eddieydewr

[eddieydewr]

cat jpeg made me emotional so i drew it

[eddieydewr]

i post about #wig? way too much

#😭??

[eddieydewr]

anyway, stan will byers for clear skin etc

major hornets nest moment here but i must speak my truth. its so fascinating to me how will byers was clearly written with the driving motivation and intention of making him a beloved fan favorite character and instead he falls so flat that, if you asked the average casual viewer of the show who doesn't engage in the fandom like, say, your coworker, the odds of him even being in their top five of favorite characters is pretty low.

will's disappearance kicks off the plot, singlehandedly. the first episode is literally called the vanishing of will byers. his name is shouted so much in the first season that most people would recognize the reference if you used the right cadence and desperation that winona ryder does. after not being featured much in season one, you'd think season two would've just like launched will/noah schnapp into stardom with how much more screentime he's given and how dramatic his plot is that season. but instead the fan favorites of season 2 were by and large el, hopper, dustin, steve, max, even bob who's barely there. that's not to say that there AREN'T will fans out there (and online i understand there are like entire armies dedicated to him/byler, but i'm talking about the average opinion of viewers as a whole, not just in fandom spaces) but think about all the stranger things merch you see in stores, the halloween costumes, the characters that appear in promotional materials when the show has partnerships with brands....will is so rarely featured. idk if any of yall ever got the chance to visit the stranger things pop up shop in any of its various locations, but there was such little mention of will in the stores theming or merchandise that it was almost funny. actually it WAS funny, to me, someone who does not care for him

i think the flop can be attributed to many things. one, noah schnapp is just not a very good actor and he doesn't have the same appeal in his performances that millie, sadie, caleb, gaten, priah, or finn do (although finn i've noticed is also kinda falling out of favor from majority audiences). one could argue that noah schnapp intentionally isn't given much to do, which is true and i'll circle back to that, but the decline in his acting between seasons 2 and 3 is truly a sight to behold. when he's not like tied up and screaming, he reallllllly struggles on the smaller scale performances compared to the other cast members his age. he doesn't really have the charm that gaten does or the humor that priah does or the depth that caleb does. (i don’t feel bad about saying this, btw, given noah schnapp’s behavior)

back to the vanishing of will byer's screen time. my beloved prettymuchit's eric striffler commented on how diminished will and mike's roles in the story have become in s4. "noah schnapp is below the grips on the call sheet" is my fav line, but he also makes an observation on finn's role that i think is soooo accurate. when mike and will are kneeling down next to the pizza dough freezer and watching el just kinda twitch while she fights vecna in her mind, eric and his co-host miles say "this is so embarrassing! finn's like, 'oh so gaten's fighting the monster? and i'm kneeling next to a tub at a pizza place? i used to be this show" and i think the same exact sentiment can be superimposed onto will

but i think this happened naturally, as the nature of the show is to shift its focus from character to character. not to mention the duffer brothers' obsession with tweaking their story to give audiences what they want. i've always held the belief that there isn't one main character of stranger things, rather a rotating circle of characters depending on the season you're watching. season one is mike, season two is hopper, season three is el, season four is max imo. again that's a little subjective and arguments could be made to swap those a little, but overall i think those characters stories and point of views take center stage during each of their respective seasons. by season 3, the duffers wanted to kick things up to a larger scale. the UD is no longer targeting just will, it's targeting the entire town. this works because a THIRD season in a row where this one kid specifically gets possessed would just be bonkers, so they kinda had to let him take a backseat. i'm not sure why they didn't let will be more involved in the mystery-solving portion of season 3....to this day that decision baffles me, but what's done is done and the will that everyone watched in season 3 literally just kinda follows everyone around and gets a small little slice of a plotline about wanting things to go back to normal, but alas

it like totally worked, though. though there are MANY complaints commonly made about season 3, i've never heard anyone offline complain that there wasn't enough will byers. i think the group in s3 that had the most success like, commercially, would be scoops troop and then a bit farther back i think most audiences enjoyed hopper/joyce/murray's dynamic. i think if there had been a huge outcry in the minimizing of will's role, the duffers would've backpedaled immediately. they aim to please. they can't even commit to killing of a main character out of fear that audiences will lose interest if we permanently lose hopper or max, so they just do some creative writing that allows them to milk the emotional consequence of those characters deaths without actually writing them off. if audiences on a large scale demanded that will be center stage, he would be. but they dont!

