But this isn’t Hopper encouraging a heartbroken friend to get back out there, easing her way back to the dating scene by having a one-on-one meal with a pal. They banter back-and-forth about whether he’ll pick her up or she’ll meet him there, and what time they should meet so she can be home early. When he asks her out again, it’s under the ruse of a platonic get-together. She could really use a friend right now, and Hopper is only willing to pretend to be one. Is it weird that “Stranger Things” uses the will-they-won’t-they Sam & Diane storyline from “Cheers” within Joyce’s old romance to parallel her new one? Yes, it’s very weird, and only further reinforces that Bob was always a pawn to be sacrificed, thus stringing out the show’s real love story: Hopper and Joyce.īut what matters in the Season 3 narrative is that Joyce isn’t ready.
Joyce is still recovering from Bob’s death, as seen early on when she turns down Hopper’s invitation out for a night in, recreating her nights in with Bob (Sean Astin) solo. However, it’s only really clear that Hopper cares about Joyce and not the other way around. yelling is… a bit much, but it’s clear they both care about the kids. The letter she writes to help him understand talking vs.
Hopper shows up at Joyce’s empty store, spends some time complaining, and then she advises him how to proceed. After bonding over Hopper’s official new role as Eleven’s adoptive father, the two seem to have a comfortable, friendly, routine. Winona Ryder and David Harbour in “Stranger Things”įirst off, the Joyce / Hopper romantic saga has always been a bit clunky, and it picks up on the wrong foot here. His behavior calls to mind sexist double standards, if not overtly reinforcing them - even rude and ugly men deserve beautiful, supportive women - and while Hopper doesn’t go so far to the dark side in Season 3 that he’s completely alienated, he embodies enough of his predecessors’ bad habits to turn this hurt cop hollow. Hopper walking around like the women in his life owe him something? No, thank you.
Hopper trying to break up his daughter’s first romance? Ew. Watching a schlubby, overweight husband yell for another beer from his well-dressed, model of a wife may have been a funny encapsulation of “average” American households for the masses to chuckle at 30 years ago, but now it’s kinda gross. He’s an archetype, a stereotype, or both, which is exactly what “Stranger Things” is going for, not just in this but in so many of its homages, and it’s exactly what’s wrong with recreating the ’80s sitcom dad exactly as he was in the 1980s. The first shot of Hopper even shows him sitting in a recliner, watching “Magnum P.I.,” and munching on Tostitos (with the label out and easy to read, following best practices for product placement) - Hopper may as well be Dan Conner or Al Bundy.
His slovenly personal upkeep and so-called “dad bod” are on full display, in and out of his snug uniform. His grumpiness is amped up to “threatening to murder children” levels. In “Stranger Things 3,” David Harbour goes full ’80s sitcom dad with Jim Hopper.
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'Hanna' Season 3 Review: The Story of a Young Super-Assassin Ends Like It Startedĥ0 Essential United Artists Movies Amazon Will Own in MGM Deal 'The Beatles: Get Back' Review: A Riveting, Playful Look at the Band's Final Days So let’s delve headfirst into the madness, starting the critical character to Season 3: Chief James “Jim” Hopper. While the story may not make sense just yet, it’s an undeniably attractive show.I maintain the best way to enjoy “Stranger Things” is to not think about it, but for those of us unable to follow their own advice, the below Spoilers Review keeps its focus on the most nagging elements of Season 3 while making sure to highlight the parts that brought pure, untainted joy, as well. It’s a show set in the 80s, done as if it were made then (it should be said the costuming and set dressing are remarkable). There’s a missing boy, his worried mother and the not-worried-enough police chief, the older kids, the cool kids, and the shady adults chasing a small girl in a hospital gown. From the cold open (a scientist meeting an implied but grizzly fate) to the discovery of a mysterious girl on a stormy night, Chapter One is a smartly crafted piece of entertainment. It’s a slow rollout of characters and concept that doesn’t set pieces in place so much as take them out of the box. The Duffer Brothers waste no time with The Vanishing of Will Byers, using it to set a strong tone and vision for the rest of the season. This is part one of a four part series recapping and reviewing the first season of the Netflix series. With season two of the smash hit Stranger Things coming out this Friday (October 27th), there’s no better time to refresh yourself on what happened in Hawkins, Indiana than right now.