#mike's hidden arc

[teambyler]

Mike's hidden arc that he doesn't need to put away "childish things": D&D, games, and his relationship with Will

During the promo build-up for s4, Finn Wolfhard said that Mike was struggling to be "as normal as possible and keep on a normal path" during this season. Which can only really be read as his relationship with El: the other thing he pursues in s4, D&D with the Hellfire Club, is NOT something that makes him fit in with the crowd!

Throughout the series, we see a tension between Mike and his conservative, emotionally-distant parents who do not understand him and insist he "grow up." They scold him for getting into trouble, they take away his Atari, and make him get rid of his children's toys. Mike doesn't want to let go, however:

And in s3, who represents holding on to "childish things"? His best friend, Will.

Mike gets wrapped up in his relationship with El and ignores D&D. He tells Will, "We're not kids anymore. I mean what did you think, really? That we we're never gonna get girlfriends? That we're gonna sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?"

And Will says, "Yeah, I guess I did."

To which Mike has instant regret. And we find out by the end of s3 that he still wants to play D&D after all - Mike didn't fully believe what he was saying. It reflected his parents' pressure on him to "grow up."

And of course, in s4, he's in the Hellfire Club and he's all about D&D again.

What changed? El, who Mike got preoccupied with in s3, is far away in California. He was with El for only a year, and much of that time was apart. For the rest of his 15 years, he was a Mega Nerd, and now he ends up with "the freaks" in Hawkins High. This arguably is the "true Mike Wheeler."

And we see what Mike's struggle to be "normal" in s4 is. He wears a garish outfit he normally would never wear, that Argyle calls "a knockoff." He's awkward with every idea El proposes: burritos in the morning, and of course, roller skating!

Many viewers in the General Audience have complained that Mike's character takes a nosedive starting in s3. This is when he enters the relationship with El, which is also when we see less of who he is - "the heart" of the Party who kept the Party together. What makes him a "hero" is something that society might look down upon in a young man: his AFFECTION for his friends, especially Will. That side of him recedes into the background when he is wrapped up in his relationship with El.

But by the end of s4, Will reminds him of who he is. He tells Mike that he's "the heart." And Will says HIS dream (while illuminated by the sun), something that Mike deep down wants, too:

For Mike, Will represents happier times and his own lost innocence.

Because of Will, by the last episode Mike is going back to his hero self: he's helping El while piggybacking, and grabbing Will's shoulder and making clear they'll kill Vecna together.

There's a very famous quote from the Bible: "when I became a man, I put away childish things." And there's an even more famous response from C.S. Lewis:

Mike is struggling to find out who he is, which includes what (and who) he loved as a child.

Will's painting is the final clue as to where Mike will end up by the end of the series: being the "heart" of the party again (Finn has confirmed there will be "leader Mike" moments), playing D&D, and probably being with the person who loves playing D&D with him and loves him for everything he is: Will.

This is a show that says to hell with society's expectations. From the beginning, it has contrasted the bullies and abusive dads with our heroes: the nerds, the "freaks," and the outcasts.

Lucas' whole arc in s4 was going back on his decision to try to fit in with the popular crowd. Mike's arc is to embrace the fact that he doesn't have to abandon who he is to "grow up." He doesn't have to worry about what society wants him to be. He can love his nerdy hobbies; he can fight for his friends. And he can dare to love the boy (a BOY!) -- the same one he, many years ago, with the clarity of child, proposed to in kindergarten.

-teambyler

[gayofthefae]

Also the 3x08 hug was, to Mike, going to be while he and El were still broken up. So he probably just gave himself permission given the situation/didn't go back on his previous plan to hug him last minute just because he suddenly wasn't single anymore.

But that was his last allowance to himself because then he was taken again and the next thing we see is 4x02.

(and the way he still hugs everybody else. See: Hellfire 4x01)

interesting how mike stopped putting his arm around will, holding will’s hand, or even tapping will’s shoulder while checking if he’s okay once he started dating el.

that’s why him reaching into the light to grip will’s shoulder (and questionably delay letting go despite being interrupted) is so important for them to return full circle- and then some (a lot more of “some” if yk what i mean)

[miwiheroes]

Mike Wheeler and his Promise

"It means something that you can't break. Ever."

A huge part of Mike Wheeler's hidden character arc is set up in season 1, episode 2 with this scene right here. It's pretty much the motivation behind many of his actions towards El and Will, can be a partial explanation for his internalised homophobia and explains why he seems like to have a saviour complex.

Narratively, promises are made to be broken. When writers decide to make a promise 'important' and emphasise that this promise cannot be broken, ever, it will always come back to bite that character in the ass. Promises are either made to be broken in stories like these, or they are made to make a character feel trapped. Promises are rarely ever used in a romantic fashion unless the character cannot keep their promise or they feel like they are forced to.

What makes it really seem like Mike and El are a doomed couple to me is that the writers chose Mike to say: Ever.

No word is misplaced in writing a script. There is no such thing as an unintentional line in Stranger Things tbh, and this word in particular means two things:

Mike will always keep his promises throughout time.

Mike will keep his promises no matter if circumstances change, no matter if his feelings change.

There is no reason for this line to be in there other than to foreshadow the fact that Mike will eventually have to eat the words from his naive 12-year-old self. He will eventually regret promising something, but he'll feel like he can't go back. Ever.

The domino effect Promise begins:

*Smiling* "And we can go to the Snow Ball."

*Smiling* "Promise?"

*No longer smiling* "Promise."

This promise was made in order to foreshadow that it doesn't come true right? Because that is often what happens to promises narratively, and of course, it can't come to be because they get separated and Mike thinks she's died.

But.... the promise does come true.

So instead, this promise was made, narratively, to trap Mike. While this seems harsh of course, this young Mike has no idea that what he has just promised to himself is not only to go to the Snow Ball with El (which was a promise made to comfort her here, to make her feel like she will survive). He doesn't necessarily seem happy about making this promise. He seems more... indifferent. Knowing that this is something he just has to do.

Yeah, because this is definitely the actors' expressions and lighting and scenery you want for a first kiss, right?

So not only has Mike promised to go to the Snow Ball with her, he has also promised to save her, he has promised to be with her. And he can't break this promise, ever.

Even when his feelings change:

The writers separated Mike and El and put Mike with Will in season 2 for a reason. They used it to build up a good development of Mike and Will's dynamic of course, but it was also to change Mike's feelings.

It eventually becomes apparent to the viewer that Mike has resigned himself to not finding El. In season 2 episode 2, the last time we see Mike on the walkie, he walks away. Music swells and El looks onwards. Instead of looking happy, she seems disappointed that her bond with Mike is not as strong as she thought.

Mike, after his talk with Will in the same room, has begun to give up.

And over time, he figures out that maybe... maybe finding and choosing to Will's friend is the best thing he's ever done instead. Once he figures this out, he cries, he's not loud, he's not angry. But it's at least the thing to bring Will's message forward.

Then El comes back, and Mike feels like a liar.

I've never really figured out why Mike shouts 'LIAR!' many times towards Hopper when he's clearly projecting as he starts to cry. Until now. It's the guilt that he didn't keep his promise. The promise he had made back when El had almost died, back when El had clearly thought promises could never be broken. EVER. Even when feelings change.

Of course he'd felt pissed at Hopper. Hopper was the one to keep El safe, not Mike, which is not the thing he had promised.

When El returns, Mike says:

"I never stopped looking for you."

Woops, Michael, that's a bald-faced lie, and you know it. But he also knows what a promise is, something that can't ever be broken.

Mike is now committed into this relationship. He's ready to keep El as his girlfriend for many reasons, but the next commitments he makes (i.e. saying 'I love you') are not intentional.

In season 3:

Saying 'I love her' happens on accident, she's never meant to hear. The next time he's asked about it, he fumbles and wants to deny ever saying it. But when El says it back, he realises... oh shit. I really am in this now. I can't escape, even though I know my feelings are different.

In the famous words of Hopper. "I don't want things to change." "[I want] to go back to how [we] were."

Throughout summer, before the Mindflayer, his relationship with El was easy, it was fine. He could deal with this because he can still go to movie theatres with Will and his friends and El can't go out in public. His relationship isn't real, and the fights they have are just 'silly, stupid fights'.

But then she says she loves him too and now what? He realises this is real, he can't go back on what he's said again. Because no matter what, a promise can't be broken.

Now:

He has to reject childish things and pretend to be 'normal' (but only around El).

He has to keep away from Will, who has the potential to break his promise to El forever.

He still can't say 'I love you' because of this great big commitment, this potential for change, and El clocks him, despite his best efforts to keep up the same relationship he was trying to have in season 3.

When he no longer has the threat of this great big PROMISE looming over him, when he feels that El has no broken up with him through that note signed 'From, El', he now suddenly has the ability to act close to Will. When he's confident that El's safe and that they just need to get back to Hawkins, he's able to express how he really feels.

He can finally, finally work with Will without feeling guilty.

That is, until El's in danger again. Until Argyle reminds him of the ramifications of his girlfriend being missing, reminding him of the promise that he's always made.

That's when this intimacy with Will suddenly feels taboo again:

The next time he needs to make a commitment towards her, it's through pressure. The bottom line is, Mike likes being a hero, he wants to be a saviour, but he was never ready for it to feel like this.

When Will reminds him that he's the heart of the Party in Surfer Boy Pizza, he believes that it could never be Will that needs him, but that Will's telling him that it really is El that still needs him. And that she always will.

So he holds her hand, exactly like he did back in season one, and makes his Promise again, this time, knowing that he's trapping himself.

Now, instead of a naive kid, he's a teenager, he's changed, despite not wanting to. He's resigning himself to a life without truly being able to express his feelings. He's not just some kid going to the Snow Ball with a girl that he cares about, he's promising to love her, knowing he's trapped himself in this promise again.

After all, he's already promised to save her, and if he thinks saying 'I love you' will save her, he's gotta do it no matter his true feelings right?

In season 5, someone, someone needs to tell this poor boy that he does not need to keep his promise. El needs to tell him about her growth, what she has learned from her time at the lab---that is, that she does not need Mike to love her, which she seems to have understood. She has already accepted that her lover won't arrive at the train station.

And Mike should realise that saying 'I love you' did not in fact save El. It was the reminder to fight, that Max is in trouble, that there are more important things, bigger than their relationship, that allowed her to escape the vines.

So when Mike hears that he no needs to keep up this promise, that he no longer has to hate himself for being a 'liar' to someone he cares so much about, that he can open himself up to happiness and understanding again, he'll probably feel pretty complete.

What do you think?

[queeleronwheels]

I saw a post talking about how Mike's love at first sight confession was bogus because the only reason Mike grew close to El in the first place was to use her as a tool to find Will.

While I 100% agree that Mike did not, as he claimed, love El since the moment he saw her, I think the beginning of their relationship is more complex than that, and I think acknowledging this lends more credibility to the idea that Mike doesn't, and never did, love El romantically. Hear me out:

Mike loves to be needed. It is the very essence of his character, and moves beyond just subtext in S4 when he says to Will in the van, "What if after all this is over, she doesn't need me anymore?"

El was all alone and on the run when she was first found by the Party. She needed to be hidden, to be protected, and Mike latched on to the role of protector immediately. He especially liked being her guide through an unfamiliar world, and in doing that, they did grow close, and they did grow to care for each other, outside of anything to do with Will.

That alone didn't push Mike to turn their relationship into something romantic (because yes, it was Mike's decision; El was very vulnerable, unfamiliar with how the world worked, and looked up to Mike to show her the way. Not a great foundation for a romantic relationship, and all the more reason El should end up single and on a journey of self-discovery and independence in S5). The beginning of their romance was a result of Mike's need to be needed in combination with him being a young boy in a heteronormative society that thought “oh, and she’s a girl too, so I guess I’m her boyfriend."

