cecliaㅤꨄ︎

this ambiguity is what keeps byler shippers hopes alive, and that’s what hurts. but listen-

i genuinely think the duffers believe they’re telling a “coming of age unrequited love story” for will, and NOT baiting.

wills arc = self acceptance, not romance

mike = emotionally oblivious straight boy

the issue is: majority of queer audiences are TIRED of realism that only ever hurts.

the duffers are straight men writing queer longing through a heterosexual lens, so what they’re seeing as “bittersweet, authentic, and character driven” is actually taken as another story where the gay kid loves someone he can’t have and the audience is teased into hoping anyways.

did they do this with malicious intent? probably not. but the IMPACT > INTENT.

they encourage queer interpretations, never clarified boundaries, centered wills pain, and let the ambiguity run on for ten years. and that means they are queerbaiting HOPE, even if they didn’t mean to. the show put it there, the writers put it there, the interviews put it there.

we can compare mike and will to sherlock/john and dean/castiel- both are based on implication, that’s why everyone expected a narrative payoff because mike is written in a way that actually invites romantic interpretation.

this is a pattern: will suffers, will longs, he grows, he accepts himself. while mike never has to confront ambiguity and the straight character remains whole and unchallenged. it’s an old painful trope where the gay kid exists to feel deeply and then has to let go.

i think the finale CAN redeem this though- but what CANT is this: will accepts himself and moves on- this is the most likely outcome but it’s also the most disappointing. this frames queerness as solitary and not relational.

options that could redeem it- mike acknowledges wills feelings and doesn’t feel the same. mike can treat it with gravity, apologize for obliviousness, and validate wills worth and experiences, all while remaining best friends.

option two- explicit romantic confirmation: a quiet confession, time skip showing the together, mutual acknowledgement of feelings, a new year’s eve moment ( very symbolic ). this would be a strong redemption.

option three- clear a queer future for will without mike: this is bare minimum, and nobody really wants this. will ends the show with hopeful mutual love, mike is explicitly not framed as the one who got away, wills story doesn’t end in longing- he is loved, chosen, and not alone. this would lead byler becoming a stepping stone into wills own character arc, not a bait.

the question is: will the finale allow wills love to lead somewhere meaningful?

will: do you ever think about us mike: define “us” will: wow okay that answered my question mike: no wait i meant in a philosophical way will: sure you did 😐

Maybe I’m delusional as hell but from a business/playing perspective do you think that Zeev is gonna stay in van? My intuition is no considering the state that team is in

Also, is there a slight chance Billy G might try to get them (Buium and Rossi) back? It all feels so strange to me that Minnesota went through everything they did to develop them only to then trade them off

Lastly, what are your thoughts on the current climate in van? All signs point to hell at this point. Do think Buium is gonna fit in that roster? Where do you think he’ll end up if he moves? He seemed perfect for the vibe in Minnesota.

Holy yap yesh lol just thinking many thoughts

hi thanks! love a good yap sesh, heres what i think:

i honestly don’t think zeev staying in vancouver long term makes much sense, and it’s not even about his talent because that’s obviously there. it’s more that van just feels so unstable as an environment, like they don’t really know what they are and everything is so reactionary. that kind of chaos is brutal for a young defenseman who plays a calm, cerebral game and needs trust and patience to really shine. unless vancouver suddenly commits to a clear direction and actually protects him while he grows, it feels way more likely that he eventually moves on rather than settling there for his prime years.

and yeah, there is a slight chance billy g would try to get buium and rossi back, especially buium. it feels weird because minnesota went through all that effort developing them, preaching patience and culture, just to move on before fully benefiting from it (we dont even know if hughes will stay with them). that doesn’t mean the players failed, it feels more like the organization got impatient or felt pressure to change things fast. once the cap situation eases and if minnesota realizes they’re missing exactly the kind of players they traded, it wouldn’t be shocking if billy at least explored the idea of bringing one of them back.