Stranger Things’ David Harbor Says Season 3 Is Emotional And Unexpected

For a show about missing children and psychic test subjects, Stranger Things is surprisingly funny, mixing its more emotional elements with humor to create a perfect Amblin-style concoction for a new generation. We’ve already had our first humorous tease at the show’s new episodes, but now star David Harbor says we can expect the upcoming season to double down on the emotional stuff as well.

Speaking at the MCM Comic-Con in London over the weekend, Harbor revealed that the third season of Netflix’s hit streaming series is going to take a deeper dive into his character’s relationship with Eleven, played by Millie Bobbie Brown. As of the show’s second season, Harbor’s character, Chief Jim Hopper, has served as Eleven’s adopted father, a somewhat strained relationship that led to one of the most intense and poignant scenes of the last run.

“[Eleven] is growing up and I think that’s the terrifying thing for Hopper. He doesn’t like the idea of his baby daughter hanging out with boys. So the season starts with him a little bit uncomfortable. His daughter is becoming a teenager and beginning to find herself, so that’s scarier for Hopper than any Demogorgon creature that he’s going to have to deal with. You get to see a lot of that throughout the season and it’s very unexpected what happens in the end and it’s very, very moving. I think episode eight is the most moving thing we’ve ever shot.”

Considering Strangers Things hasn’t shied away from heartbreaking moments before, Harbor’s statement carries some weight. After all, the series’ entire first season is about a missing 12-year-old, and the death and destruction caused by a loosed Demogorgon in the town of Hawkins. Subsequently, season 2 dealt with that fallout, taking a look at the family of the late Barb Holland, and featuring an entire episode about runaway children with mutant powers. While the plot of season 3 has been mostly kept under wraps, it shouldn’t come as a shock that at least a few episodes are going to pack an emotional punch.

If for some reason you haven’t yet checked it out, the first two seasons of Strangers Things are streaming exclusively on Netflix right now. Hurry up though, because season 3 drops July 4th, and it sounds like you’re not going to want to miss it.