#finn: 'mike's into some new things this season'

[aemiron-main]

ive been rewatching s4 scenes and holy fuck did they ever make mike’s crush on eddie obvious like oh my god it’s SO OBVIOUS IN EVERY SINGLE SCENE  plus ‘fever’ by the cramps playing in the background?? at first i thought it was just the instrumental of it but NOPE THE LYRICS ARE QUIET BUT THEYRE THERE like they put in a lyric about “kiss me” right in this scene where dustin looks disturbed and mike doesn’t, AND they quieted out other lyrics of ‘fever’ so we KNOW that they chose specific ones to actually be loud enough to hear. 

mike i know what you are 

[conflictofthemind]

Thoughts on "Escape from Camazotz"

Oppressive Suburbia, Conformity, and Season 5 Themes

I've long thought that a major focus of Season 5 will be the contrast between the families of The Wheelers and The Byers, and exploring how non-traditional family environments can be freeing vs the oppressive structure of the nuclear family.

In a Wrinkle In Time, Camazotz is a planet controlled by the big bad of the book, the "IT", who forces the citizens into a conformity that resembles American suburbia. All of the houses the same, the citizens the same, doing the same things at the same time without individual identity. Without anything different. Different means a lot of things, but with Stranger Things dropping different in reference to Will's identity and the presumable themes of this season, it will heavily codify as queerness and how it threatens the cisheterosexual family model.

Henry was raised in the 1950s, a decade still revered by conservatives for it's traditional family dynamics that supposedly were the peak of culture and happiness for all. That was all a lie, of course, and Henry knew so as he shows to Nancy and Eleven during his monologue. The second most conservative decade aside from the 1950s in American society is widely considered to be the 1980s.

The Creels will serve in parallel to The Wheelers; the worst example of what they could become and the damage that this type of family could do to a child that is different in any way. Notice how Vecna selectively shows Nancy visions of The Wheelers dying, but not anyone else she may consider family or friends (like Jonathan).

That is; unless they change their ways and come together as a healthy functioning family facing their traumas, The Wheelers will be toast.

Karen has been moved up to a main character role this season. Ted's actor says the father starts to show up more for Holly (hold that) and realizes he wants to act differently. Holly has been recast. Finn has said Mike goes on a much more personal journey this season, and steps up as a leader.

Oh, also: the catalyst for all of this is that Holly goes missing. The contrast will help show how the Byers (including El and Hopper here) were able to pull together and help solve Will's disappearance, versus how the Wheelers as a closed off nuclear family grapple with Holly's vanishing.

Each of the Byers is in some kind of a non-1950s conformist relationship, but particularly Will (not in one now but we all know he will be). I think El might represent, after she breaks up with Mike, the fear of the unmarried woman being satisfied without a husband. The above shot really emphasizes my point.

I predict that Will will end up coming out to his family rather early on, and we will see all of them immediately accept him with little surprise or push-back. Will is a visible gay man who comes from an open minded non traditional family (divorced, non-married, adoptive) that is willing to have honest conversations.

But this theme will place the most focus on the Wheelers. Mike is the main character of said family and this will particularly focus on his arc, and his acceptance of his queerness in the midst of suburban conformity.

He is not visible, he comes from a Reagan-supporting family who don't communicate with each other. He is not particularly close with his family like Will is. He pushes his feelings down and tries his damn hardest to be normal despite it all. His trauma hasn't really been addressed at all. He is falling back into his usual habits - the one thing he dared to do different (grow his hair long) has gone back to how it was.

It's not all doom and gloom though. This season above all will be a redemption arc of the American nuclear family, how they choose to escape their conformity and learn to be there for each other, thus overpowering Vecna. Not that the Wheelers are going to end this personally.

"Great, more hysteria. Just what we need". "It's the news, now indistinguishable from the tabloids".

[wheelerpilled]

'forced conformity is killing the kids'

Mike Wheeler ST5 Theory/analysis

So we've all seen the new BTS of Finn Wolfhard on the set of Stranger Things dropped and OH MY GOD. THE DUALITY FROM LAST SEASON.

I have to TRY write about it ATLEAST...because wow I have a lot of potential thoughts, sorry it's once again unstructured, messy, and repetitive but stay with me please!!!!!!!!!!

I've seen ALOT of people happy we're getting s1-2 Mike hair back but guys .....it's not a good thing!!!!!!!!!! Mike is going THROUGH IT.

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In Season 4 it's acknowledged that Mike is finally coming into his own a bit, Eddie says he was wearing 'whatever his mom bought him' when he first came to highschool, but in episode 1 when we see him for the first time in S4, he's clearly been influenced by Eddie and has figured out what style he likes and what he's interested in, he's in a DND club, he's comfortable being known as an uncool nerd, he's growing his hair out (yes I DO believe it's because he idolised Eddie, I have more to say about that in a second)

basically: his hair and his outfits, aswell as pretty much the way he acts in Hawkins (NOT California- he goes back to pretending to be something else) in S4 represents the ideology non-conformity and his sense freedom in this new persona

he doesn't feel lost in highschool anymore, he's doing what he likes with his friends (DnD) and he's proudly wearing his hellfire shirt around school/Hawkins, basically, he's accepting that it's okay to enjoy 'different' things that aren't considered the norm, and it makes him happy, he feels comfortable!

_____________________________________________

But now in Season 5, from the pictures we've seen, it looks like he's fully reverted back into his shell, I guess I understand why tbh I don't blame him:

he comes back to Hawkins after everything and everyone believes he's in a satanic cult- townspeople probably treat him badly and Jason's team mates probably blame Eddie and the rest of hellfire for Jason's 'disappearance' (death). They directly connect him with all the horrible things that have happened to Hawkins as of late

...which is probably what the BTS of them walking towards Mike are about, they probably keep harassing him no matter how he acts and Mike just wants them to leave him alone, let's face it:

High school has probably gone full circle back to middle school for Mike and he's getting bullied/mistreated again. So he feels his only option is to remove himself from Hellfire and become 'normal'.

Hellfire might maybe even be blamed for the gates being opened. Last we heard, the townspeople were hunting down Eddie and the rest of hellfire, and the graffiti on Eddie's grave in the S5 pics shows that he's still very much hated.

Mike probably got harassed by multiple people who don't believe Eddie's dead, or believe Mike was in on it and are out looking for him, or think Hellfire contributed to some satanic ritual causing the 'earthquake' and thus Mike is also a target and it's dangerous for him.

So I think part of the style change and haircut is due to THAT, he doesn't wear his hellfire shirt anymore because he doesn't want any affiliation with the club.

As Finn Wolfhard has said in previous interviews 'mikes just trying to act as normal as possible' so by seperating himself from Eddie/Hellfire and becoming more conventionally 'normal' he won't be treated like an outcast.

He won't be assaulted, bullied, blamed, or worse if he conforms. He has a greater chance of everything becoming better/easier while living in Hawkins if he does this, he might have even given up DnD aswell- so yeah he's gonna be pretty MISERABLE in season 5

___________________________________________

Alot of people wanted to see his reaction to Eddie's death, I think we'll definitely be seeing the lingering after effects of it, and alot of Mike's arc will kick off because of the aftermath of the vilification of Hellfire.

Only few people know that Eddie died to try protect Hawkins, Eddie was a role model for Dustin and Mike, but they're grieving him in COMPLETELY different ways

Dustin decides to honour him by taking up a similar style and proudly wearing his hellfire shirt, and is also probably trying to sway the town's opinion on Eddie and prove him innocent.

....But Mike seemingly decides that he DOESNT want to end up like Eddie anymore: dead and hated, known as a satanic freak.

