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Saw this on Pinterest and it makes me laugh more every time

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the face i make when thinking about the heartbreaking unrequited love of a selfless gay character who has been abused, possessed, ignored, kidnapped, sent to literal hell, DIED, and who’s representation was crucial for the gay actor’s self-acceptance and coming out

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when you start watching st5 but the normal intro doesn't start playing this does

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The painting and Rink-O-Mania situation from Mike’s perspective is actually crazy

I mean think about it:

You just realised you don’t like girls and that you have feelings for your best friend the day he leaves for California. (Worst timing ever??)

You unexpectedly get back together with your girlfriend on that day too, but how the hell are you supposed to tell her that kissing her was your gay awakening when she just said, “I love you” to you?

So fucking awkward.

So now you’re stewing in purgatory hell, entering your freshman year of high school (which is already hard enough) and pining for your friend who never picks up the phone and won’t even call you back for eight months.

Plus, distance makes the heart grow fonder, so you’re definitely experiencing some angsty teen gay limerence. But you're holding out hope, because it seemed like he was sending you some signals last year... right?

Then you get a letter from El that Will has been painting a lot, acting weird, and that there’s probably someone he likes. Oh, and that someone might be a girl. LOL ok. FML. He’s not been calling you, so it must be someone else. Cool. Real fucking cool.

Then when you get to the airport and finally meet him, you’re so nervous you can’t even make eye contact or hug him properly. But he doesn’t even seem nervous at all. Also when the fuck did he get lowkey buff?

But he’s holding a painting! OMG yay! Maybe the painting was for you the whole time. There isn’t someone else, thank god. So, you ask about it. Like, immediately.

And he just completely rebuffs you? He brought it to the airport to pick you up and it’s not even for you? First, that was embarrassing. Second, what the fuck?

You just keep playing it cool and smile through the pain. Then El mentions a place called Rink-O-Mania. OH. Will is bringing the painting to Rink-O-Mania. He wants to give it to someone there.

Ok, time to put on your investigative goggles. Who’s going? Any of El’s friends? You glance Will’s way to see if he reacts. Will asks, “What friends?” He also wants to know who’s coming. Then, “Angela?” Will seems out of sorts. This Angela girl must make him nervous. Fuck. Since when did Will like girls anyway?

Then you get to Rink-O-Mania and there’s no Angela in sight. Will is mopey. He won’t even laugh at your jokes. He keeps rolling his eyes. He really doesn’t even want to be here. It’s like he doesn’t even care that you just got here!

This Angela chick finally shows up, but you get a little distracted by her friend. He’s kind of cute. He has nice hair. It kind of looks like… oh god he kind of looks like Will. Never mind. Get yourself together. Angela doesn’t seem to even notice Will – maybe it’s one-sided. Good.

You’re so distracted that you don’t even notice El is not comfortable with these people. Will is super concerned. What’s his problem? Jealous? Hah! Not so nice, is it?

And then oh, ok. El is being bullied. El is being bullied and has been for a while, and no one thought to tell you so now you look like a complete asshole. Great. Also, since when did Will know more about El than you? What are you now – the third wheel? Why is no one telling you anything?

And then Will has the gall to be angry at you. You who has been a SAINT. Piously waiting and pining on him. Trying to do the right thing, trying to be a good boyfriend. Trying to find the right time and the right words to tell her the truth even though it’s fucking scary. But honestly, what’s even the point? The guy you’re in love with doesn’t even like you back and thinks you're an asshole.

Plus, he complains that you only called a few times, when you tried to call a lot more. The phone was always busy. He was the one who barely called back! What is this? Some sick cosmic joke? Then your girlfriend loses her shit and schmacks Angela in the face in front of so many people… this is officially the worst day ever. Jesus Christ.

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mike and robin in s5

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The Airport Scene: What in the world is Mike going through?

Or, alternatively and gently with all the fondness in my heart, what the hell is up with Mike in the airport scene?

