username0204

[username0204]

Oh my beloved shed scene ❤️ I do too love the fact that no one even questions that Mike is the only one there… they’re like “well obviously… it’s Mike and Will”. And I think it’s similar with the GA bc they were always like this *cough*in love*cough* even before they knew it themselves… at this point they can cuddle and kiss and everyone will be like “yeah, it’s just Mike and Will” xd bc it’s not something we see developing (as we do with most couples) - it’s something we see unfolding. Bc it was always there, it just didn’t have a name.

Also apart from the cinematography itself (like c’mon the frames look like some baroque Caravaggio’s paintings wtf??)…

…Mike’s monologue itself is just sooo beautiful in its simplicity… nothing flashy or grand or overstuffed, just simple…

“That’s the best thing I’ve ever done”

And the thing is… it’s always like that with them, isn’t it? No yapping, no big words or overcomplicated monologues, it’s all just simple, raw, painfully obvious and beautiful ❤️ the “if we’re both going crazy, we’ll go crazy together right?”, the “I didn’t say it - you didn’t have to”… basically it’s just the opposite of Mike and El

I just hope they will carry it on to S5… I don’t want some grand confession with high stakes - I hope it’s intimate and simple and raw, I hope it’s just very “them” you know?

Sorry that’s quite long for a reblog… I just love this scene and their relationship so much I can’t stop myself xd

I know people talk about this all the time but it really is so adorable how the only people in the shed are Hopper for protection, Will's literal family members, and Mike.

Nobody even questioned Mike being there. They all know just how important he is to Will and that he would be able to help bring him back.

I know it's for dramatic effect because Mike's the one who really got through to Will (which is a whole other thing) but I'd also like to think that Joyce and Jonathan also purposefully allowed Mike to go last with his memory because they somehow knew it would be the strongest one to Will.

It's just really adorable how it seems to be understood just how special their bond is, even by Will's family.

[username0204]

"In S3 Mike was just surprised that El loved him back and kissed him!"

Yeah sure, when you have a huge crush on someone and you're not sure if they even like you back and they kiss you supposedly out of nowhere you have every right to be surprised at first, right? And a little flustered especially if that's your first kiss ever and there are people around and... oh wait... that's not Mike and El...

Ok sorry, let's try again... when your ex that you're still very close with, with whom you have already made out countless times to the point that other people said it's all you'd been doing over the course of a few months, says that they love you back after you blurted it out in front of other people and kisses you... you have every right to be totally dumbstruck and shocked to the point that you can't move or even close your eyes and reciprocate the kiss or say literally anything back and just keep standing there frozen as they leave the room, right? RIGHT???

Because it's apparently more shocking that your ex might have romantic feelings for you than your crush and it's apparently more awkward to kiss someone you've made out with countless times than your first kiss ever?? And apparently if it's your crush and a first kiss - you can actually react in any way and smile afterwards... and if it's your ex that you supposedly love - all you can do is just... freeze in shock?

Like... if you wanna see a little awkward surprised kiss where one party realizes that the other reciprocates their feelings - that's Lumax! THIS☝️ shit though?? I don't know what the hell that is (jk it's *the* gay realization) but it for sure is not "Holly shit, the girl I love loves me back!! Hell yeah!!!!"

If I wanted to shoot a "boy realizes he's gay for his bestie and is shoved back to the closet 5sec after" kind of epilogue without giving it bluntly away I don't think I would've done it much better than this... but if I wanted to shoot a "boy gets his feelings reciprocated by the girl he loves who tragically moves across the country" kind of epilogue... oh boy, I don't think there would be much left from the original script...

[username0204]

Alright... The saga of "how would friendships look like if they all behaved like Mike behaves with Will" continues...

Now imagine 5min later Nancy shows up at the door as a surprise visit after months of being presumably dead xd

I was fighting with all my willpower not to add "Brochacho..." to that last frame

Vol.1 Dustin & Steve Vol.2 Dustin & Lucas Vol.3 Hopper & Dmitri (Enzo)

There's still Dustin & Eddie left... poor Dustin has so many great friends and I'm just destroying it all, I'm sorry... Let me know if I should wrap this whole thing up with it to have a full set :) Not sure with what scene yet, but we'll figure it out

[username0204]

Shit I'm sorry... I know I said that the last one was the last one but tbh I'm having waaaay too much fun with putting other friendships into Byler scenes to just see what happens...

