I Just Wanna Let Everyone Know That My Blog Is A VERY VERY Safe Place For Billy Stans/kinners.

Stranger Things spoilers ahead but I need to talk about Jonathan Byers.

Jonathan, who took it upon himself to organize his baby brother’s funeral because his mother wasn’t doing it.

Jonathan, who dropped everything to *save* Will when he was presented with evidence that he wasn’t dead.

Jonathan, who could not physically bear to watch Will in pain even if it was necessary to free him from the mindflayer, and had to turn away so he didn’t have to see him suffer.

Jonathan, who never treated Will like he was annoying like Mike and Nancy or Lucas and Erica.

Jonathan, who truly *saw* how Will was acting around Mike and knew what it meant.

Jonathan, who admitted he had been distant and chose to be the one to reach across the distance and tell Will he would always love him no matter what.

Jonathan, who gave Will acceptance and reassurance without asking anything of him.

Jonathan, who realized in 1986 that his baby brother was queer and made sure he knew he was explicitly supported without outing him before he was ready.

Just. Jonathan Byers y’all.

everyone going crazy at the thought of steve dying.. not me tho im numb ever since i saw billy get literally suction cupped to death

“Is defending Billy Hargrove really the hill you want to die on?”

Well yeah I’ve already planted my feet so like

Honestly, the entire time watching S3, I was clinging onto the hope that, by some miracle, he was going to be saved, that the main cast will say “yeah, Billy was a major dick to most of us, but NO ONE deserves to be used by that monster in such a gruesome way” and that he was make it out alive. BARELY, but alive.

But WHAT did they do??

Delay every possible second they had to kill the Mind Flayer (and possibly save Billy) and put in some corny ass singing montage for some cheap laughs. Some forced cutesy montage was given more importance than giving Billy a fighting chance to make it out alive.

….let me tell you, I have never felt a bigger slap in the face by a TV show EVER.

The Duffers gave Billy’s character the ultimate middle finger. By not giving him a chance to change and repent for his actions. By not giving his relationship with Max a chance to heal and grow into a more healthy dynamic. By not letting Billy become a better person, than BOTH of his parents.

There was SO much potential to show that people who turn out like Billy ARE capable of change, to undo the toxic coping mechanisms that they learned, to heal their relationships, and, most importantly IMO, that they are worth fighting for.

The Duffers really demonstrated that they don’t know how to handle the complexities of their own characters and that they don’t really give a shit anyway. It’s all about the cheap laughs and lazily recycling 80’s tropes.

The theories of Billy (and Dacre) possibly returning is the only reason why I will try and watch S4. And if Billy only returns as flashbacks, I will stay for those scenes and then leave the rest of the story up for my imagination.

Look I know how much we all hate Neil. I hate him too, with all my heart. But just a fact - billy's mother abandoned her son. She left him. With Neil, knowing what kind of person he was. She made a choice to save herself, but to leave her little son to drown.

Neil could've given billy for adoption/foster home/abandoned him too. He didn't. He kept him. As a punching bag. Was it the only reason? My guess is, he was.just.responsible. Just like his own dad had probably taught him to be.

I don't know what's better in this case, honestly, to be given up for foster care or to be abused by your father during YEARS.

I hate Neil, but I hate Billy's mom more.

And Billy???? I've read a lot of fics how he hates his dad. And, yes, he should. He does hate his dad. However, that's the thing about parents - no matter how much you hate them, deep down, in your core, you love them. The relationship between parents and children is so hopelessly complicated.

Why am I writing all this? To cry about billy one more time. I think he loved his mom, despite the fact that she selfishly chose her own interests over the well-being of her son. I even think Billy loved his dad, under all those layers of hate, despite the fact that he was an abusive piece of shit.

I'm writing it to once again put into words my disgust for the duffers, because BECAUSE you don't take a broken teenager, show everyone HOW and why he was broken and torn, and then kill him off to a tune of Neverending story or whatever this stupid song was called.

The more I think about Billy, the more heartbroken I become because it's abysmal, how deep his suffering was. Instead of fixing it, they chose the Neverending story finale, sending what kind of message to all the broken teens out there ..???? That it's all fucking hopeless?? That you can drown in your pain and nobody will give a damn?

Fuck them, honestly. You can't really make a cheap goo monster horror story based on the suffering of a child.

Aaand I made myself cry again. Yay.

To the many peoole who think Billy is a irredemable characther and completly beyond redepmtion or deserved to die. Cool. Have your opinion but I would suggest that those people never go into the field of child protection or working with abuse victims. The thing about abuse victims, especially child victims is that anger and lashing out are very normal behavioural reactions. They model what they see, they use toughness to protect themselves or to convince the world they don't care. It self protection and survial.

This is a kid who gets beaten by his dad, got left by his mother and never understood why she didnt take him too, left to the hell she was trying to escape from. Got a new family thrushed upon him where it felt like this new sister got treated better than him for no reason and at the time of his death was still living in that horrible situation. He was still a kid when he died. Now does that excuse his actions and they way he treated Max or any or the rest of themm No it doesn't. Is Max entitled to how she feels about him? Sure. She has her own trauma. But was he evil? Nah, he was a scared, lonely kid who never got to explore the world outside his abusive life. Who obviosuly has enough good in him to sacrifice himself at the end, who seemed like he never truly wanted to hurt anyone judging by how upset he was.

In my opinion the way many see Billy is sympathetic of how we treat kids going through these situations. It is easy to feel sympathetic and wanting to help the kid who is showing the signs we expect of trauma, the ones we feel just removing them from the environment and showing love will magically fix. Its easier to look at season 1 Eleven who hid and didnt speak, (also valid reactions to trauma) but the truth of it is that the Billy's are far more the norm in these situations than we think and I have worked with many and not a single one was irrredemable or beyond growing for the better and there is not a single kid who deserved what happneed to them. Billy is no differnt. I really think he could have grown as a characther and had the potential to be able to make up for his actions and forge a relationship with Max.

Anger and lashing out is one of the signs of abuse we we are taught to look for. So if you are someone who is abuse victim and sometimes the only way you can deal with it is to lash out and get angry just know you are not bad or beyond help, and I am proud of you for surviving the best way you onow how and for wanting to change. You are dealing with your situation the best you can and you can grow. Your are more than a sum of your worst moments. I ❤️

The characther of Billy deserved way better than Season 4. Why do that to him? Uhh!

Stole this from an anti who was pissed because "trying to avenge his death" is now the only thing I will be thinking about until I see it happen

Can’t believe I had to log on after a month just to post a common sense reminder-

properly tag ur shit

If I see one more anti billy post on the regular Billy tags without the proper hashtag, imma scream. Let me enjoy my content in peace.

His hair is longer than mine, and he and Jonathan like to smoke smelly plants together. Jonathan says the plants are super safe because they come from the earth, but to NOT tell Joyce.