• Stranger Things blog • Mike wheeler defender • • he/him • 20yrs • Also lurking on (and occasionally posting) Spn • Star Trek • 9-1-1 • LT/1D • Mauraders/HP • A:TLA • BBC Merlin
This is going to sound like cope, but this is just my piece to find peace as a Byler.
Now that it’s all over, I realize that I will never have it in my heart to hate Mike. Oh, our dear Michael. They were never going to understand you. And you were never going to be who you deserved to be. Who so many of us saw you as. Who I’ll always know you to be even when told otherwise.
I love straight Mike and I would defend him to the grave. But to me, I’ll never be able to know him that way. To me, he’ll always be that closeted queer boy who never got the chance to come out or pursue the boy I know he loved. That you never got the writing promised by your writers. And it breaks my heart. And I know the Milevens have their hearts broken as well.
Oh my boy. They couldn’t even give you a cheap happy ending. I believe you found it later in life. I believe you got to have the love you deserved. Just as you believe El is out there. Knowing the truth in your head doesn’t devalue the faith in your heart.
i'm sorry, but i'm so tired of people being like, "there are more to queer characters than romance" or "let this queer character's arc be about self-acceptance and self-empowerment, they don't need romance". to a certain extent, i agree with this sentiment! there are absolutely more to queer characters than romance. but why can't queer characters have powerful, interesting character arcs and well-developed, requited romances? especially if that same show gives their straight characters both of those things, but for some odd reason, they can't give their queer characters the same treatment. and quite frankly, and this might be a hot take, you shouldn't be writing queer characters in your show to begin with if you can't give your queer characters and their relationships the same amount of love, time, and care as your straight ones.🤷🏽♀️
the thing is, i would've been completely fine with Will just having a self acceptance arc and no romance plot IF they hadn't used him to fix mlvn's relationship and if they hadn't made Will a hopeless romantic and emphasized the fact that he thinks he'll never find love bc hes gay or reminded us that he's never kissed anybody before. They've shown that romance is something Will has always wanted. You can't convince me that his happy ending is just him ending up alone or with some random epilogue boyfriend. That's not the ending that they've set up for him.
In honour of Stranger Things 5 coming out in less than 2 days I thought I’d share what made me go from shipping Byler to actually believing it would go canon.
I got into the show through TikTok edits (damn app gets us all in the end) of Will Byers in late 2021/early 2022 (pre season 4). It was very obvious to me by all the homophobia he faced that he was gay. I don’t know how the GA missed it bc it’s SO CLEAR.
As a queer teen, I was (and still am) a sucker for queer rep. So just having a queer character included was enough for me to watch a show.
So I started the show. And I went into it hating Mike bc I assumed he was homophobic from the “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls!” clip I had seen. But something strange happens. He’s sweet. And kind. And he cares so much for Will and his other friends. But he’s homophobic! I have to remind myself. He’s an asshole!
Then he tells Dustin about having more than one best friend and omg?? Am I Mike Wheeler? I have had that exact argument. And oh, he’s the sweetest boy and an amazing friend. And by the time season 2 hits, no one can hate Mike Wheeler. And I find myself shipping Byler.
Eventually I pick up that Will canonically likes Mike, but don’t think anything will come of it bc that’s how these things go. That’s what we’re used to. Jump to season 4. And oh. It gets real. And in your face with it. And it was amazing. AND THEN. THE. AIRPORT. HUG. happened. This changed everything. Mike was so awkward. No, he was flustered! He has to have a crush on Will. Like that’s the most obvious explanation.
And so I assumed they would spend that season building up the romance for it to genuinely be canon. And to some extent they did. And when they had Mike unable to say he loved El, omg I was so sure it was going canon. Vol 2 did not go as expected, but the last shot keeps away any Byler doubt.
We’ll know for sure by vol 1 of season 5 but I have so much confidence. I mean. We were right about Will being gay. About him liking Mike. About Will being the centre of the story and his connection to Vecna. About several theories and gates. About so many character arcs and narrative details.
Why should we be wrong about this when we have just as much if not more evidence than all the other things we were right about?