Well, this one is a little different though, not exactly funny but... umm... you'll see

And that night was the last night Hopper talked to Joyce in his prayers...

Fuck, I... I'm sorry. I might have just started shipping them wtf? Those Byler convos are something else let me tell you...

Vol.1 Dustin & Steve Vol.2 Dustin & Lucas Vol.4 Jonathan & Argyle

I have one more left of those - just let me know if I should shut up already

[username0204]

I have a genuine question… how do Milkvans/anti-Bylers think the whole love triangle is going to unfold?? Like, I honestly can’t imagine it unfolding at all if Mike doesn’t reciprocate Will’s feelings…

Ok, let’s brainstorm:

I’ve heard that some think that Mike will figure out the painting lie and confront Will about it and say that he doesn’t feel that way but he accepts him and they’re still friends…

Ok, first question here is how he figures out the lie? Well he’ll need to talk to El about it right? Is there any possibility that their relationship isn’t affected by that? By Mike finally having a break through in his ability to say “I love you” to El after what Will told him? And then what?

Mike thinks “if Will did that painting himself and El suspected that it was for someone he likes, then that means he’s totally in love with me! Oh no I need to go tell him that “no homo” in case he ever tries to make a move on me, even though we’ve known each other for 10yrs and he never did and I would still be clueless now if it wasn’t for that painting”…?

Like, no way! There is no way he would pull the whole “he’s in love with me” out of his *straight* ass… he’s too insecure to assume sth like that especially from a boy if he is *straight*… idk about you but if you have a low self esteem and feel totally platonic towards someone you don’t just jump to the conclusion that they are in love with you (especially if that would… go beyond what is easily expected - aka heteronormativity). Not unless you hope for it… If Mike is *straight* even if he finds out about the lie, he will most likely assume that Will just lied to make him feel better about El. That’s all. He won’t “figure out” that Will is in love. But he might still confront him, bc he’s hurt and “friends don’t lie”.

So he confronts Will right? He says sth like “I know that El didn’t commission that painting! Why did you lie?” and then… what? Do they all think that Will is gonna be like “It’s bc I’m in love with you Mike!”? No way xd Have they seen S4 at all?

Will has totally given up on the idea, he probably has never thought of it as a possibility at all! He could have taken the opportunity right there and then in S4 to make a move or try to break Mike and El up but what does he do when he sees their relationship going downhill? He sells out his own feelings to save it. He just wants them to be happy bc he loves them and since he can’t be happy himself he’ll be happy for them. So how the hell now he is suddenly supposed to “ruin” everything by confessing his love for Mike? No fucking way.

Will probably says sth like “I’m sorry, you were sad and I was trying to make you feel better that’s all… just because she didn’t commission the painting it doesn’t mean the rest is not true… I was just trying to prove a point” and then (if we really want to drag it out) Mike says “But El said that you painted that for someone you like, that you’ve been acting weird?” (I doubt he’ll say sth like that, but let’s roll with it, shall we?)

Tbh it’s not too hard not to confess after that… Will may not even have to lie here, he might just say “Ofc I was acting weird! Ofc it’s for someone I like Mike! I missed you guys so much in Lenora… I missed our D&D campaigns… I know we fought about it last year so I wanted to give you this to say how much you guys mean to me and you’ve always liked my drawings so… I just wanted to give you sth to say that we’re still ok” - it’s not a lie it’s just not the whole truth…

And then Mike probably says that it’s ok, that he gets it but asks Will not to do that again bc it made things between him and El weird…

And we’re left with it all being unresolved. Unless someone is stupid enough to out Will to Mike, they won’t figure it out by themselves if Mike doesn’t feel the same way and doesn’t push further… simple as that.

Low self esteem doesn’t make you blind, it makes you doubtful… you see those things as romantic, you just don’t believe they are. The only way to push it all the way to reveal the truth is if Mike feels the same and “gives them a shove”, bc if he doesn’t reciprocate he won’t see it that way and Will is set in stone not to give it away.

And if they don’t resolve it then what? Primo - it’s just bad writing xd But it would also mean that the whole painting situation didn’t accomplish much aside from confirming that Will is in love with Mike (which could have been done any other way… for what reason? I wouldn’t know) and creating more drama for Mike and El (as if they don’t get the job done themselves xd).

