There's so much to appreciate about Stranger Things (2016), but at the top of the list is the characters. Let's be real. As intriguing as the mystery elements of the Upside Down are, people wouldn't be investing all this time and care into the show if it weren't for riveting, fleshed-out characters brought to life by great actors who deliver layers and nuance every time. And of those characters, there's no one quite like the ultimate babysitter, mother, father, brother, chainsaw-wielding reformed bad boy angel human, Steve Harrington.
I'm biased, sure. I accept Steve Harrington's rights, and I accept his wrongs. (He can do no wrong.) And in Stranger Things Season 5, Part 1, he's a little pricklier than usual, which has a lot of people online claiming his character's been ruined. To that I ask, are we watching the same show? Because Steve Harrington isn't doing anything out of the ordinary in Season 5, nor is his behavior indicative of anything other than the fact that he's tired. And, really, who could blame him? More than that, the subtle way in which the writers are showing us the passage of time here is what's so fascinating because it's what makes the show so character-driven.
'Stranger Things' Season 5 Gives Us Realistic Insight Into Grief
From the moment Dustin Henderson befriended Steve Harrington in Stranger Things Season 2, the trajectory of the entire show changed. Those are big words, yes, but the redemption arc we get from a reformed bad boy to someone who'll lay his life down for all the kids he accidentally adopted is all we need to know exactly who Steve Harrington is. He's a neglected kid who wants to make sure that no one else goes through what he's gone through—neglect.
But really, Steve is just a kid. They all are. And despite how much they've gone through, it's so easy for people watching their actions on a screen to be critical of their behavior when the real question is, what would you do? And what Stranger Things Season 5 effectively does is give us insight into grief. Losing Joseph Quinn's Eddie Munson wasn't easy on Dustin, and as a kid who's just trying to get through the next day, he has no idea how to swim past the waves. So, in short, Dustin is acting out and understandably so.
Steve may have been the one who gave Dustin confidence, but Eddie's the one who taught him how to be himself unapologetically. And while grieving, lashing out is perfectly normal. As human beings, we fail to see what's in front of us, and sometimes, we hang onto the people who've passed while we neglect those standing before us. No two people grieve the same way, and that's the most important thing to remember here.
In Dustin's grief, he's trying to do everything one way, while Steve is trying to do things in another. They aren't seeing eye to eye because neither of them knows exactly how to handle the circumstances, because there's also no right way. Stubbornness runs deep for both of them, so this rift is the most natural thing that we're getting in a season that's filled with fantastical and supernatural elements.
This rift is human, and it's a reminder that both characters are not only inherently flawed, but they're kids trying to get through the day while their lives can be taken any minute. Plus, neither of them has had the type of parenting where they could've learned better ways to cope, so they're doing the best they can with the unfortunate cards dealt to them. Dustin's not exactly truthful with everyone, while Steve continues to shove aside all his emotions. It's making their dynamic even more profound, and more importantly, the scene in the trailer where Dustin's crying in Steve's arms is going to hit twice as hard because of all these fiery moments.
Steve Harrington Isn't Wrong - He's Just Not Great At Communication
Steve Harrington is literally the worst at communication because he'll beat around the bush, or he'll hyperfocus on something completely different and refuse to see any other outcome until someone basically spoon-feeds it to him. We know very little about Steve's home life other than the fact that he's often left alone, but Season 5, Episode 4, "Chapter 4: Sorcerer," also gives us a significant but super-brief glimpse into the type of person his father was when a young Harrington verbally bullies a young Joyce Byers in a flashback. Like father, like son, but only one of them is actively trying to become a better person, and that's Steve Harrington—every single day.
Now here's the thing, since the first season, Steve's actions have always done the loudest talking. He doesn't always say the right thing, but he does the right thing. He's the one who cleaned off the inappropriate words written about Nancy. He's the one who grabs the most absurd and dangerous weapon to defend everyone. He fumbles a lot with his words and gets petty, yes, but when push comes to shove, he acts. He never once thinks twice about his own life, only about the lives around him.
Death looms over each of their heads on Stranger Things, and now more than ever, they each know that. Steve might not know how to comfort or get through to Dustin in these first few episodes, but that's largely because his focus is on the necessary ways to fight.
In addition, all this nonsense of a love triangle suddenly being the primary focus is so silly because it's always been the focus. Sort of. Steve and Nancy are friends, and again, Steve might not have the right words, but his actions and heart are in the right place. He clearly has no intentions of "stealing Nancy from Jonathan," nor is he trying to, despite what people see. Also, Nancy is her own person and not a toy. Full stop. Let's not dismiss her agency by proposing that she can somehow be a pawn for two men, er, boys, when the bigger focus here is on winning the fight against Vecna.
More importantly, I think we forget how young these characters are because the actors playing them are a bit older. And if we're all being honest with ourselves, we've each said and done stupid things in high school and likely in our 20s, too, because our frontal cortex doesn't develop until 25. He gets a pass. They all do.
