TV
Why ‘Stranger Things’ Fans Cannot Acknowledge Billy is a Racist
A new season of Stranger Things is upon us, and unfortunately, that always brings some baggage with it. As someone who has watched the show since it premiered on Netflix in 2016, I have witnessed the highs, lows, and questionable moments in real time. I have also seen this show unwittingly bring out the worst in its fandom. While I have many thoughts about all the problematic noise that surrounds the series, I am here with a very specific gripe today. I am not going to hold your hand when I say Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) is a racist. However, I will unpack some of the reasons I think it’s interesting that this fanbase (and some of the actors in this ridiculously large cast that should have been trimmed seasons ago) refuse to state the obvious.
Billy Hargrove Never Hides It
I get it. Billy Hargrove is hot when we first meet him in season 2. He looks like the typical ’80s heartthrob made famous by hotties of that bygone era. He could’ve easily been another Brat Pack actor next to Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, and Judd Nelson. However, all of that goes out of the window when we see how he abuses his step-sister, Max (Sadie Sink). We soon discover the bad boy image is not an act but simply one layer of this sociopath. Things quickly escalate in this season of Stranger Things, and Billy becomes the racist that Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) will have to face this time out.
While the rest of his supposed friends are battling supernatural evils, Lucas always ends up the target of local racists. I have given up on his sidequests being something less targeted, or for anyone but his little sister Erica (Priah Ferguson) to ever stick up for him. The squad will battle Vecna, but Lucas will have to fend off some version of Mike Pence as a child.
Remember Script Analysis?
Anyways, the Duffer Brothers make it very obvious that Billy is an awful human. He even tells Max, “There are certain types of people in this world that you stay away from, and that kid, Max, that kid is one of them. You stay away from him, you hear me? Stay away.” This is before he decides to start taking a more hands-on approach with Lucas, much like he does with Max. However, too many fans like to paint the narrative that Billy isn’t a racist sociopath. They need him to be misunderstood, even broken, and would like to blame his abusive dad for the trauma he inflicts on his sister and one of the very few Black kids in town. As if all abused kids go on to be MAGA, and that pipeline is to blame for where we are now.
This isn’t helped by the actor also trying to get his character off the hook. His co-star’s comments on his acting being purposely misinterpreted is also another issue with this conversation. You can complement the complexities of a performance without excusing the character’s behavior. After all, villains can make for compelling TV when utilized correctly. Many viewers who want to romanticize this monster might not realize what they are doing. However, I cannot help but see it because I live in a world that loves to rewrite the facts.
Have You Watched the News?
Billy is much like all the other white guys who do horrendous things. Isms beget isms. Which is why when we see him level up from abusing Max to saying all of the racist parts aloud, I was not surprised. I was also not surprised at how much of the Stranger Things fandom is okay with him beating up on children. Society hates women and will always find a reason to justify racism. So, people can forgive and downplay what Billy does. That’s why many fans were happy to see him make his guest appearance in season 4. Meanwhile, the rest of us are being reminded that the internet, and this fandom specifically, are overwhelmingly white places.
A Tale of Two Actors
To counter Stranger Things fans’ love of Billy the Racist, let us look at how Dacre Montgomery gets treated compared to Caleb McLaughlin. McLaughlin is a member of the main cast and has been with the show since day one. However, his lines at cons are considerably emptier than his white counterparts. In the beginning, people pretended it wasn’t anti-Blackness. White fans claimed they didn’t like him because his character was mean to Eleven in the first season. I could write another essay on how he wasn’t mean, and even if he was, actors are not their characters. However, it doesn’t matter because we all know racism is the reason.
Meanwhile, Montgomery does very well. All of the people yelling about his character being misunderstood make their way to his table like he’s giving away money. How many times did we watch Billy abuse Max in various ways? How many times did we watch him abuse Lucas and escalate it to the point that only the most dense among us could miss the obvious racism on display? Yet, people still want those pictures and autographs. Coincidence?
Why This Bugs Me
As someone who cannot quit this show, I have been very vocal about my issues with Stranger Things. The refusal to kill any of the way too large main cast remains one of my biggest pet peeves. The Duffer Brothers having a hard time understanding that writing a period piece doesn’t necessarily mean you are writing for the audience of that era is also a bone of contention. Specifically, when Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) took photos of Nancy (Natalia Dyer) undressing without her knowledge. In today’s context, we understand that it is assault and a severe invasion of privacy and no longer let that slide.
I am also salty about how every racist who is an aspiring Fox News reporter in Hawkins, Indiana, finds Lucas each season. Which is why it is so wild that I think the biggest issue with Billy Hargrove is how many fans of the show receive him.
