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Episodes are about an hour long and focus on topics like:

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This week: Stranger Things Season 3 review

In this Episode:

Our Heroes continue their journey into the Upside-down. Stranger Things Season 3 is the topic this week, and if you listen, you will get free USS Butterscotch Sundaes for life!

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Transcript of Episode 17: Stranger Things 3 Review

Kev (1s): It was interesting how the Mind Flayer could turn into bone chunks and all and form up into a Voltron like the situation, which is just crazy.

Chad (12s): Meatwad Voltron.

Kev (14s): He's a Meatwad Voltron exactly. Broadcasting live from inside the Power Band. This is the Blah. In this episode: everybody dies. I'm the Mohlverine along with There-He-Goes and Algorithm. Welcome.

Chad (34s): What's going on guys.

Ben (35s): Hey everyone.

Kev (16s): Hey bros,

Ben (38s): Dude... duuude.

Kev (40s): Starring, Jeff Spicoli as Billy.

Chad (45s): Yeah, he kind of has that Fast Times vibe.

Ben (48s): Totally.

Kev (48s): I mean really only- only that he's a surfer, because like like temperament wise if you take Spicoli and you put him right next to Billy they couldn't be more different, you know, like Spicoli's like all about eating Zaa doing nothing and getting more baked, and then Billy is like intensity persona-fide on two legs. Like he's about to explode into a rage Fest like at any moment, you know, that's how I feel when I'm watching Billy on the screen.

Chad (1m 15s): Yeah totally, but if you put Spicoli next to Billy you're right, but if you put You put Sean Penn next to Billy. They're pretty similar to both grumpy little

Kev (1m 22s): dicks. Oh, whoa, I like what you did there dude. Nice. Very cool. See

Chad (1m 28s): that like it like it

Kev (1m 30s): like it a lot. Keep it up guy. You're moving right up the ladder this company man, and I'm telling you no time. You're going to be VP

Chad (1m 36s): of sales. Yeah. I just got to remember to put the cover sheet in the TPS reports.

Kev (1m 40s): Yeah. Oh you son of a bitch. We're going to have to go ahead and ask you to come in on Sunday, too.

Chad (1m 50s): Yeah. Okay.

Kev (1m 52s): Thanks. Okay. So Peter Peter tingle Peter jingle. Oh my God folks, as you can tell we're having a lot of trouble launching this episode. So it like I was trying to say in the beginning of the show folks. We're talking about stranger things three this week since we covered one and two last week. Yeah dawg, where do we want to

Chad (2m 18s): Turn off gang. The Russians are

Kev (2m 20s): coming. The Russians are coming and let's start there Chad. Go.

Chad (2m 25s): Yeah high level as I mentioned last week when I watched season to the first time. I kind of didn't really like it as much as season one. I think your point calves about season one kind of being the first go-round where your introduced it was never going to be topped anyways, so I think I kind of hit that that Vibe a bit more on my second watch of season two. I liked it a lot more on the second watch. Yeah and so season 3 for me like while I was watching it. I was kind of like what the fuck and then as and then like five minutes later. It's like, you know, I'm on board. This is ridiculous. Let's do this and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it quite a bit. How could you not? Yeah. I did think it was going to be a lot different, you know, in terms of where I thought the plot was going to go but the fact that is went balls to the wall Eighties, you know shopping mall secret Russian base Terminator thing like, oh my God, it's pretty funny.

Kev (3m 14s): Oh my God. Yes. Yes and so many things to talk about about the season. Yeah. Had been the guys. I got a girlfriend at Camp. Yeah, really? Nice one. Really really? She's so awesome. You guys are going to love her. Oh, yeah.

Chad (3m 32s): She's like Phoebe Cates but hotter.

Kev (3m 36s): Yeah Phoebe Cates, but hotter, totally. Oh man. That was like that was the best. That was the best George glass moment. Like it was so George glass. I was like, wow, this is great.

Chad (3m 48s): We've all been there. We've all either met someone or or gotten the random summer camp

Kev (3m 52s): girlfriend or not. Yeah. Sure. Sure. Yeah, even though George glass wasn't Eighties meaning The Brady Bunch wasn't Eighties. Like that was such a George glass moment. You know what? I mean? Like the whole like no, no, maybe she's real. Yeah, totally. Yeah. She's the smartest girl in Utah like, you know the whole just the whole thing. I mean, he was just short of of like calling the operator like Jan did on The Brady Bunch and being like Oh, call me at night. You call this number at 9:00 p.m. Operator, you know what? I mean? So she can pick up the phone. I'm like, oh, hi George.

Chad (4m 25s): Oh the fucking Brady Bunch.

Kev (4m 28s): Yeah, let's not digress into that.

Chad (4m 30s): Let's not do that. But I liked how the summer camp Phoebe Cates girl from was kind of the the conclusion to the first episode like they trudge all the way up to the top of the hill and set up, you know the Cerebro radio and yeah, he's trying to get a hold of her and they're all just like bullshit. Like it was a kind of a great. Yeah light-hearted intro episode.

Kev (4m 50s): Yeah. Well it was but then it was also a great that was the sort of the book end of the entire season was like, you know at the end it was like, you know, when things can't get any more dire, you know, and it's like they need some ultimate thing Who you gonna call the girlfriend that know everybody is convinced does not exist at this point in episode 8 now. She's going to appear singing The Neverending Story song. Monk of all things an amazing. Oh my God, man, listening to the two of those those two belt that out was just incredible man. And that's how we're going to conclude this episode. Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to sing the theme song to The Neverending Story. So get ready get your ears ready for a treat. That's right. Three grown men singing The Neverending

Chad (5m 42s): Story in harmony

Kev (5m 45s): if we could only get together and sing that that would just be killer to throw in this episode.

Chad (5m 50s): That's how you grow a show. That's that's how you get

Kev (5m 53s): ratings man climb that iTunes ladder.

Chad (5m 56s): I loved how when the NeverEnding Story songs started. I thought they were only going to do like one or two sentences and then it like split screens and they just go balls to the wall and it was all of a sudden it was like Aladdin and Jasmine on am fucking Magic Carpet Ride and you're just like, oh my God.

Kev (6m 11s): Yeah. Oh my God, totally. I know right? It was great. Yeah. It's almost a little cringy it. Well. Yeah, but the creek but The Brilliance of it

Chad (6m 20s): but the I've kind of like I've watched the season twice and then kind of like scrubbed through a couple of episodes just to remind myself every time I watch that scene. I just crack up now. So I think they really they really nailed it

Kev (6m 32s): but I think Ben I think like the cringy part that's like the Brilliance of the levels of deep Eighties that they go in the show, you know what I mean? Like they even added like a song that was well sung from a total nerded out film that we all love from The Eighties and split screen. Oh, no, don't get me wrong. It was it was incredible. But yeah, but yeah, it was a little like by Chad said like you thought they were just going to sing a couple of wines and then they just keep going like, okay. Well, they're gonna do the whole thing. All right, okay,

Chad (7m 7s): but then it like cuts to the cast and they're all just like what the fuck? Yeah, like

Kev (7m 13s): right right, right, right

Chad (7m 15s): bald eagle and Hopper and Joyce like bald eagles got His head rested against a concrete wall in a Russian uniform full of like bloody bullet holes just like come on

Kev (7m 24s): guys. Totally Dusty bun man Dusty find Dusty bun.

Chad (7m 30s): So what did you guys think? What was your initial reaction still like the Russian plot and kind of how it all kind of took off in the beginning of the season because it was quite a departure from some of the other stuff. They've done in the other seasons and kind of not

Kev (7m 43s): I think it was the totally fits. I mean and it totally fits The Eighties thing. I mean, you know that I definitely remember like kind of you know, I mean, I was really young but I knew that the Cold War was sort of a thing and you know, yeah and all of that was going on and I was definitely afraid of it so it's and you know, and that was reflected in a lot of movies at the time as well. Like, you know, eating considering something like Red Dawn, you know, so yeah that that whole Red Scare thing. I think it fits really well with with everything else that's going

Chad (8m 18s): On this is a tiny tiny digression, but my mom owned an art gallery when I was growing up and she she found this Russian artist who painted like icons like religious icons. Hmm, and they're really quite amazing historical kind of Russian Art historical Russian art form and they like painted with like precious gems crushed up and gold and stuff. And so they used to like because of the Communist Party not allowing religion. They used to cut these things up and like smuggle them out of the country. And so she smuggled a bunch of these icons out of the country and got asylum in America with her family. Wow, and they ended up staying with us for a little while just like oh, wow, I don't know visiting or something and in my mom was talking about how she when she was a little girl in The Fifties how like she would be driving outside of New Bedford in like Farm country. Like she would be driving in the school bus and like terrified that Russians were going to come out of the woods and like kidnapper and stuff like that was how Crying. Oh my God, the the cold war in the Russians were at that point and we were like sitting at the dinner table with these Russians and they were saying the same thing like they would be like scared. The Americans are going to jump out and grab them and stuff. So he was such a crazy. This is a crazy like time period I feel like they yeah they were they caught the tail end of that with how with how silly all The Eighties treated the Russians being like the biggest baddest enemy that you could possibly have. Right right, totally,

Kev (9m 43s): right? Yeah. I distinctly remember there being a time where you know when things started to show out it was kind of like, oh, yeah. Well, they're just people too, you know, and we're all yeah, like everybody is afraid of the same thing and nobody wants to do this shit. So like we're just going to not we're not going to do it, you know, but it but it was real, you know back in that back in the day. Oh my God, I was totally real and as usual, I agree with chart. He goes synopsis his answer like I it was just it's such a part of the DNA of The Eighties man, you know for any of the folks at home and for the two of you if you have not watched the television program. The Americans that originally ran on FX season 6 just just wrapped up a year or two ago. I've watched seasons one through five. It is so good. It's one of those like best shows that nobody watched like the critics were raving up and down about it and my partner my other podcast she told me to watch it and it does not disappoint. You want to talk about Eighties Nostalgia. It's the next best thing to stranger things and it was doing it before stranger things. It's so

Chad (10m 48s): good. Oh cool. So absolutely check it out. I've heard about it. I've just never gotten around to it. Yeah, I highly recommend it.

