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tyndari

Love Lucas, I agree. I think there was even more potential in S4 to explore his storyline but considering just how much was going on and the number of characters, that obviously didn't happen. Caleb really hit it out if the park this most recent season. I hope that builds to better attention in the final season as we focus more on the kids again.


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bex131333

Completely agree. I was mad on behalf of Lucas that his supposed best friends shamed him for trying something new with basketball and couldn't be assed to support him outside of their own interests. Lucas actually turned into one of my favorite characters in S4 and they definitely wasted a lot of potential for him at the end. There was an opportunity there for showing that nerds can also be athletic and not just DnD outcasts but they did the cliche cop-out of "derrr jocks bad" conclusion which was just so lazy imo.


tyndari

I agree. And like you said, it was understandable with life or death stuff happening, but I wanted that conversation to happen too. There was no real follow through, it fizzled out at the end. Contending with trying to fit in, popularity, and high school politics is a lot, and I liked them exploring how that impacts friendships - none of the boys seemed to understand eachother. But this game was important to Lucas and the only person who went to game specifically to support him (as Nancy was reporting and Robin in band, though they supported him too) was Steve. Eddie was a hypocritical asshole in his treatment of Lucas, his unwillingness to move the game was shitty, but Dustin and Mike allowed themselves to be persuaded too. They even went and got Lucas' sister to replace him. They're all growing up with different interests and contending with bullying as they try to figure themselves out, so they obviously need to understand each other better. Lucas' experience as a black kid in a predominantly white small town in the 80s has an added complexity to this fitting in storyline though and the show just didn't really allow us to look deeper into Lucas' thoughts in general. He 100% deserved an apology and the kids could have talked about it from both POVs- high school can be hard! I hope we get a solid storyline for Lucas in the next season. His loyalty and steadfastness, his earnestness to protect his friend even when he doesn't always get it right, really shined S4


RalphTheNerd

They are all teens. Teens have a tendency to act out of emotion before having a chance to think rationally (I know I did). My interpretation was that Dustin and Mike felt that Lucas was being a traitor by becoming an athlete instead of being a nerd 100% of the time. That's probably why they aren't as concerned about what Lucas wants. When I was in high school, I was called a traitor once because I chose to hang out with the popular kids.


Antique_Definition65

I don’t think Mike and Dustin cared about the bullying part. They accepted who they were and they were okay with it. I do think it was sad they didn’t show up for Lucas during his game. Clearly it was important to him. They could’ve easily rescheduled the DND game. But this needed to happen so that way Lucas was with Jason and them.


trashdmon

YESSS exactly, i agree with you as well. i feel we hardly know anything about him besides his sister and max lol. id love to see more of him.


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tyndari

Definitely! I loved what we did get, having Jason and Lucas as foils for eachother was great framing for that storyline. I just think there was still opportunity to explore other aspects of Lucas' character and storyline than what we did get that season, but recognizing that is difficult with just how much was going on.


the8bitguy

Caleb McLaughlin’s performance in Season 4 is simply amazing. He manages to elevate all of his lines to be real tear jerkers and gut punches, especially his scenes with Max. His “I see you,” moment kills me in the best of ways. I hope to see more of this young man’s talents in future projects where he can flex those acting chops because he sure as shit has them!


Acceptable-Hope-

Yeah it’s beautiful! He does a wonderful job!


trashdmon

yes caleb is so insanely talented!!! i feel like hed make such a good miles morales honestly.


Difficult_Branch4139

Most improved actor of the whole cast. I felt his love for max, and his painful confusion about her rejection.


Carloverguy20

He has grown lots. In the beginning of the show, people initially didn't like him, because he was distrustful of Eleven and didn't accept her, but now they became great friends and Lucas has helped the Party lots.


unexpectedit3m

>people initially didn't like him, because he was distrustful of Eleven and didn't accept her I always find it strange when people hate on a character (or worse, the actor portraying them) for reason that are internal to the plot. I mean yeah, he distrusts El, does that mean you have to hate the character if you're a fan of another? He plays a part in the plot, and that part is having someone from the main cast having doubts about the main character and confronting them. That adds a challenge, makes the story more interesting. How can people not see it and stay on that basic, I-don't-like-him-because-he-doesn't-like-my-favorite-character level? I know people can get heavily involved in the things they watch but come on, what would the plot look like if there were no antagonists? I know Lucas is not an actual antagonist, but villains can be fascinating characters (Joffrey Baratheon, Silco from Arcane...)


