#confomity

Will simply realized in that moment that Mike is not heterosexual/normal. He is like "me," so Will.

Of course, Sheriff Hopper lives there too. He mirrors Mike's control. Mike has everything under control. If Mike and El are too close then…

Every time I see these scenes, I have to smile.

This one.

Never forget who Eleven really is.

Season 3 In Season 3, Mike , at 14, is not yet aware of the full extent. He wants to preserve his innocence and his identity. The cabin where El now lives serves as a protected space-a place outside the world. The cabin is hidden in the forest, a place that no one else knows. There, the sheriff can keep a close watch on both of them, and yet Mike can be close to her at the same time. The two laugh, hold hands, and kiss. There is no audience there, just Mike, El, and the sheriff. He doesn't have to appear "normal" to anyone. There, he can enjoy his love for Will, which is like a private secret that no one else knows. Mike tries to confess his love to her in the season, but he finds it difficult. In front of the others, he then says that he loves her (his love was meant for the subtext). He doesn't say it directly to her, but El overhears . After the incident at the mall and Hop 's alleged death, El moves to California with the Byers. As a farewell, she tells Mike that she loves him too and kisses him. But Mike is more confused than happy. The girlfriend has become more real, and El is trying to fill that role. Through his closeness to Will, he escapes into a heterosexual facade.

Season 4 El and Mike are now writing letters to each other for a whole year. Through El, we learn that he can't say "I love you" to her. He can't even write it. So why? Here's a brief analysis. Writing it black and white in a letter would be a finality. The confession would make it irrevocable. He knows it would apply to the girlfriend/personification, even though it concerns Will. When Will moved away, she became his only tangible connection to his feelings. He communicates with her on two levels. He also writes to her to keep the illusion alive that he is "normal." The reason he hardly contacted Will is that every contact with Will reminds him of who he really is. It is his escape. That he cannot write or speak the words to El is because his heart knows that the recipient is an illusion. Because he actually meant Will. His heart knows these words actually belong to William. It would feel like a betrayal. Then there's the fear of the truth: Do I really love this girl, or do I love what she stands for? He avoids that question. That's why he sticks with the safe "from Mike." He uses personification as a shield to protect himself from the overwhelming reality of his feelings for Will.

The Time of Letters: Lies vs. True Self Dealing with the lie: A part of him clung to the letters to prove to himself , "I am straight, I have a girlfriend, everything is fine." He maintained the facade. Engagement with the true self: At the same time, it was the only place where he could "park" his tenderness and feelings. He wrote to her because he actually wanted to write to Will. But he didn't dare. He used her as a lightning rod for his longing. The kiss (El) and the hug (Will) at the airport The kiss as a demonstration: He kisses her in front of Will to erect a wall between himself and Will. It is a defensive posture. He is saying : "See? I am taken. I am normal. Don't come too close to me." It's almost a desperation to prove to himself that the lie still works. The stiff hug: Wanting to hug is dangerous for Mike. With Will, he feels the real, physical attraction that he can't control. The hug is stiff and fleeting because his whole body is on high alert. He doesn't want any real feelings to seep through . El had lied then; she isn't popular at all. Quite the opposite. She's an outsider and gets bullied. The others are so cruel to her that she loses control. El is so unhappy with her current situation. She asks Mike , "But you don't love me anymore? You never say it." She senses that she's only a placeholder for him. Mike is trapped between his façade and the essence he truly loves. The dilemma: He uses her like a "telephone line" to Will. When he writes to her, he's really confronting his feelings for Will without having to face the danger of an actual conversation with Will. The half-truth: He loves her "true self" (his love for Will). But if he were to write "I love you," he would mean the girlfriend (the lie). He blocks himself from saying it because it feels like betrayal to him. "From Mike" is the maximum amount of truth he can give. The only thing he can sign without completely betraying himself. Core point: Mike loves the "true self" of the personification but unconsciously rejects her "form" (the girl/girlfriend). She asks him , "But you don't love me anymore?" Mike asks , "Who says I don't?" Of course , he does. He loves her exactly as she is. She is his superhero. It's a tragic line. Her strength disappeared because of the distance and Mike's denial. She is no longer a heroine. She is the love and closeness between Mike and Will. Mike dodges the truth with a question. He knows she's right. But he can't admit it, because his entire house of cards (his identity/security) would collapse if he were honest. His "You know how I feel about you ; the others are nobody" is a protective claim. In that moment, when he sees her sadness, he directs it at the girlfriend. But he knows it's a lie. He pretends at "normality": He tells it to himself to numb his guilt. He wants to be the "good boy" who loves his girlfriend. So when El sees or feels herself as a monster, she is actually reflecting Mike's deepest fear-that his true sexuality is something "monstrous" or wrong. By glorifying her as a "superhero," he tries to suppress the negativity he feels within himself. The desperation: He tries to calm her (the illusion) because he is terrified that she will disappear. If she (the girlfriend) disappears, he would have to face the reality of Will-and at that point, he is still far too afraid of that. When she says, "I'm not a superhero anymore" and cries, it's because she realizes she can no longer fulfill her façade as the girlfriend. She feels like a monster or a failure because she senses that Mike's love is not directed at her as a person but at the function she serves for him (keeping his secret safe). In that moment, he lies to his girlfriend in order to lie to himself that everything is still "normal." He doesn't call her "the girl I desire" or "my partner," but instead chooses a word from a fantasy world. He doesn't love the person but her function.