Honestly if Byler isn’t endgame, not writing the whole painting plot in the first place would make so much more sense overall. Not making Mike unable to say “I love you” would make more sense. And not making Will in love with Mike in the first place would make more sense as well…

Like… imagine S4 without the whole love triangle drama… not only it wouldn’t matter much at the end but it would simply make more sense if it has never happened at all!

So what? It was just drama for the sake of drama or…? And then what? The painting lie is never resolved or just covered with some half-truths? Wow great writting xd

[username0204]

Ok, some people have said that this experiment should have been with Lucas and Dustin... Well let's see...

Looks totally normal to me, idk what you mean xdd Just two bros trying to remind each other that they are indeed friends bc you need to check in sometimes right? Just like Mike and Will - bros :)

Who tf said you weren't, Lucas?

that's for @bycharlie @cosmorom @la-plum-sefue1 who pointed it out :)

Vol.1 Dustin & Steve Vol.3 Hopper & Dmitri (Enzo) Vol.4 Jonathan & Argyle

[username0204]

📢📢📢

Willelmike's perfect ending

The Duffers have said they want to give every character a fitting end. 

I would now like to apply this statement to El, Mike and Will.

–Eleven–

In my opinion, the appropriate ending for El would definitely not be to see her in a toxic relationship where her needs are not met. She's never felt what it's like to be completely free in her entire life. She's never had time to come to terms with herself, to find out who she really is. She has never been able to develop her own identity or explore the world. She will never be truly happy in a relationship with a boy who can't tell her he loves her without being talked into it by his best friend (who he actually loves) while she is in mortal danger. Not to mention that the declaration of love was inconsistent and based on a lie.

That’s why I think she should be independent by the end of the series and spend time on her own and with herself. After season 4, she's now realized that she's not a monster, which was always her biggest fear and worry. Being seen as a monster and therefore never being accepted in society. Now that she has overcome that, she can finally be completely free and build her own life the way she wants to.

–Mike–

Mike is terrified of being himself and being judged for it. All his life he has been bullied for being a nerd, for not being normal. So he has desperately tried to prove everyone wrong, throwing himself head over heels into a relationship with El, a girl, and giving up all the things that make him who he is, like playing DnD, doing nerdy stuff in general and spending time with his friends. He distances himself from Will when he realizes that he may like him more than was considered normal in society at the time. When he visited El and Will in California, he had also changed his entire style to appear normal and to please El, because he can't/won't show his true self, his nerdy side, to El. He just tried to be as normal as possible, as Finn mentioned in an interview. Another fear he has is not being needed. He thrives in the role of the leader, he is the heart of the group, protecting his loved ones. If he is not needed, he feels worthless. But this is often the case when he's with El. She's like a superhero, which Mike envies her for, but he often feels useless next to her because he can't protect her the way he would like to. She has powers, can take care of herself and protects him rather than him protecting her. Her whole character arc is about finding herself and breaking free, being independent, becoming stronger. Mike realizes that she doesn't actually need him as much as he would like to be needed. But who needs Mike the most? Who has always needed him and who will always need him? Who shares the same nerdy interests with him and would never judge him for being his true self? Who has loved him exactly as he is for years? That's right, Will Byers. He's the one who brings out the best version of Mike. With him, Mike can be himself, doesn't have to pretend and feels needed and loved. Mike's perfect ending is to spend the rest of his life with Will, his soulmate.

–Will–

Obviously, Will's perfect ending means that Mike reciprocates his feelings and he gets to spend the rest of his life with the person he's loved for years. Will has been through a lot and suffered so much. Not just in terms of the supernatural storyline, but on an emotional level as well. He is a selfless character, has such a big heart and so much love to give, even after all that suffering and bullying, not just by other kids but also by his own father. And who has been by his side all these years? Who never gave up trying to find him when he disappeared? Who always encouraged him? Who made him feel better about being different? Who does he need most, who has he always needed and who will he always need? Mike Wheeler. Will has even mentioned it several times on the show that his ideal future is to spend it with Mike by his side. The two complement each other perfectly and can both be themselves when they're together. No one has to pretend to be someone else, to be normal.

I can't think of any other perfect ending for this trio.

[username0204]

Yess, exactly!! The romance in ST is basically “partnership/trust/connection” rather than classic “romantic” stuff… it’s that the depth of the relationship is more important than the nature of it - the nature can change overnight but you can’t deepen the bond overnight… that’s why it almost seems seamless when those couples get together

At the beginning of S2 I knew subconsciously that Joyce and Bob were doomed but couldn’t put my finger on why it felt so off… (no hate to Bob btw) but you explained it sooo well!!

