I'm prepared to put my professional reputation as a lawyer on the line to comment on a piece of science fiction, because goddammit this is important to me! It is not "delusional" to think Will and Mike will become a couple, and there is nothing wrong with you if want it to happen! This is a video essay I've been planning for at least SIX MONTHS, and I put a lot of work into it. I'd love to hear your comments. Enjoy! SUPPORT MY PATREON to access my FULL reactions and edited reactions as soon as they're ready, ask me questions, and join my Discord! Subscribe! Also, subscribe to my larger channel ("The Rules Lawyer") about RPGs like Pathfinder and D&D! @TheRulesLawyerRPG MY LINKS: My blog TEAMBYLER on Tumblr: My civil rights organization BAMN: OTHER LINKS MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO: "The Queer Coding and Internalized Homophobia of Mike Wheeler" ( @losersitsbyherself ): Reddit post "Bylers are actually quite literate" (r/PinksMonkey quoting oceanfruit444): "101 reasons to love Mike & Will" ( @angelwithnightmares ): Tumblr post on how you don't write a slow-burn rejection, by Byler Nation: The Frustrating Decline of Stranger Things" ( @friendlyspaceninja ): David Bowie's "Heroes": 0:00 Why this video 1:38 Hate for Byler on the internet 10:16 Case for Mileven 15:21 Case for Byler: Starting premises 17:56 If Will were a girl... 25:30 The evidence! 29:05 EXHIBIT A: The Snow Ball 31:34 B: Mike's reactions to El and Will being upset 34:21 C: Season 3 ending montage 39:16 D: Airport reunion 47:51 E: Rink-O-Mania argument 51:28 F: Heteronormativity, audience expectations 58:25 G: Throwing away the letter 59:55 H: 2nd heart-to-heart scene 1:05:43 I: Mike can't say he loves El 1:13:27 J: Platonic reunion 1:15:12 K: Will's role convincing Mike to say "I love you" 1:20:08 L: Effect of the "love confession" on El 1:39:54 M: The Painting Lie 1:43:22 Honorable mentions 1:45:27 Non-diegetic evidence 2:01:23 Actor statements 2:07:01 Season 5 information 2:10:34 NOT how you write an unrequited love story 2:16:07 Why Byler SHOULD happen (queerbaiting, etc.) 2:28:21 A more powerful story 2:35:45 A personal note NOTE: I am a public activist with BAMN supporting victory for Palestine and an independent Palestinian state, and I am aware of the controversy around Will's actor Noah Schnapp. First, we should be able to freely discuss fictional characters separately from the actors who portray them. I also think that pro-Palestine activists should focus on organizing like-minded people into collective action in the streets for Palestinian liberation and stopping Trump and fascism, and I don't see much efficacy to do either in criticizing celebrities online. That said, Palestine is an important issue and people will want to know what I think about Noah Schnapp's views. I don't think the public knows what his views are today, as he is no longer speaking publicly on the issue, perhaps at the direction of Netflix or his agent. My sincere hope is that certain of Noah Schnapp's Fall 2023 statements reflected a common gut initial reaction to October 7 among many Jews, and that he has since learned more about the history of Palestine and the Israeli government's horrors that have been increasingly exposed to the world and condemned as illegal by the UN International Court of Justice. One can't simply call for "peace," when an occupying army is committing a genocide. And ending the occupation is not only what being humane requires but is also, with Trump trying to carry out fascism in the U.S., part of protecting Jews from antisemitism and further isolation in the U.S., the Middle East and around the world.