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chirpsythismorning · 7 months ago

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Fun fact: In the original pitch for Stranger Things, El had a little brother.

After being rejected by almost 20 studios for the Montauk pilot, the Duffers were finally green-lit by Netflix. It was at this time that they began casting and then writing the first season officially, which included reworking a lot of that first episode.

This led to the removal of the brother reference, and with it, removing any sort of arc El could have had about her apparent brother.

But the thing about this moment, is that it might not have been scrapped entirely...

Going into the final season, no one can explain why or how El recognized Will back in 1x02. And while there are plenty of things on the show that are left unexplained, with a small portion likely left that way with the intention to uncover it later, what sets this moment apart from the rest is that there are very few possibilities here.

Because for starters, the story presents El's ability to see people in the void in s1 as requiring either a picture of that person for reference, or having met that person before.

But when El see's this picture of Will, she's never met him before. Or maybe she has, but we wouldn't know because they never showed us. They could have just not done this scene at all, given that it's clearly a copy/paste/edit of something scrapped from the pitch. Or they could have even still included it, but explained it.

One explanation could be that the lab had shown El a picture of Will before, similar to what they did with the Russian agent they wanted to spy on. But then that begs to question, why would the lab show El a picture of Will? Why would they want to see what he was doing? That alone is incriminating in and of itself, implying that Will is more connected to the lab than we realize.

The only other, and frankly most likely explanation, would be that El stumbled across Will at some point on her journey between escaping the lab and Will going missing. This is actually something that happens in The Other Side comic, which explores all the things Will may have experienced during his time in the Upside Down.

Though it’s worth noting the comics aren’t technically canon, and I highly doubt they would outright spoil everything in relation to Will’s time there, years before it was intended to be revealed. But still, let's humor this for a moment given that I do think Will's time in the UD is going to be very relevant in s5, which means it's highly likely they will finally address how exactly El saw him.

Basically, in the comic, Will see’s El walking through the woods, almost apparition like, glowing as she passes by, while also sporting the Benny’s burgers shirt. This means they would have crossed passed within a short span of time, between when El escaped Benny’s when the agents arrived, but before she was found by the boys.

Though it’s worth noting that we’re seeing this all from Will’s perspective. This means from the UD, Will was capable of seeing El on the other side, despite them being on different sides. And not only that, but she also looks back at him.

What confuses me about this, is that it doesn’t make sense for El to be in the woods, only to randomly decide to pop in to the void for a moment. She was trying to escape the lab and everything that came with it. I doubt she had any desire to lurk back there for some reason, not until someone encouraged her to. Not to mention, it would make no sense for her to go there and see Will if she wasn't even looking for him in the first place. And so this would mean Will and El could see each other, with Will being in the UD, and El being on the other side.

While it does seem pretty far off, given that you would think Will and El wouldn't be able to see each other from different sides, it is true in the story that El not only recognizes Will, but knows that he is in danger. She mentions that he is hiding specifically.

Which means she has likely seen him within the last 24 hours regardless.

This, in combination with Will being able to respond to El in the void at the end of the season in Castle Byers, when no one else outside of Terry and flayed-Billy have been able to, seems to imply that there is indeed something special about Will that makes him capable of communicating with El from the UD. Not only that, but El also seems to have an ability to be in this constant knowing state of how Will is doing, without even checking again to confirm. She's just certain of it. And she seems terrified about it.

Going forward, El never uses a picture of Will to find him. She never did. And more often than not, they don’t show us what she see’s either, not until the very end. And that’s the moment they reveal that he was able to communicate with her.

Again, there was really no reason to have El recognize Will. If anything it complicates things. But the fact that they chose to introduce this concept, with a scene from the original pitch that was related to El’s younger brother, with her pointing at his name cryptically, startling Benny, only to revamp it and have El not say anything at all while pointing at the picture of Will, startling Mike… It just really makes you stop and think.

Which brings me to the other aspect of this that might have people doubting, which is that El’s brother was originally younger than her.

We know Will is not younger than El, so how could this apply to him?

Well, it might be helpful to consider that in the original script, El was actually 10 years old, while the boys were always 12. Meaning that for some reason, they decided to age her up to the age of the boys, aka the same age as Will…

Ever since @erikiara80 shared this brother discovery with me, I have been sort of reeling. It then led to other little discoveries of changes they made between Montauk and Stranger Things.

It’s important to understand that the Montauk bible and the original script precedes what we ended up with in the final product, with it finally changing and evolving months, maybe even a year since that original vision. Even casting occurred before writing started for the first season. We know this because casting announcements were made in June and August of 2015, with writing not starting until August going into early 2016, simultaneously while they were filming.

