Recently (since s5 ended) I have been thinking a lot (literally every day) about my fanfiction (that I haven’t started writing yet) and the concept of platonic soulmate Madwheeler (soulmate may be the wrong word but stay with me here).
[Edit: holy fuck this is long. Anyway, TW: mentions of suicidal ideation/ attempts, lwk toxic friendship (trust tho they don’t stay toxic), abuse]
Let me paint a picture for you:
It’s the summer before the party goes to college. Everyone is home for the summer and it’s genuinely amazing. Like, the best summer ever. I won’t go into too much detail here, because it’s really not important, but Mike and Will definitely kiss.
The summer is ending. The older kids are already back on campus and the party is starting to leave. Will and Lucas are roommates. Mike is INSANELY fucking jealous because he’s not even going to college. His father convinces him that it would be better to go straight into the workforce or a vocational school- do something a man would do.
Mike didn’t really want to go to college anyway- he has no clue what he what’s to do. Now, he really has no fucking clue what to do.
He signs up for the military. (Probably the Navy LMFAO🥀).
He doesn’t tell anyone except his parents. They’re both really proud. He fucking hates himself because it was definitely a manic decision on his end and he already knows he’s not gonna go through with it.
There’s a classic Byler miscommunication in here somewhere and they break things off. Mike definitely parrots something his dad said. It’s bad, Will is extremely mad because wtf he literally stayed later than everyone else to spend extra time with Mike and he just fucking said that?
Queue him leaving in the middle of the night to drive to his and Lucas’ place (dorm?) in Philly (I love Philly) and then finding out that Max broke up with Lucas over the phone earlier that day because she needed time alone/ space. Lucas is a fucking mess on the couch when he walks in because what do you mean Max needs space he’s literally in a different fucking state.
It’s the first weekend in Hawkins without anyone from the party and Mike is supposed to leave for basic training in two days.
He packs a bag. It’s filled with Will’s paintings and drawings and some cash from his dad’s safe. He grabs one of Nancy’s pistols and a bottle of Vodka. He slings Eddie’s old guitar over his shoulder. He walks to the quarry…. He’s not really sure he’s doing.
He drinks the vodka- a lot of it- and flips through Will’s drawings. He looks over the ledge a lot. He thinks even more. It’s getting dark out and his thoughts drift to the party.
Max.
She stayed in Hawkins, too. Why the fuck didn’t Mike think of that earlier? (He’s been too wrapped up in his depressive spiral to think about anyone other than Will, I’m ngl.) She’s staying to finish her high school degree (she walked with the party, sure, but I know her ass got a blank diploma).
He walks to Max’s trailer. Knocks. She’s lets him and he stays with her for three days. He becomes sort of a fixture there- sort of fills the weird brother sized gap Billy left. Max’s mom loves him (hc Mike is good with moms, bad with dads).
The military police (????) show up at the Wheelers. Ted is PISSED TF off. Draft dodgers are the worst people in the world to Ted and what Mike did is sort of adjacent to that so man is he really fucking mad. Plus, now he’s facing a possible felony charge, five years in prison and a very hefty fine.
Karen is disappointed and tells this to Nancy, who tells Robin that night when they’re drunk and yapping, who tells Steve, who tells Jonathan, who tells Will, who tells Lucas, who then tells Erica, who then tells her mom, who then tells Max’s mom at the grocery store the next morning….
She is mad and tells Mike basically he has to fucking leave or she’s calling the cops. A little too much like Billy.
Mike and Max decide to steal Mrs. Mayfield’s car and runaway.
They had probably decided this and made a plan the first night Mike got there and told Max what he was doing but they thought they’d have more time.
So….
The fucking dip and their plan is to go straight to Lucas and Will’s place (or at least Nancy and Robin’s) but when they switch off so Max could nap in the passenger seat, Mike turns the car around after filling up on gas.
He just fucking starts booking it in the opposite direction- towards the west coast instead of east.
Max wakes up and they’re in fucking Oregon- Mike drove through the night and is absolutely wired off of gas station coffee and 5 hour energy.
