Mike Wheeler Apologist Mode: Activated

Mike Wheeler Apologist Mode: activated

Did someone say breakfast analysis? 

Like Mike and Will’s conversation at Rink O Mania, this breakfast time sequence is full of paths untravelled. The conversation between Mike and El could have gone so many ways, and initially I instinctually sided with Mike. But actually, neither of them are ‘right’, and it’s a testament to the duffers’ commitment to writing realistic coming of age tales that rarely is a character solely in the wrong. 

Miscommunication is the first thing introduced in s4, to humorous effect. It’s such an important part of relationships, and it’s a difficult thing for many people to get right, usually due to personal reasons rather than because they don’t work as a unit. I never understood the films where couples shouted at each other or threw plates and hairdryers - I’m looking at you, The Parent Trap (1998). Forever an iconic film - and that soundtrack negates any criticism tbh - but where was the respect and understanding? Wouldn’t you try to understand or even listen to the person you love, even if you disagreed with them? 

Well, Mike does try to do this. He tries. 

The whole sequence is so interesting - let’s start back at the breakfast table with Will. 

This is a beautiful but bleak scene visually - it’s very dark, but we have the bright pop of yellow orange juice contrasting the blue in both of their shirts. Blue x yellow is everywhere as always. And if you pay attention to the mike x will chronological timeline as a whole, you’ll notice that many moments between them are dark-lit or shadowed in some way, even when its not dictated by the plot. They are trying to tell us something by making us feel a certain way. (Over the course of s4, the lighting in mike x will scenes becomes drastically beamier, more dream-like and romantic. It’s really not subtle at all if you watch their timeline chronologically, but there’s so much other plot that you don’t notice it amongst the other stories at first).  

We don’t see what went down the night before this breakfast - we don’t know where Mike slept, or if there was a spare room, etc. It doesn’t seem important at the moment, but it is: the groundwork has not been laid for us to know exactly how bad the situation is. Jonathan makes light work of their ‘moping’, and clearly thinks they should both buck up and go see a movie. 

Jonathan’s blasé attitude combined with Will’s more sombre one confuses the audience: who are we meant to sympathise with here? Was Jonathan too high to see how bad it got at Rink O Mania? Did he even come inside, or just pick them up outside and only get hearsay of what went down? Is Mike justified in being afraid of El, or is it really not a big deal like Argyle said? Perhaps we aren’t supposed to know. It’s all about character perspectives. There is no right answer. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about the gravity of situation. 

So the events have already been downplayed by Jonathan. Later, Will says to the police that it was an accident - is this a lie they have all agreed on? Is Jonathan in on the lie? He tells the police cuffs aren’t necessary. 

Will’s point of view at the breakfast table is one of still orbiting the action.

Keep reading

Mike is like a tomato yk most ppl think is a vegetable but its actually a fruit

this goes out to anyone who thinks byler is only supported on will’s side and will isn’t made just as perfectly for mike, look at them! bedroom scene x van scene parallels

Shit no wait no shit wait shit waiiiit????

Are you telling me that the ‘it was a seven’ in season one was setting up SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING the origins of “friends don’t lie” and why it’s such a huge deal to Will to not lie to Mike even if it works against him? So they actually set up the van scene in that exact moment??! Except in the van scene he lies for Mike even though it STILL works against him. To show how important Mike is to him. That it’s never actually been about lying or not lying. It’s about Mike.

Actually Mike. Friends do lie. When they’re in love with you.

Ohdjsjxhrb

That is all.

Byler vs. Queerbaiting

Honestly I’m still kind of in disbelief that we saw pretty blatantly romantic scenes between two male main characters in one of the most popular TV shows in the world.

Like, it blows my mind that we got moments like this in the actual show.

Stranger Things Season 4 (2022)

But I’m not exaggerating when I say that the romance building between Mike and Will is something I’ve never seen before.

Cause let’s be real: can you name any huge film/TV franchise that has ever paired two main characters together in a queer relationship?

