Top 5 Least Favorite storylines on Stranger Things?
Top 5 Storylines
-Scoop Troops infiltrating a secret underground Russian Base. (It's such a silly idea, and kind of out of left field, but I like it when shows embrace the camp. I often am more critical of shows that take themselves too seriously. Also, again, it's a group with all my faves interacting.)
- The Hawkins arc in season 4. (I enjoyed how everyone rallied behind each other to help both Max and Eddie out. Max's arc and her escape from Vecna were "The Moment" of season 4. It's fun to challenge the crew by having them essentially de-powered without El and having to figure out how to beat the big bad of the season by themselves.)
-The Dustin and Steve arc in season 5 (What can I say. The best part of season 5. It was great to see Steve and Dustin in a more angst-driven storyline, hitting their lowest point in their relationship, and then building themselves back up. Eddie's haunting their narrative was so good too, like there ended up being a lot to unpack there, and I just like how character-driven the story was in the end. It makes me go back and really appreciate their relationship.)
-Steve the Babysitter season 2 (I feel like this is a classic, but honestly it launched on the best friendships in the series, and having Steve just hangout with the kids was a treat. Needed more screentime with them tbh.)
-El and Max's friendship arc season 3 (Love it! No notes, just girls having fun, and letting El experience what it is like to have a bestie. But then you throw in the horror element of revealing that Max's stepbrother is possessed.)
Least Favorite Storylines
-The Russia Arc in season 4 (You can literally skip it and still understand the plot. Which makes it terrible. Really weighs down the series, and I'm in the camp that Hopper should've stayed dead. He just ended up rehashing his storyline one too many times.)
-The California Crew in season 4 (Same complaint, just adds nothing of value, and I can skip it.)
-Jonathan's Engagement Ring arc in season 5 (This freaking love triangle, man. I've gone off many times before, but this is all he had for a plot, and it brought down Nancy and Steve for no reason. There was no real change in Jonathan; he doesn't confront his insecurities, and it only made him seem a lot worse than we already thought. Like, I guess he sacrifices his security blanket (Nancy), but it doesn't make him a more complete person. This storyline is just a poor man's redux of Steve's season 2 arc.
-Everything involving Henry/Vecna all seasons (He sucks. And he was evil all along. I didn't need hours of backstory talking about this guy. His powers in season 4 were fun, but beyond that, this character was a mistake in my opinion.)
-Holly misadventures season 5 (You can tell I really hate season 5 lmao, it's because it's the last season, and ugh, they decide to give Holly the spotlight. This ended up turning Max into an exposition machine, and I am forced to learn more about Vecna. But it's just not something I would've wanted in the last season with an already bloated cast, and the promise of everyone being together to deal with the hell mouth that opened up last season. I think the Duffers screwed up by leaving season 4 on a cliffhanger instead of just completing it and moving on to the next Monster of the Week. And Holly makes it obvious that they weren't ready to truly follow up from the last season because they basically made a completely new character, like they always do, for us to follow, but it doesn't work this time. At least in my opinion. You already have limited screentime, why are we sharing that with Holly?)
Writing prompt: A spell went horribly wrong. It's Dustin's fault for sure. I mean, he's not the one who cast the spell but Erica's definitely blaming him. In which, the Scoops Troops gets turned into cats.
Thinking about Scoops Troop today (like so many others) and how they probably never escape the horrors of those two days and nobody cares about it in the show.
Thinking about Steve, who probably feels guilty for going along and encouraging Dustin in the first place and dragging two innocent bystanders into this mess. Thinking about how he took the torture from the Russians in hopes they wouldn't touch Robin. Thinking about how he probably thought he was going to die at 18 years old. Thinking about how he feels guilty of telling the Russians Dustin's name and putting him in danger that way. Thinking about how he tried his best but still failed the people he loves.
