Lane :)

24 just a girl w far too many hyperfixations

[astrangerthingsblog]

robin is indirectly helping mike figure his shit out

listen!!!! i think this is a big deal actually...

in episode 7, we see will separated from the gang at the beginning of the episode. and a surprising new duo keeps popping up together.

mike is "losing" dustin because the signal is bad. bad radio signal is usually caused by problems like distance, obstacles, interferences, perhaps even antenna issues... in this scene, robin is helping mike read the signal when he can't interpret what's coming through.

earlier, robin helped will figure out what kind of signals to look out for. and after this conversation, will and robin found a mutual understanding. and just to be particular about it; a mutual understanding is when two or more people share the same comprehension, feelings, or agreement about a situation.

in this scene at the squawk, we see robin and mike positioned closely next to each other and reacting similarly to the situation that's unfolding. mike and robin seem to also share a mutual understanding.

later on, robin asks mike about the bomb he's building. she calls it his "contraption". a contraption is a device that 'appears strange or unnecessarily complicated, and often badly made or unsafe'. but she inspects his bomb and calls it "genius". so it's not the bomb that appears strange or unnecessarily complicated.. could the contraption be symbolism for mike? is mike about to explode like a bomb? it's more likely than you think:

but, moving on from those implications, what robin does have a problem with, however....

is his chosen "save-the-world" soundtrack, because it's "lacking". mike insists that because he built the bomb, he should pick the record. and robin agrees that he can pick, but he needs to pick a good one.

mike argues that the record he picked is great. and the song is 'human cannonball' by the butthole surfers, of which the lyrics are... quite revealing.

my quick interpretation is that this song is about a relationship that has felt wrong from the start, though it was easy enough to go along with. but now they're only hurting each other, and the end of their relationship sets their partner free, "like a human cannonball". this song seems to quite obviously refer to mike and el's relationship: there's nothing there anymore, we've seen that all season.

robin is telling mike that his choice is lacking, i.e. his relationship with el is lacking.

but what does robin think constitutes as a good record, in this scenario? she suggests the replacements, but no spefcific record. however, the band's third album "let it be" from 1984 is fitting, known for it's coming-of-age theme. what's very interesting is the song "androgynous", which is considered to be revolutionary for its time with its message about suffocating gender roles. and the lyrics.. pls have a look:

dick and jane, you say? hm...

it could make the recurring dick jokes seem a rather targeted, dont you think? bc why is mike the one who's always at the crime scene?

but i dont think either of these songs will be what mike ends up choosing for his bomb. no, i think the song he finally chooses won't be about el/jane at all, it is going to be about will. (heroes, maybe? yeah i'm still there, waiting patiently..)

anyway, what's going on, robin? do you even know what you're doing here? does mike know? in any case, this is not coincidental. this is foreshadowing.

not listening to each other and needing to hear things...

whether indirectly or not, robin seems to be playing a part in helping her new bff's future man get it together.

[hackedxy0x]

So are we just not going to mention how this scene...

...very much reminds us of this scene?

Another parallel between Byler and a romantic pairing in the show (in this case Jopper).

Both of them are having a heart-to-heart while going down the same hill. And if that's not enough...

...both of them have a shot where they're framed between the same trees.

You're telling me this is an accident???

[runningupthatlane]

And if I said that Mike & Will are framed before the trees whereas Joyce & Hopper are framed walking beyond and in front of the trees to symbolize that Jopper is established and on the other side as a couple whereas Byler is almost there and on its way?

WHAT THEN?!

[canweplaydndrightnow]

Why Will Had to Come Out Publicly , and What Mike Is Actually Thinking

I never expected my previous analysis to receive so much love, and I’m truly honored. Over the past few days, I’ve watched the discourse spiral out of control. People are losing their minds, deeply disappointed in the show—especially because the coming-out storyline made them feel offended. And poor Will even referred to the boy he’s loved for years as a former “crush.” 

What makes it even worse is that after Will falls into a trance, Mike suddenly stops touching him. He becomes distant, strange—off. Many people have taken this shift as a signal that the Byler storyline is officially over.

Guys, you are completely wrong.

The more furious and frantic everyone becomes, the deeper you fall into the Duffer brothers’ trap.

When I finished Vol. 2 for the first time, I also experienced a brief moment of mental blankness—thinking, this is absolutely not the narrative I was expecting. But it only took one night. Once I calmed down and looked at all these “abnormal” signals from the perspective of a creator, I got literal goosebumps. The Duffers are extraordinary storytellers.

