@strangesunrises your tarot pulls inspired me to look through my new oracle deck for similar connections and i thought these two were interesting
disclaimer: i'm into cartomancy and divination but i'm not at all knowledgeable or practiced. these are from Jessica Roux's "Woodland Wardens" oracle deck; i didn't pull these but i skimmed through the cards to choose the ones that stuck out to me
the frog and the lotus: mike is dubbed 'frogface' by his bullies, and i've seen a lot of "mike if you[...]you will be reincarnated as a lotus flower," said/tagged on here (though i'm not sure where that came from).
the butterfly and the snowdrop: sadie's "one word that would only make sense after watching ST5" was "butterfly," and snowdrop doesn't have much relation other than bringing to mind "snowball" and "avalanche."
both of these strongly relate to metamorphosis and rebirth, just like mike's expected character arc and the concept of conformitygate leading into the 'real' episodes/finale, and just like the Hero's Journey.
"Going through such a change can be difficult and a struggle, but the resulting metamorphosis opens us to growth, self-acceptance, and happiness."
"[...]the process can feel like magic. The snowdrop has a bit of magic about it as well. [...]signifying that brighter, longer days are just around the corner."
I don't have much to say on this that hasn't already been said, but I thought it was very fitting (coincidental, perhaps) that each card's pairing here aligns so well with our discussions.
I was just fucking around last night with this deck that I honestly have not touched since this post, shuffled for like a few minutes and then these same exact cards fell out. just these two
Have we considered… Vickie finding out Nancy likes Robin while she and Robin are still together and purposefully pissing her off by flaunting the fact that she has Robin, not Nancy?
It’s just the three of them and Steve, waiting for the rest of the gang to get to Steve’s house for a movie night, and Vickie slings her legs over Robin’s to ‘make room’ on the couch, and Robin is completely oblivious to the way Nancy is literally vibrating with anger a foot away.
She rarely wears her own clothes around Nancy. And she always manages to sneak it into the conversation. “Oh, it’s so cold out, but thankfully I have Rob’s jacket.” “I couldn’t figure out what to wear with this skirt at first, but then I realized Robin left this button-up at my house and I just had to wear it.”
She's very determined that she's going to end up making Nancy so mad that she breaks something. She goes to sleep with a smile on her face every time she thinks about it.
“She’s too sweet!” Yeah. Everyone that Nancy tries to talk to about it says the exact same thing. “Vickie? No way. She’s such a sweetheart! She probably has no clue :(“
Okay yeah I was already convinced that the wormhole was bs before but now it's just certain that everyone the lab is under the effect of an illusion or smth.
This is Dustin's map when the group is in the church, it's a bit hard to see but notice how Lover's Lake is inside the wall ?
Now this is his map when he compares it to "Brenner's".
And this is "Brenner's" map. Dustin's map CHANGED to match the one in the lab.
Stop falling for misinformation and believing unverified sources!!!
Two Stranger Things related events happened on February 15th (2026), both of which are reported on in the vaguest, weirdest, game of telephone, type of way. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one who is screaming, crying and throwing up about this. When will people learn their lesson? Is Media Literacy in the room with us right now???
Let's start with reports on the Broadway Show The First Shadow, which had been on hiatus from Feb 8 to Feb 14:
Okay, so they copied their information, let's check the only semi-official Stranger Things update account @Updates_SThings:
Et tu, Brute? According to some attendees?! Who??? CITE YOUR SOURCES!!! Is it this Reddit Post per chance:
ONE FAN!!! ONE!!! They claim to be a mega fan and seem genuine in their post history, but they could lie, accidentally misremember, spread this info, true or untrue, purposefully for the Stranger Things meta narrative. The fact is, we don't know. We Do Not Know. One first person account is not enough to report so confidently on this, it really isn't :(
Then we had another situation: The "Birthday Bash" for the Duffer Brothers on Feb 15. I initially didn't even want to report on this happening at all, it seemed like a fan organized event, by the group "strangerthings.tours":
Those two ladies are amazing singers! Good job. The video is a little off, most notably the Duffer Brothers faces plastered everywhere (lol), the byler color-coded cakes and the ominous zoom in on Vecna.