Max is fucking pissed at first, but after Mike starts crying (probably) and explains that he’s terrified of seeing Will again because of what he said to him, she understands.
Ohhhhhh, does she understand.
Because boy, did she say some shit to Lucas, too.
And then, she realizes, with starling clarity, that it was a bit naive of both of them to think that they could just run to the east coast back to them and think that everything would just be fine.
They start to really talk somewhere between Colorado and New Mexico.
They spiral together- their anxieties, fears, insecurities all bleeding together into one harmonious, insatiable creature that drew them into each other. It was like a black hole in the way they constantly tried to one up each other.
Mike’s dad yelled at him everyday. Okay, but when Max’s was around he’d hit her.
Max had tried to kill herself before. Well, so did Mike. And he was younger.
What they both find out later is that the night Mike knocked on her door, they were both thinking about attempting again.
Mike wonders why he never really talked to Max. She was cool- like actually really fucking cool- and she understood him. He had never talked to anyone about his depression/ etc. before because he didn’t want to worry anyone- didn’t want them to see that part of him. He just wanted to be the strong one. The backbone. The heart. He didn’t want to be seen as weak because he had been told his entire life growing up that weak was bad.
But Max is the same. She doesn’t wear her heart on her sleeve the same way Will and Lucas does. She also hides behind a wall of anger and hurt. She also lashes out at those she holds dearest.
They understand each other in a way they haven’t understood anyone else because they haven’t let themselves. They both figured starting with each other was a safe bet- low stakes, and all of that.
Man this is getting long so I think I’m gonna cut it short but something something they’re on the road for a year blah blah blah they learn to heal and grow with each other yadda yadda they make their way back to the party and everyone would probably think they’re dating because they’re so comfortable with each other after being together every day for a fucking year and there would be a hilarious miscommunication where both Lucas and Will are very jealous because it’s been a year and they’ve been worried as fuckkk after dumb and dumber decided to go ghost and everyone thought they were dead and then they show up hand in fucking hand braiding each other’s hair and singing show tunes?? Like what the fuck-
Will and Lucas would heal each other in the best, most healthiest way imaginable and meanwhile Max and Mike are just sitting in their misery for months in end before actually doing real work towards bettering themselves as people.
But when they do, trustttt they would be so good at it. They’d be able to immediately tell the signs of when the other started to slip and know what to do. They’d stand up for each other and they become safe spaces in moments of unrest. They learn how to sit in comfortable silence with one another and just enjoy existing with someone who has been through hell and back with them.
It’d be chaotic and messy and disorganized at first, but then as winter bleeds into spring, they learn how to forgive themselves and each other.
I also love the concept of them projecting heavily onto each other. The rage, pain, guilt, sadness, they feel towards others and themselves they always project onto the other. But after they both realize that they do this, it turns into something else.
The one doing the expressing knows that the person they’re actually feeling emotional with isn’t there, but the emotions get stronger. The one receiving knows the other needs to vent their emotions.
Mike apologizes to Will and sobs.
Max is the one to hold and comfort him.
Does that make sense or am I just stoned out of my mind rn.
