just mike knowing things he shouldn't without an explanation. don't look

Finn recreating his iconic fanmio call with Harry Daniels on tiktok! 30/3/25

Reread the interview with Aaron Sims, the concept creator of s1 Demogorgon. So many interesting things that haunt me to this day (poor Barb)

A spider coming out of Barb's mouth, Demogorgon feeding off the egg, the particles, the tree-gates…

S5, please address these things, I need to know how Dimension X works

in tfs when patty and henry have their first kiss, a lightbulb explodes (and i'm pretty sure in the broadway version i saw more than one explode actually)

let's look at mike and el's first kiss now.

first of all, there's a light fixture in frame this whole conversation leading up to the kiss

gee, looks like the lightbulb behind el is still very much intact guys!

Hey so like… am I only the one who thought it reminded them exactly of this scene orrr

“Idk… when I kissed you… it felt like I was kissing my brother”—Loraine

“Will you be like my brother”— El

A 70s-themed gift for @fleursfairies for the @bylergiftexchange ✨

I'm in the trenches

I was looking for more Bychance "evidence" ( honestly, I'm in my S1 Joyce era rn ) and ...

HELP ME IT'S LIKE THE DUFFERS ARE TALKING TO ME THROUGH LONNIE

earlier i was literally like "oh my god, is Bychance really Will's coping mechanism and personification of his long-series journey or is IT MINE and my brain made it up?"

................................ im all alone in this tag atm and potentially allienating a great deal of bylers who don't think Will would fraternize with the enemy like this, so it's a pretty lonely journey but it'd be kinda hilarious if i turn out to be somewhat right bc that'd mean the show is

m e t a a f

you're either witnessing me slowly descending into madness bc i'm really just some random idiot whose media literacy skills are worse than mileven's, or i'll turn out to be *somewhat* right about this. smh at my very creative but insane heart

i don't know man ........ the way shit connects in my brain like. AM I CRAZY? did grief over me losing my "mike" ( to death ) and my "will" ( to break-up ) irl make me insane and now my brain is latching onto Bychance to cope bc deep down I don't think Byler's going to happen in a way that pays off? ( i,e Will feeling like a second choice or something ) LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON

Me when the Byler doubt hit me so bad I jumped on the Bychance wagon and found Enlightenment ( or madness ). i'm also considering the therapeutic effect this is having in my mind rn. i haven't been in the mood to draw for YEARS, yet here i am spewing sketches left and right. it's like i'm finally understanding why im so drawn to this show but also kind of just having fun again, it's like when I first joined the Byler tag

( either way please don't join me in this madness / be careful out there bc i seriously don't know what's going on. send help, I'm in the trenches i've lost my mind. maybe i just need to get this out of my system lmao )

Don't worry @ven0moir you're not alone in the trenches, we're going crazy together in real time 💀

I have to admit that bychance felt mostly like a fun crack ship at first. Why not you know, he's attractive, Will deserves some fun, I like drama, let's go. But the more I twist and turn it around the more it feels like an actually... good and not at all farfetched subplot. Huh. Whaddaya know.

For me it comes down to mainly one thing;

@ven0moir has already made a great point about how Will having some prior experience would give him more agency when byler eventually happens. And Mike is long overdue for a rude awakening: his undisputed spot as Will's most important person will not go uncontested forever. One way or another, the show has to address how uncomfortable this realisation will make him. He has to confront what that means for the nature of his relationship with Will. Bychance is a simple and effective way to accomplish exactly that. And honestly, if Mike is going to be a jealous confused mess in S5 (it's for your own good Micheal) then give him something to be actually jealous about.

So far the show has given us one flavor of internalized homophobia. Mike hides, he plays pretend at heterosexuality with a beard girlfriend that he, although he likes and cares for her, isn't attracted to. Bychance would be a great way to juxtapose Mike's coping mechanisms by going the complete opposite route with Will.

Will already believes he has no chance at a healthy, mutual, romantic connection. So why not engage in a toxic situationship with someone he doesn't like or trust but is sexually attracted to? The world is ending anyway. Might as well.

It wouldn't be strange at all.

Will has been valiantly holding out so far; being happy for whatever kind of intimacy he can have with Mike. There's been cracks in that facade however. The rain fight, destroying Castle Byers, the argument at rink-o-mania... all point to the fact that Will, for all his valor and selfless behaviour, actually holds a great deal of frustration, maybe even resentment, because of the situation.

Would it really be so weird for him to act out and seek some sort of relief, if the opportunity presented itself?

