The Reel Rejects - REJECT RECAP: Stranger Things 4, Chapter 5: "The Nina Project" Review!

Episode Date: May 30, 2022

BACK TO THE RAINBOW ROOM! Owens takes El to Nevada, where she's forced to confront her past in order to unlock her powers, while the Hawkins kids comb the crumbling Creel House for clues.. meanwhile, Vecna claims yet another victim... These are our thoughts!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-reel-rejects/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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nation welcome to our Stranger Things for chapter five reaction review breakdown recap etc the nina project another striking entry in a very striking season if you want to join us for the full length watch long come on over to patreon.com slash the real rejects if you want to check out the reaction highlights those are at youtube.com slash the real rejects I think that's all that needs to be said I'll stop babbling and you can enjoy what you know the the rambles Enjoy the journey. It's definitely that kind of season. Much love and, yeah, we'll see you for the rest.

Moving ahead. Papa, can you hear me? That was an 11 song when she needs a song this season. Oh, gosh. What a fucking superhero way to bring back a villain? I know, right. Like, unfortunately, he's the, only one who can help me yeah yeah no totally like it is it's like you vanquished the

superhero too yeah I begrudgingly need to trust you in order to get the world saved again I'm a bitch yeah such a superhero thing mm-hmm day and I mean that's this episode we've been watching a lot about that was this episode when he came back right oh in the present day Brenner yeah yeah that was the last episode is this one think it was this one That's the thing about binge TV. I mean, it does. Yes, yes.

It does. Yeah, right. And I mean, and I don't even think that's bad entirely. I mean, yeah, for discussing the confines of a singular episode, yes. But I feel like, the binge format is designed to just make you think of it like one long story. But yeah, I think this is the one where it confirms that it is the present day he is still here. Yeah, yeah. They're on the road.

The guy dies. Yeah. Yeah, what a brilliant way to do that. Again, this show just loves dealing with trauma. Yeah, so much so. Just rip all those wounds back open. Everyone's just haunted by their past. And it's like the upside down constantly reflects some semblance of traumatic wounds.

Yeah, just whatever's ailing these people is alive and personified somewhere in the upside down. Mm-hmm. Even down to the creation or at least the awareness of not Victor. Creole, the Bechrum, Becham, Bechna, Velcro. Bechna, you know, just this whole manifestation where he lives is such a place of one man's. I don't know why there is where he's choosing to lay camp, or if not chosen to lay camp for some reason, that's just the grounds in which he must reside. But that also is a place for, you know, that resembles another man's trauma. like everyone's just so this whole thing is just a big traumatic thing and then hopper lamenting about all the

the pains he's had to endure that's i i don't recall ever getting like a clear story of you know having a please his dad and going off to war and all that like we explored sarah in season one a lot and that's obviously bled through with uh his relationship with eleven but we haven't uh i don't think we got that much past history so it's just it's cool that's cool how they're doing this you know With Brett are coming back, you're like, God's still, you don't trust him, but he is the one to get the goddamn job done. Yeah, the perfect, like, eerie 80s sci-fi doctor

where you're like, not everything is good and right with you, but unfortunately, you're the expert. Yeah. You're the only one who, yeah, begrudgingly, he represents that sinister line of science where it's like, this is the cost for the advances you want. I don't know what to tell you. And to have 11 shoes at the...

the end it's great really great yeah going back to him like she like she knows now yeah that in order for her to get activated and to come to her fullest potential i have to accept this yeah yeah oh boy he is great that's great yeah yeah it's unfortunate because you know like i want her to have one scene with paul riser where she sees that paul riser really does care still yeah he's the one who's always he's always pull her out no what are you doing her this is not the right way to do Like he needs to see that he's not a dick, not total dick, you know? Yeah, yeah. And I mean, you know, I really love the way that they did the back and forth of that

and the way that they really put you in the shoes of her distrust the whole time. And I thought that was a good reversal with Paul Reiser because he is up until that point such a warm sweater. He is the one person who shows up, you know, like, I think I feel a little more comforted because of what you're saying. And then here it's like even he is not a perfect figure or a perfectly benevolent figure in that, I mean, somewhere down the line he had to know that this was going to be the way

that this had to go. And, yeah, they're really, really great, I think, at using these longer episodes to give you really wonderful character pieces. Because, yeah, with Hopper, it struck me literally. I was like, we haven't really delved into his history as a character, aside

