We've seen in the past that Mike has been able to break Will out of his visions just by touching him, like in Season 2.
If Will is being used by Vecna/the Mindflayer to create a mass illusion (as his new Illusionist class in the credits suggests), maybe Mike has been prevented from touching him, lest the illusion is interrupted.
Rainbows, Fernando, and Mike's altered memories of his own kidnapping
In this analysis, I'll explore how the rainbows in Holly's room, as well as the song that plays when the Demogorgon kidnaps her, indicate that what we saw was NOT the full story. We were watching Mike's altered memories of his own kidnapping.
This is part of my Reality = Reversed theory for conformitygate, (or, rightsideupgate in my case...) so first here's an explanation of that:
MIKE'S CAMAZOTZ (and his altered memories)
Mike is stuck in his own version of Camazotz: the Rightside Up.
In the 8 months after Season 4, the gang prepared for a big battle with Vecna. Mike was taken during that battle, on the anniversary of Will's disappearance: November 6th, 1986.
Every important plot point from Ep 1-8 was an edited version of what really happened in the 8 months before the battle. Vecna just changed the order, characters or context to suit his own narrative and keep Mike trapped in the Rightside Up. Because of this, Mike is remembering things differently than how they really happened. He thinks they won the battle in the end, but they lost. Badly.
My evidence is here!
ORDER OF EVENTS: Part 1 (Mike the storyteller), Part 3 (12 Episodes), Part 4 (MWTFDYD), Part 9 (Wheeler attack -> Mike's kidnapping), Part 11 (Mr Whatsit = Will)
SCENE ANALYSIS: Part 2 (Will/Robin), Part 5 (Rainbows), Part 6 (The roof talk), Part 7 ("Where's Dustin right now?"), Part 8 (El is missing), Part 10 (Byler's missed date), Part 12 (Byler saw Rovickie kiss), Part 13 (Will's painting)
We will flash back to what really happened in Episode 9, when Mike realises he's stuck in a fake world. The resulting plot will be a reverse of the current episodes; a reordered, recontextualised version of the same story – where Mike's real memories are crucial to his escape from the Rightside Up.
It's kind of funny that Mike always repeats himself when he talks, and now, he's gonna have to repeat his memories too.
Holly's Rainbow Room
Holly's room is full of rainbows. Yes, these are a common queercoding symbol, but throughout Stranger Things, rainbows are ALSO heavily associated with two main themes:
El's Rainbow Room – associated with forgotten memories (El) and disappearing into another dimension (Henry)
Will's Rainbow Ship – associated with forgotten memories that make you who you are (Will, twice!)
Joyce's Rainbow Christmas Lights – communicating with people who just disappeared into another dimension (Will)
Holly's Rainbow Light – communicating with people who just disappeared into another dimension (the fruity four)
Project Rainbow – associated with disappearing into another dimension (the U.S.S. Elridge)
So in Stranger Things, prominent rainbows = forgotten memories and/or disappearing into another dimension.
Huh. Interesting.
The Demogorgon just so happens to burst into a room which is full of rainbows ("love" poster w/ hearts, wallpaper, bed covers, rainbow light etc.) and kidnap Holly into another dimension.
And later in the hospital, Mike comes across wallpaper with rainbow balloons, and a very prominent rainbow puzzle that is mixed up and incomplete – missing pieces.
Hopper: It's like there's a missing piece of a puzzle. A big piece.
This rainbow puzzle symbolism is a huge sign that Mike is experiencing forgotten memories. Moreover, considering the huge parallels he already has with her, Mike is almost certainly the one who disappeared into another dimension, not Holly.
Max, to Holly: "you're not like your brother, you are your brother".
In addition to this, rainbows are already associated with Mike, especially since Season 4 (which introduced the rainbow room!). Rainbows are on El's letter to him, and El's drawing of his name. He's often framed near rainbows, or the camera cuts from rainbows to Mike; Steve's bandaid, Max's sleeves, Argyle's socks etc. There's even a rainbow in Mike's waterfalls fantasy for Eleven.
Mike and Holly's matching head wounds
There are scenes from Sorcerer and The Bridge that were also really from Mike's kidnapping. Why do I believe this? Because...
