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dxncingwithastrxnger · 2 years

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Okay, but

Why in hell are there so many people that continuously claim that El needs to be single in order to be independent and become the person she's meant to be? Single and independent are not synonyms. Independent does not mean alone. That's not how it works. They're not interchangeable. You don't need one in order to have the other.

No matter who you do and don't ship, my point still stands. There's so many people that have said it. And among those people, there's so many that claim she needs to be single in order to be herself, to be independent, and use that as their excuse for thinking El and Mike need to breakup, but then go and say that Mike and Will can get together afterwards. Or that El and Max can get together afterwards. If someone needs to be single in order to be independent, does that make everyone else who is in a relationship dependent? Not their own person? Hell no.

And I've also seen so many people claim that El takes after Mike. That Mike is always pushing his likes and interests on habits onto El. That he doesn't let her be her own person and that's what makes their relationship so "bad". That's what makes them have so many issues. Especially in season 3. But no, it's the opposite. They had so many issues in season 3 because El is independent. Because they are two different people. If El wasn't her own independent person, she wouldn't of gone to Max. She wouldn't of followed Max's lead and broken up with Mike. She wouldn't of gone on this whole journey of discovering new parts of herself and as well as exploring all of her relationships with people and then also returning to her relationship with Mike of her own free will and choice if she was not an independent person. If El was solely dependent on Mike and her personality and existence was based on Mike's specifically without her making any of her own choices, she would never have broken up with him in the first place. And in season 4, she wouldn't of argued with him so much.

Mike and El have their issues because they are both 2 different, very independent people who are also both very much teenagers and very much human. But everytime they've had an issue, they've worked through it, just like two people who are in a relationship and want to stay in that relationship do. Some people say that at the end of season 4, they're at their weakest point in their relationship. But no, it's the opposite, they're actually at their strongest. Why would it show them cuddled up together in the hospital while visiting Max if they were still having issues? It's been made plenty clear that if El is mad at Mike, she doesn't want to be around him, so she would definitely not be leaning against his shoulder and holding onto him if she was still upset with him, no matter what was going on around them at the time.

So I've said it before, I'm saying it now, and I will continue to say it in the future. Mike and El are both independent people, even while together. El does not need to breakup with Mike in order to be her own person or to be independent. That is not how it works. Mike and El can both be their own person while also being together. They both are their own person while being together. Just because that person isn't who you personally want them to be, doesn't mean that they aren't their own person or that they need to change some part of them or their life in order for things to be "solved". And El especially does not have to have some "I don't need a man" mentality and lifestyle in order to be her own, usual, badass and awesome self. She's already badass and independent and awesome and incredible and intelligent and unique whether she's in a relationship with Mike or not. Her relationship status does not decide her personality and character and it never has and it never will.

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suzieburself · 10 months

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Mike and El’s Opposing arcs in Season 3 and how They Will Lead to the Downfall of Mileven

This will mostly cover season 3, but I’m going to briefly go through the first 2 seasons as well for a bit of context to the overall analysis

Season 1

The milder version of the born sexy yesterday trope. A lot of smart people have already analyzed this but it’s basically when the nerdy male protagonist that’s easy to project onto gets the superpowered woman who knows nothing about the world. The Duffers faced some backlash for this and said they were subverting the genre by giving El some independence.

Season 2

Separates the two to give El a new arc not centered around Mike at all while Mike is centered around both her and Will. At the end, they still have had pretty much zero real conversation but they do share a kiss.

With these two seasons in mind, it seems obvious to the GA that they are in love, but in reality, there is a lot to question in their relationship. Is it really love if El is the first girl that’s ever shown interest in Mike? Is it love if Mike is the first person her age to ever show her any kindness? Is it love if they’ve never had an emotional talk? Is it love or is it still just the born sexy yesterday trope?

Queue season 3 answering these questions…

This is where I can see people disagreeing, but here is what I believe to be El’s arc first throughout season 3, how she gets her independence to throw off the trope and proves her genuine love for Mike.

Eleven

The season starts off with the Mileven makeout where they playfully disagree and then Mike has to leave, already opening up the illusion that this season is going to be full of Mileven. Then what happens? They break up the next episode and stay broken up for pretty much the whole season. The breakup opens up for the Max and El friendship and for El to become her own person away from Mike.

With Max’s advice, she dumps Mike, not because she doesn’t want to be with him, but because there is a clear lack of communication in their relationship. And although El seems generally happy broken up with Mike and hanging out with Max, Max does have to reassure her that Mike will come crawling back to her.

The most interesting El line from the season is “How do I know what I like?”

This holds a lot of significance in terms of Mileven because again, El is very new to the society and all relationships. She’s still figuring herself out and I think this line perfectly captures her arc this season of figuring out what she likes or in this case, who?

Through the season, we see her warming back up to Mike during the sauna test, at the hospital, and then when she overhears him at the cabin. Max gives her a lot of advice, but ultimately, no one tells her whether or not she should get back with Mike. That is her decision that she comes to at the end of the show.

So, where does El’s arc wrap up?

