Stranger Things: Relationships in Season 4

Stranger Things is a great show for so many reasons. The story is stellar, the dialogue is nostalgic of the 80’s, and the plot constantly leaves us questioning, “What’s next?” In addition to amazing visuals, we’ve watched a wide range of relatable characters continue to grow in depth over the past 4 seasons. From the young guns playing D&D and dressing in costumes, to the Vecna-battling young adults they’ve become, there’s been a serious growth in these characters. Not only have they evolved as individuals, but they’ve continued to develop their relationships as well.

This blog will focus specifically on Stranger Things, Season 4 (major spoilers ahead), with a nod to the variety of relationships displayed. Whether romantic, platonic, or familial, these bonds are what really tie together the drama and suspense of Stranger Things. It’s one major reason why viewers are so enamored with this show. Not only is the story line fairly epic -with special effects on par with most major-budget films of the day- but the writers continue to push the line of what constitutes healthy relationships.

Without becoming cheesy or overdone, Stranger Things pulls us deeper into the psyche of its characters. This is done so masterfully it never overshadows or waters down the story. Rather, it’s what makes the story so digestible and fun. Step in as we highlight some of the most memorable relationships of Stranger Things.

Mike & Eleven:

We’ve seen the full range of Mike and Eleven’s relationship: from strangers to close friends, to dating partners, to ex-dating partners, and then back again. In Season 1 they meet for the first time, and Eleven’s new friendship with Mike threatens to derail his relationships with Dustin and Lucas. However, once they realize Eleven is good-to-go, she becomes a part of the crew. In season 2 it’s clear that Mike and Eleven share feelings for each other, although her disappearance makes it virtually impossible to act on those feelings (until the end of the season when they attended the Snow Ball dance and shared a smooch). In Season 3, Hopper forces Mike to stop hanging out with Eleven, and she eventually dumps him. They’ll later reconcile right before Eleven is forced to move away after the ‘death’ of Hopper. And here we are in Season 4, where their relationship is more complicated than ever.

In this season, we see that Eleven has been moved to California, where she is living with Will, Jonathan, and Joyce. She’s dealing with a new life in a new place at a new school, and not faring so well having lost her powers and dealing with being bullied by the popular students. Mike has continued to live in Hawkins and is dating Eleven from afar. From the get-go of Season 4, it’s clear that these two still care deeply for each other and are excited about the aspect of spending time together during an upcoming Spring break. However, it becomes obvious that sending letters and talking on the phone is not quite the same for their budding romance as seeing each other daily. They try to make it work via long distance, but Eleven starts to worry that Mike doesn’t love her anymore. She gets pretty salty about the fact that Mike signs his letters, “From Mike,” instead of “Love Mike,” which is not quite the epitome of love she’s been wanting from him. At one point, the two of them have a huge falling out and it seems as though their relationship is destined to fail.

When Mike arrives in CA, their relationship hits a rough patch after the incident at the roller rink. In this scene, Eleven attacks her bully with a roller skate and ends up breaking her nose. Before she gets hauled away by the cops, Mike freaks out on her. And though he’s likely concerned about Eleven’s welfare and the fact that she got arrested, his words leave a deep scar. Healthy communication is key, but it can be hard to be vulnerable and honest about our true feelings. This is made even more complicated when the relationship is long distance. It’s so easy to read into things and interpret the subtle nuances (as seen by Mike signing his letters, “From Mike”).

Eleven is then kidnapped by Dr. Martin Brenner, in hopes at regaining her powers, and brought to a secret base in the desert. Before Mike and friends can begin the hunt for her, the Byers’ house is attacked by soldiers, who kill the federal agents sent to guard them. Mike et al make it out alive and follow the clues to rescue Eleven. The risks they all take dodging bullets and speeding away from the military is clearly an indication of Mike’s loyalty to El and his determination to get her back. Thankfully by the end of Season 4, Mike can finally tell Eleven his true feelings. He’s been worried that she’s too important to care about him (being the superhero that she is), and that if he shared with her how much he loved her, there’d be nothing left for her. His concerns are valid, but unwarranted, since Eleven loves Mike so much.

Mike and Will

After the conclusion of Stranger Things season 3, the viewer is left wondering what will happen to the Hawkins crew. We see characters being killed off (RIP Billy), Eleven loses her power, and the Byers family is forced to move out of Indiana. It seems as if the friendships developed in the first three seasons are destined for some changes.