For Mike, kissing El was taking advantage of the fact that there was a girl in his house and she relied on him and according to Ted Wheeler and the rest of the tiny suburban bubble he lives in, that's the stuff of picket-fence romances right there! Off to the Snow Ball they go!

In S3, as he grows more in tune to his feelings and less naive about how romantic relationships actually work, his relationship with El becomes about waiting. He is waiting to finally feel about her how he "should", especially as they become more hands-on and El begins to expect boyfriend-y things of him. He even tries it on for size with his whole "I love her and I can't lose her again" blunder, because no doubt he does love her, but it isn't the way he wants to for the sake of conformity. Maybe if he professes it out loud for the whole world to hear, it'll hit different (it doesn't—it's portrayed comedically, with no swelling music or relieved laughter or running into El's arms. In fact, go watch it again—the music literally dies once he says it).

By S4, he knows it's not going to happen, the feelings aren't going to come—he very visibly realized this when El kissed him and told him she loved him at the end of S3—but he's motivated to keep up the act because in his mind 1) he can't be gay if he's with a girl and 2) he really does still want to be needed by her. That part wasn't a lie, as we know from him saying it to Will in the van. If she still needs him, maybe this could still work even if he doesn't love her romantically. Without that need, he has nothing to offer.

The real substance of Mike and El's relationship is platonic, sibling-like love (they established this the second before they got together in S1 with the "Will you be like my brother?" line, which is a hell of a weird springboard for a first kiss between your central couple, even if it's a chaste one between kids).

It was never love at first sight—it was forced heteroromance at first convenience.

Mike's relationship with El suffers in S3 and S4 because El begins to want more from him romantically, and Mike is not romantically attracted to her. His S5 arc is going to at the very least be about him accepting that for what it is and why (🏳️‍🌈). Personally I think when he learns that Will has feelings for him, it will make the idea of him having feelings for Will potentially less scary in his mind, and that's what will hurtle him toward the end of that arc. That's my hope, anyway!

[greenfiend]

Are we ready to have an honest discussion about Will and El’s dynamic and possible ending yet?

Two characters sharing a similar narrative in this story. How will things end for these two?

It hasn’t occurred to me until recently just how little we discuss these two.

Over the course of the show, the development of Will and El’s co-existence has less to do with their relationship but more to do with Will’s character arc.

In the beginning (seasons 1 and 2), Will is so hidden that El takes over. Will “hides” in the upside down, and is again hidden when he is possessed. El takes the spotlight in his place.

Then in season 3, Will is physically present but in the background. He’s the side character. El is the leader. They barely interact.

In season 4, Will is starting to come out of his shell. He’s still a side character, but he’s closer to being on an even playing field with El. He’s not in the background as often, and is actually seen conversing with El, and he even confronts her on her lies to Mike. Which is also foreshadowing his lies to Mike later on in the season.

I’m going to be quite frank: El and Will are not actually very close in canon. The “wonder twins” idea is beautiful but very fanon. These two had so many opportunities to grow closer, especially since they were separated from the others in California… but they just don’t? They both seem lonely and disconnected in the other’s presence. But yet, they are connected another way: El is Will’s saviour/protector. She is like his security blanket. I mean this literally (textually), and a sub-textually. Obviously she helps him while he’s trapped in the upside down and when he’s possessed- making her a textual, and literal saviour.

But… what do I mean by a sub-textual saviour? Well, she protects him from having to take the spotlight. He is able to hide behind her in many ways.

For one, she takes the brunt of the bullies in Lenora. Will is able to go around unnoticed even as a GNC guy that he is. Back home at Hawkins, he is, unfortunately, very visible to bullies. Visibly different, visibly gay. But in Lenora? Bullies are too distracted by the girl who’s different instead.

Now when it comes to Will’s love life… El also is protecting him in a sense. He desires Mike, romantically, sexually, and intimately. Due to the rampant homophobia that surrounds him, these desires scare him. El is a safe barrier from these desires. Will is also able to safely express himself through her.

If El weren’t in the picture, Will may have been more bold in expressing this side of himself to Mike. He may just let his feelings slip out more. Perhaps he’d let his eyes linger a tad longer, or he’d be tempted to be a bit more tactile with the boy he’s overflowing with affection for.

El shields Will from having to confront many aspects of himself. That’s the problem. Because of her protection, he isn’t able to challenge himself and grow. This is why whenever El saves the day, it never lasts. She merely puts a “bandaid” on the wound. But this wound will grow and fester if the source of the problem is not addressed.

El’s Possible Origin

This is the first time in the entire show that El is mentioned. The context of this sounds like they’re implying that El also “came from” the upsidedown; precisely where Will was at the time.

Now, I’m aware this is a fairly unpopular opinion, but I do believe El was created from Will in a supernatural sense. I suppose in a similar way to how Eve was created from Adam, minus any romantic undertones.

Our very first sighting of El is of her emerging from the forest, barefoot, in a hospital gown, with very little hair on her head, and a limited knowledge of the English language. Not unlike an infant child. Now, please don’t take this the wrong way… I’m not implying that everyone with limited language skills are babies, there are many possible reasons for it. But within this show, it is implied that her lack of language skills are due to her experiences within the lab, and lack of experiences outside of it.

I do have to ask though, why do the other “lab kids” we have seen have no obvious language difficulties? Unless… El actually was an “infant” in a way…

This quote is interesting for multiple reasons. One I’m focusing on here is the mention of life starting that particular day. Of course I’m not referring to Mike’s life starting that day- I’m talking about the person we are shown in this particular shot- El.

Now, I know what everyone is thinking: how does El have memories that predate this day then?

Well, what I’m arguing is that many of her memories could be an altered version of Will’s memories. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that his memories could have been transferred to El.

This “fake” script of the episode Papa tells us that Will recognized Brenner. There’s a history there! Will likely could not quite pinpoint how he recognized him.

It’s important to note that Will only vaguely recalls aspects of his childhood. There’s gaps. Just like there’s gaps in El’s memory as well.

El’s Possible Ending

I’ve always been surprised just how little people dig into El’s possible ending in the show. I feel like people are somewhat aware of this possibility but choose not to give it any further thought. Truth is- El doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere.

I need to remind everyone of this last shot in ST4. Yes yes the couples, we have heard it a million times already… but look where El is standing. She’s on the other side. She’s in the upsidedown. Where she initially came from. Now, I’m not saying she’ll end up in the current unpleasant upsidedown- she will likely live on in a peaceful version of it. An entirely new environment one that exists…

[In Will’s mind.]

I do think this is an important foreshadowing quote- but not in the way most people think. They won’t work together as twins- they will work together as one person. What I’m saying is…

They will combine. Just like what this hug visually foreshadows… El and Will will become one again.

I can honestly make a whole separate post regarding references made in ST to other media involving two characters being one. There’s a lot…

[delusionaltogether]

I feel like the reason why so many people don't believe in the possibility of Byler (because let's be honest, there's so many irrefutable evidence that they just choose to ignore but actually at this point they're very aware that it makes sense) is because they think there's no point for the show to leave Mike's feelings for Will so implicit or "hidden", but there's actually a very simple explanation for this (btw sorry if there's any mistakes English is not my native language so i used a translator):

Stranger Things has never been a series that exposes everything in a didactic way, especially when it comes to complex feelings and identities that are in internal conflict.

While Will's feelings are shown more clearly in the series (i think because he has already gone through the process of self-knowledge or at least a good part of it and is suffering in silence), Mike doesn't know how to deal with his feelings. He's stuck in an image of what he "should" be: the boyfriend of the girl with super powers, the idealized straight hero. But what he shows for Eleven doesn't even come close to the emotional depth he has with Will. With El he is robotic, insecure, distant. With Will he is vulnerable, protective... (Not saying he doesn't care about El, we know that's not true but i hope you understand what im trying to say)

"They could have at least made GA aware of this"

And who said they didn't? As I said before, Stranger Things has never been a series that shows everything blatantly. It has always been about subtext, symbolism and internal development.

They wouldn't just simply make Mike admit his feelings for Will that easily, because saying what he really feels would require him to confront things he is not ready to accept.

The series does show Mike's feelings for Will, but you have to want to see it: it's in the lingering glances, the way he always seems to be more truly himself when he's with Will and a lot of other things i could say here but i still have a lot to say.

They showed:

• Mike acting weird and uncomfortable around Eleven throughout season 4;

• Stuck trying to directly tell her he loves her, only being capable of such an act in one of the most tense moments of the series, when her life was at stake and her friend 's life too;

• Mike being the only main character who didn't have an emotional arc resolved, precisely because he still hasn't understood or accepted what he feels.

It was the same thing with the "love triangle" of Nancy, Steve and Jonathan. Nancy had a hard time telling Steve she loved him because she no longer loved him, but she didn't go around shouting that she loved Jonathan either. It took her a long time to figure that out. It was subtle, but evident to anyone who paid attention. It was something that developed little by little, with looks, deep conversations, the way Nancy felt more understood by Jonathan. The series showed their chemistry without forcing obvious romantic scenes. It wasn't a blatant love triangle. So why do you need byler to be so obvious to see that it's not a one-sided thing?

Also, if Mike's feelings for Will were so explicit, the tension in the narrative would disappear. The audience already knows what Will feels. The mystery lies precisely in Mike. The doubt, the discomfort, the contradictory signals... It's this ambiguity that makes the story more interesting. The drama is in not knowing for sure.

[sadpartita]

How Mileven Strengths Byler?

I’ve been analyzing Stranger Things for a while now, and over time, I’ve come to a thesis: Mileven is actually the greatest proof that Byler is endgame, or at the very least, Byler is the most coherent narrative resolution for Mike, Will, and Eleven’s character arcs.

This post is my take on why that’s the case. It’s also a reflection of how I’ve come to interpret the show over the years, even before I became part of the Byler community.

The points I raise here aren’t necessarily new or original, many of them have been discussed in the fandom already. But rather than focusing on what we see on screen and speculating about what it might mean, I wanted to take a slightly different route: looking at how these characters were constructed (in this case, Mike and El), and how their very creation generates meaning.

In that sense, my central argument is this: Mileven, by the way it's written and structured, actually reinforces Byler. Not because of subtext or hidden clues, but because of the internal logic of the characters themselves.

Disclaimer: This isn’t a claim that my reading is better than others, far from it. If it weren’t for the amazing discussions already happening in the fandom, I wouldn’t have been able to develop my own perspective. My goal is simply to show that, even through a different analytical lens, Byler still emerges as the most narratively satisfying resolution.

Now for a quick intro to the framework I’m using:

Semiotics is the study of how meaning is produced, not just in language, but in images, media, gestures, and especially in stories. I’m using a specific branch of semiotics here, French semiotics, particularly the work of Algirdas Julien Greimas. He developed a method for analyzing the deep structure of narratives: what’s really going on underneath the surface.

One of his most important tools is the actantial model, which maps out narrative roles, not just who the characters are, but how they function in the story. For example:

The subject is the one who wants something

The object is what they want

A helper aids the subject

An opponent gets in the way

And a manipulator pushes the subject to act

These roles aren’t fixed to one character, they can shift or overlap depending on the moment in the narrative.

When we apply this model to Mike and Eleven, some really interesting patterns show up, and not in Mileven’s favor.

This post will walk through those semiotic concepts and apply them to Stranger Things, focusing especially on Mike and Eleven, and how their relationship does (or doesn’t) work in terms of narrative structure. I’ll also touch on Mike and Will, and why that dynamic hits very differently.

You don’t need a background in theory to follow, I’ll explain things as we go.

Oh, and just so you know: I’ll be working from the most surface-level elements to the deepest ones in each analysis. So we’ll start with the obvious... and then dig in.

