When you make a whole side blog because you can’t sleep at night and you believe in love. Former Stranger Things theory blog, now just dedicated to Byler
I was reading through the S4 scripts and noticed something odd.
When Nancy/Steve/Robin/Eddie reach the Wheeler house in 4x07, they go to Nancy's room for guns, ....and they don't find any guns. They do find a diary though, with its last entry on a particular date, suggesting that the UD is a snapshot in time.
What's actually inconsistent is the date in the diary!
In both the show and the script versions, what is said is November 6th, 1983, whereas what is read is different. Show also reads November 6th, 1983, but the scripts have it as November 6th, 1986. A difference of three whole years. Why have this?
(Above: Nancy finding her diary. What's written in the diary is consistent with what she says (the audio description corroborates this too. This is a detail to be aware of!)).
(Above: Season 4 Complete Scripts, p. 533. Notice how what is said and what is read is different? It's even underlined! And in all caps!)
Why have an inconsistency like this? This could also in all honestly be genuine typo/misprinting, but there are other, audio and/or visual inconsistencies between the show and the scripts when it comes to smaller details like this. S5 already has had plenty of dissection of inconsistencies and contradictions that happen episode to episode or even scene to scene, but they did not all of a sudden appear here out of the blue. There's always been #birthdaygate and #eightfifteengate to point out timeline inconsistencies or irregularities, so this isn't new! They have always been here, they have just gotten more visible.
I'm not going to put too much emphasis on dialogue, as ad-libbed/improved/paraphrased versions of the original lines can happen. I will only be focusing on logical/factual inconsistencies or contradictions (this can also be dialogue as well). I will only include a few, but there are likely many more.
Exhibit 2: Bears and Dragons
In 3x08, right before Mike and El kiss goodbye, El struggles to reach for a toy atop the top shelf in the closet. In the show, it's a stuffed bear. In the scripts, it's a toy dragon.
(Above: 3x08 shows the bear, and Left/Right: But the scripts (p. 541 and p. 542) refer to the toy dragon. Multiple times. (Also given ST's budget, it wouldn't even be hard to get a toy dragon prop! This wouldn't be an inconsistency for logistical reasons.)
Exhibit 3: Southwest
(All credit to u/edencwel on r/byler for spotting this [x])
In 3x02, the Scoops Troop decodes the Russian message: "The Week is long. The silver sat feeds. When blue meets yellow in the west." In both what is shown visually and through dialogue, this is consistent in the show. It is not consistent in the scripts. In fact it mentions south.
(Above: What is shown on the board and what is read is consistent!)
What I find really strange is that this contradiction does not reoccur when the same phrase is mentioned again when Dustin and Steve scout for the 'Evil Russian' (and Robin does her own thing). It's only mentioned here!
(Top: S3 scripts 3x02 p. 115. The board is not shown/described, but what they say out loud is clearly South and not West. Bottom: p. 163, it suddenly corrects back to West!)
Even with all of these examples (and pleeeenty more from others), the question is why? Why have contradictions between the show and the scripts? It might be related to all of the contradictions present in S5 and #conformitygate (and the numerous inconsistencies people pointed out in TF85), but why these details in particular? Is there anything that makes them stand out? What makes them important? Or are they just there for the sake of having things contradict each other? What would this suggest as to the relationship between the scripts, the show, and the inconsistencies present in S5? Are they all the same thing?
I don't think all of the contradictions as a standalone have any meaning on their own, other than that they are just made to stand out in some way. Though as a collective, they could mean something. One idea is that since these were all released prior or during the release of S5 (S1 and S2 scripts in September, S3 and S4 in December, after the release of Vol 1), these contradictions were intended to be found. A bit like a training round! This is also slightly corroborated with the Q&A the Duffers moderated for Exit 8, a videogame film all about finding contradictions to escape ([1], [2])! (and the way it does it is very much "only show, no tell").
Now if they were to be truly intentional (planted), why? Why have hardcore fans/viewers basically train themselves to spot/identify inconsistencies or contradictions? Why make them increasingly noticeable/visible in the show?
The only conclusion I can only think of right now is the conclusion that others have reached quite a long time ago! This is all planned! This is all intentional! The contradictions are intentional. Everything. Everything has been planned to be like this. These aren't just mistakes or errors, these are active decisions. One could even say everyone is in on it but us, the audience (and the Party).
