r/StrangerThings • u/Dark_Saint • Jul 15 '16
Discussion Episode Discussion - S01E03 - Holly, Jolly
Stranger Things Episode Discussion - S01E03 - Holly, Jolly
An incresingly concerened Nancy looks for Barb and finds out what Jonathan's been up to. Joyce is convinced Will is trying to talk to her.
Please keep all discussions about this episode or previous ones, and do not discuss later episodes as they might spoil it for those who have yet to see them.
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Jul 15 '16
Run.
Shit man, this show is fucking tight as hell
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u/KudzuKilla Jul 28 '16
I lost my shit. Knew it as soon as it hit the R.
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u/GenocideSolution Aug 17 '16
I thought it was going to spell Run from the first R, but then they faked me out. The second time he started with R I lost my shit.
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Jul 19 '16
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u/SawRub Jul 20 '16
My original theory was that he was alive and just transported into a parallel dimension or something. But his body just showed up so maybe it's just his consciousness then?
When we saw Barb being chased by that monster thing, she seemed to be in a replica of the swimming pool she was taken from, this time with the black goo stuff, so there's at least some level of parallel dimensional thing going on.
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u/ThePolemicist Jul 24 '16
I just finished this episode. I'm guessing that the people over at the CIA lab have done something crazy to make it look like Will's body so that people will stop investigating their facility.
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u/schrute___farms Jul 22 '16
Lets not forget that El had said Will was in the house, and was trying to tell something to Mike as they pulled the body out the lake- another redditor had hypothesized that El is the 11th clone of the test. Maybe she knew that the body was a clone of Will
edit: typo
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u/Bobb_o Jul 21 '16
Yeah, and with the monster thing seemingly coming out of nowhere I think the alternate dimension thing seems plausible.
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u/dcwj Jul 20 '16
Just finished the episode. My theories are:
Will is in the house in the alternate dimension, and when he says run, he's warning his mom to run because he could tell the monster was coming for her. Maybe when the mom got away the monster went back to the alternate dimension and killed Will.
the next episode is called The Body, so maybe it's been in the lake the whole time so as to hide suspicion that anything is going on? Maybe it's a Hawkins Energy Science Place (I forget the name) way of covering up the stolen children they test on
Still so many unanswered questions. Loving this show. Onto the next episode!
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u/Highlander253 Jul 20 '16
Consciousness* just for whatever.
I'm fairly sure the lights are him but what I don't understand is how he's controlling them or how he managed to figure out how to control them. It's very weird.
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u/KudzuKilla Jul 28 '16
I think it was will but once the monster came out of the wall he foreal died. Thats why 11 thought he was still there until they found th ebody.l
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u/HeiressOfMadrigal Jul 16 '16 edited Jul 16 '16
Anyone else really enjoying
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u/asshair Jul 18 '16 edited Jul 19 '16
Every other murder-mystery-monster show has one person or group knowing what's going on, and then like the cop and everyone else figures it out by the last episode.
EVERYONE (almost) knows what's going on in Stranger Things, or at least that there's something going on, and they're all trying to piece it together. And we get to follow along instead of being frusturated at everyone elses stupidity. I feel like the writer's are really respecting us, the audience.
I loooove this so much more than the generic "everyone but the protaganist is ignorant and gets in the way" monstery mystery.
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u/vishuno Jul 18 '16
This is so true. The characters aren't stupid for the most part and it feels like we, as the audience, are figuring out what's going on along with them.
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Jul 19 '16
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u/ohrightthatswhy Jul 20 '16
Yeah, I feel it's using tropes and cliches, but doing them really, really well, you know?
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u/Altephor1 Aug 14 '16
I'm still getting a vibe like 'The Whispers', which is unfortunate, because this show is so much better, but it keeps feeling like that.
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u/assh0les97 Aug 19 '16
I agree that this show has a similar vibe to that show, but I liked that show, although this is definitely better
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u/TheShader Jul 18 '16
He reminds me a lot of Albert from Twin Peaks. At first, he comes off as very apathetic, and you really hate him for it. Then, almost all at once, it just turns around and you realize how much he really does care.
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u/versusgorilla Jul 18 '16
I knew I was going to hate him from the instant he appeared.
Never been so happy to be so wrong. He's great. He's got such depth.
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u/trafficrush Jul 18 '16
I really am, yes. At times he can be kind of an asshole, but you can tell he really cares about finding Will. He's had a rough time and I'm glad he's not bailing out on his responsibilities.
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u/feltmarkers Aug 11 '16
Totally off the wall theory, but does anyone else think that Eleven could possibly be Hopper's kid?
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u/breddy Jul 26 '16
Not to detract from his performances in Newsroom and Rake, but it's nice to see him do a character with depth/nuance. Great casting job and great direction.
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Jul 28 '16
I loved basically everyone on this show but yes, my heart really went out to him by the end.
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u/redheadedalex Aug 08 '16
Bates Motel taught me to have faith in the tv show sheriff. That faith is being rewarded!!
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Aug 29 '16
He's kind of a lazy asshole, but he's got good cop instincts. "Did you see any rain on that tape?" I didn't even catch that.