okay but imagine in college(this is an au where the party slowly grows apart before coming together again) mike, with lots of encouragement from his queer friends, starts selling himself as this purposeful bimbo/himbo(term doesnt matter it basically means the same thing)
he wears a lot of makeup and starts learning how to style himself well when hes going out and his friends teach him how to flirt. hes still crazy nerdy so that influences his flirting but he accepts the nerdiness and suddenly hes an A+ flirter. skimpy shorts and a mid drift to show his slutty waist and lots of jewelry and some tights to make his legs sparkle and lip gloss to plump his already pretty lips and hes one fine ass guy whos ready to party
skip to the party slowly making their way back to each other and mike doesnt wear too revealing outfits but the party definitely notices the tight jeans or a crop top every now and then. and hes wearing a lot of jingling bracelets and necklaces and the hints of makeup most people wouldnt notice but it makes him look good. he comes out as gay during one of the party’s hang out and while will is like what the fuck what the what what hello what the what shit??? lucas and dustin exchange looks, look mike up and down, and nod because they saw that a mile away. max and jane agree
they go to a bar sometime and mike invites one of his friends from college who helps wingman him the rest of the night and will is watching jealously by the bar with jane standing next to him just being like girl shoot your shot then?? but will just scowls and watches mike get crowded against a wall ok the other side of the bar by this hot random guy. and then the man is kissing mike’s neck as mike locks eyes with will from across the room and jane immediately is like yeah this energy is weird goodbye and leaves so will and mike can keep eye fucking while the rando sucks mike’s neck
later, the rando leaves and mike moves to will’s side, watching him with dark eyes and smiling a little. he starts flirting with will just to see what happens and then will starts flirting back and mike suddenly feels really nervous. will starts absentmindedly playing with one of mike’s curls and telling him he looks really good and mike giggles nervously and does his whole bimbo charade but then will’s hand slides to mike’s waist and hes starts playing into the charade too and then it wasnt really a charade anymore because mike’s brain went completely blank because will was flirting with him. mike stumbling over his words and laughing as will pulls him a little closer and murmurs how good he looked again and mike felt his mouth water because holy lord was he supposed to be thinking right now because there wasnt a thought in his head other than fuck me fuck me fuck me
so they sneak off to like a broom closet in the back hallway of the bar and mike was humping will’s thigh and then getting pushed between will’s legs as will murmurs how fucking hot he looks as he fucks mike’s face and then they really fuck with will holding mike up against the wall with mike’s legs wrapped around will’s back as will pounds into him and fucking him into a real dumb bimbo with his makeup all smudged and giggling and drooling. mike wrapping his arms around will’s neck and gasping out ‘uh, uh, uh’s with his eyes rolling back and his body jerking with every thrust. will moaning how pretty he looked all fucked stupid and sweaty and beautiful and stretched on will’s cock. mike having an mind shattering orgasm over the praise, and then another one a few minutes later as will rams in and out of him with long, rough thrusts. will pulling out and cumming all over mike’s ass and cock and stomach. will wondering how theyre gonna clean up when mike smiles and starts licking the cum off of will’s stomach. mike licks will clean and will licks him clean, diving between mike’s legs to lick wetly at his puffy hole as mike moans
they finally dress and mike giggles while squeezing at will’s pec, saying they should get home. will looking sad because he thinks mike just wants it to be a one time thing but then mike is like no silly we should go to your home so you can fuck me again
and then they make up some shitty excuse to tell the party that jane takes but dustin, lucas, and max are all mentally face palming because they know they’re fucking bro. like they werent even trying to hide it— mike’s face was flushed and sweaty and will was looking at mike like he was starving and mike was a five star meal. but they let them leave and mike jumps on will’s cock the second they get into will’s apartment. they have a crazy sex marathon through like almost the rest of the night, both of them completely sex stupid by the end. mike sucking wetly on will’s nipple before looking at will’s face, eyes droopy, and saying ‘you’re my boyfriend now’ in a slurred voice before passing out on top of him. will strokes his hair and nods in dizzy agreement. they sleep til noon and then will wakes mike up with breakfast and they actually decide to be boyfriends, now sobered up from their crazy sex fest high. mike giggling about how will liked him all dumb and sexy and will just rolls his eyes because he cant deny it
and then so comes bimbo mike and possessive boyfriend will. people who try to flirt with mike should be glad will doesnt have his powers anymore
mike acting like he cant remember what comes after summer in front of a guy at a bar but then turning around and having an in depth conversation about astrophysics with dustin. will finds the bimbo act incredibly hot, especially since mike actually gets bimbo-ified on his cock and no one elses
anyway bimbo is a funny term and i thought this was cute
Hint: Vecna used Holly as "bait", and... let's just say it's not looking good for Karen Wheeler...
[A timeline from November 3rd to November 6th, 1986.]
Theory Overview
What happened, exactly? (a summary from Nov 3rd to Nov 6th)
November 3rd, 1986 – The Wheeler attack
Karen's tragic fate
Mike, injured but alive... just what Vecna wanted.
