here for the story

whatever hyperfixation I'm on | currently Stranger Things | pick your pronouns

[offsidetracked]

My on/off/on romance with Stranger Things.

👹 Watched S1-S2 when they ran, didn't watch S3-S4 until 2024. Fell hard for byler and joined the fandom for real.

Didn't have much to add, all the things I could've said had honestly been said better by others. Just so damn impressed with y'all, soaking up your amazing stuff was (and is) a blast.

Made me remember why fandom is so damn fun.

Then @cypherheartnokey and @ven0moir sucked me into the bychance tag and I realized shit, I DO have stuff to say.

Guess that makes me the... third person to theorize seriously about this. Pray for me 😂

🌈 = byler 🐯 = bychance 🛠️ = story mechanics

Storytelling & writing

🛠️🐯 Will, Chance, and the Final Girl Reimagined

🛠️🐯 Serpents, Forbidden Fruits, and Leaving the Garden in Stranger Things

🛠️🐯 The Tigers and Subverting the Jock Archetype

🛠️ Myth, Water, and Memory in the Upside Down

🐯 Why Bychance Makes More Sense Than You Might Think

🌈 = What I Would Do To Prepare the Audience for Byler in S5

🐯 Bychance Would Be Good Writing, Actually

Details that made me 👀

🐯 Will's Letterman-looking Jacket

🐯 The Car Sketch 1

🐯 The Car Sketch 2

🐯 The Car Sketch 3: Electric Boogaloo (might be bollocks)

🐯 Wilson the Basketball

Friendly reminder that I do this for FUN.

And I take my fun seriously, but at the end of the day it's simply something that brings me joy.

Live and let live brochachos ✌️🍕🍍

[iwillmissourtalks]

truly anything can be good if you do enough textual analysis

[iwillmissourtalks]

fandom at its core is about asking the age old question “what if they were doing that shit on purpose” and then they weren’t

[bixb]

Oh so they know LOL

[offsidetracked]

gonna tell my kids this is Heated Rivalry

[queerhawkins]

the duffers having chatGPT open in multiple tabs while writing the finale is INSANE WORK

[offsidetracked]

so when we joked about it being chatGPT all along it was actually true 💀

[dino-the-raptor]

this st5 rewrite shit easy

[kaypeace21]

You know what : f*ck it , I’m turning this into a positive New Year’s resolution!

I have my qualms with some of Noah’s past political comments. But , he was right about one thing : a lot of us theorists and fans “are better writers than the Duffers.”

Maybe, I should actually try to write some of my (fantasy/sci/fi) novel ideas down on paper . I’ve had like 3-4 stuck in my brain for years. I haven’t written anything in a very long time . And I’ve only written short stories for fun as a kid or for college assignments . So an actual book may be challenging . I definitely could improve (in terms of grammar) . But, you have to start somewhere. :)

Some of you guys should try writing the stories you want to see in the world - even if at the current moment it’s just for fun. This fanbase has had many cool theories , which frankly shows some of you are creative enough to craft a fulfilling story.

So , I guess, my resolution is to try and write the type of story I want to see in the world. Love ya’ll .

[miwiheroes]

YES KAYPEACEEE do it!!!

[offsidetracked]

This is what I hope is the silver lining to all of this.

That the insanely talented theorists in this fandom use all of the frustrated anger and sadness and channel it into their own stories. 'Cause if this finale showed us one thing, it's that we need them, now more than ever.

This is your call to action. Write your stories.

[verstopia]

This subfandom thinks of itself as Oh So Important and it's not only embarrassing but also downright harmful.

The reason ep7 has a 5.6 rating is not because you decided to review-bomb it based on a stupid, senseless conspiracy theory about how vol2 is actually really good and conveniently included all the plot points you wanted before it was censored last minute by the evil Netflix. It's because you decided to side with homophobes who are review-bombing it because they don't like that Will being gay is a big plot point for his character at all.

Episode 7 was mediocre, just like episode 6 was mediocre, and yet one of them has a 5.6 rating while the other one has an 8.5. If you genuinely think this is due to "objective criticism," you are wilfully deluding yourself.

This is what you're supporting with this vitriolic hate that is not earned. I don't like the scene, and I have many problems with the writing since season 3, but it is simply not as bad as you are painting it to be.

You are not proving a point about queerbaiting, the show is not even over, for fucks sake. You are, at most, showing to big companies that it's not worth to include queer representation in big shows. For a fandom who likes to talk so much about homophobia from other people and how if homophobes agree with your points than, maybe, they're not good ones, you clearly have a problem in recognition when it's you doing it.

