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It's about how the whole California plotline is secretly a framed narrative depicting Mike's gay awakening! The slideshow I have so far is already like 60 slides and I'm barely even halfway through my analysis.

Not sure which would be more digestible bc it's a lot of content, so I'm curious to know what ppl think :) thanks!

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BRO AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO JUST LEARNED ABOUT THE “blue meets yellow in the west” CLOCK POINTING TO 6:30 IN S3 AND IN S4 MIKES PARENT SAYING “it’s a 6:30 flight” TO GO TO THE WEST? CALIFORNIA? I’m having my weekly epiphany someone lend me a paper bag to breathe in

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Mike, the paladin, is insecure about not being Will's superhero

OK I just saw this super intriguing post, please go read it (link). They theorize that, like Will with his painting lie, Mike is also talking about Will through El in the van, and in his love profession to El/Will.

I want to add that I think Mike has been doing this all along through Season 4. And it starts with Hopper's letter in the S3 finale, which you can read as MIKE's letter to WILL (subbed the pronouns and crossed out the Hopper-to-El specific parts).

[MIKE]: There's something I've been wanting to talk to [you and El] about. I know this is a difficult conversation, but I care about you both very much. And I know that you care about each other very much, and that's why it's important that we set these boundaries moving forward so we can build an environment... where we all feel... comfortable... trusted... and open... to sharing our feelings. Feelings...

This refers to Mike's journey in S3 of trying to set boundaries between his two relationships, because the emotional lines keep getting blurred. It's him trying to put his true feelings about Will aside and "stick to the script" (literally: Hopper to his script, and Mike to a social script).

But now, he speaks to Will from his heart about his true feelings (like Hopper):

Feelings... Jesus. The truth is... for so long, I'd... forgotten what those even were. I've been stuck in one place. In a cave, you might say. A deep, dark cave. And then, I left some Eggos out [found El] out in the woods, and you came [back] into my life, and... for the first time in a long time, I started to feel things again. I started to feel happy. But lately, I guess I've been feeling... distant from you. Like you're... you're pulling away from me or something. I miss playing board games every night. Making triple decker Eggo extravaganzas at sunrise, watching Westerns together before we doze off. But I know you're [we're] getting older. Growing. Changing. And I guess, if I'm being really honest... that's what scares me. I don't want things to change. So I think maybe that's why I came in here. To try to maybe... stop that change. To turn back the clock. To make things go back to how they were. [sigh] But I know that's naive. It's just... not how life works. It's moving. Always moving, whether you like it or not. And yeah. Sometimes it's painful. Sometimes it's sad.

I think this is the Duffers responding to Mike and foreshadowing The Vanishing of Mike's Closet Door in S5 lolol:

And sometimes... [Erica's door with a big rainbow drawing on it opens lol] ...it's surprising. Happy. So you know what? Keep on growin' up, kid. Don't let me stop you. Make mistakes, learn from them... and when life hurts you (because it will), remember the hurt. The hurt is good. It means you're out of that cave. But, please. If you don't mind... for the sake of your poor, old, [writer]... Keep the door open 3 inches.

Crazy...

Anyway, so if you interpret that letter as being from Mike to Will, it matches his speech to El in the S4 finale: My life started that day I found you in the woods.

It's because El was the superhero who helped him find Will.

Mike and Will's first heart-to-heart in S4 is Will basically telling Mike that he's his superhero. He saved him in S2 (nothing to do with El).

Here, they transition from talking about El "she's gonna be okay" [end of convo] and Mike and Will start talking about each other.

Mike and Will's first S4 heart-to-heart:

MIKE: [tells Will about his "fight he and El can't come back from" and not being able to say "that thing"] WILL: No. Look, Mike. You're gonna see her again, and whatever it is, whatever you didn't say, you can say it to her then. Okay? MIKE: Yeah. Yeah. WILL: She's gonna be okay. She's not in Hawkins. That's what we should be worrying about. MIKE: You don't trust Owens? WILL: No. I don't know. I mean, he's been good to us and good to El, but... He wasn't able to protect me. That was [you] who saved me. That was [you]. MIKE: Looks like it's gonna be up to [me] again. WILL: It always is, isn't it? MIKE: [laughs]

This is Will validating Mike's desire to be Will's superhero, because he's saved him before. Mike wants to be his hero. His paladin! Mike LOVES that "it's gonna be up to [him] again" because "it ALWAYS IS." He's giddy af. He has always wanted to be needed by Will, specifically. Ever since S1.

