no, ‘stranger things’ is not an imaginary ‘d&d’ campaign written by mike
The Duffer Brothers told me themselves, among other things.
pov of the week
Like so many of us, I’m neck deep in Stranger Things fan theories and loving it. Byler, Will and El swapping places, Vecna being mind-flayed — call me gullible, but they all seem like they could be true, and I wouldn’t be mad about it. Noah Schnapp, the Tom Holland of Stranger Things spoilers, even said in an interview that he had heard theories that were surprisingly accurate.
This fan theory, though? The one that posits Will actually died back in Season 1 and the whole series is an elaborate figment of Mike’s imagination as a way to process Will’s death, or that the whole thing is part of their original Dungeons & Dragons campaign in Mike’s basement, had me in two minds. While it’s meta AF, and actually quite poignant at times, especially when imagining poor Mike dealing with the loss of Will, it probably wouldn’t sit well with us. Luckily, the Duffer brothers agreed.
“It’s not all just a make-believe D&D game that Mike’s running in his basement,” Ross Duffer told Junkee. “That’s not a real one.”
This was actually cleared up years ago in previous interviews after astute fans had tried to predict this meta-narrative, so it looks like our collective short-term memory loss failed us there. In our interview, the Duffer brothers also referenced the more recent theory about Mike coping with Will’s speculated death.
“I did see a fascinating one where… Will had actually died in Season 1, and this is Mike dealing with a way to deal with his trauma, so he’s been telling the story,” Ross said.
“Oh, that’s kind of cool. It’s not accurate,” added Matt. “I think people would’ve been mad if that was the ending of the show. I actually get very frustrated with that. I’m not a big fan of movies where they go, ‘Well everything that just happened wasn’t real, it was all in the character’s head.’”
And there you have it, folks. While this theory has definitely gained popularity as the highly anticipated final season draws to an end, we can take solace in the fact that it’s not all a dream. I can also confirm that Eddie Munson is not a vampire.
Watch the full interview:
— Lia.
Hello! I’m Natasha! I feel like it’s me and my busted reusable water bottle against the world sometimes. And I think that at some point, the corporations need to take accountability for their much more sizable impact on the planet (which literally started before I was born btw!!). Check back here weekly for more about how plastic is being repurposed for good and how you can make more conscious choices. Inspired by Bank Australia’s Aquarium of Tomorrow installation, we know there’s LIFE in plastic!! We’re all just girls in a plastic world, after all.
Did you know that our oceans actually absorb carbon and generate half of the oxygen we need?? Love?? — but maybe even more crucially (to me) the oceans are home to my favourite animal. A bit about me, when I was 11, I developed a hyperfixation on sharks. They’re so chill, albeit a bit misunderstood. And if they’re not, it’s probably because we’re invading their territory. They live there!! That’s their house!! I feel it shouldn’t be an unpopular opinion that we should be protecting it from future harm.
There are 45 million debit cards in circulation in Australia. Until this moment, I’ve really never given it much thought. A card is only five grams, but when there are 45 million of them adds up. And that’s a lot of plastic. Bank Australia have launched new debit and credit cards that are made from 100 percent recycled plastic*, with 64 percent collected from coastal communities by Parley for the Oceans™ so they’re not introducing new plastic into the world.
Bank Australia found out four out of five of their 2025 surveyed customers are extremely concerned about plastic waste. That’s the power of the people right there! Of course, these new cards alone won’t solve the climate crisis or our plastic problem, but they’re a small, practical step in the right direction for our oceans.
*Some functional components including the chip, hologram and magnetic strip cannot be sourced as recycled plastic.
Tell us how you really feel: are you kinda exhausted trying to be sustainable when corporations don’t seem to be pulling their weight? Vent, rant, tell us all your opinions: here.
some things on my radar this week:
Guys, what is going on in the world of celeb looks rn???? Everyone is absolutely slaying and I am shocked. From Zara Larsson and Sophia Sinot going viral (and getting their MUCH-deserved flowers) for the summery pop girly tour glam to Rosalia’s halo hair and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster, everyone and their mum has been serving??!! I did NOT know that they had game like this, but I’m grateful 😮💨. If you wanna see these incred celeb looks, head on over to miss Punkee for a lil roundup of my personal faves 🫶.