Kev (10m 54s): So, you know, it's that whole the whole Russian thing is just it like I said part of the DNA The Eighties fit perfectly with the story. I mean look when you're watching something like this like stranger things. It's it's it's structured like a great Eighties popcorn munching movie. Like it's it's it's sort of totally Unbelievable, you know fantasy in many ways and like, you know, so it's like the Russians built a secret base underneath the star cord mall and Hawkins Indiana and they're secretly trying to reopen the gate totally not I'm all for it. I'm on

Chad (11m 33s): board. It's almost like it's almost like it's an amusement park

Kev (11m 36s): ride. Oh, yeah, I could see that sure. I could see that

Chad (11m 39s): it's a roller coaster.

Kev (11m 40s): So so that's what I that's that's what I think about that. I mean my God like and and while we're on this like I'll talk about this right now because this is something I wanted to talk about. One thing. I love was they they had a very I don't know maybe it wasn't subtle but I thought it was a subtle Terminator thing going on

Chad (11m 60s): with that one total

Kev (12m 2s): bad guy. Okay, right fine. It wasn't subtle that that one Baddie who's hunting them down and keeps beating the crap out of Hopper all the time. And that guy was like the perfect amalgam of like evil Russian and Schwarzenegger. Yeah, you know like he Kind of had some of the same specs as Schwarzenegger. He they even had like similar like like sort of a similar style of music when he was alone. They showed him like walking like looking for somebody as it you would see in Terminator 1 or Terminator 2. Like I just I love that man. It was really great really subtle was really well done at least like the music and the touches were subtle. Like, I mean, the presence of the guy the actor was was not subtle. Obviously. I mean the guy definitely had a nice like, you know, Schwarzenegger Terminator throwback thing going on. I thought that was really cool. I really like that character. Yeah. It was like a it's like a cross between the Terminator and Ivan Drago. Yeah, exactly been

Chad (13m 4s): exactly. That's what I was

Kev (13m 5s): thinking when I was watching it. I was like if Dolph Lundgren had been less like Nordic looking really yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it would have been like, you know a perfect mating of the to but like I don't know it. It's really great and they had that kind of Unstoppable killing machine thing going on and then even in the house and mirrors when he shoots him like, I mean, he literally pumps like six rounds into the guys chest and he goes down and then you see the guy get up and it's like just like in determining. That's great. Yeah, so really really great, you know Eighties score there

Chad (13m 39s): whatever. Yeah, it was it was it was well handled like you said it wasn't subtle but because they added so many fine details to it. It kind of like buffed it into a good shine like it made it work, you know,

Kev (13m 52s): definitely man and while while we're on the topic of the Russian still we got to talk about smirnov man,

Chad (13m 58s): right? Who's that? The the engineer dude

Kev (14m 1s): Alexei? Yeah Lexie. Yeah. He was great you who is so great, you know the Cherry slushy and like it

Chad (14m 9s): was great. I don't know why I loved him so much but like the whole like kidnapping a Russian engineer and he like wants to drink Slurpees all day just fits. Perfectly with the way that you know kidnap he's were handled in The Eighties. It was always like this like Stockholm syndrome thing where they like secretly party together and like, you know do each other's Nails. You don't think no. No, that's good. Happy.

Kev (14m 32s): Right, right. Like all he really wanted to do is watch watch Looney Tunes eat BK and drink Slushies.

Chad (14m 37s): I do love that. What's his name Bald Eagle? What's that character named? Do you remember Murray or something?

Kev (14m 44s): The character's name is Murray. I think it's Murray Bauman

Chad (14m 48s): those so okay. Mr. Bum-man, we'll get to that later, but.

Kev (14m 53s): The actors the actor's name is Brett Gelman and he's a comedic actor. He's been in a bunch of stuff.

Chad (14m 59s): I love that. They buddied up they become could they become quite close and like the the the amusement park death of what's his name? What's his name? Alexei. the amusement park death of Alexei. And how it hits Marie was I thought like really added a lot of gravity to the that story choice.

Kev (15m 19s): Yeah. Well, that's the beauty that's the beauty of the show. It's like it's soaked in Eighties and they go to Great Lengths to like really, you know, throwing those little Eighties nostalgic points there. The whole story is like hyper fantastic. Alright, like it's so uncut early unbelievable, but then they acting is like so on point and they they treat, you know, we talked about this last week like they treat like certain moments just so perfectly like when Alexei dies like it was sad, dude, you know, and it's like, you know memories like eat like you said, he's like really freaked out and like it was just well done.

Chad (15m 56s): I saw you on this point on this topic. I saw a really interesting YouTube video that I'll link to where this guy was talking about longer form media and how you know, the classic antagonist protagonist antihero kind of movie structure was really challenging. To break out of in a two-hour movie, whereas now multiple episode or season shows like they have the time and space to to have your you know, maybe this guy's an antagonist now and maybe he's a protagonist later like, you know, like Steve he was kind of an asshole and season one and then his character are comes good and season 2 and and like having the space to develop the characters like their doesn't only have to be one main good guy in one main bad guy. There can be lots of supporting characters and they have the time to flush them out. Like you never would have seen an Alexei in a movie of stranger things and you never would have seen him and Marie in a movie of stranger things. But it's awesome that they have the space to kind of do that kind of stuff

Kev (16m 50s): agreed and certainly you certainly wouldn't have seen it as fleshed out as it was in this.

Chad (16m 55s): Yeah, and then and you probably because it wouldn't have been fleshed out. You couldn't have done it like you wouldn't have given a shit about Alexei so they probably just wouldn't even have had the character because it would have been too confusing for, you know an audience to pick up in two hours. It probably would have been super simple straight normal movie plot and like that's definitely like a strong point of the show. Of the multi show, you know thing.

Kev (17m 16s): Yeah. Yeah, definitely and the fact that they decided to spend time on that character. I think was A wise choice is I don't know how but you just you'd end up really identifying with that character. He's like, yeah, you know, it's like he's psyched. He's psyched to be kidnapped, you know? Yeah. He's like wait you guys aren't gonna hurt me? Okay, great. I'm just going to stay then. You know, it's like this is why I came to America. Let's get some Slurpees, you know in typical Russian fashion, you know, you expect him to be like, okay. Can I defect now? You know

Chad (17m 47s): like yeah. Yeah, right. Yeah. Can I come hang out with you guys? So Russians deep underground under a shopping mall. That's pretty fucking hilarious.

Kev (17m 57s): I didn't okay. It was pretty crazy. And what I didn't like was like this show is great about always having an explanation for everything, but they did not explain how the Russians built, you know an underground base with according to Lucas' sister. Miles of tunnels.

Chad (18m 16s): Yeah, that was there before season one. Like it would have been right because because or at least it was before season two like the opening scene of the first episode is the experiment failing and then them telling Alexei he has one year and then a year later season three starts. So the opening scene in the in the show of the failed experiment was basically at the beginning of season two before before, you know, the American facility shuts down and you know, when what's his name? Paul Reiser is in charge like it's there like fully operational which means they would have been constructing it like a couple of years before season one. You know what I mean?

Kev (18m 56s): Right? Yeah in a couple of miles below the Hawkins National Laboratory.

Chad (19m 3s): Yeah. Which is kind of funny because like in a way that ridiculous plot idea is very thoroughly. What would have been thrown at an audience in The Eighties. I mean like, yeah, there's a base don't worry about it. Like okay.

Ben (19m 16s): Yeah sure. I mean, you know, I mean the Russians paid off of do we should talk about character.

Chad (19m 25s): dude so stoked that he's in it.

Kev (19m 26s): Oh, Yeah.

Ben (19m 26s): But yeah, I mean the the how- I mean, yeah, it did it's bizarre because they would have seemingly had to start building the base before season one started but you know, I mean the the how in the show is more or less explained away that Cary Elwes' character is like, you know corrupt and he's been sort of yeah paid off paid off by these people, you know, and they were probably like as the mall was being built. They were in there at the same time or something, you know, like that's sort of the impression that I got.

