Hey now, at least when Derek was shown he was wrong about who the threat was, he was smart enough to learn. Sure it also meant that when Vecna threatened his family he kept his mouth shut, but that's because he cares about his family.
One minor thing, since the kidnapping... has anyone checked on his parents and his sister?
There is something truly delightful about hearing something as silly as "your mom" in a serious situation with a serious character like Vecna. More of this for the finale please. I want someone to tell Henry to get a job, next.
There's a reason for that. Media literacy is in the dumpster in the US. People bicker about clearly stated things. People, especially younger, need every little thing spelled out or they don't get it. One of my biggest complaints. Shows are made to the lowest common denominator and these people would still misunderstand it even when it is very clearly and annoyingly spelled out.
It's actually because of attention spans and Netflix as "second screen viewing" according to Netflix they need to tell audiences what's happening so they look up from their phones and get caught up.
Amazon prime has this new thing that lets you read the summary of the episode with pictures up to whatever time you are at in the episode with no spoilers for quick recap mid episode if you missed something.
And it's why when a show like Pluribus actually trusts its audience to be smart and follow along, a lot of people get lost because they weren't paying attention and blame the show for it.
And that is related to the lack of media literacy. People drift to that second screen because they aren't understanding the show. So their brain immediately switches to something else. People are seriously lacking critical thinking skills in the US.
Our schools are continuing to get worse. Year after year. One study was just published not to long ago that found students today have a lower IQ than they did back in the 1950s. Our schools are having serious issues. We need to overhaul the entire system.
They aren't understanding the show because they aren't paying enough active attention to the show, because longform entertainment inherently has "slower" parts and they're accustomed to non-stop dopamine hits via Tiktok. That's what makes them turn towards their phone. This isn't a "lack of media literacy" problem, lol.
Your second paragraph is absolutely true, but the root cause of it is of course about making money, and these platforms make money by turning their users into dopamine junkies, and it's killing their attention span and with that, so much else.
...do you not realize what's been happening to the average person's attention span, for the past 100 years?
We've gone from hours at a time reading books, from 30-60 minute radio and television programming blocks, to 7-10 minute blocks between commercial interruptions, to computers where interruptions occur within minutes, to smartphones where you constantly have access to a dopamine drip designed for a ~15 second attention span. TikTok was just an example, I'm sorry I didn't make that more clear.
Honestly. I know playing video games is a massive waste of time but I at least feel good knowing I’ve paid attention to something for a good few hours. Better than scrolling.
I wouldn't feel too great, lol. Videogames are constantly dripping you dopamine payoffs while you're playing, whether that's in the form of "numbers go up", visuals, what have you. And just like with any medium, they've only gotten better at hijacking your dopamine receptors and getting you more and more addicted. Gacha games have to be close to the "end state" for that trend.
One thing you can do to help realize just how monkey-brained we are, how something as simple as bright colors causes us a dopamine rush, is to set your phone to black-and-white in your accessibility settings. You'll quickly realize just how less appealing it is to be on your phone, but you'll also find any excuse you can to turn the colors back on.
Another reason is because of how long there is between seasons, and each new season means even more old episodes for people to rewatch in order to remember everything. Most people won’t remember everything from the previous season after 2-4 years, and not everyone will rewatch the whole show before starting the new season. It’s annoying, but it makes sense given how series are produced these days
I mean if its explaining stuff that happened in previous seasons I'm all for it. When the last season of a show was like 5 years ago I tend to forget a thing or two
And because TV has to compete with phones now. Remember when it was frowned upon to be on your phone during movies, especially at the cinema? That's the standard now. So people aren't paying as much attention as they used to, which means they need to explain everything five times.
The issue is that the "solution" employed only makes the problem worse. People understand that unless you put strain on muscle it doesn't grow, but lose all sight of that when it's about the mind. Coddling people and dumbing it down doesn't make them understand. It makes them dumber.
Okay so let’s say that this toaster is Netflix. And this bread is the Duffer Brothers. And the heating elements are the new rules they’ve put in. And this plate is the average Stranger Things viewer.