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u/TurkeyPhat Jul 16 '16
Joyce is really clever with those christmas lights. When Will started spelling stuff out with them and then said RUN I got some crazy tingling goin on.
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u/trafficrush Jul 18 '16
I feel like a lot of the characters are actually fairly smart in this show at most points. There's some cliches that have been avoided that I thought for sure would happen, so that's pleasantly surprising.
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Jul 18 '16
That's what's striking me most about the series so far. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve and gives direct nods, but it's still able to subvert expectations. I love that the ostensible "HEY WE'RE IN THE 80S" vibe can coexist with such smart writing and inventive plotting.
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u/Twilifay Aug 06 '16
Sorry to bother you out of the blue but I just wanted to share with someone about how sad I feel watching Will's mom. It breaks my heart to watch her spend money she doesn't have in a desperate hope of contacting Will. It makes me sad. I just wanted to share with someone since I have no one else to talk to. Sorry to bother you
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u/Furious_Georgee Aug 17 '16
It is so sad. My favorite shot of the series so far is this one:
http://screencapped.net/tv/strangerthings/displayimage.php?album=3&pid=7031#top_display_media
It does such a good job of showing what a dark, terrible place she's in. Just wanted to share.
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u/Sodium0mg Jul 19 '16
The sound effects and the way it showed the letters really freaked me out. Better than any horror movie I've seen
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u/RealNotFake Aug 01 '16
I loved the development of it. Because at first when she noticed the lights flickering she was voicing her internal narrative, saying things like "Maybe I need more lights" while everyone else was telling her she was crazy. Then you see the evolution when she figures out how to use the christmas lights and that she was right all along.
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u/catpigeons Aug 02 '16
I mean she is crazy right? Even though what she's seeing is real she defs needs help.
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u/Rostisar Aug 27 '16
"Blink once for yes and twice for no."
"Where are you?! How do I find you?!"
This craced me up.
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u/J_aces Jul 15 '16
"Just ring me up,
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u/HeiressOfMadrigal Jul 16 '16
Donald is lowkey becoming my favorite side character
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Jul 17 '16
I'm really digging Holly. If that's the little girl. I mean cup dropping, crying at the dinner table from loud noises, in a pretty cool light scene. She shines.
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u/trafficrush Jul 18 '16
At the dinner scene when the mom tells her to calm down she was still eating while crying and the face she was making cracked me up. Like, concerned, but still hungry. I guess I relate.
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u/pATREUS Aug 04 '16
So many references in this show. When she was looking at the wall it reminded me of the kid staring at the TV in Poltergeist.
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u/makomoori Jul 17 '16
I was under the impression that she cried from seeing some strange girl roam her house?
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Jul 17 '16
Nah, the toothless kid bangs on the table and says, "sorry, spasm". Then the mom looks at Holly, who is crying, and says, "It's okay Holly, it's just a loud noise".
I mean it could have been from the girl, but I don't think she saw her. She didn't say anything and even if she saw a person I don't think it would make a little kid cry (they don't have a good sense of strangers = bad people yet).
Either way, digging little Holly
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Jul 28 '16
She did the light scene really well, like in terms of following the camera naturally and reacting to the lights. Whoever casts the kids on this show did a brilliant job all around.
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Jul 15 '16
Lol I just realised the black cop is played by the same actor as the small-time crook on
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Jul 18 '16
He got tired of getting his ass beat in Hell's Kitchen so he moved to the middle of nowhere in Hawkins, IN, to get as far away from DD as he could be.
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Jul 19 '16
Actually to be chronoglocialyl he would've been a cop, left the small podunk town for the big city to make his millions
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u/tion24 Aug 31 '16
Super late to the party but I always see the two non-Hopper cops as being Lenny and Carl
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u/ntd252 Aug 17 '22
I laughed so hard when reading your comments since I’ve just finished Daredevil recently and now coming to this new stranger show.
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Jul 19 '16
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u/charlesgegethor Jul 21 '16
Cop uniform makes you look older/more authoritative.
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u/shamelessfool Jul 15 '16
The kids have been great so far.
And that ending. Jesus😭
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u/ilogik Jul 16 '16
In the previous episode, when asked where will was, 11 turned the d&d board over...
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u/Jah_Feels Aug 02 '16
I'm late to the game (have only watched through this episode) but I am now remembering that they needed to roll an "11" to beat the Demigorgon (sp?) in their game of D&D to save the kid that went missing from being killed. They saw the die and I forget what it was but the kid said "It got me" right before he leaves.
My prediction, which is most likely false, is that they rolled "11" by finding the girl (11) and she will bring back the real kid who was lost and not the fake body they found.
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u/deproxyacct Jan 16 '22
when Joyce was talking to Will in the storage thingy...I was like, sh8, he must be hiding in the exact spot.
not yet sure how he can pull all the comms, but daem, felt the chill...
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Jul 15 '16
Man I almost cried when they pulled him out of the water. I imagine some very supernatural stuff is about to go down, but I felt so sad for all of the kids having to see that.
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u/TheAquaman Jul 17 '16
I'm thinking Will's body is dead, but his spirit or whatever is in that alternate dimension that Barb was in.