Chad (19m 57s): It's like just plausible enough.

Kev (19m 58s): right? Yeah, right. Well, you know, I think I just want to jump back to what Chad was saying like you were saying That this is the type of thing that they would throw it in audience in The Eighties agree. And it's also the kind of thing that people would actually like get paranoid and think was going to happen in The Eighties like for real, you know, like like going back to like the Red Scare

Chad (20m 19s): thing. Yeah. One thing I completely missed until recently was Murray in season two when he first is introduced. He's like there's Russians in hot Hawkins and he's exactly shut up but it turns out season 3 is proving him right?

Kev (20m 34s): I was gonna say that I think that's the only appearance he makes in season two. I started we re watching to and I got up to episode 4 and I didn't see him again. But yeah, I remember that all thing. So anyway, yeah great great. Just the whole thing is just so over-the-top great, you know secret underground base in Indiana under the mall. Sure. Yeah. Yeah, it's something that like you it's like something you would fantasize about when you were a little kid, you know, like I feel like like one of the malls are used to go to like there was like You know like you do occasionally see like a symbol for like a fallout shelter totally, you know, just out in and out and about like you'd see like the the you know, the whatever the Hazardous Waste thing. Yeah. Yeah. It's like that that symbol that icon or whatever like and I think one of the malls had one of those who would ever know just like what is there like, you know, what if there's like a missile silo this place or something totally dude? Yeah used to secret missile silo. It's like one of those things like you just used to definitely with used to think that way when I was a little

Chad (21m 37s): kid. We got it. We got to talk about the mall man. Holy shit. That was so such an awesome way to spend a lot of money making an amazingly representative

Kev (21m 45s): Mall incredible. Oh my God, wait, hold on before we get dive into that Chad been where is where is the closest mall to where you are in Connecticut? Well, probably probably in Rhode Island or the Auburn Mall was in just over the line in Massachusetts. Not that far from where I grew up. But then like the Crystal Mall came out like probably around stranger things time. It was like the newest Mall

Chad (22m 12s): such a great name the crystal

Kev (22m 13s): ball. We had his like it is a great name. They had this giant crystal chin. It's still there. I think but they have like a giant crystal chandelier in the mall.

Chad (22m 21s): Now, it's made out of crystal

Kev (22m 23s): Meth probably. Yeah, probably anyway unnecessary digression. Please don't keep this in the show like

Chad (22m 31s): whatever they're so good. I like it crystal ball sounds cool and everything but it ain't no Cape Cod ball. Tell you what.

Kev (22m 37s): Yo, let's go to the mall.

Chad (22m 40s): Let's go hang out at the mall all

Kev (22m 43s): the time man.

Chad (22m 44s): I was deprived on Nantucket. I didn't have them all. So we'd go to the Cape Cod Mall once or twice a year and it was the best thing ever. Yeah. That's a bummer because the Cape

Kev (22m 52s): Cod Mall doesn't even have like a second story or anything. It's just

Chad (22m 56s): like now the only thing the Cape Cod malls got going forward. Is it defeated Darth Maul in a battle God I'm so

Kev (23m 4s): So glad you worked at in there dude. I'm so glad you worked at in there. And I'm so happy jar he go find it that

Chad (23m 14s): funny. I love it. I love it turn into the Cape Cod ball. What was it?

Kev (23m 19s): I don't think he I don't think he even knows the genesis of that comment is

Chad (23m 23s): so you gotta explain that one. That's just too good to pass up.

Kev (23m 26s): All right, you don't have to yeah, but I think it's probably too way too like nerdily personal to bother putting in the show, but.

Chad (23m 33s): Aw, that's the best part of the show is when we nerd out on old lore. You have to tell the story.

Kev (23m 37s): Oh, God. Alright. Alright. Alright. Anyway, I remember I don't know there was a guy on its I got I'm not gonna say it was anyway, we used to hang out all the time and like this is like way back when I first moved there. I like early 2000s. I don't know where we were and I'm like we're standing in line somewhere. It's crowded and I turned around I was like and we were starting to complain about like how annoying it wasn't like it was so crowded and I was like, I was like I'm starting Get pissed it was of course around the time The Phantom Menace came out in the you know, the prequel trilogy. So I then I said I was like man, I'm getting pissed. I'm going to start on the start turning into Darth Maul and without missing a beat. He says I'm gonna start turning into the Cape Cod Mall started laughing so hard.

Chad (24m 26s): It's so good.

Kev (24m 29s): It was one of the funniest things I've ever heard man in the timing was so Flawless.

Chad (24m 33s): Do you like that legit is one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my

Kev (24m 36s): life. Oh my God, that's fucking great. It was it was really really good.

Chad (24m 41s): Just the fact that he didn't have to think about it. Like it's that's one of the best one-liners I've ever

Kev (24m 45s): heard. I know in the fact that like he like I never connected like mall with mall like

Chad (24m 50s): exactly. I don't know. I just I just

Kev (24m 52s): didn't do it and it's like one of those things that like afterward you're like you're so pissed because you're like God that should have been mine. That was so good.

Chad (24m 58s): But as soon as he said it I could picture you just losing your goddamn mind like you would have laughed so Can hard at that which I did it was great. So looking good. Oh my God. All

Kev (25m 11s): right. So the challenge to challenge to our listeners any anybody that's out there that's listening if you happen to have artistic tendencies.

Chad (25m 19s): Photoshop skills.

Kev (25m 21s): somebody somebody needs to draw the character Cape Cod Mall, especially if you're in northeast regional listener,

Chad (25m 33s): it makes them like God the Cape Cod bit like whatever just the the connection of a shopping mall to Darth Maul is just genius. Yeah for everybody involved like anyone listening to this. It doesn't recognize the genius of that connection couldn't agree more. Is there a sorry I lost

Kev (25m 48s): you should to listening to the wrong show.

Chad (25m 51s): That's it.

Kev (25m 51s): Okay, exactly, right exactly.

Chad (25m 54s): But how is it was that set man that that mall set was just so legit and the fact that was like such a tone and of of this season, which is so genius, dude.

Kev (26m 4s): Resplendent with giveaway car and Orange Julius totally been and also and also like neon neon light like like outline lighting around stuff like, yep, you notice that like everywhere. It was like neon, you know, like banding unlike the edges of like walls and ceilings and like I was like, oh, yeah, totally man and the in just the name itself star court. It's like perfect. Yeah it is perfect. Right?

Chad (26m 35s): I love the little like that little scene in the in kind of the beginning where they do the fake-out and follow the Russian guy with a duffel bag and it turns out to be a Jazzercise class. Like it's just the fact that there's a jab in class in that place was just like fantastic. Oh man.

Kev (26m 53s): Yeah. I went that. It was it was like the old style of Mall, you know, like the sort of like, yeah dark, you know brick with like weird like fountains and plants and you know, like people Was smoked in there like that kind of place. Oh cut totally men,

Chad (27m 8s): but they spent the money to make it like super clean and brand-new looking now or any mall you go into that still up there now is just filthy and just looks like an ashtray. Yeah, like you said just looks like a dump

Kev (27m 20s): now answer that weird like my God fiberglass Fountain thing that like anyways, yeah, the the centerpiece of the

Chad (27m 29s): mall. Yes, my only other comment on the mall. I saw a YouTube video talking about stranger things another one that I'll link to and this dude dropped like a bomb of geniusness where he was saying that the monster the monster in season 3 is the mall so the mall is the monster in the sense that like if the thing that they blame at the end and cover everything up and it's like the mall I killing downtown's businesses and like how it's kind of like there's like a subtext to like how how neighborhoods and in kind of commercialism changed around that time. I thought that was absolutely genius.

Kev (28m 3s): Yeah. Wow. That is genius and it also Echoes what's been happening, you know in the last like 10 to 15 years with like the Walmarts like the Supercenters coming in Amazon and and Amazon like wiping out what but yeah, but I mean like legitimately like Walmart has gone into towns and all of a sudden just all the other businesses just

Chad (28m 24s): disappear man. Yeah because like it really it really is the monster, you know, in the sense of like you take away all the fun like amusement park nests of stranger things and like they do actually like touch on like even just the Cold War stuff like they touch on legitimate cultural phenomena of that time and like the change that happened. So you've got like cultural change like the cold war stuff and the mall and stuff and then you've got like, you know individual growing up change where these kids grow up and you know towards the end. They like some kids are moving out and you first love and your first breakup in your first kiss like it's a really interesting. It adds so much of a dimension. To the show to have those types of like life experiences and cultural experiences mixed in with like a roller coaster ride, like the way they weave it together is so good.

