A lot of fans are hoping that Stranger Things Season 5 makes the Will/Mike ship canon, but it wouldn't feel like an earned moment that is true to the characters. Stranger Things, like pretty much all other big media franchises, has inspired endless fan fiction and head-canon "ships" of people imagining or hoping for certain characters to be in a relationship. One of the most-talked about ships is Byler (a combination of Will By ers and Mike Whee ler), but it's not something fans should hold their breath for in Season 5.
Spoilers for Stranger Things aheadWill's sexuality is something that has been hinted at throughout the show, with Season 4 really when it started to tackle the issue head-on. Season 5 has made Will being gay an even bigger focus, as he grapples with romantic feelings he has for his best friend Mike, who is clearly straight and won't be able to reciprocate them. Despite this, there are still some Byler fans who fully believe that a Mike and Will relationship is "endgame" despite all the evidence to the contrary.
Is Will And Mike’s Relationship Going To Change In Stranger Things Season 5?
Stranger Things could clear up the blurred lines between Will Byers and Mike Wheeler’s relationship. Will the much ballyhooed "Byler" become canon?
Stranger Things is Clearly Not Setting Up Byler
In Stranger Things Season 5, Robin tells Will about her crush on classmate Tammy Thompson. Tammy, like Mike, is straight, and was head over heels for Steve Harrington. Robin's feelings for Tammy reflect Will's feelings for Mike. Robin liked Tammy, but Tammy is straight and liked Steve. Will is in love with Mike, but Mike is in love with Eleven — a romantic relationship reinforced by the conversation they have in Season 5 about what their lives will be like together once Vecna is defeated. Beyond trying to help Will accept that his romantic feelings for Mike can't go anywhere, Robin's speech is also about Will accepting himself and not needing a romance with Mike as validation. "I was looking for answers in somebody else, but I had all the answers. I just needed to stop being so goddamn scared. Scared of who I really was. Once I did that, I felt so free."
Despite this speech, which clearly seems geared toward letting the Byler fans down easy once the Will/Mike romantic feelings angle comes to a head in Volume 2 on December 25 or the series final on December 31, there are still those clinging to hope that the ship will be canonized.
It's entirely possible that is indeed the direction the Duffer Brothers are going, but I sincerely doubt it. Mileven (Mike and Eleven) has been the romantic relationship at the core of the show since Season 1, and since Mike has never been portrayed as gay or having any kind of romantic feelings for Will, him dumping his longtime girlfriend to be with his best friend would feel like it's coming out of nowhere. It's simply not the story that's being told. Will loves Mike, Mike loves Will as a friend, and that's where the conflict and drama lies.
Finn Wolfhard Has Addressed the Byler Ship
Speaking to Attitude, Mike actor Finn Wolfhard addressed the Byler ship. "That's something in the show that I feel like if it did happen, it wouldn't feel that earned." I 100% agree with Wolfhard's assessment. The Byler theory doesn't really have any substance to it, and if it does happen, it wouldn't make sense with what we know about Mike's character.
That's something in the show that I feel like if it did happen, it wouldn't feel that earned.
Netflix is Getting in on the Byler vs. Mileven Debate
Netflix itself is very much aware of the Byler vs. Mileven debate that's currently raging among the Stranger Things fanbase. It's been discovered that if you search "byler endgame" on Netflix, it brings up Stranger Things Season 5. "Mileven endgame" does not return the same result and instead hits you with a "Oh darn. We don't have that" message.
Regardless if you are Team Byler or Team Mileven, we will have our concrete answers sooner rather than later. Stranger Things Season 5 will release three more episodes on December 25, and the series finale will air on December 31.
- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
Cast
-
Millie Bobby BrownJane 'Eleven' Hopper -
Finn WolfhardMike Wheeler
