#the byers family

[kidovna]

The Byers

[queen-of-hawkins-why-ler]

It’s that Byers family rizz. That kind of quirky, offbeat, maybe a little out there charm??? That underdog and low-key-kind-of-a-loser vibe??? The niche taste in music, thrifted clothes, shaggy haircut, and having to convince others that they’re not crazy energy??? Absolutely irresistible. It’s so funny that the Byers are canonically a weird and bullied, socially outcast family but that they all canonically have rizz 😭😭 Bc why is Jonathan pulling Nancy Wheeler??? Why does every girl who looks at Will want to kiss him??? Why is someone always talking Joyce on a date??? When you’re in a rizz competition and your opponent is the Byers family.

[conflictofthemind]

Thoughts on "Escape from Camazotz"

Oppressive Suburbia, Conformity, and Season 5 Themes

I've long thought that a major focus of Season 5 will be the contrast between the families of The Wheelers and The Byers, and exploring how non-traditional family environments can be freeing vs the oppressive structure of the nuclear family.

In a Wrinkle In Time, Camazotz is a planet controlled by the big bad of the book, the "IT", who forces the citizens into a conformity that resembles American suburbia. All of the houses the same, the citizens the same, doing the same things at the same time without individual identity. Without anything different. Different means a lot of things, but with Stranger Things dropping different in reference to Will's identity and the presumable themes of this season, it will heavily codify as queerness and how it threatens the cisheterosexual family model.

Henry was raised in the 1950s, a decade still revered by conservatives for it's traditional family dynamics that supposedly were the peak of culture and happiness for all. That was all a lie, of course, and Henry knew so as he shows to Nancy and Eleven during his monologue. The second most conservative decade aside from the 1950s in American society is widely considered to be the 1980s.

The Creels will serve in parallel to The Wheelers; the worst example of what they could become and the damage that this type of family could do to a child that is different in any way. Notice how Vecna selectively shows Nancy visions of The Wheelers dying, but not anyone else she may consider family or friends (like Jonathan).

That is; unless they change their ways and come together as a healthy functioning family facing their traumas, The Wheelers will be toast.

Karen has been moved up to a main character role this season. Ted's actor says the father starts to show up more for Holly (hold that) and realizes he wants to act differently. Holly has been recast. Finn has said Mike goes on a much more personal journey this season, and steps up as a leader.

Oh, also: the catalyst for all of this is that Holly goes missing. The contrast will help show how the Byers (including El and Hopper here) were able to pull together and help solve Will's disappearance, versus how the Wheelers as a closed off nuclear family grapple with Holly's vanishing.

Each of the Byers is in some kind of a non-1950s conformist relationship, but particularly Will (not in one now but we all know he will be). I think El might represent, after she breaks up with Mike, the fear of the unmarried woman being satisfied without a husband. The above shot really emphasizes my point.

I predict that Will will end up coming out to his family rather early on, and we will see all of them immediately accept him with little surprise or push-back. Will is a visible gay man who comes from an open minded non traditional family (divorced, non-married, adoptive) that is willing to have honest conversations.

But this theme will place the most focus on the Wheelers. Mike is the main character of said family and this will particularly focus on his arc, and his acceptance of his queerness in the midst of suburban conformity.

He is not visible, he comes from a Reagan-supporting family who don't communicate with each other. He is not particularly close with his family like Will is. He pushes his feelings down and tries his damn hardest to be normal despite it all. His trauma hasn't really been addressed at all. He is falling back into his usual habits - the one thing he dared to do different (grow his hair long) has gone back to how it was.

It's not all doom and gloom though. This season above all will be a redemption arc of the American nuclear family, how they choose to escape their conformity and learn to be there for each other, thus overpowering Vecna. Not that the Wheelers are going to end this personally.

"Great, more hysteria. Just what we need". "It's the news, now indistinguishable from the tabloids".

