and the shame was on the other side

Mike's queerness was canonized in season 4 episode 2 by four simple, canon facts, + and deductive reasoning proves only one remaining motive behind his defensiveness

Will self-sabotaging and Mike being lied-to ensured Byler endgame (link to longer version included) + @willelworld's post on the themes of lying being bad not aligning with Will's lie creating a happy ending

If season 5 ends the same as season 4, then there's no point to a season 5 (Byler proof)

El and Mike's separation in season 2's only purpose was to change Mike's feelings for El

The only purpose Will having feelings for Mike in the first place serves is a love story. His queerness could have been told without it. + As could Mleven's love story and every other plot. His feelings would have 0 impact on any character including himself.

Season 1 is a prologue. It's why vital to future lore characters like Will and Max can be completely absent without much effect...and why Mike and El's love story is completely contained within it.

For Mike and El to love themselves, Mike has to not love El - an analysis of themes

Mike's 4x02 behavior can't be just "filler", the season was so OVERfull that including it forced a high priority plotline to be stalled by *two episodes*

Mike and El's breakup was sealed the moment he promised her in season 1

Mike and El are 583% happier as friends than dating. Mathematically calculated based on how their screen time is spent. I'm not kidding.

Breakdowns:

Elmike's transition from needing each other (to wanting each other)

El, Mike, and Will's individual arcs by season

Mike is scared he won't be able to tell El he loves her in the van and the proof is in the fact that Will's words comfort him at all

Eleven has never needed anyone but Brenner, she just spent the series projecting that desperation onto other men - primarily Mike - until she could process it and let it go: a beat for beat (LONG) analysis on her character as a whole and how it's impacted every action she's taken in her relationships with both men and women (and herself)

Season 2 Byler parallels season 3 Jopper, and El is Bob.

Mike dating El is not pointless, it is a huge and useful to him part of his queer experience and equally revolutionary corrective-representation

Validation:

You're not crazy. I shipped Byler BECAUSE it's endgame, not the other way around

The Duffers aren't queerbaiting. They purposefully chose to lose money for years over Byler

This is how stupid their argument sounds if it ever starts getting to you, don't worry (me "successfully" arguing that Lumax and Jopper are just friends in season 4)

If they wanted to keep homophobic viewers by avoiding queerness, they would have by now (this would be their fourth queer character, not their first, and they aren't stupid).

Buddie

Buddie as described by lines in the show about "true love"

just a "little" masterpost where you can find all the analysis/ byler rambling posts without having to scrolls through my account :D

19, psych student, he/him

I may look like an aggressively straight man but no one knows i'm actually hyperfixated on shipping two queer guys from a sci-fi netflix show

bi and trans ftm

my interests right now include byler, the elder scrolls, the morning show (apple tv+) and dan & phil <3

from uk

my byler playlists!!

If you were wondering, my favourite characters from stranger things are (in this order): mike, will, joyce and el <3

banner gifs by @corpsebugs

◦ ✧ ˚ my analyses

read this one first: Byler isn't complicated - 2000 follower post

el and mlvn-specific

El's arc of her desire for a normal childhood - "Pretty"

The flowers Mike gives El are a symbol for their relationship

At face value, the love monologue is not in line with El's arc

Mike has to be wrong about needing to love El

Mike's conversation with El in the grocery store is queer-coded

Debunking some mlvn arguments

The M&M scene is more interesting that you think

Mike and El do not understand each other

WillElMike are tied to a queer narrative - they cannot be genderbent

comparing byler and mlvn

Applying a theoretical model of relationships to ST couples

Mike's treatment of El's powers vs. Will's powers

There's a big difference between Byler's interruption trope and Mlvn's

Mlvn breakup vs. Byler rain argument

How Mike treats El's letters vs. Will's art

analysing specific scenes (cinematography, language, etc.)

