God, I loved the season finale for stranger things... but (rant incoming) I really need to stop trying to engage in the community for shows like this. Your fave dying isn't bad writing. I've been seeing people call Eddie's death a cheap or low shot, or a shitty way to tie up his story. Have you ever written a story before? You know why everyone knew he was gonna die? Because his character arc was literally written for that end. A good character arc means evolution. The "coward" to the hero. Eddie was a self described coward, MULTIPLE TIMES he says that he's not the hero (honestly if any writing was bad it was how much that hammered that point home to make his end obvious) and by the end of the season died a hero. Yes he died for a town that hated him, that's the POINT. He was a hero. He died not for the glory, not for the praise, but because it was the right thing to do. Not every story needs to subvert expectations or have a twist, especially with max *maybe* getting to make it out alive, the Hopper fake out from the end of s3, Eleven and Brenner's fakeout at the end of s1, the Steve fake out death this season. There are no stakes if every death is a fake out, if every sacrifice can just be reversed. What's the point in ever caring for these characters or being fearful or worried if we know they're gonna all be okay in the end?
I get your fave comfort character dying is a fucking blow. I literally just finished watching it and my eyes still sting from my tears from Eddie's death, which was the first time I cried during the finale and I had to pause it to gather myself as soon as I realized what was happening. But to say it's bad writing is taking it too far. Hell, the writers wrote the rest of the character that you fell in love with, that writing wasn't bad was it? Stop insulting and dragging the people who provide us with the content we enjoy. The artists behind these shows, actors, writers, crew, everyone, work together to create these beautiful pieces and to go on Twitter immediately after and bash it because you didn't get your fanfiction ending? Come on now. There is plenty of content that will give you that and you think that the *checks notes* horror series that rips from every big horror movie of the 70s/80s, is gonna give you happy endings for everyone?
Eddie is beautifully written, and a big part of that beauty is the journey he went on to get the death that he did. Yeah we saw no one but his Uncle and Dustin honor him, but those were his closest relationships, seeing them honor him means the most. Seeing his Uncle be told that Eddie died a Hero, means so much more from a writing standpoint then seeing Eddie wake up in a hospital where, what? He would probably be handcuffed to the bed and still take the fall for all the murders as cover-up/assumption, because how in the hell do you expect anyone to convince an entire town, that's already convinced its the metal head D&D player during the height of the Satanic Panic in the 80s, that oh.. actually a gas leak or bear killed all your kids and mangled their corpses 🙈 Occams razor, a very VERY common tool in writing, a philosophical rule, "the best/most likely answer is usually the simplest one". Eddie being the killer is the simplest and fastest answer, especially when the majority already believes it.
I don't know why I'm going so hard on this... just... just because it didn't turn out the way you wanted, does not mean it's bad writing. I think a big geoup of these people aren't horror fans, stranger things kind of is an anamoly of horror to such a big mainstream scale, in pop culture in a way where non-horror fans enjoy it, to the point where I've literally seen people surprised at the gore and threaten to stop watching. I'm not saying horror isnt mainstream, definitely not, just that usually when people dont like horror they dont engage, but somehow people still do with this. I watched this show, the first season, the day it dropped, and didn't think anyone was gonna watch it and it'd sadly be canceled after season 1. But these people who don't watch or engage with horror watch it and expect something completely different. I definitely love that it's so mainstream and has so many fans because we wouldn't have gotten this much if it didn't but some of yall must've tripped and fell into this for the 80s aesthetic or just watched it for the hype cause you're not watching it for what it is, a big giant ass kiss to classic horror. Classic Horror where there is a final girl, not group, singular girl. Where she runs the final girl Gambit, seeing the dead bodies of all her friends along the way. Screaming her head off, pulling her hair out, covered in blood, fighting for her life, and just barely stumbling away from a killer who watches her the entire time. Watches her disappear with her sanity barely intact, planning their next move. Halloween, Chainsaw, Nightmare, Alien. Yes a good mix of The Goonies, ET, Breakfast Club, and those family friend 80s romps are all paid homage too, but horror is a BIG chunk.
Ultimately people can say whatever shit they want, and if they genuinely believe that a character who was literally introduced to meet this end shouldn't have died and that ruined this season for them, then sure, whatever, live your truth. I will however defend this choice. I loved this season, I absolutely adored Eddie, and I loved this end for him. I can't imagine a better way for him to go out in a horror series where life is not guaranteed (maybe aside from Eleven, Dustin, Lucas, Mike, and Will (barring s5)). I totally get being critical. I didn't like everything this season. I could've done with so much less of the military/Russian plot lines. I didn't like how some characters developed. But that doesn't mean the writing is overall bad, and that I need to go to Twitter and all socials and be sure the writers see hoards of unconstructive hate before any praise. Like at the very least (especially if you somehow got through reading all this and feel the need to argue with me) explain why it was bad AND offer the solution. If I saw anyone saying, oh it would've been better if Eddie would've done this or that, or if this could've happened, and it would've made since, then that'd be something else. But all I've seen is people poo-pooing it because "Eddie didn't deserve that"... of course he didn't! Its greta that you have empathy But boy is also fictional, and the artists behind this series, who do indeed go online to see reactions, are real people who will be affected by you calling them bad because they didn't read every fans mind and write them a personalized finale. God... every copy of stranger things is personalized.
Honestly some of yall are probably just those same toxic star wars fans and j need to stop giving you my energy. This isn't good for me 😮💨 but I want to rant too. Maybe I'll make another rant post about all the stuff I absolutely loved like NOAH SCHNAPP'S ACTING OMG THAT BOY CAN CRRRRYYYYY! GIVE HIM HIS FLOWERS 💐 💐💐
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