tv.heartbreak

Devastata per i Patrivan💔 Un giorno incontrerò Carlos e lo insulteró

[jethought-s]

(A little vent from someone who wants with all her heart to believe in Conformitygate, but gives in to logic and thinks it will never happen, only to return to hoping because she wishes for it to happen💕🕯️🍀🙏🏻)

When I decided not to watch the final episode because I was feeling too sad (and because as soon as I whatched Vol.2 I knew it was gonna be a colossal mess and that Byler would never go canon), besides Mike and Will, the thing I knew I’d miss the most was being here, going insane over all the theories.

Maybe that’s why, even without fully believing in it, I clung to it. Maybe more than believing, it’s hoping? Or rather: I believe in every single theory and detail this fandom has come up with, I just don’t see how or when it could actually happen.

You can’t theorize forever. Sooner or later you need facts and solid, concrete evidence. And let’s be honest, let’s do a very quick reality check: we went from January 7th and 14th because of Orthodox Christmas and New Year, to some Chinese date?! Not to mention what I call the “calendar deadline.” Tomorrow Bridgerton comes out, everyone will talk about only that, and it’ll dominate all of February too, considering Vol.2 drops on the 26th. In March there’s One Piece (which they’re clearly pushing to become a flagship show, since Stranger Things, their biggest money-maker, is over, and that basically leaves them with Bridgerton, which, while popular, doesn’t reach the same revenue or audience, and Wednesday, which is in a similar position to Bridgerton but also comes with extremely long production times), plus the Peaky Blinders movie. Thinking they’d overshadow any of this with a Stranger Things announcement is kind of delusional, to put it mildly.

And honestly, what would the announcement even be? A post like: “the new diamond of the season is 🥁🥁🥁 the real Stranger Things ending? I wouldn’t believe it even if it happened.

At this point even the hardcore fans are getting tired, and this hashtag is also proof of it; except for the usual blogs that always post and keep the hope alive (thank you for doing that, I love you) and for today’s day, which is full of excitement (I need to properly catch up on these latest developments, thanks WSQK), there’s almost no activity anymore. And considering they’re the only ones still holding on, since GA already moved on on January 2 without a second thought, the picture is pretty clear.

If they were really going to do this, they should’ve done it by mid-January at the latest. I just can’t see them showing up on, like, May 7 going “surprise, here’s the real ending!”

As much as I want to believe and hope I need something real, not just some other thing to dissect in the hope of maybe finding something that could hint that Conformitygate is real🥺

I admit, though, that there are two things that give me 0,000000000000000001% of hope, even though they align with February, and thus with a Bridgerton-centric month.

On February 9th, at the Super Bowl, it would be something EXTRAORDINARY. I'm a fan, and I've hardly ever missed one. The context isn’t right for promoting a series like Bridgerton, but it would be PERFECT for Stranger Things. Can you imagine a promo or even just a teaser where the Upside Down is shown? With the typical Stranger Things settings, music, colors, and scenery? It would be INSANE.

February 15th is the birthday of those two idiot trash brothers. Knowing them, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re so ridiculously egocentric to make an announcement on that date.

Or maybe these are just the latest dates I want to believe in, instead of doing what I should've done from the start: accept it and move on

Anyway, I really need to catch up on the latest developments! Why do all the most interesting things always happen when I’m stuck working a 15h shift?

[tvheartbreak]

Working in marketing, I have to say this day was completely surreal.

We spent two hours watching the documentary, and I honestly wouldn’t even know where to start criticizing it, there’s just too much. I’ve always been one of those people who believed more in “conformitygate,” but at some point you have to face reality.

So, since marketing is literally my job, I want to explain the few things that can actually be explained.

1 — How could they start filming without having written the ending?

It’s absolutely possible. I work closely with record labels, film studios, publishing houses, etc., and starting a project without knowing its ending, as insane as it sounds, isn’t just possible, it’s what happens in about 70% of cases. (Now, I think I read that the Duffer claimed they had everything planned since season one. I won’t dwell on that because I don’t have verified info, but if that’s true, then they were lying either back then or now. Are we surprised? Of course not.)

