pepstarvanmoon

[pepstarvanmoon]

This comment is so surface level it’s baffling. El DOES open up about her insecurities and how she feels she doesn’t belong, but she doesn’t look for Mike’s understanding, in fact she shuts it down. What she does seek (and outright ask) is his love for her.

“I feel like a monster and I think you see me that way too. Can you tell me you love me? Maybe that’ll make me feel better, and I won’t feel like I’ve truly lost everything.”

And he can’t.

If he’s done it “in his own way”, El wouldn’t be in tears throwing his letters in his face. She’s basically telling him that she doesn’t feel like he does love her because clearly his actions aren’t enough AND he never says it.

The difference between this scene and the S1 “I understand” scene is so apparent I’m wondering if they even pay attention while watching 😭

i want what milkvans are on

[pepstarvanmoon]

And Will is only a mileven bc he thinks mileven is for mileven 😭 Mike is dragging his feet for nothing smh

will being a mileven and el being a byler is something i think about very often. mike wheeler just get your man.

[pepstarvanmoon]

Thinking about how in Season 4: Episode 8 we were given four heartfelt conversations between couples/potential couples:

Jopper:

Stancy (I know, I know, but bear with me):

(Crazy how they never got any [tender, emotional music playing] but the others did... wonder what that could mean)

Lumax:

Byler:

Swear I heard someone say "endgame couples", but that might've been the wind.

(I'll also say that I think Stancy got the music for one of their scenes, but I don't remember. It's just funny how this episode was basically dedicated to 'romantic' scenes like this, but they chose to handle the music this way)

Bonus!

Not the same flavor of scene obviously, but moments where they purposefully point out the type of sound are very telling imo.

[pepstarvanmoon]

Hating your biggest supporter is crazy self-sabotage. Like damn he’s on your side!

I can't with people talking about "El wouldn't let Will steal her man" when Will is the only reason they're still together 😭😭😭😭 don't worry, she will break up with Mike herself like she always does leaving him behind every season, only this time it will be finally permanent and she'll be free from y'all too🙏

[pepstarvanmoon]

Are we really ready for s5 😭

[pepstarvanmoon]

Well, at least she knows what her interests aren’t.

Hey so do you guys remember when el literally didn't know how to tell if she actually liked things herself untill max showed her in s3 and then immediately after she broke up with Mike? Just double checking

[pepstarvanmoon]

Will has always been vulnerable around Mike, like it’s second nature, so he never expected this from him.

The whole first half of S3 is him searching for what they had at the start of the show. The end of S1 probably had him thinking he could go back, even with all the visions/nightmares, but then S2 happened.

(Not to mention DND being an escape for both of them. Will can be brave, and Mike can protect those he cares about. Hell, Mike made the new game at the end of S1 short and fun so Will could be the victor, something to distract him from that week in hell.)

Idk what the people who give Will shit over his behavior in S3 were expecting. After S2, why wouldn’t he be desperate to return to DND? It was the party’s usual pastime, and when they play it’s some of the only scenes we see Will genuinely happy.

Back then, Mike was safe to be around. He didn’t blow them off, and he didn’t act like someone Will didn’t know. Will is blatant about what he wants to do because Mike used to listen to him. Mike used to want to.

Will was probably hoping that after a session they’ll remember how much fun they used to have and everything will return to normal, but we know what happens.

[pepstarvanmoon]

They really took the time to think about this…

Wow, if Bylers were so "delusional" then surely you wouldn't be so bothered by a video about a ship that had no chance then, wouldja? =D

You act like I just exposed you are something...

-teambyler

[pepstarvanmoon]

idk why he said this to proceed to worry about her TO WILL. Like damn he really can’t balance the two even if his life depended on it. All this one-on-one time with Will and he’s like “shit I’m gayer than I thoughtーWONDER HOW EL IS DOING HAHA!”

It’s crazy that worrying too much about El and focusing on the failure that is their relationship made him feel like he was losing Will. His solution? Yap specifically to Will about El. If he’s included technically he can’t lose him. 10/10 Michael you’re so smart <3

it doesn’t, actually

Why’d they make Mike and Will’s relationship so focal in S4 if it wasn’t going anywhere?

Say Mike’s standoffish behavior toward Will had to do with the rain fight in S3. You could assume their arc in S4 was just about their friendship and eventual make-up, and that would make sense.

Except they made Will in love with Mike, so no it doesn’t, actually.

It fails as a ‘platonic subplot’ because not only do they not mention that specific fight in S4, but it isn’t brought up again in S3 either! The closest we get is Lucas attempting to apologize before the sole focus is the Mind Flayer. No chance for it to be brought up after that either, because the Byers moved away.

