Stranger Things (Netflix) TV Show • Page 93

I really don’t get the issue with Hopper this season. I thought he was absolutely great. His whole MO is just wanting a normal life that doesn’t have to keep changing. He wants his time with his daughter and hates that Mike is taking her away (not an uncommon feeling for a father of a teenager).

I thought he felt like a real person with his (sometimes admittedly flawed) reactions to what was happening.

 

Yeah I don’t think he was all that different this season, maybe a little more bitter and overprotective but it didn’t seem like a stretch for his character

 

He was really terrible to Joyce, and the overprotectiveness came off as much more toxic than last season where his hand was way more forced as far as hiding her.

 

The Delorian in the gas station parking lot was a good touch

 

Oh man I missed that one! I’m pretty sure there’s at least one shot of the starcourt mall exterior that was shot at the puente hills mall, though! Trying to find confirmation.

 

I thought Hop was great this season

 

Same. One of my favorite things of the season.

 

It did improve a LOT when they found Murray and went back to the, “Hop on the case,” kind of story.

 

The first two episodes were weird for Hopper, but it got better quick I think.

 

i just thought it was TOO much hopper/joyce.

and i totally agree with one of the critiques that Cary Elwes was kinda a waste in this thing. Thought he would've played a bigger part. Same with the Hawkins Newspaper 'sexist' angle. There were a lot of aspects for season 3 that got brought up and then dropped

 

It's only 8 episodes not a Stephen King novel.

 

I kind of expect more to come from the corrupt mayor idea, but I doubt they’ll go back to that storyline for Nancy.

 

Nancy may be running the paper next season considering we know at least two of her superiors became Mind Flayer mush haha

 

I don’t think the sexist newsroom had an “angle” plot-wise, I think it was just meant to be a source of conflict for Nancy to grow from, as she transitions out of high school and into new environments.

I’m also fine with the Mayor’s role as it was, but I agree that in retrospect it’s a bit weird they casted Elwes for what was ultimately a pretty minor role. Seems like a much cheaper actor could have done an equally good job, but I guess you gotta spend that Netflix money.

 

Not to mention a reminder that all this 80s nostalgia wasn’t all great for everyone

 

I do love the idea of that career choice continuing for both her and Jonathan. They are definitely suited to it.

 

Especially since they’re all dead. Maybe she’s the editor now

 

Hopper was just a jerk to everyone. He was a dick to Eleven. A dick to Mike. A dick to Joyce. Just a total asshole until he sort of had some redeeming scenes after his reverse psychology trick worked in ep 5 and relaxed a little.

I guess the sexist thing was kind of avenged/resolved by Nancy in the hospital with them in ep 5 too.

 

It would have been fun to have an, “I told you so,” scene with her at the paper, but yes, bashing his brains in with a fire extinguisher was also very satisfying.

 

I feel like the show could definitely use a couple more episodes. Spend an extra episode with the characters living their lives before things go crazy. There were a lot of interesting things throughout the season I would’ve loved to see more of that were settled after like a two minute conversation, like Will feeling like his childhood has left him behind, the debate over the friends using El’s powers and whether, even though she’s ultimately responsible, she might feel a pressure to overdo it for her friends. Idk. Just enjoy these characters and it’d be nice to have some time with them and their feelings while the plot and monsters aren’t moving a hundred miles an hour.

All that said, rewatched this season with my girlfriend who was out of town, and had to pretend it was my first watch, and this is for sure my favorite season.

 

I really hope 11 takes a leap next season, the powerful alien girl who is naive in human ways but loves the first man who helps her trope feels more and more grating, I really want her to have some expanded agency and lose the purposefully off speech patterns. There is so much potential in that character that this season felt real limited to her relationship with Mike.

She’s really the heart of this story, I hope it wraps up around her journey.

 

I thought she grew this season. Yeah she started off with Mike but after she ditched him she formed a proper friendship and had some "normal" human girly fun with Max as well as the usual being a hero and fighting the bad guys. If anything Mike was limited to his relationship with her. His character didn't amount to much besides annoying whiner. I assume the next season will be about trying to get her powers back somehow.

 

She mirrored Max way more than I was expecting considering how many people she’s been around now. It kind of worked in theory for the character but maybe not so much in practice. I’m really looking forward to seeing how she is after time passes and she has Joyce’s more direct influence/some time to grow in a different environment.