I guarantee if Byler had the Season 4 Mileven argument, nobody would be calling it toxic, and instead it would be angsty and full of depth.

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
Keni

JVL
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
Three Goblin Art

Product Placement
art blog(derogatory)
noise dept.
styofa doing anything
trying on a metaphor

@theartofmadeline
todays bird

tannertan36

祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Cosmic Funnies

Kiana Khansmith
Misplaced Lens Cap
Show & Tell

★
Stranger Things

seen from Türkiye

seen from Malaysia
seen from New Zealand
seen from Türkiye

seen from United States

seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from New Zealand

seen from Türkiye
seen from Singapore
seen from Malaysia

seen from Australia
seen from Canada
seen from United Kingdom

seen from Indonesia

seen from United States

seen from Malaysia
seen from Türkiye

seen from United States
@socialsuic1de
I guarantee if Byler had the Season 4 Mileven argument, nobody would be calling it toxic, and instead it would be angsty and full of depth.
Fanon Will Byers is Canon Lucas Sinclair
Caring, gentle, empathic, and selfless. Is how I've seen people describe Will even stating that hes the most caring on the show.
This is more like the description of Lucas though, and thats been clear since season 1.
In Season 1 Lucass character is by far the most concerned with finding Will. With Mikes time being split between protecting El and finding Will. Lucas only suggests they rehome El because he wants to get back to finding Will immediately. Why does he blow up at her in the junkyard? The same exact reason, he thinks shes sabotaging their mission to find him, so he blows up. However what he does after proves he is much more capable of being empathetic then Will is.
Lucas scopes out the lab on his own, and reports back that they are coming for El, even while being mad at her. Then HE apologizes first, getting down to her level and gently explains he was wrong. He then gracefully accepts Mikes apology.
Season 3 is where the difference between these two characters really matters, as in Season 2 Will hardly has a stroyline that isnt tied to him needing to be saved. Though the major points include: Lucas being gentle with Max and sneaking her out when he knows Billy will get mad, talking her through the risks of knowing everything, standing up to billy, and not rubbing it in Dustins face when he and Max do get together. (Though thats a weaker point) Will gets some points for being okay with Max tagging along and the CloseGate thing.
Season 3 Will spends his time wanting to play DND with his friends, much to their annoyance. For the most part thats fine, but its when El dumps Mike that we see Wills priorities. He does not care even a little bit, nor does he try to empathize for a split second, going immediately into "can we play dnd now?" Will also hardly cares about Dustins radio or the fact Suzie didnt call. At dustins disappointment he leaves and says "maybe tomorrow we can play dnd or something fun". Yes Lucas leaves aswell but he doesnt make it about himself or what he wants to do.
Lucas however, talks Mike through the breakup and tries to help him get El back. When Will forces them to play DnD he complies along with Mike until they call the girls. While Mike biked to Wills house, Lucas is the only one that follows up and actually apologizes for the whole situation. What does Will do? Takes no accountability for the fact that he couldve at least tried to be a bit more understanding.
In Season 4 Lucas takes full responsibility for him and Max's breakup, stating he should've looked harder. He also calmly and carefully explains to fhe boys why the basketball game means so much to him. Then later, when he realizes the team is about to hunt down Eddie, Lucas immediately rushes to their aid. And of course he goes with Max and protects her from Jason.
This contrasts Will in Season 4. He does not stand up for El, nor does he try to understand anything from her side. Then during Will and Mikes argument Will puts all the blame onto Mike for not reaching out. He then let's Mike take the brunt of the blame for their fight and their distance, though they are equally at fault.
Season 5 they stop being super comparable because their personal stroylines are too contrasting. Lucas stays by Maxs bedside and helps with the upside down stuff, while Wills arc is mostly about accepting himself with very limited interactions outside of Joyce and Robin.
The "Will voice" is literally an example of how even Mike treats Will like a baby.
Case in point, the voice dissapears once Will is out of immediate danger. He doesnt speak softly or carefully to Will if hes not in trouble. Season 4 he speaks to him the way he'd speak to anyone else in terms of tone.
