Joyce quotes from Stranger Things

Joyce

Who you calling? The police?

Joyce

You fucked with the wrong family!

Martin Brenner

Six.

Joyce

What?

Martin Brenner

Six. Six people have been taken this week. This thing that took your son... We don't really understand it. But it's behavior is predictable. Like all animals, it eats. It will take more sons. More daughters. I want to save them. I want to save your son. But I can't do that. Not without your help.

Joyce

Stop. I know who you are. I know what you've done. You took my boy away from me! You left him in that place to die! You faked his death! We had a funeral. We buried him. And now you're asking for my help? Go to hell.

Bob

You playing Frankenstein to my Dracula? You're stiff as a board; relax.

Joyce

I'm sorry. It's just...

Bob

He's fine, ok? Jonathan's with him.

Joyce

I know. It's just... every time he's away from me, it's like I- I can't function. I- it sounds silly, I know.

Bob

No, it's not silly. It's not silly. [Pause] What if we were to move out of Hawkins? Together?

Joyce

What?

Bob

[Grins] Yeah, Whoa Nellie, right? No, I just- I- I been thinking about what you said. I mean, how you've got all these memories here, and you wish you had enough money to move. My parents are selling their house in Maine. There's a RadioShack nearby; I'm sure they'd take me on. We could just... [he sees the worried look on Joyce's face and glances away] My turn to be silly, now.

Joyce

Bob...

Bob

No, it's fine; wine makes me crazy.

Joyce

It's just so hard to explain, it's just- this- this is not a normal family.

Bob

Well, it could be. [Looks at her encouragingly] Could be.

Bob

Finally. [Puts in his Dracula fangs and heads for the door] Victims!

Bob

I'm- I'm sorry if I overstepped anything.

Joyce

No! No, you didn't.

Bob

Okay. I mean, I... I like you so much. Not just you, everything that comes with you. Your family, your boys. And, I hope it's not wishful thinking, but... I kinda feel like I'm breaking through with them. I mean, not so much Jonathan, he's a tough cookie to crack, but...

Joyce

Yeah.

Bob

With Will, like... I dunno, I feel like we're... connecting.

Joyce

[Smiles] He likes you, too.

Bob

[Grins] Yeah?

Joyce

Mm-Hmm. I can tell.

Bob

Good. Oh, there was... something else I was gonna mention. It's not a big deal at all, but... I just noticed this morning that my JVC was a little dinged up.

Joyce

Your- your what?

Bob

The video camera.

Joyce

Oh!

Bob

Yeah. It still works fine and everything, I just... I went back and watched the tape, and... there were some older kids picking on Will.

Joyce

What?

Bob

[Nods] They scared him.

Joyce

[Angrily] Who were they? Were they the Zimmerman brothers again?

Bob

Um, I don't know. They were wearing masks or sorta makeup, and... maybe. They were the right age.

Joyce

I'll kill them. I swear to God, I will... I will kill them.

Bob

[Smiles] That's what I love about you: you punch back. I was never really one to put up a fight. I struggled a lot, like Will, when I was a kid. With bullies. [Sighs] It's the ones like us, that don't punch back, that people really take advantage of, you know? They rub your nose it it just a little bit more. I don't know why they do that. Maybe it makes 'em feel... powerful. I don't know. But, hey! Look at me now: I get to date Joyce Byers. Ha! [Joyce laughs] Are you kidding me? I get to date... see, it all works out in the end, doesn't it?

Joyce

Yes, it does.

Will

I can't remember.

Joyce

I need you to try.

Will

I- I was on the field. And... it all just went blank. And then... you were there.

Joyce

[Shakes her head] Will... I need you to tell me the truth.

Will

I am!

Joyce

This shape. I saw it on the videotape of Halloween Night. It's the same shape as your drawing. These episodes that you're having, I think Doctor Owens is wrong, I think they're real. But- but I can't help you if I don't know what's going on. So, you have to talk to me! Please. No more secrets, okay? [Will nods] Okay. Did you see this thing again, on the field?

Will

[Nods] Yes.

Joyce

What... what is it?

Will

[Tearfully] I don't... know. It's almost... more like a feeling.

Joyce

Like the one you had that night at the arcade?

Will

Yes.

Joyce

Wh-what does it want?

Will

[Crying] I don't... know. It came for me, and...and I tried. I tried to make it go away. But it got me, Mom!

Joyce

Well, what does that mean?

Will

I felt it... everywhere. Everywhere. I- I still feel it! I just want this to be over!

Joyce

[Hugs him] It's okay, it's okay, hey. Listen, look, look at me. I will never, ever let anything bad happen to you ever again. Whatever's going on in you, we're gonna fix it. I will fix it. I promise. I'm here.