We already know that temptation will most likely play a part of Will's arc this season. Who's not to say that Vecna won't be involved in manipulating the situation. Separating Will from his support system would make him more receptive to being approached by Vecna himself down the line. What better way than to lure Will away with a twisted version of what he actually wants. Juicy🧃

Throwing a wench in Mike and Will's relationship is also crucial if Vecna wants to succeed with his plan; those two have proven to be absolutely lethal when they join forces. Bychance could be a way to make Mike feel like Will has gone to a place where he can't follow, at least not as long as Mike won't confront his own less than platonic feelings for his best friend.

Either way there you have it; Mike and Will showcasing two diametrically opposed but equally toxic coping mechanisms. Both being consequences of internalizing the belief that this is as good as it's going to get. Ugh my heart 💔

Bychance could, if played right, help deliver a really powerful message about the more insidious consequences of homophobia, what a hateful, intolerant society truly does to a person. It all ties in nicely with one of the core lessons of the whole show;

Forced conformity really is killing the kids.

We're in the final arc of The Five Arc story structure. That means one thing and one thing only; catharsis.

Everything is coming to a boiling point and the lid will blow in a number of ways. Especially when it comes to byler. Things must implode, for both of them. Only then will they have to stare truth in the face and actually deal with their feelings for each other. And what living a life that is truly your own would actually mean.

And sure, you could do all this without bychance.

But it would be a neat and simple way to do it. And there are things in the show that could be interpreted as hints towards it (@ven0moir and @cypherheartnokey have made posts about it). Some of it could be reaching, but not more of a reach than some stuff we bylers regularly parade around as evidence for our ship. This is a show that goes crazy hard with foreshadowing and self-reference after all so... yeah. You be the judge. Whether it will happen or not is anyone's guess.

But I actually wouldn't be mad if it did.

ill never forgive bylertwt for how they treated lesbianmindflayer back in 2022. she was ahead of her time and deserved so much better than how those losers treated her

it angers me even more how bylers treated her bc id expect better from bylers since as a collective we're supposed to be the "film makers" and "creatives" --but i am glad it seems her analyses are being remembered now and treated with the respect they deserve.

i wish i remembered the specific names but it was honestly like a mass dogpile so yeah but

lesbianmindflayer if you're out there you are loved

IM SCREAMING

WILL WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS. don't worry, so will you. A literal Chance.

NOT MIKE SAYING "lets hope not" HELP MEEEE

i think another reason why i think bychance is happening is bc it delays byler--otherwise it'd just be a matter of the painting lie coming out and bam byler kiss which would happen way too soon in the show

im so ......................................................

i was literally drawing my take on how the bychance first meeting will go and

ONLY FOR ME TO GO REWATCH WILL'S LAST S4 SCENE TO REALIZE HE SAID THAT.

this is too much [ this is still a wip so it might change depending on what i feel is more Will's personality but HELP ]

So, Bychance is on my radar and ... I think it'll actually happen.

Disclaimer, I realize this is me going full unhinged mode and some of this might be because I'm so bored lately but the more I think about where we left Will off in S4, the more I think Will might actually take a chance ( lmao? ) to be with someone new, even if deep down he knows it's not in his best interests--it'll be more a coping mechanism, an attempt to move on from Mike, and without realizing he might be repeating the pattern of his parent's relationship due to trauma.

This will ultimately result in growth for him, of course, and the breaking of these cycles. Will Byers will be free in the end, but the road there won't be easy.

So here we go--by the leaks of Holly being taken, and the outfits they are wearing, we can infer S5 Byler will mirror S1 Jancy.

Yeah. And how did Nancy start S1?

Having a one-time, two-time secretive thing with a jock ( bully ) that left a note in her locker at the start of the season.

Something something bullies leaving a note in Will's locker at the start of the season.

Something something a bully leaving a note at the start of S5 in Will's locker with a place and time to meet.

And what is one of the most noticeable things that Stancy and Mileven have in common?

Yeah, they start seemingly very passionate, only to fall apart later. Add Bychance to that mix.

Now, about the place and time where Chance and Will likely secretly meet. At first I thought it would be Benny's Burger.

Benny's Burger, which also foreshadows Mike telling Eleven something about her Benny Burger's t-shirt in EP9. It is also established in these screenshots that Benny's Burger is a place commonly used for people to hang out, likely teenagers, to engage in illegal things like drinking ( and probably more, the 69 poster above Lucas' head notwithstanding )

We also have the whole 'WE ❤️ TIGERS' posters, and Christmas Lights which we have come to associate with Will, as it has been established that this is Will's favorite holiday as well.