2 — The Mixtapes. What was the point of all that promotion?!

Same as with the unwritten ending: I hate to break it to you, but in marketing campaigns it’s extremely common to use objects that carry deep emotional meaning connected to the story, while having no real narrative function at all. Pure, simple marketing. One word: money. And nothing makes more money than emotionally involving the audience.

3 — They couldn’t have written a show for outcasts and nerds and then decided to end it like this.

Sorry to tell you, but StrangerThings stopped being a show for outsiders and nerds after season two (if not by the end of season one), the moment Netflix smelled easy money.

4 — Come on, that ChatGPT and Reddit tabs! It had to be on purpose. They’re trolling us!

First of all, I’m not defending them, but maybe they didn’t even use it (and I hope they didn’t, though at this point nothing would surprise me. Second: I think it’s pretty clear by now that they’re just stupid. If my boss saw me using ChatGPT, I’d receive my termination letter in about two seconds. Netflix, however, probably doesn’t care.)

5 — They made fools of themselves! Do you really think they’re that stupid? There must be something else going on! Why aren’t they even trying to make themselves look better? And the actors? They would never risk their careers like this.

Yeah… that’s not how it works. The problem is that we sane people see things for what they are. They don’t. They don’t think they embarrassed themselves, quite the opposite. They genuinely believe they are some sort of geniuses (poor idiots).

As for the actors: what exactly is their fault here? Do you seriously think Millie Bobby Brown won’t get hired anymore because those two lunatics couldn’t even clarify whether El is alive or dead?

That’s all I can reasonably explain. THE REST IS A MASSIVE PYRAMID OF NONSENSE BUILT BY TWO FANATICAL IDIOTS. STARTING WITH THE INTERVIEWS WHERE THEY SAID “NO, THERE WILL BE NO OPEN ENDING,” ONLY TO THEN DELIBERATELY CREATE AN AMBIGUOUS ONE. I SWEAR I SCREAMED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OFFICE WHEN THEY SAID THAT. THE AUDACITY. THE SHEER NERVE. AND EL? “THE MAGIC OF CHILDHOOD” MY ASS, SHE WAS A FUCKING WEAPON (other than a kid that just wanted to belong, one with a story that not even the people who created her fully understood). AND THERE’S SO MUCH MORE I COULD SAY, BUT FUCK IT. I NEVER WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THESE TWO EVER AGAIN.

[tvheartbreak]

Working in marketing, even if ep9 had actually been released and I had seen it with my own eyes, I still wouldn’t have believed it. Netflix dropping a bomb like that on its most profitable show just like that… randomly? Without gaining anything from it? Impossible.

I’m afraid that the “Did Mike see it? Then it doesn’t count” and the “It was a seven. The roll, it was a seven. The Demogorgon… it got me.” made me cling to something that, deep down, I knew was never going to happen.

Or rather, I truly believed in it until the behind-the-scenes announcement. Why release a documentary about a fake ending? It wouldn’t make any sense.

Now, an interesting theory is definitely the idea that the documentary could be the real ending, not in the sense of a new episode, but in the sense that it might clarify what’s been speculated: that the ending is actually Vecna’s victory. Or even the fact that people are now talking about it more, and some are seeing a countdown in the posts published between yesterday and today which, logically, would end on January 11th, the day before the documentary. It could be, and it would make sense.

I won’t watch the documentary, I already cry on my own, and on top of that, two seconds of Noah and Finn (and Millie too, even though I don’t really care much about El) crying brought me right back to how awful I felt after the finale.

I would like, however, to encourage those who still believe to not stop believing, and to defend their own ideas and feelings. I myself am, unfortunately, so stupid that even though I don’t believe at all that we’ll get anything new, I’ll still be here checking the hashtag from time to time, hoping in my heart that it’s not the end, and reading and enjoying the theories that only this wonderful fandom knows how to create❤️‍🩹

(Saddest thing is that Conformitygate isn’t even a theory, it’s facts. Too bad it’s also a fact that the Duffer brothers aren’t good people (I couldn’t find a better way to say it without outright insulting them)).