Someone he idolised is now deceased, he doesn't know how to properly handle that fact, it's intimidating that someone he looked up to do much could be so hated, and in turn has caused the reaction from Mike that is basically 'if my idol is treated as such a horrible outcast, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps, where would that leave me?' he's feeling lost and hopeless, especially with the state Hawkins is in, so he probably decides the best thing to do is just blend in. Be normal.

It probably scares him that even merely his interest in DnD and all these other factors immediately make him a target, as far as townspeople believe- Mike is one of the kids who was close with a brutal serial killer, they probably think he's just as 'messed up as Eddie the freak was' for staying friends with someone who'd do such horrible things

I think Mike just wants to hide as much as he can right now, he has ALOT on his plate and doesn't need the rest of the town out to get him.

so if anyone asks: he'll probably say things like 'I didn't really know Eddie! I would never join a cult like that, I didn't know!' or something to try seperate his name from the hellfire club.

Mike will end up picking protecting himself and hiding his true identity and values/traits rather then living exposed and vulnerable; yet true to what he actually believes is right....And that is the opposite of what Dustin is doing,

Dustin is a proud hellfire member and friend of Eddie, he's picking what he thinks is right over self-preservation from the town, he's still wearing his battered shirt, now HE'S the one growing his hair out, he still adores Eddie and misses him (so does Mike probably, but he feels he CANT outwardly publicly show support or stand up for him)

I do wonder if this will cause some sort of tension between Dustin and Mike, because Dustin is doing the opposite and becoming more like Eddie instead of distancing himself from the hellfire name, he might feel betrayed that Mike 'gave up' on Hellfire, and maybe accuse him of not even caring about Eddie or his death?? Idk!!!!!!!!!! I feel like Dustin will also be going through it this season 😭😭😭

_____________________________________________

I do also think Mike will try to be clinging alot to El this season (I mean, before they inevitably break up which I believe will probably happen kinda early on if it actually happens at all)

this is also because just the idea of having a girlfriend corresponds to his idea of conformity and being 'normal'. He just wants to be a normal guy, his life is nothing out for the ordinary, he's not interested in satanic things like dnd and hellfire, he's just a normal person. A normal person who is PROBABLY a target of Vecna in season 5 😓

I believe his arc for this season will be trying to breakout of these notions of conformity in exchange for things he actually likes and is interested in, we saw him sort of branching out in season 4, but I think THIS time it's happening for real, and he'll end up fully embracing his own views and interests after some sort of emotional arc-which will also probably be part of the M*lev*n break up (not censored because I'm against them/hate them I just don't wanna clog the tag for others 😭😭) OR set off by the breakup

Throughout season 1 he was told he liked El, or others assumed it, so I think he assumed it aswell, they just never broke up because El ALSO thinks having a boyfriend is normal and expected, and because Mike was the boy she was closest to she assumed it was romantic feelings (and he kissed her in S1 which probably contributed to her assuming they were romantic feelings)

Alot of the people around her are also in relationships, and she watched alot of TV with happy romantic couples so she thinks it's more normal to HAVE a boyfriend then to NOT have one, I think Mike and El kinda stayed together because they think they're SUPPOSED to by these social standards,

They obviously care about each other alot, and mistook it as reasons to just stay together, she wants to be a normal girl because only being a superhero isnt good for her, she needs to be 'Jane Hopper' and not '011'. I do think she definitely needs to be single for awhile and find herself, even if her and Mike are to be endgame, she NEEDS at least some time to gain some experiences outside of living her life as a superhero, (Mike also needs character development outside of being 'Els Boyfriend's)

Which is why it was vital that her time with max in S3 existed, so El could realise her value and that there is a life outside having a boyfriend- I think Mike needs a similar moment aswell, a wake-up call of sorts where he can take a step back and consider maybe rather than letting society dictate his actions, he makes decisions for what he wants for himself ('we make our own rules')

_____________________________________________

If m*lev*n is endgame then sure that's great for them, but I genuinely don't know what big character arc could be in store for Mike that doesn't involve a breakup and themes of non-conforming, it doesn't even have to involve Byler endgame at all (although I AM a byler truther)

I think Mike learning that it's okay to let go of that romantic relationship if he doesn't feel that way anymore is a big step for his character, or atleast taking a break so he can work on himself, anything along those lines of actual development on himself rather then on his relationship- El and Mike have been romantically paired from the start, he needs to learn that it's OKAY to breakup with someone if thats what he feels is right, (side note: I DO believe El would/will be the one to breakup with him 😭)

I don't think he realises that he'll be able to stay friends with El, it's not 'shes my girlfriend or else she'll hate me for breaking up with her. No other options'

he doesn't want to lose her because he cares about her but he can't find a way to balance that romantic relationship alongside his other friendships. So I think for his character to develop they have to breakup, even temporarily, but obviously that's only my opinion if M*lev*n is endgame then oh well, it's endgame, but I think they would be a really awesome platonic duo and I'd like their relationship alot more if it was that way

______________________________________________

I think later in the season he'll realise that living this way not actually what he wants, and he doesn't want to give up who he is, or pretend to be something he's not- because he IS a nerd who likes DnD, and he does support Eddie, he cared alot about him because he idolised him, and i think season 5 is about him learning that that's okay and he doesn't have to feel so much pressure to conform by societal standards, bro needs a better grief process, forced conformity GOT HIS ASS 😭😭😭

What I'm trying to say is: all of this, and his new look is a safety net of sorts, he's still pretending to be something he's not because he feels he HAS to, otherwise it's dangerous for him in Hawkins because of hellfires reputation, but he's also acting this way because of other factors that I haven't really thought through yet LMAO

I believe season 5 will probably be him accepting those things about himself and embracing it, maybe also undoing his emotional repression along the way, I guess I would describe it as coming of age and I think if it's handled well it could be really beautiful in a way

OH MY GOD I RAMBLED SO MUCH AND IT ISNT EVEN A SOLID THEORY JUST A COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS😭

Sorry that was long and repetitive but uhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah..........anyways Mike Wheeler ily keep ur head up king please don't die in S5‼️‼️ stay safe‼️‼️

[wakeupthemembersofbylernation]

One of the reasons I believe a lot of people are so aggressively threatened, freaked out, and even offended by the concept of a gay or bi Mike is because then they’d have to face the fact that queer people are just people. Which, duh. Of course, they are! But Mike Wheeler, at least in the first season (and sorta the second season), is THE main character. He’s THE guy.

It’s what turned Finn Wolfhard into a heartthrob and fast-tracked him to starring roles in movies like It and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. For people who grew up loving 80s childhood adventure movies, on which the Duffers based their show, Mike Wheeler is Elliot from E.T. He’s Mikey from The Goonies. He’s Marty from Back to the Future. He’s Luke from A New Hope. In other words, he’s the kind of young sci-fi hero every boy dreamed of becoming. I mean, who wouldn’t want to find out that magic/the supernatural is real, go on an insane, life-changing adventure with their friends, stand up to bad guys, and fall in love with a girl with superpowers in the span of a week?!

Other than being nerdy/into D&D (which is honestly not that far from being a theatre kid, tbh)/hj, kinda melodramatic, and somewhat unathletic (affectionate), there’s nothing about Mike Wheeler that radiates gayness on the surface. Plus, he’s the protagonist! In Season 1 we experience most new things through his eyes. That makes him the audience surrogate character, so how can the audience surrogate character be (gasps) GAY?! That’s OBviously impossible. He’s just a guy. He’s just a dude. He’s just a person. He’s just the boy next door.

