:02.440
lot more. Liz, can you please teach me a class,
00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:07.359
a one -on -one class on this topic? I would love
00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:09.240
it. Thank you very much. Yeah. Thanks Liz. We
00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:12.250
really appreciate this. Find your donut holes.
00:19:12.369 --> 00:19:15.289
It's time for our Knives Out category, where
00:19:15.289 --> 00:19:18.049
we sooth out which three storylines are the most
00:19:18.049 --> 00:19:23.309
vital to pay attention to. Number one, The Kids
00:19:23.309 --> 00:19:26.670
and Elle. What can she do and what can't she
00:19:26.670 --> 00:19:30.859
do? Number two, Nancy and Jonathan. Focus on
00:19:30.859 --> 00:19:33.519
the Demogorgon and how to attract and potentially
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:38.000
kill it. Number three, Hop and Joyce. The agreements
00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:40.700
with the lab and government, these don't happen
00:19:40.700 --> 00:19:44.880
yet. Yeah, I added that because they don't actually
00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.480
have any agreements with the government yet.
00:19:46.819 --> 00:19:50.440
Okay. So, it's just Hop and Joyce. Okay. Number
00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:55.059
three, Hop and Joyce. Okay, so this first storyline
00:19:55.059 --> 00:19:58.369
is the kids and Elle. What can she do? What can't
00:19:58.369 --> 00:20:00.150
she do? What are her powers? And this is, this,
00:20:00.269 --> 00:20:03.269
over these three episodes, this storyline contextualizes
00:20:03.269 --> 00:20:06.710
a lot of the fantasy elements. So we get, like,
00:20:06.750 --> 00:20:08.769
what is the Upside Down? They talk about the
00:20:08.769 --> 00:20:13.869
Veil of Shadows. And we get an understanding
00:20:13.869 --> 00:20:16.569
in the name of what the Upside Down is going
00:20:16.569 --> 00:20:18.410
to be called for the rest of Stranger Things
00:20:18.410 --> 00:20:21.529
history. Which is really cool. We discover what
00:20:21.529 --> 00:20:25.170
a gate is. How another dimension is created.
00:20:25.309 --> 00:20:28.970
We get that with Mr. Clark. We get how it disrupts
00:20:28.970 --> 00:20:31.970
fields of gravity and creates electronic magnetic
00:20:31.970 --> 00:20:36.029
differentiating things that mess with magnets
00:20:36.029 --> 00:20:40.650
and compasses and stuff. We get Elle's powers
00:20:40.650 --> 00:20:44.470
being more explored and sort of a better understanding
00:20:44.470 --> 00:20:47.509
of what she can and can't do. So we see her in...
00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:50.420
Like, the purgatory space, we see her moving
00:20:50.420 --> 00:20:52.299
things with her mind. We see her breaking kids'
00:20:52.519 --> 00:20:55.160
arms. We can also see that she can levitate Mike
00:20:55.160 --> 00:20:59.619
from, like, hundreds of feet. Yeah. And whip
00:20:59.619 --> 00:21:02.380
him right back up when he jumps into the quarry.
00:21:02.500 --> 00:21:04.779
Super crazy. Which is, like, it feels like that's
00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:06.619
one of the hardest things she does all season.
00:21:07.099 --> 00:21:10.460
I think, yeah, honestly. Like, one could argue
00:21:10.460 --> 00:21:13.359
that, like, some of the other things that she
00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:15.819
does that are pretty crazy still has, like, momentum
00:21:15.819 --> 00:21:21.759
going for her, at least. Yeah. But this is absolutely
00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:26.299
the opposite. Right. She holds momentum. Yeah,
00:21:26.299 --> 00:21:28.940
very, very crazy. And then lifts him back up
00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:33.660
and over into... Carefully. Carefully. into safety
00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:36.180
but like and we'll get we'll talk more about
00:21:36.180 --> 00:21:38.180
like the wildness of that scene but in terms
00:21:38.180 --> 00:21:41.119
of her powers it's it's got to be one of the
00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:42.319
most difficult things and then she just goes
00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:46.500
and like breaks the troy's arm the bully's arm
00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:49.299
with a snap of her neck and then also earlier
00:21:49.299 --> 00:21:52.799
she like isolates her powers to squeeze his bladder
00:21:52.799 --> 00:22:01.319
so that he we know that it takes effort like
00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:04.819
it's not completely soft fantasy here we we get
00:22:04.819 --> 00:22:07.740
words later about her powers from dustin and
00:22:07.740 --> 00:22:12.140
mike and we know that she's like she needs to
00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:14.599
fuel up we know that it takes effort that she
00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:17.279
bleeds when it happens but like it's not like
00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:20.880
she gushes blood during some of this stuff versus
00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:22.700
when she takes out the demogorgon like you see
00:22:22.700 --> 00:22:25.480
all of her blood vessels sort of working and
00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:27.700
stuff like that so i'm interested here as to
00:22:27.700 --> 00:22:29.940
why she's not like just full -on running a huge
00:22:29.940 --> 00:22:33.819
bloody nose when she lifts mike up yeah no idea
00:22:33.819 --> 00:22:36.599
okay good i'm glad you're on the same page no
00:22:36.599 --> 00:22:39.000
yeah it seems like there should be a little bit
00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:44.980
more exertion on her part um And, you know, sometimes
00:22:44.980 --> 00:22:46.920
when she's using her powers, you know, she kind
00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:49.579
of, like, has to rest. She just falls down, something
00:22:49.579 --> 00:22:52.920
like that. But it definitely seems like, in comparison
00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:55.180
specifically to a lot of the other things we've
00:22:55.180 --> 00:22:59.900
seen so far, she should have more of a draining
00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:03.200
effect on herself specifically for this. Well,
00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:06.160
and I felt that way, too, about the smashing
00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:10.250
of all the glass that she does in the Eggo. Yeah.
00:23:10.329 --> 00:23:11.750
When she, you know, cause she has that awesome
00:23:11.750 --> 00:23:13.410
moment of like, she goes and gets Eggos and like
00:23:13.410 --> 00:23:15.289
everybody started eating Eggos all of a sudden
00:23:15.289 --> 00:23:20.109
again, uh, in real world. Um, and then she leaves
00:23:20.109 --> 00:23:23.490
and she smashes the front glass of like everything
00:23:23.490 --> 00:23:25.230
in the shop. And it was like, that seems like
00:23:25.230 --> 00:23:28.250
a little bit more than shoving Lucas. Right.
00:23:29.190 --> 00:23:31.730
So that's fascinating. But the real question
00:23:31.730 --> 00:23:35.009
here I think is around the creation of the rift
00:23:35.009 --> 00:23:39.700
because Is this Els doing? Is this Vectors doing?
00:23:40.099 --> 00:23:44.140
Is it just happens to be what occurs? Because
00:23:44.140 --> 00:23:46.299
she goes, and so she's in this, like, weird purgatory
00:23:46.299 --> 00:23:51.119
space, which is, like, filled with water. Questions.
00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:55.779
Why is it filled with water? I don't understand
00:23:55.779 --> 00:23:58.559
that. I could kind of see it, you know, if she's,
00:23:58.579 --> 00:24:03.480
like, in the tank, and then, you know, she, it's
00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:09.230
kind of like a... The water acts as like a barrier
00:24:09.230 --> 00:24:12.869
between the worlds or something like that. And
00:24:12.869 --> 00:24:15.910
she's in the water and in the sensory deprivation.
00:24:15.910 --> 00:24:18.450
But then later when she's not using the sensory
00:24:18.450 --> 00:24:22.309
deprivation tank and she's just using like white
00:24:22.309 --> 00:24:25.309
noise and things, there's still water. Yeah.
00:24:25.329 --> 00:24:30.569
So maybe because it's a good conductor? Is it?
00:24:31.529 --> 00:24:35.240
I mean, of electricity, isn't it? No, it's a
00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:39.220
great conductor of electricity. So, like, I don't
00:24:39.220 --> 00:24:41.319
know. I'm just thinking, like, that's the only
00:24:41.319 --> 00:24:43.880
thing I can think of is somehow it's tied into
00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:49.980
the, like, electromagnetism idea that we get
00:24:49.980 --> 00:24:53.900
in a couple seasons. I don't know. This is always
00:24:53.900 --> 00:24:57.640
the frustrating part about the visual medium
00:24:57.640 --> 00:24:59.519
when it comes to fantasy and science fiction,
00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:02.400
is that there's these, from a creative standpoint,
00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:06.390
like, This is a neat visual effect with the water
00:25:06.390 --> 00:25:10.410
drips as well auditorily and everything sort
00:25:10.410 --> 00:25:12.369
of happening within water. It's a great visual
00:25:12.369 --> 00:25:17.609
thing. But unlike with writing, with writing,
00:25:17.630 --> 00:25:20.230
you have to figure out, okay, what are all the
00:25:20.230 --> 00:25:23.150
purposes of this? Or am I doing soft, right?
00:25:23.269 --> 00:25:26.130
And so you don't have these sort of visual limitations
00:25:26.130 --> 00:25:28.859
of like, okay, but if I do this. What's the point
00:25:28.859 --> 00:25:31.380
of it? It looks great, which is awesome. I mean,
00:25:31.400 --> 00:25:32.779
in writing, you have a lot of other problems,
00:25:32.839 --> 00:25:34.519
too. I'm not just trying to say that, like, fantasy
00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:36.799
is only good for novels. It's great in everything.
00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:40.960
But this is a specific visual problem where,
00:25:41.059 --> 00:25:43.680
you know, you get these awesome, oh, this looks
00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:47.200
so cool. But why? And, like, I still don't quite
00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:49.400
understand after watching the show many times.
00:25:49.869 --> 00:25:52.349
Why is it filled with water? I thought for a
00:25:52.349 --> 00:25:54.130
while it was just, oh, she's in the sensory deprivation
00:25:54.130 --> 00:25:55.970
tank. That's why. But then as you pointed out,
00:25:56.009 --> 00:25:57.910
when she's using white noise, it's not like it's
00:25:57.910 --> 00:26:02.549
just like TV static all around her. Right. Which
00:26:02.549 --> 00:26:05.190
could be interesting. But yeah, it makes it seem
00:26:05.190 --> 00:26:07.890
like it's something else. Yeah. You know, it's
00:26:07.890 --> 00:26:10.809
not just based on her surroundings in the real
00:26:10.809 --> 00:26:14.049
world. And so are we, is it just like a visual
00:26:14.049 --> 00:26:16.309
representation of what's going on in her mind?
00:26:16.369 --> 00:26:18.589
Because I would accept that just fine. That this
00:26:18.589 --> 00:26:20.950
liminal purgatory space is just like her in her
00:26:20.950 --> 00:26:23.230
mind palace, essentially. But it does feel like
00:26:23.230 --> 00:26:25.730
it's a physical place. And we know this because
00:26:25.730 --> 00:26:28.289
she goes and touches the Demogorgon with her
00:26:28.289 --> 00:26:30.269
two fingers. She puts it in his back and that's
00:26:30.269 --> 00:26:33.529
when he turns around, she screams, and then the
00:26:33.529 --> 00:26:35.150
rift is open. And it's interesting here because
00:26:35.150 --> 00:26:37.470
the rift doesn't open in the deprivation tank.
00:26:37.769 --> 00:26:39.930
It opens outside of it. It doesn't open where
00:26:39.930 --> 00:26:43.750
she is. And it doesn't open where the Demogorgon
00:26:43.750 --> 00:26:46.789
is either. It's not like he's in the wall. In
00:26:46.789 --> 00:26:49.789
the upside down feasting. So, you know, there's
00:26:49.789 --> 00:26:52.450
some definite questions. They're not huge deal
00:26:52.450 --> 00:26:55.829
breaker questions about what's going on. But
00:26:55.829 --> 00:26:58.509
in terms of world building, it is unsatisfying.
00:26:58.750 --> 00:27:03.230
Why does the rift open? And, yeah, why does the
00:27:03.230 --> 00:27:06.289
rift open? When it does, where it does, how it
00:27:06.289 --> 00:27:10.769
does. Confusion. Well, and like, so, do you think
00:27:10.769 --> 00:27:13.690
it is just a physical connection? It's her just
00:27:13.690 --> 00:27:15.619
touching it? I think so. Okay, tell me why. It
00:27:15.619 --> 00:27:18.900
has to be. So I think that it has to be because
00:27:18.900 --> 00:27:24.619
she's able to see people and listen in on the
00:27:24.619 --> 00:27:29.160
conversations and find people and whatnot. But
00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:33.059
she only actually opens the rift when she physically
00:27:33.059 --> 00:27:35.779
touches the Demogorgon. And so it's like when
00:27:35.779 --> 00:27:38.680
Mr. Clark is explaining and punches the hole
00:27:38.680 --> 00:27:42.839
through the paper that she's essentially punching
00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:46.519
the hole through. that space and like through
00:27:46.519 --> 00:27:51.480
the veil essentially and creating a rift i think
00:27:51.480 --> 00:27:55.680
that that has to be the the the actual cause
00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:01.519
of of that it's the physical like breaking of
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:04.180
the barrier okay essentially if that's true which
00:28:04.180 --> 00:28:06.740
i i think you're onto something there if that's
00:28:06.740 --> 00:28:09.200
true i think that's the thing that shows that
00:28:10.140 --> 00:28:13.160
the the scope of her power more than the demogorgon
00:28:13.160 --> 00:28:15.420
or anything else that she's done because she
00:28:15.420 --> 00:28:17.660
mr clark says it would have to be an extremely
00:28:17.660 --> 00:28:21.759
powerful force to open up right a dimension and
00:28:21.759 --> 00:28:24.119
if if she because of her powers is able to go
00:28:24.119 --> 00:28:26.880
into the space and make contact and it just feels
00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:28.819
like walking around and touching something to
00:28:28.819 --> 00:28:31.779
her she's actually yeah way more powerful than
00:28:31.779 --> 00:28:36.240
i than i really realize well and also so like
00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:39.619
skip forward to season three The Russians have
00:28:39.619 --> 00:28:43.299
to build this machine that is absolutely crazy.
