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we're past the appropriate rejection window honestly. remember how steve is rejected by robin in the same season he develops feelings for her? or how dustin is symbolically rejected by max in the season he develops feelings for her? that's because it would have been a super weird choice to build it up for a really long time and then end it with a rejection.

there's a reason why in season three when joyce rejects hopper, we all immediately know it isn't a real rejection, even though they're fighting, she's grieving and planning to leave, and he's being unreasonable and unfair. there's reason after reason to think it's not going to happen, but because he's had feelings for her since season one we know it's going somewhere.

who waits on the edge of their seat to watch someone get turned down? who stays subscribed to netflix for that? that kind of thing would not be interesting, it would just be a confusing way to spend the increasingly limited time right before your show ends. penultimate season. every scene has to mean something bigger, all the way down to lucas talking about new coke or mike trying a new kind of pizza.

in writing you primarily only want to wait and build up to things if the result is going to be worth waiting for. rejection of the perpetually tortured gay kid is predictable and doesn't function to do much at all story wise. easy to write around, too, but they did the opposite. they built will's character around this.

they also have no need to dip back into the rejection pool narratively, doesn't add to the story. especially this late into the game. (sidenote, weird how people were not nearly as sure robin was going to be rejected despite her love interest being mirrored to mike, significantly less developed, and introduced so late, but i digress)

if they wanted mike to reject will, it should have been during the van scene. he should have given mike the painting and said something along the lines of, "i know you don't feel the same, but i really want you to know how el sees you, how we all see you. you're the heart. we'd fall apart without you." it would have still been sad but it would have been an ending.

because plotlines need to end! they need to end when it makes sense for them to, not before or after. dragging it along means they either realize they have something worth dragging, or have deliberately decided to prolong a plot point past its logical conclusion for the sole purpose of milking every last second of misery they can out of will, which would be needlessly cruel and so, so gratuitous.

it's not like the van scene NEEDED to happen exactly how it happened. any scene that is solely character driven with no impact on the plot can be rewritten over and over and changed into whatever it has to be. it was written as the most romantic mike moment in any season, and it was filmed and lit and directed extremely specifically. zero accidents.

robin and vickie was unnecessary without a plan. mike and will was unnecessary unless they have a plan.

so they must have a plan. if mike was going to reject will, it had to be in season four. but mike didn't reject will. not at all. he was actually very, very moved by what will had to say, he just didn't entirely realize what it was he was saying.

in fact, they made sure that this plotline was not just unsolved, but that it was obligated to come back, by having it go against the character's most consistent moral line of friends don't lie. and gave it to the character who, in his introductory scene, refuses to lie. dishonesty has genuine ramifications in this show, and will's is attached to a physical (treasured) object that has to come back into play. they can't sweep it under the rug and mike can't reject will without it coming off as... just... far too late.

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will being absolutely BATHED in light in this scene is so telling!! as we know, all the lighting in this scene is artificial. completely artificial! this is one of the rare times we actually see mike's POV, and it is will, being bathed in light!!!! what the heck! and all the lighting being 100% intentional due to it's artificial nature also means that every shot and lighting/ colouring use is definitely purposeful, therefore will being drowned in light from mike's perspective definitely implies how mike feels about him. absolutely no debate about this. and people still don't see byler??? are we just watching the show with our eyes closed at this point?

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s4 mike and will: mike… you’re the heart🥺❤️

hopper:

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very normal face to make after your girlfriend kisses you and says she loves you

mileven is soooo endgame guys

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The Byler x Little Women (1994) parallels were more direct than you probably thought

The trailer for season 5 is (hopefully) dropping soon! So why not bring back an older Byler theory to help wane your inevitable byler doubt? (And a thank you to @thewisewill80sbyers for supplying some awesome parallel gifs)

Part 1: What we already know

Mike is Laurie. Laurie is a wealthy young man who feels ordinary and directionless. Though kind and free-spirited, he’s bored, insecure, and pressured to conform to gendered expectations of manliness. He finds purpose by attaching himself to people he sees as extraordinary.

Mike mirrors this. He idealizes the heroic and fantastical���superheroes, sci-fi, D&D—where he can feel important. In reality, he often feels inadequate. What he doesn’t see is that his true brilliance lies in his loyalty, compassion, and heart.

El is Jo.

