Honest Byler was always something so much more than just a silly ship. It's the kind of relationship between two people that gets slipped between the cracks. From the soft touchs, long smiles, and yearning eyes, they were subtle, small acts of true affection that showed how deep their connection is. That's what made It so beautiful, the beauty of not having to flaunt it in your face that these two characters are attracted, soulmates, lovers. This is why we wanted Byler, we wanted to see this beautiful slowburn unfold and tell a deepcutting story that wasn't readily accepted for the time. To show the story that being different is okay, that love is stronger than fear. Not getting this ending was more than just sad it was gut-wrenching. Having to watch a gay character come out of fear for his life, instead of on his own terms and to the people he trusts. Having him have a self-acceptance arc and give him solid hope that the boy he's in love with likes him back, clear signals, bumps of the knee, constantly brushing against eachother, the longing shared looks...just to throw it all down the drain. Having a Lesbian couple be together just so the gay character can learn to accept himself, and then the Lesbian couple never gets any more scenes, and supposedly, they broke up by the finale. The whole "not friends.......Best friends¡" was just straight queerbait not just for us but for the gay character too. Having their gay character suddenly get over years of repressed love for his best friend in like 10 minutes, then just time skipping, and there still close buddies with no awkward interactions?? Giving there gay character a supposed "boyfriend" at the end, while having no dialog between them, and the scene lasts for not even a minute. They don't even let there gay character even kiss or hold hands with a boy. So yeah, we got upset at the ending because this was like a big middle finger to the face. I think it's disgusting and so utterly disappointing that they still try to market this show to be "for the freaks" when there quite literally make all their characters conform by the end of the show. This show isn't for the freaks or outcasts anymore. All this shows is that queer people will always suffer and that they won't get love in the end. So yeah screw the duffers for this piece of slop that just helps promote more bad than good. Rip to Stranger Things vol 2 and finale it could have been so much more. We wished it would have lived up to its fullest. Honestly, I apologize to all the queer people who truly saw themselves in these characters. We deserved better, and I wish we could actually have proper queer media without it being forced or exaggerated. To end this off, the duffers can suck it, I will be unfollowing them and not watching anything they write again because they do not deserve my respect, and yes, you will find me reading solf byler slowburns at 3 in the morning on a Tuesday.
(🔝When I'm talking about not supporting the duffers anymore, I don't mean Im doing that just because Byler didn't happen. I say this as a whole for the season with all the plot holes, loose ends, the rushed writing, the duffers literally admiting they didn't know what they were doing, and the duffers doing just weird shit that's uncomfortable. I could yap about how much this season was so confusing, but like I don't have a free month to write all that. Plus, as a gay guy, this poor queer rep just sits bad with me. Sigh, I thought we were finally going to have non doomed lesbians...)
Much love, everybody, this past month and half have been so much fun (despite the stress) theorizing, talking, and being a part of something so amazing. Conformity Gate and Byler are something I will be believing in until the grave.💙💛
