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In this episode of the podcast "Movies to Me," Ivory Hawn and her brother Matt discuss the TV show "Stranger Things." They talk about their favorite seasons, characters, and monsters. They also discuss character development and their emotional reactions to the show. They have differing opinions on certain aspects, such as Steve's character arc and Nancy's behavior. Overall, they both enjoy the show and are excited for the upcoming season. Welcome back to this week's episode of Movies to Me, the podcast where we dive deep into the world of cinema and talk about your favorite shows. I'm your host, Ivory Hawn, and today I'm joined with my brother, Matt. Today's episode, we're taking a trip to the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, to explore the question, how do the story elements of Stranger Things appeal to the teenagers in 2024? Let's get into it. Okay, so what season is your favorite? My favorite season is the third season because there's a lot of character development that's going on and also the monsters are very scary and I love how the flesh monsters work and they're very cool. I hate the third season for that reason. I hate, isn't there rats in the third season? Yeah, there are rats in the third season. Yeah, that's like my least favorite. I like the plot of the first season, but I don't like how immature the characters are, but I like the second one because you finally, like, they start to more mature. Yeah, because Eleven is annoying. Eleven is kind of... ...rad. Okay, who are your favorite characters? Definitely Steve. Steve by far is my favorite character and then Dustin is a close second. Then I like Jonathan. I like, yep, that's it. Oh, I like Hopper. I love Hopper. Hopper is definitely my favorite. He, and I just feel like he gets better and better. I like his, like, father figure in the second, even though he definitely needs to work on his gentle parenting technique. Um, I don't like Steve in, like, the first season. You don't like Steve? No. I like Steve even in the first season because even in the first season you can tell that he's not really a big bully. Like, it's mostly that other kid and Steve is, you know, just sort of going along with it, but, like, he's pretty great. And sure, he's not the greatest, but he's still, like, really funny. He's definitely, like, heavily influenced by his peers, but even still, like, when Barb died, like, I just feel like he never even cared. Like, Nancy would always be, like, like, bringing it up and he was like, yeah, let's just forget it happened and go party and stuff and I don't know. Yes, but also I loved the part where he goes into the house and they're all, like, doing the thing and he's like, oh, yeah, like the last episode and then he grabs the bat and beats the crap out of the demogorgon. That was definitely amazing. Also, when he goes and cleans up the graffiti because he feels bad. Yeah, but he also put it there in the first place. I didn't do that, teenager. He humiliated Nancy in front of her whole town. Well, and then he got humiliated, so it's all even now. Yeah, I will say he definitely, like, gets better throughout the season, but the first season and even the second, he's not my favorite. Okay, um, what character can you relate to the most? Um, I like Dustin. Dustin's pretty relatable. Really? Yeah, he's very nerdy and silly and he likes to be musketeers, too. Yeah, I know. Reminds me of you and it's nasty. I, I don't know. My first answer would be, um, Will, but that's kind of embarrassing. Like, I don't know. Like, he's just way more, like, sensitive and, like, empathetic. I don't know. I'm trying to, like, think of the other characters. I don't really like Will. Really? He's kind of annoying. Why? I don't know. I just, especially in the second season when he gets all possessed, like, I know that's not his... When, when he's acting dumb and I see his face, then I immediately, you know, I, what's the word? I conflate his dumbness and his face, so when I see his face, I think of his dumbness and I instantly dislike him. That's crazy. I like Will. I especially like, like, he went through so much in the first season and the second season too. And all the seasons. But I feel like you can't really blame him. He needs to grow up. Yeah. He needs to grow up. I think if you were in the Upside Down... I think I'd grab a bat and go beat the heck out of him. I'd die, but that's whatever. I'd be chilling in a freezing cold fort for, you know, a week. See, that would be me. I would definitely be hiding. And see, it didn't even do him any good. I mean, it saved him. Well, yeah, but barely. He still was saved. R wasn't. Okay, anyways. Okay, uh, what monster is your favorite? That's, I would, I don't know, honestly, it's either, I mean, I definitely have, there's two options and it's either the hospital monster, which is the one, I can't remember their name. Oh, that's right. It's in the third season and they're in the hospital and the two flayed get their flesh melted and then they go... Wait, why did I forget about that? I don't know. That's nasty. It's so cool. And then, definitely one of my favorites, probably my favorite is the Mind Flayer Proxy, which is also made out of flesh. Is that the, what is that one? It's in the third season. They attack it with fire. Like the mole? Yeah. Oh, okay, okay. Is that not the Mind Flayer? It's not the Mind Flayer. The Mind Flayer is the shadow monster. That's just the Mind Flayer, but not. Okay. It's called the Mind Flayer Proxy because it's the proxy form, because the Mind Flayer is not really there. It's just a mass of flesh. It's been controlled. I did research. I did not. How do you feel about Vecna? It's been a while since we watched that fourth season. One of the biggest things about him, I feel like, is that watching the show on the surface level is very, being like, oh, well, this is kind of weird. Coming, you know, and all of a sudden, actually, there was this dude this whole