“Stranger Things is about supernatural stuff not romance! There’s no time for Byler or any romantic drama in season 5, they have to focus on defeating Vecna! Byler makes no sense anyway because it hasn’t been built up and it’s too late to start now!”

The truth: the reason people think this is because what they’re interpreting as "romance" is the few & far between overtly romantic scenes and nothing else, as opposed to recognising the stories of the numerous different relationships on the show as being the point. This is how we can infer that Byler is the end goal. These writers don't do fluff. They build up romances by focusing on the things that actually make a relationship strong: teamwork, emotional connection, and overcoming problems. They show "romance" in every pairing effectively working together, in how much they understand each other emotionally, and in their conflicts & how they handle them. It’s not about displaying "romantic” behaviour between characters but about the narrative of the relationships; who these people are, why they are right for each other and what they go through to be together. And all of this stuff happens alongside and intertwined with the supernatural action.

Overt romance is shied away from in the characters who are in love. For example in season 1, Janc.y are basically shown as “detective partners” with a little tension & one cheek kiss at the end. In season 2 they have the same working together plot, they just also show Jon looking after Nancy when she's drunk; that one hand touch & brief sad exchange about how she didn’t wait for him after s1; and then the (offscreen) hook up after Murray grills them, that you could call overtly romantic but even then it really doesn’t take up much time and—aside from their time at Murray’s when everything between them finally pays off—is very subtle. In season 3 they’re shown waking up together to establish that they’re dating, then I believe they kiss once a little later, and the rest of the season there’s (unpleasant) tension & arguing about work before they reconcile & fight alongside each other….and at the very end they get an affectionate goodbye with one kiss. Max 3 overt moments there (and 2/3 really are moments not even scenes). Then in season 4 their entire story is about their conflict & there’s literally no “romance” outside of them telling other people in the beginning that they love each other although they’re having issues, and then their reunion at the very end after they’ve both gone through separate journeys but again…that’s is their romance. It’s not about showing them off as "being a couple" or "being in love" (even though we know they are), it’s about telling a story grounded in reality, the story of Jonathan and Nancy and their relationship. That’s how the Duffers do it.

Then there’s Joppe.r! They don’t have any “romantic” scenes until s3, and even in s3 it’s mainly about them being friends & working together, building from that same foundation from the first two seasons. The romantic implications are just more textual at that point because of the Enzo stuff & Murray clocking them, and I believe they have one more intimate scene when they’re in the Russian base at the end but the majority of their bond is built via their teamwork and general closeness. Then in s4 same as Janc.y they’re completely separate until their reunion & long earned kisses, and the "romance" is in them fighting to get back to each other & keep their promises.

Romance is very much part of the show, it’s just mostly subtextual and focused on larger arcs. And as I said: all of this stuff happens alongside and intertwined with the supernatural action. There is absolutely always time made for it and there will continue to be in season 5. People appear to see romance as some sort of separate entity to the rest of what’s going on when it’s literally just another form of character relationship and that’s like…as important to the success of the show as the supernatural. Romance is not some superfluous unserious thing it’s a legitimate part of what often brings the necessary heart & humanity to a story (along with platonic love), otherwise it would all just be mechanical and clinical with little reason to care what happens to these people. And don’t just take my word for it:

“People talk about mythology and the Upside Down, and all that is huge, but the magic of season 5 are the characters who find a sense of belonging with each other and through that connection, become heroes.” ~ Shawn Levy

I think maybe it’s also that people don’t see how plot ≠ story. Simplistically I would say plot is the action we are seeing unfold, story is what this action is telling us (story is the "show", plot is more "tell", if you will). This is precisely why I don’t care about the fact that Mike & Will don’t have textually romantic scenes, and I don't buy into what often feels to me like Bylers warping certain moments that are about building a connection/building the storyline between Mike & Will into being romantic when—although through an analytical lens you can recognise it as build up—in-universe they’re pretty much not romantic at all yet. And they don't need to be. We don't need Byler to have been "romantic" the whole time. That’s not the Duffers M.O., they like to build relationships largely on, as I've explained: friendship, being a team, intimate conversations and hints of something more until it pays off eventually (and then even when couples start dating they introduce more conflict). They seem to be of the mind that everything else is fluff and are very sparing and intentional with it. But I concede it’s not to everyone’s taste and I can see how it might lead someone to think ST doesn’t focus much on romance. (And they don’t mind you, it’s not a romance show, but it’s inaccurate imo to claim it's not given importance. It is, just in a very show-don’t-tell manner over any cutesy stuff. In fact the tipoff is they use that stuff to demonstrate to us who the unserious couples are 👀*.)

