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Christianity condemns murder too, but I've never seen them say "Mike can't marry El, she killed people, which technically makes her a murderer." though

This is actually one of my favourite confessions everrrr… oh, the crash out next season is going to be perfect. if churchgate is ever canon…it’s gonna be beautiful

[lune-moon-nuit]

Okay, knowing that "you're the heart" and "being different" complement each other too... this can't be a coincidence. I think the music during the Byler scenes mentioned here that are cut short before the climax will definitely be used in season 5 during the climaxes when the truth about Mike and Will reciprocated feelings is finally revealed

sus music editing in s4 byler scenes (a saga)

i've been wanting to do this for a while but never got around to it. i recommend watching the video attachment (at the end of the post) after reading the whole post, just so you'll have context when watching

ALRIGHT!

will and mike are interrupted in the majority of their solo scenes. the scene in jonathan's room, the scene in will's room, the scene on the car, & the scene in the cabin. i noticed a long time ago that the songs used in the first 3 scenes listed build up for the first half and then kind of explode for the second half. there's a point where the song changes/released after the buildup.

the songs are:

eight fifteen (jonathan's room)

on the bus (will's room)

letter to willy (talk on the car)

BUT, in will's room & the car scene, mike and will are interrupted almost right before the song is supposed to climax. i lined the songs up and listened and i'm right. interestingly, in the scene in will's room, on the bus is edited. in the scene, the song starts like normal at the start of the song. but they cut the middle out so it would skip right to the part RIGHT before the climax of on the bus. THEY DID THAT. so at the very end of the scene just before they get interrupted, the song is teetering on the edge of the big explosive part of the song, but it doesn't happen because they're interrupted and the song ends. in the car scene letter to willy is also edited. maybe im wrong, but there's a note i hear in the car scene that i cannot find anywhere in the song. so it seems like they're purposefully using songs that are building to something but cut off right before the pay off of the buildup. i wouldn't be capitalizing on this so much if 90% of the scenes this happens in werent mike and will staring into each other's souls and then having their gazes torn from each other, but they are. so take that as you will.

now we need to talk about eight fifteen. this is fucking wild.

eight fifteen is all build up for the first half. then there's a moment where it teeters on the edge for a second, and then BOOM! release & loud pretty synths. i lined it up, and the 'teetering' part of the song is in the scene in jonathan's room, but like the others, it's edited. but this one is WAY more crazy.

the song starts from the beginning when will sits on the bed next to mike. it builds while mike talks about his problems with el and not saying the thing she wants. then will says "look, mike, you're gonna see her again, and whatever it is you didn't say, you can say it to her then, okay?" the teetering part starts when will says

"look" and goes all the way until he says "then"

when he says "then", that is the moment when the buildup is supposed to release. but in this scene, it doesn't happen. instead, when he finishes talking, specifically when he says "then" the note kind of trails off. it sounds weird. it's unsatisfying. there was no payoff to all that buildup. i've seen plenty of other tv shows where this is used to emphasize the face that there was no payoff. something in the scene was anticlimactic. something that they wanted to happen or were expecting to happen didnt. the characters are disappointed or left hanging.

and when that note trials off, mike says

"yeah...yeah" and looks down, looking upset and conflicted and disappointed

he wanted will to say something else. will saying "you can say it to her then, okay?" disappointed mike. that's not what he wanted to hear. i think mike wanted will to reassure him and tell him he doesn't have to say something he doesn't mean or doesn't want to say, and that when they see el again mike can explain himself. mike desperately wants to be told he doesn't have to pretend to be in love with el if that's not how he really feels. he wants to be told that el won't be angry if he's honest with her about his true feelings for her, which are platonic. (hence why he later nods after will says 'what if they don't like the truth?')

but will doesn't understand that. will thinks they are in love, he thinks they're perfect. so in his mind, it's fine because mike can just say it when he sees el again. but he thinks that because he thinks mike actually means it, when in reality he doesn't. and by doing that, will only further pushed mike into giving his false confession. now mike thinks even more that he just has to spit it out and tell el what she wants to hear even if it's not how he really feels. this just breaks my heart because mike is so hated on but he's a GOOD BOY💔💔 he's just a 14 year old kid who's afraid of failing the people he cares about but also hates lying about his feelings and just wants to feel free from the expectations others have for him. he just wants someone, specifically will, to tell him it's okay, and that he doesn't owe anyone anything, especially not his own feelings. and it hurts extra bad because if will knew the truth about mike not loving el he would shower him in support because of course mike shouldn't have to lie just because it's what el wants to hear.