I would think nothing of it if someone didn't decide to post their first person account in the #watergatefiles tag anonymously? Why would someone post about this in our very niche conformitygate theorist tag anonymously?
💬 7 🔁 12 ❤️ 65 · Duffers Birthday Bash · I went but didn’t stay long. I heard the band play these songs. They said dedications before they
Stop ittt. Why are people taking this information for granted? Wouldn't one of us boast about going there? Take some pictures. Come on now :'(
I'm not going into the identity of this plant, that is unimportant to this conversation. The point I am making is that we can't trust first person accounts like this. We don't know if they speak the truth and we don't know what their motivations are.
Ever wondered why Will suddenly had hope for a relationship with Mike during Volume 1, then gave up again?
Vecna told their story in reverse.
MIKE'S CAMAZOTZ (and the mandela effect)
Mike is stuck in his own version of Camazotz: the Rightside Up.
In the 8 months after Season 4, the gang prepared for a big battle with Vecna. Mike was taken during that battle, on the anniversary of Will's disappearance: November 6th, 1986.
Every important plot point from Ep 1-8 was an edited version of Mike’s memories from that timeframe. Vecna just changed the order, characters or context to suit his own narrative and keep Mike trapped in the Rightside Up, believing he'd won. Because of this, Mike is kind of experiencing the Mandela Effect – remembering things differently than how they really happened.
My evidence for this theory is here!
Part 1 (Reality = reversed), Part 2 (Will/Robin), Part 3 (12 Episodes), Part 4 (MWTFDYD), Part 5 (Rainbows), Part 6 (Mike and Wileven)
We will flash back to what really happened in Episode 9, when Mike realises he's stuck in a fake world. The resulting plot will be a reverse of the current episodes; a reordered, recontextualised version of the same story – where Mike's real memories are crucial to his escape from the Rightside Up.
THE REAL STORY
Vecna told the truth in reverse. Upside-down.
After Season 4, this is what really happened: Will started with no hope -> befriended Robin -> Will came out, repairing his friendship with Mike -> Mike got closer with him -> and they both GAINED hope for a relationship.
But after that came November 6th, 1986: the battle with "world-altering implications". Vecna trapped Mike in a fake world and altered his memories of what brought him there, turning them into a tragic story of lost hope.
Remember, he doesn't lie. He tells the truth differently. Edits parts out, exaggerates others, and scrambles it to fit his vision.
In Vecna’s retelling, this is what happened: Will started with high hopes -> befriended Robin -> Mike suddenly got less close with him -> Will came out, not changing his friendship with Mike -> and they both LOST hope.
That's what we saw in Episodes 1-8. Now, I dunno about you, but to me, Mike and Will's story makes a LOT more sense in reverse.
BUT WHY? To remove Mike's hope for escape, of course! :)
Vecna needed Mike to believe that everyone had won, to BELIEVE that he got the happiest ending he could, and most importantly: to believe that ending up with Will would never be an option for him. Mike doesn't know Will loves him. Will wants to be "friends."
Max escaped with help from memories of Lucas and El. Will fought his possession with help from memories of Mike, Joyce and Jon. El saved Max with their shared memories, reversing her death. Love and memories are the key. If Mike was to remember his love for Will, he'd be able to escape – but that would ruin Vecna's plans for a "better world".
...Which is exactly why conformitygate and MWTFDYDgate are intrinsically linked. The only way Mike can escape Vecna's curse is to REMEMBER what really happened in the months before the battle.
So, what did happen?
MWTFDYD: An Overview
Well, we've already seen parts of it, scattered throughout Episodes 1-8. Just with changes to the order, characters or context.