Many see Kali as the evil sister who wants to convince El to die. Someone who is on Vecna's or Dr. Kay's side... but that's not her. The Mind Flayer, the Abyss, the UD, these are all metaphors, and then there are the monsters (whether Dr. Kay, Papa, the Soviets); they are all those societies that oppress others.

Kali (theophany) is a goddess; her home is the Abyss (a metaphor for darkness). Her manifestation is a snake, the tattoo we see on her neck. Naturally, Hopper doesn't trust her from the very first moment. He tells Joyce this directly. But she shouldn't be seen as "evil," because she's the opposite. She also represents love. She wants us to recognize our true selves. She's of great importance to El, Mike, and Hopper this season. And why?

Kali understands human nature; she knows what everyone is afraid of, and she wants us to face those fears. Here, she did it with Axel. When we face our fear, it can set us free. So it's just as she says. She does the same thing with Mike. A snake, by the way, isn't evil either. It's a part of Kali and also represents transformation, rebirth, immortality and healing. Kali represents passionate love. From destruction, she creates space for new beginnings.

In season 2 episode 7, we can even see her true self (background).

She is the goddess of truth and liberation; she tolerates no illusions. In episode 6, she confronts Hopper (he is as mirror character of Mike) with fear and is ready to destroy his false self-image (ego). We all have an ego (a healthy one, or it's much more about who we truly are—without lies). Hopper represents both. But in the series, the untrue ego (the illusion) predominates. The illusion is quite clear when Mike makes Eleven his girlfriend. He chooses the path of conformity, thereby suppressing his "true self" and lying to Eleven and himself. There are recurring hints of this throughout the series. She is the power that shatters illusions. Kali is not the destroyer of love. She is the destroyer of what blocks love. Therefore, Mike must shed his "impure ego" and return to his true nature—to everything he truly is. That´ s why Hop can´ t stand Kali because the "false ego" is afraid of the truth.

In the Purple Rain scene, El speaks as his girlfriend, but also as what she was from the beginning (her true nature). El can't go back to Hawkins (she would continue being this lie/his girlfriend), and then there's the military.

Mike: You...you have to get out of there! You have to get out! (He's speaking to his girlfriend)

El: None of this will ever end, not if I'm still here. (She's speaking as his girlfriend)

Mike: No, no. We'll figure something out. We'll fight back. We always do. (Mike's fantasy plan)

El: I need you to talk to the others. Mike: No. No. El: I need you to thank them for me. For being so kind to me. And teaching me what it means to be a friend. Mike, I need you to help them understand my choice. (Here she speaks as his girlfriend. Dustin, Lucas, Max, and Will have always seen her as his girlfriend, even though she was something else.)