And if queer people are just people, then that means ANYONE could potentially be queer. Even your younger sister. Even your best friend, who has no stereotypically gay traits, plays football, and has a girlfriend. Even your children (gasps). Even you (am I gay quizzes? were born from fears like this). That’s terrifying for people who expect the world, and the media they consume, to be black-and-white.

People like boxes. They like things that are safe. Every time general audiences are introduced to a new character they fully assume the character is straight, even if they aren’t shown to have any interest in girls (like Will) unless they are an obvious stereotype, say the words, “I’m gay,” or explicitly make out with a boy (even then, some people will still try to claim they’re confused or simply “struggling with their sexuality”).

Kevin Keller from Riverdale. Kurt Hummel from Glee. Patrick in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (as much as I love that movie). Carlos in HSMTMTS. These are all characters that are Gay™️. They are almost always the comic relief sidekick, or the gay bestie for the main female character, or some variation of common tropes. Audiences (even homophobic ones) are increasingly used to seeing these types of characters on their screen, but a gay Mike Wheeler would be a different type of character entirely. 

“Mike being gay or bi would just be OUT OF NOWHERE and would be bad writing done just for woke points.” Okay. Aside from the fact that it would simply NOT be out of nowhere (gestures wildly at the Byler Proof Slides), let’s unpack the phrase “out of nowhere” for a second. Why is something only considered “out of nowhere” when it’s gay and never when it’s straight? Was it out of nowhere for Dustin to find a girlfriend while at camp? Is the resurrection of Stancy out of nowhere? And to the people who are still somehow convinced that Will Byers isn’t gay, just “maturing slower than his friends,” I guarantee you they wouldn’t call it “out of nowhere” for Will to suddenly have a female love interest, even though it clearly would be. They would encourage it, even if it was someone especially ridiculous like El, who is literally his sister, or Max, with whom he’s had almost no on-screen conversations. This is why you see people on TikTok and YouTube who genuinely believe Will’s painting is for the random girl he danced with at Snowball. Talk about out of nowhere!

“But Mike just isn’t gay. Don’t be delusional. Don’t be unrealistic. He is straight. He has only been shown to like El and has one of the most extreme cases of romantic tunnel vision in fiction I’ve ever seen.” Okay, let’s push aside the constant lip stares, the romantically charged conversations with his best friend, the fact that he can’t say or even write, “I love you” to his girlfriend, the ways the Duffers have consistently framed the Will/Mike/El dynamic with love triangle imagery and drawn our attention to this for the entire show, and more (gestures wildly at the Byler proof slides once more!!) for one second. 

The emphasis on “just isn’t” betrays them and their underlying perspectives. Let’s be clear. You can say Robin just isn’t straight because she’s been explicitly confirmed in show and out of show to be lesbian and into girls. You can say Will just isn’t straight because his sexuality has been all but confirmed as well. But you can’t say Mike “just isn’t” gay if the only concrete “proof” you have for this is his (turbulent) relationship with Eleven. Keep in mind. Without Vecna, we don’t have access to the innermost thoughts of any of the characters. All we have to go by is their actions, their words, and the intentional ways the Duffers have coded their characters. Ultimately, people who say this are saying that Mike Wheeler “just isn’t gay” because he doesn’t fit their pre-conceived, ignorant, myopic notions of what a gay person is. Mike “just can’t be” gay in these people’s minds because he hasn’t done any gay “actions,” whatever that even means (that’s why they believe Will- sweet, innocent Will- is a predator/homewrecker because they associate gayness with freakish deviance and see it as something inherently sexual, whereas if Will were a girl with the exact same feelings towards Mike, they’d never in a trillion years see it this way).

In both real life and in fiction, despite all the progress we’ve made as a society, straight is something you’re allowed to just be, by default, regardless of whether you’re dating someone. Gay is something you have to PROVE or “fall into,” and even then it’s treated with incredible suspicion (this is why people who ship Stobin believe Steve can “fix” Robin and make her into boys). Bisexuality is tragically either erased altogether, treated as a joke/a phase, or completely misunderstood (I heard someone say Mike could never be bi because he’d never date Will and El at the same time - what?! That’s not how bisexuality works). And comphet is something entirely baffling to straight audiences. You might as well be saying 2+2 equals armadillo. 

They’d rather believe that he’s just become an asshole, or that Finn Wolfhard has suddenly become a bad actor. Because accepting that Mike Wheeler isn’t straight means accepting that he can be the cool, brave, valiant, kind, caring protagonist of seasons 1 and 2, AND also be madly in love with his best friend. That feels like a bait-and-switch to some people because they don’t see queer people as “normal,” even if they claim they aren’t homophobic. They see queer people as “the other,” as something alien. [Insert Visibly Stereotypical Character Here] can be gay, not MY Mike Wheeler. He’s straight. STRAIGHT.  He’s madly in love with El. He and Will are just friends. JUST friends. Sound like someone?

That’s one of the reasons that Byler will be such powerful, meaningful, representation (aside from just being the only logical explanation for Mike’s weird actions). Byler becoming canon will give hope and provide a voice for the millions of LGBTQ+ kids out there who don’t fit a stereotype or society’s pre-conceived notions but who just happen to not be straight. Mike Wheeler will join Nick Nelson as one of the best LGBTQ+ teens EVER on screen. It will be a cultural reset. And it will hopefully open people’s minds to the beautiful tapestry of humanity. A love story so pure, so beautiful, and so overwhelming that the boy who tried so hard to be “normal” and to deny his feelings for his best friend and the boy who survived bullies, a week in a hellish alternate dimension, and a possession that took over his mind and body had no choice but to go crazy together.

[vodkababy]

cupid’s arrows 🏹 ˚₊· ͟͟͞➳❥

finn wolfhard x actress! fem! reader

fluff 😎😎 [ finally thought of a fluff fic, took me an hour to write wtf ]

warnings: none! 🩰🎀

fits of laughter was heard across the set, they were filming the movie “it.” finn wolfhard and y/n l/n playing as richie tozier and melissa campbell. the popular girl and the loser boy trope. they were probably the ones that the whole cast team would think to date after a couple years.

richie was a part of the losers club. melissa was a friend of greta keene’s. she wasn’t that mean though, she was bearable for the losers club.

“y/n, catch!”

she got uh— she got hit by a ball. she was too busy talking to wyatt, about some new nintendo game that she was planning to buy. her head snapped turning towards finn, with a large smile plastered on his face.

“finn what the fuck, my hair!”

“oops, i did it again.” he danced, dancing the moves as he’s seen from the music video a couple of times.

“stop with the britney jokes!” she was so irritated by finn, but she was basically his best friend on set, and so was he.

finn knew in the best ways possible, on how to tease you. he teased you with the topics of your favorite singer, actor, color, even your own favorite show. or your book. it would always go;

“y/n what drink are you getting, ariana grande or ariana venti?”

“y/n i can’t believe you like waffles more than pancakes, wait— are you attracted to them? waffles are just pancakes with abs.”

and she’d just reply with a very sarcastic laugh. or a genuine one. it depends on how she takes the joke. finn loved seeing her smile, it made him feel great deep inside that he was able to make a pretty girl like you, smile.

every time after an interview, she’d either spend dinner by his. well his mom always insisted. and then it’d lead to a sleepover. and you guys making little vine videos. y/n and finn had a really great friendship.

just to let you know, reader. finn knew jaeden liked y/n. but finn liked her too, i mean as a friend! nothing more, totally nothing more.

well that kinda changed when she started doing more movies, like where she appeared on shazam, spider-man far away from home, let’s just say that y/n was in the acting market in 2019.

she started getting more developed, her looks and herself. and then she landed a role in the third season of stranger things. basically finn’s show. and whenever her character, courtney and mike would have an interaction, filming would be hard. they couldn’t stop laughing at each other. they were like millie and noah basically.

