#BYLER PROOF

[another-trans-nerd]

On my millionth rewatch of stranger things and how the actual FUCK did I miss this parallel????

(And it’s all the season before they get together lmao)

[raisinbranhater]

notice how CREEPY this scene feels when it’s them?

Ok, here's a little experiment... since Will and Mike are just friends... this is totally normal and not at all uncomfortable, right?

Ok, are you calling the cops or should I?

Vol.2 Dustin & Lucas Vol.3 Hopper & Dmitri (Enzo) Vol.4 Jonathan & Argyle

[urthefartmike]

he’s shaking his head.

oh my god i’m sick.

[wineinfused-lipstick]

guys. This is uncanny, TRULY…was done on purpose it’s painfully obvious I’m gonna scream, the composition the smile LITERALLY THE ANGLE??

[bylersbear01]

this

to this

kills me

[riryofthevalley]

Proof that the mileven scene in s5 teaser trailer is completely platonic !!!

omgomgomgomg !!

idk if im being super delusional rn but i js watched this tiktok about how jack from dawson's creek (a gay character) parallels mike when el confronts him about not saying that he loves her.

AND THEN I FOUND THIS

here jack is talking to jen, whom he's dated before realizing he's gay

AND THEN this happens

does it remind u of anything?

[freakycass]

i love season 2 so much it’s not even funny

[reizkai]

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY SENDING ME

[timblriche]

The Stranger Things guide to conflict resolution in a happy marriage

Bonus counterexample

[miwi7]

so let me get this right,

Will Byers has never experienced someone being in love with him, clearly longs for it, ends up realising he doesn’t just have a silly crush but is fully in love with his best friend, is the only one without a potential love interest (that’s not Mike), sacrifices his own feelings so Mike and El can be happy all while going through the most awful things one can imagine for 5 seasons straight in a society that’s awful to him and that makes him feel like a mistake who is unworthy of love

and people want this to end in rejection/him dying or an ambiguous ending? Because they suddenly care about realism?

I would NOT enjoy watching something like that, AT all. What kind of message is that?

“Go watch something with actual gay people in it” I’m sorry, did we watch the same show? Is this not the show for freaks and outcasts? The show where every main character has had a relationship and at least *some* good things going on for themselves, including Robin, a lesbian?

[queelernet]

Oh Finn you always leave so much breadcrumbs for us💙💛

This question asked by a mileven to finn wolfhard might've been one of the best proofs bylers got today lmao.

There is so much to unpack here.

"What makes miIeven so strong?" — Finn didn't address this at all. Is their "love" really so strong if he can't easily speak on it? lol. Caleb was going on about how unconditional and forever lumax's love was today. Those were the words he used. And Noah went on and on about byler's bond at his last panel in 2024.

Instead of answering how their love is so strong, Finn starts talking about how romance was the last thing on Mike's mind when he met El. This easily kills the 'love at first sight' from the monologue, which is hilarious because the questioner is asking "how does Mike's monologue impact them after season 4". So not only did he ignore the question, but he also contradicts the monologue that the questioner wants to hear more about, not once, but THREE TIMES 😭😭😭

"I dont think romance was on his mind even when he initially found eleven" "didn't perceive himself to be in any romantic relationship" "that wasn't even on his mind"

Next he's comparing el to ET: the least romantic dynamic ever. ET is an alien that a boy named elliot takes care of. So apparently that's how Mike initially saw El— like a pet he had to take care of. (This is not news and has been said multiple times by the duffers and finn by the way). Oh and ET says goodbye and leaves at the end of the movie.

"relationship with a lot of people", "feelings towards someone" — Keeping it gender neutral I see :))

"first love", "that relationship is his first romantic feelings for someone" — Usually people signify the relationship being a first because it's not the LAST either *chuckles*. Interesting how finn doesn't say anything like "that relationship is his ONLY romantic feelings towards someone" if he wanted to emphasize how deeply in love they are like how the questioner so clearly wanted him to lol

"going into season 5", "still a couple going into it" — So he said not once but twice "going into..." He seems to want to make it really clear he's ONLY referring to the beginning of the season and nothing else, because it's literal common sense. mike and el ended off season 4 together, so yeah no fucking duh they're starting off season 5 together?? Like what lol.

"that's all I can say about 5" — So zero indication that Mileven are still together in the middle, or the end, or anywhere beyond the start of season 5.

Now what would be a better more pro-mileven response to this question? Probably something like this (I'm essentially taking stuff Noah and Caleb have said about byler and lumax and mashing them together):

The romantic relationship between Mike and El is a foundational element of stranger things. What makes them so strong and how does Mike’s confession impact them after season 4?

I think what makes Mike and El so strong is their unconditional love and connection with each other, just as what Mike's confession showed. I can't give spoilers about season 5, but I'm just excited for you guys to see it. Like I think all throughout the seasons, I have have so many great scenes with millie. I can't spoil anything but Mike and El's relationship has been so important all throughout, and you'll see what they will face in season 5.

