Mike is Ted & Nancy is Karen
Part 4 here to follow along.
GUYS! Do I have something more for you!!! I found something....more evidence.
So, I suggested that Mike was indeed Ted in the hospital here and in the Wheeler House specifically during the bathroom scene when Holly calls "Mike".
Let's take a look at this.....
We see Joe Chrest shown on Mike and what's interesting is that it is the name of Ted's actor. So I'm led to believe it was indeed Ted here. We also see Jake Connelly which is Derek's actor written here so maybe one of you can find out what it means. I believe it could mean that Derek in Camazotz could have actually been Mike because when Henry threatened his family, he mentioned his elder sister, mother and father so maybe there is something there. It could also mean that Derek is Ted in some instances as you would observe that they do look similar and have similar glasses.
Ted calls Holly several times and had to yell her name because she was engaged in her book - A Wrinkle in Time. The book is in the frame and this is important because to the audience, Ted knows that she loves that book.
In the hospital, we then see this...
It causes "Mike" to think because not only has he seen that Holly loves reading that book, she has also told him that Mr Whatsit in the same book was her imaginary friend. Yes, it was Ted she told about Mr Whatsit at school, not Mike and I talk about it here
"Mike" then suggests that Mr Whatsit is real and could have kidnapped Holly. He asked "Nancy" if Holly had ever spoken to her about Mr Whatsit but she replies..."her imaginary friend from the book?". She doesn't know the name because Holly never spoke to her about it, she only told Ted when Ted and Karen picked her up from school.
It's undeniable that they are both unreasonably clueless and it doesn't makes sense that they wouldn't realise that it was Henry immediately. However, it makes sense if the people in this scene didn't know about the strange happenings in Hawkins....Ted and Karen! That's why we felt they were too slow because in actuality, they didn't know about anything we or the main characters do know.
To prove that Nancy is Karen in the hospital scene...
Karen's name is Karen Childress.
The name Childress means and I quote "... suggesting a meaning akin to one who gives counsel to children or guardian of children" Read more here
So basically a caretaker/parental figure. Who do we see dress as a candy striper in the hospital scene?.....Nancy!
A candy striper is a hospital volunteer. While it is usually teenage girls that volunteer, people can choose to volunteer at later stages in life. Read more about them here. I quote...
"Additionally, other people choose to volunteer at later stages in their life, particularly after retirement"
So...Karen could have been a candy striper. There is also the fact that Karen has been told that she looks good for her age.
Duties of a candy striper....
"Greeting visitors" (welcoming the Byers).. "helping with light cleaning" "housekeeping... provide comfort to newborns.... limited patient interaction..."
We see throughout the seasons that Karen carries out all these activities in her home, not Nancy.
Those patients they can interact with are majorly children/teenagers and senior citizens as there are just volunteers, not medical professionals. Also, newborns are children just like Holly.....Childress
So, I'm led to believe that Nancy is Karen and I also think that it means that not only was Mike hospitalised, Nancy was as well at some point.
Extra: Remember what I said about the surroundings hinting at the first letter of the actual character's name in a scene? Check out this post to see some interesting examples. Here is another. I hope it intrigues you...
Look at the windows behind and in front of "Mike". The window frames form a cross which is the small letter "t". THIS IS SO INTERESTING!!!! (to me) :)
Thanks for reading. Hope this makes sense:)