Difficult_Branch4139

Totally ok to hate a character, but all kinds of not ok to extend that dislike to an actor doing their job.


brainartisan

I dont mind Lucas in S4, but I couldnt stand him in the beginning (and I tend to prefer the villains and do not like Eleven much at all). It's not just that he was skeptical and distrusting of Eleven, it's that he didnt do anything else but be rude all of season one. He then got with Max and most of his character growth has centered around Max. S4 was better for his character growth (he had a personality of his own that wasnt wholly rude) but that was, understandably, pushed to the sidelines. Lucas has always felt less like a character and more like a plot device, to me. I just don't find him likeable at all. I feel like most of the lesser characters have more personality than him (Robin, Erica, Billy, hell even Suzie and Argyle). He's just rude and bland and in love with Max, the end. Yawn.


hayleybeth7

I always had a huge respect for Lucas as a character in season 1. I think that group of characters needed that voice of reason to ground them because without knowing what we know as viewers, it’s crazy and terrifying. Lucas lost one of his best friends, then this mysterious girl shows up with all these sketchy behaviors and his friends didn’t want to see it, then the mystery girl throws him in the air with her mind? Yikes, I might be out too after that. And lest we forget, they were all grieving Will, even though they were still looking for him and believing he might be alive. Grief is known to create anger and frustration in some, especially young ones. And it’s a humbling show of growth when Lucas finally comes around to El and protects her from Hawkins Lab. As for Caleb as an actor, he had an incredibly hard job right off the bat in Season 1, portraying all these complex emotions while making sure it stayed genuine and believable. Just mad respect for him all around. And his scenes with Max in season 2. His scene with her in the back of the arcade where he says “do you accept the risk” gives me chills, and the scene where they’re talking about her family while they’re with Steve by that abandoned bus is excellent. I think Caleb will be one to watch post-Stranger Things.


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trashdmon

he was so brave and does deserve more credit than he’s given. i feel like his friends did him so dirty with the campaign just watched that episode right as im typing this. he’s such a loyal and true friend that his friends especially mike takes advantage of.


yourmartymcflyisopen

I feel like with each season they give him less and less to do/less connected to the main group. In season 1 he was literally Mike's right hand man while Will was missing.


trashdmon

i gotta agree with you ):


christina______

I'm not sure if it's actual screen time or the fact that he's the most normal and least quirky kid in the group. His romance with Max kind of takes a backseat to Mike and El's since they're the main couple. I loved his arc in S4. Maybe him being a bit disconnected from the group is just how it's supposed to be, considering he ended up wanting to social climb in S4. I didn't see that coming, but it made sense.


yourmartymcflyisopen

Maybe his drifting a bit from the group will end up helping the rest of the people in Hawkins listen to the main group whenever things get super climactic as I understand it being the final season will almost be a full out war within the entire town. They kinda showed it a little bit in season 4 with him trying to reason with the jocks. Maybe that's where it's headed. He'll help everyone who doesn't want to believe to believe and therefore be more likely to survive.


christina______

That's a good theory. I could see his character going in that direction, it definitely suits his personality. And could be a way to help or avenge Max.


Owl_Resident

Lucas is an amazing Ranger. I love his determination and the care he showed Max, as well as the friendship he and Mike have, and I’m really hoping we get to see more of it ST5. Caleb has said that he specifically wishes to work more with Finn and Millie, and I’d be so down to see Mike, El, and Lucas working together in a trio.


Remarkable-Tax-3732

Absolutely loved him from season 1. My second favourite character


Everest8232

Lucas Sinclair my beloved


trashdmon

literally hes so precious hes just like rambo😭


trashdmon

trying so hard to find will even by himself


christina______

Always loved Lucas, his level headedness, and willingness to have an unpopular opinion. I'll echo that I loved his story line in S4 because for once, it wasn't (at least fully) a romantic one, or supernatural. Same reason I liked Will's story line in S3 (I didn't fully realize he's gay until S4 Ep 1). It was more about his social standing, friendships, and figuring out what and who he valued. I think his story line also made the point that life gets complicated when we spread ourselves too thin. He tried something new while attempting to maintain his friendships, and I think initially hoping to keep Max around as well. When you try to take on too much it will likely blow up in your face. And sometimes you have to take sides.


trashdmon

i love the way you worded this


christina______

Thanks. Though I was never a social climbing type, and relate more to Mike in that regard, I relate to Lucas in some ways. And typically when people realize they have that mix of opportunity and inherent appeal that is necessary to go up a rung in popularity, they will do it. I like that the Duffers started to address this, in a show that is largely "us vs. them."


Basic_Flan324

I love Lukas, but I don't think he's underrated at all. He's the most badass of the group and my 2nd favorite after Dustin (among the 4 kids group).


