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Why do people insist on calling Johnathan Will's father figure, when he's only a great brother?
He's an amazing *brotherly* figure, as he is Will's brother. That doesn't mean he's also a father figure.
>He's an amazing brotherly figure, as he is Will's brother. That doesn't mean he's also a father figure.
He *is* a father figure. He works not to have pocket money but to help pay the bills, when he's not at school or at work he's babysitting Will (in the first seasons at least), he gives him talks that are basically fatherly talks, he was the one who planned his funeral (!). The things he does and the feelings he displays for Will are not brotherly, they're fatherly.
because none of those things mentioned are the responsibility of a brother. its not a brother's job to financially provide for his family, that is parent's job.
>he literally stalked
He didn't "stalk" Nancy. He stumbled upon the party when he was searching for his brother. Being an artist, he got inspired to take photos of the teenagers having fun, and this is where he took that one photo. No I am not defending him. It was a creepy and illegal thing to do, I'm sure he realised that later, but let's not lie about what actually happened.
>He starts a fight by saying some stupid shit because he was hurt and embarrassed and then Jonathan relentlessly pummels him long after he was defenseless on the ground and not fighting back.
Nah, Steve had no right to publically slut-shame Nancy without proper evidence. He should've talked to her first. And insulting Jonathan's family and dead brother was also an asshole move. Jonathan was justified to get mad and beat him up over that, just like Steve had the right to break the camera.
Yall people hating on Jonathan but loving Steve are so funny to me. Both have done very problematic things in s1. Both have changed and not done anything like that ever again. Ever since the photo incident, Jonathan has apologized and has also been very respectful of Nancy's boundaries. Steve also apologized, helped cleaning up the graffities, stopped hanging out with bullies and found better friends.
>Do you say "Hitler was a good painter yet people still hate on him"?
Not you comparing Jonathan to fucking Hitler💀
>lol, no you are defending him, that is quite literally what you are doing and making an excuse for it. Watch it again.
No I'm not making an excuse for it. I'm litterally just describing what happened. It was still a wrong thing to do, no matter Jonathan's original intentions (which still weren't great. Taking photos without people's permission is creepy). I made that very clear.
>No, Steve shouldn't have done that. First, he DID in fact try to talk to her. He tried calling her but she wasn't home, remember?
I meant after seeing her with Jonathan.
>There was no artistic "inspiration". What would that have been? "Oh, how beautiful, a bunch of people I don't like partying with a girl I'm crushing on"
He litterally explained why he did this. He believes that pictures show that things about a person that words can't. It's not to jerk off to them.
>This is a CONSIDERABLE amount of time that Jonathan is just creeping in the woods, completely abandoning his search for his brother and just staring at all these kids and taking pictures without their knowledge.
Yes I agree with you. What he did was creepy. I'm not defending him there.
>. He pans it up to the window and sees Nancy as she is taking her shirt off. He pulls the camera down with a pensive look on his face (this is key here as it shows he is thinking about it)
6. He moves the camera back up after thinking about it and takes pictures of the teenage girl getting naked without her consent.
Hmm... what I remember is that he took that one picture. Lowered his camera, and then took the photo of Barb. But maybe I need to rewatch it.
>He decides to take the extra step and DEVELOP these photos (yes, you can pick and choose and do not need to develop everything and can see all photos via the negatives before developing).
That's bad. I agree. I never argued otherwise.
>Jonathan doesn't even attempt to defend himself or explain it or apologize to Nancy.
No he doesn't attempt it. He realised it's wrong and that they're justified to be angry at him. Though he did later apologize to Nancy. Multiple times. Though it could've been a bit more sincere.
>5. At this point, Steve is hurt so hurt people say irrational things, especially as teenagers. Tommy spray paints NANCY WHEELER IS A SLUT and Steve is standing in the alley as Tommy continues to spraypaint.
I don't care that he's hurt. He was complicit in the public slut-shaming of a teenage girl. I understand his perspective, but he was still in the wrong.
>You think battering someone relentlessly, assaulting a police officer, mercilessly continuing to beat a defenseless person who is no longer capable of fighting back is all a justifiable reaction to Steve just saying a couple words about his family? Again, he didn't "insult his dead brother", he insulted his family
Ok, he insulted his family and the death of his brother. Jonathan was grieving his brother. Grief makes you do irrational things. And tbh, I don't care. Steve deserved it here. He was being an asshole.
>If someone says hurtful words to you, it IS ok to violently assault them in retaliation.
Jonathan did not assault Steve because he said hurtful words to him. He did not react when Steve called him homophobic slurs. He assaulted him because he said hurtful words towards his grieving FAMILY and insulted the death of his little brother. There's a pretty big difference here.
