[loserrsquad]

HTDC x NINAJIRACHI MASTERPOST (ongoing)

[notsorryfangirl]

Stranger Things & World Myth - Part 1

(Love Wins Gate) - Will's Father is the Mindflayer!

Introduction:

World religions and mythologies are filled mysterious conceptions of heroes and villains. At least one of the characters in Stranger Things isn't who we think they are, and I think it's Will.

I'm not an expert so please let me know if I've said anything incorrect about your religion. I'll correct it as soon as possible!

TW: Rape, child SA

Elder Brains & Mindflayers in DND:

The Elder Brain operates a hive-mind, ruling a colony of Mindflayers through a telepathic connection. The Elder Brain shares collective knowledge of every living and dead Mindflayer in the colony, including their knowledge, memories, and personalities.

Mindflayers have the power to create illusions, including disguising themselves as human, much like real-life ancient deities when they seduce humans.

Additionally, multiple Elder Brains and separate colonies exist.

The Mindflayer in Stranger Things:

From what we've seen so far, the Elder Brain and Mindflayer are one entity, operating the hive-mind. The Mindflayer was a cosmic shapeshifter, often taking on different spider-like forms throughout the seasons. We've also seen the Mindflayer turn into a cloud of smoke to possess Will.

Which Begs The Question...

Did the Mindflayer impregnate Joyce? Maybe by shapeshifting into Lonnie?

Did the Mindflayer sire other children? Henry? Eleven? Kali? Lab Patients? The 12 children Vecna wanted? Holly? Derek? Maybe even Max?

Which Begs More Questions...

Who was sired from the same Mindflayer? Who are secret siblings?

Henry, Eleven, and Will? Maybe Kali too? Eleven and Kali do call each other sisters. Maybe that's a hint for the audience?

Or Henry, Eleven, Mike? Maybe Kali? (I don't think Will and Mike are related to each other. Byler!🤭).

Parallels to Ancient Mythology:

"Demeter Rejoiced, For Her Daughter Was By Her Side." By Walter Crane, illustrated for Mary Macgregor's book, The Story of Ancient Greece.

The Conception of Persephone (Will) from Greek Myth:

Zeus (The Mindflayer) was the ruler of the gods. He was the god of the sky, lighting, thunder, and the cosmos. He reigns over the skies, with the power to manipulate the weather and electricity. (The Mindflayer reaches the skies, with thunder and booming behind them. Electricity, in general, heavily ties into show). Zeus was also a shapeshifter, often turning into other forms to seduce women (Mindflayers can shapeshift).

The relationship between Demeter and Zeus ranged greatly in myths. Their daughter Persephone was either the product of a consensual love affair and/or Zeus raping Demeter in the form of a snake.

The Conception of Zagreus (Dart) From Greek Myth:

In Orphic traditions, Zeus travels to the underworld and sneaks into Persephone's bedchambers. He disguises himself as a serpent and rapes Persephone. (The scene above heavily implies Will being sexually abused and the tendril mimics a serpent).

Zeus impregnates Persephone with their son Zagreus. (Will throws up Dart after returning from the Upside Down). Zeus plans to make Zagreus his heir to the throne before his wife Hera sends her Titans to kill him. (Is Dart destined for something greater?)

The Conception of Perseus (Mike) from Greek Myth:

King Acrisius feared a prophecy that the future son of his daughter, Danae', would kill him. The King locked away the Princess to keep her from having children. (Karen is embodiment of being "trapped" in conformity).

Zeus, (Mindflayer), noticed Danae. He turned into a shower of gold and impregnated her with their son, Perseus. It's heavily debated as to whether Danae was seduced or raped by Zeus.

Perseus goes on to rescue Andromeda, a princess and his future wife, from a sea monster. (Mike vs. the Thessalhydra at Lover's Lake).

The Conception of Merlin (Will) from Arthurian Myth:

Merlin's mother, Aldan (Joyce), is depicted as mortal, virgin woman. Merlin's father (The Mindflayer) is often depicted as demon, incubus, evil spirit, fallen angel, and/or Satan himself. (Will gets possessed by the Mindflayer like a demon).

His father, with the intent to create the Antichrist, took the form of a mortal man and raped Aldan. In other accounts, he got her to fall in love with him first and laid with her several times until she fell pregnant with Merlin.

Merlin was immediately baptized, destroying his father's plans, and grew up to be a magical hero instead. (Much like Will escaping the Upside Down).

The Conception of Horus (Will) from Egyptian Myth:

Osiris, a god, was murdered and dismembered by another god, Set. He spread his parts spread throughout the land. Isis, a goddess and wife of Osiris, reassembled all of his parts. She turned into a falcon, beating her wings over his body, breathing life back into him. Osiris was resurrected long enough to conceive their son Horus. (Check out my former posts on the parallels between Horus and Will).

Parallels to World Religions:

Madonna and Child by Guido Galli

The Conception of Jesus (Likely Will) from Christianity & Islam:

Christianity: Mary, a virgin woman, was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, without sexual relations. She birthed Jesus, the human incarnation of God, who went on to perform miracles. (Did something similar to at least one character on the show?)

Islam:

The conception story shares similarities to Christianity, but views on Jesus vastly differ. Jesus was a human prophet and a messenger of Allah. Not the son and incarnation of God. (Are one or more characters a prophet and messenger of the Mindflayer?)