It's so formulaic like The Walking Dead, if the character is going to make a heroic sacrifice, it's projected a mile away (looking at Season 2 and Bob 😭)...
The show’s supposed to be a tribute to old 80s shows, where they never killed off any main, long-lasting characters. That’s why the main cast probably won’t die.
Deuxmoi god a blind saying that “people are crazy to think this streamer would kill of their cash cow” and hinted at spinoffs and a reboot, and the nickname the person used was “weird objects”
So time will tell if this is true or not I suppose
Also what theyve done almost every season. Introduce Billy, hes awesome, dies. Introduce Eddie, hes everyones favorite and carries, dies. Introduce Derrick....
I really love how when the character posters and trailer got released, everyone was like "Who the fuck is this fatass?!" And then over the course of the season, Delightful Derek became the fan favorite.
You ever see that South Park bit with the scientist who thinks of something random, then links things together in the the most tenuous way possible, but gets to the right answer? That happens so many times in this.
South and Park are 5 and 4 letters respectively. 54...54...Elvis recorded his second demo in 1954...demo...Demogorgon!
I need a two-way radio, some masking tape, and a banana, quick!
I actually really like Dipshit Derek. Kinda disappointed that he fell for Vecna's threat. I was fully expecting him to be like "Go ahead. Fucking kill 'em. They're all screwed up, and I hate them all, anyway."
I do believe he'll get his redemption moment, though. Possibly saving Holly at the expense of his own life; something very out of character for him.
Disappointed, but it makes sense. Holly was also very much afraid for Max's safety, and for good reason. Vecna doesn't just kill people, he gives them a brutal death. I'm sure he would have gone after Derek's family, who have no one to help them
Apparently the actor for Derick told people he was gonna be in a mayonnaise documentary since he wasn’t allowed to tell people he was gonna be in Stranger Things
Duffers: Yeah this Derrick is totally going to be a funny nod about how fans don't understand the show.
Fans: Delightful Derrick stays and you guys suck at writing.
I have always been a huge Stranger Things fan. In the first 4 seasons, I have only not liked one episode. I haven't liked a single episode of season 5 so far. The drop in quality doesn't feel gradual. It feels like it just jumped off a cliff.
Stranger things hasn't been good since the first season ended, don't kid yourself. They are just pulling a classic Netflix and milking it for all its worth since the fans would literally watch an hour episode of vecna sitting on a toilet after too much taco bell
I was reading recently about how studio's (tv or movies) are now writing in what is being called second screen writing. Basically they write assuming people will be on their phone and their attention will not be given to the tv (the second screen). So they have to verbalize most things as the character do them OR have a character explain it or demand to be explained. The example given was that Seinfeld episode where Kramer tries to fill the laundromat washers with concrete. Then he tried to smuggle a 50kg bag of concrete under his coat, and hijinxs followed no dialog whatsoever.
Today writing that same scene would require another cast member or extra to ask Kramer something like "Why do you have a bag of concrete under your coat?" "Im going to do such and such" because you cannot assume today's audience will be looking at the screen so you have to guide them throught what is happening with audio.
I have not watched the last season but I've heard a lot about how much time is spent explaining things and yes it is all about the audience watching it. Many shows are doing things this way lately because they are competing with the audience's phones the entire time. If you're not looking at the screen most of the time, you need to have audio cues to tell you what's going on and when you might want to look up. It's dumb but that's where we are as a tv viewing society now.
Honestly really depresses me to see how many in this comment section (and the larger conversation about this season) need a fantasy series to show deaths of major characters to be likable. This is a fucking television show, a sci-fi, fantasy based tv show, and still everyone is screaming about believability or realism. I don’t want any of these characters to die, and I don’t fucking care how hard it is to believe it for people who want every story that exists to only be applicable to the world they live in. Some stories just need to represent hope despite insurmountable hardship and the lack of these stories being told in our generation is a problem. I really appreciate the Duffer brothers approach to that so far.