final point: i think will gets fucked over by the duffers obsession with romance. in season one, two of will's strongest dynamics are with his mom and brother. which like, yeah. theyre his immediately family and he is 12. but in seasons 2 and 3, jonathan spent all his screen time with nancy and from 2-4, joyce has spent all her screen time either with hopper or in the pursuit of finding hopper. these characters are written together as a package deal, typically. it was refreshing and unexpected to see jonathan get a whole season with a friend of his very own and his siblings, but they barely took advantage of that. jonathan and will get ummmm one (1) scene to talk about their emotions in a fucking 20 hour season. it's hard for will to be a main character when he rarely gets to interact with the people that make up the other half of his main dynamics.

as for byler, im of the belief that it will not be endgame because i just don't think they're going to break up mike and el at this point. i could be completely wrong and stand corrected, but im like 90% sure lol. i do think that will's s4 storyline resonated with a lot of people. even eric striffler! i think the issue is that the vastttt majority of people who watch this show above the age of like 15 do not feel invested about the romantic relationships between any of the kids. because why would they!!! theyre literally in middle school for 3/4 of the show. you would be hard pressed to find a vocal will stan online who doesn't also dedicate 90% of their engagement with the show to byler. which makes sense, because most if not all of will's scenes revolve around mike to some degree. but according to neilsen, the majority of stranger things audience is consistently in the 18-49 age range season by season. its more likely for adult audiences to identify with adults (or characters who are narratively treated like adults, like steve and nancy) than with any of the kids. esp when the kid in question, despite being written as the focal point of the show, has less relevant plotlines, less interaction with other characters, and an actor who just doesn't deliver on charm the way his fellow younger costars do

#holy yap #steve harrington is just fan service sawry as much as i love him but lol #veeeery convenient that people are saying will sucks now because of noah 🥱

[eddieydewr]

Will Byers is a terrible character

Aside from hating Will because of his Zionist actor. I think one of the reasons why I've grown to detest Will Byers because I've finally looked passed the little boy who went missing/preyed upon by the Upside Down and I just see him as an asshole.

He's a great character in the first two seasons. But come season 3, Will gets real vindictive when he doesn’t get his way in Season 3, too.

When it all comes down, Will Byers is a gay incel.

I know it's hard to criticize closeted gay men in 80's rural Indiana, but come on. Change Will's era and he fits a modern day incel. Voluntarily single because the boy he pines after doesn't like him the same way, doesn't try pursuing other boys, outright attacks the boy he likes when things don't go his way, won't give up attraction and throw in a a big ol’ dash of misogyny added into the mix too.

Not to mention being an ungrateful little shit to the person who helped save his life TWICE, all because she’s the girlfriend of the guy he’s got a crush on.

He's just as bad as his stalker brother who let his girlfriend endure a misogynistic work environment and expects said girlfriend to run after him no matter what. Must run in the Byers family.

And honestly? He added nothing substantial to the series.

Will is a boring character who adds nothing to the story and is only present to be pitied by the audience. He has no personality and no substance; and frankly, he just isn't entertaining to watch.

And now with Noah doing what he did, there's nothing enjoyable about his character.

If you want gay representation, Robin is literally right there.

#this has got to be bait lmao #someone didn’t pay attention to the show #that bit about jonathan being a stalker too? ijbol

[eddieydewr]

Will recognising Brenner is like free serotonin to me. It makes me feel invincible. No matter what it means, I've won personally. It's like if a stranger things scene was written to be my catnip. Like, whether it means Will has been in the lab pre season 1 , Will saw Brenner in the UD , there's a Vecbrenner or the lab used to be a conversion therapy centre as a front. All of these are yummy delicious. And it doesn't matter if you believe the 8flix script or not because you can literally see the exact situation on the script being masterfully acted by Noah! It's there. It's all coming full circle. El is the girl and Will is the boy. Godddddd

