The Reel Rejects - STRANGER THINGS Season 4 Episode 3 REVIEW!!

Episode Date: August 16, 2025

WHAT LURKS IN THE CREEL HOUSE?! Stranger Things 4 Full Reaction Watch Along:   / thereelrejects   LIQUID IV: Visit http://www.liquidiv.com & use Promo Code: REJECTS Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Aparrel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ With Stranger Things 5 on it's way, it's time for Stranger Things Season 4x3 Reaction, Recap & Breakdown! Tara Erickson & Andrew Gordon dive back into the Upside Down with their Reaction, Review, Breakdown, and Spoiler Discussion for Stranger Things Season 4, Episode 3, continuing the epic saga of Hawkins, Indiana! The Duffer Brothers’ hit Netflix series blends supernatural horror, heartfelt friendships, and 1980s nostalgia as a group of kids battles sinister forces from another dimension. In Episode 3, the mystery of Vecna deepens as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown – Enola Holmes, Godzilla vs. Kong) struggles without her powers, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard – It, Ghostbusters: Afterlife) grows concerned about their fractured friendships, and Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo – Prank Encounters, Les Misérables) teams with Steve Harrington (Joe Keery – Free Guy, Spree) and Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke – Do Revenge, Asteroid City) to uncover shocking truths. Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin – Concrete Cowboy, High Flying Bird) navigates tensions with his basketball teammates, while Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink – Fear Street, The Whale) begins to feel Vecna’s sinister pull. Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands) and David Harbour (Black Widow, Hellboy) continue their high-stakes arc abroad as Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper. From the chilling Creel House visions to key confrontations in Hawkins, this episode delivers major reveals, tense horror sequences, and emotional character moments that set the stage for what’s to come. 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

Thank you to Liquid IV for sponsoring this video. More on them in just a bit. That's it. Let's freaking, let's get to this. Let's do Stranger Things. In three, two, one, let go. We are going to pull up our Patriot on questions, as we always do right after the review. Patrons get to ask us questions. First one is from Jessica Hauser.

How do you feel about the realization? that Vagnat is calling to Max. If she's an intended victim, do you think the group can defeat Vecna and keep her safe? The realization was terrifying because we have grown so emotionally invested. We love Max. I love how free-spirited, how much of a rebel she is

and how so different from the group she is. Like, she really brings something so unique to the show. And I love Sadie Sink, I believe, the actress is. She is such an incredible. incredible actress. So I'm really scared right now, especially. Like the line is what really

like got me into that mode of when she said that. Like I've seen enough movies and TV shows to know. Like it could be a subversion which I'm hoping is the case, but just a lot of times writers like to, you know, it can either be a foreshadding with a line like that or like, hey, this person's a family man or

a family woman, whatever. And, you know, that can be like, you know, a tale of something peril perilous is about to happen so I'm really hoping I mean it seems like everything is coming together with the group in order to stop Vecna I mean we've seen them stop you know

the mind flare and and you know all the the other demons and stuff or whatever that I'm blanking on right now in the first three seasons it seems that Vecna is something we've I mean that's been terrorizing Hawkins for decades you know but as you know mended his time when he does it or bides his time rather and he's just something they've never

dealt with he's like on another different kind of level so it doesn't seem like it's going to be easy which is fine because i like it when you know characters that i love and and watching go up against something that they can't handle but then it feels more satisfying when they do defeat it but at the same point i'm hoping that they defeat it before something happens to max what about you yeah so i think that here's what I'm thinking there was a lot of clocks in the therapist office they did a close up in the clock in the wall and she's also

wearing a clock on her necklace and I'm like why okay now mixed in with now that we know that Victor Creel might have been one of the first victims can we go to him in prison and if we ask him stuff like is there a way that we can find

something to barter with the the demon with vekna like i'm trying to be like how do we solve it and how is his therapist involved like i do think that we can but my head is already going a million miles an hour and like how can we i get it that like we are behind on 11 needs to get our powers back but also when um paul riser was saying he's like and now we need we need all of you you have to come together and you have to trust me. And they're doing slow close-ups on Hopper in Alaska doing push-ups, a close-up on Lucas running slow-mo in the forest, running away from the douche-ramas. And then we go back to 11. It's basically saying, like, we need kind of our group back together in order to kill Vecna.

So I only, I think that I don't know where the hell Lucas is going. I hope that maybe he steals their car and leaves the douche-ramas in the, because they're far away. He's going to take them a long time. Yeah, and look, I'm sorry, sorry, go ahead. Well, I'm just going to say that if, you know, if he leaves them, I don't know where he would head. I don't know what's going to happen with the doucheeramas. I do think that there's a possibility that we could keep Max safe.

