#Stranger Things Theory

[willbyersabyss]

Skull Rock. A Peter Pan reference. The movie about a kid who doesn't want to grow up. Eddie mentions that his watch was stuck in time at this very rock. The Upside Down is stuck in time because someone doesn't want to grow up. Who do we know has had trouble growing up? Will. Due to what? Trauma. When? November 6th. The day the Upside Down is stuck on.

[eeriesilkworm]

Why I think the flashback scene in ST5 is about Lonnie (and Mike and Jonathan's complicated relationship...)

CW: This post discusses potential spoilers and mentions implied abuse (It's about Lonnie, after all...) proceed with caution!

So, we already know about the casting call for a scene featuring 8-year-old Mike and Will, and 13-year-old Jonathan.

I've had multiple thoughts about what this scene could be (so many possibilities!) but after reading a leak regarding this scene, I've finally settled on (an admittedly speculative) theory.

(Of course, not all leaks are accurate, so take this with a grain of salt. And if you’re avoiding spoilers, consider this your cue to stop reading!)

Based on the leak, here’s what we know about the scene so far:

It is not a supernatural or horror-based memory (unlike Will’s 1983 flashbacks of the Upside Down).

It takes place on a school set (likely Hawkins Elementary, which makes sense if they’re reusing sets e.g. Holly Wheeler’s school).

The scene includes multiple parallels to Season 2.

This made me wonder: what Season 2 themes involving Mike, Will, and Jonathan could be echoed here—without needing the supernatural?

It’s difficult to answer because Will’s entire plot in Season 2 revolves around the supernatural. Namely, his possession by the Mind Flayer. But if this flashback isn’t supernatural, maybe the show is drawing on what the Mind Flayer represents: trauma, fear, and abuse.

The Mind Flayer as an allegory for trauma and PTSD

I don’t need to make this section long—most fans are acutely aware that the Mind Flayer is associated with trauma and PTSD. This is supported by the fact that these hauntings begin when the anniversary of Will’s abduction approaches, and that Will is diagnosed with PTSD by Dr Owens. The only thing that people may need convincing of, is that the Mind Flayer (and Upside Down) serve as allegory not just for trauma, but for Will’s specific trauma concerning his father. @greenfiend has an excellent series which delves into this theory.

Will is good at hiding

Season 2 also clearly shows us what Will's primary trauma response is: He initially freezes, be he also runs and hides. The way Will ran and hid behind the stairs on Halloween seemed practiced to me. Like he had done this before. He doesn't panic, and he doesn't keep running. He chooses to close his eyes and hide in a self-soothing position.

In fact, Jonathan himself has said that Will is good at hiding:

He wouldn't know this if he hadn't witnessed Will hiding before. In fact, Will being good at hiding implies he is also difficult to find.

It would make sense for us to see this play out: Will hiding, and Jonathan attempting to find him. And if Mike is also there, and we're paralleling Season 2, then that means...

Mike is good at finding

Despite Will being good at hiding, Season 2 also showed us that Mike is good at finding him. There are three Mind Flayer associated scenes in which Mike is the one to find Will, and in two of them, he's also the one who breaks him out of the visions.

He spots him outside the arcade:

He's the first to find him at Halloween: "I couldn't find you!"

And he's the first to find Will outside Hawkins Middle on the field: "I just found him like this!"

The 1979 Theory

If we're able to acknowledge that the Mind Flayer serves as an allegory for trauma and PTSD, then the gates which allowed the Mind Flayer to penetrate Hawkins (and Will by extension) are also relevent.

Interestingly, the first gate was opened by El in 1979. In this flashback—if Mike and Will are aged 8 years old—that means it also takes place in 1979.

I've made a fairly visual (rather than analytical) post about what I think may have happened to Will in 1979 and how it parallels the Hawkins Lab Massacre.

(Content warning: while nothing is explicit, the subject matter involves implied child abuse).

TL;DR: I believe Lonnie’s abuse escalated in 1979, and it marked a significant trauma for Will—one that he likely repressed or fragmented, much like El did with her memories of the massacre. That would make 1979 a foundational year for both of them: the year their “gates” were opened.

Jonathan’s guilt (the Mike vs Jonathan argument leak)

Additonally, there is a leak which claims Mike and Jonathan will get into an argument about Will's safety this season.

