They Said: Queen Of The Rainbows ()

They said: Queen of the Rainbows (🤨)

Frankenstein is an obvious inspiration for the show, with both Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein referenced here.

There's the whole 'who is the real monster?' dilemma since the start of the show - the creator or the creature - which intensifies this season with Brenner's return and the introduction of Henry.

The Monster in the books is also referred to as the creature, the thing, the demon just like the show...you get the drift.

El watches Frankenstein on TV in season 2, they talk about Prometheus (the book is also called The Modern Prometheus) and create a literal monster from different body parts in season 3.

What's interesting is that the subsequent 1831 edition and movie adaptions made a number of changes from the original novel.

In the original novel, the scientist is Victor Frankenstein. Henry is his childhood best friend, and Elizabeth is a cousin that his parents adopt. His mother Caroline dreams of Victor and Elizabeth marrying one day, but then Caroline dies and Elizabeth becomes the 'mother' of the family. Victor is pretty reluctant to marry Elizabeth given that she's kind of his sister and mother too. He keeps delaying their marriage to create a bride for The Monster.

Not at all weird.

William is Victor's youngest brother, the darling of their family, who is murdered by The Monster. Elizabeth is also described in a similar way. On their wedding night, The Monster also kills Elizabeth.

In the 1931 Frankenstein movie, 'Victor' is changed to 'Henry' Frankenstein because the producers thought the name 'Victor' was too severe for the American audience. Elizabeth is no longer related to him, and she does not die in this movie...but Henry is presumed dead.

The Bride of Frankenstein starts with Mary Shelley the author talking about how she has more story to tell, before picking up the story again. Henry's body is found and he isn't dead. Henry and Elizabeth get married, an old scientist mentor gets The Monster to kidnap Elizabeth to force a reluctant Henry to make him a bride.

But in the end The Monster allows Henry and Elizabeth to leave but sacrifices himself and his bride in a burning castle.

Stranger Things has done this switching too - El is the girl, she's The Monster, but she also gets the Dr. Frankenstein plot, pulled back in by an old mentor.

A lot more to consider here, but all very interesting.

Now we can see Will and El’s costuming / hair are both inspired by A Wrinkle in Time (2003).

El is dressed as Meg (hair mostly), and Will is Calvin. Like I’ve said before, I don’t think their costumes actually relate to their characters and nothing is fully one-for-one. For example Mike is much more of a Calvin personality character but plays a Megan role in the plotline. And also… doesn’t have a clear reference to show for now.

some of this user’s other insightful knowledge:

What😭

Bruh what if S5 starts with Will getting Vecna'd on that hill? I mean it is a huge possibility. My baby boy has it coming for him i am afraid

Hey nonny, I'm sorry that i took a bit to get to this.

Listen this may very well go into cornplating territory. But listen to me. I've been dying to talk about the possibility of Will already being in a Vecna vision. Check this out

I'm sorry but from the moment we go on Will's pov feeling the neck thing until the colour of the sky changes (like it did when Vecna transformed into Max's mom) NOBODY MOVES EXCEPT JONATHAN!!! Check Hopper and Mike out!!! That's so fucking weird bro!! I invite you to rewatch the scene again. It looks weird, it looks jarring, it takes place in a WHILE. Know when we saw that last?!

Lucas in the scene when Max takes off the headphones and stars taunting Vecna. I invite you to rewatch that one too because it is jarring how still he is. Literally unmoving while Max talks,moves,etc. And if you closely look at him, the only thing he does for a while is . Look at her. Like Jonathan here. Literally only sideways glances. Lucas genuinely looks entranced and it turns out it was Vecna already!!

Now. What's super fucking weird about this is that we immediately get so many pov shots of El and the other characters it can't be solely a Vecna vision. Like, Erica and Lucas, the entire school,everyone is seeing this. But...Maybe it's both??? Anyway I haven't put my finger on it yet but my gut says Will is getting visited by Vecna RIGHT there and then. As a recruitment attempt, but visited nonetheless.

OH OH i think i figured out what this scene is: Will and Joyce are giving some sort of presentation (maybe on their experience with the UD or something?), they’re the only ones standing, next to a table, with props (?) and Will’s holding a ruler, possibly as a makeshift pointer, and there’s a projector aimed at right beside where they’re standing.

gif creds to @mikesbasementbeets