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u/post_ewing Jul 20 '16
The kids are amazing , another thing I noticed was they way the kids acted & behaved. I
t was exactly how 80s film kids were.
Goofy & casually cursing.
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u/Posthumos1 Jul 22 '16
I was very close to these kid's age in 1983. This show takes me back to that moment in time like nothing else has in years. I think today's kids are really missing out in some very serious ways. It's like a lot of today's kids have really great gadgets and toys, but that technology has come at a price.
Throughout my prepubescent years and that awkward period from about 11-15, we went on so many adventures and did so many things that swat teams would be called out for.... It was a beautiful time to be alive. I'm glad this show gets it.
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u/Griffdude13 Jul 15 '16 edited Jul 15 '16
Soundtrack is on point. May just binge it until I'm finished. May need energy for my travels.
And holy shit, that epic version of Bowie's Heroes gave me Goosebumps.
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u/zsreport Jul 15 '16
Peter Gabriel's version.
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u/Evilproduct Jul 15 '16
How was I not aware there was a Peter Gabriel cover of Heroes. Why didn't anyone tell me. Someone is to blame for not telling me this glorious thing exists.
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u/girlsgoneoscarwilde Jul 18 '16
You gotta listen to the album this cover comes from, "Scratch My Back." It's front-to-back amazing covers of songs done in a minimalist, orchestral style that'll make you cry.
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u/SWAG_M4STER Aug 27 '16
Is Bingewatching worth it ? i think your brain and subconsciousness needs some time in between the shows to fully reflect back on each thing you see.
just my 2 cents.
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Aug 16 '16
It's 5 in the morning and I just finished this episode (episode 3). I don't have to work tomorrow, so I may just keep going.
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u/theace69 Jul 15 '16 edited Jul 15 '16
This is too good. I didn't expect them to show us what they did in the opening.
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u/Ludachriz Jul 17 '16
Maybe this was obvious but that ladder she tried to climb up was the pool ladder.
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u/rosewoods Jul 18 '16
Definitely. In an alternate dimension. It seemed like she was breaking the barrier between dimensions when she was screaming Nancy's name.
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u/SPQR_BN Jul 18 '16
It's definitely some, like, corrupted astral plane stuff - a copy of our world, but it's wrong. (In that there's some weird fungus everywhere, and a plant-head monster.)
Shades of SCP, anyone?
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u/hotshotjosh Aug 06 '16
Yes, specifically I was reminded of my all time favorite SCP: SCP-093.
Specifically the parts where the D-class subjects have to be tethered to a winch while exploring the other side. All of this takes place in a secret Foundation facility as a senior Dr. (redacted) watches from safety.
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u/Puddy1 Jul 24 '16
It's like when you drink the potion in Super Mario Bros 2 and end up in the overworld
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Jul 19 '16
I think the more you fight, the more you can break thru. Actual location doesn't matter, but nancy heard barb because they were close in their parallels. I think Barb could break free in a forest, given the will
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u/n1ghtcheese Jul 15 '16
Damn, some really good acting, Winona Ryder are doing some fantastic work. They have some really taleneted kids. And that ending were really sad. Also, only 8 episodes, that sucks but it's also really nice that they have few episodes; no filler and stuff being dull.
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u/versusgorilla Jul 18 '16
The kids are goddamn revelations. Kids this age in films and TV always ruin the immersion because they're just not good at acting yet... but these kids are all great. They're able to hit a range of emotions and I never think, "Oh, rough acting"
Really digging their performances.
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u/chillaxicon Jul 19 '16
I love how they actually look like real nerdy kids and not just a Disney version.
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Jul 28 '16
It's like these kids actually understand that "acting like a kid" doesn't involve being a cartoonishly dumb version of an adult.
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Jul 22 '16
The acting throughout the series is above average. I'm betting that has to do with the showrunners giving everyone proper motivations and helping actors know their characters.
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u/on-yo-clarinets Aug 25 '16
I think part of their acting skills comes from their backgrounds. IDK about all the kids, but I know the actors who play Dustin and Lucas both have theatre backgrounds (they've both been on Broadway, in Les Mis and Lion King) whereas most young actors got their starts in commercials and kids shows, where the acting foundation they get is extremely superficial.
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u/MG87 Sep 10 '16
The kids are doing a damn good job, you're never annoyed when they're on the screen
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Aug 28 '16
At first I was pissed there is only 8 episodes. But the more I think about it I'm glad they aren't dragging it out and having lame filler episodes. I'm looking at you Walking Dead.
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u/jonbristow Jul 18 '16
Winona Ryder whining for 50 minutes is the weak point of this awesome show
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Jul 18 '16
When El snaps that guards neck, that was some effed up shit.
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Jul 21 '16
I think my reactions to that scene were a little... off. I went from "No, not the kitty!" straight to "Yeah, serves you right jackass."
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u/Zinthaniel Jul 15 '16
Just watching the beginning of this episode now and I am not ok with what happened to Barb. :[
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u/[deleted] Jul 15 '16
Did anyone else fucking lose it whenMike
It was so loud and out of place... scared the shit out of me then I couldn't stop laughing.
Ninja edit: Here it is