[ad_1]
The following contains discussion of suicide.
star David Harbour reveals the shockingly sad fate he wanted for Hopper back in season 1. Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, the hit Netflix fantasy horror show premiered in 2016, introducing audiences to a range of characters, including Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), a young girl with telekinetic powers; a lovable gang of nerds; and the Hawkins police chief, Jim Hopper. Though Hopper eventually becomes a father figure to Eleven in later Stranger Things seasons, he starts out as a very tortured individual as a result of his daughter, Sara’s, death.
In a recent interview with GQ, Harbour explains that this lasting pain from Hopper’s daughter’s death was why he originally wanted his character to die in Stranger Things season 1. According to Harbour, Hopper’s death, specifically by suicide, was the only way the character could apologize to his late daughter. These thoughts about Hopper, however, formed when Harbour first read the scripts, long before the show became a phenomenon and back when many thought it might only run for one season.
Harbour then also addresses Hopper’s death fake-out in the season 3 finale, which, despite a post-credits scene teasing his survival in Russia, seemed permanent at the time. As Harbour explains:
“I think [viewers] were just committed to the beauty of that moment of his death. It was so moving that I think they almost didn’t want him to be alive.”
What This Means For Stranger Things
Hopper’s Season 1 Death Would Have Totally Changed The Show
While the series deals with fantastical monsters and alternate dimensions, it has also not shied away from killing beloved characters, sometimes in gruesome fashion. In contrast to this darkness, though, most of the main Stranger Things cast were, in season 1 at least, children, and this means that it is also often lighthearted and fun. This tonal balance is undoubtedly why the series has struck a chord with audiences, and it’s possible that Hopper’s death by suicide would have been a step too far for some viewers.
Related
1 Tragic Stranger Things Scene Explains Why Hopper Helps The Kids
Hopper has gone above and beyond to help out the kids throughout Stranger Things. However, the reason why Hopper does this is quite tragic.
Hopper has also become a crucial figure in the narrative. Though Hopper spent much of Stranger Things season 4 in a Soviet prison, he has been crucial both in terms of defeating the evils of the Upside Down and in terms of the emotion in the series. Hopper being a father figure to Eleven, for example, has become a key part of the show, and his budding romance with Joyce (Winona Ryder) has also become a central story point. Having Hopper die in season 1 would totally change the way other characters move through the larger Stranger Things story.
Stranger Things is the second most-watched English show of all time on Netflix, and all seasons have earned positive reviews.
Hopper making peace with his daughter’s death, however, does still seem to be on the cards in Stranger Things season 5, it just may take a different form. It was revealed last October that the show put out a casting call for a new actor to play Sara, Hopper’s daughter. Hopper’s Sara storyline, then, will seemingly be revisited and brought full-circle in the upcoming final season.
Our Take On Hopper’s Dark Fate In Stranger Things Season 1
Why It’s For The Best That It Didn’t Happen
If Stranger Things did only run for one season, Harbour’s idea for Hopper would be more palatable as it would have given the character closure, instead of leaving things open-ended for another season that may never arrive. It also, however, would have arguably been a step too far for the show, and it could seem especially brutal in a way that doesn’t fit within the established tonal rules that the series has set for itself. It remains to be seen how Hopper’s story ends in Stranger Things season 5, but hopefully it’s not quite as dark as Harbour initially envisioned.
Source: GQ
8/10
- Release Date
-
2016 – 2025-00-00
- Showrunner
-
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
- Directors
-
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
[ad_2]
Source link