00:28:44.059 --> 00:28:46.579
And it takes them a long time. And they have
00:28:46.579 --> 00:28:48.799
to be in a place where the rift has already been
00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:53.259
opened before just to reopen it. So in order
00:28:53.259 --> 00:28:56.559
to reopen the gate, they need all of these, all
00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:59.740
this power and all of the, you know, the green
00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:04.779
acidic, whatever it is, you know, like essentially
00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:09.740
nuclear power or whatever. And this huge machine
00:29:09.740 --> 00:29:13.980
and all of this just to do what she did accidentally.
00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:19.240
So absolutely wild. So cool. When you put it
00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:23.720
in the context. Yeah. Yeah. Fascinating. Really
00:29:23.720 --> 00:29:27.460
important information disseminated here for season
00:29:27.460 --> 00:29:29.599
five as well in terms of prepping y 'all for
00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:33.240
Vecna. And we know that she has the face -off
00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:34.680
effect, and we know that she's already beaten
00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:36.440
him once, but in terms of what the scope of her
00:29:36.440 --> 00:29:38.460
power is, I don't think that we actually see
00:29:38.460 --> 00:29:42.099
just how powerful she is like this again. Because
00:29:42.099 --> 00:29:44.519
her opening the rift is crazy powerful, if it
00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:48.299
is indeed just her. But! Yeah. Second storyline.
00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:52.440
Nancy, and maybe it's going to be my boyfriend,
00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:56.079
maybe not, Jonathan, Jeffries, fire. Which, to
00:29:56.079 --> 00:29:57.960
everybody who listened to the introduction was
00:29:57.960 --> 00:30:00.670
like, is Jonathan's middle name Jeffries? No,
00:30:00.769 --> 00:30:04.150
it's Michael Jordan's middle name. And so that
00:30:04.150 --> 00:30:06.569
was a shout out to Michael Jordan. Michael Jeffrey
00:30:06.569 --> 00:30:11.650
Jordan. Sorry about that, y 'all, if you were
00:30:11.650 --> 00:30:14.390
confused. So they've got this huge focus, Jonathan
00:30:14.390 --> 00:30:16.809
and Nancy on the Demogorgon. We left off with
00:30:16.809 --> 00:30:19.549
our last episode talking about how they Jonathan
00:30:19.549 --> 00:30:22.210
accidentally takes a photo of the Demogorgon.
00:30:22.309 --> 00:30:25.230
That photo gets ripped up by Steve. Nancy picks
00:30:25.230 --> 00:30:28.059
it up. stitches it back together and sees the
00:30:28.059 --> 00:30:31.839
Demogorgon there. And so now she shows Jonathan
00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:35.579
the photo and they decide to team up. And at
00:30:35.579 --> 00:30:39.200
Will's funeral, which again, Jonathan's now starting
00:30:39.200 --> 00:30:41.339
to believe Will's not dead. Joyce already believes
00:30:41.339 --> 00:30:44.339
Will isn't dead. The kids already believe Will
00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:45.819
isn't dead. So there's a bunch of people at this
00:30:45.819 --> 00:30:50.980
funeral that are like, ah, kids fine. We're just
00:30:50.980 --> 00:30:54.160
here for appearances. Yeah, for real. Jonathan.
00:30:54.990 --> 00:30:58.029
goes into, I think, his dad's car, picks a lock,
00:30:58.230 --> 00:31:03.170
and then takes out this revolver, which he gives
00:31:03.170 --> 00:31:07.470
this very sad story about, my dad took me hunting
00:31:07.470 --> 00:31:11.410
when I was 10. Oh, so upsetting. Made me kill
00:31:11.410 --> 00:31:13.809
a bunny, and I cried for a week. She's like,
00:31:13.869 --> 00:31:15.910
oh, God. He's like, what? I'm a big fan of Thumper.
00:31:15.970 --> 00:31:18.630
She's like, no, not you, your dad. But it turns
00:31:18.630 --> 00:31:21.069
out Jonathan's not very good at shooting things.
00:31:21.250 --> 00:31:25.019
No. And Nancy is actually very good at it. Yeah.
00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:28.920
Excellent. Really excellent. And they do a nice
00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:31.359
job, I think, here of showing, okay, she's got
00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:34.819
a natural talent. And unlike with a lot of other
00:31:34.819 --> 00:31:37.400
female characters, Stranger Things, which has
00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:39.759
already sort of been built on, hey, Eleven's
00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:43.240
super strong, Joyce is super amazing and talented,
00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:45.440
and Nancy's super cool. You don't hear a lot
00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:47.440
of Mary Sue complaints, and I'm very glad about
00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:52.819
it. Yeah. Mm -hmm. Yeah, the ladies have a pretty
00:31:52.819 --> 00:31:55.900
good representation in the show. Yeah. And a
00:31:55.900 --> 00:31:58.640
wide range as well, which I think is very nice.
00:31:58.680 --> 00:32:02.539
It's not just one type of strong woman or a strong
00:32:02.539 --> 00:32:05.019
girl or anything like that. Like Elle obviously
00:32:05.019 --> 00:32:09.359
is very, you know, essentially physically strong
00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:12.079
because of everything that she can do with her
00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:14.920
powers. And then Joyce being very like mentally
00:32:14.920 --> 00:32:17.740
and emotionally strong. Nancy intellectually
00:32:17.740 --> 00:32:22.390
strong. And then also has some of these physical
00:32:22.390 --> 00:32:25.509
talents as well, despite, you know, her slight
00:32:25.509 --> 00:32:28.170
build and things like that. Yes, absolutely.
00:32:28.849 --> 00:32:33.710
Very morally strong as well. Yes, well, not previously,
00:32:33.990 --> 00:32:38.369
but sure. No, but I mean, in terms of like, these
00:32:38.369 --> 00:32:40.190
things shouldn't be happening. Yes, what's right
00:32:40.190 --> 00:32:50.779
and wrong, absolutely. Just in general, they
00:32:50.779 --> 00:32:54.839
do a very good job of representing women in a
00:32:54.839 --> 00:32:57.700
very good way. And then when she get Max, you've
00:32:57.700 --> 00:33:01.700
got her. Skater punk girl strong is amazing.
00:33:02.019 --> 00:33:05.140
Awesomeness. Yeah. So good. So good. So, and
00:33:05.140 --> 00:33:08.500
again, a completely new, unique. And Lucas's
00:33:08.500 --> 00:33:10.740
sister as well. Character as well. Yeah. Whose
00:33:10.740 --> 00:33:13.039
name escapes me. Erica. Erica. Yes, thank you.
00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:20.019
She is so annoying for a while. And then she
00:33:20.019 --> 00:33:23.140
kind of grows on you a little bit. But yeah,
00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:26.160
super irritating with the bell at the counter.
00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:33.539
And Robin, another great female character. Yeah,
00:33:33.619 --> 00:33:35.839
just racking him up. Nailing it. Nailing it,
00:33:35.859 --> 00:33:38.299
indeed. And it's interesting. So for those of
00:33:38.299 --> 00:33:40.119
you who are unfamiliar with the term, Mary Sue
00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:44.839
is a derogatory term usually used to explain
00:33:44.839 --> 00:33:47.400
women characters that are... too strong too quick
00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:49.619
for a lot of people normally male viewers but
00:33:49.619 --> 00:33:53.099
not always male viewers um and in this case i
00:33:53.099 --> 00:33:56.559
i think there is there is room for an argument
00:33:56.559 --> 00:33:58.460
to be made oh why is she just suddenly good with
00:33:58.460 --> 00:34:00.700
guns but i think that they've done it in a way
00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:03.700
that shows she has a natural affinity for it
00:34:03.700 --> 00:34:06.140
that is satisfying for the viewer and i think
00:34:06.140 --> 00:34:09.320
that's what um what escapes that sort of argument,
00:34:09.380 --> 00:34:11.800
why that argument sort of falls apart, is it's
00:34:11.800 --> 00:34:14.059
done in a satisfying way for the viewer to hold
00:34:14.059 --> 00:34:18.219
on to. And even if they didn't, women can be
00:34:18.219 --> 00:34:21.380
naturally inclined to shooting guns. I've met
00:34:21.380 --> 00:34:23.940
very good, like, my wife is an excellent shot
00:34:23.940 --> 00:34:28.059
with a bow. Like, it happens sometimes. And we
00:34:28.059 --> 00:34:31.019
can all be a little bit less Mary Sue trigger
00:34:31.019 --> 00:34:34.159
happy. Not to make a gun pun on a Mary Sue comment.
00:34:34.380 --> 00:34:38.889
Anyways. So she, Nancy's a good shot. They find
00:34:38.889 --> 00:34:41.949
the Demogorgon. They realize when they find this
00:34:41.949 --> 00:34:44.130
dead deer, right? The deer's already bleeding,
00:34:44.170 --> 00:34:46.570
etc. And then the monster comes and gets it.
00:34:47.489 --> 00:34:52.550
They realize, oh, blood draws this. And whether
00:34:52.550 --> 00:34:55.969
or not, I don't know that Nancy ever realizes,
00:34:56.230 --> 00:34:58.630
oh, Barb was cut that night. I don't know that
00:34:58.630 --> 00:35:01.809
she says those lines, but it's... certainly inferred
00:35:01.809 --> 00:35:03.869
that they understand this she doesn't i don't
00:35:03.869 --> 00:35:05.710
think she says it in that moment but she does
00:35:05.710 --> 00:35:08.530
say it later on because she's listed yeah she's
00:35:08.530 --> 00:35:11.750
listing this oh and it showed up because of the
00:35:11.750 --> 00:35:14.329
blood here it showed up barb had her finger and
00:35:14.329 --> 00:35:18.670
all that yeah um yeah also nancy shows an uncanny
00:35:18.670 --> 00:35:22.550
amount of bravery in this sort of storyline because
00:35:22.550 --> 00:35:27.400
she she finds this organic hole In a tree? And
00:35:27.400 --> 00:35:31.460
is like, sure! And just crawls into it. Which
00:35:31.460 --> 00:35:35.199
also, blasting those, like, women don't want
00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:38.599
to get gross stereotypes there. Because, ew!
00:35:38.920 --> 00:35:42.820
Ew, it's nasty. As a woman who probably would,
00:35:42.900 --> 00:35:47.579
like, hesitate before climbing through a gross,
00:35:47.579 --> 00:35:51.909
gross thing like that. Props. I'd be scared.
00:35:52.329 --> 00:35:55.130
I'm amazed that nobody was like, hey, is there
00:35:55.130 --> 00:35:57.469
a possibility that this tree, that this is just
00:35:57.469 --> 00:36:00.170
a mouth for a weird upside down tree and it's
00:36:00.170 --> 00:36:03.550
going to eat me if I enter it? Like, that would
00:36:03.550 --> 00:36:05.809
be my first thought. There's no way I'd be going
00:36:05.809 --> 00:36:09.570
in. That's a valid concern. But she goes in and
00:36:09.570 --> 00:36:12.110
then, and then she's, you know, her teenage stupidity
00:36:12.110 --> 00:36:13.710
gets the better of her. She goes in without telling
00:36:13.710 --> 00:36:16.110
Jonathan. And I know they've kind of just been
00:36:16.110 --> 00:36:18.250
fighting. Because they're romantically getting
00:36:18.250 --> 00:36:20.150
to know each other, and they find that they're
00:36:20.150 --> 00:36:22.289
not at all similar, but they see each other's
00:36:22.289 --> 00:36:26.349
faults really well. But, like, she goes in without
00:36:26.349 --> 00:36:28.130
telling Jonathan, and then she's down there by
00:36:28.130 --> 00:36:30.210
herself with a Demogorgon and a gun, which is
00:36:30.210 --> 00:36:36.309
like, yeah, okay, babe. And then she just starts,
00:36:36.309 --> 00:36:42.219
like, wandering around. Bar? Yeah. Just... Oh,
00:36:42.260 --> 00:36:44.780
wow. I like, I crawled through a tree and now
00:36:44.780 --> 00:36:47.699
I'm in another forest, but it's really dark.
00:36:47.780 --> 00:36:50.480
And it seems like maybe this is like, there's
00:36:50.480 --> 00:36:53.900
like floating things. And I guess this is like,
00:36:53.920 --> 00:36:56.900
she just acts like it's so normal. Well, and
00:36:56.900 --> 00:36:59.500
then also just like, bye. There's this awesome
00:36:59.500 --> 00:37:03.199
hint to season two and moving forward. When she
00:37:03.199 --> 00:37:05.000
attracts the Demogorgon, it's not because she
00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:07.119
touches it or she's in view. She steps on a vine.
