The epilogue sunglasses
This post reminded me of two movies at once: the first one is of course “The Matrix”, the second is “They Live”.
The Matrix
They Live
Stranger things
I see sunglasses (and glasses) in the epilogue as a multifunctional tool. From the examples above we see that there are characters from the illusion wearing glasses and characters who discovered their illusion doing the same.
As for the first ones, it seems that all people in the background in the epilogue in those glasses are apparently Agent Smiths: they are agents of the illusion not trying to get out of there and on the contrary — complementing it.
But both movies revolve around Neo and Nada in the glasses too as the characters who woke up. Tbh, despite the obvious reference to Agent Smith, given that only extras wear glasses, the movie “They Live” was the first I remembered. Neo and Nada representing common storytelling is quite interesting (btw, The Matrix was released 10 years later). For Stranger Things I interpret this reference as absence of sunglasses. Mike doesn’t have them and he can’t see the world the way it is. He can’t see that he’s in the simulation. Moreover, he sees so poorly, he even needs his eyeglasses.
But what’s interesting is that Steve, Murray and Hopper also wear sunglasses. And, at least based on what was just said, it can represent them being ones of the “Agents”. Which could mean that the party is not real either, only Mike is.