First and foremost, this is not a mockery of Mike. I just want to dissect the airport scene in season 4 because it’s been on my mind, lately, and Mike does such a good job at being unreadable that I’m still a little baffled, three years later. But I have some clues as to what is going on inside that head of his.

So we start with a dolly shot of Argyle, Jonathan, Will, and El. The four are placed in order of “familiarity” to Mike. I put “familiarity” in quotes because while it’s technically not true, narratively, that’s what we’re made to believe, here.

Look at the excitement on Will’s face!! It matches - if not exceeds - El’s excitement, which is adorable as much as it is absolutely painful.

El spots Mike first, and she waves him over.

Look at that grin on Mike’s face. Honestly, this reunion is cute, if not for the fact that Mike is wearing his glasses, for… some reason. 🧐 It’s almost like he doesn’t really want to look El in the eyes. Hm. 🧐 But beyond that, El is so sweet, here. She wraps both arms around Mike, and she’s now very clearly excited to see him.

But what does Mike do? “Careful, careful, you’re squishing your present!” he says, and then El sees that signature, and it’s not, “love, Mike.” Mike cares more about the integrity of his gift over El. Keep Mike’s special attention on gifts in mind.

El’s smile is instantly wiped away. (And side note, did you guys know that in this scene when Will approaches, he hops up to Mike? 😭 He’s literally bouncing on his toes. I will cry.)

And this is where things start to get a little weird. Once Mike removes his glasses, his eyes are revealed to hold this very vacant stare.

Not only that, but Mike continues to explain why his present is special to a very disinterested and fakely-smiling El. He doesn’t seem to take in El’s disapproving expression, at all. Also, when Mike remarks about there being “too much yellow,” that’s when the tag shows up, and the “from, Mike,” is apparent. He’s not understanding why this makes El upset, though, and he just moves on.

Is Mike tired? Jet lagged? Clueless? Or, perhaps, is he hyper aware that Will is right behind El? And another question that I still wonder to this day is, did Mike expect Will to meet him at the airport, too? I almost think that with all of his reactions, he was not mentally prepared to meet him there, perhaps.

And, so, the Byler “hug” happens:

Interestingly enough, in this moment, Mike is first to acknowledge Will, which blew my mind on rewatch. He gives that first, “oh, hey!” and clearly approaches Will, but then he seems to back out last minute, actively putting his arm around Will but then settling for some weak pats on his shoulder.

And thereafter, Mike doesn’t make eye contact. Will doesn’t either, but Will’s directionality makes sense. He’s disappointed that Mike didn’t return his enthusiasm, so he looks down. Mike, on the other hand, seems to purposefully look away from Will. He also doesn’t notice Will’s painting. My thought is that he noticed it and then avoided it for a split second to process it. The same guy who made sure his flowers weren’t being squished very likely saw that rolled-up painting in Will’s hand, too, right?

Oh, the pain. This scene is hard to watch, and I think for good reason! It’s meant to be uncomfortable, to show us that this is not how their reunion was supposed to be. The tension is sudden and unexpected, and the way that we linger on the both of their expressions shows that to the audience. And the fact is that it didn’t have to be this way, but Mike backed out of that embrace. It’s not Will who makes this awkward, but Mike.

Next is a really interesting sequence. Mike hasn’t acknowledged the painting, yet. And right after the awkward hug, Mike turns to Jonathan and greets him. No hug is initiated at all, they just kinda say hello. But then, without missing a beat…

“Uh, what’s that?”

Mike suddenly clocks the painting. This happens in a split second in the show. One second, he’s turned to Jonathan. The next, his focus is on Will, once more. Mike retains this blank expression, but his speech is pressured, here. The second that Will is done explaining, flustered and reconsidering giving it to Mike, Mike immediately says back, “cool,” like it’s nothing. Which, as we later see in the van scene, Mike does not think nothing of this painting! So why the blank face? What is this front that Mike is putting up?

