#mike wheeler the closet is glass

[lunabug2004]

I think it's funny that I've seen some defense regarding Mike's queer coding literally being that "he's not interested in any girls except El" bc that's just simply not how that works (in most cases).

Like I know people joke about their sexuality changing for one person, usually a celebrity, or someone else who's unattainable, but it's rarely ever the actual case. And I also know that it's a TV show so it doesn't necessarily have to be realistic but it's still interesting to think about.

I say this because we have literally no evidence to support Mike being into girls, at all. When talking to Dustin abt Suzie, comparing her to Phoebe Cates, he's has a disgusted-esc look on his face. He has no posters of girls (at least none where they are the focus) on his wall, but he does have posters of buff (fantasy) men. I also wanna mention the 'one way' sign pointing into the closet bc it's honestly iconic. They make a point of Robin commenting on Nancy's Tom Cruise poster, so we know that it's not crazy to be paying attention to these things.

All this to say that most characters in the show have moments of being attracted to people even while in a relationship (given sometimes it's just them talking about celebs or characters but still, I'm pretty sure the only time Mike's done that was w/ Cates and I already discussed that). The defense of Mike "only being attracted to El" is so unrealistic and would be really weird writing.

[soniclion92]

The airport scene is so fucking funny bc you've got argyle and jonathan looking like they're contemplating killing themselves and then it pans to Will and El like "omg Mike :D"

AND THEN Mr. Fruitboy himself walks in with the most horrendous looking outfit KNOWN TO MAN

[chirpsythismorning]

I’m sorry but they were so sick for this 😂

[will-you-be-a-satanist-with-me]

Stranger Things s1 ep7 when Troy was talking about Eleven he said "She doesn't even look like a girl". The first scene of that episode is Mike telling El she doesn't need the wig and that she's still pretty💀 He CANONICLY thinks she's prettier when she "doesn't look like a girl".

[luv-byers]

Could ANYONE explain to me why Mike nods when Will says this? What truth is he hiding that El possibly won’t like?

Also, it looks like he wants to say something in the end but he doesn’t bc they are interrupted — once again— by someone, in this case Argyle.

[byleriscanon713by]

if mike wheeler is straight than why is he gay?

[kissboybyler]

talking to my mum about my failed boy-crushes because i can’t yap about my insane gay pining

[noihavenosanitythanksforasking]

closeted sap mike wheeler

[hearts4popchyk]

Mike wheeler definitely gets hit with the “what about us” conversation at random and actually starts losing it every time he thinks about his response

[gtgmurdersomeone]

BYLER IS ENDGAME

BYLER IS ENDGAME

BYLER IS ENDGAME

BYLER IS ENDGAME

BYLER IS ENDGAME

BYLER IS ENDGAME

[gay-caveman]

hmm...

[lunabug2004]

If Byler isn’t endgame i’mma need Michael to explain his face 🤨

Like if I was Will… I’d be asking what we are every hour we spend in slight proximity to one another (Bc Michael always be staring if he has the chance)

[blueblahblahyellow]

Mike, my sweet sweet sad little dude, I love you. But WHAT THE HELL "WE'RE FRIEND! WE. ARE. FRIENDS!" was for?!

Chill bro Will knows (and he's wrong.) you're totally heterosexual and in love with your gf!

[robinswise]

[delicatetigerobject]

he doesnt know how to do feelings

also

maybe he finds it easier to convey/express his emotions/feeling through means other than directly stating them to people, like how he distances himself from el and tries throwing hints that he doesn't expect her to pick up on when he realizes that he isn't actually in love with her how he thought he was. or like how in the st2 scene above, he says that to will when will isn't himself, when Mike isn't sure that will is even going to remember that he said that, while in the st4 scene (also above), he likely isn't sure how to continue the conversation after the things Will said. In the script, it says that Jonathan, one of the people who knows Will best, being his older brother and all that, notices that 'Will is not just talking about El -- but also himself.'