Now, let's move on to the van scene:

WILL: We're gonna make it, Mike, she's gonna be okay. MIKE: Yeah, I know. I know she is. But... but what if after all this is over, [you don't] need me anymore? WILL: No, of course [I'll] still need you. [I'll] always need you, Mike. MIKE: I keep telling myself that, but I... I don't believe it. I mean, [you're] special. [You were] born special. Maybe I was one of the first people to realize that. But the truth is, when I stumbled on [El] in the woods, [you] just needed someone. It's not fate, it's... it's not destiny, it's just simple dumb luck. And... and one day [you're] gonna realize that I'm just some random nerd that... that got lucky that Superman landed on his doorstep. I mean, at least Lois Lane is an ace reporter for the Daily Planet, right? But... [scoffs] Sorry. WILL: No. MIKE: No... It's so stupid, given everything that's going on, it's just I... I don't know, I just... Uh... WILL: You're scared of losing [me]. MIKE: [nods]

Mike's insecurity here is that he's comparing himself to El because he wants to be Will's superhero, but he's no match to a real superhero like El--he feels even more powerless than Lois Lane. Mike feels like he couldn't have saved Will on his own back in S1, that he just got lucky that a superhero landed on his doorstep, and she's the one who saved him. He feels that, if not for this random miracle, he wouldn't have been enough to save Will. He feels like he's not enough for Will.

And at the same time, Mike has lost who he is in S3 and S4 bc Will hasn't needed him as his superhero anymore during this time, like he did in S1 and S2, so now Mike wonders: after all this is over, after everything returns to normal and Will doesn't need to be saved from any monsters anymore... will he still need me?

And the answer is, of course, YES! Will doesn't need him to be his superhero. He doesn't need Mike to be like El or to have superpowers. He just needs Mike because he loves him. Mike's love gives Will the courage to fight on. Will’s journey is about agency: in S5, he will learn to fight his own battles without needing to be saved, and he will win. It’s love that will power him through.

And this is gonna be such a beautiful revelation for Mike (and it’s why he was so moved by all the ways Will tells him he needs him with the painting lie that have nothing to do with Mike being a superhero or a savior or powerful). He IS a strong leader and a hero, but he doesn't need to be Will's savior for Will to still always need him. He is ENOUGH all on his own. He is worthy all on his own. Because he's Will's heart!

Anyway go read that OG post for an interpretation of the love confession (link)!

TLDR: Mike’s gonna overcome his savior complex in S5!

Also want to plug this article that explores Mike's power fantasy as a result of this insecurity that he has with Will and his sense of self-worth.

I think S5 will have Mike be unable to save Will from Vecna in the ep 4/volume 1 finale, and it's gonna absolutely DESTROY him in ep 5 and 6 bc of this insecurity that he has. I don't think Mike will literally save Will like a knight would save a damsel, I think he'll save him indirectly by giving Will the love he needs to fight against Vecna and free himself (like in S2).

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i will never get over mike wheeler calling pineapple pizza "blasphemous" (aka against god) and then trying it and liking it.

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if mike is straight then why isn’t anyone allowed to say that

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will “why do you keep lying to mike?” “I don’t think mike’s gonna like that you’re lying to him” “he doesn’t deserve that” byers then telling mike the biggest and possibly his first lie to him oh the painting lie is going to be SO juicy in season 5

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didn’t shawn levy executive produce that show?? bro’s about to use st s5 as reparations for sydney and dina not getting renewed😭

Sydney to Will pipeline is so real

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friendly reminder mike's the one making it weird! will has absolutely zero intention to pursue mike romantically. he wants to be honest but he does not believe it's reciprocated. MIKE is the one seeing their interactions differently.

he makes it weird in season three by hyperfixating on his relationship to the point he's a shitty friend. he makes it weird by actively pushing will away. he makes it super weird with "it's not my fault you don't like girls." he is the first one to speak out loud about a version of their relationship where they have forever to do what they want, implying at the same time that the reason they can't is because he's obligated to grow up. he makes it weird by being so devastated when will admits he did want that, because mike wanted that, too.

he makes it weird by not writing letters. he makes it weird by not hugging will at the airport and getting jealous of the painting. he makes it weird by acting up at the rink, paying all his attention to will while pretending to ignore him. he makes it weird with "that's because she's my girlfriend, will!" and then doubles down on that weirdness with "we're friends! we're friends."

and it isn't just their friendship he makes weird, it's the entire dynamic of the party, it's his relationship with el, with hopper, with his parents to an extent, because he isn't acting like himself.

will, despite his canon romantic interest in mike, was not the one to choose to interpret their friendship through a romantic lens and that is so fucking fascinating. mike did that even though he's totally unaware of will's feelings.

mike is the one who cannot appropriately contextualize their relationship and struggles to behave appropriately. mike's the one who missed will so much he called and called and whined to dustin when will didn't pick up. mike's the one who refused to let dustin use the phone when will DID pick up.

mike did that shit bro idk what to tell u. he's the one who can't be normal despite that being his hidden goal the entire season.