In the following analysis, I will continue in the same style as my previous piece, using fundamental theories of dramatic and textual construction to uncover the hidden narratives embedded in the Duffers’ script. These hidden narratives are deeply tied to Mike’s character. Once you recognize them, you will have unshakable faith in Byler.

I will also explain why the Duffers ultimately chose to have Will come out publicly, rather than in a private moment, and why we were deliberately denied a one-on-one, heart-to-heart scene.

So let’s stop being consumed by frustration and anger. Let’s calm down and prepare ourselves for the ending that’s coming. I can say this with absolute certainty: we are going to get what we want.

First, let’s talk about the line that ignited so much audience outrage “I had a crush.”

This，has been interpreted as official confirmation that Will has accepted Mike as not his true love. But please, guys—remember this: the narrative perspective of this monologue has always been Will’s. What we are hearing is what this boy believes, not what constitutes objective truth.

Think about mystery or detective films. The first character presented as a prime suspect is never the real culprit. The characters within the story may believe he’s guilty, but we as the audience know better. This is a classic narrative device—limited character perspective.

Now, imagine you are Will.

You fall in love with your best friend, while he’s kissing a girl. Your friends and family all know they’re together, and that girl becomes like a sister to you. When they break up, he’s devastated. You comfort him. You hear him say “I love you” to her. Your heart nearly shatters, yet you’re still happy for them.

Deep down, you know he will never love you back.

You long for his love, but you’re also ashamed of the uncontrollable, secret feelings buried inside you. Sometimes you can’t help but wonder—his tenderness, his care, your moments of intimacy—could they mean that he feels something too?

You cautiously reach out to test the waters.

Emotion hits like a soda can dropped to the ground—the carbonation violently exploding—but you desperately try to suppress it.

So you convince yourself that all those tiny fragments of affection you feel are simply because he sees you as a close friend. Because you know he will never love you back.

He is just your Tammy.

And you will never have him.

So Will tries to let this boy go. He genuinely convinces himself that he and Mike are fundamentally different people—that Mike could never become his boyfriend.

When you truly look at the world through Will’s eyes, you begin to understand that when he says “he was my Tammy,”even though it breaks our hearts, it is completely loyal to character POV. It is not an objective definition of reality.

I even think that later on, they might have Robin teasing Will with something like,

“Well, looks like he’s actually your Vickie,”

as a direct callback to the line “he was my Tammy.” Because the story has already told us: Will is wrong about this.

I also want to point out something from the very beginning of Episode 5. After Will and Mike hug, and Will blames himself because the kids have all been taken by Vecna, he says:

“It’s too late. I failed.”

This line is almost identical to what Adora says to Catra (if you’ve read my previous post).

I believe this is a very, very explicit parallel, deliberately signaling both a mirrored character relationship and the direction the final battle will take.

After the coming-out moment, Will rejoins the group. He believes that by making his secret public, fear will no longer have power over him.

But this, too, is a narrative misdirection.

Because in that confession, Will tells his second lie about Mike.

Even after coming out, he still hides the truth—that he is deeply, painfully in love with Mike. He does not want Mike to know.

The Duffers have mentioned that Mike may have “clocked” that he could be Will’s crush in that moment. And honestly, Mike’s reaction alone already tells us enough. You can see his mind racing. He is processing fast. He is beginning to understand that Will has feelings for him.

But Will’s lie interferes with that understanding.

So what Mike experiences in that moment isn’t clarity—it’s confusion.

At the same time, he is finally starting to feel what Will have felt all along: watching him kiss El, standing beside him, supporting their relationship, swallowing every ounce of his own pain.

And god—if you really sit with it—I’m willing to bet Mike hates his past self right now. The version of himself who once said, “It’s not my fault if you don’t like girls.” That internalized homophobia. That fear.

He isn’t Mike the Brave. He’s just a terrified boy who has never allowed himself to face the truth.

And his head—his heart—is about to explode.

We can clearly see that the directors deliberately constructed a large amount of physical contact between Mike and Will—right up until their hug at the beginning of Episode 5.

After that moment, Will falls into a trance. And just as deliberately, Mike stops touching him.

This contrast is not accidental.

It is a carefully designed visual break, meant to serve a future narrative turn.

When I first came to this conclusion, people on social media were still reacting emotionally—insisting that Mike was simply standing there doing nothing, and that this was a failure of writing and character direction.

But I’m relieved to say that as I’m writing this analysis, I’ve already seen people begin to calm down and recognize that Mike’s behavior carries intention and meaning.