Mike, as we know, is one of the other people who knows Will best. This is shown in st1, when Mike says he recognizes Will's voice on the walkie-talkie, but Lucas and Dustin think that it's just a baby or interference or something. Joyce, aka Will's mother (another of the people who know him best) is the only other person who recognizes Will's voice just by the sound of his crying through the phone, and both of them know that he's in pain, so this is sort of proven by those scenes. But anyway, since Mike likely knows Will as well as Jonathan does (or at least close to that point), he probably noticed the same thing that Jonathan did when Will said those things. And if I were him, I'd probably have the same reaction.

Now, I know he definitely noticed that Will was crying (he's looking at him in the st4 screen cap in the og post I'm responding to), but considering that he's probably thinking about what just happened (and the implications of those words), coupled with his pre-existing issues with communicating things and his shitty way of expressing himself that he seems to be developing from his internal dilemma (aka internalized homophobia lol) that have been sort of growing inside him since at least the end of st3, at least, he almost definitely doesn't know what he's even supposed to say, (I can almost hear fanfiction here- 'he almost definitely doesn't know what to say- I mean, what is he supposed to say, "Sorry I made you cry, but I wasn't sure what to make of that because it really sounded like you were talking about yourself there, but you were talking about El needing me and being in love with me, and if you were talking about yourself then that'd mean that you were in love with me", and there's no way he could say that'- lol) and so he just kinda lets it happen.

Not to mention that his response to Will's heartfelt speech is just 'You really think so?' and nothing else. Not like, 'Thanks Will, you really are a great friend, I'll patch things up with her soon' or 'Thanks, but I really don't think that she needs me anymore, it feels like she's growing out of me, y'know?', but just... 'You really think so?'

The difference between these two scenes above, imo, is how easy it is for Mike to share his feelings. In one, (the st2 scene), Will is possessed, and Mike knows that he can't really hear him, so it's easier for him to say how he feels to someone who isn't directly and entirely Will; While in the van scene, he's just been hit with a veiled love confession that, considering the evidence, he likely recognizes for what it is, a veiled love confession- from, I might add, his gay best friend, the same gay best friend whose LIPS HE KEEPS LOOKING AT (like DUDE you're literally staring at his lips, the closest is glass Michael 😭🙏), and since Mike is at that point dealing with internalized homophobia (evidence/example: 'We're friends, we're friends' and 'It's not my fault you don't like girls!' Again, the closet is glass.) So y'know, he's gonna have a reaction that has... the exact opposite effect that he probably wanted it to.

but most of this is probably just me projecting

anyways sorry for the little rant idk exactly why I wrote all that and i'm not gonna reread it and try to make it make more sense, I just sorta needed to get my thoughts out a bit because I've been hyperfixated on Stranger Things (and Byler) lately and haven't really had a chance to talk about it. you don't have to read all this, and if you did, please feel free to contribute or correct me on something here, because I actually haven't even gotten to episode three of st4 yet even lol and I haven't watched the van scene. I just read a shit ton of theories and posts which you cant do without spoilers. and also I read the script for the van scene.

anywho feel free to correct me on anything or to add on to what I said, I'd appreciate it, and again, sorry about the infodump

MICHAEL WHEELER!!!!

why do pull THIS romanticism when he's LITERALLY POSSESSED

but on a LONG-ASS CAR RIDE

YOU MAKE HIM CRY!?!??@!?@!?23!?@!@?!?@!?#@?3!?3

[byleriscanon713by]

Proof that byler is Canon because one time my mother comes over to my house and I was watching the season 4 episode 2 fight in rink-o-mania and my mom immediately sits down and starts watching with me. Keep in mind she had not seen a single episode of stranger things and she didn’t know any context. After watching me she goes “so those two are gay right?” SHE WATCHED A BYLER FIGHT AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THEYRE GAY! LIKE HOW OBVIOUS IS BYLER!