“mom! get off the phone!”

they had to retake that scene so many times because of the way finn and y/n laughed every time he screamed those words into the prop telephone. that’s how he took notice of the way she laughed, and that his feelings would never change for her.

“so y/n and finn, you guys were in it together right?” they were in the tonight show with jimmy fallon right now, y/n sat next to finn and sadie.

“yeah i was richie like the little kid with the glasses and she was—“

“i was melissa! like the girl with the really high ponytail and winked at richie so randomly—“

“how do you even wink like that!? like, like my face has to come with the wink whenever i try it” finn laughed along with gaten, caleb, and jimmy. remembering the part in the it movie where she’d done that.

jimmy thought y/n and finn had chemistry. the way she’d look at him and the way he did. he whispered that to finn when the show was over, he couldn’t sleep that night. he couldn’t stop thinking about what jimmy said. it really made him think that he had a chance with y/n.

more interviews come by, and he always takes notice of what she’s wearing, how her hair was done, how her makeup was done, how her eyes would always look at his and smile.

y/n feels the same, she likes finn. she notices that he always looks at her, scanning her clothes, scanning her hair, then meeting her eyes. maybe finn felt the same? she thought.

they start to hang out a lot more, they surprisingly get roles in the same shows. even in music videos. she always comes over by his house for a sleepover every weekend. basically they made it tradition. he couldn’t help but stare at her sleeping figure whenever y/n’s head drifted onto dreamland earlier than him. she looked so peaceful. she looked so beautiful to him.

they did a music video with weezer. well, weezer was their favorite band. surprisingly, they wanted it to be his band, calpurnia. but finn insisted to add her in as it was probably a dream come true. they were playing as teenagers in the 80’s. well, they always did whenever they had a pretty big movie to act on.

time went past by, for filming it chapter 2. richie and melissa as adults reunite in a drugstore by accident. as for y/n and finn’s part, richie and melissa were going out over for ice cream after henry bowers shames him for playing street fighter with his cousin and then, pennywise sprawls in the sky as they go out of the ice cream shop as a flash back. most of the cast had girlfriends. wyatt, jaeden, jack, and ben.

“when are you gonna ask y/n out?” wyatt plays his game right beside finn. he was planning to, but the timing, it was terrible.

“dunno. i really wanna ask her out but i don’t think it’s like— like it’s time yet.”

“finnjamin, you need to ask her out. i mean atleast jaeden isn’t all eyes for her anymore! you got no competition. take the chance dude” jack said as he was eating a burger. finn was rethinking everything, was he gonna do it?

and eventually to stranger things season 4. filming was long. it took 2 years to come out, and as long how filming sounded, it was the most fun she’s had in filming a show for so long. finn, finn enjoyed that 2 years for spending time with her. well in some parts, because basically mike is now an angsty teenager towards courtney. courtney’s a part of the cheerleading team now, and lucas was in the basketball ball team. whenever mike interacted with courtney, it was either he was with some annoyed expression or a poker face. as for courtney, she’s pretty sad. girl starts to do terrible choices in the show leading to her in the upside down.

and finn eventually confessed his feelings for y/n. and she did the same. they were a match made in heaven, cupid hit the right arrows for them. they were the dream couple,

and she was his dream lover.

bye this took an hour of listening to music for inspo and an hour to write💀💀

[nowmemoriees]

If you ever doubt of Byler being endgame remember that:

- crazy together scene was written even before season 1 was released

- El was supposed to d1e in that season

- byler has been paralleled multiple times with canon healthy couples, while milev3n has been paralelled to unhappy couples.

- asking Will to be his friend was the best thing Mike has ever done. he chose it. it was not just dumb luck.

- Will's first word to Mike was "yes", while El's first word to Mike was "no".

- They've been music and color coded throughout the whole series.

this is still relevant since Blue and Yellow code had been brought up again after s4v2 was released.

all the character's official playlists were deleted from spotify except for Mike and Will's ones respectively.

- Hawkins is not the same for Mike without Will.

- Mike and Will's friendship had always received a diferent treatment in the series, like something apart, something else.

- Mike's room/basement walls are full of Will's art.

- Mike always prioritized Will before anyone. He always apologized to Will first, he always made sure Will was okay first.

- s5 is going to include many season 2 ideas and follow season 1 dynamic. we all know what that means.

- Byler had even been developed in a deeper way in official COMICS AND VIDEOGAMES.

- Mike called Will a lot of times while he was in California, even when nobody called back.

- Mike cannot have a strong relationship with Will and El at the same time, curiously, it's always one or the other. The difference is that, one of them is not as healthy as it should be, even when they're -in a good moment-

- I've mentioned a lot of Mike's stuff about his feelings for Will when the one who's supposed to be canonically in love is Will lmao. There's like literally a ton of proof that Mike is in love with Will and... barely any of Will being in love with Mike.

- no words just this scene

- Mike wouldn't have said ILY to El if Will didn't impulse him to.

- Mike actually loves Will's feelings, his needing and his fear of losing him. Mike was impulsed by those feelings, his whole monologue/confession was just a response to them.

- Official sources in social media like Netflix posted/commented many byler hints after season 4 was released. (and they also post some stuff shitting on milev3n, it's just interesting..🤨)

- Byler followed so many romantic tropes since season 3: interrumptions, miscommunication, uncertainty, denial, love triangles, etc. They wouldn't have done this much for a friendship.

plus: they wouldn't have spent so much money in those scenes and scenery for nothing.

- season 3 finale. 4 pics one word: realization.

- mike & el are NOT in good terms at the end of s4. or at least, not romantically, while Mike & Will finally got as close as how they were before.

- finn & noah had to do a CHEMISTRY TEST for stranger things, something that they didn't had to do with Caleb or Gaten.

good night besties, smile, remember everyday is a new day where we're closer to finally see Byler becoming canon. :)

[novalunosiss]

It’s almost been 24 hours since vol 2 came out and I’m still super pissed off, so here’s a list of everything wrong in volume 2.

Byler. Queerbait of the fucking century??? I would’ve been significantly less upset if they hadn’t advertised/marketed it so hard during pride month. And making the queer kid the sad gay vessel through which the straight couple thrives is nothing short of homophobic.

The deaths. They advertised this season as being particularly dangerous/full of death, which was a straight up lie. The only people who died were either antagonists or minor background characters, with the exception of Eddie (though it was extremely obvious from the start that he was canon fodder, much like Bob- despite how much I liked Eddie’s character, there was never a doubt in my mind that he wasn’t going to die.)

Max’s “death”. So I know I just did a section on the deaths but this one pissed me off so much I had to give it it’s own seperate section. Max’s “death” was a total copout. Don’t get me wrong, I love her character. But I wish she did die. Having someone die and be brought back to life is such a terrible, cliche, overused trope. It’s too safe of a choice. Where is the danger? I want to actually be scared that the characters I love might not make it out alive. And since when could El bring people back to life? That’s never been explored in the show before, making it completely out of place and confusing when watching the scene. Having Max die would’ve been impactful, and shown to the audience that any of the characters can die, not just new ones, or unimportant background ones. It would’ve raised the stakes! The scene where she “died” was heartbreaking and powerful, but then they negated that by bringing her back to life, rendering the scene pointless. They either should’ve actually genuinely killed her, or not have her “die” at all. Having that “in-between” sort of situation where she technically died, but came back to life (albeit in a coma) was super flaky, and imo, bad writing.