Some analyses have pointed out that in the conversation between Max and Holly, right before each of them runs toward their own exit, Max’s dialogue subtly rewrites an established rule of the show. It suggests that music isn’t the only thing capable of pulling someone out of a trance—touch (presence), companionship, and things in real life that deeply matter to you, things that form genuine emotional connections, can do the same.

I believe we can now be fairly certain that both the disappearance of Mike’s physical contact and the introduction of this expanded “awakening” rule are tied to a specific moment in the story’s climax.

But what I want to focus on here is the narrative logic behind Mike’s behavior.

Some people say that Mike simply stops caring—that he just stands there, detached—and this angers many viewers precisely because the episode opens with such a tender hug between him and Will.

But if you watch carefully, you’ll notice something else.

After Will loses consciousness, Mike falls into deep distress. It’s just not immediately visible—because Mike is someone who has learned to hide his vulnerability and his true emotions.

The only times Mike has ever fully shown his vulnerability are both connected to Will:

when Will’s fake body is discovered in Season 1 and Karen hugs him,

and at the end of Season 3, when Mike looks back at Will’s house before leaving,  When he got home, he was so sad comforted by Karen.

Mike’s vulnerability has always been tied to Will.

After Will collapses, He doesn’t know what to do. And beneath that confusion is overwhelming guilt.

When Will managed to kill three Demodogs, Mike was so proud of him—so exhilarated—that when they tried to use Will’s abilities again, he forgot that doing so would put Will in danger.

Joyce later blames herself, telling Hopper that it was her idea.

And it’s clear that Mike is thinking the same thing.

He encouraged Will to be the sorcerer.

And now, internally, he’s blaming himself.

Will told him that he is the heart of the team.

But when Will is truly in danger, Mike can do nothing. He has no powers. He can only rely on El.

So what kind of “heart” is he, really?

When I rewatched Episode 6, a line suddenly stood out to me. Holly is crying to Max and says that Mike encouraged her—but that she isn’t a hero. She just stood there and did nothing.

That line hit me hard, because I realized it functions as a parallel line—a projection of Mike’s own inner state.

Even after Will wakes up, you can see this conflict continue.

When Mike enters the room while Will is talking with Joyce, his gaze is hesitant, uncertain. His voice is gentle, restrained—careful.

And once again, he uses Will voice.

If you understand this character emotionally, you understand why he acts the way he does.

Finn is a good actor, but many people struggle to read his performance. Because of that, he’s received a lot of criticism—and Mike’s character has become controversial as well.

That genuinely makes me sad.

Mike carries an enormous emotional weight. His inner world is dense, conflicted, and restrained.

And I truly believe that after the final episode, many people will finally see him.

Finally, I want to talk about the coming-out scene.

Like many people, I never expected Will’s coming out to happen this way. In my imagination, it would have been a very private conversation—perhaps with his mother, or his brother, or maybe his closest friends. But definitely not with half of Hawkins sitting in front of him, including people he barely even knows. Honestly, that scenario is painfully awkward.

We now know that the original version of the script was an intimate conversation between Will and Joyce. After filming it, however, the creators felt unsatisfied, revised the script a week later, and returned to reshoot the episode. I find this incredibly interesting.

Noah Schnapp and Winona Ryder are both highly professional actors. I have no doubt that if that original scene were shown on its own, it would have been beautiful—private, tender, and emotionally efficient in terms of audience resonance. In fact, it would probably have been the best possible choice purely from an emotional standpoint.

But the Duffer Brothers didn’t choose it.

And that’s because this coming-out storyline is deeply, structurally connected to the final main plot.

In my previous analysis, I described how I believe Episode 8 might unfold (if you haven’t read it yet). This coming-out scene is actually an emotional shift of perspective—it transfers Will’s emotional narrative onto Mike. In the final climax, Mike’s character high point will be an emotional avalanche, and Will’s confession is one of the crucial snowflakes that triggers it.

When Mike finally has the courage to admit his love, the old narrative order—the version of Mike constructed through years of misdirection and limited perspective—will completely collapse.

So how will Mike’s avalanche happen? What will we see next?

When writing a protagonist, we usually don’t portray them in isolation. Instead, we use surrounding characters as emotional mirrors to connect the audience to the protagonist. If the camera focuses only on the protagonist, the storytelling risks becoming self-indulgent emotionality.

I believe Mike’s emotional avalanche will be witnessed by many people.

Imagine this: If Will’s coming out had been a private moment with his mother, then at the story’s climax, the other characters would have no context for Mike’s breakdown. They would only see him suddenly screaming “I love you—I’ve always loved you” at a fallen boy, in utter despair, with no narrative justification. The surrounding characters would be unable to emotionally process that moment, because it would violate narrative legitimacy.