Ultimately, I think that this scene was meant to show the difference between Mike’s intentional lack of a connection with Will compared to his genuine awkwardness and uncertainty with someone he truly doesn’t know, Argyle.

Look at these expressions that Mike has when he meets Argyle, and compare them to all of the ones he gives Will. With Argyle, ironically, to me, Mike looks a lot more relaxed. It looks like he’s trying to be and succeeding in being even-keeled. Mike doesn’t know Argyle, so he has no previous relationship with him that holds weight. He’s not tense because he’s nervous, he’s tense because it’s genuinely awkward, and Argyle brings him in for a “hug” without a clear indication of wanting to initiate one, unlike Will.

This tension is not because he and Argyle have a deeper relationship, it’s just Mike being a more true Mike without fear of losing something he has with the other person.

What hammers this in is the previous episode. Mike was just seen going around Hawkins High, trying to recruit dozens of strangers to Eddie’s campaign, many of which are obviously upper classmen, and Mike doesn’t seem to have an issue approaching them. He’s not nervous like he is with Will.

This brings up an answer to the question of why Mike seems on edge when Will explains the painting: Mike’s presuppositions and close, knowing relationship with Will. Because Will doesn’t immediately say that the painting is for Mike - which is probably what Mike expected - Will affirms Mike’s biased and false thought that Will equally is pushing him away, too. This helps to justify Mike’s cold behavior towards Will. But at the end of the day, Mike is the one putting up the barrier between himself and Will. He doesn’t let Will in. He treats Will just like he does Jonathan and Argyle: like a mere relative of his girlfriend and furthermore, a stranger.

This wedge is intentional and methodical. Mike never behaves like this for the rest of the show onward post apology scene in season 4 episode 4, 2 episodes after this airport scene.

It’s funny how Mike comes around once he recognizes that he and Will are better off as “best friends”, not strangers. What a leap in title-ship, and what a leap that again, Mike states, not Will.

So thus begs the question once more: what in the world is Mike going through?

Let’s look at the facts.

Mike starts to don a cold expression at the airport right before he meets Will.

Mike defuses Will’s excitement and does not match his energy (even though Mike clearly does still have regard and dare I say love for Will, see above), making Mike the cause of their awkwardness.

Mike recognizes the painting very suddenly, and he is quick to disregard it and evidently pretend to not care about it when he actually does care about it (see the entire van scene).

Mike is tense with Will, but not tense like how he is with Argyle, a stranger, but something much harsher and with much more effort to maintain.

A few days later, Mike proves to not truly be uncomfortable with Will but spontaneously returns to him and asks to be “best friends” again.

Notice how in all of the things that happen - and then become disproved - in the airport scene, Mike is the active proponent in every single equation. He puts up the front and breaks it down. He makes things awkward with Will and then continues to engage with him on his own. He pretends to feel nothing for the painting but then praises it in the van scene. He holds this extreme tension with Will and then dissolves it by once again approaching Will on his own accord. Mike is plainly hiding something in the airport scene. He’s dishonest about his lack of attention, and I think that Mike is actually more hyper-vigilant and aware of Will in the airport than we’ve ever seen Mike be aware of Will before.

Why? What is the reason? Something I didn’t bring up yet is, also, why would Mike suddenly be disinterested in Will’s art? In season 1, Mike lovingly caressed a binder of Will’s drawings when he went missing. Mike knows what Will is capable of, and he cherishes Will’s talent.

What changed?

That is the age old question, and I think that we’ve still yet to fully uncover it. I don’t know about you, but hidden romantic feelings seems to sum up his behavior pretty well. Maybe Mike assumed that Will got a girlfriend and they were going to go on a double date and he was going to shut Will out before he got too jealous. But that’s just a theory (a film theory)!

Byler is endgame. Mike is so intensely focused on Will all the time, it’s not even funny.

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"Mike just wasn't expecting the kiss"

Okay, I understand where the Mileven shippers are coming from. A shocked expression after a romantic kiss is a popular trope. We need look no further than Lumax's first kiss at the end of Season 2.