and just in case anyone tries to say otherwise, YES mike lied in the monologue. it doesn't need to be proven, it's simply canon.

like there's no denying this. believing it's just a mistake by the writers before believing mike lied is CRAZY heteronormative copium. like come on💀

anyways, the things mike says and does in the scene in jonathan's support this theory. he threw away el's note. "a fight you cant come back from" "maybe if i just said that thing then things would be different" his phrasing sticks out so much. "said that thing" and not "told her" or "told her how i feel". to mike it's just saying words he doesn't want to say. and "a fight you cant come back from" its almost like he's hinting to will that he and el need to break up and he's hoping will will catch on and support him. he trusts will and values his opinion and wants his support. usually he and will very easily communicate non verbally and are naturally in tune with what the other is thinking and feeling, but this time will doesn't catch on (because of his own heteronormativity and assumption that mike and el are in love), and mike is disappointed. he brings this up over and over, like he isn't satisfied with will's answer, and is a little more honest every time. the only thing that seemingly satisfied mike was hearing will's feelings. why did it even get that far?? why would what will said in jonathan's room not suffice if he is actually in love with el??? it just doesn't make sense.

(unless it actually makes perfect sense)

i'm very confident in this since this lies less with the continuity within stranger things itself and more with basic film/video/sound editing. i even got some comments from editors/musicians who agreed with me!

"It's a tactic I've actually used before in editing. It keeps the audience engrossed, and really makes it FEEL interrupted for the audience."

"Woah that's crazy! And it literally stops on the fifth so it's totally legitimately unstable/ unresolved."

stopping on the fifth refers to a technique used in music composition to make a chord progression sound completed. i actually know a bit about this because i took music theory in college, but if anyone knows more than me feel free to share! a completed progression is like a circle. you must begin and end with the same chord. you start with one chord and move down a fifth to the next chord, and do that until you end up back at the original chord. that way it sounds nice and satisfying and completed. in 'on the bus', which the commenter was referring to, this process is cut short, which would serve no purpose other than making the music sound and feel incomplete or interrupted or unsatisfying.

if i just butchered that whole explanation please let me know, but im pretty sure that's accurate.

here is the video with two of the scenes i talked about, using 'Eight Fifteen' and 'On The Bus'

and just as a reminder, on the bus has only played twice in the entire show. first in the lumax talk on top of the bus in season 2, and second in the byler talk in will's room in s4. 🙂

anyways i hope this was comprehensible😅 i remember my tiktok followers being very confused so feel free to re read and re watch as many times as necessary or reply with any questions! and anyone who has more input on editing/music pls share with the class if you'd like!!

anyways byler endgame, thanks for reading

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It is clear that some of you have never worked a day in your lives, have absolutely no understanding of how the entertainment industry operates, and even less knowledge of legal procedures when you are engaged in a lawsuit against your employer—one of the most powerful companies in the country and the continent.

If you believe that artists can do whatever they want against SM just because they are 30-year-old adults, I have bad news for you. Why not blame the hundreds of victims of Johnny Kitagawa, who all eventually became 30-year-old adults as well and yet, for the most part, remained silent? After all, they were adults too, right?! It is astonishing how some of you are either that slow-witted or so self-absorbed—take your pick—that you fail to grasp what is happening despite everything unfolding before your eyes.

Let’s go over the chronology:

CBX sued SM in the summer of 2023. Their lawyers stated in their official declarations that SM had underpaid, exploited, and coerced them for years, even emotionally threatening them (as evidenced by the testimony where SM used the well-being of the other members to pressure Baekhyun into signing his contract). It was also stated that this issue had been discussed with all the members and that they were all aware of what CBX intended to do, giving their full approval. A quick reminder: in 2019, during an interview for the Obsession comeback, while Xiumin and Kyungsoo were already serving in the military, the members were asked if they planned to renew their contracts with SM. They responded that they had been discussing it among themselves for a long time and that regardless of whether they stayed with SM or not, they all intended to remain EXO as a group. So, they had been deliberating on this for at least four years, since 2019.

After months of smear campaigns and media attacks aimed at turning the public against CBX and threatening the planned comeback, CBX, through their lawyers' statements and their own posts (which directly contradicted SM’s narrative), reached a settlement and signed an agreement.

Kyungsoo founded his own company, Baekhyun established his own label, and Xiumin and Chen signed with Baekhyun’s agency. As per the negotiation, they were allowed to remain in EXO and work under SM for group activities.