Based on this logic, the staging of Will’s coming-out scene shifts from serving emotional naturalism to serving structural optimization. The choice to move from private knowledge to collective knowledge isn’t arbitrary—it exists to guarantee the emotional impact of the climax.

From a screenwriting perspective, this choice is reasonable—and arguably the best one.

Moreover, from a psychological standpoint, Will choosing to face the thing he fears most, rather than allowing Vecna to control him and hurt his friends, is an act of immense courage.

The audience’s discomfort comes from behavioral empathy: we project ourselves into the coming-out scenario and recognize that revealing such a personal secret in front of unfamiliar people feels deeply unsafe. That discomfort is real.

At the same time, the show doesn’t visualize Vecna’s illusion here, so while we engage in behavioral empathy, we fail to fully achieve character empathy.

The scene feels insufficiently private and lacking intimacy because Will’s emotional density is diluted.

If Will were milk poured into his mother’s coffee, it would become a smooth latte.

But pour that same milk into a cup the size of half of Hawkins, and it barely changes anything at all.

Now Will has confessed his secret to everyone. And when the avalanche finally happens, everyone will understand: This kind, lovely boy has always been deeply in love with his friend. To protect everyone, he selflessly chose to make his secret public, burying his love in silence.

And in that moment, they will also realize something else—that smalltown boy he loved all along had been quietly loving him too, just as deeply. His love overcame fear and evil.

Is there anything more moving than that?

I believe that in the final episode, we as the audience will be emotionally synchronized with these supporting characters’ perspectives—especially considering that Byler’s emotional foreshadowing has existed across five entire seasons, yet so many people have still failed to see it.

What the Duffer Brothers are attempting is incredibly difficult—and extraordinary.

As we get closer and closer to the final episode, my belief that Byler endgame has only grown stronger.

I’m beyond excited. It’s really going to happen.

Just thinking about it makes me overwhelmingly emotional. 

Please look forward to the finale.

Thank you to everyone who commented on and shared my first post—it truly meant a lot to me. I’m sorry I couldn’t reply to everyone.

And if, like me, you firmly believe that Byler will endgame—please share this so more people can see it.

[dreammyrrh]

this is how it feels coming online after watching stranger things season 5 vol 2 feeling more sure of byler than ever

[starchaser-thewise]

Mind you we still haven’t seen whatever Charlie meant when he said that Jonathan helps Will with something that he wants this season.

Mind you the show has now established thanks to Robin signals we’re supposed to be looking out for and that before getting together with Vickie she first came out to someone. Will has now come out to everyone. According to Robin we know what should come after that.

Mind you Mike keeps making DND references to Jane this whole season even though she doesn’t understand and tells him clearly that to her this isn’t like one of his campaigns. The only reason that he keeps doing this being that he believes that Will’s painting was from Jane.

Mind you Will only said Mike is his Tammy because of whatever horrible visions Vecna showed him. Will is an unreliable narrator. He believes Mike is his Tammy because he has lost hope. He has not confessed yet, therefore he doesn’t have any actual proof that his feelings aren’t reciprocated. He is trying to diminish his own feelings to lessen the hurt and to keep Vecna from using his weaknesses against him again.

Mind you Mike now knows Will is gay and has seen the positive reactions he got from everyone.

Mind you it’s been confirmed Mike now knows that Will was talking about him.

It’s not over till it’s over. Don’t give up yet.

[theskyissosad]

Vol.2 actually makes sense and it will pay off in the end.

I rewatched all of s5, and I took notice of all the thing that felt off or that didn't make sense. Some of these things are:

physics not making sense during the jancy breakup scene

mike being suddenly distant from will after ep.4

kali telling hopper that he's lying to himself and jane while mike simply stands there

will suddenly changing his mind and saying that he had just a crush and that mike was his tammy after asking robin how to get his vickie

spending so much time on the dialogue between Max and Holly before Max's escape

And many other things, but I'll try to get to the point of this, I know this is a long post but I promise it's worth it, so bear with me.

I said in another post how the truth is the key to everything and I stand by that -> it's the only way the jancy scene makes sense. Because the impending death threat stopped only when they told each other the truth. The exact same thing happened to two other pairings in the show:

Steve and Dustin - Steve would have died if Dustin hadn't told him the truth about what he was feeling and they eventually solved their issues when Steve told him what he was feeling too.

Robin and Vickie - Vickie didn't believe Robin, their relationship was crumbling until Robin told her the truth about the UD and Vecna, and when Vickie finally saw the monsters they talked and they got saved.

