Fandom of the Month Club Unboxing: September 2016

Hello, everyone! I'm Victoria, and this is the first post of the new monthly segment Fandom of the Month Club Unboxing! Fandom of the Month Club is a mailing service where you pay a monthly subscription fee to receive a box full of geeky goodies. I've been subscribed since May, and I have received Sherlock, Lord of the Rings, Wizard of Oz, and Harry Potter jewelry. All of it is exclusive to Fandom of the Month and a surprise every time! This is a geek girl's dream.

This month's box is Pokémon GO themed and it includes:

• The Quote Pouch 
• A Team Rocket Magnet
• The Pikachu Earrings
• The Poké Ball Compact Mirror
• The Four Pokémon Barrettes
• The Gym Car Decal 

The Quote Pouch:

The quote pouch has been a standard item in the boxes. It features an iron-on quote from the Pokémon show. This pouch is made of linen and is the perfect size to contain your Fandom goodies, and it cinches shut to keep anything from falling out. 

The Team Rocket Magnet:

This is a 3 1/2" by 2" magnet. It's thin and has creative artwork of Jessie, James, and Meowth. This is perfect for hanging pictures or important notes on your fridge or whiteboard. It has a glossy finish which will protect it from water and stains.

The Pikachu Earrings:

This set of earrings is made of polymer clay. The cool thing about them is they can actually be both dangling and stud earrings. Simply remove the tail part and you have studs!

I actually thought the earrings were broken when the tail and body fell off, but it turns out they're made this way. The only qualms I have with these is that the earrings are a bit thick. I could see people with thicker lobes having trouble getting these on with the tail and body attachment. Also, Pikachu's face is a bit derpy, and I think that takes away from some of the cuteness. As someone who works with polymer clay, I'm a bit critical of the facial design.

The Poké Ball Compact Mirror:

This is the perfect size to keep in your purse, and I love the cute Poké Ball design. The mirror has both a regular and a magnified side. 

The mirror overall is very high quality. It snaps shut firmly and can be opened easily with the push of a button.

The Four Pokémon Barrettes:

These barrettes/bobby pins feature Bulbasaur, Charmander, Pikachu, and Squirtle. They are glass charms welded to the bobby pins. These could be super cute to keep your hair back or to stick out a bit in a bun.

The Gym Car Decal:

This is a 6x4" vehicle decal for your bumper! This is a great way to show the world your Pokémon pride. It's high quality and glossy to keep it weather resistant. I love how they used the Poké Ball for the O.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Overall, I give this box a 6 out of 10 rating, only because I can't use these items as much as I could past boxes. I'm not as much of a Pokémon fan as I am of other things. However, all of the items are super cute and very creative. If you want to subscribe to Fandom of the Month Club, you can on their website for $13 a month not including shipping (it costs me about $17 total including shipping). It's a worthwhile investment, and if you don't like the fandom, it's a great present!

Are you part of this fandom? Which of these items is your favorite?

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INTJ Diaries: I Love You. Most Ardently.

Dear Diary,

I attended a ball the night before last and have managed to alienate myself from every moderately beautiful woman in the room and, in doing so, most of the pleasanter gentlemen as well. It's a miracle Bingley still spends time with me. I wish I was as charming as I am rich. Can you buy conversing lessons? Flirting lessons? Sigh.

INTJ flirting. Like sighting a unicorn on a cold winter's morn, this almost unheard of phenomenon does actually happen from time to time. If you want to witness it, you must watch very closely--blink and you might miss it.

(source)

For me, there are only two fictional characters whose MBTI type discussions bring to mind the words fight me: Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. Mr. Darcy is the poster child for a “normal” INTJ. He's not classified as a genius, he’s not a morally-lacking sociopath, and he's not unnecessarily rude to everyone. At least not purposely. Everything he does stems from his undying devotion to those he cares about and his lack of social graces due to his misunderstanding social cues and his bluntness.