Holly, the "bait"
Mike's hospital stay, survivor's guilt, and becoming Mike the Brave
November 6th, 1986 – Mike's sacrifice and kidnapping
^ I'll provide evidence for all of this!
First, as usual, here's a brief overview of my main theory:
MIKE IN THE RIGHTSIDE UP
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 those 8 months. Vecna just changed the order, characters or context to suit his own narrative, keeping Mike trapped in the Rightside Up – a story with a happy ending that he wishes was true. That's why Mike's real memories will be crucial to his escape in the upcoming episodes: a reversal of the current episode descriptions.
Evidence!
ORDER OF EVENTS: Part 1 (Reality = reversed), Part 3 (12 Episodes), Part 4 (MWTFDYD), Part 9 (Wheeler attack -> Mike's kidnapping)
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)
So what happened, exactly?
This is a summary of events spanning from November 3rd to November 6th – I'll provide evidence later.
Nancy's vision came true. On November 3rd, (Lucas tells us this date) 1986, there was an attack on the Wheeler house, and Karen, Holly and Mike were put in grave danger.
Karen was fatally injured (died)
Mike was injured (survived)
Holly was kidnapped (taken into the Upside Down)
Mike was rushed to hospital for his injuries (like Karen), and forcibly sidelined from the upcoming search for his sister, Holly.
The guilt and grief from this traumatic event, along with feelings of uselessness, ate away at Mike – until he was inspired by one of his friends, who assured him that he wasn't useless; he is Mike the Brave, and he has been this whole time.
All of this led Mike to do something very brave on November 6th, 1986. When Vecna sent Demos into the hospital, Mike pulled out his IV, got out of his hospital bed, and set off an explosion to protect his friends (what Karen does in Episode 6). They were grateful Mike saved them – but they said he needed to stay in hospital to recover.
With most of the gang looking for Holly in the Upside Down, the others completing their plan to connect Will to the hivemind, and Mike left alone and severely injured... Vecna had the perfect opportunity to kidnap Mike.
And now, he's stuck in the Rightside Up – kept there by his feelings of guilt, and his desire to believe in a fantasy story with a happy ending, instead of a much more unfortunate truth.
Where does this fit into my theory?
To reiterate: everything we've seen so far from Episodes 1-8 has already happened. Vecna kept as much the same as possible, to make it more believable for Mike – And, as I outlined in my 12 Episodes theory, the remaining plot for Season 5 will be a reversal of the current episode descriptions.
Now, Mike being a part of the Wheeler attack just so happens to match up with the reversed episode descriptions. What a crazy coincidence.
Episode 12 (from my post)
Mike confronts the cost of secrecy after a vicious attack at the Wheeler home [Mike's real memory of the attack]
After navigating through the Rightside Up with Max's help, Mike will have to confront his most traumatic memories... and he'll have to revisit the day that the Wheelers were viciously attacked in their own home: November 3rd, 1986.
Now, let's get into the evidence.
The day of the Wheeler attack: November 3rd, 1986
As mentioned prior, my theory so far has been that Mike was taken on November 6th, 1986.
Well, this might seem obvious, but I literally just realised that it makes total sense for the Wheeler attack to have taken place three days prior; on November 3rd, the date Lucas directly tells us about.
Lucas: You know what date it is, right? November 3rd. Will was taken on the 6th.
Remember, Vecna would have changed as little as possible about what happened, to ensure that Mike believed his new story.
Just as the evidence suggests that Jane really did go into hiding on June 13th, 1986, the evidence suggests that the Wheeler house really was attacked on November 3rd, 1986 – except Mike was there for it.
This explains:
Why Holly, Mike's stand-in, feels so guilty about not saving her mother
Why Will goes through the exact same thing as Holly, except he is able to save his mother
Why Mike parallels Karen so heavily in ST5 (limping in a hospital gown, setting off explosives, talking to Holly about Mr Whatsit etc.)
Why Karen suddenly becomes an action hero, while Mike is sidelined (they swapped roles)
Why Holly remembers her mother falling in two different positions during the Wheeler attack
And more!
^ We'll explore all of this soon!
