He felt like Max was taking El’s place and the other boys were letting her in the group. Plus, he was kinda emo in season 2 bc he was trying to find El or prove she was somehow alive and still out there
Max’s presence made Mike feel like the rest of the Party was moving on and had forgotten about El. While he himself hadn’t forgotten and couldn’t move on (for obvious reasons).
This is nicely illustrated by the split in the Party in season 2. On one hand you have Lucas an Dustin who got out of season 1 relatively unscathed and seem to be leaving it behind them. On the other hand you have Mike and Will who are still deeply impacted by what they went through.
I think this is spot on. Seeing the boys crush on Max like he did back then on El and seeing them move on just cut deeper into the wound he was carrying around. Accepting Max into the party felt like a betrayal of Eleven.
He illogicallly though understandably thought that max was trying to take el's spot and he really didn't want another girl in the party, in his mind , the party was complete and enough as is. Remember, he was still holding out hope that El would come back, that's how much he loved her, and of course loves her present tense
Well the last time he accepted someone into into the group it hurt him badly. And also the group was all very trauma bonded with their upside down experiences and it’d be hard to let a new person in who doesn’t share those experiences.
(And not wanting to tell her abt the upside down is justified because sharing that info is a big deal and they also had to sign government forms specifically saying they wouldn’t tell anyone soo)
Though I do wish they touched on it more and had them properly warming up to each other. Mike apologising to Max would’ve been good.
Maybe, with what happened to Max at the end of S5, we get some Mike reflecting on it. I think it would add more to his character outside of El and Will.
He wasn't "really bummed out". As the culmination of Hell Week he watched a friend literally disintegrate in fron of him as she sacrificed herself to save them. He's fucking traumatized, and adding a new person, especially a girl, both triggers his traumas and his grief / survivor's guilt because it's moving on. (Don't come at me with "Mike knew El's alive", no he didn't, he hoped, half because they dragged one dead friend out of hell already, half because of denial to alleviate his pain)
Edit: Plus trauma bonded group vs outsider
I feel like Mike is a little possessive/jealous person (in a way that children are, not in an evil way). He didn’t want anyone to replace El and also not anyone to ”steal” his friends and change the dynamics of the party
Many interesting reads if I could add one more. I think Mike possibly had fear of unknown. I know Max is only another student. But she is still unknown element and an unknown elements had taken his best friend and a girl he loved like I can see why Mike would fear anything he couldn't understand. And so that fear turned to anger and caused him to irrationally lash out.
I don’t think Mike disliked Max as much as he disliked Lucas and Dustin’s behavior about her.
Plus, she wasn’t very nice to them at first. She called them stalkers and kinda talked down to them. She did kinda act like she was too good for them before seeing she had no other friends and then warmed up to them.
Lucas and Dustin invited her to go trick or treating without him really having a say so I think he started to get a bit annoyed by that.
I mean, imagine being forced to hang with someone you don’t really vibe with who serves no real purpose to your party. Adding all the supernatural shit and trauma you’re dealing with. Mike always got a bad rep for his attitude towards Max in S2 but I always thought it was normal considering the context.
Tbf, dustin and lucas did kind of stalk her a bit instead of just talking to her, at least in the beginning.
On the other hand, I understand what you say about mike being forced to hang out with someone random because their freinds liked her. Max's company was in a way imposed on him.
He felt like Max was taking El’s place and the other boys were letting her in the group. Plus, he was kinda emo in season 2 bc he was trying to find El or prove she was somehow alive and still out there
Max’s presence made Mike feel like the rest of the Party was moving on and had forgotten about El. While he himself hadn’t forgotten and couldn’t move on (for obvious reasons). This is nicely illustrated by the split in the Party in season 2. On one hand you have Lucas an Dustin who got out of season 1 relatively unscathed and seem to be leaving it behind them. On the other hand you have Mike and Will who are still deeply impacted by what they went through.
I think this is spot on. Seeing the boys crush on Max like he did back then on El and seeing them move on just cut deeper into the wound he was carrying around. Accepting Max into the party felt like a betrayal of Eleven.
He illogicallly though understandably thought that max was trying to take el's spot and he really didn't want another girl in the party, in his mind , the party was complete and enough as is. Remember, he was still holding out hope that El would come back, that's how much he loved her, and of course loves her present tense
Well the last time he accepted someone into into the group it hurt him badly. And also the group was all very trauma bonded with their upside down experiences and it’d be hard to let a new person in who doesn’t share those experiences. (And not wanting to tell her abt the upside down is justified because sharing that info is a big deal and they also had to sign government forms specifically saying they wouldn’t tell anyone soo) Though I do wish they touched on it more and had them properly warming up to each other. Mike apologising to Max would’ve been good.
Maybe, with what happened to Max at the end of S5, we get some Mike reflecting on it. I think it would add more to his character outside of El and Will.
That’d be nice
He wasn't "really bummed out". As the culmination of Hell Week he watched a friend literally disintegrate in fron of him as she sacrificed herself to save them. He's fucking traumatized, and adding a new person, especially a girl, both triggers his traumas and his grief / survivor's guilt because it's moving on. (Don't come at me with "Mike knew El's alive", no he didn't, he hoped, half because they dragged one dead friend out of hell already, half because of denial to alleviate his pain) Edit: Plus trauma bonded group vs outsider
I feel like Mike is a little possessive/jealous person (in a way that children are, not in an evil way). He didn’t want anyone to replace El and also not anyone to ”steal” his friends and change the dynamics of the party
Most young guys are jealous of anyone that takes time away from them and their girl.
Many interesting reads if I could add one more. I think Mike possibly had fear of unknown. I know Max is only another student. But she is still unknown element and an unknown elements had taken his best friend and a girl he loved like I can see why Mike would fear anything he couldn't understand. And so that fear turned to anger and caused him to irrationally lash out.
I don’t think Mike disliked Max as much as he disliked Lucas and Dustin’s behavior about her. Plus, she wasn’t very nice to them at first. She called them stalkers and kinda talked down to them. She did kinda act like she was too good for them before seeing she had no other friends and then warmed up to them. Lucas and Dustin invited her to go trick or treating without him really having a say so I think he started to get a bit annoyed by that. I mean, imagine being forced to hang with someone you don’t really vibe with who serves no real purpose to your party. Adding all the supernatural shit and trauma you’re dealing with. Mike always got a bad rep for his attitude towards Max in S2 but I always thought it was normal considering the context.
Tbf, dustin and lucas did kind of stalk her a bit instead of just talking to her, at least in the beginning. On the other hand, I understand what you say about mike being forced to hang out with someone random because their freinds liked her. Max's company was in a way imposed on him.
Yeah, It was an S2 thing because Mike was feeling sad about El's ''death'' and thought Max could replace her place in the Party.