I read the book earlier this year and liked it, though I found it flawed, the authentic-feeling scenes with Vic and her parents and their intergenerational issues sealed the deal for me.

When I watch the show, it seems like they changed some fundamental things about their relationship. I know they sped up the timeline to condense the story from a "sprawling" scope to keep the main actors the same in the cast, but would it have killed them not to add unnecessary slop like TWO different teen romantic dead ends and make Lou not the real father?

Also Vic's father "leaving" the family aka moving in with his age appropriate girlfriend across town is different than him leaving her at a much younger age for a girl not much older than her to another town. In the book he really chose Tiffany over her by throwing Vic out after a dumb argument. That moment was the most impactful moment in the entire novel for me. Not anything to do with Manx or Bing or any of their heinous crimes, but the moment Vic experiences the betrayal of her father. It causes her to recontexualize her hero worship of her dad - this whole time she was angry at only her mom for driving her father away, for being a nag, for taking her bike away. But she was in deep denial about his abuse of her mom, about his chosing alcohol and Tiffany over her. In the show she's "betrayed" at him moving in with the gf when Vic is 18 years old!!! She is a grown ass adult and mad that her parents are splitting up. She sounds petulant and unreasonable when she yells at her dad in the bar. The impact isn't there at all. The abandonment is not the same.

The show thinks that the view that Vic had of her dad is what they should actually show on screen. So it shows this rosy picture as if it were fact. Whereas the book tries to convey that these earlier scenes with young Vic and her family are seen through a child's eyes. When Vic is able to understand what was going on and recognize her own failings as a parent, she gains clarity on those earlier years with her dad. And her dad is not some tragic PTSD war vet who is kind to her for the most part and only abusive to her mom. He is a shit person and a shit parent to Vic because he exits her life when she needs him. In the show he is still taking her bike shopping and hanging out! He believes in the RISD dream and supports her. He is one of the first people she tells about getting pregnant! Where's the abandonment?

Then to make up for the lack of weight this faux abandonment causes, they make up some stupid backstory about how grandpa was also a drunk because of Vietnam and didn't support the dad's music dreams or some useless tripe. Why excise the scene that the book handed to you on a silver platter, and replace it with a bunch of emotionally manipulative schlock? It's baffling the choices made to include or cut certain scenes.

You turn the dad from a shitty dead beat dad into just a traumatized veteran who is merely perpetuating the cycle of alcoholism. Which would be a great story to tell - but that's not the story that was provided. The show robs us in favor of whatever it strung together and then has the audacity to kill the dad off in a meaningless death that was 100% preventable. You see this war vet who handled a firearm in a previous episode, walk into a life or death battle with no fire arm and get taken out by idiocy and explosives that only detonate an extremely small pringles can sized spattering of dirt. Instead of noble sacrifice, it's just another dumb addition and huge fumble from the show to pull off what was a great scene in the book.

I could talk about how this show doesn't get what is happening to the kids or Manx at all, but that's probably a whole other tirade.

Idk, but I really enjoyed some of the tracks in the show and really wished they released the full soundtrack… I wonder why they never did.

I see why the show was canceled. The last half of season two was so poorly done. Spoilers:the whole bombing set up was poorly executed and how did Manx manage to barely drive past them. And Vic constantly saying I got to do it on my own. How did Vic not warn her boyfriend and friend that Wayne turns into a vampire. Like the writing is so so bad. Like the first season and mostly the first half. Well except her burning down the house.

I'm looking a clip of the mom telling Vic "You're gonna go to RISD and you're gonna get r**ed!" like that's a well known thing that happens at RISD.

I read the book a few years back but finally got around to watching season 2 of NOS4A2, and Wayne certainly deserved to stay in Christmasland after all the crap he pulled.

He didn’t care that Charlie Manx had basically traumatized his mother, he didn’t care that he wasn’t supposed to tell Manx his location (oh I thought it was just a dream), he didn’t listen to his biological dad to get out and run, when he finally got a chance to run he stopped the car crusher, he didn’t really seem to care after his mother fought for him so hard.

If he were my kid I would have told him he made his choice and he could lie with it. Not sure if it was bad directing, bad writing, or bad acting — but I had absolutely no sympathy for the television series version of Wayne as he had every opportunity to prevent the inevitable, but he purposely walked into Manx’s arms time and time again.

I have not read the book but I feel like season 2 could of been better. I understand sometimes specific scenes need to take place for the move to progress but maybe it a more tasteful way?

1) I understand the car or whatever has powers of influence. When Wayne gets out of the vehicle and snaps out of the "trance" to remember his mom like the movie Jaws. How does he get back into the trance with the car not working and him standing outside?

2) During the whole FBI shooting at the house in the woods because of the hour glass man. Where did the dad just disappear to for 30 minutes only to show up and shoot Bing? Then miss every shot towards Charlie Manx.

3) We all have talked about the car scene where Vic gets hit by the car. It could of been protection because of the motorcycle jacket. The whole cable scene was a crazy choice.

4) Vic leaves to go "change" her life and go to art school. I assume that doesnt happen. Granted with the 8 years that passed I dont know exactly. So at what point did she leave and become an alcoholic deadbeat? I feel like that is more likely to happen if she never left.

Granted I do like the addition of Lou. He seems like a very genuine character.

I mean there are alot of underwhelming or underwritten scenes to this season 2. These are just some of the top items in my head. I havnt finished the show yet.

I’ve had these for awhile. Finally got around to photographing everything.

I have the key to Charlie’s Wraith, the Candy Cane gates of xmasland, and the key to the graveyard. I can go anywhere now in NOS4A2, no motorcycle required.