Eleven

Discursive Level

First, let's understand how the show creates meaning through Eleven. Usually we are shown Eleven through the lenses of other characters, taking season 1 as an example, through the main boys' point of view of what Eleven actually is. For the audience, this creates an ambiguity, we aren't sure about what she really is, reinforcing her mysterious and "othered" position.

Also, the show doesn't expose her story line at once, on the contrary, it tells by short flashbacks through the seasons that progressively makes us understand who she really is. Not only it mirrors her identity, that is also fragmented, but also elicit us to want to know more about her and, with more flashbacks, more complacent we are to her as an audience.

Now, taking the visual clues, her shaved head and sterile clothing from the beginning of the show (S1-S2) sets a dehumanized character, more an experiment than a child. While in season 3 she starts to use more colorful wardrobe, making a shift onto individualization and social integration.

Sound also makes a huge difference when Eleven is in the scene, specially when she uses her powers, the sound is never really comfortable, and, when it is, is silence, the complete absence of any noise, which is, for us human beings, something alien. That reinforces the idea that she is different, she is, in fact, an alien (having that ET comparison established), a thought she brings with her, but she didn't want to bring.

In the early seasons, sound is used to reflect Eleven’s disconnection from the world around her. In addition to the unsettling noises tied to her powers, there is also a lot of low, ominous background music when she’s involved in scenes where she’s escaping or hiding. The sound isn’t just about the action happening in the moment — it reflects her emotional state. When she’s hiding from the lab, or when she’s confronted by forces that want to control her, the sound emphasizes the danger and the isolation she feels.

As Eleven begins to settle into her role as part of the Hawkins group, there’s a shift in how sound is used around her. In season 3, the incorporation of more upbeat, familiar music, like pop songs (e.g., her "shopping montage"), signals her increasing sense of integration into society. However, even in these moments, the underlying tension of her powers and past still lingers. The sound design starts to incorporate both the social integration of her character (through music) and her emotional and supernatural isolation (through sound effects tied to her powers).

Narrative Level

In its initial state (S1-S2), El's object of value is clear: she wants to belong, to be loved, and to connect with others. She starts as an object of manipulation, something to be used, therefore, she wants to get away from that by being seen as a human, as an equal.

Taking through semiotics term is not yet a subject, she is an object, here Mike and Hopper are the subjects, they act, protect and do things related to her. Narratively saying, she is more as an object to Mike than an active agent herself.

From season 2 onwards, El slowly gets her subjecthood, therefore she acts by her own objectives. Her stay with Hopper is overprotective, but what makes her arc go forward are her own desires, the desire to discover, to understand that moves the narrative forward.

So, that's her first transformation from an object to a subject, therefore an actant. In season 2 is the first time that Eleven has a relationship that is different from a father-daughter situation, not only by encounter with Kali, but also the romantic movies she watched on the TV, and her late relationship with Mike.

In season 3, those ideals are broken. Max comes as a disruptor in Eleven's life, the only thing El knows at that point it Brenner, Mike and Hopper, so Max comes to change this perspective. It is with that relationship that El actively becomes a subject that not only acts based on their desires, but rejects imposed desires from other subjects.

So she not only changes the way she is, but breaks up with Mike, she pushes away one of the few pillars she has, which is a big character growth.

However, in the end of season 3 she loses everything. Hopper is dead, she no longer has powers, she is far away from Max, the only thing she can get back, though, is Mike, so she does.

Now, before continuing, you see how terrible this is? To be fair, subjugating a female character to this situation is ridiculous and something that should NEVER be gratified, but I'll dive more this in the conclusion

In season 4, El lies to Mike about her situation, she wants to perform an idea that she is whole without her powers, that she can be a normal person, because, in her mind, Mike won't like her if she shows fragility, she needs to be strong. With Mike not saying that he loves her confirming that, without her powers, he doesn't see her that way, that she needs them to be loved.

And, honestly, Mike's "monologue" only reinforces this into El's mind, he was only able to say "I love you" to her when she was using them, when she was being a superhero.

Fun fact: that Mike Confession Scene was NOT a monologue, I'll explain in another post. It is a theoretical thing that no one cares, but I need to say to sound smart.

Deep Semantic Oppositions

Now comes the hardest part: summarize El's character in a simple semantic opposition. And, to be honest, there are a few of them. The reason why that is important is that, when we build the previous two steps - narrative and discursive levels - we use them to justify this opposition, therefore, they are build to reinforce it.

El's opposition I'm diving into is object x subject. Why? That's her storyline, the whole show, the desire to be a subject, but being subjugated into an object by everyone around.

In the first seasons, she is more of an object, being act upon, being experimented, but also, being the key to others' actions (Papa's control, the lab's weaponization, Mike's need for love)

While in seasons 3 and 4, she claims her agency: chooses her name, clothes, friends and battles, the turning point being the break-up, where she rejects the object status, becoming so, a subject.

Mike Wheeler

Discursive Level

Discursively, Mike is a character constructed to be an emotional anchor, he wants to protect, and, when he can’t, he feels bad, feels out of place. His self-image is about being needed, he derives identity from being El’s protector and emotional reference point. Not only for El, but for Will too.

Mike’s character says, not do. He is highly reactive, doesn’t change the world; he tries to maintain relationships and stabilize emotions. In summary, Mike rarely does something to show, he says, he promises and declares. Mike wants to be a protector to Eleven, he says it multiple times, but since Eleven has powers, he might not be necessary, and that breaks him.

However, when he can do this in season 4, when she cannot defend herself from Angela, he does nothing, he can’t react, or maybe, doesn’t want to.

When a couple is determined as the official, usually they move each other forward, both characters grow within the relationship and their motivations and troubles evolve accordingly. However, when looking at Mike, that doesn’t happen, Mike doesn’t have any major character evolution, differently than all the other main characters, which suggests that his drive to evolution is not in El, but something else.

His relationship with Eleven, therefore, is a self-validation tool, since he is in a relationship everything is fine, even so, he’s incapable of validating El’s feelings, since, for him, the status is enough and nothing else is needed.

With that said, let’s look through another lens and understand Mike’s relationship with Will. Here, Mike does the opposite: shows more than says. Which is interesting, is almost like that, with Will, he doesn’t need to reassure anything, just being is enough. Nonetheless, Mike and Will are almost always, if not always, framed into private and intimate moments, and mostly close physically, and consequently, emotionally.

Also, if not romantic, Mike isn’t as close physically to El than he is to Will, something that was really well observed by many members of the Byler community, and, the technical aspects of a text, in these cases, film, affect directly the understanding of the message. Therefore, not taking blocking into consideration when analyzing film is, honestly, superfluous. That said, Mike and Will’s relationship is more intimate, welcoming and, by consequence, less performative and dramatic as Mike and El’s relationship.

Mileven scenes, on the other hand, are fast-paced and, usually tense for reasons outside their relationship. Scenes like Byler only happen to Mileven when there are tensions in their relationship, so, it’s almost obvious to infer that when it’s a love scene, the focus isn’t their relationship, while, when it’s a fight scene, the focus shifts to them.

When it comes to protection, he’s much the same with both, however, he is more complex when it comes to Will, usually his dialogue and Finn’s acting is more complex in Byler scene than in Mileven scenes, which suggest more importance in those scenes. Framing Will and Mike’s relationship so ambiguous and complex is, for semiotics, what makes a relationship authentic, which never happens with Mileven.

Narrative Level

When it comes to the narrative level, both to Will and El, Mike isn’t capable of fulfilling the proper narrative function he’s assigned to, however, the ways he fails is different in both.

With El, Mike is the boyfriend, he has the function of supporting her romantically, so she can overcome the evil with love. Taking season 4 then, overcoming Vecna with his confession. However, Mikes doesn’t know how to help El, cannot say “I love you” when he needs to, he claims to love her, but never actively does anything to prove it and knows that he should be there for El, but rarely is.

He is therefore a failing narrative subject, someone whose role is clear, but who does not fully realize it in action. He’s given a romantic arc, but does not embody the transformation that should come with it. Mike is supposed to be a helper, an object of desire, however becomes an obstacle, a false helper (he lies, creates confusion, etc.). In summary, Mike’s narrative arc feels incomplete and, mostly, forced, artificial, there’s no emotional development or transformation.

With Will, Mike acts like the friend, but also as the unresolved desire. Here, Mike doesn’t have a clear function, but his arc is haunted by possibility. He is unaware of Will’s feelings, but knows how to support him and shows it more than just saying he does. That creates, “semiotically”, a more authentic subject.

Mike is a subject with a possibility of transformation, where he might change his relationship towards Will. Their relationship is structured as a coming-of-age arc or an identity arc that is yet to be resolved. 

In summary, at the narrative level, Mike is more of a genre placeholder in the El arc, he represents what a boyfriend “should be,” but without the corresponding personal transformation that legitimizes the role.

With Will, he becomes a subject in crisis, caught between a role he’s performing and a self he hasn’t yet discovered. It’s less dramatic narratively, but more authentic semantically.

Deep Semantic Oppositions

When looking at Mike’s semantic opposition, it’s correct to say it is Authenticity x Performance. That comes with the idea that, with El, Mike is over performative, he tries to prove every single time that he’s in love with El, while, with Will, he lets his actions shows, he just feels, creating a more authentic experience.

Also, that might encapsulate Mike’s identity crises, that’s implied in all the levels of analysis. His actions towards El feel imposed, proved by the fact that, if it wasn’t for Will almost begging for Mike to do something at the end of season 4, he wouldn’t have done. While with will he’s more emotionally authentic. However, it lacks language or social permission to express it directly.

This tension aligns deeply with semiotic theories of subjectivity, the subject is not fixed, but constructed through contradictory roles and expectations. Mike’s conflict between performance and authenticity is exactly that. The ambiguity created by this opposition is not resolved by the narrative, and that’s what makes it rich for analysis. Unlike characters with a clear arc (e.g., El’s growth from object to subject), Mike’s arc remains unfinished, precisely because he’s stuck in the performance of a role that doesn’t fully fit.

This produces tension for the viewer, and is why so many fans feel there’s “something off” about Mike’s role, it’s not that the writing is bad, but that the character is written to be incomplete.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it's clear that Mileven is not a fitting resolution for either Mike or Eleven's character arcs. For Eleven, Mileven reinforces her position as a narrative object, falling into a misogynistic trope where female characters are portrayed as incomplete or lacking without the presence of a man or male figure.

For Mike, Mileven reduces him to a passive character whose actions have little to no impact on the overarching narrative, as he relies entirely on others — especially Eleven — to define his identity.

While Mileven might fulfill the expectation of a typical romantic relationship, it doesn't serve the characters in the way a more nuanced, authentic partnership would. Mike’s emotional immaturity and lack of self-awareness, paired with Eleven’s ongoing struggle to reclaim her agency, make their relationship more of a hindrance than a fulfilling conclusion to their arcs. Their narrative roles are more about performing a "boyfriend-girlfriend" dynamic than authentically exploring what it means to be in a healthy, balanced relationship.

In contrast, Byler offers a more organic narrative, allowing Mike's character arc to come full circle and providing the space for his actions to truly resonate within the story. It creates a more organic narrative, where Mike can act like himself and act beyond this performative personality he has to Eleven. The subtleties in their interactions, framed by quiet, intimate moments, provide a sense of real connection that doesn’t rely on external pressures or forced conventions. Mike and Will’s bond has the capacity for transformation, both on a personal and emotional level, which is something that Mileven ultimately lacks.

Ultimately, while Mileven may serve as a convenient narrative device, Byler provides a more satisfying and realistic resolution for both characters. It’s not just about romance, it’s about character growth, emotional authenticity, and a relationship that drives the characters forward, rather than keeping them stagnant. Given that the creators have emphasized that Stranger Things is about the characters, not just the paranormal backdrop, Mileven undermines the very essence of the show.