The Conception of Buddha from Buddhism:

Maya, a princess, dreamed of four Devas or celestial guardians, carried her to the Himalayas. Their wives bathed her in a lake and she was visited by a white elephant, which entered her side.

Maya conceived Buddha, who went on to perform miracles. (Was one of the characters conceived from a dream? Dreaming seems to be a major theme in Season 5).

The Conception of Krishna from Hinduism.

King Kamsa feared a prophecy that his sister Devaki and her husband Vasudeva would bear a son that would kill him. Kamsa imprisoned the couple. Lord Vishnu revealed to Vasudeva that he become his son and transferred to the womb of Devaki.

Krishna, Vishnu's avatar, was born in his divine form. Devaki asked Krishna to appear a human, fearing Kamsa. Krishna turned into a human baby and went onto perform miracles. (Are any of the characters hiding their true forms?)

Conclusion:

Based on world mythology, I believe Will's father is the Mindflayer. I also think it's possible that other characters may have mysterious, hidden lineage as well.

NETFLIX HIRE ME!

Want more?

Click Here For Part 2

Full Theory Masterlist

[notsorryfangirl]

The Evolution of the Demogorgen

What if victims of the Mindflayer become Demos over time?

My fan theory with (potential plot holes). Walk with me anyways!

Transformation 1:

Much like the Alien franchise, the tendril lays an egg inside of Will.

Will is rescued, returning within Dart inside him. Dart is no longer hooked up to the tendril or feeding tube. He ejects himself from Will's body to go feed properly.

Transformation 2:

If Will hadn't been rescued, he would've undergone the full transformation process.

Dart would've become one with Will, turning him into a full Demogorgen.

How did I reach this conclusion?

Lyn (@lightbyheart on Twitter/X) shared this tweet in a Love Wins group chat, pointing out that someone at the Met Gala wore something similar to the Hibiscus flower:

I looked into the mythology and folklore behind the Hibiscus flower.

The Hibiscus Flower:

Kali, the Hindu goddess, is closely associated with the Hibiscus flower...

I dug further and found this:

Lana (Lana_wood11 on Twitter/X) in Love Wins Chat shared this:

And then I looked into the Blue Lotus and found this:

I believe Stranger Things characters are closely connected to Egyptian mythology and many other mythologies!

More on that in the near future!

[misspracticallydelulu]

HOLY SHIT!

So everyone’s aware of the “New Coke Theory” right??

Here’s a quick recap:

Stranger Things is “original coke”. Tales of 85 is “new coke” and was released on the same date in history (April 23)

New Coke vs. Classic:

Most people HATED the new flavour (Tales of 85), so July 10th is when they brought back the original loved recipe (Stranger Things)

But yknow what these images led me too??

This event:

July 10th????

AM I READY TO BELIEVE???

FUCK OFFFFF

Coincidence? Could be. But I think not.

[mcmerrygoround]

From the new episode of The Boys:

Metagate is so real.

I wasn't even looking for clues, I actually screamed when they mentioned New Coke.

[ninononono]

Follow-up to my previous post. If Mike had been brave. Because I want him to be.

[noitsnotacookiee]

lovefool 😵‍💞

[stillchess]

Lescleradin in honour of the birthday boy because I just know Will would love their fantasy female versions just as much as the original ones 🥳 👩‍❤️‍👩

(Also because I didn't have the time for another drawing for this date :')

[ihateswansmorethananything]

Happy Birthday Will Byers :)

[cara-ti-amo]

Creelby is the key to Byler Endgame... just not in the way you're thinking (what I'm calling #BobGate)

Part Nineteen: The Evil Wizard No One Some Saw Coming

PART 1 HERE | PART 2 HERE | PART 3 HERE | PART 4 HERE PART 5 HERE | PART 6 HERE | PART 7 HERE | PART 8 HERE PART 9 HERE | PART 10 HERE | PART 11 HERE | PART 12 HERE PART 13 HERE | PART 14 HERE | PART 15 HERE | PART 16 HERE PART 17 HERE | PART 18 HERE | PART 20 HERE | PART 21 HERE PART 22 HERE | PART 23 HERE | PART 24 HERE | PART 25 HERE PART 26 HERE

Like the title implies, some of you may be SHOCKED by this photo, and others may have long been on the "Mr. Clarke is the traitor/connected to Tharizdun" train....

Well, guess who just hopped on?

Between the rumblings on social media and the Puzzled clues (which I'll be going over in a minute), it was this part of the Tristan and Isolde story (Part Seventeen) that really crystallized it for me:

[...] Day breaks, and [Tristan and Isolde] are caught by King Mark, who got the heads up from Tristan's own best friend, Melot (I have my theories on who this is in ST, but I'll keep them to myself). A fight ensues between Tristan and Melot, which ends with Tristan allowing Melot to stab him.

You can say I'm not keeping my theories to myself anymore.

Melot is Tristan's best friend in Wagner's opera, but in Arthurian legend, Melot was the dwarf knight who accused Lancelot and Guinevere of adultery due to his own jealousy (toward Lancelot or Guinevere, I wonder?). He then fought Lancelot in a trial by combat, with the assistance of King Arthur's nephews Agravain and Mordred.