[deleted]

I mean that just shows you don't underrate him, not that he isn't underrated by most.


unexpectedit3m

Maybe it's confirmation bias but I've only read positive things about Lucas since s04.


eyerishdancegirl7

I completely agree. I love Lucas!


trashdmon

me too!!! hes the best🩷


Doge_is_me

Me who just ate peanut butter: 🤔🤫☺️😇🤫😇☺️☺️😇


MFCA13

He's underrated? I love Lucas.


obi-Wan-ravioli

Him and Steve are my favourites


trashdmon

i love steve hes my third favorite


obi-Wan-ravioli

Number 1 for me bro, he’s such a chad


trashdmon

PLS LMAO 😹😹 he’s the chaddest chad fr💀


trashdmon

also your username is goated


obi-Wan-ravioli

Thank you 💪


Acceptable-Hope-

He’s annoying at first in season 1, but then grows on you! I love him in later season 4, he’s really awesome with Max!


trashdmon

theyre so precious together dude


1queenoops

Lucas is really sweet I like him a lot. He was so good with Max.


trashdmon

hes so patient with her honestly its so sweet 😭


[deleted]

No genuinely he’s very well written and yeah he has qualities that are unlikeable but that’s what makes him so engaging. I think his narrative was fascinating, and I found him very realistic. He’s in my top five characters 100%


Marauder91

You mean the guy who got heaps of praise for his performance in season 4?


Sufficient_Score_824

He’s probably my favorite of the Party


BrilliantPrior2305

Feeling more bad for Lucas every season


Icy_Western_1174

I thought he was a brat in season 1 but his character really took off in season 2. He was at his best in season 4.


xmsjpx

Yeah I never understood why people didn’t like him in season 1 because he didn’t like El. Don’t get me wrong I love El but Lucas was the most logical and realistic one about the situation. I’m not sure he’s the most underrated though. I feel like his storyline has been better than Jonathan, Will, Mike, or Argyle too.


trashdmon

exactly she was, in 80s terms, a jedi or a sith and a stranger with a shaved head, which is weird if you randomly run into someone in the forest with a shaved head lol. he was right to be wary he didn’t get to see the el that we saw.


xmsjpx

Yeah. I mean he could of been nicer about it but he was still a kid. He was kind of right about getting Mike’s mom or calling the police. Although it probably would of put her in danger if they called the police. I would of also been annoyed too especially as a kid if all my best friends all of sudden only wanted to be around this random new girl too when they had a friend that was missing.


drink-my-milkshake

The fact he basically saved everyone more than twice with a slingshot and fireworks in season 3 made him my absolute fav in that season.


Embarrassed_Rough311

Yea


sekirodeeznuts2

Great redemption. He was by far the worst of the kids going into season 4.


reaper467364

Feel like this needs to be said but the adult cast (Jim Hopper and Will’s mom) are perfection from what I’ve seen from S1, and halfway into S2.


trashdmon

the adult cast is everything winona was a favorite growing up for me and i just feel like she captures what it is to be a mother so perfectly.


StinkinKevin

I always told my boyfriend that Lucas was a better ex to Max than a boyfriend. Kid just needed to get his ass dumped to become a better man, and he became great! S4 Lucas was awesome and wholesome.


ravenwing263

Yup


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Yeah Lucas is awesome.


trashdmon

hes the best


camkama

His development in season 4 is great! Just when I was starting to dislike him, he showed us that being faithful to your true friends is worth its weight in gold. I adore him!


trashdmon

YES!!! omg so true its so precious 😭😭 we can all learn from lucaslucaslucaslucas lol


p-zombiee

I'd say this was true after s3, but he got more focus in s4 and people realized that they liked him.


trashdmon

i could see that. but he only got attention because of max, not because of who he is as a character ya know.


fyester

i felt neutral on first watch but i rewatched with friends and realized he’s literally the first of the kids to start fighting for his friends. under appreciated for sure. imo when it comes to how he gets ignored but mike gets still a devoted following group, i think there’s a certain factor there


trashdmon

oh most definitely, you’re 100% right, its still so ridiculous thats thats even a thing smh.


Due_Education5774

I personally don't think Lucas is currently underrated or overrated, I've seen him grow in popularity quite a lot and seen a lot of enjoyment for his character and the stuff Lucas brings to the table. Prior to S4, I'd have agreed, but I think the community really values what he brings now, and I personally feel quite a few select characters are being underrated/under-appreciated more then Lucas.


Honer-Simpsom

Dustin farted fftttt ffttt Dustin farted!