(source)

He thinks he's smarter and better than everyone in the room--and, to be fair, he is the richest, which amounts to the best in that society--but when he meets his match in Elizabeth Bennet, well, he's intrigued. To put it lightly. In all reality, meeting Lizzy Bennet sends him in an obsessive downward spiral full of confusion and self-loathing until he realizes he needs to stop being so… rational.

Their relationship, like any good INTJ relationship, starts out with teasing and irritation on her side and confusion and cluelessness on his. He refuses to dance with her at the ball and calls her “barely tolerable,” but we’ll get back to that in a moment.

The most important scene in the Darcy/Lizzy relationship, in my opinion, is the scene in Netherfield’s sitting room after Jane has fallen ill. Lizzy, Caroline, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Darcy are discussing character.

BURN. (source)

Caroline, intent on impressing Mr. Darcy, suggests that she and Elizabeth walk about the room and asks Mr. Darcy to join them. Mr. Darcy responds that whether they have secrets to discuss or simply think their figures look better in motion, he would only be in the way, and he stays sitting. Caroline pretends to be taken aback, and Lizzy suggests that they find something about him to laugh at. You can almost see his ears perk up at this. Caroline is actually taken aback by this one and says that Mr. Darcy is not to be laughed at. (A common trait among INTJs--many people seem to be weirdly intimidated by us.)

(source)

So Lizzy, of course, tries to find a fault of his that she can tease him about. He’s more than willing to oblige: “I have faults enough,” he says, “but they are not, I hope, of understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. It is, I believe, too little yielding; certainly too little for the convenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies and vices of other so soon as I ought, nor their offenses against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost is lost for ever” (57-58). If you’ve never met an INTJ in real life, well, this is what we look like. On the upside, though, while our good opinion can be lost forever, once it’s well-formed, it’s incredibly hard to shake. Hence the reason Mr. Darcy falls crazy in love with Elizabeth and can’t talk himself out of it, despite how much he tries.

The sweet, sweet, irrational sexual tension. (source)

Lizzy goes on to say that she can’t very well laugh at that, and he responds that every disposition has a tendency toward an irremediable defect.

“And your defect,” Lizzy says, “is a propensity to hate every body.”

“And yours,” he replies with a smile, “is willfully to misunderstand them” (58).

Thinkers and Feelers, y’all. INTJs will never understand how someone could purposefully see something in someone that isn’t there, whether it’s choosing to believe that everything they do is magic or choosing to see only their worst traits. Feelers (specifically that group that includes INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, ENFP) have no problem with this dichotomy of thought.

Hence most of the difficulties Lizzy and Mr. Darcy run into while falling in love.

But back to the ball.

(source)

When she’s brought to his attention, he’s not impressed. Bingley sees her for what she is: an attractive girl. But Darcy doesn’t know her, isn’t intrigued by her--his interest has yet to be piqued. So it doesn’t really matter if she’s a pretty face or not; he doesn’t really see that. But then she talks to him, teases him and…

(source)

...she has suddenly become much more attractive to him, even though her face and body have not changed in the slightest. In order to be loved by an INTJ, you not only have to attract their body, you have to first and foremost attract their mind.

So then Lizzy shows up at his home in order to see her sister and, well, worse things could happen. They continue to bicker--I’m pretty sure this is his first attempt at flirting--and he starts to say things with smiles rather than the typical INTJ angry resting face. You see this most clearly in the 2005 movie:

Dork. (source)

He stands quickly and awkwardly when she gets into the room and then, when she asks a question, he makes sure that he’s the one to respond. So he says the first helpful thing he can think of and then probably mentally facepalms for the next half hour.

Then, of course, comes the pivotal sitting room scene in which they begin to understand one another.

They continue, for the rest of the story, to get into fights based on misunderstandings (one of the only reasons an INTJ will get into a true fight), and to learn more and more about one another: her by asking questions, him by trying to explain himself. An arduous task, to be sure.

When they’re discussing the ball, he tells her the true reason that he danced with no one: “I am ill qualified to recommend myself to strangers. [...] I certainly have not the talent which some people possess of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done” (174). He’s not being a snob, he’s being an INTJ. Totally in over his head in social situations.

