I Didn't Really Want To Comment On The Titles Since They're Still Very Unofficial, But I Did Have A Thought.

I didn't really want to comment on the titles since they're still very unofficial, but I did have a thought.

"The Vanishing of (Holly) Wheeler"

If they really do go the route of mirroring season 1, then I think Mike is going to be under suspicion much like Jonathan was when Will went missing. Except since Mike was a known member of a "satanic cult," it will be more than just whispers and taunts. I think he may need to go into hiding like Eddie did while they all work to try to find Holly.

commission for @nothoughts-onlywomen !!!

The sorcerer... Will has powers reveal episode? 🤔

‘twas another week of byler filming without el…

Thoughts on "Escape from Camazotz"

Oppressive Suburbia, Conformity, and Season 5 Themes

I've long thought that a major focus of Season 5 will be the contrast between the families of The Wheelers and The Byers, and exploring how non-traditional family environments can be freeing vs the oppressive structure of the nuclear family.

In a Wrinkle In Time, Camazotz is a planet controlled by the big bad of the book, the "IT", who forces the citizens into a conformity that resembles American suburbia. All of the houses the same, the citizens the same, doing the same things at the same time without individual identity. Without anything different. Different means a lot of things, but with Stranger Things dropping different in reference to Will's identity and the presumable themes of this season, it will heavily codify as queerness and how it threatens the cisheterosexual family model.

Henry was raised in the 1950s, a decade still revered by conservatives for it's traditional family dynamics that supposedly were the peak of culture and happiness for all. That was all a lie, of course, and Henry knew so as he shows to Nancy and Eleven during his monologue. The second most conservative decade aside from the 1950s in American society is widely considered to be the 1980s.

The Creels will serve in parallel to The Wheelers; the worst example of what they could become and the damage that this type of family could do to a child that is different in any way. Notice how Vecna selectively shows Nancy visions of The Wheelers dying, but not anyone else she may consider family or friends (like Jonathan).

That is; unless they change their ways and come together as a healthy functioning family facing their traumas, The Wheelers will be toast.

Karen has been moved up to a main character role this season. Ted's actor says the father starts to show up more for Holly (hold that) and realizes he wants to act differently. Holly has been recast. Finn has said Mike goes on a much more personal journey this season, and steps up as a leader.

Oh, also: the catalyst for all of this is that Holly goes missing. The contrast will help show how the Byers (including El and Hopper here) were able to pull together and help solve Will's disappearance, versus how the Wheelers as a closed off nuclear family grapple with Holly's vanishing.

Each of the Byers is in some kind of a non-1950s conformist relationship, but particularly Will (not in one now but we all know he will be). I think El might represent, after she breaks up with Mike, the fear of the unmarried woman being satisfied without a husband. The above shot really emphasizes my point.

I predict that Will will end up coming out to his family rather early on, and we will see all of them immediately accept him with little surprise or push-back. Will is a visible gay man who comes from an open minded non traditional family (divorced, non-married, adoptive) that is willing to have honest conversations.

But this theme will place the most focus on the Wheelers. Mike is the main character of said family and this will particularly focus on his arc, and his acceptance of his queerness in the midst of suburban conformity.

He is not visible, he comes from a Reagan-supporting family who don't communicate with each other. He is not particularly close with his family like Will is. He pushes his feelings down and tries his damn hardest to be normal despite it all. His trauma hasn't really been addressed at all. He is falling back into his usual habits - the one thing he dared to do different (grow his hair long) has gone back to how it was.

It's not all doom and gloom though. This season above all will be a redemption arc of the American nuclear family, how they choose to escape their conformity and learn to be there for each other, thus overpowering Vecna. Not that the Wheelers are going to end this personally.

"Great, more hysteria. Just what we need". "It's the news, now indistinguishable from the tabloids".

Here’s how Lucas Sinclair can get a motorcycle:

So Will’s famous painting of foreshadowing as well as official artwork depicts Lucas on a horse:

(artwork via Butcher Billy on Twitter)

Now it’s not too far fetched for Lucas to acquire a horse in Hawkins, there are farms around town, although they’ve been shown to be mostly for crops instead of animals. He could potentially also have a demogorgon horse (demohorse?) but I digress.

The more realistic “stede” for Lucas to have would be a motorcycle.

We also know that the Duffers take a lot of direct inspiration from popular 80’s movies. Well one of the most influential 80’s movies that have already had references in the show is 1988’s Akira

I say references loosely because I don’t know if there’s confirmation that they took inspiration from this film, but given it’s popularity and similar use of psychic children, hospital escapes and themes of nuclear war I’m inclined to believe that they must have taken some imagery from Akira. And considering how the time jump could place the show closer to ‘88 I think Akira could be the perfect film to pay even more homage too.

Not to mention a motorcyle is just something that I can totally picture Lucas having. He would definitely find them cool and his family has the financial status to get one. Plus when Max wakes up she can still “zoom” by riding on the back of it with him.