Now she has a female friend which is one of her strongest platonic relationships, she has a father, and she gets to act more like a normal teenage girl and discover what she loves, in other words, she’s starting to fully figure herself out. She’s now a more fleshed out character that doesn’t fall into the born sexy yesterday trope with complicated relationships and real interests. So that leaves the ultimate question… Where does Mike fall into all this?

And that leads us to the closing of the season. This is where El decides that she does know what she likes and even with everything else in her life, even with her independence, she still wants to be in a relationship with Mike.

Whether you ship Mileven or not, the break up was absolutely necessary for El’s narrative, allowing her feelings to finally be truly confirmed and real. “I love you, too,” she says and this is absolutely genuine, at least based on the rest of her arc.

So if El’s romantic love of Mike is genuine, then it must be true for Mike as well, right? Obviously, he wants to get back with El just as much as she does with him. Obviously, they are the main couple and so what if they have a small fight? Clearly Mike and El would have similar arcs since they are soulmates and meant to be, right? Right????

Mike

It’s all in the opposing narratives of Mike and El in this season (and honestly the other seasons as well) which is laid out for us in the first scene where they want different things (Mike singing and El telling him to stop). Sure it could be not that deep, but let's look at the two characters narratively speaking.

Mike is in the perfect nuclear family, he has interests, personality, and good friends. Sure he’s not popular, but like he says in season 4, what if he doesn’t want to be? The only thing he’s missing? A girlfriend, obviously. We all know in order for someone’s life to be complete, they need a romantic interest.

Original pitch for Mike’s character for the Montauk Project (now Stranger Things)- “Mike Wheeler is twelve. He is a cute kid, but a birthmark on his left cheek leads to much bullying and near-crippling insecurity. He has never had a first kiss, much less a girlfriend. He escapes his insecurities through reading fantasy novels, spending time with his three best friends (Lucas, Dustin, and Will), and retreating into his own vivid imagination. The Dungeon Master of his Dungeons and Dragons group, he writes sprawling adventures with fantastical monsters. When he finds himself on a real adventure, facing real monsters, he will discover a courage he didn't know he had. By the end, he will even kiss a girl.” (Taken from Stranger Things Wiki)

His arc surrounds a lot of things, but kissing and being with a girl to fight his insecurity is very obviously one of them.

If we look at Eleven, her arc isn’t about romance at all. Her arc is about discovering the world and finding friends and family who love her, things Mike already has. This comes to fruition at the end of season 3 where she gets everything, friends, family, and romance. When El is without Mike, she actually grows her other relationships such as with Hopper in Season 2 and Max in Season 3 (one could even argue Will in season 4).

The opposite ends up being true for Mike when he’s with El. Season 3 is the first time we actually get to see them act as a real couple (excluding the Snow Ball) and it is also the first time we see a rift in the party, specifically caused by Mike. Mike and El are the first ones to leave Dustin and the others in the first episode, he’s the one late to the movies, prioritizing El who he sees every day, over his friends. Sure Lucas is also responsible for making fun of Will’s campaign but that’s not who Will calls out…

“You’re ruining our party!”

“You’re destroying everything and for what? So you can swap spit with some stupid girl?”

Everyone is putting the blame on Mike and his prioritization of El over everyone else. So while El is making friends, Mike is losing them.

Another difference between the two is how they receive relationship advice. This is both of their first relationships so obviously it’s normal to go for advice, but the key is when. Max gives El advice on breaking up with Mike, sure, but she follows her heart in terms of getting back together with him.

In the hospital scene, this is the first time after their break up that they are interacting alone. This only ever happened because Lucas pushed Mike to talk to her, to give her the olive branch. Without him, Mike would have continued to do nothing and let them be broken up.

Through all of this, we still don’t quite have a grasp on Mike’s real feelings. Sure we know he thinks getting back with Eleven would be “logical”, but does he love her? Well, just like El, Mike does get a moment similar to El’s love confession at the end of the season that is supposed to prove Mike’s true feelings, but just like everything else, it is pretty much the opposite of El’s.

“I love her and I can’t lose her again!” This is loud, this is panicked, this is public, and this wasn’t even supposed to be something Eleven heard.

Compared to El’s “I love you, too,” which was quiet, something she took time considering saying, during an intimate moment, and something that was only supposed to be for Mike’s ears.

Hm, I wonder which one was more genuine?

And if you think just saying he loves El is enough, well look at season 4. Why would they reuse the plot of Mike not being able to say he loves El if it’s so obvious he does love her and already said it? Just the fact that that was an actual plot line proves this one wasn’t enough to prove Mike’s real feelings.

So still, Mike’s true feelings in his relationship with El are hidden from us.

And this brings me to the other differences in Mike and El’s actions at the very end of the season when the Byers move.

All of the romance in this goodbye is initiated by El. Mike’s being friendly, sure, but he doesn’t make any romantic moves on her. El even tries to flirt with him and he is so friendly with her, it becomes incredibly awkward.

And as El fulfills her arc and initiates a kiss with Mike, saying how she loves him, and making it her own decision, what does Mike do?

Absolutely nothing. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t kiss her back. He doesn’t even close his eyes.

Thus ends El’s arc.

And thus opens Mike.