The reason Mike acts weird in the airport is because he loves Will - confirmed

Mike acting "normal" means he's queer

Mike's mind was on Will the whole time

DnD scenes in ST foreshadow events and Byler

Mike's scene with Will in S3's Epilogue

The closet kiss + Mike's realisation

Hopper's monologue gives insight into Mike's POV

All the lies in Mike's love monologue

Cinematography used in the monologue scene - Lightning

The DnD substitute search scene was Mike questioning his sexuality

Mike's bedroom.....oh boy

Mike was jealous in the airport scene with Will + more

Confirmation that Mike jumping into the quarry was about Will

Mike is clearly looking at Will in the Snow Ball scene

Will's softness with Mike in the breakfast scene makes the audience root for Byler

The Will Voice is not just something Bylers made up

byler foreshadowing, symbolism + theories

Blue and Yellow theory is canon and has been canon

Some extra loverslakegate proof

The painting lie is Chekhov's Gun

The existence of a Love Triangle proves Byler endgame by itself

Purposeful blocking of actors

Purposeful music choices and titles

Phonegate canon or not canon? Doesn't matter!

Some smaller queer-coded jokes used

"I'm not gonna fall in love"

The insane amount of closet imagery

Light is symbolic for the Truth

mike-specific analyses (gay mike)

Mike displaces his anger at himself onto others

Mike's Promise and core misbelief

Mike's ideal character is only achieved in a relationship with Will

Mike's lack of attraction to women other than El

Mike's self-sabotaging avoidance to incriminate himself

Actually, Season 1 Mike is the most queer-coded /hj

season 5 predictions (take lightly)

My thoughts on the S5 Teaser - Mileven Scene, Will's powers etc.

We have been heterobaited far more than queerbaited in ST

Logical reasons why Will is not getting a new love interest in S5

Will's arc in S5 will not culminate in him "getting over" Mike

parallels

Jancy and Byler mirror each other

Other Jancy and Byler parallels

Byler + Jopper and Lumax parallels

Byler + Robin and Vickie parallels

Byler and their reciprocal looks of love compared with the other ships

Common romantic tropes used with Byler

◦ ✧ ˚ my fics below:

he makes it weird in season three by hyperfixating on his relationship to the point he's a shitty friend. he makes it weird by actively pushing will away. he makes it super weird with "it's not my fault you don't like girls." he is the first one to speak out loud about a version of their relationship where they have forever to do what they want, implying at the same time that the reason they can't is because he's obligated to grow up. he makes it weird by being so devastated when will admits he did want that, because mike wanted that, too.

he makes it weird by not writing letters. he makes it weird by not hugging will at the airport and getting jealous of the painting. he makes it weird by acting up at the rink, paying all his attention to will while pretending to ignore him. he makes it weird with "that's because she's my girlfriend, will!" and then doubles down on that weirdness with "we're friends! we're friends."

and it isn't just their friendship he makes weird, it's the entire dynamic of the party, it's his relationship with el, with hopper, with his parents to an extent, because he isn't acting like himself.

will, despite his canon romantic interest in mike, was not the one to choose to interpret their friendship through a romantic lens and that is so fucking fascinating. mike did that even though he's totally unaware of will's feelings.

mike is the one who cannot appropriately contextualize their relationship and struggles to behave appropriately. mike's the one who missed will so much he called and called and whined to dustin when will didn't pick up. mike's the one who refused to let dustin use the phone when will DID pick up.

Mike becoming his dad, el sacrificing herself,Will’s imaginary epilogue boyfriend,Rovickie off screen breakup, Jancy breakup, so so so many plot holes, bringing Kali back just to kill her, blatant homophobia, racism, and misogyny

1. Why couldn’t Mike hug Will at the airport

2. Why did Mike say Will moping and rolling his eyes ruined the day instead of El getting horrifically bullied

3. Why was Mike not able to say he loves El

4. Why did Will fix mikes relationship by talking about his own feelings and mask them as Els only for Mike to never find out

5. Why could Mike only say he loved El when Will told him to because he’s the heart (☠️)

6. Why was Will unironically in every single shot of Mike and El