Enter Season 4, where the Byers Family plus El now live in California, a couple thousand miles from the trouble brewing in Hawkins Indiana. This puts strain not only on El’s relationship with Mike, but Will’s relationship with Mike as well. We are shown scenes of Will furiously painting an unknown image meant to be a gift for someone. With Spring Break approaching, Mike is planning a trip to visit Eleven, and hopefully continue the romance established in previous seasons. He’s more than excited for the visit, especially being able to see Eleven. It’s also clear that Will is equally excited to see his best friend.

Sadly, after spending so much time making the painting, and bringing it to the airport with him, Will doesn’t give the painting to Mike. There are multiple scenes throughout the season where Mike and Will openly communicate with each other, which sets the stage for how much Mike’s friendship means to Will. It also establishes how much Will has missed spending time with him.

Near the end of the season, when Mike, Will, Jonathan, and Argyle are attempting to rescue Eleven, Mike admits to his doubts about his relationship with Eleven. He questions why El would want to be with him and worries that she’ll eventually outgrow their relationship. Will steps in to reassure his best friend and shares how important Mike’s love has been to Eleven.

Will also had a chance to finally show Mike the painting he’d been working on. It displayed their troupe in Medieval fashion battling a dragon, obviously meant to symbolize their struggles against the Demogorgon and the upside down. Will describes how Eleven commissioned him to make this painting, after having spent a difficult 6 months apart from Mike. This turns out to be a lie, considering that El didn’t even know what Will was painting (as seen in Episode 1, “The Hellfire Club”). Will talks about how Mike is the “heart” of their group and is what held them together through all the turmoil of the past three years.

It seems clear that Will holds secret feelings for Mike, possibly romantic, but definitely heartfelt. In this scene, Will describes how difficult it’s been for Eleven being apart from Mike, but Will’s observations on Eleven reflect his true feelings for Mike. And while Mike may not share the same kind of love that Will feels, hearing that Eleven would always need him is what pushes Mike forward and gives him hope. In the end, Will sacrifices his own feelings to offer support to Mike. Will cared enough about Mike to help his best friend during this difficult time, which is a true sign of a good friend. The scene ends in a heartbreaking way, with Will bawling his eyes out (likely wishing he could tell Mike how he truly felt).

UPDATE: It was confirmed via social media by Noah Schnapp (the actor that plays Will Byers) that Will is in fact in love with his best friend Mike. While the hints were quite obvious about Will’s feelings, it’s good to see the truth revealed. This comes at a time when LGBTQ+ issues are a hot topic in the public sphere, and is sure to turn off some viewers. Hopefully the anti-LGBTQ bigots will find a better way to spend their time than binging a great show like Stranger Things!

Will and Jonathan

After the conclusion of this scene, where Will offers Mike words of compassion and support, Jonathan sees that his brother is crying in the backseat. Will’s declarations of love from Eleven to Mike are secretly masking his own feelings, which can be difficult to share when it’s unrequited. It’s obvious from the look on his face that Jonathan feels empathy for his brother and wants to offer him words of support.

This leads us to a later scene where Jonathan confronts Will in a very loving way and shares that he’s missed talking to his brother. Jonathan has been so busy living his new life in California -and being stoned the entire time- that he’s taken his relationship with Will for granted. It can be easy to forget the people closest to us, especially after enduring a tragedy and repeated traumatic events. After barely surviving the Demogorgon in Season 3, it’s no wonder Jonathan turned to self-medication through Purple Palm Tree Delight!

The scene in the kitchen where Jonathan opens up to Will is such an important example of male camaraderie. In today’s society, where males are expected to remain stoic and hide any sign of love for each other, it’s a great gesture when a popular show on Netflix normalizes men telling each other, “I love you.” It’s one of the most difficult parts of being a man, that expectation that we suffer alone and swallow any sign of weakness or struggle. These two brothers have experienced so much and are still able to drop the tough-guy approach and openly share their emotions.

According to Schnapp, the Duffer Brothers thought it was very important for Will to have the support of his brother. "It’s also very important for people to see that Will is not alone – because all we ever see of him is struggling and feeling depressed and that he can’t be himself," says Noah Schnapp. "Jonathan is talking to him in code – it’s just the perfect way to tell someone like Will that he cares about him and he accepts him no matter what. I think it was really wholesome."

There was also an acknowledgement for the pain that Jonathan caused Will, having been so absent during the past year. He took responsibility for the hurt he triggered and didn’t try to pass judgement or make excuses. It takes a bigger person to apologize to someone we’ve hurt, versus pretending as if those feelings don’t matter. And it’s an important reminder to men that we can be vulnerable and take accountability for how our actions affect others. Rather than expecting Will to stay closeted, or pretend to be something he’s not, Jonathan tells Will that he’ll love him no matter what.