Thus answers the question of El loving Mike with a “yes”.

And answering the question of Mike loving El with an “I think so?” at best, a “no” at worst, but more likely than not, and “I’m not really sure yet”.

I’m not going to go into detail surrounding season 4, but his arc only continues from there. We still don’t have that moment of “oh, he loves her” (and if you think it’s the monologue then I don’t really know what to say…). I want to go into more detail of this in a different post and how Byler ties in to that.

In conclusion, after season 3, we are able to determine El’s feelings as genuine and are not able to yet figure out Mike’s.

The question still stands, how do we know what he likes?

#anti mileven #byler #mike wheeler #stranger things #stranger things analysis #mileven analysis #eleven hopper

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mikewheelergayat14 · 1 year

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okay so milevens, be so absolutely for real with me, do you really think you would ship mileven if will was a girl, or would you ship byler?

i'm gonna be honest i would probably have shipped byler from the beginning if will was like, jill, and i'm almost 100% sure my entire family would have too.

also in this scenario will is instead a girl named jill, and the girls that showed interest in him are boys for convenience.

reblog or leave a note to answer!!

#byler #mileven #mike wheeler #will byers #el hopper #jane el hopper #jane hopper #stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things analysis #byler analysis #mileven analysis #mike wheeler is in love with will byers #mike wheeler i know what you are #mike wheeler is fruity #mike wheeler is not straight #byler endgame #byler truther

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lenorahills · 1 year

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Some Mileven Analysis in time for Mileven Day tomorrow.

I think an important discussion to have about their relationship is how it’s born and stems from trauma, neurodiversity, breaking of gender roles, familial situations. And it’s not something I see talked about too much. It’s something I am glad ST4 went in depth with. I think some people... and some still are, basking in the "puppy love" phase of their relationship. To be honest, most shows with adolescent characters either go into unrealistic grittiness or continue with that innocence. Mike and El’s relationship takes very bold steps while still remaining realistic.

I respect ST4 and the writers for taking that risk and giving these characters some serious emotional stakes in their relationship because of the aforementioned things I listed. It’s the kind of writing that is extremely rewarding when looking back on one, two, three and now four seasons of set-up and growth. I cannot believe some sections of this fandom overlook what their relationship has shaped into or flat out despise it and I genuinely feel bad for that crowd because they’re missing out.

When you have a relationship built from the literal inciting incident of the show there’s a lot to work through.

Mike and El’s relationship tackles: gender roles (something so shocking Mike flat out states in the text ie: Lois Lane and Superman and the inverse of traditional masculine/feminine “roles”), trauma (Mike’s anxiety over losing El, El’s lab abuse) and neurodiversity (El is coded with an intellectual impairment of some sort), how familial circumstances influence giving/receiving love (El’s isolation from the world for over a decade vs. Mike’s suburban home-life isolation despite having family) you emerge so much of what makes their relationship work. Two people from vastly different backgrounds/upbringings that share a common understanding: love.

Understanding feels like the thesis to their relationship. Is it no coincidence that two of their most important scenes utilise the word? “Mike, I understand.” said by El in season one and “Guess I don’t really understand.” and “What don’t I understand?” said by Mike in season four. It’s fascinating that these two scenes in particular are almost an inverse of each other. (Not to mention the particular inclusion of the phrase Mouthbreather in both which feels intentional). Through the season with their respective interpersonal and intrapersonal exploration can they fully understand what the others situation is like. And they do this each season coming back stronger. ST4 is simply a major cap to their understanding of each other.

And some were not prepared for that and just took to look for alternative narratives to justify a character's behaviour rather than see it for what it is—understanding what love means to yourself and someone else. That’s some serious hard-hitting writing for your characters and I think they (Mike and El) came out of this season stronger together.

ST4 Mileven is not getting the writing credit it deserves. It’s a beautiful look at love in strange situations that are hard to comprehend but by taking the time to understand—yourself, your partner, your world, your identity— you grow together.

#Stranger Things #Stranger Things 4 #Stranger Things Analysis #Stranger Things Meta #Mike Wheeler #El Hopper #Eleven #Mileven #Mileven Analysis #Text

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sandinmybed · 1 year

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Passive vs Active Mike analysis: El is going to have to be the one who dumps Mike.

I’ve been having a discussion with some twitter mutuals and we’ve drawn this conclusion, I thought i’d share it with you guys

Mike is very passive in their relationship. In s1, he calls El pretty and kisses her, but that’s the only times he advances their relationship intentionally himself. In s3 they spend a lot of time kissing, but think about that awkward makeout scene - Mike pulls away to sing at her. Mike keeps pulling her hands down away from his face. When they ditch the Party at weathertop, El is the one who says they have to go home. Later in s3, El is the one who dumps him, and he’s pissed off, but he just takes it. He shows no clear desire to get her to take him back (unlike Lucas, who’s pretty concerned with getting the olive branch from Max.) And then the contrast to his fight with Will that we’re all so familiar with - Mike fights with El, gets dumped, he takes it. Mike fights with Will, Will runs off, Mike actively chases after him through pouring rain to apologise and beg him for forgiveness.