Speaking of bad writing, the time skip! This is genuinely one of the worst things I’ve seen implemented in the show. I generally don’t like time skips anyway, but at least the one at the end of s3 made sense. The main drama of that season was resolved, and they needed to show the Byers moving away. The time skip this season, however, made 0 fucking sense. The drama hadn’t been resolved, it just skipped like half of the climax and the entirety of the falling action, and went straight to the resolution (which wasn’t even a resolution at all). 2 days is a pretty big time skip to implement after skipping half the climax. What happened during those two days??? It was confusing as fuck, and none of the characters actions/behaviour during the “resolution” phase of the story made sense, maybe with the exception of Dustin and Lucas, who were shown to be grieving unlike almost everyone else. You’re telling me that Nancy, Robin and Steve just fought fucking Vecna, almost died, and some of their friends did die (if you count Max) and two days later they’re happily packing up a bunch of old belongings to donate, without a care in the world? And during that scene, there seemed to be little to no concern about Mike’s whereabouts from the entire Wheeler family until he actually showed up. They mentioned they’d been trying to contact them for days, but nothing about their demeanour beforehand implied concern.

The monologue. Need I even say more? It was cheesy, cringey, and made no narrative sense. The reasoning Mike gave for being unable to tell El he loved her was one of the stupidest reasons I’ve seen in media, ever. Where was the “amazing monologue” we were promised by the Duffers? That sure as hell isn’t what I’d call amazing. Finn is a great actor, and he’s done amazing monologues before (*cough cough*, the shed scene) so that isn’t on him, it’s on the shitty script. “I feel like my life first started when I met you in the woods”? Bullshit, and such a cruel thing to say in front of Will, who’s life was literally turned upside down on the exact same day. “I loved you since the moment I saw you”? Love at first sight is a cringey trope. Mike was 12 when he first met Eleven. He probably didn’t even know the meaning of love, especially when you take a look at how dysfunctional his parents marriage is/Nancy, his older sisters relationship at the time was. Also, how can he say he loved her the moment he saw her when he spent most of s1 trying to get rid of her (saying he was going to send her back to pennhurst) and calling her a “weapon”? El could’ve found strength to beat Vecna in something far more significant than a teenage boy telling her he loves her, but noooo.

Will’s painting. I really feel like I don’t have to elaborate on this one. It just fucking sucked. They built it up like it was going to be some really important declaration of love from Will to Mike, only to have it be used to help further Mileven. Also the actual painting was ass, and all the fan theories about it were way better and more meaningful. (Like the idea we all had of the swingset where Mike and Will first met, or even just a painting of the two of them as their D&D characters, but SEPERATE from the rest of the group so it was actually obvious what the painting meant.)

The upside down thing with Henry?? I don’t even know what’s going on there. It was super confusing. Is the mind flayer actually Henry? Did El create the upside down or was it there before? Why did it look like that when Henry first got sent there, but looks like Hawkins now? I know they’ll likely answer these questions next season, but there’s just too many questions and knowing now how shit the duffers are at writing, I doubt they’ll all be answered satisfactorily.

The terrible character development. By that, I mean that there was none. Literally no characters had any development. They were all exactly the same as they were at the start of the season. El is still dependent on Mike/isn’t her own person. Mike is still a fucking asshole who treats his friends like shit. Will is still in the closet and hiding his true feelings from everyone around him. Nancy and Jonathan are still lying to each other. Steve is still pining after Nancy. Robin is still pining after Vickie. I could go on and on.

The Duffers hate minorities + poor people. Will and Robin, the two queer characters, don’t get well rounded love interests like all of the straight characters, and Will in particular is made to suffer constantly. Lucas and Erica, the two black characters, are both physically assaulted. Max and Eddie, the two poorest characters, who are living in a trailer park, fucking die. (from @hellfireds) Oh, also? The Duffers filmed parts of s4 in a fucking Nazi prison, where Jewish people were held against their wills and killed. (from @artmuseumsandoldbooks)

I’m going to keep updating this list as I think of more things that are wrong with vol 2. There’s already so many things I could add if I decided to include the shit wrong with vol 1 as well, but vol 2 was significantly worse so I’m just gonna stick to that. Feel free to suggest anything else I should add to the list

In conclusion, FUCK THE DUFFERS

[queerxqueen]

byler crumbs from the cast & crew masterpost w/ sources

I’ve freaked out as these moments have happened over the months but I thought I’d track down and compile it all with the sources to give my fellow Bylers a daily dose of optimism.

About Will

David Harbour & Finn Wolfhard - “He’s interested in someone else in the group.” “Yeah, you’ll see soon who he’s interested in.” “Very interested.” (x)

Noah Schnapp - “I don’t think it just came to be, they’re very smart, the Duffers, they outline everything from the beginning. ... They definitely know where they want to go with Will.” (x)

Duffer Brothers - And Will’s sexuality will be [addressed in vol. 2]...? “--Yes!” (x)

Noah Schnapp - “It was always kind of there, but you never really knew, is it just him growing up slower than his friends? Now that he’s gotten older, they made it a very real, obvious thing. Now it’s 100% clear that he is gay and he does love Mike.” (x)

About Mike

Finn Wolfhard - “I think Mike’s just trying to be as normal as possible, and try to keep on a normal path. He might be into some new things, he might be a little more rebellious this year.” (x)

Finn Wolfhard - “There’s a lot of things they both have to learn about themselves, Eleven and Mike, especially for Mike, in order to have proper, like, the love Eleven wants him to give, and in all his relationships in general. It’s kind of a coming of age story within this crazy horror thing.” (x)

Finn Wolfhard - “I think Mike, like, learns a lot about himself, and a lot about how he sees his relationships with people, and yeah… a lot of understanding and growth.” (x)

Finn Wolfhard - “This season is about personal self growth when it comes to Mike and Eleven’s relationship. I think they’re finding out a lot about themselves that they wouldn’t normally know.” (x)

About Mike & Will

Finn Wolfhard - “Yeah. I think you find out slowly through the season, Will’s kind of love towards Mike and I think it’s a really beautiful thing.” How will Mike handle that? “I don’t think he really knows, I think he’s pretty clueless, but I think there’s a mu- probably a mutual understanding and acceptance.” (x)

Finn Wolfhard - *gets super flustered and keeps looking off screen when asked about Byler* “I don’t know, I’m not sure, I wouldn’t know, I, um, I don’t know really, ‘cause, um, we’re pretty early and. I’m not sure, yeah.” (x)

Charlie Heaton - “There’s definitely moments this season where they [Will & Mike] have been closer, and obviously the poster, he [Jonathan] notices he [Will] doesn’t give it to him [Mike].” (x)

Noah Schnapp - “Obviously Byler is just at its peak right now, they’re building that up, so definitely ship that.” (x)

Noah Schnapp - “They have to keep going, they can’t just end it there. In episode 8 you see Mike and him talk, it’s pretty sad. Then in episode 9 there’s an amazing scene…. you’ll have to see.” (x)

Noah Schnapp - Describes season 4 as “unexpected” and “romantic.” (x)

Noah Schnapp - “I mean, I think he wants his friend, obviously. They kind of lost that, they’re obviously super distant. But I think they’re hinting at something a little more, so I guess we’ll have to sit and see.” (x)

Little Details Matter in Stranger Things

Shawn Levy, Executive Producer - “I’ll just say that there aren’t many accidents on ‘Stranger Things,' ... There is clear intention and strategy and real thought given to each and every character. So, if you came away from Volume 1 feeling those bread crumbs of plot and character, it’s probably no accident.” (x)

Dean Zimmerman, Editor - “Like anything, it’s all those invisible decisions, those millions of decisions we make every day. Should I hang on this this long, should I cut to something, you know?” (x)

Amy Parris, Costume Designer - “So, even if you don’t see a detail, it’s there!” (x)

Amy Parris, Costume Designer - [About Robin,] “I added some triangles and equality symbols to kind of have an easter egg that there’s some LGBTQ+ imagery.” (x)

Jeff T, Subtitles Author - [About “tender emotional music” subtitle] “But going back to the leitmotifs, I really liked using ‘tender emotional music plays.’ Because it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s Joyce and Hopper,’ and it connects these moments of intimacy between characters. Our captions don’t have to be flashy, but they have to speak to the truth of the moment, and I really enjoyed using that consistently.” (x)

Leading toward Season 5

Duffer Brothers - "Going back to the original group of boys plus Eleven, the OG group. And again that's kind of setting up us coming full circle back to season 1 and you'll see that with a couple of the character arcs, not just with Will. Things are not fully resolved. The characters have maybe made steps but the journey isn't over yet and all of that is gonna play a huge role as we wrap this thing up.” (x)

[justasimp1]

Finn Wolfhard x F! Reader

Fluff, Actress/Famous AU ☆

Florescent

It was a normal interview so far for the Stranger Things cast. Regular sly questions trying to find out more on the upcoming volume. The whole time you found your eyes drifting to Finn. His smile and stance are so intoxicating.