Like, imagine if Harry Potter had paired Ron and Harry together in the end. Or if Finn and Poe had actually gotten to kiss in the new Star Wars trilogy. It’s just… not something that happens outside of media that is specifically queer-themed, like Heartstopper. Think of Warner Bros. cutting gay dialogue in Fantastic Beasts 3 or the new Black Panther showing a 5-second forehead kiss between two female side characters and marketing that as some kind of amazing queer rep. It’s rough out there for queer representation in media, and even more so for queer characters in huge franchises.

After being promised queer rep in Star Wars, I blinked and almost missed this gay kiss in The Rise of Skywalker that was almost certainly cut for international releases.

But I feel it in my bones that Stranger Things is doing something different with its queer storyline. Here’s why.

Will is confirmed gay and in love with Mike. I repeat: Will is a canonically gay main character in love with another main character in one of the biggest shows in the world. And we have a whole season left to explore this love. This goes way beyond the “Dumbledore was actually gay all along” brand of representation. Also, when has this ever happened before with other famous “queerbait” pairings? Johnl*ck? D*stiel? Kl*nce? Where one half of the couple was confirmed in love with the other? And they were in the middle of an unresolved love triangle?

Homophobia has always been villainized. Lonnie, Troy, Billy’s dad. All horrible bullies painted in a negative light who also happen to be homophobic. So in a show where homophobia specifically has been villainized multiple times since season 1, is a queer main couple really off the table? When the writers clearly care about queer issues way more than just inserting a vague gay reference or gay joke (something that still happens WAY too often in mainstream media)?

Will and Mike have already shared many tender moments together onscreen. Think of “it was the best thing I’ve ever done” or “crazy together” or the “cool, cool” heart to heart or that gay ass van scene. The show doesn’t shy away from putting these two alone in a scene together. Sorry, but to me Stranger Things is already worlds ahead of other huge franchises even when it comes to portraying positive male friendships onscreen. A gay kiss really doesn’t seem like that much of a stretch.

Queer characters and their storylines are treated with respect. Robin was given a whole coming out scene that’s one of my favourites of all time. She was also given a whole ass love interest in season 4 when they easily could’ve left her storyline alone after coming out. Will was given a tender moment where his brother affirmed his love and support for him, no matter what. And Will’s love for Mike is treated dead serious and not as a punchline. I know this should be like the bare minimum for queer characters, but for a huge franchise? Again, I’m racking my brain thinking of the last time I saw these kinds of scenes in like Game of Thrones or any Star Wars media and I got nothing.

This isn’t just about shipping and subtext—the narrative and cinematography support Byler. So I watch The Witcher on Netflix and picked up on a lot of gay vibes between Geralt and Jaskier, but I also recognized that Yennefer was Geralt’s love interest and the subtext probably wasn’t gonna lead to anything. And that’s fine! But Byler? Yeah, we’re way past the point of subtext. Mike canonically makes Will feel like he’s not a mistake. Will’s feelings made Mike light up and feel validated and special and important in a way his girlfriend was never shown to make him feel. You would have to be insane as a writer to not have these two end up together. And I trust the writers! And as for the cinematography, see the gifs in this post.

Do I think Mike and Will’s love story is going to be perfect representation? Of course not. I have issues with how Will’s coming out was delayed until the last seasons. I’m also guessing the love story in season 5 is gonna be a little clumsy and cheesy, tbh. But who fucking cares! This is mainstream queer rep and I’m totally here for it.

Mike and Will - Relationship Analysis (How they talk to each other)

There’s something about the way Mike and Will talk to each other. Sure, we can say that Mike has a ‘Will voice’ and while he does, Mike’s ‘Will voice’ is a spool of thread used in a very complex tapestry that shows Mike and Will’s relationship. Mike speaks softly to Will, unlike how he speaks to most people. His tone changes from witty and defensive, to kind and vulnerable. There is more than care and love in his voice; there is an equal partnership. Mike is giving Will a safe person, but he’s also trusting Will to be safe as well. The voice Mike has for Will tells us a lot about their relationship. It displays the vulnerability, care and trust in their relationship.