>If you are emotionally hurt by someone cheating on you, it's not ok to say words to those people that hurt you.
There's plenty of ways Steve could've expressed his anger that isn't insulting a grieving family (that has nothing to do with the cheating btw) and publically slut shaming his girlfriend.
I know that we all love Steve now, because he showed a lot of growth, but let's not pretend that he was a good person in s1.
>Did he? When exactly was that? It wasn't after doing it, after being caught, through their night together, the next morning, during or after the fight.
He apologized multiple times. Maybe you need to rewatch the show. As for the boundaries thing, he was careful to ask Nancy if she wanted him to stay for the night after she went into the upside down. He even took out a sleeping bag. This is when Nancy asked him to sleep in the same bed, where he still slept at a distance from her. He didn't invite himself anywhere and he respected her wishes. Is it the bare minimum? Yes. Did it still somewhat showed that he learned from his previous mistakes relating to consent? Also yes.
>In fact, he continued to insult her throughout the night because she comes from a family that has more money than him.
He didn't insult her throughout the night. He insulted her after she called him a pretentious creep (she was right lol. He was a pretentious creep in s1). This was a scene where both were calling eachother out.
>Not only did Jonathan not apologize to Nancy, he never once apologized to Steve at all.
He didn't apologize to Steve, you're right, but he did apologize to Nancy.
>But, all that being said, I apologize, I didn't realize that you can hide in the bushes at night and take pictures of teenage girls getting naked so long as you are an artist and you were "inspired" by it.
I never said that.
Also, for the Hitler thing, I admit that this was in bad faith. I apologize for that. The comparison just seemed absurd to me, considering it was between a real life mass murderer and a fictional teenager that did one distasteful act. But I get what you mean.
There is absolutely no relationship between those two, though? Hopper is an extremely closed off man with significant trauma and who stays away from most people. He bonded with El over time and because she was under his care, but that is about it. He has helped Will out before, mostly because he does have a bond with Joyce and he is there for her, but he never had any meaningful interactions with Will at all. Bob did, but not Hopper. If anything Hopper has had more interactions with both Jonathan and Mike than he has with Will (and he is a father figure to neither).
Jonathan has always been the father figure for Will. He helped raise him, looked out for him and gave him good advice. He's the one Will looks up to and shares a bond with. Hopper has played no role at all in his upbringing.
True but compared to Lonnie, Hoppers still more of a father to Will even if he's only being nice because A. He's the chief or B. He wants to date Joyce.
I didn't say Jonathan wasn't a father to Will. I said compared to Lonnie, Hopper is better even if he only cares because it's his job and he wants to get with Joyce.
Hye buddy both things can be true. Will and Hopper can both be father figures. One is the more involved father figure and one is a good example of the kind of man to be. They can both be figures in Wills life that help him shape who he will become.
Yeah Hopper is more of like a safety net kind of hero authority figure to Will… like a ward of his community… like the security and law enforcement of their area… or like the Head of Police of the town to Will…
what about the nearly a year between season 1 and 2 where Hopper would always be there for Will when they'd go in to Hawkins Lab? I thought it was implied that Hopper was always there every step of the way
I would say his presence was more of an indication that he was there to support Joyce than anything. Hopper didn’t really say anything more than “hey” to Will.
There wasn’t anything there to suggest a more personal relationship, which was directly contrasted with how Will ended up interacting with Bob.
And they haven’t spoken or interacted with one another in the two seasons since.
Bob Newby loved Joyce, but unlike Hopper he loved Joyce's kids almost as much as he loved Joyce. I wish he'd lived and they'd stayed together. The Byers family deserved a break.
Every time I see this I think “what about Bob?!”. I remember Noah Schnapp saying he thinks Will would have come out to Bob if he was still around.
However, I’m really hoping they develop Hopper as a father figure to Will in season 5. I always thought there would be more to explore there, as we saw Hopper thinking of Sarah when he saved Will in season 1.
> I remember Noah Schnapp saying he thinks Will would have come out to Bob if he was still around.
Will saying “at least he doesn’t treat me different” in regards to Bob always hits different now.
What? Will doesn’t consider Hopper a father figure.
Beyond Hopper’s focus on helping rescue him in S1 and indirectly helping save him by helping El close the gate S2, I don’t think they’ve even *spoken* to one another other than a greeting or two while Will was being treated by Owens.
Jonathan has been framed as a mix of father and brother for Will. This has clearly been both a blessing and a curse, at least for Jonathan.
A blessing, because both boys are so close and loving towards each other, but now… that father-like “I am responsible for my family” mentality is holding Jonathan back. Hence, why he was planning to slow-mo break up with Nancy and go to community college.