(source)

Not fifteen pages later, he proposes. Because that’s a natural progression. He comes to the house she’s staying in, asks her about her health, sits down awkwardly, then just straight-out goes for it: “In vain I have struggled. It will not do.” The ultimate INTJ weakness, struggling without succeeding. Telling her this is his idea of being humble, though for obvious reasons, she doesn’t see it. “My feelings will not be repressed.” I can almost see him shudder at this. Unchecked feelings are the Achilles’ heel to any INTJ. They’re irritating and irrational and they shouldn’t exist. “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” (188). That’s it. That’s like vulnerability level 98. Meanwhile, Lizzy’s like “you what now? seriously?” and Darcy has absolutely no idea how his intentions could have been misunderstood. She, of course, rejects him, and his pride shoots through the roof. His walls go back up, and he’s Mr. Cool Composure. A girl can’t hurt me, nope, no way. *puts on aviators and a black leather jacket*

But he doesn't hold a grudge because she's still a cool person.

Fast forward in time and Lizzy learns of Lydia’s elopement with Wickham, for which Mr. Darcy just happens to be present. Her face goes pale, and he goes Oh no. What’s wrong? What do I do?? So offers her something to drink. Seriously: “Let me call your maid,” he says. “Is there nothing you could take to give you present relief? A glass of wine; shall I get you one? You are very ill” (268). I can almost see his hands fluttering uselessly around her.

An INTJ being supportive in an emotional crisis. (source) (source)

When he proves fairly useless at comforting her, he naturally turns to the next most helpful thing he can think of: paying off Wickham to marry Lydia. Because we INTJs don’t believe in doing anything halfway. But he doesn’t do it for Lizzy’s attention--he actually tries to keep it a secret. However. He tries to keep it a secret with Lydia, so there’s a good chance he knew it would get back to Lizzy. And impress her. INTJ flirting instance number two. He even tells her, much later, that he thought only of her (354). Because flirting, like jokes, is best when explained three weeks after the fact.

Some time later, at a dinner party, Lizzy attempts to talk to Mr. Darcy and runs out of topics of mutual interest. “She could think of nothing more to say; but if he wished to converse with her, he might have better success. He stood by her, however, for some minutes, in silence; and, at last, on the young lady’s whispering to Elizabeth again, he walked away” (330-331). INTJ flirting number three.

Flirting? you might ask. Yes, I would respond. Sort of. Let me enlighten you to what was probably going on in his head: He answers Lizzy’s last question. I should introduce another topic of conversation. There’s nothing interesting to follow that statement. Why didn’t I say something more interesting? Maybe she has something else to say. I’ll stay here. This silence is stretching on for a really long time. I should say something. But now it’s been too long. Saying something would be too awkward. Someone starts whispering to Lizzy. Oh gosh they’re talking about me. She doesn’t actually want me hovering awkwardly over her. Why am I still standing here? He moonwalks awkwardly away with his tea. He wanted interactions to happen. He gave words the chance to happen. He answered everything she asked him. But then his mind got the better of him and he left, disappointing both of them.

(source)

Then he proposes. Again. Those darn unchecked emotions just won’t go away, and Lizzy has just given him a reason to hope (by telling off his aunt--could she get any more intriguing?). So he tries again, for the--even if she had rejected him--last time. An INTJ’s pride can only take so many hits before we crumble and turn into curmudgeonly old hermits. “My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word form you will silence me on this subject forever” (354). Even if she had rejected him a second time, his affections would have remained unchanged. Even if he had married--happily--and had a good life, his affections would have remained unchanged. See, he fell in love with her because he found her interesting. Being interesting made her attractive. And all of this together led him to think that they would be a good match for each other. Given the amount of time he’s had to come to this conclusion, it’s very unlikely that it would ever change without some kind of irreparable disaster. So he could be happy with someone else, but he would forever believe that he and Elizabeth would have made a good match.

But he says he will respect her wishes. He does this, obviously, because he is a gentleman. But also a little because his pride at this point is a bit fragile. He was vulnerable once and she attacked. Once more and he might not be able to handle it.