Similarly, you have Tonio in Pagliacci (Part Ten), a fellow actor whose lust for Nedda drives him to betray her (leading to her death), as well as the character Marvin Hudgens from Dark of the Moon (the play within the play in TFS).

Throughout the play, Marvin lusts after Barbara Allen (despite her devotion to John) and it's through his embrace that Barbara succumbs to the church's religious fervor and breaks her vow to John, turning him back into a witch.

So, going back to Tristan und Isolde's Melot: If Bob = Tristan, Henry = Isolde, and King Marke = the MF/Tharizdun (aka Mother Goose)...

Then I suspected there had to be a Melot too* -- a traitor (disguised as a friend) who sold out Bob/Henry during the timeline of The First Shadow, and prompted Bob to deny his feelings for Henry and/or betray him by other means.

*My assumption is based on the fact that the Thessalhydra campaign from the end of S1 was clearly inspired by the Tristan and Isolde legend (on top of the fact that the ST writers are confirmed to use operas as inspiration).

Why do I think "Melot" is Mr. Clarke?

Per Mike, not only did Mr. Clarke mention Bob's founding of the Hawkins Middle AV Club to him, but --

This 'photo' of Bob and Scott is from The Tomb of Ybwen comics.

This gives room to interpret that Bob Newby and Scott Clarke not only went to school together, but that they were close friends...

And yet, he's completely absent from TFS -- even though his appearance would've been a fun addition for fans.

@aemiron-main, as always, is way ahead of the curve in noticing shit others don't. I'm just now learning about Creelarke and damn, Bobgate and Creelarke are not so different. We followed a lot of the same breadcrumbs, but clearly came to different conclusions.

However, @aemiron-main found that, in the TFS audition tapes, Bob was speaking to someone who could've been Scott Clarke. However, those lines (and presumably that character) were erased entirely in the current version of the play. Likely because they didn't want the implications of Scott's presence out there.

Not only that, but OP also found it suspicious that Alan Munson/Allen Munson, who plays the Conjur Man (the "King Triton" of Dark of the Moon), had his name spelling glitch out on the TFS website in 2023 (though that's not the case anymore).

Per the play, Alan's known to be a hardcore method actor. So much so, Hopper thinks he may be the one behind the animal deaths...

Excerpt from TFS transcript:

Hopper: "All right, Conjur Man. I read the play. I know who you are. The Conjur Man is the king of witches. He kills with his death magic. You got so lost in the role that you actually believed that you were the devil. That's why you killed all those animals. Because you never break character!"

We the audience know that Hopper has come to the wrong conclusion... but did he?

In his son Eddie's spinoff novel Flight of Icarus, Alan is depicted as a hardened criminal. But, realistically, does that sound like the life path of a thespian to you?

What if "Alan" was so method that not only was he playing a convincing Conjur Man, he was playing a convincing Alan Munson?

What if, like Patty is an illusion to distract Henry/the audience from Creelby, "Alan" was an illusion to keep the audience from discovering who the real "Conjur Man" was --

CLARKE -- a name that appropriately means 'scholar', but also means --

CLERIC.

Per the Forgotten Realms Wiki:

This affirms not all clerics are necessarily *good.*

In Part Twelve, I posited that the "god" Henry served (against his will), was the MF.

Who is Scott Clarke's?

Mother Goose herself -- Tharizdun.

Netflix Puzzled has not only been teasing Tharizdun (spirals, Mother Goose references), but they've also been teasing a weasel, a snake in the Party's midst. But the latest one caught my eye:

UMPS was a cheeky answer for "authority on diamonds" -- referring to baseball umpires ("the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling disciplinary actions"). Sounds a lot like a Dungeon Master in DND. Now is this referring to our usual DM Mike, or another ump who's taken over the game (Mother Goose)?

I ran with this, having recently realized that part of Mike's Hunt for the Thessalhydra campaign was directly taken from "Sing a Song of Sixpence" by Mother Goose. Implying that the campaign was just as much her design as it was Mike's.

But is it possible she was able to act, to officiate her campaign and enforce its rules through her devoted servant, Mr. Clarke?

After all, who was there right from the beginning to help the Party?

Finding the scrap of fabric that led Hopper to Hawkins Lab

Explaining how the Upside Down worked via "the Flea and the Acrobat" metaphor (tightrope was another Puzzled clue from 1/22!)

Showing the Party how to make the sensory deprivation tank, allowing them to find Will and bring him back to Hawkins (filled with demodog larvae -- creatures that would later build the tunnels)

Getting Joyce to realize there was an AC transformer messing with the magnets, leading her to the Russians

Teaching Erica about wormholes, which would get the Party to 'realize' that the UD was one

Tracking Dustin's telemetry tag in the UD using balloons (bdaygate AND clowngate imagery)

And finally, actually getting to join the Party on "one last" quest to the UD/Abyss (although he seems to disappear at points without explanation)

Like the best of DMs, Mr. Clarke explained the rules of the world to the Party, gently steering them along their way without interfering too much, but always making sure they ended up in the right place every time.

Or at least making them think they were.

Again, if Mike was Vecna'd and the events of Ep 8 were all an illusion, it's very possible Mr. Clarke's planting of the wormhole theory was all part of Mother Goose's plan.

What that plan is? Still in the air (but I have a feeling E.T. may have something to do with it...)

