I Was Planning To Take A Small Social Media Break But I Saw The Amazing Headcanon That Argyle And Billy

I don’t care what any antis say, Eddie and Post-S3 Billy would’ve definitely been besties.

The Silenced Victims Meta

Similar to both Severus Snape and Ben Solo, Billy got the same narrative treatment of an abuse victim who didn’t “cope properly” being punished by no one giving a shit except that one “special person” bullshit and I hate it.

Because what a backhanded ass concept. 

Harry for Severus: Harry is literally the only person alive who knows or cares about everything Severus did in the background for years to stop Voldemort. The only one who gave a shit about his own father’s bullying of Severus and showed to be disgusted with it.

Rey for Ben Solo: Again, the only person left alive who knows about Ben’s abuse by Snoke and him sacrificing his life for her. Hell, it’s not even known if Ray told anyone about it. She’s the only one who mourned his death (thanks novels) and saw him as a human and not a monster.

Max for Billy: Once again, only person that gives a shit that he’s dead (yeah know besides his abuser) only person that seems to care about his sacrifice. Oh, and let’s not forget the kick in the face line of “Your braver than you’re brother.” You know your brother who tried to fight off an interdimensional mind controlling monster for weeks alone. The one who sacrificed his life to stop it from, who knows taking over the world. But who cares about that, the writers clearly don’t.

So, have you guys noticed a fucked up pattern here?

Abuse victim who did not cope properly must sacrifice their life for some great or good, and even than what they did will never fully be recognized.

Even in death the narrative is still actively punishing them, by either lack of acknowledgement or their sacrifice being reduced. Similar to the very abuse they faced.

Notice something else these three all have in common? No support system. No one to turn to, no one to acknowledge their abuse, no one to help them. And yet this itself isn’t even acknowledged or even brought to attention in the story.

Now in the end am I saying all these writers planned this narrative? No

But am I pointing out how strangely common this formula is? Yes

Because it gives a message. Those who react badly to their abuse via anger or bad coping mechanisms deserve the bare minimum in storytelling.

They don’t get redemption arcs. You don’t get to see them heal, see them progress. Because they’re sacrifice was all they were in the end and even that won’t be acknowledged. Even in death they’re silenced once again.

also the amount of Billy hate I’ve seen the past few weeks is insane. It looks like we are back at S2. And this makes me very afraid of how people will treat Dacre at the con. Because some people just forget that Billy is a fictional character and Dacre is a real human being. If I hear about someone being an ass to him there I’m gonna punch someone.

I just want Dacre, Eduardo, and Grace to know they’re loved and appreciated. Do they know?? It keeps me up at night not knowing if they know that

Billy Hargrove

With all the revived hype surrounding Billy from the latest S4 trailer, I’m reminded why I will forever be grateful that the role was given to someone like Dacre Montgomery. With all the speculation of Billy not only returning, but possibly returning as ANOTHER corrupted version of himself, Dacre is the only reason why I still have hope for Billy’s arc.

He is the reason why Billy is as complex and nuanced as he is in canon. Judging from past interviews, it seems like the Duffers were content to just let Billy be this two dimensional bully who’s an irredeemable maniac (and possibly still believe he is to some extent). But it was Dacre who humanized him. He understood that no one is simply born evil, that people like Billy have deeper issues going on in their lives. He suggested to add the scene with his dad abusing him and to give him a backstory of how he was abandoned by the only person who loved him. He demonstrated how all that shit twisted a sweet little boy into an angry, aggressive teenager. It would be enough to turn anybody into a Billy Hargrove.

Dacre gave the audience a reason to sympathize with Billy and demonstrated how he still has the potential to become a better person and overcome his toxic ways.

So, no matter what role Billy plays this season (whether it be alive, in flashbacks, or in some monster form), I trust that Dacre will put all his effort to maintain and continue Billy’s character development.

“Still, there’s no question that Cap and Iron Man care about each other deeply. People who don’t love each other could never get this angry at each other.”  Entertainment Weekly.

TikTokers saying "oh you love billy but hate argyle" uh what 😃

I've literally never met a billy fan who said anything bad about Argyle. I mean... I love both characters. This narrative is getting old fast.

I don't know where they got these ideas from, honestly.

So if you like... a fictional character... who happens to be a teenage ab*se victim... then you're automatically racist and/or homophobic?

If you want to really get into this, I think you mean IT character Henry Bowers, and he and Billy are not the same. The Duffers wanted them to be, but fortunately Dacre made sure that didn't happen.

You're forgetting that ST is literally a bunch of Stephen King references without substance or originality. The Duffers wanted Billy to be Henry Bowers. If you think Billy was bad, I suggest you read IT (the movies are available too in case y'all don't know how to fucking read).

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!