But these aren't the only instances in which lies are mentioned, in fact the whole season revolves around the s1 concept of "friends don't lie".

We have Mike telling Jane exactly this sentence, because she's lying about her intentions -> she plans on sacrificing herself with her sister Kali.

We have that scene in the basement with Kali, Hopper and Mike. At first I was confused because why would Mike be there? The only reason I could think of is that the conversation that was happening was actually about him.

"But just as you lie to Jane, you also lie to yourself" -> Kali tells Hopper, but she's also speaking to Mike in this scene. He's lying about his feeling to her, or better he lied to her during that monologue in s4 because he's also lying to himself about who he really is. This is why Mike and Hopper are paralleled in many seasons regarding Jane and this is why they make a point of Kali saying that her name is Jane, reminding them that she's human, with Mike calling her Eleven a second later reminding her about recharging her batteries just like Hopper did in the UD.

"I'm as confused as you. It's like there's a missing piece of the puzzle. A big piece." Hopper tells Mike.

And when do we see a puzzle in the season? In the hospital scene when Mike looks inside the room and the camera pans to Holly's book standing on top of an incomplete rainbow puzzle.

And why did they spend so much time on certain Holly scenes? Because she's actually paralleling Mike.

"You don't remind me of your brother. You are your brother!" Max tells Holly. This isn't random. it's extremely important and we should pay attention to this!

The fact that when they got through Holly's memories they started with Halloween, with her and her best friend sitting in the basement paralleling the crazy together scene between Mike and Will is intentional.

Another thing that was definitely pointed out for a reason was Holly searching for the entrance to Henry's memory and saying "'M' marks the spot"

When do we have an 'X' marking the spot? In this scene:

And the X marks the spot on Will's heart -> M = X = Mike is Will's heart.

But if Mike is Will's heart, his love, then why does he deminish it as a crush, talking in past tense? It doesn't make any sense! Why would he compare him to Tammy when two seconds ago he was comparing him to Vickie?

The thing is that it absolutely makes sense and it ties everything together with the truth, the lies and what every single character was saying about Vecna and his powers.

"he weakens you by turning your own mind against you" -> they literally told us that Will's mind is in shambles after he was tortured = we shouldn't trust what he says because it's not the truth. Sure, he's telling the truth when he says that he doesn't like girls, and he does that because he's scared that Vecna will use it against him, but he's also lying because he's in love with Mike but he's saying that he had a crush.

We also have another character reminding us about things not being quite right before the truth come out: Vickie in the hospital when she thinks that Robin is doing drugs -> she's pacing (paralleling her again to Mike) and saying "It can cause confusion, paranoia, hallucinations". This scene wasn't there just for comedic relief but also to underline again how stuff that enters your mind can alter how you view things and confuse you.

Both Will and Mike are lying about something - but with Will's coming out the ball's in Mike's court and he needs to be the one to do something about it -> this ties back with the conversation he had with Holly in vol.1

He tells her that he's scared. That everyone is scared about something. That he uses Mike the Brave whenever he's feeling scared during the crawls. And when Holly asked him what they are he tells her:

"he explores these underground worlds where he fights monsters, evil wizards, sorcerers and stuff. But Mike the Brave is never scared"

He fights sorcerers - why did they highlight the importance of Will being a sorcerer? Because it means that Mike is fighting him, fighting Will -> he needs to be Mike the Brave one last time, to recognize his lies and admit the feelings that he had been fighting.

And during the van scene in s4 Mike says that since Jane is special she doesn't need him anymore -> since Will got powers he never tried to help him like he did in vol.1 and this is why we have that scene of Will passing out and Mike being hesitant to touch him, when in vol.1 he was the first to touch him and continued touching his arm to comfort him. This is also why he doesn't physically comfort him when Will is passed out in a trance on the couch.

It would also make sense with what Max explained to Holly before escaping Camazotz: that music isn't what you need to wake up from the trance, it's your person being there for you. And for Max it was Lucas and for Will? I'm sure that if Mike had physically comforted him and talked to him, perhaps with a monologue that actually says the truth, then he would have waken up.

The volume ends with Holly back where everything started with all hope yanked from her when she was so close to escaping, feeling a lot like the audience did up until that coming out scene. And this is why I think Henry was actually also talking to the audience when he sat down in front of Holly and the kids and told them about the light and the darkness. He said that when the light finally defeats the darkness then they will be heroes.

The wall, heroes, "I don't know what's on the other side" (the shame) -> it all comes back to Will and Mike.

This is why Will says "I'm ready to show him I'm not afraid anymore" and the camera pans to Mike again. In truth, it was Mike who said he did not want to have any more regrets. And in vol.3 he will be brave again.