The "Will voice" is most prominent in seaosn 2. Why? Cause he was possessed and still very traumatized from the events of Season 1.
But in Season 3 that vocie almost completely dissapears unless Mike thinks Will is in trouble. Because he knows Will is sensitive. In season 3 the voice appears 3 times. Once in the movie theater when Will is looking panicked, once during the rain fight *though I think thats just Mike realizing he went too far in the argument. And the final time is when the crew is in danger.
The voice is nowhere to be found in season 4 and 5 because Will is not in danger. He literally only softens his voice at Wills weakest moments. Its not a sign of romance, its a sign of treating Will like he cant handle things.
People say that Mike is the only one that doesnt treat him that way but he literally is the number one person that treats Will like hes fragile. When Mike gets mad at Lucas in season 1, he shouts at him just like he yells at Will in seaosn 3. The difference? Mike goes to apologize the next day with a handshake.
With Will he softens he tone and makes himself the bad guy as always because Will is sensitive. Mike panders to Wills feelings in every argument they have, even if they are both at fault. Thats not a sign of a healthy dynamic, even a platonic one.
I find it odd how much hate Stancy as a ship gets. Like youd think Steve Harrington cheated on her 7 times over with the way people act.
Which i dont ship them but even if someone does thats still not anything insane. Especially because Nancy is genuinely in the wrong for 80 percent of their relationship.
She goes out of her way to side with and spend more time with Johnathan than she does with Steve. Then when steve is all like yeah you kinda hurt my feelings last night. She calls it all bulshit and then leaves.
But Steve still buys her flowers to apologize. He went to Johnathans house to apologize for breaking the camera and the fight, when Nancy didnt even tell him too. Buys him a new camera, and then in season 2 he says HE was the shifty partner.
Idk its just kinda odd to me how people go so crazy about this one when Steve was genuinely a good boyfriend. His only downside comes from pining after her for so long which does an injustice to both their story arcs, but couldve also just been cute if the Duffers had decided to put them back together.
That being said i do not ship and didnt want them back together. But even i can understand why people would still ship them. Especially because Jancy has a fight nearly every season.
Hot take of the day
Will Byers does not view El as his sibling at all.
They GENUINELY never talk to each other. He only says their her brothers to get info on her but them shows little to no care for her the rest of the show. Like they actually dont have a single one on one conversation on the entire series besides their roller rink sass off.
Will Byers only one on one interactions come from him crying over HER getting bullied after he just stood and watched, and then being antagonistic in the roller rink. Then they hug.
I truly dont think they actually care about each other. Not in any way that's indicates they actually feel like siblings. Steve and Max have more conversations in season 4 alone then El and Will have in the entire show.
That being said, I dont mind when people make them closer in fanfic, but in canon they are nothing more than friends.
Why are Will stans allergic to people criticizing him? Like he is babied, and people will jump you for having a differing opinion.
Everyone on that show has trauma but he is the only one who's actions are dismissed because of it.
Nobody gives a shit that Mike was too insecure to say i love you, they just claim he was toxic and manipulative.
People were flaming Dustin for acting out because of Eddie.
But when I say maybe Will should've done something for El in season 4. Suddenly im crazy.
He was rude to her and dismissive, even if you say "Oh he was bullied, what was he gonna do for her?" ANYTHING??? Mike jumped off a cliff for Dustin, Lucas stood up to Billy, and to Jason. Will couldnt even understand why El would lie to mike.
Saying "Hes going to be mad at you" is a crazy thing to say to seomone whos already struggling to tell the truth. Now hes just making her feel worse for hiding things, even though he literally understands hiding emotions.
The writing there is shit and just makes Will look like an asshole. Especially because its revealed in the van scene that he understands hiding emotions so people dont view you differently. So why couldn't he just say that to El?
And dont even talk to me about season 3, people act like his friends were going out of their way to ignore him or not include him in things, just becahse they didnt want to play Dnd. He looks like an ass in season 3 too, Mike gets publicly dumped and the first thing out of Wills mouth is "Can we play dnd now?" Bullshit behavior. Like there is a time and a place, that was just rude.