Is Chief Jim Hopper Really THAT Great?
Emma Gullon
I LOVE Stranger Things. It is one of the finest shows ever created combining my passions for Sci Fi, Horror, and 80’s Pop Culture. But there’s one thing I don’t understand; why does everybody think Jim Hopper is such a great guy?
Don’t get me wrong, he is pretty badass, but alongside that, he has done some pretty terrible things - all of which I’m going to explore in more detail as we go on (Spoilers ahead in case you haven’t binged watched this amazing series!)
Now I understand that he has had trauma, i.e. his daughter dying and his wife leaving, but the way he has treated Eleven (Elle) was pretty horrendous. Take a look back at Season 2 Episode 5 ‘Dig Dug’, where after she breaks out of Hopper’s cabin, he goes nuclear. Not only is he crazy enough to argue with a girl with telekinetic powers, but he says some awful things to her and destroys her TV! I got that his protective parental instinct had kicked in but this was way too harsh. Hasn’t the poor girl suffered enough trapped in Hawkins Lab? Also, she is obviously more than capable of hiding herself if need be (blonde hair and pink dress ring any bells Hopps?)
And it takes watching Will become The Spy, and Eleven going missing to realise the hurt he caused her… two episodes later!
We’re supposed to still like this guy and feel bad that he said and did this stuff, but when you behave like that, that’s pretty nasty! And at least for me, that was the catalyst to making my opinion of Hopper jaundice.
In comparison, Steve Harrington (who I’m just gonna say is the best character in the show. Period) has more than redeemed himself over the course of the series. Realising how much of an idiot he’d been to Jonathan and Nancy, Steve was quick to try and make amends. Once he was roped into finding the infamous Barb and fighting the Demogorgans, he became a hero, the comic relief (alongside Dustin), and the most badass babysitter on television!
Jumping to Season Three and the kids are older, which can only mean one thing; Hormones! Mike and Eleven FINALLY got together, but guess who’s not a happy bunny? Hopper then spent two, yes TWO episodes making it his mission to split them up. Despite initially saying he would “talk” to them and spent a large amount of time writing that tear-jerking speech, a few poor choices of words from Mike, and it all goes out the window!
We’ll never know what was said on that drive home, but to blackmail an innocent boy to stay away from your daughter? Wow…
But by far the worst thing Hopper has done was the way he was with Joy. When she fails to show up for a date, he gets drunk, flies into a rage, and when she explains her magnet situation the day after, he acts like a petty child and continues to sulk over it. REALLY Hops? Firstly, it’s not like Joy witnessed her boyfriend Bob getting devoured by a pack of Demodogs a couple of years back, is it? Oh no, that won’t do any long-lasting damage, will it? Plus, when there’s a chance hers and your kids are in danger again, that’s your priority?
This is a truly despicable move on Hopper’s part, that really has me questioning why Joy would even entertain the idea of actually dating him.
So now we know Jim Hopper is actually alive, will his time inside a Russian prison change him for the better? Or will he perform more acts of aggression and Stockholm syndrome?
Only one way to find out; Bring on Season Four!
Stream Stranger Things Seasons 1 -3 on Netflix.