Will and Mike’s relationship has everything El and Mike’s relationship lacks.
Meeting El in the woods isn’t fate nor destiny, because it’s just simple dumb luck — Mike doesn’t only think that, he believes it. It’s the truth.
In Mike’s perspective — they only met by pure chance, by accident. They aren’t meant to be together in the long run. Or maybe they weren’t meant to be for each other at all, because he thinks El just needed someone, not him specifically.
And then you got him declaring a love confession to El by the end of the season, saying a completely different narrative:
Doesn’t sound so convincing, does it? (It looks like El doesn’t believe it herself.)
Ironically, the only flashback we see of Mike and Eleven’s “love” throughout the monologue is that exact moment: their meeting in the woods — a scene full of contradictory statements from Mike.
On one hand, he says they just met out of pure dumb luck. And then he turns around and says his life started that moment. Which is the truth? Well you can scroll back above or rewatch it. Because it’s right there.
Mike isn’t alone in these thoughts, however, about their relationship.
El doesn’t see herself with Mike and their relationship to last in the future. It’s implied when she pertained to him as her first boyfriend, meaning she could meet more people:
She also questioned whether Mike still loves her or not. Even with Mike sending her a bunch of letters and focusing on her when they reunited at the airport and spent the day in Rink-O-Mania — she picks up on his lack of affection.
In El’s perspective — Mike doesn’t love her for who she truly is, that he just sees her for her superpowers. And when she lost it, that’s where their love ends. This letter is explanatory in itself. From, El. Not Love, El.
Mike and Eleven’s relationship throughout the seasons has developed to the both of them thinking the other doesn’t love and need them anymore. To them not seeing their relationship to last in the future. To them doubting their own self worth because of each other. And you expect me to believe a love confession full of contrasting statements would just fix all of that?
It’s so easy to just let El hear the word I love you from Mike, and Mike hear El say she needs him, and for them to communicate to resolve that. But the show had to go through all these lengths only for it to be resolved by one person: Will.
Mike heard El needs him from Will. El heard Mike loves her because of Will. Will’s love for the both of them is what fixed their problem.
And interestingly, comparing from the points above - Will and Mike’s relationship has everything Mike and Eleven’s relationship lacks.
Approaching Will in the first day they met, in their kindergarten’s swings, was Mike’s choice. It’s not by chance or fate. He went to him by himself, asked him to be his friend and to him — meeting Will is the best thing he’s ever done.
Will on the other hand, who’s canonically in love with Mike, sees himself with him not just on a certain period of time - but also in the future.
Loving Mike and spending time with him is something he would do for the rest of his life. It’s not just a childhood crush that he can get over with so easily. Especially considering they’ve known each other for 10 years and are best friends. He will always need him. And without him, he would feel lost.
And Mike feels the same way. He couldn’t lose, Will. Home isn’t the same without him.
They both canonically make each other feel like they’re better for the way they are. Will doesn’t feel like a mistake when he’s with Mike and he makes him feel better for being different. And Mike is the heart of the party and he’s not someone who should feel useless because there will always be people who needs him. Will’s painting had made him realize that.
In good days and in bad days, Will and Mike will always be together.
Them being endgame and canon is going to close both of their arcs beautifully, and it’s not just because they’re a gay ship, but because that’s literally what the show has been building up to. I don’t think the writers put so much effort in their bond only for it to amount to nothing and waste all of it. Remember when they took most of the day filming the van scene? And literally how every scene of them has such beautiful cinematography and dialogue?
Yeah. We are so getting that Byler endgame (and Milkvan bones) in Season 5.