It’s still a highstakes show. The references for this show almost always exude a reverence for their main characters but it will still put them in precarious positions to keep the story going. Should Frodo and 6 of the 7 of the fellowship have realistically made it through? Should the Goonies have lost one of their own? Because there were multiple scenes in both that alluded to any one of them being harmed by their own misstep? Were there no “fakeouts” in those stories or stories similar to those with their main characters? If you just want carnage you can find it readily without trying to corrupt an IP because of your inability to discern what it’s always really been about.
Is it a high stake show? If characters that are killed of just return a season later, then what ere the stakes? Even characters we see die like papa somehow manages to survive with no explanation.
People are calling for the death of a central cast member. No one is talking about papa or side characters like him. They want a central character to die or it’s not realistic enough. But since it’s mentioned, what other character’s death wasn’t explained that manages to survive and return like Papa’s?
Hey now, at least when Derek was shown he was wrong about who the threat was, he was smart enough to learn. Sure it also meant that when Vecna threatened his family he kept his mouth shut, but that's because he cares about his family.
One minor thing, since the kidnapping... has anyone checked on his parents and his sister?
I’m pretty sure they died in that horse stable.
Yeah they fucking starved to death.
Oopsie
Parents starving to death is tight
Barely an inconvenience
Pretty sure only 2 days have passed which is actually insane
Actually insane.
Hasn’t it only been like a day or two? That’s not enough time to die from dehydration.
They starved to death abnormally fast.
But they've definitely woken up by now, unless Ericka is keeping them sedated lol. Which honestly is a distinct possibility lol.
Hell yeah brother 🤘
Don’t worry, they’re in a stable condition
I read that in Robin's voice lol
Imagine this is Derek's parents. \raises hand** and this is the stable. \inserts it into Nintendo Power Glove™** So his parents...
ARE STILL IN THE STABLE!
Another miner thing: pickaxe.
*minor
Dipshit derek telling people to suck a fat one has been my highlight of the season
Close second was "your mom" when Henry asked who gave him the map.
There is something truly delightful about hearing something as silly as "your mom" in a serious situation with a serious character like Vecna. More of this for the finale please. I want someone to tell Henry to get a job, next.
Seriously though, constantly explaining the plot is literally the new standard rules at Netflix. All Netflix shows do this now.
There's a reason for that. Media literacy is in the dumpster in the US. People bicker about clearly stated things. People, especially younger, need every little thing spelled out or they don't get it. One of my biggest complaints. Shows are made to the lowest common denominator and these people would still misunderstand it even when it is very clearly and annoyingly spelled out.
It's actually because of attention spans and Netflix as "second screen viewing" according to Netflix they need to tell audiences what's happening so they look up from their phones and get caught up.
Amazon prime has this new thing that lets you read the summary of the episode with pictures up to whatever time you are at in the episode with no spoilers for quick recap mid episode if you missed something.
That’s actually pretty cool. Sometimes if it’s late at night or I’m sick I’ll zone out watching a show so a recap is pretty good
And it's why when a show like Pluribus actually trusts its audience to be smart and follow along, a lot of people get lost because they weren't paying attention and blame the show for it.
[deleted]
Cool spoiler, thanks!
[deleted]
I didn't click on it, it's called scrolling. New to the internet?
[deleted]
No, you don't have to click it, you can't click on mobile.
"why not just stop reading, you should be able to guess I'm going to spoil a completely unrelated show"
And that is related to the lack of media literacy. People drift to that second screen because they aren't understanding the show. So their brain immediately switches to something else. People are seriously lacking critical thinking skills in the US.
Our schools are continuing to get worse. Year after year. One study was just published not to long ago that found students today have a lower IQ than they did back in the 1950s. Our schools are having serious issues. We need to overhaul the entire system.
They aren't understanding the show because they aren't paying enough active attention to the show, because longform entertainment inherently has "slower" parts and they're accustomed to non-stop dopamine hits via Tiktok. That's what makes them turn towards their phone. This isn't a "lack of media literacy" problem, lol.
Your second paragraph is absolutely true, but the root cause of it is of course about making money, and these platforms make money by turning their users into dopamine junkies, and it's killing their attention span and with that, so much else.
