moonb

I assume Glenda is the Cassandra of the Cassandra truth trope, where she is trying to warn the cops repeatedly about Dahmer and everyone disregards her.

I had the same thoughts about that pizza van full of teenagers after the "2 days later" jump. Particularly since they all seem to like multiple layers of clothing.

I think plausible deniability is the key re: coming out issues in the 1980s or before. A cousin of mine from my mother's generation lived with her "friend" of 40 years - and even in her obituary was still described as a friend and caregiver.....but, she was born in 1939. One of my old bosses referred to his significant other of 25 years as a "friend of his" and to himself as a bachelor, which was certainly legally true at least, circa 1999-2000. When coworkers asked or hinted, he maintained he didn't know what they were talking about....though eventually he dropped that, but it took until the 2010s to do it. He is in his 50s. So....a lot of it was maybe a case of politely Not Asking Questions, if your family works that way. If nobody says gay, then gay can be compartmentalized into a limited number of people. On the other hand, I graduated HS in the mid 90s and several of my peers didn't come out until their 20s or 30s. Since I'm a crusty old middle aged person, unrequited romantic feelings just aren't the worst thing to me. Yes, they're painful and extra awkward in Will's case, but almost everyone goes through that experience at some point. I'd be a little more concerned with Mike and El being in love from their early teens to their 30s. But...the show is part sci fi fairy tale, so One True Love is a part of that. Yes! I did like the blood filled balloons popping at the Snow Ball, nice shout out.

Nine extra long episodes and we still don't know how El recognized Will way back in season one. Maybe we'll finally get an answer in season five.

Was Lucas reading "The Talisman" to Max in the hospital, where Jack Sawyer flips back and forth between the real world and the Territories? How appropriate. Loved the scene at the Wheelers where the pizza van shows up and everyone's reaction to seeing the California group. Also got pretty teary at Karen hugging Mike and telling him he was never leaving home again...and of course Hopper and El seeing each other again. And Mike and Hopper's "you've grown. You've shrunk." Aw. Max's scene with Lucas where she says she doesn't want to die - completely wrenching. Great job Sadie and Caleb.

Ymmv, but I think Will's being gay matters as far as the show is a coming of age story about growing up, and a lot of our signs of maturity are pretty heterosexual and not exactly available to someone gay in the 1980s (dating in public in lots of places, marrying and having families, and so on). I don't think it matters to the plot at all, but outcasts are a big theme of the show between the kids in the lab, the Party, Max's family situation....it makes sense that sexual identity would be part of that. El feels like she doesn't belong anywhere, and Will might have similar feelings for very different reasons.

Joyce, you are supposed to be a bit scattered and anxious, not completely oblivious to what's going on with Jonathan (and apparently, lacking a sense of smell too, lol). Then again, she has tended to treat Jonathan as another adult instead of her teenage son, so maybe not.

I too am old enough to remember X-Files shipping discussions, and with season 4 coming I made the mistake of reading some of the promotional stuff, and yeah....it's funny that fandom is so furiously arguing over whether 14 or 15-year-olds will marry their 8th grade boyfriend/girlfriend, lol. That said, I really liked Mike and Eleven's storylines especially in seasons 1 and 2. Almost fairy tale-like.

I'm hoping Will gets a little character development in season 4 as far as allowing his friends to walk all over him less. I know it's part of his character that he's people pleasing and a peacemaker, but avoidance ultimately won't help him much (which I think fed into his fight with Mike in season 3). I sympathize Will, but you can't be that way forever! Maybe some physical distance from Hawkins and the Party will help.

I love Father Hubley in the later seasons episode about Ray and Debra first having sex, and Marie drags him along in the hopes that he'll talk them out of it. "I was told there would be a lasagna." "Wait a minute! You mean there's no lasagna HERE!?" He's so indignant, I laugh every time.

I'm about Becky's age and grew up in the rust belt, and in my anecdotal experience only, early to mid 20s was a pretty typical age to be having children in the 1970s. In fact in our neighborhood my parents were definitely the "old" parents for having me in their mid 30s, whereas my friends' parents had them at 20, 23, 25, etc....and with a high school diploma and maybe a year of college or associates degree for the most part. I'm not sure there would have been systemic signs of economic uncertainty for at least another 10- 15 years.

Upholstery?

No strong feelings about Jennifer Lawrence, but her dress brings "solid gold dancer" to mind.

It seems early to me, but that may be my wine talking.

No, but I love Copland, so I'll have to track it down. More classic figure skating to watch, lol.

30 years later, Boitano's spreadeagle in the LP is still amazing to watch.