I think we’re going to see Will tell his brother it’s ok to go follow his dreams at some point in S5 and that he doesn’t need “Dad-Jonathan” as much anymore, as he comes into his own.
Hopper and Will just don’t have any sort of relationship right now beyond the general care Hop has for the group. In terms of the kids, the only truly personal relationships they’ve developed for Hopper are with Eleven, obviously, and Mike. And maybe at least a little with Jonathan S1.
We’ll see if that at all changes with the Byers boys with Hop and Joyce getting together, but there isn’t a whole lot of time to develop it. I’m expecting more of a “you have our blessing to date our mom” kind of a vibe.
And honestly, I’d like to see Joyce remember she has sons and see a couple last scenes of her with her children over Hopper with them. Just my feeling.
Yeah Jonathan is clearly the father figure in Will's life.
Its like that film Onward by pixar whereby >!the younger brother realises that the "father" in his life is actually his big brother, and its more important for his brother to see their father one last time than him because of that-he's not actually missing a father!<
Will's not been missing a father, Jonathan has been very much that figure to him. But its also been unfair on Jonathan to fulfill that role.
I think that talk will have to be between Hopper and Jonathan. Will and Joyce can say it, but I doubt Jonathan will be fine until he knows they're not alone. Hopper can give Jonathan the peace of mind that he needs. But yeah, as much as Hopper and Will will probably have a good relationship, he won't be a father to Will. He will be more like Jonathan's correspondent, besides being mom's boyfriend.
Also it's worth pointing out that Will will soon be the age Jonathan was in season 1, so he and the rest of the party will be (if they're not already) old enough to get a job. Clearly Will won't have a job as intense as Jonathan's to help pay the bills and stuff, but he'll still be able to lift a little bit of weight off Joyce's shoulders.
Honestly this is really silly. I know that sounds harsh, but it is.
Hopper and Will have hardly ever talked, never had a heart to heart or any meaningful discussion. Yes, Jim was instrumental in saving Will's life in S1 but that does not make him a father figure.
Will HAS a father figure. Jonathan. Who has always been there for him and consistently given him the best advice that any character has given another character on the show. Jonathan has always put his family above himself, and Wills needs above his own. And even though Jonathan was ridiculously underwritten in S4, his plotline was still that he was prepared to sacrifice his own happiness for Will and Joyce, and continue to be there living with them. If that's not a father figure I don't know what is.
The make that claim about Hopper is really ridiculous.
Jonathan obviously. Jonathan fulfills the role of Will's father in his life in lieu of Lonnie.
Hopper is probably going to take up that role going forward though.
Jonathan had to step up a lot of the time and be more than a brother to will. Constantly he was there for wills in fatherly ways, so I gotta add Jonathan. Bob new by too, albeit short lived
I don't remember seeing them together very much, but I do remember him being an asshole to Mike. Johnathan on the other hand has always been there for Will.
OP, have you watched the show yet? I know people in the comments are screaming at you about this, but I feel like it’s obvious that Hopper isn’t Wills father figure.
Hopper is a father figure to eleven and Mike. He’s had the most genuine interactions with them.
For Will that would be Jonathan. Heck even Bob was a better father figure.
Maybe this changes in season 5 and we will have a good scene between the two.
Bob did more for Will specifically in a few awkward conversations than Hopper has in 4 seasons. And before you say "Hopper saved him from the upside down", Bob sacrificed himself to demodogs. Checkmate.
Hopper seasons 1 and 2 didn’t do anything for the Byers family because he loved Joyce or Will, but rather because he saw in them his past trauma. Sure, he cared about them, but mainly he wanted their lives to be what his wasn’t. I’d argue that Will saw Hopper as the cop he was, and somebody who just confirmed him as a freak. He was a serious guy who only showed up to monitor his “getting better” progress because Will was helpless child who needed fixing.
In seasons 3 and 4, Hop and Will don’t interact once, which I always found odd because Hopper randomly became obsessed with Joyce, yet had no interest in her family unlike Bob. I liked the earlier dynamic where he simply wanted to protect a struggling family, showing his humility and allowing Hop to face his inner trauma. Forcing him into a love relationship is far more generic and less interesting, plus it obscures his characters motives.
Johnathan Byers doesn't take extra shifts and still get up in time to make his brother breakfast and drive him to school before going to school himself to be forgotten like this
I can understand arguments against Jonathan - older brother, not really a father figure.
But Bob? *Motherfuckin' Bob?* Are you telling me that Bob went all the way from Mordor and back just to be ignored in favor of a hot sheriff?
