Our Time is Never Up

Mónica, 27, Portuguese // Main Blog // BTS + Merlin + HP Sideblogs

[we-pay-for-everything]

To whom it may concern, these are my sideblogs:

Merlin sideblog (Gwen and Arwen centric)

BTS sideblog (+general Kpop and Kdramas)

Harry Potter sideblog (totally inactive)

[charmedslayer]

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1997-2003) “A New Man”

[sspoike]

[sophsun1]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – 2.19: I Only Have Eyes for You

[buffy-screencaps]

I haven’t posted on this blog in 6 years but felt I needed to come on here today. I feel devastated by this, as I am sure many of you are feeling this way too. Always knew this one would hurt, Rest in Peace, our Watcher ♥️

[we-pay-for-everything]

Stranger Things, Season 1, Chapter Eight: The Upside Down

This was an emotional mess. Season 5 really ruined the show. How can I watch Hopper (preemptively?) negotiate Will's rescue in exchange for El and not feel like his story was all about Joyce and Sarah? Will reminded him of Sarah and then El did too; in the series finale, El absolves him of any responsibility towards her and he rides off into the sunset with Joyce... Hopper definitely loved El, but how much of it was guilt and grief?

El was only a footnote in this epilogue too - the party plays a campaign that's too short and has inconsistencies, like some princess, and Mike looks towards El's fort in pain. Isn't this exactly like the show's ending? Mike's almost entirely alone in grieving El. It was painful watching her choose Mike over Brenner, hold her hand out to him, believe for a moment in his promise of a normal life together, and later say goodbye to him... She was a little girl and told the Demogorgon "No more" like it was her responsibility, like she was tired of fighting. Fuck you Duffers.

Anyway, Nancy, Jon, and Steve trying to kill the Demogorgon to protect the others is very similar to Mike's idea to hurt the hive mind in season 2...

I just don't understand how Hopper realized that El was alive... I'm not sure this is explained satisfactorily in season 2.

Final review: before, I thought this was a perfect season, now it's only good...

[we-pay-for-everything]

Stranger Things, Season 1, Chapter 7: The Bath

Almost at the end of season 1, and, surprisingly, missing the chaos of other seasons. This one feels a little dull, which is a wild thing for me to say. This rewatch has been really different for me, maybe because I'm truly paying attention to everything.

Mike and El are cute, duh. They trigger my cuteness aggression when El is cleaning herself up and Mike tells her she's still really pretty - and he makes a funny, embarrassed face afterwards, the dork. He also tells El he's glad she's home... And they almost kiss! But I have to confess that the age gap between Finn and Millie is bothering me a little. She kind of looks 9 and he 12/13.

Mike is so funny and dorky. "If anyone asks for me, tell them I've left the country." "We're fugitives now." Baby, you're in middle school.

Lucas and El making up was very sweet, and later he even drapes a blanket over her... Good boy.

Joyce remembers she has two children this episode. She tells Jon he's not alone, but it's not very convincing. She believes it but doesn't act like it often. In addition, Joyce and El engage in a "who has the biggest doe eyes?" contest. It's seriously lethal. El is super brave for choosing the bath when she's so scared of it... I love that Joyce thanks El and is there for her during the bath. El has never had that kind of motherly comfort before... This Joyce and El are cute but sadly it doesn't last...

Also, I love how a middle school science teacher knows absolutely everything about physics.

[we-pay-for-everything]

Stranger Things, Season 1, Chapter 6: The Monster

Things definitely picked up this episode! It's a huge turning point for Mileven. Mike's behavior reminds me so much of the skating rink incident. He was surprised by El's behavior (hurting Lucas/Angela) so he yelled at her and immediately regretted it. In season 4, after his initial reaction he steps into action and tries to help her. Then, when she runs off to "become a superhero again", Mike is distraught and regretful and chases after her across states. In this episode, it's kind of the same. He looks at the fort and gets angry at himself for driving El away, defends her to Dustin, and admits he shouldn't have yelled because El was just trying to protect them. He refuses to shake hands with Lucas if that means El can't be part of the party... My sweet loverboy... How his little heart must have fluttered when El showed up at the quarry and saved him. He looked at her with disbelief and heart eyes. That moment is so beautiful. He speaks to her so gently, reassuring her she's not a monster because she saved him... his hero <3. And the hug between El, Mike, and Dustin is so sweet too!! And Mike initiated the hug, which is rare. (Sidenote, the editing when Mike is suspended mid-air and pulled back to safety is sooo bad.)

I don't know how El knows how to survive alone given her age and that she was raised in a lab, but she sure is resourceful. She really breaks my heart though, like when she sees her image in the lake's reflection and hates herself, when she's scarfing down the eggos and her eyes lit up hearing Mike and Dustin call out to her, when she's in the void or with Brenner... (Sidenote 2, Brenner was so relatable when he booped El's nose! I wonder if that was Brenner or the actor. I wouldn't blame him. Her nose is so cute and tiny, and her doe eyes and cute face are a killer.) (Last sidenote, I didn't know Finn is 2 years older than Millie until recently, but I can tell now. Also, I remembered El having more scenes this season...)