MARCH-MAY
Season 4 ending. March 29th, 1986.
Remember how El wasn’t talking to Mike at all at the end of Season 4? And how for most of Season 5, they weren't together? Mike and El break up. {Vecna later uses this memory to tell the story of Jonathan and Nancy's breakup.}
Eleven: "I hate [Eggos]"; "You are always exactly six minutes late." "You wanted honesty." Friends don't lie.
Mike: "That spring break, when you were in Lenora..." "[physics mention]"; "I just felt like I was doing something wrong. Like I was going against the natural order of things."
Mike: "It made me feel safe, but also... I dunno." Eleven: "It was suffocating." Mike: "Yeah."
Will + Robin start hanging out. {This probably happened the same way – after he saw Rovickie kiss.}
The Byers are staying with the Wheelers. Mike and Will share the basement, which explains why they forgot to set an alarm in The Crawl. Mike is ALWAYS late!!! Every season except 5!!!
Will: "It's always [Mike's] fault!"
JUNE-JULY
Robin and Will have their coming-out talk from Shock Jock! They're quickly becoming friends, supporting each other. They both agree to come out to someone new. Will decides to start small, and Robin wants to go big.
Will: "You wouldn't happen to have any more of that truth serum left, would you?"
Will quietly comes out to Mike, Jon and Joyce – his own choice. This explains why the Duffers said they originally wrote the scene this way, but changed it. Right after Will's coming-out, in a private moment, Mike gives his apology from the tower in The Rightside Up.
Mike: "Hey, um… I’m sorry. I mean, not sorry about what you said. That came out wrong. I mean, not ‘came out’ wrong! Jesus Christ!" LMFAOOOO
Because of that coming-out heart-to-heart, Mike and Will become much closer again.
Robin comes out to everyone, so she can “double her audience”. That's why there was so much rambling in that scene, and why Tammy was mentioned! Robin says she likes girls, talks about her "Tammy", and maybe even mentions finding her "Vickie".
Mike has an epiphany. Perhaps he had his Vickie all along.
AUGUST-OCTOBER
Will talks to Robin. He asks how she knew that Vickie wanted to date – their talk from the hospital. He immediately starts flashing back to all their little snowballs... "a brush of the knee, a bump of the elbow, a shared look."
Mike talks to Robin. Maya Hawke said her character would "mentor" TWO others this season. What if Mike's the second? He's amazed after her coming-out, and asks her for a bit of advice. Probably also about Vickie, haha.
Mike gets Jonathan's help to make something special: a mixtape for Will. Jonathan makes it, and gives it to Mike. {Later, Vecna uses this memory to create the scene where Murray gives Jonathan the mixtape for Nancy.} Also – Charlie Heaton said Jonathan would help his brother "get something he wants" in Season 5. This concludes Jonathan's arc of noticing what's going on with Will and Mike, but never intervening.
In the Wheelers' basement, Mike gives Will the mixtape. This is the avalanche; the thing that made it obvious.
Mike: "One last confession. A big one." He pulls out the mixtape. "I figure I've screwed up enough with you. It'd be nice to get something right for once in the end. Here." {Later, Vecna uses this scene for Jonathan and Nancy's breakup, where he takes the ring out and throws it away, in a confusing un-proposal}
This could explain the cutgate claims that Mike and Will were apparently supposed to have a basement scene together, and that music was supposed to play a fundamental role in scenes – e.g. "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure.
Possibly birthdaygate too; a late present?
I'm just speculating here, but... I think they'll use this to recontextualise the Purple Rain scene. Purple Rain plays from the mixtape as Will says Eleven's words from Episode 8. Quiet and intimate, not life-or-death.