This scene epitomizes the true value of having family and friends we can be open with, and who will love and support us through thick and thin. I’m excited to see how the relationship between these two brothers will evolve in Season 5.

Eddie and Dustin:

Definitely two fan favorites from this Season, Eddie Munson is the bad boy at Hawkins High School, newly introduced in Season 4 as the older, quirky metalhead in charge of the Hellfire Club. Dustin, long a favorite of Stranger Things fans, has grown up and is not the little kid we remember from past seasons. Now, his character has evolved into a high schooler with teeth (as satirized by Steve in a low-blow joke from Episode 3).

From the get-go, it’s clear that Dustin idolizes Eddie, who’s like a wiser, more-experienced version of geekdom to whom fellow Hellfire members can revere. Over the course of Season 4, Eddie is pulled into the gang through necessity, as the entirety of Hawkins is dead set on blaming him for the death of Chrissy Cunningham, a popular cheerleader and first victim of Vecna. Not only does Eddie get drawn up in the hellfire and brimstone of angst that Hawkins’ township is set to blame on him, but so do any other members of the club. From being social outcasts with a penchant for Dungeons and Dragons, this ragtag posse of 80’s nerds soon become the primary target for angry adults and high school jocks alike.

That said, we see a situation where the gang comes to the rescue of Eddie, at the behest of Dustin, his main minion. Without knowing exactly what they were getting into, the gang of mischiefs would launch into a mission of discovery that took them back into the Upside Down. With the ever-increasing danger -which sees Steve almost gorged to death by the Demobats- the gang quickly discovers the source of their town’s hardships in the form of Vecna, who we later learn is already known to Eleven as One.

A final battle against Vecna and his hoard of vicious beasts sees the squad split up into smaller teams, two of which include Dustin and Eddie. With their makeshift weapons and hearts filled with courage, these two bravely venture into the darkness with a plan in place. After finding his guitar in the Upside Down, and hoping to stall Vecna, Eddie blasts into a sick rendition of Metallica’s Master of Puppets, which draws away the Demobats and gives the rest of the gang the opportunity to confront Vecna.

With the Demobats stalking them, Eddie makes the fatal decision to push Dustin back into the ‘real’ Hawkins, while he stays behind to battle some demons. A devastated Dustin scrambles to make his way back to the Upside Down and ends up jacking up his leg in the process. As Eddie courageously makes his final stand, Dustin hobbles back with hopes of saving his new friend from the swarm of Demobats. Only after Eddie’s been brutally attacked is Dustin finally able to get to him. Sadly he’s too late to save his new friend. The two share some heartbreaking final last words, and then Eddie dies in Dustin's arms.

This scene is heart-wrenching, especially made more so by the town’s continued belief and blame aimed at Eddie for the disaster that Vecna wrought upon their municipality. To tug on the heartstrings even more, Dustin must share the truth to Eddie’s uncle about his nephew’s untimely demise. However, even in the end, Dustin is able to truly appreciate the depths of Eddie’s courage and relay to his Uncle the full truth of Eddie’s sacrifice.

Eddie’s evolution from the leader of the Hellfire club into a hero set on vanquishing the evildoers is shown by his decision not to run away. He now confronts his demons head-on. And whereas Eddie and Dustin’s relationship began as two people with similar interests, it ended with each of them going out of their way to rescue each other. Theirs is a bond that goes beyond just casual friendship and demonstrates how people who start out as strangers can end up becoming each other’s savior.

Max and Lucas:

The relationship between Max and Lucas has grown throughout the series. It’s important for not only normalizing bi-racial relationships (which happen, are normal, and should be shown on TV and in movies and not exoticized!) but showing how relationships can ebb and flow. Sometimes two people are tight, and they connect in many different and meaningful ways. Sometimes, those same two people can drift apart, and feelings for each other can change over time.

After Max and Lucas dated, their relationship became a bit rocky. In addition to dealing with racism from Billy aimed at Lucas, Max also had her own turmoil brewing inside. When Billy died in Season 3, her self-esteem was adversely affected to the point where Max felt like she didn’t deserve to live. For a person dealing with internalized trauma, it can be really difficult to escape from those negative feelings, even if someone like Lucas is there with love and support. For Max, it was an issue of battling her own feelings and insecurity, not just a matter of turning to Lucas for help.