But there’s so much more.

Mike and Will get mad at each other. They do. In ways they never would with anyone else. When they fight it can’t be easily resolved. It’s not the same as Lucas not trusting El, or Max becoming a member of the party, or El lying to Mike in California. It’s Mike and Will, and they’re a partnership. When Max and Mike were at odds about whether or not they should be friends, they were on two distinctly different sides. They argued independently from the other person. Mike and Max’s arguments were not affected by their relationship to each other.

Lucas and Mike do have a strong relationship, and when they fought it was still different than Mike and Will. There was still a separation between Mike’s argument in favour of El, and Lucas’ argument against her. They got mad at each other. Lucas left Dustin, El, and Mike for a bit. It was a very different situation than Max and Mike, who didn’t know each other very well. Still, it’s set apart from Mike and Will.

Mike and Will fight with vulnerability. It’s deeply ingrained into their relationship, and unlike with Lucas or Max, Mike can’t defend himself without his words holding weight as they drop- and neither can Will.

Will argues far more subtly than Mike does-unless he’s arguing with Mike. When Will and Jonathan talk about being a freak is a good thing, Will is arguing with him. He’s not yelling, but he does take up a defensive position. He asks Jonathan, “is that why you don’t have any friends?” as a way of pushing back. Similarly, with El at the airport, he asks, “friends? What friends?” They’re arguing about El lying to Mike. However, Will lying to Mike is very different than El lying to Mike, because of the trust in their relationship. Mike doesn’t get angry at El for lying to him like Will thought he would. He talks to her, and then he gets defensive- like he did with Max and Lucas- about the letters. They have two different sides that don’t affect each other’s positions as they’re arguing.

Mike and Will constantly affect each other’s arguments.

When Max joins them trick or treating, Mike asks Will about it. They aren’t fighting really, they’re having a somewhat accusatory conversation. Mike says, “you should have checked with me first”because they’re a partnership. They are conscious of the fact that their decisions affect one another. They’re arguing because there was a lapse in communication. But Will doesn’t do what Max would do, or what Lucas would, or what El would. He says, “[I didn’t think it would’ve mattered]” and by saying it like that, he gives Mike permission to continue this conversation as a discussion. Will didn’t think that it mattered, and that’s exactly what he told Mike. Will didn’t think that this decision affected Mike, and Mike is telling him that it is. And Will is letting him talk.

Their arguments are not two novels they’re reading from. It’s a single notebook with two pens. They’re not arguing for the sake of arguing- they’re trying to find a solution.

The rain fight still operates within those bounds. While it’s far more charged, and has more damning implications- from both sides- they’re still writing on the same page.

Unlike Will and Jonathan talking about being freaks, or Lucas and Mike fighting about El, the rain fight doesn’t have two conflicting positions on an issue. It has a problem that needs to be fixed, with no clear stance stated from Mike or Will. The conflict has to do with Mike pushing Will and the things he has been told he can’t like anymore away, and Will resisting that. Another added layer is that Mike is dating El, and consistently has been choosing her over the rest of his friends. Including Will. Mike and Will are closer than the rest of their friends. For Mike to put someone above Will, is a threat to the trust in their relationship. It’s why Mike was angry that Will didn’t tell him about Max. And it’s why Will is angry that Mike is choosing El over him.

Statements and questions have different meanings. When Mike states, “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls” there is no room for discussion. He’s defending himself, like Will does with Jonathan and El- latching onto them not having friends. This is not normal for them. Will’s shock and Mike’s immediate regret tells us that. Which is why Mike follows it up with a question, “did you think that we’d never get girlfriends?… for the rest of our lives?” He’s putting them back into discussion mode. But Will ignores it. He says, “yeah. I guess I really did” and leaves. Mike says, “you can’t leave it’s raining” because this isn’t how they talk about things.