Byler have their Duffer-style build up (close friendship, teamwork, deep conversations and hints of tension), albeit less obvious/more complicated because they’re boys in the 80s and it’s meant to be a twist (and on top of that people just having a harder time seeing it due to heteronormativity). A complicated/imperfect but deep friendship, spent a season facing supernatural stuff as a pair & being there for each other emotionally, spent a season with the character-focused parts of their (California) plotline almost entirely dedicated to them having six whole different heart to hearts & emotionally supporting each other again (tied into/alongside the plot), moments of tension & feeling that anyone would recognise as potential for romance if they were straight…it’s all there. And no, it doesn't matter that Mike was caught up over El in s4 or that she was often part of their conversations. Nancy was caught up over Steve early in the show while Jonathan was there for her. The point is what these scenes show us about their relationship i.e. how much Will cares for Mike’s happiness, how he’s the only one Mike feels safe opening up to and being comforted by, and how Will makes him feel confident in himself (obviously there's much more to that storyline that points to Byler but I'm just trying to get a point across). So yeah ST has its romance, it just does it in a mostly subtle, story-focused way. And that's how we can see Byler has had build up, and why there was always going to be time for said build up to continue & culminate next season.

*Keep reading if you want to see how Mileve.n, Stanc.y & Bob/Joyce do not fit this pattern at all ⬇️

Mileve.n completely breaks these rules btw: no friendship foundation to their insta-romance, have never had a story about working as a team, have legitimately zero deep conversations after one brief exchange in s1, and there’s absolutely no subtlety with them: they constantly cling to each other & make out & go on a (very forced given the context) date & engage in showy gestures like flowers and El’s Mike shrine 😭 & have a recurrent plot point about saying ily until Mike has to give a melodramatic monologue. Same goes for Stanc.y: no friendship foundation, no teamwork, no deep talks. Just kissing/sleeping together, partying and drama about saying ily. And Bob/Joyce even though it’s a little different because they’re adults: not friends before dating, lack of teamwork because Joyce is so reluctant & refuses to fully let him in until she's forced, and a focus on couple-y stuff like making out, dates & dancing, and talk about moving in together. We know the fate of those last two couples so…

[username0204]

Ok, here's a little experiment... since Will and Mike are just friends... this is totally normal and not at all uncomfortable, right?

Ok, are you calling the cops or should I?

Vol.2 Dustin & Lucas Vol.3 Hopper & Dmitri (Enzo) Vol.4 Jonathan & Argyle

[username0204]

"Will is such a whiny little helpless scared boy"

Excuse me what?? Are we talking about the same Will Byers? I really have no idea where those opinions come from... someone's ass I suppose.

There's a lot of talk about Will being traumatized and all but can we please acknowledge that he is also one of the strongest characters in ST? Tbh he's kinda badass if you think about it... but just more of a quiet, resilient, selfless kind of badass...

Ok, let's recap:

01. Will at age 11 beggs his mom to let him see Poltergeist. Fucking Poltergeist. I know people who couldn’t sit through Coraline at that age… This kid is a horror and punk rock fan, that doesn't really scream "snowflake" to me

02. After being followed to his house by an unknown creature at age 12 he doesn't hide under the bed... noooo, he goes outside and grabbs a shotgun - a fucking shotgun! I'd like to remind you, that the only other kid to hold any kind of weapon in S1 is Lucas and it's a slingshot... In S2 Max holds a bat and Mike holds... well... a lamp and a goblet xd To this day I believe he's the only one to hold a gun among the "kids" generation and probably is the only one to know how to use it (though I wouldn't put it past Max tbh)... and it was S1

03. Kid somehow survives a week in another dimension that killed multiple adults during that time... not only that - he manages to figure out a way to communicate (smart kid) and one of his first messages to his mom is not "HELP", it's "RUN" - his priority is to save her, not for her to save him

04. After waking up in the hospital, the very first thing he does is ask Jonathan about a bandage on his hand as if he didn't just almost die... "Don't mind me! There's a cut on your hand, are you sure you're ok??"