will is happy in s5, hes happy at the breakfast table, hes happy with mike, hes joyful and full of whimsy and bikering with jonathan. he is happy HES HAPPY
Stranger Things Season 4 || You’re Losing Me - Taylor Swift
I hope it’s not confusing with the dual POV. It’s mostly Eleven, with only a few verses for Mike, plus some shared
I have a version with the dialogue text if y’all would prefer. This looks cleaner but the “from Mike” stands out more there. I might just post it anyways
LONG yap verse by verse//
“You say you don’t understand” - him not getting why she’s lying to him
“I know you don’t” - this time “understanding” has switched to Mike not understanding her situation/struggles and really her as a person
They’re both have different ideas about what the real problem is. Peep the transition from El crying at the roller rink to her being so happy at the start of the day :(
“We thought a cure would come in time” - both POV, thinking March break would help them reconnect, but El is disappointed by Mike’s lack of love declarations and starts to lose hope
“Remember looking at this room” - they finally have a private moment (not rlly but anyways), it’s very hopeful, we think we might fix things, but alas we are interrupted
“We loved it cause of the light” - Mike POV, El used to be a source of light for him, helped him find Will and also gave him hope he could be normal (straight), also isn’t she just pure sunshine :)) she loves so unconditionally <33
“Now I just sit in the dark” - Mike can no longer use their relationship as a prop for his normalcy, it’s ending + Will as “the dark” because he represents everything Mike is trying to repress and resents about himself
“Wonder if it’s time” - he knows the relationship is over and is ready for it to end but “it’s time” also being used by Vecna for death and as Eleven is about to die, he pushes his true feelings down and decides to do what he must to save El, including lying to her
“Do I throw out everything we built or keep it” - dual POV, Mike literally throws out everything El gives to him (that we’re shown) but El is mentally considering throwing out “everything they’ve built” (their relationship), whereas El keeps everything from him but Mike is ultimately the one that decides to stay in the relationship to save El
Thought about using Will’s drawings for “keep it” to juxtapose how Mike feels about each but I went with the contrast between El and Mike’s feelings for each other :P
“Getting tired even for a Phoenix, always rising” - self explanatory, my girl has been through so much and always gets back up: with her powers, bullying, and within their relationship constantly having to put it back together after fights
“From the ashes” - HEHEH the flowers he gave her have wilted, died. Also Hawkins literally being covered in ash, ties back into the prev line with her always having to save the world and her relationship
“You might have dealt the final blow” - directed at Vecna, after seeing Hawkins destroyed and covered in ash, she feels like maybe she can’t save the day this time and also cutting to Mike’s confession! The interpretation that it didn’t give her strength. It’s too little, too late. Even though she got what she “wanted”, it makes her realize it’s over
“Stop, you’re losing me” - there’s nothing he can say to fix things or save her (she’s actively dying), she needs things to end and she needs to save herself
“Stop, you’re losing me” - Mike actively making things worse at dinner, figuratively pushing her away but she also literally gets up and leaves
“Stop, you’re losing me” - he’s trying to get her attention and she’s NOT having it, again literally losing her as the car drives off
“I can’t find a pulse” - Mike POV, he’s careless with her heart, ie “can’t find a pulse” as he’s not paying attention and doesn’t care enough to. Scrunches her letter like it’s nothing
“My heart won’t start anymore” - he crushed the last letter she signed with “love” (he literally crushed her love for him). Now, she doesn’t love him anymore, signs the card “from”. She’s not a petty person; this isn’t to spite him. She’s given up. Also I tried synching “El” with “my heart”
“For you” - she’s done with him. She knows she didn’t do anything wrong and she can’t fix this. It’s not something to fix. Mike just doesn’t love her. It’s time to let go and move on. Maybe she’ll find someone new, maybe not. But she’ll be living for herself.
“Cause you’re losing me” - all those tears, all that pain. We reach– acceptance. It hurts, but it has to be done.
Used the last scene with Eleven by herself, strong, taking a stand. And then we see Mike and Will. Cause that’s what it’s always been. He lost El, but now he can finally stop. And start something new.
They’re gonna kiss in episode 7 on Christmas Day in the Upside Down outside of Mike’s house while the light flickers with Heroes by David Bowie playing in the background because the shame was on the other side. Send tweet.
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?
Season 1 Mike, watching El throw people against walls, flip a van (at least harming the driver), break Troy’s (read: an 11 year old kid’s) arm, explode 3 peoples minds right in front of him: aw, that’s literally my girlll~ she’s so pretty!
———
Season 4 Mike, watching a very isolated, lonely, traumatized El break a girl’s nose after she bullied El for the last 9 months and just now very publicly humiliated her: WHAT DID YOU DO?? WHAT DID YOU DO 😨😨
Just saw this post about how crazy the Byler renaissance was. More specifically the extreme peak of Byler doubt that came right before it when vol 2 first dropped.
You really just had to be there. The buildup of volume 1 for Mike bonding with Will, but not being able to tell El he loves her and them fighting. He doesn’t love her. They’ve been together for most of the show, but he doesn’t love her. Like Nancy didn’t love Steve. And got with Jonathon. We have canonically gay Will, crushing on Mike. Everything feels like we were heading to Mileven breakup and Mike queer realization. It’s all RIGHT. THERE.
And then. Just. Professes his undying love for her. Seemingly vaporizing the giant obstacle in their relationship. He does love her after all. He can say it. The moment his life started. When Will was missing. When Will was missing… wait a minute- I remember season 1. That is so NOT what happened. He was distraught meeting Eleven. He didn’t love her then. He’s lying! Boom. Byler renaissance. That’s how it happened for me at least.
///AN: The following post contains sarcasm and is critical of the beliefs and expectations certain milevens have for season 5 (such as them being married and having children as teens). It is intended for a byler audience. +spoilers for obx s4\\\
Y’all should really try outerbanks, I think you would love it. Especially the main couple Sarah x John B.
There’s some nice teen pregnancy in there for y’all. I know how important that is to you.
And the couple unofficially get married during a traumatic situation where they don’t know how long they’ll have left together (ring any bells? The world ending in stranger things set the perfect grounds and mood for the mileven wedding if only the authors weren’t such cowards). There’s no waterfall, but it happens on a boat!!
Additionally, for the most extremist milevens (representing a very small portion, don’t worry, I know. Most milevens I actually do quite respect), the boy who’s been a victim of abuse and involved in a love triangle (perfect stand in for Will), though he wins the love triangle, he does actually die. Good riddance! (rip my fav character)
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