Was that tearful goodbye hug supposed to be closure? CLEARLY NOT BECAUSE MIKE ACTS A FOOL IN THE AIRPORT!

If their friendship still had obvious problems, why was Will so excited to see him? Being brushed off clearly confused and upset him. (We could also talk about how it’s similar to his reunion with El where she’s happy to see him until she peeps that “from, Mike,” and if their interactions are inherently romantic then…)

Luckily, the writers don’t bury this issue, and Mike confesses that Hawkins hasn’t felt like home since Will moved. Which… okay.

Let’s say Mike meant that in a platonic-friendship-distance kind of way. Maybe Mike felt that distance more personally because he and Will are best friends, but he worried that once he landed in Lenora he’d realize that he didn’t know Will as well anymore. (I mean if you were worried about that you could’ve called but it’s okay. Ik you were getting tired of busy tones) That could make sense…

…but they made Will in love with Mike, so no it doesn’t.

If anything, Will should feel awkward about seeing Mike again, but his affection for his best friend overpowers his desire to kiss him, so he can behave normally unlike a certain someone.

Why did they have to have THREE conversations about his insecurities in his relationship with El, why did they put my son through that?? I already know Will is the kindest princess to ever live, I don’t need a season of him helping the boy he loves with his girlfriend to see how selfless he is.

Unless, maybe, you want me to hope for his happy ending. Way ahead of you in that case, but it’s sweet that you’re trying this time.

I wanna add that they rekindled their friendship in episode 4, so that aspect of their relationship probably isn’t what we should be thinking about. Before the house was attacked, that conversation made Will comfortable enough to bring the painting.

I never put much thought into why. To confess for closure? Or maybe he really did want to give Mike the painting as a symbol of their friendship, but would an awkward hug really keep consomé from doing that? Plus we know it’s romantic because of the van scene!

I’m sorry. Taking these scenes at surface-level DOES NOT work because Will is in love with Mike. They purposefully didn’t put his feelings in the background. When it comes to relationships as a whole in S4, Mike and Will are the one’s talking, not the canon couple.

(They could’ve given Mike and El something, but the writers chose to have them lie to each other, to have Mike show up in Lenora as a different person and for El to refuse to confide in him because she struggles to believe he’ll love her as she is.)

Why make the closeted kid in love with his best friend be Mike’s go-to when discussing his relationship with El? Why have WILL be the one to give him comfort, to pretend his feelings are El’s, and cry over how he’s afraid of losing Mike?

Will would have helped Mike whether he was in love with him or not, but, again, they CHOSE to make Will in love with Mike, so it doesn’t make sense for it to just be about helping his friend. In any other scenario, Will doesn’t suffer like this. If it’s not for a zesty pay-off then they might as well put a ‘btw we hate gay people’ in the S5 opening credits as a heads up.

[pepstarvanmoon]

Mike pre-S4 anthem, if you even care.

[pepstarvanmoon]

BYLER + HEARTSTOPPER PARALLELS

[pepstarvanmoon]

It’s the way he tries to act all nonchalant but when Will confirms it’s a painting he’s been working on and doesn’t elaborate Mike just

then decides he’s gonna act all cutesy with his gf bc Will had the audacity to make art for someone who wasn’t him or Joyce (as if he ever had a third option?? Unbelievable.)

This 😭

[pepstarvanmoon]

He does NOT like Will? It's clear as glass never looked at Will with love, only happiness, meanwhile you have the MILEVEN pizzeria scene and the van scene, he CLEARLY looks at Will that way because of EL

Look, Mike's gazes with Will or El can be as romantic or platonic as you want to interpret them. I personally don't really use facial expressions as proof towards a ship. They're more of a fun, cute thing to make GIF sets of.

What DOES convince me of a ship is when the narrative arcs of a story are set up in a way that only makes sense if that ship is endgame. And that's what I think Byler has.

Will's painting lie is a Chekhov's gun.

Will pushing Mike and El together makes him a Cyrano.

Mike's odd behavior towards Will has to be addressed, and there are not many plot reasons why a guy might be suddenly hesitant to express affection to his childhood best friend.

Mike saying "we're friends, we're friends" when Will wasn't implying anything more is potentially one of the most common romance tropes of all time.

Season 4 ends with Mike and Will promising each other to work as a team, and then the final shot shows them paired up alongside the show's canon couples.

El wants to feel normal, and Mike views her as a superhero. Mike wants to feel needed, and El's journey throughout the series has been to become independent and to develop herself from a lab kid with no sense of self into someone SHE wants to be, not what someone else wants her to be.