00:37:07.670 --> 00:37:10.610
Which is a huge thing about season two, is don't
00:37:10.610 --> 00:37:13.050
step on the vines. Right? It's all an interconnected
00:37:13.050 --> 00:37:17.349
hive mind. So that was really cool. It was nice
00:37:17.349 --> 00:37:19.610
to see that little, oh, okay, they are planning
00:37:19.610 --> 00:37:21.530
this out. Not that I doubt the Duffer Brothers
00:37:21.530 --> 00:37:24.869
at all. No. It's a cool little tidbit there.
00:37:25.489 --> 00:37:28.110
And then she escapes pretty easily. And you can
00:37:28.110 --> 00:37:29.829
hear each other in the Upside Down, it turns
00:37:29.829 --> 00:37:31.989
out. Right? Yeah, super interesting. Jonathan's
00:37:31.989 --> 00:37:34.380
calling for her. Nancy's calling for her. And
00:37:34.380 --> 00:37:36.800
it's unclear if it's coming through the hole
00:37:36.800 --> 00:37:39.760
of the tree or if it's if it's just like kind
00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:42.800
of in the air. And I feel like it's kind of there
00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:45.619
because Joyce later and Jonathan can kind of
00:37:45.619 --> 00:37:47.219
hear each other in episode eight in the finale.
00:37:47.380 --> 00:37:51.500
But of course, Will and then in Will can hear.
00:37:51.659 --> 00:37:56.780
Yeah. And in season and in season four. Yeah.
00:37:56.860 --> 00:37:58.699
That's like a whole thing where they're like
00:37:58.699 --> 00:38:00.940
walking parallel to each other and like calling
00:38:00.940 --> 00:38:06.050
through essentially. Yeah, I'm realizing as I'm
00:38:06.050 --> 00:38:08.090
talking about walking through and walking parallel
00:38:08.090 --> 00:38:10.429
that I'm doing all these hand gestures that totally
00:38:10.429 --> 00:38:14.889
work for an audio medium. I'm right there with
00:38:14.889 --> 00:38:18.369
you. The auditory experience is really enhanced
00:38:18.369 --> 00:38:23.429
by all of my wild hand motions. Y 'all are welcome.
00:38:23.530 --> 00:38:26.590
So then Nancy does manage to escape. She climbs
00:38:26.590 --> 00:38:28.650
back through the weird gross hole, which I will
00:38:28.650 --> 00:38:32.099
say the one thing about this season. other than
00:38:32.099 --> 00:38:35.380
this wild middle school serial killer moment
00:38:35.380 --> 00:38:39.019
that I don't like is at the end of season five,
00:38:39.199 --> 00:38:43.519
the, the hole starts to close. Yeah. And, and
00:38:43.519 --> 00:38:46.099
then it's like, they kind of play around with
00:38:46.099 --> 00:38:48.539
the bark motion being like, Oh, am I closing?
00:38:48.659 --> 00:38:50.739
Am I not? But it's like, no, at the very end
00:38:50.739 --> 00:38:52.699
of season five, you were clear at season five,
00:38:52.739 --> 00:38:54.360
at the very end of episode five, you were clearly
00:38:54.360 --> 00:38:57.599
closing the hole and now it's open. And I, I
00:38:57.599 --> 00:38:59.820
just, it's a little cheap and I don't love it.
00:39:00.500 --> 00:39:02.699
Yeah. Just a little bit. It's a great cliffhanger.
00:39:02.699 --> 00:39:05.119
It works well for the TV medium format, but it's
00:39:05.119 --> 00:39:12.119
kind of like, Gah! So then, Steve enters this
00:39:12.119 --> 00:39:16.000
sort of love triangle, which, of course, he does.
00:39:16.139 --> 00:39:18.940
But Steve and his friends, it's unclear who actually
00:39:18.940 --> 00:39:21.340
writes the message at first, and then turns out
00:39:21.340 --> 00:39:23.760
it's Steve's awful, terrible friend who spray
00:39:23.760 --> 00:39:27.760
paints Nancy starring Nancy the Slut Wheeler.
00:39:28.219 --> 00:39:31.679
on a marquee for all the right absolutely horrible
00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:35.820
just a disgusting remark horrible um and jonathan
00:39:35.820 --> 00:39:39.599
beats up steve which put heck yeah put steve
00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:44.559
down for he's oh and one uh for those of you
00:39:44.559 --> 00:39:48.179
going to keep track at home oh and one currently
00:39:48.179 --> 00:39:56.359
q robin with her board of you win you lose So,
00:39:56.359 --> 00:39:59.260
and then Jonathan gets arrested. And we have
00:39:59.260 --> 00:40:01.940
this awesome moment where Hopper's already with
00:40:01.940 --> 00:40:04.480
Joyce, which we'll get to in a second. And he
00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:07.500
comes and he's like, what happened? And Jonathan's
00:40:07.500 --> 00:40:10.099
like, you won't believe me. And he sidles up
00:40:10.099 --> 00:40:13.860
to him and he goes, give me a try. Yeah. Why
00:40:13.860 --> 00:40:15.159
don't you give me a chance? Something like that.
00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:17.039
Which is just this great little moment of like,
00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:23.880
oh, we're all coming together. Yay! Yay! And
00:40:23.880 --> 00:40:26.900
that is Nancy and Jonathan's storyline, which
00:40:26.900 --> 00:40:30.199
is, I think, the most riveting of all of them
00:40:30.199 --> 00:40:35.840
from a plot perspective. Then there's Hop and
00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:40.699
Joyce. Okay, so Hopper at the very end of the
00:40:40.699 --> 00:40:43.519
last episode, our last podcast episode, had just
00:40:43.519 --> 00:40:46.920
cut open the already autopsied question mark
00:40:46.920 --> 00:40:49.750
Will Byers, why are there no stitches? Why are
00:40:49.750 --> 00:40:58.210
there no stitches, Will? Why are there no stitches,
00:40:58.429 --> 00:41:02.329
Will? Okay. And finds all the bedding fluff inside
00:41:02.329 --> 00:41:05.670
of him. And is like, okay, so this is all terrible.
00:41:05.869 --> 00:41:10.630
He wakes up in his apartment after getting caught
00:41:10.630 --> 00:41:13.010
in the lab, trying to infiltrate the lab. He
00:41:13.010 --> 00:41:15.349
wakes up in his, like, cabin, which is not the
00:41:15.349 --> 00:41:17.449
cabin in the woods yet. It's his, like, little...
00:41:17.760 --> 00:41:22.579
long ranch styled house by the lake um and he
00:41:22.579 --> 00:41:26.079
uh has been they've scattered pills everywhere
00:41:26.079 --> 00:41:30.239
they put yeah clearly a setup yeah yeah very
00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:32.800
clearly cans of beer and what is it that he does
00:41:32.800 --> 00:41:38.440
immediately he starts looking around to figure
00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:41.099
out what they did yeah absolutely because he
00:41:41.099 --> 00:41:44.199
he thinks he's bugged which is just like oh it's
00:41:44.199 --> 00:41:49.170
so cool how smart he is And I just dig that scene
00:41:49.170 --> 00:41:51.389
so much. Although I will say, you don't have
00:41:51.389 --> 00:41:57.010
to rip up your couch cushions. I, yeah. I feel
00:41:57.010 --> 00:42:00.510
like every time that I see, every time that I
00:42:00.510 --> 00:42:03.869
see, it's a common thing in when people start
00:42:03.869 --> 00:42:05.809
getting paranoid that like something's hidden
00:42:05.809 --> 00:42:08.469
in their house or whatever, and they start, or
00:42:08.469 --> 00:42:12.800
even in a, And I think it's a man from uncle.
00:42:13.000 --> 00:42:16.239
They're in the hotel and they start, but they
00:42:16.239 --> 00:42:19.019
always rip into the cushions. And I'm like, you
00:42:19.019 --> 00:42:23.219
really think that they took the time to unstitch
00:42:23.219 --> 00:42:27.320
a cushion, put it inside the cushion and then
00:42:27.320 --> 00:42:30.820
restitch the cushion. Like there's not like a
00:42:30.820 --> 00:42:33.500
rip in it. There's not a, if there's a zipper,
00:42:33.559 --> 00:42:39.090
maybe use that. I mean, there's a lot of ways
00:42:39.090 --> 00:42:42.550
to, like, get in and see if this is here. A metal
00:42:42.550 --> 00:42:46.590
detector, maybe. Literally anything except for
00:42:46.590 --> 00:42:49.650
destroying your couch. Like, okay, it doesn't
00:42:49.650 --> 00:42:51.389
look like a very expensive couch, and it's a
00:42:51.389 --> 00:42:56.469
horrible upholstery on it anyways. But if that's
00:42:56.469 --> 00:42:58.190
your only couch. And that's your only couch.
00:42:58.210 --> 00:43:00.230
And also, it's not like he does a very thorough
00:43:00.230 --> 00:43:03.030
job looking. He splits open the middle. He digs
00:43:03.030 --> 00:43:04.969
into it and is like, must not be there. And it's
00:43:04.969 --> 00:43:08.159
like, bro. He finished the job. He didn't even,
00:43:08.179 --> 00:43:12.460
like, really look. It's probably all bugs. He
00:43:12.460 --> 00:43:14.579
just really hated that couch. Really, he's like.
00:43:14.920 --> 00:43:17.380
He needed an excuse to get rid of it. Oh, no,
00:43:17.519 --> 00:43:20.360
they bugged my apartment. Rip, rip. Oh, I guess
00:43:20.360 --> 00:43:25.059
I have an excuse to buy a new couch. That's so
00:43:25.059 --> 00:43:28.960
funny. He does eventually find a recording device
00:43:28.960 --> 00:43:32.539
that's in one of his main lamp, I think. He undoes
00:43:32.539 --> 00:43:34.039
it and it's in there with his light bulb and
00:43:34.039 --> 00:43:37.940
stuff, which is terrifying. Yeah. But it means
00:43:37.940 --> 00:43:40.400
that he's on to something. So he finds Joyce.
00:43:40.400 --> 00:43:43.260
Yes. And in one of my favorite moments, Joyce
00:43:43.260 --> 00:43:45.219
thinks it's Lonnie. They've just had this giant
00:43:45.219 --> 00:43:47.519
blow up about Lonnie's really just there to collect
00:43:47.519 --> 00:43:50.079
money from the organization that owns the quarry.
00:43:50.079 --> 00:43:52.900
There's no danger signs. There's no all of this.
00:43:53.000 --> 00:43:54.960
So he should be made accountable, which I'm like,
00:43:55.019 --> 00:43:57.639
yes, actually, all of that's true. They should
00:43:57.639 --> 00:44:00.170
be held accountable. And if Will really did die
00:44:00.170 --> 00:44:03.429
in that. Except for the fact. But he's not actually
00:44:03.429 --> 00:44:06.070
dead. And also Lonnie's just not supportive and
00:44:06.070 --> 00:44:07.710
he's just there for the money. And I love Joyce
00:44:07.710 --> 00:44:10.329
being strong in that whole moment. But Joyce
00:44:10.329 --> 00:44:14.250
thinks Lonnie has come back. And she's, you know,
00:44:14.269 --> 00:44:17.130
having a fit. As one does when you think that
00:44:17.130 --> 00:44:19.969
your undead child is on the other side of some
00:44:19.969 --> 00:44:21.610
weird mystery world that you have no idea what's
00:44:21.610 --> 00:44:24.110
going on. She starts screaming at him and she
00:44:24.110 --> 00:44:27.190
opens the door and it's this awesome moment of
00:44:27.190 --> 00:44:29.949
Hopper. with his finger over his lips, holding
00:44:29.949 --> 00:44:33.010
this sign that says, don't say anything. And
00:44:33.010 --> 00:44:35.889
then it cuts. And it's just, oh, the feels are
00:44:35.889 --> 00:44:40.630
great. They're so good. Yeah. I love that scene.
00:44:41.170 --> 00:44:43.909
It's very good. And then Hopper and Joyce sort
00:44:43.909 --> 00:44:47.969
of go about trying to track down any information
00:44:47.969 --> 00:44:51.070
they can. And eventually, when they reach Jonathan,
00:44:51.269 --> 00:44:53.510
they're able to start putting all the pieces
00:44:53.510 --> 00:44:57.460
together. And that gets us to this. deprivation
00:44:57.460 --> 00:45:01.360
tank where Joyce is the one saying how do we
00:45:01.360 --> 00:45:03.739
make this all better because Dustin and Mike
00:45:03.739 --> 00:45:06.980
are going over oh like she needs to refuel she's
00:45:06.980 --> 00:45:10.340
really low on battery power and Joyce ever the
00:45:10.340 --> 00:45:12.960
cognizant human being how do we make this better
00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:16.500
and then that's when Elle is like I think I know
00:45:16.500 --> 00:45:19.159
how and they call Dr. Clark and we get moving
00:45:19.159 --> 00:45:22.199
and we get that awesome classic scene of making
00:45:22.199 --> 00:45:24.320
the deprivation tank out of a kiddie pool in
00:45:24.320 --> 00:45:27.650
the gym Yeah, so good. Those are your three best
00:45:27.650 --> 00:45:30.309
ones. They're fantastic. They're great. They
00:45:30.309 --> 00:45:35.489
lead us into season, episode eight. Very, very
00:45:35.489 --> 00:45:37.869
well. And you've got a note here about what season
00:45:37.869 --> 00:45:39.909
seven is really, episode seven is really doing.