Karen the Hero (written by Mike Wheeler)
Throughout Season 5, in a surprising turn, Karen Wheeler becomes kind of a badass.
Protecting Holly with nothing but a broken wine bottle
Miraculously surviving two Demogorgon attacks against all odds
Providing the information that leads to Henry's defeat
Pulling the IV out of her arm and limping through the hospital
Setting off an explosion in a laundry machine, single-handedly saving four of Mike's friends
And by the end of the show, she gets a happy ending. One in which she tearfully tells her son she loves him, hugs him, watches him graduate, and calls him up for her homemade lasagna. Yes – Karen's happy ending is VERY centred around Mike, and there's a reason for that.
Out of everyone, why would Mike turn Karen into a brave hero who can survive anything? Well, heads up, it’s about to get real sad in here!
Karen: I'm fine, Michael. I'm fine.
Vickie: With all due respect, Mrs. Wheeler, you're not. You could get an infection, haemorrhage – God forbid, stop breathing.
...What if she did stop breathing?
Have you ever wondered why Holly remembers Karen lying on the kitchen floor in two totally different positions? [Episode 2 vs Episode 6]
This is why.
When Nancy found Mike and Karen, they were together in the kitchen. Mike was lying on his back near the phone with an injured throat. Meanwhile, Karen was lying on her stomach – dead from a chest wound, and not breathing. Sorry, Nancy.
(Alternatively – based on the red phone's location, Mike may have even been thrown into his own bedroom, through his own closet. Nancy even tells Robin to "call my house, tell everyone to get out of there". Maybe she did, but was too late.)
When the Wheeler house was attacked, Mike ran to Karen. Then, in the kitchen, he stood there while Karen defended him, and when she was slashed in the chest – right in front of him, like a scary movie he couldn't turn off. Karen probably never even found out the truth about the Upside Down, not until it was too late.
Mike: You saved us. [...] There's so much that I need to tell you about the Upside Down, but...
But he can't.
Mike loved his mother. He didn't want her to die. He wants to live in a world where she could've survived; where he could've told her the truth, and she could've seen him graduate, hugged him, told him she loved him, and called him upstairs from the basement one more time.
Just as Kiara said here!
And so, when Vecna kidnaps Mike later on and scrambles his memories, Mike subconsciously separates the true story of the Wheeler attack into three different characters.
Karen, Holly and Will.
He gave his injuries to Karen, and her injuries to Ted, giving his mother another chance at survival. And after that, Mike gave his own bravest moments to her too (more on this later).
Mike also gave his fears and insecurities to Holly.
Holly: When my mom was attacked, I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t even save myself. I just stood there. [...] There's nothing heroic about that.
He couldn't save his mother, only watch – and he blames himself. But as I've explored previously, Mike views his fears and struggles as childish, so he gave them to his little sister.
And then, Mike gave his deepest desires to Will. Everything he wished he could've done instead. Through him, Mike wills it all to be true.
Will: I was afraid. I was afraid for my mom.
Mike: You wanted to protect her.
Will: Yeah, but I just... couldn't. It was like this scary movie you just can't turn off.
In the edited version of Mike's story, now it's Will who couldn't save his own mother – except Mike makes it so he actually did.
All the way back in Season 1, It was Will who "put himself in danger to help the Party" in their D&D game, inspiring Mike – so, from Mike's perspective, Will the Wise is the obvious choice for a hero.
Mike: Are you positive you didn't? Turn off the scary movie, protect your mom, not the other way around?
See what Mike is doing here? He is controlling the narrative subconsciously, telling a story that he wishes was true through Will and Karen, and telling a story closer to his own reality through Holly.
Mike gave all of his "childish" fears to Holly, he gave all of his bravest moments to Karen, and he gave Will everything he ever wanted.
This way, Holly gets to be scared and comforted like any child would be. Karen survives "by some miracle"; she saves him, his friends, and herself. Will gets to accept himself for who he truly is, beat his tormentor, and be the powerful, confident hero of his own story.
And Mike, stuck in the Rightside Up, gets nothing... thereby keeping himself even more trapped, which is exactly what Vecna wants.
And, speaking of what Vecna wants...