Will is in love with MIKE. It's not just that he's gay and afraid that his best friend will shun him for it, it's specifically written that he's in love with Mike. The writers didn't need to do that if just wanted the conflict to be Mike potentially being homophobic.

Going back to the painting, letting a gay kid successfully sacrifice his feelings to push a straight relationship together is a terrible message in a show about social outcasts and rejects.

Usually, a heartfelt confession of love is used to dramatically save the day. But Mike's big monologue... didn't. The ending of Season 4 is simply not what you would expect after one of those kinds of world-saving love speeches.

Mike and El are not talking after the monologue. Why would this be true, if the monologue was the major turning point in their relationship? Narratively, it should have brought them closer together, but it didn't.

El says that Mike makes her feel like a monster, that he thinks she's a monster. Will says that Mike makes him feel like less of a mistake, like maybe he isn't one.

Sorry, I have to mention the monologue again. As you mentioned, Mike looks happy with El when they're at the pizza place-- they're talking and laughing. So why is it that after the monologue, after Mike finally tells her what she has been begging for him to say for half a season, El is no longer talking to him?

The audience KNOWS that Mike isn't homophobic. There is an entire scene in Season 1 where he shoves one of his bullies in front of the entire school, despite knowing that he's going to suffer for it, because the bully was making fun of Will by calling him queer. So why else has there been so much build up around Will's inevitable coming out? Like I said earlier, this is compounded by the fact that Will is specifically and intentionally in love with Mike. Why make it such a huge plot thread?

This is already way too long, so I'll cut it there. But I hope I made it clear that it's not the glances or the plentiful parallels to canon couples or the scene direction (though there is some compelling and interesting evidence in that area) that convinced me of Byler happening. There is no debating that Byler's relationship has been built up for three seasons, but I wasn't even a romantic Byler believer until I watched Season 4. It was Season 4 that made me realize that there is no other satisfying narrative ending.

[pepstarvanmoon]

it doesn’t, actually

Why’d they make Mike and Will’s relationship so focal in S4 if it wasn’t going anywhere?

Say Mike’s standoffish behavior toward Will had to do with the rain fight in S3. You could assume their arc in S4 was just about their friendship and eventual make-up, and that would make sense.

Except they made Will in love with Mike, so no it doesn’t, actually.

It fails as a ‘platonic subplot’ because not only do they not mention that specific fight in S4, but it isn’t brought up again in S3 either! The closest we get is Lucas attempting to apologize before the sole focus is the Mind Flayer. No chance for it to be brought up after that either, because the Byers moved away.

Was that tearful goodbye hug supposed to be closure? CLEARLY NOT BECAUSE MIKE ACTS A FOOL IN THE AIRPORT!

If their friendship still had obvious problems, why was Will so excited to see him? Being brushed off clearly confused and upset him. (We could also talk about how it’s similar to his reunion with El where she’s happy to see him until she peeps that “from, Mike,” and if their interactions are inherently romantic then…)

Luckily, the writers don’t bury this issue, and Mike confesses that Hawkins hasn’t felt like home since Will moved. Which… okay.

Let’s say Mike meant that in a platonic-friendship-distance kind of way. Maybe Mike felt that distance more personally because he and Will are best friends, but he worried that once he landed in Lenora he’d realize that he didn’t know Will as well anymore. (I mean if you were worried about that you could’ve called but it’s okay. Ik you were getting tired of busy tones) That could make sense…

…but they made Will in love with Mike, so no it doesn’t.

If anything, Will should feel awkward about seeing Mike again, but his affection for his best friend overpowers his desire to kiss him, so he can behave normally unlike a certain someone.

Why did they have to have THREE conversations about his insecurities in his relationship with El, why did they put my son through that?? I already know Will is the kindest princess to ever live, I don’t need a season of him helping the boy he loves with his girlfriend to see how selfless he is.

Unless, maybe, you want me to hope for his happy ending. Way ahead of you in that case, but it’s sweet that you’re trying this time.

I wanna add that they rekindled their friendship in episode 4, so that aspect of their relationship probably isn’t what we should be thinking about. Before the house was attacked, that conversation made Will comfortable enough to bring the painting.

I never put much thought into why. To confess for closure? Or maybe he really did want to give Mike the painting as a symbol of their friendship, but would an awkward hug really keep consomé from doing that? Plus we know it’s romantic because of the van scene!

I’m sorry. Taking these scenes at surface-level DOES NOT work because Will is in love with Mike. They purposefully didn’t put his feelings in the background. When it comes to relationships as a whole in S4, Mike and Will are the one’s talking, not the canon couple.

(They could’ve given Mike and El something, but the writers chose to have them lie to each other, to have Mike show up in Lenora as a different person and for El to refuse to confide in him because she struggles to believe he’ll love her as she is.)