Why did Mr. Clarke turn to Mother Goose?

The 'how' is still a mystery to me (though I assume it must be similar to how Henry got tethered to the MF), but if Tonio, Marvin Hudgens, and Melot are any indication --

Scott Clarke's motive was jealousy.

@aemiron-main's page has many proofs showing Scott Clarke's queer-coding. And, despite being depicted as somewhat of a ladies' man, in the Conformity!Ending we saw that maybe in Scott Clarke's perfect ending, he'd be with a dude:

Peep that rainbow tie that seems to fade in and out of grey *in the scene*.

There's also a lot of similarities between Scott and Mike (more so now with the DM stuff). So much so, people think Mr. Clarke could be Mike from the future:

Now, I'm not here to shut down that theory, but let's say I don't think that's the exact direction they're going in.

Again, Mike is the Bob/Tristan/Silvio/Barbara of the "love triangle" -- he's no Melot.

Scott, we can assume, had a close friendship with Bob and/or romantic intentions of his own, when in swooped the new kid, Henry Creel, and started taking up Bob's time and attention.

It could also be the other way around, with Scott wanting Henry, but my guess is Bob's Tonio was Scott/Mother Goose, while Henry's was Patty/MF.

Of course, this being the American Midwest in the 1950s, none of these boys could openly act on their feelings. Open queerness/queer relationships between schoolchildren was (and continues to be) a huge taboo.

But what if Scott Clarke could use that to his advantage by outing Bob and Henry? Or snitching on them in such a way that Principal Newby, the Creels, and/or Dr. Brenner got involved?

What if, by putting his friend Bob in such a tight spot, Scott forced Bob to betray Henry by either denying his queerness and/or throwing all the blame on poor Henry?

A betrayal that would truly turn Henry Creel into a monster.

This scene from Luca comes to mind (starring Jack Dylan Glazer aka the Eddie to Finn Wolfhard's Richie. Oh God, will the layers never cease?)

Perhaps Scott hoped that with Henry out of the way, he'd have Bob for himself again and they could become finally something.

But, with Bob's memories wiped and/or shoved deep in the closet with the rest of him --

Perhaps this fruitless endeavor turned Scott Clarke into something of a monster too (under MG's influence).

What if Scott "leveled up" from being a mere cleric?

After all, who is Mike the Brave said to fight on dungeon crawls?

If Henry is the monster (along with the rest of Mr. Baldo aka the Thessalahydra), and Will (theoretically) is the sorcerer...

...Then who is the evil wizard?

I rest my case.

However, this new parallel of Melot/Scott Clarke raises another question...

If the "sad song" was about Sir Tristan and Isolde/Silvio and Nedda/Barbara and John/Bob and Henry being betrayed by their "friend" Melot/Tonio/Marvin/Scott --

Then who is the "Melot" in Mike and Will's song?

Who has (intentionally or unintentionally) been keeping Mike and Will apart?

I think @anotherjlynn may know who. || I'm linking it rather than elaborating because it's their theory that I just stumbled on by chance, but it makes so much sense in the context of Byler/Creelby and the parallels established (also check out Part Eight again). I'm still reeling from it and I think it's best you sit down when you read this one.

Again, @aemiron-main found an interesting TFS parallel* between Patty and Scott:

"So, I was rewatching the TFS scene where Patty makes Henry say he loves her, and there’s a line that Patty says right before the “I love you,” line:

And I sat here like. Gee. That’s an eerily familiar line- WAIT A MINUTE:

Scott says the EXACT SAME THING."

We already know Patty isn't quite what she seems... and it seems, neither is Scott Clarke (and another "best friend").

Hey, if Bob Newby and Henry Creel could fall in love, then --

"ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE."

One final thing to mention re: Mr. Clarke:

There's been talk of clowns lately in relation, not only to El, but to Hopper's daughter Sara (@persistentmimicgrail + @columbinairlgirl).

Notice that Sara isn't only wearing clowns on her hospital gown. She's holding a Conformity Orange Tiger too. Not to mention what is said to have killed her was Hopper's exposure to AGENT ORANGE in 'Nam (which was referenced again in S5, Ep 8).

Of course, you know I have a strong opinion on what clowns mean in the world of ST (if you don't, check Parts Four and Ten). And, in Part Seventeen, I tacked on another head to the thessalhydra that I dubbed Mr. Baldo -- Mother Goose.

Who was the first person who mentioned Sara* on ST? Again, Mr. Clarke is at the scene of the crime.

*Also, how weird that Mr. Clarke, who lives in a small town and supposedly went to school with Hopper (since he was also in school with Bob) knew nothing about Sara... Nor did Hopper seem to know Scott.

Now, I can do more digging, but I'm interested in seeing what other people have thought on the subject.

If more mind-wiping/illusion-making nonsense was involved re: Sara, it makes you wonder what details were changed, who could've been replaced in those memories... and who did the replacing.

Much to think about... the puzzle has many more pieces that haven't quite slotted in yet, but I have a feeling they'll keep revealing themselves as we get closer to the Lunar New Year...

Until then --

Stay tuned.

