Well, the concept of being inside a character’s mind isn’t all that unique in science-fiction, but the way they staged it here, and very specifically that one moment where they show Max crawling through a book shelf from one memory to the next, was very reminiscent of Eternal Sunshine. And really, what better movie to take inspiration from? Interesting to hear there was something like this in Thunderbolts*. Need to check that one out then!
For precisely those reasons, you're going to love how
Thunderbolts* utilizes that technique.
Maybe having an issue with it is putting it too strongly, but somehow her story didn’t feel like it came to a satisfying close. And I realize that probably comes with being shot halfway through the thing. I don’t know, she felt like such a poor, tortured soul, so I guess I just expected or hoped for her to be able to get some revenge. I guess if one choses to believe in Mike’s version of what really happened, she was able to get some revenge in the end. But I guess I just wish it would have been a little more direct is all.
That's a fair criticism and perhaps further down the road I'll be more critical, but I'm still riding on my high that Kali returned at all.
All these years, it felt like I was the sole person (at least in these parts) who actually wanted her to return because I genuinely loved "The Lost Sister." But even I had essentially given up all hope that she would actually return going into this season, so I was
over the moon when she made her surprise return. If there had been any rumors about her returning, then I thankfully managed to avoid them.
Which all of this is to say that perhaps you're right in this regard, but I'm blinded right now because I loved every minute of her limited role and theorized, ambiguous ending.
Well, when watching the season I didn’t really expect them to explain it, but when it was over and my wife and I were talking about the show it was one of the open questions from the show that came up. I have to say, though, I’m really glad they remembered to at least put her in one of the flashbacks when they were hacking off Vecna’s head.
I feel that never moment needed to be explained and that Barb was simply a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It's not like the show forgot about her. Nancy was able to give her parents some closure, even if a very watered-down version of the truth, although hopefully now Nancy call them what really happened.
Plus, Vecna taunted Nancy about Barb's death in season four and tried to make Nancy feel guilty about it all over again (and
failed!).
Like you, I was glad she was included in the flashbacks during Vecna’s beheading because
Nancy finally got her closure.
Could it also be possible that the military had evacuated the Upside Down station and took the pregnant women with them after Nancy had brought down the shield? I don’t remember them showing the installation after that happened.
Yeah, that could work, too. Either way, it was definitely vague. Unfortunately, lost in the shuffle of all of the big moving parts, wrapped in the largely wasted military plot thread (although I love Hopper's confrontation of Lt. Akers).