Why make the closeted kid in love with his best friend be Mike’s go-to when discussing his relationship with El? Why have WILL be the one to give him comfort, to pretend his feelings are El’s, and cry over how he’s afraid of losing Mike?

Will would have helped Mike whether he was in love with him or not, but, again, they CHOSE to make Will in love with Mike, so it doesn’t make sense for it to just be about helping his friend. In any other scenario, Will doesn’t suffer like this. If it’s not for a zesty pay-off then they might as well put a ‘btw we hate gay people’ in the S5 opening credits as a heads up.

[pepstarvanmoon]

From the Vantage Point

It takes two minutes for Max Mayfield to know one thing:

Michael Wheeler is a mess.

He’s too different from other boys, Max thinks. Not bad or good, just weird. He glares and ignores and shuts her out instead of pestering her. He doesn’t make comments about the shade of her hair, and overall is uninterested in whatever, if not anything she has going on.

It’s not much of a courtesy, because he doesn’t even need to open his mouth for Max to know what he thinks of her. He lives in a world that he appears to like, and Max seems to disrupt that balance.

The thought is more upsetting than she’d like to admit. Wheeler must be fragile as a daisy if any random newcomer can spin him off course. Fragile and particular. Max bets he’s the kind of person to have a pretty shell wash up by his feet and proceed to skip it into the ocean.

That’s what Max first thinks of him, anyway, until she meets William Byers.

===

Max doesn’t have a lot of experience with friendship—the deep, transcendent, left-an-everlasting-mark-on-your-soul kind—but she knows you’re not supposed to have favorites.

Lucas, Dustin, Mike and Will—thick as thieves, but to an extent. A disagreement has them sectioned for a couple hours to a day, and if they can’t reach some kind of harmony, the opposing side bears it.

That must be what this is, bearing it. It must happen often with Mike because Lucas and Dustin don’t pay his frowns a second glance and continue to drag her into their little adventures.

She learns that it’s lenience, a kind of love she’s accustomed to. Mike’s inherent dislike of her… everything, isn’t surprising once she knows that, and she would have known more had she been paying attention. One quick look, and Max would see that Will is the only one who looks Mike’s way during those times.

Lucas has her swept up, near airborne when he flashes her a goofy smile that crinkles the corners of his dark eyes, so she doesn’t fault herself for not noticing.

===

Hawkins is cursed, and Max is in over her head.

Billy tripled in insufferableness the instant he heard they were headed to Indiana, and four muddied tires past the ‘Welcome to Hawkins’ sign glued a scowl to his face. She wonders if she should be fearing for her life every drive to and from school, and occasional drop-off at the arcade.

With all of that, she might be even less safe at school. Getting involved with the weird kids—since she’s so emotionally distant that the only way people get her to acknowledge them is by chasing her down—was something plausible, but she didn’t actually see it coming.

Especially not with weird kids that act like the world is ending whenever a light flickers, who lock themselves in their club room, shrouded with darkness, harsh whispers so low you’d think there’s actually something to be afraid of.

She keeps hearing odd sounds, getting tugged around on missions with an end goal that she can’t know, and having invisible forces knock her off her skateboard. She keeps trying to meet and understand their knowing stares, but she can never see past Mike’s distrustful glare.

It’s no better for her heart, either. She’s tired of this shitty push and pull. Sometimes she feels like she has no idea what Lucas wants with her. What any of them want with her.

Dustin, besides Lucas, seems all about her, but she doesn’t know what his motive is—if anything. Will is kind, but he somehow manages to bother with her less than Mike does. Mike gets in her face to make his displeasure known, but even as he sneers and fights down smiles as he slowly warms up to her—at least he’s talking.

Will is a satellite of sorts, always circling around them, but he’s blended into the scenery so well that Max hardly remembers he’s there.

When Lucas and Dustin make more group decisions without consulting Mike, it’s a short argument before Mike is forced to suck it up. Halloween in particular, where Max had been directly invited to trick-or-treat with them, two welcoming smiles and Will’s silent compliance outshined and overpowered Mike’s emotions, and Max didn’t have to spend her first Halloween in “Haunted Hawkins” alone.

If she’d watched a little closer, she’d know that the pattern, observed as early as their first meeting, didn’t just end with Mike’s fire being snuffed out. She’d see their defeated leader sulk back to Wallflower Will, who’d take on his anger like it was a delicate dragonfly on his finger, who’d calmly iron the storm clouds until Mike was somewhat reasonable again. It wasn’t even difficult. With Will’s moonlight eyes, Mike surrendered without much of a fight.