In April 2024, all members (except Lay and those in military service) gathered to celebrate EXO’s anniversary despite tight schedules (such as Baekhyun’s) and exhaustion. They made it a priority to be present.

The following month, plot twist: SM violated the agreement and filed a lawsuit against CBX for some ridiculous reason (so forgettable I don’t even remember it). When CBX learned about this unexpectedly, they had no choice but to strike first by announcing publicly that they were suing SM once again for breaching the contract. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the chance to inform the other members beforehand.

Later, a journalist found it appropriate to question Junmyeon about the issue during a solo schedule that had absolutely nothing to do with EXO. Suho responded vaguely, saying that they were caught off guard because they hadn’t been informed (which I already explained) and that even as the leader, some topics were beyond his control, making it difficult for him to comment. His words were in no way directed against CBX, and time has proven that their relationship remains intact.

However, some so-called “fans” (particularly solo stans of Baekhyun and Chen) irrationally accused Suho of betraying CBX, playing directly into SM’s plan: dividing the fandom and creating a CBX vs. EXO narrative, when in reality, it’s CBX (and EXO) vs. SM.

Of course, Suho’s solo stans retaliated by attacking and blaming CBX, thus fueling a vicious cycle that benefits no one except SM and only causes harm to the group and its members. It all started because some fans spoke before thinking, much like Trump voters blaming minorities for their poverty while protecting the wealthy elites who actually exploit them.

Things then became more complicated. CBX members attended Junmyeon’s concert, proving that there was no bad blood. Baekhyun even asked a fan in the front row to film him, Chanyeol, and Kai enjoying the concert. Clearly, he did this so the fan would post the video. Given subsequent events, it’s evident that something is preventing them from posting photos together. Since the second legal dispute erupted, CBX and the other members have been unable to publicly share pictures with each other…

Over time, public interactions have become increasingly rare. However, external sources and Jongin’s interview yesterday confirm that they still talk and meet. There is undoubtedly legal or SM-imposed pressure preventing them from openly interacting. Given how SM manipulates the media to either erase CBX’s existence or twist their words, I firmly believe the members are staying silent publicly to prevent their words from being weaponized against them or the group.

It has been confirmed that SM is blacklisting Baekhyun from award shows despite his nominations and despite his own declaration that he would attend to perform regardless. With Xiumin’s comeback, SM has once again proven its power by preventing him from performing on music shows under the most absurd and contradictory excuses imaginable.

When CBX was excluded from EXO’s anniversary celebration, some fans immediately jumped to the conclusion that the members hated each other due to the lack of recent public interactions. However, Baekhyun confirmed that he found out at the same time as the fans, and Chanyeol stated the day before that he had no idea what was planned for the anniversary. This proves that none of the members saw SM’s dirty move coming.

That same day, an article revealed that during Jongin’s interview (which SM’s staff had edited), he mentioned having a group chat with Sehun, Chanyeol, and Baekhyun where they talk every single day, completely shattering the paranoia that some overly emotional fans—manipulated by SM’s narrative—had started to believe.

Worse, this revelation confirms that SM deliberately edits out any mention of members interacting with CBX to fuel paranoia among fans and weaken their support.

And to solidify this point, SM used its media influence to have the article edited to downplay Baekhyun’s mention.

If you think the members are doing nothing, you are completely mistaken. Ask yourself: why did a staff member suddenly post a February photo of Sehun and Baekhyun at a photoshoot today? Why did a restaurant owner confirm that Kyungsoo recently visited with EXO members? Clearly, the members cannot directly say they interact, so they use indirect methods to reassure fans without facing the consequences of speaking openly.

Now, for those “fans” still blaming them for being 30-year-old adults who supposedly could say something but don’t—unlike Wendy and others—do I need to remind you of the photos they posted in 2023 to counter SM’s narrative? The way they subtly exposed SM’s emotional abuse during the Rover promo video with Jongin? The not-so-subtle jabs in their Cream Soda YouTube content? They do speak when they can. There is clearly a legal, corporate, or strategic reason for their silence.

Do you really believe that SM and their bot minions online wouldn’t twist every single word they say? We’re talking about SM— the company that, for years, deliberately chose not to protect any EXO members when they were being harassed and defamed. And yes, Wendy spoke up, but she has remained silent ever since. Taeyeon spoke up too, but only to secure better promotions for herself, and after that? Nothing. And let’s be real— neither of them are in a situation where SM is holding their entire group hostage while simultaneously being in a legal battle against three of its members.