00:45:40.630 --> 00:45:44.090
Yeah. I mean, I feel like throughout one through
00:45:44.090 --> 00:45:47.829
six episodes, you have very distinct storylines.
00:45:49.010 --> 00:45:51.630
happening simultaneously but then in episode
00:45:51.630 --> 00:45:53.849
7 it's exciting because we finally get to see
00:45:53.849 --> 00:45:57.050
all of them overlap and then we really need to
00:45:57.050 --> 00:46:02.570
focus on one storyline which is Brenner's singular
00:46:02.570 --> 00:46:06.530
singular focus on finding and retrieving Elle
00:46:06.530 --> 00:46:09.289
so it's almost like we have all these different
00:46:09.289 --> 00:46:11.769
things happening and then it all comes in together
00:46:11.769 --> 00:46:13.750
they share all the information everybody's in
00:46:13.750 --> 00:46:16.530
the know And now we need to focus on this other
00:46:16.530 --> 00:46:20.230
important thing. And it's finding and retrieving
00:46:20.230 --> 00:46:22.489
Elle is more important to him than research,
00:46:22.650 --> 00:46:25.190
more important to him than the Demogorgon, than
00:46:25.190 --> 00:46:27.849
anything else that he has going on, which is
00:46:27.849 --> 00:46:32.570
fascinating, especially with how we see from
00:46:32.570 --> 00:46:34.530
flashbacks and then what we see in the future,
00:46:34.570 --> 00:46:37.469
how he treats her and their relationship and
00:46:37.469 --> 00:46:39.989
everything. The fact that she is that important
00:46:39.989 --> 00:46:43.719
to him is. Very vital. Well, and it's interesting
00:46:43.719 --> 00:46:46.420
to hear. So if you this is going to be a little
00:46:46.420 --> 00:46:49.800
bit of a spoiler for the play. One of the things
00:46:49.800 --> 00:46:52.260
that really inspired the Duffer Brothers is something
00:46:52.260 --> 00:46:54.500
called the Philadelphia Experiment, which is
00:46:54.500 --> 00:46:58.079
an urban legend that claimed a U .S. Navy destroyer,
00:46:58.079 --> 00:47:00.880
a .k .a. the USS Eldred, was made invisible and
00:47:00.880 --> 00:47:04.360
teleported during a military experiment in 1943
00:47:04.360 --> 00:47:07.480
involving like intense electromagnetic fields.
00:47:07.699 --> 00:47:10.739
This is the this actual experiment opens the
00:47:10.739 --> 00:47:15.719
play. And it turns out that Brenner's father
00:47:15.719 --> 00:47:22.579
is on this ship. And so that sort of is why he's
00:47:22.579 --> 00:47:25.300
so interested in all of this stuff. And then
00:47:25.300 --> 00:47:27.360
you know, okay, so he lost his dad to this because
00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:30.519
in the play, this ship ends up in the Upside
00:47:30.519 --> 00:47:34.000
Down and everybody dies. Oh, interesting. Yeah,
00:47:34.059 --> 00:47:37.800
it's fascinating. And that's how I remember it
00:47:37.800 --> 00:47:39.559
best. So I might not be 100 % on the details
00:47:39.559 --> 00:47:42.280
because I saw it. once and i wasn't like taking
00:47:42.280 --> 00:47:47.280
active notes during the play um but uh and so
00:47:47.280 --> 00:47:49.099
you see you know he's lost a family member like
00:47:49.099 --> 00:47:52.440
that already and then he loses his son going
00:47:52.440 --> 00:47:55.280
into the rift and and so everything becomes about
00:47:55.280 --> 00:47:57.739
this one child who can do all of these things
00:47:57.739 --> 00:47:59.340
that he's interested in finding out information
00:47:59.340 --> 00:48:02.400
about so l becomes like his entire world which
00:48:02.400 --> 00:48:06.860
i think is really fascinating um yeah all right
00:48:06.860 --> 00:48:10.380
moving on keep a finger On the pause button,
00:48:10.440 --> 00:48:12.800
everybody, and rewind that tape, it's time for
00:48:12.800 --> 00:48:15.260
the prestige category for what did we notice
00:48:15.260 --> 00:48:19.159
on this watch through. Sierra. Episode five gets
00:48:19.159 --> 00:48:22.840
us our first upside down. Indeed, it really does.
00:48:23.179 --> 00:48:26.159
Yeah, it's the first time we hear of it referred
00:48:26.159 --> 00:48:30.219
to as upside down. It takes five episodes, which
00:48:30.219 --> 00:48:34.460
is kind of wild. And then that, you know, carries
00:48:34.460 --> 00:48:36.699
through for the rest of the show, which is pretty
00:48:36.699 --> 00:48:39.920
great. Indeed. I wrote down a couple things here.
00:48:40.019 --> 00:48:43.019
Lonnie just sucks. He sucks as a husband. He
00:48:43.019 --> 00:48:46.539
does. He sucks as a dad. Remember? Terrible.
00:48:46.539 --> 00:48:50.579
He's in Jonathan's room and he's got like something
00:48:50.579 --> 00:48:52.880
of the nature of Creature of the Black Lagoon.
00:48:53.460 --> 00:48:56.119
movie poster it's not that exact one but it's
00:48:56.119 --> 00:48:58.960
a monster with a hand on the throat of a young
00:48:58.960 --> 00:49:01.480
woman kind of dragging her down into it's like
00:49:01.480 --> 00:49:03.519
night of the living dead or something like that
00:49:03.519 --> 00:49:06.059
of that nature um and he points to it he says
00:49:06.059 --> 00:49:08.260
take that down it's inappropriate like who are
00:49:08.260 --> 00:49:10.000
you after all these years to come marching back
00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:12.559
into my to my room to tell me what or is not
00:49:12.559 --> 00:49:16.119
appropriate like clearly joyce goes into their
00:49:16.119 --> 00:49:18.260
bedrooms and sees things and if she's cool with
00:49:18.260 --> 00:49:20.320
it is fine with it who are you like you have
00:49:20.320 --> 00:49:25.519
no power here bud um yeah exactly and then uh
00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:29.659
i wrote down here wait l doesn't know how to
00:49:29.659 --> 00:49:31.360
get to the upside down is she lying and then
00:49:31.360 --> 00:49:33.960
i realized oh yeah that's right she is she's
00:49:33.960 --> 00:49:35.900
lying through her teeth yeah this entire time
00:49:40.280 --> 00:49:43.800
I wrote down that Lucas certainly has a lot of
00:49:43.800 --> 00:49:46.500
expectations for a kid who's only said about
00:49:46.500 --> 00:49:51.659
10 words. He just thinks that L should know everything
00:49:51.659 --> 00:49:55.119
and be able to do everything, and he just met
00:49:55.119 --> 00:49:58.880
this girl two days ago, and somehow she should
00:49:58.880 --> 00:50:04.599
be omniscient and omnipowerful and everything,
00:50:05.280 --> 00:50:10.260
and just be able to do whatever they ask. because
00:50:10.260 --> 00:50:12.440
they totally have a right to just demand things
00:50:12.440 --> 00:50:14.179
of her question. It's really interesting because
00:50:14.179 --> 00:50:16.480
it's such a juxtaposition from the way that Mike
00:50:16.480 --> 00:50:20.099
treats Max next season. So we know Lucas is jealous
00:50:20.099 --> 00:50:22.260
of the amount of attention that Elle is receiving
00:50:22.260 --> 00:50:25.079
from Mike because Mike and Lucas are best friends.
00:50:25.219 --> 00:50:29.280
And then Mike is super jealous of the attention
00:50:29.280 --> 00:50:33.119
that Lucas is giving Max in season two. But instead,
00:50:33.199 --> 00:50:36.239
Lucas is thinking way too much of Elle versus
00:50:36.239 --> 00:50:40.079
Mike thinks way too little of Max. Yeah. Definitely.
00:50:41.099 --> 00:50:43.380
Yeah, it's pretty interesting. It really is.
00:50:43.659 --> 00:50:45.860
I have written down a couple different notes.
00:50:45.920 --> 00:50:48.599
Jonathan knows where his dad keeps his gun, and
00:50:48.599 --> 00:50:51.199
he can pick locks, and he can take killer photos
00:50:51.199 --> 00:50:54.260
and make breakfast and be caring of his family.
00:50:54.300 --> 00:50:58.440
Why is Nancy dating Steve at all? Jonathan is
00:50:58.440 --> 00:51:02.460
a full package of a man. Yes, but Steve has the
00:51:02.460 --> 00:51:06.639
hair. Jonathan does have very bad hair. That's
00:51:06.639 --> 00:51:09.659
very true. Yes. But also, like, Steve the Hair
00:51:09.659 --> 00:51:11.440
Harrington. Steve the Hair Harrington. Yeah,
00:51:11.519 --> 00:51:16.039
that's true. But also, like, Nancy's smart enough
00:51:16.039 --> 00:51:17.960
to know that there's more to life than hair.
00:51:18.800 --> 00:51:21.940
Yeah, I mean, but every teenage girl can get
00:51:21.940 --> 00:51:24.679
distracted by the hair for a hot minute. Come
00:51:24.679 --> 00:51:28.239
on. Stupid. She figures it out. She does, eventually,
00:51:28.500 --> 00:51:33.099
but she's an idiot. She does. What teenager isn't?
00:51:33.420 --> 00:51:35.880
That's very accurate. Sorry, teenagers, but it's
00:51:35.880 --> 00:51:39.320
true. We're all a little bit of an idiot when
00:51:39.320 --> 00:51:42.820
we're teens. It's fine. Yes. Hopper turns to
00:51:42.820 --> 00:51:44.780
Joyce's side is my favorite part of the season
00:51:44.780 --> 00:51:47.099
because he starts out so like, oh my gosh, is
00:51:47.099 --> 00:51:49.340
he just with Lonnie? Will's probably just with
00:51:49.340 --> 00:51:52.659
his dad. All the way to like, I know everything
00:51:52.659 --> 00:51:55.599
that you've been talking about is real. And I'm
00:51:55.599 --> 00:51:59.539
here to help. Yeah. That's by far my favorite
00:51:59.539 --> 00:52:03.150
part of the season. Alright, major question here.
00:52:03.230 --> 00:52:07.590
How is there a gate in the tree? The only thing
00:52:07.590 --> 00:52:15.269
that I can think of is that the Demogorgon, when
00:52:15.269 --> 00:52:20.190
on the scent of blood, can open a temporary passage
00:52:20.190 --> 00:52:23.949
to get through, same as him attempting to go
00:52:23.949 --> 00:52:26.530
through the wall. But how? In Joyce's place.
00:52:27.150 --> 00:52:32.820
I don't know. Because Demogorgon magic? But how
00:52:32.820 --> 00:52:36.440
do Demogorgons have magic? I don't know. Yeah,
00:52:36.480 --> 00:52:39.199
okay. So this is my real speculation is that
00:52:39.199 --> 00:52:43.119
Vecna is doing this. That Vecna, the other telekinetic
00:52:43.119 --> 00:52:46.619
being in the world that's been in there is open.
00:52:46.699 --> 00:52:48.420
But then a part of me is like, but then why isn't
00:52:48.420 --> 00:52:51.719
he just popping out and doing that? And is it
00:52:51.719 --> 00:52:53.920
just like because the rift is weak and therefore
00:52:53.920 --> 00:52:56.500
things are now starting to pop open everywhere?
00:52:56.820 --> 00:52:59.289
Like, I just don't understand. Why this tree
00:52:59.289 --> 00:53:01.690
has a hole and why a Demogorgon can be like,
00:53:01.750 --> 00:53:04.389
I can now press through to the other side. He's
00:53:04.389 --> 00:53:06.670
not the door. Sorry, that's a terrible joke.
00:53:07.050 --> 00:53:10.750
Break on through to the other side. No, I got
00:53:10.750 --> 00:53:15.469
you. So, okay, but here's the thing. So here
00:53:15.469 --> 00:53:18.750
there's a gate in a tree and the Demogorgon can
00:53:18.750 --> 00:53:21.110
pop through and Nancy can go through. In the
00:53:21.110 --> 00:53:24.090
next season, Hop digs a hole into the Upside
00:53:24.090 --> 00:53:28.530
Down. Right. So, I think it's just, like, once
00:53:28.530 --> 00:53:32.969
the gate is open, the veil is weak. It's, like,
00:53:32.989 --> 00:53:36.190
just tears through the time -space continuum,
00:53:36.309 --> 00:53:40.210
essentially, of, Sam, the real reason is it's
00:53:40.210 --> 00:53:44.710
wibbly -wobbly timey -wimey time. I know that's
00:53:44.710 --> 00:53:47.170
the real reason that it's there, because the
00:53:47.170 --> 00:53:50.090
plot needs points, but, like, I just want to
00:53:50.090 --> 00:53:53.630
understand for the world what's going on. I know.
