The Problem with Mike & El: Pygmalion and his "Superhero"
Eleven & Mike's "monster vs superhero" | Will & Jonathan's "freak vs normal" scenes
Mike has a Pygmalion complex with El, the term derived from the Greek myth of Pygmalion who sculpted an ideal woman and fell in love with her. He tries to mold and shape Eleven into his ideal partner due to his frustrations and sexual repression. His superhero, later "superman", comments are indicative of this. However, his efforts do not work out as Eleven no longer wants to be his hero. "Not anymore," she says, after he ignores her experiences of when he treated her like a "monster," using words like "ridiculous" and "crazy" to describe her behavior.
You see how similar this scene is to the one where Will and Jonathan discuss being "freaks." Both moments tackle themes of conformity versus individuality. Yet, Jonathan exhibits the type of empathetic listening and understanding that Mike does not (who literally says "I don't really understand"). Ultimately this leads to the tragic outcome of season 4 when Mike's coerced love confession goes awry and he repeats the inconsiderate "superhero" line. In this first clip, it is the same fight that Mike later says that they "can't come back from," outlining an informal breakup.
All signs point to Eleven and Mike remaining best friends, but not lovers. Moreover, there is a clear difference in the way Mike better understands and is compatible with Will, who makes him feel like he is "better for being different" (because they'll "go crazy together"). It's curious, to say the least, how Mike does not treat Will differently, but does so with Eleven.