The lack of media literacy predates TikTok. These issues were happening 10+ years ago. TikTok hasn't been around that long.
...do you not realize what's been happening to the average person's attention span, for the past 100 years?
We've gone from hours at a time reading books, from 30-60 minute radio and television programming blocks, to 7-10 minute blocks between commercial interruptions, to computers where interruptions occur within minutes, to smartphones where you constantly have access to a dopamine drip designed for a ~15 second attention span. TikTok was just an example, I'm sorry I didn't make that more clear.
Honestly. I know playing video games is a massive waste of time but I at least feel good knowing I’ve paid attention to something for a good few hours. Better than scrolling.
I wouldn't feel too great, lol. Videogames are constantly dripping you dopamine payoffs while you're playing, whether that's in the form of "numbers go up", visuals, what have you. And just like with any medium, they've only gotten better at hijacking your dopamine receptors and getting you more and more addicted. Gacha games have to be close to the "end state" for that trend.
One thing you can do to help realize just how monkey-brained we are, how something as simple as bright colors causes us a dopamine rush, is to set your phone to black-and-white in your accessibility settings. You'll quickly realize just how less appealing it is to be on your phone, but you'll also find any excuse you can to turn the colors back on.
I think more and more people do what my wife does and just has a Netflix show playing on the tv 24/7 like our parents did back in the day.
Pretty sure her account has probably "watched" a good chunk of the shows/movies available by now.
Another reason is because of how long there is between seasons, and each new season means even more old episodes for people to rewatch in order to remember everything. Most people won’t remember everything from the previous season after 2-4 years, and not everyone will rewatch the whole show before starting the new season. It’s annoying, but it makes sense given how series are produced these days
That's why they do "Previously on.." I'm pretty sure the did that at the start of this season as well.
I mean if its explaining stuff that happened in previous seasons I'm all for it. When the last season of a show was like 5 years ago I tend to forget a thing or two
Ok boomer let's calm down now.
And because TV has to compete with phones now. Remember when it was frowned upon to be on your phone during movies, especially at the cinema? That's the standard now. So people aren't paying as much attention as they used to, which means they need to explain everything five times.
I know they need to make a profit, but I feel like the quality of a product is inversely correlated to the size of the audience it caters to.
The issue is that the "solution" employed only makes the problem worse. People understand that unless you put strain on muscle it doesn't grow, but lose all sight of that when it's about the mind. Coddling people and dumbing it down doesn't make them understand. It makes them dumber.
(!) This comment was typed with one hand
Okay so let’s say that this toaster is Netflix. And this bread is the Duffer Brothers. And the heating elements are the new rules they’ve put in. And this plate is the average Stranger Things viewer.
Put some respect on Delightful Derrick, he is one of the only reasons this season isn't completely bad.
That’s why I’m skeptical of “finale” why you setting up two new main character in the last season?
Nothing could go bad with the finale...unless you know, you die, I die
Poor planning and writing mostly
He's pretty much carrying season 5
The only way the Finale redeems S5 is if a bunch of main characters are made dead
Carrying a late season almost guarantees he’s toast given the Stranger Things pattern.
Yea the writers are such cowards
Feels like the Walking Dead brain rot style of preserving characters for spin offs, but I'd be so surprised if there were stranger things spin offs
But I hope the finale proves me wrong (I doubt it tho)
There’s gonna be an animated spin off next year
Confirmed or speculation
Confirmed. Featuring all the kids between season 2-3 (not sure if same voice actors, doubt it) but Duffer brothers have heavy involvement
Interesting
https://preview.redd.it/hifsjriw63ag1.jpeg?width=768&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c963fa34369ddafaf87568714861f11171b5fa95
Eleven and Mike
With the animated 'kids" edition, I wonder they'll spin of a "Stranger Things Babies" series, too?
It's so formulaic like The Walking Dead, if the character is going to make a heroic sacrifice, it's projected a mile away (looking at Season 2 and Bob 😭)...
The show’s supposed to be a tribute to old 80s shows, where they never killed off any main, long-lasting characters. That’s why the main cast probably won’t die.