Why do you think he's the one building the bomb? Explosion = avalanche.

The heart will go back into the spot it belongs: Will's chest. And Mike's love will save him.

It's the only way to defeat Vecna. And it's the only way to do something the audience won't expect, because everybody is sure Mike doesn't reciprocate. And this will prove Vecna wrong and the cycle that started with Henry and Patty won't repeat itself.

[angel-tube]

Why Byler being unresolved in episode 7 is intentional, and why Will’s coming out scene was necessary

After my last post, I did some more thinking. After taking some time to rewatch some of the episodes, and think deeper after a joke a friend made, I think I can finally say that I think I know why byler was left unresolved and why Will needed to come out.

NOTE: I am NOT a duffer I do NOT know the ending I’m just saying my top thoughts and theories at this moment.

1) Byler being left unresolved

Anyone can see this was purely intentional. But why would they do this? Why would they purposely leave it open ended like this? Especially with all the holes left unresolved (Mike’s POV, the painting, etc). But the fact that they didn’t close up all the loose ends shows that this is not the end for Mike and Will.

a.) Compare this with other arcs

Let’s think of Jancy. As we know, the two of them broke up. And this was BEFORE the finale. The triangle between Steve, Nancy and Jonathan was very important and central during volume 1, but during volume 2 they wrapped up EVERY loose end with them and tied it in a nice little bow.

NO point of view was left open, we had Steve accepting and letting go of Nancy, we had Nancy closing it off with both of them, and Jonathan accepting this.

But byler on the other hand?

No direct confession, no direct rejection, no POV of the other party involved (Mike), no emotional aftermath. So many gaps left to be filled and explored.

b.) But why would they do this?

I mean after all they could’ve just gave Mike and Will a Jancy moment where they broke up (in byler’s case a rejection) but… they didn’t.

I think this is a very important choice and it goes to show that while the Nancy-Steve-Jonathan triangle wasn’t significant enough to be brought into the finale, Byler was important enough that they gave them an ambiguous ending MEANING they have to address this in the finale.

I just don’t see the point of pushing something this far or elongating a relationship situation like this into the finale if not for a good reason.

The finale is there for payoff, closure of very important arcs, firing Chekhov’s guns. Not introducing new things, resolving unimportant arcs, repeating info. So anything that they want to resolve before the finale, will be resolved before in order for it not to interfere with the emotional impact of the finale.

I’m telling you, if they could close up that love triangle with Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan without leaving any open wounds, they could’ve done that for Byler too, meaning they chose deliberately not to do so.

2.) Why Will coming out was actually important.

This could possibly be my biggest stretch but at the same time I feel like I’m actually going somewhere with this.

My friend had made a joke on how Mike only figured out being gay was an option when Will came out, and even though it was a joke I really thought about it. What if he really thought being gay was an option just then?

When I say “being gay is an option” I don’t mean it as if Mike didn’t know that gayness existed, or didn’t know he had the autonomy to be gay, but rather a realization that he could still be gay, and still be Mike.

a.) Coming out scene was actually for Mike

To many people, (including me at first), Will’s coming out scene seemed rather sudden, random and simply horrifying. I mean who the hell makes the shy gay boy in a small town in the 80s come out to a billion people some of them he doesn’t even know well like that. 😭

But, when you really think about it, it all makes sense.

Narratively, this scene was for MIKES benefit, not necessarily Will’s

Mike had to be able to see in real time people accepting Will for who he is even WHILE being different, how people embraced him, accepted him with love and kindness regardless of everything.

b.) Mike’s internalized homophobia

Mike is a leader, he’s the heart, which has been established many times throughout the show and he has natural leadership instincts and qualities. He also worries about the feelings of others and how is perceived.

Growing up in Hawkins, the environment he lived in with a family that didn’t seem to be as accepting of things like being different (especially taking into consideration that the Wheelers are basically the “picture perfect” family) Mike’s internalized homophobia becomes a defense mechanism. He’s scared of being judged, he’s scared of people being disgusted by him, especially after seeing how Will got treated growing up.

This fear he has explains different moments like: The distant airport hug, the “We’re friends, we’re friends” after Will asked “what about us”

I feel like Mike subconsciously sees Will as a threat to the version of himself that feels safe, normal, and socially acceptable. Not because he doesn’t love Will, but because loving Will would force him to confront parts of himself he’s terrified of.