#yes!! #will wasn’t 👀 at brenner in a lmfao there’s an old dude bleeding out on the ground 👀 way #that was mike who was confused bc didn’t that bitch get eaten by a demogorgon lol #It Means Something

[eddieydewr]

what if that look isn’t just because will is relieved that they managed to find el and she’s seemingly safe and sound

but what if

it’s also because a piece of memory just unlocked. he remembers el, the girl with the shaved head, from when he was kidnapped in season one? here’s el, with shaved head again, and he’s hit with recognition. the overwhelming joyful “it’s you” of it all. 😩😩😩

and what if el’s reaction is more than emotional happiness/relief to see will again after going through the whole NINA nightmare, back in the safety of the byers (no hug for jonathan though? ok) but because she recognises that will just clued up. “finally, you remember.”

#lame af lmao #obviously he knows it’s el but i’m thinking about the comics. didn’t he see el briefly? and never made the connection #and how did el recognise will in the photo? #what if the hug is more than a relieved reunion hug??? #WHO ARE THEY… #will byers #el hopper #willel #maybe i’m reaching and it’s just millie and noah being utter besties who can’t live without each other for a second on set lmao

[eddieydewr]

Ever notice how frequently Will is associated with rods?

They show up in multiple places: Will wields a rod-like weapon in every season; he’s compared to Phineas Gage, the man with the iron rod driven through his brain; Castle Byers is made up of them, as seen above; and there’s even a couple of uncomfortably phallic references here and there.

This motif works remarkably well as a framework for understanding his character arc:

At the start of S1, Will has begun to realize that he really is as gay as his abusive father always accused him of being. He’s horrified. His homosexuality manifests as a monster from the game he plays with the boy he has a crush on.

He grabs a gun, a symbol of his father’s expectations of manliness…

…but he can’t bring himself to use it. That’s just not who he is.

He lets the monster drag him into the closet, and it’s terrifying in there. His upbringing in a homophobic 80s environment has robbed him of the opportunity to understand his sexuality in an age-appropriate way; all he knows about it is perversion and disease.

He’s haunted by disturbingly sexual thoughts he’s not old enough to handle yet.

At the end of S1, he metaphorically comes out to his mother when she rescues him from the Upside Down and reassures him that he’s still loved. Will feels a bit better… but he’s not out of the Demogorgon-infested woods just yet.

In S2, he still feels the urge to fight his developing sexuality. His mother’s support has made it easier to forget about his father, though, so the urge isn’t as strong as it used to be.

His gun is now a nerdy toy, more reflective of Mike than of Lonnie.

Unfortunately, his father isn’t the only homophobe in town, and word of his metaphorical coming out has gotten around – the bullying is worse, and even his loved ones don’t look at him the same way anymore. He feels like a freak; he identifies with Phineas Gage when he learns about him in Mr. Clarke’s class.

His homosexuality comes for him again in the shape of yet another monster from D&D. This one can’t drag him fully back into the closet – that ship has sailed – so instead, it torments him. You’re a mistake, it whispers in his ear. Why not be angry about it?

Like Phineas Gage, he’s not acting like himself anymore.

Joyce does her damnedest to help, but her efforts aren’t as effective as they were in S1. She just doesn’t understand what he’s going through. This time, it’s Mike – the boy who refuses to treat him differently or leave his side – who succeeds in reassuring him that he’s not a mistake.

Will falls even more in love with Mike in the wake of such a sweet gesture. He knows that Mike will never truly love him back in the way he wants, but… maybe Mike really does want to be his D&D-playing bestie forever. That’s good enough for him. It’s the best a bundle of sticks could realistically expect to get, anyway.

His gun has become a D&D wizard staff, now fully symbolic of his feelings for Mike.

Unfortunately, Michael “I’m not gay ur gay” Wheeler is too busy having his own character arc to notice how important D&D is to Will. They argue over it, and without meaning to, he pins Will to the wall like a butterfly: “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls!”

Will feels seen. He feels rejected. He feels stupid. Of course Mike doesn’t want to be a kid with him forever. It’s too much; all of his pent-up trauma and internalized homophobia and grief for his lost innocence comes spilling out at once.