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I need to cornplate for a sec bc I just realized that I had always assumed will was taking the opportunity to sneak a yearnful gaze at mike twice while mike is unaware while looking forward at the end of this scene (like he did earlier when mike caught him and did his infamous triple take).

but it was actually a shared look that was interrupted by argyle! it's just a split second frame I never caught, so I always thought will was just one-sidedly staring at mike but no, they were gazing deeply into each other's eyes dafuq (with the tender emotional music) without even the excuse of still being in an active conversation cuz no one was talking anymore lol like nah bruh get outta hereeeee with those "unreciprocated" yearning allegations, mike was doing the exact same thing! he's GUILTY, YOUR HONOR!

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I’m sorry but the comments are taking me tf out I can’t-

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um 😭

this is sooo mike wheeler u guys don’t even know

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There's this river in Egypt...

I kinda wonder if he's just not gonna wanna question the painting on purpose bc subconsciously, he doesn't wanna know: that it's from will, bc that would open up a Pandora's box, and at the same time that it's from el and NOT will, bc that would also hurt and open up the Pandora's box anyway.

I wonder if that (mike's willful ignorance) is how they'll drag out that Chekhov's painting lie reveal until later on in the season, when we finally get their confessions to each other, since logically "what painting?" should've happened immediately after mike and el saw each other in S4.

Does Mike know Will is in love with him?

short answer: yeah. but he doesn’t want to know.

long answer goes like this ↓

So, a lot of people say Mike is “clueless,” and that’s why he hasn’t noticed how Will feels about him. But… really?

This is the same Mike who, in season 2, noticed that Will was quieter than usual when neither Dustin nor Lucas did. The same Mike who’s always been the most emotionally intuitive in the group — the one who connects the dots fast, the one who jumps headfirst to protect the people he loves.

And most of all, the one who knows Will better than anyone.

We’re also talking about someone who grew up hearing rumors about Will — who said “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls” with all the subtext in the world. He’s not unaware of what people were saying.

And in season 4? Will is not exactly subtle. He gives Mike a drawing full of symbolism. He gives a whole speech that’s basically a coded confession.

And Mike… doesn’t get it? I doubt that.

I don’t think Mike doesn’t know.

I think, deep down, he does.

His subconscious has already connected all the dots.

There’s a part of him that does understand what Will is feeling… but he doesn’t want to look too closely.

Because that would mean facing two very big things:

1. That Will is in love with him.

2. What that makes him feel in return.

And that’s terrifying.

Because the moment he names it, the moment he says it out loud, everything changes.

The truth is Mike isn’t living in ignorance — he’s living in denial.

Denial as a defense mechanism.

Because if he accepts what Will feels, he’ll also have to reevaluate his own place in all of this.

He’ll have to ask himself why everything from Will hits so deep.

Why he needs him so much.

Why he never manages to say what he really feels — not even when Will is pouring his heart out in front of him, practically shaking.

And beyond that: why there’s something in him that doesn’t want it to stop.

Admitting that Will loves him (and that maybe… just maybe… he loves Will too) would mean letting go of the world as he knows it — his relationship with Eleven, his self-image, his idea of the future.

It means accepting a kind of intimacy so deep it completely disarms him.

And Mike — who’s been brave in so many ways — still hasn’t found the courage to face that.

That’s why he stays silent.

Why he looks away.

Why he chooses not to see — even when Will’s feelings are glowing right in front of him.

It’s not ignorance.

It’s fear.

But not just any fear.

It’s the kind of fear that hides in silence. That stays still, hoping no one names it — because deep down, you already know, but you’re not ready to face it.

Because if Mike admits that Will is in love with him — and yes, he knows, deep down — he also has to admit that something inside him has been feeling things this whole time.

And that’s not easy.

It’s not just fear of losing his best friend.

It’s fear that, if he puts all the pieces together — if he allows himself to really see the full picture — he’ll realize it was never just friendship.

That all those times he thought about Will a little too much, all those times he searched for him with his eyes, all those times he felt something when they were together… they weren’t coincidences.

It’s fear that if Will is in love with him…

he might be in love with Will too.

But he doesn’t know how to face that yet.

He doesn’t know how to live it.

And he’s scared that once he admits it, there’ll be no way to go back to pretending.

