The incredibly binge-worthy third season of Stranger Things was so good that fans are already eager for the next batch of episodes. It’s easy to see why, too, as the latest chapter in the supernatural series brought us plenty of shocking moments and nostalgic references, which were only made even better thanks to another excellent soundtrack in the background.
But if there’s one part of the new run that’s got people talking more than any other it’s without a doubt the tragic death of David Harbour’s Hopper. Or at least, the supposed death of Hopper. Indeed, fans have already come up with a plethora of theories speculating on how he may still be alive but until we see him in the flesh again, we’ll consider him gone for good. And it seems as if Harbour and co-star Winona Ryder, who plays Joyce, feel the same.
Speaking in a recent interview, they opened up on the tragic moment and what it meant for their characters and the show as a whole.
“Well, [the whole season] leads to that epic, climactic moment of just one simple look between them,” Harbour explained. “To me, that alone [tells] a lot about their shared 30 years of history together.”
“I was really happy just to get to spend more time with David. It was really great to have so much with just David and I,” added Ryder.
“They have their own traumas, they have their own difficulties, and they do act out on each other,” Harbour said of the characters’ dynamic. “I mean, Hopper certainly acts out all over the place. He’s constantly angry and doesn’t know how to process his emotions.”
But what of the missed opportunity now in that we’ll never see Hopper and Joyce get together, even though season 3 heavily hinted that they would? Well, the actors spoke about that, too, saying they’re curious if it would’ve actually happened.
“I just, I wonder what would have happened if… you know?” Ryder teased.
“Yeah, I know,” added Harbour. “Me too.”
Agreed. Though as we said above, Hopper may not really be dead, and Harbour has already teased that he could return in season 4. How exactly he could’ve survived the events of the finale remain to be seen, of course, but this being Stranger Things, we won’t rule anything out.