Something about the flickering lights that only the little girls seem to notice as off and follow.
And this being called out repeatedly as crazy behavior in adult women.
Oh, yeah, that. That happens sometimes. Old house, bad wiring...Or if you ask my crazy aunt Shirley, it's...haunted. Sweetie, really, it's just the wiring.
No. It's Mama.
You’re not gonna like this, but I think you need to seriously consider the possibility that all this...It’s in your head. You remember your Aunt Darlene?
No. No, this is not that.
Something about Nancy and El not being believed in season 1 until they have tangible proof, which they get through Mike's walkie talkie and Jonathan's photo.
And both these things happening in the same episode where Joyce doesn't care anymore if everyone thinks she's crazy.
I know it sounds crazy. I sound crazy! But I heard him, Jonathan. He talked to me! Will is— is calling to me! And he’s out there, and he’s alone, and he’s scared, and I...I don’t care if anyone believes me! I am not gonna stop looking for him until I find him and bring him home. I am going to bring him home!
How season 2 is all about them trusting their gut and staying true to their convictions, refusing to buy into the bullshit they're being fed whether it's from Owens or Hopper or Lucas and demanding proof themselves.
And all this also happening in the same episode where Joyce tells Will she believes him, despite what the doctors are saying, so no more secrets, okay?
And even if it feels pretty trivial here, all this also happens in the episode that ends with Dart eating Mews, kicking off Dustin's lies to his mum about where Mews went, including that she was seen wandering by Loch Nora.
Something about how we pick this up in season 3 again, because why do you lie?
Max trusts and goes along with El, even if she doesn't want to believe that El is right about Billy. All in the same episode where Hopper and Jonathan give in and follow Joyce and Nancy to get proof because they won't drop it. Even if the signs could be easily explained away and they keep getting dismissed. Even if no one they love seems to be in immediate danger. Apophenia. You're seeing patterns that aren't there. Coincidence.
All right? They're assholes, okay? I get it. But it's just some stupid story.
Oh, it's stupid?
It's stupid to get fired over.
You know, after everything that's happened, this is no joke.
No, I don't think it's a joke. I think that when I asked you out, I think you got scared. I think you got scared, and now, you're inventing things.
They're all right. But in episode 3, they don't know this yet. And it culminates, of course, with us getting the trifecta of crazy older female relative, young woman who's just sick, and the mum who just drinks too much wine.
And where's Will on his day free of girls where all the women get called crazy?
Will doesn't want this even though it keeps pulling him back in. I think I just didn't want to believe it. He only used me when he needed me.
We follow this up the next episode with all our main girls in different shades of purple like Mrs. Driscoll in the last episode because symbolism. Mrs. Driscoll is a schizophrenic.
But Will shed his purple.
All this also culminates in one of my most favourite scenes ever.
People are always saying you can't. That you shouldn't. That you're not...smart enough, not good enough. This world, it...it beats you up again and again until eventually, I...Most people, they just...they just stop trying. But you're not like that. You're a fighter...I'm proud of you. That you stood up for yourself. That you stood up to those... shitheads.
So all in all, lots of women being called crazy when they're being fed bullshit. Mike tries to pull the 'you're crazy' bit with Hopper but immediately gets scared into compliance. We get both Hopper and Jonathan telling Joyce and Nancy they were right before the end of the season, but who's still a lying liar?
And this theme continues in season 4. It's El, trapped in the rainbow room and forced to look for clues. It's the narrative making a point of Max and Nancy noticing that things feel off and following the trail, even before anyone close to them gets attacked. Them being on the receiving end of all Vecna's monologues.
We finally get to see Pennhurst, and it's with Nancy and Robin breaking every single rule to get to the truth.
It's a fair assumption that Vecna, the rainbow room, Brenner, something's still not right. Someone's not telling the truth. There's also a contrast with Jason who has no proof, but still rallies the entire town behind him.
There's something about being called crazy, sensitive, stupid in this context that has nothing to do with love. And we see more of this truth-seeking, calling out bullshit as the seasons progress. Erika noticing the lights isn't as big a deal as Holly, and her whole thing is calling out bull. No one in the real world is strongly doubting Max or Nancy or El or Joyce this season, but the first three are doubting themselves.
All in all, I do think the whole thing with flickering lights, noticing it, and exploring it is interesting as symbolism for truth. It was either the demogorgon or Will in season 1, it was Mama in season 2, it's Vecna or the teens in season 4 - sometimes scary, but not always.
Also an interesting contrast with Mike who was the first person to see them flickering and turned them off.
gummygunk
dailybridgerton
ellievsbear
theartofmadeline