She accepts. He breathes a sigh of relief, asks her father for permission, and the two live happily ever after.

My heart. (source)

But she wants to know why. Why did he fall in love with her? Why did he fall in love with her? His response melts my heart--partially because I want someone to say it to me and partially because I’m like yes! someone understands! “I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation,” he says. “It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun” (367). INTJs and their emotions, man.

Lizzy and Darcy's blunt conversations, however, are one of my favorite things about this famous couple. They discuss everything. It’s often very much after the fact, granted, but still, they talk it out. Darcy is more than happy to explain himself--that’s the only time INTJs really feel like they’re being understood. Questions are good. Questions allow for odd behavior to be rationally accounted for. And they spark each other’s minds. Sure, they find each other attractive, but first, they find each other interesting. And worth talking to. That--that is the foundation of a good relationship. At least for an INTJ.

Open communication for the win... eventually. (source)

All this to say, if you ever find yourself with the misfortune of being in love with an INTJ, talk it out. There’s a really good chance they don’t know. There’s also a chance they’re in love with you too, and you’ve been missing their attempts at flirting for the past six months because, well, subtle isn’t our strong suit, no matter which way you take it.

And here's Mr. Bingley being cute. Just because. (source)

Fun Fact: Jane Austen was an INTJ, judging by her letters and other writings. Hence the reason she was able to write one who wasn't a psychopath so convincingly.

What's your favorite Mr. Darcy moment?

*All quotes taken from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Barnes & Noble Classics edition, 2003.*

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Meet Cute: Never Laugh At Live Dragons

Have you ever wondered what would happen if two of your favorite characters met? Would they get along fabulously? Would they immediately despise each other? Would they fall in love and live happily for the rest of eternity?

Enter Meet Cute.

As you probably known by now, I love dragons. All dragons. Big dragons, little dragons, fire-breathing dragons, scary dragons, cute dragons. All of them. So it probably doesn't come as any surprise that I've often wondered what it would be like for my favorite two dragons to meet.

     Smaug: "I am fire! I am death!"
     Toothless: *smiles toothless grin*
     Smaug: "I am--" *chokes on smoke*

While I don't think Smaug and Toothless would become the best of dragon friends (Smaug is much too proud to admit friendship and Toothless is 100% loyal to Hiccup), I think their interactions would prove to be entertaining. At first, Smaug might go all fire-breathing dragon and threaten to incinerate him because he's just so sick and tired of pipsqueaks that smell like beard hair and axes waking him from his seventy-year naps. Toothless, of course, would not fear Smaug at all. He's dealt with much bigger dragons before and Smaug doesn't look nearly as intimidating as the Red Death or Bewilderbeast. After a few minutes of watching Toothless bumble around the caverns of Erebor, dive-bombing into the piles of gold and rolling around in the jewels, a piece of Smaug's (arken)stone heart would start to chip away.

Come on, Smaug, You know you want to roll around in your gold.

     Smaug: "My teeth are swords."
     Toothless: *retracts teeth in mouth*
     Smaug: "My claws are spears."
     Toothless: *flaps spine plates*
     Smaug: "My wings are a HURRICANE!"
     Toothless: *flies around Smaug's head*
     Smaug: "Do you think flattery will keep you alive?"

This is pretty much Toothless' face the whole time.

After some time, I think Smaug might get used to Toothless hanging around, even if he prefers to be alone. The caverns of Erebor are huge and quiet, so Toothless would have plenty of opportunities to get lost and leave Smaug to rest his old eyes a lot (after all Smaug is like hundreds, if not thousands, of years old [a proper dragon never reveals his age]; he's basically just an old man dragon yelling "Get off my gold!"). Toothless would bring fish from the lake for Smaug, and Smaug would refuse to eat it because there's no way to know what else Toothless has stuck in his mouth. But the moment Toothless wandered off, Smaug would devour the meal without hesitation because he really doesn't get out enough for a proper meal.