[tvheartbreak]

As someone who works in marketing, I remain firmly convinced that, if this episode actually exists, Netflix won’t release it without promoting it in some way first and trying to squeeze as much profit out of it as possible (at the very least, they’ll want to get one month of subscription out of their flagship series, which is why the behind the scenes announcement kind of killed my hopes a bit; if you have a second, I explain it better here), but…

I admit I’m compulsively refreshing the hashtag (being Italian, I’m sure that if any news comes out, I’ll see it here or on X before anywhere else), and I keep opening Netflix from time to time.

What do you think will happen? Will they release the episode? Some kind of preview? The anxiety is real, but it’s also kind of nice to go through this together♥️

[tvheartbreak]

You guys are so annoying...

You don’t believe in conformitygate? Fine, good for you, but why do you have to ruin the mood for everyone else??

Personally, I think it makes sense, but as someone who works in marketing, I don’t think it’ll happen because of the tight timing. At least, I’m sure no episode or alternate ending will drop tomorrow, in the best case there will be a promo or teaser (probably not even from the original show, but a pointless spin-off, though let’s hope not).

Here’s a more detailed explanation, and actually, If you have a minute, give it a read! I’d love to hear the opinion of someone who really believes conformitygate will happen. But here’s a quick summary: Netflix just wants money. They don’t care about quality.

Stranger Things is their cash cow, and they’ll milk it for every last cent. For me, they’d never do something like this without squeezing at least another month of subscriptions from users, if not more. That’s why the documentary announcement killed my hopes. If it were about a fake ending, they wouldn’t release it. It only makes sense if episode 9 drops tomorrow, but I really don’t think that’ll happen.

THAT SAID, STOP POSTING STUFF LIKE: ‘GET A GRIP, HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS, YOU’RE DELUDING YOURSELVES, YOU’LL BE DISAPPOINTED...

These theories might help some cope with disappointment, or there are a thousand other reasons why someone might want to believe it. Plus, they’re not believing in something totally made up, there’s evidence! Now, whether it actually happens, that’s another story. Personally, I find it all interesting and fun, and I really hope it's true. Worst case, we’ll all have a mental breakdown. Together? Together💕💞

LET PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT THEY WANT TO BELIEVE, AND IF YOU DISAGREE, STAY AWAY FROM THE HASHTAG.

[tvheartbreak]

Unfortunately, I can’t fully talk about conformitygate with my friend @jethought-s cause she decided not to watch the finale. I’m really hoping to convince her today, because I genuinely need her opinion. (And trust me, you do too; she was the first to suspect we’d all been Vecna’d, on 31 December, “before” the final episode aired. It was her birthday, and when I texted her, she told me she’d had this feeling right after episode 6 (don’t ask me how))

Her take on the events and the clues would be way more useful than mine, but after reading everything that’s been written so far, I’ll just say this: I believe it!

I do have two doubts, though, one tied to my job in marketing, and one more “personal”, about Noah. Correct me if I’m wrong, or if this sounds completely unhinged.

1 — Netflix

Netflix is an industry benchmark. Netflix, Inc. A money-printing entertainment giant.

The same Netflix that, at least here in Italy, raised prices again after introducing the ad plan, despite having already gone through major price hikes before, going from €5.49, €12.99 and €17.99 to €6.99, €13.99 and €19.99 in a very short time (with rumors of yet another increase this year).

The same Netflix that split the seasons of its flagship shows (Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Wednesday…) to keep people subscribed longer and increase profits.

As far as I know, the main theories are:

- announcement on the 6th (so, technically today, since it’s past midnight in Italy) and episode on January 7th

- announcement on January 7th and episode on February 14th

And I’m sorry, but do we really think that, with users already subscribed thanks to Vol. 2, they’d just go: surprise! here’s the real ending, hope you like it, sorry for tricking you, peace and love everyone…? 💖🌈🦄

For me, it’s a hard no. In the end, it all comes down to money and profits. And how do you make more money? And what do you need for it? Attention and Engagement.

If I had to choose between the two options, even if it doesn’t convince me 100%, I’d go with the second one, because it leaves room for reactions across blogs, articles, social media… and then the actual event: the final episode, or the remaining three episodes to reach eleven, or two episodes replacing 7 and 8, or whatever scenario you think is most likely.

