#ik what u are mike wheeler

[bkdk-bylerthings]

A Complete Analysis Series of Finn Wolfhard’s STurn Playlist

Having Byler doubt? Read My Analysis!

I think it’s really important to take these songs as strong solid evidence for Byler considering Mike’s actor Finn, made this playlist for ST5

Preview Brief/Intro: I will be doing One Song at a time (one each post), I will be going in order on Finn’s playlist. This is all my ideas and interpretations of what I think each song represents and tells us. I will try to post each as soon as I can. With that pls have fun reading my analysis.

1st Song we will discuss:

Starter Notes/Thoughts: As I’m listening to the first song I feel like this song goes in order from when Mike arrives in California to the end of season 4. Also this whole song is in Mike’s POV

Key: Italicized - Lyric | Normal - Analysis

No one saw, nothin' at all

‘No one saw’ how we was being hella awkward with Will at the airport (I mean they did see but Not to Mike’s pov, he was probably thinking: they saw nothing, stay calm)

No law was there to fight

I’m thinking this could mean ‘the law’ being like ‘liking boys is bad/homo is a sin’ but now that he’s in California there is no law to fight bc he’s out of Hawkins (a town that is not so gay friendly), so basically his feelings for Will are so much more obvious

All dressed down

This just refers to what he was wearing at the airport and how he was caught lacking trying to fit in, trying to be normal…not gay…But! His mask is slipping remember bc he’s in California where there’s no law that being gay is a sin, he’s just used to Hawkins law (law is just used as metaphor here)

Walkin' out in the California night

Literally mentions California, he’s in California, and as he’s walking out to California- (ignore the night part) he’s walking out of the airport to California. And as he’s walking he’s trying not too look at Will and bearly talking to him—he thinks the next lines:

"Hey kid come along, something is wrong

I believe you know

^ voice inside Mike’s head being like: Ik ur upset AND ik you know why. This is such a good line to represent Mike’s internalized homophobia, the line basically saying: Ik something’s wrong, it’s the fact that you like… but he can’t really admit that he likes Will yet, bc that line is his inner voice pushing him to actually accept it. He probably heavily thinks this at rink-o-maina too.

All this to say

Only one way that this can go"

Cont. with his inner voice—So ‘all this to say’ stating what was said in the previous lines, like defining it, making it important. Then, the only one way that this could go…that being accepting his feelings for Will!

"Come on with us for a ride

Step on inside the long black car

show you the meaning of hell

‘Hell’ is important bc ppl think if ur gay u go to Hell.. Then what it’s actually saying: the journey of Mike Wheeler going on this long road trip with Will to get El, and it will be like Hell trying to figure out his feelings and the struggles and challenges that actually arise in the show, also him trying to figure out what Will meant in his speech in the van.

Boy, just let me tell you, that's where you are"

Basically just a reference to being gay is a sin and he’s already in Hell for liking Will

My heart won't beat

'Til we meet again together

Oh, don't cry

Keep me on your mind forever

These 4 lines are when Will gives his speech to Mike.

1st 2 lines: is like Will’s convincing Mike that El needs him and him trying to fix their relationship, so Mike thinks his heart won’t beat till he see El again- but this just him faking it to make it and bc he’ll do anything Will tells him too 💀

2nd 2 lines: Mike knows that Will was crying in the van, he doesn’t want to lose Will, so he wants Will to keep him in his mind forever

I found a new song, pulls me along

To that other plane

I'll see you some time

Off down the line

Where it never rains

Honestly I’m not as confident in these lines’ analysis’ as I was in my other ones so just keep that in mind:

I think this is after that interaction when he reunites with El and does that look scene between her & Will and he realizes then that his heart never stopped beating but it did stop when Will was smiling at El and not him.

These lines are him moving on from El

The last line: ‘where it never rains’, I want to believe this is about him not wanting to get into any more fights with Will bc Mike associates the Rain with fighting with Will

I put my foot in the gas tank

For the last time I know

For the last time he knows, finally that he has accepted his feelings now for Will

I'll be right by your side

From Paradise to El Paso

Reference to when Mike says to Will we’ll defeat him together in the last Ep of ST4

Also reference of when they were traveling— hence ‘side by side’— to go get El

Ending Notes/Thoughts: See how it went in order through the whole of season 4 in Mike’s POV, I just think that’s really cool. Finn sure did know what he was doing with this playlist that’s for sure lol

Finn’s Playlist:

Thank you for reading,

- Stasia ♡

[parkitaco]

last wip wfriday of pride month 😘🏳️‍🌈

[cringengl]

So in the tags in this poll I put my reasonings for why I believe Will mainly fell for Mike in s2. While yes, it's possible that Will had a small crush on Mike pre s1, I think most, if not all of his romantic feelings came from s2 and why I think so is all because of the van scene.