Mike: But I don't. I don't understand. (He's afraid of losing his safe haven.)

El: I know. But you will. One day, you will. You understand me. Better than anyone. You always have. From the day we met... ...you've seen me. The real me. (Here she speaks clearly as her true self.)

Mike: Please don't leave me, El. Please, don't do this. (Here he is speaking to his girlfriend, his safe choice (conformity))

El says that as long as she lives, Henry will too. Now he's dead, but the cycle must be broken. The only way to do that is for her to leave him.She will then be free, meaning this love, and only if Mike accepts that will there be no new Vecna.The cycle can be broken by Eleven´s death. Because when love is dead (between Mike and Will), there is no military, no Vecna (hate). Because no one is hunting you down, locking you up, and doing all those bad things to you. El says to Hopper, "You protected me, but I'm not a child anymore. I decide, and you have to trust me. You have to believe in me." Love was too strong in the end. Mike had that avalanche in episode 4. The water and the damaged pipe -a true metaphor.

El: I will always be with you. I love you. Goodbye, Mike. (Her true self will always be with him if he is ready to accept it)

Of course she's not dead.

I believe the series conveys a beautiful message, and that's what matters, isn't it?

I think the story about Tammy is really well written…

And no, with Tammy (Mike) it's not about unrequited love, as most people claim. The story shouldn't tell us that. Will did receive a signal from Mike after all… so it must be about something else, right?

Many readers and fans unfortunately did not understand the significance of Tammy and claim that Mike is definitely not Will's Tammy. But that's not true. There is absolutely no reason to say that. Because Mike is Tammy. You didn't see the depth of the meta-level. With this post, I will explain tomorrow who she really is and why "Mike is Will's Tammy." Starting with Season 3 (Robin and Steve), then the field scene (the flirt), followed by the conversation between Will and Robin. Later, Robin also explains that she was only able to open up to Vickie (the alchemist) much later. Because only thru self-awareness was she able to date Vickie. In the end, the significance of Tammy in Will's coming out: "he is just my Tammy." Then there's the tower scene. Mike and Will just want to be friends for now. Which pretty much everyone misinterpreted as the end of Mike and Will. Most people believe that "Tammy" and "Best Friends" is a rejection of Mike. So many think they know that Will's feelings for Mike are not reciprocated and Will then gets over Mike.

However, to understand the coming out, Tammy, and why Will uses the past tense of "I had a crush," we have to go back a little bit to the field scene.

The script says Mike didn't clock it, but Robin does. We remember Will and how he asks Robin how she knew Vickie wanted to date her. Robin explains that there were signals. They developed slowly and became an avalanche. Will has already received mixed signals from Mike. He continues to test the waters. He pushes Mike away slightly, touching him on the chest. They both smile. Mike looks down, embarrassed, and smiles again before leaving the situation. That's the moment when Will received his first clear signal.

Mike, on the other hand, didn't notice Will flirting, but he felt a reaction within himself :a mixture of joy and shame. His body felt it, but even before it registered in his mind, he fled. Not out of disinterest or rejection, but out of being overwhelmed. It hit him emotionally. The escape was merely a desperate attempt to maintain control. The result is the burst pipe. But now let's talk about Tammy and why she comes into play. Will's mind is racing. Robin is acting as a mentor here. Robin holds a mirror up to Will: It was a lesson about the difference between obsession and true identity. "If I'm just in love enough with this 'normal' boy and he loves me back, then maybe I'll be normal too." Robin observed the flirting and realized that Mike's mask was crumbling. She tells the story so that Will will stop worshipping Mike and start seeing him as a real person. Will needs to understand: "Stop seeing him as your ticket to normalcy. See him as the person standing right in front of you, flirting with you." The danger of euphoria: After the flirtation and the signal on the field, Will is euphoric. He might now think, "Mike loves me ; everything's fine now ; I'm saved!" But Robin knows: If Will believes that Mike has to "save" him, Will will remain dependent. Mike as "solution" vs. Mike as "person": Robin tells Will about Tammy to say, "Remember how I used Tammy to numb my fear. Don't do that to Mike now." Robin wants to prevent Will from immediately forcing the bubbly, real Mike back into the old, rigid image of the "perfect savior."