"So what about you, Y/N?" The interviewer cued the cameras toward you. Everyone's eyes glanced over at you, Finn included. The corners of his mouth slightly turned up when he made eye contact with you.

"Uh- Yeah. Filming this season has been an adventure...sometimes you think you become a part of the viewers because you are also watching the story unfold" You removed your eyes from Finn and towards the camera.

"Are you implying the Duffer brothers don't inform you fully?" The interviewer adjusted his voice. "Yes and no. It's like watching the show, you hear the script, and have your predictions, but you still are following that storyline" You smiled, feeling Finn's breath on your ear.

'Fuck why did he have to sit next to me?" You bit your bottom lip keeping the emotion from showing on your cheeks.

"I agree, even though I'm the actress playing the character, I feel like I connect to the story" Sadie chuckled, causing a chain of "Me too's". The man, positioned in the interviewer chair, shifted his index cards.

"With this new season comes sprouting romance. For instance, Will pining after Mike and we even get a glimpse of Argyle and Susie's older sister. Some fans have noticed--more like created a thing called screen tension, where the 2 actors in a scene have tension rather than the characters"

You're eyebrows quirked at the new phrase. You glanced around to look at everyone's reactions. Finn's eyes seemed trained on you, he smiled when you looked at him. Almost as if time stopped and your heart sped to the future.

You studied his expression, adornment no, infatuation no we're just cast members. You swallowed the lodge in your throat, pulling your attention away. Finn's smile slumped down in confusion, he wished he could read your thoughts.

"Kind of like Y/N and Finn~" Millie teased, her voice perking up. You smiled, feeling your cheeks temperature slip from your fingers. "Perfect example!" Noah clapped while laughing.

The group exchanged looks. "No me and Y/N are the opposite of scene tension. I don't even think about her that way or look at her that way..." Mike furiously blushed as he awkwardly scratched his nape. His eyes going to you, looking for reinsurance.

"I don't know- Season 1 and 2 Finn would say differently" Millie chimed, grinning. "What would 12-year-old Finn say?" You questioned out of pure curiosity.

"Can we please move on?" Finn flexed his jaw, looking at the interviewer. Everyone (besides you) seemed to have past knowledge on this joke. They laughed, mutually agreeing that flustering Finn on LIVE tv wasn't the best decision.

_________________________________

You're body guards helped your walk out the crowded door. Fans lined the street, waving, throwing notes and flowers. "Oh Y/N!" Finn grabbed onto your arm, pulling you at his side. "Can we talk?" Finn looked up at a person pointing a camera at you.

You nodded, taking his hand and pulling him closer for the photo. The photographer shared his gratitude. You waved toward the last group of fans before reaching your black SUV.

Finn reached for the door, holding it open for you. You got in, turning in the seat to wait for Finn. "So what is it?" You pushed his brunette curls out of his face. "What Millie said in the interview-"

"It was just a joke, we are very close friends it was bound to happen" You shrugged. "...It wasn't and you deserve to know at least. But when I was younger I had this stupid crush on you" Finn laughed, rubbing his palms over his pants.

You went stunned. "Really?" Were the only words that could mutter out. "Yeah. And I still do" Finn's smile faltered when he saw your eyebrows raise. "I wanted to tell you myself before Millie did"

Finn grasped the door handle. You tugged his shirt, pulling him back with one hand and cupped his cheek with the other. Your lips touch his, they were soft, slightly thin. But the emotion swirling through one exchange had your heart racing.

You poked your tongue at his bottom lip, pushing your lips deeper onto his. His hands lingered over your waist. "I do too" You mumbled, averting your eyes away from the contact.

"Can I kiss you again?" Finn stuttered, pulling your face back into his view. "Anytime" You replied, leaning into his touch.

Masterlist

[mlchaelwheeler]

Cast interviews + bts that just doesn't add up

Finn about byler: "There's a mutual acceptance and understanding."

Noah about byler: "They're really building that up, so definitely ship that."

Noah about byler: "Episode 8 is really sad, but in episode 9 there's this amazing scene..."

Charlie about byler: "There was an emotional scene between Mike and Will that had me in tears."

Finn about Mike: "I don't know, he might be into some new things."

David and Finn: giggling happily while implying Will has a crush on Mike.

Noah wearing a harness and having stunt doubles at the roller rink.

Lonnie's actor being present at a S4 table read.

Early S4 news calling it "the season of Schnapp."

The Duffers about Will: "His sexuality will be addressed."

[loverslakes]

nothing pisses me off more than them saying that bylers don’t consider mike’s feelings or happiness at all, only treating him as a tool for will’s happy ending.

because like???? that’s just not true *mike voice*

ever since s2, they’ve written will’s character as offering mike exactly what he’s looking for/needs/wants.

the duffers (+finn) said it best: in s2 mike felt like a loner, he felt like he didn’t really have a place after the trauma of s1. mike was having trouble moving on, and so was will, and they were drawn to each other, will becoming a safe place for mike, will giving mike a purpose.

in s3, mike was immersed in dating el, and had given up on some hobbies he used to enjoy. he’s very focused on being “right” for el, eager to listen to lucas and follow the status quo on how boyfriends and girlfriends are supposed to act. many of the things he denied in the fight with will were contradicted later on:

“we’re not kids anymore.” —> getting giddy about opening and playing with new presents at christmas time but then being kinda embarrassed about acting like that in front of el

making will feel bad about wanting to play dnd + “what did you think? that we were just gonna sit in my basement and play games for the rest of our lives?” —> literally sits in the basement playing video games after the byers leave and joins a new dnd club, clearly so into it still

will’s response of “i guess i did, i really did” just emphasizes the fact that the things that mike actually wanted that he was suppressing for whatever reason, will wanted too, and the entire season was offering mike a safe place AGAIN for mike to be himself. mike just doesn’t accept it in time.

and in s4, mike feels insecure, unworthy of love, and unsure of where his identity is if el doesn’t need him. and will’s response is basically “i hear you, understand you, here’s everything good about you, i’m so lost without you, you inspire everyone around you, and you’ll always be needed by me because i love you.” will’s feelings for mike made mike feel so validated and loved. regardless of what mike thought will meant, it’s canon that again, will is offering exactly what mike needs and desires.

like yes, canonically will byers being in a relationship with mike would obviously be his happy ending. but on mike’s side it is VERY fleshed out, don’t forget that please and thank you love you bye

[gayofthefae]

I knew he said "trying to be normal" but I forgot Finn said Mike "might be into some new things" in season 4 💀.