Disclaimer: I'm going to break my evidence for this theory into different posts under #BobGate (also #PuzzleGate), but if possible, let's keep this contained to Tumblr because I think there are folks who might care about being spoiled for what I think is going to be an amazing twist (if #conformitygate is in fact real) **I haven't come across a theory exactly like it [though actually, @aemiron-main's Creelarke theory comes pretty damn close! Not to mention "Mr. Clarke is the traitor" re: Tharizdungate exists], but in case someone else also had the thought -- lmk!

[cara-ti-amo]

Found more Mr. Clarke "possessed" by Mother Goose proofs while reading Tomb of Ybwen:

"She likes it cold."

[Not to mention Mr. Clarke is literally the one who gives Will the map that starts him on this quest.]

[somanypetals]

HI FRIEND I'd like to propose some things!

Idk if it's kosher to do this in a reblog or if I should've made my own post buuuut I already typed it out and I don't wanna have to put the images in again so alas I'm sorry but it's going underneath this post now. And bc of that, it might get a little disjointed wrt it's specific relevance to this reblog, I'm more kinda just info dumping a bunch of Mr. Clarke-related stuff and WSQK sync evidence, BUT I think you'll be interested idk, stay with me...

"Scott Clarke's motive was jealousy." - Yes!!! BUT...I think you may have who represents him in the play and the direction of his affections a little wrong.

I think if Bob = Patty, then Scott Clarke (who is suspiciously absent despite "learning everything he knows about AV club" from Bob) likely takes over Bob's role in the play.

As for evidence...WELL, strap in bc I'm gonna have to ramble a little about WSQK sync stuff bc it's my nature. But if anyone needs to they can probs just skip to the purple.

So I've been working on WSQK syncs for the past month or so, my main one that I've called the Rewind At Ep 9 sync* works on the theory that the "rewind at 9" segment on WSQK was an instructional clue. Some people took this to mean syncing backwards, bc Mindy played tracks backwards in that segment, but since that approach left an extra 23hrs of WSQK going untouched I decided to take a different one: rewind the tape "at" episode 9.

Meaning: when you finish episode 8 you're "up to" episode 9, but there is no episode 9 (yet) so instead we rewind the tape and watch s5 again, making the WSQK sync start from after the ep 8 "live" sync that you get when you sync that ep with the exact time it dropped on Netflix.

From this I've found pretty much perfect sync points for eps 1-4, and semi-perfect ones for eps 5-8 (still working on the exact start times, I'm keep getting distracted by cue-based sync ideas, which I'll share in a moment) and these syncs have been revealing stuff like crazy. From lyrics foreshadowing plot points, to the squawk vfx highlighting what I think a combination of comedic beats, characters who may actually be someone else, and general lies and deceptions.

I honestly believe it's possible that the episodes were edited to match this sync. So many action scenes are immaculately timed in ways that move with the music. I haven't finished fixing the audio levels yet, but if you'd like to have a look through eps 1-4 of this sync I have them uploaded here. (If anything disappears briefly it's probably bc I'm uploading an updated version w better audio levels!)

*(some of the earliest clips I posted under this twt tag are no longer accurate since I've found the precise sync starting point for these episodes, so trust the most recent ones first for pinpoint accuracy, the rest are more impression-based as the songs playing don't change when the sync point moves a few seconds, but any meaning taken from the lyrics does change, ufm? I can clarify if anyone has questions about whether or not a specific clip is still accurate.)

THEN from that starting point, I wanted to check out if the other seasons could sync from that same place just in case the "rewind" instruction wanted us to go all the way back to the start. (Side note: boy I can't wait to try syncing TFS with WSQK.) For the most part, my findings were nowhere near as gag-worthy, once you do this for awhile you can get a feel for when there's intentionality or not, but! The FIRST episode of the show syncs remarkably well. Which tbh I think was intentional and thought of in advance with the way they structured and edited the first ep of s5, making it so this sync could work for both.

ANYWAY

This ep1 sync was one of the first times I found something super suss about Mr. Clarke.

In this sync, when he "introduces" himself to Hopper as part of the search for Will in the woods, Cold As Ice starts playing, with the first lyric coming in as soon as he says his name. Clip here.

However actual very first time I found something weird in relation to Mr. Clarke though was actually an action-based sync, in which I've been lining up an action from the show (e.g. the tower hitting the abyss**) with an action on WSQK (e.g. the WSQK tower going town after the midnight countdown, this example combo is one I dubbed the Midnight Sync**)

The first time I found something Mr. Clarke-related that spooked me was when I timed the exotic matter explosion with the WSQK tower going down at midnight. (For this post, let's call it the Exotic Matter Sync) And when I did that, the screen cut to black right when Vance says "We have no power" and then, right as Vance started pushing buttons: Mr. Clarke turns his lamp on. I left the episode sound muted for this clip just to emphasise how perfectly timed the WSQK click sound is with his lamp turning on.

**(Side note: the Midnight Sync is hands down one of theeeee funniest syncs of all the ones I've found, please watch both of these clips for a good laugh and a comforting look into just how hard they're definitely trolling us. One and two.)

But! Neither of these are even the gaggiest discovery!

Another type of sync I've been working on are what I call cue-based syncs: when I notice something Mindy or Vance says that relates to a plot point in an episode, so I try syncing the relevant episode from the start of that dialogue section.

Last week when I was working on a snow ball sync and noticed Vance talking about a pushy salesperson trying to sell him cologne that he doesn't need. This instantly made me think of Lucas spraying Mike in the eyes with the purple perfume bottle in 3x02, so I dropped the episode in there.