I just don't know how right now, because the demon gets to you and he gets to you quick. He basically floats you in the air, your limbs start twisting, and you're gone. true but christie saw the saw the clock though in the forest a whole day before yeah i think that was so compelling and interesting as well that they showed vekna's pov an actual inside his mind how he can travel and move i thought that was really cool but again i am not defending doucherama guys i hate what they're doing i don't like them at the same point i understand especially the main guys yeah it makes sense they don't know about the upside down Well, not only the upside down, but also, too, he thinks that, like, he really was in love with Chrissy.

Yeah. And he thinks that he truly believes that and he killed his girlfriend. So he's, like, you know, put ourselves in that position. Like, if you thought that someone took a loved one of yours and you thought you had the location of them, would you take the lawn to your own hands or just chill at home and wait? I don't know what I mean? So it's like I don't like the character per se, but I understand it's his motivation. so I think the show's doing a good job of not making me agree with him but making me at least empathize with the situation of how he's feeling at least

but not agreeing with the not justifying it in any way yeah that makes sense all right from Jules R thank you so much for being a royal reject and for the question we appreciate it hi Tara and Andrew been loving these reactions so much thank you appreciate it thank you so my question is what's your favorite 80s nostalgic callback so far in this season? Mine has got to be the music. I just love all of it. That's a great question, Jules.

I mean, yeah, I love all the, I'm with you. I love all the music. I mean, there's definitely been some, anything Nightmare in Elm Street. I mean, as I've mentioned so many times at nauseam now, Nightmare in Elm Street is my favorite. I'm not the biggest horror person. I just get very queasy. anything usually horror, but I do love the Nightmare in Elm Street franchise. It just really is such an endearing, you know, part of my nostalgia and grown up,

especially Robert and Glenn. I love that actor so much. So I would say any time that they call back to anything, you know, like just, I remember they mentioned Nancy Fred, I think I heard the name Glenn in there somewhere. So like I'd say one of those kinds of references, but what about you? Yeah, I love the costuming a lot. I love when they took us to the roller skating rink like that. That carpet is the perfect shade of rainbow rectangular.

Like, it's amazing. But I also, I think the little Easter eggs in here are like, when he's shoving the honey comes into his mouth, you see the old school honeycomb box. And the Yahoo, right? And a Uhoo. Youhoo. Sorry, excuse me. And, like, the old Coca-Cola, like, all of that stuff, I really like seeing.

That's, like, very nostalgic. I think it's cool that every little detail. hail in here. They're just very cool with it. Yeah, I agree. And if we're not going off movie reference, we're going like actual thing from the 80s. I agree with you on the skate rink, but if I'm not going to copy you, I'll just go seeing an 80s airplane like Alaska. I think that was really cool. I think they nailed the aesthetics and the production design is always so

pristine in this show. Yeah, the snowmobile in Alaska. No, in Russia. Russia. The orange one? Old school, dude. That was awesome. That was very, very cool. All right, Amelia Holmes. So who is Vecna targeting and why? What are your thoughts, theories based on that? Any other characters you might think might be at risk? Well, I mean, we do know.

Thank you for the question, by the way. We do know that Vecna is obviously Max and the other person. Is Jason, by the way, the head of the Dusharamah group? I think so. Yeah. We know that the other kid that's a member of that group. any theories that we have that I mean I just feel like he's good I mean we know the pattern is right

it's headaches it's nosebleeds what else right are the theories but I mean when it comes to theories I don't know I usually suck at them anyways I guess I was right about one of them from last season with Nightmare and Elm Street so I guess like one out of a thousand times I get a theory right aside from Max who else could I see him

targeting. I'm just trying to think of someone who's like, I mean, everyone's got such trauma in their past. You know what I mean? And I know that's not like the basis of why Vecna like goes after someone. But I don't know. Without like if you don't like remember anything. I don't. Okay. Like I mean, do you, is there anything? So I feel like for me that my theory is that they are most likely in therapy. I was waiting for them to take a folder and for it to be the kid that's on the basketball team who is ed started to hurt and he got a nosebleed is there a similarity with all of them going to see the counselor because my assumption even before a few episodes ago was that he takes a victim when they're weak right they have a weak link they're

like chrissey she had a wink link with her mom being really evil to her right and then she's throwing up the bathroom because her mom used to call her a fat like it's like it's tough um and And then I don't know much about the football guy and why he's targeting him. But I assume there's a link to the therapist, that there is a link that he knows that he can get to them. There's some sort of wink link because he has the information from her. I don't know, man. That's a fair assumption. And the clock thing is what gets me.

The fact that she has the clock, she has a clock here. and then they always see a clock before. I'm like, who's this lady? Who is this lady? Why is he using her? Could be his granddaughter, maybe. We've got to figure that out. And I don't know.