Honestly, you should take the time to educate yourselves about similar cases in China, Korea, Japan, or Thailand— learn how public manipulation through the press is used to weaken fan support, how entertainment companies are willing to go to extreme lengths purely out of ego when an artist exposes them or refuses to comply, and how smear campaigns are orchestrated. Have you even paid attention to what happened with TVXQ or NewJeans? If not, I urge you to educate yourselves for once instead of letting your paranoia, emotions, and pessimism take over, leading you to blame the actual victims— CBX and the rest of EXO.

Keep a level head. Stay united. Support EXO as a group. Support them individually while the legal proceedings are ongoing. Trust the members. And place the blame solely on SM, which has always been the one and only problem in this entire situation (since I apparently have to keep repeating it).

Oh, and to some of you— put down your screens, log off Twitter, go outside, find a job, and realize that nothing in life is as simple as you think, no matter how old you are— especially when you’re up against one of the oldest entertainment companies in the country, with immense power over the industry and the press.

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I thought this was already ingrained in the minds of some EXO-Ls, but since some of you are starting to blame the members, let me give you a refresher: SM wants to punish CBX for standing up for themselves and taking legal action against them. And to do so, they are holding the group "hostage" by severely limiting EXO's content, restricting interactions between members under SM and CBX, boycotting CBX from music shows and award ceremonies, and even preventing them from participating in EXO’s anniversary.

SM wants to frustrate fans as much as possible so that they turn against EXO members—especially CBX—and blame them. This is the exact same technique and manipulation they used with TVXQ!. I can’t believe we even have to remind you of this when we’ve seen their tactics play out right in front of our eyes.

EXO members, especially CBX, ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT’S HAPPENING. They are literally the first victims. They are the victims in this entire situation. The only one responsible, the only one at fault, the only true villain here is SM.

SM has been mistreating EXO for years. They have been mistreating the members for years. Do I need to remind you how they coerced Baekhyun into signing a contract while he was serving in the military, threatening the well-being of the other members to force him into accepting? They coerced them. They manipulated them. SM has enough power to blacklist one of the most popular artists of the 2000s across an entire country, and yet you think the members have that much say in what happens?

The fact that they have endured this difficult situation for years—even when they could have chosen not to re-sign their contracts and leave EXO—should be enough proof of their loyalty and their desire to stay together as a group. They are going through all of this because they refuse to give up on EXO. And yet, you repay them by blaming them?!

Get a grip immediately because you are reacting exactly how SM wants you to. SM is manipulating you, using you to hurt the members even more. So if you dared to blame CBX or any of the members today, congratulations—you have been manipulated, you have become SM’s pawn in their plan to harm your own faves.

SM wants the fandom divided. They want to break the members. They want CBX to be buried. The only way to protect EXO and CBX is to stay united, to blame only SM, and to support all the members. Wake up. Get it together. Stand united. Support EXO and each and every member.

Right now, it may seem hopeless, but BigBang’s return gave me hope that with resilience, patience, love, and unwavering support, anything is possible. We literally survived 2014, guys. We are stronger than this. So WE ARE ONE, okay?

Let’s prove to EXO that we are here for them. Let’s prove to SM that they will not break us.

[lune-moon-nuit]

We love a complex deep character

Big fan of a Mike Wheeler who isn’t just plain oblivious, but is instead just too wrapped up with thirty different conflicting thoughts and a side of self-loathing. Sure, he probably knows how he feels, potentially buried under several too-thin layers of denial. Is he at all ready to confront it? Ehh? Anyways, here’s why I like it so much:

I just think about how horrible Mike probably feels whenever he’s pretending to not feel anything for Will. I was rewatching clips from s1-2, and of course Mike changed— but there’s no way he changed that much. He definitely would still burn the world down for Will.

And s1-2 Mike could read Will like his own thoughts. I think the Rink-o-Mania scene where he accuses Will of sulking all day suggests that he still can.

So I kind of just imagine the immense guilt he must feel on top of whatever internalized homophobia he’s got going on. Imagine him seeing Will trying to hide his hurt at Mike pushing him away, knowing intimately that it’s his fault, and yet too paralyzed by fear of to comfort him. Mike Wheeler, unable to comfort Will Byers— s1-2 him would have killed his older self.

And the cherry on top, the fear probably makes him feel even worse. He’s Mike, he’s supposed to be the brave one and protect his best friend. The Paladin. But now he’s the one hurting him.

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Oooooooh this could be actually real since lord of the rings and the hobbit are a reference since episode 1

What a “Return of the King-ish ending” for ST5 could mean for Will (and Mike): Part One

[this post contains spoilers all of The Lord of the Rings and more importantly for all ST5 leaks, make your own choices in deciding to read <3]

The Lord of the Rings, in book and film form, is obviously a big reference point for the Duffers, along with the books looming large for our group of nerds in-universe.

