fleetwood-will second account

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I will be reblogging some posts from that second account, so I apologize in advance for the potential spam.

There was no clear reason given for the suspension, it seems like it was some kind of glitch.

Will and Max may be trapped in a video game as part of Vecna's illusion at some point in S5. In the real world, they always lose, so they clung to a place where they could finally win. But the longer they avoid the reality, the harder it becomes to return — and until they face it, they'll remain a prisoner of their own escape.

Vecna has the ability to create powerful illusions and trap his victims in their memories and fantasies. Our heroes are notorious gamers, and notably, Will and MadMax are found escaping their real-world problems through video games.

So, what if one of them gets stuck in a video game? I'm not sure how this will physically work; perhaps they find themselves in an empty arcade, playing a game where they embody the characters. This could lead them to face a choice: leave and confront the harsh realities of the world, or stay in the fantasy and fight the monster forever.

This storyline would be visually stunning—just imagine it!

This concept is similar to what happens in the TV show Cloak & Dagger.

In that show, Tyrone is trapped in a Dark Dimension, which manifests as an arcade game room where he plays a game called Duel to D'Spayre. In this game, he controls an avatar of himself, battling thugs to reach the main villain, who represents the final boss.

His partner, Tandy, enters the arcade, trying to convince him to stop playing. Tyrone argues that she needs to help him win so they can leave sooner. She joins him in the game but becomes frightened by the appearance of the villain and exits. Tandy persists in urging him to leave without completing the final level, but Tyrone explains that he feels he has a better chance of winning in the Dark Dimension than in the real world, where he always feels like he’s losing.

As many people have pointed out, the discussions around Mike being misunderstood or villainized by the fandom arise from a lack of understanding that

he is not oppressed for being queer (at this point in canon at least);

he likely does not even recognize his own queerness.

Unlike Will, Mike's queerness is deeply hidden, even from himself.

His character is built on subtextual hints that foreshadow his queerness, which will later serve as narrative evidence for the audience and inspire discussions on "How the show hinted Mike is gay." These hints are intended to illustrate that he is grappling with feelings and desires he has not yet consciously recognized. The cues are deliberately subtle - they aim to create confusion for the audience, mirroring Mike's own confusion. The narrative intentionally avoids explicit statements about his sexuality at this stage, allowing the audience to experience this gradual reveal alongside him.

Will's queerness is apparent even before he fully understands it himself.

He faces bullying and punishment for "breaking" gender norms at the hands of his abusive father. He is called slurs and labeled a "freak" by his peers, and even adults are not surprised by his disappearance in season 1, as we remember Troy's comments about it. This environment has created a persistent shadow of fear, shame, and self-doubt that Will must confront in Season 5.

His struggles run much deeper than his "unreciprocated" feelings for Mike. Unlike Mike, whose repressed queerness remains largely unconscious and influenced by internalized societal norms, Will's difference is forced upon him by an unforgiving environment. He must navigate both his internalized fears and the external pressures simultaneously, all while the constant threat of supernatural danger heightens the stakes of his journey toward self-acceptance.

Will's emotional arc is tied to the supernatural events around him. His queerness is not just a personal discovery - it acts as a survival mechanism woven into his heroic journey. Embracing his desires and identity becomes essential for reclaiming agency over his body, mind, and powers, ultimately positioning him as a crucial player in saving the world.

Mike is not bullied for being queer.

Mike's queerness is currently latent and subtly hinted at rather than being directly addressed as socially unacceptable. In the first episode of season 1, we don't have Karen pointing out that Ted was calling Mike slurs. Instead, we see Mike being exceptionally protective and affectionate with Will during their childhood. The script for season 2 illustrates a moment where he squeezes Will's hand to comfort him when Will is possessed by the shadow monster. This suggests that Mike is crossing the boundaries established by society, though he may rationalize his actions as being a protector and a very close friend.

When Mike starts dating El, their preteen romance feels natural to him. He admires her strength and bravery, and he genuinely cares for her. Since she "sacrificed" herself to save him and his friends in the past, Mike feels a sense of obligation to offer her care and loyalty. This makes it emotionally challenging for him to take a step back or even question their relationship at first - why would he do that when a superhero girl wants to be with him?

His intensity with El in season 3 is obviously overcompensation.

It serves as subconscious proof to himself and the world that he is "normal." Kissing can be enjoyable, and El likes it, so Mike likes it too. However, deep down, he knows that it doesn't feel like it should, and for the first time, his subconscious reveals itself with the infamous, "It's not my fault you don't like girls." This raises the question of why he would say that if he isn't projecting. Mike feels cornered - his relationship is under attack, first from Hopper and now from Will, leading him to defend it aggressively. He hurts Will not out of malice, but out of fear of looking inward and facing his own truth. Puberty hits him hard, and his body begins to betray him, undermining his ideal boyfriend persona. It's easier for him to lash out at Will with accusations like "you don’t like girls" than to confront the same possibility within himself.