In the S3 end scene where El comes up and kisses him, he just stands there. They don’t talk about getting back together. Mike doesn’t visibly reciprocate in any way, doesn’t even smile. He is passive, he just sort of lets it happen. He even sort of blocks her from kissing him when they’re all hugging as the Byers leave. When Will comes up to him to dump his DnD books, Mike is active, he asks the question to confirm their standing with one another - "What if you wanna join another party?" - and is happy with Will's response.

Another example of Mike's passivity in their relationship is the way Mike takes very little responsibility for their problems. For example, treating El “like garbage/like a pet” in her words, during their relationship in s3. When he lies to her and tries to apologise, he has no idea what he's doing and lets Lucas lead him. The few efforts he does make towards getting her back are supported heavily by Lucas, in fact. When she dumps him at the mall, he's like okay, whatever, no girlfriend then. But when he’s a dick to Will? Instant regret as soon as he realises he's gone too far, he doesn't wait around trying to analyse the situation, he's right out the door and he goes full on grovelling hands-and-knees begging to apologise.

In S4 the same thing happens - he pisses off El, can’t say her loves her, but instead of accepting that responsibility, he denies it and says he does say it (clear lie) and that El’s being ridiculous. When he pisses off Will, he’s straight in there to take responsibility for ignoring Will, he says Will didn’t deserve the bad treatment (and honestly, Will’s not even fully innocent either if you wanna get into that lol). He even apologises going back months and months. He’s passive with El, allowing her to yell at him and makes no real effort to defend himself or fix it. With Will, he’s active - he makes the move to apologise and reconnect.

Excluding their kiss in s1, every time Mike takes initiative and is active in their relationship, it’s never a romantic action. When he’s giving her shelter and food, when he’s calling her every day trying to find her (after she vanished in front of him) and when he and the Byers go on the road trip to find her, none of that is inherently romantic. The one time he says he loves her, she isn't even present, but Mike is desperate not to lose her/for El not to get hurt by their plan. Mike is active when it comes to protecting her.

The one active step he does take in their relationship is the monologue, but is that actually active? He's pretty much constantly being told by other people that being with El is the "right" thing to do - Nancy in s1/2 assumes he's into her, Lucas in s3 tries to help fix their relationship, just like Will in s4. Mike has been led to believe by Will that this will save their relationship, and he has an immense amount of trust in Will, so he follows what he thinks is right and tells her he loves her, because he's afraid she will literally die if he doesn't.

This is why I think El is going to have to be the one who officially dumps him. Mike never takes the initiative in their relationship. He didn't want to talk to her about getting back together in s3, and he didn't want to acknowledge their issues in s4 either. I've seen plenty of people (myself included) who believe that during the scene in Surfer Boy Pizza, El was going to officially break up with him. They got interrupted, and then it was too late.

But starting with s5, we've got the painting lie, and we've got Hopper back, and Mike is back on good terms with Will. El isn't talking to him, and they're dealing with the apocalypse, and it's strongly implied that El knows he was lying to her. I think El's going to dump him in s5, and he's going to ask about the painting, which she knows nothing about. I think that's going to happen fairly early on in the season, maybe even before the time skip, and be the catalyst for a lot of changes (and hopefully some more personal growth for both of them!) But Mike will not take that step himself.

#i was meant to be writing my dissertation lol #mike wheeler analysis #mileven analysis #anti mlvn #milkvan analysis #anti milkvan #eleven #stranger things analysis #stranger things theory #st5 theory #byler #< target audience #mike wheeler is gay

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byers-bowlcut · 1 year

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I've seen people say El likes the IDEA of having a boyfriend more than she actually likes her own boyfriend, and jfc it's so true 😭 Like it's all over the show:

Season 1

She's initially attached to Mike because he's the first person to give her shelter, food, genuine human care and just,, not calling CPS immediately. Her feelings for him was born from trauma and dependency in season 1. And throughout the rest of the 3 seasons, we don't see it grow past that.

Also I think it's noticeable in S1 that:

She was uninterested when Mike tried to share his hobbies with her

She also did not seem to mind AT ALL when she questioned if Mike could be her brother. He voice is neutral and curious here, not the least bit repulsed by the thought of being siblings with Mike, like girl does not care 😭

Season 2

This season has zero onscreen moments of Mike and El actually getting to know each other further. They were separated nearly the whole season.

What we DO see:

El's attachment and dependency on Mike that was developed from S1

We also find out how El spent a year of her life watching melodramatic romance films. Many other middle schoolers might identify that relationships in real life don't work like those films. But El is fresh out of lab life, she's literally learning the world through this TV, and has now become obsessed with the IDEA of having a boyfriend/relationship just like that.

Season 3

Again, no onscreen moments of El showing interest in who Mike is as a person.

The very first scene we see of them, she's trying to get him to stop singing along to the song they're listening to. She seems to like kissing Mike. But isn't shown enjoying anything actually characteristic about him, like sharing interests with him such as music.

Hopper indicates that they don't do anything meaningful together either. We see here that before hanging out with Max, El had little sense of her own style, her hobbies, her interests- meaning spending time with Mike for months probably didn't involve many talking points did it?

