strangelysilver

[strangelysilver]

Mike Wheeler…

do you all see my vision here

[strangelysilver]

reminder that some of the most insane parallels between mike, will and el are literally in the exact same episodes

2x02

during a flashback, el gets stuck in the upside down and calls for mike, but he’s not there, and she ends up saving herself, proving that she doesn’t need him the way she used to.

a huge part of her character is about finding her independence, discovering herself and figuring out her own identity, since there's always been someone influencing her in some way her whole life without allowing her to stop and think about what SHE wants. even in season 3, max takes el away from mike to try and allow her to figure herself out and her own interests. "not hopper. not mike. YOU."

later on in the same episode, will gets stuck in the upside down on halloween and calls for mike, and he finds him and rescues him/breaks him out of the trance (and this isn’t the first time he’s done this), then takes him back home to his basement and sits with him to make him feel better.

even in season 4, will still admits he needs mike. and when we say "needs", it doesn't always have to refer to physically being rescued (will is definitely capable of protecting himself and we'll see that in season 5 when they show the upside down flashbacks), but just simply because they give each other strength and make each other feel safe emotionally. mike and will have always been so comfortable with each other and understand each other better than anyone else and it's actually the strongest thing about their relationship.

but anyways, putting these two scenes in the SAME episode with the only difference being that mike was in the right place at the right time for only one of them, not both of them, symbolises SO much. they were both stuck in the upside down, they both called out for him, but he could only be there for will.

3x03

after el breaks up with mike, she’s sitting with max and they’re smiling at photos of boys in magazines (once again proving that she doesn’t need him and can find happiness without being in a relationship with him). max tells el mike will come crawling back to her begging for forgiveness, but he doesn’t.

keep in mind, their break up scene was filmed and treated like a comedic joke. bright lighting, disgusted expressions, cheesy dialogue, 5 main characters in the scene AND extras walking everywhere in the background because it was a public place (no intimacy or focus on the couple at all) and el and max literally smiling and giggling immediately after.

later on, after will and mike fight in the rain, will storms off on his own and breaks down crying while staring at a photo with mike in it (this shows just how important mike is to him and how he’ll always want and need him by his side. their argument + being away from him REALLY affected will). mike also ends up going all the way to will’s house to immediately apologise, something he doesn’t do for el.

this fight scene was filmed and treated very seriously, because it was. this was actually one of the most intense mike and will scenes, especially when mike made a comment about something that deeply affects will ("it's not my fault you don't like girls!"). it was raining outside, the colours were blue and dark, it was an intimate moment between them ONLY (nobody else was around so the audience could completely focus on mike and will) and they were both miserable after it and couldn't focus on anything else except each other.

even without all these crazy parallels, we literally have confirmation of will admitting he will always need mike in season 4, so how could anyone deny his love for him and how important he is to him? how could anyone possibly think it's "easy" and "realistic" for him to move on and find someone else?

[strangelysilver]

this is so real, I was so uncomfortable watching it and I wasn’t even a byler shipper

how do people think that mike's monologue to el is sweet and romantic?? the way the scene is filmed is so overstimulating and tense that every time i watch it i feel like fucking pennywise is about to jump out from behind them and tell mike he knows his dirty little secret

[strangelysilver]

oh for sure

claim before the ga starts saying they're will fans

[strangelysilver]

between this and the like heart pupils and whatever other details people have found in this scene I fully understand why this scene took so long to film

Mike tries figuring out his feelings while the word "boy" is literally passing by behind him.

No wonder this scene took all day to film.

Credit to @dinitride-art for pointing out the word "boy" splashed all over this scene from the Surfer Boy logo! See a ton more of this in part 14 of their lighting analysis here!!!

Edit: just made an additional post here going over all the times the "boy" shadow is visible in this scene!

[strangelysilver]

wow

quick sketch inspired by S2 promos

[strangelysilver]

Does anyone know if El heard Will tell Mike to give her the monologue? Because I’ve never really thought about it but it makes sense that she would have, right? 😬

[strangelysilver]

nothing beats byler and billie eilish tbh

[strangelysilver]

help me I’m stuck in an endless cycle of my own making

today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern today I’m going to break the pattern

[strangelysilver]

best character!!1

quick sketch inspired by S2 promos

[strangelysilver]

Nothing kills me more than seeing people gush over how heartfelt and romantic Mike's monologue to El was.

I wasn't even a Byler shipper when I first watched it and I was cringing. Stranger Things is not a monologue-y show. Yikes.

[strangelysilver]

It just hit me that if Byler is not endgame, then Will's arc makes no sense. Because right now, it's:

S3 -- tension between Will and his friends as they grow older and start getting girlfriends

S4 -- Will in the closet and in love with Mike

S5 -- ?

There really isn't enough time at this point to resolve both Will's feelings for Mike and set him up with another love interest. If they just wanted Will to have a coming out arc it should have been more like:

S3 -- tension between Will and his friends juxtaposing their interest in girls and his total lack thereof

S4 -- Will in the closet but comes out to his friends and family by the end of the season

S5 -- Will gets love interest

At this point, Will either gets Mike or he gets no one. And considering how much he's gone through at this point, that just seems unnecessarily cruel. Not to mention, it's a terrible message. It's also weird to have him specifically be in love with his best friend if he's just going to be rejected. I'm sure this has been said a million times before, but Will's sexuality arc could have worked perfectly fine without him being in love with Mike.

In other words, if Byler is not canon by the end of Stranger Things, then I would argue that both Mike and Will's characters have been pretty badly misused. Which would be extremely disappointing, since they have so much potential. And while Stranger Things does have its faults, this would be such an astronomical writing fumble that actually I'm inclined to trust the Duffers here.

[strangelysilver]

This is adorable but also like— same expression and framing and we know the canonical feelings of one of them? I’m just saying…

LOOK AT HOW CUTE THEY ARE

HOLY CRAP I’VE NEVER LOOKED AT THESE SIDE BY SIDE BEFORE??? IT’S LITERALLY THE SAME???

[strangelysilver]

Will was taken from him once, he can’t let it happen again.

Not my comment but they are lowkey highkey onto something

[strangelysilver]

oh he’s SO gone I’m gonna be sick 😩

[strangelysilver]

aww

We have all four now <33

[strangelysilver]

Mike needs and likes feeling needed in return, but El no longer needs him. Will, though, Will needs him.

How Mike describes meeting El: "She just needed someone." She needed somebody. She depended on someone else, anyone else, to make her better. Now she doesn't.

How Mike describes meeting Will: "You were alone too." They both needed each other. They have a mutual struggle and make each other better by giving each other courage. They still do.