However, Chance and Will would have to be extra careful not to get caught, so chances are they'll go for places that aren't frequented ...

Now, the main question is, why Chance? And I'll admit this is all oh so fairly loose and likely a reach, but if we are to believe Will is going to have a secret thing with a bully, then out of all of the ones introduced in S4, Chance is the one that I'd dare to say we can connect Will with through symbolism, albeit vague.

The first time we see Chance, we see the poster 'Defeat The Falcons' closer to him than anyone else on the team even though he was on the bench.

Now, correct me if Im wrong, but if there is an association with Mike and falcons, then it could hint at Mike having lost to chance this season. Foreshadowing he loses to a literal Chance next season? Since Chance didn't come out the bench this season. Yikes. Good luck, Mike. You're gonna need it.

We also notice he's sporting the number 22 in his shirt ( which considering the attention brought to t-shirts this season, I'd say this means something, especially bc 22 is Will's birthday and it is also speculated to be the date of the Creel Murders -- Chance and Will meeting at the Creel House oh god ... ).

Speaking of 22, this scene is interconnected with Will in California through music--it does have a similar context in which both Lucas and Will feel abandoned by their friends. But we also see what you could argue is an extra that is supposed to remind us of Chance behind Will wearing a shirt ( again with the shirts ) that says 'I love contact sports'

Moments before, we *just* saw Chance next to Lucas, in the same spot we see Mike as well--as if the two are being compared. ( Tiger vs Falcon? )

We know Will is associated with tigers, but we can also infer that he loves tigers, which connects him to the 'WE ❤️ YOU TIGERS' poster in Benny's Burgers.

This is as far as I have gone in my analysis, but I might rewatch S1 and S3 at one point to follow along the narrative patterns and see if I can uncover more.

My guess right now is if Bychance is established early on, then it might go for about a couple episodes before it inevitably crashes and burns--with Will being the one to end things, and then Byler happens at the end in a way that pays off.

This is crazy. Letting this person cook with this one

thank you, im in the trenches rn ... it's probably only a matter of time before my people turn against me i can sense it in the air, but i have to follow my gut instinct there's just something going on here

Don't worry ur not alone in this 😭 I be thinking about this stuff and I'm like "THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN IM NOT DELUSIONAL" 💀 but it's good to follow ur gut cuz u never know

oh god thank god for you rn seriously haha, the reason why i'm kinda scared rn is bc i started working on bychance for fun but now im like 'oh my god' and i started working on a master slides last night and ... honestly there's some compelling stuff there but i'm kind of bracing myself to be booed out of the byler tag, which is the worst case scenario.

IT'S SO SCARY IM LIKE SO TENDER

but something tells me to keep going, idk ...

AWW NOO ITS OKAY DONT BE SCARED😭 I'm sure nothing will happen, I mean you haven't been booed at in ur previous post and if smth does happen I'll defend u!! Lol

Just do ur thing, whats wrong with having fun right?

YOURE TOO SWEET FR *holds ur hand* youre probably right tbh!! this theory is just sm fun and ... therapeutic??? like damn, i need will to be given a *bit* of a break yknow? hes gone through sm

BYCHANCE TIMELINE - speculative theory

This goes by the hand of what I've shown before here. This theory is just a small part of a larger narrative, and whereas Will's arc is central, his relationship with his friends and family will be crucial this season. So what you're seeing here is me trying to narrow down what I believe his arc with Chance, specifically, will entail. I see this as one of the loops Will needs to break to Be Free--one storyline ingrained into a larger narrative--its not what the season will focus on entirely, but an important aspect of it.

ACT I. Bychance introduced in EP1

Full circle moment as Bychance joins the narrative pattern established through Stancy, Mileven & even Joyce and Lonnie--which I'll be calling Jonnie for short. They start off with Will reading a note [ left in his locker ], with a time and place to meet. Then we see them together. This rattles the audience a bit--some will actually approve ( like they did Mileven & Stancy ), some might cheer bc it means their ship's endgame now that Will has an 'official love interest' ( Milevens ), some might question if this is real/a vecna vision or something, and others ( Bylers ) question it and are taken aback bc this might feel ooc of Will to them. Which it is, yes, but that's kind of the point.