That said, this documentary completely messed with my head: why would they ever announce episode 9, or any alternative ending, “before” releasing a documentary that literally shows the filming of a fake ending? At this point, I’m out of ideas (and hope)

2 — This is where things get more “serious”: Noah

I don’t follow actors on social media, I don’t care about their private lives, and I avoid promo for shows I want to enjoy without expectations. And yet, out of the few interviews that popped up for me, most of them were his. Every time he talked about his ending, his character’s storyline, or the Duffer brothers, he looked genuinely uncomfortable, and it didn’t feel acted at all.

Even after Vol. 2 aired, the way he talked about what he went through during the coming out scene gave me chills and made me feel sorry for him, even though I don’t particularly like him for obvious reasons.

Yes, they’re actors, lying and playing a part is literally their job, but being this openly against it just feels… strange.

What do you think?

[tvheartbreak]

I’d like to ask a favor: I didn’t want to ruin my mood by watching the finale; I grew up with this series, and not being able to see anything new really brings me down💔

If anyone would be kind enough to answer, without any spoilers: is that really the case? I don’t want to know if the finale was good or bad, or if Byler became canon (really, no spoilers), I just want to know: was it a definitive closure? Does it mean there won’t be any new content?

I read that maybe a prequel will come out, but honestly, I couldn’t care less about that, I want my party or, to be honest, my Byler💔

(I even asked ChatGPT, and it confirmed that everyone, both the actors (and in fact i remember Finn saying, if i’m not mistaken, that it would have been pointless to go on, or something like that) and the Duffers, confirmed the definitive conclusion. It seems insane to me, there was so much more to tell; we lost 90% of the time on those damn kids nobody cared about.)

[tvheartbreak]

Me and my stupid choices. I was so curious that, even though I was feeling terrible when I pressed play, I still wanted to watch it.

WHY? WHY THE HELL DID I DECIDE TO DO THIS? I was definitely better off before, now I've been crying for at least 20 minutes???

The way I kept hoping until the last second that he would turn around when he was on the stairs? Or that Mike would call him? WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST WATCH? And not just for Byler, but really, in general, apart from a couple of things, everything else doesn’t make sense! And why the hell is this episode not rated 1 or at max 3 stars out of 10???

(At least I didn’t watch it on New Year's, thank God).

[tvheartbreak]

I’d like to ask a favor: I didn’t want to ruin my mood by watching the finale; I grew up with this series, and not being able to see anything new really brings me down💔

If anyone would be kind enough to answer, without any spoilers: is that really the case? I don’t want to know if the finale was good or bad, or if Byler became canon (really, no spoilers), I just want to know: was it a definitive closure? Does it mean there won’t be any new content?

I read that maybe a prequel will come out, but honestly, I couldn’t care less about that, I want my party or, to be honest, my Byler💔

(I even asked ChatGPT, and it confirmed that everyone, both the actors (and in fact i remember Finn saying, if i’m not mistaken, that it would have been pointless to go on, or something like that) and the Duffers, confirmed the definitive conclusion. It seems insane to me, there was so much more to tell; we lost 90% of the time on those damn kids nobody cared about.)

[jethought-s]

I can’t stop thinking abt my dream (and cry abt it), surely caused by my useless hope that we might all have been Vecna’d…

I dreamed abt the final battle, with Will sacrificing himself, and this triggers Mike, but he can’t intervene in time. At the end of the episode, we see Mike deep in thought, and at one point, we hear Will’s voice, reaching out to him using his powers. He’s actually alive but trapped, and Mike panics, promising to find him... and then it ends. I woke up🥺

And that’s it, this is how badly I’m doing, how much I know I’ll miss them, and how much I hate that this is the final season, and that it’s coming out on January 1st, making me start 2026 in such a sad, bad way💔

(I’ll probably feel bad for days, but given my state of mind, I’ve decided not to watch the episode. Out of sight, out of mind; and in my stupid head, if I don’t see that it’s over, then it’s not over💀)

[tvheartbreak]

How do you guys manage to be happy? I mean, do you see the atmosphere? It’s so electrifying, people are losing their minds. Today, everyone was talking about this; from some kids I met in the bookstore, to adults at the bar…

All the fandoms, all the ships celebrating or holding funerals, theories, predictions…

It’s crazy to have to say goodbye to a series like this after just 5 seasons with so few episodes. I’m angry and a bit nostalgic. We all deserved more.