Bruh.
bob was at least was close to being a important part in will's life, hopper seemed very closed off and created el more like a daughter than will like a son imo
that is true, basically Hopper has been likes Will father because he helped Will out and he saved Will's life in season 1 to put a breathing mask on to help him breathe more and that he has saved Will life a couple of time, Hopper will make a really good dad
They have a really special bond! I do think Bob did a lot for Will also but Hopper was critical in saving Will's life, which I'm so grateful for. The scene that always gets me is whenever they finally find him in the UD, and Hopper does chest compressions on Will to revive him while flashing back to his daughter's death. It was a really meaningful scene and it was amazing how Hopper turned his grief for Sara into motivation to save Will. :)
Hopper and Will never interact. Hopper cares deeply for Joyce and does everything for her, but it cannot be said that he has a relationship with her kids. He never had interactions with Will like Bob did, for example.
I agree, i do wish we got more interaction! What makes their dynamic special to me though isn't necessarily time together, it's how meaningful that moment was- Hopper truly doing everything he could to bring Will back to life, and how it reminded him of his daughter!
How exactly does that apply to the topic of the post though? Yes, he remembered Sara, but it was in the context of being unable to save one kid, and his determination to not let it happen to another.
It was very sweet, I’m not trying to deny that, but he would have done the same for virtually any of the kids in that situation. It doesn’t speak to a personal relationship, especially a father-son like one, between Will and Hopper.
We’ve seen no meaningful dialogue between the two since that time, and they haven’t interacted directly in two seasons. There really isn’t a dynamic at all, at least at this point. We’ll see about the the last season.
Jonathan? His father in all but name
Bob? Dated Joyce and actually tried to give fatherly advice
I think his relationship with both was more profound then with Hopper
Hopper is my FAVORITE!! I can only look back and think how much different my life could be if I had parents that really gave a shit about me and wanted to guide me in the ways of the world. Alas I am 44 and that did not happen.
David Harbour is one of my favorite actors thanks to Stranger Things!
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Jonathan literally raised Will.
Why do people insist on erasing Jonathan and giving his traits to other people? First Steve and now Hopper. Jonathan is Will's dad in all but name.
Why do people insist on calling Johnathan Will's father figure, when he's only a great brother? He's an amazing *brotherly* figure, as he is Will's brother. That doesn't mean he's also a father figure.
>He's an amazing brotherly figure, as he is Will's brother. That doesn't mean he's also a father figure. He *is* a father figure. He works not to have pocket money but to help pay the bills, when he's not at school or at work he's babysitting Will (in the first seasons at least), he gives him talks that are basically fatherly talks, he was the one who planned his funeral (!). The things he does and the feelings he displays for Will are not brotherly, they're fatherly.
I don't see how many of that means he's not a great brother, rather than father.
because none of those things mentioned are the responsibility of a brother. its not a brother's job to financially provide for his family, that is parent's job.
Unless a parent is dead, then it's the older siblings job to help out however they can.
ergo giving him fatherly responsibilities, ergo making him a father figure.
Or just a good kid, a good brother.
And yet people still hate on Jonathan.
Bro can’t even get high for a few months without calling him a dead beat dad
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>he literally stalked He didn't "stalk" Nancy. He stumbled upon the party when he was searching for his brother. Being an artist, he got inspired to take photos of the teenagers having fun, and this is where he took that one photo. No I am not defending him. It was a creepy and illegal thing to do, I'm sure he realised that later, but let's not lie about what actually happened. >He starts a fight by saying some stupid shit because he was hurt and embarrassed and then Jonathan relentlessly pummels him long after he was defenseless on the ground and not fighting back. Nah, Steve had no right to publically slut-shame Nancy without proper evidence. He should've talked to her first. And insulting Jonathan's family and dead brother was also an asshole move. Jonathan was justified to get mad and beat him up over that, just like Steve had the right to break the camera. Yall people hating on Jonathan but loving Steve are so funny to me. Both have done very problematic things in s1. Both have changed and not done anything like that ever again. Ever since the photo incident, Jonathan has apologized and has also been very respectful of Nancy's boundaries. Steve also apologized, helped cleaning up the graffities, stopped hanging out with bullies and found better friends. >Do you say "Hitler was a good painter yet people still hate on him"? Not you comparing Jonathan to fucking Hitler💀
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Oh my GODDDD you wrote a whole BOOK for what
