You Make Me Strong

And to my fellow conformitygate truthers, may this month bring some kind of fruits of truth, even the tiniest ones🙏🙏🙏🌈🌈🌈

IT IS DONE!!

this took. ages omfg. I hope some people see this because the lore drop is kind of INSANE and more people should know about it!!!

the audio is from the Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins podcast, specifically from episode 2 💥

as you can probably tell I did not feel like drawing Mr. Hauser 💚 but hes still beautiful in my eyes

They’re literally entering our world. Fourth wall breaking (AGAIN). The Party (and, as we saw earlier, individual members) having their own ‘social media accounts’.

“The big snow storm is coming next week. That’s when we’ll start the campaign…”

The truck falling just like the Bradley’s Big Buy truck in Season 5! More recycled plot points

“WE’LL FIND ANOTHER LEAD” with a picture of MIKE

“It’s what we do!”

Come on, really? Michael Wheeler, Mike the Brave, our esteemed leader who was sidelined for the past couple of seasons. The Heart.

So, I’m assuming this is a quote from the show, said by Mike. But tell me you’re not seeing what I’m seeing?

“Find another lead” reminds me of the lead actor in a play. As in, to find an understudy. This t-shirt reminds me about the fact that Mike’s ‘leader’ story arc was (nonsensically) taken by Holly throughout all of season 5. “It’s what we do” indeed.

NIKKI “I AM GOOD AT BUILDING STUFF”

Nikki, our ever-suspicious tinkerer, also has a suspicious quote on a t-shirt.

Like Will, she is also a builder? Even before I saw this quote, I had already seen ‘tinkerer’ and ‘builder’ compared online. This seems to go towards confirming this theory.

“WHAT’S UP NAYSAYERS”

“Time to work my magic” DUSTIN

At this point, I’ve seen “NAYSAYERS” on Dustin merch a few times. I wonder what that’s about.

This is nitpicking, but the lack of punctuation is truly bothering me. “WHAT’S UP, NAYSAYERS?” or “WHAT’S UP? NAYSAYERS.” would do. Just one question mark would fix it istg 😭

I found the patch on the bottom left interesting. “Time” is mentioned (with all the associations with freezing time, and Dustin on that Back to the Future shirt, too). “Magic” is also mentioned. As in, the magic of childhood? Is this what this show represents, a snapshot back in the past when the magic was still alive? The magic that Jane represented when she had to die?

“the consumer! the more she eats the hungrier she gets!”

“friends? no thanks. *PAUSE* best friends!”

in chat hints:

s002

1987

8o8as

cc109

description:

J6r2 b*&^

code from first streams:

5-3-4

WE NEED ANY HELP, IDEAS!!!

link: https://www.youtube.com/live/Z7IHPldZ-Ss?si=hcSkKUt1XIYIzXBK

Mike Wheeler isn’t oblivious, clueless or dumb. His character has not been lobotomized.

He’s traumatized. Deeply and irreversibly traumatized.

He is a living breathing case study in “forced conformity is what is killing the kids”.

Both by the repeated traumatic events we are witness to through the series, but also the very real pressure of forced heteronormativity and toxic masculinity.

You cannot analyze his actions through 2026’s lens (where I argue these oppressive social structures are still omnipresent).

There is a real and ever present danger for LGBTQIA folx, especially in the context of Indiana in the 80’s (I will not entertain any arguments that Mike Wheeler is not at minimum questioning his sexuality. Queer media literacy 101 establishes that).

Additionally, the changes in his behaviour, including demonstrating affection to Will, can be ascribed to the overwhelming pressure to adhere to gender roles and stereotypes. The social construct he lives within tells him that the interactions that were natural and joyful are abnormal and wrong.

Finn Wolfhard is an incredible actor. You can see the internal anguish in the “quiet Mike” moments in Season 5.

Mike Wheeler is in agony. But he feels like he doesn’t have any other choice.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.