He's conforming half-way. He refuses to date a girl and lie about who he is, yes, but at the same time he's sneaking around with a jock/bully, who is part of the group that tormented Hellfire in S4, nonetheless. And, just like Nancy did Steve in S1, makes excuses for his behavior. ( callback to S1 )

"He's a good guy deep down, he just needs some time to come to terms with who he is. It's not like I have options, anyway. What are the odds of meeting someone else like me in this town?"

In Will's case, the van scene was a metaphorical self-sacrifice. A part of Will, a very important part of him, died in that van--not to mention the whole forgotten birthday thing. So he's now trying, forcing himself to move on and find coping mechanisms.

However, I really do think the point of Bychance is to serve as a lesson, yes, but also to give Will a little bit of a 'vacation' and allow him to live a little, damn. He surely deserves a break.

ACT II. Flashback to their first meeting

The details of their first encounter remain to be seen but we either see them get together in real time ( aka this happens before we see them kiss ) or we see a flashback of their first meeting, which might be similar to Mileven's ( it happens by chance--pun intended--in a way that feels cold, it's raining, there's danger looming, etc ). However, Bychance might mirror BenChar from Heartstopper more than Mileven's first scene. The reason being that it is widely accepted within the town that Will is queer and we even have bullies in S1 talk about Will's queerness ( potential S1 callback here? ), so it might be safe to assume that Chance is aware of the possibility of Will being queer and at some point the opportunity presents itself, and the two exchange words. I expect coded language being used, reinforcing one of the show's themes.

"Is it true what they say about you? That you're ... yknow. Different."

I'm putting BenChar here as a very loose example, because I don't think Will would get outed like Charlie--the truth is he never even had the luxury of hiding to begin with. As far as we understand, everyone just knew. I also assume the show would show us moments of Will trying to connect with Chance/talk to him but Chance doesn't seem interested in that, like Ben with Charlie, and then the reality begins to sip through--this isn't real, Will is just looking for a replacement for Mike. Sound familiar? Because if we see S5 Bychance paralleling S1 Mileven ... yikes.

Another theme that BenChar has in common with Stranger Things is the idea of secrecy--which is basically what Mike had to do in S1, hide Eleven and therefore his relationship with her. Not out of malice, but for safety reasons. Chance and Will would be in the exact same spot. Again, if there are noticeable parallels ... yikes.

However, I'm not sure what exact vibe Chance brings to the table, but he definitely cannot come across too intense bc it'll spook Will. So he needs to be stealthy, like a ninja. ( Like yknow, how Steve said as he crawled through Nancy's window in S1 that he was 'stealthy like a ninja' and like in S2 when he said to Dustin that some girls like you to be aggressive like a lion, but others like you to be stealthy like a ninja ).

To Chance, Will is a conquest, but he might be like Ben as in he's not totally unredeemable--and if subtextually he's supposed to be this personification of Will's trauma, then we can expect he reminds Will of Lonnie, Vecna and ... Mike. Just like how Mike reminded El of Brenner, Hopper, etc. Yay, more WillEl parallels.

Lonnie = father figure--he's in Joyce's S1 shoes here. He feels like he's losing his mind. ( Either due to old UD trauma, new UD trauma recall, irl trauma, or bc of the van scene. Or everything. It depends on how much angst the Duffers want S5 to have. )--so when Chance comes knocking at his door, he lets him in, initially thinking he's making a choice for himself. Vecna = someone who used his mind and body for his own purposes. Mike = an illusion, a lie/fantasy. ( as per s4, this is what Will currently believes ).

Similarly to BenChar, Chance might act out the tough and roudy bully in public, and pretend Will doesn't exist, but then be sweet in private.

This is also in a way similar to Stancy, where Steve offered something more surface-level and encouraged Nancy to suppress her feelings instead of expressing them, even if that wasn't his intention. And similarly, El didn't show interest in Mike's hobbies when he tried to introduce them to her--not El's fault, she simply wasn't interested.

ACT III. Bychance getting caught ( by either Mike or Jonathan? ) 

Mike/Jonathan is investigating something related to the supernatural, or going some place and sees Bychance by pure chance ( this stops being funny after a while ), connecting with: Jonathan seeing Nancy with Steve in S1 Jonathan finding Jonnie in an uncomfortable position in S1 And thus helping the narrative come full circle. If we want to say it is a combination between these two, then my bet is, it is Mike who finds them. Mike sees his Will, with someone else ... yikes. But also, he sees him .. with another guy. In a compromising position. I'll ... talk about Mike later since he's the most puzzling to me, but for now I'll just say I think it's a VERY different thing if he'd seen Will with a girl. If he had, total drama queen tantrum, but with another guy?? Oh boy.