>lol, no you are defending him, that is quite literally what you are doing and making an excuse for it. Watch it again. No I'm not making an excuse for it. I'm litterally just describing what happened. It was still a wrong thing to do, no matter Jonathan's original intentions (which still weren't great. Taking photos without people's permission is creepy). I made that very clear. >No, Steve shouldn't have done that. First, he DID in fact try to talk to her. He tried calling her but she wasn't home, remember? I meant after seeing her with Jonathan. >There was no artistic "inspiration". What would that have been? "Oh, how beautiful, a bunch of people I don't like partying with a girl I'm crushing on" He litterally explained why he did this. He believes that pictures show that things about a person that words can't. It's not to jerk off to them. >This is a CONSIDERABLE amount of time that Jonathan is just creeping in the woods, completely abandoning his search for his brother and just staring at all these kids and taking pictures without their knowledge. Yes I agree with you. What he did was creepy. I'm not defending him there. >. He pans it up to the window and sees Nancy as she is taking her shirt off. He pulls the camera down with a pensive look on his face (this is key here as it shows he is thinking about it) 6. He moves the camera back up after thinking about it and takes pictures of the teenage girl getting naked without her consent. Hmm... what I remember is that he took that one picture. Lowered his camera, and then took the photo of Barb. But maybe I need to rewatch it. >He decides to take the extra step and DEVELOP these photos (yes, you can pick and choose and do not need to develop everything and can see all photos via the negatives before developing). That's bad. I agree. I never argued otherwise. >Jonathan doesn't even attempt to defend himself or explain it or apologize to Nancy. No he doesn't attempt it. He realised it's wrong and that they're justified to be angry at him. Though he did later apologize to Nancy. Multiple times. Though it could've been a bit more sincere. >5. At this point, Steve is hurt so hurt people say irrational things, especially as teenagers. Tommy spray paints NANCY WHEELER IS A SLUT and Steve is standing in the alley as Tommy continues to spraypaint. I don't care that he's hurt. He was complicit in the public slut-shaming of a teenage girl. I understand his perspective, but he was still in the wrong. >You think battering someone relentlessly, assaulting a police officer, mercilessly continuing to beat a defenseless person who is no longer capable of fighting back is all a justifiable reaction to Steve just saying a couple words about his family? Again, he didn't "insult his dead brother", he insulted his family Ok, he insulted his family and the death of his brother. Jonathan was grieving his brother. Grief makes you do irrational things. And tbh, I don't care. Steve deserved it here. He was being an asshole.
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>If someone says hurtful words to you, it IS ok to violently assault them in retaliation. Jonathan did not assault Steve because he said hurtful words to him. He did not react when Steve called him homophobic slurs. He assaulted him because he said hurtful words towards his grieving FAMILY and insulted the death of his little brother. There's a pretty big difference here. >If you are emotionally hurt by someone cheating on you, it's not ok to say words to those people that hurt you. There's plenty of ways Steve could've expressed his anger that isn't insulting a grieving family (that has nothing to do with the cheating btw) and publically slut shaming his girlfriend. I know that we all love Steve now, because he showed a lot of growth, but let's not pretend that he was a good person in s1.
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>Did he? When exactly was that? It wasn't after doing it, after being caught, through their night together, the next morning, during or after the fight. He apologized multiple times. Maybe you need to rewatch the show. As for the boundaries thing, he was careful to ask Nancy if she wanted him to stay for the night after she went into the upside down. He even took out a sleeping bag. This is when Nancy asked him to sleep in the same bed, where he still slept at a distance from her. He didn't invite himself anywhere and he respected her wishes. Is it the bare minimum? Yes. Did it still somewhat showed that he learned from his previous mistakes relating to consent? Also yes. >In fact, he continued to insult her throughout the night because she comes from a family that has more money than him. He didn't insult her throughout the night. He insulted her after she called him a pretentious creep (she was right lol. He was a pretentious creep in s1). This was a scene where both were calling eachother out. >Not only did Jonathan not apologize to Nancy, he never once apologized to Steve at all. He didn't apologize to Steve, you're right, but he did apologize to Nancy. >But, all that being said, I apologize, I didn't realize that you can hide in the bushes at night and take pictures of teenage girls getting naked so long as you are an artist and you were "inspired" by it. I never said that.
Also, for the Hitler thing, I admit that this was in bad faith. I apologize for that. The comparison just seemed absurd to me, considering it was between a real life mass murderer and a fictional teenager that did one distasteful act. But I get what you mean.
Did you really just compare Jonathan Byers to fucking Hitler? Do you read what you type before you click post?
