queeleronwheels

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i see these guys literally everywhere i look so it is not hard to make text posts for them lol

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can I just say. lonnie’s character is so well written which makes everything all the more tragic. like this guy is a literal abuser and yet most of the male and female characters sympathize with him way more than joyce. the way he’s been gone for well over a year and yet the whole town still calls will ‘lonnie’s kid’ like joyce isn’t the one actively searching for him while lonnie is blissfully unaware that his son is even missing. the way one of the first things he says to jonathan is “you’ve gotten stronger.” the way at will’s funeral all the parents express their condolences to lonnie and don't even look at joyce like he hasn't been absent from their lives for the past four years. the way he acts like the nice guy who truly wants the best for his family, who calls joyce “babe” and tries to show joyce and jonathan physical affection. because despite everything, he wants them to rely on him again. he wants to get them into a susceptible and vulnerable position so they feel as if they need him to hold the family together. and that's exactly when he'll strike, hurting them like he never has before. his character is so realistic and haunting . god.

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Are Friends Electric?

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Actually, they didn’t cut this scene from the original script:

They just swapped the roles.

Let’s line up the original words with the scene we were given, changing only the names …

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Can't wait for my good friend Will Byers to make a creepy, cryptid, plot relevant drawing this season

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Thinking about how every time we exit Will's POV of Mlvn

they're actually sad

And every time we exit Will's POV of Byler,

Mike is looking at him

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when the trio is so good, it barely had any interactions

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it'll scar, but he'll live

A little drawing inspired by @queeleronwheels 's fic the night is long but you are here

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right... just a coincidence

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Thinking about Byler and Mileven quotes

Sometimes I remember specific quotes and it amazes me just how much the script says about these two relationships in particular. There are so many contrasts between Will, El and Mike’s attitudes towards each other and in their relationships and certain quotes are so incredibly telling to their dynamics.

There are numerous direct parallels that say so much about which relationship is built on love and trust, and which is built on insecurity and misunderstanding.

Expressing insecurity:  “You make (me) feel like (I’m) not a mistake at all” vs “You think I’m a monster too”

Endangering others: “What is wrong with you?” “What did you do?” Vs “you’re like a spy now” “maybe this is a good thing”

Confrontation: “I was being a total asshole” “I was being a total self-pitying idiot” vs “you’re being ridiculous”

Mike’s personal attitude: “I was worrying too much about El” vs “I’m the only one who cares about Will”

Mike’s feelings towards his relationships: “It was just luck” vs “it was the best thing I’ve ever done”

Openness and communication: “You never say it” “I say it” vs “I didn’t say it” “you didn’t have to”

Certainty and honesty: “Crazy together” vs “you know the saying….blank makes you crazy”

Call me crazy, but I think I know who I’d rather be.

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me when i'm gay and i love science and also lucas is there

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bedroom levels analysis

hey gang heres an analysis of the levels used in both the byler and mileven bedroom scenes and how they prove mikes internalised emotions regarding each character.

firstly, the camera exaggerates elevens motion of standing up as it follows her (called a tilt) which makes it apparent that this movement is purposeful and has meaning as attention is drawn to it clearly.

this then creates a stark difference in the levels they are on, eleven is standing above mike, and the low camera angle from his pov makes it clear that eleven is dominating the conversation and he feels vulnerable and exposed.

this is not a healthy dynamic for a couple. the fact that mike feels this way is proof enough that there is an unhealthy 80/20 balance in their relationship and his internal turmoil around eleven stems deeper than being scared to loose her, he understands that this is an unbalanced relationship and probably knows why (dont you, Michael Queeler).

completely contrasting this, however, is the byler scene.

while they were previously at eye level, will leans back on his heals and a very subtle downwards tilt occurs in the camera work. this leaves mike being the one above will.

this all points to the fact that mike is more comfortable and open with will, he finds himself being able to express himself and not feel vulnerable in doing so ( high angle = power // low angle = vulnerability)

this is a muuuuchhhhh healthier relationship dynamic and basically proves how byler is a healthier, more accepting, and more comfortable relationship dynamic!

my credentials are that i study media and film and use angles such as this in my own works very often :P

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The writers have the opportunity to do something very cool, which is connecting Nancy to the queer storyline via her involvement in journalism. With paranoia surrounding AIDS and homophobic sentiment very much at its peak, it’d be powerful if Nancy were to directly fight this narrative all the while finding out that her own brother and his best friend are queer. Especially since we’re robbed of potential great Nancy and Mike interactions like… imagine Nancy asking Mike all these questions about what it’s been like for him 🥺 her just adamantly listening to him and making sure that his and Will’s story gets told in a TRUTHFUL way, and fighting the narrative that queer people are the bad guys. Bonus points if Robin gets in on this storyline and Nancy is doing it for Mike, Will, and Robin. That’d be so full circle.

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For a while I've been questioning whether Byler would still work if Will has powers. After all, one of the major issues with Milevn is that Mike feels inferior to his superhero girlfriend -- so if he decides to get with Will in the same season it's revealed that Will is powerful enough to defeat Vecna, would that really be a good ending for Mike?

...As though Mike hasn't already chosen not to get with Will after being impressed by his supernatural abilities lol. That's an important clue.

Now I'm back to thinking that it works better for Byler if Will has powers... but only if they're nothing like El's.

El is a criticism of how male wish fulfillment tropes tend to view women, as @emblazons explains well in this post. Her powers serve as a metaphor for female sexuality: she was raised to obey patriarchal expectations on how and when to use it, and her arc is about learning to reclaim it on her own terms.

Importantly, it takes the form of superpowers to emphasize its appeal to the sort of insecure boys like Mike who idolize the straight heroes in nerdy media and think their own lack of girlfriends is the reason they struggle to feel like Real Men With Real Value.