But back to Will--The implication of bychance paralleling or being contrasted with Jonnie is the idea of returning to a toxic place out of desperation & for comfort--a coping mechanism. i,e Will's relationship with Chance is the consequence of and is shaped by Will's UD + irl trauma. This dynamic gives Will a false sense of control and perpetuates what he began in the van scene--he's still Will, but is making the wrong choices. Gotta love consequences.

I also don't know how far the show will go depicting this dynamic--my guess is worst case scenario it goes all the way like Stancy, but it could also be like Jonnie where it falls apart before it goes too far. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

ACT IV. Roles reverse--Chance sees Mike and Will sharing a tender moment after Will has a traumatic experience?

This moment with Nancy was right after her encounter with the tree, so maybe something related to that tree we're seeing Will associated with? Also, I have no idea where this scene would take place logically--I have 0 clue where the Byers are staying after all. But somewhere where Chance could realistically go to. This scene with Stancy was after Steve wasn't too supportive of Nancy and went to apologize to her house, but then saw Jonathan and Nancy together--his reaction was to break Jonathan's camera. So this could maybe have something to do with the scenes surrounding the bullies that we have seen. If Chance at some point is an active participant in a force that hurts the party to get back at Mike/(Will) then this could be what sets Will up for the final Bychance act.

And I know that adding Chance to the mix might appear as just more drama for Byler but imagine the golden opportunity here to 'show don't tell' the audience through a third party that has stakes on the situation. Because it's not the same if Jonathan or Karen or anyone sees them together, there's room for plausible deniability there.

But the boyfriend of one of them seeing and getting jealous? Yeah that says he saw something there that the audience should be seeing too. Because what if it's like ... a combination between this scene and S2 Mike giving Will comfort and holding his hand?

Now this could technically be done through El too--and there's a parallel in S2 where she got jealous over Mike and Max even though there wasn't anything truly there. But quite frankly I think that was something that they'd have done with S4 El.

ACT V. The break-up ( the closing & breaking of the cycle )

So, I'm not entirely sure about the flow of this yet bc part of me also wonders if they'll just kill off Chance like they did Bob in the middle of the action or something. Yikes. Hell, maybe Will gets possessed by Vecna and kills Chance himself, who the hell knows. This could go SO MANY WAYS.

But I do hope we see a moment of catharsis for Will where he chooses to reclaim his self-worth. That feels more to me like the point of Chance as well.

My current guess is perhaps the energy of this scene is a combination between BenChar and Jonnie, with Will being angry and hurt and finally realizing he deserves, and wants, better than this. More than this. Chance is a test he must pass before he's ready to face off against Vecna AND get together with Mike ( which will probably happen towards the end for sure ).

And perhaps the Duffers will go with the concept of 'chance' in its metaphorical context, and I'm way too attached to the pacing and tone of S1, but considering all of the S1 callbacks we saw in S4 ... there's just something so compelling and powerful to me about Will having a previous romantic experience before getting with his One True Love. Otherwise Byler risks feeling too ... perfect to me in a way that feels ... stiff. But maybe I'm wrong and they have a better way to do it than Bychance!

I just honestly cannot shake these:

Our first impression of Chance being him wearing the number 22. Lucas saying 'I'm tired of feeling like a loser, so now we have that chance' with a poster that says "MEET AT"

Tigers ( jock + cheerleader ) making out next to an INVITATION to a GAME with a day + time.

Jason asking if Mike Is Somewhere, "by chance". It's giving Deadpool level of self-awareness & meta, it's giving Shawn Levy. Who worked on that movie, btw. And is the dude who said this:

"Without getting into where we go later in season 4 [Volume II], I guess I'll just say that there aren't many accidents on Stranger Things," Levy tells EW when asked about Will's sexuality. "There is clear intention and strategy and real thought given to each and every character. So, if you came away from Volume I feeling those bread crumbs of plot and character, it's probably no accident." source

Oh, so you mean me perceiving the tigers are heavily queercoded might've been intentional, strategic and really thought out? And sure, that might not really mean anything Bychance related, or it might just mean something else. But the scene of Lucas in Hawkins and Will in rink-o-mania being connected through music ...?

And then we just saw Chance on the scene, inviting people over to party, and a Chance/Mike lookalike extra behind Will with a shirt that says 'I love contact sports'? Really?

Really?

It's giving 'happy belated birthday, Will!'

