The Reel Rejects - Extended Version: STRANGER THINGS Season 5 Episode 7 TARA & ANDREW'S REACTION!! Netflix Vol. 2 | Vecna | Noah Schnapp

Episode Date: December 31, 2025

WHAT AN EMOTIONAL EPISODE As Will Comes Out! Stranger Things Season 5 Full Reaction Watch Along: ⁠  / thereelrejects  ⁠ STRANGER THINGS 5, Episode 5 & 6 - Tara & Andrew's REACTION: ⁠ �� • STRANGER THINGS Season 5 Episode 5 & 6 TAR...  ⁠ STRANGER THINGS 5, Episode 3 & 4 - Tara & Andrew's REACTION: ⁠   • STRANGER THINGS Season 5 Episode 3 & 4 TAR...  ⁠ STRANGER THINGS 5, Episode 1 & 2 - Tara & Andrew's REACTION: ⁠   • STRANGER THINGS Season 5 Episode 1 & 2 TAR...  ⁠ Gift Someone (Or Yourself) A Stranger Things RR Tee! ⁠https://shorturl.at/hekk2⁠ Vecna: The Mind Slayer tee by @G9DESIGN & Dr. Stranger Things tee by @SASAMIIKU — perfect for hardcore fans & collectors alike Tara Erickson & Andrew Gordon react to Stranger Things Season 5 (Part 2), Episode 7 — “The Bridge,” a pivotal chapter that pushes the series toward its endgame as Hawkins, the Upside Down, & the Abyss collide. With the plan finally in motion, this episode balances high-concept mythology with deeply personal character moments that redefine what victory might cost. “The Bridge” centers on the dangerous strategy to draw dimensions closer, creating a literal & symbolic bridge between worlds. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown – Enola Holmes, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) is forced to confront the limits of her power as the group prepares for a direct confrontation with Henry Creel / Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower – Sweeney Todd, Twilight). Will Byers (Noah Schnapp – Hubie Halloween, The Tutor) remains crucial, his connection to the other side sharpening as truths about the Abyss and Henry’s endgame come into focus. Follow Andrew Gordon on Socials:  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MovieSource⁠ Instagram:⁠ ⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agor711/?hl=en⁠ Twitter:  ⁠https://twitter.com/Agor711⁠ Follow Tara Erickson: Youtube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson⁠ Instagram: ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/⁠ Twitter: ⁠ https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson⁠ Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. ⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...⁠ Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! ⁠https://www.rejectnationshop.com/⁠ Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/⁠  Tik-Tok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/reelrejects⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/⁠ Music Used In Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. ⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. ⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...⁠ POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit⁠ https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo⁠ and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en⁠ Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.⁠ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO:⁠ https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects⁠ Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  ⁠https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/⁠ INSTAGRAM: ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/⁠ TWITTER:  ⁠https://twitter.com/thereelrejects⁠ Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/⁠ TWITTER:  ⁠https://twitter.com/thegregalba⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Searchlight Pictures comes, Is This Thing On? Directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Canada's own Will Arnett. Is This Thing On is the story of a man's unconventional journey to find himself, seeking new purpose in the New York stand-up comedy scene while navigating his impending divorce. Is This Thing On is a raw, authentic, and hilarious story about discovery, reinvention, and second chances in life. See Is This Thing On, now playing in select theaters everywhere January 9th. What a cool visual.

Come on, come on. Aha, it is. Ooh. You naughty, naughty. Steve came up with a plan? Oh, yeah. Whoa, Nancy. Bad ass.

What? Citizens, you reject things. We're here. Stranger Things. Season 5, episode 7 is coming for us, and it's coming for you. We know you're going to be watching with us. Because we're all friends. Andrew, how are you?

I'm doing well. I'd be doing better if I could figure this out, which I think I just did. Okay, I'm doing great. I'm excited. I don't know what's about to happen, but that's the fun of doing this. How are you, Tara? This is LeCroix. It's a good.

Peach Pear, the best flavor. Better than snow cone flavor? No. Okay. No, not better than the snow cone. Get out of here. That's not even a comparison, but with a LeCoy. This one's very good.