I have just always loved these covers even if they're not quite period appropriate for ST. I am going to imagine Will's copies of the books are used, well-loved trippy '60s editions

ST5 having a “Return of the King-ish ending” has been cited by the Duffers and the cast a few times now. They could just be referring to the tone (bittersweet, but happy overall) and/or the length of the epilogue. RotK’s infamous multiple fade to blacks should be the assumed probable end for “The Right Side Up” at this point (imo people who complain about that in RotK are weak-willed and losers /j).

But, the idea that RotK is being used as a broader touchpoint for ST5 is exciting for me because Will being a total Frodo type isn’t just added flavor for my ST experience, it's been a huge part of the show's appeal for me. Frodo was a formative early favorite character of mine, so I was extremely onboard for another soulful-eyed sensitive* boy gradually losing his sense of self to the horrors.

Texts between myself and a friend in November 2017, I think our text thread contains the only written record of my thoughts on this show pre-2022 because I used to be able to tune in for the newest season, coo at Will, and promptly stop thinking about ST. I miss that version of my life

Obviously I responded to this in s2 right away, but looking back on it again, it is striking how Frodo and Will’s supernatural torment and corruption share a visual language:

certainly some of this is big big eyes on smol ~delicate face, but I think there is some classic Duffer borrowing going on here

*I can't seem to fold this into this post in a natural way but I feel like I need to note up top that queer audiences reading Confirmed Bachelor Frodo as gay has been happening, with passion and enthusiasm, since the LotR's publication. Sam too of course, but Frodo doesn't even get a compulsory female love interest to marry upon return from the journey like Sam and Aragorn do.

But there are some important distinctions. What’s going on with Frodo isn’t really possession, and there are a couple major elements of his arc that have not been present in Will’s story (yet).

Temptation

The Ring's poisonous influence has a specific bent, coming from the temptation to wield its power. It’s all very biblical, we know LotR is extremely rooted in Tolkien’s Christianity, etc. Frodo’s ability to resist that temptation for as long as he does comes from his nature as a hobbit, the most humble of the races of Middle-Earth. Even the smallest person can change the course of the future, as you may have heard.

This layer of the Frodo-esque supernatural psycho-drama that Will is enmeshed in hasn't shown up for him so far. I think it's definitely on the table for s5 - especially if it turns out he has powers, or something else Vecna wants. But I expect, if it happens, Will’s temptation wouldn’t be about something so grand or theological, but more personal - overlapping, aptly for a season that is being billed as Will’s coming-of-age, with that stage in his hero’s journey like @/therainscene discusses here.

Choice

Again and again, Frodo chooses to keep going, despite the hardships inherent in his quest, his own doubts, and his accelerating mental deterioration and loss of all hope. This is to me probably the most important narrative divergence between Frodo and Will due to the different roles they have in their respective stories (and where ST’s horror/‘80s Spielberg ethos overrides any mythic/fantasy epic tendencies). As much as LotR has an expansive ensemble cast and storylines driven by other prominent characters, Frodo is the saga’s “main character.”

Will’s functions in the ST’s modern genre framework as a mash-up of a bunch of different (typically supporting) character types (my favorite write-up on this, c/o @/pinkeoni), and unlike your classic central fantasy hero, those types are often defined by a lack of agency. 

Frodo’s victory results from his endurance and, ultimately and unexpectedly, a specific act of mercy. Will’s story is also characterized by his endurance, but, unlike Frodo, he largely hasn’t been given a chance to opt into or out of the circumstances that require that of him.

But that set up should mean the pay off for Will’s arc will involve him finally being empowered. The valence of that empowerment will look different than Frodo's for the reasons discussed above, and I'm obviously extremely (the most??) excited to discover what that looks like.