One of the most important lines in the van scene, especially when explaining why Will loves Mike, is this:

Much of Will and Mike's scenes in s2 is Mike making Will feel better for being different. This is established pretty early on when Will has his talk with Jonathan where he berates Jonathan for treating him "like there's something wrong with me", just like "Mom, Dustin, Lucas. Everyone", clearly leaving out Mike. Mike isn't like the others, who make Will feel even more different.

The crazy together and superspy scene are also good examples of Mike making Will feel better for being different. In the crazy together scene, Will says how Mike can't tell the others how he's feeling because "they won't understand" and in that scene, instead of Mike making Will feel more different, he promises to be there for him and to understand him- to go crazy together. In the superspy scene Will is upset as he feels like as the mindflayer takes over more of Hawkins he also takes over more of Will, but instead Mike makes him feel better by saying that Will can use this to his advantage and spy back. Both of these scenes have a clear pattern of Will feeling different and Mike making him feel better for it.

These scene obviously give Will the courage to fight on- it's one of the reasons why Will tries to spy back and even though that strategy ultimately fails, it keeps Will from initially completely giving up. However, the biggest example of "and that gives her (me) the courage to fight on" is the shed scene. Mike once again uses an example of where Will or both of them feel different (alone on the first day of kindergarten) and uses it to help Will get the courage to fight on against the mindflayer and tap out the morsecode to close the gate.

Due to the emphasis on this line in the van scene, I just think it makes more sense to show the specific times when Will fell for Mike onscreen, when Mike made him feel better for being different, instead of leaving it up to pre s1 speculation. Although there's the argument that Mike stood up for Troy when he was making fun of Will in the gym, but it was heavily implied by the expressions of suprise on everyone's face that Mike has never done something like that before and that it was likely fueled by anger due to Will's disappearance as well as the fact that not only was Will not there for it, but it doesn't happen pre s1.

Furthermore, I also see people say how Will's love for Mike is hinted from s1 and although it's possible that he did unknowingly have a small crush on Mike, I think most of the season 1 stuff that David Harbour said that is supposed to make sense later on is mostly Will's queercoding, as it's just done through people calling Will homophobic slurs (which was kinda messed up of Stranger Things ngl). Like yeah there's the whole part where Will doesn't lie to Mike about the roll, but that's probably due to either a subconscious small crush, or Will just being his honest self (even if he does cheat Dustin out of his X-men #134- it's not like he lies about it and he's probably going to have more integrity with DnD over a bike race with Dustin).

So yeah, TL;DR: Will fell in love with Mike in s2 because that's when Mike spent the entire season making Will feel better for being different and giving him the courage to fight on.

[imatotallynormalteengirlok]

I've been seeing some things lately abt how people want Lonnie in s5 to show up and get his ass beat by hopper. While I'd like that if it did happen, I'd much prefer if Lonnie shows up in s5 to only give him like 1 scene, but have him interact with byler only. And ik ur probably like "uhhh not this bitch going on abt byler AGAIN" but hear me out...

Lonnie shows up for whatever reason, idc abt that. But he's looking for Joyce or jonathan or will idk and he's going anywhere he can think they might be, their old house (empty) and he remembers that they were close w the wheelers (I think that karen was particularly kind to Joyce after she and Lonnie split bc she herself is not in a happy marriage) so he goes there and only will and mike are there. Lonnie probably starts asking where Joyce is and will gets scared/defensive, and Lonnie starts hurling insults at him. I feel he's probably be homophobic and call him slurs like he did when Will was Little Bc lonnie called him slurs and called him gay bc he liked art and imagination games. What do u think he's gonna do when he sees him and Mike alone in a house, being close and comforting/working together. The homophobic alarm bells would be going CRAZY!! Mike goes to (verbally)defend Will, and Lonnie starts yelling at him too and goes to assault him. But then I want a parallel/similar scene to when Joyce screamed at Lonnie to leave, but from Will w a gun. Like I want will to SCREAM at Lonnie and Lonnie to be like "Oh u won't shoot me u pussy" and then will like shoots j above his head or something and starts yelling at him to leave or he'll shoot. And then yk Lonnie yells , Mike watches will w a mix of love and terror and then Lonnie leaves, will cries end scene.