Doing all right. We're here. We're ready. We're excited. Let's just get into it. All right. And three, two, one. Back, come on. Open your eyes. Yes. Yes, Max. Can you hear me? What a cool visual. Come on. Come on. All the way, Max. Yes. Yes. That's it. That's it. You can really feel his emotions right there. Yeah.

Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. You're okay? I can't feel much. Oh, yeah, I bet. You haven't used your eyes.

Okay? Or your muscles for a long time. Right. Your body's just weak. It just needs to readjust. You're like Neo. I saw you. I saw you waiting for me.

Aw. You bored of it. Never. Are you? He is. I love it. It's the whole time. I didn't even need it.

I just needed you. I just needed you. Remember in episode four, season before he said, I'm right here. Oh, I always execute these moments so well. And I think this might be another Kate Bush song playing in the background. You're really here. Here, I'm here. Could be totally wrong, though.

And I'm sure you'll come for me in the comments if I am. Super sweet time, didn't you? Screw you, Wheeler. Oh, this is a lovely reunion. Yeah. Dang, I didn't expect to cry in the first two minutes. You were being hunted by the demo docs, and we were all seconds away from becoming lunch

when Mrs. Wheeler came and did the laundry. That was awesome. He'll be angry. I'll know we escaped. Where's Holly? She's in the upside down now. We don't know. she may throw her window yet got to assume in the upside down though right yeah then she told her to

hide in her in her house yeah they'll come find her oh yeah what a terrorizing way to wake up gnarly wow great visual amazing practical effects right there oh my god this makes you want to throw up i don't want any of that oh there we go girl wow this is what I'm talking about like those practical effects okay to throw up the thing is oh boy I was part of the mind flare it that just got it went out of her yeah get out of there wish you had a Molotov cocktail and you get the road in him but All right, it's going to be quite a journey to find your home now. Get out of there, get out of there.

Oh, he's going to see she's missing. I do like that this is one of the first times we're actually seeing all of this in the light. Normally, it's very dark in here. Jonathan, stop. His shoulder's got to be really sore. We're really screwed. Yeah. true. Yeah, I guess you're right.

Is he going to dip down and we're going to see the ring in the foreground? Got anything else you want to confess? Mm-hmm. Steve? Dustin? Let's hope. Stay back. Sorry, we're late. Right, Nancy, he does have better hair than me.

You son of a bitch. Yeah, we're okay. Oh, my first crush, you're alive. Shield generator ears. Isn't really a shill generator, yeah, we know. We think that would have been good information to share. I tried. Dr. Brenner's notebook from 83.

All his research into the gate, how he created it, what it really is. Hmm. Holly isn't on the other side of the wall. Wherever she is, it's not the upside down. Yeah, that's why it's all yellow and orange and not. dark and red when he took me he opened the fourth final game girl you got to pull that rock out of there come on you got it now just dive in is that safe ohly the heroic come on let's dive it that's right you can holly i guess it is

There we go. All right, that's the upside name. Great visual. Awesome. Whoa. Oh, God. Is she going to fall right back to where she was? I hope not.

Whoa. They can hear her. Oh, is that the building there in? It looks like it. Oh, whoa. That's a crazy cut to the title, intros. Titles are cool, but I don't want them.

I need the story. What do you think? Duffer Brothers did this one? I wonder if this The Bridge. Chapter 7. I wonder if this will be written by them too, because we haven't got one that was

I always know it was produced, but. Aha, it is. Great. That's fun. Oh, and Sean Levy. Wow. Two-oh. Or trio, excuse me.

Oh, that reminds me of up. Up. I was thinking that too right when you were about That's it. Voyager beta. Voyager beta. Negative Voyager alpha. Voyager gamma.

Your balloon experiment is a dud, snookums. Snookums. A vehicle is simply not the most expedient way to pinpoint a telemetry tag. Expedient, we've been building your goddamn balloon experiment for six hours. Let's just cut our losses now before your star student winds up dead in a ditch. Cut our losses. Oh, I like the clown music there. Fortune favors the bold.