Thinking about that difference in Will and Frodo’s positions in the larger structure of their stories brings us to another interesting point: Mike and his role as the show's "main character"/audience surrogate. Which will be discussed in the next post because this got too long. 😇

read part two here

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I'm bored... do you have any Byler fictions to suggest? I like fictions that are faithful to the story of Stranger Things and I especially like when it focuses on the psychology of Mike or Will, focusing on their mental health which is obviously influenced by their whole situation. If you have a fiction in mind, do not hesitate to send me a link

[lune-moon-nuit]

"it angers me even more how bylers treated her bc id expect better from bylers since as a collective we're supposed to be the "film makers" and "creatives" --but i am glad it seems her analyses are being remembered now and treated with the respect they deserve." This hypocrisy from byler of twitter about it I have a lot to say about it….

ill never forgive bylertwt for how they treated lesbianmindflayer back in 2022. she was ahead of her time and deserved so much better than how those losers treated her

it angers me even more how bylers treated her bc id expect better from bylers since as a collective we're supposed to be the "film makers" and "creatives" --but i am glad it seems her analyses are being remembered now and treated with the respect they deserve.

i wish i remembered the specific names but it was honestly like a mass dogpile so yeah but

lesbianmindflayer if you're out there you are loved

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I have my theory about this imagery of Will, El and Max being next to each other especially in season 3, except the facts these three are the ones who were direct target of Vecna

I will do a post about it tell me if you are interested

WillElMax, save me, WillElMax.

I would like to say these are just a few of the instances in which they chose to frame these three together and I wonder if there’s a special reason for that.

Underrated trio in my opinion. All three have come face to face with the Upside Down and its forces in ways the rest of the party have not and I just wish we could have more time with these three as a group.

I also would like to bring attention to the fact that Eleven had to become a protector from such a young age and I really hate that for her. She never got to be a kid and she feels it’s her responsibility to save everyone. Eleven deserves so much more. She’s so kind despite everything and I just hope by the end of all this she’ll receive happiness.

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Oh @alcalystrasz hits hard with that

At this point any Mileven argument have 0 logic actually, this is embarassing denial season 5 will end them lmao

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I’m bored give me your best questions, analysis or take about Mike, Will, Byler anything in general

[lune-moon-nuit]

YOUR MIND

I'm finally rewatching ST, yay

A series of rewatch posts incoming!

s1 ep1 thoughts :

Sometimes I forget how fanon Byers are vastly different from canon Byers.

They are introduced as a very dysfunctional family.

No father figure, Joyce is rarely at home, Jonathan plays the role of a parent not only to Will but to Joyce as well.

Their color palettes are inverted further highlighting the inverted roles.

Jonathan literally carries a lot of weight on his shoulders and puts his desires aside. The role of a parent is a heavy burden for a teenager and he blames himself for failing (Will's disappearance)

Joyce clearly favors Will over Jonathan. She doesn't know about his photos or another job that took. They don't communicate much. (shown and said directly in the episode)

This is of course the starting point of their character development to the family we love so much.

2. Hopper 'show don't tell' introduction is so well done! No words said but we learn so much about Hopper, his situation and his character!

The first scene is a child's drawing with three people: a father, a mother and a daughter.

The next shot is the absolute mess on the table and many empty beer cans. Clearly the family is not there.

Drunk Hopper. Alone. Might be divorced.

He's wearing a hairband on his wrist. Something happened to his daughter and he's wearing her band. This is confirmed in the same episode a bit later. Brilliant!

Also, his character arc is established: he's defined by grief and loss of his daughter – he will change later and will not let another child die (Will).

3. A rather peculiar direct parallel of two 'kidnapping' scenes:

The scientist thinks that he escaped but the Demogorgon is two steps ahead and is waiting for him in the elevator.

Will thinks that he escaped but the Demogorgon is two steps ahead and is waiting for him in the shed.

Will is so tiny

However, these scenes are drastically different!

Questions that I want to be addressed in s5:

If the Demogorgon kidnapped Will, why wasn't Will screaming like the scientist? That's a big ass monster hungry for blood and Will is a literal child. Unless it wasn't a giant monster but a man? haha

Since when is the Demogorgon capable of telekinesis? Why not just smash the door open? And how did it appear in the shed in the first place if we've seen the lock on the front door of the house magically open? Unless there were two people, one with telekinesis and another waiting for Will in the shed ....

With my clown hat on, I'll see myself out

4. This Australia line. Is this the upside down Australia joke lmao?

5. This first-person POV shot showing where Will is.

6. Foreshadowing?

7. S2 demodogs and D'art foreshadowing.

8. S5 Will's arc?

s1 is my favorite season, still so good!

[lune-moon-nuit]

I wonder if Will voice is something that Finn and the brothers did on purpose or this is just coincidental with this whole context and scenario Finn unconsciously created the Will voice

I like how most of these are just asking Will if he’s okay or snapping him out his trances

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Let's be honest with each other... Will is really handsome, he's genuinely pretty

[lune-moon-nuit]

I’ve been wondering for a while if I might be neurodivergent, and the more I analyze my experiences, the more I feel like certain aspects of my personality align with traits often found in autism or ADHD.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve had intense obsessions. When I become interested in something, it completely takes over my mind. I immerse myself so deeply that it feels like an addiction—I can only think, talk, and consume content related to that topic for weeks or even months. For example, when I decide to listen to an artist’s entire discography, I have to do it in a very specific way: the screen must stay on so I can see the tracks playing, no one can enter my room during that time, and any interruption makes me incredibly frustrated. This need for completion applies to everything—I mentally and physically need things to be finished the way I envisioned them, or else I feel an overwhelming sense of discomfort.

