Summary
Stranger Things’ growing ensemble means some characters have never interacted with each other despite being present in every season so far, including two of the show’s most popular figures. Thecast ofStranger Thingshas expanded significantly since the smaller Hawkins-based tale in season 1, with season 5 now seemingly contending with figures from Hawkins, California, Russia, and elsewhere given the characters’ many outings outside their Indiana town. Still, despite the fact thatHawkins is set up as a small town where practically everyone knows each other, it’s curious that some main characters haven’t properly met on-screen.
Stranger Thingsseason 1 began with about three key character groups: the kids (Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Eleven, and Will), the teens (Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve), and the adults (Joyce, Hopper, and occasionally the Wheelers). With really only about 10–12 main characters to contend with, many of whom are related to one another, it’s strange thatsome figures from that season 1 group still haven’t directly spoken to one another. Two major characters, in fact, are among the show’s most popular, have been in every season, and have yet to have a conversation, which will hopefully be fixed inStranger Thingsseason 5.
Steve & Hopper don’t have any direct dialogue in Stranger Things
Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) and Jim Hopper (David Harbour) have consistently been two of my favoriteStranger Thingscharacters, which is why it shocked me so much when I realized that, as ofStranger Thingsseason 4’s ending, the two have never shared a conversation.Steve and Hopper have been in the same room together, such as inStranger Thingsseason 2, episode 8 when the kids, teens, and adults all converge at the Byers house for El’s surprise return, but they never actually directly talk to one another. Any interaction between the two has simply been in passing, withno on-screen dialogue between Steve and Hopperbeing even more surprising given season 1’s police investigations.
Rather, scenes that feature both Steve and Hopper tend to be larger ensemble shots toward the end of each season, which typically also involves more action than dialogue. Granted, Steve and Hopper are still quite removed from one another storywise despite being in the same small group of Hawkins-based Upside Down fighters. Hopper and Steve also serve similar roles within the larger group dynamic, so it may seem redundant to have the two paired up throughout the show. But, with Steve and Hopper being two of the original main characters with some of the best developments acrossStranger Things’ four seasons, their lack of any real interaction is disappointing.
Stranger Things Season 5’s Steve Update Should Have You Breathing A Sigh Of Relief
Joe Keery subtly teased Steve Harrington’s character arc in Stranger Things season 5, and fans of the character have reason to be relieved.
Some ofStranger Things’ best duoshave come from unexpected character pairings, but Hopper and Steve seem to have such clear parallels and similarities that I’m surprised they haven’t worked together on an Upside Down-based mission. It wouldn’t be shocking if Steve one day decided to stay in Hawkins and take up a role in the police force alongside Hopper, andnow that Steve has graduated from high school, he and Hopper could take on a mentor-mentee type of dynamic. Hopper being in Russia for the majority ofStranger Thingsseason 4 better explains why they haven’t spoken yet, but I’d be disappointed if a dynamic between the two was never explored in season 5.
Hopper being in Russia for the majority ofStranger Thingsseason 4 better explains why they haven’t spoken yet, but I’d be disappointed if a dynamic between the two was never explored in season 5.
Steve & Hopper’s Stories Have A Heartwarming Parallel Throughout Stranger Things
Steve and Hopper are the two best father figures in Stranger Things
Since season 1,Stranger Thingshas had a recurring theme with its characters related to fatherhood. Will and Jonathan have a neglectful father, Mike and Nancy have a stereotypical clueless ‘80s dad, Eleven was manipulated by her father figure Dr. Brenner, Hopper is an attentive father who lost his daughter before becoming a father to El, Steve has a strained relationship with his father yet plays that role for the younger kids, and the fate of Dustin’s father has never been clear. However,the best dads inStranger Thingshave been more unconventional: Steve and Hopper.
While Hopper is essentially the show’s only real father character and even goes on to adopt El, Steve quickly becomes the “babysitter” dad figure for the younger kids starting in season 2. Steve and Hopper also share similarities in their romantic storylines, with Hopper’s continued romance with Joyce not being too dissimilar fromSteve’s romantic subplot with Nancyregarding their subgroup dynamics. Additionally, Steve and Hopper are the two characters that have stood out to me as the ones most likely to sacrifice themselves in order to save the rest of Hawkins and the people they love who aren’t necessarily blood-related to them.
Stranger Things Season 5 Images Tease The Return Of An Exciting Season 1 Team
A Stranger Things season 5 behind-the-scenes image teases a team that hasn’t been seen again since season 1 and could be of great help.
It seemslikely that either Steve or Hopper will die inStranger Thingsseason 5’s climactic fight with Vecna and the Upside Down. Both have taken on the hero roles at various times throughout the Netflix series’ big showdowns, with Hopper even having a major death fakeout in season 3’s finale. Hopper and Steve have two of my favorite character arcs in the entire show, and in a series where character deaths aren’t uncommon, thattypically signals that one of them will sacrifice themselves beforeStranger Thingsseason 5 officially ends. Hopefully, one doesn’t meet their demise before they can finally speak.
Hopper’s Hawkins Return Means Stranger Things Season 5 Can Finally Fulfill A Steve & Hopper Scene
Hopper & Steve can team up for the final battle with Vecna
Now that Hopper is back in Hawkins forStranger Thingsseason 5, the show is in the perfect place to finally include a scene with David Harbour and Joe Keery’s characters directly interacting. The returning characters are gearing up for their final battle with Vecna, and it now seemslikely that this preparation will at last see Hopper and Steve speak to one another as they get their plans together. Whether it’s a scene in which they heroically work together or a scene in which they hilariously argue or annoy each other, any worthy interaction between Steve and Hopper will make me content inStranger Thingsseason 5.
Stranger Things
Cast
Stranger Things is a Netflix series set in the 1980s, where the mysterious disappearance of a young boy leads a small town to uncover secret experiments and supernatural forces. A significant focus is on a peculiar girl who may hold the key to the unfolding mystery.
