I feel like this was a very obvious answer, but I love the design of the Hellfire Club Costumes.
Honourable mentions to the boys GhostBuster's costumes from Season 2 Halloween, They are so cute!
I couldn't really decide between all the characters' outfits, because realistically, they are mostly just wearing jeans, the Hellfire Shirt, and then a variety of jackets. So we are just saying the Hellfire Club outfits in general. IF I had to choose between them all I think I would pick .... Gareth. I really love his red overshirt covered in the pin badges and such.
I love how this was seriously delayed because A I was sick and B I was really stuck on this, not because I didn't have an answer... but because my tarot card brain told me voicing such on the internet may... send me to the digital gallows. But... here we do.
My Least Fave ship is... Byler (Will Byers and Mike Wheeler)
Now! I understand the insane discourse within this fandom around the topic of Byler Vs Milvan, but I beg please allow me my last words, and please take the time to listen to what I have to say. And buckle in, cause it's gonna be a long one.
(slightly updated for clarification)
I do not hate Byler, in fact, I actually love this ship on so many deep contextual levels. And *If* it does turn out to be canon for season five, I will certainly love to watch the discourse of people rewatching this series under the new rainbow lens it will place over the whole show. It would be fascinating and well-woven, and as a Literature film nerd, I would adore it! I also do really think it would be a massive move in terms of TV / Streaming.
For some vague context, I am of an age where I remember 'Gay' being used as a joke playground term with full chests. I remember the shock and horror of public reaction to the mainstream rainbow integration of TV. I remember people writing to the UK's TV authorities to openly LGBTQI+ supporting TV shows.
I think it would be amazing for Stranger Things, the utter mammoth show that lead netflix into it's place of honour and could be held as an example in the true move away from lazy TV production to the much more supportive land of Streaming and Online media getting to feel like real tangaible competition to traditional TV, Would have this show tackle such important and impressive subject matter.
I know it may sound stupid, 'Of course we have amazing shows with leading LGBTQI+ characters!' Yes, we do. But a lot of those shows, let's be honest, are seen by the general public as well... Gay shows. The fact the characters are gay becomes the first thing we know. But We've had years with Mike and Will, we know these characters deeply beyond any notion of their sexuality.
Why am I ranting about all this? Because I want to make it clear, my dislike for this ship does not come from me disliking the idea of these characters being together.
My dislike for this ship comes down to... an unfortunate side effect of fandom culture.
As I have mentioned before, I did not watch this show as it released. I did try. I gave season one a go when it first came out, didn't vibe with it and went on with my life. I knew elements of the show obviously from general cultural ossmisis. But It only came from my friends both online and IRL literally poking me and telling me to give this show another chance, and I did so... long after season four had been released.
But even before that I was aware of this discourse, before I even watched the show, I knew this was something people debate. and the deeper I dove into things as I grew to truely love this show, the more and more I saw how... Honestly Toxic this debate is from both sides of it. Reading comments and posts from people saying such things that... seemed mad to me.
It reminded me so much of Newtmas, this huge fight over fictional people being together, this unresolvable debate.
Whether Mike loves Will or loves Eleven, or... Mike decides he wants to date a random background character seven ... it won't ever make me hate this show. Nor will it ever make me angry enough to be cruel to someone else who also loves this show as much as I do.
And it deeply upsets me that whichever side wins cannon, the other will inevitably be unhappy about it. This show can't please everyone no matter what happens in season five.
I don't care if Mike is Gay, Straight, Bi, Trans or a fucking horse! I care he's a character I get to experience this world with, this story with.
This is my least fave ship, not at all for what it is, what it represents or what it could mean in the TV landscape of today. That's what makes me love it. But I can't enjoy this ship for the simple fact that this debate makes the community fight, for me it ruins the joy of being a fan of this show. That no matter what, amazing story, art, edit or just plain comment someone makes becomes a fight between sides. I want to love this fandom and everyone in it for the amazing things they make and the opinions they have. Whether that's Blyer fanart, Milvan fanfics or Mike is secretly an alien tiktok edits.
At the end of the day, this... is a show. It's just a show. These people aren't real. This fight doesn't matter. And I don't want to be on either side. I'm not blaming byler fans nor am I blaming milvan for starting the fight and I completely get there are genuine issues happening on both sides. What I wish... Is that there wasn't a fight at all.
And just the fact I've gone in and had to add a little more clarification is my point, is on me for not making myself clear.
Here's the thing, I am a child of the England. And School dances are just not the same culture as they are in the States. Hell, I don't even think the states have the same culture around them as they did back in the 80's. Like... I had a prom the year I left school, and that's it. My whole understanding of school dances comes from the media.
But I think I am in Three Minds.
A - I would be in the most 80's goth chick dress Doc Martens and all, and help Eddie spike the punch bowl before stealing Jason Carver's car.
B - I would pop over to Maple Street and break Mike out of whatever grounding he likely is in Dead Girl Walking Style. And spend most of the night causing chaos.
C - Go full Nancy and act as a chaperone for the party, and let them all have a Pity dance with me.
I suppose each of these is dependent on what age I am in Hawkins at this time?
I think this is the most obvious answer to this whole list, I feel like any other answer I have given would explain this answer.
HELLFIRE CLUB
is anyone surprised? Again we really do fallback on the old faithful, I am a gothy nerd. Was it ever gonna be another answer?