00:53:53.630 --> 00:53:58.130
It's so frustrating. uh you know what's not what
00:53:58.130 --> 00:54:01.869
is also frustrating but understandable yeah is
00:54:01.869 --> 00:54:07.670
your hatred of mike i do i do not i do not like
00:54:07.670 --> 00:54:10.969
mike and that's one of my main notes here i and
00:54:10.969 --> 00:54:12.989
this this will continue you are not like the
00:54:12.989 --> 00:54:17.869
movie from like mike yes i'm not like the commercials
00:54:17.869 --> 00:54:20.550
like mike if he was michael jeffrey jordan's
00:54:20.550 --> 00:54:25.990
i would absolutely like mike but he's not Michael,
00:54:25.990 --> 00:54:28.449
whatever their last name is, that's not Byers.
00:54:28.909 --> 00:54:32.809
Wheeler. Wheeler, thank you. Okay, this will
00:54:32.809 --> 00:54:35.250
continue every season that I don't like Mike.
00:54:35.389 --> 00:54:37.769
One of my all -time favorite moments is when
00:54:37.769 --> 00:54:42.000
Hopper... decides to to not quiet parent or soft
00:54:42.000 --> 00:54:44.500
parent mike when he's like i'll use my words
00:54:44.500 --> 00:54:47.059
and then he just decides to lay into him and
00:54:47.059 --> 00:54:50.440
like in the car when mike's being an absolute
00:54:50.440 --> 00:54:53.679
like garbage faced human being to him and he
00:54:53.679 --> 00:54:55.400
just feels it and i'm like yeah and i'm like
00:54:55.400 --> 00:54:57.300
i'm not that type of person in real life i think
00:54:57.300 --> 00:54:58.980
everyone should use their words and you should
00:54:58.980 --> 00:55:03.039
be patient and good with but like i can't stand
00:55:03.039 --> 00:55:06.780
this kid i love the actor he's great But Mike
00:55:06.780 --> 00:55:09.139
is just so annoying. And people are like, oh,
00:55:09.159 --> 00:55:11.019
he's the leader. He's like my favorite character.
00:55:11.119 --> 00:55:13.440
What leadership is he doing? Just looking at
00:55:13.440 --> 00:55:15.519
Al and being like, what's wrong with you? And
00:55:15.519 --> 00:55:21.019
boom, leadership done. Out. Tell me. Okay, I
00:55:21.019 --> 00:55:27.139
will. I will, however. I will get to this when
00:55:27.139 --> 00:55:30.340
we start talking about the crazy serial killer.
00:55:30.880 --> 00:55:35.260
kid i will get to the the little bit of redeeming
00:55:35.260 --> 00:55:37.619
mike ness okay we'll get there great we'll get
00:55:37.619 --> 00:55:39.900
there his willingness to just jump off a quarry
00:55:39.900 --> 00:55:42.780
being like i'll be fine i mean basically but
00:55:42.780 --> 00:55:45.840
but here's the thing we'll get there okay sorry
00:55:45.840 --> 00:55:50.480
all right all right before then before then mike
00:55:50.480 --> 00:55:54.820
makes a comment that it's like r2d2 trying to
00:55:54.820 --> 00:55:58.349
fight darth vader um I'm sorry, but I think that
00:55:58.349 --> 00:56:02.329
would actually probably go pretty well. Okay.
00:56:02.349 --> 00:56:05.210
I think R2 -D2 has a great chance of fighting
00:56:05.210 --> 00:56:08.289
Vader, and here's a couple reasons why. First
00:56:08.289 --> 00:56:11.809
of all, the personal relationship between R2
00:56:11.809 --> 00:56:17.849
-D2 and Anakin Skywalker, in and of itself, I
00:56:17.849 --> 00:56:21.610
think, could lend itself very well. R2 -D2 knows
00:56:21.610 --> 00:56:28.139
how to interact with this man. and has the ability
00:56:28.139 --> 00:56:35.420
as the narrator of the story to defeat Darth
00:56:35.420 --> 00:56:38.860
Vader. I was thinking about this a lot. Sneaky.
00:56:39.739 --> 00:56:42.739
Sneaky ways. He's not going to one -on -one combat
00:56:42.739 --> 00:56:48.320
him. That's the main point. At first I was like,
00:56:48.440 --> 00:56:51.599
what the heck? I don't want to get us too sidetracked,
00:56:51.699 --> 00:56:55.510
but at first I was like, Sierra, this is stupid.
00:56:55.610 --> 00:56:59.989
This would not go well. Vader would, like, coke
00:56:59.989 --> 00:57:04.769
crush R2 against his head. Like, he just uses
00:57:04.769 --> 00:57:07.510
the force on this metal and goes... Like, do
00:57:07.510 --> 00:57:10.889
we not remember when he woke up and said no and
00:57:10.889 --> 00:57:13.389
destroyed the hospital that he was in when he
00:57:13.389 --> 00:57:15.610
turned to Vader? And then I was like, oh, wait,
00:57:15.670 --> 00:57:17.710
no, but R2 knows that Anakin's Vader. Oh, wait,
00:57:17.730 --> 00:57:20.309
no, he doesn't. And he doesn't know the extent
00:57:20.309 --> 00:57:24.980
of his injuries. because he wasn't there on Mustafar.
00:57:25.039 --> 00:57:26.599
He got told to stay with the ship, which is the
00:57:26.599 --> 00:57:29.239
whole reason why R2, when Luke was like, stay
00:57:29.239 --> 00:57:32.360
with the ship, R2's like, no, in Empire. No.
00:57:32.760 --> 00:57:37.639
Yeah. But... Ha ha. I learned from my mistake.
00:57:38.659 --> 00:57:43.179
Fool me once, shame on you. And R2 is like, and
00:57:43.179 --> 00:57:46.119
R2 is kind of validated by that decision because...
00:57:46.400 --> 00:57:48.679
Luke only loses a hand. He doesn't lose three
00:57:48.679 --> 00:57:51.780
limbs and get burnt to a crisp. So that's a point
00:57:51.780 --> 00:57:58.300
for R2. But this is not Star Wars. So then I
00:57:58.300 --> 00:58:02.480
was like, okay, actually, though, Vader has a
00:58:02.480 --> 00:58:04.519
lot of metal in him. A lot of machinery in him.
00:58:04.559 --> 00:58:06.780
R2 is a droid. His whole thing is to mess around
00:58:06.780 --> 00:58:09.639
with machinery. And so if R2, probably with all
00:58:09.639 --> 00:58:12.099
of his sensors, pick up that Vader is... mainly
00:58:12.099 --> 00:58:16.280
metal for almost all of his limbs, and that his
00:58:16.280 --> 00:58:18.139
suit regulates his breathing and all that sort
00:58:18.139 --> 00:58:21.699
of stuff. I do wonder, because again, Vader can't
00:58:21.699 --> 00:58:25.960
sense metal in the Force. Right. It brings all
00:58:25.960 --> 00:58:28.039
living beings together, and as much as R2 and
00:58:28.039 --> 00:58:31.500
C -3PO, we love them, they're not technically
00:58:31.500 --> 00:58:33.840
by Force standards living unless they're like
00:58:33.840 --> 00:58:36.599
R5, but that's a whole different discussion.
00:58:37.980 --> 00:58:42.920
Yeah. So... I think it would be possible if R2
00:58:42.920 --> 00:58:47.380
is sneaky that he fires off an EMB and just completely
00:58:47.380 --> 00:58:51.039
obliterates Vader's suit. His life support system
00:58:51.039 --> 00:58:56.960
is just decimated. I'm saying. And then I think
00:58:56.960 --> 00:58:58.719
it could work out. Otherwise, I think he has
00:58:58.719 --> 00:59:00.800
absolutely no choice. Because I really do think
00:59:00.800 --> 00:59:03.360
they would just pan over. And if it was Stranger
00:59:03.360 --> 00:59:05.119
Things, they would pan over and Archie would
00:59:05.119 --> 00:59:07.340
be literally painted to look like a Coke can
00:59:07.340 --> 00:59:09.519
for product placement. And then he would just
00:59:09.519 --> 00:59:13.639
L Stranger Things the Coke can. But it would
00:59:13.639 --> 00:59:20.519
be Vader and DT. Anyways. I love this. Also,
00:59:20.980 --> 00:59:24.960
I forgot how much we hate Steve. Yeah. In this
00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:30.659
first season. Absolutely. And also, I wrote this
00:59:30.659 --> 00:59:33.659
here and then I continued, you know, my rewatch.
00:59:34.059 --> 00:59:38.739
But I said, also, do we just never hear about
00:59:38.739 --> 00:59:42.019
his terrible friends again? Do they die? Please
00:59:42.019 --> 00:59:44.940
tell me they die. Okay. So my headcanon for this.
00:59:44.940 --> 00:59:50.300
Because his friends are horrible. My headcanon
00:59:50.300 --> 00:59:54.480
for this is that this Troy, who we're going to
00:59:54.480 --> 00:59:55.980
speak of, we've been alluding to this moment
00:59:55.980 --> 00:59:58.139
the whole time, and we're still not there, but
00:59:58.139 --> 00:59:59.820
that Troy, who's the guy that threatens Dustin
00:59:59.820 --> 01:00:02.860
with a knife, is actually a little itty -bitty
01:00:02.860 --> 01:00:08.460
committee serial killer. And he goes around offing
01:00:08.460 --> 01:00:10.119
some people, and that's why certain characters
01:00:10.119 --> 01:00:13.500
disappear, including himself. We never really
01:00:13.500 --> 01:00:17.179
see Troy that much again. And so he does that
01:00:17.179 --> 01:00:20.599
to Steve's... terrible friends and that's the
01:00:20.599 --> 01:00:22.500
reason why they're gone is that he's just the
01:00:22.500 --> 01:00:24.739
background serial killer that victim's like hey
01:00:24.739 --> 01:00:28.400
i'm not even having to do all the bad stuff that
01:00:28.400 --> 01:00:35.860
would be a wild side story criminal minds taking
01:00:35.860 --> 01:00:39.360
place during strange would be a great spin -off
01:00:39.360 --> 01:00:44.280
it would be great uh Yes, finally in episode
01:00:44.280 --> 01:00:47.019
seven, though, as I spoke about before, we start
01:00:47.019 --> 01:00:50.159
getting some inner storyline communication. It
01:00:50.159 --> 01:00:55.639
absolutely drives me nuts. I get very anxious
01:00:55.639 --> 01:00:59.059
sometimes during these seasons when certain people
01:00:59.059 --> 01:01:02.119
know certain things and they're just not sharing
01:01:02.119 --> 01:01:05.079
it with the class. I'm like, you guys are brother
01:01:05.079 --> 01:01:12.050
and sister. Talk. talk you you guys are our uh
01:01:12.050 --> 01:01:16.489
son and mother just share something i'm like
01:01:16.489 --> 01:01:21.090
you guys are in the same house like share something
01:01:21.090 --> 01:01:23.750
drives me nuts but then hop is getting all the
01:01:23.750 --> 01:01:27.070
pieces together thank goodness that he can start
01:01:27.070 --> 01:01:31.170
actually melding it into one and he's not like
01:01:31.170 --> 01:01:34.090
one track minded just thinking oh that can't
01:01:34.090 --> 01:01:37.219
have anything to do with this Goodness gracious,
01:01:37.420 --> 01:01:39.519
it's a good thing he doesn't believe in coincidences.
01:01:40.239 --> 01:01:44.880
And he's able to pull it all together, and it's
01:01:44.880 --> 01:01:48.219
awesome. Thank goodness. Speaking of things that
01:01:48.219 --> 01:01:50.619
drive me crazy and Hopper melding together, can
01:01:50.619 --> 01:01:53.940
we get him a new hat? I hate his hat. His hat's
01:01:53.940 --> 01:01:57.159
terrible. It doesn't really work for his head.
01:01:57.739 --> 01:01:59.400
It's like, you know, supposed to be going for
01:01:59.400 --> 01:02:02.139
this kind of old -fashioned noir. Also, Joyce
01:02:02.139 --> 01:02:05.099
is a phenomenal mother. She's concerned about
01:02:05.099 --> 01:02:08.480
Elle. Immediately. She is so desperate to go
01:02:08.480 --> 01:02:10.679
find Will that she won't let Hopper go without
01:02:10.679 --> 01:02:12.820
him at the end of season or episode seven. I
01:02:12.820 --> 01:02:16.360
keep seeing season. My God. It's just she's she's
01:02:16.360 --> 01:02:18.780
so good. And I just love her so much. She's really
01:02:18.780 --> 01:02:24.260
great. A parent that I is not great. That is
01:02:24.260 --> 01:02:27.699
really not not excellent. We haven't seen an
01:02:27.699 --> 01:02:30.380
excellent moment from this man at all, which
01:02:30.380 --> 01:02:34.980
is Mr. Wheeler has this lovely quote. This is
01:02:34.980 --> 01:02:38.809
our government. They're on our side. Insert laugh
01:02:38.809 --> 01:02:42.789
cry emojis until I die. He's so oblivious, it's
01:02:42.789 --> 01:02:46.989
crazy. Oh, God. But I feel like that's such a,
01:02:46.989 --> 01:02:52.949
like, 80s middle class guy thing to think is
01:02:52.949 --> 01:02:57.019
like, hey. we got through a couple of wars. Like
01:02:57.019 --> 01:02:59.880
we're in a good, our government is on our side.
