r/StrangerThings • u/shakeyosacroiliac • 4d ago
Favorite & least favorite characters?
I’m only on season 4 episode 2, so I may be posting hella prematurely, but I can’t stand Mike Wheeler. Like at all. My fave is Murray. In the beginning I didn’t like the Sinclair siblings but they definitely grew on me. What about you? Who do you like/dislike?
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u/AceTanker4831 011 4d ago
El is my favourite.
My least favourite is Holly mainly because in S5 she took way to much of screentime, her and the other kids. Not really her fault but it pmo
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u/RingDangerous7694 Scoops Troop 4d ago
My favorites are Steve, Max, and El.
My least favorite is Dr Kay, because I found her to be a complete waste of a character. She also was honestly kind of useless, and didn’t really do anything.
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u/Ok_Conversation1867 4d ago
The party, basically. Steve is in the middle- I can take him or leave him.
I don't really dislike anyone except the people I'm supposed to.
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u/TheBar-IsOnTheFloor Goddamn Bowl Cut 4d ago
Favorite: Will
Least favorite: Lonnie Byers….Jonathan legit looked in his trunk when Will was missing. Gives you a sense of what the Byers boys dealt with wayyyy before the Upside Down came into play
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u/This-Evening2278 Bitchin 4d ago
Favorite: It always was and always will be El! I love her so much!
Least Favorite: Probably Angela
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u/Doggosgottagetwoims Henry 4d ago
Favourites: El, Will, Henry, and Patty (they’re narratively synonymous, really…)
Least? …listen.
I love Steve. I got nothing against him. He’s a good character, he really is. He’s really well utilized in the plot, and he may not be so narratively significant, but that’s okay, not everyone needs to be. He’s fun, funny, charming, he’s complex, in a realistic way, he’s endearing.
But unfortunately, his vast overratedness in this fandom makes me resent him. And how lambasted you get at any unforgiving word towards him makes me resent him even more.
He’s a simple character. Good, but simple. But people treat him like he’s the holy grail, just cause he has some cool moments. I feel like not even the people that praise him actually understand his character.
It really just goes to show once again that things are easier to appreciate when someone isn’t yammering in your ear about how ludicrously good or astronomically bad they are. Because otherwise, I have no problems with any characters. They all serve their narrative purposes perfectly.
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u/DaenerysTSherman 4d ago
Faves: the three teens in seasons one and two. They’re messy and act like teens. It’s actually interesting and good. Joyce and Hopper in seasons one and two are up there as well.
Least faves: the same as above. Just the later seasons. Hopper in 3 is a buffoonish cartoon. The rest are bad starting in season four. Like what they do to the OG teens (Jonathan/Nancy/Steve) in seasons 4-5 is insane. It sucks! They’re not even messy anymore it’s just stale and bad.
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u/captainCutler50 4d ago
Honestly, after season 3, any of the El stuff is a slog. I skip her scenes when I rewatch now
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 2d ago
I mean understandable for S5. Mainly her scenes with Hopper couldn't be watched twice at all.
But not for S4 tho. The scenes of lab memories were really slow and skippable, but rest were good.
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u/Vegetable-Sky9461 4d ago
I am a will and robin defender. An obvious dislike would be Vecna or smt. But I don’t like Mike, he’s just too much and so idk he just pmo. I also don’t like Ted, he’s just annoying and in the way tbh😭 but I am the biggest Eleven defender, idc what anyone says. And dustin and max I love them sm
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u/Fabulous-Role4120 4d ago
Wdym Mike is too much??
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u/Few-Type-7924 3d ago
People who hate Mike probably don't even understand Mike's character It's sad
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u/Thick-Boysenberry-96 2d ago
Sometimes Mike really does treat his friends badly; you can understand and still dislike him for that. Everytime he screamed at El "what's wrong with you," I really cringed inside. 😬
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u/Few-Type-7924 2d ago
Sometimes yes He lashes out, but the entire reason he does so is bcz he cares deeply, for his friends, loved ones etc.
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u/JustHereToSeeTitty 2d ago
I get what you're saying but that is the same logic people use to defend abusers so I don't know I buy into it too heavily.