Because if he accepts it — even just to himself — he won’t be able to keep hiding behind what he’s supposed to feel.

He won’t be able to keep pretending it’s simple.

And Mike has never been good at handling feelings he doesn’t fully understand.

That’s why it’s easier to look away.

To pretend the drawing was El’s idea, like Will said.

To pretend the speech that came with it was hers too.

Even though… it was all Will.

Will put his own feelings in someone else’s mouth.

And Mike heard them.

He felt them.

But he chose not to think too much about it.

Not to ask uncomfortable questions.

Not to look too closely.

It’s not that he doesn’t know.

It’s that knowing changes everything.

And he’s not ready yet to live in a world where that’s true.

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vecna in s5 torturing mike:

what i love about byler is there's sooo much evidence sometimes some of it'll slip your mind and then you'll randomly be reminded of something that's literally just a normal canon ST fact and it's like. yeah that's literally just...gay... there's no other explanation

like mike wanting so badly to talk to will that he'll whine dustin's ear off about it but also not being able to write him letters... in a season it's made canon that mike unintentionally reveals things about his feelings (from, mike) when he writes letters.

like. what were you gonna say bud?? a letter is not gay. that's like saying talking is gay period. words can be gay if you say gay words bt why would that be a concern. dustin's writing to him you know it can be done and you want to talk to him! why aren't you?

why can't you have a conversation with will unless you can bounce off what he's giving you. you're not a small-talker so why do you need that?

you know dustin writes to him and you have questions. you have stuff you want to talk about. el talks about will so you have an opening. but you won't.

were you scared you'd say something and he'd know what you meant? were you scared he wouldn't care enough to try and figure it out? that he wouldn't write back and it'd really be over?

were you scared what he'd tell you if he did? about his new life and his new friends and the girl in his class who tries to play footsie with him? about the painting el mentioned in passing but you can't stop thinking about? maybe he found a new party after all.

maybe the whole thing was in your head but maybe it wasn't. maybe he did feel how you felt and he doesn't anymore. maybe he DOES like girls and you don't.

did you just want to hear his voice? were you hoping he wanted to hear yours? why isn't he allowed to know that you care about him, mike? you end up telling him, anyway, so why couldn't you? why'd you need to wait until he told you that you saved him before you could say you missed him?

LETTERGATE MY BELOVED

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100%!! since the very beginning, the duffers have written mike and will as two puzzle pieces who complete each other and fit perfectly together in every way. and it’s just not their writing style to set all that up just to…what, not give them a happy ending? what would be the point of all that work, screentime, and narrative focus, and making it such a huge part of will’s story?

“like... imagine if when mike held will's hand in season two, dustin was lingering in the background and puts his hand on top of theirs. very different energy.”

plss i’m laughing so hard rn 😭

“mike knowing will is gay and not dating him? mike accepting that will likes men, but that mike isn't going to be the man he's with? its just unfathomable”

you just made me wonder what the order of events is gonna be. is mike gonna pine all season before realizing he’s in love with will and take a leap of faith and confess his feelings thinking will is straight and not knowing will’s been in love with him this whole time, and they’ll both surprise each other?

or will he fall in love and find out about the painting and only confess once will’s feelings for him are also confirmed via that reveal?

or the reveal happens, mike doesn’t reciprocate at first bc it’s too much to process, and then he realizes throughout the season that he’s always been in love with him?

or could will come out to him, but not confess his feelings, and then mike realizes he’s in love and thinks it’s unrequited for a bit until they both confess to each other (either mike to will first, or vice versa)?

idk there’s so many interesting possibilities for how it could play out!! i kinda want him to pine and think he has no shot so that he can learn to be true to himself by confessing even when nothing is guaranteed for him! but at the same time i’m like, how early or late in the season will the painting lie reveal play in??

which scenario would show the most character growth for both of them and be most satisfying?? who’s gonna be the one to take a leap of faith (i feel like it has to be courageous leader mike)? will anything be “accidentally” revealed (like the “what painting” scenario with el), or will the characters be *choosing* to reveal their feelings? if so, what purpose would the painting lie serve?

much to consider…

if they didn't want byler to be canon they wouldn't have established that nobody does it like mike wheeler? like. nobody is ever going to come close to that for will. they've been friends since they were in kindergarten, they made each other feel not alone, mike makes him feel like he's not a mistake, they're passionate about the same things. they were friends first & understand each other's trauma better than anybody. nobody communicates with mike the way will does and vice versa, nobody makes mike feel how will makes him feel and vice versa.