Thinking about Robin, who didn't know what was going on. Thinking how she saw Steve being passed out, thinking he was dead. She probably feels guilty that Steve took the brunt for her. She definitely beats herself up for suggesting that Erica helped them and how she didn't put a stop to it in the first place. Thinking about how she also thought she was going to die at 17 and how she wasn't able to live out her life as her true self.
Thinking about Dustin, who literally killed a man at 13 years old in order to save Steve. Thinking about how he feels guilty because it was his idea to go after the Russians in the first place. He was crawling through the vents with Erica for hours while not knowing what was happening to Steve, who is his brother. Thinking about how he thought him and Erica would get to Robin and Steve too late.
Thinking about Erica, who was just 10 years old, who had to witness Dustin killing a man. She couldn't even rely on Steve or Robin because they both were out of it. Suddenly, she was in charge of getting them to safety. Thinking how her whole life got changed now that she knows about the monsters from horror stories are actually real.
Thinking how all four were just kids and saw more than anyone else. Thinking how nobody really checked up on them in the show and that they only have each other because nobody would understand what they went through.
Literally the scoops troops along with separate dynamics within that group is literally superior to anything else. Like you have them as a whole groups and then you have: Steve and Robin, Steve and Dustin, Erica and Steve, Robin and Erica, Robin and Dustin, Erica and Dustin. Like it’s all so superior and incredible
Robin, Steve, Erica and Dustin spend a weekend making Easter decorations and crafts. Just some sweet, Scoops Troops nonsense for your weekend.
Characters: Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Erica Sinclair, Dustin Henderson (Scoops Troops!!! 🍦🍧🍨🍦🍧🍨)
Word Count: 2.5k
tbh, i have no clue how the easter period works in America (if school is off or how public holidays work, if any). so i've kept that stuff vague. it kinda doesn't matter here anyway, this is just silly friendship-focused stuff.
“What's with the bag?” Erica asks from the backseat, her voice a mix of nosiness and curiosity.
Robin turns, crinkling the paper bag in question she’s been cradling since Steve picked her up from the dollar store.
“Craft supplies,” she shrugs, now face-to-face with the youngest Sinclair.
“Interesting…” Erica muses, looking her over.
Robin frowns, weirded out by whatever it is Erica is thinking and turns back to look out at the slowly-emptying Hawkins Elementary parking lot. Sinking a little in her seat, Robin shoots Steve a look.
He promptly starts up the car, grumbling. They were already stuck with Dustin for the weekend. Claudia had called Steve a few days ago, saying she wanted to go visit her sister for the weekend, sans her son. And of course, Steve not being immune to Claudia Henderson’s sweet mom-voice, agreed. And, depending on how this carpooling afternoon goes, they might end up with a full-blown babysitting schedule.
Robin sighs, holds her precious craft supplies to her chest and stares out the window...
At least, she attempts to for all of three seconds because Erica decides to lean into the front cabin, craning her neck to look in the bag.
“Seatbelts, please,” Steve commands, pulling out of the parking space and offering his bitchiest pout to boot.
Erica snatches up the bag, retreats and clips in her seatbelt. Robin lunges, her reflexes non-existent. But her seatbelt yanks her back into her seat.
She huffs and folds her arms, settling for leaning forward impossibly close to the rearview mirror, ignoring Steve’s incoherent protests for blocking him as she watches Erica plucking items from the bag.
Eric sets out the wares on the currently-vacated lefthand back seat, pulling out Easter crafts and supplies. Pastel-toned card paper, scissors, cheap paint pots in various colours, tubes of glitter and paintbrushes - enough to last the weekend, doubling up on everything so Robin doesn’t have to fight with Steve over any of the items. The guy paints at a snail’s pace. But maybe that wouldn’t be the case if the dingus would actually wear his prescription glasses…
She frowns when she notices Erica's expression shift from curious and judgemental.
“I'm close to the library,” Steve says, a warning that means, clear the backseat - Dustin Henderson is about to enter like a tornado and will ruin anything occupying his seat.