Jo March is awkward, clumsy and intense. She has a special gift (writing), which sets her apart. She sometimes has emotional outbursts due to the intensity of her emotions. Above all, she has relentless need for independence and freedom. She envies men for this reason.

El is also markedly different from others—her special gift is her powers—but they are as burdensome as they are extraordinary. She too struggles to fit in, often coming across as awkward. She lashes out when she feels powerless or trapped, due to the intensity of her trauma.

Will is Amy.

Amy March is sensitive and pragmatic. She matures the most in Little Women, growing from an impetuous child to a poised young woman. She is an artist, but she's also pre-occupied with what others think of her. Amy believes she must sacrifice romance in order to marry well to secure stability, and ensure the happiness of others.

Will follows a similar path. Once the smallest and most protected member of the party, Will is now described by Ross Duffer as, "coming into his own as a young man" in Season 5. He is also described as sensitive and is an artist. Like Amy, he is resigned to sacrifice the desires of his own heart, to avoid ruffling feathers.

Part 2: Season 4 parallels

Here’s where things get a little tangled, love triangle-y and anachronistic. Bear with me.

In Little Women, there’s a 4 year time jump between childhood and young adulthood.

In Stranger Things, the time jump between Seasons 3 and 4 is only eight months, but due to the rapid emotional development of the characters—and the visible aging of the actors—it feels longer.

This dissonance actually works in favor of the parallel, and may be why it was chosen.

Laurie confesses to Jo

Laurie clumsily confesses his love for Jo in a moment of desperation, afraid that he will lose her. This loosely mirrors Mike’s clumsy attempt in season 3. It also mirrors both his fight with El in Vol 1 and his monologue in Vol 2.

Jo rejects his suit, insisting they could never work together or make each other happy.

She says they would quarrel (fight) too much.

This reminds me of El confronting the issues in their relationship in Vol 1, while Mike became evasive and feigned obliviousness. Like Laurie, Mike refuses to accept the truth of this connection.

Something SUPER important and subtle about this confession scene in Little Women (1994) Before Laurie confesses to Jo, he is complaining about the responsibilities and expectations set by his grandfather: Laurie: "[Grandfather] is exceedingly bent on locking me up in one of his offices... If I don't, I'd have to defy [him]. I can't go against the old man. When I imagine myself in that life, I can think of only one thing that could make me happy." So, Laurie is resigned to live a life that feels inauthentic and unfulfilling, but if he must do it, he at least wants to do it with Jo. (Someone who can make him feel special by proxy instead of feeling special himself). If we're interpreting Mike as a repressed homosexual (and we are, to be clear), then does this parallel not make complete sense? Mike, internally: "If I have to be with a girl, if I have to model the relationship of my parents... I want it to be with El."

Movement, travel and emotional distance

Both Jo and Amy leave home after this time jump: just as El and Will leave Hawkins at the end of season 3.

At this point in Little Women, Jo and Laurie are separated by a literal distance. In Stranger things, Mike and El are also separated by an emotional distance, in which they struggle to be truthful with one another about their feelings, even once reunited.

Jo goes to New York alone to pursue being a writer; mirroring El’s "arrest" and solo journey at NINA to recover her powers.

Amy is in Europe working on her painting, and Laurie discovers her there as a more refined and mature version of herself. They are now in proximity to each other without Jo's presence, clearly mirroring Mike and Will being partnered together in California.

This proximity starts off a little awkward, though: Laurie is now attracted to Amy, but Amy appears emotionally unavailable due to her courtship with Fred Vaughn.

The Painting is Fred Vaughn Now, it’s possible Will finds another temporary love interest in season 5 to mirror this plot-line. However, I posit that Will's painting itself is Fred Vaughn in this parallel. Because to Mike, the painting represents an obstacle to Will’s heart. If the painting isn’t for him, then he’s led to believe Will has feelings for someone else. He immediately asks about it at the airport—not out of idle curiosity or politeness, but to quietly probe for the truth.

This moment parallels Laurie’s reunion with Amy in Europe. When he first sees her, he quickly asks Aunt March if Amy and Fred are engaged. Laurie, like Mike, is trying to determine if the door is still open.

Both Laurie and Mike are given vague, unsatisfying answers. Aunt March replies, “Not yet,” implying that an engagement may be imminent.

