LOL: ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Gets A ‘Stranger Things’ Remake
So much ofStranger Things' irresistible pull stems from its uncanny ability to push all your nostalgia buttons. It feels like classic Steven Spielberg and vintage Stephen King, referencing pop culture touchstones and reminding Gen Xers and older Millennials of a time when middle school kids were allowed to roam freely. But what ifStranger Thingswent even further? What if it doubled down on its nostalgic appeal by transforming itself into another childhood favorite,A Charlie Brown Christmas?
A Stranger Things Christmasimagines Will Byers struck by a downright Charlie Brown-esque sense of ennui right around the holiday, and going around getting advice from his old D&D buddies. And yes, they get a good Barb-related jab in there. Watch theStranger ThingsPeanutsmashup below (but be warned there are major spoilers if you haven’t finishedStranger Thingsseason one).Leigh LahavandOren Mendezcreated theStranger ThingsPeanutsmashup.
Some of the voice work here is impressively on point — they even get Eleven’s grunts right. And while the idea of aStranger ThingsPeanutsmashup may not sound intuitive at first, they work surprisingly well together. Part of it is thatStranger Thingsalready has a slight Christmas theme to it, between those colored lights and the cute little holiday ending in the season finale. And bothPeanutsandStranger Thingsare stories about kids. But really, it’s that it just makes so much sense for Will to return from the Upside Down with some lingering emotional and psychological issues.
The parody video serves as kind of a sequel, with Will Byers newly returned from the Upside Down but not feeling quite like himself. “Will Byers, you’re the only person I know who can be rescued from a mysterious paranormal universe and still find a way to feel crummy about it,” notes Dustin. He then turns to Eleven, who has tons of Eggo waffles but very little advice to offer, and his mother Joyce, who speaks inPeanuts' usual garbled adult language. “Sometimes I think you just can’t talk to grown-ups unless it’s through light-up letters on a wall,” Will sighs to Lucas.
Nothing helps: not Mike’s dance party set to theStranger Thingstheme song, not a chat with the Demogorgon (who’s standing in for Snoopy). But then he comes to the big epiphany. “I guess I should feel happy the whole town came together to save me, and that’s what happiness is all about in the end,” he says. “The people who truly care about you. The folks who would do anything to get you out of a creepy parallel swamp universe.”
It’s a heartwarming moment… or it would be, if the screen didn’t cut to the Demogorgon’sothervictim, who doesn’t have any of that. “Good grief,” groans a very dead-looking Barb. Ouch. Good thing she can look forward togetting some justicenext season.
