It's no secret that all of us have been waiting for the triumphant return of
Stranger Things 2 so we could return to the quaint town "where nothing ever happens." We've discussed, at length,
the five people you meet in Hawkins. Now,
Stranger Things 2 has presented us with even more characters to cry over, worry about, and even hate a little. Today, let's honor those new
and familiar faces: here are five more people you meet in Hawkins.
Spoilers for Stranger Things 2
Bob Newby (Superhero)
Most of us know Sean Astin from his role as Samwise Gamgee on
Lord of the Rings. Or maybe you know him from his role as Mikey in
The Goonies. Whichever you know him as, you were probably pleasantly surprised to see him join the cast of
Stranger Things 2 as Bob Newby, a Radio Shack employee who started dating Joyce in the interim between seasons. You may have been suspicious of him at first. You may have even been a little shocked to see him kissing Joyce in the back of the supply room (especially if you're an avid Joyce/Hopper shipper). But whatever your initial feelings, Bob Newby slowly worms his way into your heart over the course of the show.
... And then you're crying. Sobbing, really. And you're just begging for Bob Newby to come back, even though you know that he can't possibly survive being a Demogorgon meal. So you pray for him to be avenged, at least. #JusticeforBob
Mad Max
Listen, you
know Hawkins can always use more girl power. And Max Mayfield provides that in droves when she skateboards onto the scene with a soft heart but a whole lot of attitude.
At first you might be skeptical about her—I mean, can anyone
really take the place of Eleven? But then you realize that's not the point—Max quickly proves she's not anything like Eleven and in the best way. You'll be quickly drawn to her spunk, and you'll want to
fiercely protect her from her awful stepbrother, Billy (more on
him in a moment). But most of all, you'll campaign for D&D to add "zoomer" to its official repertoire.
Billy Hargrove
From the moment Billy Hargrove steps on the scene in his tight jeans to the soundtrack of "Rock Me Like a Hurricane," you know you're in for trouble. (And if you don't know, maybe you should get your eyes checked.)
He's a huge ball of anger and assholery. You don't know whether you want to love him or hate him, and maybe that's the point. Maybe you even want to crawl through the screen and wring his neck. However, in that
one scene the tides shift a little, and you see why Billy is the way he is. You don't excuse his actions, but at least you understand them a little better. Then he's back to flirting with married women and beating up your new favorite Steve Harrington (more on
him in a moment), and you remember what got you hating Billy Hargrove in the first place. When Max brings that nailed bat between Billy's legs, it is a triumph for all of us. And yet, deep down you know Billy will return (just hopefully not too soon).
Will Byers
Without Will Byers, there would be no
Stranger Things. He's defined the show from the very beginning, even if he didn't get much screen time in season one. In season two, our boy was right-side-up, so he got much more screen time than before. And boy, was it painful.
From the beginning, you know something's not right when poor Will can't even go to the arcade without the Upside Down haunting him. And unlike the supposed "experts" at Hawkins Laboratory, you know that this is much more than dreams, flashbacks, or PTSD. A car ride with Bob, trick-or-treating, and even a nice warm bath all go horrifyingly wrong. It all comes to an awful crescendo when Will tries to resist and the Mind Flayer possesses him on the football field; you'll be shaking, covering your eyes, and praying you don't have nightmares. (And don't tell me you didn't cry during that scene in the shed—I
know you did.)
As the season progresses, you'll be begging for the pain to just
STOP already for this poor little boy. But it doesn't. It just gets worse. Much, much worse. Here's hoping season three is much less traumatizing for William Byers (and that he and Jonathan bop out to "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" at
least one more time).
Steve Harrington
Now, technically Steve Harrington isn't a
stranger to this column, but he deserves his place because of sheer character development. You
thought Steve Harrington had reached his full potential, but it turns out there was nowhere to go but up. (He fully believes KFC is finger-lickin' good, after all!) From bringing flowers to his ex-girlfriend to flinging a dish towel over his shoulder, Steve has become a true icon. If you ever need to fight Demogorgons in a bus or cram a dead Demogorgon into a fridge, you know who to call. Because one thing about Steve frickin' Harrington? He will always, always have your back.
I thought I was a fan of Steve Harrington before, but Stranger Things 2 made me a full-blown Steve Harrington stan, and I am 100% okay with that. If you need me, you can catch me crying about how much he cares about Dustin—and how much Dustin needs him.
Suffice it to say,
Stranger Things 2 fully exceeded my expectations and left me desperate for season three. Until our next return to Hawkins, I'll be craving Eggos, humming the
Ghostbusters theme, and still getting low-key worried every time the light flickers.
Who was your favorite character in Stranger Things 2?
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