Also in season 3, El dumps Mike with ZERO hesitation. Then she has the time of her life with Max. The most acknowledgment we get that she's oh so heartbroken is a small frown to Max that her and Mike aren't on best terms. And even that doesn't seem so paramount cause 1 episode later she totally dismisses Mike after he explains how Hopper threatened him. She just tells him maybe Hopper was right 😭😭

It's literally ONLY once she starts becoming in danger that she starts clinging onto him again. I feel like we've seen this film before hm.

Like where are any signs that she likes Mike as an individual, and is falling for who he really is, rather than simply being attached due to trauma, and liking the concept of doing romantic things (ie: kissing, dancing at the ball, etc.)

Season 4

This is the season it becomes the MOST OBVIOUS: El loves the concept of a happy relationship and being loved, but not really loving Mike for who he is. And bringing in Will's feelings just emphasizes this point.

To start, El continues doing all these relationship-y things that she did in the start of S3. She has Mike's name and pictures plastered all over her room. She makes a "Mike box" with his pictures decorated all over it. But the thing is: this is all sort of a façade at this point. We know she's BEEN unhappy with him for months ("From Mike! From Mike! From Mike!"). But with all these items, she's basically trying to convince herself that she's in this happy, fantasy, movie-like relationship, like she probably watched in hopper's cabin in season 2.

And then, there's the sheer difference between her and WILL in their feelings for Mike. We see it right off the bat when Mike comes to the airport: Will and El both have plans to give Mike something.

Will plans to give him a painting he worked extremely hard on. The painting is a connection of what they BOTH love: DnD, and it includes their friends who also play the game. It's very personal and immediately touches Mike. What's more is, the painting illustrates the exact qualities about Mike that Will loves: his leadership, his bravery, his guidance. This painting literally spells out to us that Will truly loves Mike for WHO HE IS.

Meanwhile, El plans on giving Mike a fun reunion date. She has the whole day planned out. And immediately: we see that what she wants to do doesn't actually takes Mike's interests and personality into consideration. You can see and hear the strain in his voice when he talks about "burritos for breakfast" 😬

You can see how he's not that relaxed at rinkomania, and nervous about skating, saying he's clumsy. He probably would've much preferred movies and playing a board game, over skating. But El has her own ideas. When she brings Mike to rinkomania, she tries to act really cool about it. She wants to impress him, wants to seem like she fits in and belongs.

Her present was never actually ABOUT Mike, and about loving Mike that she would plan this huge date for him. Her present was about her desperately wanting to have this cool date like every other normal teen girl might, with a normal boyfriend, and make it seem like they have a happy perfect relationship.

And then finally we reach their S4 fight. I find it extremely interesting how Hopper's cabin is framed in the background during their whole fight. It's almost like an indication that her desperate need to be loved by Mike stems from her trying to cope with losing Hopper and the hole left by him, that clearly did not exist when she happily dumped Mike in S3.

In their fight, when the topic of bullying comes up, Mike says he understands her, but El is quick to say he doesn't. She thinks Mike doesn't understand her, but this is just as much her not understanding HIM as well.

She doesn't get the extent of Mike's insecurities (definitely partially a result of bullying), something that Mike later divulges to WILL and not her. If the writers wanted to show us how much El understands Mike and loves him for who he is, her and Mike would work through his insecurities in their rs together, NOT through a middle man.

Overall it's pretty striking that we've never once heard El actually compliment Mike, or articulate, or even show what exactly she loves about him through four whole seasons. I mean...

Attachment to him due to trauma or grief =/= loving him for who he is.

Wanting to BE loved =/= loving him for who he is.

So really in terms of a relationship, what El ACTUALLY wants is the concept/idea of a regular boyfriend, and a happy easy relationship, all in an attempt to feel normal. And that's why we see them fall apart the way they do in season 4, and why Will is currently so involved. Because Will DOES see and love Mike for exactly who he is.

#eleven hopper #mike wheeler #will byers #byler #analysis on el's character and her feelings for mike #anti mileven #stranger things

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strangerthanyou011 · 11 months

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will and mike when they first met: i’m not the only one who’s lonely

will and mike in season 1: i’m not the only freak

will and mike in season 2: i’m not the only one who feels crazy

will and mike in season 3: i’m not the only one struggling to survive puberty and figure out who i am if i’m not a kid anymore

will and mike in season 4: i’m not the only one who’s afraid to be honest with people about my feelings

will and mike in season 5: i’m not the only one who’s gay and in love with my best friend???!?

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willbyersabyss · 11 months

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the way they established in s1 that people thought El looked like a boy AND that she looked like Will before they started developing Mike’s “crush” on her is so funny to me

#this is going in my gay mike analysis for sure #byler #anti mileven

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pinkeoni · 11 months

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“And yet, you still have a C in Spanish”

The meaning behind this is so obvious I’m kicking myself for not noticing it sooner.

Dustin and Mike are in a friendly battle of “My girlfriend is better than your girlfriend” brought on by Dustin, who wants to brag about his amazing girlfriend.

Mike’s rebuttal is “Well, El is a superhero.”