So that's where I'm at. All right. All right, from Caitlin King. Thank you for being a royal reject and for asking the question. We appreciate it. What are your thoughts on the way 11 opened up to Mike

about being bullied, and do you think he handled it the right way? I think he's somewhat. handled it the right way. I mean, going up to her and, you know, showing, of course, that, you know, he's there for her, of course. But I think there were, again, when I say there were parts of it that he handled the right way and then parts of it he didn't when he's like, I care about you. That was nice. But like, again, you know, he's so many times in the past he said, I love you and like not saying that is like kind of subtext of do you still love me? You know, and I mean, 11 did call him out on that. So and again, look, he's still a very young kid. I I'm assuming, like 14 or 15. So, I mean, he's still a really young kid, you know what I mean? And, you know, he's got a lot to learn. But I think that he didn't fully handle the situation, right?

It's a lot to deal with. You know, your girlfriend is not fully opening up to you, and she's lying to you about a situation about being bullied and not really having anyone to be able to turn to and no friends in the situation besides Will. And the buyers just in general. So I get it. It's a great, it's a wild situation, and it's a lot for someone, you know, to have to comfort someone. But I think there were, again, portions of it that I think Mike did a good job and then other portions that he kind of lacked, you know, that emotional maturity that a woman does need there.

Yeah, I mean, listen, the way he ended the conversation when he's like, there are nobody's and you're a superhero. That was good. I think is the way that he probably should have opened with it. Um, it is weird that you would say, I care about you. She comes right back at him and says, you, so you don't love me anymore. And then she's like, you never say it. And still within the argument, he still doesn't say it. Yeah.

Um, and that's, that's rough. So I, I know that he is, they're young, right? So he doesn't really know any better. But at this point, it's sort of like, what are you doing? Mike like are you that dense I know you're not but I don't know what's going on here and why aren't you just convincing her that you do

still love her right I still don't know why that didn't happen so that's the main reason why I think he didn't really handle it very well he was given a lot of space and a lot of opportunity to say it especially after she's throwing

letters in his face you would think that his character would be like listen I know I didn't write it, but I'm telling you now, right? But he's probably just not, I don't know. We don't know necessarily where his brain is fully at. After seeing 11 in this new environment, she just assaulted a girl in the face.

He is not really good friends with Will. And Will was really the one who told him that, like, she doesn't actually have friends and she's not telling you the truth, right? there's a lot of things that are going awry in his life and in this new place that he's at currently so i'm excited and intrigued to see where this goes next because now that 11 is sort of out of the picture we ended on not a good note we ended on him not telling her that he loves her he had the opportunity why are you not just saying it that's what i don't understand and the last time they see each other she's taken away in a police struck so I don't know and that seems to be the the theme I mean in this entire season is not only growing apart but growing up I mean there's so much that all of them are dealing with I mean they're always dealing with something in in all three seasons but it seems like in this season they are in even more so way over their head in so many different facets so it's it's really

wild to watch but I feel like like if anyone can handle it's these characters we've seen them like through tumultuous times and even more so in this season so I mean to watch them resolve it is going to be it's going to be fascinating to watch yeah and I don't have to say her name it well it's Kayling King again but she also asked what are your thoughts on Nancy and Robin teaming up oh okay um I we only I think we only saw two scenes of them so far and you you had a great observation about she didn't realize that Robin was was gay there so that that was great but i do like again that spunky fun nature that robin has and nancy was being so much more serious because again i i could really sense it and they did a good job making it make it kind of obvious

but throwing a little bit of a love triangle uh kind of um with steve and nancy and obviously jonathan's a little bit out of the picture right now because he lives in california's not in hawkins right now but I'm I'm curious what's going to happen when he does actually come back just because there's literally been physical distance as well as like actual distance in the relationship between Jonathan and Nancy even though they are speaking you know I think they're speaking right it's been a little bit of time since we watch the other two episodes right but still there is distance in the relationship right now but you can tell Steve like those feelings just came back all of a sudden and same for Nancy those feelings just came back I mean they've been there for a long time just in the past, even though she's with Jonathan and vice versa. But I do like the interactions between them. It's a lot of fun. You know what it kind of reminded me of just in a different way?

Just how much it was unexpected with Dustin and Steve and also with Max and with 11. I just, I think the Duffer brothers and the writing team, they just do just a great job of what relationships can we form? Because we know at the end of the season we're going to have. the whole team come together and fight whoever the big villain in this case being vecta but during the season we got to come up with some some side uh interactions some some you know a couple characters working together before that who are we going to do this who's the new uh you know the new formation

of friends that we're going to do this season and i always do such a great job of picking season three it was max and 11 as i just mentioned season two it was steve and dustin and then it appears so far right now it's nancy and robin so i i don't know how they come up with these decisions but they have truly nailed it and again i love the contrast between them it works it's it works so well excuse me and i'm i'm interested to see how nancy's going to react to and robin does tell her i'm i'm i'm truly not even though she said i'm ploplatonic with a capital p but also i'm gay so i'm not interested in him at all but it's gonna it's gonna it's gonna fun to see that that uh expand upon the their relationship more in their friendship i love it what about you

So what I think about them teaming up specifically is that I think Robin, with her spending more time with Nancy, is that Nancy's going to learn a lot about Steve somehow behind the scenes, I think, from Robin. Good point. And what we've seen with Jonathan is Jonathan is not the type of Jonathan that Nancy fell in love with. He is, he's like, he's a stoner right now, right? Even his mom was like, what? And Jonathan was normally, you know, when he was with Nancy, Nancy's a very go-getter, accomplished. You know, she's in journalism right now. And Jonathan is not that there's anything wrong with it, but he is going in a very different direction currently with Argyle.