I mean it when I say that no one listens to Doja Cat the way I do. So seeing her for night one of her Sydney shows was rly a full circle moment for me! 🥹 And guys, hearing ‘Tia Tamera’ and ‘AHHH MEN‘ live for the first time ever healed smth, I swear. I fear everyone WILL be hearing from me after that concert bc I’m ready to, once again, be a menace 👀. Her artistry is so, dare I say, silly! Fun! n so reminiscent of Tina Turner!! But I will say, it must be SO frustrating to be performing tf out of songs for ppl in the crowd to only recognise the viral ones… On behalf of all ur fans, I’m so sorry miss Doja, ily and I see u!
Wicked girlies, it’s your time to shine x. Now that I’ve seen part two, everything from critical analysis takes of the film to the utmost goofiest memes have flooded my feed! But I need to ppl to pls tell me that everyone else’s feeds have ALSO been taken over by the Michelle Yeoh “MM” meme 😭?? Okay Wicked Witch 💚. It’s so damn unserious but I’m so here for it!!
Stray Kids shoutout! Yes, it’s so unlike me 🫣 but I fear my FYP knows that their new single, ‘Do It’, is extremely up my alley. The catchy chorus + the mesmerising choreo feels like the perfect recipe for initiation, and I fear it’s working. Catch me trying (and failing) to learn their hook step in my bedroom this week 😭. P.S. the festival mix version, hello??!! Don’t get me started omg.
aux
songs to add to your playlist rn:
Backstreets - Miss Kaninna
Miss Kaninna, 2025 is so happy to see you!! It’s a tall order following up last year’s debut EP but ‘Backstreets’ may be her best yet.Lynx Africa - deadforest, Dera Meelan
One of Aotearoa’s best rappers sliding over lush jazz production, the New Zealand duo deliver an effortlessly cool new track for anyone who’s even been gifted a Lynx Africa set for Christmas.Claws - MAY-A
MAY-A shares the latest single from her upcoming album Goodbye (If You Call That Gone). Here’s what she told us to expect from the February release: “It’s almost like the stages of grief but I was kind of thinking about it in a Shakespearean way where it’s very much like redemption, revenge, betrayal. The three acts, you know. It’s been amazing to work with so many amazing collaborators, so many people in the rock world that I think are just absolutely fucking phenomenal.”
(Save this playlist btw, updating every week!!)
Dave feat. Kano - Chapter 16 music video | 500k or dinner with Kano
Taken from his latest album The Boy Who Played the Harp, Dave enlists British rap legend Kano on ‘Chapter 16’. The six-minute long masterclass puts two generations of UK rappers back and forth over the piano-led instrumental with additional vocals from James Blake. The intergenerational conversation is completed with fine dining visuals, bringing them on-screen together for the first time since Top Boy. I feel like Dave’s third studio album has been one of the more underappreciated projects of 2025 but it’s an incredible showcase of his skills and also featuring Jim Legxacy, Tems, and Nicole Blakk.
Timothee_Chalamet_internal_brand_marketing_meeting_MartySupreme_11.08.2025.mp4 | Fruitionising that this movie will be great
Directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tyler, The Creator, A24’s most expensive film Marty Supreme is on every white boy’s Christmas wishlist. The hypebeast jacket, the blimp at Camp Flog Gnaw, and a shade of orange that took six months to mock up, the marketing for this film has been so much fun to witness. And it peaked with this Zoom meeting, in which Timothée tosses out ideas like blocking out the sun with branded blimps. This video sees the actor hit new heights of unhinged-movie-star-hunting-greatness, sharing his screen that features a folder titled “World Takeover 2031”. All the early reviews I’ve seen have been overwhelmingly positive, which is lucky because I don’t know what I would’ve done if this flopped. SCHWAP!
Chicken Run (2000) | Happy 25th birthday, Chicken Run
The first time I watched Chicken Run was in the early 2000s on my family’s VHS player, where you’d have to rewind the tape after each use. I don’t think my siblings got that memo though because when I loaded it in, sat atop the throne of my Spider-Man kids sofa, the first scene that played was actually the ending — when manic Mrs Tweedy is trying to foil the chicken’s great escape. As a toddler already pretty creeped out by claymation people, and an adult who hates spoilers, that memory haunted me for years. BUT — if you do watch it the right way, Chicken Run has an offbeat charm that makes for a hopeful and heartwarming experience for everyone. It was the fourth animated film from Dreamworks, and still holds up in the echelon of animated naughties kids movies.
Junkee Media acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where this newsletter was produced, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
love you like a rainbow by the wombats that you enjoy hearing, sure sounds like a pretty title