Okay, so they're gonna float. Loose your balloons, Voyagers. Negative 44. I take it back. Snuckums, you mad, mad genius. Where to go, science, teach. One last time. Eh.

Max is safe. She got out. None of this would have happened if it weren't for you. Always feels. The truth is, I never stood a chance. He's always known it. Mm-hmm. That's why out of everyone in Hawkins, he chose me.

Don't have doubts about yourself, man. I was his vessel. That's true, but... A vessel to channel his powers. We can change that now. Only someone with your resiliency could survive this long, mentally, physically. Every night, I jacked into the hive and took control of the finds, using them to tunnel.

Yeah, but you didn't know what you were doing, dude. What could he do with 12 more like me? Hmm. Sweetheart, this is not over. Not by a long shot. Hmm. Freaking military. Always ruining everything in this show.

Oh. There's somebody there, and number eight is hiding. Hiding the person in the wheelchair. Are you saying that Holly is trapped? Under a steel plate. There's this world under ours. Under the plates. The upside down.

Yeah. It's just like Hawkins. Only way he's suck here. Very true. They found Dustin in the others. Yeah, yeah. Well, they're going to be able to find Holly a lot easier than we are. Oh, never mind.

I was totally wrong about that. I thought you were on to something, though. I was like, well, why is she looking nervous passing the military? So I thought, yeah, but it's fine. But with eight there, they could do that now, right? They could, for sure. If, oh. Hey, hey, hey, are you okay?

She needs to stay in the hospital. If you think I'm going to stay in bed when my daughter needs me. You're out of your goddamn mind. I know, but you need to get better, too. This group saved Will when no one else could. Yeah. Yeah, they did. We're going to bring her back to you, Mom.

I promise. Yeah, they got it. We successfully trilaterated Dustin's position here. He wouldn't be precisely here. He'd be under. Sorry. You didn't tell him? You didn't tell him?

It's Mike. Holly's escaped from Vecna, and she's on her way to my house in the upside down. I need to get there as fast as you can in rendezvous with Holly. Wow. Dustin is under those plates? Yes, but not pancakes. Nope. Yeah, we've got cameras all over that rift.

I have an old spectrum analyzer back at the club. If I can just locate the RF signal, I should. should be able to jam the transmission. Mr. Clark, coming and clutch. Or 11 can break them, right? Yeah, I was very... Love that. That's a lot more simple.

Yeah. Hell yeah, 11. She's really good under pressure when everyone's watching. His reaction's the most fascinating. Mike any look down there Mike Mike

Wow Ah yay Nancy Where is she Where is Holly Bechna grabbed her before she Denny

Elkney Had Nancy Nancy please Nancy Oh Beckna got her Something had a hold of her, but you couldn't see anything. Vakna, it had to be.

Maybe they can create a bridge to get to where they are. Yeah, they got to. That was a d-moveling her to get so close. Great visual. It's definitely been working out a lot since he's and poor, Vekna. Yeah. Oh, no. A demon from that other world.

He can control monsters. Stop fire. Oh, wow, he's still alive. Jeez. The slaughter. Keep your focus on finding the girl, find the girl, Christ. That all you can say?

I mean, you got a pullstring under that jag of yours or what? Ooh. If you had just done your job and found her, then I wouldn't have to repeat myself. That's right, no accountability. Max. Be careful Be careful

I leave you alone for a second And you turn into a sorcerer The basement is hidden behind this bookshelf Over there Not quite the back cave But it's pretty sweet And you kept the station going on that's cover Robbins R DJ

Makes sense Robin would work in a bad cave Yeah And we've always assumed the upside down Was another dimension opened by Brenner But it turns out It's actually a bridge So the old wormhole In theoretical physics they call this type of bridge

Wormhole. A realm of pure chaos and evil. I'm sorry? D&D. For all those years ago, you banished Henry. He was lost for years, and he would have stayed lost if it wasn't for Brenner. He had me fine, Henry. Thank you, Brenner.

