‘80s Wh0re

i am in fact employed Willow • stranger things • Byler • she/her• irish• 16

[stranger-th11ngs]

I’m not seeing anyone talk about this

In season 4, mike handpicks El a bouquet of yellow and purple flowers and admits that there’s a bit too much yellow. In episode 1 of season 5, we get a brief but (intentional?) shot of Vickie throwing away dead YELLOW AND PURPLE flowers in a hospital room

I think it’s also very important that the flowers are in a scene with Vickie and Robin. We never got see them get together on screen, which could hint that a breakup also happened offscreen with Mike and el during the past 18 months.

[zo0eyy]

"will was so annoying until season 5"

[stranger-th11ngs]

Like that’s my son

[thai-09]

Idk if it’s just me, but one of the things that disappointed me the most about the finale is how the show piled way too much trauma onto almost every character without really knowing how to deal with it in a meaningful or realistic way.

What was the message even supposed to be? You can’t spend multiple seasons torturing, abusing, manipulating, and using Will—having him possessed, bullied, humiliated, forced to carry other people’s pain, and nearly killed over and over—just for it to end with him standing there like, “Wow, crazy times, right?” as if most of it never actually happened at all. Like all that suffering was only there to give a false sense of depth, not because the story ever planned to seriously deal with the consequences of it

And this isn’t just a Will problem. It applies to nearly everyone. So many characters go through extreme trauma, but the show rarely lets them process it in ways that feel human or consistent, which makes it all feel strangely dismissive rather than meaningful.

If you’re going to put your characters through hell, you owe them—and the audience, especially people who have been or are in similar situations—something honest in return

[stranger-th11ngs]

Anyways I’m opening ao3 any good recs

[stranger-th11ngs]

This might be controversial to say but I’m irritated as fuck at *some* of the Bylers complaining about the bad rating of The Bridge as if it wasn’t the consequences of your own actions for review bombing it so bad when it first came out. Stop blaming homophobic people for the 5.4 star rating and acknowledge that it did start because of your review bombing. YOU made it easy for homophobes to feed into that behaviour and add on to it.

and yes, I get some of you weren’t thinking rationally because you were upset, I get it. But please take accountability and action to change your review. Thank you

[flickergatedaughter]

as "messy" as that coming out scene was, i still stand by the fact that it was important for the other characters as well as will.

the choice on whom the camera zooms in on during each line reflects what that person is scared of facing themselves. but will was the first to admit his biggest, most personal secret to everyone, which was essential for the other characters' self reflection too. *especially* a certain repressed white boy with internalised homophobia and a fuckass beanie.

so, mike the so-called-brave, you better lock in like you have never locked in before

[stranger-th11ngs]

Can we all review episode 7 with 10 stars?

Yes, it was definitely a weak episode. Major plot holes, bad dialogue, and of course that poorly written coming out scene-

However it is still a watchable, somewhat enjoyable episode of tv and worthy of at least an average rating.

You know who else rated episode 7 as 1 star? Homophobes. We can’t stoop to that level

[stranger-th11ngs]

Anyways ion een cur + im rewatching that hug scene + im going back to ao3 bc apparently 14 year olds can write better than the duffers

[byerswheeler]

i miss when mike wheeler was a well written complex character who showed emotion

[lucystark12]

things that need explaining if byler isn’t cannon:

- why mike kissed el with his eyes open and hugged his mom so weirdly at the end of season three

- why mike responded so weirdly to the airport hug

- small town boy on the mike playlist

- the one way sign pointing to the closet

- why mike was literally IN WILLS VIDEO TAPE

- deleted mike crying on the bike scene

- the way the two heroes scenes were shot

- here comes the rain again on the wsqk vinyl

- when blue meets yellow in the west

- mike LITERALLY lying in the monologue

- the mike funko with the painting

- hap-satisfied

- the byler won’t write itself sign at the writers strike protest

- shawn levy

- the duffers telling finn it will pay off

- the first i love you

- mileven interacting all of once this season

- rainbow imagery

- the pipe bursting and the water symbolism

- “our son with a girl?”

