Do people not realize that the Duffers have crafted, be it accidental or intentional, the greatest misdirection in LGBT character history? They give us a gay character, show us his development, but most of the audience completely misses it.
Because we're told a different character was bullied for being gay in the first season, we don't pay attention to him.
Because he's given a female love interest in the first season, we presume he's straight.
Because he misses the girl, believing she died, in the second season, we presume he's pining.
Because he takes care of the best friend, we presume he needs someone to take care of.
Because he looks upset when his best friend goes to dance with a girl, who he encouraged him to dance with, we presume he misses the girl.
Because he goes overboard in his relationship when she returns, to the point of ignoring his friends, we presume he's making up for lost time.
Because he fights with his girlfriend, we presume that it's a typical middle school relationship.
Because he lashes out at his best friend for calling him out for ignoring him, we presume he's simply growing up faster than his friend.
Because he froze up when his girlfriend said she loves him and kisses him, we presume he was just in shock.
Because he can't tell her he loves her, we presume that he never learned love because of his parents.
Because he lost touch with his best friend after he moved, we presume that they're growing apart.
Because he's afraid of losing his girlfriend, we presume that he's in love, even if he can't say it.
Because his friend gave the girlfriend credit for the painting he made, we presume that his love is one-sided.
Because he told his girlfriend he loved her, despite her dying and the best friend pushing him to do it, we presume it was sincere.
They set up and took advantage of audience expectations so that the audience doesn't pay attention to Mike's feelings for Will. They make us focus on Will's side of it, get us to believe it's one-sided, and give Mike a disaster of a relationship that is excusable as a messy teenage romance. The audience makes excuses for Mike and El's failing relationship, and the audience rationalizes that Will's story is more realistic in being one-sided. The idea that Mike could be experiencing his own gay crisis, just in a different way from Will, doesn't click with anyone who doesn't recognize the situation.
It's brilliant in its misdirection, even if it's also frustrating in its very slow reveal.
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