Max And Mike Are Wlw Mlm Hostility

max and mike are wlw mlm hostility 🤩🤩

NO.

el and vecna are actually a prime example of REAL wlw mlm hostility

just would like to point out that will byers canonically has a tiny-cute rock with googly-eyes on his dresser that looks like a kindergartener made it.

*When mikhail sees Will in his wizard cosplay:*

hah! Harry Pooter!!!

*When Mikhail sees el move something with her magic powers:*

hah! Harry Pooter!!!

*Mikhail when argyle offers him palm tree delight*:

hah. I hyave much much strrronger zan zat, you silly american.

lucas sinclair + colors that remind me of him <3

YESS OMG I NEVER MADE THAT CONNECTION!

Mike is totally concealing his feelings around El, along with trying to maintain a certain image that does not reflect his inner self, an image that is acceptable and "cool." And it shows how El is having trouble seeing eye to eye with him like you said!!! (he only wears them in scenes where he's across from El. And in the pizza scene he goes from trying on blackout sunglasses, and then later denying to try the pineapple pizza, like he's rejecting the things in front of him on so many levels!!! Rejecting his senses!)

Also this season is all ABOUT eyes, seeing, truth, and deception! Vecna's thing is that he blinds people once he makes them consumed by pain, once he succeeds in convincing them that they should be ashamed of who they are/what they've done. There's no way they put in this scene where that blindness theme is highlighted for NO REASON. It's clearly to represent that Mike is blinded in a similar way to Vecna's victims. He is ashamed of himself and feels incapable of confronting and accepting his inner self, pain, and maybe even mistakes. He needs to look at the love that's around him and trust himself enough to open up and receive it, like Max was trying to do. ((Side note I'm obsessed with the idea that will has true sight and he's like a guiding light for Mike throughout the show, showing him to focus on his feelings and pain instead of running away from them).

What does wearing sunglasses reflect about a character?

Think we moved on too quickly from the fact that Mike Wheeler kept his sunglasses on to kiss his girlfriend after not seeing her for months

and this is the only time we see them kiss this season.

I really want to hammer home the point that none of the costuming (and framing, editing, etc.) decisions on this show are accidental. The filmmakers really said yeah, let’s hide any sort of window into the inner world of Mike Wheeler’s thoughts and feelings by giving him these ridiculous shades while he kisses his girlfriend. Totally not obvious symbolism at all.

Just think about how much of a big deal it is to obscure an actor’s eyes — arguably their biggest tool for conveying emotion onscreen. Google “symbolism of sunglasses in film” and there are a bunch of takes that go far beyond making a character look "cool".

Take one of my favourite movies as an example. The sunglasses in The Terminator serve a practical purpose as a perfect disguise for the titular killing machine to "hide in plain sight". But thematically? By obscuring his eyes, these shades also dehumanize him — no empathy or compassion to be found here.

So giving Mike the stupidest, most blackout shades during his reunion with El? When this is supposedly the show's "main couple"? Sorry, but I just cannot see how this could ever be read as a genuine, romantic moment. They're literally not seeing eye to eye.

And you could maybe argue this was just initial awkwardness from Mike–if not for the fact that we get another moment of Mike hiding behind glasses later at the pizza place in ep 9. Coincidentally, also when he's alone with El in what should be another romantic moment for them.

Once could be an accident (maybe). Twice is a pattern we’re meant to notice.

Jesus, Mike. WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?!

I hate Willhail but here