Final Note: I'm NOT a semiotics specialist, therefore, it might have some conceptual mistakes here or there, however, the overall message is clear: Byler endgame :)

[daflangstlairde-art]

lightning in our fingertips today

Work 1 of DFL's Whumptober 2024

Summary:

Donnie and Leo get hit with a wayward body swap spell. You could say it gives Donnie a new perspective on the matters of his dear twin. When was Leo going to tell them that his Ninpō hurts him?

—

Chapter 1

It was an autistic nightmare, sure. While yes, Donnie felt like a god in physical form on good days, on bad days, he barely dealt with his own body. Especially after the Invasion. He shuddered.

And now–

“Duudeee, you seriously have to take this thing off more!” his own voice teased in Leo’s cadence, and the softshell turtle body let out an exaggerated sigh as he put down Donnie’s battle shell. 

Donnie stared at him, as he moved over to take his battle shell. Dang it, it shouldn’t just be put down in the living room, he has a specific place for it.

“Man, this is still totally boggling Raph’s mind,” Raph commented. He hadn’t stopped looking between them and addressing them incorrectly the whole way back from the mission to their Lair. 

“Eh, I’m sure it’s got an easy fix or something,” Leo shrugged with Donnie’s shoulders, unconcerned. 

Donnie stared at him, holding the battle shell close. Fingers flexing with a phantom memory.

“Oooohh, maybe I can magic you up!” Mikey wriggled his fingers in their general direction. 

“No way Mikes, let’s leave this up to Draxum, huh?” Leo countered. 

“Yeah Mikey, your hands are still recovering,” Raph reminded, and Mikey let out a dejected-slash-annoyed grunt.

Oh, perfect opportunity, Donnie cleared his throat. 

“Right, Mikey’s hands,” he started smoothly, and eugh it was weird to hear Leo’s voice from his own mouth– “speaking of, uh, Leo, can we–”

“Oh, truuee!” Leo grins with Donnie’s face, and starts doing carpal tunnel stretches in the middle of their living room. “Now I can finally prevent you from ruining your own!” 

Donnie huffed at yet another change of topic. Was Leo seriously unaware? Or was he doing this on purpose? 

Donnie tried to bring this up several times ever since the Hidden City mission that caused this whole Freaky Friday situation (on a Tuesday, no less). 

Some overly-confident-but-otherwise-clearly-inexperienced wizard with a staff violently going wild. It wasn't even the mage herself that was the culprit; the staff seemed to be firing off on its own. Not really important. They just grabbed the staff from her. 

But not before Leo jumped to block a wayward spell, causing him and Donnie to get the ol’ switcheroo in the middle of the whole thing. And sure, at first, it was jarring! Then, at second, it was kind of fun, actually. Leo laughed and rolled with it, and amidst the action and all, it gave Donnie the thrill to also roll with it. They are twins after all, much as he denies it for The Drama. 

And then... at third... 

Donnie stared at the sight of Leo, in his body, retreating to med bay to inspect for injuries. 

When they got switched, Donnie had been in the middle of a swing with his bō, a Ninpō construct of a hammer at the end. 

When they got switched, Leo continued the arc of the swing, smoothly. This gave Donnie, ever the curious scientist ready to experiment within new circumstances, an idea. 

And he swung Leo’s sword. 

And that is when he felt it. 

Mikey’s hands, hah. Ironic. Donnie flexed his fingers again, shuffling the battle shell to one arm. He looked at his free hand—Leo’s hand. Like there would be any indicatory, enlightening wounds, which of course, there were not. He rubbed the fingertips together, remembering the feeling. It's like it lingered still.

When was Leo going to tell them that his Ninpō hurts him?

—

Well! One positive of this body switch thing: Donnie could be sure Leo would check them both over for injuries, and do it well. Since one was Donnie’s body and the other was, currently, Donnie’s perception. 

As Leo was doing now, in med bay. Standing in front of Donnie, in Donnie’s body. Donnie sat on the gurney, going along with the examination. Leo clicked off the light, and Donnie blinked to clear his vision. 

“No concussion,” Leo commented, and oh, that’s good. His shell—an actual, hard-scute carapace—and his right shoulder were a bit achy, but if Leo found nothing wrong, it was probably regular fight aftermath and would all be gone by tomorrow.

Donnie had never before questioned whether Leo treated himself medically as well as he did with them. But, well. 

Donnie looked back down at his hands—Leo’s hands—rubbing the fingertips together, frowning.

“Alright, you’re good to go,” Leo said, in Donnie’s voice but in his own manner, very odd. The words lilted all the wrong directions, down instead of up. They even spoke with slightly different registers. He patted Donnie on the shell, getting up. 

Donnie had never questioned Leo’s care of himself before, but this situation made a lot of new queries pop up. 

Did Leo’s mystic powers hurt him? Or was this a consequence of Donnie being in his body? Or, if it was a regular thing for Leo—since when? Since always? Since they unlocked their Ninpō? Or was it some sort of recent development?

And, more upsettingly, if it was a regular thing... why did Leo never say anything? How did they never notice? Donnie wracked his memory, but not a single peep about it arose. No complaining, no jokes, no flinch or wince, no stutter when summoning up a portal (except back when his portals were at their most... faulty), nothing. Not a single thing. 

Perhaps– perhaps Donnie really was just making far-fetched assumptions. Classic Donnie overthink! It was most likely just a side effect of the body swap—their Ninpō was a reflection of themselves, it was unfitting and unnatural to use someone else’s, surely. He wasn’t even sure why he’d considered the option! 

(“Casey, when I get to the other side, you close that door–”

Staring upwards, shellshocked. 

Color and light and debris hurling as a portal snaps shut.)

Donnie’s breaths were shallow and perfectly measured, and he–

“Dee?” his own voice questioned, and Donnie blinked, clearing his throat and pushing himself to his feet. He was faced with his own questioning eyebrow arch. Man, that really did look great. What an occasion, to truly witness oneself from an external point of view. Fascinating!

“I’m good, I’m good, no concussion,” he affirmed. 

“You’re spacey,” Leo pointed out, arranging his stuff in med bay. Which was hilarious, considering he left a mess literally everywhere else. But med bay? Always stocked up and organized. 

...Well. Hm. Thinking about it... Leo’s room was... cleaner recently, too. Or perhaps that wasn’t the most precise of descriptors. More... neater. Far less clutter. 

Far less trinkets and colorful posters. Odd.

Anyway. Wow, Donnie’s face was expertly skeptical. 

Donnie rolled his eyes. Leo’s eyes. The eyes that were currently under his temporary ownership, responsibility and control. 

“Yeah, I was... thinking,” he said casually. 

“Uh, yeah, when aren’t you?” Leo joked, his lighthearted grin cracking over Donnie’s face. 

Donnie generously ignored that, because he had questions to dig out answers for. 

“Hey, you kinda used my Ninpō during that fight, right?” he started. 

“Sort of, I guess,” Leo shrugged, closing the cabinet and leaning on it relaxed to face Donnie.

“Did it hurt?” 

“No.”

And then. 

“Yeah, a little, now that I think about it,” Leo tapped his chin, casual, easy. No tells whatsoever. Donnie scrutinized him. Absolutely zero deviation from his regular mannerisms. Heck, he somehow made them sit comfortably even in Donnie’s body.

But. 

But Donnie had caught that. The immediate denial. He narrowed his eyes at his twin.

There were two options: 

Leo had not felt the pain, and it was specific to Donnie using Leo’s mystic ability; 

Or Leo had felt the pain, and his immediate reflex was to lie about it. 

Donnie had absolutely no clue which one was the truth. At his sides, he rubbed his fingers together, reflecting. 

It was sharp. Like a shock. But a... shock from a very tiny blade. But if a small blade could cover the entire surface of his hands. His fingertips and palms, gripping the katana’s hilt. 

“Did you?” Leo asked, approaching and reaching a hand to take Donnie’s current ones, probably to check them over. 

Ack. Welp, can’t really get out of this one. 

“Yes, a little,” Donnie said, offering his—Leo’s—hands for inspection. Oh, wait, this was a perfect opportunity! Leo was actually engaging the conversation instead of deflecting! “Does it usually–”

“‘Course not, imagine that,” Leo laughed, gently rubbing and prodding his fingers and palms. No pain. 

“...Huh, I... guess it must be from the switch,” 

“Oohh yeeaahh yeah yeah yeah!” Leo nodded, “Totally, you’re so right,” 

...Very weird to hear that from Donnie’s mouth, but, okay.

—

All things considered, dinner was pretty normal. Sure, Donnie’s body felt... weird, and their brothers kept getting them confused, prompting a quick mask switch. Donnie also took his goggles and arm brace. 

Seeing Leo’s blue bandana on his own face, and with no additional eyebrows, was incredibly... well. Donnie never quite understood the feeling of “uncanny valley”, but he was now getting a Bachelor's. Maybe he'd experienced something similar when seeing humans for the first time? But he’d been so young, it had been easy for his mind to adapt and roll with it. They're mutants and they engage with all manner of other sapient and non-sapient and of-questionable-sapience beings—he doesn't pick up on facial expressions on all of them equally. 

Not the point.

Point is, he was watching his body, with Leo’s cut mask and Leo’s mannerisms, across the table. But Leo appeared... unbothered, really. Behavior: standard. Which seemed to be putting everyone else at ease. 

Donnie wondered how he looked from the outside. He tried to imagine Leo’s body with his own posture and expressions, and it just felt... uncomfortable. They're twins, so a lot of their attitude often overlaps—to the point where their brothers call it creepy sometimes. But when it differs? It differs. Kind of like when Donnie messed with their brains and accidentally overdosed them with his personal brand of Neurodivergence™, but... in reverse. Mmmmkind of.

But! Right now, they were just eating pizza, with Mikey showing them videos of a new Youtube channel he got into. Uhh something about scrapbooking or journaling?? And Donnie actually felt quite hungry, so he was just... eating.

Everyone was just... sort of alright with the current situation. It's just a thing that is. Draxum will fix it. And if he doesn't, they'd find a way. Compared to the world ending due to an alien invasion, this seemed banal. 

“Hey hey hey, dudes, watch this,” Leo caught their attention, waving his hands and getting up. Then, with Donnie’s voice and way too accurately in Donnie’s style, he leaned back and crossed his arms, saying “Eugh, this pizza has cheese? That is way too much flavor for moi’s precious taste!” 

Oh so that's how it was going to be, huh? 

“That's not how you use moi,” Donnie said dryly. 

“That's not how you use moi,” Leo parroted, in Donnie’s voice, just as dry. With just a toooouchh of mockery in it, and their dual-trademark smirk. Raph and Mikey, the traitors, giggled and cackled.

Donnie leaned back, a hand to his plastron—Leo’s plastron—for The Drama™. 

“Well I, your lea-dur, say it isn't flavorful enough!” he stated with a swooping tone. “Put some kiwi on there! Throw in a couple marshmallows too, for good measure!” he declared, making their other two brothers laugh. 

“I prefer mine with radiation,” Leo said primly, sticking Donnie’s snout up, making Mikey chortle.

“Careful, it may mutate you,” Donnie warned kindly, trying to mimic Leo’s way of speech from memory, “And then you might actually gain a second brain cell,”

It... hm. Yes, they teased each other, yes, it was banter. Raph and Mikey wooped, they started placing bets, and Donnie and Leo did increasingly stupider impressions of each other, and it was fun.

But it didn’t... feel right. Now that Donnie was seeing everything through a new perspective—quite literally—Leo was acting... odd. Unusual, as in, outside of what Donnie grew used to being Leo. He was only noticing it now, when Leo’s face and his voice couldn’t deceive him that it’s still Leo, of course he’s acting like himself.

Leo didn’t escalate it. Not really. He didn’t go for the throat. He didn’t go Full Silly. His entire demeanor felt... dampened, which was really, really weird for their Always Full-Max Silly brother.