Toothless might try to sneak up on Smaug, even though it would never work, and Smaug would pretend he didn't smell the smaller dragon coming. It gets lonely being the last of the great dragons, so Smaug would welcome a little entertainment even if it's from a pipsqueak dragon with half a tail and weird teeth. They would definitely challenge each other to hour after hour of riddles, especially so Smaug could show off how clever he is. Because he is the cleverest dragon ever; he'd never let a pipsqueak swindle anything from him, not even his dignity or the most precious jewel in the entire mountain.

At some point, Toothless would end up on Smaug's back or head, curled up in a ball to take a nice, long nap together. Smaug would only pretend he didn't enjoy it. He could never, ever, for the dignity of all that is dragon left in the world, admit to taking part in "The Snuggles." But as we all know, no one can resist the adorableness of Toothless.

See, even Cloudjumper can't resist!

Meanwhile, Bilbo and Hiccup would watch from afar and wonder at these two together.

     Bilbo: "Is Smaug with you?" 
     Hiccup: "No, I thought he was with you." 

     Bilbo: "Uh, no." 

     Both: *Slowly start to back away.*

In the end, I think Smaug would try to act big and tough, but he really would feel a small amount of kinship with the playful Night Fury. After all, Smaug is considered a pretty small dragon in comparison to the other Middle-earth dragons (poor, whiny baby), just like Toothless is one of the smaller dragons of Berk. Still, Smaug would try to train Toothless to be a strong, mighty dragon.

Smaug: "I kill where I wish, WHEN I wish! My armour is iron, no blade can pierce me!"
Toothless: *shrugs* "I'm the Alpha dragon. I've seen bigger."
Smaug: "But I am KING UNDER THE MOUNTAIN!"
Toothless: *rolls eyes* "You are a drama queen."
Smaug:

The two dragons might not share the same opinions on how to be a dragon (Smaug would, of course, think it disgraceful to let a person ride on his back and Toothless couldn't justify breathing fire every time he gets angry), but I think they would get along after a few solid days together. And it might prove for the better if Toothless could teach Smaug to lighten up a bit--and not the kind that involves breathing fire on an entire town. Toothless's adorableness and playful attitude would melt Smaug's (arken)stone heart. (But he'd never admit it.)

What else do you think Smaug and Toothless would do together? Let me know in the comments!

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Stranger Things Recap: "Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street" (1x02)

Spoilers!

(source)

We begin episode two in front of the Wheeler house where rain pours down. Inside, a frightened Eleven is interrogated by Mike, Dustin, and Lucas.

 Mike calms everyone down until he offers clothing to the silent Eleven and she starts changing in front of the boys, freaking them out. Mike helpfully directs her to the bathroom where she lets him crack the door but not close it, speaking her first lines. The boys discuss Eleven while she changes, Lucas taking on an antagonistic view of her while Dustin can't get over her attempted public changing. Mike convinces his friends to keep Eleven's existence quiet so they don't get in trouble with their parents with a plan to have her approach his mom the next morning.

After his friends leave, Mike helps Eleven settle in for the night, learning her name when she shows him her tattoo. He shortens her name to El and leaves her for the night, hidden in his basement where she cries.

Titles play.

We're back with the Joyce and Jonathan Byers, where an electrician is working on their powerline. Jonathan has made breakfast, but Joyce refuses, still too worried about Will and all that needs doing. Someone knocks on the door. It's Sheriff Hopper, bringing a report on the lack of success in the search for Will. Hopper checks Joyce's fried phone from last week, chalking the incident up to a storm. Joyce insists it was Will on the phone, but Hopper attributes the call to a prank. Joyce maintains that she knows her son's breathing, just as he would know his own daughter's. Hopper decides to go check out Lonnie, Joyce's ex-husband.

Mike makes Eggos, sneaking some into his pockets. His family sits at breakfast. Nancy gives Mike side-eye for his sloppy waffle eating, telling him to slow down. They have a short exchange where Mike references her secret study session with Steve and end up kicking each other's chair until their mom stops them. Clueless parents are clueless.