And believe it or not, what I've discovered is that a lot of the changes they made between their original plans and what we see in the final product, have to do with not only Willel, but also Byler.

If you've read the original script for Montauk, you'll know that Mike's crush on Jennifer Hayes was focused on right from the jump, along with the birthmark on his face being focused on, which was the main cause of the bullying he experienced.

This has actually been talked about recently, and some of the claims people make do fit with what I am genuinely starting to consider here, which is that the initial plan for what makes Mike an outcast shifted.

I think when they completed casting, and started actually deep diving into what they wanted this world to look like, both from a short-term and long-term standpoint, they were presented with some pretty interesting discoveries, arguably already hiding in their initial plans without realizing it.

And this is where it sort of becomes a 'chicken or the egg' situation. Because which one came first? Byler or Willel?

I can't say for certain, because obviously this is all just speculation. But in the case that Willel came first, I think Byler would come very naturally after that.

The Duffers themselves are twins. Then they hire Noah, who is a twin. Then they're thinking and planning for El's past and how her family all fits into this, and they're thinking... wait a damn minute... We could totally Star Wars this bitch!

And then when they think it couldn't get any better, they uncover another layer that they hadn't planned or really considered in their initial plans.

While Will was always going to have sexual identity issues according to the Montauk bible, meaning that the writing process for him likely involved sitting down imagining scenarios that encapsulated this arc for Will from the beginning, they were simultaneously now finding very interesting aspects of Mike's character that made it hard not to at least consider the possiblity that Mike is not exactly straight.

Just think about it. The Byers and Wheelers are basically polar opposites on the spectrum of what a family looks like. While Will's discovery and acceptance of his queerness is interesting to explore because he comes from a low-income, single-mom household, all while having been bullied for years based on his perceived queerness, he also has a mother and brother constantly reinforcing that they will accept him no matter what. They've been sort of hitting us over the head with it for years, and so it wouldn't be very satisfying for his entire arc to merely lead up to something we've known all along. It's pretty much a given at this point.

On the other side of the spectrum, Mike comes from a more upper-middle class family at the end of a cul-de-sac, more aligned with what a nuclear family looks like. Mike's family is also presented as being more conservative, and while Karen does give that very queer-coded speech to Mike in s1 (I'm convinced they only wrote this after deciding to explore queer-coding more heavily with Mike), it also comes with comments from Ted and even still Karen that hint that they are probably not as open-minded and accepting as Will's family is to him. Which means Mike's arc would be a lot more about acceptance around him from his loved ones who we have been led to believe might not be as accepting of his queerness in contrast to Will.

And so as they're putting this story together, and they're being presented with something very interesting. Two similar experiences that play out in different ways because of the characters circumstances.

Will goes missing, and his twin sister with a buzzcut pops up and has the ability to help them find Will.

This leads to several moments where El is being compared to as not only a boy, but Will as well.

Now suddenly, their initial plans to have Mike's arc be about having a girl be interested in him and to hopefully have his first kiss and feel like less of a loser, starts to look a lot like what the experience a queer kid in his position might encounter growing up in the environment that he did.

And if you don't want to take my word for it, just hear the Duffer's themselves hinting at what they initially planned for Mike and the fact that it changed.

The changes don't stop there.

Believe it or not, 'It was a seven', did not exist in the initial pitch. When the boys went outside bickering over Nancy, they leave right after that.

Another thing that changed from the first script, was Scott Clarke's introduction:

And so you might be thinking, who cares? What does that have to do with anything?

Well, it's interesting because the line we end up with on the show is arguably one of the most on the nose Twelvegate proofs to date. Mind you, this is from the first episode:

Why chuck the original version, which was arguably more interesting and fascinating in terms of it hinting at the mysteriousness surrounding this story, only to replace it with him listing off tips about their upcoming test?

Well, I think it's the irony of it all. Here Mr. Clarke is practically telling us where to look to figure stuff out for ourselves what is going on, with all the kids filing out and ignoring him...

I relate to Scott a litttle too much in this shot here, any time I try to drop Willel evidence.

And the changes go on, as they obviously would.

Things like Terry Ives not even being El's mom, but actually a man who more so aligns with the characterization of Murray.

And one very interesting one I almost overlooked was in Hopper's introduction, where instead of a kids drawing done by who we assume to be Sarah, we actually see a picture on the wall of him and his wife and daughter... Interesting that they decided to switch it something that is a lot less definitive in presenting what Hopper's past looked like...

If you've made it this far, congratulations.