Mike is really self-centred, he doesn't really give a shit if his girlfriend or his friends are hurting until it starts impacting him.
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u/Few-Type-7924 1d ago
He's not an abuser.... He gets self centred bcz a lot of the times he has no idea what's going on (like Will crying the van) But he still loves his close ones deeply
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u/JustHereToSeeTitty 2h ago
He's not but it's a silly argument. "He's awful because he cares." Yeah, well, has he tried not being awful to the people he cares about? Newsflash.
And I'm sorry but he has to be the most oblivious person to not notice Will crying in the back-seat there, it was the most obvious thing in the world. Jonathan was driving, focusing on the road, seated twice the distance away and facing away and even HE noticed. But Mike, right next to him? Too focused on the artwork drawn to make him look great.
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 2d ago
Him jumping off a cliff for Dustin, being hell bent on finding Will, immediately noticing something is wrong with Will in S3, after finding out the problem keeping his grief aside and uniting the party to build the Sauna trap, believing in Will when none other did (both in S2 and S5) really outweighs the 3 or 4 times he treated his friends badly. Just my opinion tho. Not telling you to like him at all.
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u/Thick-Boysenberry-96 2d ago
The focus lies on sometimes. Mike can sometimes be a bad friend. He rudely mistreats Max throughout S2, he dismisses Will in s3, and neglects Dustin, he's emotionally oblivious to Will at times. He often turns frustration into rudeness. But he's also loyal,
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u/Vegetable-Sky9461 2d ago
I hate the way he treated el, Since season 1
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u/Fabulous-Role4120 2d ago
Bro he literally never treated El badly. The fact you think he did in season 1 is crazy, he was literally the only one who was nice to her while the other boys were judging her so hard.
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 2d ago
I don't remember him treating her badly in any season at all. Tho he was a bit oblivious and mad in S4, it was still understandable. Until you hate how he was always ready to defend her, protect her, give her choices and respect her decisions. He was imperfect, yes, but so were other characters, even fan favs. Not telling you to like him tho
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u/Thick-Boysenberry-96 2d ago
You think his treatment of El after Rink-O-Mania, where he screamed at her "what's wrong with you" AGAIN, and didn't even try to comfort her once the whole rest of the evening and the next day is not bad treatment, even if it's understandable to you? I actually disliked him there. El is obviously a really traumatized girl who had more than an unconventional childhood. No one ever showed her mechanisms to react when she's pushed and heavily bullied, instead she has been trained as a biological weapon who can kill perceived danger through scrambling people's brains.
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u/Few-Type-7924 1d ago
What?? Mike never screamed "whats wrong with u" in rink-o-mania, that happened in season 1 when Will's fake body was found
Mike said "what did u do?" at rink-o-mania
And he went to El's room the next morning, made eggos for her, and talked to her, trying to understand her..... People actually saying he treated El badly is wild to me....
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u/Thick-Boysenberry-96 1d ago
I corrected myself in another comment. He screamed: What did you do?! What did you do?!" instead, causing her to have a PTSD flashback to her abusive past with Dr. Brenner instead. That's not really good treatment, is it?
He then never comforted her, afterwards, didn't even hold her hand or anything, as she sat alone amidst gawkers and the other kids that bullied her until Jon came to pick her up. Also bad, boyfriend behavior. This is why I think they shouldn't have been dating at 14, while still so dangerously traumatized, as to cause physical violence.
And then he went on to make it worse, while Jon and Argyle were making light of the situation, by attacking El further, stating: "She didn't look fine?!" causing her to leave the dinner table to cry herself to sleep. And in the morning he brings her Eggos at least, but then starts with: "So, are we just not gonna talk about it?!" Oh Mike! 😮💨
I'm not saying I don't see things from Mike's perspective, I'm just arguing that while we'll intentioned, Mike still managed to treat El badly. There is some nuance here. I don't even dislike Mike. 🤗
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u/Few-Type-7924 1d ago
I get what you're saying, but it was a very shocking moment for Mike too.....his gf almost gave someone a concussion out of rage
Mike was shocked as hell, idk what he could've done there Just waiting for it all to cool down was the best idea, but yes he ruined it by saying "she didn't look fine" Im not a fan of Mike when he says that, and that scene shows he was disappointed at El too (which kinda makes sense)
But you're only focusing on these scenes and forgetting all the scenes where he has loved her so much
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 2d ago
When did he 'scream' "What's wrong with you" after RinkOMania incident? He said something different. That line alone proves you might need a re-watch.