And I'm not sure that that would be the same direction that Nancy would see for herself. I doubt it. So it pushes us more in the direction. of well now that we're seeing Steve, Steve has grown a lot in the last few seasons. And when they almost get together where he almost goes to help her, we're all thinking the same thing a little bit. But we're also like, but wait, Jonathan, we love him and we love them together. I hope there's a way that we can bring them back together and that she accepts the new Jonathan. We'll see. I do hope that Robin feels comfortable enough eventually to tell

Nancy that she's gay I would be very interested to see how that conversation goes because I would really love it if Robin and Nancy become like close friends that would be such a really fun thing to see if Robin can fully open up to her to see how that relationship can grow because those are two powerful badass smart women Robin was the one that like this uh figured out out all the stuff in the mall, right? She was the one that that did all of that. And now Nancy is the, and with them as a team together, unstoppable maybe.

So we'll see. All right. From Billy Barnes. What are your thoughts on Stoner Jonathan and his character in season four? Do you want to take this one first? So I think it's fun. think it's funny i love argyle i don't like it for where he is coming from so when he was with nancy he was he was working a little harder and i understand right now he was just picked up and pulled out of

his life and it's it's still sort of complete chaos and i'm glad that he found a new friend with Argyle. I'm not loving the place that he's in if he stays there. Only because we know him to be really smart and innovative and like he takes care of stuff

and he takes care of the family. Yeah. Like when you guys remember when Joyce was like we could not rely on her. We relied on Jonathan. He was like the head of the family. And right now with him like this, we cannot rely on him. And that

I'm not loving it so far I do think it's funny but now that I've seen it where it's his every day it scares me because we need to rely on him with what's going on true I think it also shows the acting versatility I'm sorry I don't know the I remember the actor's name Jonathan he's a great actor but I agree with you and again there's nothing wrong with smoking grass like as long as it does not affect your everyday responsibilities or your motivation to push yourself. Of course, by all means, go do what makes you happy. You know what I mean? But unfortunately, it kind of is affecting him. And to terror's point,

Jonathan is a real go-getter. You know what I mean? And he's a rebel, and he, you know, he pushes himself really hard. And it seems like when he is really stoned with Argyne, Argyll's like not a bad dude or anything,

but not the greatest influence for a person of driving Jonathan forward in life he's just more of let's watch a TV show and eat chips and there's nothing wrong with that if you've got like a lot of money in the bank

and you're like a trust fund baby or something and that's your prowess in life that's totally cool no judgment from me but that's just not the type of person Jonathan is and again I totally get why he's doing this he's in a new place he's seeking friendship from Argyle he doesn't have

Nancy here so I totally understand why I think this is a phase for him right now and also now that shit has really gotten real and it's stranger things time you know with Vecna and all that I don't think he's I mean he might be a time here and there where he might like hit it but overall I don't think he's going to have to be in a position

where he's not going to want he's not going to be able to do that as much or he's not going to be able to you know battle Beckner and help the group out in a way that Jonathan normally does because he's an extremely intuitive and smart character and he's very resourceful and I'm not saying if you are stoned you can't do that some people do their best thinking when they are I know a lot of writers

do their best writing when they're stoned but Jonathan is the type at least from what we just saw like he didn't even remember a conversation his mom was just having right and they highlighted the negatives about yeah exactly exactly so it's more cons than pros for him so you know the only thing I could see him using it positively for is if he like maybe gave Beckna a hit of it and that maybe distracted him and that's just a joke obviously but yeah I think this is just more of a phase that he's just got to get through rejignation it's that weird time of the year where

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rejects genuinely liquid ivy thank you for enhancing my lifestyle and for sponsoring this video you guys rock j rush what up jay the location of victor building remains reminds me of building of a bit maybe he means of a building the location of the victor building reminds me of a building the kids entered to face Pennywise question Would you guys be scared to go Into the creepy location I'm assuming the creepy location Of where Vecna is that haunted house

And Tara and I have Actually not seen it Right We have Yes So I don't know that location But in regards to this location

I am not entering there I do like if it's a haunted house and it's You know that I will do but if it's like this specific location and Vecna is there, hell no, I'm going the other way. Unless I'm there with the Stranger Things team, and I know there's a chance like we're going to pull through and do this together.