We kicked Vecna's ass last year, but I think he just fled across his bridge back to the abyss to lick his wounds. Yeah. Why is he taking kids up there? The minds of children are weaker, so he channeled his thoughts and powers through me to amplify his abilities and he's gonna do the same with those kids fascinating Henry told the kids that they would help him draw the worlds together she wants to move the abyss yeah it doesn't sound Henry wasn't licking his wounds in the abyss he was making riffs weakening the

abyss how long do he think this takes like are we talking like or is this can take some time we better hope he has some time yeah at least now we know what we're up against and what we need to do we just need a plan what did this max tell her awful things she told her i kidnapped you what you rescued us i know huh she told her i don't want to save the world i want to end it how could she believe that derrick he wants to say something but the threat of his family perhaps i have failed and the black thing is one we can't let it win Oh, my God, I love that kid's shirt. It says E.T. phone home.

I've been her best friend since kindergarten. Debbie's her second best friend. And she crushes hard on Josh. No, she doesn't. She does. She does. We can do it. Back to the light.

Back to the light. Back to the light. You're lost in the darkness. Look for the light. Could be one of those damn monsters. Some of my wheelchair brakes padlocks and cameras. I don't think so. You never know.

Probably the rest of the team. Maybe the questioning of Linda Hamilton is a foreshadowing that they're going to turn on. on her when they see like the stakes. At the base, in the upside down, there's a chopper ready for the taking. To the chopper hopper. We fly up the abyss. Kill the freak, rescue the kids, fly back down.

Sounds simple. It's too big, it's not gonna fit. Steve hears that all the time and he goes in anyway, don't you Steve? Fly or die. Well then I guess we die. Steve came up with a plan? Okay. This flashlight is the squawk radio tower, and the slinky is the bridge.

Mm-hmm. Max said, Vecna is drawing our worlds together, so we let him. Yeah, let him get super close. That's a risky plan, but what other choice do they have? And when it's close enough and the radio tower is poking through one of the riffs, L makes her move, and then stopping the spell, halting the worlds from moving. Mm-hmm. The upside-on lab is right under his layer, and it's still frozen in time.

Mm-hmm. that everything should still be there from Brenner's experiments including math. Yeah. If you do make it into his mind, I can walk you through it. Nice. I know a sick mind inside and out. Been there for two years. I can follow her into his mind.

Be cool if Will, be cool if Will came too, the three of them. One final thing. On the way out, we drop a bomb. The bridge collapses. And with it, all of it, gone. All right. Game set, match. We know Hop already has a bomb.

You're safe now. You're with us. Hey, welcome back, Holly. Ugh. Oh, God. The music is great. It sounds like horror music. Mr. Watson, he's not who he says he is. He didn't really save us. He's trying to destroy the world, Holly.

Mr. Watson has told us everything. Oh, God. Max, she's a monster. She twisted your mind. That's not true. She's helping us get back home. Hmm. Everything you see, none of it is real.

You have to believe me. You have to believe me. You have to believe me. He's a great actress. Very believable. Derek, tell them. Tell them. Tell them.

He has no choice. You're right, Holly. Max lied to us. Yeah. I just feel so, so stupid. You're not stupid, Holly. None of this is your fault. God, what's she going to do with that?

What's she going to do with that? Whoa. Oh, snap. Okay, girl. Let's go. Let's go, Holly. Oh my god. This kid. Oh my god. Kick him in the face. He just called you the B word. Oh God. Take off the cape. Oh, Holly the heroic. No, no, no, not the necklace.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Ouch. I was hoping for a slightly more delicate landing, but I suppose that'll do. Another happy landing. I'll trust her. Maybe we should, too. No, she's up to something. I'm sure of it. I just... Hmm.

What happened to the two of you down there? She thinks I don't believe in her. Which isn't true. Of course not. I need to make sure she gets out of this alive. That collie makes one false move. I swear to God, I'm going to kill her. I can't lose her choice. Can't lose another kid.

One last girl. Hmm. Gives me a headache trying to understand all this. I just wish I wasn't stuck here. I feel useless. Ale and Collie are going to need you in the mine. Hmm. You can still go there.