Holly the "bait" (A.K.A. Mike Lite)
Lucas: It makes no sense that Vecna took Holly; Holly, who has nothing to do with any of this.
Or does it?
When I was first putting things together in late Jan/early Feb, I was under the impression that Holly was never actually kidnapped, and her story fully replaced Mike.
However, after re-examining the evidence? Holly was kidnapped. But she was just the bait.
^ These are my old notes btw – no need to read unless you're curious
By taking her on November 3rd, Vecna baited the gang into the Upside Down for a long and dangerous Crawl. This way, their best resources and strength would be expended during the fight for Holly, all of them would be injured, and some might even die.
Come *CRAWLING* faster, obey your master,
Your life burns faster,
Obey your master, master...
Master of puppets, I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams
All that effort to get Holly back... only for Vecna to swap her for the one he really wanted the whole time: Mike.
I'd make a deal with God, and get him to swap our places.
On November 6th, Vecna was able to do just that.
Let's explore how exactly that happened – starting with Mike's hospital stay, and ending with the brave sacrifice he made for his friends.
Survivor's Guilt! at the Hospital (feat. Lucas)
Now, before the November 3rd attack, Mike had already been feeling a truckload of guilt. We saw only the tip of the iceberg in Season 4, with how Mike considered himself both useless, and totally inferior to El...
Mike: One day she's going to realise that I'm just some random nerd that got lucky that Superman landed on his doorstep.
Mike: I'm scared that one day you'll realise you don't need me anymore.
Mike feels like he's always there, standing by his loved ones, but that no-one actually needs him around. Sure, he figures things out, but he feels like it will never be enough to repay his loved ones for everything they've done for him.
El, who sacrifices herself over and over again for her friends, because if she doesn't, who will?
Will, who goes through trauma after trauma and still remains gentle, brave and kind.
Eddie, who Mike idolised as exactly the kind of rebellious, authentic person he wants to be; he fights with Dustin about whether Eddie's sacrifice was brave or stupid, before ultimately settling on brave.
And finally, the nail in the coffin for Mike's self-image – his mother, Karen, who has always assured him that he can tell her the truth, and who he can always go to for a hug, even when he doesn't say a word. Karen, who died to protect him, never knowing the truth.
That's why Mike imagines Mike the Brave is "by his side". Not that he himself is Mike the Brave, but that he's just standing there.
He's always just standing there.
And after the November 3rd attack? All of Mike's worst fears about himself have been totally confirmed, in his mind. He is useless, he isn't brave, he isn't honest, and he survived while his mother sacrificed her life for his protection.
[Mike]: I just stood there. Why didn't I fight? Why didn't I help her?
Max: That was old [Mike]. You would now.
Mike wants nothing more than to get out there and fight... but he can't. See, Mike was badly injured during the attack. In the end, these were his injuries:
An injured leg – resulting in a limp [Karen in Ep6] [Vecna in Ep5/6] [Mike in Ep2]
An injured arm – [Karen slips on water and slams against the counter in Ep2] [Mike slips on water and slams against the wall in Ep4]
An injured throat – hurts to talk (but he talks anyway) [Karen in Ep2] [El in ST3]
Mike's throat getting injured has actually been foreshadowed for a while.
SEASON 3
Max: Does it still hurt?
El: Only when I talk.
Max: Well, it’s a good thing you’re not Mike, then. "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," and you'd be in constant pain!
Stuck in his hospital bed, Mike feels useless, cowardly, and most of all, he feels very, very guilty.
Lucky for Mike, the battle is about to take place, so his friends are coming over for one last visit.
That's when Lucas gives his speech to Mike.
Firstly, if you're curious... out of everyone at the hospital (Robin, Lucas, Joyce and Will – I'll explain later), why Lucas?
This is based off of Max's speech to Holly in Episode 6. In that scene, they each mention one character: Holly mentions Mike, and Max repeatedly mentions Lucas. In fact, "Lucas" is the first word Max says in the scene! Holly is clearly a stand-in for Mike, so... Max is probably a stand-in for Lucas.
