#tldr i think the reason why the whole triangle situation focuses so much on will is because mike is focused on will

[getbeyondthebooks]

Mike’s focus in S4

I’ve been thinking about this insistently for a while now, but I kept dismissing the thought because I had no time to put my suspicions together. I wanna try now. 

So, listen, I know that we always talk about how S4 shows us Will’s POV and makes it a point to hammer his feelings and reactions in our mind: the camera constantly pans to him to show his expression to us, especially during moments between Mike and El, in a way that never lets us forget he’s there. This seasons, we are literally forced to think about Will during any California scene related to Mike. We are made conscious of him and what he would think of everything that happens, especially when Mileven is on screen. 

Do you know who else is been shown to be concious of him?

You guessed it. 

Mike.

And while we aren’t actually given access to any of Mike’s thoughts, I’ve been insistently feeling like I’ve been wearing his shoes this season. 

That the reason why the camera and focus has turned to Will continuously throughout it, showing us his reactions, is because Mike’s focus is continuosly on him. 

Mike keeps thinking of Will. 

Especially when he’s with El. 

From the very first moment they meet at the airport, through Rink-o-Mania, we are shown Will “moping,” “rolling his eyes”, and we think Mike doesn’t notice because Will thinks he doesn’t, but he does. 

So I’ve begun to think about the differences between putting focus on something and using someone’s point of view in film. Unfortunately I’m not studying film or anything so I won’t even try to make it sound coherent or professional, but I do believe that even as an uneducated watcher (which some media literacy) there is something i can do, which is feel. 

I am supposed to feel, in fact. I thought that was the only thing that the Duffers were doing by consistently showing me Will. I thought they were making me feel for Will, while keeping Mike’s pov completely hidden from me. But then, the more I thought about Mike and about the little we got from him, the more it felt like this whole thing was more than just us getting the story told from Will pov. Some of it literally puts him into focus where he shouldn’t be, but the scene itself is not quite through his eyes... 

The two instances that immediately come to mind are the moment Mike and El reunite and Mike’s monologue, especially. 

When Mike and El reunite, we got blurry Will standing between them in the background. We cannot forget about him and we are led to think “oh no, poor Will, is he okay?”. The fact that he’s blurry, contrary to Robin being completely in focus in the parallel scene with Viki, stands out to me too. Because why are we led to think that, but we aren’t able to see him until Mike and El turn towards him? 

Do you know who would perceive Will that way during that moment? Mike. 

Mike reunited with El and they didn’t kiss and the scene is shot in a way that makes me feel like I AM Mike and I know Will is RIGHT THERE and I don’t know what he’s thinking (yet) but I’m so conscious of his presence I cannot comfortably reunite with my girlfriend. 

While the scene is not actually shot through Mike’s eyes, it feels like i’m wearing his shoes right then... does that make sense? Perhaps I’m projecting, but even during his monologue, the way he hesitates when everyone knows what he’s supposed to say, the way he turns to Will and the way the scene is shot in a way that constantly includes Will as Mike speaks makes me feel like this is the same way Mike feels. 

He’s in the scene, but the focus of his thoughts? Will. 

Mike was introduced to us as our MC in the first seasons, and watching these scenes I wonder if that isn’t what he’s still. Yes, his exact thoughts are concealed, but his focus isn’t lost on us. 

Throughout the series we have already been shown that Mike’s priority has always kinda been Will. Even in S3 when Mike is supposed to be obsessed with El, he doesn’t really despair when they break up, but it takes one fight with Will to have him biking across town in the rain. I think S4 somehow cements that in a very subtle way through directing choices. 

Does it mean I think Mike knows about Will’s feelings for him? No. I think he’s oblivious to them, because he’s too wrapped up in his own. But is he conscious of Will? Oh yes. He cannot ignore him. Not even when he’s having a moment with his girlfriend. He’s constantly aware of Will. The same way we are made to be concious of Will too. 

I’m more and more convinced that we have gotten more about how Mike feels than we realize during this season. And it was mostly through directing choices. 

Again, I might be projecting, but I can’t stop thinking about it. 

If my theory about Mike not dealing with IH but dealing with a oh-god-i-have-feelings-for-my-best-friend freak out is true, this would make so much sense... 

(for the record i’m @you-usuratonkachi and also @bumiesworld, i just keep using the wrong side blogs to talk about stuff, i should have just kept a single personal one, but me 10 years ago had more patience for this stuff than i do now)