- mike can’t tell el he loves her unless it’s literally life or death

- shared looks and signals

- parallels with rovickie

- the final shot of season four

- eyewitness rain fight parallel

- the look on mikes face when will gets powers

- all the crazy things mike has said to will???

- for will mixtape

- in the closet (at rink o mania)

- love triangle imagery

- noah and finn carrying “emotional weight” in the last episodes

- finn only remembers the candlestick

- finn calling episode seven “enlightening”

- STurn

- byler started filming a month early

- will asking robin about the signs

- noah saying he filmed most of his scenes with finn

- the heart eyes during the van scene

- will voice

- amybeth saying this season is the gayest it’s ever been

- the netflix search bar being coded to bring up stranger things when you put in byler endgame

- shawn levy only reposting the mike and will photos

- the crazy ass shit that goes on on the wsqk station

- finn’s face while reacting to the monologue during that one interview

- shawn levy’s daughter reposting byler edits

- jancy parallels

- “we’re friends” parallels with jancy and jopper

- the demogorgon breaking mikes closet

- will looming in every season four mileven shot basically

- shawn levy posting blue and yellow hearts on twitter that one time

- noah and finn being the only two of the younger kids to do chemistry reads together while auditioning

- all of season two

- i am not okay with this parallels

- harry potter parallels

- dawsons creek parallels

- “i didn’t say it” “you didn’t have to”

- parts of the monologue were improvised but the van scene took a whole day to shoot

- the couples blocking throughout season three

- the season four posters where mike and will would be together and el would be alone

- el’s rink o mania outfit being called the “will look”

- lip glances

- blue light flashing across wills face right before it cuts to the swing set flashback

- the fact that there IS a swing set flashback

- finn was filming it chapter 2 and the goldfinch at almost the exact same time as season three so his creative choices regarding queerness would have been incredibly intentional

- why was mike there when will got his powers to begin with if it was meant to be about independence and self acceptance?

- all the painting merch

- mike not really caring when el broke up with him

- ted saying “see what happens?” after will went missing

- karen and the “don’t feel like you have to hide from me” spiel

- mike being the only non family member in the flashback

- argyle calling something mike was wearing at the airport a “shitty knockoff”

- the cleric and the paladin rumors

- matthew modine “sees no future” in mileven

AND ILL THINK OF MORE.

[stranger-th11ngs]

There were just SO many ways the Duffers could’ve made byler happen so I don’t want to hear “there wasn’t enough time to establish that Mike has feelings too and reciprocate”

because all it could’ve taken was some recontextualisation; literally just 5 minutes out of the 5+ hours where Mike has flashbacks, showing the bond between himself and Will, an intimate conversation where they talk about how they feel, Literally just FIVE MINUTES

It’s not like it would’ve come out of nowhere, as it has been HEAVILY hinted that Mike feels the same. Not through delusion or over analysing, but through the various cinematic techniques. You don’t just make parallels like that by accident.

So yes, it could’ve been easily done. This could’ve been a groundbreaking moment in queer history, but the duffers are just cowards.

[stranger-th11ngs]

“I spent the most time filming scenes with Finn this season”- Noah

“The painting will pay off”

“Mikes obliviousness will pay off”

why are you lying to your audience that is essentially providing your income

[willprobablyabandonthissoon]

No matter what happens guys I need to remind you DON'T HATE ON THE ACTORS. PLEASE.

[stranger-th11ngs]

I need to cleanse my memory by watching Robins coming out scene again because WHAT was that??

[stranger-th11ngs]

1 MORE HOUR.

The anticipation is killing me I feel SICK

[stranger-th11ngs]

Lowk tired of vecnas ass saying “it is time” 🥀

I’m BORED NEXT

[stranger-th11ngs]

I Don’t Like Girls???

Need to know peoples theories on this