In this season, it was obvious that Lucas still had feelings for Max, but they’d both gone their separate ways. While he could’ve been a source of support during these difficult times, Lucas was busy creating his own destiny. He had seemingly recreated himself in the form of a Hawkin’s High School basketball player (main position, the bench), and would basically come to reject his friend group. Seeking more than being a punching bag to the jocks, he expressed to Mike and Dustin, “I’m tired of being bullied. I’m tired of feeling like a loser.” He would finally get his chance to shine and after winning the game with a 3-pointer, Lucas found himself enamored with a new group of friends. Eventually, these bloodthirsty athletes would force Lucas to pick a side, and we see him join the hunt for the Hellfire club (of which his best friends and sister were members). Thankfully, Lucas’ quick thinking and ulterior motives would throw off the scent and give his true friends a chance to escape.

At the same time, Max was sinking deeper into her depression. She had rejected her new friends and was relying only upon herself (and the music of Kate Bush, who would save Max from Vecna’s deathly grip). These feelings raging inside of Max were likely what attracted Vecna to her presence, as he sought out four victims to concoct his master plan. The trauma that Max carried with her, and her need to hide her feelings from anyone that might help, only exasperated the depression she endured. She felt alone, but also sought to minimize that torment from spilling out onto anyone else. Knowing that she would likely die, Max wrote letters to her friends and family explaining how she felt.

Lucas wanted more than just a letter from his old girlfriend, meant to be opened after she departed the earthly realm. This brings us to the cemetery, where Max and Lucas are able to talk more openly, honestly, and deeply about how they feel about each other. As Max is caught in the death throes of Vecna for the first time, Lucas is the only person to know her favorite song, which pulls her away from death at the last second.

It’s this devotion that saved Max at that point. And when she finally faces off with Vecna in Episode 9, it’s her positive memories of the times spent with Lucas that she gripped onto tightly. This love felt for Lucas not only pulled Max away from the months of depression through which she’d been suffering, but also saved her from an untimely death.

Their relationship shows how two people can have feelings for each other and then grow apart, but still hold on tight to the memory of that relationship. In the end, Lucas was able to give Max the emotional support she deserves, and it’s this support that gave Max a reason to live. And while Max was in the hospital, broken and in a coma, it’s Lucas who stayed with her even though he should probably have sought treatment for himself. Lucas’ love for her is what saved Max (in addition to Eleven’s newly recovered superpowers).

Hopper and Joyce:

These two have been dancing around their feelings for each other since the start of the show. It’s been pretty obvious that each cared deeply about the other, but there was always something getting in the way of their romance developing. Season one saw Joyce frantic due to Will being kidnapped by the mind-flayer, and season 2 continued with Joyce worrying about the traumatic effect this kidnapping has had on Will (not to mention that he’s still showing signs of being possessed). Meanwhile, Hopper had taken over care-taking for Eleven, as her “father.” By the end of season 3, the viewer was left to believe that Hopper had been killed, when in fact he’d been transported to Russia via the upside down.

Season 4 showed how distraught Joyce was with the ‘death’ of Hopper, and how ecstatic she was upon discovering that he was possibly alive. The fact that Joyce and Murray would make plans to go to Russia to rescue Hopper (during an era where there were fears that USSR and USA would engage in a nuclear war), shows how much she cares for him. Finally, after countless roadblocks, the two were reunited.

Thankfully, Joyce was there to rescue Hopper from the Demogorgon (not once, but twice!), and they were able to finally have that long-sought kiss. Theirs is a romance that has been building up for years, and it shows the importance of being there for each other (emotionally, mentally, and eventually, physically).

Steve and Nancy:

These two have had a complicated relationship ever since the start of the show. In season 1, we see that Nancy and Steve are dating, but it’s not the greatest relationship. Steve gets jealous when Jonathan comes into the picture, and Nancy pulls away after Barb disappears. This leads Steve to assume she’s cheating, and he goes so far as to break Jonathan’s camera. The two dudes have a battle royale, and Jonathan slugs Steve, giving him a shiner and a case of the regrets. Eventually, Steve will stand up to his pals after they insult Jonathan, and he proves his worth to Nancy by heroically battling the Demogorgon.

Their relationship fizzles out in Season 2, but Steve is brought more into the spotlight and becomes a main character. His relationship to the show is one of the big brother / babysitter looking out for the gang. He offers nuggets of wisdom to Dustin about the turmoil of young love -likely talking about his time with Nancy- and shows a sensitive, compassionate side when he drives Dustin to the Snowball dance, like a protective parent sending his youngin’ off into the world. By the end of season 2, Steve has helped the gang protect Hawkins from the Demogorgon and kept the kids safe at the same time.