Kev (29m 12s): Totally. I agree really really good really good stuff. We've talked about like three actual things about season 3 and we've had like ten digressions about bullshit like mall. So like we need to

Chad (29m 26s): cut the balls of all is important the malls a big part of I

Kev (29m 29s): agree. I know you're right Chad. The mall is important. I think where we started with the mall thing was not until like how I intended that to happen asking been like what is Mall of choice

Chad (29m 39s): was a Highway 7. You take a left at the cell go so you take three 95

Kev (29m 46s): south exactly. It's over there on route to

Chad (29m 51s): take aggression number six check how I know right? Okay. All right. I'll

Kev (29m 54s): stop. All right, let's keep going man. Yeah, okay.

Chad (29m 57s): Alright Cape Cod ball and Russians done. Let's let's talk go over some of the stuff we

Kev (30m 1s): liked. Okay. I have a very A small list here so I can kick the rattle of off dude. Okay. So let's let's talk about some great things. This is a small thing it actually I don't know why that was so funny, but

Chad (30m 23s): we're really dragging ass here guys. It's like, okay, let's talk about it. Okay, so let me just run away paper. Look at the list real quick.

Kev (30m 31s): Let me think.

Chad (30m 34s): No,

Kev (30m 34s): it's like, you know, you know what that was like what I just did dude. That's like when you when you're waiting in line at Starbucks and it's like ten deep

Chad (30m 40s): Digression number seven.

Kev (30m 42s): Right exactly and there's a couple in front of you and it's like you're waiting for like 15 hours and you finally get you finally get to the counter they get to the counter the couple in front of you. What do you want honey? Exactly. I don't know. What do you what do you think? Um, I don't know a latte. It's like come on man anyway, so It took me a little bit to figure it out. But when I finally did I thought it was brilliant was the license plate on the caddy the convertible caddy that they taught. Well commandeer. Yeah, Todd father was great. I was like, okay nice to the Todd

Chad (31m 20s): father that seen the the to the Todd father commandeering your car scene was was so perfect for that era

Kev (31m 28s): totally man and like in it was in like just just the license plate Todd father is like perfect Eighties Macho, right? Yeah.

Chad (31m 36s): Absolutely. Can

Kev (31m 37s): we also talked about the fact that Hopper was like trying to channel some some Magnum

Chad (31m 42s): P.I. I was gonna just gonna say Benny. The next thing is you talking about Hopper, right? He's what

Kev (31m 52s): it was like trying to like just like trying to channel, you know, like Tom Selleck Magnum P.I kind of a thing. He gets

Chad (31m 57s): himself like absolutely gets himself like a kind of like a

Kev (32m 0s): Hawaiian shirt, you know, like bright colors and like, you know to go Honest his date. Oh my God. You're right to Jesus. I didn't even think about that. Yeah,

Chad (32m 10s): really miss that that was as soon as I saw that and like twigged it halfway through the season. I was like Ben is gonna love this. This is

Kev (32m 18s): slipped right under my nose, man. I didn't even I wasn't even thinking about it too until you brought it up. And now I'm like having Total Recall about it. Whoa, did I just

Chad (32m 27s): what go to the Mars colonies digression number eight not selling that's counting this time Tom Selleck man. That was it was so perfect that whole Hopper it was going off the deep end and and doing the Magnum P.I thing was just fucking genius.

Kev (32m 45s): Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, really really good. Yeah funny too funny to see him like a little like vulnerable and like trying to you know, he's like trying to do something to impress Joyce Joyce, right? Yes. Thank you. So like at us. That was cool.

Chad (33m 2s): Yeah and how it like didn't really work. Arm but then kind of did work for him

Kev (33m 6s): right now is if people weren't getting it like it seemed like you feel like he had sort of gone like this, you know to these great wings or whatever and it was not necessarily

Chad (33m 16s): noticed. Yeah. Yeah. It was like he was tough. He was trying to toughen himself up and it wasn't working like the toughening up wasn't working. But some of the like cleverness works out later, you know where he's like gives Alexei the keys and they're just like dude he's gonna drive off and he just like calls the whole thing and perfectly, you know, perfectly calls the situation and it is has his like smirk his Magnum P.I kind of Sherlock Holmes smirk when he's right, you

Kev (33m 42s): know, no no he goes he goes when Alexi walks back he walks by and he drops the keys in his hand and then he says something and he turns to Joyce and Bernie has like really really kind of like, you know an even tone like not loudly he just goes out. What did he say? I'm sorry. What'd he say, you know like He like I might let me just let me just say about Hopper like he takes a lot of shit in this season. And yeah, it's times. I thought it was a little over the top like he was just he was way more out of shape than he was in the previous season and he just like I felt like everybody was beating on him. Everybody was picking on him. Everybody was like dude just such a blowout like whatever and that moment with the keys and the Slurpee was just like his big win of the Season man. Like I just love that moment because I was like finally dude.

Chad (34m 39s): Yeah and then his big loss was that like getting stood up at the restaurant and getting shit-faced on

Kev (34m 45s): Chianti. Oh my God, that was so great

Chad (34m 48s): drinking the Chianti and like calling the guy fucking Giuseppe or whatever.

Kev (34m 53s): Yeah, right. He got- no, he called the guy Enzo. He goes "listen Enzo". He's like "Sir, My name is not Enzo". So just like super tall American dude. He's like, "that's not my name". No, because the name of the restaurant was Enzo's

Chad (35m 6s): I get it? I get it. I get it. I got the joke. Okay. I just thought was funny.

Kev (35m 10s): Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I just I the restaurant scene was great and I loved it like he lit up a cigarette at the end and I was like very first like my gut reaction is like oh my God, he's lighting a cigarette in the restaurant. And then I was like, oh wait. That's what everybody did back then. Yeah, like you'd be in that you'd be in the you'd be on the edge of the non-smoking section and right next to you would be the edge of the smoking section and there'd be people smoking and that would match that would not bother you in any way

Chad (35m 39s): some old lady ashing in the salad bar.

Kev (35m 42s): Exactly man. Anyway, can we move on from this or did you have nothing it

Chad (35m 49s): other things other things that we liked? I got I love what they did with Steve and Robin. I really really like that that section the Scoops a whole I they're in the goddamn sailor outfits for the whole season, but ice cream shop

Kev (36m 3s): thing. It was great. You know that that whole that whole little sub-sect was awesome. You know with with Erica.

Chad (36m 14s): Yeah. Yeah. Yeah with Lucas his little

Kev (36m 15s): sister and like, you know, the fact that she's always like trying to like get in and get with the free samples and she's like, it's like the Hawking on Robin like the whole thing was fucking hilarious. Yeah. It was a perfect like, you know, everybody was always trying to steal samples. Yep in The Eighties and you know, I don't know just the whole it the holy goofy uniforms at the job. Like that was a really Eighties thing too is just like terrible like over-the-top uniforms at like places like that. You know what I

Chad (36m 46s): mean? Oh, yeah. Yeah and and Steve I really loved how he looks like a complete dork and he's with this kind of like wise-ass co-worker Robin and all the kids come in all of the kids that he liked save the world with come in and he's super stoked to see them but Robin No idea that. They had that like Bond of saving the world's easily. How many children are you friends with and he's all embarrassed super well done.

Kev (37m 12s): Yeah, right. I was just gonna say that that was that was a really choice line. It was a choice line. I thought I thought the just to stay on this for a second. I thought Lucas is sister that just just adding her in was great. Like, oh my God everything about it was

Chad (37m 26s): great that scene where she's like talking about capitalism. And then yeah Dustin Dustin's like blah blah blah do it for you countries. Like you can't spell America without Erica and then and then you know, the thing was is

Kev (37m 44s): that she was such a wise-ass and she kept like she just kept like, you know really digging into everybody for like the entire season man, and then we get to season episode 6, which was my favorite episode in the entire season and they're down inside the Russian base and he's about to pull out the wire. Bring on the fan and they get into this conversation and he completely schools her on why she is a nerd as well and it's just like it's a tie. I hate the whole mic drop thing. But that was a true Mike drop moment. Like it was great, you know, and he and she just like had nothing to

Chad (38m 21s): say the My Little Pony thesis so good. Justins like lisping away and he's like, let's go over the latest latest episode Applejack goes to the wizard of dada dada dada dada dada, ergo, you're a nerd. So fucking good!

Kev (38m 38s): And then the best part about it is that after he goes on that entire tirade? She goes. Yeah, and how do you know that and he looks at the panel but the camera is like from the perspective of the panel and he goes because I am a nerd. Thats it to. it's like you're not wrong kid.

Chad (38m 56s): Exactly. Yeah. I love Erica. She's an awesome awesome Edition, but we completely glossed over. But I said what which was Robin and Steve man those guys I love I love the whole arc where they end up with the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade back-to-back chair scene and like they're all drugged up. It's just such a great a great scene.

Kev (39m 20s): Yeah, totally. Oh, I got totally meant just the whole the whole their entire thing through the entire season was just a great the whole dynamic was his great from inside the ice cream shop to the Indiana Jones moment to you know, the end when they're finally coming down off the the the truth serum was just it was just great man. Yeah. It was really really great. And I thought the only thing I didn't I and this is sort of more of a question to the two of you is like did you feel like they're the two of them being drugged was drawn out too long. Like it it just felt like it took like three episodes for the for the shit to wear off.