When Mike falls to the ground in Sorcerer, the episode where Vecna arrives, he hits his head. [A clock chimes and there are several reaction shots of Mike towards Vecna, but nothing happens to him]
When Karen dips her hand to the back of Holly's head in The Vanishing Of... blood goes onto her palm.
After Sorcerer, Mike has a visibly bleeding head wound that lasts for a few episodes.
In the Bridge, the Vecna chime plays several times as the kids grab her, she's choked, falls down the staircase, and hits her head. [This happens on November 6th – year not specified]
Now Holly has a visibly bleeding head wound.
Combined with the pre-existing parallels between Mike and Holly, these matching head wounds are incredibly suspicious.
What I'm saying is: During the battle on November 6th 1986, Vecna appeared. [Cue the clock chime and Mike reaction shots.] Mike fell and hit his head on the ground, causing his visibly bleeding head wound. When he woke up, he was in an illusion world.
(It's no coincidence that Holly specifically fell down the staircase before hitting her head. I'll explain this later.)
Can you hear the drums, Fernando?
"Fernando" is the song that plays during Holly's kidnapping. Karen sways along with the music as though it's a love song – but the lyrics are about a war. It's actually kind of dark.
Or is it?
See, "Fernando" was released twice, with two different versions of its lyrics.
The original version was about a man called Fernando who lost his love.
The second version, which Karen listens to, is about two friends who were freedom fighters (a resistance against an oppressive enemy). The first freedom fighter asks Fernando if he remembers the battles from when they were younger. Fighting together for freedom; there was death, terror and pain, but he would gladly fight alongside Fernando again if he had to.
If my theory is correct, both versions of Fernando apply to Mike. [Mike] was in a battle that he doesn't remember, and [Mike] lost his love when his memories were altered (more on this later).
Mike, to Dustin: I think you're fighting two battles. You need to be fighting one.
If that isn't the foreshadowing of the CENTURY–
Mike was fighting two battles – the battle with Vecna where he got taken, and now the fake battle in his mind. But he needs to be fighting one... One/Henry/Vecna.
Nancy's Vision: Holly, Mom and... Ted?
After Holly's kidnapping and the Wheeler parents' hospitalisation, Nancy, Lucas and Mike go to the hospital.
Nancy: "Vecna showed me this. And not just the four gates. Holly, Mom, Dad, dead."
Isn't it strange how everyone keeps leaving Mike's name out of Nancy's vision this season? Literally no-one brings up that Mike was supposed to be part of this, but Nancy DEFINITELY saw Mike in her vision in season 4, and told everyone about it!!! She literally said "Holly, Mom, Mike... they were all..." [she never said they died, either]
Why didn't Vecna finish the job? Why leave Mike out?
Lucas, while staring directly at Mike: "Vecna doesn't leave things unfinished. He doesn't hold back."
Cut to Mike, who, again – was supposed to be part of Nancy's vision – staring directly at the camera. Breaking the fourth wall.
MIKE was supposed to be part of Vecna's plan, but Vecna didn't do shit to him! It looks like he left it unfinished...
Yep, it sure looks that way to us.
But Mike has no idea.
Vecna had to make some changes to make Mike believe that he was still in the real world. He retconned Nancy's vision, replaced Mike with Ted, when in reality, it really was "Holly, Mom, Mike."
I mean, think about what happened to him. TED is specifically thrown into MIKE'S room (through his closet, might I add, lol).
This is the only time we see Mike's room in Season 5! In that shot, they chose to emphasise this trippy poster on his wall – the same poster which was used in Labyrinth to hint that the main character is stuck in a dream world.
A poster that features staircases and doorways arranged in different directions.
Hey, wait a minute...
Is it a coincidence that the final shot – Mike's final shot – is at the bottom of a staircase?
Is it a coincidence that Holly's matching head wound with Mike happens when she falls to the bottom a staircase?
Lucas: "I'm having serious deja vu right now."
He and Mike both stare directly into the camera, breaking the fourth wall.
Today's The Day
By piecing the recurring symbols and patterns from these scenes together, we can conclude that Vecna came for Mike, who hit his head, got knocked out, and finally (instead of Holly and the kids) Mike was dragged into a fake world.
This happened on November 6th, the anniversary of the day Will was taken. These characters know this date off by heart. It's the day everything started. It would be absolutely absurd for anyone to forget that date, let alone Will's "best friend"...