Eleven plays with Mike's walkie-talkie, making Mike comment on its weak signal before presenting her with a hidden waffle, which she tucks into. He instructs her of the plan for her to come to the front door and say she needs hope. She shuts him down with a decisive "No." Mike deduces that Eleven is in trouble with bad people. When prompted to answer Mike's suspicion, Eleven raises her fingers in a gun symbol to her head and then to Mike's. Message received. Mike leaves.

Dr. Brenner, the creepy doctor from Hawkin's Laboratory, walks down a hallway discussing the former evening's events and the missing Will. Next thing we know, he's listening to a recording of Joyce insisting Will was on the phone.

The search in the woods continues for Will. The cops discuss Joyce's mental state, but Hopper shuts them down.

At the high school, Steve interrupts Barb and Nancy's hallway study session to invite them to a small party at his house. They comment on Jonathan Byers hanging up missing posters, and one of the teens suggests he killed his brother. Nancy tries to reassure Jonathan.

In the middle school, Lucas and Dustin discuss Mike's absence from school and how weird they think Eleven is. Lucas points out they need to get back to their mission to find Will.

Mike bikes down the street. Not sure what he was doing because in the next moment he's offering El a drink. She finds his family pictures more interesting than his "22-inch TV," especially Nancy's, which she dubs "pretty." Mike then helps her discover his dad's Lazy Boy.

Jonathan drives down the street. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash plays and takes him back to a memory with Will where he showed him the song and gave him advice about not liking things just because others wanted him to. What a good brother. Will decides he truly likes the song.

Joyce buys a phone to replace the fried one at her workplace. She requests (and gets) an advance to cover things while she's out of work.

A shady mustachioed dude knocks on the Byers's door. No one answers, so Brenner and his protection suit-clad entourage investigate the land, including the shed where Will disappeared. They find some interesting goo in the shed.

Mike shows off his room and toys to El, including the force-using Yoda who can move things with his mind. El notices a picture of the boys, and she points out Will, causing Mike to question if she saw him. Wheeler Mom arrives with toddler Holly, so Mike tries to sneak El downstairs but is forced to hide her in the closet in his room. Mike promises not to tell anyone about El, explaining that a promise is something you can never break. He runs to answer his mom's call while El experiences claustrophobia in the closet, returning to a past memory where she was dragged down a hall and locked in a small room.

Mike has a pow-wow with his mom, claiming he didn't feel good to explain his scholarly absence. His mom chalks it up to him having a hard time with Will's disappearance and reassures him that he can tell her anything. A bump is heard from upstairs. Mike finds Eleven scrunched up in the closet. She nods and says, "Promise," when he asks if she is okay.

Joyce becomes a sentry with her new phone, waiting and hoping her son will call.

Hopper and one of his men discuss the likelihood of a survivor's long fall into a river when he receives a call from the police station reporting a call from Benny's, AKA the diner from the first episode. Hopper and his cops check out Benny's body. The bad guys left a gun in Benny's hand to make it appear a suicide. One cop laments the fact that there are so many strange things happening (hehe), while Hopper reflects on the fact that in the past he only worried about strangers, not his friends.

Jonathan arrives at his dad's house where he searches for Will but doesn't find him. Later, he searches his dad's trunk and criticizes his father for the lack of worry he shows about Will, but his dad blames his mom instead.

Meanwhile, Mike tells Lucas and Dustin about Eleven recognizing Will and about the bad people after her. Lucas interrogates Eleven, but she doesn't answer. The boys get into an argument about the danger surrounding Eleven and whether or not they should tell Mike's mom. When Lucas attempts to leave the room to do just that, Eleven uses her mind to slam the door shut. Twice. Then she locks it and tells him, "No." That's right.

At the police station, Benny's friend tells Hopper that Benny was excited about a fishing trip they were going on, making suicide unlikely. He also mentions being at the diner when Eleven was there, though he thinks she was a boy. Hopper surmises that the kid could be Will with a haircut.

