Max's relationship with Mike reveals more about his arc in season five than we think.
we all know the duffers really hinted at season two being crucial to the plot of season five, and the one thing that struck me about season two is how much they establish the relationship between Mike Wheeler and Max Mayfield
The relationships that the writers choose to explore are very intentional. Initially, we know Mike hates Max because he feels as though she's replacing El. But the more that the season goes on, it's clear that this animosity towards Max is something different, and this is revealed in their conversation after the escape from Hawkins lab and Bob's death.
Max starts talking to Mike about how cool El sounded and how she sees why Mike didn’t want her in the party, but despite Max’s efforts, Mike still insists that Max isn't a part of their party. Even after Max says that El sounded really cool, as some last ditch effort to end the conversation in a nice note, Mike turns hostile, saying
"Yeah, she was, until that thing took her, just like it took Bob."
Something I didn't realize until I rewatched is that Mike really internalized Bob's death. He talked about how Bob was the first one to start the Hawkins AV club, that he petitioned the school to start it, to fundraise for equipment, and that he taught Mr. Clark everything he knew. It's then he makes the effort to do something about the Mind Flayer.
And while this scene about not letting Bob die in vain is very heroic on the outside, it's something big for a young kid like that and it takes a toll. Mike has gone through losing Will, losing Eleven, losing Bob, and losing Barb. It all reaches a climax one Mike fights with Hopper, blaming him for everything that has happened.
This scene is much more than Mike losing El. It is a culmination of the trauma that he has endured and the hidden guilt he has surrounding everything
In terms of season four, I never expected that Max would be the main focus of the story. Sure we saw that her brother had died, and there was that split second scene at the end of season three showing her grief, but she seemed fine....right?
And while the depression she experiences seemed like something unexpected to a lot of people, it wasn't out of the blue. It was hinted at, and I believe the deliberate pairing of Mike and Max is meant to show us that they internalize things in similar ways, thus making Mike a large focus of season five.
After the events of season two, Mike SEEMS fine, all happy with a relationship with El, but he's not, and I think it goes a lot deeper than just internalized homophobia. It's the start of his feelings of uselessness, of his inability to stop bad things from happening, and his tendency to hurt this friends. the thing is...Mike is just better at hiding it. this goes on through season four, and while his insecurities are slowly revealed, I believe it's building up to something bigger. This is something that is going to be preyed on and i can't wait to see how the writers will explore his character more
edit: I can’t believe so many people are still liking this after that clusterfuck of a finale. thank you so much for reading, and for all the madwheeler fans out there, I’m glad we’re reminiscing about what could have been together <3