#the wheelers

[conflictofthemind]

Thoughts on "Escape from Camazotz"

Oppressive Suburbia, Conformity, and Season 5 Themes

I've long thought that a major focus of Season 5 will be the contrast between the families of The Wheelers and The Byers, and exploring how non-traditional family environments can be freeing vs the oppressive structure of the nuclear family.

In a Wrinkle In Time, Camazotz is a planet controlled by the big bad of the book, the "IT", who forces the citizens into a conformity that resembles American suburbia. All of the houses the same, the citizens the same, doing the same things at the same time without individual identity. Without anything different. Different means a lot of things, but with Stranger Things dropping different in reference to Will's identity and the presumable themes of this season, it will heavily codify as queerness and how it threatens the cisheterosexual family model.

Henry was raised in the 1950s, a decade still revered by conservatives for it's traditional family dynamics that supposedly were the peak of culture and happiness for all. That was all a lie, of course, and Henry knew so as he shows to Nancy and Eleven during his monologue. The second most conservative decade aside from the 1950s in American society is widely considered to be the 1980s.

The Creels will serve in parallel to The Wheelers; the worst example of what they could become and the damage that this type of family could do to a child that is different in any way. Notice how Vecna selectively shows Nancy visions of The Wheelers dying, but not anyone else she may consider family or friends (like Jonathan).

That is; unless they change their ways and come together as a healthy functioning family facing their traumas, The Wheelers will be toast.

Karen has been moved up to a main character role this season. Ted's actor says the father starts to show up more for Holly (hold that) and realizes he wants to act differently. Holly has been recast. Finn has said Mike goes on a much more personal journey this season, and steps up as a leader.

Oh, also: the catalyst for all of this is that Holly goes missing. The contrast will help show how the Byers (including El and Hopper here) were able to pull together and help solve Will's disappearance, versus how the Wheelers as a closed off nuclear family grapple with Holly's vanishing.

Each of the Byers is in some kind of a non-1950s conformist relationship, but particularly Will (not in one now but we all know he will be). I think El might represent, after she breaks up with Mike, the fear of the unmarried woman being satisfied without a husband. The above shot really emphasizes my point.

I predict that Will will end up coming out to his family rather early on, and we will see all of them immediately accept him with little surprise or push-back. Will is a visible gay man who comes from an open minded non traditional family (divorced, non-married, adoptive) that is willing to have honest conversations.

But this theme will place the most focus on the Wheelers. Mike is the main character of said family and this will particularly focus on his arc, and his acceptance of his queerness in the midst of suburban conformity.

He is not visible, he comes from a Reagan-supporting family who don't communicate with each other. He is not particularly close with his family like Will is. He pushes his feelings down and tries his damn hardest to be normal despite it all. His trauma hasn't really been addressed at all. He is falling back into his usual habits - the one thing he dared to do different (grow his hair long) has gone back to how it was.

It's not all doom and gloom though. This season above all will be a redemption arc of the American nuclear family, how they choose to escape their conformity and learn to be there for each other, thus overpowering Vecna. Not that the Wheelers are going to end this personally.

"Great, more hysteria. Just what we need". "It's the news, now indistinguishable from the tabloids".

#stranger things #mike wheeler #the wheelers #the byers family #byler #will byers #st5 speculation #henry creel #the specificity of this title alone and the themes gives me no doubt that these are all real #i also think this is the episode where byler is canonized and where mike finally escapes conformity #holly wheeler #ted wheeler #karen wheeler #i didnt really mention nancy at all sorry girl #if youre reading this PLEASE search up my username on youtube you will find it SO RELEVANT

[thefirstlioveyou]

why does he always make this face with nancy

#ssjbxjxjs #hes the little brother of all time #mike wheeler #nancy wheeler #the wheelers #stranger things #byler

[goonflower]

idk why anyone hates them they are so pookie. just look at their faces i wanna squish them :3

(also don't interact if you only like one of them and hate the other. they are a package deal.... to me. they are so Smart yet lowkey so emotionally unintelligent and comphet...... to me. i love them.)

#stranger things #nancy wheeler #mike wheeler #wheeler siblings #the wheelers #byler #ronance #< target audience #cause you guys Get It #gay wheelers my beloved #gay mike wheeler #sapphic nancy wheeler #comphet nancy wheeler my beloved

[strnger1985]

how did he turn into this

#stranger things #stranger things 5 #ted wheeler #mike wheeler #st first shadow #the first shadow #the wheelers #st 5

[booksandpaperss]

dear byler’s who talk abt and analyze the wheeler family,

headcanons n fanon n stuff with the wheelers are fine obviously but if we’re talking about analyzing CANON:

no Karen is not going to be homophobic part of her arc is being afraid to break out of social norms and being proud of her kids for doing it even tho she’s not the best mom

yes Ted IS casually homophobic dude literally had a Reagan sign and he’s a conservative man in a 80s be fr

no Ted is not viciously homophobic he is too apathetic to care (tho he’s probably made comments abt it occasionally, that’s up to interpretation rn tho 🤷🏻‍♀️) and the fanon Lonnie Byers-ification of Ted is insensitive for several reasons

no Ted is not gay just bc Mike has been paralleled to him and he smiled at hopper one time like it’s probably just bc he’s pro police again be fr

no I will never unironically be a Ted apologist and sympathizer

no the Wheeler parents are not abusive yes the Wheeler parents are emotionally neglectful there are many ways parents can traumatize their kids

no Karen is not a bad person

yes Karen IS a bad mom

no Ted is not a good person he could not give less of a shit about Nancy and Mike and so far the show has not given me a single piece of evidence to believe otherwise

no Ted is not the worst possible dad but he’s a pretty shitty one

yes Karen loves her kids even tho she’s a pretty bad at showing it sometimes

yes it is ALWAYS the fault of parents for not properly caring for and raising their kids regardless of life circumstances tho there is room for complexity it is still always the parents responsibility to nurture their kids and support and reach out okay are we all clear on this now?