Looks like someone never watched Transformers.
The 40 years old man and his ptsd from seeing his favorite transformers get casually gun down
Not all of them were the same
They're also definitely gonna have one of those cheesy 80's endings where someone narrates what happened to each of the kids in their adulthood.
I hope so. I can admit the show’s gone downhill, but I grew up with it and would love an ending like that.
Deuxmoi god a blind saying that “people are crazy to think this streamer would kill of their cash cow” and hinted at spinoffs and a reboot, and the nickname the person used was “weird objects”
So time will tell if this is true or not I suppose
Also what theyve done almost every season. Introduce Billy, hes awesome, dies. Introduce Eddie, hes everyones favorite and carries, dies. Introduce Derrick....
Don’t forget about Bob. Bob was the GOAT and I was sad to see him die.
He had like 3 lines in the second part of the season sadly
Yet still better than most of the main cast.
I really love how when the character posters and trailer got released, everyone was like "Who the fuck is this fatass?!" And then over the course of the season, Delightful Derek became the fan favorite.
Following patterns, he gonna die.
He does have the plot armor of being a child and i honestly doubt they are gonna give seven year old Derrick a brutal death scene.
But God , do I hope so.
Him and Holly's adventures were genuinely enjoyable
Are we talking about the same show cause this kid added absolutely nothing nada zilch for me
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
Dipshit Derek will solo Vecna
He's gonna make Vecna suck his fat one.
Letmesolohim
The current cast didn't grow as good actors, this little dipshit is carrying the show.
I'm 90% sure that he will hinder Vecna plot.
Netflix's advertising department is on fire with these posts this week.
https://preview.redd.it/a385jucl11ag1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8ab8616eebd60a01a9b0f5de6f01943e0fff7ca
In English, professor.
He likes boys
"I stop are green light"
THE LOATHSOME DUNG EATER
It's only been 25 minutes since somebody explained a plan, quick, get a sharpie!
And they always explain it using pop culture things as parallels
You ever see that South Park bit with the scientist who thinks of something random, then links things together in the the most tenuous way possible, but gets to the right answer? That happens so many times in this.
South and Park are 5 and 4 letters respectively. 54...54...Elvis recorded his second demo in 1954...demo...Demogorgon!
I need a two-way radio, some masking tape, and a banana, quick!
Average reddit user
I actually really like Dipshit Derek. Kinda disappointed that he fell for Vecna's threat. I was fully expecting him to be like "Go ahead. Fucking kill 'em. They're all screwed up, and I hate them all, anyway."
I do believe he'll get his redemption moment, though. Possibly saving Holly at the expense of his own life; something very out of character for him.
Disappointed, but it makes sense. Holly was also very much afraid for Max's safety, and for good reason. Vecna doesn't just kill people, he gives them a brutal death. I'm sure he would have gone after Derek's family, who have no one to help them
Put some respect on my goat
Apparently the actor for Derick told people he was gonna be in a mayonnaise documentary since he wasn’t allowed to tell people he was gonna be in Stranger Things
He’s pretty much the only redeeming thing about the season!!!
This mother fucker is out here SERVING. He is the most based character rn. Watch your mother fucking mouth when talking about Delightful Derrick.
It's so nice of him to join the cast so someone can die without it being anyone from the more seasoned cast.
I think Holly might die
All this and he somehow managed to be the only part of the season that anyone actually liked
Duffers: Yeah this Derrick is totally going to be a funny nod about how fans don't understand the show.
Fans: Delightful Derrick stays and you guys suck at writing.
Is this sub only dogging on stranger things which is still good, just not as good as the previous season?
This sub dogs on anything that is popular. It is a circlejerk sub after all.
Should say I actually am really enjoying this season, this is more targeted at the online complainers
I have always been a huge Stranger Things fan. In the first 4 seasons, I have only not liked one episode. I haven't liked a single episode of season 5 so far. The drop in quality doesn't feel gradual. It feels like it just jumped off a cliff.
The internet when something is not the best most perfect ten out of ten show ever.