Will: You understand me better than anyone. You always have. From the day we met, you've seen me. The real me. {Later, Vecna uses these words to evoke Mike's guilt – about Eleven's fake death, and his unreciprocated romantic feelings. This is to keep him trapped in the Rightside Up, AHHHH–}
After this scene, Mike and Will are either together, or plan to be together. This does multiple things narratively. It gives Vecna something he can use to manipulate them, it will also be one of the memories that helps Mike escape the illusion, and if Mike and Will were together throughout Episodes 1-8 but just didn't remember, those episodes are totally recontextualised!!!
ALSO!!!! This explains why the Duffers said that Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind was a big inspiration for Season 5. Two lovers' memories of each other are erased, but they find each other in the end, with the help of a CASSETTE TAPE!!!!!!!!
Apologies for the avalanche of exclamation marks.
NOVEMBER 6TH, 1986
As @mixu suggested, Mike and Will may have planned to go on a date on or after November 6th. This is supported by:
The video clip of Mike saying "You know I had dinner plans, right?" Dustin replying, "With who?" and Mike avoiding the answer. [Unless Mike and El have broken up, it should be obvious who...]
Not just that, but he's being forced to miss his dinner plans so he can rewatch edited clips of the show... i.e. edited clips of his own memories.
Just like Jopper, Lumax and Rovickie's date plans, Byler missed theirs because of Upside Down shit too.
Will attempts to save Mike using his powers during the battle with Vecna. [Possibly different ones than in Sorcerer.] But unlike in Sorcerer, he fails. {Vecna later uses this scene to give Will a winning moment [siphoning his own powers, hmm...], to sell the narrative that they were able to beat him easily later on}
Will: "[Mike]... Vecna, he's got [Mike]... we failed. I failed."
This explains why both Mike and Holly have the same head wound, and why Mike heard the clock chime and had multiple reaction shots to seeing Vecna – but nothing came out of it.
Will has his talk with Joyce from The Bridge. He's feeling so, so hopeless. Not only did Vecna get exactly what he needs to enact his plan, but... things were finally getting better between him and Mike, and now he's gone.
Will: "...Today is the day. The day Vecna's gonna act. I thought I had him, but the truth... the truth is I never stood a chance."
It's not over, though!
After that are Mike's altered memories, everything from Episode 1-8. Season 5 begins.
And after that... the final episodes!
(And hopefully, a somewhat happy ending :D)
Robin: It's a mandala! [...] Is it a mandala? Mandahla? Or a man-dala? Or a mendela? Or...
jonathan and will walking into mike’s room immediately post s4 to borrow some fresh clothes and clocking the one way sign and hot dragon poster in .0973 seconds
All roads from Copyrightgate lead to an interactive film
Disclaimer: This is a post in a series of collaborative posts that provides evidence that the next piece of Stranger Things content is going to be an interactive film using Episode 2 to 8 as the base.
An exciting revelation has been made by a group of conformitygate theorists. At the center lies #copyrightgate 🌠.Or shall I say ... copyrightgate 2.0.
Copyrightgate TLDR
As mentioned in my original post, and this and this follow-up post, there is a weird delay in the copyright registration of episodes 2-8 - it's now been almost 3 months since Volume 1, with no registration for any of those episodes in sight. This is very out of character for Netflix, that usually register copyrights for their flagship shows as soon as possible (the recent Bridgerton S4 volume 1 episodes were all registered within a week).
Some excerpts from my original post(s) are below:
"My main gripe with cut/copyrightgate is that if the missing scenes were added back into the original episodes, I know many people would be put off from rewatching if it’s just a case of “filling in the gaps”.
"the season has 7 incredibly mediocre episodes (4 if you’re generous) that would ruin the rewatchability of season 5, even if volume 4 is incredible."
So, there are two main issues with both cutgate and copyrightgate (version 1.0), as I posited in my initial post:
release of a new volume wouldn't lead to a delay in copyright registration, and season 5, as a whole, has been mediocre, so adding new episodes will still ruin its rewatchability
similarly, releasing a single, "second" version of the current episodes with the additional cut scenes has the drawback that many people will not sit down and re-watch 7 episodes that they've already seen (even if they're altered)
I actually got so close to the answer in my original post, I can't believe I didn't even consider the possibility of an interactive film!