C.) Will coming out creates a shift for Mike

This is important. Mike seeing Will be able to come out in front of a group of people from many different areas, many different places, many different people in the time that they live in, and be able to see how Will was treated with love and kindness, respect, and compassion, and NORMALCY can make a HUGE impact and impression on Mike and how he feels about his self and his own feelings.

Now he knows that if he were to tell the people around him such a thing they wouldn’t judge him or feel disgusted or treat him differently, which can be a big stepping stone that allows Mike to accept his self and his feelings for Will.

Mike is aware of how he feels for Will, I believe, he’s just been so used to repressing his feelings for so long and not fully examine and acknowledge them, but I think this could be a good starting point.

3.) So in conclusion…

If I’m reading this correctly, Byler has their biggest chance of happening in the epilogue, and Wills coming out scene was not unnecessary but rather a necessary moment for Mike.

Of course this is all just speculation but, I think it all has a possibility to happen, and I believe that a conversation between Mike and Will AT THE LEAST will be required in order to complete byler, whether it’s together or apart. But, I still do believe that they wouldn’t come this far just to end it there.

[pancak3sandbac0n]

The Wheelers always gaslight their partners when their relationship is bones

[mikeslawyer]

GUYS HELLO????? HELLO???? THIS IS MONUMENTAL AND MIKE ISNT GOING TO LEAVE IT AT A STUPID “OR ME” PLEASE

everyone take a deep breath and relax, THIS is the cliffhanger they said vol 2 would end on

[sticklystag]

jonathan helping will get what he wants. robin mentoring more than one person. mike’s emotional monologue. will being an unreliable narrator when it comes to mike. noah had the most scenes with finn. robin and mike being closer in ep7. the painting will “pay off”. mil*ven still dust. “friends don’t lie”. robin saying by coming out to steve she had the courage to open up to vickie. will coming out. byler field scene vs jopper field scene. finn carrying emotional weight. mike realizing that will was talking about him. there’s a plot twist in the finale. still no direct denying of byler. will still having hope in shock joke. avalanche metaphor. will convinced himself that mike is his tammy. vickie and mike parallels. mike being the one to interrupt joyce and will. still no confirmation that mil*ven is together. mike liking the butthole surfers—a band named after an offensive term for homosexual men. mike robin and jonathan funko pops being arranged near each other. the duffers saying the show was made to be analyzed. hap-satisfied. how obvious?. the writers favorite ship being korrasami who got together in the finale. mike’s pov is still hidden. will’s feelings for mike are still a secret. mike keeps bringing up the entire party. mike and will being considered a pair this season. mike is now aware of will’s sexuality. “how did you know that vickie wanted to date?” and “after this tammy and this whole tape epiphany, is that when you and vickie started to?”. jancy’s s4 issues being brought up again giving space for the painting to show up. the finale has the most character moments and the most emotion. IT’S NOT OVER TILL IT’S OVER!!

[dwindling-mercurial-high]

i know everyone is freaking out about “cutgate” at the moment. but i can’t be bothered to think or talk about that at the moment bc i don’t know what to believe. i’m personally leaning towards it just being a theory, but if you believe it that’s your right.

so instead i want to talk about something i noticed that i haven’t seen anyone talk about yet.

in Shock Jock, after will passes out and gets flown across the ground by vecna, there’s a clear shot of mike reaching for wills hand and then immediately pulling back. almost like a “oh shit i can’t do that in front of everyone” moment. it’s so fast that i missed it the first time. i’ve attached a slowed down clip of it:

you’re telling me mike wanted to hold wills hand and decided to hold back???

and would you call me crazy if i told you that they have been giving us mikes pov, only in the tiniest increments, and only towards will?

guys i’m so going insane. i’m about to unplug the goddamn wifi router

[byler-heart]

It’s because from the moment Will saved his life and snapped those demogorgons’ necks with his powers, Mike’s feelings became too overwhelming to contain. In response, he retreats into his usual defense mechanism when he feels like he’s revealing too much: avoiding physical contact with Will. We see this pattern before, like refusing Will’s hug at the airport, or shifting a few centimeters away when Will gets too close at Suzie’s house. He's repressing the instinct to reach out.

Mike is trying to “act normal,” but that repression backfires, making his behavior feel out of character, or rather, visibly abnormal.

This is why moments like these stand out: he doesn’t touch Will when he’s flung away and knocked unconscious, and he doesn’t check on him when Will is tranced on the couch. Not because he doesn’t care, but because caring has started to feel dangerous to him again.

What really stands out to me is how sharp the contrast is between Vol. 1 Mike and Vol. 2 Mike. In Vol. 1, Mike is all over Will. Constantly attentive, protective, emotionally present. But the moment Will grows more confident, starts flirting a little, harnesses his powers, and comes into his own as a total badass, Mike suddenly pulls back?? Like, okay, buddy. I know what you are.