I know I'm delusional af atp I do not even trust myself, it's 6.00am and I just needed to get this out before the self-doubt crept up on me again, but it is becoming clearer to me how Bychance fits into the narrative--and it is so seamless to me that im over here like LET'S GO TIGERS, LETS GO TIGERS

I don't know, man. I don't know. But either way, this is fun as hell, which is the point of analysis, no? Regardless of whether or not this happens, or does so in a metaphorical way, we'll see!

either vecna subtext and byler doubt got me down so bad i made up an imaginary short-term boyfriend for will to cope, or this bychance thing is real bc tell me why its increased my own awareness of myself and the show im going insane

SAY SIKE the way i've tapped into some long-buried organization skills of my own thanks to this theory truly makes me think im onto something

i literally will not shut up about it bc chance as a character has been marinating in the show im sure of it *puts nancy brain mode on*

watch my shot in the dark ( as if there wasn't evidence lmao ) be a bulls eye

I’m 100% with you on this one no matter what other ppl say lmfao. Like the hints are actually insane.

And I CANNOT for the life of me COMPREHEND just how so many bylers are somehow missing the level of juicy & exciting this plotline would be for both Mike & Will’s character arcs like….

Obviously Byler is the endgame. No sane person is denying that.

But I highly doubt Byler is going to have the linear & easy & quick & peaceful resolution so many ppl are apparently expecting.

THERE ARE GOING TO BE UNEXPECTED TWISTS AND THERE IS GOING TO BE CONFLICT AND THERE IS GOING TO BE JEALOUSY AND THERE IS GOING TO BE ANGST. THERE IS GOING TO BE MESS!

It also makes 100% sense for:

— Will’s “trying to get over Mike & pushing him away” while “experimenting sexually” & probably related to his SA trauma arc;

— Mike’s jealousy/ possessiveness/ insecurity/ internalised homophobia arc;

— the very soul of Byler’s relationship & how it always ends up overcoming obstacles no matter what gets in their way & tries to keep them apart. Them being able to eventually overcome this would be yet another testament to their true love & soulmatism.

— and an infinite myriad of other stuff, such as the conformity & non-conformity themes in Stranger Things, how even inside “conservative/ popular” circles there are outcasts (such as Chance would be in the basketball team), how vulnerable ppl back then took sexual risks, the dangers & stigma of AIDS, the entire ignorance around sexuality, how past trauma shapes current behavior & self-sabotage, the way they’ve been foreshadowing some kind of Judas/“traitor” plotline & how this would apply to Will “betraying” his friends by getting involved with a basketball player (*ahem* mainly Mike cuz he’d be boiling with jealousy lol), the callback to Nancy getting involved with Steve in s1, the way this arc was literally foreshadowed/ paralleled through “Lucas on the Line” & s4 Lucas while nobody understood his perspective & struggle…

and I could go on & on…

AND DEEP DOWN IN YOUR HEART YOU GUYS KNOW DAMN WELL I’M SPEAKING FACTS! Lol

Finn's full interview on Nightline 31/3/25

Watch here

Finn teasing what to expect in Stranger Things 5

via ABC News Live 31/3/25

@stcreators event 02: family — mike & nancy wheeler

Mike Possibly isn't Biologically Related to the Wheelers — [deep analysis]

This ties in with my Alien Mike theory. But I wanted to write this to better explain why I think Mike may not even be related to them, just generally without touching on the supernatural aspect of it. (well, i do but only a little because of his superman parallels lol)

Appearance

This one is the quickest piece of evidence, although it isn’t strong enough to stand on its own. Mike’s hair is very dark brown, appearing almost black. He has dark brown eyes and freckles. Nancy and Holly both have lighter hair tones, matching Karen and Ted. The Wheelers being related to the Creels is a popular theory. While I think Nancy and Holly do look like they could be related to them, it still does not explain Mike’s features. The Creels all have blonde hair and blue eyes with no freckles in sight.

However, while Mike does look vastly different, the main physical feature Mike does have in common with Nancy and Karen is his cheekbones. I still don’t consider that enough though.

ST does a great job casting their families. I don't understand why a cast a family that all look similar except for one. Even if you consider the Creelers, there's still no one that strikes any resemblance to Mike specifically besides cheekbones.

Holly's new actress shares resemblance to Nancy. They have the same button nose and eye color.

There are No Baby Photos of Mike

I go over any sort of photos I spot at the Wheelers in this post. Mike is not spotted in any. It's primarily Holly and Nancy. This is probably my biggest and most explicitly there kind-of piece of evidence. You have several of photos of them in these big frames all set up and not one - just one - is of Mike? Something is very wrong here.