"I don’t know how they would do this. This type of “redo” may work for an interactive game like G ‘n G, but I genuinely wonder how this would bode for Stranger Things, and how they would pull this off."
Like I mention here, we know for a fact that the copyright registrations are delayed. But biases come in when we start interpreting why it was delayed.
Why cutgate no longer makes sense
Like I mentioned in my original post, I wasn't a fan of cutgate, and I thought it would be difficult to implement well.
While I still stand by original stance that episodes 2-8 aren't the finished versions of the work, I no longer believe that there is a single "second" version coming.
(The big flaw with this hypothesis is that, while it's annoying to have to register two versions of an episode, this hypothesis assumes that they're not at all interested in registering version 1 (i.e. the episodes we've already seen). This is problematic, as it assumes that Netflix is only interested in enforcing version 2, but doesn't care at all about version 1. While not ideal, it is still doable to register 2 versions, in principle, so the "two-version"/cutgate theory crumbles under pressure.)
But... then @whispering-goat asked me to look at the copyright registrations of Netflix' interactive media, which have multiple versions, multiple endings, multiple parallel timelines, and oh boy, did this open the floodgates...
The copyright registrations of Bandersnatch and Kimmy Schmidt vs the Reverend
Let's now look at the copyright registrations of Netflix' biggest and most expansive interactive films: Bandersnatch and Kimmy Schmidt vs the Reverend
First and foremost: the copyright for Bandersnatch was never registered.
Why? There are over a trillion different permutations (see here and here).
Even though there are approximately 5 major endings, there are many more different paths that can lead you to those endings (and other minor endings). One of those endings is the main character breaking the fourth wall and realising he is controlled by a 21st-century Netflix viewer, leading to a fight in his therapist's office.
It would've been (and indeed, it's proven to be) impossible to register Bandersnatch in a straightforward manner at the copyright office.
Secondly: the Kimmy Schmidt special had less permutations than Bandersnatch, and so the copyright was registered. However, the copyright registrations were both segmented and delayed past the 3-month mark.
I've been so busy trying to understand their copyright filing tactics compared to traditional episodes, that I haven't even considered looking at the registration timelines of the interactive media, which break the patterns we've observed with the Bridgerton, Squid Game, Stranger Things S4 etc. registrations.
The Kimmy Schmidt specials were registered as three separate paths: paths A, B, and C (starting to sound familiar?)
As I explain in my corresponding Kimmy Schmidt parallel post, there are broadly 3 major endings in Kimmy Schmidt, with one "good" ending, and two "bad" endings (see here too).
Although three registrations for three paths are filed, none of the paths are one linear segment. Broadly, speaking, there is one major ending in each path, with alternative nodes to get to the major ending(s), as well as some "early endings" that re-route you back to the major path.
What is happening with the season 5 registrations?
So now we have actual evidence that supports a more conclusive reason for the registration delays:
Episodes 2-8, as currently aired, are just one linear segment within one of those paths (i.e. doors).
Max explains those three paths:
Door 1: take your own life
Door 2: accept your fate
Door 3: ESCAPE
We also know that Hopper no longer presents Door 3 as an option to Mike in the epilogue, as he tells Mike he either can either:
Keep blaming himself and suffer (i.e. Door 1) OR
You find a way to accept what has happened (a.k.a. Door 2)
So what we've currently seen is one linear segment of the option Mike has chosen: Door 2: accept your fate. The episodes aren't registered, because this will be a broader path (representing Door 2) once the full interactive film launches.
So, to me, it seems likely that we'll get these three paths as an interactive film - the only "good" ending will be Door 3: Escape. And again, this might sound crazy, but I think it's highly probable that once the viewer does manage to escape, this will unlock an actual finale, in standard episodic form.
