mari!!!

byler was always in the cards and should have been endgame. from the shared looks, the costume designs, the soundtracks, the parallels to other queer relationships in media and other endgame couples within the show (and so much more), it was extremely evident that byler was an important factor since the beginning of season 1 of the series.

i didn’t even care if we didn’t get a kiss or if we just got a korrasami type of ending for them, but we got absolutely nothing. and the fact that noah had to plead with the duffers to actually include a scene to give closure/acknowledgement to their relationship in the final episode is actually diabolical considering how central their relationship is to the show and its overarching theme of rejecting conformity and embracing being different.

we could’ve had a beautiful, powerful queer love story at the forefront of one of the biggest television shows in history. and it would have been so impactful especially during this time where discrimination and homophobia is resurfacing because of the hostile political environment in the US and around the world. it could have changed people’s ignorance into acknowledgment and acceptance, and people’s hatred into love. but of course, they chose the simple, lazy route: pretend mike and eleven had no issues in their relationship and force them to be endgame, conforming to heteronormativity and the homophobic GA’s expectations.

byler is bigger than just a silly ship in stranger things. it is a movement that signifies embracing our true selves and choosing to pursue love in the face of fear. it is a relationship that was carefully built up over time; a slow burn that was raw and real. it is a relationship that would’ve benefitted all of mike, will, and el’s respective character arcs. it united so many people and gave comfort to queer people all over the world who see parts of themselves in mike and will.