"Why can't two boys just be friends? Why does it always have to be something more?"
Good question. Good, good. But I have some better questions:
Why was Mike written to have extreme character changes/ a decline after things got serious with El?
Why was he so awkward with only Will and so emotionally distant from El in S4?
Why have Mike be unable to say "I love you" to El for the sole reason of not wanting to lose her?
Why have Nancy's S2 storyline be mainly about her being unable to say "I love you" to Steve, and then do the same thing to Mike in S4?
Why have Mike claim the S4 fight with El was a "fight you can't come back from" when he knows very well he just has to say he loves her?
Why have Will clearly in love with Mike since S1 just for it to go unrequited and have no benefit for neither Will or Mike's character arcs?
Why have El be clearly constantly upset with Mike and her relationship, when other ships rarely fight?
Why have Mileven parallel to Stobin and Stancy?
Why have Byler parallel to Lumax, Jopper and Jancy?
Why show that El was way happier and healthier when she broke up with Mike and spent time with Max?
Why parallel a Mileven and Byler fight in the same season and almost same time (S3) but show Mike immediately chasing after Will to apologize and take full responsibility for upsetting Will, while he sat on the couch and ate chips and blamed others for his fight with El?
Why have the focal point of most Byler scenes be Mike's hand on Will, or Mike's loving smile towards Will?
Why state early on in the show that "only love makes you that crazy" and then show Mike romantically telling Will they'll go "crazy together"?
Why have Mike repeat "we're friends" twice when Will mentioned their friendship?
Why have a song titled "In the Closet" play when Mike insisted that he only does things for El and not Will because he's dating her?
Why show that Mike keeps a whole binder of Will's drawings, but show that he crumpled up El's letters to him (twice...)
Why state early on that Nancy was "acting like a jerk" when she was dating Steve (the wrong guy) and parallel that to Mike being a jerk to others when he's dating El?
Why do Mike and Will have several heart to hearts, while Mike and El have none?
Why have Mike not state what he loves about El's personality and her character in his monologue, yet states her superhero qualities - which she made clear she doesn't like?
Why did Millie Bobby Brown in an interview say "does he love her for who she is, or does he still think of her as superwoman" and clearly show that Mike prefers her as a superhero?
Why does Mike not feel comfortable opening up to El, despite him knowing her for years?
Why have Byler parallel other shows and movies that are about a gay guy dating a girl to avoid his feelings?
Why show Mike being comfortable with his nerdy self in S1-S4, yet around El he is very insecure?
Why show that Mike's monologue didn't work?
Why have the Max quote from S3 "not Mike...there's more to life without stupid boys" appear when El is trying to fight and while she's listening to Mike's monologue?
Why show El during the monologue as her letting go from Mike instead of genuinely feeling empowered?
Why have Mike and El be unable to learn about each others interests and do fun things together other than making out?
Why have the show constantly insist that Mike's friendship/relationship with Will is very different than his other friendships?
Why have Mike feel lost and different only when Will is gone?
Why would the writers/directors spend so much time with Byler scenes to make them appear meaningful, romantic and truly cinematic?
Why have El's arc clearly about her independence if Mileven is supposed to be endgame?
Why do the writers/directors prove the blue and yellow theory in every Byler scene?
Why have Will appear in every Mileven scene in S4?
Why show Mike clearly not noticing that El acted off around Angela, yet show Mike noticing everything that Will did when they were at Rink-o-mania?
Why have Mike and El unable to communicate and show they have zero chemistry when we know the writers are perfectly capable of writing a couple?
Why does the whole cast talk about Byler in interviews differently than they talk about Steddie, or other couples that stand zero shot? As if there's something to hide?
Why does Finn answer Mileven and Byler questions very vaguely and refuse to tell if Mileven end up together?
Why does Mike only smile in pictures with Will?
Why does Mike always want to be the one to protect Will, and its like an immediate reaction to do so?
Why would Mike backtrack from his meaningful and romantic "I was so alone and scared, and you were alone too" and say "I'm not alone anymore cause I'm with El but good luck to you"?
Why would Mike say befriending Will was the best thing he's ever done?
Why have Mike and Will standing next to each other with the other canon couples in the S4 finale?
Why was the S4 finale shot paralleled to other scenes in S3 and S4, when Byler was together, separated from other canon couples who were also paired off together?
Why have the promotion posters for S3 and S4 hint at Byler (one example is a poster of Mike said "boy trouble" rather than "girl trouble")
Why have Mike literally lie in his S4 monologue instead of just saying things he loves about El's personality?
Why did El and Mike not have a heart to heart after his monologue? Or at least appear happy together afterwards?
Why hint that the Russian code from S3 actually relates to Byler? (Them being the blue and yellow - their colors)
Why have Mike and Will staring at each other in the S4 posters just like all the other endgame couples?
Why have Will fully in the shot when Mike says "I love you" to El during his monologue?
Why have Mike's whole character clearly show signs of being queer-coded and having possible depression tendencies from hiding himself?
Why have the whole Stranger Things narrative be about outcasts being called "delusional" for their ideas/solutions but end up being correct, similar to the Byler fan base?