Remember what Max said about favorites? That’s definitely not the case with these four.

Dustin proudly stated that Mike, Lucas and Will are all his best friends and he’s one of theirs, and Max had to bite her lip to hold in something ranging from a laugh to a protest. If they’re all best friends then there must be some secret tier above it that nobody mentions.

She glanced back at the pair. Will didn’t bother to hide that 80-percent of his footage was of the grimace on Mike’s face, and Mike didn’t mind the large camera pointing at him. He seemed like the type to swat at anything that hovers even remotely close to him, but it was almost like Will wasn’t there. Mike knew, of course, given that they were talking, but Will had found a way to assimilate into his world. Max was convinced nothing he could have done would have bothered Mike.

They run up to another house that greeted them with, to Lucas’ dismay, another bowl of Three Muskateers. Mike hovered behind them, watching as they scoop handfuls out before plucking a single one for himself. He shifted to the side, making room, but the frustration that had gradually melted into tolerance swiftly morphed into concern.

“Where’s Will?”

The space remained unoccupied. Mike rushed down the driveway and back in the direction they came from without so much as a glance toward the rest of them. Even when they caught up it didn't matter. Mike was restless and inconsolable because Will was gone. He was right beside him and now he was gone because Mike wasn’t paying attention and now he wouldn't calm down until he found him.

No one bothered to correct him that it was a team effort to find their friend, but it definitely wouldn’t have helped. Hell, it still wasn’t okay when they did find him, shaking in a little alcove behind a row of houses. Max was treated like a criminal for asking what was wrong, and Dustin wasn’t even allowed to touch him.

Her thought process shifted as Mike tucked Will under his arm, voice airy and gentle in a whisper that Max, despite watching his mouth move, had to convince herself actually came from Mike.

She tried not to dwell on it as they walked toward the next house, but Lucas and Dustin, two of a four person team with one peg knocked loose, were steered off course, and she was given a few minutes of awkward silence to let her thoughts solidify themselves.

Lucas shyly handed her one-half of a freshly opened king-sized Twix bar, and to ignore her beating heart, Max thought about having favorite friends, about friendship patterns and their many nuances, about reserved looks and smiles.

About a satellite that only revolves around one person.

(Max doesn’t bother to make sense of it, but she does reach some sort of conclusion.

They’re weirdly magnetic, Mike and Will. Drawn to each other but on completely opposite ends of the pole. Where Mike’s aggressive and vocal, Will is a lot more reserved. Mike makes sure he’s heard, though. Max doesn’t think he realizes that Will wants him to be the only one who hears.

Will is at his loudest when he’s scribbling, jetting black streaks that he won’t let anyone see, but a close second are his hurried whispers. Rushed, but always delicate—like it was against his nature to be callous—and always directed toward Mike. It’s as though he uses Mike to prepare for what he intends to say to the group, or maybe he always makes sure Mike hears about it first.

It puzzles Max. What’s so great about Mike anyway? He’s their leader for a reason, but certainly there’s more to it if his mere presence has Will’s eyes glowing like porch lights.

On her usual trek down the parking lot, ignoring the loud, obnoxious rev of Billy’s car engine, she watches Mike lock up his bike and wait for the others to show up. Max watches him high-five Dustin, shove at Lucas, then place a gentle hand on Will’s shoulder. Mike leans down, his lips moving almost cautiously. Will nods, smiling softly, and Mike’s responding grin nearly blinds her even all these feet away. Had Lucas not spotted her, calling Max’s name and waving wildly, she might’ve stayed transfixed.)

===

Dustin holds his proton pack close to his chest. He seems pretty stoked about it, grinning to himself and moving a thumb back and forth over the latch to make sure it won’t open on accidentally.

Max thinks it’s more likely to happen the more he messes with it, and that’s not something she’s too stoked about. She can’t imagine it—Dart, some slimy, tadpole thing he found in the garbage—crawling around freely like it doesn’t belong in the darkest part of their sewage system.

“My name will be under one of those museum captions,” Dustin brags, “Dustonius Pollywogus, discovered by Dustin Henderson.”

“And that’s more impressive than having a whole exhibit to yourself because…?” Max asks. This seems to stump Dustin a little, but he recovers quickly, flashing her a toothless smile.

“I like the way you think, Mad Max! I am worth a whole exhibit,” he says. “The Dustin Display.”

At his theatric gesture, Lucas groans. “No way is that what you’re going with.”

Dustin shrugs. “It can be doctored! I bet I’ll have someone to do that for me.” His eyes gleam. “Will! You’ll revamp my display, right?”

Will looks like he might be tempted to agree. Out of genuine interest or pity, Max can’t tell, but Mike seems to know.