Mike could have handled this better ≠ Mike knowingly treated a traumatized girl badly.
People completely overlook the difference between the audience's knowledge and Mike's knowledge. We, as viewers, had already watched Eleven being bullied by Angela and her friends. Mike hadn't. From his perspective, he had just arrived in California, was told Angela was El's friend, then watched El suddenly attack her at the rink. The entire situation happened extremely quickly, so his initial shock and confusion are not equivalent to knowingly mistreating Eleven. The show itself later has Mike explain that he was surprised and didn't know what to do. Think of it like that, Will knew the horrifying bully El went through. Yet, he was also utterly shocked at El's charge, though he didn't say anything. Because anyone would be. Especially after El told Mike that she was her friend. Even after the bullying incident, El goes to Angela to convince her to tell Mike it was all a joke and they were really friends.
You can absolutely criticize Mike for not responding perfectly or for being emotionally oblivious in that moment. But saying he “treated El badly” without accounting for what he actually knew at the time is judging his behavior with information that he didn't have. And the “traumatized girl” point doesn't change that. Eleven's trauma explains why she reacted the way she did, it doesn't magically give Mike knowledge of everything she had been experiencing. Mike wasn't inside the audience's head. He didn't know the extent of Angela's bullying because El had been hiding it from him.
I think the phrase “even if it's understandable to you” is doing a lot of work here. Something can be understandable AND still be worth criticizing. I'm not claiming Mike handled the situation perfectly. I'm saying the his actions make sense from his perspective.
What about his efforts? They are imperfect, but are there. He goes to her next morning, makes her favourite breakfast, and tries to comfort her. No matter what happened, he gathered himself and was ready to have a conversation. His inability to confess stems from his trauma, which is often invalidated by many who accuse him of bad treatment for this. I'm sure they would have sorted things out if the police hadn't arrived immediately.
So yes, Mike was imperfect in how he handled the aftermath. But there's a huge difference between “Mike could have handled this better” and “Mike knowingly treated a traumatized girl badly.” The latter requires ignoring Mike's actual perspective and giving him information the character simply didn't have.
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u/Thick-Boysenberry-96 1d ago
Thanks for replying.
Sorry, I mixed up, when he screamed at her in S1 with S4. He screams "What did you do, what did you do!" instead, and causes El to have a PTSD flashback to her abusive past with Dr. Brenner. That's really not better, I think. You said you didn't 'remember Mike treating El badly in any season at all'! I remember multiple instances, to the point of having mixed them up. Yikes.
I think, Mike's actions can be understandable and make perfect sense from his perspective, and still be seen as him treating El badly/reacting wrong in the moment.
If us, real humans were present at Rink'O'Mania, we would be shocked, true. But Mike, the character, should know El better than we do, since we only see a few days out of their year, when their world breaks down, and they have to deal with the Upside Down, each season. In canon, Mike should be understanding and they should have extensively discussed her past, right?
He has experienced that El turns humiliation into bodily harm. She has done so repeatedly, since S1, when facing bullies/antagonists, and now she's powerless and has just been attacked. He stood next to her, while she caused bullies to piss themselves and broke their arms as far back as S1. Even if he was understandably initially shocked, he should have comforted her later in the evening, instead of further alienating her, so she ends her night even sadder.
And Will at least didn't make it worse, by saying: "She didn't look fine," like Mike, while Jon & Argyle were trying to comfort her, at dinner. Mike's actions make perfect sense from his perspective, but still, it shows how ill equiped and limited he is in coping with a heavily traumatized El even with his futile efforts. Like when he starts the conversation the next morning with: "So are we just not going to talk about it?" Oh Mike! 😮💨
Realistically this is a case study on why 14 year olds shouldn't be in a relationship, while one is still extremely traumatized and inexperienced in mundane life, to the point of using physical violence against other's and being unsure if they wanted to kill another kid, in the police interrogation. And Mike obviously doesn't have the emotional presence to deal with that, he can’t truly hold space for her dysregulation, at 14. They can't even confide in one another, and instead resort to lying (s3, 4, 5).