Bob

[Startled] ...Huh. Hmm. [To Will] You drew all these, yourself...? [Will and Joyce both nod] Why, exactly?

Joyce

I, I told you the rules. No questions, okay? [Bob nods] We, we just... need you to help us figure out what- Bob? Bob! Over here! [Bob, Will and Mike follow her to a drawing showing an intersection, which she draws an X on] Where... where this is.

Mike

That's the objective. Find the X.

Bob

Yeah? What's at the X? Pirate treasure? [Chuckles]

Joyce

[Gives him a look] Bob? No questions.

Bob

Okay. [Pause] Lemme talk to you for just a second. Hang on, guys. [He takes her aside] Joyce, you can talk to me. You know that, right?

Joyce

...Yeah. What's the problem, exactly?

Bob

What's the problem? Joyce... Will doesn't look well. You don't look well. What's going on?

Joyce

Nothing! Nothing-

Bob

Is this an episode? Is this one of Will's episodes?

Joyce

No! [Scoffs] No, no...

Bob

I'm sorry. I just, I don't... see how any of this is good for Will, or for you. And even if I wanted to play along, I mean, how could I figure anything out if I don't understand the context of the game? Or... [he notices some of the pictures]

Joyce

What? What is it?

Bob

I know that shape. It's Lover's Lake. it's Lover's Lake! I get it. [Turns to another set of pictures] Okay, I get it! That's Lake Jordan. [Moves through the house, Joyce follows as Will and Mike watch] And, if that's Lake Jordan, then you can probably find... [snaps his fingers] Yeah! That's, uh Sattler's Quarry, and then, if you just follow it naturally...it moves to... the Eno River. And there it is! That's the Eno, do you see it? [Joyce frowns] Okay, so the lines aren't roads. But they act like roads. And they act like roads 'cause when you follow 'em, you'll see... they don't go over water. And that's the giveaway. That's the giveaway! [Claps his hands] Ha! Don't you get it? It's not a puzzle. It's a map. It's a map of Hawkins!

Sam Owens

[Indicating a map] This is us, and this is the nearest exit. But even if we somehow make it there, there's no way out.

What do you mean?

Sam Owens

The locks are fail secure.

Joyce

"Fail secure?"

Sam Owens

If there's a power outage, the building goes on full lockdown.

Bob

Can it be unlocked remotely?

Sam Owens

With a computer, sure, but somebody's gotta re-set the breakers.

Where are the breakers?

Sam Owens

Breakers are in the basement, three floors down.

Bob

Hey, where are you going?

To reset the breakers.

Bob

Okay, then what?

Then we get the Hell out of here.

Bob

No, then the power comes back on. If you wanna unlock the doors, you have to completely reboot the computer system, and then override the security codes with a manual input.

Fine, how do I do that?

Bob

You can't! Not unless you know BASIC.

I don't know what that means.

Mike

It's a computer-program language.

Alright, teach it to me.

Bob

[Sarcastically] Shall I teach you French while I'm at it, Jim? How 'bout a little German? How 'bout you, Doc? You speak BASIC?

Sam Owens

No.

Bob

Okay... I got this. I got this.

Joyce

No, Bob.

Bob

It's okay. [Hugs her] It's gonna be okay. Remember: Bob Newby, superhero.

Joyce

[To a possessed Will] Do you know what March 22nd is? It's your birthday. Your birthday. When you turned eight, I gave you that huge box of crayons, do you remember that? It was 120 colors. And all your friends, they got you Star Wars toys, but all you wanted to do was... draw with all your new colors. And you drew this big spaceship, but it wasn't from a movie, it-it was your spaceship. A "rainbow ship" is what you called it. And you, you must have used every color in the box. I... I took that with me to Melvald's, and I put it up, and I told everyone who came in, "My son drew this." And you were so embarrassed. [Chuckles tearfully] But I was so proud. I was so, so proud.

Jonathan

[Going to sit opposite him] Do you remember the day Dad left? We stayed up all night, building Castle Byers, just the way you drew it. And it took so long, because you were so bad at hammering. You'd miss the nail every time. And then it started raining, but we stayed out there anyway. We were both sick for like a week, after that. But we just had to finish it, didn't we? We just had to.

Mike

Do you remember the first day we met? It was... it was the first day of kindergarten. I knew nobody. I had no friends, and...I just felt so alone, and so scared, but... I saw you on the swings, and you were alone, too. You were just swinging by yourself. And I just walked up to you, and...I asked. I asked if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes. You said yes. It was the best thing I've ever done.