Mike rolls his eyes. “Don’t waste Will’s talent on something that’s not happening.”

“I can see the headline now.” With dramatic flourish, Lucas sweeps a hand through the air, voice dripping with mock seriousness. “William Byers, the real creative genius behind pioneer Henderson,” he announces, casting Dustin a teasing smile.

Dustin is unimpressed, of course, and Max would feel more embarrassed about the involuntary chuckle she lets out, but Lucas practically shines with how pleased he is with his own joke that Max, almost involuntarily, stops caring.

She’s forcibly snapped out of it when they start bickering, fighting the urge to mimic Mike and roll her eyes. Speaking of, Max glances over in time to catch Mike huffing irritatedly at the two. He looks over at Will, who’s actually tuned in to whatever those two are squabbling about, and nudges him lightly.

“Designing museum displays might be fun for you, though,” Mike says, dragging Will into their own conversation. “I think you’d be great at it.”

Will flushes under the praise, ducking his head. “I don’t know, what I draw isn’t exactly realistic.”

“Someone has to make it actually interesting for kids. There’s a reason most children’s museums dedicate half their buildings to dinosaurs and space.”

Will chuckles. “Yeah,” he breathes, and Max is caught all over again. Lucas and Dustin’s argument is reduced to static in the back of her mind. She can actually see it now, the space Mike holds for Will, and how delighted he is to fit into it.

Max feels oddly triumphant. She was right, they are each other’s favorite and those party rules are bullshit. Lucas, Dustin, and Will couldn’t care less that she’s tagging along (always following, never attached), Mike is just—

“Are you guys done yet? We’re gonna be late,” Mike calls, not abruptly, but it still shocks her. She really needs to get out of her own head. Not before the rush of her triumph wilts into a kind of sadness. Max doesn’t think Will knows just how much room he has.

She doesn’t think Mike knows either.

[pepstarvanmoon]

ST & Bully Storylines (Part 2)

Part 1 Please ignore my descent into sarcasm. I can’t be professional and analytical, it doesn’t work.

The beginning of S4, for El, plays somewhat similarly. She’s constantly being bullied (harassed, really) by Angela and her friends.

In a way, El and the party were treated this way because they were ‘weird’ and ‘different’, but El doesn’t have the same support system. Will is there, of course, but he hardly stands up for himself, and, as mentioned in my last post, is known to freeze up when it comes to confrontations like this.

It’s also clear in S4 that El wants more friends outside of him, to be accepted and to live as a normal girl. Maybe she thought she’d finally have a chance at it, moving out of Hawkins and losing her powers, but being raised in the lab has stunted her personal and emotional growth, and she’s not on the same academic level as everyone else either.

So, of course she’d be excited to see her boyfriend! He accepts her and he must like her a lot, they wouldn’t be dating otherwise. Sure, he’s avoiding the word love and El is starting to feel a little self-conscious about their relationship, but that’s bound to get cleared up once he gets there.

Right.

Alongside the bullying leading up to a more direct confrontation, they’ve decided to make Mike a variable in this. The same way El was a new addition in S1.

But instead of making us feel confident that the bullies will get what’s coming to them, this set-up is just uncomfortable.

Mike is acting distant with Will, El is disappointed in his gift, Argyle doesn’t like his shirt!

And how could I forget, El has been lying to Mike through her letters. It’s not just the confrontation to (not) look forward to, but the reveal that El has been lying and Mike’s reaction to what life has actually been like for El.

But wait, should we really be worried about that? Mike has always been… sweet.

… Truthful?

Available. He’s always been available, uh, physically. Like his presence, y’know? And that means a lot!

Anyway.

As an audience, we should expect Mike to be a good support system, I mean, they should be in a good place! Just look at how S3 ended!

We should really be asking why El is so worried about telling Mike the truth. It’s not like they have a history of being dishonest with each other, that’d be crazy.

The inevitable confrontation is going to be fine. Actually, that must be why they added Mike to the mix! Just like El, he’ll lead us to the triumphant end of the fight. El is without her powers this season, so obviously she needs someone to save her this time.

So guess what doesn’t happen?

Now, not to get on Will, we know how he gets around bullies, so he’s not about to step in. If Ms. I-want-today-to-be-about-me-and-you wants to lie all morning then she can deal with the consequences that come with it.

Of course, Will (being better than my petty ass), isn’t going to just sit around while his sister gets bullied, and I assume Mike has always stood up for him in the past (he’s also the only one there who can help since Angela somehow has the whole rink in her back pocket. All this just to torment one girl? FAN BEHAVIOR) so he decides to tell him the truth.

