Stranger things character mood board!

okay reasons and little details about the things I choose.

For the first image (top right) I specifically picked that one because you can see the person is wearing converse and that's just really important to me+ comic book.

The next one (going right to left btw) is simply because of all the shots of him riding a bike, but the jacket also stuck out to me as something he might own

Moving on the sweaters are very reminiscent of season 2 where on of my personal favorite looks in the entire show is. I love the sweaters he wears in that season, especially the outfit with the blue collar.

Second row I'm pretty sure he has a gutair in his room (correct me if I'm wrong) and the sword is for his DND class

The next ones just a dnd campaign but I chose that image for the pop can. I'm pretty sure it's coke because that's something we know he likes (or old coke at least)

Last one of row two is a dnd thing again (I'm sorry I don't play idk what it's called) and I chose it for both him liking dnd and the painting that will gave him.

3rd row first pick is because again, Converse but another main reason is for the dinosaur sock. It's just a little call back to his dinosaur toy that roars, Rory

second last image is just a random image that I liked nothing too interesting there

The finale one is a call back to season 3 when he's on the couch in the basement and gets frustrated and goes "aaaaaaah". Plus the blue calculator because blue obviously and he's a nerd

+ other tidbits the background (you can't see very much) is a very dark blue, and this was made on Ibis paint and then screenshotted, which is why it's so blurry

Anyway I felt like explaining my choices a bit

@strangersendoff here's my explanation in case you care (hope it's okay that I tagged you)

rb if feminine-presenting trans-masc people are valid

i want a close friend to know that theyre accepted

YESSSS

reblog if you think aros and aces (or anyone on the aroace spectrum) are queer

trying to prove something to my mother ^^

WOOO

knew from a young age that i was weird and unfixable

im not chronically online enough for twitter

jonathan finding out robin came out to steve and he was okay with it and being like “what the fuck he called me a queer a couple years ago”

man I sure love that character I wish the writers did too

listen. i love this show. i do. i have spent years of my life thinking about children riding bikes and fighting interdimensional monsters. but if we’re being honest — and we are being honest — seasons 1 and 2 were the soul of stranger things. everything after that was… a brand.

and no, that is not me being nostalgic. that is me having EYES.

⸻

at its core, stranger things was about:

• weird kids

• outcasts

• small-town horror

• quiet dread

• government secrets

• and something deeply, deeply wrong under the surface

it was eerie.

it was slow.

it was mysterious.

it trusted the audience to think.

season 1 was basically:

what if your friend disappeared and nobody believed you but you knew something was wrong

season 2 was:

what if the kid who came back, came back wrong.

that is GOOD SHIT.

⸻

ask a random netflix viewer what their favorite season is and they will say season 3 with their whole chest.

why?

because season 3 is:

• colorful

• neon

• funny

• nostalgic

• full of montages

• full of jokes

• full of action

• and El is back to main character era

it is the most “easy to watch” season.

and here’s the thing no one wants to admit:

season 3 barely matters.

you could skip it and miss, like, three plot points and a russian subplot that goes nowhere emotionally.

the cast themselves have said it’s basically filler.

but it’s filler that feels good.

because capitalism doesn’t care about story — it cares about money.

⸻

season 2 is actually one of the best-written seasons.

it has:

• horror

• mystery

• possession

• emotional fallout

• real consequences

and it centers… Will.

and that’s why people hated it.

because Will is:

• quiet

• traumatized

• queer-coded

• not funny

• not powerful ( yet )

• not flashy

and the general audience hates that.

they wanted Eleven in her girlboss era.

they wanted cool outfits.

they wanted power fantasy.

instead they got:

a fragile boy crying and being possessed by an eldritch horror.

and people went:

ew. boring. crybaby.

meanwhile Eleven cries CONSTANTLY and nobody calls her annoying.

why?

because:

• she’s a girl

• girls are “allowed” to cry

• boys who cry are “cringe”

it’s literally gender stereotypes dressed up as fandom opinions.

⸻

this is where it gets juicy.

superfans loved season 2 because:

• it was scary

• it had lore

• it had mystery

• it built the world

they hate season 3 because:

• nothing changes

• nothing matters

• it plays it safe

the general audience is the opposite:

they hate season 2 because it’s “too slow”

they love season 3 because it’s “fun”

guess who netflix listens to?

the people with popcorn.

⸻

season 1 and 2 were weird.

they didn’t explain everything.

they trusted you to sit in the discomfort. after that i slept with a candle stick under my pillow! iykyk😉

season 3 and onward were:

here is a monster

here is a Steve

here is a joke

here are some Russians to hate

please don’t think too hard

because complicated storytelling doesn’t sell as well as:

bright colors + action + nostalgia.

the show stopped being about:

“what is happening in hawkins?”

Why are the demogorgons on a jet 2 holiday during the final battle?

and became:

“how can we make this look cool in a trailer?”

⸻

we started watching because:

• it was creepy

• it was sad

• it was about outsiders

• it felt real

now it’s a theme park ride.

Season 3 is so colorful and loud I half expect the Demogorgon to start doing the cha‑cha behind the mall.

and yeah, it’s entertaining.

but it’s not what it was.

⸻

stranger things didn’t get worse because the creators got dumber.

it got worse because:

capitalism hates subtlety.

it hates:

• slow burns

• queer sadness

• mystery

• emotional complexity

it loves:

• action

• nostalgia

• easy heroes

• simple stories that hints lmbtq because of ✨money✨.

and somewhere between season 2 and season 3, stranger things stopped being a story

and started being a product.

anyway.

i’m right.

reblog if you agree.

go cry about will byers with me.

mike wheeler, they could literally never make me hate you