stranger things nerd🚨

stranger things addict | 22 | theories, analysis, and more :) | ao3 | they/she, infp, 🧡🤍🩷 🏳️‍🌈

[beepboop358]

index of my ST things:

welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoy <3

(Red & * = some of my fav posts of mine)

Activity Update- as of July 17, 2022

ALSO - everyone is 100% welcome to translate the slides into any other language and post the translated version!!

byler things:

Byler Proof master slides (contains every piece of evidence ever and lots of analysis, basically a big byler masterdoc!)

Byler theories/predictions for S4

Doubting byler will be canon? I got you.

Anti-byler argument refuttals

How the characters will react to Byler

*Will destroying castle Byers

Even more byler reassurance

Prom in S4 theory and music coding predictions

*Why byler being endgame isn't a plot-hole

Mike playing D&D again and Mike’s relationship with Eddie

When Mike fell in love with Will

Mike's 'staring at Will' outfit

Why Mike initiates between byler and Will doesn't

What Will and Mike love about each other

Byler headcanons

Sex Ed. & ST vending machine parallel hints to Mike being gay

*These scenes don't undermine byler being endgame: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

Why I don't think Mike is bisexual

The baseball bat represents heteronormativity

Why they didn't discuss the fight in s3

Mike & the gay men's flag

Byler hint in Mike’s clothes, and part 2

general ST analysis things:

The even/odd season patterns

*Time moves faster in the upside down

The abusive, absent, univolved Fathers theme in ST

The Russian code may have been foreshadowing

*Numbers: Every reference to the number 7 in ST , The Number 3 connects to Eleven, and The number 4 represents how El, Will, and Sara Hopper are connected. Also includes: Sara’s “death” theory

*ST movie DNA series: The Sixth Sense: Will Byers & Cole Sear, Star Wars in ST, Revolutionary Road: The Wheelers & "Crazy", Donnie Darko: Time Portals, Clocks, Memories, and More

*Clothing: Women in pink, white, and blue, Mike's shirt: part 1 and the blue shirt: part 2, Mike’s clothes color scheme

Random: El and Dustin's friendship, Why Billy hated Lucas, Eleven and Max's relationship, Is ST a book theory and part 2

The theme of ST is that in the midst of horror, there is love.

How mirrors are used differently in the show

The Elder Tree in D&D and Will

Brenner’s Nazi Past

season 5 things:

Possible star wars in st5 parallels

season 4 things:

The st4 vsf movies de-coded & organized

General plot theories/predictions for S4

Arrival: Non-Linear Time (time travel theory)

The Shape of Water: Eleven in st4

"Time travel flashbacks" theory explained

*Decoding the stranger writers tweets for s4

*The Opera in the HNL Control Room Video

S4 sneak peek teaser analysis: part 1 and part 2

Who will die in s4?

Mike and Max in s4 and another Max detail

Byler theories/predictions for S4

*Prom in S4 theory and music coding predictions and How the prom in S4 will go

*Victor Creel Theories and More Creel Theories

Creel might be Will and Eleven's Grandfather

Joyce and Hopper's code names in s3 are foreshadowing

St4 movie inspo

Is that Will in 002?

The Future of Lumax

What other lab subjects we we meet in s4

All queer coding references in 004

*Will Byers s4 theories

*Will Byers & Vecna’s Curse

*Will the Wise is EVIL

My heart just shattered.

fun things:

ST characters sexuality headcanons

Full ST character sexuality hc breakdown

Byler edit - State Lines by Novo Amor

Stranger writers thought they were being sneaky

Byler in the movie theater

Unpopular opinions

Max and Dustin

My fav byler edits

Mike's unofficial coming out

ST characters MBTI/Enneagrams predictions

ST character pronoun headcanons

42 episodes total?

Short Mileven camera angles/shot types analysis

extended index of posts ⬅️

[you-didnt-have-to]

akhdjargjakaejdkahauyegaj

[cowboylikewheeler]

it’s called stranger things because the writing choices just get stranger with each passing episode

[hearteyes-wheeler]

@crowleysshittyglasses mentioned mike looking like ted and... well. We asked them to address the parallels in the show and they decided to address the worst parallel of them all

Mike wheeler, the boy who couldn't break the cycle, fell victim to forced conformity and followed in the footsteps of his mentally checked out dad.