His gay wizard staff morphs into another symbol of Lonnie’s expectations and he uses it to destroy the last vestiges of his childhood.

The wooden rods that were once Castle Byers lay strewn about. One slices clean through his face as he sobs:

His father’s in his head again. He’s not acting like himself.

At the end of S3, Will moves to Lenora, far away from his homophobic hometown and his memories of Lonnie. He gains some perspective. He grows more confident in his identity.

He decides to be honest with Mike about how he feels.

For the first time, he’s not wielding a weapon. He’s finally stopped trying to fight his sexuality.

How could it be a bad thing to love a boy as sweet and stubborn and loyal and stupid and brilliant as Mike Wheeler? The painting is the purest possible expression of his love for Mike.

However, this is only the penultimate season – Will hasn’t self-actualized just yet! He chickens out of a true confession, sacrificing his own feelings in favour of helping Mike repair his romance with El. He still believes that the best he can hope for is a close platonic friendship…

…but he can’t lie to himself about that being enough for him anymore.

At the end of S4, he returns to Hawkins, and we get another shot of Phineas Gage imagery as the Cali crew arrives in town:

Memories of homophobia are flooding back in the form of a D&D villain’s voice.

The shame instilled in him by this town still affects him. But he’s also matured enough to understand now who it really was that he should have been fighting this whole time.

Will’s ready for one final battle. But what about his relationship with Mike in S5? Does the rod motif give us any clues there?

All I’ll say is, it’s interesting how both boys were sweeping at the start of this scene… but only Mike carried his broom over to the sofa.

#i think i’ve rbed this already but #hey op. do u think making me cry is cool? #good! bc u should be proud #matt duffer i am looking

[eddieydewr]

[tender, emotional music playing]

#op predicted the future! #beautiful

[eddieydewr]

[eddieydewr]

CHARLIE HEATON as JONATHAN BYERS | STRANGER THINGS 3 (2019) // 3.05

#saturday mood

#wears socks in bed #a man of culture i see #socks in bed is elite (i need it actually bc temp dysreg goes crazy!!)

[eddieydewr]

guys, i have good news for once. i've found proof of intelligent life out here in these wastelands:

my favorite excerpts:

Will, Jonathan, and Joyce Formed a Special Trio

If Eleven is the main character in Stranger Things, the Byers family is the conduit through which she flickers. Will’s disappearance in the first season spurred the Hawkins community to rush to his aid. The tight-knit camaraderie between Will, Jonathan, and Joyce juxtaposes the stereotypical family composed of kids and teenagers. Parents and children are supposed to fight and bicker in television and other media, often to build the main conflict of the story, but the Byers family already underwent that trauma offscreen.  Lonnie Byers (Ross Partridge) makes a brief cameo in the first season, flexing his standoffish demeanor and abusive nature. It’s clear that the Byers patriarch doesn’t possess much empathy for his ex-wife or his sons. Jonathan valiantly steps into the father, husband, and big brother role, amalgamating into a combination of responsibilities that no other character on the show could dream of emulating. 

Jonathan Binds the Byers Family Together

Jonathan’s multifaceted arc in the first two seasons made him one of the series’ most easily dissectable characters. Stranger Things often differentiates itself from other shows by keeping the antagonists separate from the main characters. There are no Walter White or Tony Soprano-style antiheroes in which fans must compromise one part of their moral compass to appreciate the character. One might think this makes the series boring, but it’s the opposite. Jonathan was proof that a nearly perfect brother and son can still be fascinating to watch. After Will was found in season 1’s climax, he was taken over by the Mind Flayer in season 2. Jonathan again stood by Will’s side as his little brother felt outcasted by friends and society at large. Schnapp and Heaton’s chemistry often leads to tender, humorous exchanges like this one in which the boys remind the audience that being weird can be a human superpower in its own right.  These moments became few and far between in seasons 3 and 4. Will and Jonathan were relegated to minor supporting characters as the aforementioned new additions took center stage. Will at least gets to tag along with Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and the other younger friends. Jonathan often only appears in a few small scenes with his girlfriend Nancy (Natalia Dyer), and the writers even flirted with pushing Nancy back into Steve’s arms in the most recent season. Jonathan spent the majority of season 4 high on marijuana and frolicking around in a faux buddy-comedy routine with the one-off character Argyle (Eduardo Franco).  The decision to waste Heaton’s work from the first two seasons with a 180-degree personality change made no sense. Jonathan suddenly seemed careless, distant, and uninspired, but not in a dense way that could be unlocked by further character development. Little-to-no time was spent on him. While some fans might concur it is a necessary evil to take screen time away from older characters when expanding the world of Hawkins, it certainly transforms Stranger Things from a show about family into a show just about monsters and romances. 