I wish it was all just fiction, a stroke of genius that reveals at the end that it’s not really over.

There’s so much more to tell and explore. This season, in trying to give space to everyone, missed out on a lot of pieces😢

[jethought-s]

Maybe that's why I got so attached to Will, because I always feel different🥺

I really wish I knew why I can't be like everyone else; I wish I could be like you, feel joy, excitement, the healthy anxiety of waiting... but no, I always have to experience things badly. Literally, the Byler hug gif just popped up and now I'm in tears💔😭

(and on top of that, the playlist for the last episode will have Heroes by David Bowie, it's really over, it's going to be epic, (and I hope I'll be able to enjoy it eventually) but we won’t have anything more, I can’t handle it…💔)

[jethought-s]

Guys, I’m so sad (even though I’m strangely positive about Byler)… just 24 hours left.

Sorry for the rant, maybe some of you will understand me. I feel stupid, but I don’t want it to end tomorrow; Byler has been a lifeline for me over the past few years. I used to scroll through the hashtag, watch videos, read fanfics, imagine their new scenes… but from tomorrow, it will all be over💔

I know many of you will stay active, and I hope to follow as many people as possible, but without the anticipation, without something new, it will just be comments or memories of something from the past. There won’t be any more theories, waiting anxiety, hope, that electricity of not knowing what’s going to happen, etc…

And I’d slap myself, because I gave up editing years ago, and I have so many ideas for them, but there won’t be any new content anymore 😭

I’m not even sure I want to watch the finale, I don’t think I’m in the right mood for it and I’m not sure I’d appreciate it…🥺

I don’t have a show that could “replace” Stranger Things, and a ship like Byler (for years I was obsessed with 9-1-1 and Buddie, but after last year I gave up and haven’t watched an episode since. At least I still have Robron, but it’s not the same).

I read a lot, and I can’t even find anything similar in books.

It’s incredible how I always complained about how long it took to get this season, while now I’d pay gold just to wait for another one, or even just for another two-hour episode like today’s.

I feel empty 💔

[tvheartbreak]

I'm so down about the end of Stranger Things that I'm praying for a plot twist, because nothing is as it seems, right? Maybe they're messing with us, leaving an open ending and giving us at least one more episode😭

Yes, it's my desperation mixed with pain speaking, don't take me seriously."

[jethought-s]

I was on a break at work, thinking about the finale, cause at one point everyone dropped what they were doing when the trailer was released, and now I’m extremely sad.

It’s really over. No more seasons, no more episodes, no more new moments with our favorite characters, no more analyses or theories… nothing.

AND AFTER COUNTING DOWN TO THE FINALE FOR SO LONG, NOW IT FEELS LIKE IT CAME WAY TOO SOON.

I’ll never understand people who say a series is being dragged out and needs to end. I grow so attached that I wish stories like this could go on forever… 😢

(The trailer, of course, is focused on El. Will is barely shown and he’s next to Joyce… which makes me wonder what Mike’s role will be. At this point I don’t even know if the two of them will have a scene together. That’s it—I’m even sadder and more on edge than I was after finishing Vol. 2.)

[jethought-s]

I’m so done with all the review drama, let’s talk abt what really matters: Byler! I NEED to talk to someone, hear your theories. I’ve been stuck in a loop between being completely negative and being sure that they‘ll be canon. It’s driving me crazy😭

Let’s start from the beginning: I NEVER wanted a Vol. 1 that was so Will/Byler-centric. I know, weird coming from a Byler fan since S1, but I always thought that after everything Will went through in Vol. 1, he’d be way less present in Vol.2 (It's the final season, every character deserves their arc). And in the Vol.2 trailer, we hardly saw him or Mike. People thought that was cause we were close to the end, and since they’re so central to the plot, they didn’t want to spoil anything. But in the end, I was right; the fact that they weren’t there meant they didn’t have major scenes, and that’s how it played out (except for the coming out scene, which is still awkward for me, but it was nice to see my cousin and my old elementary school buddy watching it live with 7,000 other people + the whole gang).