It's too risky. I'd be at the heart of the hive mind and I don't know what would happen. Believe in yourself. Tara and I believe in you will. How did you survive in there? I found this cave. It was this old memory of his. Oh, let's get into this.

He wouldn't go in. Scared the living shit out of him. Underneath all those scars, he's still human. Yep. I guess we're all scared of something. Well, how can we bring back the memory? Really want to unpack that memory. When this wire touches this warrior here,

kaboo. I don't know if we can blow up the upside down to the dulcid tones of the borgal surfer. Have you handled one of these before? Not exactly, but, you know, it is. I love his outfit. I do, too. Duck on, baby.

He is remarkably good at it. It's like red. I had Dawn meets Top Gunn a little bit, his outfit. Totally. These babies are deadlier than they look. Cool. Hey, about some of the stuff that I said earlier, I just... It's okay.

No, it's not okay. Eddie, he saved your life, and I know what he meant to you. I can't even imagine how hard it's been. Yeah. But instead of just being there for you, I just... Well, I got angry about it. Yeah. I got angry because I was jealous.

I really missed you. I missed my best friend. Oh. Yeah, I miss my best friend, too. Love it. For the record, a Rubik's Cube isn't even a good measure of intelligence. If it fails, we both go down. I die, I die.

Bad boys for life. You die, I die. Let's go. Ride together. We die together. Gate opening. Open sesame. Nice.

We've secured the gate signal for Pete. So glad Mr. Clark is part of the team now. Yeah, totally. We needed him. Santa Slay. Oh, God, it's not starting. Please start Santa Slay. Come.

Hit the wheel like Marty McFly. Might start it. Why do you got to do this like that? Oh, my God, I love it. Him just yelling in the background. They look like they're meditating. I was thinking when we blow up the bridge. We'll blow up Dr. Kay's lab.

Kay will simply make a new lab. Hmm. If you flee with Mike, Maybe you're safe for a while, but when they find you, they will kill Mike, just as they kill my friends, and then they will take you. Yeah, she's on a vendetta revenge mission now. Don't you see, Jane? It's a cycle. She's got a point.

After we kill our brother, we stay on the bridge, when the upside down vanishes. We vanish with it? So will we. It is the only way, Jane. Oh, man. You ladies, don't know. Yeah, but if they can't use L's blood to recreate anymore, as much as I don't want anything to happen.

When Vecna attacks, he weakens you by turning your own mind against you. So I fought back by focusing on happy memories, memories from when I was a kid and when I wasn't scared. That's how I took control in the Maxi. And I thought the same would work on Vecta, too. But he found a way past, and he showed me things, Mom. Oh, no. Whatever, he showed you, it's not real. What he showed me, it didn't come from him.

Oh. He sees my thoughts. He sees my memories. He sees my secrets. Oh, you're going to have to tell your mom now, right? I haven't told any of you this, because I don't want you to see me different. I am different. I just pretended like I wasn't because I didn't want to be.

And I had this crush on someone, even though I know. But then I realized he's just my Tammy. And by Tammy, I mean, it was never about him. It was, it was about me. Today, Vickness showed me what would happen if I did this. And in this future, some of you are just worried for me. just worried for me well

you gotta listen to me will never ever happen I'll never lose me and you'll never lose me or me so hard felt or me or me or me or me

or me oh I guess you didn't need true zero maha sorry this sucks but you're gonna have to hug me Just imagine I'm mugging you really tight, okay? Aww.

I know you're strong enough to defeat Vakna. He can retreat to the physical world, and we need to be ready to fight him there, too. I need to be there. Yep. I'm ready to show him. I'm not afraid anymore. That's right, Will. We ride a dawn.

We got a delivery tonight I don't know about. That's a negative private. The hell you're doing, buddy? We don't stop for anyone. Open that gate, baby. There we go. First gate clear. Toulouse, Towers, 10 and 11 o'clock.

Oh. Get him, Hopper. There we go. Yeah. That is so sick. Ooh. Ugh. Damn it, Sarah Connor.