Chad (39m 59s): Yeah. That's it's not unfair on the drugs though. The the bathroom scene where you know the whole time you kind of think traditional new love story's going to happen that and then it goes the other way with with Robin being jealous of Steve because the girl she's got a crush on is is in love with them. Like that was really well handled. I think like I love that it didn't go the traditional Love Story route.

Kev (40m 22s): Did that blew me away? I almost felt like it was slightly out of place because it's like that was such a modern thing. Like that's the kind of thing. You would see I don't I think that that's the kind of thing you would see now in like any TV like I don't know I sort of felt like it didn't fit but I did I did like that it was different. Yeah

Chad (40m 42s): at the same time like the AIDS quilt and like the the AIDS epidemic around that time like it was it wasn't something that you talked about at school and like the, you know, the kids that were, you know, struggling with those struggles. It was pretty quiet at least in my school the kids that were having difficulties with just get beat up and stuff so I can see what you mean with like they This of her talking about it wouldn't necessarily have happened around that time. But I feel like the, you know AIDS epidemic and kind of gay cancer and like that. It was a pretty big thing at that time. And the fact that there are doing it was huge. Them being on truth serum kind of gives it a bit of plausibility.

Kev (41m 17s): Yeah. Absolutely man. No, I'm not I... I shouldn't have said anything.

Chad (41m 21s): I know you're not complaining about it. But I feel like it's worth the fact that they went there even though it was a little bit modern as you said, I love that they did it. I guess I'm willing to give it a pass on Robin same with Cary Elwes like Netflix. The one thing that Amazon has going for it. Is that whole like x-ray bullshit where if you like pause it, it'll tell you who's in the scene. Yeah. And so the

Kev (41m 44s): like, oh, I love

Chad (41m 45s): that just the best goddamn thing. And so Cary Elwes was in the sea and I was like, is that Cary Elwes and then like the scene would change a big I'll just look it up later and then like Eight Episodes later. I was still hadn't looked it up and then I saw them in the credits because it always changes to the next episode. You never see the credits, you know, so similarly with Robin I was like fuck she looks like Uma Thurman and then obviously figured out that she was Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman's kid. I was like, oh, there you go. Yeah. She is. Yeah. That's it.

Kev (42m 13s): That's the Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman's daughter. Oh my god. Wow! You just blew my mind. That's crazy. Okay. Well, I have to I have to leave I have to leave now.

Chad (42m 23s): Please take a minute. Hang on a sec. Take a sip of water. You'll be okay. It's fine. Yeah, get a paper bag handy.

Kev (42m 31s): All right. I got her.

Chad (42m 32s): I have a digression number nine when I was when I was 17 when I was when I was 20 something. I got dumped boohoo and part of my trying to kind of like pick up the pieces was I read this book about like a Kung Fu Master. That was really interesting and I ended up Googling the guy because at the end of the book it said he lived in America and so I ended up Googling the guy and it turns out that he taught Tai Chi and bog In Boston Public Garden on weekends and he did like a kind of like an you know, how like the Chinese do like Qigong as like a healing thing. Like there's poop in their arms around and all this kind of energy shit. Yeah. He taught a class in Woodstock New York was like a two-day class that you could go to. So I went to that and I swear to God this is relevant. And at this class this class there were there was this like hippie couple got a husband and wife and they were like, oh you can come up and stay with us and and you know where one of the main people that go to the that hang out with this Seafood guy and you can stay at our house and like Okay cool. So I say I crash at their house and the next morning they we had breakfast and they're like, oh we're just going to go over to our friends place. Do you want to come and I was like, yeah, no worries. And so I jump in the car with them and I go over to this house and it's like beautiful kind of like Gothic e Victorian wouldn't kind of hobby New England he house and we go inside and it turns out it's Uma Thurman's house like it's her parents house where she grew up what? Her dad is like it's her. Dad is a Tibetan Buddhist monk who like I don't know lost his eye with cancer or something and the whole house was covered in like Tibetan sand mandalas and like crazy like Buddhist books and stuff and like we hung out with Uma Thurman's mom and dad in the house that she grew up in like she wasn't there or anything but it was like the fucking weirdest circumstance that I've ever encountered and let me tell you she has a pretty cool couple of parents and like a weird one eyed Buddhist monk dad. So there's there's digression number nine.

Kev (44m 32s): All right, that is like that's the digression to rule all degra. Like if digressions if digressions were akin to the rings of power from Lord of the Rings. That is the one ring. That is the ring that rules them all. You've just been waiting to tell that story.

Chad (44m 51s): I hadn't I hadn't I just thought about the other day what it was like one of those like flashback moments were when I realized Robin was Uma Thurman's kid. I had this like Freeze Frame black and white flash back to that. I hadn't About it in

Kev (45m 4s): years. You know what Ben I'm going to tell you something right. Now. You may freak you out don't shit. We originally conceived this show two years ago. Chad has been waiting since fuck off before we started the original episode and Chad was been waiting since before that to drop this digression all bit of nerd bomber e on us so that our minds will explode I'm and he is succeeded now

Chad (45m 33s): just just to spite you I'm going to cut the whole thing out of the show. So no one ever hears it

Kev (45m 40s): dude. You can spite me all you want but you cannot change the fact that this happens. I will not forget that had happened. I will not forget.

Chad (45m 51s): There you go. Assuming there was a kid everybody

Kev (45m 54s): been I'm not going to let you die right there because I totally got what you just dropped and that was a nice Louis C.K. Reference. Thank you very much. Happen yeah, now I had the grass from the show to one of his stand-up routines. But yeah, yeah, that was funny. So good dude. Anyways, yeah,

Chad (46m 14s): Cary Elwes everybody.

Kev (46m 16s): Yeah. So Cary Elwes, um, I'll just quickly say about him and then I have a another good point that may it's worth talking about Cary Elwes is he's a great icon from The Eighties. He is an incredible underrated actor. I don't know where he's been for the last seven or eight years but like I missed him. Okay, and if Cary Elwes if you're listening I missed you. I love you and that guy is such a skilled actor man. He he played the straight man in a movie with Jim Carrey and that film is Liar Liar, which is a really funny movie. If you're a Jim Carrey fan or if you just like Jim Carrey movies like it's a really good movie and he does a brilliant job of playing the straight man to Jim Carrey's like, you know, insane over the top like craziness and he He not only pulls it off he excels at it. And that's that in and of itself is what makes carry what the carryout was great, you know aside from the fact that you know, Princess Bride, duh. So I just love that he was in this he was great. He was very yeah, it's sort of a continuation of the tradition of you know, sort of the Elder Statesman Eighties actor, you know, Matthew Modine in the first one and you know, Paul Reiser and so yeah, Carrie. Oh Kerry Ellis. Yeah that I'm looking at he's been in a ton of shit dude. I always think like I haven't I haven't seen that dude since The Princess Bride but he's been in a ton of shit. Oh my God. Yes. So many things

Chad (47m 44s): man. I only ever remember him from he was Robin Hood and Men in Tights wasn't he? Oh, yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah inter in terms of other characters. Like I wouldn't necessarily say any of the other any of the other major changes in the story with these characters between season 2 and season 3 like his ass. Big as the ones we've already spoken about but the Billy the Billy as as the Baddie in this one, I thought was interesting and you know, the culmination of the whole thing with him and Max towards the end and flashing flashing back to like why Billy's you know, such a broken kid and stuff was really

Kev (48m 19s): interesting. Yes, very interesting. I love that whole bit because I he is he was so crazy in season 2 and I was like, this guy's gotta go man. And and then I was like, oh it's fitting that he's going to sort of be the you know villain for this season.

Chad (48m 34s): Yeah, but he starts off as like the Lifeguard that was really funny to me and I was very Eighties

Kev (48m 39s): the sexy lifeguard that everybody wanted to bang totally. Yeah. Hmm.

Chad (48m 43s): I wasn't big on the bit of whiplash here, but I wasn't huge on the Mind Flayer as you know, whatever the fucking Eighties horror movie like the thing or whatever it was. What was the like Eighties horror movie that was like a giant blob of meat. Is that the thing? Something like

Kev (49m 3s): that. Are you talking to me?

Chad (49m 5s): I don't know. I obviously just fucking died. But just like these horror movies where it's like a giant blob of meat. Like I really enjoyed the shadow monster in season two in terms of it being like bigger, but kind of mysterious and then it turns into like a giant shitty fucking White Castle hamburgers and season 3 and I was just kind of like, yeah didn't really do it for me. Yeah, I get there. I guess there was some there was

Kev (49m 28s): something stuff there because the thing was like, you know, I don't know it's like an alien virus or something and it was turning people into like The Eighties movie with with Kurt Russell. Hello. So good Kurt Russell. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so it was like turning people into like creatures like, you know, like somebody's head would pop off and like Sprout legs and like go like, you know, skittering across a floor or whatever so that the creature creature effects were kind of similar now that you mention it yeah.

