This post about how crazy together isn't romantic because it's a sweet scene but because they are shown before this point to act differently with each other when other people are around.
And now I'm thinking about the patterns of Mike's behavior with Will and El with witnesses vs without.
Byler with witnesses:
Without witnesses:
Elmike with witnesses:
Without witnesses:
(also it is really funny to see it laid out how little screentime Mike and Will are given anything but alone together and how little Mike and El are given alone together)
And many of these are immediate. Mike is grumpy with Will on Halloween then the crazy together scene is under an hour later. Mike is laughing with El skating and their fight is the next morning. The only change is that they're alone, more honest.
Mike and Will are not romantic in public. But they also aren't really platonic in private.
Mike and El are not platonic in public. But they also aren't really romantic in private.
On the occasions they are, she is treated as a witness too - with him being shown unhappy as soon as she's gone.
Both shift their behavior based on witnesses. But where Mike hides affection and romance from others, he performs it for others with El.
And shifting your behavior, secrets in general all tend to boil down to one thing: what you do in private is the truth. Public is the performance.
He's been happy alone with her before. But never romantically. Always joking or talking.
But tensing and hesitating when physical affection comes into play
And we know clearly what way Mike is happiest with Will. Seeming to maybe even subconsciously, given its consistency and immediacy, become more physically and verbally affectionate as soon they're alone.
But tensing and distancing when others walk in.
There's an element of the mask falling. This effort that we see him collapse out of in some cases when he's alone in his ideal state with them. Like the immediacy I referenced with his relaxation with Will, but the same is true of the contrast between his fake public smiles and real, relaxed smiles with El when they're alone platonically.
It's not that when he's in public with Will or El he necessarily seems tense, we don't actually even need that, and it's why it's harder to see outside of his perspective -
It's that as soon as he's not, he's visibly relieved.
You don't need to convince me you're tense as long as I see because suddenly way more relaxed. You don't need to convince me your happiness is fake as long as I see a much more convincing smile from you later. I'll fill it in.
We know two things here:
- What Mike wants others to perceive of him and Will is friendship, what he wants others to perceive of him and El is romance.
- Mike is visibly relieved and more relaxed as soon as he can stop these public performances.
It is an extremely consistent pattern. There is only really one condition under which we see Mike platonic with Will. One condition in which we see Mike romantic with El.
And it's for. others.
As soon as they're gone, he stops. This isn't for him. This isn't what he wants. It's only how he wants to be perceived, but that's his only remaining reason for doing it. No others bar him as soon as it's gone.
Mike is only romantic with El and not romantic with Will out of fear of public perceptions otherwise. That is what his behavior reflects.