05. Will at age 12 starts seeing things that brings him back to the other dimension that tried to kill him but this time there's another creature following him... Then gets possessed by that creature at age 13 and in both instances decides at first not to tell anyone about any of it bc he doesn't want others to worry about him or treat him like he can't take care of himself

06. While being possessed at age 13 he manages to find a way to communicate (again) with a fucking morse code (smartass) and apparently he's the only one aside from Hopper to know it by heart (while being possessed, mind you). And what does he communicate you might ask? Well, he figures out a way to kill the thing that attacks the town knowing full well that it will probably kill him too. Does he say it might kill him though? Nope. He'd rather get himself killed than put his loved ones in danger. Gladly Mike was able to figure it out...

07. After all of that at age 14 he finally can live a "normal" life while still feeling the presence of that thing that possessed him and took control over his body... and he is so fucking patient and tries to keep a level head with his friends that straight on dismiss him and he is able to take so much shit from them (especially from his best friend he is in love with) before he finally snaps. Then again he sweeps that under the rug and doesn't hold a grudge bc there are more important stuff happening which he can feel thanks to that lovely bluetooth connection he has with his former supernatural abuser

08. At age 15 (shortly after his birthday that everyone forgot) he buries his feelings again for (what he believes is) the greater good. He "sells" his own love and a painting that he poured his heart into to repair his best friend's relationship and to cure his insecurities. After that he encourages said friend to make a grand confession at his own expense bc he believes that it might save the day.

And after all of this you want to tell me that he's whiny, weak and helpless? Did we watch the same show?

Funny thing about Will being "saved" in both S1 and S2 is that it didn't come from Will... he didn't ask to be saved. It was Joyce's and Mike's love that saved him, that brought everyone else on board. It was all those people who cared and went out of their way to save him even if he didn't care to be saved.

That is not a testament of Will needing to be saved, it's the testament of how much he means to all of those people for them to love him this much to save him.

He is not weak, he is loved. <3

*I know he goes through so much more shit but I really tried to focus on him handling situations and how it shows his character and not on the stuff that happens to him that makes us feel bad for him if that makes sense xd

[username0204]

Mike and Eleven are at their sweetest and most tender towards each other when they are NOT in a relationship. It is done extremely purposefully and for good reason.

The relationship between Mike and El is arguably the foundation of the show. (Not to be confused with the foundation of the characters and their story, which is its own soapbox) So it’s hard to properly communicate a romantic relationship that isn’t working, without diminishing the importance of the pairing.

A great way that Stranger Things does this, is with the juxtaposition of different forms their relationship takes.

Every season has portions where their romantic relationship is, and isn’t, present. Whether that be because of a breakup, separation, or both. This gives the viewer a frame of reference to hopefully feel the negative impact that expectations of a romantic relationship has on them.

Mike mistreats El, is controlling of her, and lies/gaslights her to her face.

El looses herself to Mike, fails to give time and energy to her other friends, and lies to Mike about a reality that he would have no issue understanding.

BUT

Mike and El deeply care about eachother and help eachother grow. They are tender, loving, and will do anything for the other. They make eachother smile, laugh, and feel safe.

These negative and positive traits are shown to us as a viewer during these specific variations in relationship. Everything they do that hurts the other is only present when a romantic relationship is too.

Think about all the times El and Mike really tug at your heartstrings, and I can almost guarantee that all those moments were not romantic.

Such as:

- Season 1

- Season 2 (up until the snowball, which was sweet but that due to it being the payoff of a whole season of heartbreaking non-romance love)

- Season 3 post episode 2, up until moving day

- Season 4 post El’s arrest (I think it’s pretty clear the superhero note is a breakup note, and it’s very important to note that they have very sweet moments after they reunite that if they were still romantically involved/back together, it could’ve easily been made clear)

You can also reverse this and think about all the times you wanted to grab your TV and shake it in frustration. It was 100% while they were dating.

[username0204]

"Jeez why you always have to make everything gay? Can't two dudes just be friends?"

Idk, can't they?

Meanwhile those two disasters...