And boy, I found some weird Mr. Clarke stuff in this one.

I have a theory that signal interference in cue-based WSQK syncs seems to happen when people's minds/motivations are being messed with, and I also noticed it in the previously mentioned action-based sync where Mr. Clarke clicks the light on. Later in that episode, a humming sound is timed precisely over Robin getting hit with the idea of the records analogy. I think that stroke of genius may have been suggested to her.

Now to the weird 3x02 Mr. Clarke discoveries: the first is signal interference at the exact moment when Joyce gets hit with the idea to go see Mr. Clarke for help with the magnets. And what song plays right after, as she's driving to his house? Why it was Cold As Ice, again! I think someone (probably Mr. Clarke, but there are so many options lbr) suggested the idea to go see him to her. Clip here.

And then, the thing that really brought home the "if Patty = Bob then does Bob = Mr. Clarke?" theory that's been itching my brain for the past few weeks: when we return to them for the Clarke-Byers electromagnetic field scene, Every Breath You Take is playing. The notoriously stalker-vibed song. Clip here.

Some of the lyrical vs. dialogue timing that caught my eye:

"You can't see it, but it's there, I assure you. Oh can't you see... "Our very own Clarke-Byers electromagnetic field." you belong to me

The highlighted words are where Mr. Clarke's dialogue and the song lyric timing "match" up, in a more literal sense with the "can't see" similarity and in my eyes confirm the validity of the sync, and then in a more metaphorical sense they support my TFS Bob = Scott Clarke theory.

"Apophenia. You're seeing patterns that aren't there. Coincidence." I'll be watching you

Bob in TFS is obsessed with Joyce. Infatuated. "Hopelesly in love."

And Every Breath You Take is one helluva loaded song to play in 3x02, made even moreso by the fact that it starts off when Hopper is waiting for Joyce at Enzo's, but she's off at Scott's house. The overlap makes it feel almost like WSQK is framing them as in a love triangle—only, it's one where Hopper's interest is obvious and known to Joyce and Mr. Clarke's interest is as invisible to her as their electromagnetic field.

And boy, doesn't that kinda sound like the exact Joyce/Hopper/Bob dynamic from the play?

And then most importantly: if Bob was actually busy and off falling in love with Henry, then who helped Joyce and Hopper with their investigation?

(@ OP: please pleeease excuse me here if you've already said who you think takes over his role etc, I'm sure you have, I've still only read parts 1-5 and 19 of your Bobgate theories so far BUT ALAS I need to follow the motivation telling me to make this post now otherwise it'll gather dust in my drafts forever lol, so please forgive me any oversights)

Bob is tied at the hip with radio equipment for virtually the entire show, so logically it had to be someone in the AV club, and who do we know who's still running the AV club to this very day? Scott Clarke.

And who was mysteriously absent from the entire play despite the fact that we know he should have been in school at the same time as them, and been close friends with Bob? Scott Clarke.

Hell, in Mr. Clarke's very first scene on the show after his class ends he's literally jazzed to tell the party about the new ham radio he got. From an audience perspective he's basically been the "radio master" from the get-go, long before Bob ever entered the scene.

He's also the only one to have an established connection to WSQK prior to s5:

"none other than Scott Clarke" is pretty loaded phrasing if you ask me.

So what's his connection to WSQK?

(SIDE NOTE: Dustin being the only one in the pic despite the article reading that the whole AV club visited is suss to me. I think radio waves and the WSQK tower (which is wildly overpowered at 50,000 watts and can send signals across the globe) along with the UD spores likely play a significant role in how everyone's minds are receiving suggestions and/or maybe even the hivemind functionality of the flayed, bc I think it's pretty damn weird now to consider that Dustin was hit in the face w those spores in the s2 finale and then in the s3 premiere when he comes home from camp the first thing he wants to do is....build a big overpowered ham radio tower called Cerebro? And it's the same season we first see people flayed en masse, too.)

SO ANYWAY, we are obviously, undoubtedly dealing with some sort of memory manipulation at play here since absolutely noooo one fuckin remembers Henry Creel, including Joyce and Hopper.

SO:

What if somehow Scott Clarke is the only person who's memories weren't effectively altered? (Or alternatively: what if he since regained them somehow?)

When I first heard the Cold As Ice needle drop when Mr. Clarke introduced himself I immediately went to the "he likes it cold" connection—which, don't get me wrong, I do think is definitely still relevant here—however........

If Mr. Clarke had this big, epic bonding experience with Jopper back when he helped them investigate a case in high school, couldn't Cold As Ice be quite a fitting song to play in both of those moments where he interacts w them for the "first time" on screen, and they don't remember him at all? I mean, that's pretty cold. (And depending on how long he's had his memories...that'd be one hell of a grudge to carry too no doubt, which could be part of his motivation)

Also interesting: these "brain" scenes are both from 2x01.

Perhaps the high school nickname was actually "Scott the Brain" but it got transferred to Bob in their heads as part of the memory alteration?

Perhaps Scott Clarke isn't just the Evil Wizard, but also the Radio Master, and the mysterious missing host who Vance said actually "hosted the most WSQK shows".

And if he's the Radio Master...then well, perhaps he's also the Master of Puppets.