I feel like will, who Lonnie always saw as weak and worthless finally standing up to him and being the one to frighten Lonnie is so much more powerful than hopper beating the shit out of him (though I'd enjoy that too)

[waylibee-analysis-firm]

mustang theory (ch09)

guys im being so serious rn. im so scared to post this. but bee is being wonderfully supportive (as usual <3) and i am going to be. so very Brave. this may not be coherent, but...i hope it makes some sort of sense ok. anyways here is the theory for ch09:

mike and will leave the camp dance early bc of Bad Memories and/or they would rather just be making out (which is. fair) 

(fearless lore is referenced throughout but also will be theorized/posted about separately) 

this would be proven by the references to wish you were sober by conan gray (yes ik it’s not in relation to ch09 but. this part Could Happen at the end of ch08…just saying). 

this specific theory is fueled by the weird eureka moment i had regarding this post. is this a reach? yes. do i fucking care? no.

they take mike’s car, despite will’s grumblings abt his stupid fucking mustang.

ch01 im staring. Directly at you. shut up. shut up. i hear what you’re saying and i just can’t listen right now okay. ch01 we’ll get back to you i prommy

“Also, God forbid I have to leave the grounds in Mike Wheeler’s stupid fucking Mustang more than once this summer," he adds, nearly spitting. (ch01)

need i say more.

also this would totally be building more on their trust....plus probably some references from follow the sparks that i don't know off the top of my head

also could have been foreshadowed by ch02…when will refused to get into mike’s stupid. fucking. mustang. just saying….

ch02 is also biggest fearless lore references we have that i can think of but that is for another time

“Don’t tell me you’re driving that thing,” Will scoffs, eyeing Mike’s car in trepidation, eyes sweeping along the length of the racing stripes. (ch02)

...forcing Will to declare a lesser of two evils: throwing dignity to the wind and accepting a ride in the Mustang — the undeserving bane of Will’s existence...(ch02)

CAR EMOJI !!!!

this chapter is “thea’s baby”. well thea is also the resident car expert.

im literally so funny for this sorry not sorry im cracking myself up ->

either something happens between them and they end up pulled over OR something happens to the stupid fucking mustang

THIS could be that one post thea made…which could have been totally innocent OR it could have been COMPLETELY SINISTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OUT TO GET US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! putting on my tinfoil hat

smth happens between them...backseat driver will (mentioned in ch02) as well as the stupid. FUCKING how to drive manual that's been driving me INSANE the past couple of days (found here.)

side note: thea i love you but you are driving me Bonkers (mwah <3)

alternative to the above point is that mike pulls over to 1) make out with will (again. which is again. fair.) 2) chat with will about what they Are

option 2) would require some sort of shift in their relationship/situationship beforehand…im thinking this could mean you know that i caught it could take place BEFORE or DURING ch9… this could be the They Know motif coming to a head (meaning everybody. they Know for real this time. and now mike’s confused about it. “what are we?” talk from ch05 but times a million)

“save me ‘till the party’s over/kiss me in the seat of your rover”

^^ regarding this. i wrote all of this before i rediscovered that wish u were sober has nothing to do with ch09 (supposedly). im just too lazy to change it bear with me please.

will gets mad at mike for some reason?

if the original point made (something happens to the stupid fucking mustang) ends up happening, this could be will’s breaking point bc he’s overwhelmed and panicked and stuff is happening too fast for him

ch09 is a will pov chapter.

also frustrated crier (some ask about ch04 that i need to find to link before this gets posted)…just saying.

will gets mad at mike continued and reverts back to his I Need to Hurt You phase bc it’s safe and he doesn’t know how to handle the UNDOUBTEDLY romantic feelings n thoughts he’s having about mike…

he’s scared of getting hurt again like he was with derek and he’s scared of the unfamiliar territory that comes with being nice to mike/having mike be nice in return

This type of gentleness is certainly a facet of Will that Mike has known, having seen it more than a handful of times over the years, but it’s not quite one he’s accustomed to. (ch06)

this ^^ goes both ways i assume...there's gotta be evidence abt it in a will pov chapter but i am. exhausted.

he lashes out at mike that they aren’t anything, they’re just a casual fwb situationship, etc. 

wow would you look at that…this is paralleling the fearless lore theory…

cue "straight up" by paula abdul for mike pov (i've been a fool before/wouldn't like to get my love caught in the slammin' door/how about some information, please? // straight up now tell me/do you really want to love me forever oh, oh, oh/or am I caught in a hit-and-run?/straight up now tell me/is it gonna be you and me together oh, oh, oh/or are you just having fun?)

