Hear Me Out: I Have A Hot Take About The Stranger Things Debate Involving Mike, Eleven And Will

In the weeks between the release of the first volume of Stranger Things Season 5 and the second, I’ve been thinking a lot about the couples on the show. Specifically, my mind has been on the love triangle-like debate going on about Eleven, Mike and Will. With the endgame near on Netflix’s 2025 schedule, I’m assuming the future of these two relationships will be determined, and we’ll get to find out who Mike ends up with. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize I actually don’t want him to end up with either of them.

Now, I know this is a hot take. Trust me, I’ve watched the Byler edits on TikTok, and I’ve seen the astounding support Mileven gets from fans. The debates are always sloshing around my social media too, as one side defends Mike and Eleven’s relationship while the other hopes for Will and Mike to be together. However, I’ve come up with three reasons why neither couple should happen, so let’s discuss.

Mike And Eleven Have Grown Apart

To no fault of their own, really, Mike and Eleven have grown apart. Distance literally separated them for a fair amount of Season 4, and in Season 5, they’ve only shared one scene where it was just the two of them talking. So, there hasn’t been a whole lot of relationship development for them.

Plus, with everything they’re individually going through, it makes perfect sense that their relationship has taken a backseat. Now, going into Volume 2, it will be hard to convince me that they should be endgame. With little screentime together, I have no clue where they stand as a couple, which is making it hard for me to buy into their relationship. To me, they’ve simply naturally grown apart, and maybe that also means they should just be friends.

Mike Clearly Does Not Share Will’s Romantic Feelings

Now, toward the end of Stranger Things Season 4, it became very clear that Will had romantic feelings for Mike. However, it’s also obvious that Mike has not clocked that. As Finn Wolfhard himself said, Mike is “so clueless” when it comes to seeing the feelings Will has.

That was the case in Season 4, and it is the case in Season 5 too. While Will has alluded to his feelings during conversations with Robin, and seemingly tried to act on them during interactions with Mike, it’s still flying right over Wolfhard’s character's head.

He’s unaware of his friend's feelings, and, at least to me, it seems like Mike has no romantic feelings for Will. The last thing I’d want is for them to try and force something. Therefore, I think it might be best if they just stay in the friend zone.

Overall, They’re All Traumatized Kids Who Need To Move Forward

All the debate aside, I’d also like to point out that Mike, Will and Eleven are just kids. The odds of most romantic relationships between two teens working out long-term are slim, at best. And I haven’t even calculated for the trauma yet.

These three characters have, to put it lightly, been through it. Their lives have been at risk, they’ve lost loved ones, and overall, they’ve been through so much bad stuff that I think they all deserve a fresh start. All three need to move forward, and I do believe that to do that, they shouldn’t be romantically involved.

Maybe someday Mike can be with one of them, after they’ve all had time to heal, grow and figure themselves out. However, for now, I think love needs to be put on the back burner, and the Mike, Eleven and Will debate should be put to rest by making it so he doesn’t end up with either of them.

Now, to see how their stories really end, and to find out who will end up with who, the second volume of Stranger Things' fifth season will drop on the 2025 TV schedule on December 25, and the emotional series finale will follow on December 31. So, make sure that Netflix subscription is ready so you can find out how they (hopefully) save Hawkins and who Mike ends up with.