When I was little, I had very specific rituals that made no logical sense but felt necessary. For example, if I wanted to microwave my cereal for 1 minute and 5 seconds, I couldn’t just set it to 1:05—I had to put 1:00 first, start it, and then add the 5 seconds afterward, or else I felt like the taste would be different. I also used to move my hands a lot while imagining elaborate scenarios in my head. Even now, I tend to get lost in my own world, daydreaming and hyper-focusing on things that others don’t seem to care about as much.

Another thing that makes me wonder if I might be neurodivergent is how fast my thoughts race. My brain feels like it’s constantly running at full speed, and because of that, I often speak before I’ve fully processed what I want to say. I mix up my words, struggle to articulate what I mean, or end up sounding less coherent than I intended. At the same time, I can also go completely silent in certain social situations because my mind is so overwhelmed with thoughts that I don’t know how to express them.

On top of that, I’ve always struggled with social interactions in a way that’s hard to define. I get along well with people, but I have trouble forming deep emotional connections. I also experience extreme emotional distress when I feel ignored or abandoned, even in online friendships, which can make my relationships difficult to navigate.

I also deal with sensory-related struggles, like feeling anxious when eating around others, needing specific conditions to feel comfortable in my own space, or experiencing mental exhaustion when there’s too much stimulation around me.

All of these things make me feel different from most people, and I often wonder if I’ve spent my life masking my natural way of thinking and behaving without even realizing it. Maybe getting evaluated could help me understand myself better.

I’ve always been told that I’m sociable—I get along well with people, I can hold conversations easily, and I know how to navigate social situations. But despite this, I struggle to form deep emotional connections. It often feels like I’m interacting with people on a surface level, even when I want to be closer to them. I can mimic social behaviors well enough to appear engaged, but deep down, I often feel disconnected, like I’m on the outside looking in.

At the same time, I’ve noticed that my strongest emotional attachments tend to form online. When I connect with someone on Twitter, for example, I become deeply invested in the relationship. If they start acting distant, I take it very personally, to the point where it can consume my thoughts and emotions. It feels like online interactions allow me to experience attachment in a way that’s both safer and more intense than in real life. I don’t know if this is because digital communication removes some of the unspoken social rules that I struggle with, or if it’s because I find it easier to express myself through writing rather than in person. Either way, the way I experience relationships seems different from most people around me.

I also struggle with obsessive thoughts and compulsions, particularly in the form of body image issues. I’ve dealt with dysmorphophobia, which makes me fixate on my appearance in ways that feel irrational but impossible to ignore. If I perceive something as "wrong" with my body, it becomes all I can think about, and no amount of reassurance from others changes how I feel. My brain latches onto specific details and won’t let go, which makes me wonder if this could be linked to obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

Another unusual thing about me is that I sometimes "smell" things that aren’t actually there. If I see an image of a person, a character, or even an object, I can imagine their scent so vividly that it feels real. I don’t think this is related to memory, because it happens with things I’ve never encountered in real life. After looking into it, I’ve realized this might be a form of synesthesia, which is more common in neurodivergent people.

I also have a complicated relationship with food and eating in social settings. I experience intense anxiety when I have to eat around other people, to the point where my body physically reacts—I get a lump in my throat, sudden nausea, or the feeling that I won’t be able to swallow. This reaction makes no logical sense, but it’s so strong that it can stop me from eating altogether. I’ve read that people on the autism spectrum often have sensory issues related to food, and I wonder if my experience fits into that pattern.

On a more emotional level, I’ve noticed that I tend to fall into toxic relationship patterns, both in friendships and romantic connections. I struggle to recognize unhealthy dynamics until I’m deeply involved in them, and even when I realize something is wrong, I have a hard time walking away. It’s like I get stuck in loops of emotional dependence, even when the relationship is clearly harmful to me. I’ve read that neurodivergent people, especially those with autism or ADHD, can be more vulnerable to manipulation because they might miss subtle social cues or have difficulty setting boundaries.