A speech like this would fit Lucas' character arc more than the others
Lucas is in several hospital scenes with Mike already
"Lucas and Mike are an underrated duo"... Um, where exactly?
So what happens?
As stated in my 12 Episodes post, the gang cooked up two plans for the final battle:
A larger group will go into the Upside Down to find Holly
A smaller group (Robin, Lucas, Joyce, Will) will stay in Hawkins to connect Will to the hivemind.
During their preparations, the Party did everything they could to prevent themselves from being put under Vecna's curse. They realised:
Max: Music isn't the only way back. Something that connects you to the real world, to home. Something powerful. Meaningful.
Since they'll be remaining in Hawkins for the Hivemind plan, Lucas and the others visit Mike to A) say goodbye before the battle, and B) tell him this information.
This is how Lucas and Mike's conversation goes:
Lucas: [We realised that if any of us get stuck in a vision...]
Lucas: Music isn’t the only way back. [...] You just need something that’s special to you. Something that makes you feel safe, something that brings you strength, that brings you hope.
Mike: ...Mike the Brave.
Lucas: Just try and remember what he means to you.
Mike: He doesn’t mean anything important. He’s just a toy. [...] I guess I thought if I ever got scared, I could just become him. But I keep trying and it never works. No matter what I do, I’m still me. [...] When my mom was attacked, I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t even save myself. I just stood there. [...] There’s nothing brave about that.
This continues Mike's long-lasting negative self-image; as someone useless and unimportant – and his devaluing of what he views as "childish", which started all the way back in Season 2 with Mike donating all his favourite toys.
But Lucas pushes back against Mike's self-loathing.
Lucas: There was nothing that you could do in those moments, Mike. I mean, you’re a Wheeler. You’re smart. You honestly think you could’ve stopped that monster with a shovel? And, I think you're leaving a few important things out. [...]
Lucas: So you see, Mike the Brave isn’t just a toy. He’s you, Mike. He’s you.
By challenging Mike's assumptions, Lucas is able to break through his friend's self-loathing and allow him to see the truth – that this whole time, he has already been brave. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is stand there, even though you're scared.
Thanks to Lucas, Mike is no longer limited by the belief that he is a useless coward – and as an unexpected bonus, he has all the fuel he needs to do something very, very brave.
And just in time, too.
The day of Mike's kidnapping: November 6th, 1986
I've listed everything that happens in dot points, and next to them [in brackets like this], the scenes they're based on.
The gang split in two. [based on: Lucas and Erica's two plans in Shock Jock]
Most of the gang went out to find Holly in the Upside Down. [based on: the beanstalk plan from the finale, El and Hopper searching for Holly]
The other group, comprised of Joyce, Robin, Will and Lucas, planned to connect Will to the hive mind. But first, they went to the hospital to give Mike and Max one last visit. [based on: Will's hivemind plan from Shock Jock featuring Robin + Joyce + Lucas + Will, the hospital scenes with Robin + Lucas].
While the rest of the gang was putting their resources and effort into saving Holly, Vecna sent Demos into the hospital – and they came straight for Max, Robin, Lucas, Will and Joyce. [based on: Vecna sending Demos to these four characters in the MAC-Z, the tunnels, the barn, the truck, AND the hospital... and somehow they survived every time lol]
Mike heard this over the intercom. Instead of sitting there and staying safe, Mike decided to be brave. [based on: Karen hearing the hospital intercom warning + getting out of bed]
Fueled by his newfound sense of bravery and self-worth, Mike got out of bed and pulled out his IV, limping and grunting in pain. [based on: Karen limping in her hospital gown to save Robin, Lucas etc.]
Mike set off an explosion in the hospital, saving his loved ones from the Demos. He finally got to be Mike the Brave. [based on: Karen's hospital explosion, Mike exploding his "Mike the Brave" figurine in the Upside Down]
Mike had to stay behind and rest while the others completed their plan. [based on: Karen staying behind to rest while the others completed their plan]
Will: Mike, this group saved me when no-one else could. You did that. And we're about to do the same thing with Holly. We're gonna bring her back to you, Mike, I promise. Okay? Yeah?