from the stuff with Sarah that we've gotten a microscope on, and just to get that monologue. There's a cop in New York, too, I think, at some point. Yeah, but that whole thing about Agent Orange and and you know going overseas and and you know all of that nastiness because yeah it's like that Agent Orange is like such a horrific and such a sort of black mark on our history and it's something that affected so many people in such an horrific way and yeah like to really kind of

yeah you know Monsanto's still around making chemicals that we use every day so really It can't have been that, but, yeah, like, getting those little... Try getting a reaction up on time. That's stressful. Yeah, but I thought that in, you know, what could have, and I guess cynically, if you don't like it, you could call it an infodum, but it is like a really rich monologue that did remind me, like we've been calling out these references, but it reminded me something more like Hill House side of Netflix, where it's like, yeah, you're just getting this performance

and for as much as Hop's story has been so physical, I really loved that really emotional and all that played really close up in his face and using that as also a way to kind of bridge something of a gap between him and Enzo. And it makes me all the more worried for when he returns because, you know, Vecna's obviously, the whole thing is praying on people's unresolved traumas.

And, like, Hopper is just all unresolved trauma. Yeah. but you know like they they find this what they mean they find hope within each other this group of people when they all inevitably come together in the end yeah and maybe that'll just like blow vexna's battery entirely whoa way too much trauma guys the way they the way they're tying stuff back in so much to all these other seasons it's like you got the doctor from season one and the doctor from season two now teaming up together yeah the DCU Yeah.

The Doctor's Cinematic Universe. They're good at making it feel all-encompassing while also not making it... I close this door. Hi. Hi, babes. Shut the door. Yeah. Yeah, they're good at making it feel all-encompassing without...

Well, and having that feel like a natural part of the unfolding story and having it feel like just a natural world populated by these characters. Instead of it being like, ha-ha, remember? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's like, I don't even remember Sarah being brought. up at all in season three. Well, yeah, because you got all that stuff with them trying to build this, you know, surrogate, father, daughter relationship there. And then I got to, sorry, so you can see.

No, yeah, it just made, I think here was a very natural place to kind of have that all collected then because, you know, that whole thing about like I needed them, you know, I needed Joyce and I needed Jane 11. Yeah, you know what? If there's one thing that I'm a tad, as I root for Hopper and Joyce a lot, if there is one thing I'm a tad let down by this show on, is Winona Ryder specifically. Because especially revisiting the show, I totally forgot, like, Winona Ryder was, like, the main character in the first season. And she was just so richly ridden. And she's so great in season two. But like season one, like she was, you know, she was the only one who never gave up on will. Like a lot of people were like doubting and stuff, but she always believed.

And she looked at us the crazy one, but she wasn't crazy. And she was finally vindicated. Yeah, it was great. And it seems like since season three, they're like, let's make her pair up with another guy make funny stuff. Yeah, let's make her significantly lighter. Let's make her more bubbly. which is fun to watch but yeah I feel like maybe

one aspect of this season that doesn't benefit certain characters at least is the idea it's funny because I just saw a quote by Millie Bobby Brown and the guy who plays Will talking about how there are so many characters and they're like you should start killing

some of these people more because while I you know certainly don't want any characters that we love to exit it is the sort of thing where yeah characters who were introduced later for a large part seem to be having more of the emotional you know, zoomings in and extrapolations, which makes sense because we've spent more time with

certain characters. However, it does seem like there is then a sort of sliding of, you know, Joyce is more of just an active character for the plot rather than having an emotional journey beyond just like, we got to get Hopper back and this is kind of a madcap adventure. And I don't dislike watching it. It's very similar to season three with her too. Yeah, exactly. And so it's one of those things where it's like I recognize you don't have all the time and Joyce and Murray is a bubbly fun duo but at the same time yeah she she doesn't feel like as much of a character and certain other like even Steve like I love Steve but it seems like Steve's whole thing this season is to stand around and and either say what we would say yeah or you know being in kind of every now and again he'll

have this like little friction with Dustin and you know then we move on and it's like I'm happy to have you but I want something for your character I mean there's still If I'm not mistaken, the last episode is like an hour and a half, maybe longer, actually. I think it's like an hour of 40, something like that. It's really long. And then the last two, like the real last two in part two comes out are two episodes, but it's like five hours. So it's like a ridiculous amount of time. Yeah, it's like two back-to-back giant movies.