Nancy convinces Barb to attend the secret party at Steve's with her. Wheeler family dinner includes Mike and Lucas. All the boys eat lightly. Nancy tells her mom she wants to go to a school event in support of Will, though we all know where she's really going. Mrs. Wheeler suggests Nancy take the boys with her. They emphatically disagree, much to her surprise. Eleven sneaks down the stairs in the background, causing reactions in the boys to keep Mrs. Wheeler from noticing. Holly steals the scene, sinking into her seat as if she can't stand this whole situation.

The search continues for Will, and the cops wonder if the shaved kid really was Will. Someone finds a drain with a piece of fabric attached to it. Could Will have crawled through? Apparently he's good at hiding, so maybe. Hopper finds the fence in front of Hawkin's Lab.

The boys bring El dinner as she fiddles with Mike's walkie-talkie. When Lucas tells her they were trying to find their friend, Will, Eleven doesn't understand the word "friend," so they explain how important friends are, emphasizing the importance of spit.

Nancy and Barb continue toward the party that screams bad idea so Nancy can change her shirt, and she also insists that they can't park in the driveway. Barb tries to warn Nancy, but she typically insists on going. When they arrive, Steve invites them in.

Hopper is in bed with some lady I don't think we've seen before. He talks about being cursed and the last town suicide. Things don't seem to end well when he insists on staying outside while his lady friend returns to bed.

Mike, Dustin, and Lucas are trying to figure out if El knows where Will is. She picks up their board game and flips it over, choosing a figure to represent Will. She tells them Will is hiding. After an inquiry into who he's hiding from, she produces the scary Demogorgon figurine from the first episode, slamming it into the center of the board. Well, then.

Jonathan drives into the woods with a camera. He takes pictures, obviously hoping to find some evidence to help his brother. Instead, he hears a scream, but when he investigates it's only Carol, one of Steve's friends, being teased by her boyfriend.

Steve and Nancy flirt over beer cans and cutting them with knives. Nancy drinks an entire can, urged on by the guys. She invites Barb to a can, but Barb doesn't want to. After Nancy pushes her, she tries to follow their lead but cuts her hand open instead. Upset and bleeding, she heads to the bathroom. The boys push the girls into the pool before joining them, all while Jonathan takes photos.

 Back with Joyce, the phone finally rings. Weird noises. She calls out, asking for Will. She hears his voice calling her. The phone zaps again. Another phone, ruined. Joyce sobs, losing her connection to Will again. A light in the room flickers to life, and a path of lights lead to Jonathan's room where the radio turns on, playing "Should I Stay or Should I Go." Officially freaked out here. The lamp flickers, making Joyce realize it is Will communicating somehow. Suddenly, the power in the room goes out. The wall begins to expand as if something is trying to come out of it. Joyce runs out and tries to start the car. The lights return in the house along with the same song. Joyce returns, confident that it is Will.

Post-swim, the annoying teens are now wet and cold. Steve offers Nancy dry clothes, but Barb catches her on the way up the stairs, questioning her actions. Nancy tells Barb to go on home and that she's fine. Jonathan continues taking photos of Nancy through Steve's window. Steve brings Nancy clothes. She requests privacy, so he turns around, but then she says his name and starts to undress in front of him. (Mixed signals???) They kiss, and Jonathan takes more pictures. That's weird.

Dejected, Barb sits with her feet in the pool. Her cut drips blood into the water and the lights flicker off. A strange/creepy noise is heard, she looks up, and we see just a flash of monster. Oh, and I'm screaming. And Barb is gone.

Jonathan is in the bushes, but he's so distracted by Nancy and Steve's making out (ahem) that he somehow misses the scary creature with Barb. Dude, really? Finally, he leaves like a sensible young man.

Steve and Nancy kiss and go to the next level. Ugh, whyyyy.

The lights flicker back on at the pool. The end of the episode.

In Memoriam:

I don't think anyone actually died this episode, except maybe Nancy's standards (She did just say she wasn't going to do anything, right? Whatever, Nancy.)

Unknown:

Will Byers, still. We did hear his voice, though, so hopefully he'll be okay.

Barb. She disappeared at the end, so no knowing here.

What was your favorite moment from episode 2? If you haven't seen Stranger Things, what are you waiting for?

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