“Hit-and-run” CAR IMAGERY ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME

"straight up" by paula abdul is on mike's driving playlist and i've been going insane about it since i saw it. btw. i love this song.

mike's unsure abt what they Are/what will is thinking so he reverts to the childish fighting thing too...pushing will's buttons is second nature for him by this point...evidence for this in a mike pov i will find later prommy

this is also wish you were sober coded “trip down the road, walking you home/you kiss me at your door/pullin’ me close, beg me ‘stay over’/but im over this roller coaster/imma crawl out of the window now/gotten good at saying ‘gotta bounce’/honestly you always let me down/and i know we’re not just hanging out”

first half here. could be about how mike is begging will for a relationship. but will is “over the rollercoaster” and the push and pull of their friendship to rivalry to fwb situation. 

second half here. will’s metaphorically leaving mike (crawling out the window). he’s “gotten good at saying ‘gotta bounce’” bc he’s done this to mike Before when they kissed when they were thirteen…i Think (fearless lore theory). “honestly you always let me down” could be a reference to. will being angry with mike for not just being happy with their fwb, even though he wants more too? “i know we’re not just hanging out” come ON this is will saying he KNOWS THEY CANT JUST BE CASUAL. HE LITERALLY SAYS THIS IN CH05 I BELIEVE. OR MIKE DOES IN CH06. THEY CAN’T BE ANYTHING BUT EACH OTHERS EVERYTHING. 

^^ literally kill me now i can't believe none of this is related. curling up into a little ball and sobbing.

this would be the beginning of the Angst that’s a 3-4 on a scale of 10 bc we know they're both idiots just miscommunicating But. hey.

so that's uh. that's the outline of the Theory we currently have...it's our most fleshed out one rn fs but there are a few Others that were referenced here that we need some more information on...

anyways. thanks for being insane with us. <3

[tswift4life]

mike wheeler.

What kind of point r u trying to make here dude. Like I don’t think I have to make it any more clear that Mike sucks and that I truly hate him so if ur trying to prove to me that he is hot or kind or smthn stupid like that it’s not gonna work bc ik how bad Mike is…

[fadeintoyou1993]

stranger things!<3

Favourite character: nancykins<3 and robin!!!

Funniest character: i have different answers depending on what context and what way you mean as YOU KNOW . but overall erica. literally any setting u put erica in ik ima giggle shes my lil sis FR.... but also nancy is so fucking funny to me she is so.... god.... but also mike i think he is hilarious. and max...STEVE.... its hard to say but ik erica would get them all beat

Best-looking character: MILF JOYCE BYERS has my heart but nancy and robin also 🥰

3 favourite ships: ronance, elmax, lumax <3

Least favourite character: billy bc he is a disease

Least favourite ship: harringrove, stancy and jancy are all terrible to me for different reasons but truthfully if the stans are annoying ill probably fucking hate it eventually

Reason why I watch it: i love the characters so much they make me so happy and nancy wheeler makes me so fucking insane

Why I started watching it: WINONA RYDER 👏🏽

[downbytheriversside]

Tagging all the writers ik on here so ur guaranteed to see this (but this truly goes for anyone!!)

@sorry-i-panicked @ohfallingdisco @buck-yyyy @likegoldintheair @weirdo09 @sunshinereddie @octobergrae @shippingfangirl013 @laozuspo @blackdeathmamba @smoosnoom @andiwriteordie @apatheticlexicographer @ronanticized @mike-wheeler-ik-what-you-are @wayward-sherlock @kaleidoskuls @will80sbyers @cluelessbees @foodiewithdahoodie @itsromeowrites @thekingandthejester @thecertifiedbidisaster @shutuperce @dont-open-dead-inside-25 @elekinetic @definesapphic @strangeswift @hotbrokebitch @booksandpaperss @howtobecomeadragon @astrobei @bookinit02 🫶🫶🫶