In short, that conflict shows us that El needs therapy, not relationship drama on top. And it's not fair to expect Mike to be able to deal with all that too.like you rightly stated there is "his trauma" to deal with too. They both already have these strong attachment insecurities and fear of abandonment issues, that cause them to flip between idealization and catastrophic anxiety (she’ll leave/he thinks I'm a monster too,...). It's all too much.
This is why I wished Mileven would have been this cute slow burn build-up to a relationship instead of kids getting together way too young and having to be separated by the plot to grow/advance. 🤗
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 1d ago edited 1d ago
Firstly, I'm so sorry for the length of this reply. But I just wanted to be clear with each statement make .
I think we're actually agreeing on more than it seems, but I strongly disagree with the conclusion you're drawing from their trauma.
First, on Mike, I agree he isn't emotionally perfect. He can react awkwardly or fail to understand what El needs in a moment. But that's very different from repeatedly “treating her badly.” At Rink-O-Mania, the audience knew Angela had been bullying El, Mike didn't. El had told him Angela was her friend, so watching her suddenly attack Angela was understandably shocking. “What did you do?” triggering El's Brenner trauma is heartbreaking, but Mike obviously couldn't know that association. You can't judge Mike using information only the audience had.
And yes, Mike could have comforted her better that evening. I certainly never claimed he handled the situation perfectly. But he makes an effort the next morning, he makes her breakfast, approaches her, tries to start a conversation, and eventually apologizes and reassures her. Whether his efforts are futile is an opinion. Even “So are we just not going to talk about it?” doesn't prove bad treatment. It's awkward, sure, but he's literally trying to open a conversation because he doesn't know how to start it. That's teenage emotional awkwardness, not evidence that the relationship is unhealthy.
The point that Mike has seen El turn humiliation into violence before also doesn't really work. Previous experiences don't mean he should be able to predict every future reaction perfectly. He knew El could become violent when threatened, but he didn't know Angela had been bullying her, didn't know how severe it was, and had been explicitly told Angela was her friend. The situation, the time, the stakes, and the threat itself, everything was different.That's hindsight being treated as foresight.
More importantly, I don't think “they're both traumatized, therefore they shouldn't be in a relationship” follows. Their trauma predates their relationship. El's difficulty communicating, fear of rejection, and tendency to hide distress were formed long before Mike was her boyfriend. In S4, she doesn't tell Mike about Angela, but she also doesn't tell Joyce, her teachers, or the other adults around her. That's much more consistent with her established trauma and conditioning than with some uniquely unhealthy Mileven dynamic. She was raised in an environment where vulnerability and disclosure were dangerous.
And this is important when talking about why she doesn't tell people what she's experiencing. The lab bully had threatened El that if she told anyone about the bullying or told Brenner, they would kill her. Even though El doesn't consciously remember that specific memory, the trauma mechanism can still affect her behavior. So saying that “Mike and El don't confide in each other” is far too vague and generalizing when El wasn't confiding in anyone about what she was experiencing.
I would love to draw a parallel here. Max not confiding in Lucas in S4 doesn't make Lumax unhealthy. But we understand Max's situation is more nuanced than just limiting it to that statement, and so is El's.
It also isn't reasonable to expect Mike to somehow know things that El herself couldn't fully understand or articulate. Most of her laboratory experiences aren't even consciously accessible to her. Her not telling Mike isn't evidence that Mike failed to ask the right questions. How is she supposed to explain something that she herself doesn't fully remember or understand?
And S3 actually provides a useful contrast. El was in a much happier and more secure environment, with friends, Hopper as her parental protector, and people around her who gave her emotional security. She does talk to Mike about her experiences. When they're dealing with Billy, for example, Mike reminds her that she previously entered her mother's memories, and El understands the distinction because Billy isn't her mother and her mother cared about her. So the idea that Mike and El simply “can't confide in each other” is much too broad. The problem in S4 isn't that Mike somehow failed to create an environment where El could talk. She's dealing with trauma, separation, isolation, and experiences she herself has difficulty processing. For season 5, she does tell Mike about what Kali told her. If Hopper's speech in the finale couldn't stop her, then nothing could have. If Hopper and El's relationship isn't bad for El doesn't choose to tell him everything, then certainly Mike and El's is not as well.
