Over the four seasons of Stranger Things, Steve Harrington is perhaps the character who has seen the most significant evolution. Unloved at first, he became a fan favorite.
At the very beginning of Stranger Things, Steve Harrington, the character played by Joe Keery, was simply supposed to be this somewhat problematic boy, daddy’s boy who thinks he can do anything. Except that in real life, the actor is so adorable that the Duffer brothers decided to change his trajectory. But also to keep it in the series! A revelation brought by the site Rotten Tomatoes.
Matt Duffer explains that Steve had to die in the first season: “You learn what works and what doesn’t. Casting impacts where you take the narrative, the other writers and directors… it’s like living matter…“
Stranger Things fans, too, were supposed to despise Steve initially, only the exact opposite happened. Within a few episodes, the character slowly became a fan favorite, and rightly so.
Although Steve can be considered a problematic boy for much of the first season, towards the end he shows real and sincere redeeming qualities. Then, he only gains in sympathy throughout season 2. Forget the pretentious moron and make way for the new Steve! Finally, the moult took place quite quickly. Fast enough in any case for the public to have already succumbed to its charm.
more altruistic
Even if we quickly realized that Steve had real feelings for Nancy (Natalia Dyer) from the start, we can’t deny that at the start, he had a hard time being sympathetic. However, in the face of danger and contact with the band, he became someone who was selfless. By choosing to truly connect with others, he puts his friends’ needs before his own.
Although still very much in love with Nancy, he didn’t pressure her to stay together in season 2. And even though he was hurt intimately, he was always sincere in his wish that Nancy be happy no matter who she chooses.
netflix Joe Keery as Steve
More or less a father figure
It was hard to bet on it at first, but in Season 2, Steve started turning on babysitter mode. The phenomenon was such that we no longer count the memes representing Steve as the “mom” of the group.
But joking aside, he truly embraced his role as a mentor and model to the band, but especially to Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), then in need of a father figure. It is certainly the best development that has been brought to the character. He was able to create a real emotional bond with each of them. The proof is: he even got a farewell letter from Max in season 4.
Always ready to kick some Demogorgon
It’s hard to say that Steve wasn’t always brave since before season 2, we didn’t have the opportunity to see him in a situation that required him to be. But he’s completely transformed into someone who is constantly willing to help the group and throw himself into the lion’s mouth without hesitation, whether it’s against Billy (Dacre Montgomery), a few Demogorgons or diving headfirst. in the lake to find the portal… That’s enough to qualify him as a real badass.
In Season 2, he didn’t hesitate to risk his life for people he barely knew. The others have always acted for personal reasons: the gang and Joyce to save Will or Nancy to bring justice to Barb. But Steve only acted because he wanted to. He could have taken the easy way out and gone home, but he deliberately chose to stay and make himself useful instead.
Tina Rowden/Netflix
Steve and Robin, a true and beautiful friendship
Understanding and non-judgmental
Between realizing being popular in high school doesn’t really matter in the end and judging Robin (Maya Hawke) – after revealing he’s in love with her – not for having a crush on a girl , but to have a crush on Tammy Thompson (Julia Reilly) in particular… Steve turned out to be full of surprises! Even after talking about his unrequited feelings, he listened to Robin attentively, without judgment or awkwardness.
It should be remembered that in the 80s, loving people of the same sex was not at all an easily approachable subject. So it’s not hard to imagine how difficult it must have been for Robin to come out to Steve, especially after learning that he was actually in love with her. While she thought these two revelations would likely ruin their friendship, they only brought them closer.
There’s no doubt that Steve now comes across as a very endearing and much more likable character than he was in the first season. As he matured, he proved to be more generous and tolerant. As the seasons pass, Steve expands his horizons and embraces his emotional side, embracing all the feelings that come with it.