Okay great 🙏

#the wheelers #wheeler family #mike wheeler #nancy wheeler #byler #<- this is @ the byler fandom so #byler tumblr #elli talks stranger things #elli talks mike wheeler

[will80sbyers]

The new Wheeler home from the production chat on insta

#st5 production #st5 spoilers #st5 #stranger things #stranger things 5 #byler #mike wheeler #the wheelers

[steviesbicrisis]

Give me another month and I think I will be able to gaslight myself into believing that Stranger Things is actually a 20 min comedy focused on queer relationships.

I just need to read a couple more fanfics.

trust me.

#cue to upbeat jingle #everyone laughs sitting on a couch #there's a focus on each character being silly for the camera #main sets are: #family video #Steve's house #the byers #the wheelers #hellfire room #they have the audience laughs after each joke #everything is fine #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #ronance #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #argyle #jonathan byers #jargyle #fruity four #spicy six #stranger things #stranger gays #gayer things

[conanssummerchild]

bro idk why this shit occurs to me but in english we were reading a poem in which gay still meant happy and what came to mind was mike's nana being over at the wheeler's house and mike was like idk getting off the phone with will or something and he was all smiley like the lovesick loser he is (affectionate) and his nana says smth like 'what's got you so gay, micheal?' and mike's just like 😨

#alex says shit #alex is an idiot #mike wheeler #byler #stranger things #will byers #gay mike wheeler #gay will byers #the wheelers

[jazy3]

New BTS! Looks like the VFX Department is hard at work! I’m hoping they do a BTS video for the visual effects this season! I’m guessing the bath stuff and Chardonnay are Karen’s. They appear to be filming a lot at the Wheeler House this season. The props team is killing it as usual!

#stranger things #dailystrangerthings #tvstrangerthings #st5 spoilers #st5 #st5 production #st5 filming #st5 bts #karen wheeler #the wheelers #demogorgon #vfx

[robin-buck1ey]

People will say Nancy wheeler is stuck up and a priss, but that’s because the last time she allowed herself to have fun, and be a teen, her best friend was killed. Nancy doesn’t let herself relax, or act her age, or just do normal teen things, because that’s exactly how she lost Barb. Now she constantly feels guilty and blames her self for being a young girl trying to fit in.

#nancy wheeler #st nancy #nancy stranger things #st #st4 #stranger things #stranger things theory #stranger things headcanons #st gif #nancy wheeler deserves better #nance #natalia dyer #barb stranger things #barb holland #barbra holland #stranger things season 4 #stranger things 4 #wheelers #the wheelers #stranger things fans #stranger things fandom #st fandom #st theories #st theory #stranger things speculation #nancy wheeler headcanons #st hcs #nancy wheeler angst #st angst #st analysis

[thefirstlioveyou]

The way they’re filming at their house… so much good shit is probably being filmed right now and we have no idea

#the wheelers #byler #stranger things #st5 leaks

[ectonurites]

IT’S JUST AN ACCIDENT THAT YOUR PARENTS ARE YOUR PARENTS

JENNY HOLZER, 'TRUISMS' x STRANGER THINGS

#back at it again with jenny holzer x stranger things. this time with the wheelers <3 #ted wheeler #karen wheeler #nancy wheeler #mike wheeler #holly wheeler #the wheelers #stranger things #stranger things 3 #sam edits #stranger things gifs

[western-bluebird]

The Wheelers 🖤

#yellowstone #yellowstoneedit #yellowstonetv #rip and beth #beth and rip #rip x beth #beth x rip #carter #the wheelers #rip wheeler #beth dutton #kelly reilly #cole hauser #finn little

[will80sbyers]

She has Mike's smile and Nancy's eyes 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

#mike wheeler #stranger things #holly wheeler #nancy wheeler #st5 #brb crying #the wheelers #wheeler siblings

[lunabug2004]

Watching season 3 for the millionth time and I NEED to have the Wheeler siblings back together in season 5. They are so elite when they are working together; figuring things out and making plans in about .2 seconds! Please Duffers, I am begging on my knees at this point!!!!

#let mike and nancy interact again #please let them be actual siblings they need it #(I need it too) #wheeler siblings #the wheelers are the smartest sorry not sorry #mike wheeler #nancy wheeler #the wheelers #stranger things #stranger things 5 #st5 #byler #<— target audience #Jay's saying stuff :) #Jay's talking ST <3

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Why do people hate Ted so much? Like that man pays all the bills and works his ass off to provide them with everything they need or want. He's clearly tired. People think he's not involved with his kids, but we see in a couple of scenes that it's not true. Not only that, but he doesn't make too much of a fuss when Mike's friends come over all the time because if he really was bothered by it, then he would actually do something about it. And if Karen really wanted to do things differently with Ted, then why doesn't she sit down and talk with him? I mean, he clearly wouldn't do anything to stop her from doing whatever she wants to. And if she wanted to get a job, I'm sure he'd appreciate the help. It's a two-way street. If she's unhappy, then she needs to talk to him or leave, but clearly, she cares about him or otherwise she would have cheated. And no, Karen is not justified in cheating on Ted, especially with a guy who's the same age as her daughter. I don't care what anyone says, Ted is fucking funny especially when he interacts with Dustin. That dude is just tired, and what the hell does he even do, careerwise?

#stranger things #ted wheeler #karen wheeler #nancy wheeler #mike wheeler #holly wheeler #the wheelers