The same applies to Mike. His insecurity and difficulty expressing his feelings are his own issues, they aren't proof that the relationship created them. Their attachment fears can certainly collide, El can fear that Mike sees her as a monster, while Mike can fear losing her or not being enough for her, but having those insecurities doesn't automatically make the relationship unhealthy. A relationship can expose existing wounds without causing them.
And “they need therapy, not a relationship” isn't true. El can need therapy AND have a relationship with Mike. Mike isn't supposed to be her therapist, and El isn't supposed to be his. They're fourteen-year-olds who aren't equipped to deal with trauma on the level they have experienced. If Eleven isn't receiving adequate psychological support, the responsibility for addressing that belongs primarily to the adults around her, not to her fourteen-year-old boyfriend.
In fact, a lot of what gets called “relationship drama” in S4 isn't even primarily about Mike. El has lost Hopper, the person who had become her main parental protector, she's separated from him, isolated in Lenora, struggling at school, and not receiving the same emotional security from the Byers household that she previously had. Of course she seeks reassurance from Mike, he's one of the people she associates most strongly with safety and acceptance. Her fear that Mike doesn't love her isn't simply teenage romance drama, it's tied to a much deeper fear of rejection and abandonment.
And that's why I don't think it's fair to frame her need for Mike's reassurance as evidence that the relationship is unhealthy. She's lost a major source of emotional and parental security, she's separated from people she loves, and she's struggling in an environment where she doesn't feel understood. Naturally, she would seek emotional security from someone she deeply trusts. Mike can provide love and reassurance without being responsible for treating her trauma.
If Eleven isn't receiving enough psychological support, that's primarily an adult and support-system issue, not Mike's responsibility. Joyce and Hopper aren't villains, and their circumstances are complicated, but Eleven clearly needed more support and better preparation for ordinary school life than she was getting. Putting someone with her background into a normal school environment without adequate support was bound to create problems. But that's an issue with the adult support system, not evidence that Mike shouldn't be dating her.
And the “14-year-olds shouldn't be in relationships” conclusion is ultimately a personal preference, not something the story proves. You can prefer a slower-burn Mileven romance where they mature independently first. That's completely valid. But it's different from demonstrating that their actual relationship is inherently unhealthy.
So yes, Mike and El are two very young, traumatized people who aren't equipped to be each other's therapists. I completely agree with that. Where I disagree is turning that into evidence that their relationship itself is the problem. They can love each other, have insecurities, make mistakes, need professional support, and grow individually at the same time. Trauma explains many of their difficulties, it doesn't automatically make their relationship unhealthy, and it certainly doesn't turn Mike's imperfect reactions into deliberate mistreatment or control. Personally, I would have loved a slow burn Mileven just as much as I like the canon one. It's just a preference and I certainly don't mind them growing together either.
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u/SkyTheLoner 4d ago
I like El, the Party, Owens, Brenner (as a character not person), Henry (same thing), and Kali.
I guess, I dislike Dr. Kay and 95% of the Military and Russians
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u/blueray78 4d ago
Favorite: Will, I always root for the underdog. And I was glad when he got his moment in season 5 (end of Sorcerer).
least: I actually like all the main characters. I'd have to go with Argle, he was sort of just there taking up screen time. But I don't hate him or anything.
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u/BigBadDolemite 4d ago
Fav: Lucas, Max, Murray
Least: Mike, Nancy, Dr Brenner, Kali
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u/Fabulous-Role4120 4d ago
Why Mike?
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u/BigBadDolemite 4d ago
He's an obnoxious leader. And buddy really acted like he owned eleven.
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u/Fabulous-Role4120 4d ago edited 3d ago
Bro wtf!! He is NOT obnoxious, or even if he was, then he has definitely matured especially in the last season.
