Ever wondered why Will suddenly had hope for a relationship with Mike during Volume 1, then gave up again?
Vecna told their story in reverse.
MIKE'S CAMAZOTZ (and the mandela effect)
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 Mike’s memories from that timeframe. Vecna just changed the order, characters or context to suit his own narrative and keep Mike trapped in the Rightside Up, believing he'd won. Because of this, Mike is kind of experiencing the Mandela Effect – remembering things differently than how they really happened.
My evidence for this theory is here!
Part 1 (Reality = reversed), Part 2 (Will/Robin), Part 3 (12 Episodes), Part 4 (MWTFDYD), Part 5 (Rainbows), Part 6 (Mike and Wileven)
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.
THE REAL STORY
Vecna told the truth in reverse. Upside-down.
After Season 4, this is what really happened: Will started with no hope -> befriended Robin -> Will came out, repairing his friendship with Mike -> Mike got closer with him -> and they both GAINED hope for a relationship.
But after that came November 6th, 1986: the battle with "world-altering implications". Vecna trapped Mike in a fake world and altered his memories of what brought him there, turning them into a tragic story of lost hope.
Remember, he doesn't lie. He tells the truth differently. Edits parts out, exaggerates others, and scrambles it to fit his vision.
In Vecna’s retelling, this is what happened: Will started with high hopes -> befriended Robin -> Mike suddenly got less close with him -> Will came out, not changing his friendship with Mike -> and they both LOST hope.
That's what we saw in Episodes 1-8. Now, I dunno about you, but to me, Mike and Will's story makes a LOT more sense in reverse.
BUT WHY? To remove Mike's hope for escape, of course! :)
Vecna needed Mike to believe that everyone had won, to BELIEVE that he got the happiest ending he could, and most importantly: to believe that ending up with Will would never be an option for him. Mike doesn't know Will loves him. Will wants to be "friends."
Max escaped with help from memories of Lucas and El. Will fought his possession with help from memories of Mike, Joyce and Jon. El saved Max with their shared memories, reversing her death. Love and memories are the key. If Mike was to remember his love for Will, he'd be able to escape – but that would ruin Vecna's plans for a "better world".
...Which is exactly why conformitygate and MWTFDYDgate are intrinsically linked. The only way Mike can escape Vecna's curse is to REMEMBER what really happened in the months before the battle.
So, what did happen?
MWTFDYD: An Overview
Well, we've already seen parts of it, scattered throughout Episodes 1-8. Just with changes to the order, characters or context.
MARCH-MAY
Season 4 ending. March 29th, 1986.
Remember how El wasn’t talking to Mike at all at the end of Season 4? And how for most of Season 5, they weren't together? Mike and El break up. {Vecna later uses this memory to tell the story of Jonathan and Nancy's breakup.}
Eleven: "I hate [Eggos]"; "You are always exactly six minutes late." "You wanted honesty." Friends don't lie.
Mike: "That spring break, when you were in Lenora..." "[physics mention]"; "I just felt like I was doing something wrong. Like I was going against the natural order of things."
Mike: "It made me feel safe, but also... I dunno." Eleven: "It was suffocating." Mike: "Yeah."
Will + Robin start hanging out. {This probably happened the same way – after he saw Rovickie kiss.}
The Byers are staying with the Wheelers. Mike and Will share the basement, which explains why they forgot to set an alarm in The Crawl. Mike is ALWAYS late!!! Every season except 5!!!
Will: "It's always [Mike's] fault!"
JUNE-JULY
Robin and Will have their coming-out talk from Shock Jock! They're quickly becoming friends, supporting each other. They both agree to come out to someone new. Will decides to start small, and Robin wants to go big.
Will: "You wouldn't happen to have any more of that truth serum left, would you?"
Will quietly comes out to Mike, Jon and Joyce – his own choice. This explains why the Duffers said they originally wrote the scene this way, but changed it. Right after Will's coming-out, in a private moment, Mike gives his apology from the tower in The Rightside Up.
Mike: "Hey, um… I’m sorry. I mean, not sorry about what you said. That came out wrong. I mean, not ‘came out’ wrong! Jesus Christ!" LMFAOOOO
Because of that coming-out heart-to-heart, Mike and Will become much closer again.
Robin comes out to everyone, so she can “double her audience”. That's why there was so much rambling in that scene, and why Tammy was mentioned! Robin says she likes girls, talks about her "Tammy", and maybe even mentions finding her "Vickie".
