STRANGER THINGS 4 Chapter Eight: Papa

What is my favorite Steve Harrington moment? Thank you so much for asking. It's "Oh..."

When Robin comes out to Steve, there is a moment where we're unsure about how he'll respond.

"But...Tammy Thompson's a girl."

"Steve..."

It's tense. He thinks for a moment, realizes what she means, and responds "Oh..."

There are so many ways that tiny little line could've been delivered. It could've easily portrayed disgust. It could've sounded surprised or confused or angry. It even could've been played for a laugh.

But somehow, Joe Keery managed to deliver that line in a way that is so unbelievably full of tenderness. It is soft and surprised, yes, but also comforting and apologetic. It's like he's realizing there's this whole part of her that he hasn't even noticed. It is understanding. It is empathy.

Every time I watch this scene, I can feel the tension that Robin is feeling, but I can also feel the relief that follows after that one little "Oh..." It's a far cry from the way we see Steve interact with characters in vulnerable positions like that in earlier seasons. Unbelievable amounts of growth are shelled in that "Oh".

How ridiculously impressive on Joe Keery's part that he was able to tell such a convincing story from one little sound. One of the most impactful examples of platonic love that I've ever seen in media. Maybe It sounds silly or like I'm reading too much into it, but I've always felt it so deeply no matter how many times I watch the show. It is so earnest.

Okay, so let me see if I understand correctly:

Boys wanting to write poetry is a metaphor for boys wanting the freedom to make out in the back of old bookstores and to wear lipstick while reciting Shakespearean sonnets without having to hear the constant disapproval of others

Men running away to become pirates is a metaphor for men running away from the safe, heteronormative lives society forced them into in order to start a more genuine, albeit more dangerous, life for themselves

Nerdy teens fighting monsters together is a metaphor for teens who were once outcasted by their community for being different helping each other to confront their trauma and to become the heroes of their own stories

And women playing baseball is a metaphor for women reclaiming their femininity after spending most of their lives being told they’re “not real girls” because they don’t fit the mold the patriarchy wants them to fit into

But ultimately all of them are just metaphors for a friend group being gayer than the fucking fourth of July

🏳️‍🌈 day 9 ~ creature of habit

Dean always says that his life could fit inside the pockets of his jacket.

They were never really allowed to have things when they were little – toys and stuffed animals and clothes are only good for slowing you down and getting you killed. 'Cut every non-essential', rule number one of the life on the road. No exceptions for anyone, not even kids.

But that was a rule he could never follow, not all the way. He kept things – small things, insignificant things. He doesn't really remember when or how it started, maybe it was an act of rebellion, or just a way to remind himself that he was alive after all, that the world was bearing a mark of his passage. All the times he felt as disappearing, he had something to hold on to.

He's a creature of habit, in the end. Even now that he has a loving family, a job, a roof over his head; even now that he feels like he is really making a difference, he still keeps those old scraps. And he never stopped collecting new ones.

Zoom for details! I added a few easter eggs, let me know if you find them!

I’ve been making gay knights (and ladies) collages on my phone at work

(Part two)

gay people can't flirt normally it's always gotta be some shit like this

a man's most important accessory is some blood on his face. his second most important accessory? his chest hair

4.01 Lazarus Rising (Misha's Version)

grips them so hard they explode into a quadrillion atoms again

I don’t think I’ll ever actually truly recover from this video