If this ends up being true, I think it will feed into this flashback scene as well. Specifically, Jonathan's guilt and possible quiet resentment of Mike.

I say resentment because Jonathan has made it clear that he views Will as his best friend. He also took on a somewhat parental role helping to raise Will, despite only being 4 years older. He likely feels that Will’s safety and wellbeing is his responsibility.

However, the show has also told us that children aren’t always honest with their parents/ family, but they usually tell their friends everything:

Once again, I’ll point to my previous post about 1979, and the fact that I believe there is something concerning Lonnie’s abuse that Mike is somewhat privy to, that Joyce and Jonathan are not. Because Will told Mike things he didn't tell anyone else.

Jonathan on the other hand, is concerned and insecure that Will no longer comes to him when he needs help or advice.

He said so himself in Season 4:

Jonathan also has a track record of not being around when bad things happen to Will—or not being the one to "rescue" him—but Mike usually is:

Will was at Mike's house before he went missing, and Jonathan was supposed to be waiting at home for him. While Jonathan was focused on capturing the Demogorgon, Mike was focused on finding Will.

Will was trick-or-treating with Mike when he was chased by the Mind Flayer, and Jonathan was at a party when he was supposed to be supervising Will. While Jonathan was partying, Mike brought Will home to his place.

When Will was possessed by the Mind Flayer, Mike stayed by his side the entire time, while Jonathan met with Murray to expose the Hawkins Lab scandal.

It was Mike's memory of meeting Will for the first time that allowed Will to (partially) break out of his possession and use morse code.

None of these are Jonathan's fault, but he has clearly expressed guilt:

If an argument does break out between Mike and Jonathan this season, I think it will be fuelled by exactly that: Jonathan’s quiet resentment and frustration that Mike keeps “butting in,” keeps (trying) to protect Will in ways that Jonathan believes should be his responsibility.

And if emotions run high, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mike snaps back with something like, “Well, I’ve actually been there when Will needed someone. Can you say the same?”

Likewise—Jonathan, who is aware of Will's romantic feelings for Mike—would find that quite rich coming from him, as he's witnessed his brother's heart break.

So for Mike to throw Will’s emotional well-being back in Jonathan’s face? That would cut deep. It would feel hypocritical. And that’s what would make the fight so compelling—two people who love Will deeply, clashing over how to protect him, while unknowingly tearing open wounds they both helped shape.

In this post I point out that Mike and Jonathan's "heart-to-heart" conversations with Will in ST4 were very similar: they were both seeking reconnection with him and expressing concern that they have become distant.

This tension will culminate in Season 5.

How it culminates (my actual theory regarding the flashback)

I speculate that the flashback will show Jonathan arriving at Hawkins Elementary to pick Will up from school, only to find out that Will isn’t where he’s supposed to be. But not because he got lost—because he’s hiding.

The reason why Will is hiding may not be explicitly stated, but it's because he's scared to go home—scared to see Lonnie.

Jonathan will search for Will, but it will likely be Mike who finds him first, or Mike who is already with him (and alerts Jonathan).

Mike also might already have an inkling as to why Will doesn’t want to go home. Because friends don’t lie. Because friends tell each other things they don’t tell parents.

He might even offer to let Will come stay at his place—a callback to what he does years later in Season 2, when he says he’ll "take him home" and brings him to the Wheeler house instead.

This flashback will be seen from either Mike or Jonathan's perspective, as Will's memories of 1979 are likely spotty. It will also highlight the dynamic between the three: Jonathan and Mike are both similarly protective of Will due to their affection for him. But this also creates wounds:

Because Mike feels helpless to protect Will from harm, even if he is always there for him, and Jonathan is frustrated by Will's habit of repressing and hiding his pain.

Well, that's my theory. What do you guys think the flashback scene will be about?

[the-yappstronaut]

Imagine Mike Wheeler escaping Vecna to the song "Smalltown Boy." Imagine it.

Imagine Mike Wheeler, pushed against the remains of the Creel house in the Upside Down, vines wrapped around his throat, Vecna taunting him as we hear the lyrics "pushed around and kicked around, always a lonely boy."

Imagine Mike Wheeler, in Vecna's realm, running from Vecna as we hear "run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away (crying to your soul)" from the background.

Imagine Mike Wheeler, falling from the sky, collapsing into Will's arms, sobbing from fear and hurt, as we hear the lyrics "cry, boy, cry, boy, cry," flooding through his headphones.