...Oooorrr Donnie was just being weirded out by watching his own face and body move externally and out of his control. 

— 

Donnie felt nausea upon going to bed, but that's alright. Stomach upset sounded like a reasonable side effect of being body swapped. The pizza sat heavy. 

His shoulder and shell were still cramping, too, even after he'd done some stretches. Eh. Not like he isn't used to some cramping or whatevs. 

It just... felt like he couldn't get comfortable in his bed. Maybe it was the hard carapace, he'd theorize, but it's not like he hasn't slept in his battle shell before which, sure, wasn't exactly snuggly, but he'd still been able to sleep. 

He tossed. He turned. His eyes—Leo’s eyes—felt a little buzzy, like the melodic hum of electricity all around, so it's not like he wasn't sleepy. And it felt like there was a... some sort of weight on his chest. He couldn't decide whether his blankets were too warm or not warm enough.

Donnie sighed, rubbing his face. Leo’s face. Weiiirddd. 

He turned on his side yet again, to check the time on his epic purple analog clock. 

00:23 p.m. 

Not even that late. And yet it felt like the night was stretching endless. A liminal space. He turned to lay on his plastron. Leo’s plastron. The weight there persisted. Hm. Hopefully Leo wasn't having lung issues. Just in case, Donnie inhaled. Long and deep, feeling the air pass through his nostrils. Until he felt his lungs stretch and strain. 

Nope. That felt like a pleasantly deep inhale. No whistling, no obstruction, nothing. 

Strange thing: Donnie’s room smelled like... him. It smelled like Donnie. Which... shouldn't be surprising. But usually you can't smell your own scent, due to being exposed to it constantly, and therefore being entirely desensitized. 

Donnie couldn't smell Leo’s, right now. Yet he could smell what he could only, logically, deduce was his own scent. Or at least that of his room.

Metals and plastics and other materials. Soldering. Ever so slightly—pen and marker ink. The bed sheets. Something specific he could not quite describe.

It... wasn't a bad smell, he was pleasantly surprised to note. He could see how this smell could be comforting, even. Familiar and homey and secure. He pulled the blanket a little tighter around himself, curling into himself. Yawned. Buried his face—Leo’s face—into his pillow. 

...

Simultaneously, the weight in his chest both loosened, just a little, and ached more. His shoulders—Leo’s shoulders—felt too wide, his thighs too thin, his back... weird. He curled his toes.

Donnie wondered if... there was something he needed. Something the body needed, that he just couldn't analyze and figure out. Water? Food? 

...No, no it didn't feel like any of those, even though he was not an expert on the matter. He’d practically just eaten, too. Maybe it was the ache in his shoulder and his shell that was off-putting? 

...You know what! There could be a simple, obvious solution to this. Donnie grabbed his phone. 

The smarter twin™: I can't sleep and I feel weird

The smarter twin™: Is there something I'm missing for your body

It was immediately seen.

Yapper boy™: lol

Yapper boy™: cmere

The smarter twin™: ???

Yapper boy™: youkl see

The smarter twin™: SIGH

Donnie sighed, for realz, rubbing his eyes. He hated it when–

...Hm. Well, actually. Thinking about it.

Leo hasn't really done the very annoying “not telling them the plan” that he used to do. Not since the Invasion. Only really for silly stuff. 

Huh.

You could say this situation was giving Donnie a new perspective, zing. He was really seeing the world through different eyes, ha! 

He grinned a little, wrapping the blanket around himself. Time to go tell these to Leo and then gloat how he had been the one to think of them first, because he is hilarious. 

Leo immediately opened his arms upon Donnie’s arrival, smirking, and huh.

Huh. 

The press of another’s body helped tremendously with that... weight. With the odd sensation of misplacement. Like everything slotted into place as easily as slotting into an embrace. Literally. 

This wasn't much like Donnie. Sure, it's not that he hated physical contact—was quite the fan of it, really, unless he was actively upset. Or if it was from somebody who wasn't his loved ones. He wondered what brought on this new craving. Leo’s body?

...Strange.

Leo never came to them to snuggle. 

Even though he was a huge cuddle-bug before. But not anymore, evidently.

Donnie, ever-so-discreetly, frowned at that. 

...When did that happen? 

—

When he woke up, the light pain in his right shoulder and that one crick at his shell—Leo’s shell—remained. 

Donnie grunted, rolling sort of on his side, sort of on his back, digging his heels into the mattress and rolling his shoulders. Pushed himself up, smacking his lips, blinking. Rubbed his eyes. Yawned.

Eugh, his breath was rancid. 

“Do you ever brush your teeth,” he muttered, jarred to hear his voice sounding so different. Right, right. Body swap. 

He was a little surprised to hear an off-tone chuckle, and he properly cracked his eyes open. Oh huh, Leo—in his body—was, in fact, still here. He looked to have been awake for a bit. He was scrolling on his phone, but clicked it off and put it to the side now. 

“It's a waste of time, I've got so much leadering to do,” Leo joked, also pushing himself up and stretching. 

Donnie rolled his shoulder, trying to rub it a little to see if that’d relieve the persistent ache. It didn't. He yawned again. 

Leo got up, snatching a hoodie to put on.

“My battle shell is–”

“I know, D,” Leo cut him off. “I’ll go get it in a mo. Your shell just feels weird bare,” he shuddered theatrically. “Like a lizard,” 

“Yeah, well, yours feels like a badly fitting box,” Donnie fired back. “Box boy,” 

Leo gasped. “My curves! You wound me,” he dramaticized himself out the room, and Donnie chuckled. 

That just left him. Still sitting in Leo’s bed, in Leo’s body.

He should get up. Right.

It just. Felt... like... mmm. Not fun? 

He... doesn't usually have this pause before getting up. Usually he's itching to get out of bed and get back to whatever ongoing project he has. 

He stared at Leo’s room, still sitting there on Leo’s bed. 

...Dang. Leo’s room... was cleaner. Hm, well, again, maybe not cleaner. 

...

Emptier. Where did his many posters go...? Now there were only two left. One of Lou Jitsu, and one of Jupiter Jim. 

...Welp, Donnie wasn't going to judge his brother’s turn to the light (tidiness)! 

Now he just had to get up. 

...Except... there was a new weight. Was it Leo’s shell? Was he not used to the weight of a natural, irremovable carapace? Weird. 

That didn't ring very plausible, because the weight wasn't at his back. It was... it was... 

Chest. Legs. Everywhere. Making it difficult to break the position he hunched over in the longer he remained in it, a vicious cycle. 

He just had to get up! Go and brush his teeth so his mouth didn't taste foul. Get water to drink. Coffee, perhaps breakfast, even though he did not feel that hungry. Maybe. He wasn't sure. There was just a prodding in his stomach. 

Ugh.

Thinking about it all made the weight worse. It felt like standing on that rooftop, looking up at the Technodrome. Raph lost. No plan, no direction, no hope. Nothing. And now, no Leo to turn around with a crazy idea that nonetheless inspired some desperate hope within. 

Just weight. Just... dread. Anticipatory exhaustion at the awaiting cardio. 

Why was he feeling like this?

In the end, Mikey called him for breakfast and that aided in kicking his buttocks out of bed. 

—

Donnie didn’t feel much like eating this morning, so, he wasn’t eating much. It wasn’t unusual for him. Mikey knew not to be hurt by it. Donnie was focusing on some fruit. 

Leo was eating normal as ever. He was smiley and fresh as ever. Which were strange observations. Not things you’d pay mind to. But Donnie was. He wasn’t sure why, but he was paying a little more attention to Leon after their switcheroo. 

Leo was hurt after the Invasion, but he’d bounced right back up. In fact, he’d bounced back up faster than any of them. In fact, he’d bettered himself.

Case in point, 

“So when’s Draxum coming by with his magic whatever-there?” Leo said, in Donnie’s voice, slurping on a smoothie. 

Readily asking for Draxum’s presence. Donnie would bet it was for his sake, not due to Leo having a sudden change of heart about the man. 

“A little later!” Mikey answered. “Why, is something bothering you??” 

“Nah, not really,” Leo shrugged. “I just want to go back to feeling happiness looking at the mirror,” he teased, and Donnie rolled his eyes. “Plus I’m sure D can’t be enthused about this,”

“Meh,” Donnie shrugged. “Honestly? It is not as abhorrent as you’d imagine,”

Leo looked at him, just for a second. Over too quickly for Donnie to pay proper attention to it and to then analyze it. 

“Wanna know whose body would be super cool to warp into?” Leo brought up. 

“Oh! Oh!” Mikey waved his hand up like he’s in a school classroom, grinning, “Lou Jitsu?”

“Lou Jitsu, babeeyyy!”

It was half an hour later that Donnie realized just how smoothly Leo had diverted the conversation. 

(And only later would it occur to him it might’ve been intentional.)

That half an hour later just so happened to include Donnie’s alarm blaring.

“Oohh, a crime,” he stated, checking the info to rattle off the relevant code. 

“Alright team, let's roll!” Leo exclaimed easily, his energy immediately bouncing off the rest of the team, everyone going off to grab their weapons. 

...Wait. 

Their... weapons, oh, boy, uh, well Donnie had leagues more experience with a bō, buuut they never tested if they can access their own Ninpō like this, ah, dang–

That question was quickly answered by Leo skidding to his lab. 

“Dude, you would not believe this–”

“You can't access your Ninpō? Yes, me neither,” Donnie agreed, already holding his bō out for Leo to take. “You know how to use it?” 

“...Well if I don't, I'm about to learn real quick,” Leo was grinning with his face, “Portal us in, leader in purple!” he tossed his katanas to Donnie, and Donnie scrambled to catch them by the hilts and not roughly in the middle i.e. where he would catch a bō staff. 

Hoo boy was this about to be an experience. 

At least like this Donnie needn’t relay the location information to his portal-able brother, because now he was the portal-able brother. 

Now all he had to do was make a portal. A proper one, with concentration. 

And with that same shock-burn to his hands. 

Hhhngh. Well! At least getting lightly (or medium-level) electrocuted wasn't a new experience for him! Honestly, Donnie wasn't sure why it was so hhhngh to him. It should be familiar as anything. 

Perhaps he was overthinking it. Classic. But judging by his scanners, they had to get to the scene now. 

So as Mikey and Raph joined in on their huddle, Donnie sucked in a breath and slashed the swords through the air in one of the ways he's seen Leo do. 

“No, you gotta put more juice into it,” Leo commented oh so helpfully upon the nothing that took place. 

“Ah, thank you, such constructive critique,” Donnie deadpanned, hands gripping the hilts. Ugh. He'd already struggled with one set of mystic powers, now he had to figure out another?! 

...Hmm, y'know, that might be a good idea. Donnie thought back to his own arduous mystic journey. 

He never quite managed to get the hang of “just do it”. It didn't come naturally to him, not in the same way it appeared to with his brothers. 

But Donnie focused on the same feeling that helped get his Ninpō thrumming. Acknowledging the facts: that this was something he could do for his family, to help them, to boost them, and he liked helping and boosting them. Even now it pushed this not-unpleasant tightness at his chest that made him want to shake his hands and chuckle a bit. 

In the same rhythm, a glow crawled up the blades. 

“Oh, uh, also you gotta think about exactly where you wanna go,” Leo mentioned, and now that was actually useful guidance. “And where you are and the distance between the two. And, y'know, the size of the hole you're shredding. Ooh, and also the angle and where it's facing, and–” 

“Jeez, do you seriously think about all that when making portals?” Mikey was staring at their– well, their current soft-shelled brother, which, huh. Good point. Now they were all looking at Leo, who shrugged, nonchalant as ever.

“Donnie, portal,” Leo snapped his fingers, and right! Right, crime! 

(Another diversion Donnie only caught later, when he thought back to it.) 