I'm noticing that Mike's personality is relatively constant throughout the show (until season 5 at least), but Lucas and Dustin change a lot. Their cute nerdiness doesn't change, but Dustin is 100% the sidekick in season 1.

Poor Nancy really suffered from the beginning. She was the third person to visit the upside down (and it's amazing how easy it was to get in and out). Also, I love how she thought of grabbing books on animal behavior (that she naturally had at her disposal) to identify the perfect metaphor for her experience. I can't tell if it is hilariously convenient or something someone like her what actually do.

I'm looking at Jonathan and Nancy with new eyes, trying to understand if the "trauma bonding" argument had any merit.

Terry has been ill since El was 7 years old... In the season 2 flashback, El looks much younger... I really wished they had explored El's biological family more. What do you mean she never visited them again... Mike and Terry loved El the most...

[we-pay-for-everything]

Stranger Things, Season 1, Chapter 5: The Flea and the Acrobat

They really let Hopper off easily. He broke into the lab, assaulted staff, and clearly knows Will isn't dead. How did everyone except for El get away with everything?

I'm pretty sure Ted and Karen were in the same class in high school (according to the play), but Nancy tells Jon that Ted is older...

I'm glad they got rid of Lonnie. They tried it out, but Joyce didn't need yet another man telling her that she was crazy.

I loved how Will's funeral was just another social event with a strict dress code... Everyone was eating and chatting.

The boys are really stereotypical. Lucas is always angry and Dustin is always hungry. I'm glad they developed their characters further. Mileven is very hot and cold. I'd forgotten the amount of times Mike got upset at El. But even after she hurt Lucas he worried about her leaving them... And the two of them walking side by side was cute. El's whole thing is suffering. Every flashback is sad and she always looks scared and pitiful. I'm glad she evolved too.

Anyway, it was a good episode, but not particularly exciting.

[we-pay-for-everything]

Stranger Things, Season 1, Chapter 4: The Body

This is a major episode. What stood out to me the most was Jonathan. Will's "body" is found, but no one is there for Jonathan. Joyce doesn't believe that Will is dead, and when they go to identify the body Hopper only asks Jon about Joyce and how she's coping. Jon tells Hopper that "they'll be okay" and Joyce is strong. Hopper claps him on the shoulder agreeing. It's supposed to be a cute moment, but it's deeply sad that no cares about how the teenage boy who just lost his brother and best friend is feeling, and that Jon is reassuring others instead of being comforted... He is alone picking out a casket, and Nancy, bless her heart, goes to him about Barb... Sidenote, they have great chemistry. When they're developing the photos, the air around them is crackling.

Onto the party, in the first scene when El is trying to channel Will after they find the fake body, Mike is not nice, but it feels like he's trying to be hurtful on purpose to make her understand. El seems unmovable, almost uncaring, and Mike wants her to understand his pain and feel remorse. He's like "What you did sucked, you really hurt me. Lucas was right about you.". It's difficult when a person you trusted can't understand or doesn't care that they betrayed you. It's still mean, and it sucks to be El, but I get it. Lucas calls her crazy to her face all the time, poor girl. The makeover scene isn't as cute within this context though. El just breaks my heart, I wanna put her in my pocket.

Her awe riding on Mike's bike and seeing the town for the first time is cute... El picks on things so quickly, she calls Troy a "mouthbreather" and Mike is like "What?". We see Mike pick a fight again, a bit like he did with El. He's so repressed that sometimes he explodes. El makes Troy pee his pants. I don't know how. The fact that she can manipulate human biology is never brought up again... I love that Mike immediately asks if El's okay after she finds Will at the A.V club.

Another detail that stood out to me was Hopper punching a state officer... How did he get away with that? They knew he was on to them and they didn't interfere or kill him or something? And how did they replicate Will's body so perfectly? That was a stuffed doll...

[we-pay-for-everything]

Stranger Things, Season 1, Chapter 3: Holly, Jolly

This is a pretty intense episode. The title is very prophetic now... Aging Holly by 3-4 years so late into the series... what a mess.

Anyway, not a good time for the Wheeler siblings. This is rather obvious (sorry) but I'd honestly never thought much about the parallels between Nancy and Mike, particularly both losing their best friend to the same monster. The siblings are so similar, it's such a shame their relationship was often forgotten. I like Karen a lot. She's trying her best, but there are things kids don't share with adults and Ted's existence hurts the family dynamic a lot. I love the Karen, Mike, Nancy trio. I love it when Mike runs crying into his mom's arms. She's safety and someone who knows what to do - that's how Mike sees her - and it's sweet seeing him be vulnerable with someone.

Joyce's plot with the Christmas lights is too ridiculous now. She really put together that theory out of nothing and even remembered to paint letters above the lights... it's so unrealistic, honestly.

El keeps breaking my heart. The flashbacks are sad. Brenner really manipulated her. But she's so kind despite everything, she refused to kill the cat. Millie was really great. I'm in awe of the kids. How did they do it? Child actors can be so good, how? How do they convey emotions that should be so hard for a kid to understand... Kids really are smart. I loved that little moment of Mike trying to hide his bruise from El yet she saw right through him. "Mike, I understand."... So cute, Mike was happy she understood... Also, it's amazing how the boys just shrug off the bullying. They were like "Hey, Mike, look at this awesome rock." and that was it.