[offsidetracked]

People review for a bunch of reasons, there's tons of ga, milevens etc who simply didn't like what they saw, no homophobia involved whatsoever. The hamfisted writing hurts Will's character and the LGBTQ+ community a lot more than any homophobic review bombing ever will. We were always going to get the "everything is gay and woke now" from certain parts of the audience. This could've been absolute Shakespeare and it wouldn't have changed a thing for some people. But it was the Duffers job to set this story up and make the audience root for the ending they choose, no matter if byler happens or not. And on that account they have failed. S5 has so far not been consistent with the previous narrative set up and they've been incredibly vague on where several arcs and plotlines are even going. People shouldn't have to wonder whether Mike and El are still a couple or not. Just to name one thing. So many things, big and small, doesn't make any sense and have dropped in quality significantly this last season and a lot of us are simply baffled as to why.

[evenjoll]

how it feels to spread the word about falseepisodesgate and cutgate

upd, since this is getting attention:

MISSION THE GREAT CAMAZOTZ CUT

THE ISSUE: STRANGER THINGS SEASON 5 VOLUME TWO has evidently been tampered with. Allegedly there have been entire plotlines and characters a

upd 2: i need to remind you (remember the scriptgate, right?) that no leak should be completely trusted. so while it’s logical, keep in mind that we still have multiple possible outcomes after finale release.

and guys. please. pay attention that right now we don’t have actual proof that cutgate is true.

[offsidetracked]

Well that would explain a lot... If this is true (and from what I've seen on other productions it's not unlikely), I'm feeling for the Duffers too honestly. Having your story butchered by studio exces in the 11th hour must be such an awful way to end this on.

That said, vol1 did not have stellar writing either, the drop off in quality was already really noticeable.

[90shorrorpaperback]

For anyone wondering if the Duffers are really in trouble ...

"The Bridge" is down to a 6.3 rating on IMDB, and Season 5 is still the lowest rated season of the show. While there are a few negative reviews due to anger about ships or homophobes being annoyed by Will's coming out scene, the overwhelming majority are from GA members whose complaints run the gamut: pacing issues, boring and convoluted plot, too much time wasted on new characters, assassination of character arcs and their interpersonal relationships, etc. Many reviews are not simply assessing this particular episode negatively, but the season (and sometimes even the series) as a whole.

Stranger Things (TV Series 2016–2025) ⭐ 8.6 | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

1h | TV-MA

It's over. The magic of the show is gone. Stranger Things is now Stranger Thrones. This will not be a show with lasting influence in pop culture, nor will it be remembered well.

(Seriously, just read some of those reviews. They are not from shippers, but the general audience. They are in solidarity with the fandom on this.)

[90shorrorpaperback]

One hour later and the rating for The Bridge is now down to 6.2 :). The Lost Sister is sitting at 6.0 .. how long do you think it will take for The Bridge to dip below?

[offsidetracked]

This honestly makes me happy to see. There are so many issues with vol2 that shipping is the least of what's wrong with it.

[aspenaspenaspenaspenaspen]

Wait, Jancy broke up?? That’s what that was???

Oh ok so Steve’s just a friend and Jonathan and Nancy are broken up and Mike is Will’s Tammy and El is gonna die apparently and Mileven has about as much chemistry this season as milk and water and—

Oh ok so no one is happy

[offsidetracked]

is this... equality?

[nancysflamethrower]

JANCY FOUND DEAD IN A DITCH. STANCY FOUND DEAD IN A DITCH. MILEVEN FOUND DEAD IN A DITCH. BYLER FOUND DEAD IN A DITCH.

[offsidetracked]

LUMAX SOMEHOW THRIVING

[antlersoldier]

the whole "sometime the person you love doesn't love you back and it's ok" is a good moral, yeah, for a character like STEVE. Not for someone who has NEVER experienced romantic love and felt shame for it.

but ig that's my take

[offsidetracked]

I have nothing more to add than that they really should've structured this story differently if they intended Will to end up alone. Making romantic rejection a core part of where the character starts out means that romantic reciprocation is really were he should end up. That he should also learn that true self worth comes from within is so self-evident that my mind boggles that it needs to be said. I'm tired.

[corefourever]

Noah practicing his handshake with one of the Seasn 5 child actors

[offsidetracked]

@ven0moir the kid with the black hair tho

[gayofthefae]

The concept of Stranger Things being a show where you watch children abused grow up to protect the next generation from ever having to suffer that abuse. Harnessing the same power their abusers weaponized, but for good.

The concept of the show built in tribute to cycle breakers and their strength and service. ❤️

I already knew they were cycle breakers, but the concept of the show ending by showing what that really means.

By showing the number of people it protected.

Not just saying "cycle breaking takes so much strength and you are so strong for it", but in the final season, saving these children as a means to say: No one ever told you, and no one ever talks about it. But so many lives were saved by your perseverant gentleness. The next generation is better for it, safer for it. Thank you.

[jevdart]

Will… over-edited bc I am experimenting… Also could not put more energy into this one… I CANNOT FOCUS!

[offsidetracked]

Well bychancers... sail or sink, it's been an honor being in this lil shipping crew with y'all. You made this ride a hell of a lot more fun and that's what it's all about.

See ya on the other side ✨🚪✨

[offsidetracked]

Today when VOL1 drops I want y'all to brag about the stuff you predicted right. Down to the smallest detail I WANNA KNOW 👀