You're supposed to be saving the world. Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah! Oh, Nancy! What up, Nance. Damn. Bad ass. Teamwork makes the dream work.

Oh, we're going in. There's your girl. She can't shoot at her. She needs her. Yep. Nice. Good job, guys. Nice shooting.

That was really incredible. Nancy and hopper too that that was supposed to be the easy part you ready Freddie oh yeah she's dealing with all that right now this is a seance oh right where she got struck yeah it's time oh god damn oh oh whoa whoa wild wakado wild oh on the clock sound too geez wow what a wild holy tamale guys we just got done watching stranger things season five episode seven if you are listening to us an app or spotify please give us a five star rating um if you are on

youtube like comment subscribe when you do ring the bell ring the bell also thank you prep for helping get it down these highlights super appreciate them um if you're not already on patreon get over there you can get 15% off reject nation shop.com all of the gear including these shirts which are super cool um also that just helps us with the copyright strikes uh keeps us here keeps the lights on you also get to send us questions anything that we're watching um it's good so get over there and do what is right. Also, follow the RagePod. If you haven't, my new podcast, I would love it. Love the support. In a one minute, give your quick thoughts, Andrew. Yeah, it was a really good penultimate episode. I thought very frenetically paced while also just

giving us a nice setup for what is to come in the final episode. And just seems like, Also, I love adding Mr. Clark as well to the team. That was great. And, yeah, just a very good setup. And not much else to say. But I really do want to unpack and uncover what is that memory of Vecna's. But I enjoyed it. I would say definitely on the, if I'm just nitpicking, I would say on the lesser end of one of the better episodes of the season.

But I still really enjoyed it. What about you? Yeah. I thought it was, I mean, all the episodes are really well-paced. I think us finding out that 8 is not bad, but her plan is like, listen, we have to disappear when the upside down goes by-bye. That's tough. Because now she has to leave, like, her family.

And I can't imagine how Hopper and Mike are going to feel like, Mike, yeah, but Hopper, I feel like he would be like, okay, I'll just die. now so i'm scared about that but um i love this episode let's get into the questions master t what are your thoughts on the lacks of death so far uh yeah i definitely thought there'd be some at this point especially being the final season and all but i have a scary suspicion there's going to be at least one or two if not more in the the final episode but we shall see i i hope not i mean but also at the same point if it if it services the storyline I mean, as much as we don't want it to happen,

you know, the only times where me as an audience member, you know, that's the only time I'm okay with it, even though I don't want it to happen. But I would expect at least one or two people. I think it's going to happen in the next episode, but that's how I feel so far. What about you? Yeah.

It doesn't bug me, Master Tea. I don't think that it's like we needed it to get the emotions pulled from the audience because they already know how to do that without people dying. So we'll see. All right. Next up. Residence Z, thank you so much for being a Royal Reject asking a question. Hey, gang, right before the final episode, and I feel like there's so much going on, a bit

nervous about how everything will tie together. But what has been your favorite moment of volume two? Mine definitely has to be Will coming out to the ones he loves just so much emotions. Tara, what do you think about that moment? Yeah, I'm totally with you, Residency. I thought it was a really beautiful. executed and really well-written scene. And it's so funny because I assume for a lot of people,

they probably struggle a lot with just saying, like, I am gay. And instead he's just like, I don't like girls. Like how you guys do, right? And everyone can ensue. Like, obviously we get what that means. And I love that, obviously, they're all going to stand up and be like, you'll never, you'll never lose us. And it's unfortunate that there are some people out there that won't get that,

that don't get that. But I do like that this is obviously an example of how it should be. So I loved it. Yeah, that's definitely one of the best moments. So far, I would venture to say in the entire series. I mean, you want your friends to reciprocate how you're feeling. And I think, too, in the 80s, like coming out as gay is very frowned upon. It's a totally different time than it is now, though I would even imagine, too.