[voidcrumbs]

ok so listen I was watching the hopper letter scene bc I needed to feel sad ™️

and I kinda noticed something, idk if I'm delulu or if I'm cookin but walk w me

obviously this scene isnt just Hopper's pov, it's Mike's too, this isn't a new analysis

but I noticed that even though it's like VERY sad and this is the scene I go to when I need a good cry, there's an El moment that seems..... really happy and like hopeful under the surface, even though the whole vibe of leaving Hawkins and leaving mike behind is gut wrenching (or at least it "should" be for her) like just look at her expression/the bright lighting here. This isn't an El who is upset about leaving her boyfriend, this is an El who is sad, yeah, but she's okay and is ready for this next stage of her life

like idk this shot of her juxtaposed with these shots of Mike and Will who are absolutely devastated at being separated

It just feels....... out of place with the overall vibe of the scene. (intentionally I'm sure, but you know what I mean)

Like Mike and Will are going through the worst moment of their lives

and yet El seems hopeful, or at least open to a future where she can figure herself out, even though she "should" be sad about leaving mike behind. Like comparing El and Will here it's night and day with their reactions to leaving Hawkins (and Mike) behind

not sure if I'm making sense but........ something is 'fishy' here.

This scene is like in my top 3 byler scenes and I've watched it so many times atp but I really do think it's more byler proof than anything else lmao like what is the explanation for the absolute dread and misery these two boys are feeling if not homosexual yearning

while El is feeling okay with this situation, like let's goooo queen get your independent single arc!!!!

[miwiheroes]

take mike's love confession and turn it into byler proof go 🗣️

There are only a few (lol) things you need to consider to turn the love confession into a proof:

Will is the only reason it happened. Mike only confesses to El his love because he thinks she loves him in that way - but really it is Will that loves him that way.

There was a shot of Jonathan during the confession, calling back to when he looked in the rearview mirror during the van scene. He's clocking that Mike is using Will's speech.

Mike said that he knew when he met El that he loved her. That word implies that S1 Mike knew that he was in love with El from the beginning. If you go back and watch, you can see in many of his actions that not only did he not love her at first sight, he did not know.

Shots of Will are used throughout to speech to emphasise his pain. If this was a genuine, problem-solving love confession, they would not have put this in to make the audience not want Mike to do this.

During Mike's speech, he focuses on El's powers, not her characteristics, and it reads like an apology. In Mike's speech to Will, he focuses on the fact that they were both alone and scared. He saw solidarity with Will.

Mike's speech focuses on fate and love at first sight, and them meeting on accident. Mike's speech to Will focuses on a choice he made, and that, after years of amazing friendship, he realises it's the best decision he ever made. It gives him agency.

The speech works to remove El from the vines. But she loses -> this in turn makes her cold and emotionless with Mike afterwards, rather than seeking comfort in him.

A big love confession speech should not happen in the penultimate season unless it needs to be reexamined in the next.

The music playing during the speech was called You're The Heart. This shows the true intentions of the writers and creators - this speech is all about Will's speech. He's the director.

In the Suzie's house scene, foreshadowing happens where a girl is choking, her brother (who is dressed to look like a Duffer brother but is also supposed to represent Will because Will directed the speech) says to the father trying to save her - "it looked genuine" as if to congratulate him on lying. OKAY...

Yeah the speech gives me confidence. It's very important to Mike's character and Will's character and El's character and will come back into play in S5.

[urthefartmike]

byler snowball script, we still talk about you…

[icarly777]

I LITERALLY STOOD UP AND CLAPPED

!!!!RED ALERT RED ALERT!!!!!

RARE BYLER PROOF ON THE ST SUBREDDIT!!!

...they probably don't even realize how big this is....

ugh

ANYWAY!!!

i was scrolling on reddit (don't kill me i promise it's only once in awhile) and came across this post

which lead me to this comment

which then lead to this...

blah blah blah we know this

this made me wonder, what is a paladins oath? i'm not personally well versed in d&d, though i want to be. So i looked up what a paladins oath is.

here it states: your oath allows you to channel devine energy to fuel magical effects

basically, their oath is how they channel energy. their oath is also usually what they are defending in a way. so if their oath is to protect their city, that is what they will do. they are meant to be committed to the things they love, and use that love to protect the thing that they love. it's a very round about thing imo

what is mikes oath?

in my opinion, mikes oath has to do with his love for will. the first action he takes in the show is to find will. he gathers the party together to find him. instead? he finds el.

while they are looking for will, the party is strong. but when lucas believes mike is prioritizing el over the mission, things start to go haywire

as the show has gone on.. mike goes farther and farther from his path, and the more he does so, the less held together the entire group is

and the less held together the town is

that leads me too....

do you know what this looks like to me???

mike confessing his love for will is what's going to save hawkins