Maybe, although I might take a hit of Jonathan Singh, although that might paranoia because I can't handle that, so I don't know. But most likely, you know, I'm probably going to be running the other way. What about you, Tara? Yeah, I mean, I'm not going in there. Absolutely not. Like, it looks, here's the thing. The upside down area looks awesome, so spooky, like perfect Halloween season.

Like, I love looking at it. Am I going to go in? Nope. The thing with me is that Halloween is my favorite season of all time, except I don't go to the haunted houses. I'm like, I'll walk around, like, haunted, you know, they have, like, little, they're kind of haunted walkthroughs, but not really. They're mostly, like, fun for kids. That's where you'll find me at every single one of those events. But the haunted houses, nope.

I can vouch for Tara. I've invited her to 10 haunted houses in the last three years. She has said no every time. Maybe she just doesn't like me. I don't know. But every time she says, I'm not going to a haunted house. Won't do it. Won't do it.

Can't do it. Sorry. Selena. All right, Selena. Thank you for the question for being a royal reject. I'm so obsessed with the show as much as Andrew is. and Tara may add as well probably even more

and I've really enjoyed rewatching all these seasons again with you both thank you appreciate it Selena my question is now watching episode four didn't we just watch episode three we did I'm assuming you meant episode three

but what are your overall thoughts on this season so far in the franchise overall love you both XOXO love you too Selena thank you for the question but again I'm going to assume you meant episode three um the season so far is incredible i am just like i said i i love the theme so far of this season of growing apart with the group i think i really think that was the appropriate way to take the season especially with everything that has happened especially with the way it ended in

the last uh episode of season three you know with what happened with hopper going to russia them not knowing of course uh the buyers with eleven moving to california then there's actual distance now physical distance in that and then actual you know the kids actually growing truly growing and getting older and sometimes that happens in real life in relationships whether it's platonic or actual you know you know relationships that you are when you're dating someone you grow apart so I think that was such a smart way to tackle this season and this villain really intrigues me and then going again in the the nightmare on elm street type of approach with vekna again i'm not saying that it's going to fully be that but just that type of style

love it this season so far is like it's been unbelievable i still have no idea what's going to happen but i'm so interested to know more about his backstory whereas i feel like the other seasons in regards to like the mind flare and all that like i've loved the villains but like never had this appetite to know about a backstory because there's no like actual person inhabiting it's just been more like creatures type of thing so like to see like an actual person with eyes and stuff like that you know what i mean with a voice max and stuff like that it's like even more uh of a reason to get me more obsessed with like character beats and stuff like that when it comes to a villain but overall i think this has been one of my favorite reactions in regards to a tv show uh nothing well

ever outbeat Cobra Chi. That's just my favorite show, one of my favorite shows of all time. But this is right there. It's been amazing. I've loved every second. I'm so grateful I get to do this with Tara and react to it in front of you guys. You guys are the best. But I understand now why everyone in my life, including Craig, has been saying for years,

this show was made for me, especially someone who adores and is obsessed with everything 80s. So I've enjoyed every second of it. It's incredible. It's action-packed. It's scary. It's got incredible storylines, characters that develop in all the right ways, fantastic themes, cinematography. The music is out of this world incredible and the aesthetics and it takes place in the age.

Chef's Kiss, nothing to complain about from me. Yeah, I think they're doing a really good job this season. Everyone is being pulled away from each other. Like, Joyce is off with Murray in Alaska. Hopper is in freaking Russia. Now 11 and Mike are separated. 11's also separated from Will and like Dustin is off with Steve and then now Nancy is off with Robin, right? It's like we're we are just all pulled apart and then now Max is sort of like we don't know what's going on there.

And Lucas with him running still don't know what's going on there. I don't know what he's going to do with those guys. So my my assumption is they're kind of treating. it like um i'll i'll say a rubber band but it was like i had a better i had a better metaphor for it but it's it's like you're going to expand that that like star and they're all going in different directions and eventually it's going to bound back together um and when it does oh boy oh boy i can't wait yeah i can't wait uh gabriel is there a character for previous seasons that you hope comes back we're talking about anybody uh dead or alive

That was a Robocop reference, by the way. I would say Bob, if we're talking about a dead character, I would love for him to come back, but if we're being grounded here in reality, I would love that teacher, you know, the teacher that they love and that they're friends with, kind of. Yeah. The science teacher. I mean, because I feel like we haven't seen much of him, right?

He's only sporadically, right? He's not really in the show as much. Is there another character you can think of? Because that's the only one I can just, like, that came to my head that I feel like has not really been on the show much. It would be wild if Nancy's best friend came back. Oh, the one. Barb.

Yeah, didn't, didn't. Well, you said dead or undead. Right, right, right. You know, I would be intrigued just to see their relationship and her in that. I'm trying to think of like, oh, wait, where has? Oh, we did see Lucy's sister, but she hasn't been in as much. I was just thinking that, like the last couple up. She was in episode one.