There's times where people are still afraid to come out now. Just how others are going to react. I think, so sorry, I always forget the actor's name who plays well. Noah, maybe something, right? Noah Schnapp. Yeah, he is a phenomenal actor. I mean, Tara and I have been saying that since we've watched him in season one. He just really knows. He understands emotional beats and how to express that with his face and all, and his facial expressions, rather. And he's a terrific actor. And I love, it was a really incredibly and daunting monologue as an actor. And he just nailed it. I'd also say, too, one of my favorite moments in volume two as well was the moment that Steve and Dustin had, where Steve was really taking accountability and just telling Dustin, like, hey, I know I haven't been here for you this season. Since what happened with Eddie and, you know, I was just in a place where, you know, I was just like I was missing you and I felt like I was being replaced by Eddie. And like, again, perspective-wise, I understand where he was coming from.

but I'm glad that he owned up to it and told Dustin no matter what happens, I'm here for you as well. So those two moments were pretty big in this episode. I don't know, this is the one we just watched. But I think they were pretty big in volume two as well. I would say those are right up there with some of my favorite moments in volume two. Yeah, good stuff. Ryan Baines, has anything about this felt overwhelming to you all?

I feel like episode seven was a significant drop-off slash exposition dump and fell flat at the end. After the strong ending, beginning from six into seven, I was expecting a huge cliffhanger leading into the finale, and I don't feel like we got that. What do you say? I totally understand where you're coming from, Ryan. Until I see episode eight, I'm not going to fully judge this. It definitely did feel like it kind of slightly ended abruptly there

without getting that real payoff. But once I see episode eight, I'm going to have more of a stronger opinion. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending there. and how it was done. But once I see episode eight, I'll have a better opinion. But what about you? Yeah, I think what you're talking about

in the exposition dump, I feel like the only exposition dump that I feel like we got was about all the sciencey stuff, right? The wormhole, and here's what we have to do and the plan, which I feel like we obviously needed. The other stuff, I feel like, was just we're learning new information

so I wouldn't call it exposition. but I do hear what you're saying, Ryan Baines. Yeah, I'm a little bit with you, except that the scene with Will, I think, is supposed to be the moment in this episode that really pulls focus and pulls with the audience's emotions, not this like huge bang cliffhanger. I think, yeah, we got some resolve there.

and I think with eight, we'll see where it goes. We'll see. All right, J. Dale, thank you so much for being a royal reject, asking us a question. We appreciate you. A lot of people online, myself included,

felt like volume two didn't quite live up to the anticipation and that volume one was stronger. That aside, do you think Collie's willingness to die alongside L makes emotional sense or does it feel unearned? Something feels weird about how ready

she is to die alongside L. I think that plan is going to unravel, especially now that Will knows he needs to be there too. One thing fans also keep circling back to is 11 plus 8 plus 1, which is L, Callie, and Henry, equals 20. Theory and D&D, Erica rolled a 20 to defeat Vecna. Do you think the writers are actually weaving that symbolism into the climax, or is that just a cool coincidence that fans picked up on?

in regards to do you think collie's willingness to die alongside l makes emotional sense or does it feel unearned obviously i don't want that to happen of course i mean we're so attached to l at this point but i mean we got to understand the the stakes and the ramifications and the consequences of what happens if l does survive of course even if they defeat vechna there's always going to be some kind of military person whether it's a linda hamilton or a dr brenner or whoever always going to be trying to replicate what happened with Henry and trying to create more, more versions of Henry or L. So, you know, there is always that to worry about, having said, I don't want L to die. So it does up the stake. So I understand why Callie is, rather why Aid is, is worried

about that and has that in mind and thinking that. So it makes for, it makes for a lot of tension and suspense and what's going to happen while I don't want it to happen we shall see but it does make sense why they would feel that way it's for the greater good right do you make the ultimate sacrifice because ell is always said I'm a superhero right so sometimes superheroes have to make that sacrifice see what happens but what do you think in regards to that situation I think with that the um I'm I'm with you it does feel a little weird when you think about it but they did give us an explanation in regards to her blood right they're not just going to just use of course she's saying that number eight her blood did not work but they used it on a bunch of people and it was killing them but they know that if we get back to the og henry or 11 that it will work um i am not i'm a little bit with you j dale but i'm also like well we have a little bit of an explanation that they probably would still try to utilize her blood somehow um but yeah when you do think about it you're like well well