If you still think I'm out of my mind, just remember that El was going to have a brother in the original script, but they scrapped the scene and gave a near identical one to introduce her connection to Will instead 😘

#byler #stranger things #willel twins #twelvegate #montauk #as you can see #i am out of my mind #and i'm okay with that #i've spent the last couple months trying to make a video going over all the willel twin evidence #and i can't decide if it's even possible to do without going over an hour #like there is just so much shit that fits too perfectly into this family being ripped apart by mind control and time shenanigans #i hope to have it done soon #trying to make it less than 20 minutes #but it's probably going to end up being closer to an hour #especially with this stuff from the montauk pitch being added to the mix now #anyways #willel and byler are the curtain behind the curtain #if you are open to one of them #you are bound to stumble across the other #and they don't want that to happen #stay tuned for the inevitable twin imagery to continue in s5 related to willel leading up to the big reveal #bc it's arguably the most consistent thing about this damn show #and tbh this all just makes the queer-coding for mike in s1 a lot more concrete to me #them exploring will's queerness through his dad's expectations for him to do more 'manly' things like play baseball #and jonathan saying he shouldn't like things just bc people telll him he's supposed to #how they connect that narratively with the boys being at a baseball field when mike's being pressured about his supposed feelings for el #with the bullies showing up and literally being homophobic seconds later #the fact that jennifer hayes did in fact exist in the original pilot and was the girl mike had a crush on #only for them to scrap that and just make it about her having a crush on will...#never once introducing this idea of mike liking her...

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wiseatom · 2 years ago

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perhaps Mike has a migraine and Will is comforting him? (I have a migraine today🥲 and I would like to be vicariously comforted through characters dhejdjedi). Thank you!!💕

hi anon!!! thank you for the prompt <3 sorry that this is late, but i hope you are feeling better!!

The apartment is dark when Will gets home.

He frowns as he steps inside; Mike should definitely be home by now. Will usually stays late at the studio on Fridays, trying to create as little work as possible for himself on Saturday so that he can actually have a weekend the next two days, but Mike is usually off early on Friday. He should be here.

He flips the entryway light on and lets his messenger bag fall from his shoulder to one of the dining room chairs as he passes by, peeking his head around the wall that blocks his view into the kitchen. The window above the sink lets in the last of the evening light, illuminating the room in a blueish glow, but there's no Mike in sight.

“Mike?” he calls out, stepping further into the apartment and flipping switches as he goes. Dining room, living room, hallway – but by the time he reaches their bedroom door, he’s pretty sure he’s figured out what’s going on. He cracks open the door to their bedroom as quietly as possible, letting in only enough light to confirm that, yes, the lump under the covers is distinctly boyfriend-shaped.

“Hey,” he says softly, his voice nearly a whisper as he slips inside the room. He’s careful with shutting the door behind him, holding onto the knob so that the latch doesn’t click, and then rounds the bed. He approaches the blanket lump and sits gingerly right by where he guesses Mike’s head is, if the tuft of hair poking out from the covers is anything to go by. “Migraine?”

(They’re less common than they used to be, Mike’s migraines, but Will’s been around for nearly all of them. He never used to get them, but that was before the nasty blow to the head that happened sometime during the interdimensional fight for their lives at just sixteen years old. All throughout the rest of high school and most of college, the resulting migraines became a frequent visitor, their visits frequently bad, and Will frequently powerless to do anything but sit by and watch Mike suffer.

It’s been years, but Will doesn’t think he’ll ever be used to it.)

At the question, Mike makes a muffled noise of assent, then pulls the covers back far enough to squint up at Will in the lowlight of the room. Will frowns again, letting out a sympathetic little hum, and threads his fingers into Mike’s hair, nails scratching at his scalp along the way. Mike closes his eyes, clearly pleased, and presses his head into Will’s thigh.

“Did you take anything?” Will asks quietly.

“At school,” Mike answers. His voice is hoarse, tired, and Will’s heart clenches in his chest. “It hit second period, so I popped three ibuprofen and found a sub by fourth. Drive home was brutal.”

Will grimaces, hoping traffic wasn’t as brutal as the afternoon sun. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles, running his fingers through Mike’s hair again. “Anything I can do?”

Mike hums. “That,” he says, letting out a content sigh. “‘S almost gone, anyway. Just need more sleep.”

“I’ll stay until you fall back asleep, then,” Will promises. He leans back to check the glow of numbers from the alarm clock on his side of the bed. “If you’re up before eight, I’ll make you dinner.”

The corner of Mike’s mouth twitches, as much of a smile as he can manage. “What time is it now?” he asks.

“Quarter past six,” Will answers, eyes flicking to the numbers again.

“Should be gone by then,” Mike mumbles. “I accept your bargain, Byers.”

Will lets out a little laugh, making sure to keep it quiet. “Sleep,” he commands gently, and it’s a testament to how truly tired Mike is that he doesn’t even attempt to argue it. Instead, he just pulls the blanket back up over his eyes and shifts so that his head is pressing more insistently into Will’s thigh, like the external pressure is helping banish the one happening internally.

