Anyone else in my little corner of the internet watch the newest stranger things?
I've seen a lot of posts about what people didn't like which is fair but I wanted to ramble about what I did like about the ending c:
Nancy -
I remember season 1 Nancy being so worried about becoming her mum, like high school sweethearts, having a baby and thats the end of the story? Then in this season she talks about not knowing what she actually wants with her life which I'm sure a lot of people can understand. But what Nancy has always known is what she /doesn't/ want.
So I am very glad she ended up with neither of the boys fighting over her. No high school sweetheart for Nance, she's off to chart her own course. She dropped out of college! Nancy Wheeler?! Another thing she realised wasn't for her, and that's ok. Every expectation for her she's pushed aside and now she's got a job at a newspaper and she's going to work her way up and I love that for her. Hopefully they're a lot better than the season 3 people she worked with!
I saw some stuff about her looking like her mum at the end. But honestly out of all of them, I've found Nancy's hairstyles the most in keeping with 80s styles. She has always gone with the fashion with her hair and at the end of the 80s, as a friend reminded me, is the era of Lady Diana and I can definitely see that influence.
Not only that, but now she's seen how /badass/ her mum actually is and her mum fully supports her decisions? That's so nice to see! Season 3 Karen telling her to carry on fighting? Amazing, 10/10. Season 5 Karen? No notes, I love her. Episode 2 is a struggle for me for Nancy's performance. She did far too well in those first 10 minutes and I'm mad about it.
Wow, didn't realise I had so much on just Nancy.
Steve -
I might have gotten stuck in fanon too much but I remember something about him struggling with college applications and giving up/just going to work for his Dad.
So I love him being a coach! He always liked sports, he's looking after kids. Maybe he doesn't need his 6 kids if he has a rotating cast of babysitting duties forever. And he's saving up for his own place! No help from anyone, all on his own. The big house, and the expensive car are all gone, and now he's making his own way with his caravan and his own little place. All by doing what he loves. c: And hell, at least hawkins high /has/ a sex ed teacher. Didn't abstinence only teaching start properly in the 80s? I can't imagine Steve doing that. Robin would help him sneak in actual teaching material if that ever happened.
Byers in general:
I'm putting these under the same header because it all kinds of clips together.
Firstly Joyce has shown how protective (over and understandably) she is throughout this season. Will hasn't really had a chance to grow up, always kind of coddled under her. For her to trust him to know himself, to know what he should do is great. You gotta let your kids fly at some point. You gotta listen to them and realise that they've got to live their own lives - and just live!!!
And just Will, off in the big wide world, finally allowed to spread his wings, to be the person he was always going to be. Not just the 11 year old who got abducted and never truly left that moment behind. Or at least no one around him seemed to. His shells broken open now and I hope he never hides away again.
And Jonathan on the flip side? Not going to college because it's been drummed into him that he needs to look after his brother? That his family needs him? All that guilt that he should have been looking after his brother - twice really in the first two seasons and things went wrong - and didn't so now he can't do anything but look after them. But now he's making movies at college? About anti-capitalism because of course he is. Amazing, I hope you rope all of them into your movies, Jonathan.
Also, also! Murray talking about the 'safe option' all the way back in season 2 and Jonathan and Nancy realising they've just become the safe option for one another. They love each other and can help each other through the trauma but they're just too different now to be healthy as a couple. Growth!!
Dustin -
Dustin! Dustin who was grieving so much this season, straying from his own little path even after Eddie told him to never change. Not that it's his fault, grief messes you upppp. And what I always thought Eddie saw in that moment was how optimistic and curious Dustin was even in the midst of everything the kids had lived through. I'm glad for the fight Dustin and Steve had, I think they needed it. And by the end him living for Eddie, doing what Eddie couldn't melted me. And then going on to learn as much as possible like Eddie would have wanted. Cause Dustin was always going to change the world with that bid ol' mind of his. And scientists like Brenner could only dream of being half as smart and have a sliver of his humanity.
Ok, really getting long here. I think lastly I was really happy for Max and Lucas. Maybe we didn't see much of what their lives will be other than that they're together, but I don't think that's a bad thing. They've got their whole lives to figure that out. I think both of them at this point in their lives are just happy to /be/ alive and together. And I'm ok with that.