Also I have never watched a basketball game in my life, for one I am english and we don't really have basketball as a big sport over here. But even so I am not a sports person, the closest I get to sports is when my family has football of F1 on the tv when we visit.
But even if we say I have suddenly matieralized in 80s Hawkins, I would not have been a Tiger's Cheerleader, Nooo way.
I would have been a Corroded Coffin Groupie, A Hellfire Club Fanatic and Hawkins High's Token 80's Goth chick. Or Veronica Sawyer.
This is my grail! I have legit been checking regularly, waiting for one to come on sale, checking sold listings for a general price, I was one recently sell, and I was so upset cause it sold for a price I was more than willing to pay, but they wouldn't ship to the UK. I know they are super rare, but this is my holy grail and I vow it will one day be in my collection!
Random thing I've seen I want -
I do think this hellfire club jacket is super cool! and it's one of the new Stranger Things 5 product collabs that I can even get in the UK. And I have also just kinda been wanting a denim jacket for a while so I would have bought something like this anyway it's not just a impulse buy. I do think its a little expensive but... I feel that way about most things. And I can't order online... nope, this is a primark collab and Primark do not sell online in the UK, you can order stuff for click and collect or buy in store no other option. My local city does have a primark but it's not known for having good stock.. plus I know if I go in and get it I'll want to buy other stuff from this collab like the make up brushes and socks cause I'm already there (which i know is the point of why they have done it like this) and its in a shopping centre so you know I'll want to look in other stores cause why go all that way for one store, and then need lunch cause of all the effort to go out into the city, suddenly my £30 jacket I could have got online is a £100 day out. I can feel myself being tricked into it which just makes me mad.
Thing that might be next to buy -
I like Mini things, I am... accepting of funko pop's (mostly cause they are my only choice for alot of media) Bitty Pops are very much on my radar and I am very close to buying them. My issue is how their sold, they are sold in packs of three with one mystery pop per box or buy mystery bags with one pop per bag. Here's the thing... I want the four boys, I want mike, lucas, dustin, will. I am not bothered about the other's but... in the packs they are spilt up. I can't just buy the boys, they are all spilt up with characters I don't want. Yes I can risk it with the blind bags but then I also risk doubles. Also there are like 4 eleven's in this set... which infurates me. They do also do two packs but the only one I want is Mike and dustin, but dustin comes in a 4 pack with lucas... and I love the little byers house playset but that already comes with a will and and El... basicly. I want these but can't figure out a good way to buy them beyond just getting them off ebay.
If I win the lottery -
I love trading cards, they are my vibe. Have I ever collected a full set of anything? Nope But I am working on it. I would love a set of Stranger things cards, issue is there are SO MANY Sets! Each season got a set, multiple brands have done sets, each of those sets has multiple card rarities... Just tracking a full complete 100% set down would be a nightmare to do! But if I won the lottery and had the time and money to sit and fully complete even just one of these sets It would be amazing.
Am I going to use this to show off things I have collected so far, like the chaotic little collectable Dragon I am. Yes. Yes, I am.
Yes The picture above is legit my Stranger Things shelf.
Lastest Merch Item -
This was the actual result of hyperfixation. In the midst of my deepest Stranger Things Chaos, these got released. And as it so happened, my anniversary was super close, so this was literally my Present. And we sat and built them together, I made Mike and Dustin, and they made Lucas and Will.
Item With the Best Story -
Lil story time, before I had actully watched the show My friends were bugging me, 'You'd love it' 'you really need to watch it' and so on, I said I'd think about it while I went on a family holiday. And While on this holiday to the british Seaside, I was spotting Stranger Things Merch Everywhere! And in one Arcade I spotted a crane machine full of Stranger Things Season 4 plushies. I snapped a picture and sent it in the Group chat for a laugh and one of my freinds asked me, 'Hey if you have some spare cash put a couple quid in the machine for me' So I gave it a couple of tries the next day and got SUPER close to getting it, (This is videoed but my voice and body are clear so... not on here) And like a true tv show moment we gave up for the day not willing to put any more cash into it. And on our last day of the holiday we popped back and noticed Mike was in like a super good place, and we found a coin on the floor! So we waited a little to see if anyone was just popping to get cash (as is arcade ettiqeute) and when no one did, I gave it one more try and Mike came home with us. I did offer it to my friend but they wanted me to keep it fr myself. So This Mike plush sat in my chair with me while watching the show for the first time.
Item I interact with the most -
Yeah, I got a thing about plushies... But this lil mike I picked up supercheap while shopping (While feeling kinda down about some IRL Stuff) He is offical, he cannot sit, his freckes aren't cut so they look like lil consalations, but I love him. Whatever stuffing they used for his hair is like legit squishmellow, so he sits on my desk as my lil hug freind when i feel low.
Item I think is my legit fave -
DOn't have it's own picture, but I have the Panini Sticker Album, which I have now FILLED! which feels amazing to have it complete. I am already a Pokemon card collector, but I have never completed a Pokémon set, so being able to fully fill in the sticker book just makes me feel amazing.
Or! My hellfire club shirt, cause I legit have worn it like 100 times by now, it's really comfy and I have actully gone out and bought more 'baseball' style tshirts cause I like the hellfire one so much.
