#mike deserves better

[abisbookshelf]

mike wanting to have a mental breakdown after will didn’t laugh at his stupid sock joke is so hilarious to me for no reason

[crustyfloor]

NOBODY UNDERSTANDS THIS MAN

HES AWESOME

I KNOW HES A ASS BUT MY MANS DIDNT DESERVE TO BE VOTED TOP AS THE LEAST FAVORITE

CMON BYLERS/MIKE DEFENDERS GRAB THE SHOTGUNS 😡

[mad-eyes]

THIS IS THE WORST NEWS IVE EVER GOTTEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE.

[mikhardwheat]

Mike Wheeler Theory. DM to Paladin pipeline.

People here were talking about the reason why Vecna attacked only when Mike left the Hawkins. And how he was straightforwardly called "a heart" by Will later in the season.

He's the one holding the shield here, while everyone else backs him up. And while we have Lucas on the right, who was and is a Knight (warrior) too, Mike chose to be a Paladin (knight of honor).

Which is interesting, because:

He was DM before, right? He practically wrote the whole story while it was happening. (Also, it's worth mentioning that he canonically wants to be a writer).

And what happens after is: Will goes missing and Mike totally loses his mind, trying to find him. And then there's El, and he wants her to bring Will back, but the whole thing just keeps going down. Mike doesn't have control over the situation and it freaks him out

They, obviously, do not play DnD while Will is somewhere missing.

But when they get him back, and by the end of the s1 Mike's is DMing again (he is writing the story).

This got me thinking (I came up with this theory in September, so correct me if I'm wrong):

In s2 he's not constantly freaking out, despite El going missing. He's got his usual life back. Notably, he isn't playing, he DMs.

Now, we know Wheeler siblings are control freaks, right. They like when things go the way they want them to and hate the change, especially if it's an uncomfortable or/and an unexpected one.

Skipping 2nd season, in the 3rd season Mike isn't the one hosting the game, which, considering the two seasons and his personality, is weird.

Will does it instead, and Mike not only doesn't want to play, he makes a show out of how much he isn't interested in participating. 3rd season Mike doesn't have a leading position for the first time in the show, and we're just ignoring it somehow??

Or y'all figured it out and I'm just being slow. In any case...

4rd season Mike is the first one we get as a full-time player, and he choses a "Trusted Leader" (ref. the picture above). Safe option for his pride, if you ask me.

1st season again: Will throws the dice and gets 7 (meaning, Demogorgon takes him), and Lucas offers him to cheat, because Mike didn't see the number, but Will decides he'd tell him the truth.

Lucas said, Will could've lie and Mike wouldn't possibly know he did. This lie would've saved Will's life. And it doesn't have to do anything with Mike, who supposedly is in the lead. Because if Mike doesn't know, it didn't happen. Mike's influence goes as far as his knowledge goes.

Off-top: I also think, the dice scene was foreshadowing Will's fake death, because Mike didn't believe Will is dead even after he saw the body. Mike didn't witness Will die = Will is alive. Simple as that.

Finn said Mike's role was passive in s4 and he is right! Mike wasn't the one to initiate anything since s3 where he lost/abandoned his hosting privilege.

However, as I mentioned before, in s4 Mike is a player (both in ell Fire and in real life). As soon as El gets taken away - she was the reason he stopped playing, keep that in mind - he starts doing conscious decisions again. He plays the game.

El's "From El" letter hit him hard not only because it was his own medicine shoved down his throat. He is forced to "look at the table".

He has been clearly avoiding his responsibilities before, but this makes him realize his mistake. It reminds him of how bad he actually is at losing control and how damaging it appears to be. Not only for him, but for the others too.

Side note, literally nothing happened when Byhop siblings left Hawkins. The only two people in the show who are connected to the Upside Down and were proved to be capable of surviving it. Why Vecna didn't attack as soon as the worthy opponents weren't here anymore?

Instead, he waited for Mike to leave, before he took the first shot. (On the afterthought, Vecna's victims were experiencing the symptoms while he was still in the town).

And now we can go back to the painting, after all of my points were made:

Mike Wheeler is the Shield of Hawkins. He protects the town as well as his companions. The way he holds his sword - upright and forward, causing the beast to stay away, can easily mean that he's one of the few things that keep Upside Down hidden from others.