Yeah, yeah, but not in the last couple. And she really impressed Eddie when they were playing Dungeons and Dragons, and then episodes 2 and 3, she's been, they've talked about her, but if she has not been in it, I got to assume she's going to be more prevalent than the next, hopefully few ones. Because I really do like her

a lot, her character. I've missed her. Is really, really a lot of fun. But there, I, you know, it's a good question, but there aren't any really characters where I'm like, man, where are they? Because it's like all the prominent ones are, I mean, except for you said Bob or whatever, but yeah, I'm not

like, uh, about it, which is good. I figured out one, I really want to come back. The bullies from season one who they made, who Elle made P in their pants so, uh, uh, uh, L can hit with a roller blade on the head. Or a nice skate in this case. I'm just kidding. I don't know.

No, but again, I'd love the science teacher to be more, a little more prevalent in the show too. I think he's great. Yeah. All right. From Kyle May, thank you for being a Royal Reject. And for the question, how do the stakes feel this season so far compared to previous seasons, especially after the ending of episode three at this point of the season? When I first watched, I felt like the mission task was impossible. Do you guys feel the same way? That's a great question, Kyle. Yeah, the stakes definitely feel a lot. I mean, they always feel high in these seasons. I feel like more so because it's only episode three and Max's life is on the line here. I mean, a lot of times their lives are always on the line. you know what I mean but like her note we saw her nose was bleeding and like Vecna is in her her head or rather coming directly after her so and we had again that foreshadowing line like I'm really worried like I'm so scared something's going to happen and in my head I didn't

say it while we were reacting real time I'm like there's no way they kill her off in episode 3 if they do god forbid kill her there's no way we do this in episode 3 or 4 like I feel like she's such an important character if they were to do this, it'd have to be like in the season finale or the episode before, but the fact that we're even going into this realm of making it, this could be a possibility. The stakes

have never, like, have never felt this high to me. This is like one of our main characters, is Max. So I totally feel that this is the highest they've ever felt, honestly. Yeah. The stakes are very, very high because now we're dealing with one of us, right? One of the group, which is Max.

But in this episode, though, they left us with two really big pieces of hope. Number one, we found out Vecna's background in regards to Victor Creel. He's in prison, which means we can have access to him, talk to him. I don't know if that would help us,

but that there is something there within his first victim. And the other biggest hope is that Paul Reiser's character can give 11 back her powers. So I don't feel like it's impossible. Here's what I do feel is that it might be impossible to keep Max alive.

I don't know. And the other thing is that now we're realizing that Vecna can reach multiple people at the same time because he reached the football player and then within the same day, he got to Max. And that's scary. So that means, and when we saw him in his brain,

he's going through and he picks out his victim. And then I don't know what those things are. right the things that he's hooked up to that are obviously juicing him up i'm just like dude the fact that he can take multiple victims in a day it's not just like one now we're really screwed because like and which place again i apologize my mind's slightly foggy again right now just everything but which house was it again that he was starting to come through it was it the one It's Victor Creel's house. Oh, was Victor Creel's house that he was starting to come through in?

Come through. You mean the upside down? Yeah. Yeah. So in Victor Creel in the newspaper, like when you guys look at it, they only showed it to his first second. That house was exactly the house that he is in front of in the upside down. I recognize it right away, the same shape. So he is still near Victor Creel's house, which makes sense to me that that's probably where the trailer

park is. Oh, okay. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's why that guy was like Victor Creel. Okay. And that's why I think he's directly underneath that area. But that was at the trailer park is what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. I was just asking if it was at the trailer park. I think so. Yeah. It's in that vicinity. Yes. And so, yeah, we'll have to see. It does feel like an impossible task. But those two things that I just gave you right now, Kyle, makes it feel like there is some hope in there for us to succeed. By the way, I just thought about this just now, and I promise I have not read anything,

but if Victor Creel, if we are going to meet him and he's, I got to imagine he's in the 70s. Yeah, well, they said that. Yeah, okay. Well, what actor do we know is in his 70s and this season is paying homage to? Nightmare in Elm Street, right? Who plays?

Oh, do you think they bring Freddy? Robert England. I'm so curious. I don't think he's alive. Is he alive? Oh, Victor. Robert England? Yeah.

He's alive. Oh. Yeah, 1947 he was born. Okay. So I'm so curious if that's going to be explaining. I promise, I have not looked. I would not say that out loud if I had looked that up. But I have not looked up anything.

I just, like, that thought just occurred to me as we were talking about, Victor Creel is alive, and he's going to be in his 70s, and Robert England is his 70s. He would be 75. Yeah, that would be so wild. They went with that. That would be. I just thought about that. I guess we'll see, man.

I guess we will see. I will go crazy if that is the case. I know. All right, James Collin says, what are your thoughts on this overall main threat so far? I mean, we've kind of already spoken at Nauseum about Vecna.