Chad (49m 54s): What'd you guys think of that the the Mind Flayer in terms of being a giant-

Kev (49m 58s): Well, I'm trying to answer your question but you won't stop talking. So here's the thing. Like it's a great amalgamation of the blob from The Eighties and The Thing as Jar Heego mentioned a moment ago, and I thought they did a really good job with it. I get why you're kind of met on it. But like I thought that it was interesting how the Mind Flayer you know was became came to prominence in Season 2 and then, you know came up with a whole new plan to take physical form in our dimension in Season 3. I was actually like wow like when I thought about that and I thought about it like that. I was like wow, that's pretty cool man. Yeah, so it's fair he came up with this whole scheme to infect all these people right to get them under his control. So then when he needed them, they could turn into literal blobs of human biological matter bone chunks and all. And form up together and with him into a disgusting gigantic Voltron like situation, which is just crazy man.

Chad (51m 12s): Meatwad Voltron

Kev (51m 14s): He's a Meatwad Voltron exactly. So I was waiting for Voltron to come out. Well, hey man, I'm glad I was able to help you with that. I think that yeah, I liked it. I thought it was good. You know, it was it was different and it was like it was cool to see like a literal giant monster like running around chasing everybody. You know what I mean? And it was great to see L, like throwing it up against the wall like a bunch of times to

Chad (51m 38s): yeah. Yeah the whole like Mind Flayer figuring out she was the one that closed the gate and trying to kill her throughout the season was I mean it's obvious enough, but it I like that there was a bit more intelligence to the Mind Flayer. Like it actually was thinking and trying to plot and do things instead of just being like a shadowy thing,

Kev (51m 56s): right? Yeah sure becoming a character rather than a MacGuffin. Yeah, right exactly man and like the whole thing where she's trying to find out like more about Billy and in doing so it lets the Mind Flayer know where she is like, oh man. I was like, wow, you know. Okay. I wanted to talk about the music for a minute. Yeah do it. I just it's so good, you know, like we talked about the music last week, but I just would I would like to reiterate that the score is so deliciously Eighties with tons of just awesome synthesizer work and like it's so good and it's mixed with just some of the best Eighties tracks man, you know, and and not just like popular hits from The Eighties, but like it's

Chad (52m 44s): like b-sides and

Kev (52m 45s): stuff. Yeah some be Sides and they placed those songs at the perfect moment in you know in the in the show and it was just great man. I just thought them everything about the music the direction the composition everything was just great and I just wanted to say that and if you guys want to throw anything else going great. If not find we don't need to spend a ton of time on

Chad (53m 8s): no. I completely agree. I don't have a lot to add to it, but I completely agree. Yeah. No, I was I was totally with you on the music. I told I know I remember what I was going to talk about a second ago, which was l l losing your powers was I think quite a

Kev (53m 20s): clever. Yeah summer thing

Chad (53m 22s): to do because she couldn't be the great Victor in this one. It couldn't be her saving the day three times in a row. So her losing your powers. I thought was quite

Kev (53m 29s): good. Yeah, it was like Magneto losing his powers. Totally.

Chad (53m 33s): She kind of did save the day in a way by like convincing Billy that he was Billy and not the Mind Flayer but it wasn't her crushing the Mind Flayer. It was Billy taking one for the team. Yeah, which yeah, that was. It was it was a clever way to handle. And it obviously opens up an interesting thing with season for where she has no

Kev (53m 50s): powers. Yeah, like, well, not only that but like yeah it brings up, you know her having no powers in season 4 and also the buyers leaving Hawkins and Hoppers dead. I mean, it's like where I don't know what they're gonna do next but

Chad (54m 5s): and 11 leaving as well, which I thought like I thought the buyers leaving would have been okay, but then 11 jumps in yeah.

Kev (54m 11s): She's leaving with the buyers dude.

Chad (54m 13s): Yeah, it's kind of odd. I mean, it doesn't I don't think it's like the end of the world and like holy shit. What a bad move, but it was just kind of like, oh, that's interesting.

Kev (54m 21s): Yeah. No, it's not dude because like the letter and like Hopper and Joyce is relationship and like, you know, it just it makes perfect sense Joyce is taking care of her.

Chad (54m 32s): Oh, it totally does and the first in the first season at the end of the first season, you're like if I was them I'd get the fuck out of that town. So like it makes

Kev (54m 39s): sense. Yeah. Yeah. I just don't know where they're going to go with the third fourth. Anybody got any thoughts about Hopper.

Chad (54m 47s): The only thought I've got is I want to reiterate my previous comment where I'm sick of post-credit scenes that change what you just watched like insinuating that Hoppers still alive in that post credits thing.

Kev (54m 60s): Wait, wait. What? Oh, you didn't watch it. Wait until we remind me of what it was. Okay. Best of my memory here. They do a post credit scene where they're in. Well, you know, we'll assume we'll assume Russia or you know, somewhere in the Soviet Union and they basically, you know, they have like a that they feed a prisoner to like, you know, one of the

Chad (55m 27s): Gorgonettes The Rockettes

Kev (55m 33s): the Gorgonettes. I like it. Yeah when I'm gonna fucking flower flower faces, you know, so there was a I didn't actually pick anything up specifically having anything to do with hopper there. But yes, I remember it now. I remember it but he says no leave the

Chad (55m 50s): American. Yeah, they're choosing the prisoner to feed him. He says not the Americans. Okay.

Kev (55m 56s): Yeah. Exactly. Okay. Now remember yeah,

Chad (55m 59s): so like it insinuates that it's Hopper. I mean the hopper death I would have as much as I hate to say it. I would have preferred for Hoppers if they're gonna kill him off kill him off. None of this is like double back. They're actually alive bullshit. They've already done it with 11 and season one.

Kev (56m 12s): So no, dude, you're thinking too much. This is like a fit. This is this is what the show makes it. Make this is what makes it great. Is it that they do things like this these over-the-top like hyper Fantastical things. It's like the obvious the next obvious step is to bring Hopper. He's stuck in a Russian prison, dude. Come on.

Chad (56m 32s): Yeah, that's fair. But I guess the surrounding every other show doing it too much makes me kind of sick of it. But like I hear you're right. They think they can't

Kev (56m 41s): kill Hopper off man. Come on. Yeah, it just can't dude. You cannot kill Hopper off your right

Chad (56m 48s): hand. Well, I guess that's what I'm saying is that they shouldn't have killed Hopper off period you know like it's just yeah. Yeah, I get

Kev (56m 56s): it. It's like it's like taking it's like taking Magnum out of Magnum. You can't do it. Yeah,

Chad (57m 4s): Mommy was there ever a case in like any of those shows like Magnum P.I were Magnum dies at the end of the episode and the next I was like, ah, just kidding like it just yeah. I just kind of wish they didn't do it. But whatever it is his love

Kev (57m 15s): interest. Michelle was like apparently like some kind of ghost Because she was supposed to be dead and she kept she kept like cropping up like oh in most episodes to haunt him. Yeah, so there was a little bit of fantasy going on there, but I get it

Chad (57m 35s): the active digression number nine. Imagine

Kev (57m 37s): digression 10. So let's briskly moving along. I just want to talk about a couple of things that I wasn't nuts about. It's really only like one thing. It's okay the hospital scene and also it's also an episode 6 when when the the creature starts first sort of takes like physical form outside the steel plant, right? It's in the hospital and starts it gets right between Jonathan and Nancy. Okay, and you know, he's like Nancy run and she starts running and the thing chases her and then it she ends up in a room and then she just stands there. Yeah, and I was like what like It's so not like her character man. I mean, this is the girl. That was a good point. It was a total nerd and then all the sudden she find out that she's like a total badass it shooting guns and that because then that becomes her thing man. She starts like she's shooting guns fighting monsters and then like there's this monster which is not even the full size version of the Meatwad Voltron and she's she's like, she's just standing there like, oh, okay. Well, I guess I'll die now and like I was like really dude

Chad (58m 51s): which is straight out of a horror movie where the Damsel in Distress stands there. But like you said, it doesn't fit her character.

