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Stranger Things 3 writers weren't sure if the Scoops Troop 'made sense' at first
22 July 2019, 18:28
"You know, putting Steve Harrington with Erica Sinclair, on paper that doesn't make any sense." Shawn Levy opened up about the process of bringing the Scoops Troop together and why it didn't 'make sense' on paper.
One of the best things about Stranger Things 3 is, undoubtedly, the formation of the Scoops Troop. Steve, Dustin, Erica, and Robin make up the unbeatable crew and fans can't get enough of the unlikely heroes. The Scoops Troop is a hodgepodge of different personalities and even the show's creators admit that, on paper, the four of them don't exactly "make sense".
READ MORE: Stranger Things season 4: News, spoilers, release date, cast and everything we know
READ MORE: QUIZ: Which Scoops Troop member from Stranger Things 3 are you?
In episode 2 of the Behind The Scenes: Stranger Things 3 podcast, executive producer Shawn Levy opened up about the uncertainty of assembling a rag tag group of misfits like The Scoops Troop.
"You know, putting Steve Harrington with Erica Sinclair, on paper that doesn't make any sense. But neither did Dustin and Steve. And, so, one of the great skills of the Duffers and of our show, I think, is trying pairings that we've never done before. And, often, bottling magic by the new dynamics that come up in these new pairings."
From there, the Duffers and the show's writers set about weaving the characters' story together in a way that ensured The Scoops Troop made sense within the context of the Russian plot line.
Steve and Dustin's season 2 dynamic was obviously going to get a reprise and, as the podcast explains, Robin helped move the story forward in key ways–namely in helping to translate the Russian code.
Then there's Erica Sinclair, played by Priah Ferguson, who everyone was eager to bring back in season 3.
"The Duffers never expected Erica to have a big role. But, last season, when Priah Ferguson got to set as Erica and started calling her big brother Lucas a 'nerd', they knew that would have to change."
"So then the writers had to figure out what to do with her. It would make sense to have her be a mall rat and one who takes advantage of the unlimited sample policy at Scoops Ahoy–which gets her closer to Dustin, Steve, and Robin," the podcast explains.
"The idea of placing her in the middle of the narrative, and of literally putting a young child with incredible attitude in the midst of a world saving plot line. That is just such an inappropriate mashup, but it's such a perfect formula for comedy," Shawn Levy explains.
The Scoops Troop may not have "made sense" at first but we're so glad the Stranger Things writers built out their relationships and made it work.