[90sclubbingbyler]

byler was infact queerbait and if you disagree, you're wrong.

queerbait is when the creators deliberately frame same-gender relationships using romantic or queer-coded tropes to attract queer audiences, but never follow through with it. so basically byler.

if byler didn't have a chance of being endgame, they would've made a statement years ago. they know their fanbase and they know majority of it is filled with bylers. and before u say, "if they made a statement it would've spoiled it." exactly. if it would've spoiled the show, that means there was a VERY CLEAR chance of it happening.

byler was 100% queerbait, it wasn't just us getting our hopes up.

not to mention, they dragged out will's love for mike for 5 seasons straight and then watered it down to a silly hallway crush only a couple days later of him asking robin how she knew vickie wanted to date.

netflix has used byler as promotion MULTIPLE TIMES! such as using the crazy together scene in a slideshow of "101 ways to say i love you without saying it", using mike and will for 'bf material' slideshows, and calling el a thirdwheel and saying byler was the real couple? that IS queerbait. it's relationship framing and they framed byler romantically.

[spitefulwill]

The way we were told not to believe in coincidences and then everything was either a plothole or a continuity error LMAOOOOO FUCK OFFFFFF

[wllbyers]

anyway. i’m being completely serious when i say that so many of you should be writing and publishing your own stories. if two mediocre white men can write a half assed story and get critical acclaim, just imagine what you can do

[stilestilinski]

will having feelings for mike was not necessary to the narrative. not every single queer person has had the universal experience of having a crush on their straight best friend, and quite frankly, i think it would have been more powerful to have will's self acceptance arc come from a place where he never had feelings for mike at all. but instead, they had will pining after his straight best friend for multiple seasons and then used will's pain to build up mike and el's crumbling relationship in s4 because the duffer brothers, for some odd reason, could not seem to keep that relationship going without using will's unrequited feelings (hint: it's bad writing) and still used will to comfort mike about el after he came out about his sexuality and his feelings in front of multiple people. and then, to add insult to injury, at the very end, they gave will an npc epilogue boyfriend who didn't have a single line when they could have easily introduced a new love interest for him in s4 while he was in california. i'm sorry, but i sincerely hope that the duffer brothers never write a queer character again.

[beepboop358]

This.

[soupnana]

they held onto byler like it was a secret that needed to be kept under lock and key btw. if it wasn’t bait then why the fuck did you keep trying make the fandom second guess what was gonna happen with byler?

it could have been so easy to clarify “oh shit no mike and el are still together for sure. sorry for the confusion, no byler.” but they held onto it for the “shock factor” and to keep people on their toes but it just made everyone mad and it was the most predictable, conformitive ending possible.

like if it’s not a twist why are you trying to make it seem like there’s some fucking twist there was NEVER a twist ANYWHERE????? that’s goddamn queerbait!!

[beepboop358]

Exactly! Why not just say you never intended to make byler canon earlier! Why wait until after the very last episode!

[beepboop358]

Found something interesting on letterboxd last night…

Self-insert of your own short film is crazy 😭

[beepboop358]

hey beepboop 👋 I just wanted to say, in the wake of a truly disappointing, hurtful and upsetting vol 3, thank you. I know that you, like all of us byler truthers are feeling so betrayed so I just wanted to let you know that, by sitting down, making this monster of a slideshow and digging up all this evidence, you haven't just exposed the duffer's queerbait but you've also given so much to the fandom. I can't speak for anyone else (except for some conservative friends I showed the slides to that turned byler. teehee) but reading through all the work you've put in I felt confident, and even now, I feel inspired. While it may sound silly, I'm glad I went into vol 3 hopeful than feeling nothing at all. stranger things has been there for me since I was 13, and now looking back on it your slides remind me of what an amazing show and an amazing ship I put so much passion into, and as an older teen (who loves analysis so much btw) reading through the slides I could never be regretful of the ship and the show that helped me along the way as I figured out I'm pansexual. we lost something great but you reminded me today of how amazing it was and your work inspires me, it reminds me of why I loved the show in the first place and I hope it pushes me to move forward and create something that the suffer brothers could never do. I'll always love the fandom and the ship, I'm hurt but byler forever. thank you so much 💕

Hi anon!

You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that you engaging with byler analysis helped you realize you were pansexual!! Like you said, I know we’re all disappointed right now, but hearing stuff like that makes it seriously all feel worth it :))

I know analyzing byler helped me to accept my sexuality too 🩷 and it just makes me so happy that we were able to get something positive out of this :) I was a teenager when I started this account and now I’m 22 (soon to be 23 so yeah i know i’m chopped and unc but WHATEVER), so I agree it does feel special to be able to grow personally with a show that you love so much!

