#if u removed those details it couldve deadass ended

[thefirstlioveyou]

you know What. i've been trying to understand the manifestation theory recently and i just realized

you know how mike is sitting all alone at the snowball after watching all his friends leave to dance with someone? how he is staring into oblivion, not actively looking for el or anybody, just sitting and contemplating? possibly contemplating all his friends possibly growing up and finding someone, feeling behind and scared. and then suddenly - oh.

el shows up just in time, pulling him right out of that. he suddenly has the perfect confidence to ask her to dance and even kiss her as if he didn't spend the last season awkward as hell with her. as if he wasn't awkward as hell when she leaned into him for a kiss earlier that same episode. like ok yeah that makes sense for sure dude.

but the fact he isn't even trying to look for her. the fact he isn't wondering where she is. she's clearly not on his radar at all. but regardless, she just.. walks in that exact moment, catching him off guard and essentially saving him from those uncomfortable emotions. might i add we don't even see her in the montage of the kids getting ready for the dance. we don't get a scene of her and hopper. while you can argue it's implied... why not give them a scene or anything at all?? not even a word about her to joyce. i mean, i believe it did in fact happen, but it's another clear disconnect between el and the rest of the characters.

it's just all so weird, not even mentioning the fact every breath you take plays exactly when we see mike sitting down by himself. there is something off here.. and then of course they had to frame it EXACTLY like THIS scene.

also??

like hello????????

okay.