WhoVianne

For Will, he’s always been the artist of the party. For Dustin, I feel like every season he’s geeking out about something or the other — whether it’s about discovering a new species or solving a Russian code or bonding over computers with his girlfriend!

For Lucas, we have seen him dabbled around especially in S4 with him being the more physically active of the party. Joining the basketball team was means for him to fit in/conform but you can see that he’s genuinely good at it too and he really did want his friends to come to the game and support him.

It’s not that Mike doesn’t have interests unique to him, he does. He is a creative soul and he’s the writer of the group. Him DM’ing in S1 is the most overt example of this but even in smaller moments, you see that he’s imaginative. His intelligence is a creative sort with him being the first one to grasp El’s analogy of Will being stuck in the Upside Down in S1, we later see this again with him making the True Sight connection in S2, the superspy scene is also a good example. These are all smaller details and we actually have not see him be DM or write in a while. The suppression of his interests does run parallel to his arc about him suppressing his queerness.

As he tries to conform in his relationship with El, he suppresses not only his feelings for Will but all his nerdy interests.

I also want to talk about how the arts and literature are definitely seen to be more “useless” interests especially if you’re a man.

For Will, he has Joyce and Jonathan who embrace his passion for art but Mike really does not get the same level of acceptance of his own interests in his family.

I think a lot of his inadequacy also comes from the fact that he has internalised that sense of uselessness. He’s not Lois Lane — a cool reporter (like Nancy is), he can’t make cool drawings like Will, he’s not as smart as Dustin, and he’s not physically capable like Lucas might be other, And on top of that, his girlfriend is a superhero! He’s in a group of nerds and misfits yet he’s somehow the most useless one here!

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “Eng Lit is a useless degree” then that’s probably how Mike has been feeling about his interests. He perceives his interests to be inferior to those around him and unrealistic. He needs to grow up because it’s not feasible for him to to be a writer just like how he can’t be in love with his best friend.

He pours so much of his self identity and worth onto being El’s boyfriend in S3 purely because he feels like it’s the only worthwhile thing he can do. In fact, S3 is the worst example of it, but he actually does this the entire show. He puts all his self worth into being able to protect those around him. He believes that it is the only worthwhile thing he can do.

His saviour complex and his desire of being needed by those around is because he feels like who he is as himself isn’t worth anything.

That’s why it’s key that Will gives Mike a D&D based painting that features Mike guiding the party as the heart. He re-contextualises how Mike sees himself. The shift is from someone who has to lead in order to feel worthwhile to someone who is apparently so important that the party would fall apart without him.

I can only imagine the immense impact the painting had on Mike. He’s been feeling insecure and inadequate for so long. For someone to come in and make him feel empowered for once must have been such an important moment for him. Especially because he’s usually the one empowering everyone else.

No wonder you see him back in action in S5 where he’s comfortable expressing his nerdy interests again. He’s back using D&D figures to plan battle strategies and he’s taken on this leader role again but this time he has a new perspective of it.

I also really want to see him DM again. Maybe showcase the fact that he’s writing his own stuff too? (I want to see this properly in the epilogue but hey…have little details scattered throughout the season to suggest that he’s back to investing in those hobbies again too).

she is wearing a yellow oversized benny‘s burgers shirt…