Kev (58m 56s): It doesn't fit the character exactly. So I totally while I applaud that as an Eighties device like it doesn't fit the character and then and then to just just a double down like this. The other thing that just I couldn't believe was that L shows up. Okay throws it against the wall a couple times then blows the thing through the window. It lands in the street, they all run down there and then they all stand there. Watch the thing crawl into the drain. I'm like, are you kidding me? Like I don't mean like they ran out the exit door from the stairwell and the last bit of the creature was disappearing into the drain. I mean, they came down and had time to have a smoke and wash the thing for five minutes, then it crawled into the drain and then you think like, oh, well L was upstairs That's why nothing happened. Nope. She's standing in the front of the group. I was like this is this is dumb. This doesn't make any sense at all. So that's fair. Those are those are my only two gripes. The only other thing I wanted to say, it's not really a negative. It's more of a positive and that's that. I didn't read any press about this season. I didn't read any tweets. I didn't read any bullshit on social media, but an article did come in front of my eyes that said the title of it was what the hell happened to this show and I could see why people would write about that, but you know the tone It was very different. The kids are finally, you know, they're through in puberty full on man. They're full on teenagers. Now, you know, like it was the the most natural evolution of the show and it's like I guess I'm sort of saying this in the way that like people love to hate on The Matrix 2 and 3 and I always say when I hear that and I think I've said it on the show that that was always the story that the witch house key brothers were going to tell which house keys what which house keys which house keys they were that's the story they were going to tell and you know, what people didn't like it and it's like you can't get pissed at them because you didn't like the direction. They took their story. Yeah what I mean, so I guess I'm sort of like preempting like haters out there. Like don't hate the show man watch the season again, like it's the most natural progression of how it could go. You can't work with child actors and not have them grow up and it's like it worked. Like it was crazy. They even added in all that great teenage stuff with aplomb. I might add, you know and like they nailed it. They nailed all those points man, you know, just the awkwardness of like starting to date girls and like, you know being like dorky in your body and like just the whole thing man. You know. Hey man, I agree I agree but you know haters are great haters gonna hate haters are going to hate you are he go, but they can hate somewhere else bro. Listen, there's one more thing. I want to say because it echoes something you said in last week's episode when you were talking about will in season 2 and how I believe you were saying how he wasn't very like a very fleshed-out character like the whole the whole first season was about like where is will write and then the second season it's like Wills around and you were like, I don't really think that they did enough with the character wasn't really well like a fleshed-out character a properly front fleshed-out character. Isn't that what you were saying?

Chad (1h 2m 17s): Yeah, and he just gets Peter Tangles and season

Kev (1h 2m 19s): 3, right exactly. A tie I really was feeling that in season 3. I was like they're not doing enough with this character man, and they did it

Chad (1h 2m 29s): well, but I think Ben was you know frustrated with Will as a character in the last episode and I would have a met I imagined been that a lot of that frustration was also including season 3 that you weren't able to talk about because of spoilers and stuff. Is that the case

Kev (1h 2m 43s): that is the case? Yeah. Absolutely.

Chad (1h 2m 45s): Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, like I feel like if Will had been handled better in season 3 it probably would have you know wouldn't have been as frustrating for you because there wasn't a season one with will he wasn't their season to you're like, okay he's kind of there and it's interesting season 3 could have been like a really interesting Arc for him. But instead they spend all of their time on all the other characters which is fine, whatever they that they made their choices, but the like Peter tingle him reaching for his next 17 fucking times got a little old, you know.

Kev (1h 3m 14s): Yeah. Yeah. He's like a bad Trope, you know, yeah. Yeah, I agreed to it. It's unfortunate for the actor and it's unfortunate for the character.

Chad (1h 3m 23s): It is I think I think he's one of the most interesting characters but it doesn't go anywhere like it just goes absolutely

Kev (1h 3m 29s): nowhere. Well, he's almost one of the most interesting characters. We want to know more about them, but they don't tell us anything more about him. Yeah, it's kind of a missed opportunity. I think because everybody else is very has evolved pretty well. I think well said, you know, it's like yeah, we know he's we know he's a fucking bomb ass DM but you know what that's about it and he's like sure he's sort of just like a continual victim or you know, will the wise baby.

Chad (1h 3m 54s): He's yeah, he's kind of the only two dimensional character in the show at this stage.

Kev (1h 3m 58s): Yeah. Yeah, I agree

Chad (1h 4m 0s): on the I think this is a good transition to close things up like on season three calves in the haters and stuff. Like I agree where I was a hater for like the first five minutes of the Russian plot, and then I was like, you know what screw it. I'm just going to go with this. And I think the reason why I was not a hater, but the reason why I was just kind of like this is weird. Why are you going in this direction was because I kind of I kind of like I mentioned last show like thought it was going to be a Trilogy Of Seasons instead of four or five and the obvious place for this to go for me from an interesting shadow monster was, you know, bringing Papa back and having the papa 11, you know conclusion with or without the Mind Flayer was where I expected the season to go and so like I thought they were going to have like a really interesting not necessarily serious, but really interesting like Papa didn't die in season 1 he comes back and like her father figure as the person that she needs to, you know, quote unquote defeat would have been a really interesting place for it to go and then all of a sudden they're in a shopping mall of the with the Russians and I'll just kind of like wait what so I get people being frustrated but I think that's you know, if they don't go to the Papa thing and season four or whatever. I just I don't really know what's next, you know,

Kev (1h 5m 14s): right and I feel Take the whole thing about the other kids with powers was never really resolved. I

Chad (1h 5m 20s): just I just delete that from my brain. Like I don't get why they went there in that season.

Kev (1h 5m 26s): Well, it sucks because the girl pulls her sleeve up like at the end of that little clip in the first episode of season 2 and it says 008 on it and it's like, oh wow. Okay, and then what you know, yeah New Mutants know

Chad (1h 5m 39s): and then there's an episode of just stupid shit where she makes spiders crawl around on people's faces and you're just like what the fuck like that was just a waste of an episode. I really fucking hope they don't go crazy with the other kids in the next season. I just I'm not fucking interested. I wasn't interested in that episode. I think that was the one place where the entire show completely stumbled and fell on its face. Was that that episode

Kev (1h 6m 2s): I think I agree with you Chad. Yeah,

Chad (1h 6m 4s): like it was interesting for L to become a bit like more of a punk by the end of it and it was a little bit interesting for L. But like right fuck me man. I was just like I do not care about these people.

Kev (1h 6m 14s): Well, you know what one thing's for sure. Dude, is that you feel very strongly about that.

Chad (1h 6m 21s): What was your reaction to that episode? It was just it just completely was separate from the story altogether like her going off and hanging out with her. Mom and stuff was was perfectly interesting then all of a sudden she's hanging out with some random girl who's our sister and then that entire story just she leaves and the girl cries and the never hear from her again. Like it just seemed like such a strange thing to

Kev (1h 6m 42s): do. I agree dude. Look I'm not I'm not disagreeing with you. I totally agree with you. It's the kind of thing that leaves me wanting for more. I'm like why why would you put this in when all I want to do is know more about these kids come on, you know, it's like it they should have just left it out. I mean, it's not like I'm going to finish watching season 2 and I mean, I don't know if it has any relevance or not or any I can glean anyway, so I'll just I'll just leave it at

Chad (1h 7m 6s): that. What do you guys think season? The next season's are going to like where else? Could it Go besides the papa thing. I guess the other kids thing is an

Kev (1h 7m 13s): option. You know what? I don't know and that's The best that's that's got me the most excited is there like we've got a hint that maybe hoppers in a Russian prison and how does that alone out of Russia for Christ's sake? I don't know dude, but like I just I don't have no idea where they're going to go. So I like I like that. I don't know duh 11. Did you just he did I did do we want to quickly talk about how he died in this

Chad (1h 7m 38s): episode? Yeah. I think I'm on a logged and then it was crickets afterwards. So I you know what to be honest. I died when I told a 45-minute story about a one-eyed fucking Buddhist monk. Yeah, that was when I died.

Kev (1h 7m 55s): Okay Herman with that parents. Yeah, I uh, I don't remember I had mine index and then it disappeared from my head. I

Chad (1h 8m 2s): think actually in the last few episodes Benny you've died trying to remember how you died. Yeah. This is the second or third

Kev (1h 8m 9s): time. Yeah. Yeah. That's it. Very very meta of me. But yes here that sounds folks Kev. I was trying I was trying to have a smoke whilst getting free ice cream at Scoops Ahoy boobs. I was checking out my hair in the mirror on the wall and the mindful are just drilled one right through the center of the that was it God.

Chad (1h 8m 37s): I just had I just had a vision Kev. We're in Australia. We don't really do Halloween, but because the Yanks do Halloween, so well you and your in your lovely lady lumps need to dress up like scoops of Hawaii for Halloween this year.

Kev (1h 8m 50s): Yeah, I like

Chad (1h 8m 52s): that II want to see you in a little blue sailor outfit with like pink lipstick on

Kev (1h 8m 58s): I would choose my hair is not unlike Steve Harrington's right?

Chad (1h 9m 2s): Yeah, exactly. And that's one little one little thing that I love about the show that I don't know if I'm picking up on something or whether I'm full of shit. But you know Steve Harrington's got the Farrah Fawcett Hair Spray and it's kind of girly and that's a joke. I think in this season, he started wearing lipstick and no one's supposed to notice and it's to make it more attractive. But like if you look at some of the early at the early episodes in in the ice cream parlor, he's kind of got like a lipstick thing going and I reckon Steve Harrington's putting lipstick

Kev (1h 9m 31s): on interesting

Chad (1h 9m 32s): interesting which is the random-est quip ever. But all right, you need to have a little bit of lipstick and you guys need to dress up like that for Halloween. I demand

Kev (1h 9m 39s): it. Okay, if I think for Halloween you should you should do the Scoops a holy thing, but you should have the busted up face. Oh, yeah, that's good like that, man. And the split lip and the you know, like yeah. Yeah.