Many of us have been wondering what if there are actually 5 sacrificial gates instead of 4 and perhaps the first was opened in the library when Will died temporarily in s1? (Or possibly even El in the finale, depending on what's real.)

5 gates = 4 corners and 1 center makes an X.

In s1 what was meant to be El's room at the Ives home there's the mobile with five clowns:

There's also a bunch of dice in Lucas' room and one of them seems to have 5 on every side:

On Mr. Clarke's front door in s5 (not the other seasons tho, since he seems to move around Hawkins more than Lovers Lake does lmfao) there's this specific peephole design that reminds me a lot of the shape we keep seeing pop up on people's costumes this season:

Now obviously with the "X a lie" thing sure we can all argue about whether it's X marks the spot or M marks the spot, but both of those can be drawn with these five points, and REGARDLESS of that, one thing has been an undeniable and significant mystery:

The importance of the library. The center of the X.

Quick aside: catch that library floor pattern lmao

EDIT: oh my god someone just pointed out the AV club floor is checkered too hoooooly fucking shit bruh 😭

The library: the place where Will died, and it possibly opened the first sacrificial gate.

But: how is all this related to Mr. Clarke? WELL

First of all: if the library is significant, then it's a good bet that it's probably significant that Mr. Clarke is sleeping w the librarian this season. (Meaning she's also sleeping beneath the spiral urn that's above his bed, so either way she's probably tharizdun follower by now.)

BUT more importantly:

"Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world." - Jeanette Winterson

Books are thought of as doors to another world, but not just that, they're also the home of curiosity. A door to it.

And what does Mr. Clarke always tell his students about the curiosity door?

Now, in terms of overall motivation and specifics I still don't really know how tf we would go from Scott Clarke being Bob in TFS to him being the Master of Puppets, so maybe that part is a reach tbh. It's always possible the curiosity door thing is unrelated, or just a piece of the puzzle that's meant to connect to the library's importance.

But the TFS Bob = Scott stuff I feel sooooo sure about after those WSQK sync clues.

✨ LASTLY ✨

I wanted to share one more piece of WSQK sync evidence (unrelated to Mr. Clarke) that I think fully supports the Bobgate theory:

In the Rewind At Ep 9 sync, the song that plays when Vecna makes his first appearance of the season is Jack and Diane by John Mellencamp. Clip here. (And that clip is also a great example of what I mean about how you can tell when a scene was edited to move with the music. The bit with the grenades? Chef's kiss man, perfect.)

And what's sooooo #bobgate confirmation about this song choice?

Jack and Diane was originally about an interracial relationship. But execs didn't like that, so he was censored and the song became about "typical midwest teenagers coming of age". An interracial love story in 1982 being censored to appeal to the GA.

So...wouldn't that be kinda a next-level genius song choice to play over a Vecna scene if it turned out that now, 40yrs later when the GA would no longer blink twice at interracial love, Henry and Bob's gay love story has actually been rewritten as an interracial love story to make it more palatable to the GA?

And in this light, one of the lyrics could literally be spelling it out to us:

Changes come around real soon, make us women and men

Changes to the story of TFS/everyone's memories came around and made Creelby "women and men", aka heterosexual.

Okay thank you for coming to my ramble <3

P.S. @ OP: are you aware there's three (to be exact) Mother Goose books on the library bookshelf Max clears in 5x05 AND one on the shelf next to Joyce when she's talking to Will through the lights in 1x03?

Apologies if you do, I just found out yesterday and I'm still gagged over it. I've been pondering over there being two evil entities at play for the past several weeks but tbh today, upon reading the puzzled post, I kinda think the "double vision" thing you mentioned to might actually refer to two Mother Geese: Joyce and the alien entity (or tharizdun, if you like) both trying to get their children back.

(50,000th side note, mostly for myself: this double vision Mother Goose lense could also tie in the thought I was mulling over last year about the reproductive body horror potentially going both ways...like, the idea that it's not just the human women who are being violated by the lab, but also this alien entity who did not (and probably could not!) consent to its blood being used to sire new offspring...new children that it can feel bc of the hivemind connection, but never actually reach. Could kinda be on par with the psycological damage felt by mothers who have their brand new newborn babies taken away from them.)

[ninononono]

hopping on the surfsahoy bandwagon. Mike orders too much pizza. btw, I hate drawing bikes. Why do I do this to me 😭? Anything for Byler!

[emeriart]

blah blah pizza, dnd, will 💭

my sticker here !

[sisyphusunderthesun]

[leavemeuntold]

food as a symbol of suho and sieun’s relationship in weak hero class 1

this is inspired by @dearmyloveleys’ analysis of the symbolism of food in whc1. please go read their post first, or at least after—it’s beautiful, insightful and will make what i’m about to say make much more sense.

food is involved in a lot of suho and sieun's pivotal moments of connection. the first is when sieun apologises to suho for trying to hit him when he prevented him from crossing the line.

this interaction lays the ground for the relationship the two of them will build over the rest of the first season. it's the moment suho refutes sieun's assumption that he is just another one of the boys at school out to get him. unknowingly, he creates the first crack in sieun's walls.