Yeah. Yeah, which is interesting. So, yeah, those last two are massive. so i imagine there's gonna be time to really you know flesh out it's not the final season but it's interesting how they treat this show this this particular season is in a lot of ways they keep feeling like it sort of feels like this could be a final season and the way things are going yeah yeah and there's going to be a season five after part two right to wrap it all up okay and uh yeah i mean i think like the mike and will and jonathan and argyll yes

there's some there's some fun to be had there but yeah i mean undoubtedly the the the truly interesting stuff comes with the other stories. Hopper, what's going on with, you know, fucking the Vecna, everyone there involved with the Vecna story. Yeah, Hopper and everyone involved of the Vecna. So that's the truly engaging stuff. Everyone kind of surrounding Max and Eddie, you know, in the thick of things. And too, I guess it's also that you kind of can see, like they've been pretty decent whenever we've, at least for me looking back across these episodes thus far at going whenever I'm like I want to see more of this or you know what about that thing kind of coming back into a sharper focus and they tend to answer those quandaries in the next episode

and there is I think you can tell by looking at some of those plot lines it's like maybe they're spreading it's like for example it's like the Will and Mike and Jonathan all them you know I feel like they kind of have to take that plot and kind of spread it out more in smaller chunks than other plots, you know? So I can still see that culminating into something that feels that by the end of the season, you know, reasonably plugged in and satisfying. And I think right now maybe we're just in a position where that plot line for everything they have in their Bible for this season probably just isn't as substantial as the others. And so it's getting kind of paired out in, you know, wider chunks. And you can see that with certain characters and certain stories that we do check in with just once or twice an episode. I feel like Finn Wolfhard and Winona Ryder were like to like just flat out amazing characters in season one and they were such a focus it was like they were such a like there's a big ensemble usually have a couple of few primary leads and they were like primary leads and then it seems like after that they've slowly been running out of like genuine things to explore with them argue with them it feels like they're a story. Yeah, it feels like we got to a place where their stories were completed, and now we don't really know what to do with their emotional arcs as much. I mean, there is the thing with Mike and Allen and love. But beyond that, yeah, it feels like they're done.

We've got to focus on other characters. Oh, yeah. And 11th stuff is really interesting, too. Yeah, yeah. And I mean, the 11th stuff this episode was really gripping and reminded me of, you know, a lot of other different things. Moon Night episode four. Moon Night episode four. Moon Night episode four.

Moon Night episode five. Five, yeah. A little sprinkle little beyond the black rainbow on top. That's it. Moon Night invented that. Yeah. It invented the psychiatric horror war. Yeah, yeah.

Thank you, Marvel. Thank you, Markle. Change the game. But even that, like, you know, I know we were going back and forth and like the de-aging stuff. And I thought that here they used it conscientiously enough. And I liked that they kept doing the splicing back and forth because it's jarring.

But it also, I think, gives your brain less time to focus in on the effect and nitpick it. And, yeah, the way that they make that sort of psychological experiment, like, it really does fit in not only with the horror and everything, but, you know, that sort of MK Ultra Government Conspiracy kind of thing that has always... Area 51, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and that's, you know, something that's always been a part of the show, but I think I especially associate with season one because it is so kind of, again, like shady government conspiracy. conspiracy thing. And so, yeah, like being back in that cold environment and having those pangs from the past, but also just the jarring, you know, updates from the here and now present, I think, are really visceral and really engaging. Yeah, why they made everyone meaner to else. That way you feel less bad. She goes. It's just like every mob of young people is assholes. That way you feel less bad. Yeah, maybe they all deserve to die. Maybe all these kids are dicks. They were all kind of mean.

Yeah, but it also ties into her how she's dealing with bullies again, you know, in her school life. That Angela's story. I hope she goes back. So it has to be the final scene of this whole show. Yeah. Whole series, season five finale. Yeah. Goes back. Freaking just obliterates.

Well, the stuff with Eddie and what's basketball player's name? Jason, I want to say. Yeah, because I was thinking, oh, I mean, this kid's got to die in front of him so that way he can see that, you know, like, that's how Chris he does. But now I'm thinking, well, what if the guy's like, oh my God, curse real? He did use Satan powers to kill him. I'm honestly thinking they might go there now. It's either that or they're going to be an unlikely duo and I think each is as likely as the other because, I mean, yeah, almost, I've learned especially from anime and two-part Doctor Who episodes that if anything looks too optimistic at the end of one, it will be non-optimistic at the beginning of the other or vice versa. So in that moment, I was like, maybe he will believe.

But then also, I think they could go for a nice little subversion there or something. Why don't none of you talk about what's happening? I know, guys. Come on. Open up. Is it because back then, you know, like talking about the things we could eat, you're throwing in the loony bin? That's right.