All of these factors contribute to an overall sense of exhaustion. Even though I function well in daily life, I constantly feel like I’m carrying an invisible weight. Social interactions drain me, not because I dislike people, but because I feel like I have to put effort into masking parts of myself to fit in. There’s this underlying feeling of being different—like I exist in the same world as everyone else but experience it through a completely different lens. Maybe that’s why I’ve always felt the need to escape into obsessions, hyper-fixations, and imaginary worlds—they make more sense to me than the real one ever has.

If anyone here could tell me about it, I would be grateful…

[lune-moon-nuit]

The last time Mike saw Will, he looked like this. I know at the airport he was shocked to see how puberty hit Will and it caused him even more gay panic 😂🤧🤭

"we're not kids anymore'

and Will showed up next season looking like this

he grew up, mike

[lune-moon-nuit]

What I would need to hear from a man to finally open the door of love

You think I don’t see what you’re doing, but I know you—better than you think. I see through every silence, every evasion, every little joke you make to steer the conversation away when we start talking about us. And I understand. I understand that you’ve spent so much time protecting yourself that you don’t know how to open up anymore. You’ve built walls so high that you believe they’ll make me run, that I’ll eventually get tired and leave like everyone else. But I’m not like them, and you know it.

It’s not me you’re trying to run from—it’s yourself. It’s what you feel, these emotions that terrify you because they remind you of everything you’ve been through, everything that broke you. You learned to love through fear. Fear of being abandoned, fear of not being enough, fear of opening up only to be destroyed again. I see it in your eyes. But you know what? You can’t keep running forever. Love—real love—is nothing like what you’ve known. What you went through wasn’t love. It was manipulation, control, suffering. Real love doesn’t diminish you, it lifts you. It doesn’t break you, it heals you.

But I know you don’t believe that. I know that, in your head, you’re thinking, ‘That’s what all men say at first.’ But I’m not here to promise things I won’t keep. I’m here for you, exactly as you are, even if you think you’re too broken, too damaged to be loved. I’m here for every part of you that you hide, for the scars you refuse to show. You want to push me away because, deep down, you think I’ll see a part of you that will disgust me, that I’ll eventually reject you. But you’re wrong. What you don’t see is that it’s you I want. Not a perfect version of you, not the facade you think you need to show the world. Just you, with your pain, your fears, your hesitation. Because you deserve to be loved, even if you think you don’t.

You’ve learned to hate yourself, to believe that you’re never enough. You grew up thinking you had to prove your worth to be loved, that you had to become someone else to deserve the attention of those who claimed to love you. But you know what? You don’t have to prove anything. You don’t have to change for me. I see you, on your good days and your bad ones, and I love you for all of it. You don’t have to hide behind your walls.

I understand why you run. You’re afraid of hurting again, afraid of loving someone who won’t love you back the same way. But you know what? It’s not you against the world, it’s not you who has to fight to earn love. It’s me who is here to show you that you can be loved for who you are, without conditions, without having to break yourself to meet someone else’s expectations. I see you. I see your strength, your fragility, everything you try to hide. And I love you for all of it.

Your defense mechanisms—I understand them. Every time you pull away when I get close, it’s your fear speaking. Every time you put distance between us, it’s because you tell yourself that if you let your walls down, you’ll be vulnerable. But love—real love—is not the kind of vulnerability you fear so much. Love is also the security of knowing that someone is there for you, even in your moments of doubt, even when you feel lost.

I won’t pretend it will be easy. I know you carry deep wounds, pain that dates back to your childhood, your adolescence, that toxic relationship that left a mark on you forever. But I don’t want those scars to define the woman you are. You’re not just a victim of your past, you’re so much more than that. You are strong, and you deserve to be loved for everything you are—even the parts you think are unworthy.

I don’t want you to keep running. What you’re feeling—this fear—it’s not a reason to shut your heart down. It’s because you’re afraid that you should let me in. Because I’m here for you, and I want to help you carry this weight. You don’t have to handle everything alone. You don’t have to be perfect to deserve love. You deserve to be loved, even in your darkest moments. You deserve someone who won’t leave you.

And you know it. Deep down, you know I love you, even though you try to ignore it, even though you tell yourself I’ll eventually leave. You’re trying to push me away before I get to see who you really are—but I already have. And that woman, the real one, the one who is afraid but keeps going anyway—that’s the woman I love.

Let me love you, even if it’s terrifying. Let me into that part of you that you’ve kept hidden for so long. Because I’m not going anywhere. No matter how hard you try to push me away, I will stay. Because you’re worth it. Because you deserve to be loved, even if you don’t believe it yet.