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Just a reminder that this is Dustin seeing his crush dancing with another guy.

And this is Mike seeing his totally platonic friend (best friend) dancing with a girl.

I think this speaks for itself.

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once again pointing out that it's insane that while jancy are like actively lying to/hiding things from each other they're still able to list actual things they like about each other (s4 e1) vs mike in his fuckass monologue being unable to name a single thing he likes about el. but apparently the monologue is peak romance. okay sure.

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Just thinking about the fact that Mike had to assume El was dead or he'd never see her again at some point in season 4 while they were looking for her and yet when they reunite he doesn't say anything like: "I thought I lost you." Even though this would have been the perfect opportunity to parallel other canon ships like Jopper and Lumax. Instead they made Mike say it to Will and it wasn't even a life or death situation. It was only because Mike missed Will, missed being close to him. And that distance between them affected Mike so much that he said he felt like he lost Will.

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Why Will is Going to 'Win' The Love Triangle

So I watched this Youtube video entitled 'How to Always Know Who'll Win the Love Triangle' which inspired this whole post, and I thought it would be interesting to apply her points to the love triangle with WillElMike.

Keep in mind the video focuses solely on heterosexual romances, with the creator not discussing any queer pairings, but regardless I still found it intriguing. (Also if you watch this video a warning that it spoils the outcomes of love triangles for many shows/movies. I think though that most will know the love triangle outcomes as most are mainstream shows/movies)

Specifically I want to talk about the "Winning Conditions" section of her video. She asks 4 questions to determine who will be the "winner" of the love triangle.

Who is our protagonist most changed by?

She delves into this further by saying it's about who the protagonist experiences the greatest emotional journey with, the person who will force them out of their comfort zone, and who will make them grow.

In this case Mike is the "protagonist" since he's the center of the love triangle.

For WillElMike: I think this is well-demonstrated in S4. Will helps Mike grow, both in his confidence, and in his self-expression. Mike opens up to Will about his feelings of inadequacy regarding his relationship with El. And it's because of Will that Mike is reminded that he's the "heart" of the Party, and leads him to take up more of his leader role again. The two of them are constantly having heart-to-heart conversations throughout the show, and especially in S4.

Contrast this to Mike and El who haven't really ever had a proper heart-to-heart conversation. Instead their conversations are largely relegated to either a) discussing the greater supernatural threats at play or b) talking about their crumbling relationship.

Winner for Question #1: Will

2. Who requires the most sacrifice?

Whichever love interest is the "easy" option doesn't make for a good story. Whichever love interest will require the most sacrifice is typically the one the protagonist will end up with.

For WillElMike: El is the safe, easy choice. Mike being with Will would require sacrifice. Staying in a heterosexual relationship with El would allow Mike to hide his queerness. If Mike is with Will he would eventually have to come out to his family and friends. He likely would worry about his queerness fundamentally changing his life. Keep in mind Mike's parents are conservatives who voted for Reagan. Mike may worry about being disowned or kicked out of his house.

Being with Will would certainly require more sacrifice.

Winner for Question #2: Will

3) Who does the protagonist most emotionally impact?

So which of the love interests is most emotionally impacted (in a positive way) by the protagonist?

For WillElMike: El is definitely positively emotionally impacted by Mike in the Season 1. He provides her comfort and stability and gives her a home. But by S3/S4 she's instead negatively emotionally impacted by Mike. Will, however, despite suffering from his (believed) unrequited affections, has throughout the show displayed what a positive influence Mike has made in his life.

In Season 2 when Will talks to Mike in his basement about his visions he tells Mike not to tell the others because they won't understand (like Mike does). He also tells Jonathan everyone treats him like a baby, naming all his friends except for Mike. Mike is the exception, because Mike, while caring for Will, doesn't infantilize him.

And in Season 4 Will expresses that Mike makes him feel like he's not a mistake, like he's better for being different, that Mike is the one that gives him the courage to fight on. Compare this to Mike making El feel like a monster – oof.

Winner of Question #3: Will

4) Who's there for the meat of the plot?

Basically this boils down to where is the narrative framed. Who helps the protagonist (Mike) through the main plot of the story?

For WillElMike: Now Season 1 Mike is of course around El more than Will, as Will is missing. And El does help Mike throughout the main plot of Season 1.

But go to Season 2, now Mike and Will are basically attached at the hip. Throughout Season 2, Mike and Will are consistently together.

Season 3 is a bit more tricky because it's more of a group-centered season. I'll tentatively call this a draw.

And then in Season 4 we barely get any Mike/El content. Instead Mike and Will are together throughout the season (they're basically the whole California plot).

And then we have Season 5 which is confirmed to have Mike and Will again as a team. They will be together the majority of the season.

So which love interest is there for the majority of Mike's narrative? Will.

Winner of Question #4: Will

I would encourage any Byler doubters to reflect on other love triangles you've seen in media and apply this same framework to them.

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your friendly reminder that they could have easily introduced a new character as early as season 2-3 to help navigate and express wills sexuality without interfering with milevens relationship - instead they go with his heavily queer coded best friend who’s clearly suffering from internalised homophobia while in a toxic straight relationship and struggling to say ‘i love you’ to his girlfriend.