“Thank you,” Mike says quietly, voice muffled from under the covers again. “Love you.”

“Always,” Will replies easily. “Love you, too.”

Mike lets out another happy sigh, and Will sits there in the dark with him for another ten minutes, absentmindedly carding his fingers through his hair and waiting for his breaths to even out with sleep. When they finally do, Will carefully extracts himself from his sleeping boyfriend, stilling and wincing at the creak of the mattress, and then letting out a sigh of relief when there’s no movement from Mike afterwards. He makes quick work of stumbling through the dark to find a change of clothes, opening and closing drawers as silently as possible, and once he’s in a pair of sweats and a crewneck he’s pretty sure don’t belong to him, he quietly exits the room into the hallway.

With Mike out of commission for the next two some-odd hours, it’s probably the perfect time to dig back into his messenger bag and look over those character concept design sheets that are due tomorrow, but his eyes already hurt at the thought of even spending a single minute looking at the same stupid drawings again. If he’s going to give himself eyestrain, it’s going to be with the Nintendo.

Eyestrain is exactly where he’s approaching an hour and a half later, when Mike emerges from the bedroom looking sleep-rumpled and soft, one leg of his sweatpants higher than the other. Will immediately pauses his game and lifts one arm up, and Mike doesn’t need a verbal cue to crawl right up into the space Will has made for him. He settles against Will’s side easily, resting his head on Will’s shoulder. The light from the screen instantly creates a glare off his glasses, but he doesn’t seem to mind. “Ocarina?” he asks.

“Mhmm,” Will replies. He runs his fingernails along the point of Mike’s shoulder. Mike preens at the touch. “Trying to get through the stupid Water Temple, still.”

Mike barks out a quiet laugh. “Good luck,” he says, “my kids have been going on about that for months. I have absolutely zero tips for you.”

“What good are you to me if you can’t even get me gaming tips from resident high schoolers?” Will scoffs, which earns another quiet laugh from Mike. Will smiles, pleased, and turns his head, kissing Mike’s temple. “How’s that big brain of yours doing?”

“Not completely gone, but manageable now, at least,” Mike answers.

Will hums. “Think you can manage some soup?”

Mike pulls back to give him a look. “Do you think you can manage some soup?”

“That was one time,” Will hisses, after letting out the quietest indignant squawk a person has ever indignantly squawked. Mike is lucky that Will is such a considerate boyfriend -- Will wishes he could say the same.

“Just because we painted over the scorch marks doesn’t mean they’re not still there,” Mike points out. Before Will can protest further, Mike is pushing himself up and pressing their lips together, the most effective method of silencing Will known to man (scientifically proven). “I’ll make it. Chicken noodle okay?”

Will watches as he starts to head towards the kitchen, shifting so that the arm that was just holding Mike is draped over the back of the couch. “Are you sure you’re up for it?” he asks, loud enough so that Mike can hear him, but quietly enough so that he doesn’t disturb him.

“Soup is easy,” Mike answers, grabbing a pot and turning on the hood light. He reaches into the cupboard to the left of the stove and grabs the familiar red and white can, and then looks back over his shoulder at Will with a shit-eating grin. “At least, it’s easy for most of us.”

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” Will asks with a frown.

“Not in this lifetime,” Mike says easily, pouring the soup into the pot he retrieved and moving it to the back of the stove. Once he’s flicked the burner on, he turns back towards Will and leans against the counter, still wearing that stupid, smug grin.

Will sticks his tongue out at him. “Glad to see you’re feeling better, asshole.”

“Much better,” Mike says. He casts a glance over his shoulder at the soup on the burner, then pushes off the counter and strides back over to the couch, leaning down and capturing Will’s lips in another kiss. His lips are dry and warm, and he’s annoying, and he doesn’t deserve to be attacked by his own head twice a month, and Will loves him so, so much. He pulls back, and Will just stares up at him, because when the only light is coming from a single lightbulb in the kitchen and the glow of the television, Mike is the brightest thing in the room. “Much, much better,” Mike says again, his lips brushing Will’s with every word, and then dives back in for another kiss.

(There is not another soup incident, but it’s a close call.)

#byler #byler fic #byler fanfic #byler fanfiction #byler ao3 #wiseatom minis #thats a ficlet tag now ig uess .#ANYWAY sorry that this was . maybe not as much of what you asked for #hopefully there is enough hurt/comfort to make it worth it <3 #in my head they live in california n the year is 1999 n mike is a 9th grade english teacher n will works at d*sney as a character artist #he is working on the 2001 animated feature atlantis the lost empire . ty for coming to my ted talk #me: creates the most intricate backstory for a fic tht is less than 2k .

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