And if going down this thread of thought some more, and if applying what Exit 8 does for the main character to escape, then that has to be what the Party has to do as well: The characters have to figure it out for themselves. If #conformitygate is very well something planted (at this point likely), then we, the audience, have already found the clues (we've been very vocal about that), but has the Party? Have they noticed the contradictions or inconsistencies? Have they noticed something is off or odd or strange about their world?
I don't think they have.
More Inconsistencies:
Changes in Speaker
Mike says it in the scripts, Will says it in the show (all the kudos/credit to u/mkm1318 on r/byler for pointing this out [x]) (scripts p. 664, show 4x08 01:19:44-01:20:06)
Changes in Timeline
This post highlighting multiple (OP's blog is deactivated, linked is my reblog of it)
This post by @toohightaurus. Points out S3 time is a bit weird.
This post by @itwasa-7. The days don't add up!
Changes in Visuals
This post by @trumpet-trumpet-toot-toot, Changes in seating.
This post by @lamelov3rs. Mike doesn't like pineapple pizza! (S3 scripts p. 128)
Changes in Dialogue
(I'm not putting a lot of weight to these, actors can improvise, but these exist).
Change in possessive pronouns ([x], u/kimblinkonce from r/byler)
This post from @vulvader
Entire sentence is omitted (scripts p. 601, show 4x08 00:15:29-00:16:30) ([x], u/kimblinkonce from r/byler) (I also have a comment in that thread highlighting more dialogue inconsistencies!). Most likely just an improvisation.
This post from @critical-metric. Though not a VO change, it is instead an omission. S4 scripts p. 760, and 01:47:41-01:49:41 in 4x09)
Misc
Anything from the documentary, such as here by @beaulesbian, and here by me.
Very thorough script analysis by @aurelion-cerulean
This post by @toonightspooky. Even though in 4x08 both shots are there, what is shown in the flashback in 5x04 however is intentionally misleading so Vecna can push the 'nobody loves you' agenda to Will (this is also actually further corroborated in 5x07, at the beginning when Will is upset with himself, and right before the coming out scene where flashbacks omit happy memories with Mike, which were explicitly shown in 5x04! (and with that relates to this theory (and here, here, and here), which lk keeps me up at night and references ESOTSM)
Any and all of the TF85 inconsistencies people have found.
ST TFS Wiki page trivia section points out a timeline inconsistency from info in the play and what is in the prop article in S4. The Play (and S5 flashbacks) purport that it occurred on November 6th (play and Creel murders), but the article suggests March 14th! The S4 scripts don't mention a specific date, so this could just be a production oversight.
We should’ve gotten this look for their season 3 versions, the aesthetic would’ve fit so much better especially if they'd gone the creepy horror summer camp vibes… sigh, if only….
In all the lesbyler masc v femme debates for Mike and Will, I think that it’s hilarious to me that everyone is like debating personality v bullying for willow being queer, forgetting the fundamental truth that girls bullying other girls looks very different than boys bullying boys.
Usually boys violence is physical.
Girls violence is emotional.
Willow can be fem af and have been called a girl kisser just based on how close she is with Michelle/Michaela. And it would have been shit like “I mean you’re always with her, and you wouldn’t be able to ever do anything without her” sorta shit.
My best friend in HS was bullied to filth for being perceived as a lesbian for me (specifically), despite the fact she had documented boy crushes. (Same best friend who was in love with me? Yes. Not the point. Moving on)
The girls don’t have to mean it or believe it. They just have to say it because Willow is a threat. And the more girly, sweet, socially “acceptable” she is as a girl, the more other girls can get jealous. Especially if that very thing (validation from boys or perceived hierarchy) is what matters most to them. See: Mean Girls.
And Michelle/Michaela being the masc tom boy girl boys like cuz she “gets it” would make her a target too. Back handed comments being like “wow I wish I could eat all that. I’d get so fat.” directed at M would have the same impact as the frog face comments.
And before you go: elementary girls wouldn’t do that. In the 5th grade a girl got jealous of me and my friend and spread a rumor that we hated each other and we both believed it. For no other reason than she wanted to be my friend.
And one of my childhood friends always made body comments to me. Cuz her mom did to her.
Girl socialization and bullying looks very different from boys.