It's hard watching Mike get angry at El... But she barely speaks, took the boys to Will's house and didn't explain, and then they found Will's body after believing he was alive because she said so... Mike has a lot of anger due to the bullying and feeling neglected. He also takes his role as leader of the party very seriously and felt betrayed for believing El and putting all his hopes on her. "What's wrong with you?" is a sad callback to season 4. It's the kind of Mike reaction that seems to come out of shock.

[we-pay-for-everything]

Stranger Things Season 1, Chapter 2: The Weirdo on Maple Street

If only the entire show had been like this: simple, moving, gripping storyline, great characters, good aesthetics... and Mileven...

Mike and El are beyond cute. El's pretty, deep, brown eyes, so innocent and moving... She was adorable and Millie gave it her everything. It's heartbreaking thinking of El's ending and of Millie being repaid like that for the emotional and physical labor of leading a huge series as a child.

Anyway, Mike and El are seriously beautiful. Mike is such a good boy, so gentle and empathetic. Lucas and Dustin are understandably skeptical and blunt, but it's annoying. Mike was really everything from the beginning. The others never cared as much, and the show was sadly so inconsistent with their bond.

El crying alone and scared in her fort was heartbreaking... same for when Mike tells her to hide in his closet. Her relief when he comes back like he promised is beautiful. Mike showed her kindness and goodness. They're so beautiful I wanna cry. I wish the entire show had been like this, no stupid breakups and separations. The show gave El such a dark past but skimmed over it in the following seasons. El trying to undress in front of the boys just showed she had no privacy or respect. But Mike was so gentle and sweet when he closed the door but left it open a bit for her. El looked super cute in his clothes. Such a beautiful love story...

Moving on, the older teens' storyline is pretty good and more realistic than most teen stories. There's real respect and tenderness for the characters this season that is chipped away at little by little as the show progresses. I

've always loved Jonathan and Will's bond so much. Jonathan is such a good brother, who protected and accepted Will. He and Will deserved better. They reduced Will's character to Mike because they didn't know what to do with him. They should've explored his relationship with Jonathan more.

Also, wasn't Hopper so much better before they gave him extreme anger issues? He was less angry in season 1, at his worst, than after he pulled himself together (somewhat). The writers reduced most characters to a few of their traits to cope with their growing cast. This season is so good, such a shame what they did.

[we-pay-for-everything]

Hello! Long time no see! Just a quick update to let you know I've been obsessed with Mileven since ST5 and, nearly 6 months later, I finally gave in and am rewatching the show. When ST ended I wanted to rewatch it with new eyes and review each episode, but it seemed like a daunting task. I resisted for months but now I'm bored and decided to commit to what I've been wanting to do for months, even if no one reads this. If you like the reviews, let me know. It will help me not give up on rewatching the show. Season 1 is the best but it'll get rough...

Stranger Things Season 1, Chapter 1: The Vanishing of Will Byers

This is a pretty perfect first episode. I cried watching it. Seeing El as a tiny, precious baby, knowing what they did to her... So cruel.

It's hard to take season 1 seriously in terms of worldbuilding. It's probably the most important season for the characters, but the Duffer brothers weren't thinking that far in advance...

I think the episode does a great job setting up the Wheelers and the Byers. Mike clearly feels ignored by his family - they don't understand D&D, his mom didn't care that he was finishing his campaign (her point is valid, but in his eyes it just confirms that they don't know him), and his dad just echoes his mom. It's a crucial detail because it explains in part why he and El bond so quickly. He's also incredibly loyal and brave, but no one aside from the party knows it. Nancy is just being a normal teenager tbh. She and Steve are cute though. "You're an idiot, Steve Harrington" is iconic.

In comparison, the Byers are much closer but there is a clear rift between Joyce and Jonathan. She acknowledges that she doesn't have much time for him, but that never changes. Jonathan is lonely and carries the heavy burden of looking out for his family. It would be nice if Joyce ever appreciated that but she doesn't, not truly. In season 4 the family reverts to this dynamic, of Joyce being busy and not knowing what her kids are up to - worse because her character just revolves around Hopper at that point. But Winona gave her all this season. Joyce is a wonderful character because of her. She's so real. It sucks that they couldn't develop her past this season - she is reduced to the crazy woman with the conspiracy theories (who is always right).

Hopper is Hopper. I think David does a great job of humanizing him. He's too much of a cliché, but David plays him with charm and breathes life into the character.

Anyway, El and Mike locked eyes and I cried. My babies. Their life changed in that moment...

[mikesseleven]

OTP Meme: Looks → Heart Eyes (They're the personification of the quote 'When a girl is in love, you can see it in her smile. When a guy is in love, you can see it in his eyes.')

[mysharona1987]

[pantonaut]

[myfanfictiongarden]

Mike Wheeler is MVP boyfriend material and he and El will always find a way to each other.

YOU CAN´T CHANGE MY MIND