Give me space to rant, I promise this is one and done 😭 Genuinely nothing makes sense. I feel fucking crazy still saying they’ve cut shit out but like- No painting addressing just hung in his room in the future, Mike still never said I love you, just kissed her and watched her die, there was no way he had enough time to know about kali, it wasn’t even a real boyfriend it was one mike imaged for Will, Noah had to get them to put in the tower scene to show Mike and Will were still friends, they HAD to direct Finn to not touch Noah because they were so used to it, the music choice, Robins speech, shared looks, colour coded with each other, parallels of actual couples between them (both on show and in reference), one way sigh and Mike’s closet being DESTROYED, how Will got over a ten year crush so fast or what Vecna even showed him, Will’s mirroring to Henry. ALSO They changed the order of the D&D books (which should he Max, Lucas, Will ,Dustin, Mike.) just to put Will next to Mike and have to cry looking at it for nothing? So you’re telling me you made your main character gay just so you could, abuse, manipulate, assault, rape, humiliate him AND make him side with/feel bad for his ABUSER without actually giving him a good ending ✋🏻😃 you made being queer feel like a joke, guys. Come on 😐
A whole show about “choosing individuality” and “rejecting conformity” and this is the ending you give us.
"eyes on me" "eyes on me remember" and suddenly he's 13 years old watching men with guns get torn apart by demodogs and he doesnt want these kids to see that. he doesnt want these kids to remember that the way he does. holy shit. mike wheeler.
Was Mike actually uncomfortable when Will shoved him?
One thing I’ve learned about Mike Wheeler these past few years in Stranger Things fandom is that he is one of the easiest, yet hardest character to read.
Since the release of vol. 1, Mike has been harder to read than ever. And I don’t think it was an accident. I saw this post from @notreyii on tiktok and felt inspired to make this analysis:
I don’t think Mike’s unreadable expressions are coming from Finn Wolfhard being a “bad actor.” Finn has proven time and time again his range in emotions with Mike.
Mike is most notable for his very obvious expressions when he’s:
annoyed,
confused,
angry,
and most importantly, uncomfortable.
But then there’s this expression…
This reaction to Will’s shove falls into the category of “What the hell is going on in Mike Wheeler’s head?”
Many people have used Mike’s reaction as proof that he was uncomfortable and doesn’t have feelings for Will. I wasn’t sure how to interpret Mike’s reaction until I saw the shot following this interaction.
You don’t have to be a film expert to understand the meaning behind this scene. And the fact that Robin’s speech about Tammy Thompson followed shortly after, my Byler doubt was through the roof.
But Mike’s expression still wasn’t adding up. Then I saw this clip from the airport reunion in S4E2 and it made me question if Mike was actually uncomfortable when Will shoved him.
When Argyle gives Mike unwarranted physical touch, and he is visibly uncomfortable. He tenses up, furrows his eyebrows, looks side-to-side confused, and his mouth is in a scowl.
Now let’s compare that to the field scene in S5E4.
Mike smiles back, remains eye contact, but then he looks down nervously, looking back up with an awkward smile. But then Mike’s gone, walked away from Will without another word.
I don’t know about you, but if my best friend playfully shoved me, my first reaction wouldn’t be to flee. Mike is still completely oblivious to Will being gay and in love with him (that is if nothing happened between them during the 18 month timeskip), so why would he interpret it as anything more than a platonic push if he wasn’t thinking it already?
I tried to imagine what Mike’s reaction would be if it were any of the other party members that shoved him, and the only reaction that seemed realistic was his notable confused stare (similar to the one he gave Argyle), not whatever the hell that reaction was with Will.
IN CONCLUSION
I think as the audience, we’re supposed to view Mike’s reaction as unrequited, especially when we’re looking at him through the eyes of Will (and hell, maybe it is, we won’t know until vol. 2 and the finale). However, the Duffer’s have made it very clear how much they love a good plot twist. Just look at Will having Vecna’s powers and the return of Kali. And that combined with the lack of perspective from Mike and his unreadable expression the entirety of vol. 1, I’m starting to view “the shove” differently.
I could be wrong, might as well call me kdthedelusional, but I’m not backing down.
Vol. 1 has been all about Will’s perspective and his journey through self-acceptance, and I think we’ll finally get to see Mike’s perspective in vol. 2 and the finale.
I mean, just look at Mike in the last scene of vol. 1:
⋅˚₊‧ ୨Kenny୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ @yurinatingonthefloor - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