Just again, I think the fact that they're using someone who was human, it seems like, is definitely different than, you know, using creatures. So I like that. I just can't wait to get more of the backstory is my whole thing now.

And again, the stakes have truly never been higher. And I love the look of him. The design is incredible. how those things are protruding out of him or sticking into him, whatever. Yeah, I again, I also loved seeing that insight into his mind how he can go around, you know,

after multiple victims. So, I mean, again, we've spoken about it a lot, but I think this is like one of the scarier villains that we've seen so far. Yeah, it's a very dangerous threat. And when I was just thinking in my head as I went back to the first episode, I believe, of this season,

where Erica does overtake Vecna in the D&D game that when she's playing it with Jonathan and I'm like, how do we get that back? Because remember, that's how in the other seasons we were able to overtake the demon. So we'll see. I have a feeling that somehow Dungeons and Drags has got to be in here to where we're thinking along those lines.

It's not as though we have it, right? They figured out that it's Vecna because of that. But I assume that with all the information now that we're gaining, that there's going to be a little more intrigue and lore with the D&D that comes back that may help us take down Vecna. Yeah, agreed. All right, from D, the Shadow. Thank you for being a Royal Reject.

I have been loving your reactions to this series, and it's been great, seeing your journey while we wait for season five. so will's painting has come up in every episode so far with l talking about it in the beginning of episode one in her letter to mike to will bringing it with him to the airport and now where we see will grabbing the painting to take it with him do you have any thoughts about what it could be who it is for oh my god i haven't um i didn't even notice that um i will i will say that i have noticed that when the girl did grab Will in the classroom. He kind of I had two thoughts about me. One, he's either just extremely shy as I used to be with girls at that age, or

you know, could be a sign of him possibly coming out. So, you know, we'll see where that... In the painting? No, I'm not... Through a painting? No, I'm not saying through the painting. I'm just talking about... I'm just sharing like my feelings about what I thought that I was seeing like in

that moment, not again, not the painting, just in the moment in the classroom. And I I think it was episode one. Right, because he put... Yeah, I think either a girl, like, touched his hand, and he kind of... She wanted to play footsies, and he pulled away, remember? Yeah, he pulled away, and again, it's either he's really shy, which I've been there, totally get that, or he's going to be coming out and being game, that's totally fine, that's cool.

But I'm curious, like, in regards to the painting, I have just not been observing that. I know, you know, they mentioned it, but I did not even notice that. even in this episode. I'm pretty sure, because you're asking to eat in shadow, who is it for? I'm pretty sure it's for Mike, because when he brought it to the airport, it was for Mike, and he had it in his hand, and he was going to give it to him. And then Mike paid zero attention to him. And they did a very good close-up on his reaction and how disappointed he was,

thinking this is going to be a really great reunion, between him and Mike. He's excited to give him this painting, whatever it might be. And he didn't. So I know in my heart that it's for Mike because they did a good job of showing us that in episode one.

I don't know what it could be. I mean, if you're saying, well, okay, because he's saying that 11 wrote about it in her letter to Mike about the painting. I am wondering, like, Will used to paint the monsters, right? But also, has he gotten really good at portraits or something? And it's like of Mike? I don't know.

I don't know. I just don't remember just. Sorry, not an excuse. A lot has happened. I mean, I remember that that whole painting thing. I just didn't specifically remember Elle with her specificity in regards to the painting in the letter. I don't remember that. Um, so I don't know what it might be.

I'm assuming it's going to be like a monster something. Or maybe it's a portrait of, of Mike. And maybe he'd be like, or maybe it's like a dungeon and dragons painting of them all together again. I don't know, man. I don't know. Those are my guesses. All right. Last question is from Ryan McKenna.

What do you think of Mason dies? Jason's acting. I think he plays a phenomenal douche and he's just enough over the top that you can tell. he's in on it. Also, my six-year-old daughter slept in her new ring the bell shirt for the last three days. I'm telling you guys. That makes me so happy. Great. Thank you so much, Ryan. I'm telling you guys. It's the most comfy. I'm not just saying this because terror is hair. And I set it off camera too, I think. It is. It's the most comfy shirt. I don't even like shirts like this in general. I normally just wear like under armor and stuff of that like fabric. This is such a comfortable shirt. That's why I wear it the most. And Ryan, I'm like your daughter because I use it as my sleep shirt Because sometimes I'm like, if I leave here from work, it's a little weird walking around with my face on a shirt But I find it the most comfy. I ordered two, one in an extra, extra large, and I sleep in it a lot because it's very comfy.

