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I loved Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated so I loved all the references to it in the last episode. Also glad to see Beast Boy as a leader.

Watching the scene where Billy is in the sauna pleading to Max that it wasn't his fault I think that's what their relationship used to be like when they were younger and Max remembered. When Billy was just a 13 year old and would get abused by his dad and he would be crying and Max comforting him. Then when he got older he putting all his frustration on drinking and sex and they drifted apart. They moved to Hawkins and Billy blamed Max and took out his anger on her, Steve and Lucas and their rift seemed permanent. So I think this situation reminded her how much they cared for each other before.

Part of it is I have to think is David Harbour is such a big dude and Winona Ryder is so tiny. It used to be the extreme size difference was a cute and funny visual but now when they start really getting into heated fights it's unsettling. Hopper can be a scary guy sometimes. In the DVD commentary for The Incredibles where Brad Bird said it was uncomfortable animating the scene of Bob and Helen arguing because he towers over her and it wasn't until they realized she could stretch and be bigger than him that it felt okay. When El and Hopper had that big fight in the cabin in season 2 it was meant to be hard to watch but Eleven had powers where she could hurt him back and was even more dangerous because she's killed before. We know Hopper would never physically hurt Joyce but still he does have a big temper and is quick to violence.

Somehow both the implausibility of the Soviets building a huge secret facility staffed by at least a hundred Russian scientists and soldiers deep underground a midwestern mall AND 2 18 year olds, a 14 year old and a 10 year old sneaking around said facility for a significant amount of time before only 2 get captured, cancelled each other out for me!

Me:

I never realized how much people say "We don't have the men!" on the show!

"You're just going to murder me? On this murder show?!"

I have to disagree at that point. The actors are invested but the characters are just living easier lives. El is completely different in personality to Millie Bobby Brown. She still seems this mix of both innocence at the world and naivete in social interaction but shows incredible power and strength in the heroic moments. She's not in danger from the lab. Lucas now is the guy in the relationship giving out advice. I'll take that over the first season where he was a total asshole to El or season 2 with fighting with Dustin over Max and the threat of Billy hanging over him. My feeling is characters change and develop and complete their "arcs" sooner than others. That's what happens in life. The truth is as much as we love characters on TV shows and movies and say we want to see them happy, happy, content characters are boring. Fans complain "Why can't the writers let our faves be happy?" Well because you wouldn't give a shit about them anymore. I remember a lot of Office fans stopped caring about Pam once she finally married Jim. Even hating that her hair and clothes were better. It's only when her marriage seemed to be in trouble in the last season suddenly were back on the Pam train "Oh my god, poor Pam! What's going to happen?"

From Nerdist In Defense of Chief Hopper In STRANGER THINGS 3

I usually watch the Stranger Things Afterbuzz on YouTube. Winona Ryder and David Harbour answer questions on Youtube.