Mike doesn’t believe him, which… okay I know you’re mad that Will has been rolling his pretty eyes while you’ve been trying to get lost in them, and I know the whole “friends don’t lie” thing has started to mean less and less every season, but seriously?

Will can’t even bear telling you that he didn’t get higher than a seven! He went to you about the ‘shadow monster’, and asked you not to tell anyone else. Yeah, he blew up at you in S3, but he was still honest. Even when he’s pissed and doesn’t want to talk to you, he still tells the truth. To you more than his own mother like I need you to bffr.

This unhelpful back and forth only serves to keep El in the line of fire as the music changes.

Michael… WHAT DO YOU THINK?! Did the unobstructed view of Will’s mouth knock your brain loose?!

Sorry. Let me give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you trust El. Maybe you were blind to her obvious discomfort because she told you Angela was her friend.

(or maybe you were barely paying attention because you were too busy trying to figure out why Will wasn’t talking to you. You should already know why, but whatever.)

I’m well aware of El’s visible sensory overload in this scene, but lowkey this is the the least helpful thing you could be doing rn, and ik Will ain’t doing shit so it’s no wonder the situation kept escalating.

(Not gonna talk about the actual humiliation ritual, it’s not good for my psyche. Just think about El having a horrible time being mocked for attempting to use powers she no longer has, and how someone she loves who’s accustomed to her saving him is seeing just how powerless she’s become, thanks.)

Troy suddenly going still was a surprise. Mike didn’t expect El to fight in his behalf, but he was happy that she did. This time, nothing can be stopped because El has no power to do so, and instead of two jerks it’s an entire roller rink.

I genuinely don’t understand why they did this. I guess they wanted to keep Mike from interfering, but they just let El leave? These scenes are literally seconds apart. If they were done ruining her day then they shouldn’t have an issue with Mike running in.

Whatever. It’s probably just because they wanted El to run from Mike, prolonging the bullshit. She doesn’t see Mike as ‘safe’ because she’s afraid his image of her has changed.

(kinda want to mention how she got through the crowd on her own, Mike didn't need to reach her for her to move. I know it’s because he’s there that she leaves, but just a thought.)

I mentioned this in another post, but El’s desire to be loved affects a lot of her decisions. For her, being loved doesn’t necessarily mean knowing you’re loved (in fact, she hasn’t been able to tell for a while. From Mike). It’s a frantic attempt keep love, or preserve a love she thought she found at the end of S2, which circles back to her insecurities.

(I’d like to mention that the gym fight was resolved by this point. The writers just wanted things to keep getting worse from here. Not that this wasn’t a good way to establish conflict between these three characters, but they could try leaving my daughter alone. Just a suggestion.)

Also, El tries civility first too!

It feels less out of fear here than it did for Mike. The whole point of this was to show Mike how cool she was, and that backfired so horribly she’s one step from the edge at this point (kinda like Mike was). Like Troy, Angela feels no remorse and doubles down, even mentioning Hopper (seriously, who raised these children), and El has this girl on the ground literally 25 seconds later.

And we know where it goes from there.

(Now, El has hurt and killed people before, but it was always with her powers. I can’t remember a time she drew blood with actual physical contact.)

“What did you do?” Like shut up don’t you have eyes? YOU SAW WHAT SHE DID. Make like your bf and be quietttt. He repeated the question too like she was actually gonna answer 😭😭

I have my own mixed feelings about El hitting Angela, but Mike, angel, how is that the first thing out of your mouth? (tbh we shouldn’t be surprised he’s been hitting her with “what’s wrong with you!?” since S1, but you can decide which is better or worse lmao)

Literally what happened. Someone tell me right now. We’re back where we started except Mike was unable to reassure her this time, someone needs to come get me.

I can’t help but see her accusation as a bunch of questions. When did things change, Mike? When did you stop loving me? When did I stop being your hero?

When did this stop working? Has it ever?

It all just hits me with Will parallels. Both feeling like they don’t belong in different ways. That they were made wrong. They were never meant to be loved, and they were stupid to ever think so.

All of this to say, the fact that Mike and El are IN a relationship, is the worst part of their relationship as a whole. Elmike solos Milkvan every time and it doesn’t even have to do anything. They're as flimsy as Mike’s notebook paper letters, the tiniest gust of wind blows them straight into the nearest mall fire.

That last one might’ve been in poor taste, my bad. (but Hopper’s alive, so it’s fine)

[pepstarvanmoon]

Stranger Things & Bully Storylines (Part 1)

Now, this isn’t to criticize Mike (I do that often enough, out of love fyi), there are other things to get him for while he was having his day ‘sabotaged’. This is just to discuss why the writers made the S4 situation so hopeless in comparison to S1.