Now, could Byler still become canon? Absolutely. No doubt about it.

There’s no need for much development, they’ve been setting it up for 5 seasons (well, 4 and a half, since they were basically strangers in Vol. 2). If they want to make them canon, they only need literally 3 minutes.

My problem is: how?

With Will’s coming out, we can assume Mike knows Will was talking about him, or at least he’s definitely been reflecting on all those conversations between them, since Will used some of Mike’s exact words in his coming out speech. I’ve seen theories about how Vecna might get to Mike, which I hope happens cause his POV is the only one we’re missing, but it wouldn’t make much sense for Byler. I mean, how could that force him to admit what he really feels?

As someone who watches every TV show and movie, reads tons of books, and works closely with people in the industry, I think there are only two scenarios that could "force" Mike to realize his feelings:

1- Vecna/Mind Flayer targets Will, he “gets hurt” and that triggers Mike.

2- Will has a plan to sacrifice himself, Mike either finds out and “loses it” because they're together, and that’s how they could win, or Mike realizes it when it’s about to happen and acts in the moment. This would also make sense because it would finally make Mike “Mike The Brave” and get him to act.

But there’s a problem!

Option 1 basically happened in Vol. 1, so unfortunately, it’s off the table. It would be too repetitive (which is why, as I mentioned earlier, I hated that they did it in Vol. 1, even though Will's growing awareness of his abilities in the first 5 episodes could still play a role in the finale).

Option 2? I’m not saying it’ll never happen, but it’s highly unlikely because El/Jane already has this kind of plan, so that would be repetitive for the audience. And let’s be real, for the Duffer Brothers, if anyone's getting the spotlight in the finale, it’s El, not Will.

So yeah, I don’t know. Plus, it’s hard to come up with solid theories when there are so many plot holes in this season (especially in Vol.2. That’s why I gave episodes 6 and 7 1 and 2 stars in my review—seriously, it felt like I was watching a completely different show. It was a total disaster, and that’s beyond the Byler stuff. I mean, for every character and event, it was a mess)💀.

[tvheartbreak]

Can the Byler hashtag please start talking... about Byler?

I don’t care about reviews, homophobes are taking advantage of it, so what? Let them rot in their ignorance. The truth is that the entire Vol.2 is crap, just to be polite (especially for El, Mike, and Will). Episode 7 has low ratings? It’s deserved. That coming out moment had even my 15th cousin from a remote village in the Icelandic countryside present.

CAN WE MOVE ON? Go back to making theories, comparing ideas, etc...

Seriously, enough with everything! Enough with saying to rate it negatively, enough with saying to rate it positively. There’s freedom, and everyone can do what they want!

I’m honestly starting to look forward to this series ending because everyone is unbearable!

[jethought-s]

I’ve already made two posts on the topic where I tried to approach it as delicately as possible, but now all these posts urging people to leave positive reviews for ep7 are really starting to get on my nerves.

As I said, while watching the coming out scene, I, as a straight person, literally felt like I was complicit in an act of violence, I physically felt sick. And I’m not going to leave a positive review for an episode that made me feel like this.

Four stupid, idiotic, homophobic assholes aren’t going to win and invalidate my feelings or prevent me from talking and expressing my discomfort.

A discomfort that, by the way, Noah (who doesn’t have my sympathy, but definitely has my understanding in this regard) himself has clearly and openly expressed. What, are we also going to tell him: 'Well, whatever, never mind how you felt, never mind that you were uncomfortable filming the scene and completely disagreed with it, just get over it and go leave a 10 star rating on IMDb'?

So how about this: let people express their own opinions without being pressured, silenced, or forced to self-censor out of fear of how random people, especially disgusting, ignorant homophobes, might deliberately misinterpret them.

💖🌈Thanks💖🌈