To recap, he was adamantly against trying anything new - be it basketball or breakfast burritos, tried to tell El he loved her - which he also did last year, and spent time with Will

hmm I wonder what "new things" he could be "into"

[crysta1ized]

i can’t even doubt byler happening this season anymore!!

finn said mike is trying to be normal (loving 11) but can’t seem to do it apparently and he also might be into some new things:

charlie said in an interview: « you guys (finn & noah) have beautiful scenes this year where you kinda open up and you share. there’s an amazing scene this season and i remember watching you filming it and i was like oh. »

they acknowledged will’s love for mike in this same interview and finn himself said « will’s kind of love towards mike (..) and i think it’s a really beautiful thing. »

david (aka hopper) said s4 has a beautiful ending which concludes something that has been going this s1. clues and easter eggs have been given along the seasons to discover what it is.

he also acknowledged (him too!!!) will’s love for mike, with finn backing him up after that:

there’s also noah tweeting and telling a crowd that he ships byler or finn reposting in his insta story byler content-

[strawberrybyers]

every new interview i have seen of the stranger things cast or the duffers in the past month has something that is alluding to byler being canon. everyone can have whatever thoughts they want, but at this point i actually do believe everything we’ve been saying is true and if it ends up not being true, then i’ll have to deal with my own disappointment. but i have tbh i don’t think i will end up being disappointed.

there’s just something about the casts’ reactions to byler or will’s feelings while promoting s4 that seem too giddy. i’m sorry but there’s no way that any of these people would feel that way if will ends up sad and alone, especially with the van scene being very emotional and will expressing feelings that are very vulnerable that a lot of people can relate to. you really think they’d be giddy about a gay character expressing that he feels like a mistake and that the boy who he is in love with doesn’t make him feel like he’s different, only for that same boy to reject him? no way.

we also have finn and noah doing no promo together when all their scenes are TOGETHER. they have some very emotional scenes too. like wouldn’t it be reasonable to put these two cast mates together in an interview to talk about the airport scene, the rink o’mania scene, the “cool” “cool” scene, the “it’s hard to tell the truth” scene, the van scene, i mean ESPECIALLY the van scene. i’m thinking they aren’t really talking about it because if they do then that will require finn to answer as to why mike has been acting the way he has which will then give away that mike is repressed and has feelings for will. and if the duffers are writing this correctly, then they’re going to want s5 to be the season that gives the audience true insight into mike and how they’ve been building byler up from the beginning.

it’s been said that they filmed the van scene multiple times and wanted different angles of it. if you’re wanting a scene to be excellent and a pivotal moment in the storytelling then you’re going to want multiple versions of it. it’s noah’s moment. he’s the one talking. he’s the one having to act verbally and physically, whereas finn’s job was just to react physically. we’ve been analyzing his facial expressions in that scene and we all agree that something is definitely going through mike’s mind. they needed this scene to be executed a certain way, not only because it was an important emotional moment for will’s character, but because it’s also telling us something about mike’s character. just like they had to show jonathan’s pov through the rear-view mirror to lead to him and will’s convo at the pizza shop, they were showing specific reactions of mike to tell us something in that moment that is going to lead to byler in s5. the duffers are on a budget and a time schedule they’re not going to film scenes multiple times just for the hell of it.

when it comes to mike’s monologue to el, they let finn improvise. an actor improvising isn’t uncommon, but i do know from watching interviews of directors and casts, that when they want a scene to be telling something very specific that they usually rehearse it, stick to the script, and have multiple versions of it. yes, an actor can still improvise and it be used in the final cut, but only if it makes the scene even better and is still telling that very specific thing the director is wanting. i think if the duffers wanted this monologue to be the biggest development in mikeven’s relationship and tell the audience this is it. this is the couple that’s been through their trials and tribulations, but now it’s known they love each other and we’re not going to include anymore conflict that doubts their relationship, then it would’ve been given the same energy as the van scene. but it wasn’t. most people, regardless of what they ship, picked up on the fact that mike’s monologue seems off. if the duffers didn’t like what finn improvised because it was saying something other than what needed to be said in that moment about mikeven’s relationship, then they would’ve just used a cut of him sticking to the script or had him reshoot, but no they used finn’s improvised dialogue which had the audience questioning if mike really does love el. the season starts off with the audience not knowing why mike can’t tell el he loves her, but then we’re ending the season still unsure if he loves her? why is that? WELL, i think i know!

there’s just so much that goes into creating a tv show or film. we’ve seen the interviews of costume designers adding details that say something specifically about the character. we know set designers create the set to tell something about the storyline or if for example, it’s a character’s bedroom then they’re going to put details that tell something about the character. we know composers create the score by reading the script and viewing certain scenes. you aren’t only learning about a character through their dialogue. you are learning about them through their body language, their environment, their interactions with other characters, their clothes, and even the very technical things such as the lighting, coloring, angles, placements of the actors, the score…

also, we know the duffers went through multiple versions of the painting. i truly believe the painting played its role in s4, but will be coming back in s5 because mike is going to find out the truth about it and that will begin his journey of self-acceptance and fully coming to terms with the fact that he loves will. if the painting wasn’t important, then why waste an artist’s time by having them create multiple versions of it when will could’ve said what he said without it? i honestly don’t think the painting was necessary in the van scene if we aren’t getting byler, but if we’re getting byler, then hell yeah that painting is super important!

i’m just saying this show has a script, directors, directors directing the actors using the script, gets edited by editors, gets the edit reviewed by the directors and producers before deciding on a final cut. if theres’s all these details we’ve noticed, which i’m not going to list because there’s too many, but if we noticed them then just think about how all of that was included and agreed on by multiple people while filming the show and editing it into a final cut. you think all these people revising stranger things before releasing it are looking at mike and will’s scenes not seeing what we’re seeing? no freaking way. everything is there and shown the way it is because byler is canon in s5. i’m sure of it.

[wakeupthemembersofbylernation]

Just say you hate Eleven don’t beat around the bush with listing all the reasons Will deserves a prize. “deserves the boy he loves” right and where does Mikes feelings coming into that exactly? So far I’ve learned there two sets of fans the ones who fancy finn and want to see him kiss boys as some weird fantasy and the others who adore Will and feel he deserves what he wants without thinking of the other party.

Only in the ST fandom can someone take a reasonable sentence like, “After four seasons of trauma, Will deserves a happy ending” and utterly twist it to mean, “I hate El and want her to be alone and miserable grrr.” It’s also wild how you can glean “Will deserves a prize” from my words when that’s not at all what I said. I don’t see Mike as a “prize” for Will. That’d be ridiculous. I see them as equals- because that’s what they are: lifelong best friends who’ve been through so much, consistently put each other first, and have made multiple beautiful promises to each other.

“But you said, ‘Will has suffered so much and deserves a happy ending with the boy he loves.’ How is that not proving my point?” Yes, I did say that, and I would say it again in a heartbeat. Will has suffered so much. Here’s a refresher on just some of his trauma. Given the context of everything, given the significance of Will’s sexuality to both his coming-of-age journey and the 80s, it would be genuinely cruel to not give him a happy ending. And it’s not Byler shippers on the Internet, but the show itself, that has consistently tied this happy ending to Mike. It’s been reinforced in every season, and the writers and filmmakers doubled-down on it in Season 4 through the van scene and through aggressively inserting Will into every Milkvan scene so that he’s always on your mind. S3 brought up their hypothetical question of the future through the rain fight, and it also had Will very specifically saying, “I’m not gonna fall in love.” This was not placed in the show so he could be proven right in S5 when Mike iNeViTaBlY rejects him. Be serious.