“You need thinner paintbrushes,” Erica offers, gathering up the items and efficiently arranging them in the bag.
Steve pulls into the Hawkins Library parking lot and kills the engine. If Henderson isn't waiting, it means he has lost total track of time and needs to be dragged out of the place (which is Steve's job because Robin gets distracted when surrounded by endless books). As if on queue, Steve unclips his seatbelt and pops open the driver's door.
“I'll be back,” he sighs, exiting the car.
“I'll bring you some,” Erica says, cutting through the sudden silence of the Beemer.
Honestly, it makes Robin jump. She might have also forgotten what they were talking about because she's wracking her brain trying to remember when she had to return her algebra textbook (not that she got any use out of it anyway).
“Huh?" she grunts, bracing herself for a chastising for not listening.
“Paintbrushes!” Erica clarifies and sure enough, her signature you’re-an-idiot tone is there. “If you are going to decorate eggs, you need smaller paint brushes for fine details. I'll bring you some. You're staying at Steve's house this weekend, right?”
“...Yes?” she replies (asks?), weary.
“I'm telling you,” comes Steve's annoyed voice. “This bag won't fit in the backseat, dude!”
There's more incoherent squabbling as Steve opens the trunk and a noticeable weight sinks the car momentarily.
“All set for the weekend,” Dustin chortles, all but throwing his bag at the back of Robin's seat as he and Steve hop in the car in such perfect sync that Robin and Erica both giggle.
“Yeah right,” Steve says, now in maximum grumpy mode.
Dustin jostles Robin's seat as he loudly asks, “Did you pass your algebra test?”
“Barely,” she laments as the library disappears behind them.
“What!” he shrieks. “I basically gave you all the answers.”
“I'm sorry that I don't like, get mathematics, Dustin!” she snaps, remembering that her textbook is in fact, grossly overdue and will now have to wait until Easter weekend is over.
***
Robin shuffles to the Harringtons’ front door, barely conscious. It’s way too early for Erica to be here, tapping on the door at an enthusiastic speed on a Saturday morning. It’s only breakfast time! She stops rubbing her eyes long enough to catch the time on the gigantic antique clock in the foyer. Okay, so maybe 10am is too early for Weekend Robin.
She opens the door to find Erica beaming, holding a large fabric bag over her shoulder that is clearly weighing her down that she is only barely offsetting by leaning the opposite way.
Robin winces, blinded by the morning sunlight as she squints, looking for any signs of Lucas in tow. She sighs, relieved - partly because Steve always ends up switching between shooting hoops with Lucas, watching whatever sport is on TV and playing video games if he comes over. It’s Steve in peak-jock form, a state that Lucas wholeheartedly encourages while Robin tags along.
She catches sight of the Sinclars’ car - or more, she almost collapses from the pain of sunlight reflecting from the car’s hood directly into her eyeballs.
“I brought paintbrushes,” Erica announces, hobbling inside as Robin waves vaguely in the direction of Mrs Sinclair.
She closes the front door, turns and runs straight into Dustin, who’s peering down at the bag Erica has seemingly dumped in the foyer before disappearing entirely.
He smiles and Robin thinks that if she rolls her eyes at the kid one more time, they might stay stuck in the back of her skull.
It turns out the truckload of books Steve had to haul in and out of his car three times over the past few days was some new egghead venture of Henderson's, whereby he intended on assessing precisely how cold Steve’s house could get at night - some new experiment assessing temperatures in Hawkins… Or something. He'd explained it last night over dinner when he turned his nose up at her signature vegetable lasagne. And then when he finally stopped talking he insisted on listening to his Dune audiobook on tape (an action that he sold as being a matter of urgency), aloud via the Harrington’s stereo system he's likely now paused for a brief moment in order to ask for something.
“What?” Robin asks, cocking her chin as she sizes up the dork who hasn't changed out of his pyjamas in two days.