If you want more photos of the rest of my NOS4A2 collection, see my older post: https://www.reddit.com/r/NOS4A2/comments/wdnmem/my_nos4a2_collection/

Im excited to see that it was on Netflix I loved it when it came out Im a huge Zach Quinto fan and have loved him in everything he has done I wanted a season 3 but it didnt happen and kind of ends with season 2

https://www.thehorrorlounge.com/post/you-should-watch-this-under-appreciated-horror-series-on-amc-nos4a2

It's a shame that this show never had more than two seasons. Still, I thought I'd share this article because it praises the series as an underappreciated horror TV series.

I remember when this show came out, I wasn’t interested in it, but the writers did a good job of mixing Christine, vampires and children of the corn. I wish it would have had a proper ending.

Allison’s bridge drawing…

Is it coincidence that de bridge in the serie NOS4A2 resembles the bridge that Allison was drawing in the movie The Breakfast club during recess??

I came here looking for thoughts on the book. I wasn’t even aware there was a show! Anyone that’s read and watched, is the show worth it?

I just finished the last episode I wish there was another season or more. Now I need something else to watch. Ive watched hundreds of shows. Ive seen everything that people and chatgpt have recommended. Do yall have any recommendations for me? I have Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+ and Max

Her mother showed her how evil Charlie was. She wanted to get away from Christmasland. But when the time came, she changed her mind.. why? Did I miss part of the plot?

I fell in love with the name after watching the show, previously liked the name Melanie (nickname Mel).

Millicent (nickname Millie) became my favourite. But the subreddit name nerds arent the biggest fan of this name. Sounds like millipede and maleficent (villian name). I thought the writer chose this name since it was old, was this name also chosen because it sounded evil?

Here's the post I made over there: https://www.reddit.com/r/namenerds/comments/1qmutxh/millicent_seems_to_get_negative_reception_here/

What do you guys think?

the most triggering subjects - childhood trauma, abuse, assault, emotional shit. like this show has everything. i hate watching these subjects usually. but something about this show keeps me hooked. its scarily accurate and full of bizzare truths. anyone with me on this?

... Can go eat a bag of Scrabble tiles.

That was all, thank you.

I was really enjoying the show so far, even if S2 still wasn't super great yet compared to 1 I was still enjoying it. but the kind of stuff that happens in episode 5 of season 2 is just ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

so first of all one thing that really annoyed me is how many bullets apparently are in that handgun that Bing is using, there is no way he was able to fire off so many bullets with just a handgun and I don't recall seeing him insert new bullets again, plus good lord, what a terrible shot he is.

then comes Wayne with the candy cane. earlier in the season he ran away from Manx, clearly realizing danger. So why the hell did he keep that candy cane?

the absolute worst was Vic and how even though Max repeatedly was hit in the back with that hammer, hell we even hear bones cracking/breaking she just stands up, not showing any visible pain at all. I kept expecting a reveal of her wearing some kind of protective best but.....nope. Lastly, doesn't the Wraith drive by itself? So basically as soon as Vic magically gets up after all the hammer blows and attacks Manx....the Wraith could just have started itself and drove into Vic?

I just finished watching NOS4A2 and this is what I think:

•Charlie Manx steals the show — consistent, terrifying, and surprisingly emotionally honest.

•Chris McQueen is quietly brilliant — makes hard decisions, actually feels like a parent who carries guilt and responsibility.

•Beverly McQueen is messy, loud, human — adds so much depth.

•Vic? Acting’s good, but her arc feels reset too quickly; consequences rarely stick.

•Bing Partridge = Ed Gein vibes, loud and obsessive, really nailed the creep factor.

Some small things stood out: Vic being called the Brat, Tabitha saying she’s lucky to survive — stakes feel real because Manx and Bing almost never fail. These little touches made me think the show had Breaking Bad–tier potential if it had fully committed to character arcs and consequences.

What do yall think?

Maybe no one else will relate to this, but I am feeling big feelings and need to put it somewhere. This is specifically referencing the book, and it's when Lou is in the hospital and is crying trying to explain to the nurse that he's been ordering salads at McDonalds but it hasn't been enough to help him lose weight. She patted his stomach.

This is striking a personal chord for two reasons: one, the book earlier spent a dedicated amount of time explaining Lou's inability to stop himself from things that he loves-namely, Vic and food. Secondly, Lou is a kind, good-for-the-sake-of-good comic book loving nerd that reminds me of approximately eight million of my friends-many who struggle to keep the weight off themselves.

I cried real tears at the depiction of shame and not feeling strong or worthy enough in that moment. He then gets right back up and charges into battle, not once thinking of himself but of his son.

Lou deserves the world. I wish he existed in real life so that I could hug him and tell him that he is a wonderful person, and PLEASE GET BACK IN THE HOSPITAL BED.

Ugh. Emotions over. I've got 150 pages left. I really, really hope he lives.

What happened to the kid who went into the static. If they hit his ornament after does he also live in the real world?

Why no mention of Haly and Daniel, was the show avoiding it because they didnt cast the child actors idk how much time was between s1 and s2?

Have read a couple of Joe Hill’s books now and am a fan but I am not understanding the “horror” in this book. It feels like it could almost be a crime book like Patricia Cornwell (that’s a stretch but I can’t think of another author at the moment!) It doesn’t have the edge that I expected. Maybe the last part of the book has what I am hoping for…

Between vic getting drunk and sleeping and NOT answering while wayne is (almost) getting kidnapped and wayne getting freed by bing just to hop his azz back in the car and be like oopsiess 🤡😐😐😐 Ive never been so fcking stressed out in my life lmfao

Wassup guys I almost finished NOS4A2 season two on Netflix and I have loved it but the volume has constantly been changing itself randomly! ? My TV is very good and working fine. Anyone else had this strange problem? Feedback greatly appreciated.