They could just be friends... if they were just friends... but they aren't just friends xd If they could they would, I don't make the rules

Btw that's only 1 out of 9 male friendships (10 if you count Mike and Eddie, 11 if you count Hopper and Dmitri)... Doesn't sound crazy to me tbh

*I'm talking strictly canon just fyi **the fact that I had to search like crazy for the gifs for the first part and narrow down gifs for the second says a lot xd

[username0204]

Sooo true! Also apart from the first Robin/Vicky scene at the game (where they established that Robin and Vicky think alike - wonder what other pair do to the point of "I didn't say it"/"you didn't have to"?) the other 2 scenes are copy-paste Byler scenes, which is honestly crazy if you think about it xd

writer1: Shit, we still need to come up with some scenes for Robin and her new girlfriend... writer2: Naaaah, don't worry about it. We'll just use some of that Byler stuff, there's plenty to choose from

Funny that after what is basically a shortened version of the van scene (if you cut it just before Will lies about El commissioning the painting) it is widely understood by everyone watching the show that Robin's feelings are reciprocated just because... they smile I guess? xd So they really don't need much to clock it, and yet...

I wish GA would stop watching the show with their eyes closed so they could actually see the obvious fucking parallels that show Mike's queerness and his relationship with Will.

First of all, there are insane amount of details put into this show to meticulously design every aspect of each character so nothing is a coincidence nor a reach.

Second of all, there are hours of proof why Mike Wheeler is queer, starting all the way back from season 1, but if i tried to explain everything it would be a whole series of novels so i'll just settle for this very obnoxiously loud piece of evidence.

Now the reason they created Vickie as a love interest might be because one, Robin deserves it duh, and two, so they can show how a canonically queer character's romantic arc plays out and compare it to another character in the series.

Here's the prize winning question for GA, who might that person be?

If you answered Will, you're pretty close! He's actually paralleling to Robin though, so not the answer we're looking for. But Robin's love interest Vickie parallels to Will's love interest, which would be Mike.

And this is where things get a little complicated for GA.

Because if you asked any viewer with a sane mind if there was a chance Vickie was queer and was interested in Robin because her relationship with her boyfriend wasn't working out very well (they weren't exactly in love), they would answer yes; because they have eyes.

But for some reason when it comes to Mike, suddenly he's the straightest guy to walk on earth and he loves his girlfriend very much even though he can't say or write it and there is no chance of him being queer and all of us are delusional blah blah blah.

Like are you not seeing this or are you ignoring it on purpose?

Obviously, there are nuances to the shots taken because the situations aren't exactly the same but that's why they are called parallels dear GA.

In both shots, the character featured in between and in the background of the couples is not an obstacle in their relationship. On the contrary, it shows that they have an important relation to the other character, that there is something more than just a one-sided tragic love story.

And we can confirm that it's not one-sided because after the first shot with Robin and Vickie, Robin's feelings gets reciprocated at the end of the last episode.

In the second scene Vickie starts complaining about her relationship, her ex-boyfriend, and then feels guilty for being irritated at something so insignificant but Robin reassures her about her insecurities.

Let's reel back a bit and think about what happened at the van scene... Mike complained about his relationship but felt guilty about it because it felt stupid to fuss over it and Will reassured him about his insecurities. That seems so familiar i just can't put my finger on it hmmm...

Both Vickie and Mike feel insecure in their past/current relationships, but they find comfort in their other love interests because they bring out their best sides.

In a way, Robin and Vickie's relationship is like a simplified version that of Will and Mike's. It indicates how Mike will break up with El in season 5 and slowly accept his feelings for Will.

I just hope GA can pull their heads out of their asses to take a look when it happens.

[username0204]

I just think it's funny how after S4, where the Cali crew plot is mainly told from Will's POV, the GA thinks just like Will does... that Mike is straight and happily in love with El and Byler would never happen and anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional... sounds exactly like something Will might say... Hmm I wonder why? xd

POVs really are crazy like that... remember how Steve was a total jerk in S1? Well, he wasn't, not really... He didn't have some insane redemption arc (apart from ditching his "friends") and when you view S1 from his POV, just like Nancy said, he's actually a good guy... but yeah sure, it's crazy to think that they could pull the same move on Mike xd

I swear to god, Will is probably the biggest anti-byler/milkvan out of all ST characters including Mike and El themselves xd Dude singlehandedly saved their relationship! Milkvans are really in his dept tbh

[username0204]

Tbh their "it's not gonna happen!" has the same energy as Mike's "we're friends!" and I think there's something so ironic about it xdd

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve seen a LOT of people commenting on random tiktoks about being afraid of byler becoming canon in season 5 because “it would make no sense since Mike has been in love with El since season 1.” And there’s one specific thing I just don’t get: Why are you so worried about byler being endgame if you’re so sure that Mike is straight and in love with El? Wasn’t the general audience also convinced that Will was straight and definitely NOT in love with Mike?