What It Says About Society
I think Billy could’ve been written with a little more subtlety. I am also again very tired of Lucas’ storyline always being about racism and attempted hate crimes. Why can’t he have magical fights in The Upsidedown like everyone else? Yet, what really salts my tines is the internet’s willingness to overlook bigotry and excuse hatred. It’s extra triggering as I am trying to survive this second Trump term. I watched this country fail as fools tweeted, “all the candidates are the same.” White feminism allowed hateful relatives a seat at the holiday tables after voting away the few rights most of us had. Meanwhile, Judy wanted to wear a blue bracelet to let you know she cares. However, she doesn’t care enough to be serious about any actual activism. The Stranger Things fandom is unsurprisingly a mirror of society.
The same people who look at white male terrorists and blame the girls who wouldn’t go to prom with them. Or the ones who think the Black victims of police brutality might be to blame for the cop’s reaction. Those are the people who don’t understand that Billy is a raging racist. I think this is one Stranger Things character that the Duffers might have put the most thought behind. It’s a shame the toxic fandom surrounding the show swallowed him up and learned nothing.
Now that we are heading into the last season of Stranger Things, it is hard to not remember the good times. Much like any goodbye, it feels too soon and is giving us a case of the nostalgia glasses. We all know that not all seasons were created equally. Yet, the wildly popular series managed to keep enough of us invested these last 10 years. It is an undeniable pop culture sensation that will not be forgotten anytime soon. It is also honestly one of the few shows that makes it hard to break up with Netflix. So, I decided to look back and highlight the best parts of each season. Grab a “Justice for Barb” t-shirt and take this walk down memory lane with me.
Our Favorite Moments From Stranger Things
Season 1: Eleven
Season one of Stranger Things brought us many memorable moments that reshaped pop culture. Joyce Byers’ (Winona Ryder) makeshift Ouija board on the wall, used to communicate with her missing son, was a major one. However, this was also the only season that allowed Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to be a badass. Which is why she is the best part of Stranger Things’ first season. Watching her showcase her powers as she sought out waffles was a mood. A relatable queen if there was one, right? From using her telekinetic powers to stop annoying diner fans to flipping vans chasing after her and the crew, this season set Eleven up to be a powerful badass. That is even before we get into her mind tricks, which we still have some questions about. Sadly, subsequent seasons have yet to follow through on the promise this one gave us. I could write a whole series about how Eleven is a reservoir of untapped potential in the next three seasons.
Season 2: Steve and Dustin
I think Max (Sadie Sink) is one of the best additions to the show, and I felt Bob (Sean Astin) deserved a better arc. However, only one arc warms my cold little heart when I think about this second season. Few things bring as much joy to Stranger Things fans as the unshakable bond between Steve and Dustin. Season 2 is where this unlikely duo found each other, and that is why they are the best part of this season for me. Steve (Joe Keery) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) bring out the best in each other. Interestingly enough, the actors seem to have also found themselves formidable scene partners. Whether Dustin is bringing Steve up to speed or Steve is giving Dustin tips on how to handle girls, these two stole our hearts at multiple points this season. My personal favorite is when Steve steps in to save Lucas from Billy the Racist, and Dustin cheers him on (while he has the upper hand). Dare I say, this relationship has become the heart of the show.
Season 3: Robin Coming Out to Steve
This season of Stranger Things introduced quite a few new characters to kill, like all the other seasons. However, Robin (Maya Hawke) seemed cooler than most, and we were silently rooting for her to make it. While her easy dynamic with Steve made us worry that she would become another part of the Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan saga, we had nothing to worry about. When Steve professed his feelings to Robin, she surprised us all and came out. This led to Steve surprising us by picking up a more age-appropriate best friend in what is one of the sweetest moments of the show. Aside from becoming Steve’s platonic girlfriend, Robin also went on to become the first openly gay character in the ridiculously large main cast. So, while this season isn’t my favorite, I’m very grateful it brought us this scene and this pairing.
Season 4: Eddie Munson Meets Erica Sinclair
Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) is probably part of everyone’s favorite moments from the fourth season of Stranger Things. While many people will probably cite his cafeteria entrance, his moment in the woods with Chrissy (Grace Van Dien), or the infamous “Chrissy, wake up,” those aren’t my favorite moments. Because this show taught us that Quinn is a scene thief, and he turned this season’s throwaway character into a pop culture moment, there is plenty to choose from. However, my nerdy ass’s favorite scene is when my two favorites faced off in Dungeons & Dragons.