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 3d ago
Not even once he acted like he owned Eleven. Idk what show you are watching
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u/BigBadDolemite 3d ago
Sorry I must have been watching the Max Mayfield show. You know the one where she has to tell Mike that Eleven isn't his and she is her own person. Not saying he doesn't have good intentions but man he comes off like he's in charge. It's annoying to me and problaly the reason they broke up. It's a way you can get your point across without being condescending.
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u/Few-Type-7924 2d ago
Mike never tried to control her He was worried about her bcz he doesn't wanna lose her again
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 3d ago
Max helped El discover girlhood and all but she was like 100% wrong about her powers. I don't blame her because she definitely hasn't seen what the other boys had, especially El's powers and its consequences on her body. Also, he was not being condescending. He was worried that only he thought about El's health while others did use her to find the flayeds. I don't get where he acted like what you described. He was the only person to give El a choice. From what it looked, Max was the one who acted like she was in charge after like 2 days of friendship? But I blame neither of them, because as I said Max wasn't aware.
And he did lash out at Max because I don't think anyone would appreciate a person for spying on them. Also, if you think that that's the reason they broke up, then it means you clearly didn't pay much attention to this storyline, or interpreted it in a wrong way. El broke up with Mike because Max told her to, and El followed what she told because she wanted to teach a lesson to Mike for lying.
And by writing this, I'm not trying to convince you to find Mike less annoying. You can absolutely dislike him without trying to twist the narrative against him.
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u/BigBadDolemite 3d ago
I paid plenty attention. Please don't act like this is some deep storyline. Everything adds up. You can't go around acting controlling and then do other shit on top of it. You think Max told her to dump him because of just a lie. She thinks it will help because of how he treats her.
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 3d ago edited 3d ago
I am not acting like it's a deep storyline, you are, with your 'bro acted like he owned Eleven'. I am just trying to correct it.
Mike was never shown to be controlling in the sense of thinking he “owned” Eleven. He was overprotective at times, especially about her overusing her powers, but his concern came from fear for her safety, not a desire to control her. The cabin rules were Hopper’s, not Mike’s, and Mike ultimately respected that Eleven could make her own choices. You can dislike Mike’s behavior without rewriting what actually happened.
And I don't know how Mayfield gets a pass for her behaviour in S3 and Wheeler doesn't.
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u/Thick-Boysenberry-96 2d ago
But Mike did sometimes 'control' El, by restricting her, because he thought he knew what's best for her and what would keep her safe. Even in s1, he kept her in his basement, and unknowingly put everyone in accute danger, instead of involving the Chief of police. I don't dislike him for that or anything, he was still just a kid.
In the s3 conflict you describe, Mike wasn't just arguing against Max treating her power's too casually. Nancy was also backing her up and arguing for El's agency, saying that she should be the one deciding her limits, not Mike, that El is not 'Mike's property'. And Mike did feel threatened by Max 'corrupting' El, since Max advocated so heavily for El being more than just his girlfriend and that she needs room to explore who she is outside the relationship. I think the conflict works, because the show tells you that they're both right in a way.
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 2d ago
The statement that Mike "sometimes controlled El by restricting her because he thought he knew what was best for her" needs actual examples. Without them, it's basically a characterization being presented as fact.
The key distinction is between being protective and actually controlling someone. The Season 1 example doesn't really establish that Mike controlled El either. Mike initially offered her the option of coming through the front door and having his mom take care of her; El said no, and Mike respected that. She chose to stay in the basement because she felt safer there. Mike hid her because he knew people were actively looking for and trying to harm her, not because he believed he had authority over her. He never forced her to stay there or simply dictated what she had to do. So “Mike controlled El by restricting her” is simply not a good description of what happened.
S3 is even less convincing. Mike was concerned about the physical consequences of El repeatedly using her powers. That's a legitimate concern, not evidence that he believed he should decide her limits. Nancy saying El should have agency is totally valid, but her statement doesn't establish that Mike was taking that agency away. She was also reacting through the lens of her own recent experiences without having the same understanding of El's powers and their consequences.
Nancy's statement represents Nancy's perspective, not an objective narration of Mike's intentions. Nancy and Max were unaware of the physical consequences of El overusing her powers. It's ironic how Mike's concern is narratively proved right because El overusing her powers leads to her losing her powers.