So why aren't we all sitting here theorising about Lucas being gay and not being attracted to Max? Well... the trope has two parts:

1) the initial shock

2) the smile of relief afterward

Mike, though, looks visibly confused and even a tad uncomfortable. The Duffers even had the opportunity to throw in some dramatic irony with Mike cracking a smile AFTER El left the room. But his demeanor remains exactly the same.

There is no heterosexual explanation for this. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

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he won the idgaf war

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Me going downstairs on Christmas day as if I didnt just watch the most heart wrenching byler scene ever

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i’m laughing to the point i’m crying WHY DID HE SAY ALL THAT

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"it's Hawkins. it's not the same without you."

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NOT MY VIDEO

Yall I did not know this

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Just thought about how vecna doesn’t know anything about dnd so everyone’s gonna be like “vecna we’re gonna defeat you!!” And he’s just like “who????”

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when there’s queerbaiting and fans ask the cast something about the ship they usually play along or deny it or joke about it. when fans ask the st cast about the possibility of byler they’re like uhhh well i’m not sure. i don’t.. i don’t really know. i mean. yeah i don’t really know. i’m not allowed- i mean i wouldn’t know 😅

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Mike, the paladin, is insecure about not being Will's superhero

OK I just saw this super intriguing post, please go read it (link). They theorize that, like Will with his painting lie, Mike is also talking about Will through El in the van, and in his love profession to El/Will.

I want to add that I think Mike has been doing this all along through Season 4. And it starts with Hopper's letter in the S3 finale, which you can read as MIKE's letter to WILL (subbed the pronouns and crossed out the Hopper-to-El specific parts).

[MIKE]: There's something I've been wanting to talk to [you and El] about. I know this is a difficult conversation, but I care about you both very much. And I know that you care about each other very much, and that's why it's important that we set these boundaries moving forward so we can build an environment... where we all feel... comfortable... trusted... and open... to sharing our feelings. Feelings...

This refers to Mike's journey in S3 of trying to set boundaries between his two relationships, because the emotional lines keep getting blurred. It's him trying to put his true feelings about Will aside and "stick to the script" (literally: Hopper to his script, and Mike to a social script).

But now, he speaks to Will from his heart about his true feelings (like Hopper):

Feelings... Jesus. The truth is... for so long, I'd... forgotten what those even were. I've been stuck in one place. In a cave, you might say. A deep, dark cave. And then, I left some Eggos out [found El] out in the woods, and you came [back] into my life, and... for the first time in a long time, I started to feel things again. I started to feel happy. But lately, I guess I've been feeling... distant from you. Like you're... you're pulling away from me or something. I miss playing board games every night. Making triple decker Eggo extravaganzas at sunrise, watching Westerns together before we doze off. But I know you're [we're] getting older. Growing. Changing. And I guess, if I'm being really honest... that's what scares me. I don't want things to change. So I think maybe that's why I came in here. To try to maybe... stop that change. To turn back the clock. To make things go back to how they were. [sigh] But I know that's naive. It's just... not how life works. It's moving. Always moving, whether you like it or not. And yeah. Sometimes it's painful. Sometimes it's sad.

I think this is the Duffers responding to Mike and foreshadowing The Vanishing of Mike's Closet Door in S5 lolol:

And sometimes... [Erica's door with a big rainbow drawing on it opens lol] ...it's surprising. Happy. So you know what? Keep on growin' up, kid. Don't let me stop you. Make mistakes, learn from them... and when life hurts you (because it will), remember the hurt. The hurt is good. It means you're out of that cave. But, please. If you don't mind... for the sake of your poor, old, [writer]... Keep the door open 3 inches.

Crazy...

Anyway, so if you interpret that letter as being from Mike to Will, it matches his speech to El in the S4 finale: My life started that day I found you in the woods.

It's because El was the superhero who helped him find Will.

