stranger things

The Duffers in an interview said that they choose songs for the show very deliberately -sometimes spending weeks on Spotify to find just the right song to convey an emotion/context of a scene. Songs in all seasons (but especially in s3) were used to show how characters are feeling- or just an action they’re about to commit.

For instance, Karen when she’s about to meet Billy at the motel-  feels apprehensive and wants to get out of it (since it would hurt her family) and she was just flirting with Billy as a way to escape her own issues, about her life. She never flirted with Billy for the end-goal of “getting him.”

They even use “cat’s in the cradle’ which could be shown as a way to illustrate the inappropriate age disparity between Billy/Karen.

Other examples-

Right before the boys run away from the lingerie store- the lyrics are literally “I just walk away” XD

Jim when he looks at Joyce- the lyrics are “she’s got you.” ( cause he’s in love with her).

-And Jim after getting Mike to not come over to see El, (by yelling at him) sings…

Joyce after she sees Bob’s drawing fall to the ground and then crouches to pick it up.

And songs also illustrates how Nancy feels about her job (with her sexist co-workers). As the morose lyrics of “I’ll be working here forever” play as it zooms in on Hawkins post -as Nancy rushes inside.

As well as  her excitement -about investigating a new case. As Jancy leaves and the very on the nose song  of “get up and go” begins -as they get into the car.

Billy when he pulls out chloroform (from a perfume bottle).

El after dumping Mike (and smiling about it) XD

So all the byler stuff I’m about to mention proves byler is endgame.

1) Shavar Ross as Lucas Sinclair

2) Winona Ryder as Eleven / Jane Hopper / Jane Ives 

3) Henry Thomas as Mike Wheeler 

4) Sean Astin as Dustin Henderson

5) Barret Oliver as Will Byers

6) Kerri Green as Max Mayfield

7) Molly Ringwald as Nancy Wheeler

8) Patrick Dempsey as Steve Harrington

9) Judd Nelson as Jonathan Byers

10) Josh Brolin as Billy Hargrove

11) Jennifer Grey as Robin Buckley

12) Keshia Knight Pulliam as Erica Sinclair

13) Jacqueline Bisset as Joyce Byers

14) Harrison Ford as Jim Hopper

15) Jane Fonda as Karen Wheeler

16) Harry Dean Stanton as Martin Brenner

17) Harold Ramis as Bob Newby

18) Max von Sydow as Sam Owens 

19) Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator Grigori

20) Mandy Patinkin as Alexei 

21) Phoebe Cates as Heather Holloway

22) Sarita Choudhury as Kali Prasad / Eight

23) Christopher Lloyd as Scott Clarke

24) Christopher Walken as Murray Bauman

25) Jeffrey Jones as Mayor Larry Kline

26) The Demogorgon would most likely look like the Xenomorph

27) The Flayed would most likely look like the Thing / the Blob

S.a.m.e E.n.e.r.g.y

Honestly anon, I’ve been asking myself the same thing for a few days now. And unfortunately, I think that this is one of the main reasons Byler will never be canon. The world isn’t ready for a big show portraying two boys in love as a final twist. It would sign its death sentence. The backlash would be too much to handle. 

As you said, the reactions to Finn kissing another boy have been mostly negative. People are still massively homophobic, even if it’s 2019. They have been raised in their heteronormative bubble and can’t imagine it could burst. It’s too scary and they like their comfort zone. Can you imagine? A world without homophobia? We’d have to get rid of sexism and bias against structured and hierarchized sexuality first and it’s not gonna happen before at least a few more centuries (and probably never too) if we keep going this way. 

The negative reactions to Finn playing an LGBT character sadden me but they don’t surprise me either. It was to be expected, unfortunately. As I said, most people are still very homophobic. 

So, can you imagine if Byler became canon over Mileven? If the gay ship won over the heterosexual one? It’s been clearly established by now that us queer folks and Byler shippers have been harrassed and attacked by many Mileven shippers and heterosexual biggots who think we’re being “delusional”, “stupid”, and overall “gay” (thanks for the compliment my dude) for even daring think about Mike in love with another boy!

I mean, Will’s possible homosexuality has come out as a shock to them!!!!!! None of them saw the hundreds of gay coding ever since season 1!!!! It’s unbelievable!!!!! Not to forget that most people don’t WANT Byler to become canon. Mike being in love with Will is something they don’t see, don’t want to see, don’t want. They like Mike being straight, in love with Mileven. It caters to their little hetero hearts and brains. 

And seeing the reactions to Boris’ character, I can’t imagine what it would do to the show’s popularity if it ever went that way… Can you imagine? The amount of hatred. The threats, insults and overall backlash… On Finn. Noah. The showrunners. It would be HUGE. They would demand a remake of the script. Playing a gay character usually destroys a career (it’s sad but it’s true). It can destroy a movie and a show. Canon Byler would kill Stranger Things. It would kill the young actor’s career. Noah would be seen as the gay boy from that gay show for the rest of his life (even if he’s not gay IRL). Same for Finn. Playing two LGBT characters? He’d be labelled forever. Mileven shippers would lose their shit. They would go crazy. 

Stranger Things is Netflix’s cash cow. They would never risk endangering such a big money maker by taking the LGBT road for the main ship. Mileven shippers are the main targeted audience because it’s been proven that heterosexual girls/women are the most lucrative audience in a fanbase (friendly reminder that Fifty Shades of Gray overthrew Harry Potter… Yes, I know, that hurt me too) So go against Mileven and lose that audience/money for what? A gay ship? No, they wouldn’t do that. They wouldn’t be that stupid. It would be like shooting themselves in the foot.

Don’t take this the wrong way, I’d love for Stranger Things to be smarter than that and have Byler canon (my heart!). I just don’t think they’d risk it. Gay is still very taboo, especially for a big show, popular among teenagers.

And they wouldn’t risk it precisely because people are still massively homophobes. The backlash to Finn’s gay character is a painful proof of that. Honestly, maybe the Duffers wanted Byler at first when they created the show in their head… Will Netflix allow it? Not a chance. Too dangerous.

I will even go as far as to say that if Will was pushed to the side during season 3 it was for this very reason. Netflix probably saw Byler coming in season 2 and went all “NOPE!” so the Duffers had no other choice but separate them and diminish Will’s role and interactions with Mike in s3.