Joyce

Will, baby... if you're in there, just please... please talk to us. Please, honey, please, can you do that for me? Please. I love you so much.

Will

[As the Shadow Monster] Let me go.

Joyce

What is your problem?!

Murray

Please stop talking!

Joyce

No! We have had a very long day. We've been shot at, nearly blown up, walked god knows how many miles in 100 degree heat, stole a car, all while being chased by this gigantic psychopath, all so we could bring HIM to YOU because somehow you're the closest person who speaks Russian, which I can't believe but that doesn't matter because unfortunately we're here. So if you don't mind put that thing away, stop behaving like a jackass, and ask him what he's doing that’s making my magnets fall off my damn fridge! Please!

Joyce! Drive!

Joyce

I'M TRYING!

Joyce, please! JOYCE! DRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEE--

Murray

I don't understand what he's saying.

Joyce

I thought you were fluent.

Murray

Oh, I'm sorry. Are my free translation services not good enough for you? Because you can just go ahead and file your complaint right up my ass!

Joyce

I told, I explicitly told you, I didn't want him going anywhere that's not safe. And not only did you take him, you cut off all communication.

Robin

Yes, I mean, in retrospect, that was a bit inconsiderate.

Joyce

Inconsiderate?

Robin

We really should've left a note.

Joyce

Is this funny to you?

Robin

Oh. Sorry. It must be my tone. My mother says I sound perpetually insincere.

Joyce

Okay, this is my son’s life you’re playing with. My son. So next time I say I do not want him leaving my side, that means I don’t want him leaving my goddamn side.

Will

I’m right here, Mom. You know, you can talk to me, right? And I’m not a kid anymore.

Joyce

Will, I am still your mother.

Will

Doesn’t mean you know what you’re doing.

Joyce

What?

Will

Your plan? It… It sucked. I’m sorry, but it did. You only liked it because it was safe, but we don’t have time for safe, not anymore. We have to act, and we have to take risks, and thank God we did. Because my plan, it… it actually worked. I spied on Vecna and tapped back into the hive mind, and we found out that Holly was just the beginning. Vecna's gonna take more kids. I don’t know why or what he wants to do with them, but now we know something we can use against him, his next target. So next time you order me to stay by your side, I wouldn’t count on it.

Will

I… I… I haven’t told any of you this because… Because I… I don’t… I don’t want you to see me differently. But the truth is… The… The truth is I am. I am different. I just… I just pretended like I wasn’t because… because I didn’t want to be. I wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to be like my friends and… And I am like you. I’m like you in… in almost every way. We… We like playing D&D late into the night. And we like that old-person smell in Mike’s basement. And we… we like biking to Melvald’s for malted milkshakes. And we like getting lost in the woods, and getting lost in Family Video and arguing about what to rent and settling on Holy Grail for the millionth time. And… And we like Milk Duds in our popcorn with extra butter. And we like drinking Coke with Pop Rocks. And we like bike races and trading comics and NASA and Steve Martin and Lucky Charms and… Literally all the same things. I just… I just… I… I just… I… I… I… I don’t like girls. I mean… I mean I do. Just… Just not like you guys do. And I, uh, I had this… this crush on someone, even though I know… I know they’re not like me. But… But then I realized he’s just my Tammy. And by Tammy, I mean it was never about him. It was… It was about me. And I thought I was finally okay with myself, but… but then today… Today Vecna showed me what would happen if I did this, if I told you guys the truth. He showed me a future, and in this future, some of you are just… are just worried for me. Worried that things will be harder for me. And it just makes me feel like something’s wrong with me. So I… So I push you away. And for the rest of us, we just drift apart more and more and more and more and more until I’m alone. And I know none of that has happened, and Vecna can’t see into the future. But he can see into our minds, and he knows things. And it just felt so real. It felt so real.

Joyce

Will. You gotta listen to me. That will never ever happen. You’ll never lose me. Ever.

Will

Okay. Okay.

Jonathan

And you’ll never lose me. [goes to hug him]

Lucas

Or me. [goes to hug him]

Dustin

Or me. [goes to hug him]

Mike

Or me. [goes to hug him]

Eleven

Or me. [goes to hug him]

Robin

Or me.

Robin

Guess you didn’t need truth serum, huh?

Max

Sorry. This sucks, but you’re gonna have to hug me.

Will

Oh, Max. [goes to hug her]

Max

Just imagine I’m hugging you really tight, okay?

Will

Okay. [lets go of hug] El. I know you’re strong enough to defeat Vecna. But he can retreat to the physical world, and we need to be ready to fight him there too. We have bullets and fire, but none of that helped those soldiers. I need to be there. And I’m ready. I’m ready to show him I’m not afraid anymore.