Will, meanwhile, doesn’t offer the painting to Mike, nor does he say it was meant for someone else. Neither Laurie nor Mike receives the emotional reassurance they’re seeking—and both walk away feeling displaced.

In-authenticity and conflict

Another striking parallel between Little Women and Stranger Things lies in how both Laurie and Mike begin to act strangely—almost out of character—when reunited with their respective love interests.

Laurie is drinking, smoking and flirting with women, neglecting the music he once claimed to love. He drifts through his days aimlessly, cynical and disillusioned.

Mike is putting up a front of being nonchalant and “cool” in front of Will. He avoids eye contact, doesn’t hug Will, and struggles to speak to him directly. Even his wardrobe choices reflect this shift. Costume designer Amy Parris revealed that Mike’s Season 4 California look was him, “trying to make it work”—a subtle nod to the fact that Mike is performing a version of himself, rather than being himself.

Disappointed with their reunion, Will and Amy both hold their love interests accountable for their behavior.

The clearest parallel here lies between Laurie and Amy’s picnic in Little Women and the Rink-O-Mania scene in Stranger Things. These confrontations don’t go over well: Laurie and Mike are extremely defensive and frankly, butt-hurt.

Amy calls out Laurie for squandering his potential and living without purpose. Laurie then lashes out in jealousy, criticizing her for wanting a practical marriage.

Likewise, at Rink-O-Mania, Will tries to express his hurt. He points out how distant Mike has been, how one-sided their communication has become. Mike, like Laurie, deflects. He places the blame back on Will, saying he should’ve reached out more.

Accountability and re-connection

Laurie and Mike then extend an olive branch to Amy and Will, taking accountability for their behavior. Their apologies are more about actions rather than words.

(It's giving: "I didn't say it." "You didn't have to.")

Both directly reference something their love interest said in the previous argument, revealing that—despite their initial defensiveness—they had been listening all along.

Check out this interesting parallel:

Laurie takes Amy's advice about going to London—he's doing this to earn back her respect and prove his worth as a romantic suitor.

Amy, during their fight: "...why don't you go to your Grandfather in London and make yourself useful?" Laurie, in his apology: "I've gone to London to make myself worthy of you."

Mike uses coded language to indicate that he's ready to let go of the "cool guy" facade and be closer to Will again.

Will, during their fight: "Well, we used to be best friends!" Mike, in his apology: "I think it'll be easier if we're a team. Friends. Best friends."

Shared loss and tragedy

When the middle sibling Beth dies (spoiler alert?) Jo, Amy and Laurie return home to be with family and grieve together.

Similarly, El, Will and Mike return to Hawkins very shortly after Max's death.

This is a parallel to be sure, but there are very notable differences.

For one, by this point in Little Women Laurie and Amy are now married!

However in Stranger Things, Mike and El are technically still together, even if they're not exactly on speaking terms.

So where does this lead us for season 5?

Part 3: Season 5 predictions

The Little Women parallels might end in season 4, but it feels extremely... unfinished. I think if they continue, it will focus more closely on El's arc than Byler. Hear me out.

Predictions for El: Confrontation and reckoning

While in New York, Jo meets Friedrich. Friedrich is older, but he feels like an equal to her. He shares her love of literature. Unlike others who simply praise Jo, Friedrich critiques her writing with honesty and respect. At first, Jo finds this hard to swallow. But eventually, his challenge helps her grow—not just as a writer, but as a person. They slowly fall in love.

Now, El doesn't have another love interest in season 4 and I can't imagine her getting a new one in season 5, so this is where the parallels might get a little... creative. (Think Fred Vaughn is the painting creative).

Perhaps for El, Friedrich represents someone like her. Not a love interest, but an equal.

A reckoning. A challenge.

I posit that Friedrich is Henry.

After returning from New York, Jo is inspired to start a school to educate children (specifically girls). Friedrich himself is a professor.

Likewise, I think we can expect to see El educating reforming children like her. She will be inspired by Henry: not because he's a good person (because he isn't) but because she can do what he couldn't.

She will end the cycle of abuse and choose not to become the monster.

Predictions for Byler: Secrecy and subtley

In the 1994 film (which these parallels are based on) we don't get a lot of information about how Laurie and Amy got together. Their love story happens quietly, away from the eyes of the other characters and even the audience. They fall in love in Europe and marry before returning home, revealing the news gently and with some hesitation.