[ikarakie]

one day in california someone asks el if her and will are twins and she just fucking explodes. she loves the idea. yes, absolutely she and will are twins, what a fantastic concept, thank you. she announces that night at dinner: "me and will are twins now." and instead of trying to explain that's just... not how it works, the byers' are all like: "yeah, okay. cool."

it does, however, confuse the party and hopper when the byers' move back to hawkins. because suddenly el is looping her arm with will's and claiming 'twin telepathy' or that she gets dibs on will with any team based game because 'we are twins, you are not allowed to seperate us.'

(will loves it too. acts like it's always been this way, looking at their friends with fake confusion and asking: what? how did you forget about me having a whole twin sister? gosh, guys, do you really pay attention to us that little? you move away for one year and suddenly people forget such basic info about you... meanwhile el just nods along and tells them off as well.)

[a-shade-of-green]

do you think it was weird for mike to go to california and experience his first byers family dinner in months just for it to be far too similar to wheeler family dinners

[romainlettusdinnerparty]

OH OH i think i figured out what this scene is: Will and Joyce are giving some sort of presentation (maybe on their experience with the UD or something?), they’re the only ones standing, next to a table, with props (?) and Will’s holding a ruler, possibly as a makeshift pointer, and there’s a projector aimed at right beside where they’re standing.

gif creds to @mikesbasementbeets

[kittykat940]

Why would you do this to me 😭 I need more sibling moments between them in s5 please duffer brothers 🙏

[will80sbyers]

STRANGER THINGS Chapter four: The Body

[coldninjaruins-blog]

Byers siblings incorrect quotes.

[jonathanbyersphd]

The Byers Brothers

Chapter 1: The Vanishing of Will Byers/Song of the Insensible, Andrew Kozma/ Rule #4 , Fish in a Birdcage/ Chapter 2: The Weirdo on Maple Street/Chapter 8: The Mind Flayer/ He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother, The Hollies/ Chapter 8: The Battle of Starcourt/ Tumblr User: bookwyrminspiration/ Chapter 9: The Piggyback/ TikTok User: blaineunderstudy/ East of Eden, John Steinbeck/ Chapter 9: The Piggyback

[harringroveera]

They had a bet going on to see how long it takes for Joyce to realize Jonathan’s high

[a-strangers-thoughtss]

The Hopper-Byers family is actually so sweet Wtf

Like Joyce and her boys? She loves them so much it’s insane.

Will and Jonathan are just iconic

Joyce and El? That’s her mom 🥺 and she has been since season one, you can fight me on that

El and Hopper? Their whole relationship is so adorable. The ultimate father and daughter, actually iconic

El and her brothers??? The sheer amount they care for her??? Like those are her brothers 😩

Joyce and Hop. Do I have to explain?

Hop and Will, he fought so hard for Will!! The sheer amount of times he’s helped him???

And then Jonathan being finally able to have his own life, without constantly having to be the man of the house? Hop taking care of Joyce and Will and El for him.

They’re all just so perfect <3

[erikiara80]

Joyce and her kids. I love this family

[lunabug2004]

I genuinely think the Zombie Boy conversation bt Will and Jonathan in s2e1 is one of my favorites in the whole show. It’s just so wholesome and true. Like “nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world” is one of the best lines in the whole show. And then them laughing at Bob together at the end is just the cutest thing ever!!! I love the whole scene so much 🥺🥺🥺

[ikarakie]

will one day accidentally calls hop 'pop', like totally by accident. not even in the way of calling ur teacher dad, but because hop sounds like pop and will got his words mixed around.

and hopper just. pauses mid sip of his coffee. will is frozen in his spot because it does not escape him what he basically just did and he kind of wants to cry cause he does see hopper as a father figure but didn't want to, like, make things awkward.

but it's all okay. because hopper just shrugs and says: "i mean, i'd prefer something like dad. or old man. but whatever works for you, kid." and he has to hide his smile behind his mug, and will has to cover his with his hand after he recovers from the shock. (neither works)

[conflictofthemind]

So similar to the conversation Jonathan and Will have at the end of Season 4!