[dwindling-mercurial-high]

yes! thank you for input!

i’m not good with words, but you said pretty much what i’ve been thinking.

[astrangerthingsblog]

repeat after me y'all: the duffers would not go into interviews pre-finale and say anything that reveals the final outcome of the show.

the interviews we have gotten with them thus far are only about will's arc in vol1 and vol2, which has been about his self-acceptance. it only seems like they are denying byler, because they're directly acknowledging the topic sort of for the first time ever. so it seems like they're telling us it won't happen, but they haven't actually said anything about what's coming in the final episode, because they want that to be a surprise.

and seriously, people, this can't really be that difficult of a concept to grasp. they want us to be at the edges of our seats and to expect the unexpected.

[bluesndyellow]

Let’s. Be. Real

Why even have a separate finale episode if the ending is so predictable?

Why Byler IS happening in the finale:

1. There has been no main character deaths

2. We know about Elevens sister

3. We know Will has access to Vecna’s powers

4. We know Will is going to fight

5. All the characters know Will is gay now

6. We know that Will called Mike his tammy

Meaning.. There’s no cliffhanger. It’s way too predictable. Every fan on earth can see the ending. They all fight, they all win. Done.

The plot twist, is that Mike reciprocates.

You were all made to believe that Mike was Wills Tammy. That Will just needed to accept his sexuality, that Mike was just a step towards discovering his sexuality. Will accepted that.

That scene was about Will, it wasn’t about Mike. It was Wills moment not Mikes. But the camera gave us a clue.

What you didn’t notice was the camera focusing on Mikes reaction there.. the reaction to small that it was almost ambiguous. Almost Indifferent.

But Mike being the one to interrupt Will and Joyce was just the start of this. The plot twist was foreshadowed in the painting. The painting we were told would make sense, that would be addressed.

THE PAINTING IS THE ONLY PLOT HOLE.

For Mike and Will activate their strongest power only when together.

HOW THIS WILL HAPPEN:

- Mike knows now that Will is gay

- Mike knows now that Will has a crush

- El told him “Will has been painting a lot, i think he likes someone.” - That person was Mike

- Mike will connect the dots and realise that the painting was from Will and not El

- Since Will is connected to the UD, this matters. He already knew. Mike the Brave, Mike the Heart. Mike reciprocating will give Will the POWER to fight on.

- Mike reacted to will saying that he has to be brave and stand up to Vecna. This is the beginning of Mike stepping into the arc of Mike the Brave.

[beaulesbian]

Okay hear me out on this-

If they're really saving some last reveals for the finale, then it's Mike last chance to become the Mike the Brave like he has been in the first seasons, and face all that he's been pushing away 'til now.

[crazytogether05]

hey everyone!! i just want to take a second and tell you to breathe.

spoilers ahead, but please read if you’ve seen vol 2!!

trust me, i understand. i’ve only been fixated on byler for a couple months, but my entire life has been held up by fictional characters and storylines. so, i know how it feels to have your entire world reliant on it. do not feel stupid for feeling so much about this. this also (obviously) has so many more layers since it deals with queer representation.

i feel devastated too, simply because of the shock of it all. BUT i still have hope. you don’t have to, and that’s totally okay. i understand.

please hear me when i say that the reason we feel so much disappointment is because we had planned out exactly how we thought this storyline would go, and it didn’t go that way. the same thing happened with volume 1.

but that does not at ALL mean that byler definitely won’t happen. there is, in my opinion, just as much if not more proof now. the only thing we have lost is time.

i saw someone say we’ve already wrapped up a lot of storylines, so it’s realistic that we’ll have time for byler.

mike and will HAVE to talk in the finale. for so many reasons, they will be having a conversation about will’s coming out no matter what.

obviously we’ve all lost a lot of hope so i’d be lying if i said i have zero doubt, but there is just so much about mike that has yet to be addressed or resolved, which i could go on and on about (especially regarding the coming out scene).

the duffers may not be perfect, outstanding writers, but even decent writers wouldn’t leave one of their main characters out to dry like this.

i understand if you need to give up now before you are crushed any further, so i will hold out hope in your place :)

[sofidelulu]

CLAIM YOUR “I STILL BELIEVE BYLER ENDGAME AFTER VOL.2” TICKETS HERE👇

[emblazons]

"why was his coming out scene like that" and meanwhile the setup for Mike and the revelations via Will clearing up his prior lies with him is so clear I see that shit in 4K