Mike and Will's first heart-to-heart in S4 is Will basically telling Mike that he's his superhero. He saved him in S2 (nothing to do with El).

Here, they transition from talking about El "she's gonna be okay" [end of convo] and Mike and Will start talking about each other.

Mike and Will's first S4 heart-to-heart:

MIKE: [tells Will about his "fight he and El can't come back from" and not being able to say "that thing"] WILL: No. Look, Mike. You're gonna see her again, and whatever it is, whatever you didn't say, you can say it to her then. Okay? MIKE: Yeah. Yeah. WILL: She's gonna be okay. She's not in Hawkins. That's what we should be worrying about. MIKE: You don't trust Owens? WILL: No. I don't know. I mean, he's been good to us and good to El, but... He wasn't able to protect me. That was [you] who saved me. That was [you]. MIKE: Looks like it's gonna be up to [me] again. WILL: It always is, isn't it? MIKE: [laughs]

This is Will validating Mike's desire to be Will's superhero, because he's saved him before. Mike wants to be his hero. His paladin! Mike LOVES that "it's gonna be up to [him] again" because "it ALWAYS IS." He's giddy af. He has always wanted to be needed by Will, specifically. Ever since S1.

Now, let's move on to the van scene:

WILL: We're gonna make it, Mike, she's gonna be okay. MIKE: Yeah, I know. I know she is. But... but what if after all this is over, [you don't] need me anymore? WILL: No, of course [I'll] still need you. [I'll] always need you, Mike. MIKE: I keep telling myself that, but I... I don't believe it. I mean, [you're] special. [You were] born special. Maybe I was one of the first people to realize that. But the truth is, when I stumbled on [El] in the woods, [you] just needed someone. It's not fate, it's... it's not destiny, it's just simple dumb luck. And... and one day [you're] gonna realize that I'm just some random nerd that... that got lucky that Superman landed on his doorstep. I mean, at least Lois Lane is an ace reporter for the Daily Planet, right? But... [scoffs] Sorry. WILL: No. MIKE: No... It's so stupid, given everything that's going on, it's just I... I don't know, I just... Uh... WILL: You're scared of losing [me]. MIKE: [nods]

Mike's insecurity here is that he's comparing himself to El because he wants to be Will's superhero, but he's no match to a real superhero like El--he feels even more powerless than Lois Lane. Mike feels like he couldn't have saved Will on his own back in S1, that he just got lucky that a superhero landed on his doorstep, and she's the one who saved him. He feels that, if not for this random miracle, he wouldn't have been enough to save Will. He feels like he's not enough for Will.

And at the same time, Mike has lost who he is in S3 and S4 bc Will hasn't needed him as his superhero anymore during this time, like he did in S1 and S2, so now Mike wonders: after all this is over, after everything returns to normal and Will doesn't need to be saved from any monsters anymore... will he still need me?

And the answer is, of course, YES! Will doesn't need him to be his superhero. He doesn't need Mike to be like El or to have superpowers. He just needs Mike because he loves him. Mike's love gives Will the courage to fight on. Will’s journey is about agency: in S5, he will learn to fight his own battles without needing to be saved, and he will win. It’s love that will power him through.

And this is gonna be such a beautiful revelation for Mike (and it’s why he was so moved by all the ways Will tells him he needs him with the painting lie that have nothing to do with Mike being a superhero or a savior or powerful). He IS a strong leader and a hero, but he doesn't need to be Will's savior for Will to still always need him. He is ENOUGH all on his own. He is worthy all on his own. Because he's Will's heart!

Anyway go read that OG post for an interpretation of the love confession (link)!

TLDR: Mike’s gonna overcome his savior complex in S5!

Also want to plug this article that explores Mike's power fantasy as a result of this insecurity that he has with Will and his sense of self-worth.

