Spoilers Stranger Things - Season 4

[The Nth Doctor]

Some revelations from the Duffer Brothers:

• Steve was originally going to die during season one.
• Lonnie was going to be with Nancy and Jonathan during the season one climax.
• A 20-page draft was created when Netflix asked about the long-term mythology and that included Vecna.

From David Harbour and Winona Ryder:

• They filmed at an actual prison in Lithuania in real snow, which means Harbour was actually running barefoot in snow.
• Ryder believes Eleven would drag Hopper to Beetlejuice.

From Joe Keery, Joseph Quinn, and Maya Hawke:

• Steve was originally going to be a swimmer who wore speedos for swim meets, but it was cut because they couldn't get a gym pool. Keery trained to get ready for that until he found out it was cut out, but it finally paid off for this season.
• Quinn sees Eddie as a character out of a Scooby-Doo story...as if directed by Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter.

There's also some great behind-the-secenes footage of the lake dive, Max escaping from Vecna, and a detailed breakdown of the shootout at the Byers home by Shawn Levy.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

I really thought the shootout was a bit weird. It really didnt seem like the actions of a secret group in the military.

 

[Anwar]

Some revelations from the Duffer Brothers:

• Steve was originally going to die during season one.

Yeah, we knew this a while back. Originally, Steve was going to just be a 1-Dimensional 80s Bully character who'd be killed by the Demogorgon at some point in S1. But they liked Joe enough they decided to make him more 3-Dimensional.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yeah, it does sound familiar so I probably heard about that before. It came up in conjunction with how Lonnie was originally going to be there during the climax which I definitely hadn't heard before. I'm really glad Joe had so much charisma because Lonnie did not deserve a hero moment.

 

[Skywalker]

I don't remember them ever mentioning Eight. I'm happy to be wrong on that count but I think I would've noticed that since I was actively looking for any reference to her, visual or otherwise.

Brenner definitely mentioned Eight leaving.

Eleven was pretty young when her mother got into the Rainbow Room, so that must have happened in the early/mid 70s, which would have given Eight a few years to escape before the massacre.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Starting right now is the show's Geeked Week panel where they will talk about this season's developments:

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I'd totally watch a "Winona Ryder Watches Movies" show. Like, it would be at the very top of my watching priorities list.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Brenner definitely mentioned Eight leaving.

Did he? I really don't remember Eight coming up.

Eleven was pretty young when her mother got into the Rainbow Room, so that must have happened in the early/mid 70s, which would have given Eight a few years to escape before the massacre.

True, but the problem with that is where were the other kids? Furthermore, Eight specifically says what prompted her to flee was Eleven being moved away. What occurred then that prompted that move but not include Eight, especially since we see everyone in a bigger group leading up to the Massacre.

I realize I'm probably overthinking this situation but the timeline just doesn't mesh when I look at all of the facts that we've been given over the course of the four season, but especially season four.

I'd totally watch a "Winona Ryder Watches Movies" show. Like, it would be at the very top of my watching priorities list.

SAME. I love that show pitch.

 

[Markonian]

I'd totally watch a "Winona Ryder Watches Movies" show. Like, it would be at the very top of my watching priorities list.

SAME. I love that show pitch.

I'm sorry, just to clarify - do you mean you would watch a show where Ryder is sitting on front a screen, silently watching what is on the screen?

 

[Jedi Marso]

My interpretation of the Upside Down is that it has always existed as a parallel shadow world to our own, and that Ell opened a gateway there and in effect created Vecna. But the other monsters were already there, waiting to be encountered, so to speak.

One of my favorite scenes is in one of the finales, when they are having the school dance and in the Upside Down you see the mind flayer towering over the shadow version of the school while the music echoes in the background- you know it's not over for anyone yet.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I'm sorry, just to clarify - do you mean you would watch a show where Ryder is sitting on front a screen, silently watching what is on the screen?

More or less. But knowing Winona, there would be plenty of commentary and, best of all, Winona Patented Facial Expressions.

My interpretation of the Upside Down is that it has always existed as a parallel shadow world to our own, and that Ell opened a gateway there and in effect created Vecna. But the other monsters were already there, waiting to be encountered, so to speak.

Yeah, that's the interpretation I'm going with until we get more information. I imagine there's more to the situation than just that.

 

[FPAlpha]

I really thought the shootout was a bit weird. It really didnt seem like the actions of a secret group in the military.

That's one of the key questions i took from season 4.1 - how did it come to be that 2 government groups are that opposed that they would go in guns blazing ( and i'm not sure but would even kill the kids?). There must be some hardcore stakes behind the scenes going on for such a massive assault. Can't wait to find out more.

Yeah, we knew this a while back. Originally, Steve was going to just be a 1-Dimensional 80s Bully character who'd be killed by the Demogorgon at some point in S1. But they liked Joe enough they decided to make him more 3-Dimensional.

And it's one of the greatest, if unplanned, changes - subverting the bully trope by actually having the character be a completely decent guy who was just a dumb teenager back then.

My interpretation of the Upside Down is that it has always existed as a parallel shadow world to our own, and that Ell opened a gateway there and in effect created Vecna. But the other monsters were already there, waiting to be encountered, so to speak.

One of my favorite scenes is in one of the finales, when they are having the school dance and in the Upside Down you see the mind flayer towering over the shadow version of the school while the music echoes in the background- you know it's not over for anyone yet.

