horse is dead but im still thinking about the concept of hopper finding out mike is dating will and losing his shit because he cant escape this fucking wheeler kid. never gets old to me.
but like. specifically the dynamic where hopper hates mileven for what he assumes are super rational reasons, until mike starts dating will, and he doesnt hate it as much as he hated mike dating el. and hes like. did mike become a better person. or is he just a better person to will. and hopper realizing he doesnt actually hate mike, he hated that mike was so blatantly incompatable with his daughter.
joyce loving mike like her own son probably strengthens this divide between the two reactions, too. like shes known mike since he was 3 apples tall and swinging with will at recess because he had no other friends. shes seen mike at his best and his worst. that boy couldnt surprise her if he tried, and trust me, hes tried.
and like. the idea of hopper being so totally blindsided by byler. like will being gay? sure, plausible enough. MIKE WHEELER being gay? what timeline is he in rn. is he being vecna'd. and it takes joyce recounting stories about miwi for hours on end for hopper to start to understand because from his perspective, this asshole girl-crazy thirteen year old started obsessing over his daughter out of nowhere and thats like, his PRIMARY view of mike.
just. byler showing hopper that theres a side to mike hes never met because he didnt know mike when he was 5 and helping will communicate his needs when he was nonverbal as a kid. yknow?
and then henderhop comes out of left field and hopper finds a much better enemy in dustin fucking henderson. forget mike, dustin is my enemy now, this kid talks back like no tomorrow and wouldnt obey a rule if there was a gun to his head. door open three inches? lmao dustin and jane are climbing out the window as we speak.