I think S5 will have Mike be unable to save Will from Vecna in the ep 4/volume 1 finale, and it's gonna absolutely DESTROY him in ep 5 and 6 bc of this insecurity that he has. I don't think Mike will literally save Will like a knight would save a damsel, I think he'll save him indirectly by giving Will the love he needs to fight against Vecna and free himself (like in S2).

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It's All Relative:

Mike Wheeler’s bedroom isn’t just queer-coded, it’s politically charged in context — thanks to this print.

Alternative title: Triangles, triangles and more fucking triangles.

The more you look, the clearer it becomes that Mike's bedroom is an absolute masterclass in queer-coded set design.

I probably don’t need to address the famous "one way" sign pointing to the closet — that symbolism should be obvious. However, I do want to focus on the print which has been placed (quite intentionally) beneath it:

Relativity (1953) by M. C. Escher

Relativity is one of Escher’s most recognizable works. It’s a lithograph (originally a woodcut) that depicts a labyrinth of staircases inside a world where the normal laws of gravity do not apply. In fact, it appears to have three centres of gravity occupying the same space.

It plays with dimensions, which is fitting for a show like Stranger Things which is about alternate dimensions. The three gravitational forces could even be referencing the three known dimensions within Stranger Things: The Rightside Up, The Upside Down, and the mysterious Dimension X.

But beyond that, this image also speaks to Mike’s character and psyche. Otherwise, it wouldn't be placed inside his bedroom which represents his personality, privacy, and inner world.

The Meaning of Relativity

Relativity is obviously the state of being relative.

To be relative means that something gains its meaning or significance only when compared to, or understood in relation to, something else.

When you focus on a single point of gravity in Escher’s print, the scene appears normal. But when you assess the image as a whole, you notice that something is off. The three centres of gravity are made interesting when we notice them in relation to each other. That's why it's called Relativity.

Basically, we're being told that if we want to better understand Mike Wheeler, we need to look at him relatively.

We need to pay attention to the context and look at the bigger picture.

Well, you don’t have to tell me twice. Let's zoom back out.

In the bigger picture, the blocking has Mike stood between his bed and the closet. Framed above him is the "one way" sign, and the print of Relativity.

This is our point of interest: the spot our eyes are naturally drawn to.

All Signs Point to The Closet

As it turns out, the “one way” sign is highly relevant to this analysis.

That’s because the perceived significance of the "one way" sign is relative.

On its own, a “one way” sign in Mike’s bedroom is just a traffic sign and nothing more. In relation to the closet, however, it transforms into a visual cue for the state of being “in the closet.”

The symbolism of the “one way” sign depends entirely on its relationship to the closet, and Relativity (1953) underscores that fact with humour and cheeky precision.

It's a slapstick fish-to-the-face for anyone still denying the possibility of Mike being queer. It’s as if the set designers are saying, “Look at the sign in relation to the closet. And just to make sure you see it, here’s Escher’s Relativity sitting right between them to give you instruction.”

It's not even hidden in plain sight — it's being pointed to.

And here’s the kicker: the sign, the print, and the closet aren’t just thematically connected — they are spatially triangulated.

Their relativity is both metaphorical and literal!

It's also queer imagery: Special thanks to costume designer Amy Parris for confirming that the creatives behind Stranger Things are well aware of the triangle’s significance in LGBTQ+ history and symbolism. (More on that later).

The Penrose Triangle (Tragedy)

The triangle imagery becomes even more overt: at the centre of Relativity sits an inverted Penrose triangle, also known as the Penrose tribar or impossible triangle.

An impossible shape is a form that can be drawn, but cannot possibly exist in three-dimensional reality — unless it is an optical illusion. Psychologist Lionel Penrose and his mathematician son Roger Penrose popularised the Penrose triangle in the 1950s, describing it as “impossibility in its purest form”.

It's... actually quite tragic, when you think about it.

The impossible triangle suggests that Mike feels trapped in an unsolvable dilemma — caught between two realities (the two-dimensional and the three-dimensional) — with no way to reconcile them.