“Right!” he slashed the blades through the air, and then once more with the crackle of mystic energy and–

Donnie yelped as the electricity-like pain bit down on his hands, immediately dropping the swords to the ground. Gah! It was worse the second time around! 

Leo snorted and clapped his back, hopping into the portal that hung before them. And he did need to hop, it wasn't particularly large, oh boy, Donnie sure hoped Raph would be able to fit through.

[mashkdemss]

And that's the exact same reason Mike told El she was pretty when she dressed feminine? Or he kissed her in the Snowball when he was feminine? Or told her he loved her new style? Make it make sense 😂

Actually, I'm even glad that I was asked such a question, because I wanted to continue my thought from the last post. Now I will tell you why I think that Mike is not attracted to girls and that his feelings for El cannot be considered romantic.

Important: you can consider Mike whoever you want, bisexual, asexual, gay, even straight. but I think that he is gay, because there is a huge amount of evidence for this, and if his feelings for Will are confirmed, then it will be much more logical to say that he is gay.

Let's start with the first season, where the arc of the romantic relationship between Mike and El begins:

I think it's obvious that El looks like a boy at that point, it's mentioned several times in the series, perhaps this was the reason why it was easier for Mike to treat her kinder than Dustin and Lucas did. Another reason for this occasional kindness on Mike's part is that El helped Mike find Will. Mike's main goal, after all, was to find Will, and that's why he needed El. He didn't treat her like a cute girl he fell in love with at first sight, he treated her exactly as a weapon or their key in finding Will (as rude and unfair as it may sound to El, but nevertheless, these are Mike's words)

Why Mike kissed El, or asked her to dance, or called her pretty, is hard to understand unless you've been in his situation. And by situation, I mean social pressure and expectations, and how they don't match your internal identity.

Let me explain: when you're a little boy who doesn't yet fully understand that he's gay, who lives in a small conservative town in the 80s, in a nuclear family with a father who makes homophobic jokes at your expense, you're going to try to be more normal. You're going to model your parents' relationship, you're going to model your friends who are openly attracted to the opposite sex, you're going to model your behavior on stereotypically masculine men on TV, etc. And you're going to end up telling yourself that you HAVE to like girls, because otherwise you're "wrong."

If it weren't for Lucas, who with his childish stereotypical thinking noticed Mike's affection for El, or if it weren't for Nancy, who for the first time saw her brother with a girl, asked if he liked her, then Mike would not have decided on a romantic relationship with El. When Lucas comically depicts Mike kneeling in front of El to show him that Mike is supposedly in love with El, Mike at first does not even understand what Lucas means. The final point in the question "Was Mike in love with El in the first season" is put by the words of Finn Wolfhard, when asked about Mileven relationship, he said that at the time of their meeting, Mike did not even have a thought about love in his head.

Only when he realized that he had a good chance to start a relationship with the first girl he met who wasn't disgusted by him (Lucas' words btw) did he decide to take things into his own hands and start showing her the signs of attention that he could see in the movies, for example. And a kiss, an invitation to the ball, or little compliments were these signs of attention, albeit very, very childishly awkward.

Also, don't forget that words and their hidden symbolism play a big role in interpreting the ideas of this show (crazy, stupid, bullshit, etc., they all matter). Let's remember when else have we heard the word "pretty"? I can think of two instances: In Season 1, El looks at a picture of Nancy and calls her pretty, and in Season 3, El tells Billy that she saw his mother in visions and that she was really pretty. In both cases, there is no romantic subtext, especially the first moment, because it is a direct foreshadowing/parallel to Mike's words. When El calls Nancy pretty, Mike agrees. Reluctantly, but he still agrees. The fact that he may find Nancy and El pretty does not confirm his attraction to girls, because if finding El pretty = being in love with her, then Mike is also in love with his sister, which is obviously not true. Besides the parallel between El and Mike's sister, I want to say that finding someone of the opposite sex beautiful when you're gay is a completely normal experience. Like, I'm a lesbian myself and I may find some guys good looking, but that still doesn't mean I'm romantically interested in them, romantic attraction is different.

Mike initiates the kiss in season 1 and 2, and the reason for this is because of the pressures of heteronormativity, he takes on the role of the man in the heteronormative relationship that everyone expects of him. And then later, during the kissing scenes in season 3, El is the one who initiates the kisses. El leans in while Mike basically stands there like a statue. Mike takes her hands off of him. During the second kissing scene in season 3, El is the one who holds Mike's face in her hands while Mike literally just sits there. Even though he is still affectionate with El as time goes on + as she develops her own identity + comes across as more stereotypically feminine, we see him become more and more uncomfortable with it, especially during the last kissing scene in season 3.

Mike and El's final kiss in season 3, or to be more precise, Mike's reaction to that kiss, is a whole other conversation, because I think that was his final stage of realizing his lack of attraction to girls. He may not have realized yet that he liked boys, but he did begin to understand that he wasn't interested in El or girls in general. I won't dwell on that, I'll just say that if Mike really liked girls, that embarrassing scene wouldn't make sense. If he didn't realize then that he didn't like girls, then what? I don't think he realized that he just didn't like El. That would be weird, because given his previous attention to her, it's unclear what could have changed in El so much that Mike "fell out of love" with her in one season.

Anon also mentioned that Mike liked El's new style, but I don't even see the point in analyzing that, because it's just a parallel to Hopper, who literally said the same thing. Another parallel between Mike and El's parental figure, nothing romantic.

Now I want to tell you why I think Mike isn't attracted to girls, but let's move El aside a little to look at Mike outside of their relationship.

Mike is the only one from the entire party, or even from the entire series, who does not show interest in the opposite sex, with the exception of his partner. Dustin is dating Suzie, but he still thinks Phoebe Cates is hot. Lucas is dating Max, but before that, he also competed with Dustin for Princess Daphne in slot machines, and also called Max "perfect in her own special way." Max is dating Lucas, but he likes to look at boys in magazines and finds Ralph Macchio attractive. El, apparently, enjoys the idea of Max dreaming about other guys, and El also imagined herself in the heroine's place when she watched Hopper's TV. If we consider other, slightly more adult characters: Steve actively shows interest in other girls, Nancy has a poster of Tom Cruise in her room, and Robin, the first confirmed LGBT character in the series, also showed interest in Tammy Thompson, Phoebe Cates and Vickie.

Mike, on the other hand, has never shown any interest in girls other than El. Ever. When Max shows up at school, Mike is the only one who is extremely negative towards her and tries hard to keep her out of the team, acting in complete opposition to the rest of the party. His negative attitude towards Max not only helped create an interesting dynamic between them and make El jealous, but it was also an interesting way to differentiate Mike from the other boys based on his attitude towards girls. I've heard people justify his behavior by saying that he misses El and doesn't want Max to take her place, but that sounds crazy because how could Max take her place? Does Mike really think that if Max takes El's place, he'll have to date her and forget about El? That doesn't make any sense. The only way Mike's behavior makes sense is if he was jealous of his friends' (and especially Will's) attention to Max and didn't want Dustin and Lucas to have a love interest while Mike has no one to project his feelings onto.

When Dustin and Lucas compete for Princess Daphne in a game, Mike shows no interest in it. When Dustin says his girlfriend is hotter than Phoebe Cates, Mike makes his signature face. He doesn't respond to it, while Lucas expresses his doubts that Susie couldn't possibly be hotter than Phoebe Cates. When Ted calls El a "sweetie pie," Mike makes that face again, even though there was no reason to do so.

Oh, and let's not forget about those shots, which could very well be a complete accident, but could also be brilliantly planned symbolism:

Even though the main characters are 14 years old in season 3, in the midst of their teenage years and growing up, Mike still has no interest in girls other than El, both because he is fixated on her and because he has no attraction. The scene in the mall where Mike, Will, and Lucas are looking for a gift for El has always caught my attention. Especially that moment when the boys stumble upon a lingerie store and, as befits normal teenagers, get scared and run away. I find this scene interesting because of what the boys are looking at: based on the sequence of shots, it is clear that Lucas is looking at women's underwear, Will is looking at the bottom of the underwear, which can also be identified as men's, and Mike is looking at stockings, which have no clear gender.

This is an interesting decision, because if Mike was attracted to girls, there would be no point in putting a shot with gender-neutral underwear after it. While this may sound like an argument against my point, I'm mainly just bringing this up to include this screenshot of a post from the official Stranger Things Twitter account:

And finally, let's get back to the take on the Tom Cruise poster in Nancy's room.

Did you know that posters can say a lot about the person whose room they're in? In the show, we also saw Billy's room, who is obviously attracted to women, which is why he has posters of women in bikinis. We also see Steve's room, who is also attracted to women, which is why he also has posters of women in bikinis. And what do we see in Mike's room? Yeah, I think you know what I'm talking about... A half-naked muscular dragon being fought by a little wizard? Oh, okay.. A poster for the 1982 movie "Conan the Barbarian"?!? With another half-naked muscular man, I guess... Okay, but there's also a woman in the corner of that poster, right? Yeah, I hate to spoil the fun for you guys, but this is definitely not the kind of movie a man who likes women would watch. "Conan the Barbarian" is FULL of misogyny, toxic masculinity and... half-naked muscular men, yes.

In general, I think this topic can be discussed for a long time, but I will probably stop here and I will be glad if you share your thoughts if you do not agree. I will be grateful if someone explains to me why he thinks that Mike is bi or even hetero, since I am not used to looking at this character from this point of view

[love-byers]

btw they knew will was going to have feelings for mike when they wrote

Do you remember the first day that we met? It was...it was the first day of kindergarten. I knew nobody. I had no friends. I just felt so alone, and so scared--but I saw you on the swings, and you were alone too. You were just swinging by yourself. So I just walked up to you and I asked--I asked if you wanted to be my friend. And you said yes. You said yes. It was the best thing I've ever done.

why the fuck would brilliant writers like the duffers give a character such a beautiful touching monologue, make the recipient of the monologue in love with them, just for it to mean absolutely nothing in the end.

if s5 ends with mlvn endgame and will accepting mike doesn't share feelings and moving on then all of that amounts to nothing. it literally means nothing. it'll be as if it never happened.

if the narrative of will and mike's arc is "gay boy falls in love with straight best friend because of straight best friend's adoring behavior and he just has to accept that some people are just straight" i will be absolutely flabbergasted. literally nobody besides mlvns want that.

part of stranger things since s3 is that some people ARENT straight. we think robin is straight and has feelings for steve in s3 because the writers allowed the heteronormativity, just so they could flip it on our heads later on. and they do a similar thing with vickie in s4, giving us hope that she shares robin's feelings, just for us to be devastated when we see her with her boyfriend. then they DOUBLE flip it on us by revealing vickie does indeed like robin.

the writers are literally teaching you to not just assume people are straight no matter how it may seem. we saw vickie flirt with her bf and kiss him and look happy when he kissed her neck and GUESS WHAT?? NOT STRAIGHT AND HAD FEELINGS FOR SOMEONE ELSE!!!

in almost all the most beloved couples, we've seen them appear happy with someone else before. like, genuinely happy. but we know that doesn't mean anything, because they can appear happy and still have issues/have hidden feelings for someone else. nancy told steve she loved him to his face and not even a week later got with jonathan. murray literally says you can genuinely like someone and be attracted to them and have real love for someone else at the same time.

not everything is what it seems. wizards of waverly place literally prepared us for this like come on

[craziertogether]

i hate mike wheeler hate.

as a former mike lover turned mike disliker turned mike wheeler defender for life. i have to say it, mike hate is SO forced.

they’re are so many worse characters in the show to hate on but for some reason the GA loves to claim that mike is amongst the worst character’s in the show and their argument is like 3 things.