Lucas: "You know what date it is, right?"
And Mike just stares. HE DOESN'T KNOW. HOW DOES HE NOT KNOW?
The same reason Mike spaced out for several seconds while Nancy was talking to him earlier, after he found the rainbow.
Vecna: "Your memory of what happened, of how you came to be here, might be foggy... confused. The monsters, they tried to take you... but I saved you just in time.
Vecna's visions make you feel disoriented, unfocused, confused. Mike's in one right now.
"I don't know about you guys," Lucas says directly to the audience, "But... I don't believe in coincidences. Not anymore."
Of course he wouldn't remember that it was almost November 6th.
Why would Vecna encourage Mike to remember the day that he was taken by Vecna himself? That could lead him to discover the truth. To remember the battle in which he got taken, as well as what happened in the 8 months beforehand – and escape.
"If I had to do the same again, I would, my friend, Fernando."
The singer is remembering a dark, terrifying battle that has already happened – asking Fernando [Mike], a fellow freedom fighter, if he remembers too.
They were closer now, Fernando
Every hour, every minute seemed to last eternally
I was so afraid, Fernando
We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die
"They were closer, now"... the Demos.
"Every hour, every minute"... Vecna and his clock obsession.
"We were young"... they're teenagers.
Can you hear the drums, Fernando?
Do you still recall the fateful night we crossed the Rio Grande?
The singer asks Fernando [Mike] if he remembers that fateful night, if he still hears the sounds from it.
Though I never thought that we could lose
There's no regret
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando
They prepared for 8 months, so everyone thought they'd win the battle this time – but they lost, and now, they're gonna have to go through it all again. With Mike gone, and his memories altered, he needs remember the battle from before so he can escape.
As for the original song meaning? Fernando, the man who lost his love, is Mike too.
...Um, what love? Huh?
Well, remember how I said that Mike's memories were reversed? That he'll have to repeat them again in the right order?
This goes for his and Will's romantic arc, too. This means that rather than Will starting with high hopes for a relationship -> losing hope -> coming out -> and Mike randomly pulling away from him, the reverse happened. Will started with no hope -> came out -> he and Mike grew closer as a result -> and they both gained hope for a relationship.
My [MWTFDYD] post goes more in-depth w/ evidence for this
It's likely that they became a couple during the 8 months between Season 4 and 5, creating a compelling plot twist when Mike starts to remember what really happened... and creating a HUUUGE parallel between Stranger Things and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, one of the inspirations for this season! In that film, two lovers have had their memories of each other erased, but they discover the truth of their situation and find each other in the end!
In conclusion... rainbows + fernando + holly getting kidnapped into another dimension = MIKE WAKE UP!!!
as someone who watched the finale and immediately got up the next day to figure out why the fuck it felt so weird, i have to say... i find it incredibly interesting how QUICKLY conformitygate spread. usually, these fan theories take time. they're very organic, spreading slowly via smaller subgroups.
yet this one was a collective, mass realization that something was WRONG.
it's taken me years to pick up on all the easter eggs and details throughout the show. for example, i was watching s2 ep3 last week and noticed that, when will finds dart in the bathroom stall, there's a scratching on the stall next to will that says "EVIL", directly foreshadowing his possession. never noticed that until now! it was so cool!
yet IMMEDIATELY we notice all of these very obvious errors, changes, plot holes, dialogue choices, etc. when it comes to the finale.
we're not reading too much into it-- we're just reading it as it was presented to us. that's why i really do find some merit behind the theory, regardless of what the duffers or netflix or joe keery have to say about it.
has anyone considered that the cutgate document was released on purpose?
it caused a massive amount of questions and doubt in the fandom. but especially to people who actually watch and analyze the show.
not to mention, it took ONE day for someone to “debunk” it. and it wasn’t even from netflix, the duffers, or someone from the main cast.
yet we’re going on six days almost of conformitygate and NO ONE has said anything. in fact, they just keep saying stuff that’s even more confusing?
something tells me that document was a piece of the puzzle. probably the most important piece and it’s up to us to put the rest of the pieces together. aka conformitygate.
someone here in the comments on tumblr said that when you add the scenes times from the cutgate document together, comes out to about an 1hr and 53 minutes. plenty of time for a second finale. the real finale.