Resident scene thief Erica (Priah Ferguson) finally found someone who could keep up with her when she showed up to this game. Watching her and Eddie match wits before getting down to an epic game of DnD that spawned numerous fan theories about how Eddie could come back for season 5 is priceless. He forced Dustin and Steve’s duo to become a trio, played Metallica’s Master of Puppets in The Upsidedown, and broke our hearts with his death. However, I choose to remember him alive and becoming begrudgingly impressed with the little girl who takes no prisoners. I would have watched them play this game for hours and lived my best nerdy life.
We’re Looking Forward to Season 5 of Stranger Things
So, those are my fondest memories from each season of Stranger Things. Feel free to let us know your favorite moments and your predictions for the fifth and final season on social media!
The first four episodes of Stranger Things: Season 5 hit Netflix on Wednesday, November 26. Let us know if you plan to watch as they air. Or if you are going to wait until the end of the year to binge the whole season.
I loved It (2017) and politely refuse to talk about It Chapter Two. So, I have been impatiently waiting for It: Welcome to Derry to drop. I leaned in as soon as it was announced that Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, and Jason Fuchs were developing the prequel series for HBO Max. So, while I was denied screeners at the eleventh hour, I still tuned in Sunday night to see if it would live up to the hype. I found myself overall pleasantly surprised, despite having a couple of questions, comments, and concerns.
What’s Going On In Derry?
‘The Pilot’ takes place in 1962. We meet Matt Clements (Miles Ekhardt), a kid with a pacifier habit who loves to sneak into movies. He is caught in a showing of The Music Man and has to leave the venue. He makes the mistake of hitchhiking with a family that turns out to be the last time he is seen. The demonic car ride sets us up to know that kids are in danger in this series, and Matty is clearly not our lead.
Matty’s friends Teddy Uris (Mikkal Karim-Fidler) and Phil Malkin (Jack Molloy Legault) are still reeling from his disappearance. Teddy seems to be taking it the worst as everyone in town refuses to talk to him about it. Another kid taking this disappearance hard is Lilly Bainbridge (Clara Stack), who was on the brink of a possible friendship with Matt. She also has her own baggage, so when Matt’s voice and fingers make their way into her drain, she connects with his friends.
This leads them to form a kid gang to investigate, which includes Susie (Hunter Storm Baker) and Ronnie Grogan (Amanda Christie). As an audience, you assume this will be our core group. However, you know what they say about assuming and It: Welcome to Derry makes a bloody ass out of you and me. The ending is shocking, and the reason I will be tuning into the second episode.
Who’s Who?
While we know Bill Skarsgård will be reprising the role of Pennywise, we do not see him in the first episode. Which is smart because you have to leave the audience wanting more. However, we do meet Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), who is the grandfather of Mike Hanlon. So, that’s a huge connection to The Loser’s Club we all know from the book and films. He’s experiencing racism at a military base and is ambushed by a weird group that he and his friend fend off. His story was sort of sidelined, so I’m waiting to see how it fully intertwines with what the kids got into. It’s still early yet, and whatever we think we know might not be the gospel. However, his wife Charlotte Hanlon (Taylour Paige) will also be getting screen time. I’m happy to see this because most King adaptations become overwhelmingly white cast affairs.
Speaking of Black characters from the Stephen King Universe getting more to do, young Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk) will be involved in the story in some way. Constant Readers will remember Dick from The Shining. He was the Black character who also had “the shine’ and saved Danny and Wendy from the Overlook Hotel. In my least favorite adaptation, he is played by the late and great Scatman Crothers. Stanley Kubrick decided to axe the Black psychic character and perpetuate a trope with his version of King’s tale. A choice I still side-eye, and why I love to see this character in other iterations of the tale. So, I am very excited to see how he will fit into It: Welcome to Derry.
Am I Feeling It: Welcome to Derry?
As a former Constant Reader and a lover of horror television, I’m an easy target for this show. While I think the pilot had a couple of things that don’t quite make sense (yet), I’m still leaning in. I am here for the vicious way children are dispatched, the surprising deaths, and for the expansion of one Stephen King’s most iconic baddies. So, I have a date with It: Welcome to Derry this weekend. I want to see where it goes now that most of the cast we were introduced to is dead. I also want to see Pennywise on the small screen to see if Skarsgård can creep us out again. More importantly, it is a fun and intriguing story, and that goes a long way with me.
It’s too soon to say if It: Welcome to Derry will be one of the best shows of the year. However, I have hope that it’s ramping up to be a good time. If it avoids falling into fan service territory and tightens up some of the story, this could be a damn good time. There is so much potential in this pilot. I cannot help rooting for it to find its footing and surprise us all. Sadly, hope is a dangerous thing, so I am so nervous it could be another fumble down the line. All I know is I plan to show up for the next two episodes and see where this all goes.
Watch the ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Trailer
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