All of those comments actually give me more confidence and hope about Byler, because they show how season 4 successfully made the general audience start to see the possibility of Byler happening. Of course, there have always been people who hated the ship, but before season 4, no one was this worried about Mileven vs. Byler — it wasn’t such a hot topic on every TikTok or tweet about the show like it is now. Back in 2016–2020, the debate around Byler used to be: “Why are people shipping them? They’re obviously not gay.” And now it’s: “IF they end up together…”

You know what? Deep down, the general audience recognizes the possibility of them happening — because now, so close to the end of the show, we have confirmation that there’s a romantic triangle involving Mike. And the only thing we need to find out this season is: What was the motivation behind his actions in previous seasons? Why couldn’t he tell Will the thing he couldn’t say to save his relationship with El? Why did he say “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls” straight to Will’s face if he’s supposedly unaware that Will is gay and in love with him? Why couldn’t he hug Will at the airport after being away from his so-called best friend for so long?

Actually, what makes no sense to me is Mike’s behavior after season 2 — and I’m pretty sure the general audience is confused too, since they’ve started to hate him.

That being said, Stranger Things season 5 has just one job: to wrap things up and give a good and logical ending. It’s no longer just about queerbaiting — it’s about giving the characters a reasonable ending and, hopefully, delivering solid writing.

[username0204]

I know we're all waiting for THE Byler kiss, but tbh for me they can postpone that till the very last episode I don't care xd

What I NEED to see is Mike absolutely flustered and smitten with heart-eyes and blush and gay-panic and pining to the point that it's not even funny anymore. I want to see him loosing his mind over Will. I want to experience that second-hand torture, I want it to be unbearable for Mike and for me. I want the MindFlayer-exorcism level of a slow-burn. I want his breath to hitch and see words being lost in his mouth. I want him to have a meltdown screaming into his pillow and punching walls. I want him to have his stomach drop every time he sees Will doing something absolutely ordinary. I want to see this Mike for as long as I can:

While Will's pining is longing and sad and silent and somewhat hopeless but he accepted it and just lives with it like it's a chronic illness - he's used to it and can't help it, can't even remember what it's like without it... he just wishes it wasn't like that, I want Mike to absolutely lose his shit as if living with it is impossible and it kills him, like it's a wound he keeps getting rubbed with salt. Ok, that's harsh - I love Mike I promise xd

At the end I want Will to feel like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders and I want Mike to feel like he just drunk a gallon of water after a week in a desert.

[username0204]

couldn't agree more 💛💙 they couldn't be more on the nose about it with the whole "I say it"/"You didn't have to" stuff... I can't believe that they got away with that xd

At this point they could have a scene where they all play pictionary or taboo where Will and Mike get everything in a split sec when they're paired up and El's doing great unless she's paired with Mike, and it would still somehow go under the radar xd

no but why are we made out to be crazy almost every single scene where milkvan talks they can't communicate worth a damn and usually end up making each other confused, angry, or miserable. why are we the crazy ones when they are CONSTANTLY stepping on each others toes and are never on the same page.

these two haven't had a single genuine heart to heart unless you really stretch and count the "cool" thing in season one. and even that would be ironic since the more el CAN talk, the less mike knows how to talk to her.

all their private moments end up ruined and it's usually mike's fault. he doesn't know el well enough to anticipate how she'll react to things, and when she goes off her "normal girlfriend" script, mike forgets his lines. like when he tries to initiate the "love makes you crazy" thing, he thinks it's going to be enough. it was enough for will, so why wouldn't she get him, too? but she doesn't.

he expects her to have the same understanding of what is expected of them to be together and she doesn't. mike and will communicate so well they speak in code half the time, and they still know what each other mean. in stressful moments, mike tends to look towards will instinctively to give him a, "you seeing this?" and will does the same with him. they are just so completely in tune. they made more progress in their public argument where they were both actively lying than mike and el did in their private argument where they were both (until el mentioned being different) trying to be honest.

comparing THAT to milkvan is crazy. mike and el could literally have every single obstacle cleared out of their path and they would still find a way to trip each other. it's not their fault, but it's not healthy