But why did they air episodes 2-8 and not launch the interactive film straight away?
A post is coming by @fixthehyper soon that explains how Max and Holly's Camazotz escape is actually a tutorial for the viewer on how to actually escape Camazotz via memories when the interactive film drops. This explains why they broke the fourth wall so much this season and gave directions to the audience multiple times.
The goal is to escape Camazotz - but we'll know if we've made the wrong choices (i.e. are on the wrong path) if we start overlapping with the path that we've already seen (i.e. existing episodes 2-8). They also had to prime the viewer to look out for clues and inconsistencies that signify that something is "off" about a scene and how to look for a way out by way of conformitygate!
This outcome also resolves the question we've all been having: why are they seemingly punishing their hardcore fans by ragebaiting us?
Airing the "second" versions of the "real" episodes will allow the GA to consume these mindlessly, as they have with S5. Whereas an interactive film rewards those who have been paying attention.
And also, we are aware of what exactly is wrong and why the ending is conformist. It's going to be a perfect way to hold up a mirror (ha! a Black Mirror) to those that had no issues with the current ending and, also, to those who refuse to acknowledge Mike's (suppressed) feelings for Will.
This will literally make the viewer choose between the blue pill and the red pill, Matrix-style. They either choose to face the reality, or stay in Camazotz.
All theories lead back to an interactive film
The great thing about this is that most of our conformitygate theories converge and can all be explained by an interactive film.
Multiverses/parallel universes? ✅
Travelling through memories Eternal Sunshine-style? ✅
Copyrightgate? ✅
Playgate? ✅
Bobgate? ✅
There's so many more theories and these all converge: an interactive film is Occam's Razor. The most simple explanation for all of this nonsense.
And it's so in line with Netflix' MO (I mean they did it for one of their biggest IPs, Black Mirror, and then went all out for a smaller IP like Kimmy Schmidt). The more I think about it, the less sense it makes not to incorporate an interactive element into Stranger Things, their biggest show in its final season.
There will be more posts coming from other contributors, but Netflix have already announced that they will be collaborating with the game developers of Life is Strange for a mysterious, undisclosed Netflix IP (which many were already speculating to be Stranger Things).
They did a lot of mysterious ARG in the lead-up to Bandersnatch that is very similar to the conformitygate ARG, and you can expect a post on this very soon from @whispering-goat!
Many, many of the casts interviews actually now make sense (think Sadie's "butterfly" comment, Noah being confused by season 5 etc). I suspect that the actors didn't actually know which "ending(s)" would be initially aired when they gave their prerecorded interviews (they hadn't yet seen the finale), which explains all the seemingly contradictory statements.
All in all - I think we've finally gotten the answer as to what to except. Now we can patiently await the drop...
My Faith Has Never Been So Incredibly, Indisputably Unshakeable
Yes, it is absolutely that deep.
There is absolutely more to this story and it absolutely revolves around queer love and, by extension, Byler of course.
Upon really diving into the allegories and character personifications, especially El, Henry, and the Mind Flayer, I essentially came to this conclusion of what this story is truly about. The TLDR:
Part one and, I think even more importantly, part two of these analyses.
We've known since its inception, this show is an "homage" to the eighties. But I think it's actually meant to be more of a fictionalized expose and critique of the decade.
As any important media that has stood the test of time, this is a commentary, this is a statement, it makes an impact, it leaves a legacy, because it makes people think, or better yet, rethink everything; changes the way we think, changes the way we see everything.
Remember just yesterday, Randy Havens posted this:
So, you're probably asking, okay so what has made your faith so incredibly, indisputably unshakeable?
To cover all my bases and for my own peace of mind, I wanted to see what research I could do on the Duffers. See if there is anything that could support this idea of mine of what the show is really about.