Stranger things hasn't been good since the first season ended, don't kid yourself. They are just pulling a classic Netflix and milking it for all its worth since the fans would literally watch an hour episode of vecna sitting on a toilet after too much taco bell
Season 4 was very good.
I’m not actively “dogging” it but after enjoying S1, S2 flat killed my interest.
i agree but the cringe stuff in it drags it down so much
it's not good
"Good"
xd
It never was good.
Ironic, considering where this was posted
Can we take stranger things 5 break pls
https://preview.redd.it/0f234g7b02ag1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f0c2037c3bd0bd8537ff692431d12036099c626f
I hate it
The irony of you posting this as you are a Gilmore girls fan is hilarious.
LMAO you okay, buddy?
What seven heaven wasn’t good enough for you? lol
Are those bad shows or something
Yes in my opinion.
All I know about that show is the dad’s a pedo
That’s true.
I'll be honest I have only seen bits here and there in social media, I thought he was a girl.
Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one around me who thinks stranger things sucks.
LMAOOO
Jesus so brutal but true
Derek is Stranger Things Cousin Oliver
live action eric cartman
side note but holy shit why is this this latest wave explaining everything like an snl skit
I was reading recently about how studio's (tv or movies) are now writing in what is being called second screen writing. Basically they write assuming people will be on their phone and their attention will not be given to the tv (the second screen). So they have to verbalize most things as the character do them OR have a character explain it or demand to be explained. The example given was that Seinfeld episode where Kramer tries to fill the laundromat washers with concrete. Then he tried to smuggle a 50kg bag of concrete under his coat, and hijinxs followed no dialog whatsoever.
Today writing that same scene would require another cast member or extra to ask Kramer something like "Why do you have a bag of concrete under your coat?" "Im going to do such and such" because you cannot assume today's audience will be looking at the screen so you have to guide them throught what is happening with audio.
I have not watched the last season but I've heard a lot about how much time is spent explaining things and yes it is all about the audience watching it. Many shows are doing things this way lately because they are competing with the audience's phones the entire time. If you're not looking at the screen most of the time, you need to have audio cues to tell you what's going on and when you might want to look up. It's dumb but that's where we are as a tv viewing society now.
Jokes on them. I gave up on the “plot” years ago
I didnt watch s5. Is that really the point of that character?
I've heard some rumors he wrote the whole Season 5 by himself 🤡
i can’t even tell if this is real i’ve forgotten everything about the show😭
is he even a gamer or is that just your clever way of calling him a fat incel
Yes he’s shown playing NES in the first episode. Ghosts n Goblins I think?
Na ..my man will drown in pussy when he will grow older
Honestly really depresses me to see how many in this comment section (and the larger conversation about this season) need a fantasy series to show deaths of major characters to be likable. This is a fucking television show, a sci-fi, fantasy based tv show, and still everyone is screaming about believability or realism. I don’t want any of these characters to die, and I don’t fucking care how hard it is to believe it for people who want every story that exists to only be applicable to the world they live in. Some stories just need to represent hope despite insurmountable hardship and the lack of these stories being told in our generation is a problem. I really appreciate the Duffer brothers approach to that so far.
Don't have constant fake out death if you don't want the audience to expect characters to die.
It’s still a highstakes show. The references for this show almost always exude a reverence for their main characters but it will still put them in precarious positions to keep the story going. Should Frodo and 6 of the 7 of the fellowship have realistically made it through? Should the Goonies have lost one of their own? Because there were multiple scenes in both that alluded to any one of them being harmed by their own misstep? Were there no “fakeouts” in those stories or stories similar to those with their main characters? If you just want carnage you can find it readily without trying to corrupt an IP because of your inability to discern what it’s always really been about.
Is it a high stake show? If characters that are killed of just return a season later, then what ere the stakes? Even characters we see die like papa somehow manages to survive with no explanation.
People are calling for the death of a central cast member. No one is talking about papa or side characters like him. They want a central character to die or it’s not realistic enough. But since it’s mentioned, what other character’s death wasn’t explained that manages to survive and return like Papa’s?