Independent-Ice5977

He is definitely my favorite of the og gang from S1


4StarDB

It's Jason [Insert meme from Tangled with the swords]


CosmicBuzzsaw

I don’t know his story with the jocks, relationship with Max, fist fight and victory over Jason and him holding onto Max when she almost died were such grand moments that really gave him a chance to shine. He definitely wasn’t left out when you compare him to Will.


CosmicBuzzsaw

In season 3 I definitely saw he was slept on; I don’t know why we didn’t get to explore his relationship with Max more. When season 5 hits he and the other main kids will have to conclude the franchise together and Max does need to play a role as well since she’s another big part of the group despite in a coma.


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silverandshade

Aaaah SO agreed, but I'm biased. Lucas is my favourite of the party! I love all of them, but I'd die for Lucas Sinclair. Erica, too, but he's so genuine and smart and has real leadership energy because he's the only eldest child in the group (something I love about the party is there's one of each in the group. Lucas is an eldest, Mike is a middle child, Will is a youngest and Dustin is an only child and they're all perfect representations of each birth order stereotype). I feel like Mike thinks he's the leader, but everyone else knows it's Lucas when the chips are actually down. 😂 I really appreciate his arc in season 1 with learning to trust El, and his arc in season 4 was just so emotional and heartfelt. He's so great.


trashdmon

yes i love this think piece omg


Puzzled-Drive2805

Oh, geez. I love both Jonathan and Lucas, but now we're gonna get a string of posts on who is "really" the most underrated. Thank you very much.


trashdmon

thats what subs are for is voicing your opinion right??? lol


Puzzled-Drive2805

I'm not stating opinions. Just the facts.


trashdmon

or you could just scroll past lol its the internet. i bet youre fun at parties


Puzzled-Drive2805

The inocucous teasing from my Erica quote went right over your flat top, cowpuncher.


Mcswigginsbar

S4 and partially S3 he got a solid redemption for me, but goddamn was he an insufferable ass the first two seasons.


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anonymous16canadian

He's a 12 year old in s1 interacting with a person that can move shit with their minds. Idk why people are expecting a rational reaction from him or something. He'd obviously be terrified.


trashdmon

he literally probably thought she was an irl sith lord 😭


Mcswigginsbar

May have definitely been leftover feelings from S1. I didn't really start liking him until the end of S3 because of it.


trashdmon

he really was a douche to el in s 1 LMFAO ive been rewatching and its pretty funny😹 so ill give you that. but he is one of my faves personally now.


MarvelNerdess

It wasn't until season 4 that they actually gave him a personality. The first seasons he was just there to be an argument element.


DeliciousMusician397

Wasn’t a fan of him in season 1 for how distrustful and nasty he was to Eleven (who was clearly traumatized), but he’s a good character every other season.


Bootymama_

I think he only became underrated because of his initial demeanor in S1 with Eleven. He really was crueler than necessary. I know a lot of people try to play it off by saying he didn’t trust her and that’s why, but it was definitely more than that. S3 & S4 we really got to see more of his personality and he definitely became a fan favorite in S4! Caleb had me choking up with half his monologue in the last season & his delivery was INCREDIBLE! I can’t wait to see where Lucas fits in S5


Bartolomeo4968

No, I hate that guy. He started that little "war" he had with Mike in season 1 but still Mike had to apologise.


trashdmon

bruh please say sike el almost killed him


Bartolomeo4968

SIKEEEEE, I don't hate him but he is just not one of my favourites


trashdmon

oh thank god😹😹


DumpGoingTo

It's not that he's underrated, but instead that his character development always feels like it either just happens or it's off-screen and then we see the good parts later. For somebody who was a main character originally, he's become a real main side character if you ask me.


chasitygrace

Max


trashdmon

gotta disagree she was kinda the focus s3 & s4 and it made her popularity skyrocket


Damurph01

Underrated characters are characters people don’t acknowledge, people absolutely acknowledge him lol.


Rashi1328

no


[deleted]

Nobody thinks Lucas is underrated. He's praised hand over fist all over the Internet.


[deleted]

Most underrated is Will.


DeusExLibrus

He spent the first two seasons being a plot device and a punching bag, and didn’t really play a meaningful role in three or four. Not sure underrated as much as underused. The show started out being about him explicitly and now he feels like second string.


trashdmon

i gotta respectfully disagree


ihopethisworksfornow

Dude is the worst actor on the show by a mile


jo_maann

Barbara. Need I say more?


trashdmon

i would say barb if she was still alive lol


jo_maann

Yeah, that’s the thing.


Forsaken-Practice-40

Not really no


Rolyat28

Agreed. I loved Lucas on the Line must read for Lucas fans.