That's right. Well, hey, I mean, you know, apparently it's only still a select few of people who know all the things that happen in Hawkins. So they would be just locked up like Creole. man yeah they would all just become creoles at that point i guess but you know this is uh still good i still i still would not want them written out you know like mike and will and all that um no because every time they do something with their character all their like little bonding moments i'm like yeah more do that i think the i think the plot of what that's going on is more interesting than the character stuff sometimes to me which is uh

kind of sad because it's gotta go it's kind of kind of be like equal you know it's good through like the character stuff and the plot of whoever we're with it has to be just as engaging I feel like these yeah I feel like they spend what broaches on equal time investing in both especially because these episodes are longer but I feel like they don't do as much to spread the emotional beats as judiciously so it's like you get some really satisfying ones with certain characters and then you get other ones that are a little bit more just like yeah this is kind of basic they're just kind of mending their friendship I guess yeah you know well what I think is neat is that if you watch stranger things as a like a complete

package I feel like the the most constant lead has been 11 out of them out of 11 and hopper have been have been the most consistent strong leads like as a leading character them and uh If you watch all the Stranger Things as a package, but I think as cool is like sometimes other people are not in that lead, and now those leads are there to support these other characters who are now going to take the spotlight. Yeah, like Max's especially, Max has got a lot of attention to season two,

but here especially, she's like, oh, you're more, you're more uplifted here. Yeah, you know. Your circumstances tie you more directly into the main part of what's going on. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Whereas, like, season two, there's,

like you're the new girl you're mad max and you got a mean brother it's abusive it's really tying to the weird parts of stranger things but it's but you're here and i like you and then now very significantly like her she her association with all this it's it so i think that's a cool part of it is even though i'll find myself craving more i'm like but at least you know season one they were it was these guys season two it was these guys season three was them where eleven and hopper seem to be like the most consistent in terms of giving them something truly juicy to sink their teeth into yeah you know i feel like you can always extrapolate on those two to a degree yeah and they are like the heart too um lost the daughter messed up father coming together trying to meet in the middle

yeah and just see somebody it goes together all right guys well thanks for being here you know when hopper did have that speech it did make me go i miss david harbour's voice i know I forgot about the ripping voice that David Harbour has. And when he's just staring off at the distance and telling his story, like, yeah, I was like, I'll do like a Mike Flanagan, just a Hopper Monolog's episode. Because also, too, I mean, what they wrote for him was great. Like that flashback, I felt like we learned so much more about this guy than we have been so long. Yeah. Yeah.

All righty. Well, I guess for being out to talk soon, guys. ogre man dude I am so glad you pledged towards the end of the month because I myself consider me to be an ogre man as well let's face it us ogremen we are delicious oh yeah we are a rare breed some people go ooh ogre gross you're like an onion yeah you smell bad yeah I understood the reference you're like Yeah, Max Shrek from the Batman Returns. I get what you're getting and I get the references, man.

Yeah, so Oger Man, I want you to know that, dude, if you're feeling like being an ogre means you have to hide yourself from the world. Don't. Because you know what times are changing? Dad bods are in. When did that become a thing? Now you can be out of shape a little bit and be hot. The next stage is being an ogre now. Yeah.

So dude, your time awaits you. There's just going to be so many ogresses, which I believe is the female term for ogres are going to be coming after you now, lunging themselves, seeking their ogre teeth, green yellow stained fangs into your neck it's gonna be delicious it's rain and ogres so ogre man you are indeed a super sexy reject and don't you forget it I want the record to show that your name on our Patreon is ogermann so I don't

know who you really are but I've been in this situation before and And I have no idea what you look like, who you really are. You can look like a pixie. So I'm just going off of your name, and I hope you know that I'm just joking here. You could be the least like an ogre out of anybody for real. Yes. It's possible. But if you truly suffer with some kind of, you know, insecurity about your physical appearance,

know that none of what I said would. rooted in that because I simply have nothing to go off of. Nope. Let the record show that is the case. Not even a profile pick. Send us a profile pick. So what I'll say is thank you for being here and I hope to God you have a sense of humor. Because if you're going to be an ogre in this world, you're going to have to be funny in order to get some people to like you. like you transcend your face it your looks are not going to do you justice are going to drive everyone away from you unless you can learn how to be funny go to comedy school take an improv

class write a stand-up said see it's too thanks for being love you go to your first shout out