#sorry for horrible image quality i'm too tired rn to grab screenshots form the actual show rn

[bugsbenefit]

i love the debate of whether Mike should have long or short hair in s5! but i'll be a die hard defender of the long hair because

1.) it looks good okay, it suits him and the possibility of ponytails or Will brushing a hairstrand behind his ear are killing me in concept alone. but that's just personal preference, for me it's mainly 2.) it'd follow the Wheeler theme So Well, guysssss

bc i do like the concept of him cutting it in response to Eddies death. but listen, listen: the Wheeler's consistent themes with hair styling on the show okay.

Nancy's hair journey is a complete reflection of her personal growth as attested by the costume department. as she grows to be more independent and rejects the suburban cul-de-sac life her hair gets progressively shorter in every season while Also getting curlier. reject tradition and all, the haircut she had in s1 is Nothing like the one she has now

and Mike on the other hand goes in the opposite direction on the show. he starts s1 with your typical 80s-boy almost bowlcut but not 100% committed hairstyle and clothes his mom bought him. that's how his mom dressed and styled him - even commented on in universe with his little outfits from the GAP. and it's just like how Nancy also dressed to fit in the family. and then Mike's hair gets floofier and messier over the seasons, by s3 he still has the same haircut but it's overgrown and doesn't fall neatly or flat anymore. and then by season 4 where he finally starts to commit and rejects expectations for the first time and joins hellfire he has Long hair and it's length also makes it the waviest and curliest it's ever been

guys their hair journeys literally parallel each other in terms of character growth as of now. they both have less and less of the hairstyle they had in s1 as they reject their family's and the town's values. short neat haircut for boy and long wavy locks for girl were their starting points. classic nuclear family, gender roles, Reagan years. and now they're donning the shoulder length wavy hair for Mike and the short and crazy curly hair for Nancy. the Wheeler fashion seem to have a direct correlation between non-conformity and their hair defying the ideal conservative expectations of the time. and i love all possibilities i've seen suggested for Mike's hair, but following this pattern Mike should either have a similar hair length to s4 or longer/curlier to show him fully rejecting the expectations placed on him

because this hair showing development phenomena is Such a big thing even Karen fits that family styling 😭

from wavy brunette, to suddenly bleach blonde and then BAM curls out of nowhere. and all over her independence/cheating/plot relevancy story line

growing your hair to a style that's not alligned with what's seen as "tidy" or "ideal" is literally a Wheeler family moment and it's HILARIOUS

(maybe if Ted finally grew his mane out he would stop catching bad dad allegations)