time that was doing all of this, but having, one, done a lot of, like, being a nerd and going back and seeing all the, like, episode things, like transcripts, and going back and reading about some of the other things that they did, like they made a play. And so that brings more lore into it. And it's just interesting. And then also re-watching the show, because there are very, very subtle details that allude to him. And being able to look back, it's sort of not that crazy to believe. Also, he's really cool. I like, I don't like him at all. I like, like, the backstory that they have with, like, Eleven and stuff. But I would say none of the monsters are my favorite. Not even, like, a classic Demogorgon? Not even Dart? No, I hate Dart. Lucas is right. He's a complete booger. Like, he nasty. He doesn't even touch him. Okay, what side plot are you most engaged in? Probably the Dustin and Steve relationship. Or the Dustin and Eddie relationship. No. I'm sorry, I do not like Eddie. He's so good. No. I don't like him. You've been through a lot. So has Will! Yeah, but Will's... Okay, I definitely like the Steve and Dustin plot. I like... I like the Joyce and Hopper. Yeah, I love Joyce and Hopper. Nancy and Jonathan. I don't love Jonathan. I like Jonathan. I don't like Nancy. I really like Nancy. Nancy is a word that I can't say, but it's true. She's so annoying. Why do you find her annoying? She just rejected Steve and, like, I don't know. I feel like she definitely, like, led him on. She's just kind of so mean to him. I wouldn't say so, but I definitely think... Like, I don't think he was in the wrong for breaking up with her. No, not even remotely close. Like... It was her fault. It was her fault. I mean, there's still, like, the... Yeah, she was drunk, so who knows what you say, but... But the fact is, then she didn't. But to be fair, he also, like, never really seemed to care about Barb. He just cared about Nancy, and so he, like, acted like he cared, but he was just there for the Kentucky Fried Chicken, I guess. But the fact that he would even go to a dinner... Yeah, but still... And he's always supporting Nancy. He's like... He's always like, you ready for this? What's wrong? Yeah, fair minimum, I guess. Fair minimum. Well, you know what? Nancy did nothing, and she's all just quiet, and she's, like... Because her best friend died, and nobody cared. Like... Nobody cared. No. Nobody knew. Nobody cared. Everyone knew that she died, but... No, everybody knew that she... Everyone cared about Will. Well, I mean, well, did they cover that? Did they... Cover Will. Like, was she just forever missing, or did they, like... They... Yeah, they covered it in the end of the second incident. Oh, okay. Sure, nobody knows that she was in the epidemic, but, like... It was, you know, they do, like, a conspiracy cover-up, and so it was basically the government spilled, like, chemicals, and Barb got poisoned, quote-end-quote, or something like that. Oh, I don't remember that. So, yeah. So everybody knows that it's the government's fault. Gotcha. But they were totally lying about how she died, anyways. I hate that whole thing with her parents. Like, selling her their house for money so that they could find her when... She's very distant. Yeah, that's really sad. Okay. What kind of emotional reaction do you have to the show? So, like... You know, they talk about having, like, especially right now, since we're watching the second, they're talking about how you have, like, anniversary to PTSD and that kind of stuff. It was... It is fantastic, and I cannot wait for the fifth season. So you have, like, good emotions. Definitely, it was so good. And I... I have a love-hate relationship with all the gross slime and flesh and, you know, the flesh monsters because they're really cool, but also... But the monsters are super cool, and the people are super relatable, and it's not just like... Like, oh, let's go out and save the world, and then we're also gonna go to high school and stuff. Okay. Okay, who had the biggest character arc, and was it for the better or for worse? I definitely think Steve. Steve went crazy. Went crazy. If I had to say the, like, biggest character arc, I'd probably say Eleven. But if I had to say the best character arc that I like the most, it's definitely Steve. Okay, why do you say Eleven? Because Eleven, she changed... She went from, like, this little girl with all of these issues, very lots of problems, and, like, bald and short to, you know, articulate, and she learned language, and she learned a lot of stuff, and she... Like, she falls in love. She falls in love with Mike, and she, you know, she does all this stuff, and there's a lot of, like, she goes from... Even just in the first season, she goes from sort of, like, oh, Papa's here, and, like, freeze up and don't really do anything, to, like... Going crazy. Yeah, like, when he's, like, picking her up in the school, where the Demogorgon was going to come out, and he's, like, oh, I'm here, we're going to take you back, and she's, like, no, Mike, you know? Yeah, that's a good point, and, like, in the third season, too, like, befriending Max and stuff, like, she changes a lot. And even just in the fourth season, with all the relationship complications, she does it. And then, what's your favorite part of the show, just in general? Just in general, honestly, one of my, I can't say favorite, but definitely one of my favorite parts was just the first episode, because it's so crazy, and especially one of the first scene, just, like, the very first scene. You love that scene. And he, you know, he's running, and it's so tense and suspenseful, and he's hitting the button, and it's just nothing but flashing lights. It's very good. And also, when Will gets kidnapped, like, just, not even the whole scene, but, like, he's riding home alone, and he's, and the light starts to flicker, and he, like, he starts shaking it, he looks down, and then he looks back up, and there's the Demogorgon. And it's just such an unexpected job.