But it is how they talk about things when they’re not being honest with each other.

This fight is still distinctly Mike and Will. When Mike tells Max, “because you're annoying” there isn’t the same regret that there is when he hurts Will. It’s different because Mike and Will have different expectations for each other. Will isn’t Max, the new person who’s trying to be in the party who Mike doesn’t trust. Will is the person Mike trusts the most. The reason they’re fighting in the first place is because Mike’s been pulling away from Will and putting the importance of their relationship into question.

But that’s not an option for either of them.

There’s too much vulnerability in their relationship to disregard it in any way. It’s why they fight the way they do. They don’t want to hurt each other. It’s not allowed. Hurting each other would mean a fracture in their trust, which would mean the possibility of losing each other, which means they lose a very important relationship. Neither of them can afford to lose that relationship.

They need each other because what they’ve decided on isn’t just a friendship. It’s an equal partnership between two people, built to sustain trust and emotional vulnerability.

After six months of little to no communication, Mike and Will’s relationship is very strained. It doesn’t help that they’re both keeping things from each other and they know it. At Rink O’ Mania Will is the one to ask, “[is that why you’re mad, because I didn’t talk to you?]” and he’s letting the fight turn into a discussion. Mike brushes him off and walks away. And he doesn’t talk to Will for a lot of the next day- or at least doesn’t talk to him at all at breakfast.

Instead, Mike talks to El. And they fight. They fight in the way that they are throwing statements and accusations around without leaving room for explanations. There isn’t a discussion happening. Mike attempts to start one, but El is the one to brush him off, and everything falls apart. Mike and El don’t fight like Mike and Will. They don’t have the same stakes.

Which is why Mike apologizes to Will the way he does. It’s honest, and vulnerable, and Mike is giving Will what he refused to at Rink O’ Mania. Will wanted to talk, and Mike walked away. Now Mike is answering Will’s questions, and reassuring both of them of the stability of their relationship. Those reassurances continue on from that point. They’re vague. Will says, “but what if they don’t like the truth” to Mike and they’re on the same page. But more so than that, this conversation was reassuring the presence of emotional vulnerability within their relationship- building back the trust they have in each other.

In the van scene, Mike reaches out to Will. He’s trusting him with his thoughts and emotions, and Will answers him exactly how he needs to. Mike’s admitting that his relationship with El is unbalanced, and Will is telling him why. What Mike wants to have with El, he already has with Will. Mike and Will’s relationship is inreplicable. So the way that Will answers Mike, under the guise of El, is answering to not only Mike, but to the reality of Mike and El’s relationship.

Mike and Will talk to each other differently than they talk to anyone else, or fight with anyone else, or reach out to anyone else- because their relationship is different than any other relationship they have.

The Will voice exists because Mike and Will’s relationship exists in a constant state of vulnerability and trust. They are gentle with each other because they need to be.

If they aren’t, they’ll lose a lot more than a friendship. They’ll lose each other. And who they have decided they are to each other is a team. Co-leaders of the party. They’re partners. They need each other because that’s how they’ve built their relationship.

They chose who they are to each other. And they continue to chose it. Mike started with asking Will to be his friend. Will said yes. With every discussion and apology and vulnerable moment, they are choosing each other.

Losing each other isn’t an option anymore. They haven’t allowed it to be one. Mike lost Will once in the quarry, twice upon being possessed, and the third time when he moved to California. Will lost Mike when El arrived at the Snow Ball, and when Mike and El started dating, and when the Byers left everything behind. When all that happened, Mike and Will started to crumble. Troy told Mike to jump off a cliff and he did, Will destroyed Castle Byers, Mike broke when Will was possessed and could’ve died.

Mike and Will both weren’t doing well after the Byers and El moved. Mike told Will that, “Hawkins, it’s not the same without you.”

They didn’t build their relationship to break. Or to become less meaningful over time. Or to stop being exactly what it is.

They built it to last for the rest of their lives.