Stranger Things Season 2: Three Musketeers really are the WORST (Spoilers)

[Corvinus85]

How the hell would Brenner go from being pounced on by the demorgon to a Russian prison? When that dude said Brenner was alive I took it as he didn't know the latest news, i.e. Brenner's fate at the school.

[Centrist Simon Steele]

2 minutes ago, Corvinus said:

How the hell would Brenner go from being pounced on by the demorgon to a Russian prison? When that dude said Brenner was alive I took it as he didn't know the latest news, i.e. Brenner's fate at the school.

https://www.insider.com/stranger-things-2-is-dr-brenner-papa-alive-2017-10

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/07/stranger-things-3-ending-hopper-death-duffer-brothers-interview-season-4

For that matter, how does 

Spoiler

Hopper

the favorite theory for being the "american" go from incineration to a cell in Russia?

[Corvinus85]

21 minutes ago, Simon Steele said:

https://www.insider.com/stranger-things-2-is-dr-brenner-papa-alive-2017-10

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/07/stranger-things-3-ending-hopper-death-duffer-brothers-interview-season-4

For that matter, how does 

  Hide contents

Hopper

the favorite theory for being the "american" go from incineration to a cell in Russia?

Well shit.

On Hopper, the only explanation is he jumped thru the gate at the last possible moment, wondered around the UD trying to find a way out, and found the place where the Russians had already started making their own breach. Maybe the fabric got weaker there, maybe the mind flayer is pushing to get out thru there, or the Russians resumed the experiments (since we don't the time lapse between that scene and the main story end). 

But Brenner? Even if he survived the demogorgon, he would have been taken to a hospital in America, and presumably continued to work for the US gov somewhere else.

[A True Kaniggit]

3 minutes ago, Corvinus said:

Well shit.

On Hopper, the only explanation is he jumped thru the gate at the last possible moment, wondered around the UD trying to find a way out, and found the place where the Russians had already started making their own breach. Maybe the fabric got weaker there, maybe the mind flayer is pushing to get out thru there, or the Russians resumed the experiments (since we don't the time lapse between that scene and the main story end)

If that is Hopper in the cell at the end, I'd think the more likely scenario would be the Soviet's already had men and material on the other side of the  American breach, which immediately  captured him after he Hopped through. I just think that makes more sense then him walking to the Kamchatka breach through the Upside Down. 

[Astromech]

Or he could return a la Dr. Manhattan, replacing Eleven as the super-powered savior.

[Centrist Simon Steele]

51 minutes ago, Corvinus said:

Well shit.

On Hopper, the only explanation is he jumped thru the gate at the last possible moment, wondered around the UD trying to find a way out, and found the place where the Russians had already started making their own breach. Maybe the fabric got weaker there, maybe the mind flayer is pushing to get out thru there, or the Russians resumed the experiments (since we don't the time lapse between that scene and the main story end). 

But Brenner? Even if he survived the demogorgon, he would have been taken to a hospital in America, and presumably continued to work for the US gov somewhere else.

Just curious, when was the last time you watched season 2 (episode 7 specifically)? When I originally watched it, I was with you that the goon was just uninformed about Brenner's demise. But watching this afternoon, it seemed much more subversive than I remembered. I recommend watching that scene again with the thought that Brenner could be alive, and suddenly you start to wonder if the guy wasn't lying (or misinformed). There's just something in the way that scene's played. It's pretty cool, to be honest.

[Corvinus85]

52 minutes ago, Simon Steele said:

Just curious, when was the last time you watched season 2 (episode 7 specifically)? When I originally watched it, I was with you that the goon was just uninformed about Brenner's demise. But watching this afternoon, it seemed much more subversive than I remembered. I recommend watching that scene again with the thought that Brenner could be alive, and suddenly you start to wonder if the guy wasn't lying (or misinformed). There's just something in the way that scene's played. It's pretty cool, to be honest.

About a year ago. I'll do another rewatch sometime.

[Centrist Simon Steele]

15 hours ago, A True Kaniggit said:

If that is Hopper in the cell at the end, I'd think the more likely scenario would be the Soviet's already had men and material on the other side of the  American breach, which immediately  captured him after he Hopped through. I just think that makes more sense then him walking to the Kamchatka breach through the Upside Down. 

That'd be pretty interesting if the Soviets had "colonized" the upside down, so to speak. I mean, we know Will survived in there. I think the show's been a bit uneven in how dangerous it is. Didn't a whole team of armed men go in there and die immediately? ...or was the Star Gate?  

15 hours ago, Astromech said:

Or he could return a la Dr. Manhattan, replacing Eleven as the super-powered savior.

Part of me says "no way!" They're really into female empowerment and agency. But Hopper has been a heavy hitter savior for much of the series anyhow. I wonder...

Something that stood out to me about the Season 2 Episode 7 episode I watched yesterday, was Eleven remembering when Brenner told her that the power would consume and kill her eventually. Part of me thinks, "Yeah, he's a liar," but while watching season 3, I kept thinking, "The nosebleeds have to be signifying the toll her powers are taking." Mike and Max had a big argument about it. Eleven's powers will definitely return, but I think they're definitely dangerous to her. I'm not sure why I thought of this in respond to your Hopper super powered return. 