01:02:59.880 --> 01:03:01.920
You know, we haven't had all the scandals come
01:03:01.920 --> 01:03:05.000
out yet. We haven't had. It's interesting to
01:03:05.000 --> 01:03:06.940
hear from a real life perspective. Cause Reagan.
01:03:07.500 --> 01:03:10.000
is president at the time and one of his like
01:03:10.000 --> 01:03:12.679
most famous quotes about government is the eight
01:03:12.679 --> 01:03:14.880
scariest words in the human language are i'm
01:03:14.880 --> 01:03:17.059
from the government and i'm here to help so the
01:03:17.059 --> 01:03:19.559
fact that he he seems like he would be a reaganite
01:03:19.559 --> 01:03:22.980
man right he lives in indiana in the midst of
01:03:22.980 --> 01:03:26.960
uh and is a white suburban man those in general
01:03:26.960 --> 01:03:28.980
those were voters for reagan you would think
01:03:28.980 --> 01:03:30.980
he'd be like oh the government they're here to
01:03:30.980 --> 01:03:33.719
help oh no but no he's like i'm sure they're
01:03:33.719 --> 01:03:37.849
on our side Totally. Everything's fine, honey.
01:03:37.929 --> 01:03:40.389
You let them go through our children's rooms.
01:03:40.449 --> 01:03:44.789
No problem. They can upturn our entire existence.
01:03:44.889 --> 01:03:47.849
Whatever. They didn't even show up for it. It's
01:03:47.849 --> 01:03:53.369
fine. Yeah. It's totally fine. Oh, Lord almighty.
01:03:54.050 --> 01:03:59.090
Okay. We are here at the moment that we've been
01:03:59.090 --> 01:04:06.860
waiting for. I forgot. how extreme it's so extreme
01:04:06.860 --> 01:04:10.599
this scene is so obviously troy's this bully
01:04:10.599 --> 01:04:13.860
he's been bullying the boys throughout because
01:04:13.860 --> 01:04:16.599
they're nerds and he's a jock we think i mean
01:04:16.599 --> 01:04:21.019
his name's troy one could only assume and so
01:04:21.019 --> 01:04:24.219
we can only assume that he's been you know really
01:04:24.219 --> 01:04:28.880
bullying and whatever however i'm sorry a middle
01:04:28.880 --> 01:04:34.550
schooler going to cut a kid's throat Or cut his
01:04:34.550 --> 01:04:38.849
teeth out of his mouth. Is absolutely insane.
01:04:39.710 --> 01:04:43.489
This kid is the kid of all the kids who needs
01:04:43.489 --> 01:04:48.949
all of the therapy. Because that is insane. It's
01:04:48.949 --> 01:04:54.349
insane. The entire scene is just wild. From the
01:04:54.349 --> 01:04:57.969
fact that he grabs Dustin and puts a knife to
01:04:57.969 --> 01:05:02.090
his throat. And then tells Mike to go walk off.
01:05:02.519 --> 01:05:05.760
A cliff? Or he's gonna cut his baby teeth out?
01:05:05.840 --> 01:05:09.900
Like, what the heck? What? This is - That's like,
01:05:09.980 --> 01:05:14.739
it goes from middle school bully to absolutely
01:05:14.739 --> 01:05:20.639
insane asylum worthy speech in five seconds.
01:05:20.659 --> 01:05:23.800
So this is my, from a writing perspective and
01:05:23.800 --> 01:05:26.840
from like a show perspective, my least favorite
01:05:26.840 --> 01:05:32.050
moment of everything. Uh, that includes the desert
01:05:32.050 --> 01:05:35.650
storyline in season four. That includes the Chicago
01:05:35.650 --> 01:05:39.110
storyline in season two, which are massively
01:05:39.110 --> 01:05:41.829
unpopular storylines with a lot of fans. I, I
01:05:41.829 --> 01:05:44.309
just like, I don't understand the reason for
01:05:44.309 --> 01:05:47.530
ratcheting up. Yeah. And the fact that he's like,
01:05:47.570 --> 01:05:52.420
he tells Mike to go kill himself is. Yeah. Literally.
01:05:52.420 --> 01:05:53.800
And you don't have to do that. You could have
01:05:53.800 --> 01:05:56.699
had it where they have a scrap and he gets accidentally
01:05:56.699 --> 01:06:00.239
pushed off. There's no reason to up this bully
01:06:00.239 --> 01:06:04.239
level so dramatically. It feels like sort of
01:06:04.239 --> 01:06:06.199
a rookie writing workshop mistake that you get
01:06:06.199 --> 01:06:09.219
in your initial creative writing class, to me.
01:06:09.320 --> 01:06:13.460
It just feels like somebody just overshot. I
01:06:13.460 --> 01:06:15.039
don't mean to criticize the writers that much.
01:06:15.079 --> 01:06:16.980
I think they do a phenomenal job. The rest of
01:06:16.980 --> 01:06:19.619
the show is absolutely incredible. I just do
01:06:19.619 --> 01:06:23.079
not understand this moment from a writing or
01:06:23.079 --> 01:06:26.360
a show perspective. Troy, squeezing bladder to
01:06:26.360 --> 01:06:27.780
put yourself in front of the school to murder?
01:06:28.260 --> 01:06:30.800
Yeah, exactly. And permanent disfiguration? What?
01:06:31.340 --> 01:06:35.320
Yeah. Being a little bit humiliated all the way
01:06:35.320 --> 01:06:38.260
up to just, I'm going to murder you and your
01:06:38.260 --> 01:06:43.969
friends, essentially, is just... bonkers bonkers
01:06:43.969 --> 01:06:49.530
um we do however get one little moment of redemption
01:06:49.530 --> 01:06:55.030
for all of mike's whining um which is that he
01:06:55.030 --> 01:07:01.070
is literally ride or die for his friends um because
01:07:01.070 --> 01:07:06.530
he is he is going to die i mean it's crazy i
01:07:06.530 --> 01:07:08.170
don't think he realizes that he's going to die
01:07:08.170 --> 01:07:10.199
though because he's he's like no it's fine I
01:07:10.199 --> 01:07:13.579
don't think so either. He's just, yeah, I think
01:07:13.579 --> 01:07:15.059
he just thinks he's going to get really hurt
01:07:15.059 --> 01:07:19.980
or something like that. But there's not a way
01:07:19.980 --> 01:07:22.019
he lives through that. No, I mean, Hopper explains
01:07:22.019 --> 01:07:24.099
it at the beginning. The water becomes like cement,
01:07:24.159 --> 01:07:28.380
as he calls it. Yeah, exactly. And I just, like,
01:07:28.420 --> 01:07:30.320
I don't think, and I think Troy probably also
01:07:30.320 --> 01:07:32.280
doesn't understand that he's going to die, to
01:07:32.280 --> 01:07:34.440
be fair. Probably not. I think everybody just
01:07:34.440 --> 01:07:37.719
has this misconception that water is not a solid
01:07:37.719 --> 01:07:40.059
and that... When you get up to terminal velocity,
01:07:40.300 --> 01:07:44.460
it's going to be okay. Yeah. But, and like, the
01:07:44.460 --> 01:07:46.460
only chance Mike would even have is if he pencil
01:07:46.460 --> 01:07:49.900
dived with a perfect, perfect angle. But he doesn't.
01:07:49.900 --> 01:07:51.980
He goes belly flop, which is, he's going to shatter
01:07:51.980 --> 01:07:56.239
all of his bones. Yeah. But also, I will tell,
01:07:56.360 --> 01:07:58.780
I will say, okay, so sure, Mike is willing to
01:07:58.780 --> 01:08:02.099
make sure that Dustin isn't hurt. That's true.
01:08:02.440 --> 01:08:05.579
He's also stupid, though. And this is my whole
01:08:05.579 --> 01:08:07.920
thing about, oh, he's such a great leader. Is
01:08:07.920 --> 01:08:10.760
he? Like, the smart thing to do is just to be
01:08:10.760 --> 01:08:13.179
like, hey, man, you're going to permanently disfigure
01:08:13.179 --> 01:08:15.280
my friend. We're going to go tell everybody who
01:08:15.280 --> 01:08:17.239
did this and you're going to get arrested. Like,
01:08:17.260 --> 01:08:21.140
there's... Yeah. What? Also, like, they're baby
01:08:21.140 --> 01:08:23.840
teeth. So, like, he doesn't... As Dustin says,
01:08:24.000 --> 01:08:27.159
he doesn't need them. Like, just keep fighting.
01:08:27.359 --> 01:08:30.260
Like, unless he's actually going to kill... He's
01:08:30.260 --> 01:08:34.300
just an idiot. Yeah. But again, it's the whole
01:08:34.300 --> 01:08:36.609
scene. It's just upsetting. But you're right.
01:08:36.649 --> 01:08:38.770
He's literally right or die. He's a very loyal
01:08:38.770 --> 01:08:41.670
friend. He'd make a great, stupid Hufflepuff.
01:08:42.109 --> 01:08:44.630
For now. Before he has a girlfriend. Before he
01:08:44.630 --> 01:08:48.050
has a girlfriend, indeed. Speaking of having
01:08:48.050 --> 01:08:50.829
feelings, you've got your last note here. My
01:08:50.829 --> 01:08:55.329
last note here just cracked me up. From now on,
01:08:55.409 --> 01:08:57.609
we tell each other everything between Mike and
01:08:57.609 --> 01:09:00.050
Nancy, and then they immediately lie to each
01:09:00.050 --> 01:09:03.989
other about their emotions, which is just a classic
01:09:03.989 --> 01:09:07.390
sibling move that really tickled me. Absolutely.
01:09:07.869 --> 01:09:10.510
It's like, we tell each other everything from
01:09:10.510 --> 01:09:12.770
now on. Immediate lies. Are you dating Jonathan?
01:09:12.949 --> 01:09:17.470
What? No. Do you like Eleven? No. Okay. Great.
01:09:17.630 --> 01:09:20.390
Great. We're all on the same page. Excellent.
01:09:20.609 --> 01:09:24.770
Excellent. Lovely, lovely. So funny. You know,
01:09:24.909 --> 01:09:29.210
Sam, what is the most important character moment
01:09:29.210 --> 01:09:32.170
of this set of episodes? The only thing that
01:09:32.170 --> 01:09:34.970
I think is actually the most important moment,
01:09:35.010 --> 01:09:36.649
because there's a lot of moments that are leading
01:09:36.649 --> 01:09:39.649
up to episode eight. So none of them have really
01:09:39.649 --> 01:09:43.350
reached their sort of climax. But I think. Right.
01:09:43.680 --> 01:09:46.279
In this case, it's Nancy gaining her confidence
01:09:46.279 --> 01:09:48.819
and sense of self, where she wields the gun,
01:09:49.020 --> 01:09:52.039
she goes into the forest with Jonathan, she goes
01:09:52.039 --> 01:09:55.119
into the unknown. The unknown. She goes into
01:09:55.119 --> 01:09:57.119
the... Well, it is the unknown, but the upside
01:09:57.119 --> 01:10:00.119
down. Into the unknown! Sorry, no, we're not
01:10:00.119 --> 01:10:01.539
going to get copyrighted on that one. Don't get
01:10:01.539 --> 01:10:06.899
sued, Sierra! Dang it! You had one job! One job!
01:10:09.710 --> 01:10:13.689
Our GoFundMe will be at SierraDon'tGetSuedGoFundMe
01:10:13.689 --> 01:10:18.029
.com. No, I think that it's her moment of diving
01:10:18.029 --> 01:10:21.069
into, like, actually going through the tree hole
01:10:21.069 --> 01:10:23.750
to the upside down. I think that character moment
01:10:23.750 --> 01:10:26.869
is so important for what defines Nancy for the
01:10:26.869 --> 01:10:30.869
rest of the series. Yeah. No, I definitely would
01:10:30.869 --> 01:10:33.829
agree, for sure. Fantastic. And I know that you
01:10:33.829 --> 01:10:35.630
just lost a hand, Sierra, but I'd like you to
01:10:35.630 --> 01:10:38.739
listen, because it's time. For I am your father
01:10:38.739 --> 01:10:43.760
category of most iconic character moment. It
01:10:43.760 --> 01:10:48.039
has to be Eleven flipping the van. That's so
01:10:48.039 --> 01:10:50.439
iconic. I mean, you think of Stranger Things
01:10:50.439 --> 01:10:59.310
and it's just the... The slow -mo. Yeah. Awesome.
01:10:59.369 --> 01:11:01.930
Awesome. Awesome. I mean, it already has all
01:11:01.930 --> 01:11:06.430
of the 80s E .T. vibes. It already has... The
01:11:06.430 --> 01:11:08.550
bad men are coming. Yeah, exactly. They're all
01:11:08.550 --> 01:11:12.970
in vans. And instead of them going up and over
01:11:12.970 --> 01:11:15.449
the canyon, it's her flipping the bus up and
01:11:15.449 --> 01:11:17.850
over. It's beautiful. Exactly. It's phenomenal.