And yet—

—or what Dustin is really saying, maybe without meaning to, is “You’re girlfriend is a superhero, and yet it’s not enough.”

Sure. C’s are fine. It’ll pass the class. “C’s get degrees” as they say. But it’s not an A.

This is the show telling us through Dustin, in big red letters, that Mike’s relationship with El is not adequate.

It’s funny that both of the classes being discussed here are language classes. The class that Suzie changed the grade for was Latin.

Dustin talks to his devout Mormon girlfriend, is honest about his grade, and she’s willing to cheat for him. As a result, he gets an A in language.

What’s also funny is the fact that the Duzie moment takes place right after we see Mike reading El’s letter. You know, the one full of lies. You know, the ones that Mike has been responding to with “From, Mike.”

As such, Mike get’s a C in language.

#byler #anti mileven #anti milkvan #duzie #stranger things #stranger things analysis #mike wheeler #dustin henderson #suzie bingham

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wheeler-fan · 1 month

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Can we please talk about how people downplay Mike's trauma over losing Will and El?

Mike lost Will, first Will went missing while returning from Mike's house which probably made Mike feel guilty, then he literally watched his body being fished out of the water, there was even a funeral. People don't pay attention to how hard these days must have been for him - and why? because Will is back, safe and sound. People in the fandom and the characters in the show, no one pays attention to it. Fans think that how much Mike cares for Will in season two is a reflection of his romantic feelings for him - no one wants to connect it to his trauma. The characters in Stranger Things don't pay attention to it either because Will is back so it doesn't count, everyone talks about Nancy losing Barb but no one talks about Mike because at least his friend is back.

Mike lost El, and he was literally going crazy even though he had only known her for a few days. He fell into depression and couldn't come to terms with the loss so he was calling her for 353 days. Her return is a miracle from heaven for Mike, and the way he behaves after her return, how much he cares for her, what makes him look like someone who wants to control her even though he doesn't. All this is the result of the trauma he had to go through alone without any help. People say Mike has no trauma which always surprises me because people see Nancy's trauma after losing her friend or Joyce's trauma after losing her lover, so why can't they see Mike's? because the two people he was mourning are back, and no one cares about Mike's feelings anymore. This boy had to (still has to) do everything he could to look like a normal teenager without any problems because no one took his problems seriously anymore.

remember, this post is not about romantic things related to this character, it doesn't matter if you ship byler or mileven, this is a post about mike and his trauma, take it easy, thank you

#stranger things #mike wheeler #mileven #byler #eleven hopper #will byers #mike wheeler defender #mike wheeler analysis #mike wheeler deserves better #mike wheeler defense squad

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nicxxx5 · 1 year

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mike did mix up platonic and romantic love with el.

at the beginning of s3 all mike and el did was kiss. it's heir first relationship and they're 13, tbh there's not much else they were going to do/knew to do. mike enjoyed kissing el physically. he liked doing it. he thought it was fun and what he was supposed to do in a relationship because kissing is considered romantic.

when mike said "i love her and i don't want to lose her" he did actually love el. he lost her before at the end of s1 and through s2 when he thought she was gone. he thought he would never see her again till she walked through the byers door. also he had taken care of her in s1 and helped her stay safe from the people at the lab while she helped him find will. mike does care for her enough to say that he loves her.

but at the end of s3 mike realizes he has mixed up those feelings when she kisses him. when el kisses him after saying she loves him, he realizes that the love for her isn't romantic. he realizes he enjoyed kissing her, but there was no romantic attachment to it. because mike has kissing associated with being something romantic couples do, he realizes that he doesn't love el in a romantic way. hearing her confession then kissing him right after put those romanticized feelings into perspective for him. he was explicitly faced with the idea that his love and el's love for each other are different. this is why he reacts the way he does. he didn't lie in s3 when he said he loves her, he just didn't know at the time it was a different type of love he was feeling.

#stranger things #stranger things analysis #mike wheeler #mike wheeler analysis #eleven #el hopper #eleven jane hopper #mileven analysis #byler #mike wheeler i know what you are #platonic mileven #romantic vs platonic #gay mike wheeler #bi mike wheeler #im still indifferent so i will be tagging both #stranger things s3 #stranger things s3 analysis #stranger things theory #el jane hopper

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dxncingwithastrxnger · 2 years

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Not me just now realizing the s3 and s4 Mileven parallel where in s3, El was getting choked by Billy and then Mike saved her by hitting Billy with the pipe or whatever and then in s4, El was getting choked by Vecna's vines and then Mike saved her again by telling her he loves her and giving her the strength and motivation to fight and get herself untangled

Nope, not thinking about that at all. I'm not crying, you're crying, ssssshhhhhhh

#purple_strxnger #how did i just now realize that #id never even thought about it before until now what the heck #it was literally right there #im just a lil slow #and dont pay attention as much as i should #whoopsies #but ive figured it out now so yayyyy #have it tumblr peeps #and all my lovely mileven mutuals #ily guys <3 #stranger things #mileven #mike wheeler #el hopper #eleven #mileven parallels #mileven analysis #stranger things parallels

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paladintoyourcleric · 8 months

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"But Mileven had been built up for 4 seasons"

What tf do you mean built up, they kissed a week after they met.