anybody else who tried to fill that role is always going to be missing something. they would be stuck third wheeeling their own relationship. like. it would never be fair to anybody to have to compete with mike in a "who loves will the best" competition

the thing is there's always going to be things about el nobody outside of the lab can fully understand, so that depth needs to come from somewhere else. but mike and el don't have that. the relationship itself isn't actually unique in its closeness or how well suited they are.

you could argue their dynamic "el is a superhero he found in the woods and she's saved them all" is what's supposed to make it unique but not even that is genuinely unique to them, because dustin and lucas were there too, she's saved all of them, and mike doesn't even see her differently than anyone else sees her. when mike and el hug on that cliff it's not even unique because dustin joins.

like... imagine if when mike held will's hand in season two, dustin was lingering in the background and puts his hand on top of theirs. very different energy. milkvan avoids any real level of emotional intimacy like it's allergic.

it's not like it's just not possible to do with el because max and el have something unique. out of everybody that's ever taught el anything, she's the only one who bothered to teach el that she's allowed to be her own person, and their little mall montage was the happiest we've gotten to see el. she loves max so much she literally became her heartbeat. like.

max's impact on el is unlike anyone else's and it's what she focused on when she was next to dead and it's what gave her the strength to break free, that's so much more special than "taught me what a lazyboy is" and frankly nobody loves quite like el hopper period so it's a shame it's being wasted on a very forgettable relationship with a guy who treats her like garbage.

mike to will is literally framed as a forever thing. there's never going to be another. will could date every interested man he ever met and there would never be competition for mike wheeler.

it's very intentional. that's why he's painted as what they want for the rest of their lives and el's like "well, he's my first boyfriend, i don't know if he's good at kissing." diabolical. nobody does it like they do it for a reason.

i'm rambling but whatever i don't care. like... REALLY imagine being the poor goddamn sap who dates will byers and has to deal with the envy and jealousy of will's best friend/love of his life who is absolutely going to act like a dick to you because he has jealousy issues and lashes out when something threatens his place in will's life?

its literally just not happening. mike's ability to not blow his cover is always threatened IMMEDIATELY by anyone expressing interest in will or will expressing interest in anyone. max, the snowball girl, angela. nope. mike knowing will is gay and not dating him? mike accepting that will likes men, but that mike isn't going to be the man he's with? its just unfathomable

jealous mike wheeler reigns supreme and he WILL kiss william byers on the mouth

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yes for sure!! that’d be sweet

You know how you make a plan without Vecna knowing what you're gonna do?

You use DND lore that he doesn't know shit about.

but you do because you've been a nerd all your life and you know what happened in "the battle of random DND campaign" that you've been playing with your besties for YEARS

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this is so funny lmao i forget vecna doesn’t just have the internet and isn’t a nerd 😭

You know how you make a plan without Vecna knowing what you're gonna do?

You use DND lore that he doesn't know shit about.

but you do because you've been a nerd all your life and you know what happened in "the battle of random DND campaign" that you've been playing with your besties for YEARS

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yeah their analyses are top notch! there’s some great stuff on their page, totally recommend checking them out. they’re doing the lord’s work over there on the main sub any time they bring up will/mike bc anytime i’ve tried to have discussions w ppl on there about it, it pmo too much 😭

I'm a bit concerned about a bit of cinematography I've noticed. Specifically, Will seems to be framed as separate from the other three.

Take the "hands in" scene in the woods. At first glance it seems fine.

But other angles shows something a bit different.

Will is on one side of the table, the rest are on the other side.

Side note: The left shot seems to be rehearsal since they have their jackets on. There's a slight adjustment made in the actual scene, with Dustin using his left hand, instead of his right, and Lucas and Dustin switching position relative to Mike. Dustin being forced to use his left hand almost seems to be a conscious decision so he can stand closer to Mike for the purpose of the overhead shot.

Then there's the cafeteria scene.

Now, the first one is just a promotional still, rather than a screenshot. However, it still syncs up with the bottom image, which is from filming. Will is standing because he was seated on the other side of the table. He has to come around the table, whereas Dustin and Lucas can just lean in closer to Mike.

There's two things I notice abut these two scenes.

Will is positioned at a table in such a way that it separates him from the rest of the Party. We likely will see him seated in the cafeteria before he gets up to go around.

He's opposite Mike at the table in both scenes. Dustin and Lucas seem to be positioned closer to Mike than Will.

It might all mean something, but it might mean nothing. Maybe it's to show Will feeling isolated from his friends. He may be withdrawing or keeping himself distant, possible fearing being used as a spy again. It may be a reference to him being stuck "on the other side" in the Upside Down, maybe as a reminder that he has a connection to it.

Anyone else notice this and/or have thoughts about it?