That’s because Mike is at the centre of a dysfunctional love triangle:

The two-dimensional reality that only exists within his mind: a romantic union with Will Byers. The three-dimensional reality that exists within real life: a romantic relationship with El Hopper.

But remember, the impossible triangle is an optical illusion — it doesn't actually exist.

Like Relativity, when you assess the bigger picture (rather than focusing on a single point) something about this love triangle is… off.

It’s not just impossible; it’s fake.

In Relativity, the three points of gravity hold equal importance. This mirrors the way Mike, Will, and El each contribute equally to sustaining this phony love triangle.

They’re all either hiding something or being dishonest.

Their dysfunction comes to a head in the Rink-O-Mania scenes, where it is most obvious. It's the crux of the blame-game that even fans can’t resist joining: Who’s the real asshole in this love triangle?

Dustin already gave the most succinct answer long ago: they’re all being little assholes.

But that’s the tragedy, isn’t it?

These aren’t bad people — they're timid teenagers. The impossible triangle isn’t a joke at their expense; it’s a reminder that all three are stuck in a structure that can’t hold.

And Mike isn't the perpetrator; he's just at the heart of it.

That’s why Relativity hangs in his room and not El’s or Will’s: the impossible puzzle is his to solve, because he’s the one with the most to lose. Since the problem with this love triangle is fakery, the only real solution is honesty. Relativity foreshadows that Mike will be the one to break the illusion — to reveal the truth.

The Pink Triangle (Triumph)

Of course, the fact that the triangle in Relativity is inverted is also significant. Maybe not in Escher’s original intention, but certainly for the creators of Stranger Things in relation to Mike Wheeler.

See what I did there?

As Amy Parris has noted, the inverted triangle is queer imagery, because it is linked to the pink triangle.

The pink triangle has a horrific origin:

During the Second World War, it was used in Nazi concentration camps to mark gay men and trans women. At the time, the inversion signified “sexual inversion” — an outdated, offensive term once used to pathologise homosexuality.

Much like the word queer which was used as a slur before being reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community, the pink triangle (or inverted triangle), was also reappropriated.

It’s now a symbol of pride, gay liberation, and equality.

This reclamation began in the 1970s, sparked by Holocaust survivor Heinz Heger’s memoir The Men with the Pink Triangle. In The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Dr. Frank-N-Furter famously wears a pink triangle over his heart.

I used the word triumph in my subheading with intention, because triumph implies victory over persistent struggle and enduring resilience.

After the Holocaust, the queer community faced another devastating battle: the AIDS epidemic.

The conservative Reagan administration was infamously silent during the crisis’s peak years in the 1980s — and Stranger Things is set squarely within this political backdrop. In this era, the pink triangle’s significance re-emerged, taking on new prominence as a symbol of the ACT UP coalition and the fight against AIDS.

Their slogan?

SILENCE = DEATH

Does this slogan remind you of anything from the show? Because it should. Eddie Munson said something strikingly similar in season 4:

"It's forced conforming... that's what's killing the kids!"

Silence = passivity, compliance and conformity.

This wasn’t just an empowering line to capture the spirit of Stranger Things; it was a direct and intentional reference to the fight against AIDS.

And let’s be clear: Eddie Munson is heavily queer-coded. He appears to have used the hanky code, showed a clear attraction to Steve, and was persecuted by his community during a mass hysteria that mirrored the real-life Satanic Panic.

So Mike Wheeler — a teen growing up in a Reagan-voting household, a member of the Hellfire Club, and one of Eddie Munson’s chosen protégés — keeps a symbol of queer resistance and liberation hanging in his bedroom.

He also wears a custom-made shirt with a triangle over his heart.

Is that significant? Is it intentional?

Well, we have to go back to Escher’s Relativity, which reminds us that it’s all relative: The inverted triangle in the print hanging in Mike’s room, and the triangle over his heart, only gain their full meaning when viewed in context: the bigger picture.