1) mike is poorly written post season 2. okay so you actually missed the entire point but okay! whether or not mike is queer, which lets be honest, it logically makes the most sense for that to be the case. the duffers did NOT just drop/forget about one of the greatest main characters in netflix history. if we remove mike’s queerness from the equation, the duffers logically forgetting about mike who played the most integral part in the first 2 seasons would be the biggest fumble of the CENTURY. mike was the most loved for his bravery, commitment to the party, and unfortunately being el’s boyfriend. but it’s so clear that mike and will are definitely favored by netflix over dustin and lucas. thus, this decline in mike’s character absolutely MUST mean something huge has to happen for mike’s character. and if we look logically at his blatant queer coding, mike is queer. this is where his story is headed. not down but up as he starts to have self realization. logically this also aligns with will’s story of self acceptance, he knows he loves mike romantically, he doesn’t need any more acceptance of his sexual identity, he needs to either have his love reciprocated or rejected. (likely reciprocated otherwise m*leven is the most lame ending to the show’s ending)

2) mike has been a horrible boyfriend to el/doesn’t deserve her. what gets me about this argument is that it’s actually mostly from actual m*leven shippers who hate mike but like the ship. i’ve already been on a whole ass rant about this here:

but firstly, your perception of love is seriously warped. but also how can you HATE one part of the relationship and still expect them to work out in endgame? this is clearly not a couple worth rooting for as it has a character that you believe mistreats his own girlfriend and lacks depth. and you still think they should stay together for the sake of… what exactly? being together bc they were together from the beginning, hate to say it but your first partner will almost never be your last. i’ve also heard the argument that, they hate him post season 2-3 because he became distant but they know the duffers will magically rewrite depth to their relationship and make them endgame. again hate to say it, but the duffers then suck at writing. why wait 5 whole seasons to give your characters in a relationship actual depth and complexity when you managed to give it to lumax IN ONE? it’s illogical to start doing it now unless you could make mike genuinely a god and somehow manage to not make it feel out of place. (whole rant about this on my page already, but will and mike aside from narratively making sense have so much built up tension and feelings that would literally manage to resolve the errors in m*leven as a couple and the weird behavior of mike for two whole seasons)

3) he’s just so annoying for not being able to choose between el & will. oh my lord. this, THIS is the one that gets me. if you’re able to acknowledge byler and still somehow hate mike. YOU ARE DONE. do you hear me. that is genuinely the worst argument for hating mike by FAR. mike is a 14-15 year old boy canonically in the show. in what universe would it make any sense to manage to force mike to just resolve his entire character arc in 10 seconds. mike’s entire character arc revolves around his queer attraction/feelings, internalized homophobia, & forced conformity. mike’s a survivor, had the most insane case of survivor’s guilt AND internalized homophobia in the show. (robin coming out scene & will admitting his own feelings before mike BEFORE GTA6 is insane work). mike has done quite literally nothing except try to be there for those around him, he’s a brat and has an attitude but if you’re saying you’ve never had one before you’re a liar or you’re a liar bc mike is literally a cutie patootie, he’s got unpacked trauma from years of fighting monsters, society pressuring him to be masculine and straight, his own family making him feel worthless and weird for his relationship with will, watching his love of his life best friend being dragged out of a quarry, chard by federal agents? a girl he tried to save being a annihilated in front of him and she didn’t return for over a year, watched billy die, and so many people i. his town go missing bc they’re not human and are actually just melded pieces of flesh for the mindflayer’s body, shot at by government agents, literally had to bury a dead body, watched his own girlfriend over and over fight for her life and fail to save people and tried to be there for her, saw a completely deformed max fighting for her life, saw YET ANOTHER person come back from the dead (hopper). and you’re telling me you think he should just find time to reject the girl who makes him think he is normal for the person who actually makes him feel that way when everyone and thing around him has been telling him that’s the wrong choice. you think he has time to genuinely just make the choice to drop everything because his heart wants it, he’s not the brave 12 year old he was in season 1, he’s not running after will because this time will is not dead. he’s accepting himself which is scarier to him than will being dead.

in conclusion, STOP THE MIKE WHEELER HATE. he deserves grace equally as much as will does. i love you mike wheeler, if you have 0 fans i am dead.

(p.s. i don’t want to see “mike deserves to suffer the most during s5” content. i.e. making him lose will in real life and/or lose el. i love angst, make him get vecna’d, make him maybe get injured but death/losing will or el or nancy is CRAZY. mike wheeler deserves happiness too.)

[megamhafan]

Great! Here's some of my fav Mike posts.

S4 Mike long form analysis:

Mike's s4 arc analysis - Brielle

Mike's hidden arc - itsacleanmachine

s4 Mike explained - greencrocs

Mike is invisible in the wheeler household - thefirstiloveyou

S1 Mike loved Will through El - gayofethefae

Mike Wheeler's promise to El - miwiheroes

Mike's priorities in S4 - lovelylionheart

Rink O Mania from Mike's pov

Photo essays:

Shared looks

'You could not let him go' correlations El/Papa and Mike/Will - greenfiend

'You made me look for him' - El/Will parallels - greenfiend

Mike's smitten face in the van

Mike in the Upside Down

Simple dumb luck

You'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling...

Peripheral light

Mike's gay ass bedroom

Lenora airport cinematography

s3 comparing the two 'breakups'

Mike's Will dancing??????

Small and lovely posts/gifs/videos etc:

Mike and letters

Mike's crush in Dear Billy

Mike tried to call...

THE smalltown boy agenda gif

Looking at Will in the van!

Losing Will over and over (cinematography)

Mike's s3 confusion

s5 and theories/leaks/pics:

Nancy and Mike

The party at high school

Mike with Robin

Mike + music!

Homophobic bullying in s5

Mike and a sword in s5

Mike's costume design

opening credits

Mike and Will on bikes BTS leaks

sunset byler

Beautiful art:

'Mike Wheelie' by Kidovna

The basement kiss / flickergate

Smoking by the barn

Finn liking a byler art 2019

Beautiful Mike yearning

landing in lenora

Lover's Lake by drangues

Fun posts and videos:

I can do it with a broken heart...

The byler commandments

Mike's scowl

Mike is *that* bitch

Know your roots! early byler:

Tweets predicting byler from 2016

Mike sassing El at the quarry

Mike pushes troy in s1

Byler predictions from 2018

The cast talking about Mike:

Finn at Stranger Con 2023

Finn begged for a specific thing for Mike...

Mike values the truth

Finn W. at Paris Con 2025 (YT)

thank you so much, i needed these so much

[ven0moir]

Dissecting Mike's S4 journey following context clues & puzzle pieces provided in-show.is Mike fully aware he likes Will?

The show has been setting Byler to be obvious in retrospect. From a marketing perspective, it should encourage the audience to go back and rewatch the show with a completely new and clearer perspective on Mike's character. It would ideally provide a 'rewind' effect--as if a blindfold has been removed from their eyes. Like it was always hidden in plain sight.

"The world is full of obvious things, which no one by any chance ever observes."

That is what will make Byler effective storytelling & feel like genuine pay-off. When you bring up the possibility of Byler to a GA or Byler non-believers, their main reason for not considering it an option is because, right now, Byler seems to have too much to unpack--from Mike having a 'realization' that he likes Will, to having time to reflect on that idea, to him accepting that idea, and then getting together with Will. If the Duffers crammed all of that into their final season, it'll feel like something done last minute instead of a well thought-out storyline.

"We're in endgame territory now." -- Duffers about 'showing their hand' during S4.

This tells me that the Duffers must have laid down the puzzle pieces already, with the intention to pick them back up & ensemble them together in S5 to provide the full picture.

Let's center Will first before we talk about Mike, considering it is his emotional arc the Duffers say will hopefully tie the whole series together:

Consider how happy Will was at the idea of giving Mike the painting at the start of the season. vs How miserable he looks after actually doing it due to the mess that was S4.

Will, at the end of S4, is heartbroken. If he had any hope whatsoever that his feelings could've been reciprocated, even if it was just 1%, it is now at 0% going into S5. This, compounded with everything else he's gone through, was the final straw in terms of casting Will in a shadow of self-doubt.

This was important because Will's ability to believe in himself + his perception of reality is instrumental in defeating Vecna. But right now? He's lost hope in himself.

The narrative has continuously pushed him towards isolation and disconnect from his loved ones, preparing both he, and the audience, for his lowest point ( birthdaygate, wishing he wasn't born on his birthday, feeling like a mistake, like everything inside him is worthless/rotten, etc etc all the angst ) before he rises as the hero of his own story.

However, it is unfair to expect him to rise up without any help and connection at all. His loved ones coming together for him is important to help him self-actualize and ground himself, but Mike being brave enough to confess first is as instrumental as Will's belief in himself, since that is direct evidence that Will's instincts are on point.

With this said, it would be a disservice to Will if Mike ... a) Confesses only after learning about how Will feels first. Or, b) Realizes his feelings (+confesses) during a moment when Will's in danger/about to die. Not to mention, this already happened in S2. c) Isn't supported by his own family / friends in some way, as it ties into the themes of family that are also an integral part of their arcs.

They cannot make Mike's feelings for Will all about guilt the same way they have made his feelings for Eleven revolve around guilt, because then Byler becomes Mileven 2.0 and Mike has just shifted partners without truly integrating the lessons learned from his first relationship. Which was the whole point of Mileven to begin with for both El and Mike.

Will, at this point in his life, benefits from having a loving, supportive partner that is brave enough to fight for what they could have. Mike HAS to be the one to confess first, without having guarantee that his feelings are reciprocated. He needs to be brave. Him already having guarantee that Will loves him wouldn't really do Mike The Brave's arc justice either.

So, let's observe S4 Mike under the assumption that Mike is already fully aware that he likes Will. No moment of "realization and then starting a journey of self-acceptance all in S4" needed. It is us the audience that haven't been made aware of it yet.

That's the most fun option.

THE BEGINNING VS THE END S4 was all about Mike and Will both pushing each other away without realizing it, when in reality they both wished to grow closer, and thus helped Vecna succeed. Not only did he open the gates, he also has Will exactly where he needs him.

However, there's some saving grace.

They had some good moments, which will help them get their feelings and thoughts in order.

Will reassured Mike throughout the whole season, and Mike asked Will to be a team / best friends and even said Hawkins isn't the same without him.

Now, let's set Will aside and focus on Mike.

BACK TO S2 Mike's realization about how much Will means to him occurred right here:

This why this scene is contextually connected to his S4 love confession to Eleven. I also made this post about Mike 'realizing' that "Will wasn't like him" during the Snowball.

This, then, ensues his S3 arc of pretending to be someone he's not.

Contrary to popular belief, I do think Mike genuinely enjoyed the time spent with El ( bi Mike truthers rise? ), and that it was a nice distraction from his ... feelings. Which he was trying to kill. Because of it being a distraction, he wasn't ever able to connect with El beyond a physical level. He just did not know how.

This scene is coincidentally ( or not lmao ) the scene where we learn about Karen spying on his phone calls.

If I am right about this, then this means that both Jonathan and Karen overheard an important conversation between Mike and Will that made them realize how one of them felt for the other. They are connected via this parallel. Karen's dates back all the way to S1.

Whatever Karen learned during that phone call 'confirmed' to her that Mike has feelings for Will, the same way that what Jonathan heard in the van confirmed to him that Will has feelings for Mike. Feelings that blur the lines & extend beyond those of mere friendship. And even though I do not enjoy this invasion of Mike's privacy, I also do think these three ( I'm including El here ) are going to need all the help they can get sorting through the mess that is their love triangle.

I'm not going to touch on their fight in S3 because to me what's most important is this moment right here:

They had a moment here, that they both became aware of. And right then and there, in this moment, they both had hope. That they weren't alone.

"No way ... he's like me?"