Imagine Mike Wheeler being pulled up from the ground, guided away from the point of the attack as we hear "you leave in the morning with everything you own in a little black case, alone on a platform, the wind and rain on a sad and lonely face."

[timblriche]

How Will and Mike's first kiss could be directed to mirror their platonic-romantic tension and culminate in a romantic plot twist and "gotcha!" moment for the GA. Also, the narrative weight of hugs for Mike...

hear me out… it'd be a fantastic directing choice to maximize mike and will's platonic-romantic tension while preserving the 'mike likes will back' twist for the GA until the very last second by centering it around an intense platonic hug. (skip to the end if you just wanna read my rendition of their first kiss!)

like if instead of suddenly kissing, if during a big emotional moment they shared a super intense but innocent & initially platonic hug that lingered and grew until slowly morphing into a kiss, shocking the GA. a real hug is also what mike and will need so badly; even that is something mike denied himself in the airport scene bc he was already repressing how badly he wanted to hold will. so starting their first kiss with an intimate hug wouldn't just be romantic payoff, it would show how blurred the line between platonic and romantic feelings can be for mike and will. it'd be emotional catharsis, character resolution, and the moment mike finally stops running from the truth: starting with a simple hug (it'd validate mike's fear that a mere hug from will is the gateway drug to dangerous uncharted gay territory which would be kind of hilarious lmao). iirc the last time they shared a real hug was at the end of S3 when will moved and we got that scene of mike looking sadly and longingly at the car driving away, then the byers house, and then the shot of him devastated while getting a hug from his mom just like he did in S1 when he thought will died. and then we get that ridiculous ass half-hug at the airport in S4. so my point is, hugs carry a surprising amount of visual narrative weight when it comes to mike, the intensity of his feelings for will, and the blurred line between platonic and romantic.

let me set the scene... something crazy just happened, maybe one of them narrowly escaped certain death, maybe one just risked their own life to save the other, maybe one just did something super heroic to save everyone, OR maybe it's not even life or death but will just confessed his feelings after mike confronts him about the painting lie... and mike, in his shock at the sudden revelation, jumps to showing acceptance for will's sexuality but doesn't verbally reciprocate bc he's still figuring things out internally. it's at this point where will has already accepted that mike doesn't return his feelings, so he just accepts and values mike's platonic acceptance via a big platonic hug without expecting anything romantic, and the GA is like aww look at these besties being besties, they're the bestest of friends! of course mike doesn't reciprocate, he's just there to show will acceptance! platonically!

they're wrapped up in each other's arms with their heads tucked into each other's shoulders, feeling so much relief and closeness and maybe they're out of breath and tearful if they just escaped something life-or-death, and mike lifts his head a bit to whisper something into will's ear (e.g. "I thought I lost you") and he feels overwhelmed by all the platonic love he has for will... but wait... is it? platonic? why does the newfound knowledge of will's feelings for him stir something in his heart? why does this closeness he's been avoiding for so long feel so right and more importantly why does mike want more of it? and their faces slowly inch up each other's necks and get closer and closer together [tender, emotional music playing] and the GA's starting to panic a little bit and now their cheeks are pressed up and they're breathing heavily and the tension is unbearable and their eyes close (bc the momentum is unstoppable now, and all that’s left is to close their eyes and hold their breath and brace for the inevitable) and the corners of their mouths touch and they linger until slowly but surely succumbing to the pull of each other's gravity and GOTCHA! slowly falling into a kiss…………………. bro someone give me a director's chair on that set pleeeease

I took some inspo from willhelm and simon in young royals (willhelm faces a super similar internal crisis as mike):

[susano0o0o0o0o]

I think it is very unlikely that Will dies un season 5. Part of this may be my own bias, definitely, but I also cannot imagine how this idea could possibly be pitched. It would have to go something like this:

“What if we made a show about a gay kid getting abused, kidnapped, possessed, tortured, then killed?”

“Oh my god, dude, I was thinking the EXACT same thing!”