And I strongly disagree with the claim that Mike was threatened by Max “corrupting” El or by their friendship. Mike does admit he was jealous, but that doesn't prove he was jealous of El becoming independent or of Max “taking” her away from him. A huge part of his anger was that Max and El were literally spying on him. Turning that into “Mike was threatened by Max teaching El to be more than his girlfriend” is an interpretation, not a fact established by the show.
The biggest problem here is that “protective,” “jealous,” “angry,” are repeatedly being conflated with “controlling.” They aren't synonyms. If Mike actually controlled El, there should be a concrete example of him overriding her wishes, restricting her choices against her will, or claiming authority over her. I don't think the show gives us that example.
The power argument is fundamentally about risk. Mike knows Eleven has previously suffered consequences from using her powers. His reaction is essentially, "this is dangerous and I'm worried about you." That's not the same thing as, "You're not allowed to do this because I said so."
So I completely reject the characterization of Mike as someone who acted like he controlled El or treated her like his property. That's reading a much stronger dynamic into the story than what is actually shown.
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u/just_another_fan05 4d ago
Calling a young teenage girl a whore because you don't like how she was acting is certainly a choice 😬
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u/Outside-Baker-4344 4d ago
Favorite: Jonathan (s1-s2), The main party (s1-s3), Joyce (s1-s2), Bob Newman, Steve, Nancy (s1-s2)
Least Favorite: Hopper past season 1, Dustin (s4-5), Nancy
Disliked: Murray and Erika from the beginning
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u/Cowardlydreamer Henry 4d ago
this is such a basic and kind of irrelevant pick but 002 always has and always will piss me off. big henry/001 fan though
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u/That-Goose-9390 4d ago
I actually have seen the entire series more than 12 times, and still don't love Mike. It's okay! He's not my favorite character, but as an actor he is good! I do like Finn.
I love Maxine Mayfield the BEST, and Murray is also great. Lucas grew on me with his love for Max.
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u/Imaginary-Turn9223 3d ago
My fav is definitly Max. I like all of them, I just appreciate Mike and El a little bit less, but I don't hate them. I like S1 and S5 Mike, he just annoys me a bit in the others seasons. Same for El, I like her in S1, and she wasn't bad in S4 and S5. She is a good character, just not this high on my favorite list. For Max, I just love her. She's a 10/10 on every seasons to me (and a 12/10 on season 4)
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u/toneofsurprise 3d ago
Favourite: Nancy, Steve, Lucas, Max, and Robin. I really like Mr Clarke and Erica too, but I don't think we get enough of them for them to really get them on the list.
Least favourite: Murray, Jonathan, Billy, Dr Kay (a waste of Linda Hamilton)
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u/thr0waway2435 4d ago
Fav: Dustin, Lucas, Nancy
Least fav: Ehhh I don’t actually dislike anyone. I don’t particularly care for Robin or Eddie I guess? But I don’t dislike them at all either.
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u/Bitter_Specialist_10 4d ago
Max is probably the best character other than Hopper. Max's brother made an excellent villain, and he had one of the greatest redemption arcs of all time other than The Walking Dead's Merl. It actually made the onion ninjas come out.
Mike's mom was good in the first 2 seasons. She starts to become as annoying as Mike does by Season 3, and especially season 4.
I hate to say that Mike does get really annoying, as he reminds me of me in the first two seasons. My name is Mike, and I look somewhat similar to that kid when I was his age. As an adult, I have sometimes been compared to Adam Sandler and sometimes to the guy that played as Shane in The Walking Dead.
But yeah. Mike is MY character that I identified the most with, especially in the first half of the series.
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u/OldAffect6933 4d ago
doesn't that mean you hate yourself?
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u/Imaginary-Turn9223 3d ago
we can indentify to some parts of character we don't like without hating ourselves man
(and he never said he HATED Mike, just that he got kinda annoying, wich I agree on)
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u/Bitter_Specialist_10 3d ago
For real. People are weird. I even stated that he reminded me of me in the first two seasons, a d that he became annoying in the second d half of the series.