Will's supernatural goings-on, meanwhile, are the opposite of male wish fulfillment.

There's a reason Will's visit to the Upside Down makes reference to Alien's horrifying male sexual anxiety metaphor--

--and why the S5 teaser threatens a repeat of it.

Will's supernatural abilities can be thought of as a reflection of queer sexuality in the minds of homophobes: he slips into alien dimensions and is violated by the monsters therein; his body reacts unpleasantly when both the Mind Flayer and the boy he likes are close; the Shadow in his head allows him to be puppeteered by a sinister villain who preys on children.

This serves as an unwelcome reminder that social and sexual dominance isn't an inherent feature of being a man, but a privilege that can be violently revoked for failing to perform Real Manhood™️ correctly.

(I've lost count of the number of times I've spotted straight men who were bullied as kids for being too sensitive say they identified with Will... up until they realized he was gay. Then they resented him for being a "stereotype". Way to side with your bullies, dickheads.)

I wouldn't describe Mike as a homophobe -- he stood up to Troy, after all, and he's never been afraid of Will, even at Will's spookiest -- but I would describe him as staring down the barrel of the Nice Boy to Dickhead Man pipeline: he's at risk of turning into the sort of prick who throws women and queers under the bus because he's desperate to pass his worthless nerd ass off as Acceptably Masculine™️.

Mike's arc is about realizing he'll be much happier if he stops simping for society's toxic ideas of how men should behave and starts seeing the heroic value inherent to who he actually is.

And since part of that involves admitting he's in love with the stubbornly authentic boy whose insight and honesty and kindness have always called him to action...

...then I think it will feel more satisfying if Will's powers continue to clash with the patriarchal values that draw Mike towards El and comphet.

That means no macho superhero abilities: just more of the unsettling theme of interdimensional travel, connection to the Mind Flayer, and eldritch knowledge.

Because what Will does have in common with El is that he needs to reclaim his power from the controlling men who forced it onto him in the first place -- "interdimensional travel" is really just the closet, and "connection to the Mind Flayer" is really just lived experience of homophobia and abuse.

These aren't fun things, but they're also not the problem: they're a means of recognizing that his nature is not the problem. Will can't self-actualize without accepting this about himself--

--and Mike, much like the men in the audience who resent seeing themselves reflected in a "stereotypical" gay boy, can't self-actualize without accepting that this lesson applies to him too.

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you ever think about the fact everyone in the cabin was misunderstanding mike and not listening and he ended up right anyway.

you ever think about mike questioning why joyce, hopper and dustin were all mia and how that couldn't be a coincidence just to be told it doesn't matter, and in s4 theres an exact parallel where max and nancy suggest it can't be a coincidence that the california gang were mia and everyone listened

mike genuinely has every right to give people that bitch face he makes to anyone he wants

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Will's Blood Transfusion Dilemma Part Two

I've been thinking about the possibility of Will being involved in a blood transfusion again and I realized my original theory left out a very obvious possibility. Will isn't in need of a blood transfusion, but he’s the one trying to donate.

Will attempting to donate blood would fulfill all the original requirements I set up. The blood transfusion foreshadowing, revealing the supernatural blood type, and revealing that Will has that blood type. It would also create a much easier solution because they wouldn't need to find special blood to save Will. All they would need is a normal recipient for the injured person he was trying to help.

So who could Will be giving blood to?

Karen Wheeler.

We know the Wheelers are going to be targeted. Holly and Karen hide in the bath upstairs, but Holly sees something horrific when they make it downstairs. This is probably Karen being attacked.

Nancy is seen washing blood off her hands. Karen was probably injured. She lost enough blood for Nancy to put pressure on the wound. Surely she would lose more en route to the hospital.

The teaser then cuts from Nancy washing off blood to Will closing his eyes. Interesting association being made here. They even emphasize blood with the "wherever this blood leads" line just before these clips. Could this be hinting at Will being involved?

Karen is severely injured and in need of a blood transfusion. Will may be a match to Karen's blood type and decides to donate. But why would Will donate, apart from being generally a good person?

He feels responsible.

Will seems to be in a trance at the radio station. Notice how Nancy is in the same sweater that she later gets bloody. This must be just before the attack.

Vecna shows Will the attack the same way he showed Nancy. But Will passes out. He's unable to warn the others. Once he wakes up, Nancy and El race to the house to help, but they're too late. Will feels guilty for not being able to warn them faster because he passed out (despite this being uncontrollable).

Throw in the possibility of Will feeling in debt to the Wheelers because Karen is letting the Byers stay with them. Mix in a little bit of Vecna stating that Will is to blame. You have a Will guilt sandwich.

Will steps up to donate blood. Except he doesn't have a normal blood type anymore. His blood type changed when he was granted powers in the Upside Down, just like Henry.

But we have another problem. A rumored gay kid with a weird blood type in the homophobic town of Hawkins during the height of the AIDS epidemic? It's not looking good for Will. The hospital would notice. Cue homophobic comments made towards Will. Rumors spread.

We know Vickie is working at the hospital (next to Lucas). Maybe she catches wind of this rumor. Robin seems to be involved at the hospital as well. She might hear.

Since they've already bonded over a tree adventure, this could lead to Robin comforting Will over the comments thrown at him. She hints that she understands. They come out to each other. This is a reflection of how lesbians supported gay men during the AIDS epidemic.

Ok I got a little sidetracked at the end there. But to conclude this post, I think there's a very real possibility that Will discovers the unique blood type through an attempt at blood donation. It would bring a lot of narrative threads together.

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Just a reminder that according to canon, Will fell in love with Mike because of how Mike treated him (and how that made him feel in turn).

Mike's own feelings inspired Will's feelings.

Meaning Mike treated Will the way he did because he loved him.

Mike fell first.