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0daylighthours0 · 28 days

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Just started ST s4 with my Mama, we're halfway through episode 3, and gosh are her opinions noteworthy.

Firstly, she has been very pissed at Mike and the way he's been treating El. Y'know that scene at the dinner table, the one where Joyce or someone was asking about what happened at Rink O' Mania, and Mike makes a comment over how the girl El schmacked with a skate "didn't look fine" - single handedly escalating the ready sensitive situation? My mother, quote:

"Oh- shut up you! Y'know if [insert my father's name here] did that I'd smack him."

"You'd dump his ass?"

"I'd dump his ass."

I've now asked for her thoughts on milkvan's relationship (she's oblivious to my ulterior motives) and she told me that it doesn't seem as if Mike loves El anymore, that he isn't treating her like he does.

She also reads the way Mike is acting towards Will as very strange. She can't fathom a reason as to why they'd seemed so close previously, yet now have Mike pushing Will away and being distant. Why he's treating him strangely.

"It's very weird."

This is made all the more prevalent as we're watching these seasons back to back, the difference in Mike's behaviour being night and day.

Now listen up listen up. My mother, is NOT a fan of queer things. She'll try and evade this being a possibility for any movie or show character until the fact of their gayness is outright confirmed. This is why, at this second, Mike is very confusing to her. I don't even think she's put two and two together about Will's sexuality yet. But man when I tell you she is catching on. Like she doesn't know what's up with Mike, but her only ways for describing his act have been synonyms to the word 'weird'.

Can you just imagine if we didn't have a closeted explanation for this guy? What even would his character excuse be???

Man I can not wait to get to those undeniable byler moments. If she, my mother, think that Mike seems gay? then, guys, he is gay.

#stranger things #stranger things 4 #byler #byeler #anti milkvan #anti mileven #stranger things byler #byler is endgame #byler is real #byler is canon #byler proof #byler rights #byler analysis #byler endgame #byler tumblr #byler nation #mike wheeler #will byers #mike wheeler is gay

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love-byers · 2 years

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it’s been a year, mike. (MAJOR BYLER REVELATION INCOMING---MUST READ)

mike and will constantly saying "a year" or "all year" when talking about the time since the move when it's only been six months keeps me up at night

i saw people talking about how they say a year when it was only 6 months because they’re idiots in love and are being dramatic. as cute as that is, i didn’t really buy it until RIGHT NOW. i just saw it as a cute headcanon, but now i see that the writers could be enabling you to make this realization by use of subtext.

allow me to explain

^ these are the three times they say it

at first i thought the writers may have just used year because that’s less confusing for the audience because 1 year time jumps have been used before in stranger things and are super popular in books/movies/tv shows. BUT, it clicked for me that that doesn’t make sense. the timeline in stranger things has always been acknowledged. throughout s1 we hear the amount of time will has been missing several times (as far as i remember). in s2, mike counted the days el had been gone. he called her every night for 353 days. when el and hopper argue in s2, el uses specific numbers to tell us how long she’s really been with him. in s3 hopper specifically says ‘6 long months’ when talking about how long he’s been dealing with mike (lol). that's the same amount of time between s3 & s4, yet mike and will don't say 6 months, they say year. there’s a date at the start of every season. and in s4, el says this in her letter to mike.

185 days = 6 months (almost on the dot)

the writers have specifically told us how long it’s been since they moved, down to the amount of days. and it’s 6 months, not a year. this makes it very hard for me to write off mike and will saying ‘year’ as just the writers slipping up. also in el’s letter, she says this:

this is INSANE.

mike and will are saying the wrong amount of time. the writers aren’t stupid, they know how much time has passed since season 3. THEY WROTE IT. i’m a writer as well, and i know how much time is passing between what im writing because I CREATED IT. IT CAME FROM MY BRAIN. and like i said, the stranger things writers have proven to be very keen on dates and time. all of this happening in the same season is not a slip up, its on purpose. stranger things 4 had a 30 million dollar budget PER EPISODE. do the math--that’s 270 MILLION DOLLARS. and yes, i know they supposedly forgot will’s birthday, but that’s different. his birthday is a date that was mentioned one time and served no purpose aside from creating emotional tension in that one scene. none of their birthdays are important to the plot, hell, will’s is the only one mentioned in the show and it wasn’t even on his birthday. one date that was mentioned one time and never brought up again is NOT the same as continuous attention given to timelines/time jumps over the course of all four seasons. and some fans theorize that they’re lying about forgetting his birthday anyway. either way, its not the same.

so....the writers want us to know that emotions can make time speed up or slow down....and that el’s week has felt very fast because of her emotions....and then show us mike and will SPECIFICALLY deviating from the timeline established in the SECOND LINE OF EPISODE ONE “yeah, but you knew she was having problems for months and didn’t tell me.” “its been six months, mike.”, or “it’s been months, mike.” or not even including that line at all, or “the past couple months have been weird” would’ve worked and stayed in check with the timeline we’ve already established. but when writing those scenes, they chose to say year. which is flat out wrong and way off from the actual time they’ve been apart.

