When Mihael Keehl Shows More Respect For Our BAMF Naomi Misora Than Her Own Fiancé.

The true tragedy of Billy Hargrove is that he was a too complex character for the world he was set in.

His very existence strikes at the core of the show and its character by inviting the viewer to dive deeper into his motives and the nuances of his character. Which then leads to questioning other characters.

Which is a big problem for some viewers. Once you start doing it, you realise all of your faves are problematic. El is a murderer fueled by rage. Hopper is a murderer. Alexei is a murderer in a way. Jonathan is a creep. Eddie is a drug dealer - and we're not talking just weed, we're talking serious drugs. And so on...

And once you have to step back and realise that all of these characters are flawed human beings, panic might start to set in because your cinnamon rolls aren't that sweet after all.

So you're left with three choices:

To stop thinking about it and enjoy the show casually.

To accept they all have flaws. The world itself is not black and white.

To live in denial and become an anti. Because if you can shut up those who are affecting your core system of beliefs or label them as evil, then you can pretend all is well. (Except it's not and all your favs are problematic. Their complexity is what makes them such compelling characters in the first place. I mean if you're looking for something simple, I'd recommend going back to kids cartoons. Just not Peppa Pig, from what I saw of it, she's a little piece of shit too.)

Argyle: *Exists*

Me:

Billy Hargrove

it’s not that Steve is “the big brother that Max deserves”. it’s that Steve had the opportunity to be there for Max in ways that Billy could not be because he was either unaware of the dangers lurking in Hawkins, was under the control of an inter-dimensional being he had no way of understanding, or was…dead.

Steve stepped up to the plate because he had the knowledge and means to do so. Max relied on him because she knew that he understood her and that she could trust him.

there is no point in Max and Steve’s friendship where either of them seems to be trying to replace or fill in for Billy. rather, Steve is present for Max in her grief. you think he didn’t know exactly what she was doing when she told him to pull into the cemetery? who else would she be visiting? he knows that this girl has been through absolute hell, and as much as he complains about babysitting, you know he would (and has!) put his life on the line for any of those kids. in that moment, he would have done anything for Max. he knows he can’t fill Billy’s shoes. he know he can’t give Max what she really wants. he can’t bring her brother back. but he can do his damnedest to protect her, to shield her from any more hurt. he is there for Max because he can be, because he loves her. he will play big brother for as long as she needs him to, because her big brother can’t physically be there for her anymore. but he can’t replace Billy, and Max clearly doesn’t want him to. she wants her brother. Steve is simply there to support her as she mourns and adjusts to a world without Billy.

A fun fact about me is that I utterly loathe Stranger Things as a clumsy narrative and as a pop culture megalith—except in the areas where it concerns the 5-ish characters that were written with some genuine depth or pizazz and thus too good for the series to effectively explore.

I feel so gross whenever fanon plays off Snape's parental issues as an excuse that he actively uses, in-universe, to make Lily feel sorry for him and overlook his bad behavior.

Not only is it out-of character for him, the way it's often portrayed gives off the impression that Snape's account of the severity of the situation is unreliable — when the only context his abusive home life is ever brought up is when he's being emotionally manipulative for personal gain, isn't it then likely that he would be exaggerating the situation?

A really prominent trait of canon Snape is that he doesn't like being pitied. He actually hates being seen as a victim. He would much rather be seen as a terrible person than as a hurt, vulnerable one. It's the reason he ends up calling Lily mudblood in the first place. It's why he'd sooner join the Death Eaters than reach out for help.

IDK — Just the fact that some antis apparently acknowledge Snape's canonically abusive childhood, but then spin it into something he consistently takes advantage of to manipulate others for sympathy and forgiveness to the point it comes off as deceptive, when that's actually pretty much the opposite of how he acts in canon... it makes my skin crawl.

Billy adopting Eleven as a second little sister.

Billy chauffeuring Eleven and Max to school every day acting like it’s the biggest burden and his greatest annoyance in life yet always interjecting whenever he hears them talking about boy troubles or bully troubles to offer (sometimes questionable) advice because he loves them and he’ll be damned if anyone messes with his girls. It happens so often that whenever they’re having an issue, like dealing with a shitty teacher or figuring out the perfect way to get back at Dustin or Lucas or Mike during some prank war, they purposefully talk louder so that Billy will insert himself and offer his opinion.

Billy never shying away when Eleven asks him questions, even if she’s asking about uncomfortable topics like relationships and sex, because it’s honestly next to impossible to embarrass him and he’d rather she hear it straight than get confused by people’s gross innuendos. She feels safe asking him just about anything because she knows he won’t dance around the answers.

Billy waiving his rights to the radio and letting Max and Eleven pick the music whenever one of them is upset, keeping a stash of their favorite cassettes in the glove box just in case. He doesn’t dig their music, but he will dashboard drum and sing along to Madonna just to make them laugh. He also knows their order at all the local fast food joints, can swing through a drive-thru or pop into the ice cream shop and order for all three of them without asking what the girls want, and has been known to detour to their favorite spots when he thinks that one of them needs a pick-me-up.

Billy letting Eleven play with his hair products when he catches her watching him get ready for a date, taking the time to tell her what everything is for and showing her how to use it all. He even gets her some bottles of her own when she finds something that she likes.

Billy teaching Eleven and Max how to drive in an empty parking lot, surprisingly calm as he guides them through the motion. Max is a natural, though she’s definitely something of a speed demon. Eleven is much more cautious and is a little heavy on the brake, but Billy is shockingly patient (even if every rough stop has him wincing for his poor Camaro). Hopper is honestly too much of a nervous wreck to teach El himself, try as he might, so she’s pretty lucky to have Billy there to help her.

Billy being Max and Eleven’s emergency contact. They drank too much at a party? Call Billy. Some guy is making them feel unsafe? Call Billy. Their car broke down? Find a payphone and call Billy. He will drop everything to help them, no matter where he is or what he’s doing. He has held their hair back and made them greasy hangover food. He keeps all their secrets, covers for them if he has to, always makes sure that they are safe because, again, those are his girls.

Billy lowering his guard around Eleven and Max, trusting them more than he trusts anyone else because, time and time again, they’ve proven that they are one hundred percent in his corner. Sure, they bicker with him, pester him, push his buttons. But it’s because they love him, and they feel safe with him, and he feels safe with them, too.

Billy and his two kid sisters, Eleven and Max.

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.

I’ve been a stan since the first 3 seconds we were introduced to him.

actually a hardcore argyle stan now after seeing how many people are so fuckin vile towards eduardo