I think Stranger Things may take a similar approach with Mike and Will.

Instead of a dramatic, last-minute confession in the climax of battle, I predict that Mike and Will’s romantic connection will begin to develop much earlier in the season than expected—but quietly.

Their relationship may be portrayed with ambiguity on the surface, but still carry clear romantic coding beneath: shared looks, coded language, physical closeness, a clear shift in tone. Enough to let the audience know something is happening, even if the characters themselves aren’t saying it out loud.

It won’t be a loud reveal: It’ll be a secret. Like Laurie and Amy, they may choose to keep their evolving relationship private for as long as possible.

The reveal of their relationship will be gentle and hesitant: not just to the other characters, such as their friends and family, but to us. The audience.

Don't worry, I still expect there to be a Byer kiss and confession scene, I just think their actual relationship will quietly evolve in privacy.

Well, that's all for now folks. I'll edit this or add another part if I make any more connections or predictions. What do you guys think?

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bro he can't even see her

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i know people have said this before, but you know how in s2, during the “it was the best thing i’ve ever done” scene, they made it look like mike and will were the only two people present, even though joyce, jonathan (and maybe also hopper? i don’t really remember) were also there? And you know how in s4, during Mike’s “love confession” (his what-) it was sooooo obvious that mike and el weren’t alone, that that wasn’t a private and intimate moment?

Well, in s5, i would reaaaaaally, like seriously fucking love it if:

imagine like, maybe byler have already confessed to each other, maybe not, but like imagine mike and the entire party + the adults (or just a really large audience) being in hawkins and communicating with Will, who’s in the upside down, and mike is crying and trying to reassure Will that everything is fine, that they’re gonna fix this, and we have like a scene with soft and melancholic / quietly intense music (idk how else to describe it), and scenes of mike and Will on either side of a wall, palms almost touching but for a literal interdimensional barrier between them.

And then afterward mike just breaks down and THEN we, the audience, are reminded of the fact that there were also other people around.

Okay but just IMAGINE. It would be so devastating and delicious.

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It's crazy how for Mike "spending romantic time with my girlfriend" has to involve kissing and making out while for Lucas "I'm spending romantic time with my girlfriend" doesn't have to and is rather more casual such as having a movie night at the mall although they are accompanied by two of their friends.

Then when they're all in the cinema, Lucas and Max are next to each other and Mike and Will are next to each other. So if for Lucas, spending romantic time with his partner is a casual thing like going to watch a movie, then for byler it was also romantic time.

Mike has to be explicit about his "love" towards El.

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some director: okay, we need a kid to play a repressed gay boy who has a crush on his male best friend and maybe daddy issues? man, i don't know who—

finn:

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us: will is gay

them: nahh

*will is confirmed as gay*

us: will is in love with mike

them: nahhhh

*will is confirmed to be in love with mike*

us: byler is endgame

them, sweating: nahhhhhhhh

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mike holding will’s nape so he associates that feeling with good rather than bad >

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byler kiss where the kiss is so quick, it's got someone's eyes widening and their breath hitching and the other pulls away muttering a string of apologies because shit, they read it all wrong— until the first drags them down for the most passionate and hungry and yearning kiss in the universe because they've both been pining for so long. and now?

now, they're both getting something they thought they could never have.

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S5 byler I'm actually so ready for you!!!

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absolutely baffling people actually find the "you're my superhero" romantic when the last time he called her a superhero she looked so devastated and heartbroken. it literally made her cry. if she wanted to hear that it would've helped back then

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No because I think this is the last time we see genuine happiness out of Will. It's one of the few genuine and pure happy smiles he has in the entire show. It's one of the first and last ones.

And it's when he's with Mike. It's at this moment that I realize Will doesn't smile all that much.

And this is literally in season 1.

We don't see anything as genuine as this until season 4. SEASON 4.

When he sees Mike.

And almost immediately.

WHAT THE FUCK MICHAEL.

Mike when I get you Mike. I have HAD it with you Michael.

Will Byers might be on cloud nine while he's in love with this shithead Mike but he's riding cloud nine through hell while he's at it.

IM CRYING. I might have sinned while making this post but it's okay milevens sins outweigh my own.