[greenfiend]

Will’s electric powers are setting Mike’s heart on fire ❤️‍🔥

I do think there’s two major takeaways for the symbolism here:

1. Will is able to restart Mike’s heart with his electricity.

2. Mike’s heart is on fire/burning due to passionate intense love for Will.

[stranger-theory]

im only genuinely thinking about it now but what the FUCK is going on in the bedroom scene. seriously. they have a heartfelt talk about how different they are from their other friends?? mike tells will that he was worrying TOO MUCH about el??? mike tells will that home isnt home without him???? they gaze into each others eyes for longer than normal????? the script says that their "intimate moment was shattered" which is an incredibly popular romance trope?????? hello???????

[cypherheartnokey]

Guys no kidding, I’m actually so scared for season 5.

Not because it’s going to be “bad” or “mileven endgame.” We are kinda way past that.

No. It’s because I’ve been realizing the season is going to be so, so much more SHOCKING than what everyone, EVERYONE, is expecting.

I’m trying to finish up some of the many drafs I have.

I’m taking so long on them precisely because these are major theory posts with huge, neverending amounts of evidence. So I have to make sure everything is organized, broken in titled readable chunks, includes pictures, is correctly credited & makes sense in its entirety.

Every single one of these posts is going to be jaw-dropping insane, I guarantee you this.

[miwiromantics]

wait wait waittt...

nancy brought purple and yellow flowers when she went to visit mrs. driscoll in season 3. in this scene, she was pretending to be someone she wasn't.

mike brings purple and yellow flowers for el when he visited california in season 4. ????

[novalunosiss]

My favourite parallel actually

[willbyersabyss]

It’s Hawkins. It’s not the same without you.

In the teaser, we see a glimpse of a giant wall in the Upside Down. While there are many things this could be, it is most likely the border of the Upside Down that surrounds Hawkins. Let's talk about the implications this has for the theory that the Upside Down is Will's mindscape.

It has already been alluded to multiple times that the Upside Down is restricted to Hawkins. This wall further confirms what we suspected. But why is Hawkins the only place impacted by this dimension?

Interesting how Will is one of the people who mentions this. The Upside Down is not only stuck on the day of Will's disappearance, but stuck in Hawkins as well. What character is stuck in the past? Will. You could theorize that Will is stuck because of the Upside Down. Or... the Upside Down is stuck because of Will.

Will was in Hawkins his entire life until they moved to California. It's where he experienced the most trauma before and after supernatural influence. It's also where he met the people he loves most. His feelings towards Hawkins are complicated.

Will doesn't want things to change. He clings onto both his childhood and his trauma. He's stuck in one place, stuck in Hawkins. This hope to stay in the past may have manifested inside his mind, forcing the Upside Down to not extend past that town. Hawkins is the thing he needs to move on from.

DnD was Will's form of escapism. Before he moved, he donated his mental escape. He left behind Will the Wise. His full self, his wisdom, his consciousness, his mind. The Upside Down is a dark form of escapism for Will.

If the Upside Down is indeed Will's mind, his distance from Hawkins could explain why he feels so isolated in California. Mike isn't calling, Joyce seems preoccupied, Jonathan and Will barely talk, El is dealing with problems of her own. Will is never checked on. It's like Will doesn't exist. He isn't connected to his mind anymore. I don't mean that people in his life are distant for supernatural reasons, but symbolically similar to Max's ghost-like behavior. Will is a shell of himself.

Will has been painting a lot. This requires a lot of time spent in his room alone. He certainly is not happy in California. He's too caught up on the people he left behind, the life he could have had. Just like the Upside Down.

Hawkins isn't the same without Will. This could have a double meaning. Hawkins wouldn't be the same if it weren't for Will's trapped psyche. He (accidentally) changed the fate of that town forever.

They can't move out of Hawkins because they aren't a normal family. Will isn't a normal kid. Will can't leave Hawkins without being more abnormal than he already is.

And Hawkins is abnormal without Will. The Upside Down is abnormal without him. It's established early on that the atmosphere of the Upside Down is toxic. Strange how this abruptly changed in s4. They were able to breathe the air with no health complications after. Maybe it happened off screen, maybe the writers forgot. Or maybe it has to do with Will's distance from Hawkins.

When they initially arrived in Hawkins, the smoke clouds were significantly smaller than they were in the final shot. The spores and the lightning didn't spread across Hawkins for two days after the gates opened. What changed? Why now? A certain someone came home.

Mordor is a world from LOTR mentioned in s4. This realm has mountains surrounding it that act as a barrier wall. In the center, there's a volcano called Mount Doom. This volcano is controlled by the proximity of the ruler of Mordor. When he's far away, it's dormant, but it becomes active when he's near. Also noteworthy that this is where the One Ring was formed, something that enhances innate powers.