Dustin sticks out his bottom lip, looking all too innocent as his curious brows disappear under his cap (yep, he also wears his baseball cap indoors, in his goddamn pyjamas). Robin swears it is glued to his skull.
“Are we doing arts and crafts now?” he asks, rocking back and forward on his socked heels.
“So you're gonna do that too?”
“Obviously.”
And nope, it wasn’t so obvious.
“Robin!” Erica calls, her voice laced with impatience.
Dustin gestures for Robin to take the lead and if she had better protection than her holey rainbow socks on the varnished floorboards, she'd stomp her feet.
“Steve!”
***
Okay, so maybe her annoyance wasn't entirely justified because Henderson is patiently watching as Steve and Erica lay out all their craftables and accessories on the kitchen table. The coffee table is of course out of action due to ‘Project Curtain’, named so because Dustin’s hypothesis is that the sheer amount of drapery throughout Steve’s house is the primary cause of a nighttime temperature drop.
“Alrighty, now your bag,” Steve declares, lifting Erica's lofty bag with ease.
Erica kneels on the kitchen chair separating them for a better vantage point.
“I brought all my paintbrushes and my lamp I use when I'm making my DND figurines.”
“Oh... cool,” Steve says, making a face that Erica mirrors (with added glare) that leaves him blurting out a defensive, “What?”
“Don't you want to make your egg decorations nice?” she smirks.
“Who cares?” Dustin quips, sticking his head in between them. “What, is Steve going to gift a bunch of painted eggs? Very romantic. I thought Maggie dumped you…”
Steve rolls his eyes and Robin can't help it. After two days of this, she’s had enough. She drops her spoon in her bowl of cereal and gives Dustin a solid elbow to the side earning a hearty yelp. Payback for being a mooching pain in the butt who doesn’t even pay much attention for a self-proclaimed ‘genius’. Although maybe Robin shouldn’t clarify that Steve went on one disastrous dinner date with Maggie and never called her back. It would probably lead to relentless teasing, possibly the only thing that could drag Dustina way from Project Curtain right now.
She sighs. Steve’s done a lot of that lately, but best not to get into it right now because Steve and Erica are engaged in some sort of glare-off.
“What?” he asks her again. “I'm not allowed to so much as look at your DND things. Sorry if I'm sceptical about you allowing me to actually use your nerd equipment.”
“It isn't nerdy, it's creative.”
“Erica, you are a nerd!” Dustin chimes, a matter he insists on clarifying every single time Erica protests.
Why can’t this group accept it? They are all nerds. Hell, every person in this kitchen has agreed to spend their weekend delicately painting little Easter bunnies and fashioning decorations just for the fun of it.
“Whatever,” Erica shoots back before giving a sickly sweet smile at whiplash speed.
“Are you going to help me?” Steve asks, raising a sceptical brow.
“Only if you wear your glasses,” Erica retorts.
“Better do what she says, Steve,” Robin adds, slurping up her cereal.
Again, a silent standoff.
It only ends with Steve huffing as he exits the kitchen to fetch the much-argued-over glasses he refuses to wear.
***
Sure enough, Erica willingly gives over her lamp to Steve - even gives a demonstration of her painting techniques. But as Robin suspected, she and Steve both totally suck at painting, even with a lot of help. She quickly got frustrated with not being able to mix the right shade of lavender and switched to the childish packet of paper flower cut-outs she had bought.
Dustin meanwhile, chose to periodically move between Project Curtain (shouting his temperature checks each time) and painting eggs with such expertise, Robin wishes she could smash them into eggy gooeyness with her bare hands, free of consequence.
“Goddamn it!” Steve curses once again.
He shakes his head and mumbles incoherently as he shoves Erica’s lamp-slash-magnifying tool out of the way. He sets his paintbrush down and pinches his little clay rabbit between his glitter and paint-covered fingers, frowning as he looks over the great smear he'd inadvertently made right on the poor bunny's backside.