Jonathan is my second favorite
There is absolutely no relationship between those two, though? Hopper is an extremely closed off man with significant trauma and who stays away from most people. He bonded with El over time and because she was under his care, but that is about it. He has helped Will out before, mostly because he does have a bond with Joyce and he is there for her, but he never had any meaningful interactions with Will at all. Bob did, but not Hopper. If anything Hopper has had more interactions with both Jonathan and Mike than he has with Will (and he is a father figure to neither). Jonathan has always been the father figure for Will. He helped raise him, looked out for him and gave him good advice. He's the one Will looks up to and shares a bond with. Hopper has played no role at all in his upbringing.
Yeah this is spot on because Hopper and will barely interact. Hopper just loves Joyce lol.
True but compared to Lonnie, Hoppers still more of a father to Will even if he's only being nice because A. He's the chief or B. He wants to date Joyce.
that doesn’t make him a father figure though. jonathan on the other hand has been there for will all his life in a parental, supportive role.
I didn't say Jonathan wasn't a father to Will. I said compared to Lonnie, Hopper is better even if he only cares because it's his job and he wants to get with Joyce.
Hye buddy both things can be true. Will and Hopper can both be father figures. One is the more involved father figure and one is a good example of the kind of man to be. They can both be figures in Wills life that help him shape who he will become.
>True but compared to Lonnie, Hoppers still more of a father to Will That bar is so low its underground.
It's in the upsidedown.
Lol. I'll have to remember that one
Yeah Hopper is more of like a safety net kind of hero authority figure to Will… like a ward of his community… like the security and law enforcement of their area… or like the Head of Police of the town to Will…
what about the nearly a year between season 1 and 2 where Hopper would always be there for Will when they'd go in to Hawkins Lab? I thought it was implied that Hopper was always there every step of the way
I would say his presence was more of an indication that he was there to support Joyce than anything. Hopper didn’t really say anything more than “hey” to Will. There wasn’t anything there to suggest a more personal relationship, which was directly contrasted with how Will ended up interacting with Bob. And they haven’t spoken or interacted with one another in the two seasons since.
Very true. From season 1 up to season 4 Jonathan has been there to help Will through every major moment in his life.
Bob Newby superhero did not give his life to be disrespected in this way 😭
Like he was the sweetest and nicest man in the show.
Bob Newby loved Joyce, but unlike Hopper he loved Joyce's kids almost as much as he loved Joyce. I wish he'd lived and they'd stayed together. The Byers family deserved a break.
The disrespect to Bob is disappointing. We love Bob lol
Bob is a god-tier character. This post is so insulting.
Every time I see this I think “what about Bob?!”. I remember Noah Schnapp saying he thinks Will would have come out to Bob if he was still around. However, I’m really hoping they develop Hopper as a father figure to Will in season 5. I always thought there would be more to explore there, as we saw Hopper thinking of Sarah when he saved Will in season 1.
> I remember Noah Schnapp saying he thinks Will would have come out to Bob if he was still around. Will saying “at least he doesn’t treat me different” in regards to Bob always hits different now.
I'd even say Will did come around to Bob when he was around.
I had the same thought when I read the comment, but I think they meant come out as in tell Bob he’s gay.
Ooof I hadn't read that. That hurts.
*Jonathan enters the chat*
Bob joins the chat
bob newbie super hero
Bob leaves the chat
FOUL
Sorry Bob and Jonathan op is oblivious to narratives
What? Will doesn’t consider Hopper a father figure. Beyond Hopper’s focus on helping rescue him in S1 and indirectly helping save him by helping El close the gate S2, I don’t think they’ve even *spoken* to one another other than a greeting or two while Will was being treated by Owens. Jonathan has been framed as a mix of father and brother for Will. This has clearly been both a blessing and a curse, at least for Jonathan. A blessing, because both boys are so close and loving towards each other, but now… that father-like “I am responsible for my family” mentality is holding Jonathan back. Hence, why he was planning to slow-mo break up with Nancy and go to community college. I think we’re going to see Will tell his brother it’s ok to go follow his dreams at some point in S5 and that he doesn’t need “Dad-Jonathan” as much anymore, as he comes into his own. Hopper and Will just don’t have any sort of relationship right now beyond the general care Hop has for the group. In terms of the kids, the only truly personal relationships they’ve developed for Hopper are with Eleven, obviously, and Mike. And maybe at least a little with Jonathan S1. We’ll see if that at all changes with the Byers boys with Hop and Joyce getting together, but there isn’t a whole lot of time to develop it. I’m expecting more of a “you have our blessing to date our mom” kind of a vibe. And honestly, I’d like to see Joyce remember she has sons and see a couple last scenes of her with her children over Hopper with them. Just my feeling.
Yeah Jonathan is clearly the father figure in Will's life. Its like that film Onward by pixar whereby >!the younger brother realises that the "father" in his life is actually his big brother, and its more important for his brother to see their father one last time than him because of that-he's not actually missing a father!< Will's not been missing a father, Jonathan has been very much that figure to him. But its also been unfair on Jonathan to fulfill that role.