I'm surprised that the characters in story haven't pointed out that Charles' temperament and personality resembles dear old George VI. Maybe not in sensitivity, but in general introversion and reserve. Then again, shy Bertie obviously wasn't groomed for the throne and Charles' parents would likely want him to be confident and assured of his role as heir.

Was Tony's mother played by Anna Chancellor? She's always been good at ice-cold characters. On a shallow note, god were Margaret's clothes stunning, especially the coats.

Agree that the casting of the Kennedys took me out of the episode, but I did like the moment when Elizabeth, during the storm, caught her reflection in the mirror and saw her own mother. That was well done and lots of us can relate.

If her academic job had been a tad more realistic, her biggest housing win would be getting an in-home washer and dryer because of Grover.

Finally saw this movie and loved it. The first "meet the parents " bit and first dinner were so well done/so uncomfortable, and exactly how awkwardly I and my white family would behave. I also have an alcoholic brother, and so I was lulled into thinking that Rose and her parents were trying to smooth over his aggressive drunken questions because I've spent lots of family events in that kind of situation. I was jarred by Dean and Missy 's immediate attitude toward Chris's smoking just because he was a total stranger, but I later realized that they wanted his body healthy, and that Missy needed personal things to exploit in order to hypnotize him asap. I also completely thought Walter, Georgina and Logan were all hypnotized instead of operated on, because of Georgina 's crying being so like Chris during his "session", and because after Logan was hit with the flash, I thought Missy was putting him under again. Other tiny things I appreciated: -the Armitage house had a porch with several rocking chairs on it, which made me think of a plantation and also, Cracker Barrel restaurants. - the garden party and the auction horror juxtaposed with the Kentucky Derby-style atmosphere, dress, and drinks. Nice subtle nod to the animal symbolism. - the not-quite-dead characters, always a must in a horror movie. - that real Rose had brown eyes and Loving Girlfriend Rose had "innocent" blue eyes.

I thought Gloria 1.0 and Dorothy had a believable older/younger sister dynamic, although I wish Gloria 2.0 didn't exist. It's also why I like Kate and Michael's episodes, even though I don't like them as characters - they seem like kids Dorothy and Stan would have raised. Gloria bragged about her money and her kids' money because she felt that was the one thing she had going for her (and apparently they didn't grow up with a lot of extra), while Dorothy got the intelligence, job she liked, and loving friends. Sort of like there being a "smart" sister and a "pretty" sister. My sister and I behave like this and we're middle-aged too. I can imagine Sophia paying more attention to Gloria because Gloria was needier or something, and that looking like favoritism. Anyway, Gloria's marriage was over later on, too. Were we supposed to think of Dorothy and Stan's marriage as mostly happy? mostly not because of the shotgun wedding and yutz jokes? I love Stan as a character, but their marriage would the kind of conflicted one that makes for good sitcom jokes, rather than Blanche and Rose's loving marriages. Guess that's why Charlie and George don't appear in flashbacks except the one.

I figured Dorothy's wedding dress in the finale was a deliberate wink to the audience regarding her bad wardrobe. Although, it was 1992, so maybe not. I was watching the episode where Rose gets groped by her dentist recently and had forgotten its contemporary take on sex and consent (you weren't given an option...you were given nitrous oxide!). Played for laughs, but still. Sometimes the show wasn't exactly consistent about that (surprise). Imo Blanche gets the best emotional moments on the show - Big Daddy's death, Mrs George Devereaux, her phone calls to her distant daughter Janet. I guess I like the understated stuff, or I'm a sucker for complicated parent-child relationships. You could see both where Blanche truly wanted a connection with her kids, but would also have been a little nightmarish as a mother (her granddaughter in the pageant comes to mind).

Blanche: Not all my dreams are sexual. I also dream about food. Course I'm usually naked while I'm eating the food. Blanche: Since the funeral, I've been with other men. Many, many men. Always felt like I was cheating on you. George: Everyday I was gone I always wished you could find someone to make you happy.....how many men? Blanche: Two Lesser known, but still great. All in the delivery, as always.

The emotional atmosphere of a lot of the revival scenes was terrific - e.g the sleazy feel of several of Rory and Logan's scenes, especially at the restaurant and their last scene together discussing the house. Or the stifled, close feel of Lorelai's kitchen: she's lived in that house for ~20 years and is going through a midlife thing, so her house is going to feel like it's closing in on her in some scenes, especially with Luke. Or the Gilmore mansion and the chaos of Emily moving everything around, and Richard's huge portrait, all to reflect that her house is "wrong" now that Richard's gone.