This feels like my ga viewer parents or my sister who do not like byler because they do not like mike. The classic 'i do hate mike and will deserves better' mindset. I am afraid the duffers consequentially created negative outcome when they tried to make the ga feel sorry for will and wanted to tank mlvn by making it more cringe than it already is. it made many people either dislike mike, see will as a ''crybaby'' and not care for byler because they did not enjoy their dynamic.

yeah exactly like i think people are supposed to not be enamored with mike rn but idk i find it crazy in general that people who do think he's queer (twt bylers) and thus have some idea of what he's been going through seem to still have little to no empathy for him. because that's supposed to be the missing piece that's keeping the general audience from connecting with him yk so if you have that and you still barely like him it's like...idk. then it's kind of on them but also maybe once it's on screen and it feels more tangible they'll feel for him more. i feel like the lack of empathy might also have to do with the difference in time period a bit? like with people insisting (not in so many words) that he has to not know he's gay or he would be an awful person for still being with a girl etc. i think like you said and like people have said before instead of leading to people disliking them as a couple all the bad mlvn scenes made people not only dislike but hate mike. and like i just said i think part of it's intentional they had to know people would be frustrated with him but they're sooo frustrated with him...and i think part of the reason why is like anon said the only thing people remember him doing this season is complaining about his girlfriend to the guy who's in love with him. which sounds frustrating just writing it