Mike has an epiphany. Perhaps he had his Vickie all along.
AUGUST-OCTOBER
Will talks to Robin. He asks how she knew that Vickie wanted to date – their talk from the hospital. He immediately starts flashing back to all their little snowballs... "a brush of the knee, a bump of the elbow, a shared look."
Mike talks to Robin. Maya Hawke said her character would "mentor" TWO others this season. What if Mike's the second? He's amazed after her coming-out, and asks her for a bit of advice. Probably also about Vickie, haha.
Mike gets Jonathan's help to make something special: a mixtape for Will. Jonathan makes it, and gives it to Mike. {Later, Vecna uses this memory to create the scene where Murray gives Jonathan the mixtape for Nancy.} Also – Charlie Heaton said Jonathan would help his brother "get something he wants" in Season 5. This concludes Jonathan's arc of noticing what's going on with Will and Mike, but never intervening.
In the Wheelers' basement, Mike gives Will the mixtape. This is the avalanche; the thing that made it obvious.
Mike: "One last confession. A big one." He pulls out the mixtape. "I figure I've screwed up enough with you. It'd be nice to get something right for once in the end. Here." {Later, Vecna uses this scene for Jonathan and Nancy's breakup, where he takes the ring out and throws it away, in a confusing un-proposal}
This could explain the cutgate claims that Mike and Will were apparently supposed to have a basement scene together, and that music was supposed to play a fundamental role in scenes – e.g. "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure.
Possibly birthdaygate too; a late present?
I'm just speculating here, but... I think they'll use this to recontextualise the Purple Rain scene. Purple Rain plays from the mixtape as Will says Eleven's words from Episode 8. Quiet and intimate, not life-or-death.
Will: You understand me better than anyone. You always have. From the day we met, you've seen me. The real me. {Later, Vecna uses these words to evoke Mike's guilt – about Eleven's fake death, and his unreciprocated romantic feelings. This is to keep him trapped in the Rightside Up, AHHHH–}
After this scene, Mike and Will are either together, or plan to be together. This does multiple things narratively. It gives Vecna something he can use to manipulate them, it will also be one of the memories that helps Mike escape the illusion, and if Mike and Will were together throughout Episodes 1-8 but just didn't remember, those episodes are totally recontextualised!!!
ALSO!!!! This explains why the Duffers said that Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind was a big inspiration for Season 5. Two lovers' memories of each other are erased, but they find each other in the end, with the help of a CASSETTE TAPE!!!!!!!!
Apologies for the avalanche of exclamation marks.
NOVEMBER 6TH, 1986
As @mixu suggested, Mike and Will may have planned to go on a date on or after November 6th. This is supported by:
The video clip of Mike saying "You know I had dinner plans, right?" Dustin replying, "With who?" and Mike avoiding the answer. [Unless Mike and El have broken up, it should be obvious who...]
Not just that, but he's being forced to miss his dinner plans so he can rewatch edited clips of the show... i.e. edited clips of his own memories.
Just like Jopper, Lumax and Rovickie's date plans, Byler missed theirs because of Upside Down shit too.
Will attempts to save Mike using his powers during the battle with Vecna. [Possibly different ones than in Sorcerer.] But unlike in Sorcerer, he fails. {Vecna later uses this scene to give Will a winning moment [siphoning his own powers, hmm...], to sell the narrative that they were able to beat him easily later on}
Will: "[Mike]... Vecna, he's got [Mike]... we failed. I failed."
This explains why both Mike and Holly have the same head wound, and why Mike heard the clock chime and had multiple reaction shots to seeing Vecna – but nothing came out of it.
Will has his talk with Joyce from The Bridge. He's feeling so, so hopeless. Not only did Vecna get exactly what he needs to enact his plan, but... things were finally getting better between him and Mike, and now he's gone.
Will: "...Today is the day. The day Vecna's gonna act. I thought I had him, but the truth... the truth is I never stood a chance."
It's not over, though!
After that are Mike's altered memories, everything from Episode 1-8. Season 5 begins.
And after that... the final episodes!