Robin imagined her whole future with Tammy. She knew she was the one ;that if Tammy loved her, everything about Robin would be okay, and she wouldn't have to be afraid anymore (the part that always scared her). But then Steve (El's mirror) appeared, and she only had eyes for him, causing Robin's fantasy world toshatter. But then she saw this film of herself : this happy, fearless child. She simply loved everything about herself. And then she knew it wasn't about Tammy at all, but only about herself. Robin had looked for the answer in Tammy, but she already had the answer. What does that mean for Will? If Robin thinks Tammy is the solution to her fear, then Will thinks Mike is his solution. We often hope that another person will make us whole so that we don't have to confront our own shadows (our fears ). Will has been in love with Mike since he was twelve . But he doesn't just love Mike as his best friend ;he loves what he represents (because Will always thought he wasn't like him): he saw Mike as a projection, as his savior, who possesses everything Will wants to be: normal (heterosexual), carefree, and integrated. But it was an escape. So Robin doesn't need anyone (Tammy) to be "okay." This breaks the cage. That's the prerequisite for her to be able to love Vickie authentically. Will asks Robin about this later, asking whether that happened with Vickie right after the Tammy thing, and Robin says , "No, no. I wouldn't have dared at that point. I was at peace with myself, but to say it out loud." But she did, and she told Steve (her former arch-enemy). She had taken the truth serum (catalyst). Only through Steve was she even able to get involved with Vickie and date her. And Will is only viewer number three. By the end of the year, she wants to double her number. That means for Will :he 's been preparing for this coming out for a while now.

Steve ( El'smirror ). Here it hints at Season 4. He was jealous, but through Mike's confession, he is at peace with her. The alchemist, Will, is searching for the essence, the gold formula, and number three . Will is processing everything. Robin and Will together. He is ready to open up to the others and confide in them. So, Tammy is just the construct to create adoration/the ideal. To end it so that Will can now meet Mike on equal terms and as a potential partner. Because since this signal, he knows Mike is also different and hides behind a facade/a wall (El, the girlfriend).

The burst pipe: that Mike damaged the pipe so badly with the shovel is no coincidence. The flirt was the snowball that started the avalanche. A burst pipe can no longer be ignored. The water (feelings) can no longer be contained. Like an avalanche, the burst pipe now destroys the "dry facade." Everything Mike has so painstakingly tried to suppress all these years now comes to light. Mike and Will try to stop it and maintain normalcy between them, but it is in vain. An avalanche cannot be stopped. Mike can no longer return to his old state. He can no longer pretend that everything is the same.

The burst pipe is therefore the external event that finally breaks Mike's inner resistance. This is also the reason why Hopper finds Kali. Kali is a theophany.