At the end of season 3, there's that strange kiss that leaves him shocked. He finally gets what he thought he wanted, but it doesn't feel right. Instead of considering that he might be queer, like a lot of people believe, he thinks, "What’s wrong with me?" which feels like a safer option for him. As a result, he struggles emotionally with El later in season 4. He finds it difficult to be vulnerable and even hesitates to write "Love, Mike", because deep down, he doesn't feel what he believes he's supposed to feel. Something just doesn't click for him.

On the contrary, he knows that being around Will stirs feelings he doesn’t want to confront. His unconscious attraction to Will is revealed through soft glances, his "Will voice", and vulnerable admissions - Hawkins is not the same without Will. In fact, he is literally flirting with him, and it happens unconsciously, as it feels natural to him, and he doesn't even realize what he is doing.

But he doesn't have the time to sit and contemplate these feelings. He is too focused on his self-loathing and his obsession with El and her need for him.

He says that he feels useless and powerless in comparison to superpowered El, fearing that if she doesn't need him, he will feel like nothing. Mike doesn't believe he is worthy of love as he is. He thinks he must earn it by being the hero, the leader, the savior, or the perfect boyfriend. This mindset, along with his guilt and savior complex, is what he needs to confront in Season 5. He should realize that his role is not to "rescue" or fix El or Will, but to stand as an equal in those relationships.

Mike's journey toward acknowledging his queerness is one of self-discovery, largely internal and shaped more by social and familial expectations than by bullying. On the surface, he appears socially competent, coming from a "perfect" middle-class, Reagan-era family. No one knows or suspects he's gay. His journey focuses on self-recognition, learning to separate guilt, romantic desire, and duty, while uncovering feelings he doesn't consciously understand yet.

In season 5, I believe Mike learning that Will is gay will be a game-changer for him.

He will begin to recontextualize all their interactions - the coded conversations, the way he feels when Will is near, and the emotions he experienced when Will gave him the painting. Mike will feel a mix of attraction, fear, and relief all at once. Since he hasn't faced the same bullying that Will has, his initial reaction won't be self-hatred or shame as some might think. Instead, it will be longing. While he will surely panic about being exposed, the emotional focus will shift from "What's wrong with me?" (the culmination of season 3) to "I want him". This realization is both frightening and freeing.

He may not label his identity right away, but finally understanding what was wrong all this time will be powerful - he wants Will not just as a friend, but as someone he could kiss. Once Mike allows this subconscious truth to surface, there's no turning back. He can't unknow his desire anymore.

After listening to The Wall by Pink Floyd, I believe this album is being used to foreshadow the final conflict between Henry and Will. A battle between minds.

The Wall is a concept album exploring the emotional walls the character Pink puts up. Each traumatic event in his life is another brick in the wall. A wall of memories.

Pink is a tormented artist. His father was killed during WWII, leaving him with no father figure. His mother was overprotective. He isolated himself within his emotional walls. During a drug-induced hallucination onstage, he believed he was a fascist dictator. Once he came out of his hallucinations, he was racked with guilt and put himself on trial within his own mind. He reverted into a childlike version of himself and faced his violent adult self. This ended in him tearing down the wall, forcing himself to reckon with every part of himself as a punishment. It's a very Jungian ending of confronting the shadow.

Long story short, the parallels and leaks I’ve seen so far lead me to believe that she is not going to stay.

Spider-Man Parallels In one of the leaks, presumably from the epilogue, Mike is wearing an outfit reminiscent of the one MJ wore in No Way Home.

In the movie, Spider-Man's identity is revealed, which brings his superhero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life, putting those he cares about most at risk. To fix the situation, he asks Doctor Strange to cast a spell that will make everyone forget he is Spider-Man.

This leads to a series of events that shatter the multiverse. At the end, to prevent the world's destruction, Peter encourages Strange to enact a new spell-one that makes everyone forget Peter Parker ever existed.

If Will represents Peter and El represents Spider-Man, this would imply that Will is the one everyone should forget. This dynamic has already played out across all seasons, as Will is often sidelined, ignored, or blended into the background.

For the conclusion of Stranger Things, Will's disappearance makes no sense.

What does make sense is El's departure. After everything is resolved and the monsters are defeated, El would still be a target for the military. Therefore, it wouldn’t be surprising if she decides to leave in order to protect her loved ones from harm.

Angels in America Parallels In this post, I discussed how El and Mike parallel the relationship between Harper and Joe. Joe is a closeted gay man married to a woman who often escapes reality by taking pills. They both pretend to be happy and maintain the appearance of a perfect couple, but they are emotionally and sexually dissatisfied.

After realizing that Joe is indeed homosexual, his wife tells him multiple times that she plans to leave him. Eventually, she does leave, despite his pleas for her to stay and maintain their marriage.

The last scene we see with Joe is with his mother, who offers him some comfort.

And Harper embarks on a new adventure, feeling a sense of loss for what she left behind, but also looking forward to the future.

I doubt that El and Mike will part on the same terms. Hopefully, Mike will finally be honest about his feelings for Will, allowing them to reach a mutual understanding.

Stranger Things has emphasized that El does not know who she is or where she fits in the world, and so far she hasn’t had the opportunity to discover her true identity. By the end of the series, she might finally be free to explore, much like Harper.