As the show progresses into season 3, the Steve and Nancy relationship is a distant memory. Combat with otherworldly creatures can do that to a romance. Now we see Steve is working at an ice cream parlor, Scoops Ahoy, with his eyes seemingly set on fellow co-worker, Robin. This season brings our characters through a series of escapades and leads them to an unknown Russian base beneath the Hawkins Mall. After getting drugged and interrogated, Steve admits to Robin that he’s developed a crush on her. She admits to being gay and he’s graciously open to it. They can continue to be good friends, leaving room for the Steve and Nancy bond to reignite.

This is another place where Stranger Things really does relationships right. They’re not afraid to explore a character through a non-heteronormative lens, even in the face of potential backlash from homophobic bigots set on cancelling their Netflix accounts. And the fact that Steve accepted her sexual orientation without question or protest, shows just how easy it is to support someone else. It’s also possible for a male and female to only be friends, without the expectation of future sexual gratification.

Finally, we’ve made it to Season 4, where Steve has really transformed from the popular, somewhat egotistical guy of Season 1 into the protective older friend set on keeping the kiddos safe. We see that not only does his cloak of security safeguard Dustin, but it also extends to newer friends like Max and Robin. Thankfully, that defense is two-way, as the gang comes to Steve’s rescue as he’s being attacked by the Demobats in Season 4, Episode 7.

It's obvious that any chance of romance with Robin is null and void, but their friendship is top notch. And there does seem to be a spark again with Nancy, as shown by a couple intimate moments. Steve’s discussion with Nancy in the R.V. about the perfect future -with 6 kids nonetheless- seems to be clearly directed at her. Thankfully she put the 6 kids plan in check real quick, but the feelings seem to be reciprocated. Of course, Nancy is technically still in a relationship with Jonathan (who has moved to California by this point), but the viewer would be hard-set to spot any signs of intimacy between the two. However, surprises do exist, when the two share a smooch upon being reunited at the end of the season. Whatever will happen with the Steve / Nancy romance, is it destined to lay in a coma like Max?           

 Robin and Vickie

The last relationship to be discussed in this blog is one that does not quite exist. In this case, we’re talking about the potential for a relationship between Robin and new character Vickie. Robin is crushing hard on this fellow band geek, but isn’t quite sure where Vickie’s heart stands. Robin is hopeful her feelings would be requited, but she’s not yet secure enough to impart her feelings upon Vickie.

As a lesbian-identified character in the 1980’s, this was a time when being LGBTQ wasn’t quite as accepted as it is nowadays. Robin stands as a forerunner for gay characters. Of course, Stranger Things is made in an era where being gay is more accepted, though sadly the bigotry of the 80’s still continues to exist. That’s why it’s so great Stranger Things can normalize these types of crushes -even if they don’t lead to an actual relationship- because not everyone identifies as a heterosexual. And shows need to highlight this wide variety of sexual orientations.

We see Robin acting goofy and unable to talk when Vickie comes around, practically floundering to get out any words. Then Robin goes running for advice to her good friend and fellow Family Video coworker, Steve. By now, Steve has no lingering feelings for Robin, having been firmly (and graciously) rejected in Season 3. She made it clear that she’s not in love with Steve: she just wants to be Steve, because the ladies love him, and she loves the ladies! Now, his relationship with Robin is one of being a confidante, rather than a potential hook-up.

Despite his overwhelming support for Robin to make a move, she continues to tiptoe around her feelings. She never quite gets the courage to spill her heart out and is sadly thrown a curveball when she sees Vickie making out with her boyfriend at the gun shop. With more important things to do (i.e., stock up on artillery for their epic battle in the Upside Down), Robin dodges a bullet before she can embarrass herself in front of Vickie.

By the end of Season 4, we find Robin and Vickie finally in a position to move past the awkward mile-a-minute dialogue as they prep PB&J sandwiches for Hawkins’ displaced residents. Here, we learn that Vickie is newly single, having chosen to ride out the apocalypse solo style. This gives the perfect opening for Robin to slide in, and at least befriend Vickie. Who knows what Season 5 has in store, but how great would it be for the last season of Stranger Things to gift Robin with an actual romantic relationship, despite the world falling apart around them?

In summary

Stranger Things has become a cultural phenomenon, and we’re all the better for having witnessed it. Whether it’s the characters we connect to, the eerie supernatural quality of the show, the costumes and design, or just everything, we’re hooked! Let’s hope that as time goes on, our society will learn to live and love like some of these characters do. At the very least, we can all have our own family and friendships to turn to when times are tough. Let’s hope Season 5, the last of the seasons, is equally pleasing and does not disappoint!