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Yapping☀️

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sorry but i cant ignore this

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Oh how I love helping people see the light 🤩

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rewatched some of 4x01 ‘cause I was thinking about how beautifully edited the scene where El is leaving the classroom crying and upset and Running Up That Hill starts playing and wanted to experience it again

and now I’m just thinking about the contrast in the emotional weight between the way the episode transitions between El to Mike and El to Max

the California Dream sequence is filled with lies (which is purposeful by El) and irony (which she is unaware of), with a tone that flip-flops between humorous and a dreary sort of melancholy.

for example:

Joyce’s job is awesome and gives her freedom! Except it’s a telemarketer job that she clearly doesn’t enjoy

Will is painting something, he probably likes a girl! Except the painting is for Mike, who he’s in love with

Jonathan is going to college with Nancy and smokes funny plants! Except he’s not actually going to Emerson and he’s getting stoned to cope with all his issues instead of confronting them

I (El) am still best at math! Except I flunked my math final

I find it pretty here in California now too! Except I really don’t

I’ve made so many friends! Except I haven’t and I’m bullied

all while California Dreamin’ plays, singing about a winter’s day while it’s the day before spring break (some more ironic contrast)

then we cut to Mike finishing off the letter, and—bam. Nancy barges in and we just straight into a humorous scene. we aren’t supposed to dwell on how Mike feels about the letter. in fact, he literally crumples it up, now more concerned about getting dressed before Nancy leaves without him than the letter now laying on the floor. El has just spent the opening 2 minutes lying to Mike, yet the most we get of Mike missing or even thinking about El in episode one, other than the barebones fact that he read the letter, is him having a “my girl is cooler than your girl” pissing contest with Dustin at the pep rally.

oh, and what does Mike say about El then? “She saved the world twice.” it’s about her being a superhero.

it is painfully shallow.

by immense contrast,

when we transition from El to Max, it is heavily emotional. El is crying, lonely, bullied, grieving Hopper. the most emotional song of the season, one that on a rewatch cuts so incredibly deep, plays as we transition from El’s tearful face to the dark silhouette of Max. she’s wearing a green scrunchie, like the one El wore when she left Hawkins. Max floats through the halls like she’s numb, like she’s a ghost, but the first thing that catches her eye is a group of girl friends excitedly talking. and we know she’s thinking of El.

El’s loneliness is thus immediately connected to Max, and vice versa. it plants the seed, the idea, that if these two were together, things would be different. both of them lost someone, lost family, on the same night. Max would’ve helped scare off the bullies. El would have given Max a sense of purpose; someone to take care of and protect and guide.

and unlike Mike, we don’t jump into a humorous moment. Max’s counseling appointment is filled with tension and discomfort. we stay in the emotionality, the pain.

they could’ve shown yearning and emotionality between Mike and El’s scenes. it could’ve worked toward the pizza freezer monologue they knew was going to happen. they could’ve shown us Mike missing El. they’ve done it before; they did it in s2. but they didn’t. they very intentionally put the weight on El and Max, whose bond becomes integral in the finale to a literal lifesaving degree.

and I just think that’s interesting.

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I thought the people of tumblr might enjoy some more cleradin

I also have this drawing of just paladin!Mike for y'all

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this could mean nothing though of course

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‘Held close all the time, knowing im half of you’

Some byler inspired by samdeena (go watch fear street)

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"you just make everything gay" oh do we?? thats so funny. crazy how no one is anticipating lucas dumping max to be with dustin then.

no one has 300 slides proving that ted wheeler is gonna divorce karen for lonnie. or that jonathan is going to break up with nancy so he can be with argyle. & have you ever seen hour long video essays going through hopper and murray's relationship and screaming endgame!! endgame!!! he's not in love with joyce!!! because i haven't.

maybe u just hate that we wouldn't be doing this at all if mike acted different. if mike's actions were platonic we'd more than likely see them as platonic.

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i feel like i'm on another plane of existence from the rest of this fandom bc why don't we ever talk about "he was quiet today." "he's always quiet." do u understand the ways in which those two lines alone establishe smth so specific and unique about mike and will's relationship from mike's perspective more than any other line in the show. mike observes something wrong with will, lucas dismisses it as that's how he always is. he's always quiet. but not to mike????? wdym mike doesn't view him as quiet. even joyce and jonathan acknowledge him as a "quiet boy". this paired with the rink-o-mania fight... "you were barely talking."/"you're mad that i didn't talk to you." i'm gonna be so fucking pissed if this shit doesn't happen. like the main reason being it feels like spitting in the face of good writing. how do u do all this accidentally????

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this scene is so funny to me but it’s also such great byler proof because it literally proves that the mike that joyce knows (will’s mike) is kind and sweet and incredibly caring, but the mike that hopper knows (el’s mike) is rude and abrasive. it shows that will really does bring out the best in mike

(this is the mike that joyce knows)

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If Mike clocked Will in the van scene, then this expression is him being like "but why? why are you making me do this?" :((((((((( okay thx