01:11:18.210 --> 01:11:21.710
So good. It's amazing. You and I are the opposite
01:11:21.710 --> 01:11:23.569
of whatever those Muppets are called. Waldorf
01:11:23.569 --> 01:11:26.529
and whatever his name is. We're not heckling.
01:11:26.590 --> 01:11:31.250
We're absolutely... Adorizing it. Yes. I have
01:11:31.250 --> 01:11:33.850
two honorable mentions for this because it is
01:11:33.850 --> 01:11:37.989
100 % the 11 flipping the van. I will say Hopper
01:11:37.989 --> 01:11:40.029
entering Joyce's house with the sign saying don't
01:11:40.029 --> 01:11:41.569
say anything and his finger on his lips is a
01:11:41.569 --> 01:11:45.989
great, is an amazing moment. It's pretty great.
01:11:45.989 --> 01:11:47.949
I don't know that it's iconic, but every time
01:11:47.949 --> 01:11:50.949
I see it, I'd forgotten it every time, which
01:11:50.949 --> 01:11:52.949
is why I don't think it's iconic. But every time
01:11:52.949 --> 01:11:58.159
I'm like, oh yeah, give it to me. Let's go. And
01:11:58.159 --> 01:12:00.300
then Eleven stealing the Eggos and breaking the
01:12:00.300 --> 01:12:02.300
store I think is actually iconic. Her, like,
01:12:02.380 --> 01:12:06.380
piling those Eggos into her arm. But product
01:12:06.380 --> 01:12:09.579
placement will always sort of jot it down a bit.
01:12:09.619 --> 01:12:15.859
Detract. Yeah, for real. Yeah. Everybody, sit
01:12:15.859 --> 01:12:21.680
down. It's time for our I Am Iron Man. Most iconic
01:12:21.680 --> 01:12:25.760
and most important scene. category so i've got
01:12:25.760 --> 01:12:28.939
a couple of different versions mainly just two
01:12:28.939 --> 01:12:31.340
in fact they're just it's literally a couple
01:12:31.340 --> 01:12:35.520
um there's the bus face -off scene which we return
01:12:35.520 --> 01:12:38.100
we return up to this sort of like car graveyard
01:12:38.100 --> 01:12:41.279
up on a hill uh setting a lot it reminds me a
01:12:41.279 --> 01:12:43.420
little bit of dragon age 2 where you're like
01:12:43.420 --> 01:12:46.619
oh the warehouse where my mom got torn apart
01:12:46.619 --> 01:12:48.920
is also the warehouse where this chest is and
01:12:48.920 --> 01:12:50.960
it's also this place where i'm meeting the slave
01:12:50.960 --> 01:12:55.279
traders um and this is one of those places uh
01:12:55.279 --> 01:12:58.640
so they're up in this old school bus they're
01:12:58.640 --> 01:13:01.720
hiding from the bad men with l and lucas and
01:13:01.720 --> 01:13:05.239
mike and crew and they're trying to see if hopper
01:13:05.239 --> 01:13:10.579
is lando where he's betrayed them or if he's
01:13:10.579 --> 01:13:15.579
yeah actually cool uh Three men arrive in suits
01:13:15.579 --> 01:13:18.819
and off screen we hear somebody take them out.
01:13:19.140 --> 01:13:21.359
And then Hopper comes on the bus and says, let's
01:13:21.359 --> 01:13:24.079
go! And, you know, it sort of picks up from there.
01:13:24.140 --> 01:13:26.840
So good. The other one that I have is perhaps
01:13:26.840 --> 01:13:29.300
also the kiddie pool sensory deprivation tank
01:13:29.300 --> 01:13:31.520
in the school gymnasium scene. The school gym
01:13:31.520 --> 01:13:33.920
becomes such another one of those places that
01:13:33.920 --> 01:13:38.649
we keep going back to. the sort of salt in the
01:13:38.649 --> 01:13:40.750
pool deprivation tank becomes almost somewhat
01:13:40.750 --> 01:13:43.630
of a cliche scene now for stranger things. So
01:13:43.630 --> 01:13:46.430
those are my two iconic scenes, but we got to
01:13:46.430 --> 01:13:49.029
pick one. So where, where are you leaning? I
01:13:49.029 --> 01:13:51.949
think I'd lean towards the bus face off more
01:13:51.949 --> 01:13:58.029
just because I think I don't, when I think of
01:13:58.029 --> 01:14:02.890
more like iconic situations and scenes in. Stranger
01:14:02.890 --> 01:14:06.789
Things over the seasons, I do remember the bus
01:14:06.789 --> 01:14:10.109
and the car graveyard a lot more than I ever
01:14:10.109 --> 01:14:13.449
think about them being in the gym. So I think
01:14:13.449 --> 01:14:17.130
that just becomes a little bit more impactful
01:14:17.130 --> 01:14:23.949
when you have them luring the demodogs from that
01:14:23.949 --> 01:14:27.510
same bus, and then they come back to the bus
01:14:27.510 --> 01:14:32.510
again. When they're tracking both up and below
01:14:32.510 --> 01:14:35.310
and things like that. So I feel like just for
01:14:35.310 --> 01:14:39.409
kind of leading through all the different seasons,
01:14:39.470 --> 01:14:45.130
I would argue that that is more important based
01:14:45.130 --> 01:14:53.510
on location. Location, location, location. Plus,
01:14:53.550 --> 01:14:56.770
I think that it's the first time that the kids
01:14:56.770 --> 01:14:59.649
really see Hopper as someone that they can trust
01:14:59.649 --> 01:15:04.430
and connect with and not just like another adult.
01:15:04.710 --> 01:15:06.590
Yeah, that's true. That's absolutely true. Okay,
01:15:06.649 --> 01:15:08.909
we'll go with that one. So now it's time to crack
01:15:08.909 --> 01:15:11.810
open an encyclopedia because it is, as Elijah
01:15:11.810 --> 01:15:15.569
Wood once said, no, how could we have known category
01:15:15.569 --> 01:15:17.989
where we discuss the most important information
01:15:17.989 --> 01:15:21.569
disseminated to the fandom over these last three
01:15:21.569 --> 01:15:26.500
episodes. Which you've got. Yes, Eleven opened
01:15:26.500 --> 01:15:29.500
the gate when trying to make contact with the
01:15:29.500 --> 01:15:32.039
Demogorgon. We've talked about this so much,
01:15:32.079 --> 01:15:37.239
but yes, absolutely. I mean, that's like the
01:15:37.239 --> 01:15:40.939
most vital piece of information that is passed
01:15:40.939 --> 01:15:44.399
along during these episodes is that that is how
01:15:44.399 --> 01:15:48.090
this gate was opened. Yeah. There's still so
01:15:48.090 --> 01:15:49.390
much we don't... We've talked about this. We
01:15:49.390 --> 01:15:51.130
don't understand about it. I know. It's crazy.
01:15:51.890 --> 01:15:55.329
So keep that in mind for season five. Eleven
01:15:55.329 --> 01:16:01.729
opens the gate. She's that powerful. Yes. Time
01:16:01.729 --> 01:16:05.630
to keep your horses safe. It is the I'm gonna
01:16:05.630 --> 01:16:09.029
make him an offer he can't refuse category of
01:16:09.029 --> 01:16:14.720
best lines. I absolutely love, she's our friend
01:16:14.720 --> 01:16:20.640
and she's crazy. I, if this other line didn't
01:16:20.640 --> 01:16:24.359
happen, Sierra, I would be 100 % with you. That
01:16:24.359 --> 01:16:27.640
that is the best line. But it's unacceptable
01:16:27.640 --> 01:16:31.340
when compared to the police station secretary
01:16:31.340 --> 01:16:35.770
who's talking. to nancy about jonathan after
01:16:35.770 --> 01:16:39.510
he beats up steve and she cooks on this line
01:16:39.510 --> 01:16:43.590
when she says you know she's like tell your boyfriend
01:16:43.590 --> 01:16:45.890
and nancy's like what he's he's not my boyfriend
01:16:45.890 --> 01:16:49.050
what would make you say that and she goes yeah
01:16:49.050 --> 01:16:52.350
she's she's putting ice into like some sort of
01:16:52.350 --> 01:16:55.069
handkerchief or towel or something uh because
01:16:55.069 --> 01:16:56.590
it's the 80s and they haven't made ice packs
01:16:56.590 --> 01:17:01.340
apparently uh and she she goes Only loves make
01:17:01.340 --> 01:17:03.939
you that crazy sweetheart and then hands her
01:17:03.939 --> 01:17:11.699
the ice pack and that damn stupid. It's amazing.
01:17:12.960 --> 01:17:15.460
And that's absolutely the best line in which
01:17:15.460 --> 01:17:18.659
you cannot. Fair enough. Thank you. Also, I will
01:17:18.659 --> 01:17:20.600
point out that right after that, Nancy immediately
01:17:20.600 --> 01:17:23.319
takes all the credit for the ice because she
01:17:23.319 --> 01:17:25.880
hands the ice to Jonathan and she goes, found
01:17:25.880 --> 01:17:30.720
some ice. No, you didn't. You were handed it
01:17:30.720 --> 01:17:32.979
while being given a life lesson by a random woman.
01:17:37.680 --> 01:17:42.939
Oh, gosh. Dust off that old card deck. Get ready
01:17:42.939 --> 01:17:45.899
to shuffle. It's our Joker category. For who
01:17:45.899 --> 01:17:48.600
is the MVP of this episode, I have three choices
01:17:48.600 --> 01:17:51.659
for you, Sierra. Okay. All right, I'm ready.
01:17:51.720 --> 01:17:54.859
Nancy Jonathan, who do the whole figuring out
01:17:54.859 --> 01:17:57.970
to go into a tree hole. Yeah. Get the Demogorgon,
01:17:57.970 --> 01:17:59.970
understand that it's attracted to blood, all
01:17:59.970 --> 01:18:03.409
that sort of stuff. You've got Dustin, who's
01:18:03.409 --> 01:18:05.609
the one who does all the math figures for the
01:18:05.609 --> 01:18:09.170
sensory deprivation tank, which confirms Barb's
01:18:09.170 --> 01:18:15.670
death and Will's being alive. Or, and I think
01:18:15.670 --> 01:18:18.430
I would go with this guy. Just pound for pound
01:18:18.430 --> 01:18:22.409
impact, which is just my favorite way to think
01:18:22.409 --> 01:18:29.340
about MVPs, is Mr. Clark. Because he, in this,
01:18:29.380 --> 01:18:33.939
explains the entire premise of punching through
01:18:33.939 --> 01:18:36.800
to different dimensions and giving them the clues
01:18:36.800 --> 01:18:39.659
of gravitational pull and electromagnetic pulses
01:18:39.659 --> 01:18:42.020
and all that stuff. He's not on the screen for
01:18:42.020 --> 01:18:45.579
very long, but he's absolutely vital to them
01:18:45.579 --> 01:18:48.659
actually being able to go and do anything. So
01:18:48.659 --> 01:18:51.020
he's not necessarily the basket maker, but he's
01:18:51.020 --> 01:18:58.460
the playmaker. Yeah. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Wow. Those
01:18:58.460 --> 01:19:03.720
are three very good options. You know, we may
01:19:03.720 --> 01:19:07.300
have to go with Mr. Clark for this one. Because
01:19:07.300 --> 01:19:12.680
without him, it's not understood how any of this
01:19:12.680 --> 01:19:16.159
works or how you would get there or how anything
01:19:16.159 --> 01:19:19.859
would get through or how you would connect to
01:19:19.859 --> 01:19:22.460
it. He's also the one that tells them how to
01:19:22.460 --> 01:19:24.300
make... It's with the flea on the tightrope.
01:19:24.319 --> 01:19:27.060
And he tells them how to make the stupid deprivation
01:19:27.060 --> 01:19:31.000
tank thing. True. Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.
01:19:31.180 --> 01:19:33.260
Yeah. Gotta be Mr. Clark. It's gotta be Mr. Clark.
01:19:33.279 --> 01:19:37.699
Okay, Mr. Clark, MVP, which is crazy. Wild. It's
01:19:37.699 --> 01:19:41.340
wild that he gets an MVP vote and award. But
01:19:41.340 --> 01:19:45.760
he does. Yes, indeed. Well, Sam, it's time to
01:19:45.760 --> 01:19:48.340
clean up your evil lair and get ready for our...
01:19:49.159 --> 01:19:53.760
was the turkey all along? Category four. What
01:19:53.760 --> 01:19:56.939
is the biggest takeaway viewers should leave
01:19:56.939 --> 01:20:01.680
with in preparation for season five? You guessed
01:20:01.680 --> 01:20:04.979
it. There is still more going on than we can
01:20:04.979 --> 01:20:08.060
fully understand. Eleven opened the gate to the
01:20:08.060 --> 01:20:11.399
Upside Down. The lab already knew the Upside
01:20:11.399 --> 01:20:14.060
Down was there because they're trying to make
01:20:14.060 --> 01:20:18.539
contact. So... How do they know about the Upside
01:20:18.539 --> 01:20:22.640
Down? Eleven, is she grown specifically for the
01:20:22.640 --> 01:20:25.060
purpose of reaching through to the Upside Down,
01:20:25.180 --> 01:20:28.500
or were there other purposes for her? There's
01:20:28.500 --> 01:20:32.000
so much going on in kind of her still, like,
01:20:32.000 --> 01:20:34.319
we get a lot more information about her backstory,
01:20:34.399 --> 01:20:37.460
but we still don't fully understand kind of what
01:20:37.460 --> 01:20:43.239
happened to jumpstart this specific them. Making
01:20:43.239 --> 01:20:45.720
contact with the upside down and how that involves.