People see you on the street, you know, you're wearing a shirt of you on there. I know, and a lot of times I just go, yep, that's me, whatever. I think Mason Dye is, again, like, I'm a very empathetic human being. I don't like the character per se and we kind of thought he was being dushy like before all the Chrissy stuff happened where she was yeah they sent up to me that way yeah no and again where he like took like kind of took the reins of the microphone at the the pep rally you know for the basketball pep rally or whatever right and he's like I love you I'm like okay it's sweet but it's also like yeah it's very narcissistic it's very

narcissistic like dude in front of the whole school you know so but again I think the show has done a good job like making you not like him but at the same time understanding his motivations and that's in my opinion that's very good writing when you can not like someone but still empathize

umpathy Jesus I can't talk right now be empathetic towards them and also like understand where they're coming from and again like if someone had been taken from me in a really horrendous way like that I can't like I'm a very

kind and gentle human being and I really don't like violence per se other than just watching it like you know for entertainment like this I don't know like what I'd become I don't know if I'd become a monster like you know how this guy is is truly becoming so I think this show just does a good job of like exploring that type of you know

like what does it do to her humanity even someone you truly love is taken in such a cruel way and I think you know Mason die yeah he wouldn't say he's going like two over the top but I think you do make a good point, Ryan, that you know, he is kind of in on it, that he's playing

that 80s, duchy, you know, type of jock. And he does a great job of it. And I love how this show, and again, the Duffer Brothers and the Rain team do such a good job every season giving us that douchy type of character. Season one, it was Steve, and now we've grown to love Steve so much. I remember I was getting so much crap about not like, or us, both of us

not liking Steve so much, but, I mean, we were not meant to, I feel like, in the first season. Now we love him. Yeah, each season, they always come up with a different dution than I think it was Billy right in season two. And then, again, I didn't love his character per se, but I cared enough about him that I actually gave a damn when, you know, what happened at the end of season three. But, yeah, curious to see, again, where we explore Jason's character. But I think they're doing a great job so far, and his acting's fantastic. Yeah, he does a great job.

What I think the writers are doing is that we can't just have the characters obviously run from the demons, right? and we are setting it up that there are monsters that are surreal monsters but there are also monsters that are humans that we have to be aware of and that's just real life and obviously Jason is

one of those currently. The fact that we'd already known he's a bit dushy not very understanding he still was riding that line of always telling Lucas like are you good do you know these freaks before he even

did anything bad. He's already speaking very badly about all of Lucas's old friends. Lucas has to lie to him to stay in this group. So we already know how extremely controlling Jason is, especially when it comes to his friends and the environment and who is allowed around. They have to like be on the football team and be cool and the nerds are they're not allowed or like you're out. He'll come after you. Right. So he's already bully and we already have set that up even though we have not seen him very specifically but now we have he almost breaks the hand of the kid that he does not know totally crashes over the the drum set i mean it's a pretty terrible thing to watch um you know and i was very upset that Lucas didn't get in there and try to

stop him because it was very upsetting to watch um if especially when he says how hard is it going to be able to play the drums of the broken hand. He's savage, right? And his friends are just, like, totally with him. He is the leader of the group, and that's who they follow. But I think, hopefully, at this point, we do see Lucas in that slow-mo coming to a crossroads and realizing that this is probably not the group that he belongs with, and hopefully to get out of that as quickly as possible.

But I do think that the actor is obviously sort of in on the joke. also looks like that person. So the casting, they did a very good job. And it tends to be that if you're an actor and you look that way, you know the parts that you're going to play. So he's most likely going to be very good at playing those characters and whether or not he is a bit of that of him inside. You tend to bring a bit of that ego, the narcissism, the narcissism that he has. And it plays really well. And I'm not saying that I don't think he's pigeonholed himself. but I'm saying that he's probably going to get castes those characters a lot simply because of his bone structure and his looks.

Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up too, Tara, in regards to Lucas, that, you know, he didn't really do anything in that first moment, but I did like seeing that facial reaction from, like, what the hell? Who am I involved with, like, this group? Is this what I want to become? Like, this is what the popular group is. And I do like that. I love that subversion of expectations.

We got that. We were in the woods, and we really thought. that he ratted, you know, the group out with Eddie and all that. So, and then we come to find that it was, it was just a Hopper's old cabin. So I think that was just, I was a really pivotal and cool moment for Lucas to see, like, no, it's all Lucas again. Like, he would never do that. And not to, not to his, his, his, uh, the friends that we know he adores and really loves

and, and, uh, sees him as popular and cool in his own right. And he doesn't need these group of characters. Right. Thank goodness. Because it's, it's, it's crazy. Crazy. Well, we got to get out of here. We appreciate all your questions, patrons. We will obviously be back to see you on the next one. And we love you a bunches. See you soon. I did time with Ephraim Devoroli, the guy who screwed over Packhouse. And what he told me, David Packowls had no idea until he came on the podcast.

Join me, Matthew Cox, a former con man on Inside True Crime, a podcast where criminals, law enforcement, and victims share wild, firsthand stories you won't hear anywhere else. Listen anywhere you get your podcast.