and what did el say makes time speed up or slow down? emotions? oh, okay got it

the first two times mike and will say it’s been a year are in the same scene: the rink o mania fight. emotions are high. they’re in a pretty serious fight. its not about something dumb, it’s about their ten year friendship and how they’ve grown apart. their friendship is VERY important to both of them. (remember when mike said asking will to be his friend is the best thing he’s ever done?) the third time it’s said is when mike is opening up to will in episode 4. it’s a very emotional scene. mike is being honest and vulnerable with his feelings. in this conversation he apologizes and admits that will didn’t deserve how mike had been treating him, which mike never does to anyone else. he admits his relationship with will is different and home isn’t the same without him, and that he feels like he lost will and wants to be best friends again.

and the obvious: emotions making time speed up or slow down doesn’t just apply to in the heat of the moment occasions. (in theory) mike and will are in love. the six months they’ve been separated felt like a year to them because of their emotions, just like el said in the letter. and mind you, will is canonically in love with mike, yet they’re both acting the same way about this. it’s not just will. it makes sense for six months to feel like a year to will because of his emotions, because he is in love with mike, right? well, mike feels the exact same way. this isnt even about the characters as people. narratively speaking, mike and will both doing this doesn’t make sense if it’s unrequited. one way writers show how characters aren’t on the same page about something, a relationship for instance, is whether they’re on the same emotional page about different plot points. something major and emotional happens to all the characters---now we watch how they react to it. and i don’t mean small disagreements & such, characters are allowed to feel differently about things. i mainly mean when whatever happened is painful and important to one or more of the characters. for example, steve and nancy. steve and nancy didn’t feel the same about barb, barb’s parents, and everything that happened in general. steve wanted to keep on like nothing happened while nancy was literally eaten up with grief, guilt, and trauma. jonathan was the one who was on the same page as her and made her feel better about carrying that baggage around all the time. they understood each other. and who was nancy in love with? jonathan. narratively, that makes perfect sense and even further sways the audience into understanding they’re in love.

so...what? the emotions that made mike and will’s six months apart feel like a year to them is....friendship? not a fucking chance. mike and el are a couple, and according to mileven fans, they’re the main couple of the show who are in love and are going to be an endgame couple. why save this incredibly romantic coded trope for will and mike, the best platonic bros? idk, you tell me. and the fact that the line about emotions came from someone in the love triangle?? and it was said to someone else in the love triangle?? not a coincidence.

edit: someone reblogged and pointed out how el said 185 in her letter to mike that we SEE him reading. there is no reason for him not to know how long it's been. so either he isn't paying attention to a damn thing el says in her letters or he is just extremely in love with will

another edit: i keep seeing reblogs of people saying they're probably referring to the time since mike and el started dating, which i used to think too. but the context when mike and will say a year makes it hard for me to believe.

"but you knew she was having trouble for like a year and you didn't tell me"

here mike is specifically talking about el's bullying problem which has only been going on since the byers have been gone and she enrolled in school. what he's talking about is something very strictly related to the time since they moved, and it's been six months, not a year.

"you called maybe a couple times. it's been a year, mike. meanwhile el has like a book of letters from you."

will is again, very specifically talking about something that strictly happened between the time since the byers left and the start of s4. he's saying how crazy it is that it's been a whole year and mike has barely called. but it hasn't been a year, it's only been six months.

"the last year has been weird, you know? and you know, max and lucas and dustin, they're great, they're great, it's just..it's hawkins it's not the same without you. and i feel like maybe i was worrying too much about el...i don't know maybe i feel like i lost you or something."

this one i will cut some slack, i think he could be talking about literally the last year, as in since the beginning of 1985. but immediately after he starts saying how home hasn't been the same without will (and separates his relationship with will as being different than his relationship with max dustin and lucas and even el), something specific to the time since they byers have been gone, six months, not a year:

in conclusion: mike and will referring to their time apart as a year when it’s only been six months is not a mishap on the writer’s part. they go out of their way to make sure you know exactly how much time has passed, down to the number of days, and they put this much attention on time in every season. and in the same season mike and will do this, there is a line in the SECOND LINE OF THE OPENING SCENE OF THE SEASON about emotions making time go by faster or slower.

byler is going to be a s5 surprise, but its not coming out of nowhere. there’s piles of subtext in every single season---enough that when you look back, it all makes sense. small details like this aren’t outlandish because this is without a doubt the length writers will go to keep something hidden, and in byler’s case and many other tv show plots case, to keep something a surprise. and for christ’s sake, WATCH THE SHOW! the amount of attention to even the TINIEST details in stranger things is insane. they put so much thought into everything---not just ships, and not just byler. idk how many times the writers are going to have to say details matter and that there are no coincidences until people believe them.

anyways, byler is endgame. thanks for reading :)

#another day of proving byler endgame done #all in a day's work #they are in love and they are dramatic #byler #will byers #mike wheeler #byler s4 #byler s5 #byler endgame #byler is endgame #byler is canon #mileven is bones #milkvan is bones #stranger things #byler analysis #stranger things analysis #stranger things 4

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