The coming out. Since Vecna is his mirror and the antagonist - exactly what Will fears becoming - he has to stay one step ahead of him. Only then will he not end up like Henry. Will said Henry showed him what would happen if he did this now (came out). Will explains that he's never told anyone before because he doesn't want to be seen differently. But he is different. He just pretended not to be. He wanted to be like everyone else, like his friends. And he is like his friends in every way... he lists all the things they like to do. Then he says , "I just don't like girls." He looks at Dustin, Lucas, and Mike. As he continues, he looks away from them. He does like girls, but not the way they do. He continues: "I had this crush on someone-even though I know they are not like me." Will uses the past tense here, which leads to a misunderstanding for many. Many think, "Oh, Will had a crush and now he doesn't anymore, because Mike is just his Tammy." Or Mike thinks, "Now he doesn't love me anymore," and carries on. But wait a minute. He says it for specific reasons. He's telling Mike, "I've been in love with you for a long time (since we were 12) . I loved you even with your mask (girlfriend)." It's a form of self-protection. But Will knows that Mike is different now, and Mike knows that too. So Will says "had" because he knows that Mike is still living in his lie (girlfriend/mask). He knows Mike isn't ready or as far along as he is now. But he's giving Mike the opportunity to question himself as well. Because both Will and Mike noticed the flirting and the pipe. Mike recognizes this too. But he could also be thinking: "I was just a crush ; does he still love me, or is he over me?" If Will were to say now, "I still love you" (which he does-but in a different way), then he would be putting Mike under pressure. Mike doesn't have to decide immediately. So he's taking the pressure off Mike. He wants to draw Mike out of his shell and make sure that Mike doesn't act out of fear of loss, but out of genuine self-awareness. He decides for himself. It's also about the loss of security: If Will were to say, "I still love you," Mike would still have Will, yet he would still be keeping his girlfriend. So he takes that away from him. He forces Mike to the painful realization: "If I don't change and leave my girlfriend El, I'll lose Will to his past forever." Conclusion: If Mike doesn't want to lose Will, he must: 1. End the lie and break up with his girlfriend 2. Take off the mask and admit that he's just like Will 3. Take responsibility: Turn "We were/are best friends" into "I love you" in the present. Mike is still closeted and hiding behind his girlfriend. But the message is clear: As long as you hide behind El, you're not like me. I'm brave. What about you? Will can only love the sincere and honest Mike in the present/future. Not the one living this lie. So he continues: But then I realized he was just my Tammy, and by Tammy I mean it wasn't about him ; it was about me. That might sound harsh to many. Oh, Mike is just his Tammy. Who is Tammy? She's meaningless. She wasn't important to Robin, so Mike isn't important to Will. But that's complete nonsense. To the viewers, Will now seems "free" and "strong." They think he's ready for someone completely new (like Robin with the alchemist). The truth is, Will is only now ready for Mike. Before, there was fear between them. Now that the fear is gone, the path is clear. But because Will is no longer begging or clinging, the others mistakenly interpret his newfound confidence as disinterest.

It's about Will and his self-love and acceptance. Robin didn't need Tammy, just as Will doesn't need Mike to love himself (I'm okay the way I am). As long as Will hadn't come out, any love for Mike would have been poisoned by untruth. Because only then could Robin love Vickie. Will couldn't continue to deny himself ; otherwise, he could never date Mike. Coming out was the prerequisite for being able to meet Mike as a real person (and not just as a projection). It wasn't a lack of love for Mike, but rather a lack of self-love/self-acceptance.

The mirror revealed two truths: The truth about the past: It showed Will that his years-long fixation on Mike had been a kind of "safety net." Mike was the projection screen (plus Tammy) that Will needed to numb his own fear of being different. The truth about the present: After the flirtation on the field, Robin held up this mirror to say, "Look closely! Do you love the real Mike who's sending out signals right now, or are you still in love with the 'Projection/Tammy version' that's supposed to save you?" Robin wanted to prevent Will from making coming out a "condition" for a relationship with Mike. Here's the deeper meaning of this lesson: No trade-off: Robin wanted to prevent Will from thinking, "I'm coming out now so that Mike will love me." That would have been the same old dependency. Coming out had to be an act of self-love, completely independent of how Mike reacted. Robin also showed Will: You are the main character in your own liberation. Mike is the companion at your side, but you have to unlock the door entirely on your own.

Before: "I need you to be okay." After: "I'm at peace with myself (like the child in the film). I no longer need you as a savior ; I now choose you as a true partner." By using the past tense, he buried the unattainable, idolized, normal version of Mike -the killing of the projection. The pipe: He thus marks the moment he stopped believing Mike was "normal." An "I love you" in the present tense after the coming out would have been a plea for reciprocation. "I had a crush" is a statement of fact. He takes away Mike's power to destroy him through rejection because he presents the feelings as "" or "processed"-even if, at their core (now on a real level), they are still there. "I had a crush" is a statement of fact. So, does Will still love Mike? Absolutely. But it's conditional, and that's the truth.He is no longer in love in a "morbid" or "dependent" way, but rather consciously and sincerely.

Will used to be in love with the image he had of Mike (the "normal" dream boy who was supposed to save him). Now he's in love with the real Mike - the Mike who makes mistakes, who's embarrassed when flirting, and who splashed him with water when the pipe burst.