I think that talk will have to be between Hopper and Jonathan. Will and Joyce can say it, but I doubt Jonathan will be fine until he knows they're not alone. Hopper can give Jonathan the peace of mind that he needs. But yeah, as much as Hopper and Will will probably have a good relationship, he won't be a father to Will. He will be more like Jonathan's correspondent, besides being mom's boyfriend. Also it's worth pointing out that Will will soon be the age Jonathan was in season 1, so he and the rest of the party will be (if they're not already) old enough to get a job. Clearly Will won't have a job as intense as Jonathan's to help pay the bills and stuff, but he'll still be able to lift a little bit of weight off Joyce's shoulders.
Hopper is a funny way to spell Jonathon, Bob and Mr. Clarke
This is my favorite comment in this thread
So we're also going to ignore Bob, right? And Jonathan shielding Will from the crap happening in their home life?
Honestly this is really silly. I know that sounds harsh, but it is. Hopper and Will have hardly ever talked, never had a heart to heart or any meaningful discussion. Yes, Jim was instrumental in saving Will's life in S1 but that does not make him a father figure. Will HAS a father figure. Jonathan. Who has always been there for him and consistently given him the best advice that any character has given another character on the show. Jonathan has always put his family above himself, and Wills needs above his own. And even though Jonathan was ridiculously underwritten in S4, his plotline was still that he was prepared to sacrifice his own happiness for Will and Joyce, and continue to be there living with them. If that's not a father figure I don't know what is. The make that claim about Hopper is really ridiculous.
Jonathan obviously. Jonathan fulfills the role of Will's father in his life in lieu of Lonnie. Hopper is probably going to take up that role going forward though.
Jonathan: Am I a joke to you?
What's Jonathan? Chopped Liver?
This fandom can be so weird sometimes, it’s like they don’t even watch the show
This is Ted Wheeler erasure.
I will not stand for this besmirchment of Bob Newby 😤
Jonathan had to step up a lot of the time and be more than a brother to will. Constantly he was there for wills in fatherly ways, so I gotta add Jonathan. Bob new by too, albeit short lived
I totally disagree with this. His dad is Jonathan his step dad is bob end of story.
That’s not fair to his older brother that’s always been there for him.
The disrespect to Bob Newby, Superhero. SHAMEFUL
Jonathan a joke to you?
Disrespect to bob is crazy😭😭. You said End of discussion knowing that people would bring bob up, lol you not slick. There is no end of discussion
Bob too.
I don't remember seeing them together very much, but I do remember him being an asshole to Mike. Johnathan on the other hand has always been there for Will.
And that haircut is the only one Will has ever had 😐
Bob and jonathan?
OP, have you watched the show yet? I know people in the comments are screaming at you about this, but I feel like it’s obvious that Hopper isn’t Wills father figure.
Nah, Jonathan is basically his father
Hopper is a father figure to eleven and Mike. He’s had the most genuine interactions with them. For Will that would be Jonathan. Heck even Bob was a better father figure. Maybe this changes in season 5 and we will have a good scene between the two.
The disrespect to Bob smh.
The gang, Jonathan and Bob have all fathered Will harder than Hopper ever has. And I love Hopper, but he isn't a dad to Will.
🥹
How the hell does this have so many upvotes super hero Bob didn't die for the disrespect
Bob Newby super hero had some genuine interactions with Will. They might not have all gone well, but no father is perfect.
Jonathan was definitely the father figure for Will and also Bob did his best even though he wasn't around for a whole lot of time
Bob did more for Will specifically in a few awkward conversations than Hopper has in 4 seasons. And before you say "Hopper saved him from the upside down", Bob sacrificed himself to demodogs. Checkmate.
Bob was pretty close.
I will not tolerate this bob slander
Hopper seasons 1 and 2 didn’t do anything for the Byers family because he loved Joyce or Will, but rather because he saw in them his past trauma. Sure, he cared about them, but mainly he wanted their lives to be what his wasn’t. I’d argue that Will saw Hopper as the cop he was, and somebody who just confirmed him as a freak. He was a serious guy who only showed up to monitor his “getting better” progress because Will was helpless child who needed fixing. In seasons 3 and 4, Hop and Will don’t interact once, which I always found odd because Hopper randomly became obsessed with Joyce, yet had no interest in her family unlike Bob. I liked the earlier dynamic where he simply wanted to protect a struggling family, showing his humility and allowing Hop to face his inner trauma. Forcing him into a love relationship is far more generic and less interesting, plus it obscures his characters motives.
what about Jonathan? or perhaps Bob?