“Don’t worry,” Erica sings, kneeling up on her chair to reach across the table and take the figure from him. “Just let it dry and we can fix it.”
She smiles and honestly, now Robin is suspicious. Steve has spent the last (Robin checks her watch) four hours - with copious snack breaks - meticulously painting a clay rabbit black and red, with silver eyes and glitter details, a gothic-metal-looking springtime creature that could only be fitting for that one particular dork her platonic soulmate has been pining over since Spring Break.
And Erica Sinclair is being way too nice about it.
Erica who glares and pouts. Erica who eviscerates everyone in her general vicinity with scathing words that have no comeback. Erica who, since the whole Scoops Troops vs. Starcourt Mall Secret Russians-thing, has used pretty much every encounter with Robin and Steve to coerce them into doing whatever she wants (and getting free anything - though mainly ice cream) in the name of some alleged child endangerment.
“It looks fine,” Robin insists, barely looking at her best friend and far too focused on Erica carefully setting down the half-painted clay rabbit on some newspaper.
“You know…” Dustin pipes up, momentarily abandoning his da Vinci-quality egg. “For a supposed calming activity, you sure do curse a lot.”
Steve removes his glasses to rub his eyes and folds his arms, shooting Henderson that look he only reserves for his young friend.
“I just want it to look nice,” he mumbles, a look of disappointment washing over him as he slumps back in his chair to stare at the bunny.
“Yeah, because a rabbit demon-spawn is gonna look all cute a cuddly - ERICA!” Dustin dives to the floor, scrambling for his hat.
There goes Robin’s long-held hypothesis.
***
“Alright, spill Sinclair,” Robin whispers the second Steve charges into the living room to once again yell at Dustin.
Erica sighs, setting down her ice cream bowl. Of course, hosting both Erica and Dustin meant customary homemade USS Butterscotches all around for dessert. Desserts that they joined forces to demand as soon as Steve was finally done with his demonic bunny.
“Henderson, I swear to God, if you set the curtains on fire!” Steve warns, followed by indecipherable whining from Dustin.
“What?” Erica asks, frowning and propping her chin on the back of her hand, looking as guilty as she has done all damn day.
“Let me rephrase,” Robin begins, tenting her fingers and pouting. “Why are you voluntarily hanging out with us? On a weekend? And actually having fun? And being nice to Steve even though he can’t paint for shit?”
Erica drops her spoon, leaving it to clang and teeter in the bowl. And yeah, the slight waver in her usually confident demeanour sends a pang of regret through Robin’s chest.
“First off, I actually enjoy spending time with you and Steve,” she says after a long pause. “It's fun but not super nerdy. Beats tagging along with Lucas while Will stays over for the weekend anyway. Although, I could have done without Dustin.”
She rolls her eyes as the sound of flapping curtains wafts in from the living room.
“Agreed,” Robin nods matter-of-factly.
“And all this,” she gestures to the end of the table where all their craftables are lined up in various states of completion. “I'm really good at. And you two could use some help. Even though I know you can sew and stuff.”
“Yeah, painting isn't my strong suit,” she chuckles.
“Plus,” Erica says, drawling loudly before sighing. “I enjoy helping you and Steve try to impress Nancy and Eddie with the silly little things you make them.”
She reaches across the table for the chocolate syrup Steve has monopolised since they’d started out on making dessert.
“We’re really that pathetic, huh?”
“Just the facts,” Erica quips, punctuating her signature phrase with a hard squeeze of chocolate topping (her third helping) onto her remaining dessert. “You should really be asking for my help more often.”
Robin narrows her eyes at the young Sinclair, a fond grin growing.
“... You're my favourite.”
She drops her spoon, leaving it to clang against the ice cream bowl so she can grab Erica in a tight hug, squishing their cheeks together.