He loves Mike so much that he won't allow him to live a lie any longer. If he had said, "I still love you," Mike would probably have basked in the security of Will's love (because he always enjoyed his closeness) without breaking up with his girlfriend. Only the pain of being seen as finished or a projection/Tammy by Will gives Mike the necessary push to radically change his life. Will ends the old, unhealthy connection so that a new, honest love on equal footing can develop. Mike recognizes that Will speaks this language because he knows that Mike is hiding behind his girlfriend. Will no longer sees Mike as the unattainable best friend/Tammy. The "past" was just a bridge to the present. But Will says, "Even though I know they are not like me" (in the present tense), because Mike is still with El (even though he knows Mike is like him). And it's Dustin and Lucas. Heart and mind are not one. He forces Mike to question himself. Am I normal, or am I different too? Am I perhaps just like Will, and therefore not alone? How honest am I with myself? Am I perhaps also afraid to accept myself? If Will had said, "I know you're like me," he would not only have put him under pressure but also outed him. It would have overwhelmed him and not helped. But because he looks him right in the eye while he says it, Mike will have to ask himself these questions. So now Mike has to act: Does he let go of Will and move on, or does he finally stand up for himself and let go of his girlfriend? Will Mike finally find the courage? Then Will says, "I'll show him (Vecna) that I'm not afraid anymore," and he looks at Mike, who nods.

Many people don't like or understand Kali. Here's an example. This is a conversation from episode six . You always have to delve a little deeper into the conversations to understand that it's about Mike alone. Of course, it also has implications for El and Will.

[Kali] She’s getting weaker, not stronger.

[Hopper] So you are the expert on El, huh? You’ve known her for what, a day and a half?

[Kali] Longer than you, actually. We were raised together, and her name is Jane.

[Hopper] Jane Hopper.

[Kali] I’m just here to help.

[Hopper] You’re just here to help. Well, I’m sorry I’m all out of gratitude. I thought you said this fight was pointless.

[Mike] You said this whole thing was pointless?

[Kali] I never said that.

[Hopper] Really? It sure as shit sounded to me like you did. I leave you alone for two seconds with El, and you worm your way into her head. She’s probably having trouble finding Will because you’ve thrown her off track.

[Kali] She was off track when I met her because of you. Because of your lies.

[Hopper] Everything I have done…

[Kali] …is to protect her. Keep telling yourself that, but if you really want to protect her, she needs to know the truth, and she needs to be ready to deal with what’s waiting for her on the other side of this. Killing Henry won’t end this.

[Mike] What does that mean?

[Hopper] It means nothing. She’s a child. She has no idea what she’s talking about. She’s talking a bunch of nonsense.

[Kali] I think you know I’m not. But just as you lie to Jane, you also lie to yourself. You ask why I’m still here? I’m here to make sure that this never happens again.

So Kali has known Jane longer than Hop, since Kali has been by our side (or rather, Mike's) since birth. Mike, however, has only known El since he was 12 (season 1). That's when El first appeared, although she was obviously there before that. The name Jane, yeah, look it up. Does Kali want to help? Yes, definitely. I can tell you that. Kali says that El can't find Will because of Hopper's lies. It's not Kali's fault. Then she mentions that he wants to protect her. But that's obviously not true. He knows it himself. After all, he's the one who locked her up in the cabin. So Mike has suppressed her true self. To protect her, she needs to know the truth. And she needs to know what awaits her on the other side. Because it won't end with Henry. Kali wants to break the cycle with El. They're willing to sacrifice themselves. If they only kill Henry and destroy the UD, and El lives on and returns to Hawkins with Mike as her girlfriend, then nothing will have changed. The cycle would continue. There would be new monsters. Because Mike continues to live a lie and suppress her true self. Hopper thinks it's all nonsense, to which Kali replies that he knows it's true. So Kali is right. But just as he lies to El, he also lies to himself. So she'll stay until he stops lying and is finally honest. She wants to make sure it never happens again.