[based on: Mike reassuring Karen]
Now that his friends are gone, and Mike is even worse for wear than before – Vecna himself appears in the hospital. [based on: Vecna appearing to Mike at the MAC-Z, Vecna appearing to Max and Holly in her memory, Will being Vecna's "spy"]
The thing is, though... Will was connected to the hivemind by this point. He could see everything Vecna was seeing, and he tried to save Mike. [based on: Will trying to save Max and Holly from Vecna in her memory]
Will: MIKE! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, YOU NEED TO RUN! RUN!
But MIKE CAN'T RUN! ...His leg.
He tried anyway, limping down the hallway as fast as he could. [based on: Mike limping down the hallway and looking behind him, Karen limping down the hallway, Max and Holly running from a limping Vecna]
Vecna (to Will): Get out. GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!
Will was knocked into a trance. [based on: Will being knocked into a trance in Shock Jock]
Mike was totally and utterly screwed.
Vecna reached Mike easily. He fell to the floor, possibly even falling down a flight of hospital stairs, and slammed his head. [based on: Mike falling to the ground and slamming his head, Holly falling down the stairs and slamming her head, Robin's fake granny in hospital who fell down a flight of stairs]
Mike was knocked out. [based on: Mike getting knocked out by Vecna's explosion at the MAC-Z, Holly knocked out from falling down the stairs]
VECNA KIDNAPPED MIKE. [based on: Vecna kidnapping Holly after she fell down the stairs, Vecna kidnapping the kids in front of Mike]
In a cruel twist of fate, it was Mike's final act of bravery that led directly to his kidnapping.
Vecna now has Will: his builder and Mike: his storyteller – exactly what he needs to complete his plan and create "something beautiful".
Well, shit, right?
What happens next?
Episode 12
Mike confronts the cost of secrecy after the vicious attack at the Wheeler home [his real memory of the attack]
Mike will have to accept the unfortunate reality that he's been trying to run from – that his mother will never learn the truth; not about the Upside Down, nor Mike's love for Will, nor any other secrets he may have kept from her.
But he'll be freed from the Rightside Up – and with this freedom, he'll let go of the idea that he needs to hide, to live in fantasy, or to be someone other than Mike, in order to be loved.
Because in the end, truth and love will triumph over fear.
Vecna can try to convince Mike that there are only two doors, but as long as Max is still running around in his mind, there's a third one.
Escape :)
...
Whew.
This was a BIG ONE, omg. It literally took me around four days to put this thing together – excluding the work I had already been doing to try and piece together Mike's explosion moment. It was worth it though. I love theorising and puzzles, so this is actually, miraculously, fun for me. Hope it was a good read for you!
Thanks for making it to the end!
Also: I found some crazy shit when I was analysing Karen's hospital scene, way too much to fit in here lol. Let's just say "I was him, I was Vecna" makes a lot more sense now – just not in *that* way.
Maybe this is a reach, but why does Robin's speech on the radio in episode 1 feel like a foreshadowing of what happens in the finale and conformitygate?
"Someday soon, they're gonna let us out of here. In the meantime, be thankful this is your home, study for that test, enjoy that TV dinner, and go on that date."
Be thankful this is your home -> Mike staying in Hawkins
Study for that test -> Dustin studying at university
Enjoy that TV dinner -> Lumax at the movie theater
Go on that date -> Will at the bar
Someday soon, they're gonna let us out of here -> conformitygate??
"It's just the Sherlock Secret Episode Psychosis again"
First of all, fuck your ablist ass.
Second, Sherlock was always an incoherent mess of a show that only worked on the surface level, the finale being just as bad was seen a mile away.
Third, I don't recall Matt Gatiss and Steven Moffat doing interviews the day the episode dropped, where all they talked about was how much the finale made no sense and their PR team letting them continue to do so.
Forth, there was never anything that suggested something else was coming, not in the show itself nor in its marketing.
Fifth, it didn't have a bag guy whose whole shtick was tormenting his victims with realistic visions that preyed on their fears.
To claim these are even remotely the same situation makes a fool of you more than it will ever make a fool out of us.