And in Stranger Things, a story about freaks and outcasts beating the odds, that bigger picture is the AIDS crisis: it's right there, providing the backdrop — the context.

Pride is a Riot

Queer liberation is not supposed to be polite or palatable: it’s about breaking down barriers, opening doors, making people uncomfortable, and demanding visibility.

One of the most prominent visual motifs included in season 4 of Stranger Things is the Creel mansion door.

A door — something which opens and reveals the truth inside (like a curtain, a gate, or a closet). Notice that doors, curtains, gates and closets all play a recurring role in Stranger Things; this show has an obsession with metaphors about opening barriers and revealling truths.

Now, the set designers haven’t just suggested that Mike is in the closet, they’ve implied it’s a “one way” destination. He can’t leave. It’s the impossible shape. A locked door. But Robin already demonstrated how we can open a locked door and let the light (truth) in.

By smashing it with a brick — a possible reference to the Stonewall riots.

They didn’t need to include this moment. The door didn’t have to be locked, and Robin didn’t have to be the one throwing the brick. Heck, they could have thrown in a little fanservice and had Steve take off his jacket and punch through the glass with his fist.

Like the “one way” sign, the significance of the brick is relative — relative to its wielder:

Robin Buckley, a canon lesbian who is partially closeted and partially out.

Interestingly, when we look back at Mike Wheeler’s room — and specifically his closet — we can see that the set designers placed a mirror inside.

Mirrors show our reflection; they expose truths and confront us with our reality and identity. In this case, the mirror also catches rays of light streaming from Mike’s window, just like the beams that poured in when Robin’s brick smashed through the Creel mansion door. Light is truth, illumination and exposure.

The Matter of Perspective

We can wax poetic about Escher’s Relativity all day, but its core principle is simple; it’s about perspective.

Is Mike Wheeler queer-coded?

Well, it's relative. Whether you read Mike as straight or queer depends on your point of view, and your way of seeing the world: Are you sympathetic to the struggles and experiences of queer people? Are you queer yourself and know that experience intimately? Do you see queerness not as an “inversion” of the norm, but as an equally valid expression?

If the answer to any of these is yes, then you probably interpret Mike as queer due to your perspective.

I don’t at all begrudge those who simply aren’t familiar with queer-coding — but I do detest those who refuse to see it, or see it and choose to deny it.

Because silence is death.

Mike’s sexuality needs to be both recognized and canonized, because overt queer representation matters. It doesn't matter if it makes Them™️ uncomfortable — queer lives matter more than stupid respectability politics.

Stranger Things has already been catering to Them™️ by watering down the narrative: keeping Mike hidden behind the curtain, and in the closet.

I don’t mind because I love a riddle, but we’re heading into the final season now. The endgame.

The curtain has to open. The door needs to be smashed. But will they do it? That likely depends on the perspective of the Stranger Things creators themselves. So, what is their perspective? What is the ethos that drives the show's storytelling?

For the answer, we can turn to David Harbour's SAG Awards speech (edited for brevity):

“This award… is a call to arms from our fellow craftsmen and women to go deeper, and through our art to battle against fear, self-centeredness, and exclusivity… and through our craft to cultivate a more empathetic and understanding society by revealing intimate truths… We 1983 Midwesterners will repel bullies, we will shelter freaks and outcasts... we will get past the lies… And when we are at a loss amidst the hypocrisy and the casual violence of certain individuals and institutions we will… punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the weak, and the disenfranchised, and the marginalized."

And remember the context: a story set in a conservative Midwestern town in the 1980s, in the shadow of the AIDS crisis and the Satanic Panic, where one of the main characters is a canon gay teen in love with his best friend.

I'd say their perspective is pretty fucking clear. 🔺

[gadaver]

I’m sure someone has pointed this out before but I just rewatched s4 and I noticed there are 2 one way signs in mike wheelers bedroom

The obvious

And this “road curving” one way sign

Not to mention it’s yellow and for alerting drivers to the road not being straight. It actually curves directly into the closet.