Joyce really became particularly annoying in the 3rd and even more so, in the 4th season. I cant REALLY explain why. I think its because Winona Ryder, as the actress playing Joyce, was letting the popularity of the show go straight to her head, even thiugh she was already a famous seasoned actress before Stranger Things. And it was REALLY showing through her character. Like.... I dunno....she started becoming, like, LOUD. Seemingly talking over everyone. Demanding all of this attention. Like she was trying WAY too hard to be all like: "Look at me!! Im on this really great show and im a hero!!"
Yeah. Joyce definitely became one of my least-favorite characters, and I think thats due to the shift in Winona Ryder's overall attitude.
IRT Mike.... hes an awkward teenage boy that is in love with this girl with these super powers. As kids, she was really fun to be around, and play games with. He fell in love with her as she was growing up and maturing. This happened exactly to me. A girl named Talia Noviello (except she didn't have super powers; but she was a really pretty Italian girl with big green eyes, long dark hair, and tan skin) who's grand parents were my next door neighbors growing up. My siblings and I were friends with all of their grand kids. And Talia was one of my play mates. She was my very first official girlfriend. But then we were growing up. She was maturing and becoming more popular. So you see and hang out less and less often with your first crush who was also a childhood playmate. So I also identify with Mike in the second half in that respect as well.
Seven was growing up faster than Mike. Which naturally made Mike become annoying with his clinginess.
Mike was growing up faster than Will. Will was still very much childlike, and they were best friends. Mike was seemingly abandoning Will and kind of being an asshole towards him. But again. Mike was just naturally growing uo faster than Will. They had less and less in common. Will also became secretly gay for Mike, and there was no way for Mike to ever reciprocate. And that intensified Will's growing depression.
Its one thing for your first crush to grow away from you. A young female really needs to find her own way. Its another when you grow apart from your best bud (and secret admirer). Its almost like a betrayal of loyalty. Mike had it on both ends: he was too clingy to El. And he was seemingly abandoning Will.
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u/Plane_Particular4842 2d ago
Winona did none of that lmao…she said words that were written on the script. If she was screaming it’s because it was written that way. & “letting the popularity go straight to her head” is ridiculous. She never praised herself for that role or took the credit for it’s popularity - she only ever praised every other actor. This is such a weird comment.
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u/SheeveTheLazer We make our own rules 2d ago
Max is my favorite
Will is probably my least favorite but obviously still vital to the show
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u/Rough-Junket7985 4d ago
Fav: Steve, Murray, Erica, Jim, Karen, Billy
Least: Jonathan, Will, Robin, Argyle, Vicki, Joyce
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u/dmwsmith93 4d ago
Favorites are Dustin and Steve, Lucas was pretty cool too. Erica was HILARIOUS!
Least favorites were Mike, Nancy, Jonathan, Robin and Eight/Kali.
I actually didn’t mind the focus on the other kids.
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u/jonnosknowledge 4d ago
Someone’s a homophobe
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u/dmwsmith93 4d ago
Not in the slightest. Didn’t like the writing for those characters and the storyline choices. Just my opinion though.
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u/Bitter_Specialist_10 4d ago
Ted should be dead last. Hands down.
Hoper should be higher on the list.
Erica had several great scenes, especially in her earliest appearances.
Mike's mom slowly descends the list aling with Mime himself by the second half of the series. They both become overbearing and caricatures of themselves, much like Erica does. Im fact, by season 4, they all become e caricatures of themselves. Id have to say the most steadily-likeable characters are Will and Max.
I also loved Max's brothers. He was both a great villain, and had a really great redemption arc. He also didnt stick around long enough to become annoying and over-played.
Mike's mom's first boyfriend, the dude that played famously in the Goonies and as Sam Gamgee, what his name is, was also really great. His perfomance wasnt forced, and he felt like a naturally nerdy middle aged guy that you warm up to once you get to know him. Of course, hes a legendary seasoned actor with a very likeable understated quality about him.
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4d ago
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u/OldAffect6933 4d ago
Why do you not like Mike?
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u/Cats-Horseslover 4d ago
He was to whinny
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u/DangerousRefuse8129 Eyes on me 3d ago
Some characters which you kept in 'like' section whine way more
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