I really do see the slides as a big community archive and not something I did by myself, since there’s so much in there and from so many people too!! I joined the online fandom late, so I used to write all my analysis down in a notebook LOL. Which, my film major brain was more than happy to do ahahha. But I had so much more fun talking with you guys about different theories and different ways to look at the show, and I love how we all notice different things :)

That’s so cool that you are a creative!! And I loveee that you have been able to find inspiration from all this!! I hope others are able to do the same :) I’m a writer, and I think all of this ending up to be just sort of *nothing* has reminded me to be ultra-intentional with my own projects.

Ok enough rambling from me. Love this fandom 💙💛

[beepboop358]

you are absolutely obviously not "responsible" for doing anything more for this community that you have already done so much for. But... Do you think in time you want to finish the S5 volume 3 slides? What is there to write even? Proof that Byler is real in the episode in which Byler is very much not real? I'm curious what you will do but will read regardless. Take care!!

Hello!

I’m honestly not sure what I will do. I was thinking I could take the angle that Mike is still suppressing his queerness, even though I know that’s not what the duffers intent was at this point. But honestly, we’re all allowed to interpret it however we want, so maybe I will still do that 🤣 There were just so. many. clues. that I almost think maybe they just chickened out at the last minute? I don’t know. The other thing I could do for the slides is continue to put in the finale details that represented byler throughout the show — like the blue and yellow on their D&D books, Heroes in the credits (and how they cut Will out of that shot of Mike/El in the roller rink 💀.) But I’m not super sure which one I want to do at this point! I would like to give it a lil more closure than just finishing at Vol 2 tho :)

Hope you’re doing well anon!

[beepboop358]

Hello beepboop my love :)💓

I just wanted to say thank you for giving all the Byler truthers so much hope and love after all this time, I don’t even care that the finale was bumcheeks anymore because at least I was able to be apart of such an amazing community for so long, and I really appreciate you and your analysis and everything and I’m still gonna be a part of this community no matter what :( 🫂💓

I hope you have an amazing new year despite this, because even though the Duffers played us like that I know deep down Byler was always there regardless and our feelings are valid no matter what💓

Stranger Things came out on my birthday, and I hyperfixated on it since I was 11 years old. I got into the Byler community when I was 14-15 before S4 was coming out, and it was thanks to your slides :) 💓 Even if Byler isn’t canon, I learned so much about myself and my identity and I feel so much more comfortable being bisexual today and I just wanted to thank you for helping me with that by introducing me to the Byler community :) 🫶🏽💓 I loved going crazy together with all of you guys, and I’ll still be happy crazy together with you guys still :)) 🫂💓🫶🏽

Please don’t let this bring down your year, you’re so smart and wonderful and you are so appreciated and loved by the Byler community :( 💓Thank you for everything beepboop! You’re the GOAT and happiest new year to you! :) 🫶🏽💓

Hi anon!

Awww, thank you so much for your sweet message!! It’s making me smile at my screen rn :)) I’ve really enjoyed my time in the st and byler fandom as well, and although I’m still a bit upset about the way things ended, I’m grateful for the people and the community that made analyzing this show so much fun for so many years :) And I’m so glad the show and the byler community was able to help you feel more comfortable in accepting your bisexuality!! I know that analyzing the show myself really helped me process and come to terms with my own sexuality as a lesbian, and it warms my heart to hear that it helped you too! Not to make this all about me, but I wasn’t comfortable discussing my sexuality irl when I started this account, so being able to talk about sexuality on here through characters I loved, was so awesome and helped me so much. I hope others were able to have the same positive experience, even though byler wasn’t canon in the end. Queer representation really is so incredibly powerful. Feeling thankful for the media that does it right, and grateful for the communities that help us learn more about ourselves. The byler fandom really is such a special place <3

Crazy together forever 💙💛

I hope you have a wonderful New Year too!

xx, beepboop

[buckleybeat]

Claim your “Wonder Twins Deserved Better” ticket here!

[beepboop358]

The funny thing about stranger things is that almost every single detail in it is a clear reference/visual parallel to another piece of media. Which is super fun at first, because it feels like a puzzle where you can put the pieces together to find clues about what might happen in future seasons, because good writing only mentions things that will be relevant to the story, right?

And all is going great until you’re a couple seasons in and there’s still no payoff, more and more plot holes are being introduced, and by the final season you’re starting to realize that it’s actually not an elaborate meta movie-nerd puzzle, but just two dudes ripping off a bunch of other people’s ideas and mashing them together because they can’t think of anything themselves.

sigh. we could’ve had so much more. thank god for ao3. 🩷

[your-ivy-grows13]

went right from getting rejected by the love of his life to being his relationship counselor once again! awesome writing

[chirpsythismorning]

The Duffer brothers I guess

[beepboop358]

Or ‘If you see a coincidence, ignore it.’ 🤣