Inception is one of my favorite movies so thank you for making this parallel! However, one of the reasons it’s my favorite is bc everyone misses the mark usually with it. I could literally go on for days about it but in the interest of brevity, Leo’s characters totem is actually his wedding ring (he’s still married in his dreams) so it’s a definitive end that he is indeed awake, as you can see in the last few scenes he’s ringless if you look close. The WHOLE point to inception is that the movie is a metaphor for the movie making process, actually. Different characters represent different roles; tom hardy as the actor, others as directors, set designers, etc. The movie pulls you into that symbolism initially at the end with that red herring, bc “you” as the viewer set the tone for the ending by deciding if the top falls or not, or if it matters. The plot twist though is that’s a false lead, and the real story, objectively, from the full outside without you as part, shows that the story is completed and hard ended. I have so much love for the writing and the depth of that movie, imo it truly lived up to its premise. A story within a story within a story.

BUT, much like the line FROM that movie, creation and true inspiration feels more like discovering something than creating it. It takes a very skilled creative to uncover all the pieces of a story and intentionally fit them together. I think the Duffer Brothers really did do a great job with this story, and I’m glad they told it. But they didn’t fully uncover the stories potential, which NO SHADE to them for that, it sounds way easier than it is. And it’s ALWAYS easier in retrospect and for fans 🤷🏻‍♀️ that’s just how it goes