Jonathan’s Enhanced Role in Season 5?

Many theories point to Will being one of the critical pieces to defeating Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in the fifth and final season. His connection to the Upside Down and the evils underneath the surface should open up opportunities for Jonathan to lend his ears and counseling once again. Jonathan grows on an individual level when he aids others. When locked out of his family’s life, it stunts his ability to shine as a listener and an empathizer.  Jonathan’s best scene from season 4 again features a tear-jerking moment with Will. On the cusp of coming out of the closet, Will needs Jonathan more than ever before, and his brother responds supremely to the task at hand. The poignant conversation validates that the Duffers haven’t completely forgotten how to flesh out the Byers family. When the world gets too enormous for the characters and the audience, Jonathan serves as a connector to the most human elements of the series’ thematic thesis. He may not be as funny as Steve or as neurotic as Robin, but Jonathan symbolizes the good in all of us. In a show shrouded in darkness, Jonathan’s presence will be instrumental to forming a satisfying, optimistic conclusion in Hawkins, Indiana.

#IM 😩 DISSOLVING GIF RNNNNNN WHO CHEERED #‘he may not be as funny as steve’ yes but have u considered that steve literally cries and throws up at any opportunity to be #jonathan’s friend??? lmao pathetic cat scratching at the byers’ front door begging to be let in so he could apologise

[eddieydewr]

chester’s favourites (1980)

#omg 😭 three sweetie pies

[eddieydewr]

Eduardo Franco as Argyle STRANGER THINGS - Chapter One: The Hellfire Club

#he is friend and very friend shaped :)

[eddieydewr]

why do mlvns find it impossible that relationships don’t last forever, especially as teenagers? it’s adult mlvns who say it, not just kids so it’s bizarre to me, lmao. “why would mike suddenly leave el after 3/4 years?!” i dunno, i managed to suddenly leave my ex after almost 5 years and we were 14 when we got together. it happens. adults staying in their first relationship that started in middle or high school aren’t common.

#this isn’t even about byler rly #if mike was straight their rship still sucks. what do they even like about each other #ppl are too invested bc of the actors ig #millie is marrying jake not finn. stay mad idk

[eddieydewr]

@ anon, it seems like it’s been deleted already. i’ve deleted my reblog and my replies too, just to be on the safe side. thank you for messaging me btw, i needed the reminder that stuff like that doesn’t need to be spread since it does more harm than good <3

edited to add: i don’t mind replying but i wanted to let you know that i appreciate you clearing things up for me and i’m glad to hear they’re trying to find a solution. i’ve been doing what you suggested for a while now, every time i see it happens, but it gets ignored. an absolute joke. i’ll be more mindful from now on. thanks lovey 💚 i really hope things get better.

#beth answers

[eddieydewr]

will seemingly hesitant to touch el, although he almost reaches out in the last gif of prev reblog whereas max fully grasps el’s arm. millie and noah are very close and tactile irl so it must’ve been weird for noah to physically hold back a bit in that scene 😭 but it makes me wonder what will is thinking or feeling? does he feel like he shouldn’t be touching her… for reasons? like compare this to the almost full on glomping hug between el and will in the desert lmao growth!

#the byers aren’t touch averse are they? 🤔 #i just wonder if will doesn’t feel deserving of el’s protection or affection #i need willel crumbs can u tell

[eddieydewr]

I'm living for the way Eleven spends all of season 3 human shielding Max and Will specifically

#gotta protect your bff and your bro #bf can die <3 #<- i chuckled