Bullying is a familiar trope in TV shows -- so it was no surprise when Stranger Things started off Season 4 with El’s storyline featuring tormentors at her new school. However, the believable scenario of cruel classmates making fun of the new girl takes a big turn in Season 4, Episode 2, “Chapter 2: Vecna’s Curse.” Instead of mean put-downs and comments that feel relevant to the real world, the show has a roller skating rink scene straight out of a stereotypical coming-of-age movie. In the science fiction world of Hawkins, Stranger Things works hard to make the improbable seem possible. But the events at Rink-O-Mania make the show feel completely unrealistic.

There are many dramatic bullying scenarios that are familiar examples of the trope: the dumped bucket of blood in Carrie, Elle Woods showing up to the party in the wrong outfit in Legally Blonde, campers playing pranks that go too far in The Parent Trap. But these scenes are effective because the crazy events could never happen in real life... at least not to the extent that they are shown on screen. Stranger Things uses normal settings to make the fantastical elements of their plots feel possible. Characters react how normal people would if they encountered something unbelievable, like Eddie running away after Chrissy is supernaturally murdered. That's not the case in the roller rink scene.

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Eleven strikes Angela with a roller skate in Stranger Things 4

It doesn't make sense that Angela and her friends happen to be at Rink-O-Mania at the same time as El, Mike, and Will. It’s possible in a small town with only a couple cool hangout spots, but since Lenora Hills seems like a larger place than Hawkins, it feels unlikely. It is plausible that El would take Mike to the most exciting place in town in order to finally feel like she belongs. But if the risk of seeing Angela is as great as the show suggests, then it would be beneficial for her to completely avoid it during Mike’s visit to lessen the chances of him learning the truth: she has no new friends in Lenora Hills.

How is Angela able to orchestrate such an elaborate act of cruelty towards El in a public place? It makes sense that Angela would be able to gather friends for a large-scale prank at school, where a hierarchy has been established. But in a public area like Rink-O-Mania, bullies are no longer on their own turf. In real life, it would be difficult for someone like Angela to exert her power in a business intended for children’s parties. The roller skating rink seems devoid of actual adults, but this still feels like one of Season 4's plot holes. It helps that Angela appears to be friends with the DJ, who immediately fulfills her request to play a song dedicated to “the snitch.”

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Angela Stranger Things

There are still more problems with this scene, like the fact that everyone in the rink participates in tormenting El. Even if Angela does have connections to Rink-O-Mania employees who allow her to do whatever she wants, how does nearly everyone in the rink understand this song is intended for El? Teenagers start to skate around her, creating a circle of terror that is impossible for her to escape. Someone other than Angela throws a chocolate milkshake in El’s face. Even in a small town, it’s hard to believe everyone would automatically side with an outspoken bully against a newcomer. It makes more sense at school, where some of El’s classmates seem to be avoiding turning Angela’s meanness towards themselves. They band with her for their own self-preservation and status. But at Rink-O-Mania, the people involved in Angela’s plan genuinely seem to enjoy hurting El.

So many details would have needed to align for Stranger Things' scene at Rink-O-Mania to take place in real life. It is a stretch to believe everyone in Lenora Hills is truly against El. Mostly, it’s odd for the show to suddenly portray a real-life issue in this way after the effective instances in which Mike, Dustin, Will, and Lucas have been portrayed as bullied outcasts. The series unites its characters by portraying them as outsiders who come to understand each other, regardless of who they are or what they look like. El deserves to experience bullying situations that are realistic, not ridiculous. Even though she possesses supernatural abilities, she is still just a girl who wants to belong.

Stranger Things Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.