#i remember seeing someone on tiktok (a fully grown man!) say that he just stood by and watched while el was targeted at rink-o-mania

[cowlovely]

okay so the thing about mike is. he is a 15 year old boy raised by middle class republicans in the 80s. they have a debatable level of influence/presence in his life, and whatever influence is there is probably like. not great! he hasn’t really had many good role models growing up. and he is also literally 15. so i’m not surprised that he is not the most emotionally intelligent person and friend—even just with those two factors!

but THEN you add on the fact that from age 12, mike has been dealing with the people closest to him being in extreme mortal peril—sometimes to the point of thinking that they’re dead! for extended periods of time!! i don’t know about you, but i think that maybe would traumatize me a little! if i continued being put in really terrifying situations through my adolescence and saw everyone i cared about being put through the same (and often worse!), i maybe would not be the most well adjusted person. i maybe would even lash out or become a bit distant, or have a hard time processing and articulating my emotions well.

i recognize that all of the kids have gone through shit of varying degrees throughout the seasons, and not all of them have reacted the way mike seems to have, but jesus christ can we cut the kid a little slack?? he’s not even that bad. like he could be doing a LOT worse and i would still be saying all this. i don’t even feel like he’s at a point where i should need to go to bat for him like this.