the food sieun goes on to buy him is a lunch at the school cafeteria (comedy king). although it's not at all what suho meant or expected, he has no problem eating it. over this meal they share, they get to know each other, and we get to hear the first little joke sieun makes in the show:

through food, they make their way into a conversation, through conversation they make their way into humour, and through humour into connection.

suho loves and enjoys food so much, it’s genuinely one of his biggest joys in life. and what he does immediately as he gets closer with sieun is feed him and share with him this joy of eating good food.

when he feeds him that ssam wrap, he says “hands make the food taste better”, but what isn’t explicitly said is that being fed by hands that love you is something different and something more.

suho makes it intensely obvious that the way to his heart is food, and food is what he ends up using to bulldoze his way through sieun's walls. and this loud and eager manner of suho's works on sieun instantly. as op pointed out, the smile in his eyes says everything: no one has ever shown him care so unrelentingly, no one has ever refused to give up on sieun so adamantly. and it means everything.

sieun takes notice of suho's intense love for food very quickly, which is made clear when he brings suho the ox knee soup he so craved to the hospital—and he doesn’t just bring food to suho, but yeongi as well.

that’s how this whole situation gains another dimension: it’s not just about sieun being attentive to suho and showing him care through food, it’s also about how suho affects sieun and begins to bring out of him the warm-heartedness that has always been there, but never had anywhere to go.

he notices and says as much: “you’re so warm-hearted. your eyes. the way you act, talk. and your face.” but what he doesn’t know is that this is his effect. he is not the one who made sieun loving and warm, but he is the one that gave him a place to finally express it, albeit in his rough, yet quiet and subtle way.

and the smile this earns him from sieun is a smile of relief, of being seen, of joy and freedom, it's sieun revealing his heart to suho for the very first time—and the way there was utterly interwoven with food.

when they feed each other, they not only sustain each other, they connect, they tell each other something more than what can be expressed in words, and through food, they both slowly carve themselves a home inside the other's heart.

while we’re here, i need everyone to take a second and look at sieun watching suho eat:

(no need to analyse this. that's sieun's first love. i feel crazy.)

moving on:

if we are to look at suho as someone who spreads joy and light through food, a big part of this being him delivering it to people, then the instance in which he brings sieun along to help him at his job is just another, more active way of him showing sieun how to express the care he feels for other people and spread joy himself; by making him do it the exact way suho himself does it.

it’s a subtle bonding moment like no other—doing something positive for the people around you together (even if they paid for it, lol.)

an instance that might go unnoticed the first time you watch (i know it did for me) is when for suho's birthday, sieun cooks him seaweed soup.

really, it symbolises a crucial moment in their relationship. the first time we see sieun give food to suho is the cheap school lunch, the second time is ox knee soup and the third is the seaweed soup.

lined up this way, these three instances can be viewed as symbolic of the stages of sieun and suho's relationship.

when sieun buys suho that school lunch, it's nothing special—it's cheap, likely not that good, and bought out of a sense of obligation.

the ox knee soup is a meal sieun orders, picks up and delivers himself—and it's the exact thing suho craved. it's thoughtfulness, gratitude, friendship and fondness, all expressed through a meal delivered to suho's hospital bed.

the seaweed soup is food sieun cooks himself for suho. it's the final stage, a most intimate act a person performs for the people close to them. made with his own hands, it one of the most subtle ways to show care and love. bearing in mind that only hours after this, sieun goes into a fight completely alone against an entire group in suho's place, this meal serves to symbolise the fact that their bond has become unbreakable, that they would risk it all for each other.

and the most shattering part of this: the same way we never see suho eat the soup, sieun never gets to express all the tenderness, love and care he feels for suho directly to him. he's taken away from him too quickly for that. all of that unexpressed warmth, devotion and affection stays brimming inside sieun, until we see it spill out of him in the form of violence, pure rage and then life-altering grief.

to end off, i want to discus one more instance in which food comes into play as a symbol in whc1, in arguably one of its most devastating scenes:

first, it’s suho who declines, and we see sieun’s face drop—

—and it’s not just in temporary disappointment that he can’t make plans with a friend. it’s in a sense of unease that signals that this is the moment after which nothing will ever be the same: suho blatantly refusing to go get food, when from the beginning he has been the one always loudly and enthusiastically suggesting it and without fail agreeing to it.

then, beomseok declines as well. we could look at this as just another instance where no matter how there sieun is and how much understanding and friendship he offers beomseok, all beomseok ever saw and wanted was suho, so if he’s not going, he has no interest in going either.

both of the boys leave the classroom and sieun is left alone once again, dread blatant on his face, audible in the piano tune in the background that turns slow and quiet, until it fades out completely—and that’s when we know: this was the last good moment the boys will ever have together. it was the beginning of the end.

whc1 has managed something i haven’t seen in a while—to quietly and implicitly tell a story of such depth, to pour such symbolism into every line, every shot and camera angle, every expression on the actors’ faces and through this make the blatantly violent and loud scenes that much more impactful in a new and different way.

especially when it comes to the characters’ inner feelings and their relationships to each other, barely anything is ever told explicitly, and still nothing goes unnoticed if you’re willing to pay attention, even as a casual viewer.

i’m so grateful to every person who worked on this show and i hope they know we see with just how much love and care it was created.

thank you op for inspiring this <3

[melonalemonade]

curiosity

[discountscoobyart]

at the beach, in every life

[melonalemonade]