Chad (1h 9m 54s): Yeah, totally rent a convertible Cadillac and drive it around.

Kev (1h 9m 58s): Yeah the Todd father. I love I love how Steve Steve finally won his first fight in season three when he kicked that when he kicked that Russian guy's ass. It was awesome.

Chad (1h 10m 9s): That was amazing. Dude. You won fight. That was so fantastic. Can we can we throw one last anecdote in the new Coke seen that was really

Kev (1h 10m 18s): good go. Oh God. Yes. Oh

Chad (1h 10m 20s): man, I love he's like, I love it and everyone just like you're

Kev (1h 10m 23s): crazy. Totally your what is wrong with you? Yeah,

Chad (1h 10m 30s): so many little nuggets. There's too much to talk about. Unfortunately. We'll have to save it for another

Kev (1h 10m 34s): time. No, that was hype. That was high blasphemy back in The Eighties. Totally man. I'm with the new Coke get outta he.e

Chad (1h 10m 41s): I get it a do. This is kind of just a random a random thought but when or do we talked about like interesting News items like the Comic-Con panel that talked about like the new Thorn

Kev (1h 10m 56s): stuff. Yeah. I just I read about that. I mean, I feel like we should be adding in like a nerd News section man

Chad (1h 11m 5s): like that. But

Kev (1h 11m 7s): yeah, well, whatever. I mean, however you want to yeah

Chad (1h 11m 10s): will steal the MTV News. Jingle.

Kev (1h 11m 12s): Yeah. There you go. Dude, that'd be tight. I think we should do a nerd news thing like, you know, hey what's going on in the world? Like, you know, here it is, you know, maybe each of us brings like one news item that we found, you know intriguing because I read that whole thing about Natalie Portman being Thor I was like, wow.

Chad (1h 11m 30s): Okay. Yeah, I was interested to I kind of wouldn't be surprised if that was a misdirection bit of marketing to but I also wouldn't be surprised if they actually went for it. I'd be kind of interested to see them go for it. But

Kev (1h 11m 42s): I think they are going to go for it. I think they're going for it. Yeah, because I've independently read a the same story basically.

Chad (1h 11m 50s): my understanding was the only reason people are saying it wasn't that anything was said at Comic-Con other than she held Thor's hammer up in the air and kind of like threw a wink to the crowd like I don't believe that's actually spoke about it specifically did

Kev (1h 12m 4s): they I just read an article about the plot synopsis

Chad (1h 12m 8s): same thing same here yeah yeah the like four or five new things that they talked

Kev (1h 12m 13s): about yeah that's what I read well yeah I mean it sounded like they were gonna kind of approach remember you talking about when we talked about I don't remember I might have been in the best of Marble episode of it up but yeah it looks like they're they're going to go for that story

Chad (1h 12m 30s): yeah with Waikiki doing it to which is interesting

Kev (1h 12m 33s): yeah yeah yeah it's very interesting I think it's going to be

Chad (1h 12m 37s): good yeah I think it's it's it could be as risky maneuver as the way they push the envelope with Iron Man in 2000 and 2008 or whatever to push the envelope with what's expected now with with the It's or of my kind of unlock people being a bit more ballsy.

Kev (1h 12m 54s): Well, this is this is really the Ball Z part. I mean this is sort of an interesting topic. This is the Ball Z part of the whole MCU thing because now they've run through 21 movies, you know, you can you can only get actors to contract for so many films and in in my experience actors actors get bored. They get tired. Yeah, they get tired of playing the same thing. So now they're talking about, you know, sort of turning the reins over to a new set of Avengers and it's going to be like black widow Falcon America, you know, like female Thor and like, you know, God knows who else so, you know, my hopefully Parker will be in there as well as Spider-Man will be in there too. So, I don't know. I mean we could sit around and talk about that and speculate on that for a while, but we're not going

Chad (1h 13m 38s): to nah. I mean the speculation is like it's interesting to talk about the speculation, but it's just speculation. So, you know,

Kev (1h 13m 45s): yeah, exactly exactly it's not it's not really a conversation I guess like

Chad (1h 13m 50s): Between between the potential for them being a bit more ballsy with you know scripts and or risks added to the you know, the fact that they're going to do shows and have a bit more multimedia stuff. I think is interesting long-form long-form TV these days is so hit-or-miss like I was talking with with Emma yesterday about about it and just like at a super high level like since since creators generally only get one or two seasons before they start their show. They haven't really thought through the overall overall story arc too much and they end up getting pigeon-holed into like every season having to make it bigger and bigger and bigger and not having like a five season story already in their heads, you know, kind of like, you know, the I mean from what I've heard with with lost where they just kind of like we're making it up as they went along because they were under so much pressure.

Kev (1h 14m 37s): It's true. Yeah, that's true. I've

Chad (1h 14m 40s): lost you put that versus Marvel's Cinematic Universe where they plan to 20 movie thing. Like they actually had the ability to make it more than just a one by one thing. It's kind of an interesting problem. That wasn't really around before but now is quite quite evident where if you don't have the the chops to create on the fly your shits just going to be the same thing over and over

Kev (1h 15m 1s): again. Yeah.

Chad (1h 15m 2s): Yes.

Kev (1h 15m 4s): Curious Chad, very interesting is yeah. I agree with him anyway for all of us here at the podcast. Thanks for tuning in

Chad (1h 15m 13s): folks. Thanks guys. Thanks everyone

Kev (1h 15m 17s): And that wraps up this week's episode. If you want to find links to the stuff we spoke about today. You can find them in the show notes in your podcast app of choice or at the website ebd.fm/17. If you have any thoughts on the show or an idea for a topic hit us up on Twitter @ebdpodcast. You can find me @mohlverine on Twitter. That's m-o-h-l-v-e-r-i-n-e. Chad is @chadnormal on Twitter. Ben is @jarheego on Twitter. That's j-a-r-h-e-e-g-o. And if you like the show, please recommend us to a friend. Thanks and so long.

Kev (1h 16m 01s): Exactly

Ben (1h 16m 01s): So cheers everyone

Kev (1h 16m 02s): And it talked like- Yeah, cheers. I'll drink to that if I was drinking and also also drink to midi-chlorians. I got to digress for one second because Ben I was just- a thought came flying into my head about warp nine this week. I'm driving down the road working my driving job and all the sudden I start going Jamie. Come on, Jamie you full of Midi-chlorians. Come on! Go! What about da Midi-chlorians,

Ben (1h 16m 33s): Jamie. You're my special boy. Yeah, you're packed with Midi-chlorians.

Ben (1h 16m 38s): That's it dude.

Chad (1h 16m 41s): What's that from?

Kev (1h 16m 42s): You're packed with Midi clo- Go ahead Ben

Ben (1h 16m 43s): The same kid that was in- the same kid that was in Jingle All The Way playing playing Arnold's son is the same kid that played young Anakin.

Chad (1h 16m 53s): Oh right.

Kev (1h 16m 57s): And yeah, so, so we made a new movie. And we call it Jingle All The Phantom Menace And it stars Jamie- and it's stars Jamie as Anakin and then Arnold

Ben (1h 17m 13s): Put that cookie down.

Chad (1h 17m 17s): Did you guys- speaking about young actors? Did you guys hear that that Edward Furlong is coming back for the new Terminator?

Kev (1h 17m 22s): Oh my god.

Chad (1h 17m 24s): Wow, he's probably like a Gray beard. Now.

Kev (1h 17m 28s): They cannot there. Just I don't know. I feel like they're just digging themselves into a hole deeper and deeper dude. He's in the he's in the he's in the fucking trailer. You can see it you did he does have a fucking graybeard. It's

Chad (1h 17m 40s): hilarious. Really? I love how pissed off you are about this new movie

Kev (1h 17m 45s): Ki am pissed about it.

Chad (1h 17m 46s): We have to do a show on it now because of how like frustrated you are.

Kev (1h 17m 51s): I don't really you know, it is I'm all for the film and for Furlong being in it as long as there's a section in I'm part of the film Arnold is talking about Midi-chlorians. Okay, that's

Chad (1h 18m 3s): my thought you - I thought you were going to say as long as there's like a scene where he's like teaching Arnold to say like stupid kid shit and hop on one leg.

Kev (1h 18m 11s): And yeah, and he's like 40 now. Yeah, whatever 35 with a gray beard.

Chad (1h 18m 16s): He's like, you can't kill people. Uhhhh.

Kev (1h 18m 20s): Why don't you tell you about Midi-chlorians? I already know about Midi-chlorians to I've ever writing the movie right now. This is- yeah exactly. So everybody knows we are actually in charge of writing the new Terminator movie and this is the plot line right here. We. Are. Writing. The film.

Chad (1h 18m 36s): Breaking news.

Kev (1h 18m 39s): You thought you knew but you didn't know but you know, we are writing the film

Chad (1h 18m 43s): It's almost like every episode we have a we have a Arnold segment like it's become a segment in the show.

Ben (1h 18m 49s): We should just have Arnold as a special guest, you know.

Chad (1h 18m 51s): The fourth co-host.