Note: I have never read LOTR so if anything is wrong, blame the fan Wiki

The ST writers love a LOTR reference. The library is in the center of Hawkins and is where the large, spore bearing smoke plume is erupting from. Will was warned of this eruption moments before it occurred. Was it his proximity to Hawkins that caused it? The same library where Will was found on the brink of death, where he may have been given powers. His ring. His stolen rulership.

Now that Will is back in Hawkins, he may be able to regain control over his mindscape that has run wild under Vecna's reign.

As teambyler discussed, the walls around Hawkins may also represent Will's emotional walls. Will is reserved. He likes to suppress his emotions and keeps his walls up until they're forced open like a dam. A core piece of Will's arc in s5 will require him to break down these walls willingly.

Will's ability to feel what Vecna feels takes vulnerability from Will to share. In the past, he has been hesitant to tell the others that he feels him. It seems that Will is going to be using this power to his advantage which is a step in the right direction.

Vecna feeds on secrets and hiding. By opening up to others, Will will free his mind from the hold of his trauma, his childhood, and Hawkins. The walls will come down.

[olive-ig10]

Can’t wait for the absolute shitshow that the ST fandom is gonna become in s5! especially if byler is cannon mostly coming from the GA and Mileven fans I can already here “why would they make byler cannon it makes 0 sense and was so rushed” ringing in my ears

[manic-pixie-aquarius]

All of this, yes. But this part is so so powerful and I think sums up season 5 perfectly

Something Happened to Will in the Bathroom: and it parallels The Massacre at Hawkins Lab

CW: Implications of child abuse or possible CSA (non-explicit)

Will is a subversion of feminine horror tropes:

The Kidnapped Woman/ Damsel in distress

The Haunted Heroine

The Possessed Woman

The bathroom (in horror) is a liminal space to express exposure, transformation, vulnerability, terror and violence—especially for women.

Will has the most scenes of any character in Stranger Things which take place in a bathroom (Nancy is second).

Will's bathroom scenes are always associated with fear

Scene 1) Will + bathroom = scary Upside Down flashback

Joyce expresses concern and Will is dismissive (he lies).

Scene 2) Will + bathroom = The sense that something is wrong.

Scene 3) Will + bathroom = Joyce expresses concern (fear) and Will is dismissive again.

Scene 4) Will + bathroom + evil + "I'm not gonna hurt you" = fear

Scene 5) Will + bathroom + exposure = fear

Secrets and privacy

After Will is possessed by the Mind Flayer, Joyce expresses concern and Will is dismissive (lies) again.

Password = "Don't enter without my permission."

Mike: "Bathrooms are private."

Friends don't lie.

Mike: "Friends tell each other things that parents don't know."

Grooming

El is groomed by both Dr Brenner (Papa) and Henry.

Threat + coercion = a key + secret agreement

"Do exactly as I say."

Hopper: "He had a key, right?"

Joyce: "You think I don't know what goes on under my own roof?"

Secret meeting = "Be quiet." + "It's going to be a bit scary."

"If he finds me, he will find you." = "If I get in trouble, you get in trouble."

(Threat + coercion).

Manipulation + coercion = compliance

The illusion of choice: "This was your choice."

El complies with Henry's wish—but was manipulated into thinking it was her own idea.

El gets the sense that something is wrong (in a tiled room...)

Walkie talkie = communication

Friends don't lie + Friends tell each other things that parents don't know

Mike: "Bathrooms are private."

Confirmation and affirmation that something is wrong.

Henry's hair and appearance changes = "I see you differently now."

The abuser's true colors are known.

"You tricked me." = "He made me do it."

Resistance

El fights back and succeeds (she has superpowers)

Will tries.

1979—The first gate is opened

The doorway (gate) is opened by a key which emits energy.

Gate = wound: opening vs healing

Psychological wound = trauma

Memories are lost but the trauma is still there.

1983—The second gate is opened

El attempts to make contact with Henry (Dr Brenner's orders)

Will has a lightbulb moment (realization, recognition, illumination).

1984—Will is diagnosed with PTSD

Will's reaction when he encounters the Mind Flayer:

Anxiety—goosebumps and the feeling of being “frozen” in fear

The inability to “breathe or talk or do anything”

A sense of evil and impending doom: "I felt this evil, like it was looking at me.”

