Mike Wheeler, let’s discuss 🤔
mike wheeler? you mean my son? will's babygirl? underappreciate and overhated?
listen i could make a HUGE post about him but i'm gonna try to make some really important points here
mike is so goddamn smart. like people ignore that so much. he firgured out the solution to so many of the groups problems like one of these days i'm gonna go back and rewatch the show and make a list of the things he's figured out mark my words.
he also is incredibly caring over his friends (especially will). like even max you can tell he's concerned for her multiple times regardless of how many times he acts like he dislikes her.
i 100% think he is suffering from forced conformity. i think he has things he thinks he has expected of him, especially in his relationship with el that prevents him from being who he is. i think he sacrifices a lot to be what people expect him to be as he gets older but he's going about it the wrong way because that's not who he is so its not working for him. and it's biting him in the ass in return and making him come across as an ass.
i also think he's got some neurodivergence going on (i hc autism). because istg a lot of his behaviors that people dislike him for are behaviors found in neurodivergent people. like him hating the change of max coming into the group, being over protecting and a people pleaser, impulsivity causing him to come across as brash.
is family situation also is not great and i think he suffers from it. like his parents are really absent with him and i think he's had to grow up quickly because of it. and he's the only boy in the family and with his dad being the way he is he hasn't had that many older male role models in his life.
overall, i just love him. he is a caring and loving person and deserves that kind of care and love back. people hate on him way too much and forget about his struggles in favor of his mistakes.
oh btw he's bisexual and he's not cis