I’ve already thought about how El was the one in trouble in S4, and as the ‘protector’, there was no one to help her in that scene (she also has no powers) compared to her stopping Troy from attacking Mike in S1.

We know Stranger Things likes its parallels, and even if it turns out these two scenes have nothing to do with each other, I still want to talk about it! (sorry if people have talked about this before, my memory is shit)

In S1, it’s a scene that’s built up. Mike, Dustin and Lucas have been dealing with Troy and James since the start of the show. The two appear out of nowhere the second they get to school just to harass them (fan behavior, if you ask me). They make fun of their appearances, joke about Will’s disappearance (and his sexuality bc of course they won’t leave that out, even if he isn’t there) and have no problem hurting them.

They’re insufferable, one-dimensional characters for us to get mad at (and to hint at the insecurities of our main characters), so by the time we get to the gym fight, everyone’s more than happy to watch El humiliate Troy.

Before Will’s memorial service in the gym, Mike just received confirmation that Will is actually alive, so maybe he’s feeling a little empowered. When they would insult the party before, he would usually just take it (I will say that it’s different here since they’re poking fun at Will’s (not actually) confirmed death, which is actually crazy like can I talk to your parents bc they did something wrong).

Mike decides to call them out even though he’s afraid. He could just leave, they know Will is alive, and they never planned on staying for the service anyway, but after seeing Will’s ‘body’, feeling hopeless, and maybe just genuinely being sick of the shit Troy and Jake have always put them through, he decides not to let them get away with it anymore.

He tries being civil about it at first, likely out of fear. They already hurt him in an earlier episode, and even though his superhero is right behind him, he clearly didn’t expect her to protect him. Civility doesn’t work, of course, and they double down on what they said about Will.

It makes me think about how long this has gone on for. How long they’ve targeted the party and how often they’ve said horrible things about Will. I would say Will isn’t very confrontational until he gets upset enough. He’s more likely to speak his mind around family and friends, but he definitely shrinks around strangers.

I’ll bet it was different for Mike then, because at least Will was there. He could make him feel better about it if he was here and not trapped somewhere they can’t find him, like he would with the rest of the party.

Mike knows Will is alive. They don’t, and still have it in them to talk about him in that way (not to mention they’ve been playing up Will’s death like a joke since the start of the series), so it’s no surprise that Mike chooses to respond physically this time. 

(And if I say part of the anger comes from not being able to protect Will? If I say that Mike, imagining Will were there, likely wouldn’t have spoken up to them and tried to console Will later? If I say he’s always felt defenseless, and believed he should play a bigger role in protecting his friends? He’s their paladin, after all (and a kid that’s way too hard on himself))

Troy is obviously pissed and Mike (still afraid, btw) holds his ground, but he’s stopped by El, and because my girl is as powerful as she is petty (and frighteningly vengeful at times which is just what happens when you raise someone to be a weapon, but I digress), she forces him to wet himself.

The party has clearly never seen Troy so defenseless (see: pathetic) before, and of course everyone laughs because bro looks goofy just shaking in piss. Then they’re free to go because not even James wants to deal with that.

(Also I live for El’s little “I’ve got you” smile ELMIKE YOU’RE MORE THAN WHAT ANYONE THINKS)

Personally, I was hoping it would just end there and I wouldn’t have to see them again, but I have to remember that bully characters are there to be plot devices (unless they’re a main character set to be redeemed or smth) so you just know Troy isn’t going to take being humiliated like that very well.

I’m not going to get into what happens in episode 6 for my own sanity, and also because this post is about the ‘fights’ and the build-up to them.

The main takeaway is that this ‘fight’ is prompted BECAUSE the characters are happy to know Will is actually alive, even though hearing him cry over the radio like that was distressing. Knowing Will is alive and finding him are two different things. El is Mike’s only connection to him at this point, and it’s interesting that they always have El save him.

Outside of a ‘she’s literally the only member of the party with considerable strength’ perspective, whenever Mike is in trouble (counting his fight with Lucas), they always wrote El saving him.

It’s El’s strength and Mike’s weakness. It’s El’s connection to Will and Mike’s belief in her.

Never anything substantial on Mike’s end (no offense pookie, but your heart is what drew El and Will to you, so no problem! Brain over brawn, angel), and they wonder where the codependent accusations come from.

Mike is 12 here, y’know? Developmental stages and all that. He goes through one of the worst weeks of his life, but El’s a shining light at the end of every tunnel.

But the thing is, even without the fight with Lucas and the cliff scene, Mike already knew El was powerful. He chose to fight for Will without looking to her for help because it was never about finally getting a one-up on Troy, it was about defending Will.

Part 2