As I said in my post, this has nothing to do with thinking unreciprocated storylines don’t serve a purpose in media. Obviously they do! Stranger Things has given us a few: Dustin and Max, Steve and Robin, and Steve and Nancy (after they broke up). It is also given us another which I will talk about in a second, although this one comes with a twist. Dustin was crushing on the attractive new girl in school, as was Lucas. Max chose Lucas and fell for him. Dustin was sad about it, sure. The Snowball dance emphasized his general sadness as well as his unluckiness with girls at the time. Narratively, dancing with Nancy was the healing moment he needed to move on. It propelled his character to his Season 3 glow up, where he surprises his friends with news that he is dating Suzie. Dustin liked Max, but he wasn’t in love with Max, built upon a lifelong friendship. The situation is just structurally different.

Steve and Robin? Well, you know the story. Steve developed feelings for Robin (after Dustin pushed him in that direction, I might add) over the course of S3. But Robin was like, “Psyche! I’m a lesbian. Let’s be best friends,” and platonic Stobin was born. Notice there was no grief on Steve’s part. Steve was shocked, sure, but he wasn’t heartbroken. He bounced back in a heartbeat and fully accepted her sexuality. And then the season ends with their friendship shenanigans at the video store. Again, this was a crush. And it had a very interesting plot twist at the end of it. And it served a very specific purpose in Steve’s journey.

In terms of Steve and Nancy, there was more heartbreak involved, since they were actually dating. And in S4, it’s clear that Steve has never fully gotten over Nancy, or at least he thinks he hasn’t gotten over her. But narratively, this just serves a fundamentally different purpose than the situation between Mike and Will. Steve believes he needs romantic love to be happy, so his arc is accepting that he doesn’t. Also, as a presumed straight character (even though I love the bi Steve HCs), he doesn’t have the same kind of existential crisis that Will, a sad gay boy in the 80s, does.

The fourth unreciprocated storyline is an interesting one cause it’s not actually unreciprocated at all. It just seems that way. And of course, I’m talking about Robin and Vickie. Robin has feelings for Vickie, but when she sees Vickie with her boyfriend Dan, she assumes all hope is lost. But alas, all hope is not lost! Vickie is queer too and has feelings for Robin as well. You just have to take off your heteronormative glasses to recognize it. Sound similar to something else?

I bring this up because while Byler shares surface-level similarities to these other unrequited storylines, it visually parallels the situation with Robin and Vickie. So don’t be surprised when Mike, like Vickie, turns out not to be straight. And character wise, it’s deeper than all the other examples by miles. Dustin got over Max, Steve got over Robin, Steve is just looking for any girlfriend tbh, and S4 showed Robin getting over Vickie before the plot twist. Will and Mike are lifelong best friends, and a slow-burn rejection arc would not only make no sense, in-universe it would structurally derail Byler’s powerful connection and interrupt key plots already in motion during the apocalypse.

You forget that these aren’t real people. They are characters. In real life, sure, sometimes you don’t get what you want. Sometimes gay kids fall in love with their lifelong straight best friends, get gently rejected, and then life goes on eventually. In real life, saying, “But I have suffered, so you must love me back,” would be insane. And Will agrees. The homewrecker allegations need to stop. In the context of the show, Will doesn’t think that Mike loves him back. He doesn’t think love can be for boys like him. It rips him apart and tears him inside for sure, but all throughout S4 he’s the one trying to repair his bestie’s relationship while being madly in love with him. Will thinks he will be forever alone, and your argument is that he should be proven right?

Of course, I adore Will. He’s my favorite character, and I’m a proud member of the Willuminati. The shoe fits, and I will wear it. But I saw this Tweet today that I had to screenshot, and it applies directly to the subtext of your ask:

No one should find it strange or delusional or creepy that people ship Will with the boy he’s into. Calling it a “weird fantasy” in any context is inherently homophobic and weird behavior. You simply would not say that about any other ship in the show. Admit that you find queerness icky. Don’t hide behind faux concern for El.

Lastly, I must directly respond to your question,“Where do Mike’s feelings come into that exactly? Why do Bylers feel Will deserves what he wants without thinking of the other party?”

What are you even saying? Accusing Bylers of not thinking about Mike is the strangest accusation considering there are 50 essays per day posted on this app diving into the psychology of Mike. Mike’s feelings are powerful. Mike’s feelings are important. I could just as easily have written a post that said, ��After everything Mike has been through, he deserves a happy ending with the boy he loves” because Mike clearly loves Will. It is overflowing out of him. If you analyze and “think of the other party” as you put it, it becomes crystal-clear where Mike’s feelings come into play and what his happy ending is. Hint: it’s not with the girl he can’t even write ILY to.

I could have written about Mike, but my post was about Will, who is canonically gay, deeply traumatized, and whose sexuality is not in doubt. Will deserves a happy ending. “But El is also traumatized, and she deserves a happy ending as well.” Agreed, but her happy ending and the overall trajectory of her character arc simply do not center Mike. El’s arc is rooted in her independence, and I could do a deep-dive analysis comparing and contrasting Will and El and explaining why romantic love is central to Will’s endgame but not to El’s. But I’m sure there are fifty of those already on this platform. I want Mike, Will, and El to all have happy endings.

Anyway, Byler endgame.

[sapphicslut777]

stranger things rehearsal dream

i had a dream that it was a Lovely summer afternoon in someone’s grassy, fenced-in back yard.. and i was on the set of stranger things 5!! i was an assistant to one of the duffers. he had me taking notes on a yellow legal pad and i was watching some of the scenes being rehearsed.

at first it was just finn wofhard and i. and ross (or matt??) was describing to us that this first scene was a scene between mike and will, in some kind of pentagram/ritualistic circle. he explained to finn that mike would be speaking chinese and will, japanese. he said that both of them would be using old styles of wicca/magic against one another. and that they would both be powerful in their own ways.. finn was excited about the idea of the script and delivered his lines nicely :3

then there was a pause in rehearsals and finn came over to me to get some notes. we were talking through a glass/school door of some kind?? but he had his long curly mullet, and he was asking me if i thought his delivery of the lines was okay, and where we had left off in the script. i told him that i thought he was doing great and we had just left off with a memory of younger mike playing with some kind of dog???

then more of the stranger things cast started coming into the back yard, as the sun started to set. everyone was there! and i continued to take notes as the scenes went on.. it was almost like no one noticed me there, but they were aware why i was there (to take notes/give suggestions).

in the group scenes, it was understood that the actors were in a school/college club of someone kind, where only certain students were allowed in..

one of the duffers explained to the cast that this next scene was when a new character (guillermo from what we do in the shadows??) discovered some snake carcasses in a secret place, hidden from the club room. he explained that each character was to get attached to one of these snakes before they died and they would be devastated once they found out that the snakes were dead.

he also had (guillermo) make a fire in the backyard, where he was going to find the snakes were roasting and see what they had eaten. i had to make the fire bc i’m cool and everyone was impressed. and it was super windy and dark at that point. but the duffer (idk why it was just one brother?) told us that the only way we’d “solve the mystery” of how the snakes had died was that they had each eaten something that was only available from the club room of the college.

at first we saw them in these big tanks of water, and i never saw the snakes actually dead which was chill. but i remember taking lots of notes on my single page of yellow legal pad paper. one was an address and one was a quote… i can’t remember what the quote was that i wrote down. i think it was during finn’s reading of the first scene. but i underlined part of it bc i thought it was so important??

also noah schnapp was one of the only cast who wasn’t there? even in the scene where finn was practicing a mike/will scene.. it was only finn, me, and a duffer.

(i havent been able to remember this much of a dream in a Long Time. and im extremely interested to see if i somehow managed to predict any aspect of season 5, when it comes out?!?)