Why would she have to die as well? But I guess she has already learned her lesson, meaning in the real world, she had friends. They came after them, killed him right in front of her. So she's already been there, done that. And she's probably just like, I don't want that to happen again, which is probably why she's been very solitary and why she's going to that method where it's like, we got to just get the, we got to go. We got to go. So I get it. um also uh about the thing with the 20 i think that's very cool obviously i think the writers are

are putting in that symbolism but we would need henry but henry is vekna so if we get rid of that it's 19 so uh you know you see what i'm saying so i don't know about that yeah i mean i i don't think anything happens by chance especially with the duffer brothers they i think they're weaving that in intentionally. But I think when you add the fact that they do defeat Vecna, he still counts as part of that. He adds into the equation. So I think that's done intentionally. And I think that's very clever. I love when they plant little seeds like that and they pay it off, you know, and let it blossom into a beautiful plant like that with symbolism. So I think that's, that's really clever. I love that. Totally. Thanks for pointing that out. All right, J. Dell, with the Duffer

brothers teasing that the most violent death of the series is coming this season. And with the finale, still ahead. It's safe to assume at this point it happens in that episode. Who do you think is on the chopping block? I feel like it has to be someone beloved for the audience to really feel it. All I'm saying is I really hope it's not Steve. He's had enough close calls or Hopper. He's been through more than enough. I'm afraid it's one of those two. I've seen so many people saying don't let Steve die. So I'm really scared it could be him. But then when it comes to Hopper as well, I mean, he's been through so much pain mentally and physically as well, just with the loss of his child. His wife left him also now that he's finally gained a family.

I could see it being Hopper, unfortunately, after everything he's been through. So I'm so bad at making these kinds of predictions. I have no idea. But if I had to guess, I would say Hopper. But not sure. What about you? Yeah, that's a tough one. I'm not sure that they would paint it as obviously as they have done with 11 and 8.

So I'm not quite sure about that. For the other characters, yeah, both of those are really bad. I feel like if 11 is still around and hop dies, forget about it. but if if they are teasing us with a violent death with 11, I feel like that would lead to if that happens in front of him and for some reason they're not actually, they don't go away with the upside down. Hopper would sacrifice himself to save the rest of them, right?

I don't know that that's even going to happen. All of it would be real bad. For sure, yeah. We're probably going to have to have the tissues ready for the last episode, as my guest. By the way, I am so happy to be incorrect about the Biler predictions that I made, like, as great as it would have been. Like, I feel like this was so satisfying, just seeing Will accepting himself and also his friends reciprocating his feelings and being totally fine with who he is and accepting him and still loving him no matter what. And also accepting the fact that Mike is not the one that's just his Tammy. and that the right one is somewhere out there for him,

but first he had to accept himself and make sure that his friends were accepted him as well, and I think it was such a beautiful moment. Yeah. Andrew shipped that out from day one. And I kept being like, no, I don't think so. I should have listened to you, Tara. I'm so dumb.

My bad. But he did infer, you know, in that speech, and I think the way that Mike looked back at him, he knew that I think he knows that he was Will's Tammy. which is sweet. But knowing that nothing will change. And I do think that that obviously has made Will stronger to be able to fight now. A huge weight is lifted off of him.

So we'll just have to see. I'm very excited for the next one to come out. We know it comes out New Year's Eve, I think. Going to be emotional. Yeah, we'll have the tissues ready. We have really, I think it'll mostly be the episode will be said. but it'll also be said that it's over yes because i feel like i've spent a good portion of my life with stranger things right i watched it when it came out i forgot pretty much all of it then started

rewatching it with andrew and then even when the pandemic hit they had these drive-through stranger things and i went to it three times because i loved it so much that i feel like when it ends i'm going to be real sad about it just not being around anymore i not having that to look forward to every two years so we will see um love you guys make sure that you're leaving likes leave comments be nice cool kind we love you and we will see you on the next one.