It's his little world that he was slowly loosing control of ever since s1. And now he's forced to fight to get it back.

This theory has no conclusions, only observations, but I know that there are smart people over here, who can make something out of it.

If you've read it all... Thanks.

[karmaspidr]

My classmate just told me that Mileven doesn't work because it's just Stockholm Syndrome. That El only fell for Mike because he saved her. That they don't even 'know' each other.

They also tried to make Mike look bad by pulling the 'Will was crying and Mike didn't notice' card.

I just can't with some people. This is why I'm an introvert.

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

Fucking hell susan you were just told that you need to work on yourself because you are the reason your relationships don’t work out and your response to that is to run off and show that you’re even more irresponsible than people already thought you were??

[merlinsblackbatcat]

had an exchange of opinions (not a fight, thankfully) with a fellow milkvan shipper. They were respectful which was good, but during this exchange I realized how much people don't know what we, byler shippers, know. It took every fiber in my body to not tell them all the details that bylers pick up on because the only thing they would say is that it's a theory and “not canon” (which has to be their only comeback, I swear). Anyway, I don't understand why they have to interact with byler posts so much, like just scroll?? it's not that hard, please. They take it to their heart every time I try to express my opinion on how mike and will would be good for each other, and then tell me I don't have proof, like the stranger things isn't a proof on its own. I ship them because I think they are good together, and they canonically need each other, but also for fun, it's not like my entire life depends on a fictional ship. Still, it's fun to prove them wrong sometimes.

[sillylittlejesterman]

rewatching it chapter two and BILL AND MIKES FREINDSHIP IS SO UNDERRATED i love them so much and they should be appreciated more MIKE DESERVES MORE APPRECIATION AND I NEED MORE BILL AND MIKE

[wolfhardism]

poor mike 😕🫶

[wheelercurse]

sawrrry but I find hilarious how mlvn got defensive when we said that finn doesn’t like the ship. we aren’t lying. you can see it in his interviews, he’s tired that all the questions revolve around that relationship. 

[treesbymccafferty]

Mike delfino is so hot and beautiful and I am so sorry that he has to live with Susan

[chloesimaginationthings]

I’m really curious how you would draw the Five Missing Children.

Technically I’ve drawn them! Only the movie versions though, sometime I’ll do the game ones too!

[illogical-fallacy]

[masterofiodine]

sort of binge-watched bbc ghosts and niw i can't stop thinking about them

(tap for better quality)

[nayalovesbyler2]

this crossed a very important line.

it isn’t about the ships at this point, it’s about queer characters’ feelings being used to ‘uplift’ the straight couple’s relationship.

as a queer person myself, will’s car scene has me sobbing all day. all day. and i know it’s “just a tv show” but honestly? it makes you believe that this is the most you’ll get. treating a queer character as a plot device and having them suffer, be ignored and left out is actually heartbreaking. we all know they can do better than this

god, he literally called himself a mistake.

[nicxxx5]

imagine what if all the byers (or at least will and jonathan) are staying with the wheelers during the upside down apocalypse in s5. holly, being the little 6 yro that she is knowing no personal boundaries, has been snooping in mike’s room when he’s not home and found the letters he wrote to will. 

as the byers are moving into to the wheeler household, holly beams and  jumps up to hug will because she hasn’t seen him in so long ”will!” and greets her just as enthusiastically “hi holly! how are you?” still smiling she says “good! i have something for you!” will looks at her surprised “you do?” she grins ”yeah!” she starts bounding up the stairs to get whatever it is she has for him. as she gets to the top of the stairs she yells down “i found it in mike’s room!” 

mike who had been half listening whips around when he hears what holly just said. realizing what she might be referring to he yells and tries to stop her “hey! holly! wait! stay out of my room!” but its too late as holly is now coming down the stairs with a stack of envelopes in her hand and she hands them to will “see! they all have your name on them”

will takes them from her hand and looks at them confused. meanwhile, mike behind him has turned white as a ghost and started to panic as he looks at all his letters to will that are signed “love, mike” and where never meant to be sent are now in the hands of their recipient