To be clear I don't mean this in a 'i hope u write soon regardless' way. I just mean that if/when you write next I hope you truly find joy and fulfillment in the experience. And again, really sorry if I forgot someone that ik

I just wrote 8 pages when I haven't written in months and was beginning to think I'd never be able to again. Idk what it is, but I am sharing and manifesting this energy for every writer who sees this. May you write 8 quality pages effortlessly and find joy writing once more

[conanssummerchild]

I just finished (they told me) all my cages were mental and when I'm reading a fanfic I usually text my cousin non-stop about it lol. so these were my messages to my cousin for this one. (some of them are a little weird lol)

(also I don't hate you)

i cackled evily reading this jdksjsj i dont even know what to say this was the best thing ive ever seen lmao

'MAKE HIM SUFFER 👹👹👹👹' got me 😭😭

also i can comfirm that my only objective in life is to put mike wheeler (and the poor souls who come across my fics) through hell, but i give him a happy ending!! (sometimes)

also 'i think mike has the same opinion of himself as you do of him' im gonna use that with MY cousin, ty u genius

anyway ik glad i made your heart hurt! it was my objective! 😁 /hj

haha but im glad u enjoyed <33

[bkdk-bylerthings]

Why in the stranger things 3 game Mike is like basically denying his relationship with El, it’s like he’s almost unsure or embarrassed to be with her or something?? Idk i just found it interesting 

Also having no clue what she wants, also stated in the show…is just so obvious that he knows nothing about her. Like that’s weird… you should know about her Mike and she with u aswell

Also silence from him in the game after the break up lolll, bro does not care, only cares that he lost his cover up

[livsmessydoodles]

how it should have gone

[mikesgaylittlethoughts]

THANK U FOR THE TAG <33

i gotta for prequelle or meliora by ghost. i have them to thank for reigniting my passion for music!!

@mike-wheeler-ik-what-you-are @miwiromantics @noafencee (i hope u guys dont mind the tags <3)

EVERYONE GIMME AN ALBUM U REALLY LIKE AND PASS IT ON PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

I'll go first, 666 by Aphrodite's Child :)

@leahandherstuff @lichenstone @sotalia-fluviatilis @field-cryptobotanist @forflightlessbirds @bat-luun @theoneandonlywinnie

[elekinetic]

if you're interested, i just posted my first (prose) fic called please say im young enough on ao3.

Will is gay. Robin knows. Or, Robin and Will go on a supply run. Set in post-season 4 apocalyptic Hawkins. (2.1k, coming out, pre-byler & rovickie.) if you'd like to read it here, the pages are attached below the cut <3

[nyxi-pixie]

mike 'crush on eddie munson' wheeler 🤝 el 'crush on nancy wheeler' hopper

[sage-greenery]

nah cause how do milkweeds even explain shit like this????

[toiletguy04]

WAIT HOLD UP 😭😭😭😭 I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE HELP 😭😭😭😭 Will is expecting Mike to be mad at El for lying but we end up getting a byler rink-o-mania fight instead WHAT THE HELL 😭😭 Oh it's gonna be MESSY. The painting will be messy. Also I thought about what if El was lying in the letter and she actually commissioned the painting yk since it's her lying that is emphasized in the episode, but then I thought about Mike's reaction to Will holding the painting at the airport and 😭😭, yeah Mike's reaction at the airport still wouldn't make sense given another context 😭 Given any other context really, yeah we can say it's just cause he's mad at Will in general for not talking but like why would he and the duffers specifically highlight the painting? To subtly hint Will's feelings? They can show that without Mike's awkward "What's that? Cool" since the van scene was there. NO HETEROSEXUAL EXPLANATION, MIKE WHEELER IK WHAT U R

y'all remember when will is confronting el about lying to mike and he says "i don't think mikes gonna like that you're lying to him. and he doesn't deserve that and when he finds out he's gonna be mad."

his point + logic is: mike is going to be mad that you've been lying because you're his girlfriend and you keeping the truth from him hurts him extra worse because he loves you

literally canon. established. that is his entire point.

then WHO DOES MIKE GET MAD AT FOR KEEPING THE TRUTH FROM HIM? WILL BYERS.

he literally doesn't gaf that el has been lying to him he's more upset that will didn't butt into their relationship to clear up el's lie because the idea of will keeping the truth from him hurts extra bad (because he's in love with will)