THE ORDER OF THINGS

Let's consider that between S3 and S4, Will was more optimistic than Mike was--when we learn he likes someone enough to be acting noticeably "weird" about it, he is framed surrounded by art, yellow tones, we see him painting with greens and blues--he's creating, inspired and his feelings for Mike are helping him heal & grow. We even have a poster that says "The Cure" there in case you don't  ✨Believe ✨. He is choosing Alan Turing as his hero--he might still be closeted, but in S4, he has found profound motivation to live his truth and embrace his identity thanks, in great part, to his feelings for Mike.

Now, imo these emotions didn't come from their last meeting in S3 alone, no.

They came from something else too.

Their last phone call, which Karen heard.

Consider these crumbs:

The theme of 'dreams' in S4 ( Two songs: California Dreamin' playing as Mike reads El's letter & Dream a little dream of me associated to Henry and Patty, Robin saying "I found the girl of my dreams", Sixteen Candles ( easter egg hidden in the show ) featuring a scene of the protagonist saying that she had a "weird dream" about her crush. There are way more but those are the ones I remember off the top of my head ) Now bare with me here because this is a shot in the dark a la Nancy Wheeler.

#DREAMGATE

"... I had a dream about you [last night]." " ... really? What was it?" "I ... don't remember. I just know you were in it." ( is lying, he does remember what it was )

Karen, our avid romance reader, picked up on the implications of this part of the conversation and she knew, right then and there, in that moment, that Mike had feelings for Will. And this inspired Will's next action: to draw that heart and crown on Mike's shield as a 'clue' for him.

My guess is Will got so giddy he didn't even know how to react and the conversation ended up a bit awkwardly as a result ( so #infp-coded fr ), and then on top of that, Will just fell off the face of the earth afterwards, with Mike's attempts to reach him going to nigh.

The way something like this would completely turn the tides because POOR. MIKE.

Imagine being bold enough to make a MOVE of that magnitude only for your crush to disappear on you afterwards. And next thing you know, he's been painting for someone else??!?!!? I do not know about you but I'd have been acting The Exact Same Way Mike was.

"The key with girls is pretending you don't care. It drives them crazy."

Mr. Cool Man at the airport.

in terms of hope, Mike might be on the same boat as Will--hopeful, but way more pessimistic and assuming the worst and interpreting evidence as being stacked against that idea. Not to mention he's still dating El and has to also navigate that.

Nonetheless, he was hoping the painting was for him, but required more information. Here's a fun idea for you--he kept re-reading El's letter hoping to find some 'clue' as to who Will was painting for. And that's why he looks so disappointed after Will didn't give it to him at the airport and was so defensive at rink-o-mania.

It is my personal interpretation that Mike asked about Eleven's friends because he was secretly hoping that Eleven would spend more time with her friends than him, just like how she ditched him to be with Max in S3. If that happened, then he and Will would be able to spend time together and he'd acquire more knowledge about the painting. He was hoping the pattern would repeat, bc he believed El.

But the whole world just had to go to shit, huh?

[immortellesjouissances]

My Stranger Things Season 5 Predictions

Alright, I’m usually quiet on Tumblr, but I’ve been deep in a rewatch lately (because my brain is stuck in Hawkins and refuses to leave since the teaser) and I have been silently watching you all and leaks and interviews… I have thoughts so buckle up!! (Btw, I am French, excuse my mistakes…)

Possible Major Deaths

Let’s start with the pain (sorry) :

- Steve: I hate this one, but I can see it coming. His arc feels complete, and the writers love a tragic hero. If he dies, it’ll be for someone else. Dustin? Nancy? The whole group? But I hate the thought of Dustin losing him after Eddie. Please no.

- Eleven: A self-sacrifice trope wouldn’t surprise me… It’d be cliché, but narratively neat. However… Hopper losing his daughter again? I would not stand it, jeez.

- Will: It began with him. Could it end with him? I really hope not — the queer kid dying after years of suffering and trauma? That would be devastating (and tone-deaf). Plus, Joyce and Jonathan losing AGAIN? Nah.

- Dustin: He has no love interest and tons of emotional value for viewers. A prime target, unfortunately. (Sorry Dustin, I don’t make the rules.)

Any of these deaths would BREAK me, but I think they’re among the most narratively “logical”.

Max’s Role

Max isn’t dying. Her surviving the end of S4 just to die in S5 would be so cheap and lazy.

I think she’ll help El via their psychic connection. Her arc isn’t over. She’ll wake up by the end of the season and probably be key to the final fight. (Well, let’s hope.)

Mileven Breakup

Let’s be real: this has been coming for a while.

I actively enjoyed this paring at first. They were cute in S1–S2, but by S3–S4 the writers clearly began pulling them apart. The love confession in S4? Still gives me secondhand embarrassment.

Also: according to leaks, Mike and El barely have scenes together in S5. Weird choice for the supposed “main couple” if they’re endgame, no??? Would be weird.

Byler Rising

Now this… I’m excited for. There’s so much left to unpack!!

- The painting lie

- Will’s hidden feelings

- Mike’s possible realization

- Their childhood flashbacks (according to leaks)

- That tension!!

The acting is going to be TOP TIER. These two are going to SERVE.

How I think it will unfold:

Mike and Will are closer than ever at the start of S5. Things with El are awkward, maybe post-breakup.

Mike learns the truth about the painting, doesn’t confront Will directly but starts observing him, questioning things, how he feels, what Will really means to him.

Eventually, he realizes his own feelings. He’s the one to initiate a kiss — maybe to test his feelings, or to reassure Will, maybe after he finally confronts Will about the painting ? But Will thinks it’s just a moment of pity or confusion. And….I don’t have more, lol.

Cue ambiguity!!!, angst!!!!, tension!!! Lovers Lake! Second kiss ? Maybe a quiet, intimate scene — something raw and tender ? (Ok, that’s wishful thinking…) Let’s just hope…

Kali’s Return

Yes, I believe she’s coming back!! I saw some people talk about it, and I completely agree.

They’ll need all the help they can get, and she plays into the theme of found family. Plus, El needs closure with her “sister”. Love is going to save the world, remember? Hehe

Stancy’s Bittersweet Comeback

I think Stancy is being set up for a last emotional arc — not as a long-term couple, but as closure.

If Steve dies, Nancy being there will make it even more tragic and personal. They’ll kiss. But I don’t think they’ll end up together. (I actually don’t know if I prefer Stancy or Jancy so either way, I am fucked.)

Jopper & Byers Family

FINALLY. We’re going to see Hopper and Joyce as a couple — in a warzone maybe, but still.

What I’m really looking forward to is the family dynamic!!! Hopper and El; Joyce and Will; Hopper and Will (!!)

Eleven’s True Power

This season will focus on El learning to love herself — not through romantic love, but through friendships and FAMILY.

She’ll have strong moments with Max, Hopper, and maybe even Will. I expect badass fights with her dad, I am SEATED.

Jonathan’s Comeback

I miss him. He was strong and weird and brave in S1–S2.

Then S3–S4 turned him into a background character. I want a Jonathan comeback. He deserves a hero moment. Maybe something related to Will? I am waitinggggg

Love Triangles & Miscommunication

Oh boy. We’re in for a ride:

- Byler / Mileven: the painting, El’s realization, Mike caught between truth and guilt.

- Stancy / Jancy: unresolved tension.

- Robin / Vickie: low-key but sweet.

Exciting times ahead!

Intimate Scenes Predictions

- Jopper: It’s time!!!! Let them have a soft moment!

- Stancy: Maybe a kiss, for closure? Not sure but I can see it happening.

- Byler: One kiss is inevitable (Lovers Lake? Mike saving Will from drowning?), but I want more. A second, more intentional moment. (A GOOD KISS) Give us the tenderness queer love we deserve (and that Will deserves.)

- Robin & Vickie: Definitely a kiss.

El Learning About Will’s Feelings

I cannot wait to see how she reacts bc I have no clue about how she is going to react? Confused? Angry? Hurt? Supportive? The emotional fallout could be huge — or surprisingly quiet and meaningful. Pleeeease I want it now

Open Ending?

If Mike, Will, and El all survive… I’m betting on a slightly ambiguous ending. Some closure, but room for interpretation.

+ Bonus: Mike had a crush on Eddie.

You can’t convince me otherwise. The way Mike looked at Eddie? Not straight-coded. (Maybe it was admiration but…let a girl dream.)

That’s it for now, I will return in my cave with my fellow other quiet supporters.

[samwitcch]

mike's problem solving skills

as much as we shit on mike for his obliviousness towards romance, its really interesting how good mike is at deciphering the upside down mystery and puzzle solving in general. typically, mike has the best judgement calls when it comes to getting shit done and general intuition. at the top of my head, i can recall several times where he was able to encounter a problem that the entire group was having and fix it instantly. some examples:

understanding that el was the key to finding will in the upside down, thus employing her help for all of s1

first to recognize that will would have died were they to close the gate with the mf still inside him + understanding how the mf worked and knew how to problem solve to overcome it (putting will to sleep so he couldn't spy, knowing that they needed a place that will didn't recognize)

came up with the entire sauna test plan, plus led billy towards the trap

found out that the number was hidden inside a dried up pen from the agent + knowing that they would have needed a hacker to get it done and using suzie's help to do it

a small one, but them overturning the car using the leverage from the linerope holders was mike's idea when they couldn't use el's powers ("told you. physics")

and so on...

i'd also like to point out the fact that in s4, the only times we get mike's POV is when he is being a leader (suzie's house, discovering the pen, etc). when it comes to the romance aspect, specifically his relationship w/ el, we get no clues from himself about how he actually feels about her (only from will and el's povs).

i'm not the most avid follower of nancy's storyline, but i'm pretty sure a lot of her judgement calls are also basically always correct (s1 w/ barb's disappearance, s2 in revealing barb's death, s3 rats, s4 w/ victor creel).

personally, besides the fact these two are smart as hell, i think that its a small way to show that the wheeler siblings were mainly taught to think with their head, and not their heart, which is why their arcs are both tied into ridding themselves of societal expectations and to go with their hearts instead. while nancy's is more tied to her independence and wants as a woman during the 80s, mike's is intrinsically tied to queerness and understanding what he wants, rather than what would make him normal.

[mikaykayrae]

Byler endgame perfectly matches with Mikes hero’s journey.

Mike Wheeler: The Heroes Journey

Pt. 2

Mike is a hero, and his character arc reflects that. How does the heroes journey allow us to predict what happens next?

We left off on step 8/12 on the heroes journey, 'The Reward,’ the pay off that Mike got for all the challenges and trials he faced, was the return of Will.

9. The Road Back: The journey back begins, the hero faces new challenges along the way. For Mike this was helping Will return to normal and adjust. This phase continues till season 4, Mike is stuck. Another challenge is holding him back from reaching step 10: this is most likely his hidden queerness. The next piece of his arc would be him realizing that he has been lying to himself.

10. The Resurrection: The hero ’dies’ and is ‘reborn.’ For Mike this part will most likely be representative of two things. 1) Him coming out, his old identity is left behind, and replaced by the real one, the one that is true to himself. 2) A literal fake death, probably Vecna or Lake related, this will be his literal ‘resurrection.’

11. The Return: The Hero returns home, transformed by their experiences. This will be ‘the return’ of season 1-2 Mike. Mike has become a very dislikeable character ever since season 3. Losing his role as a leader and overall being a jerk. Hopefully in season 5 he returns to his previous fan favorite self, and his ‘resurrection’ will do that.

12. The Freedom to Live: A state of enlightenment or a ‘happily ever after’ is reached. For Mike this would be finally being with Will. This could also include him leaving Hawkins and moving with Will to California after graduation. To a place more accepting than small town Indiana. (Small Town Boy related theory)

The outline of the ‘Heroe’s Journey’ works perfectly with a Byler finale, and with Mikes development. 💙💛 Feel free to add or question anything!

💌 MiKayKayRae