Could be, i wonder now if Vecna is top of the food chain in the Upside Down now and what the Endgame is, i guess we will find out in part in barely 3 weeks.

I recently rewatched that Season 2 finale because i also have a soft spot for it and that ending shot is brilliant foreshadowing. I wonder what they will do with the actual season 4 finale going into the end of the show, it'll probably blow off heads all around the world including mine.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

More or less. But knowing Winona, there would be plenty of commentary and, best of all, Winona Patented Facial Expressions.

YouTube is full with reaction videos, and the most expressive of them can't compare with Winona playing it cool in Night on Earth:

Btw, I also love the fact she didn't know what World of Warcraft was.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

That's one of the key questions i took from season 4.1 - how did it come to be that 2 government groups are that opposed that they would go in guns blazing ( and i'm not sure but would even kill the kids?). There must be some hardcore stakes behind the scenes going on for such a massive assault. Can't wait to find out more.

Truthfully...I don't care about that. Just a case of one group believing the supernatural existence of the Upside Down and the other doesn't (although they don't have any problem believing Eleven's telekinetic powers...). I don't need anymore explanation than that.

YouTube is full with reaction videos, and the most expressive of them can't compare with Winona playing it cool in Night on Earth:

Btw, I also love the fact she didn't know what World of Warcraft was.

One of the many reasons why I love her so much. So damn expressive with her face.

 

[Reverend]

Truthfully...I don't care about that. Just a case of one group believing the supernatural existence of the Upside Down and the other doesn't (although they don't have any problem believing Eleven's telekinetic powers...). I don't need anymore explanation than that.

Not sure if the point of contention is the existence of the Upside Down (that seems indisputable given all that's gone down) so much as whether Eleven is the cause of it all, or the cure.

So far everything that's crossed over has been physical; the demogorgon, the vines, the flesh monster kaiju thing. Even the mindflayer's possession of Will seemed to manifest like an infection. All very weird and not exactly obeying this universe's laws of physics but all still tangible enough to understand in scientific terms as an encroaching alien ecosystem. Things that bite. Things that grab. Thing that grow. Things that spread.

So far in all this, there's only been one "thing that makes people levitate, makes eyeballs bleed, and breaks bone with no physical contact" and that's Eleven. It's not hard to see that the more militarily inclined are going to focus on what appears to be the simple and obvious threat. Doubly so when it looks like the people that in their mind caused all this mess (the scientists) are deliberately covering for her. From their POV it does look like Dr. Owens in in way over his head with a dangerous "project" he can't control and is actively killing people.

Spoiler: Episode 7

And given the revelation that Vecna is One, then that line of reasoning isn't that far from the truth.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Not sure if the point of contention is the existence of the Upside Down (that seems indisputable given all that's gone down) so much as whether Eleven is the cause of it all, or the cure.

So far everything that's crossed over has been physical; the demogorgon, the vines, the flesh monster kaiju thing. Even the mindflayer's possession of Will seemed to manifest like an infection. All very weird and not exactly obeying this universe's laws of physics but all still tangible enough to understand in scientific terms as an encroaching alien ecosystem. Things that bite. Things that grab. Thing that grow. Things that spread.

So far in all this, there's only been one "thing that makes people levitate, makes eyeballs bleed, and breaks bone with no physical contact" and that's Eleven. It's not hard to see that the more militarily inclined are going to focus on what appears to be the simple and obvious threat. Doubly so when it looks like the people that in their mind caused all this mess (the scientists) are deliberately covering for her. From their POV it does look like Dr. Owens in in way over his head with a dangerous "project" he can't control and is actively killing people.

Spoiler: Episode 7

And given the revelation that Vecna is One, then that line of reasoning isn't that far from the truth.

That's all true, but my read on the situation (which I admittedly failed to make clear) is that the camp who thinks Eleven is the cause of the problems believe that because they don't believe the supernatural circumstances of the Upside Down. My impression of them is that they think Eleven is the one responsible of the murders and the destruction in Hawkins because they don't know where she is now. As you said, Eleven is more tangible and they've seen the direct results of her from Brenner's research.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Here's the Geeked episode without the D&D campaign, which makes it a way shorter watch:

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Oh, and I totally forgot, I also agree with Harbour on Winona's Pee-Wee impression. That needs to be on the show.

 

[Reverend]

Did he? I really don't remember Eight coming up.

It was a very brief passing comment. I think the line was something like "back when Eight was still with us."

 

[Skipper]

I'm so happy that all this Nerds Vs Jocks is just an U.S. thing. In the rest of the world kids go to school to, you know, study.

In the my high-school equivalent there was a football teams, but they weren't considered demigods by the rest of the school, and the girls weren't dying to sleep with them just because of their ability to throw a ball at goal. And a couple of them were even borderline nerds! And if I remember correctly, someone also gave up the team because it took time away from their studies.

 

[Skipper]

By the way, just watched the fourth episode and LOVED the Beer Belly John Wick. One thinks "Here, this one dies immediately" and instead he kills half a dozen soldiers while defending three kids !!!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

It was a very brief passing comment. I think the line was something like "back when Eight was still with us."

Hm, that does sound vaguely familiar. At least that's something but it doesn't set any idea about when in the timeline her fleeing occurred.