And low and behold, right there, on their already humbly condensed wikipedia page, the evidence I was looking for to support my TLDR sitting there all along.
The Duffer Brothers' father, Allen Pace Duffer Jr., made his living as a Project Director for Research Triangle Institute (RTI). RTI is a nonprofit organization whose efforts in the eighties went towards HIV/AIDS funding, research and possible treatment.
This has to be something, right? Like actually something undeniably linked to the story being unfinished.
And more proof that the fake ending, more than anything else, must be a commentary on queer stories/queer history being erased, ignored, sidelined, right? I mean, the commentary on critiquing media is also very important here too. Because media should always have a message, but people will watch a show for ten years and not even once consider or pay attention to its story. And yes, I mean story, because I suppose you could like the plot without even considering the story, and that is an important distinction.
And Stranger Things' message, its story, must be one of an expose and critique of the eighties decade, a sci-fi - fantasy - horror retelling of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. And, hopefully, some time soon (lovewinsgate), somewhat of a retcon where queer love and compassion save the world in this case. "We go back and re-write history", right?
I was thinking about how Lucas has no arc this season, and how him and Mike act as a pair. And then I remembered what Tina said about Josh:
I believe this means that Will (Vecna) associates Mike and Lucas. Here is why.
They are always biking around town together, but they never so much as exchange a word when they are on the bikes. Mike might as well be biking alone. Lucas acts like some short of shadow self (yea IK).
In the church tower scene, they literally just echo one another. One person could easily do that job. It's mostly Lucas will say something, and then Mike will repeat it. Sometimes he change the words slightly.
Max tells Holly that when you go through memories, you might feel things that you did that night. But it's just like an echo, and it's a good sign b/c it means you're almost home.
That one scene where Lucas just stands there and says "Get him, Mike! Get him, Mike! Mike, get him!" I'm CRYING.
Doesn't it sound a lot like what Mike's internal monologue might have been in this moment. That these might be Mike's feelings.
Not to mention this scene where Mike tells Lucas that they've been spotted in the bathroom with Will trying to stop a massive leak (of feelings). It's an echo of Mike's emotions. This is how Mike felt in that moment. When Lucas is around, we know that Mike is going through old memories.
Lucas has 2 scenes in all of Vol 1 where Mike is not present, and they both take place with Max in the hospital. And I also think those scenes are out of order so they exist outside of Camazotz.
This scene IS Lucas. Every other scene he has in EP2-4, Mike is present and Lucas doesn't do much (as in he does nothing).
Remember the two of them standing up to Dustin's bully in EP1:
They both sound ridiculous and they're always in sync. They could literally be one person. They could be one person.
I've also talked about how I think this whole dialogue is just Mike internally working out why he was taken. Especially considering the POV shots. I think the whole hospital is Vecna's mind.
Checkout this one in EP3. It's like they're finishing each others sentences. They. don't. miss. a. beat.
Mike thinks Dustin looks beat up, but he chooses to say it's not his fault. And then Lucas tells us what he was actually thinking.
They are a team once again when they go talk to Erica and ask for her help.
It's like a well oiled machine. This whole conversation was so smooth.
They even move in sync. Are you seeing this??
This part cracks me up every single freaking time:
Murray says have fun and Lucas just smiles and says thanks. It's borderline creepy like WHERE DID LUCAS GO? [35:36]. Like there is NOTHING going on in that head Go back and watch, it's SO funny.
IMPLICATIONS:
Okay, so what does this mean? Primarily, it means that the real Lucas is not in Camazotz which is a good thing. I also believe there's a lot more story outside of what we saw which was mostly Mike's memories and 2 versions of Camazotz. So in the rest of the story, I presume Lucas will have a real arc.
This is Lucas in the real world. I also believe that it should be Dustin here instead of Mike:
Most of Vol 2 Lucas is the real Lucas.
Furthermore, the echo acts as a kind of measurement, for how close we are to the EXIT.
