sunz

vickie paces when stressed. you know who canonically also does that??

mike.

mike is being paralleled w vickie. NOT tammy.

- Ross Duffer

"It turns out the whole time, I didn't need music, I just needed you."

That's ASS writing if they didn't intend for byler to be finally canon in episode 8. The boy he's been in love with since forever suddenly being compared to a simple "crush" is genuinely so sad and frustrating. I'm not saying byler is bones whatsoever because i still have hope and we still have a 2 hour episode to go.. However will asking robin if she just accepted herself and immediately started dating vickie is so weird to me in a way because will IS for SURE going to end up with someone and i'm positive about that, but that someone being a random guy in the epilogue is frying my brain right now because it CANT be. Where is the build up? The love? The yearning? The frustration That build up between mike and will over 5 whole seasons IS that exact build up for a romantic outcome.

If byler isn't happening why couldn't mike say i love you to el? Why would mike relate to will's words on top of the car in season 4? What wouldn't they like about the Truth being said? Why would mike tell will that "it's not my fault you don't like girls" even though we know he's a character that projects his feelings onto other people out of frustration and anger at himself? Why would will even paint a whole ass painting for mike showing his love and care for him if it was just a simple "crush". Why would will activate his powers as soon as mike was in danger and let's not forget the film reel. That beautiful childhood to lovers trope. All completely destroyed by portraying it as a "crush" and that's it?

Mike: hey will I just wanted to say that I know I'm your crush and I know you lied about the painting and I'm super straight but I made you this mixtape in case you want to listen to it even though we're all about to die but no homo!

Will: oh that's fine I'm a boykisser (I can't say the word gay) but I knew you didn't like me that way it's alright.

*Will turns into a rainbow and is never spoken of again*

*Mike says one more line about saving holly and DND before El gets fed up with his shit and fucking kills him off screen and for the rest of the episode he's replaced with a cardboard cutout*

Meanwhile.

Robin: *makes another dick joke* I love you Vickie I'm taking you to Enzo's I promise *fucking dies*

Vickie: noooo!!! Robin I loved you so mu- *murdered in the spot*

Meanwhile 2....

Murray: hey snookums you wanna kiss me before we both die?

Mr Clarke: what I am married straight man and I met you yesterday

*they both explode*

Meanwhile 3...

Steve: and when I'm back in chicago-

*cut to black*

The forty minute epilogue was a lie instead it plays Steve bloopers that cut off every time anyone else is shown on screen.

will’s love for mike wasn’t reduced to a crush, Will reduced it to a crush, to make it easier for his friends. because, yeah, everyone has crushes, crushes are innocent, right? right

but what would happen if instead of ‘I had a crush on someone’, will had said ‘I was in love with someone’ and then followed it by ‘he’? questions would be asked. uncomfortable ones. and while will has come to terms with mike possibly figuring him out, he doesn’t want to be pitied. saying he’s in love would expose a lot more emotional pain and torture than saying he has a crush already did.