01:20:45.779 --> 01:20:51.260
Yeah, I it's really, you know, it's great fodder
01:20:51.260 --> 01:20:53.539
for podcasting. It is a little frustrating, though.
01:20:54.020 --> 01:20:56.539
And we get a little bit of this answer in season
01:20:56.539 --> 01:21:00.100
four. We know that they there are being trained
01:21:00.100 --> 01:21:05.680
to do psycho stuff because of. because Brenner's
01:21:05.680 --> 01:21:07.520
interested in that. We know from the play, what
01:21:07.520 --> 01:21:08.920
I said earlier, I don't want to spoil it again
01:21:08.920 --> 01:21:11.420
in case people skipped over that, that Brenner
01:21:11.420 --> 01:21:13.579
has some real reasons why he's invested in the
01:21:13.579 --> 01:21:15.600
Upside Down, that he kind of knows where it is
01:21:15.600 --> 01:21:18.920
-ish. And, you know, we've got all the Vecna
01:21:18.920 --> 01:21:21.880
information, so Eleven is grown to sort of do
01:21:21.880 --> 01:21:25.939
what Vecna was doing before Vecna was uncontrollable,
01:21:26.060 --> 01:21:29.239
before they put in Vecna's little, hey, stop,
01:21:29.359 --> 01:21:33.170
stop doing this technology. But there's just
01:21:33.170 --> 01:21:35.770
a lot more that I feel like needs to be disseminated.
01:21:36.529 --> 01:21:39.630
Exactly how did the gate get opened? Is it the
01:21:39.630 --> 01:21:43.409
fear? Is it the scream? Is it Eleven losing control?
01:21:43.710 --> 01:21:45.829
Is it just her punching through when she touched
01:21:45.829 --> 01:21:47.869
the Demogorgon? That sort of stuff. I think that's
01:21:47.869 --> 01:21:49.770
absolutely true. There's also some information
01:21:49.770 --> 01:21:55.130
given about her powers, specifically. So Mike
01:21:55.130 --> 01:21:57.649
and Dustin have this explanation as to what's
01:21:57.649 --> 01:21:59.829
going on with Eleven to Joyce and the adults
01:21:59.829 --> 01:22:03.039
and stuff. Mike says, Whenever she uses her powers,
01:22:03.079 --> 01:22:05.659
she gets weak. Dustin adds, the more energy she
01:22:05.659 --> 01:22:08.279
uses, the more tired she gets. Mike, but she's
01:22:08.279 --> 01:22:11.060
drained. Dustin, like a battery. Joyce, how do
01:22:11.060 --> 01:22:13.220
we make her better? So that's when we're introduced
01:22:13.220 --> 01:22:15.000
to the sensory deprivation tanks and how Eleven
01:22:15.000 --> 01:22:20.560
needs to be on one in order to tap into her sixth
01:22:20.560 --> 01:22:23.760
senses, kind of, you know, to be better at doing
01:22:23.760 --> 01:22:25.720
it. As you said, she does it with white noise
01:22:25.720 --> 01:22:28.699
later, but the sensory deprivation certainly
01:22:28.699 --> 01:22:31.949
helps the most. Doing that. But it is frustrating
01:22:31.949 --> 01:22:33.909
because we don't really know for what reason
01:22:33.909 --> 01:22:38.029
her senses need calming down. We don't know why.
01:22:38.569 --> 01:22:41.729
Like, oh, I can now smell better because all
01:22:41.729 --> 01:22:43.689
my other senses are turned off. Although people
01:22:43.689 --> 01:22:46.289
say that's true. Is that just it? Is it that
01:22:46.289 --> 01:22:47.930
simple or is it something else? You know, that
01:22:47.930 --> 01:22:50.670
sort of stuff. I mean, if you've ever been driving
01:22:50.670 --> 01:22:52.649
down a road and you need to pay attention to
01:22:52.649 --> 01:22:54.310
what you're seeing, you turn the radio down.
01:22:54.369 --> 01:23:00.609
That's true. Fair point. I concede defeat. But
01:23:00.609 --> 01:23:03.350
it is the strange space that Stranger Things
01:23:03.350 --> 01:23:07.069
sometimes lives in. It's a mixture of soft fantasy
01:23:07.069 --> 01:23:10.409
and hard fantasy. And with all the science fiction.
01:23:10.840 --> 01:23:13.220
the hard science fiction that they put in. This
01:23:13.220 --> 01:23:15.340
is how this happens. It is frustrating sometimes
01:23:15.340 --> 01:23:17.760
to get the soft fantasy when you're like, but
01:23:17.760 --> 01:23:19.520
you're so good at the science fiction aspects.
01:23:19.739 --> 01:23:25.920
Why is this so soft for the fantasy? Yeah. Also
01:23:25.920 --> 01:23:30.380
another thing that we really learn and get some
01:23:30.380 --> 01:23:32.579
information about is just that the upside down
01:23:32.579 --> 01:23:37.000
has the same layout as real life and that people
01:23:37.000 --> 01:23:40.100
can be. kind of tracked through it and somewhat
01:23:40.100 --> 01:23:43.699
heard through, like, the veil, essentially, between
01:23:43.699 --> 01:23:48.720
real life and the upside down. That definitely
01:23:48.720 --> 01:23:52.260
comes into play in later seasons. You know, go
01:23:52.260 --> 01:23:57.340
to the XYZ location, up or down, and, you know,
01:23:57.359 --> 01:24:00.399
be able to interact through that and everything.
01:24:00.579 --> 01:24:03.279
So I think that that is a very important thing
01:24:03.279 --> 01:24:06.500
that we find out in these episodes, is just that
01:24:06.500 --> 01:24:11.180
it's a mirrored... situation um and also being
01:24:11.180 --> 01:24:16.000
able to hear through it uh more than through
01:24:16.000 --> 01:24:19.979
lights or radio static or whatever the case may
01:24:19.979 --> 01:24:21.819
be and actually be able to communicate through
01:24:21.819 --> 01:24:25.739
super key yeah and and what like we've been saying
01:24:25.739 --> 01:24:28.239
mr cork explains that we have this huge amount
01:24:28.239 --> 01:24:30.819
of energy to create a hole through the barrier
01:24:30.819 --> 01:24:34.069
to get to the upside down um That it would mess
01:24:34.069 --> 01:24:37.029
with gravity, magnetic fields, etc. I do find
01:24:37.029 --> 01:24:39.869
it fascinating that the Upside Down is exactly
01:24:39.869 --> 01:24:44.170
the same layout, but as if it's... It bears all
01:24:44.170 --> 01:24:46.550
these questions on like, okay, so is what happens
01:24:46.550 --> 01:24:49.329
in Hawkins, does that set what's going on? As
01:24:49.329 --> 01:24:51.069
soon as a house gets built in the Upside Down,
01:24:51.130 --> 01:24:53.489
what's going on with that? Or is it just like,
01:24:53.550 --> 01:24:56.890
did Vecna just recreate his old town? Because
01:24:56.890 --> 01:24:59.229
when he gets there, what's happening with that?
01:24:59.310 --> 01:25:01.729
So there's a lot of questions to be had. for
01:25:01.729 --> 01:25:03.590
that as well, that I think that they'll answer
01:25:03.590 --> 01:25:05.890
in Season 5, because we started to get some sort
01:25:05.890 --> 01:25:09.409
of flash answers at the end of Season 4. Right.
01:25:10.289 --> 01:25:12.569
Hopefully. Interestingly enough, the Veil of
01:25:12.569 --> 01:25:15.329
Shadows in a D &D context is made up for the
01:25:15.329 --> 01:25:18.850
show. Really? Yeah, so I did some sleuthing on
01:25:18.850 --> 01:25:21.550
the internet. Veil of Shadows is not a Dungeons
01:25:21.550 --> 01:25:23.789
& Dragons concept. However, it is clearly a reference
01:25:23.789 --> 01:25:25.810
to both Shadow Veil and the Plane of Shadows.
01:25:26.029 --> 01:25:30.319
But it is... Okay, okay. I think I was thinking
01:25:30.319 --> 01:25:32.100
of the plane of shadows. It is alluding to D
01:25:32.100 --> 01:25:35.560
&D. Like, actual, like, not D &D being used as
01:25:35.560 --> 01:25:37.460
a mechanic to play, but like the actual Dungeons
01:25:37.460 --> 01:25:40.359
& Dragons world. Right. Yeah, exactly. So that
01:25:40.359 --> 01:25:42.840
I thought was fascinating. That is really interesting.
01:25:43.340 --> 01:25:47.340
I guess it's just kind of like such a common,
01:25:47.520 --> 01:25:51.760
I don't know about common, but it's a concept
01:25:51.760 --> 01:25:55.460
that you see in a number of different fantasy
01:25:55.460 --> 01:25:59.779
settings. And so I guess it just extrapolates
01:25:59.779 --> 01:26:02.460
out that it would make a lot of sense for that
01:26:02.460 --> 01:26:04.840
to exist. But yeah, that does kind of surprise
01:26:04.840 --> 01:26:08.420
me that it specifically is not in there. Especially
01:26:08.420 --> 01:26:10.319
when you know that Vecna is like an actual D
01:26:10.319 --> 01:26:14.560
&D character. I hadn't realized that it was made
01:26:14.560 --> 01:26:16.060
up for the show specifically. That was cool.
01:26:16.180 --> 01:26:18.560
I thought that was neat. Yeah, no. That is cool.
01:26:19.779 --> 01:26:22.800
Today's public service announcement. Are you
01:26:22.800 --> 01:26:25.579
a switchblade wielding serial killer middle school
01:26:25.579 --> 01:26:29.319
bully? Same! That's why I went to Dr. Brenner's
01:26:29.319 --> 01:26:32.079
home for the criminally insane. He zaps the bully
01:26:32.079 --> 01:26:38.979
right out of you. Well, thank you, listener schmissiners,
01:26:38.979 --> 01:26:41.779
for listening to this episode of Fandom Schmandom.
01:26:42.039 --> 01:26:44.979
If you'd like to discuss this episode or any
01:26:44.979 --> 01:26:47.359
other episode we've done, please hit us up on
01:26:47.359 --> 01:26:49.760
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01:26:52.579 --> 01:26:56.960
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01:26:58.539 --> 01:27:00.539
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01:27:00.539 --> 01:27:04.880
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01:27:04.880 --> 01:27:07.439
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01:27:07.619 --> 01:27:10.439
Don't forget to tip your demogorgons. And fare
01:27:10.439 --> 01:27:15.579
thee well! Fandom Schmandom was created by Sam
01:27:15.579 --> 01:27:18.060
Williams and Ciara Obermark. The show is produced
01:27:18.060 --> 01:27:20.880
by Aurelia Lieb. The editor is Brittany Fisher.
01:27:21.119 --> 01:27:43.020
The music is by Jeremiah Alves. So I just got
01:27:43.020 --> 01:27:45.739
like stuck in my throat for a second. Great start.
01:27:45.840 --> 01:27:51.600
Great start. Welcome to Sierra dying. Yes. Okay.
01:28:00.220 --> 01:28:02.560
I'm sure Brittany at this point is like, what
01:28:02.560 --> 01:28:08.439
the hell is this going on? You guys have been
01:28:08.439 --> 01:28:10.399
recording for 10 minutes and you haven't said
01:28:10.399 --> 01:28:14.699
a single damn thing. Also, like, why do I have
01:28:14.699 --> 01:28:18.420
to cut out all of this? Everything is coming
01:28:18.420 --> 01:28:20.899
together, which might be good news for Jonathan,
01:28:21.060 --> 01:28:23.319
Nancy, Hopper, and Joyce, but it's not for Dr.
01:28:23.380 --> 01:28:27.579
Brenner, Mike, Luke, Luke, Luke, Luke DeSoleil.
01:28:29.739 --> 01:28:34.279
We get Elle's powers more fully explored, explored
01:28:34.279 --> 01:28:37.779
it. Oh my God. Sorry, cut that section. Britney,
01:28:37.920 --> 01:28:43.460
I have 17 ,000 million apologies for you. I'm
01:28:43.460 --> 01:28:45.319
very sorry. This is such a difficult episode
01:28:45.319 --> 01:28:49.060
for you. If you don't skip through all the time
01:28:49.060 --> 01:28:51.079
that we've told you to skip through and you end
01:28:51.079 --> 01:28:53.119
up listening to all of our million apologies
01:28:53.119 --> 01:28:56.680
in silence, then here's million and one apologies
01:28:56.680 --> 01:29:02.260
for the chaos that is this episode. Hey, we did
01:29:02.260 --> 01:29:04.920
it. Brittany, we did it. Brittany, we did it.
01:29:07.399 --> 01:29:08.640
Brittany, I'm sorry.