(And hopefully, a somewhat happy ending :D)
Robin: It's a mandala! [...] Is it a mandala? Mandahla? Or a man-dala? Or a mendela? Or...
i spent months investing in this fandom and ship to bring me comfort bcs i was feeling so alone, and when i get here to try and see some resolution and some validation, i get this mockery of the queer experience, god im so heartbroken rn :(
and Another thing!! i think this image where jonathan and the rest of the party is hugging will is about him maybe remembering his time in the Upside Down because Will just found the kids while spying into their enclosure And/Or they remembered whatever vecna/henry/mind flayer did to make their memories go puff!!
i hate Hate HATE the fact that people are onlY NOW on will's side or stanning him because of his looks and his powers when i already loved and cried for this boy season after season and will's stans are being called "pick me's" when call people out
I've been slightly afraid of the possibility that birthdaygate wasn't real or even a possibility but then, rewatching Joyce's convo with Will about what she did the day he went missing and she mentions: "what kind of mother doesn't check her 11 years old son" when we KNOW and it's stated in his MISSING POST that he is 12 years old, i took it all back... SHE CAN'T EVEN MIX IT UP BECAUSE HIS BDAY WAS 8 MONTHS AGO??? nothing else makes sense besides it being on purpose, birthdaygate is so real, guys.
wait i think i finally get the byler plumbing leak scene. and now that i’ve realized it i feel really dumb. it was so obvious. right there the whole time.
the way they’re trying to cover a leak together but can’t, and the water keeps spilling out = trying to hide their feelings for each other/their queerness but not being able to anymore because they’re idiots in love and are really shit at lying and hiding
every time i think about how mike has never been properly emotionally supported in his relationship or asked if he’s doing okay mentally after everything he’s been through, it makes me want to cry. he’s been bullied his whole life. he was pushed and hit his chin on a rock. he JUMPED OFF A CLIFF ready to end it all. he’s anxious, insecure, traumatised and terrified after all the upside down stuff and because he’s scared to lose people he cares about.
el saw and knows all of this. yet he’s never been taken aside and asked “are YOU doing okay mentally? talk to me. tell me how you’re feeling in this moment. we never talk about you.” and most of the audience doesn’t care. because el is the main character in their eyes, and mike is the “side character” for her, used to be HER emotional support, especially in those big moments like his monologue that he was pressured into under stressful conditions. but he never gets any of that back.
keep in mind, i’m not saying any of this to attack el as a person. i completely understand her reasons and her situation and how her life is so different to everyone else and there’s SO much constantly on her mind draining her. this post is simply about why their RELATIONSHIP makes me so upset, because it’s not equal at all. again, they’re children. they’re not doing this to hurt each other on purpose, but it just does not work and it’s not fair or healthy.
el has never directly told mike WHY she even loves him as a person and what his good traits are. why do you think he’s so insecure in this relationship? he’s not getting any MENTAL support or reassurance or compliments about who he is. why do you think it was WILL that ended up giving him strength in that van? will explained in such beautiful words why mike is loved and needed. he described his leadership qualities and what he does for others and how he’s the heart. THAT is what gave mike strength and made him feel loved.
even when mike tries to comfort el and bring up the fact he’s also been bullied and he understands, she says “no, you don’t”. we all know el’s experience is so different to everyone else’s but he was trying to help in regards to school bullying and got shut down immediately. and i’m not blaming el for how she feels or how she responded. no one is invalidating either of their feelings. but they simply don’t work well TOGETHER because they don’t understand each other. this relationship isn’t fair to either of them. why should they be stuck in this?
they were forced into romance at the age of 12 when they knew each other for 6 days. they got emotionally attached to each other because they saved each other during a traumatic period. that’s it. they have nothing in common, don’t communicate properly, don’t know how to support each other mentally, are insecure and don’t feel like equals. their frontal lobes still aren’t even fully developed, they have so much trauma to heal from and they both are at an age where they need to focus on themselves and figure themselves out and explore different things.
this isn’t healthy. it’s never been healthy. and i don’t understand why people get so angry when people refuse to ship two traumatised children that don’t even understand each other or feel like equals.
mike’s leadership began with asking will to be his friend btw. it died when he set his heart on extinguishing all personality beside being el’s boyfriend. when he began pretending in an attempt to mature violently beyond what he truly was. it was resurrected by will through a gift brimming with affection, memory and meaning, and through words which bore under a veil of cyrano a love confession. a love confession so inspiring it single-handedly paved the way for mike coming into his own. as a leader. mike’s leadership has always been heavily prompted by his love for will and later on, beautifully coming full circle, by will’s love for him.