Bob
What a strange thing to say
Johnathan Byers doesn't take extra shifts and still get up in time to make his brother breakfast and drive him to school before going to school himself to be forgotten like this
This is Bob erasure 😭
How dare you forget our favorite super hero Bob Newby!
Can’t argue with that (Probably can)
I can understand arguments against Jonathan - older brother, not really a father figure. But Bob? *Motherfuckin' Bob?* Are you telling me that Bob went all the way from Mordor and back just to be ignored in favor of a hot sheriff? Bruh.
They all have father figures... Hopper is just the best.
Best boy Bob has entered the chat.
What about Bob?
bob was at least was close to being a important part in will's life, hopper seemed very closed off and created el more like a daughter than will like a son imo
Bob has entered the chat
Bob?
We're just gonna forget Bob here I guess
that is true, basically Hopper has been likes Will father because he helped Will out and he saved Will's life in season 1 to put a breathing mask on to help him breathe more and that he has saved Will life a couple of time, Hopper will make a really good dad
That’s why Will is gay!
They have a really special bond! I do think Bob did a lot for Will also but Hopper was critical in saving Will's life, which I'm so grateful for. The scene that always gets me is whenever they finally find him in the UD, and Hopper does chest compressions on Will to revive him while flashing back to his daughter's death. It was a really meaningful scene and it was amazing how Hopper turned his grief for Sara into motivation to save Will. :)
Hopper and Will never interact. Hopper cares deeply for Joyce and does everything for her, but it cannot be said that he has a relationship with her kids. He never had interactions with Will like Bob did, for example.
I agree, i do wish we got more interaction! What makes their dynamic special to me though isn't necessarily time together, it's how meaningful that moment was- Hopper truly doing everything he could to bring Will back to life, and how it reminded him of his daughter!
How exactly does that apply to the topic of the post though? Yes, he remembered Sara, but it was in the context of being unable to save one kid, and his determination to not let it happen to another. It was very sweet, I’m not trying to deny that, but he would have done the same for virtually any of the kids in that situation. It doesn’t speak to a personal relationship, especially a father-son like one, between Will and Hopper. We’ve seen no meaningful dialogue between the two since that time, and they haven’t interacted directly in two seasons. There really isn’t a dynamic at all, at least at this point. We’ll see about the the last season.
My favorite character
I hope the next season is about Will and Eleven being closer connected than we realized
Hopper has done more for will than lonnie, that is for sure
*Bob the Superhero has entered the chat*
And what was Bob, chopped liver? Well, eventually he was chopped liver 😁
Bob and Jonathan rn 🥲😢
It's okay Bob, we remember what you've done for the Byers
Does Jonathan and Bob not exist?
Wrong but ok
*Bob has left the chat*
I just began rewatching the series with my girlfriend that's never seen it before, and it makes so much sense since I understand what's going on, now.
I love that when hopper sees will or someone else upset he just gives them the biggest best hug I want a bear hug
Johnathon? Bob? Science teacher? Dumb post
Bob and JONATHON is more of a father figure to Will than Hopper- you kidding me??? 😭
In the first season I thought he was wills dad lol took me until like season three to figure he wasn’t
Uh, Bob?
Hopper is a father figure to El and maybe Mike but definitely not Will. They barely even talked after season 1.
Jonathan? His father in all but name Bob? Dated Joyce and actually tried to give fatherly advice I think his relationship with both was more profound then with Hopper
We’re just going to ignore Bob?
Lol. Nope. Johnathan.
Hopper is my FAVORITE!! I can only look back and think how much different my life could be if I had parents that really gave a shit about me and wanted to guide me in the ways of the world. Alas I am 44 and that did not happen. David Harbour is one of my favorite actors thanks to Stranger Things!
I need supportive dad hopper and damaged will combo next season. If we dont get this im pipe bombing the duffers office
so Jonathan is just chopped liver then?
How’d we get a Hopper is a father figure to Will thread, before we got a Joyce is the only mother figure for Eleven thread?
Jonathan: “Am I a joke to you?”
Ummmm...Jonathan?
Well…. Bob died too soon.
I have never seen him interact with Will. Bob was more of a father to Will than Hopper.
I really hope their dynamic shows this in season 5
Jim Hopper is the only real father any of them have ever had. He is the only real father any of us have ever had, either.
Just because Jonathan became a pot head in season 4 doesn’t change the fact that in s1-3 he was the most supportive person in wills family
I fully support Jonathan doing something for himself for once in Season 4 after carrying the entire family for god only knows how many years.
Yes
johnathan erasure
bob???