“Not emotion”

“Instinct.”

Mil*vens: "Byler's one-sided because MIKE LOVES EL."

El meanwhile:

Mil*evens: "Mike's love gave El the strength she needed to win!"

El: "I lost"

(And Mike spent TWO WHOLE DAMN MINUTES talking to her as the vines got tighter!)

If you say you're for Eleven, why are you ignoring what she thinks?

Mil*vens need to listen to their own girl!

Mike's speech made her angry and helped

Mike's speech didn't make her angry, Max's choking made her angry and helped. Mike's speech affected nothing and wasted time.

‘mmmmmmmm…….’

‘………’

‘…..I smell gay’

So few of these thoughts are exactly original, but I haven't seen them strung together in one timeline like this. Doing so makes all of El's behavior from Volume 2 make so much more sense in my head. So at first you might think I'm just recapping stuff, but read until the end (there are one or two original thoughts that are mine). If you do you might just be convinced of one thing - El now knows, or at least highly suspects, that Mike and Will have romantic feelings for each other.

So first point we all know. In El's letter to open the season, she says Will is doing a painting, and he won't let her see. She assumes it is for someone he likes at school (maybe a girl, she says).

Next, the big M*leven fight in Ep 3 where El finally brings up the fact that is bothering her - Mike can't say "I love you" to her.

Third, we have these now famous pics of El drawing the "Piggyback". They represent Max, El, and Vecna in the drawing. But thanks to the amazing cinematography, we can also see that the girl can also represent El, and the two figures together to the right are Mike and Will.

There's no other reason for them to shoot this scene through the window like this. And, to further solidify the point that the girl in the drawing is El, we get this shot:

In this, we see actual El covering up the drawn girl, but the two stick figures are still visible. From this perspective it looks even more like a "thought bubble" coming from El's own head. And I think that means that right now, at this very moment, she's starting to have thoughts about Mike and Will together. She's starting to sense that something is strange.

So why? What would've caused her to come up with these thoughts between the time they rescued her, and the time of the above scene? Well, there's really only one thing that could've changed. She must've seen the painting in the van. It's not a big leap. She didn't even have to see the contents of the painting. All she had to do was notice it was in Mike's possession. Remember, she thought Will was painting it for someone he liked. And now Mike has it. So...gears are beginning to turn.

So, I know it's a popular theory that El was going to break up with Mike at the Surfer Boy right before they're interrupted by Argyle. While that's possible, I'd like to put forth another theory.

El knows something is up with Will and the painting, but she doesn't know what. Right now, El isn't mad at Will or Mike, she's just confused about what is going on. She wants to ask Mike why he has the painting, but doesn't wanna do it in front of everyone. So she waits until they have a moment alone. And I think THIS is what she's going to ask about in the pizza shop before they're interrupted by Argyle. It's the first time they're alone and have time for a private chat. At this point, I think she might suspect Will likes Mike, but doesn't think it goes the other way. But, Argyle interrupts, so her questions are going to have to wait.

Next we have...sigh....THAT monologue. So picture this. In Episode 3, El bared her soul to Mike, telling her how much it hurt that he didn't tell her he loved her ever. That he couldn't even write it. She's broken down crying, begging for him to do it. And what does he do? Deflects, blames other people, and still doesn't say it. So now, she's in a fight for her life with Vecna, she's losing, everything is going wrong. And all it takes it one line from Will and suddenly Mike is spilling his emotional guts out?

He wouldn't do it for a crying, sobbing El. But just a nudge from Will and Mike is saying all the things El thought she wanted to hear from him. And in that moment I think everything clicks for her. She knows. El doesn't move the needle for Mike, not in that manner. It's Will. El wasn't able to coax those words out of Mike. But Will did. Easily.

And so I think THAT is part of the reason we don't see El talking to NEITHER Will nor Mike the rest of the season. And that's the reason she side eyes BOTH of them in this scene. You can tell she's annoyed, look at how she closes the door.

Remember, Will asks Mike if she's said anything. And all of what Mike tells him about what El said, about Brenner telling her she wasn't ready, and her thinking he might've been right. That all came as news to Will. He didn't know that and reacted angrily. But the fact that he didn't know does confirm one thing.

That means El is not talking to Will either during the two days! This is a stark change from how emotional and close they were during the reunion in the desert. Yes I know she's upset about losing and upset about Max, but those are the times you need to lean on people close to you. And if it wasn't going to be Mike, I would've bet money that it would be Will who she went to for support. Those two had grown so close since living together. But no, she for some reason is ignoring both of them. And I think that reason is she's starting to see what Mike and Will's relationship really is.

To be clear, I don't think El is going to be truly angry with them. I think she was heading towards splitting with Mike anyways. But I think she is a bit miffed right now. She doesn't understand why Will was able to draw a "confession" out of Mike while she wasn't. I think once she learns about how deep their love is for each other, and realizes she doesn't feel that way about Mike, she will be supportive. But for now, I don't think it's unfair of her to be confused and a little upset.

(pic creds @yuriberryva)