[Maltaran]

I have to say, having watched them both a couple of times, I think Lucas and Max’s version of the song is better than Dustin and Suzie

[red snow]

It took a bit too long to get going but when it did it was really entertaining 

Steve goes from strength to strength and i enjoyed his teams adventure much more than Elle's. I felt bad for him thinking he'd found a match but his reaction to it was pretty cool and i think he wasn't really into her/confusing friendship. Robin was a good addition to the cast.

I feel like Nancy and Jonathan have long overstayed their welcome.

Hopper was great but psychotic. Particularly when he gunned those soldiers down without a care.

Will had some really challenging material and i really felt for him with the continued trauma and disconnect he feels. He really needs more therapy.

Mike came across as a bit of a dick this season which I'll accept as it felt very intentional. Teenage boy growing up and getting a girlfriend and acting very possessive and cocky/arrogant. Seems believable.

But I'd be happy to watch a show that only features Steve, Dustin, Elle, Robin and Erica. Maybe they can all go on a "search for spock" story tracking down Hopper as there's no way that character is dead (especially with hellboy flopping)

[Guest]

On 7/12/2019 at 2:23 AM, Heartofice said:

Why is Will wearing those freakin' shorts?! Feels like hes trapped in a paedos nightmare dungeon and forced to dress up.

Did you grow up in the 80's? Short-shorts and tube socks were pretty standard summer wear for kids and tweens.

[Guest]

So question: with Robin being a lesbian, was Mike's statement to Will about not liking girls hinting that Will may be gay? Especially referring back to Season 1 when Joyce tells Hopper what Will and Jonathan's dad used to call Will?

[Heartofice]

3 hours ago, The Great Unwashed said:

Did you grow up in the 80's? Short-shorts and tube socks were pretty standard summer wear for kids and tweens.

I did grow up then. And I stopped wearing those clothes after about the age of 5years old

[karaddin]

4 hours ago, The Great Unwashed said:

So question: with Robin being a lesbian, was Mike's statement to Will about not liking girls hinting that Will may be gay? Especially referring back to Season 1 when Joyce tells Hopper what Will and Jonathan's dad used to call Will?

It was my interpretation (and I've seen others online with the same). I'd go even a step further and say that I parsed it as a) Will is gay but may not know it yet/have accepted it yet but b ) Mike does because he knows Will that well and c) he's a good friend.

[Maltaran]

There’s two possible interpretations that I can see - either he’s gay, or he’s just not old/mature enough to be thinking about girls yet.

[Heartofice]

24 minutes ago, Maltaran said:

There’s two possible interpretations that I can see - either he’s gay, or he’s just not old/mature enough to be thinking about girls yet.

I first took it to mean he was gay, but also considered the possibility that he would grow up sort of asexual and not be interested in that sort of thing

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Heartofice said:

I did grow up then. And I stopped wearing those clothes after about the age of 5years old

You had better fashion sense than my group of friends and me then. I remember that being our go-to summer outfit for years. And it wasn't just play clothes either; it was standard for swim trunks, basketball shorts, and T-ball and pee wee baseball uniforms as well. Maybe it was a Mid-west/Great Plains/Southwest region thing.

[Heartofice]

3 minutes ago, The Great Unwashed said:

You had better fashion sense than my group of friends and me then. I remember that being our go-to summer outfit for years. And it wasn't just play clothes either; it was standard for swim trunks, basketball shorts, and T-ball and pee wee baseball uniforms as well. Maybe it was a Mid-west/Great Plains/Southwest region thing.

Maybe, I was in the UK and we are generally pretty cool guys! 

However before 5 years old I looked exactly like a dark skinned Danny from the  shining! That was the fashion 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, karaddin said:

It was my interpretation (and I've seen others online with the same). I'd go even a step further and say that I parsed it as a) Will is gay but may not know it yet/have accepted it yet but b ) Mike does because he knows Will that well and c) he's a good friend.

I agree with your points b) and c), and I also considered point a), but I rewatched that scene and just the way the whole vibe of that conversation changed after Mike's comment made me think it was maybe more of an acknowledged but unspoken secret among at least Mike and Will (since Mike has always seemed to have more of a connection with Will than either Lucas or Dustin), instead of Mike having more insight into Will than Will himself maybe? 

@Maltaran - I also considered the "late bloomer" scenario, but then recalled Joyce's S1 conversation with Hopper and Mike's specific wording of his statement (not my fault you don't like girls vs. not my fault you don't like girls yet) kind of points me towards the "Mike knows/suspects Will is gay" hypothesis.

@Heartofice - I suppose asexuality could be a possibility, but (and I could be wrong because I was a kid growing up in small-town America during the 80s in a town much like Hawkins) looking back I don't remember asexuality being nearly as much of a widely-accepted preference as it is now (which even now still seems to me, admittedly as an outsider, to be a newer addition to the recognized spectrum of sexuality preferences). 

[red snow]

6 hours ago, karaddin said:

It was my interpretation (and I've seen others online with the same). I'd go even a step further and say that I parsed it as a) Will is gay but may not know it yet/have accepted it yet but b ) Mike does because he knows Will that well and c) he's a good friend.

That was my take on it too. I think with all the other shit that's recently happened in his life and the fact its the 80s, poor Will hasn't had much chance to get to grips with his sexuality.

Mike was a bit harsh using it as an almost "it's not my fault you don't like girls/understand" but he is a good enough friend to have maybe picked up on it. Although sometimes Mike and Will feel a million miles away from being the BFFs they appeared to be in S1 but again they've had a lot hsppen to them.