“Looking at me” = exposure + invasion of privacy.

Will reveals the Mind Flayer does not want to kill him—it wants to kill everyone else.

Henry did not want to kill El—he wanted to kill everyone else.

Homophobia and victim-blaming

Ted: "You see what happens?" = victim-blaming mentality

What happens = "He was probably killed by some other queer."

Lonnie = used to say Will was queer

Lonnie: "That boy was never very good at taking care of himself." = victim-blaming mentality

The implication? This is just what happens when you are queer, and Will should have defended himself better.

El was blamed too (despite being a victim)

"What have you done?" = what she was coerced into doing by an abuser.

The blame is internalized

Will = feels like a mistake. El = feels like a monster.

El's powers alone were not enough to make her feel like a monster:

It's her fragmented memories of the Hawkins Lab massacre (and internalized blame) that made her feel that way.

Is Will's queerness alone enough to make him feel like a mistake? I don't think so, actually:

It's his fragmented memories of the bathroom (and internalized homophobia and blame) that make him feel that way.

1987—The gates will close

The story isn't over until the gate (wound) is closed (healed).

In 1987, Henry/ Vecna and the Mind Flayer will be confronted and defeated.

And when that happens, El and Will will finally have the chance to heal.

Henry abused and killed children. El is going to protect and save them.

(She will not become the monster he is).

Lonnie blamed Will’s abuse on his queerness. Will is going to save Hawkins—with his love for Mike.

(His queerness is not a mistake).

[nayalovesbyler2]

people may dislike this will byers outfit but mike wheeler certainly didn’t

[televangelistics]

GUYS WAIT I JUST HAD THE BIGGEST BYLER BRAIN MOMENT. BEAR WITH ME.

So the scene where Eddie says Nancy jumping into Lovers Lake after Steve is an unambiguous sign of true love. LOVERS LAKE GATE???? MIKE JUMPING IN TO SAVE WILL WOULD BE AN UNAMBIGUOUS SIGN OF TRUE LOVE???????

[somesaintiam]

Guys... We moved on from this shot WAY too fast

First of all, it's pretty obvious that this shot is from Johnathan's perspective. Before this shot is shown, a shot showing Johnathan looking at this mirror is shown. What I see most people commenting about this scene is the rainbow in the mirror and the romantic lighting here. While these are both true and are clearly Queer-coding, I feel like there is a lot more here.

As we know, Will is an unreliable narrator. (For a quick recap, some evidence which proves this are many of the scenes in Rink-O-Mania, with Will seeing Mike and El as a happy couple roller-skating, but a scene following shows Mike and El looking pretty unhappy.) This shows Will's perspective of him loving Mike but sacrificing his own feelings for mileven's relationship because he believes Mike would never love him back and his belief Mike is happy with El (+more with Will's own internalized homophobia towards himself).

Johnathan shows an outside perspective of the van scene, showing how Mike is endearingly and nervously watching Will as Will is speaking to him. Johnathan knows something is up here, he knows his brother, and he knows that his brother is giving a veiled confession to his best friend. This is further shown in Will's coming out scene in the Surfer Boys Pizza restaurant. In other words, based on this (referring to the gif) scene's existence and its lighting, Johnathan either knows, or might suspect that Will's feelings for Mike are requited. This scene is set up for the audience to be rooting for Will, and to not rule out the possibility that Mike likes Will back.

+ Johnathan being Will's brother, it's possible he knew something was up with the both of them long before this scene. He and his brother have always been seen as outcasts (and they have always both supported each other), so he probably didn't rule out the possibly that Will and Mike have something more than friendship for each other.

The point I'm trying to make here is that Johnathan is probably going to play a big role, or some sort of role, in byler getting together in season 5. He clearly knows something is up, and he knows how Will is, and he knows Will likes Mike.

The only way byler is going to happen is if there is some sort of outside force which is going to lead to them/push them into confessing to each other. This could be one of them almost dying, Vecna exposing a secret, and/or a lot of other things.

Johnathan is probably going to be one of the main outside forces who is going to contribute to a byler confession happening because he was heavily involved in the season 4 byler plot.

(my bad if this has already been said and it's kind of unnecessarily long due to the background information/recaps, but I wanted to talk about this)